I have been an oil-lover for over seven years now. I was introduced to doTERRA when I was the receptionist for a chiropractor and an advocate came in one evening to teach a class. I had heard of essential oils before, but had never been shown how or what to use them for. At this point in my timeline, I was nose deep in trying to rid my house of toxins and teaching myself how to eat properly. Still reeling from my dad’s death five years before. This was my coping mechanism. A way to take some sort of control over my health. When that representative came in with her massive kit of oils, impressive handouts, and stories of health success simply by harnessing the power of plants, I was hooked.
Now, I was on board for sure. Sold! Me, give me allll those bottles. But, I was also broke. I had to start small. I bought this starter trio and a wholesale membership (because saving money was and is my jam). I shelled out the hard earned-money, my kit arrived, I smelled the oils, loved them, and then they probably sat in my kitchen for a good seven weeks. I had no idea what to do with them. I got on the doTERRA website, but felt overwhelmed. There was sooooo much information. Finally, I “invested” in a cheap diffuser from Amazon and started enjoying my oils aromatically. The more I got into the routine of diffusing them, the more I enjoyed how I felt and looked forward to filling that diffuser at work each day. I wanted more options!
So, I did what any frugal person likely would; I went to Whole Foods and Sprouts and bought cheap oils. They didn’t smell quite the same, but I figured there couldn’t be that much difference. As I fell more and more in love with my oils, I dove more into why doTERRA was more expensive and what these oils could actually do for my body. I realized that by buying cheap, I was doing the exact opposite of what I was setting out to do. I was basically buying synthetic fragrance. Bummer. Just like with anything, there was a learning curve for me for sure. Fast forward and I’ve done my due diligence and you won’t find a bottle of anything other than doTERRA in my house for many different reasons. We can chat about that another time.
I currently have around 60 bottles of oils in my house (and still dream of buying this kit someday). I get most of my cleaning products, self-care products, and my daily supplements from doTERRA. I’ve come a long way for sure. But, I realize how much of a process it was to get my here. I had to dig for info. I had to educate myself. I want to take some of the overwhelm away. If you’re completely new to the world of essential oils, let me help you with some basics of where to start.
- Essential Oils 101. Essential oils are basically the plant’s immune system. Their oil sac is what they turn to to defend themselves if attacked by a predator. Plants are carbon based and humans are carbon based, so our bodies recognize the oils in the same way as the plant and know what to do with them. The oils are distilled from different parts of plant such as the bark, leaves, stems, petals, rind, etc. through steam or cold pressing, neither of which alter the purity of the oil when extracted (not doTERRA’s at least). These oils are not some new fad. We know they’ve been around since at least 3,000 BC through recordings by the Egyptians. They were also used in ancient Greece, Rome, Iran, India, China, and France.
- Not all Oils are Created the Same. doTERRA’s oils stand above the herd for a few reasons: purity, testing, and sourcing. doTERRA’s oils undergo a myriad of in-house and third party testing to ensure the chemical compounds of the oils are not being compromised anywhere along the line. There are absolutely zero chemical fillers or substitutes used. You don’t want to be using an oil that’s not open about their growing, harvesting, and bottling processes. Read more here.
- Sourcing Matters. I absolutely love supporting a company that supports others. doTERRA works hand in hand with farmers in over 45 countries to ensure they are getting paid promptly, fairly, and consistently for their crops. There is no middle man. This adds so many benefits to these communities, plus it ensures the consumer is getting a product that can thrive by growing in it’s natural habitat.
- Three Ways to Use the Oils. You can use the oils aromatically (breathe it in), topically (apply to the skin), or by ingesting (only with doTERRA).
- Start with a Diffuser. When you first start utilizing the oils, aromatically is a great starting-point. You still get the benefit and it takes a lot of the guess work out. Simply invest in a diffuser and embrace your inner mad scientist as you try out different scent combos. Hint: when purchasing your diffuser, pay attention to the square footage area that they cover so you can make sure you’re putting it in the best room for it’s capacity. I went through several cheap diffusers before finally switching to doTERRA’s. They are more durable and smellier. Some great starter oils for diffusing are Peppermint with a citrus such as Orange, Grapefruit, or Lemon. On Guard for seasonal support (cold weather is getting here soon). Serenity, Adaptiv, or Lavender for the evening to wind down before bed.
- Oil Safety. When you start applying the oils to your skin, or ingesting them, you want to make sure you’re doing it safely. Oils can either be applied neat (straight onto the skin) or need to be diluted with a carrier oil (coconut oil is what I use). Roller containers are perfect for applying diluted oils to the skin. Some oils are “hot” and always should be diluted. Oils should always be diluted when using on babies and young children. Here is a link to help. Lastly, most citrus oils can cause photosensitivity, so you don’t want to apply those before going out into the sun.
- Where to Apply. It differs depending on the oil and what I’m trying to accomplish, but a go-to is the soles of the feet. Your pores are the largest here so the oil will absorb into your blood stream very quickly. The spine is another great general one. Make sure to keep it away from your eyes when applying to the temples (head tension). The forearm and wrists are good for emotional support.
- To Ingest or Not to Ingest. I take my doTERRA oils internally every single day. But, you ultimately have to make that decision for yourself. If you’re drinking a ton of soda and eating processed foods, but are a bit timid of ingesting these oils from plants, you may take stock of your health goals and who you’re trusting…..just sayin’. You can drip an oil directly under your tongue, swallow it with water, or put it in a veggie capsule and swallow like a pill. You don’t want to ingest Arborvitae, Blue Tansy, Cedarwood, Cypress, Deep Blue, Douglas Fir, Eucalyptus, Spikenard, or Wintergreen.. ONLY INGEST 100% PURE OILS ok??? No synthetics!!! I’m only advocating doTERRA here.
- The Top 10 Oils: These are my “gateway oils”. The ones that all households can benefit from and the best way to get your feet wet with this whole thing. Learn which ones I recommend and how to use them with this post.
I hope this will help make your transition into the land of pro-active health a bit easier to navigate. Once you have these oils in your home (and know what in the blazes to do with them) you will be hooked. If you’re ready to get started, you can check out the ways to order here. If I can answer any questions, please let me know!!
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