What are essential oils? Why are they gaining popularity? And how can they benefit my family?

Some of your child’s classmates have come down with a nasty bug and you’re worried your kid is next. You’re at the drugstore getting ready to stock up on medication and when reviewing the ingredients, you start thinking; there must be a better alternative to all of this. There must be something natural that doesn’t have such a long list of side effects and doesn’t involve me filling my child with even more chemicals that I can’t pronounce.

There IS a natural solution available, one that allows you to take charge of your family’s health naturally. By introducing essential oils you CAN take an active role in improving the health of your family.

 

Before we carry on, let me introduce myself. My name is Sylvia and like many of you reading this, I have a child who carries an epi-pen to school for a life threatening allergy. My son Judah, who is 6 years old, is allergic to pecans and walnuts. My husband also needs an epi-pen for horses. And the three of us all have asthma to varying degrees. My daughter Elizabeth, who is 2 years old, is the only one of us so far who is the epitome of health. Our house is full of other allergies as well from cats and dogs to dust, grasses and tree pollen, all of which have the potential to trigger our asthma. So I get it. I’m right there with you.

 

I started with essential oils because I was desperate for a solution to my son’s continual sickness when in junior and senior kindergarten. I can’t do anything to stop him having a life threatening food allergy but I was for darn sure going to do something about the number of colds he was getting in school. They must take turns sneezing into each other’s mouths, I don’t know what they’re doing, because Judah was sick almost every other week from September to April for two years in a row. And mama had had enough.

 

He’s now in grade 1 and I couldn’t be happier. We use essential oils for many things, but the most notable for our family is to boost our immune system to make it stronger to fight off all the seasonal threats he faces at school (and I face at the grocery store!). Since September Judah has had only two very short lived colds this season. ONLY TWO! And it’s already February! Judah has not once used his inhaler this winter either. I’m not saying essential oils will cure a cold or replace an inhaler, but for our family they have had a tremendous effect boosting our immune systems so we don’t end up needing any medication.

 

Perhaps your children don’t get sick as often, but maybe they struggle instead with lack of focus and concentration, with getting a peaceful night’s sleep, or with the occasional earache, headache or bought of constipation. As a parent, essential oils can provide you with a more natural way to care for your children and allow you to have a more proactive approach to their health.

What are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are specialized liquids, or oils, that are found on plants, whether on the petals of a flower, in the roots of a grass or in the resin of a tree. If you’ve ever inhaled deeply as you’ve walked through a patch of lavender or enjoyed a stroll through a pine forest, you have experienced the scent of essential oils. But essential oils do so much more than just smell lovely, because of their molecular make-up they can actually have profound effects on your emotional health and physical well-being.

 

Why Are Essential Oils Gaining Popularity?

Essential oils are gaining popularity because they allow families to help themselves naturally. Instead of having to rely solely on the drugs in your medicine cabinet there are finally other options. Essential oils are natural solutions that address problems instead of masking symptoms and are very affordable. They cost as little as five cents per drop and they don’t have the side-effects that can occur with synthetic drugs.

As an example of why essential oils are gaining popularity, let’s look at lavender essential oil and what it can do. Lavender can soothe irritated skin, calm bee stings and soothe emotions. Lavender can also support a restful night’s sleep for your over-tired toddler, excited-after-a-birthday-party-eight-year-old or stressed-out-because-of-exams teenager. And that’s only one oil!

Essential oils have far-reaching applications around the home as well. They can act as powerful, natural cleaners to replace the harmful chemical ones.

It is for these reasons (and so many others!) that essential oils are becoming so popular. And as you think about using essential oils for your children and around your home, the next question then becomes:

How Can Essential Oils Benefit My Family?

Essential oils can benefit children and adults alike and it will be impossible to fully answer this question without hundreds of pages of supportive scientific literature and personal testimonials, so in lieu of that, let’s look at eight must have essential oils for children and a few ways to use each of them. Please refer to a safety section here before using essential oils with your children.

1. Lavender

• Add few drops to pillows or sheets at bedtime to promote a restful sleep
• Apply to minor burns to soothe, relieve redness and ease swelling
• Lessen the effects of occasional stress and anxiety with one drop on the temples and back of neck
• Put 1 drop on your shoulder or arm and rock a fussy baby to sleep

 

2. Melaleuca (also known as Tea Tree Oil)

• Spray on your mattress pad when you change the sheets
• Use as a great cleansing agent for occasional scrapes and other skin irritations
• Apply to the skin during your family vacation or after a long day in the sun
• Add to a spray bottle with water and use as natural lice prevention. Lice hate melaleuca!

 

3. Lemon

• Remove sticky tree sap, sticker residue and permanent marker. And get gum out of hair!
• Diffuse with peppermint in the classroom or during homework time to help kids stay focused
• Mix with water and vinegar in a spray bottle to cleanse and purify surfaces
• Use in a carrier oil for older children and rub on neck and chest for relief from colds

 

4. On Guard (a protective immune-boosting blend)

• Diffuse or apply to the bottom of feet anytime you are concerned about what’s going around schools, sports arenas, churches and other crowded areas
• Add 15 drops to a cup of baking soda. Mix, sprinkle and rake on carpet. Allow it to sit for up to an hour. Vacuum clean so babies can crawl and play on a carpet free of harsh cleaning chemicals
• Mix 5-6 drops with a half cup of baking soda to clean your bath tub and skip bleaching chemicals

 

5. Breathe (a respiratory blend)

• Ease occasional respiratory discomfort by diffusing in child’s room overnight. If you don’t have a diffuser, you can put a drop or two on their pillow.

 

6. Wild Orange

• Keep a tired child awake by having them inhale some wild orange. It smells great and will help give them that boost to make it to bedtime! Fantastic if they need to stay awake to catch a plane too!
• Use to help to lift the spirits and promote joy
• Ease stress or tension caused by anything from troubles with frenemies to fear of the dentist!

 

7. ZenGest (a digestive blend)

• Dilute and rub on your child’s tummy when they have an occasional stomach ache
• Good for any member of the family when they eat too much food or when constipated
• Helps keep stomachs calm on long road trips

 

8. Frankincense

• Frankincense can be applied to the bottoms of feet to relax and calm mood swings
• Visit pubmed.gov and check out all the amazing research that is being conducted on Frankincense simply by typing in “Frankincense and cancer”

 

Essential oils are powerful and amazing and once you start using them with your kids, you’ll wonder how you ever got by without them! It is important to know though that when choosing an essential oil that not all of them are created equal. Many of them can be of little value to your health or even synthetic. If you decide to purchase essential oils ensure they are certified pure and therapeutic grade essential oils.

Are you ready to learn more about essential oils or start using them in your home? Visit www.essentialswithsylvia.com or email me at sylvia@essentialswithsylvia.com.

By using essential oils, you can be confident that you are taking your family to the next level of wellness. Thanks for reading everyone, and here’s to your good health!

 

Sylvia Grant, H.B.Sc.

Essential Oils Educator

FDA Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. I am not a medical professional. The products described herein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.