Note: This is a sponsored campaign for Lisa Orvos of Montgomery Essential Wellness and dōTERRA Essential Oil products. All opinions are authentic and my own.
Over the summer when my girls were complaining about all of their itching bug bites, I felt their pain… and their itch. We would usually just deal with it, but since I had just received the dōTERRA Family Essentials Kit, I figured there must be something in there I could use. I immediately opened the M Essentials app and typed “mosquitoes.” Among the list of effective oils was Lavender, which was one of the oils in my kit! Per the instructions, I grabbed some coconut oil to dilute the oil and applied to my girls’ legs as well as my own. It took maybe a few seconds for the oil to kick in and the itch to go away. I knew that Lavender was good for stress relief and creating a calm atmosphere, but never would have though for mosquito bites! It quickly became our go -to source of relief that summer and that’s when I realized these essentiall oils would have a great impact on our lives. There are so many different needs that our families have that can be relieved by naturally occurring oils that smell really good too!
That was about 6 months ago, and I have been slowly but surely adding more oils to our regular routine. Prior to that, I had known about essential oils, but I never really gave them much thought. That is until I learned about the wealth of benefits through the education provided by my blog friends Jessica Cohen of eatsleepbe and Hillary Chybinksi at her eponymous site. I still didn’t really know where to start, but when I reconnected with Lisa Orvos (click here for her personal DoTerra shopping site) of Montgomery Essential Wellness at a local networking group that we both were speaking at, I felt like this was a sign that the time was NOW to start with the oils. In Lisa’s talk, she introduced oils that can be use for common issues like sore back and general tiredness. She told of how all 4 of her kids use oils and ASK for them instead of OTC ointments and medicine. If the kids wanted it, I knew these were helpful -because we all know kids will tell you straight up if something isn’t working. Lisa and I connected shortly after the meeting and she set me up with the kit so I could try out a bunch of oils on my family and myself. At the time, I was desperate for something to relieve my back pain.
When my kit arrived, I couldn’t wait to show the girls. And then I told my husband about it to see what his reaction would be. He’s someone who had to be convinced that cleaning with lemon and vinegar was just as good as using the burn-your-nose products that he prefers. But he was all for it! Even though he’s a Clorox/Windex guy, he does not like to take pain killers or any medicine if he doesn’t absolutely need it. So, knowing that essentials oils are derived from nature and are good for the body, he was intrigued and curious. And I was so pleased!
The Family Essentials Kit comes with 10 essential oils that serve as a good starter pack for common issues and needs. I have listed them below with suggestions from Lisa in the bullet points on what they’re good for. I have added some commentary to the ones that have been tried and approved by my family.
Disclaimer: As noted with an *, some of the statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. The products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Deep Blue Soothing Blend – Wintergreen, Camphor, Peppermint, Blue Tansy, Blue Chamomile, Helichrysum and Osmanthus work together to provide a cooling effect and can be a comforting part of a massage. For topical use only. Offers soothing and cooling support. Rub on lower back muscles before or after a workout or a day of heavy lifting. Use with carrier oil (I use coconut oil) for a cooling, comforting massage. I have used this A LOT, unfortunately, for my lower back pain. It works and smells great!
- Helps relieve sore muscles – combine with FCO and massage into sore muscles
- Put 2-3 drops on specific area – repeat as necessary as often as 10 minutes
Lavender – Best known for calming and relaxing properties. Diffuse or apply topically to sooth emotions, massage on back or bottom of feet and apply a drop to pillow at bedtime, apply topically to soothe skin.
- Splinters – put 1 drop on the splinter – watch it back out
- Helps with headaches
- Anything skin related – helps soothe cuts and scrapes
- Sleep – helps body calm at night
- Calming – open bottle and smell – helps to calm
- Crying – helps a crying baby – put 1 drop with a couple drops carrier oil onto shoulders and behind ears
Lemon – Clean and Freshen. Supports healthy respiratory function, diffuse in a room to neutralize odors and elevate mood, use to clean kitchen counters and stainless steel appliances, take internally with water to cleanse the body.
- Put 1-2 drops in water to start day – natural anti-oxidant
- Use with 1 Tbsp. of honey to soothe a sore throat.
Peppermint – Cool and invigorating. Use with lemon water for a healthy, refreshing mouth rinse, inhale deeply to invigorate lungs and increase alertness, add to water in a spray bottle and mist body when overheated, apply to neck and forehead with lavender to promote relaxation.
- Use for headaches – put a drop on temples and forehead, behind neck
- Hot flashes/Cools body – put 1-2 drops with Fractionated Coconut Oil (FCO) around neck to cool down
- Helps you wake up just by smelling
- Helps you stay focused during homework time
- 1 drop on stomach – helps with stomach aches
Melaleuca – Also known as Tea Tree Oil and is beneficial for the skin. Apply as part of daily cleansing program, use with shampoo or conditioner for healthy-looking scale and hair, apply to feet and toenails after showering, swimming or working out.
- Helps with odor – eliminates bacteria
- Spot treatment for acne
- Use on throat for sore throat (combine with Lemon and honey)
Oregano – Natural immune support. Take several drops in an empty veggie cap for periodic immune support, use internally to support healthy respiratory function, use internally as part of a monthly cleansing regiment for GI health.
- Use in combination with other oils to make all natural anti-biotic
- Put on warts – combination with FCO and lavender, frankincense
- Cook with oregano
Frankincense – Highly sought after by modern consumers for its many uses, including relaxation, healthy cell function,* and mood enhancement. For aromatic, topical, or dietary use.
- Helps inflammation in body – put under tongue or rub on area inflammed
- Decreases brain fog – take 1-2 drops under tongue
- Helps body heal skin blemmishes
- Helps calm headaches – layer with peppermint
Breathe – This proprietary blend helps minimize the effects of seasonal threats and can be applied topically or diffused at nighttime, allowing for a restful sleep. I have both the oil and the Touch rollerball that I’ll apply to everyone’s throat and back when I notice colds coming on.
- Use 1-2 drops on chest if congested
- Breathe 1-2 drops cupped in hands – use as inhaler
- Place on big toe for snoring, also place under nose and on bridge of nose
- Helps relief stuffy nose and colds
Digest Zen – Ginger, Peppermint, Tarragon, Fennel, Caraway, Coriander and Anise each have specific attributes which add to the overall efficacy of this potent blend. When used internally, it helps reduce bloating, gas, and occasional indigestion.* For aromatic, topical, or dietary use. This one has come in handy for when the girls have upset stomachs from either indigestion, gas, or whatever causes them discomfort.
- Put 1 drop in water with lemon to start your day – helps with digestive issues
- Put 2-3 drops on stomach if bloated
- Relieves heartburn – put 2 drops on sternum
- Put 1-2 drops in belly button for stomachache
- Seasick – open bottle and just breathe
On Guard – As a proprietary essential oil blend, it provides a natural and effective alternative for immune support.* As one of dōTERRA’s best-selling blends, On Guard protects against environmental and seasonal threats with essential oils known for their positive effects on the immune system.* This is my preferred oil for the diffuser, and I have since added the cleaning products to my regular supply of natural all-purpose cleaners. When our house got hit with the stomach flu, we all started taking the beadlets to add to all the other prevention we were doing.
- Every house NEED this! – Boost immune system
- Diffuse when feeling sick
- Put 1-2 drops on bottoms of feet if feeling sick
- Make all-natural hand sanitizer with 15 drops on-guard, fill rest of glass spray bottle with distilled water
- Put in empty capsule and fill with combo of other oils to make natural anti-biotic
- Put 1 drop with lemon with 1 TBSP of honey for sore throat
- Diffuse in air to clean air of any germs
I’m still working my way through the Family Essentials Kit, but have graduated onto some additional products:
- On Guard Cleaner Concentrate & Foaming Hand Soap
- Deep Blue Rub lotion
- Fragrance free lotion for mixing any oil of your choice (doesn’t seem to be available anymore, but I found a 3-pack here)
- Serenity Blend for my diffuser – to try and create a relaxing and peaceful bedtime ritual for my oldest daughter who has been dealing with night-time anxiety.
Some things my kids didn’t like, even though I wanted them to!!
- Breathe® Respiratory Drops – For one thing, it’s really hard to find cough drops that don’t contain Red #40. But my girls didn’t like them. But that’s just because they’re not a fan of mint. I would definitely give them a try.
- Children’s Supplements – This is another one that I wanted my girls to like so badly! But it all just comes back to taste. Certainly worth trying.
I have also found an easy DIY upholstery and couch deodorizer using just 1 Tbsp baking soda, 8 oz warm water and a few drops of an essential oil of your choice. Mine right now is Serenity.
If you’re thinking about starting with essential oils and you have a family, I highly recommend starting with the Essentials Kit. That will allow you to try out the most common/popular blends and oils to see what works and what your kids like. It also helps to have the app and to utilize your consultant for general questions on usage and application. You can also ask around too. I posted this picture of my On Guard oil and beadlets when two of my girls got sick, saying we were doing everything possible to keep the rest of us well. I had a few comments from friends with what they do with oils. You can learn something new every day!
Do you use essential oils? I’d love to know your favorites and how you use them!
Friday Fresh Picks are hand-picked favorite items, reviews and highlights from the amazing women you see above.
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Sarah from Finnegan & The Hughes
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