Whether you are just getting started with Young Living or just wanting to learn more, it is important to know how to use your Young Living Essential Oils. Please keep in mind that this information is only regarding Young Living. Please do not use other essential oils in this manner until you perform your own research.
So, you may be wondering how to use essential oils. There are 3 ways to use Young Living Essential oils.
1. Aromatically. This could be smelling the oils directly from the bottle or diffusing the oils in your home diffuser that comes in the Premium Starter Kit. Fragrance is the substance of memories. Aroma inhaled causes the olfactory bulb to send messages to the limbic part of the brain, which activates memories and emotions. When inhaling, it takes 22 seconds for an oil to reach the brain. The only way to reach limbic system is through smell, which is why oils are such a great option for those with depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. Medications cannot reach the limbic system; therefore, they treat the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and panic attacks rather than treating the problem.
2. Topically. Because of their molecular structure, essential oils are rapidly absorbed by the skin. Sometimes when you apply an oil to the skin, it almost seems to disappear into the body. When applied topically, it takes 2 – 3 minutes for an oil to reach the bloodstream, 20 minutes to affect every cell in the body, then metabolized within 2 ½ hours. You may need to apply more frequently than dosing meds, especially during illness.
Simply take a drop or two of oil and put it directly on your skin. Normally, you want to use the oils directly where the issue is. For example, if you have a headache, you can apply Peppermint to your temples, forehead, and back of neck. If you burned your finger, you can apply Lavender directly to the burn. If you have back pain, you can apply PanAway directly to the back. If you are treating a bladder infection, you can apply it directly to the bladder. The feet are ideal location for oil application, especially for children, because they have the largest pores, oils will not sting, and they are rapidly absorbed in the body.
The feet act as a mirror of the rest of the body. Nerves run all through your body and a lot of them end in your feet. On the vita flex chart, you see the spot on your foot for lungs. The nerves that end in that spot on the foot run right through the lungs. So, when you put the oils on that spot, the oils will go to the lungs very quickly because the nerves go directly to that organ. If someone is having asthma issues, for example, you want to massage the oil in to that spot for lungs on the foot because it will get to the lungs very rapidly and help with the asthma.
3. Internally. A popular way, and the way I use my oils internally the most, is to put the oils in your water/beverage. You can also put oils in a capsule and swallow them that way. You can also put them in food.
A couple of things to note – if you heat up the oils (such as cooking or baking) or put them in a hot liquid (such as coffee), the heat will break down the therapeutic properties of the oil. Normally, when cooking, you aren’t looking to cure someone’s headache. Instead, you just want the flavor which is perfectly fine. Also, if you would like to put a drop or two of Lemon in your water, you need to use glass or stainless steel. Lemon is a citrus oil and citrus oils will eat through Styrofoam and break down plastic. Please keep this in mind.
Citrus oils are also photosensitive which means, when on the skin and exposed to sunlight, it can cause a burn. For example, Lemon is great for the skin. If you use this oil on your face, please wait at least 12 hours before going outside for long periods of time.
Stress Away is a blend of oils. One oil in this blend is Lime, which is very photosensitive. Please be aware of skin exposed to sunlight where this oil may have been applied. Please see below for a graphic with all the photosensitive oils.
Precaution: DO NOT put oils directly in eyes or ears. If an essential oil gets in the eye, put a dab of a fatty carrier oil like olive, coconut, jojoba, almond, sesame or grapeseed oil around the outside of the eyelid. Do NOT use water. The fatty oil will cut the essential oil and take away the burn in seconds – same for ears. Note: Young Living Essential Oils will not damage the eye or your eye sight, but it will sting and may be irritated.
Always dilute well on babies, toddlers and pets. Dilution means to use a fatty oil (such as those mentioned above) with the essential oil before applying to skin. Normally, dilution is not required when applying to the bottom of the feet, even on babies. However, some oils are “hot” oils and should always be diluted, even on adults. I usually test a spot on my skin when using a new essential oil to see if my skin reacts to the hot oil. If it does, I apply my carrier oil directly on top of it and know that I need a carrier oil when applying. Everyone has different skin so you may not have skin sensitivity to these oils.
Stay tuned for more information regarding Young Living.
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