Discover Essential Oils With The Coconut Mama
Hi! I’m Tiffany and I want to help you and you’re family live healthier through real food and natural living.
If you’ve been following me for any length of time you’ve probably noticed that I’m an avid oil user. I use essential oils daily for non-toxic cleaning, homemade body products, digestive upport and for relaxation. I enjoy sharing how I use them with my readers because essential oils have changed my life – and believe me, I was a skeptic when I was first introduced to them. Who knew a sniff of this or a rub of that help to improve my family’s health or wellbeing! But before I explain why essential oils are so great, you might be wondering what they actually are!
What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are the most powerful part of a plant. They are distilled from shrubs, flowers, trees, roots, bushes, fruit, rinds, resins and herbs. Many people call essential oils the lifeblood of plants because they carry oxygen and nutrients within the plant and are part of the regenerative process of the plant. They consist of over 100 different natural, organic compounds.
There are many different kinds of oils out there, and they all have different properties and uses. From well-known plants like Lavender and Oregano to unusual and exotic ones like Ocotea and Xiang Mao, there’s an unfathomably huge range to choose from – and they each provide all sorts of different benefits and uses
In humans, they provide support for every system in the body: your skeletal system, you’re muscular system, circulatory system, endocrine system and your hormones, respiratory system and immune system. They support brain health and a healthy weight. They can be used extensively for emotions support for people of all ages. An oil in a diffuser can soothe a child’s tough day at school and provide a calming effect when you’ve had a stressful day at work. Oils can be used as an alternative to toxic cleaning chemicals in the home. You can literally start sapping out every single chemical cleaning toxin in your hoe to live a purer lifestyle, and you can do it without breaking the bank!
How To Use Essential Oils
Essential oils have been used for thousands of years for many applications. Today, there are well over 300 essential oils in use by professional practitioners, each with its own centuries confirmed practical application. But don’t worry! You certainly don’t need 300 essential oils in your medicine cabinet to reap their benefits. A nice collection of 10-20 will do the trick for most things, though I must admit, I’ve got a hefty collection myself.
Using essential oils isn’t complicated, but you do want to follow a few good practices to reap the real benefits.
Here are three tips to getting started:
1. Choose Your Oil Wisely
Not all oils are created equal. Just like the food you eat, the oils you use should be as pure, wholeness, and free from extra “stuff” as possible.The oils that I have chosen to use, and that I feel confidence using in all my recipes (as well as for therapeutic reasons) are Young Living essential oils. I choose Young Living for many reasons after reading and researching other oils. As you approach these recipes, keep in mind that my experience and expertise is with Young Living oils. Whether you use these oils or not, it is important to ensure that the oils you choose to work with are safe and pure.The quality of essential oils can be compromised from a number of things. From the soil conditions to harvesting to manufacturing and distribution. Because essential oil are concentrated and powerful, you’ll want to be sure your oils are free from pesticides, chemicals, etc.
Things to consider when choosing essential oils:
- Plants: The quality of essential oils can be negatively impacted by the use of pesticides and other chemicals, the variability in altitude, soil conditions and rainfall, and the difficulty of differentiating plant species and varieties.
- Processing: Because of the growing popularity of essential oils and aromatherapy, there are many products on the market that may not be suitable for clinical use. They can be found nearly everywhere, from health food stores to discount stores to the Internet. These products may include pure essential oils, but sometimes they are adulterated or diluted. Such adulterations are difficult to identify.
- Packaging and handling: Other considerations include packaging, storage, and handling. Chemical degradation can occur with exposure to heat, light, or oxygen. Essential oils from citrus products are especially prone to oxidation that can quickly alter the chemistry of those essential oils.
- Storage: Essential oils should be stored in tightly closed, darkened glass containers in a cool place to ensure lasting quality. You may want to write the date on the bottle after opening it so you can keep track of your own essential oils. Oxidation rates vary, but most essential oils can be safely used for 1-2 years or more after opening.
- Don’t just rely on terms like “certified pure” or the like. It’s not that those labels are necessarily bad, but they don’t necessarily mean anything either. Your research should go beyond reading a label, especially if you are interested in using oils for medicinal purposes. (You can purchase the oils I trust at wholesale prices here.)
2. Start with Some Basic Oils
Because the world of essential oils is so vast, it’s easy to get overwhelmed when you are first starting out. I highly recommend choosing some basic oils and begin using them. This is truly the best way to learn about their potential and how they can fit into your life. I personally recommend the Premium Starter Kit from Young Living as it includes 10 everyday oils that are the most popular oils with 100 uses. It also comes with a diffuser and information on how to jump right in with the oils in a safe and effective way. (Not to mention that the initial investment in the package will save your money and the oils will last a long time!)
3. Learn the Basic Ways To Use Essential Oils
- Aromatically: Aromatic uses of essential oils can heighten the senses and have positive effects for the mind and body. Inhale the oil directly from the bottle: simply smell it! You can rub a drop or two on your hands and cup your nose or just inhale directly from the bottle. Diffuse the oils with a diffuser which disperses the oils in a micro-fine vapor throughout the air. A diffuser does not heat the oils which can damage their therapeutic properties. Breathe in steamy vapors deeply by carefully pouring hot water into a glass bowl, adding in a couple drops of essential oils, and covering the bowl in a tent like fashion with a cloth or towel.
- Topical Application: Young Living essential oils are safe to use directly on the skin. Popular areas include ears, temples, soles and tops of feet, abdomen, and upper back. Simply place 1 – 3 drops in the palm of your hand or directly on the desired area and massage the oil in a circular motion. Some oils will require dilution through a carrier oil.
- Internal Consumption: Many Young Living essential oils are safe to ingest as a dietary supplement of food flavoring. It’s always important to follow the recommended dosage on individual product labels and seek the advice of a health professional before taking oils internally. Of course, using essential oils in DIY cleaning products, beauty recipes, or personal care items is another simple way to utilize the power of essential oils. You can find many popular recipes here.
But wait! Safety is Important!
Before you start there are a few things I’d like to recommend. Because I want you to love your essential oil experience the way I do. So, do this mama proud and take care to do the following before jumping in:
- Skin Test. It’s a good idea to skin test an essential oil before using it. Every body is different and just because one oil did incredible things for one person doesn’t automatically mean it will be a perfect fit for you, and in some rare instances an oil may irritate your skin. Start with just one oil or blend at a time. Apply the oil (neat or diluted, as indicated on your bottle) to a small area first. When trying oils that are new to you, allow enough time (3 – 5) minutes for the body to respond before applying a second oil. Placing oils on the bottom of your feet is most often a safe place to use essential oils topically if you experience irritation elsewhere.
- Be careful when using with other chemicals. Most people don’t think of their skin as full of chemicals, but certain things like cosmetics, personal-care products, soaps, and cleansers can contain synthetic chemicals. Your skin may have residual chemicals hanging out that could come in contact with your essential oils. Some of these chemicals, especially petroleum-based chemicals, can penetrate and remain in the skin and fatty tissues for days or even weeks after use.
Essentials oils may work against such toxins that are stored in your body, whether from personal care products, food, or the environment. This is another reason why you’ll want to do a skin test. If any redness or irritation occurs, dilute the area with a carrier oil (like coconut oil, jojoba oil or olive oil) and then cleanse with soap and water. The oils aren’t necessarily bad for you, but you may find it beneficial to reduce use or stop using the oils for a few days. Some natural detox efforts can help cleanse your body safely. If you are ready to try again, do a skin test (diluted for all oils, this time) and wait 30 minutes to see if there is any reaction. - Keep “Hot” Oils Away from Children. Oils such as oregano, cinnamon, thyme, eucalyptus, mountain savory, lemon, and orange… or blends like Thieves, PanAway, Relieve It, and Exodus II should be stored away from children (although, really, I keep all my oils away from my children!). These are also the types of oils that should always be diluted for both children and adults.
I have shared with you the basics you need to get started with essential oils, how they can help you makeover your medicine cabinet, keep your home free of toxic chemicals, and uplift your spirits! Ready to get started?
My Favorite Essential Oils
My first essential oil kit was purchased on Amazon for $20. I used it to make toothpaste and deodorant. After I burnt my mouth and my pits I learned that they oils I had purchased were low grade and should not have been used for topical application (thought the bottle did read “Pure” and “organic”). Sigh.
Don’t make the same mistake I did when I got started. Choose Young Living instead!
One of the most important things I’ve learned in my journey to healthy living is that it’s not just what something is – it’s where it comes from, how it’s grown, and how it’s processed, and where I KNOW the FARMER. Whether it’s blueberries fresh from the farm, or cows on green pasture, or a soft organic t-shirt, I know that the source MATTERS. To ensure the purity of their oils, Young Living sets the bar high. They actually own their own farms and distilleries around the globe and follow a stringent process: Seed to Seal – the HIGHEST standards for planting, harvesting, and distilling on the farms they own and co-op!
The Young Living Premium Starter Kit is the best introduction to essential oils (and it’s such great value, too!) No other essential oils company offers such a great-value and comprehensive range of products to get you started. This kit contains your everyday staples – all the oils and equipment you’ll want to have on hand for a variety of situations. There’s an excellent user guide, too, which will help you understand how to use everything contained in the kit.
Here’s what else is great: once you buy the Premium Starter Kit, you automatically become a “wholesale member” of Young Living. This means you can continue to buy other Young Living products for a huge 24% discount off the retail price! You’re under zero obligation to buy any other products as a wholesale member, but if you do, you get 24% off!
Ready to buy your Young Living Premium Starter Kit?
Here’s what you get:
- Dessert Mist Diffuser
- Ten bottles of essential oils: Lavender 5-ml, Peppermint Vitality™ 5-ml, Lemon Vitality™ 5-ml, Copaiba Vitality™ 5-ml, Frankincense 5-ml, Thieves® Vitality™ 5-ml, Citrus Fresh™ 5-ml, Raven™ 5-ml, DiGize™ Vitality™ 5-ml, PanAway® 5-ml
- Aroma Glide roller fitment (to turn any oil into a roll-on)
- 10 Essential Oil Sample Bottles – Great for sharing with friends and family!
- Thieves Household Cleaner 1-oz. sample
- Two sample packets each of Lavender, Peppermint, Peace & Calming, Lemon, and Thieves
- Two NingXia Red 2oz samples (an antioxidant drink concentrate that’s a great supplement for supporting health and wellbeing)
Total value: Over $300
You pay: $160 – that’s 50% off!
And remember: once you’ve’ve purchased the kit, you automatically become a wholesale member – which entitles you to 24% off all future purchases from Young Living! There are NO monthly minimums or fees.
Step-by-step: purchase your Premium Starter Kit
1. Click on the following link to sign up: https://thecoconutmama.com/essential-oil
2. Select “Sign up as: Young Living Wholesale Member” – which will allow you to purchase the Premium Starter Kit.
Remember: you’re NOT obligated to make any further purchases after this. Wholesale membership simply allows you to buy the Premium Starter Kit at a huge discount.
3. Fill out your name, billing address, shipping address, and contact information.
4. Create your password and PIN – which you’ll use to log in to your account and order any future oils.
6. Select your order: the “Premium” or “Basic” Starter Kit. I highly recommend the Premium: it comes with everything you need to get started, and it’s the best value of the three. Then you can pick a diffuser. I personally love the home diffuser, but all 4 diffusers are amazing!
7. Optional: sign up for the frequent buyers’ club called Essential Rewards (ER). When you join, you’ll start accumulating rewards points for everything you buy, which can be used to get free products on future orders. There’s no need to join right away – you can purchase your Starter Pack first and join the ER club later if you prefer.
8. Agree to the Terms & Conditions.
9. CONFIRM YOUR ORDER! I’ve had many folks miss this step and end up not fully checking out – and I don’t want you missing out on your oils!
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to treat diagnose or cure.
