Essential Oils at Home

It’s been just about a month since I first posted about my new-found enthusiasm for essential oils. I’m finding new uses every day for the few oils that I have, so I figure that every once in a while, I’ll post an update here to share with all of you.

Lemon has definitely emerged as my “most utilized” oil thus far. It’s the only oil I’ve actually run out of and have had to replenish. There were about three days between when I ran out and when my new bottle arrived, and I was missing it!

I’ve definitely gotten really used to having it in my water bottle in the mornings, and I also love rubbing a little bit on the insides of my wrists for a fresh citrus smell.

One “hidden gem” use for it that I’ve discovered? A stainless steel polish. I love stainless steel appliances, but our kitchen had black ones when we moved in. We do have a stainless steel toaster and toaster oven, though, and although they are nice… they get dirty and gross so easily! Our toaster was looking particularly bad and I took to it one night with the rough side of a wet sponge, a cloth, and a few drops of lemon oil.

I scrubbed off any stuck-on crumbs or food bits, then wiped as best I could with the soft side of the sponge (it still looked like hell after this step). I then put a few drops of the lemon oil on a dry cloth and started scrubbing. Ooooh… shiny. It worked really well! And smelled delicious, too.

Lavender has proven useful in a few ways the last few weeks. Michael was cleaning our deck one day a few weekends ago and came in with a deep splinter in his finger. I found that Lavender can help. I’m not going to tell you it magically made the splinter come out—it didn’t, but Michael’s splinter was also REALLY deep—but it was soothing to the wound, particularly because I had to split the skin layer by layer (using the needle) to open it up, and then dig in there with sharp tweezers. Ouch! After the splinter was out, Michael washed it out, I put a little more lavender on it, and he covered it up with a Band-Aid. It healed quickly! (Side note: I read that Thieves oil can help a splinter back itself out. doTERRA’s version of Thieves is actually OnGuard—which I didn’t know until a reader pointed it out to me!—so I will be trying that next time we’re dealing with a splinter!)

One REALLY effective use for Lavender is for helping with mosquito bite relief! My mom came over on Sunday after having been eaten alive all over her legs by mosquitoes. She asked if I had anything that could help and I gave her Lavender, which she applied neat (undiluted) to each of her bites. Just a drop to each. She said it worked wonders! It helped alleviate the itching and also helped reduce some of the swelling. Lavender will definitely be coming with us when we go to the Pocono Mountains later this summer. Mosquito bite relief for all!

A new oil for me this month has been Serenity, which is doTERRA’s calming blend. We’ve been diffusing this in our bedroom some nights, and I swear, it has helped me sleep like a rock on the nights we use it. I’m told that if you add a drop of Vetiver on top of Serenity, it’s basically like taking an Ambien. I will have to try that some day, as soon as I get my hands on some Vetiver. I’ll report back. ;)

Additional points of interest:

• Melaleuca and Frankincense: I used these two oils on a canker sore that was forming on the inside of my upper lip. When I get canker sores, I can usually expect them to get bigger, angry, and last about a week. It’s awful. But this one stayed small, was only minimally painful, and was gone within two days.
• Melaleuca: Used a dab on a couple of small pimples, one on my forehead and one on my cheek. It was like I had zapped them with something, because they dried up/faded away in a day or two.
• OnGuard and Breathe: Shortly after I published my last post about essential oils, Nora and Vivienne both came down with a horrible cold. I used OnGuard and Breathe on the bottoms of their feet a few times a day, and I diffused them in Vivienne’s room at night (she seemed to have the worst of the upper respiratory gunk, and so far we only have one diffuser!). It’s definitely not a “cure” (there isn’t one!), but it was not a cold that lingered—it was gone within a few days. They also managed to remain pretty comfortable despite the congestion, continuing to sleep through the night without any issue at all. Oh, also? I rubbed them both on my own feet at night, mostly as a precautionary measure, and did not get sick at all.

I finally have some of doTERRA’s Fractionated Coconut Oil, so I’m going to begin experimenting with dilution and different blends of oils for different things. I also have some Veggie Caps (basically empty capsules) that I’m going to try for protocols that call for ingestion of the oils. I’ll definitely share any success stories (and failures, since I want to be honest about what has worked for us and what hasn’t).

Questions about how you may be able to use essential oils in your own home? Leave a comment or email me, I’m happy to help find a solution for you.

And if you’re interested in checking out some essential oils yourself, check out my doTERRA page. (Oh! Interested in saving 25% off of these retail prices? Shoot me an email at heatherdriveblog@yahoo.com.)