My Journey with Essential Oils

For years, I've watched friends and family members sell various products through a slew of different companies. Although I would willingly like their business pages on Facebook and occasionally attend virtual parties, it just wasn't for me. So when I initially came across essential oils, I brushed them off thinking they were just another product that someone was trying to sell me. I went back and forth for over a year before finally taking the plunge and purchasing my essential oil starter kit from Young Living. I kept thinking, "if these things are really so great why aren't more people I know using them?" Well it turns out, some do but just don't talk about it, some think they're for hippies (my husband), some don't have any interest in them, and others are curious but don't know where to start. Guess what? This post is for all of you.

Oils initially sparked my interest during my pregnancy with Logan. Not only was I tired and stressed, but I also had the joy of experiencing the flu FOUR times that winter. Since I was limited on what I could take (or what I was willing to let myself take), I started Googling homemade remedies and eventually stumbled upon Thieves essential oil by Young Living. Thieves is a combination of clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary that not only has incredible cleaning power but can also help boost your immune system. My interest was peaked but not enough to pull the trigger, so I rode out the remainder of my pregnancy, fighting sickness the entire way.

Life carried on and Logan was born the following March. A few months after his arrival, we realized that while he was a healthy eater and overall happy baby, he was a lousy sleeper. He was great at falling asleep but not so good at staying asleep, so I began researching my options and kept running into the same answer. Every mom on every blog and Facebook post raved about how diffusing lavender oil completely changed the sleeping habits of their children. Again, I was intrigued but still very skeptical, so I continued on in a frazzled and sleep deprived state.

Later that fall, I accepted a new position within my current organization that would require me to round on physician offices which meant exposing myself to every germ on every person within those offices. That also meant bringing those germs home and sharing them with my family. After the hell we had gone through last winter, I knew I had to do something different, but, as we busy moms do, I put it off and put it off until we all had fevers and belly aches and runny noses. And as we all know, once a runny nose starts in November, it doesn't end until March.

After yet another winter full of sickness and a full year spent researching oils online, reading personal testimonies, and following oil lovers on social media, I finally decided to give oils a try. (Have you figured out where Taylor gets her stubbornness from?) Shortly after the start of 2017, I ordered a premium starter kit and a bottle of Thieves household cleaner and anxiously awaited their arrival. The kit came with eleven different oils, a diffuser, and samples of some of Young Living's other products. I immediately unpacked my diffuser, filled it with water, added a few drops of Stress Away, and knew that I had made the right decision. My husband, however, wasn't so sure, until he discovered that the oils actually worked. At the time, he was in the midst of training for his first marathon and that night when he was particularly sore after a long run, I suggested he try Panaway on his achy muscles. Being the man's man that he is, he scoffed but ultimately agreed (eager to relieve the pain any way possible) and almost instantly commented how much better his hamstrings felt. In less than 10 minutes, he was on board.

Today, almost ten months into my journey, our family uses essential oils for just about everything! Lately, we have been using all of the Thieves, RC, and lemon (all of which come in my starter kit) to boost our immune systems, diffusing lemon & RC in the bedrooms at night, rolling diluted Thieves onto our feet, and wiping down every inch of our house with Thieves cleaner. And you know what? The oils not only make a huge difference in the way that we feel but they also make my entire house smell like a dream in the process. Yes, I still use some over-the-counter medicine and will forever buy drugstore deodorant, but these days I find myself turning to my oils more frequently than my medicine cabinet. I am constantly making roller ball combinations for ailments, mixing up homemade body scrubs and lotions, and researching new oils to add to my collection. And just when I think I've figured out everything an oil can do, I discover yet another use. Not to sound cliche, but it's pretty incredible when you see the oils work first hand, and you begin to realize how practical and useful they can be in your every day life. My only regret is that I waited so long to try them!

I decided to share my (incredibly) long journey in case anyone out there is currently in my shoes, curious to learn more about oils but is hesitant to try. I obviously have commitment issues since it took me over a year to make the leap, but if you're interested in learning more about oils or want to hear more about my personal experiences with them, let's chat! I promise you won't be sorry.