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MelissaClaire
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| Posted: Feb 11 2014 at 8:24am | IP Logged
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I've been doing lots of reading about essential oils lately and I feel like I'm as confused as when I began.
Are they something you use in your home? How? With what frequency? Which ones? Where do you buy them?
Several bloggers just did a weeklong "day in the life of an oiler" series. I read through all of them (they all use Young Living) and in their posts they were using them all day long--putting some on when they wake up, soaking in a bath with them, diffusing them, putting them on kid's feet each night--on and on. I know Young Living is a mulitlevel marketing company so I couldn't tell how much was marketing and how much was that they really thought their family benefited from them.
Any info--or sites you could direct me to would really help. If I can put an essential oil called "peace and calming" in a diffuser and have it cause peace and calming in the home---sign me up! 
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organiclilac
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| Posted: Feb 11 2014 at 11:15am | IP Logged
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I think essential oils can be very helpful, but I have serious concerns from some who claim they will cure anything, to include cancer. There has been no independent research on things like that, only anecdotes. Also, I've been barraged (on a local list) with all kinds of claims that only certain companies really have 100% pure oils, all the other companies are lying, etc. As far as I can tell, the only 3rd party testing done to confirm those claims is here and their findings do NOT support that.
There was a really great post over at The Common Room, summarizing things to be aware of when getting into EOs and some of the multi-level marketing companies that sell them. That post is here.
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Tracy, wife to Shawn, mama to Samuel (4/01) and Joseph (11/11), and Thomas (2/15)
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Grace&Chaos
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| Posted: Feb 11 2014 at 12:02pm | IP Logged
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I agree with Tracy on just always being alert on the grand claims any product makes. Personally, I enjoy essential oils for the calming effects the aroma has. Depending on the day and/or mood different scents evoke a different response...sometimes I like lavender other days something with cedar smells better.
I have a friend involved with Young Living and she always tells me she enjoys the oils and that's why she's with them not for the money part of it. She's never pushed marketing on any of us but is always ready for us to try her "collection". Her thoughts are that the best way to know if an oil is for you is by smelling them first. She's been to several conferences and always has new insights about the effects of certain plants/flower oils or their combinations. Which if you think about it, is not that different from herbal/natural remedies.
I've used them mainly by rubbing them on my palms and smelling them. When I've been pregnant lavender has been my go to morning sickness relief (I've rubbed on my temples). I've also tried putting a little bit of individual citrus or blends into my water (you should use glass containers when doing this). I just used one to add to our soapmaking over the holidays too. I don't have a diffusor, but would at some point like to get one.
Not sure if this helped but wanted to share that I've enjoyed them and do use them 
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Jenny
Mom to dds(00,03) and dss(05,06,08,09)
Grace in Loving Chaos
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Feb 11 2014 at 12:53pm | IP Logged
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I do use some. For myself, I go to the health food store and buy what I want to use. I like certain scents, I use scented candles.
Essential oils can be used simply to scent things. I've been known to use a bit for freshening up a room for instance. That doesn't take a lot of know how.. no one has problems if we had lemons set out in a bowl scenting the air or if we brought fir branches inside.. same thing imo.
Then small uses.. peppermint helps with migraines.. so we use some of that (in a carrier oil or not depending on what works for the individual.. I typically use coconut oil) for rubbing on temples or the back of the neck. And Eucalyptus and peppermint in coconut oil is just like using vicks vapor rub. I also really like just using a few drops of eucalyptus on a hankie set near my head on the pillow for helping with a stuffy head while I sleep.
But basically I don't like needing to figure out a mix of things so I buy individual oils and mix them if I want but this way I can figure out one.. and get comfy with it. I don't feel like I have to figure out "how to use essential oils" I can just figure out how to use eucalyptus oil. And then maybe next time I'll figure out how to use peppermint oil. And then maybe I'll combine them. And then maybe I'll use another one like lemon..
now here's the thing.. I do look up any warnings associated with them.. citrus essential oils tend to make you more sensitive to the sun when applied.. but lemon is lovely to use in homemade cleaning products or in mop water and to freshen a room when you wipe the windowsills clean or things like that.
But the point is you don't have to figure it all out.. just pick one that you're liking the properties of and see how it goes.. do you use it? do you like the scent.. if you don't like how it smells you're less likely to use it. And it's also really nice to go to a store that lets you open the bottles..like lavender, the two brands they carry here smell a bit different so it's nice to check that out.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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MelissaClaire
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| Posted: Feb 12 2014 at 7:13am | IP Logged
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Thank you. Maybe I was making it all more complicated than necessary!
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knowloveserve
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| Posted: Feb 12 2014 at 2:59pm | IP Logged
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I use and am a consultant for DoTerra. I started using EOs when a dear friend pushed them on a VERY skeptical me. Got involved w/ Doterra for my own family's sake, not for a business. But despite refusing to be a talking head for this company, and despite HATING and being terrible at sales, my business has slowly grown naturally to where I am now… earning JUST enough to have our monthly oil supply pay for itself. Using EOs has literally changed our lives but I agree with others on exercising a healthy sense of skepticism with outrageous claims. In fact, I think having this authenticity has been what makes people want to sign up with me. In classes I've given, I always show my personal "3 Truth Lists":
1: Ailments I am absolutely certain EOs have cured for my family.
2: Ailments EOs have helped or are suspected to have cured (but no direct evidence can support)-- these are anecdotal cases e.g. Post-Partum Depression (was it the oils? The B vitamins? Or the prayers?)
3: Ailments that have seen NO relief from EO usage despite our best efforts.
Showing these lists have been a powerful tool because they demonstrate that different things sometimes work for different people… I can only share my experiences. And I refuse to gush about non-truths I hear other consultants say like "No one in my family has been sick at all for 5 years!" 
And I also agree with Jodie on not overcomplicating it. I was overwhelmed at how much there was to learn at first… but really you just start using a couple and branch out from there.
If you want a mini-education, here's a brief crash course email I wrote to a friend a while back:
******
The Problem:
Our nation spends billions of dollars on healthcare each year. The U.S. model of healthcare today is based on medication. Our biggest drug problem recognized by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Pharmacoepidemiology & Drug Safety, an the National Mental Health Institute Association is America’s prescription drug abuse and the fast growing dependency of very young children on anti-depressants and behavior modifying drugs. Of the ever increasing dollar amount spent on “healthcare” today, are we any healthier than we were 5 years ago?
What makes Essential Oils relevant?
-Essential oils are extracted from plants, 100% natural, and are extremely potent. They are 50-70 times more powerful than herbs.
-They offer similar health benefits to synthetic drugs but without the side effects or addictions.
-Because they are carbon based, like our cells, essential oils can kill bacteria AND viruses by penetrating into the outer membrane of a cell where the virus is. Synthetic drugs can not do this.
-They are fast and comparatively inexpensive.
-They give people control over taking charge of their own preventative health and treatment.
-They can be used:
aromatically (affecting mood, opening airways, and cleansing the air)
topically (systemic, localized effects, massage, immune support, often immediate relief)
internally (digestive system, throat, mouth, urogenital tract)
Why DoTerra specifically? Isn't it just another pyramid scheme?
-DoTerra isn't perfect. I have read before a couple critiques on their Peppermint oil specifically (though we use it therapeutically for a number of things with great success), but its the best company I could find based on their 3rd party lab testing, company ethics, educational resources, and incentives. Yes, they are expensive. We budget them as part of our healthcare expenses and I KNOW they have saved us from doctor visits and copays in some cases! With EOs, you get what you pay for. If you are buying a 15 ml. bottle of Frankincense for $20, there's a problem. But with DoTerra's Loyalty Rewards Program, I get 30% of my purchases back in free oils. For me, this amounts to over $300 a year in free oils! So that's why I use this company.
And my husband put to rest my MLM concerns with one simple comment: "Most business models are based on a pyramid structure of some sort. So long as the compensation charts are transparent, there is no "scheme" involved."
*****************
So that's my .02! If you want more info or have specific health issues you want to discuss, feel free to PM me.
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Ellie
The Bleeding Pelican
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knowloveserve
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| Posted: Feb 12 2014 at 3:14pm | IP Logged
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And Tracy, those are fantastic links; thank you!
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Ellie
The Bleeding Pelican
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MelissaClaire
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| Posted: Feb 13 2014 at 6:21pm | IP Logged
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thank you! sent you a pm
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knowloveserve
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| Posted: Feb 17 2014 at 7:34pm | IP Logged
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Just wanted to put a plug in for a webinar coming up this Tuesday, the 18th, at 6 PM PST. It's basically a crash course presentation on essential oils and it'll be taught by my dear friend, a Catholic homeschooling mother and doula who has been using EOs for years. This is a DoTerra event, but the webinar is open to everyone and she wanted to make sure people knew they were welcome to 'attend' even if using another brand of oils already. It'll just be chock full of good info.
So anyway, here is the registration link if you're interested!
http://www.anymeeting.com/PIID=EA53DD8488483E
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Ellie
The Bleeding Pelican
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4Real Forums : Our Lady of Good Remedy and Care
Topic: Essential oils 101?
