The tools I share in my classes and private sessions are the tools I use to manage my own health and wellness.  In late 2015, a friend and colleague introduced me to Young Living Essential Oils.

I’ll admit, I was dubious. How could expensive plant oils matter for health? Wasn’t this new age snake oil?

She explained how Young Living guarantees all of their oils are 100% therapeutic grade. Other oils on the market may be less expensive, but there’s no telling what’s in the bottle: FDA standards only require that the product contain 10% essential oil to use that name. Wanting to support my friend, I accepted a few samples. I found I love the scent of Stress Away and my kiddo enjoys Peace & Calming.

The turning point came on a long car trip when my son started to feel queasy. Remembering that peppermint is good for settling stomachs, I handed back the peppermint oil for him to sniff. Within moments, he felt fine. (No pulling over to the side of the road for car sickness, and the oh so joyful smell that comes along for the rest of the trip.) My skeptical hubby exclaimed, “Whoa, that was a Zen Mama moment!” We were both intrigued.

So over the past year, we have been playing with the oils.

• We’ve tried Digize – another stomach support blend – with great success for motion sickness. With just a drop on his collar, my hubby can even ride roller coasters again.
• I experimented with adding a few drops of Frankincense oil to my face lotion. To see the effect, for a month I put the oil enhanced lotion on one side of my face only. The results were remarkable – my usual adult acne on the right, clear skin on the left. (My hubby says I should have switched sides for another month to be sure, but that was enough for me!)
• We’ve added the warm, spicy scent of Thieves to our homemade kitchen cleaning spray and kept the bugs away with a few drops of Purification on our socks.

This skeptic is ready to admit – these oils are useful! Give a try yourself. Young Living gives the option to order at retail prices or to sign up as a member to receive wholesale discounts. I know this for sure – I don’t go on a long car ride without peppermint oil close at hand!