A question that I often get is, "ok, Kel, but how do you use essential oils in your life with your family?" And because I've fielded this question a few times, I thought it was time to lay it all out and share my daily practice with essential oils.
In case this is the first time you're here, let me first tell you a bit about my family and my home. I am married to my amazingly patient and wonderful husband, Kevin, and momma to 2 boys: Aedan is 8yo and Rowan is almost 6yo. We have four cats - Maya, Lotus, Baxter, and Spencer (which is at least 2 too many, but what can I do??). No one in my family regularly takes medications, nor are we up against any chronic or ongoing illnesses or injuries. That said, I have struggled with anxiety since childhood, big time. I tell you all of this to give you a baseline for our day-to-day lives.
Related sidebar: we have 4 diffusers in our house: 1 in each bedroom and 1 in our kitchen / family room area. I also have empty rollerballs and glass spray bottles on-hand, so that we can create our own blends for whatever happens to be going on seasonally, emotionally, physically, etc. in our household.
In the morning, I put a drop of Clove in a capful of mouthwash after brushing my teeth. Aside from the cleansing and soothing properties that Clove brings to any oral care routine, it leaves my mouth feeling extra fresh.
After my shower, I put 3 drops of Frankincense into my lotion and lather my torso up; there is so much exciting and new research out there re: the potential of Frankincense to be a cancer-fighting powerhouse...not only does this oil have a really grounding, earthy aroma, but I figure it can't hurt to be on the cutting edge of this science and integrate Frank into my daily routine!
Before we head out the door for the bus stop, we "do our feet!" I have a homemade rollerball blend of Wild Orange, Copaiba, and Arborvitae (10 - 15 drops of each, then fill up the rest of the bottle with Fractionated Coconut Oil) that I cover everyone's tootsies with to help support immune systems while we're out and about, making the world awesome every day. Other options for this blend would be On Guard, Melaleuca, Oregano, Frankincense, and Lemon!
My morning "perfume" is usually Elevation. This uplifting and revitalizing, yet grounding and calming, blend is just the thing as I head into my day. Plus it's not filled with any of the nasty chemical toxins that most perfumes are loaded with.
Throughout the day, I sip on water out of a glass or stainless steel bottle and I always add some of my citrus goodies. Ongoing research suggests that citrus oils may have a preventive effect re: breast cancer. Is this not great news, ladies?? Citrus oils are delicious and keep the neverending amount of water we need to drink each day more enticing. Great choices here are Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Tangerine, and Wild Orange.
I also add my oils to the obscene amounts of tea that I drink every day. Some yummy options here are: Ginger in a Turmeric Ginger Tea, Cinnamon Bark in an Apple Strudel Tea, or Peppermint in a Matcha Latte.
Depending on where I'm at emotionally, I may re-apply Elevation every few hours (it's hard to go wrong with the Joyful Blend, after all!). But there are plenty of other ready-to-go rollerballs to support me, wherever I'm at: Peace, Console, Forgive, Motivate, Cheer, and Passion.
I have a diffuser at my desk (guess that makes 5, oops!) that I use all day. Citrus Bliss is always a favorite. Some go-to combos are: Eucalytus + Lavender, Spearmint + Lemon + Wild Orange, or Rosemary + Peppermint + Frankincense.
In the evening and overnight, I put 4 - 6 drops of On Guard in each of the boys' diffusers (my boys are both rockstar sleepers, otherwise I'd add to this plan!). I use both On Guard and Serenity in the diffuser in our bedroom. These recipes are pretty much the standard, year-round, but if someone is dealing with some respiratory junk, I add in a few drops of Breathe.
Any blemishes on my face get a drop of Melaleuca and I apply Immortelle to my forehead, laugh lines, and cheekbones before my nightly moisturizer.
I dab a couple of drops of Lavender or Serenity on my wrists as I'm heading to bed. Because: bliss. And also because: research. And also because: it works!
Daily, there are a handful of oils that I always have with me: Peppermint for headaches, fresh breath, and alertness; Clary Calm for ALL THE HORMONES; Balance for anxiety support; and On Guard Sanitizing Mist because I'm a bit of a germ freak.
This may sound like a lot. When it's all written out like this, it looks like a lot, lol. But my guess is you're doing most of these things daily anyway and incorporating oils into your existing routine is as easy as keeping them handy (i.e. Clove in your bathroom, Peppermint in your purse, etc.). The few things that may be brand-new to you, like nighttime diffusers, are things that take literally less than a minute to get going.
My point being: a lot of the moans and groans that I hear about getting healthier and introducing new wellness habits are 1) it takes too much time and / or 2) I don't know where to start. I'm here to happily debunk both of these myths! If you've had questions about how to incorporate essential oils into your daily life, start with 1 or 3 of these ideas. Play around with it a bit and find your own favorites and what works best for you and your family. And don't hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions about getting started with essential oils!
p.s. I'm always sharing my latest personal experiences and what I'm learning over on my Instagram account. Join me there for more... ❤️