I’ve never been a huge fan of pills. (Please see The Great Sink Incident of 1994 where my dad made me drink gallons upon gallons of water in an effort to swallow a pill without chewing it. P.S. It didn’t work. I still have to bite into anything bigger than an Advil.) It can’t only be that its foreign stuff I’m putting into the system since I’m still OK with the occasional Diet Coke and/or M&Ms to relieve emotional distress, but I’m always on the lookout for non-medicinal solutions to my body’s imperfections.

Enter: essential oils. You guys, even since my first introduction to the doTerra line, I am a big, big fan of these products. I don’t 100% buy that these work scientifically, but even if it’s a placebo effect, I’ve found essential oils to help with several different ailments. Which means I’ve been able to replace the few drugs I did use. Go team!

Reduces Headache Symptoms

I don’t get headaches that often, but when I do it is either brought on from tired eyes or stress that creeps in from my shoulders. To solve this problem, I mix one or two drops of lavender oil and one or two drops of frankincense on my finger tips. I then massage the mixture into my neck, all around my hairline and on my temples. If the headache is fatigue related, I’ll add one drop of peppermint to the mixture, but keep the massage to my neck and behind my ears. (No temples!) Massage is always an immediate pain reliever, but the smell and sensation from the essential oils provides at least a couple of hours of improvement, if not make the headache go away entirely.

Improves A Bloated Belly (and the Flavor of Water)

I know I’m supposed to drink a lot of water not just to exist, but particularly as a pregnant lady growing an Eggroll. Just because I know this doesn’t make it any easier. That was until I was introduced to lemon oil.

A couple of drops mixed into my 21-ounce water bottle is just what the doctor ordered to make the water refreshing and tasty. As an added bonus, the detoxifying qualities of the lemon oil reduce any bloated feelings in my belly and digestive system. I need all the help I can get in that regard!

Let me take a moment to talk about essential oils and pregnancy. Though a lot of what I’ve read online say essential oils are safe while pregnant, I look at it the same as anything else – too much of anything, even the healthiest items, is never a good idea. I did a lot of research before I started using any oils and decided to wait until I was past the first trimester to try them. There are still a few oils I won’t use and those that I do use, I only use sparingly. As always, I suggest doing your own research and talking to a doctor before trying anything new while pregnant.

Lessens Stuffy Ears

Since I already use a neti-pot for allergy-related sinus issues, I never gave much thought to improving my stuffed-up ears. Even though my ears get very uncomfortable during spring and fall (and whenever I fly), I thought keeping my sinuses clean was the only solution and they were the best they would get. Then a friend suggested rubbing a couple drops of peppermint oil all over the outside rim of both ears. Oh my goodness, I can hear!!!

The peppermint oil from doTerra is VERY strong, so even from the ear-to-nose distance away, it is powerful to smell. I’m sure that does some work, opening up the nasal passages from the inside, while the oil right on the skin of the ears helps, too.

Reduces Scarring and Rashes

As I have addressed in previous posts, I’m a big clutz. I’m particularly clutzy 1. while pregnant and 2. while remodeling the house. Needless to say, I was so happy to discover that metaluca oil is just the solution I needed for any skin issues since I’ve been one big booboo this year. I apply this oil (also known as tea tree oil) to all of my cuts before I put on a band-aid and have noticed a marked improvement in healing time. The same goes for arm rashes (in which prescribed medicine could not improve) and the stray hormone-related zit.

This last use really made me excited because I’ve never been able to use “all natural” make-up or hair products before due to allergic reactions. Turns out others’ definitions of “all natural” still doesn’t necessarily mean “the same natural (ex. tea tree oil) product as what we really put in here (ex. apple tree bark)”. With doTerra’s products, I haven’t had any bad reactions with my sensitive skin, so one of these days I’m going to start making my own beauty products. Well, maybe… That’s getting a bit extreme, no?

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I love the smells of doTerra’s essential oils, so I’m hoping Santa brings me a diffuser this year. I already use the lemon oil to do some light cleaning and closet deodorizing, but know the oils can be used for heavy-duty cleaning as well.

What other ways do you use essential oils?

P.S. I stumbled into essential oils via a “party” for doTerra essential oils. After doing some research, they seem like the best essential oil products out there. If you do try any of my suggestions above with another line of oil, please be cautious that they all may react differently. Actually, always be cautious… even the same products may work differently with you – we’re all unique individuals after all!