First off, thank you guys so much for all the sweet messages on the launch of my wellness Instagram account! I’m so so SO excited!! If you missed it, I started a new account that’s dedicated to wellness, essential oils, safe beauty and other wellness practices I’m trying out! I’d been wanting to do this for a long time so I could have a place where I could talk about wellness and what we’re doing at our house. I didn’t want to alienate the people who follow me more for style, family and fitness stuff, so I think this is a good balance! If you want to follow along, my account is @thefoxessentials!
Okay, onto one of my latest wellness obsessions—essential oils! Maybe you gathered that from my posts? We’ve actually been diffusing oils for years. Mostly lavender and mostly because I just didn’t really know what else to use. But, I’m dipping my toes into the oily world because I’ve been following so many people whose lives have been changed by using them. I’m always on a quest to feel better and be healthier, so it seemed like only a matter of time before I try out this wellness practice!
First things first though, if you’ve never heard of essential oils, let’s answer that first because the rest of it makes more sense when you understand what they actually are!
What are essential oils?
You’ve probably heard of them, but what are they, really? They’re the vital (and smell amazing) fluids of plants, roots, shrubs and are aromatic. They are essential to the health and life of a plant, sort of like their immune system. The oils themselves are carefully extracted through a process of steam distillation, cold pressing, or resin tapping. They’re pretty common too. They’re in products like toothpaste, body wash, perfume, candles, deodorant, candy, detergent. But, not all are created equally! When using essential oils, you want to select the highest quality ones you can find so that you get the best benefits from them.
Ways We’re Using Essential Oils
When I bought my first diffuser and lavender oil, I had no idea how many other ways these little drops could be used in our lives and how many other daily functions they could support! Here are a few of the ways we use essential oils in our home!
Cleanse our Home
I’ll be honest, our home is often VERY cluttered. This is for two reasons—one, I have a baby and a husband who doesn’t always like putting his things away; and two, we live in a small apartment and definitely don’t have enough storage space! Despite the clutter, I still like it to feel clean! I’ve been diffusing different oils from the moment I wake up, until we go to bed. My two favorites are a combination of lemon and peppermint, Thieves because it smells like spiced tea and helps with immunity, and Valor for when I need to be super productive—this one makes me feel powerful and confident!
Immune Support
As you guys know, Owen started daycare earlier this year and people weren’t kidding when they said kids get sick all the time when they start. We’ve been running our humidifier, and using saline spray on an almost daily basis just to keep him feeling healthy.
I knew that there was more that I could be doing, but wasn’t really sure where to start. Probably the most suggested immune boosting trick from you guys was the Thieves oil! You shouldn’t put this directly on a baby’s skin, so I made a roller with a few drops of Thieves and some carrier oil (I used almond oil because we had it). I roll it on the inside of his wrists and down his spine. We just started this week, so I’m hoping he’ll soon be getting sick less!
I’ve also heard amazing things about Ningxia for immunity support! I just tried it earlier this week. Pretty tasty I may say! And honestly, you could mix in a shot of it to your smoothie to get the same benefits.
Candle Replacement
Candles are expensive and surprisingly toxic! Who knew?! This article shocked me and made me want to throw out every candle in our house. I do have a few on display because they look pretty, but I haven’t burned them since I read this. Diffusing oils, is a safe replacement for burning candles. Plus, if you forget to turn your diffuser off you don’t run the risk of burning down your home. The scents are endless! I’ve even seen some recipes for cool blends that smell similar to some of my favorite candles like the Volcano one from Anthropologie.
For Better Sleep
This is one of my favorite favorite uses for essential oils! We’ve been diffusing Lavender at nighttime for years and it helps get us calm and relaxed before we go to bed. For the past few days, I’ve been dabbing a bit of lavender on my temples just before I go to bed, and OMG. I’ve been falling asleep so fast and staying asleep longer. I usually wake up a couple of times a night, and the past few nights, I’ve rarely woken up (sometimes to go to the bathroom)! I’ve woken up naturally, before my alarm goes off, which never happens, and feel so much more rested!
Several of you messaged me and said you love the combination of lavender and cedarwood at night too! Next on my DIY list is making a bedtime spray that’s calming and grounding and I think that combo would be ideal. No better way to go to bed than totally chill, right?!
Soothe Sore Muscles
A few weeks ago I had a particularly tough workout. I was coming off my week of being sick and was feeling a little weaker than normal. Also, I ended up being really sore the next day, especially one spot on my back. I dabbed a some Panaway on my back right on top of those sore muscles and it was instant relief. The next day, they didn’t hurt at all—I was blown away. It has a smell and feel similar to Icy Hot, but it’s totally natural, no petrolatum, no parabens no weird ingredients, just pain relief (and a wonderful smell) naturally!
Stress & Anxiety Relief and Emotional Support
I never really thought of myself as an anxious or easily stressed out person, but over the past few years, I’ve realized that I actually am, haha! I get easily stressed and can let it take over—not something I’m proud of. Doing yoga and meditating are super helpful for me, and I’ve found that using oils for emotional support has been a great addition. Scent is sO SO powerful and rolling or diffusing a calming scent can be truly amazing.
The start kit I got came with two different oils that have been great for stress and anxiety relief—Peace and Calm & Stress Away which I’ve been rolling on my wrists when I have a crazy day ahead of me. Whenever I start feeling myself get tense, I close my eyes, give my wrist a good sniff and take a few deep breaths and it really helps to calm me down.
As for emotional support, some days I want to feel extra powerful and confident. Who am I kidding, I want to feel like this everyday, but some days I need a little boost. I love dabbing a little bit of Valor on my wrists. It’s such an uplifting scent and the blue tansy in it smells amazing. I’m wearing it now (sooo good!) and it kinda smells like perfume. I’ve been diffusing it too—it’s been great for those days that Owen’s at daycare and my to-do list is a thousand things long!
Improving Skin
Ahh, skin. I really should start a whole series on skin because it is the number one, ongoing struggle for me. If I could change anything about myself, it would be my skin. My goal is to someday have my skin balanced and clear so that I feel more confident without makeup on. Anyone else?!
Anyway, on our babymoon two summers ago (whattt?! how has it been that long?), I read The French Beauty Solution. In it, the author (and founder of Caudalie) talked a lot about essential oils and their different properties, breaking it down for different skin types and specific needs. I was so excited to run home and make my own tailored face oil for my skin’s exact needs. But, I got home, work got in the way, plus, my third trimester with Owen was starting.
Now, over a year later, I’m finally seeing how much essential oils can improve our skin.
I’ve been rolling Frankincense on my face at night and gently pressing it in, or rolling over it with my amethyst roller! Not only does it feel good and smell good, but it’s helped a lot with the clarity of my skin and inflammation. It’s known for it’s anti-aging effects too, so if that’s a skin concern, add this to your nightly routine, it’s so easy and quick!
The Starter Kit comes with oils that would make for a great serum, and I also ordered tea tree oil because I know that’s great for clearing skin too and want to add some of that to my serum. I’ll let you guys know how that goes and the recipe if it works!
Okay, now that I’m done writing that section, I’m definitely starting a skin journey series because I know I’m not the only one still suffering from hormonal acne and breakouts at age 31 and I really want to be more open about what I’m trying and what’s actually working. TBH, it’s something I’m self-conscious about which is why I haven’t shared too much detail.
Support Overall Wellness
And finally, the main point! Essential oils have been a great addition to my wellness routine and help support wellness. It’s doing those little things day in and day out that are good for you that help me stay on track. A few other things I’ve been doing to support overall wellness:
- Mix Lemon or Citrus Fresh Vitality oils into my water
- Take a shot of Ningxia, the wolfberry (acai berry) supplement that’s full of antioxidants
- Swapping house cleaners for safer ones (doing this little by little)
- Add a drop of Digize Vitality to my tea for better digestion
- Add a drop of Thieves Vitality to my tea for immune support
Where to Buy Oils
Why Young Living?
I asked myself the same question. Can’t I just get them on Amazon or Whole Foods (more on that next)? After doing some research, I decided that if I was going to be putting these on my body, in the air we breathe and on using them on Owen, I wanted them to be the highest quality out there! That’s why I picked Young Living. They’re the leader in essential oils globally, and for good reason. They have a Seed to Seal commitment which means they’re doing all the legwork on making sure the oils you’re getting are the highest standard out there! They’re the only ones my aesthetician uses which made me feel even better about it.
Why not Amazon or Whole Foods?
Yes, essential oils are cheaper on Amazon and Whole Foods, but they’re not as high-quality and often mixed with fillers that can be toxic and irritating to the skin. We used to get our Lavender from Whole Foods, but after switching it to Young Living, I won’t go back. I find that the scent is stronger and permeates the whole room when using YL’s vs. Whole Foods. I also feel safe dabbing it on my temples at night!
Ya, but, $165 is still a lot!
I hear ya! But, hear me out! Essential oils are incredibly powerful, and for most applications, you only need a few drops at a time. Meaning these products will last a long time. Plus, they have so many uses other than diffusing that will benefit the health and wellness of you and your family. There’s so many amazing DIYs like face serums, toners, bath products, immune-boosting rollers, DIY non-toxic dryer balls, a candle replacement and can be used or mixed to create perfume. Think about how much you’d spend on all of those different products combined. A lot, so now $165 doesn’t sound so bad, right? Personally, I think it’s 100% worth it to invest in a product that will allow me to create a bunch of different non-toxic items that support a healthy lifestyle than buying them all individually.
Yes, it is an investment, the uses are endless. The oils and products in the starter kit will support you and your family’s immune systems, sleep, emotions and so much more. Hence, the reason I wrote this post—I personally didn’t know that you could use oils for so many things and hopefully this shows you that they can be supportive in just about every area of your life!
Can I buy without being a member?
Yes, but you don’t get any of the discounts 🙁 no fun.
Okay, I want the oils! How do I get them and what should I get?
If you want to get involved with oils, the best way to shop with Young Living is to become a member. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean you’re signing up for any auto-shipping (though that’s an option I recently added on!) or required to sell anything. It does give you 24% off retail cost for EVERYTHING you purchase! You’re also not required to purchase something every month either—just when you want something!
This year has really been a jump start for diving in even more with my wellness routine and sharing even more of it with you. I don’t know why I hesitated for so long. Perhaps I was scared that you guys wouldn’t care or nervous because even though I’m passionate about this, I still have plenty of things to work on myself. But, I couldn’t be more wrong! It makes me so happy to see that so many of you are just as passionate about healthy living and want to feel better, look better and be happier. Whole body wellness is key to that and essential oils are quickly becoming a big part of our lives.
This post was a long one, but hopefully informative! I hope you join me in taking your wellness and health to another level and if you have any questions at all, DM or email me!
Want to remember how to use essential oils for beginners? Pin this image below!
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