Essential Oils

It seems like everyone these days is raving about DoTerra essential oils. Most of my friends use them. I've had mixed results. I love the idea of being able to treat illnesses with less medicine. And there's some I've really liked. But I can't say I'm as enthusiastic as some people I know.

On Guard: This is supposed to boost your immune system & help with illnesses like colds & sore throats. I do know if I put this in hot cranapple juice it feels great on a sore throat. Using it to help not get sick is always a bit tricky to determine because you only know if it doesn't work, there's no way to tell how sick you would have gotten. I've put this on my son's feet a few times & he didn't get sick. I had one horrible sore throat once this didn't help with; but then nothing helped with that, herbal or over the counter (except the broth I posted under "when single mom's get sick).

Past Tense: I occasionally get a tension headache so tried this one. I tried it 3 times and each time my headache got way worse than usual. Perhaps I did something wrong.

Lavendar: This is probably the one I use the most. One thing I use it for is if I wake up in the middle of the night & can't get back to sleep. You know how it is, your brain starts going and you're like "oh no! Sleep silly!". I put a drop on the back of my neck & it really helps. If my son is having a hard time sleeping I do the same for him. I have also put this in a bath with epson salts if I'm sick or think I might be getting sick. After a long hot soak, a herbalist recommended to me to rinse of very quickly in a cold show. As weird as that sounds, it actually feels great, & I'd always though hot baths helped a lot when you're sick.

Breathe: We've tried this on various colds. It helps some. Probably as much as many cold medicines. One problem I think with herbal solutions; is we sort of expect them to work miraculously, even better than regular medicine, or we think it didn't work. It doesn't last as long as medications though, so wasn't my first choice for overnight. I did get some good results using it in a hot bath.

Balance: This is maybe my favorite one. When I get really nasty stuff from my ex (you divorced ladies know what I'm talking about), I get very anxious or upset. This relieves it a lot & shortens it, so I can get back to being a great mom sooner.

Peppermint: Years ago I had a lot of IBS & stomache aches. I figured out that one brand of candy canes helped. I'd buy a bunch after Christmas to get me through the year. I don't have IBS anymore, but it did teach me that peppermint helps with stomach trouble. I take it on trips in case my son gets car sick. And any time one of us has a tummy ache we take some. Tastes good too! I like to put it in hot chocolate. It's also great to mix with water & spray on you on a hot day. Very cooling!

Elevation: I tried this hoping it would keep me awake better at church. No such luck!

Lemon: This does a decent job of cutting mucus. One night I'd tried several medicines for my son's mucusy cough, with no luck. Some lemon cut it enough to finally let him sleep a few hours at a time.

Deep Blue: This does feel good on a sore muscle. It doesn't last as long as a painkiller, but sometimes I just don't want to take a painkiller. And sometimes with minor things, it's enough. It's expensive though!

Oregano: Supposed to be great to help you get better. Again it's hard to say, because you don't know what it would have been like without. I did gargle with it once with the aforementioned very sore throat. You have to be really desperate to do that!!

Massage with oils: This was amazing! I went right after seeing my lawyer, & thought there was no way I'd quit stressing about what was going on with my ex & relax. Before I knew it my mind was a blank & eventually I fell asleep! I've had regular massages, & they're great too. But this one gave me a level of mental relaxation that other massages hadn't. And the effect seemed to hang on for a few days. I would recommend this for any stressed single mom (or anyone else!). I found a deal on one on a coupon site like City Deals so it was very inexpensive.

DigestZen: This does help with minor bowel troubles. I've rubbed it on my tummy before I had to leave somewhere when I was feeling "grumblings" & didn't want to worry about it. For anything more serious though I'd recommend Dr Christophers Lower Bowel Formula. That works if you're plugged or runny. With my son 1 capsule is usually all it takes to set things right.

Overall there's definitely some benefits. There's a few I don't want to be without. I haven't found them to be the cure-all I'd like! But that may be expecting too much!