Essential Oil, RN (Blog) - reIMAGINE wellness

Behind the scenes...what essential oils are doing that you cannot see and smell!

8/11/2014

Essential oils are very powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are atoms with at least one unpaired electron and are created naturally buy the body during metabolism. The body uses free radicals to perform important roles in gene transcription, cell signaling, and other regulatory functions.

The problem is when free radicals outnumber the body’s natural antioxidants. Exposure to environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, and cigarette smoke can also create free radicals. This imbalance leads to cell injury and death.

If a free radical is not properly managed, it can cause a chain reaction by creating even more free radicals out of normal atoms. This sequences leads to damage to proteins, DNA, and tissue, as well as the triggering of a number of human diseases. Essential oils, omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil, and certain vitamins have been shown to act as inhibitors of free radical generation and can help diminish oxidative stress and harmful free radical production, helping the body fight disease and damage.

That’s good news, I think! Right? As you use your oils on a daily basis, besides the benefit of feeling more energized, more comfortable… this is all going on “behind the scenes”. I want to keep my cells happy, don't you?

Free radicals are molecules with an unpaired electron which travel throughout the body's systems and "steal" electrons from healthy cells, damaging them in the process. Elevated free radical levels have been linked to many diseases such as cancer, coronary heart disease and diabetes. They are also associated with accelerated aging

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Juli Reynolds

Wellness Advocate, BSN,RN
Certified Nurse Aromatherapist

reimagine: to imagine again or anew, to form a new conception.

I am so amazed by the effectiveness of essential oils for so many things that lead to better days along this journey. I am excited to share, to educate you about the power these gifts of nature have to change lives, helping us to reimagine wellness - of mind, body and spirit.

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There are so many amazing essential oils out there, but knowing which ones to start
with can be confusing! If this sounds familiar, then you’ve come to the right place. I’m going to introduce you to the three most popular essential oils from doTERRA that I always recommend; the Beginners Trio Kit of lavender, lemon and peppermint. I’m also going to share with you how to use them andhow to reap some fabulous benefits for you and your family. Remember that these are powerful oils and shouldn’t be applied without a carrier oil such as fractionated coconut oil. You can also use sweet almond oil or even olive oil. You can read more about using essential oils safely here.

Lavender

Lavandula (common name lavender) is part of the mint family, Lamiaceae. Lavender flowers are usually purple, a colour associated with the crown chakra, for higher purpose and spiritual connectivity. This symbolism is so appropriate as lavender is often used for healing and. doTERRA source their lavender essential oil from Bulgaria where the sunny, dry Black Sea climate coupled with dry, well drained, sandy soils are ideal for this aromatic plant.

With a distinct aroma and countless applications, lavender essential oil has been used for centuries topically, internally and aromatically. Known for its sweet-floral aroma and calming properties, the major constituents of lavender oil include linalool and linalyl acetate. The versatile nature of this lovely oil make it a doTERRA favourite, and a must-have to keep on hand at all times.

33 Lavender Oil Uses And Benefits:

As my go-to Swiss Army knife essential oil, lavender is always in my holiday first-aid kit (read more here). Here’s a list of how to use lavender and some of the benefits:

Closet freshener: Drip on cotton wool balls and place on your cupboard or closet to freshen up and deodorise odours from shoes or dirty clothes bins.
Take the sting away: If you happen to be bitten by a bug, lavender applied onto the bite can help to reduce the itching and pain.
A calming spray: Next time you’re sitting in traffic, pull out a spray bottle filled with a lavender and water mixture and freshen your car. It can help to reduce traffic-induced stress.
Having trouble sleeping? Try lavender drops on your pillow. It can help ease active minds and restful sleep.
Make a room a safe haven: Spritz or diffuse lavender and lemon in a room to create a calm and happy space (note: this also works well with lavender and orange).
Cleaning spray: Lavender and water in a spray bottle with a pinch of Epsom salts makes a refreshing and effective cleaning spray.
Take the acrid out of vinegar: If you clean with vinegar, but aren’t a fan of the smell, lavender is the answer. Just add a few drops of lavender to the vinegar in the spray bottle and you’re set!
Toilet freshener: Add a drop to the inside of a toilet roll to freshen up your loo!
Therapeutic washing powder: Add a few drops of lavender to your laundry powder or rinse water when washing sheets for another way to create a sleepy space.
Lovable linens: Adding a few drops of lavender to some fabric squares or tissues keeps your linen cupboard smelling lovely and fresh.
Uplift wooden floors: Add lavender to your floor cleaner to revitalise your floors.
Refresh your mattress: Adding a spritz of lavender to your mattress when changing your sheets can help to refresh an old mattress, and help you sleep well.
Room freshener: Put baking soda and a 5-6 drops of Lavender oil in a small jam jar. Punch holes in the lid. Place in smelly areas (near rubbish bin, dirty clothes, smelly shoes), shake jar often.
Carpet freshener: Add a shake or two of bicarb and lavender and lemon essential oils to carpets, leave for a few minutes then vacuum up!
Extra potpourri mileage: If you have a pot pourri that has seen better days, try refreshing it with a few drops of lavender essential oil.
Sweet smelling vacuum: Add a few drops of lavender and lemon oils to a cotton ball and suck up when you start to vacuum to have a nice scent blowing out as you go.
Soften citrus flavours: Use in delicate lemon sauces for chicken or fish or in powerful orange marmalades, citrus salads, real lemonade and more.
Add to your sweet treats: Lavender is a nice addition to banana bread, biscuits, muffins, cakes, and more!
Give your sugars a delightful twist: Use as a substitute for vanilla extract in creams, custards and sugars, use it in icing, add to honey in tea or toast, and even add to maple syrup.
DIY face scrub: Fill a small jar with oats and add 5-8 drops of lavender oil. Add water and it becomes an excellent scrub for face and body. A little goes a long way.
Minor burns, major relief: When you’ve spent too long in the sun, a little lavender oil mixed with aloe vera or just sprayed on is very soothing.
Cuts and scrapes: Lavender is great at helping to deal with minor cuts and scrapes. Add it to a Band-Aid or just on the wound. It will help the skin to heal nicely.
Dry skin support: If you suffer from dry or itchy skin, add lavender to some fractionated coconut oil or unscented lotion and rub in after washing or when feeling uncomfortable.
Sore and dry feet: If you’ve been on your feet all day, 6 drops of lavender and some Epsom salts in a hot foot bath will help revitalise tired feet.
Neck relief: When you have neck tension, apply lavender with fractionated coconut oil, breathe it in and massage those knots out!
Seasonal relief: Add to carrier oil and apply to the back of your neck, chest, and between your eyes to help relieve itchy eyes. Combine with peppermint and lemon for added benefits.
Relaxing and soothing bath: Add a couple of drops of lavender oil and castile soap to warm bath water to nourish skin and help you relax for bed time.
Nourish your hair: Add a couple of drops of lavender to your shampoo while you are in the shower.
Nourish your skin: Add lavender to your moisturiser after you wash your face to support healthy skin.
Homemade bedroom freshener: Put baking soda and a 5-6 drops of lavender oil in a small jam jar. Punch holes in the lid. Place near the bed and shake the jar often.
Steam hood: When you are feeling under the weather, try the lavender steam hood. Add 4-6 drops to a bowl of hot water. Place a towel over your head and inhale the vapour slowly and deeply. You can add a drop of peppermint if you want to boost your breathing.
Pillow spray: Add 5-10 drops of lavender and a pinch of Epsom salts to a 30ml spray bottle and top up with water.
DIY perfume: Add 5 drops of lavender to a 5ml roller bottle for a calming, natural perfume.

Fun fact: it takes around 16 kilos of lavender flowers to produce just one 15ml bottle of lavender essential oil! If you’d like to learn more about the benefits and uses of lavender essential oil you can watch this video:
Have you tried any of these suggestions? What is your favorite way to use lavender?

Lemon

doTERRA sources lemon essential oil from citrus orchards in Sicily, Italy. Through Co-Impact Sourcing®, doTERRA has provided a business opportunity for families who have grown lemon and bergamot for generations continue their family tradition of running an orchard. Clean, fresh, citrusy lemon essential oil is one of the most popular and versatile oils, with variety of uses and benefits, not just in the kitchen. The high limonene content makes it a powerful antioxidant and a cleansing agent so its deodorising and purifying properties are often used in cleaning and preservative products and diffusers. Lemon may also aid in digestion and support healthy respiratory function when taken internally.

33 Lemon Oil Uses And Benefits:

Natural surface cleaning. Add a 10-15 drops to a glass spray bottle for an effective and fresh smelling cleaner. Check out my blog post for some simple recipes for cleaning with lemon oil!
A cure for stale washing machines: Lemon takes out odours when you forget and leave your load of washing in the machine for too long.
Remove tree sap: Whether the sap is on your carpet, clothes or seeped into your skin, lemon oil is excellent for removing tree sap.
Stop grease in its tracks: Soap alone won’t remove grease and deep dirt on skin, but lemon oil mixed with your soap will.
Cleaning power: Just a small amount of lemon oil will go a long way in removing hard water build up and make your bathroom sparkle.
Nourish your leathers: A lemon oil soaked cloth can help to preserve and nourish leather and prevent it from splitting.
Clean your silver: A lemon oil treated cloth is a great remedy for the early stages of tarnish on silver or other metals.
Removing chewing gum: Lemon oil can help with removing chewing gum from hair.
Stickers everywhere: Lemon helps to dissolve the glue behind them.
DIY furniture polish: Bring your furniture back to life with lemon oil! Just add a few drops of lemon oil to olive oil for a non-toxic furniture polish.
De-smudge your stainless: Multi-use lemon oil is great for cleaning stainless steel appliances.
Energise your brush: If your toothbrush needs a boost before replacement, add a drop of lemon and peppermint oils and have a fresh brush again.
Lose the smell: Diffuse or spray lemon oil and neutralise odours from bins or shoes at their source.
Goodbye scuffs: If you have stubborn scuff marks lemon oil lifts them in remarkable ways!
Curtail dank, musty smells: Chase away that “old smell” and inject new energy with a good lemon oil wipe down.
Freshen up cutting boards: Boost the wood as well as cleaning them thoroughly with a spray of lemon essential oil and food grade oil.
Control an insect invasion naturally: Lemon and/or peppermint essential oils with water in a garden spray bottle are a natural repellent that discourage bugs from eating your plants (while still being safe for you).
Spot-free dishes: Add a few drops of lemon oil to your dishwasher soap container with each load. Your dishes will come out looking like new and spot-free.
Superclean your dishcloths: When your kitchen dishcloths smell foul and could use a boost, add lemon oil to your detergent, soak overnight, wash, dry and they’ll be back to new.
Hot toddy: Add a few drops to a spoonful of raw honey then mix in a cup of warm water for a soothing drink.
Energy boost: For a quick, refreshing energy boost, combine a couple drops each of lemon essential oil and peppermint essential oil in a glass of water and drink up.
Zest up your sugary indulgences: There are an infinite number of ways lemon oil can add a bit of freshness to your sugary favourites: icing, lemon meringue, cakes, biscuits, awe-inspiring lemonade!
Zesty dressings: Add a few drops to olive oil and balsamic for a delicious salad dressing.
Pep up your mains: Add lemon oil to roasted salmon amp; asparagus, pasta dishes, vegetables (especially broccoli), or make a salad dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon essential oil.
Preserve what you’ve got: Use lemon oil in a spray to keep your cut fruit fresh until serving.
Sooth an itchy throat: Adding a couple drops of lemon essential oil to warm water amp; honey can soothe it.
Healthy toenails: A drop of lemon oil on unsightly toenails can get them back to beautiful. Apply with carrier oil a few times a day for a few weeks or until you see desired result.
Uplift your mood: Combined with lavender oil and diffused into a room can help you feel less worried and in a better mood.
Zesty drink: Add to fizzy water for a refreshing drink.
Clear thinking amp; clear focus: Diffuse lemon oil for a gentle boost to your concentration.
Tough skin? Next time you notice hard skin on your feet add a few drops of lemon oil to moisturizer and you’ll soon have softened skin!
A brighter complexion: Lemon oil can help remove dead skin cells and exfoliate. Add 4-5 drops to a small amount of porridge oats and water for a homemade scrub. Feels great but do it at night as citrus oils react adversely in the sun!
DIY toilet bombs: Make your own fresh and effective toilet cleaner. Here is a simple recipe to help clean your toilet.

Fun fact: In one year, a single lemon tree has the potential to produce around 250kgs of lemons, and it typically takes around 45 lemons to fill a 15mL essential oil bottle. If you’d like to learn more about the benefits and uses of lemon essential oil you can watch this video:

Did you know about all the skincare applications for lemon essential oil? What are your favorite ways to use this lovely citrus oil in your home?

Peppermint

The peppermint plant is a versatile perennial herb that has been cherished since ancient times and is now used by cosmetic, culinary, and health industries around the world. It’s well known for its ability to help digestive health, promote healthy respiratory function, and provide flavour enhancement too. No wonder it’s one of doTERRA’s best-selling essential oils.

The main chemical component of peppermint is menthol which gives it the fresh and minty scent. It also makes it energizing and invigorating, and is very cooling to the skin, and can be used topically to relieve feelings of tension.

33 Peppermint Oil Uses And Benefits:

Improve endurance: If you know an athlete, then peppermint can help them in lots of different ways – my husband, Mike, has shared some of his favourite tips and tricks here.
Calm a queasy tummy: Just one drop of peppermint oil rubbed on the stomach or taken internally can calm feelings of queasiness or discomfort.
Breath freshener: Just a drop on the tongue or in water will freshen your breath and leave a lasting crisp, clean feeling.
Clear breathing: Inhale a few drops of peppermint to help open your airways when you need to take some deep breaths.
Soothe a tired body: When feeling overworked, rubbing peppermint, lavender and a carrier oil will help cool and relax.
Feel full, faster: The aroma of peppermint oil can reduce your appetite and make you feel full, especially if you breathe it in during a meal.
Soothe your feet: If you’ve been on your feel all day, just add peppermint oil to a cold water compress to cool your overworked, overheated feet.
Focus and energise: The invigorating aroma of peppermint is a wonderful, non-stimulating way to perk up on long drives, in school, during late night homework or any other time you need to burn the midnight oil.
Energise your lather: Add peppermint to your shampoo or conditioner to stimulate the scalp, energise and wake up.
Seasonal relief: Add to carrier oil and apply to the back of your neck, chest, and between your eyes to help relief itchy eyes. Combine with lavender and lemon for added benefits.
Chase away sore heads: A drop of peppermint on the temples and nape of neck can help you deal with an aching head.
Help kids focus: Diffuse or smell peppermint when you need an extra boost of concentration or energy, especially when doing homework. You can also pop a drop on their collar before they leave for school in the mornings.
Soak amp; revitalise: After a long day, apply peppermint, let it seep in and then soak in a warm bath or shower. The refreshing minty vapour will make you feel cool, relaxed and energised again.
Add to your tea: Just one drop of peppermint oil can add life to any herbal tea (without having to add lots of sugar) while also aiding digestion.
“Should I work out today?” antidote: Using peppermint oil prior to exercise immediately awakens your senses and gets you in the right frame of mind.
No more nibbles: Diffuse or sniff peppermint oil to rein in the urge to snack on junk food.
Add zing to all things chocolate: Enhance your chocolate in a gazillion ways: gourmet hot chocolate, mint chocolate icing, peppermint bark, and chocolate cake.
Speedy sweets: Homemade candy canes, butter mints, and peppermint ice cream.
Unforgettable beverages: Peppermint water on ice, mint mocha, peppermint tea.
Wake up your mind: Peppermint will give your brain a boost whenever you smell it.
An itch fix: Apply a drop of peppermint oil and with lavender to cool, soothe and stop itching.
Cool drinking: Add a few drops of peppermint to your ice water and improve the taste and have the feeling of cool, refreshing wind in your airways.
Get rid of bugs: Many household pests, including ants, do not like peppermint oil. Just add to water in a spray bottle and spray where you think pests might creep in.
Clean naturally: Peppermint oil is a wonderful natural cleaning agent. Add 10-15 drops with a pinch of Epsom salts to a 50ml cleaning spray. Use on countertops and bathroom surfaces for a refreshing and effective cleaner.
Sleep aid: If you find you#8217;re having a hard time sleeping, peppermint can cool you down, and may help with sleep. Please note that for some, peppermint can be stimulating late at night.
Feel calm: Peppermint oil may help restore feelings of normalcy and balance when you are feeling shocked, stressed or nervous.
Tame an ache: Peppermint oil can soothe aching and sore muscles.
Spiders be gone: Diffuser peppermint oil to repel spiders.
Hot flushes: Peppermint can be very cooling. Add 10-15 drops of peppermint oil to a 50ml spray bottle for a refreshing spray on hot summer days or for menopausal flushes.
Peppermint tea: Add a drop to hot water for a refreshing tea.
Seasonal relief: Add to carrier oil and apply to the back of your neck, chest, and between your eyes to help relief itchy eyes. Combine with lavender and lemon for added benefits.
Too much sun!: When you’ve spent too long in the sun, a little peppermint oil mixed with lavender oil and aloe vera can be very soothing.
Head tension: If your temples are aching, then massage a drop of peppermint oil mixed with some fractionated coconut oil into your temples and the back of your neck for relief. Add a drop of lavender for added benefits.

Fun fact: Peppermint’s scientific name is Mentha piperita. In ancient Greek Mythology, Minthe (also known as Mentha), a nymph, was transformed by Queen Persephone into a sweet-smelling mint.

Have you ever used peppermint as a breathing aid? Or in recipes? How do you like to use it?

Post by: Tanya Maidment

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