Essential Oils

They may seem like they could be a healthcare fad or a passing trend with their boost in popularity over the past several years, but essential oils have been around for thousands of years and they are not going anywhere. For centuries, they have been used for a variety of purposes by cultures all around the world. However, not all essential oils are created equal so it is important to learn about safe and effective practices for using these products, and which you can rely on as safe for your body and home. For example, peppermint essential oil can be great at relieving headaches. However, it should not be used by children, seniors or those with high blood pressure.  A safer alternative would be spearmint essential oil.

But let’s back up and start by answering the basic question – what are essential oils? 

Essential oils are one of the most important natural products that can be derived from plants for their various uses in herbal healing, natural cleaning, aromatherapy, and beyond. Essential Oils can also be used individually or even blended together based on your specific needs.

Why should essential oils be used to replace other popular, but harmful, home products on the market? 

Essential oils can be great substitutes for chemical-based products that you may use daily in your home but be unaware of how harmful they can be. Take insect repellants and sunscreens, for example. Most bug sprays and sun lotions have chemicals in them which, when applied to the skin, are immediately absorbed into the bloodstream. This sends your immune system into overdrive working to detox these toxins. And what’s worse, as the chemicals degrade in your body, they create free radicals which can cause cancer. 

The traces of sprays and lotions that are left on your skin are then washed off your body by the rain, as you’re swimming in the ocean, or in your shower, and the chemicals go into our water supply and harm our environments. Essential oils can be an excellent ingredient in easily homemade insect repellents and sun lotions without harmful, toxic chemicals. These essential oils can also be mixed in 2 oz of jojoba blending oil and applied directly to the exposed skin to ward off chiggers, mosquitos, and other bugs. 

Some of the most toxic and unhealthy home products on the market are cleaning products. So many of the sprays and washes and bleaches that are marketed to consumers as must-haves to clean and sanitize your home are simply not necessary, and are overly harmful to your health. For instance, if you read the directions on the bottles of most countertop cleaners, the labels typically suggest cleaning your surface again with water to remove any residue of the cleaner before your countertop comes in contact with any food. Does this sound sketchy to anyone else? How can something be safe to clean your kitchen if you have to ensure that any residue is removed from your countertops so the cleaner doesn’t come in contact with food? 

In a similar vein, most air fresheners have ingredients that can be harmful to people and pets. Artificial fragrances can stress the body's immune system, even if they’re touted as “natural” scents (think: lemon verbena, etc.).  Essential oils have the benefits of freshening up a home space without the toxins, but education is key to ensure that essential oils are used safely; some of them are harmful to pets so you want to be sure you’re well versed in how and what to use before you dive in – and we can help you with that.

For example, a safe and effective tile floor cleaner can be made from water, white vinegar, lemon essential oil, and our deep cleanser essential oil, so put down that bleach bottle!  If you aren’t into making your own home cleaners, please check out our Home Cleaning resources where we offer safe and effective concentrates to clean your home from the ceilings to the floors and everything in between.

Essential oils for health

Our 100% pure essential oils can be a fantastic way to help support a myriad of health issues. Anxiety, stress, nausea, body pain, inability to focus, and so much more can be helped with proper essential oil usage.