Essential Oils

I had never even heard of Essential Oils before I met my friend Erin (I taught her kids homeschool) and she introduced me to this whole new world. I have always been interested in acupuncture and natural and Homeopathic medicine... I even wanted to be a Homeopathic doctor at one point. I do believe that our bodies need to be balanced and working as a whole in order to function perfectly. I do believe in taking the natural route BUT to a certain degree. I am not opposed to modern medicine. Science is amazing, and it works- there is a place for it- If I brake my arm, I will not rub an essential oil on it and hope for the best, you bet your bum i'm going straight to the ER so they can pump me full of pain killers and anything else they want! I am no essential Oil expert and while I have found that DoTerra oils are the best quality- at the end of the day oils are oils, no matter the brand, and that's my opinion on that.
An Essential oil is a chemical group of constituents that are volatile (they can evaporate and be distilled), oil soluble (they can dissolve in or combine with oils or other lipids), and are found in a
lots of different aromatic plants. Oils are constituent from plants for immune defense, pollination for attraction, damaged tissue healing and other metabolic purposes within the plant. So if these plants have stuff that can help them heal or grow or whatever, I'm sure we can take that and let it up our bodies do the same thing. MAKES SENSE.
Oils can be used aromatically, topically, with direct application, through massage, capsules, in the bath, you name it.
Common Essential Oils and their uses are:
(I have this great book "An introduction to modern Essentials that tells me all this stuff, but I didn't want to type it all up, so I'm copy and pasting a list)

B

Basil: Great for infections, healing, cooking, etc.
Bergamot: Colic, arthritis, stress, etc.
Birch: Cartilage, muscles, whiplash, etc
Black Pepper: Cooking, tobacco addiction, detoxifying, etc 

C

Cassia: Cold, colic, diarrhea, etc.
Cedarwood: Tension, tuberculosis, UTIs, grounding, etc.
Chamomile, Roman: Skin issues, inflammation, insomnia, stress, etc.
Cilantro: Cooking, infections, insomnia, etc.
Cinnamon Bark: Great for infections, mold, and even low libido, and more
Clary Sage: Hot flashes, insomnia, hormone balancing, etc
Clove: Candida, detoxifying, tumors, etc.
Coriander: Muscular pain, cartilage damage, etc.
Cypress: Bone spurs, carpal tunnel, varicose veins, etc.

D-F

Dill: Cholesterol, constipation, colic, gas, etc.
Eucalyptus: Coughs, asthma, circulation, cooling, etc.
Fennel (Sweet): Digestive issues, blood clots, lactation (increase), etc.
Fir, White: Frozen shoulder, sprains, empowerment, etc.
Frankincense: Alzheimer's, auto-immune disorders, brain function, depression, inflammation, etc.

G-J

Geranium: Agitation, bruises, MRSA, jet lag, etc.
Ginger: Digestive issues, low libido, vertigo, etc.
Grapefruit: Sugar cravings, hangovers, weight loss, etc
Hawaiian Sandalwood: Alzheimer's, cancer, cartilage repair, moles, etc
Helichrysum: Sunscreen, skin problems, cholesterol, etc
Juniper Berry: Acne, eczema, diuretic, etc

L

Lavender: Universal oil. Perfect for burns, insomnia, stress, bug bites, etc.
Lemon: For increasing energy, digestion issues, cleaning, etc.
Lemongrass: Fleas, mental fatigue, UTIs, etc.
Lime: Cleans, detoxifies, energizes, etc.

M

Marjoram: Emotional healing, self-love, croup, etc.
Melaleuca (Tea Tree): Best known for treating wounds, yeast, cleaning, etc.
Melissa (Lemon Balm): Calming, cold sores, viral infections, etc
Myrrh: Cancer, Hashimoto's disease, wounds, etc.

O-P

Orange, Wild: Anxiety, digestion, menopause, etc.
Oregano: Powerful antibiotic, fight infections, increase immunity, etc.
Patchouli: Insect repellant, insect bites, skin issues, etc.
Peppermint: Wonderful for digestion, allergies, cooking, etc.

R-T

Roman Chamomile: Skin issues, inflammation, insomnia, stress, etc.
Rose: Aphrodisiac, poison ivy, self-acceptance, scarring, etc.
Rosemary: Alcoholism, respiratory issues, healthy hair, etc.
Sandalwood: Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, moles, etc.
Sandalwood, Hawaiian: Alzheimer's, cancer, cartilage repair, etc
Tangerine: Anxiety, stress, immunity, cooking, etc.
Tea Tree (Melaleuca): Fights infections, lice, viruses, ringworm, etc.
Thyme: Infections, eczema, parasites, etc.

V-Y

Vetiver: Calming (especially for ADHD), grounding, even a termite repellant!
White Fir: Frozen shoulder, sprains, empowering, etc.
Wild Orange: Anxiety, fear, digestion, menopause, etc.
Wintergreen: Bone spurs, joint issues, dandruff, etc.
Ylang Ylang: Self-love, healing, patience, etc.

and when it says "ETC" there are always sooo many more uses, but different oils work for different people too.

Now, I will tell you a few oils I personally have and use:

CLARY SAGE- Cramps (abdominal and menstrual), hot flashes and PMS-my favorite once a month!

GINGER-Any sort of nausea, indigestion, vomiting, motion sickness, diarrhea- rub it on your tummy.

LEMMON- to cure the common cold, I put a few drops in hot water with some honey to ease a sore throat or open sinuses. Rub some on my neck for fever. Drink a few drops in a glass of water for a cleansing effect.

LAVENDER- I honestly don't like the smell of lavender all that much, but it does have amazing calming properties. It can be used for relaxing tension, chapped lips, scarring/stretch marks, sunburns and wrinkles.

MELALEUCA- Acne, allergies, athletes foot, flu, sore throat, anti viral for wounds. Just rub some on where it hurts!

MARJORAM- Muscle:- cramps, aches, fatigue, spasms- even whip lash- a great muscle soother.

ON GUARD- This is an oil blend from DoTerra that helps boost your immune system when you are getting sick- rub it on the bottom of your feet.

PEPPERMINT- This is my go to oil- I can make delicious cookies using it as an extract, I rub it on my temples and neck when I have a headache/migraine, great for cramps, fever, heartburn, bad breath, alertness, hot flashes (yes I get hot flashes, so what), indigestion, MOTION SICKNESS- rub on tummy/diffuse in car, nausea... when in doubt, rub on some peppermint oil.

ROSEMARY- Headache-rub on temples, cellulite, low blood pressure, cramps, hair loss-put some in your hair and vavoom! (actually I haven't tried this yet, but I heard it works)

WILD ORANGE- I use it for anxiety... I am FULL of anxiety-before meeting new people, interviews, speaking in church, worrying about stuff. I rub it on my neck and behind my ears, it smells wonderful and helps me relax.

Again, I usually use other medicine with essential oils- If I have a bad headache and the peppermint just isn't cutting it, I will absolutely take some IBUprofen. BUT I really do think essential oils help, even if it's just a PLACEBO EFFECT- so what!!?? Whatever works!

I haven't taken my oils experience this far yet- but there are oils you can use, instead of the stuff in your medicine cupboard: 

I think everyone should try them and see what you think for yourself :)