Holli Thompson

Essential Oils 101

 
“How do I get started with essential oils?”

I keep hearing this from people who’ve read my new book, Discover Your Nutritional Style. You’re intrigued, they smell soooo good, but you have no idea what to do with those pretty little bottles.

Essential oils are not only used for overall wellness—but they can be used daily, to shift your mood, enhance skin care, and even clean and refresh your home. They can make you smarter, too! Just ask my son.

Where and how to begin your love affair? Here are my favorite ways.

To relax you

A few drops of essential oils added to your bath water delivers a truly luxurious experience. I love Lavender, or Serenity blend for a deep wind-down. I also use these scents in this perfect night-time diffuser. It shuts off automatically, and provides a beautiful nightlight, too.

In a pinch, I massage a couple drops of Lavender on the bottom of my feet to transport me to dream land (this works well for kids, too).

To perk you up

I’m assured a blissful wake-up with Citrus Bliss blend. I shake a drop or two into my palms, cup my hands in front of my face and inhale. Deeply.

I also add Peppermint Oil to liquid castile soap for a body wash that freshens up my morning shower.

For soft and smooth skin, I add 15-20 drops of Grapefruit to coconut oil to create a body moisturizer that also helps shed water weight, pronto.

Adding Wild Orange in my office diffuser keeps me happy all day long. Really.

To keep you healthy

Traveling to an exotic land and worried about getting sick? Oregano oil, taken daily, is my family’s favorite way to stay healthy. This anti-viral, anti-bacterial herb added to water a couple times a day will keep the bugs away. Just a few drops does the trick. When my family went to a wedding in India a few years back we were the only ones who didn’t end up sick the first week.

Proper hydration is the key to staying healthy, but sometimes getting your daily requirement can be hard. I make water more interesting by adding Lemon or Peppermint essential oil to a pitcher of water. It helps ensure I get all the H2O I need each day.

For your home

Why not make it yourself? Adding Eucalyptus to a spray bottle of purified water is a wonderful DIY air freshener. Eucalyptus does double time for respiratory issues; so if you have a child with a cold, consider a diffuser for their bedroom to ease congestion.

Also, doing laundry is a delight when I sprinkle a few drops of Purify blend to the washer. It’s scent is clean and fresh, and the amount of oil is minimal and won’t stain.

Oh! what about the smarter, better test scores I mentioned? My son dabs peppermint oil on his wrist to liven up his brain on test days. On the other wrist, he dabs lavender to keep him calm. He’s gotten through SSAT’s and his bf passed his driving test this way. Spread the word.

What are your favorite ways to use essential oils? I’m always looking for new things to do with my favorites, please share them with me here.