Essential Oils- What are they and how to use them?

When you walk in Shine Wellness Massage Therapy you immediately smell a relaxing fragrance that many of our clients comment about. What I hear is, “It always smells so good in here!” Or, “As soon as I come in, I feel relaxed and at ease.” So what is that fragrance and why does it make you feel relaxed, happy, at ease and peaceful? At the studio we use therapeutic grade essential oils in our diffuser and in our massage therapy treatments. You may have noticed the diffuser on our table and the beautiful jar full of empty essential oils for decoration. All of those empty bottles have been used in massage sessions and to diffuse into the air at the studio. When you walk in, you breathe in these essential oils and it goes to our emotional center ( the limbic system in the brain ) to give us a feeling of calm and relaxation- or uplifting and energizing depending on what oil is being diffused.

Essential oils have been used for THOUSANDS of years. Primarily extracted through careful steam distillation but also through cold pressing, the purest essential oils are far more powerful than the botanicals from which they were extracted. Any time you hold a bottle of our powerful essential oils, you are holding nature’s pure essence. Lavender, Stress Away and Peace and Calming are my top 3 go to essential oils that I use in my home, with my family and with my massage therapy clients.

Lavender

Today, lavender is the most used essential oil in the world. Ancient texts tell us that lavender essential oil has been used for medicinal and religious purposes for over 2,500 years. It is like the swiss army knife of essential oils. From skin care products to relaxing routines, this oil can infuse many areas of your life.

According to Dr. Axe –  Lavender oil benefits your body in the following ways:

Reduces anxiety and emotional stress
Heals burns and wounds
Improves sleep
Restores skin complexion and reduces acne
Slows aging with powerful antioxidants
Improves eczema and psoriasis
Alleviates headaches

Possibly the most famous usage of all, Mary used it to anoint Jesus with her hair and some believe spikenard was made from lavender essential oil.

“Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” ~ John 12:3

Many researchers claim that 2,000 years ago, lavender was referred to as spikenard or simply nard from the Greek name for lavender, naardus, after the Syrian city Naarda. This really puts the power of lavender into perspective, doesn’t it? ( Dr. Axe )

Stress Away

With an aroma that is the perfect blend of tropical and citrus, Stress Away is uniquely relaxing and comforting. It’s a beautiful blend of lime and vanilla essential oils that I use frequently in massage therapy sessions. I place a few drops on my palms and rub them together and let you breathe them in at the start of your session. This starts your relation process. Then I add a few drops into the lotion that I use as it get massaged into your skin and the therapeutic benefits of the oils get absorbed transdermally.

Peace and Calming

Who doesn’t want a bit of peace and calming in their day. This is my go to anytime I feel a bit overwhelmed. I wear it as a fragrance and diffuse it in my home and at the studio. My littlest one Gabe even takes it to school with him. He has his own small bottle that he uses when he feels a bit out of sorts and uses it before he takes a test. It’s calming for kids and parents and I even keep an extra bottle in my purse. Peace & Calming® essential oil is a gentle, sweet blend of Ylang Ylang, Orange, Tangerine, Patchouli, and Blue Tansy.

How to use essential oils:

Essential oils can be used in a multitude of ways. From diffusing them into the air, adding them to soaps, cleaning the house without toxins, to making your own skin care and bath products and room sprays. Essential oils are more than nice scents; these powerful plant extracts are your path to the lifelong wellness. I love the ways I can use essential oils to benefit my family, my clients and myself emotionally and physically. Here is a free guide to help you choose the ways you wish to use essential oils.

What brand do I use and recommend?

Since 2011 I have been using  the Young Living brand of therapeutic grade essential oils. When I was in massage school we were taught how to use essential oils and our teacher stated “If you want the best oils on the market, go with Young Living.” So I did some research on the company and loved what I found out. They are the leader in the essential oils industry and they have a seed to seal process that is unparalleled in providing quality oils. Young Living is proud to set the standard for essential oil purity and authenticity by carefully monitoring the production of their oils.  From the time the seed is sourced until the oil is sealed in the bottle, they apply rigorous quality controls to ensure that you are receiving essential oils exactly the way nature intended. I wanted the best and safest for my family and in turn for my clients. Many oils on the market are synthetic and not natural plant extracts. They are cheap and diluted or are an inferior quality of essential oil. Some companies will even sell their inferior oils to other companies that rebottle and sell the oil on the market. Not Young Living! If the oils do not meet their high standards- they are dumped- not sold. They plant their own seeds from the strongest plants, cultivate them on their own farms, distill the oils in their own plants, test in their own labs as well as third party facilities and carefully bottle and label the oil in their state of the art facility in Utah. They are my choice in using quality therapeutic grade essential oils. And, I provide them FREE in any massage therapy service at Shine Wellness. There is no additional cost to add essential oils into your treatment.

How to get started using essential oils

I got started with Young Livings premium starter set. It was the best value and I knew I wanted to use the oils in my studio and my home. By purchasing this set, I was also able to buy the products at wholesale which is 24% off the retail price. The great news is that you can also buy this set with no intention of having to sell the oils. It’s just a member discounted price. You only need to make a $50 purchase once a year to keep your account active. Your other option is to purchase the oils at the retail cost. I can place an order for you and have the oils delivered to the studio. If you pick them up at the studio you will have free shipping. If you want them shipped to your home, there is a shipping and handling fee. You can take a look at all the oils Young Living offers and what they are used for HERE.

If you decide to try the starter set, you can become a member here. All you need to do is click on the link and use #1269211 as your sponsor. You will also receive a free gift from me to support you in your essential oils use. A free copy of the reference guide for essential oils is yours to pick up at the studio when you purchase the premium starter set above.

I hope you will enjoy the essential oils as much as I do. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact using the contact tab on this website.

In health and wellness,

Chris