I have often had people be very curious about this whole essential oils thing. They want to know what they are, what I use them for, and generally what's the big deal, yo? So I thought I would write up a little "Day in the Life" post to give you an idea of how I use Young Living oils and other products in a typical day.
I typically wake up about an hour before the boys so I can get ready, shower, and maybe even have a cup of coffee. There are several oils that are part of my morning routine.
I love Ningxia Red and try to drink a couple ounces of it daily. Ningxia Red is an antioxidant and wellness drink that contains blueberry, cherry, pomegranate and plum juices along with Chinese wolfberry puree. I really like the way it tastes. Even Owen likes to have a little shot of his "special juice."
In the morning, I will also take a vegetable capsule with grapefruit, lemon, and peppermint oils. This what is known as the weight loss trio. Peppermint is recommended for energy and digestion as well as appetite control while lemon can be used for detoxing. Grapefruit is also used for appetite suppression. Disclaimer: I would not recommend ingesting any essential oils other than Young Living oils. And even then, not all of them are suitable for ingesting.
I have not tried all the personal hygiene products available from Young Living, but I love the Thieves line. Every morning, I brush my teeth with Thieves Dentarome Ultra toothpaste and swish with Thieves mouthwash. Both leave my mouth feeling clean and my teeth looking whiter.
After my shower, I have been applying my own homemade deodorant, which contains lavender and purification essential oils. And I typically apply the blend Valor to my neck and wrists just like a perfume. I love the smell and have found it to be effective for me against anxiety and stress. Other times I will apply a blend called Joy, which is like a flowery perfume.
I love love love my diffuser and use it at least a couple times every day. In the morning, I tend to diffuse something energizing. My favorite combination to diffuse is lemon, lavender, and peppermint. This is known as the allergy trio since lavender is a natural antihistamine, lemon is helpful with drainage, and peppermint can open up the sinuses. All of us breathe easier once I diffuse this combo.
I change several diapers a day, and if Graham has diaper rash I use my homemade diaper rash ointment. As you can see, I need to make a new batch. I used to use conventional diaper rash creams, but I switched to more natural brands once I found out what yucky ingredients were inside them. And then once I switched to cloth diapers, I learned that most store-bought diaper rash creams will affect absorbency so I started just using plain coconut oil. Once I started using essential oils, I began whipping the coconut oil with lavender and melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree oil) for diaper rash cream. It is great for diaper rash! If I don't double dip (ew!), I can also use this cream for minor cuts and scrapes.
Life with two little boys equals a lot of messes and since I am a stay-at-home mom, I do a lot of cleaning during the day. I love cleaning with Young Living's Thieves cleaner. It is a concentrated cleaner so one bottle can make lots of diluted bottles of cleaner. And it can be used on everything, including granite countertops and hardwood floors. I also love that the boys can be around me while I'm cleaning with this, unlike if I were to use Clorox or some other harsh, smelly cleaner. Owen loves to spray the bottle for me and help me wipe up messes with a rag. And it smells amazing!
Sometimes I need a little pick-me-up in the middle of the afternoon when I'm running low on energy and Tim is still hours from coming home from work. That's when I will drink a Ningxia Nitro. It provides energy as well as increases focus and alertness. I love it because it helps give the energy, but doesn't lead to a crash later on or keep me awake late into the night like an afternoon cup of coffee would. I also find myself able to be more productive once the kids are in bed for the night as opposed to just flopping on the couch in front of the TV.
I only just tried it this last month and I never want to be without it. I get downright stingy when it comes to my Nitros. Like, hide them in the back of the fridge behind the pickles stingy (cause you know my husband would never look behind there to find them).
There are several oils that Tim and I use before bed. We also sometimes use them on the kids if for instance, Owen seems to be bouncing off the walls or Graham is congested. I typically apply Breathe Again if I am congested or Tranquil to help quiet my mind and fall asleep faster. I also apply Frankincense around my eyes to help with vision.
At night, Tim typically applies Palo Santo to his knees because it can help with damaged cartilage, Deep Relief or Aroma Siez to any sore muscles, and maybe another based on some bit of research he has found (he had a thing for nutmeg for a while). He always comes to bed smelling oily. It's pretty hot. I'm not gonna lie.
I really like to use our diffuser at night too. We don't always do this depending on whether we are using both of our diffusers in the boys' rooms. My favorite combination to diffuse at night is Valor and Peace and Calming. It smells so good and I find that I sleep deeper and wake less during the night when I diffuse oils as I'm falling asleep.
And that's about it for an average day. Of course if we were having a playdate or one of the kids seemed like they were coming down with something, I would diffuse or apply Thieves to them. I also use Thieves sanitizing spray and hand sanitizer whenever we go to the grocery store or a restaurant (I spray the cart or the highchair). I also have lots of other combos that I like to diffuse, like Peppermint with either Joy or Stress Away. If the kitchen is stinky or the diaper laundry is smelling, I like diffusing Purification. You can even use it to freshen stinky laundry! And then there are cases of random issues like poison ivy rash, headaches, or whatever else and I like to try to address those with oils first too.
