Why I Use Essential Oils
There is so much information out there about essential oils & to be honest, at first I just felt like I was trying to be sold on something. Obviously, that will turn anyone away. However, not after a little research & conversations with specialists from our Infertility journey, I soon found out that there was a missing puzzle piece to my efforts. You may have heard this all before & I still encourage you to do your own research. HOWEVER, it was important to me that I provide my full understanding & reasoning why I started getting into essential oils in the first place.
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In this story you will happily find…
A quick explanation what essential oils are & I mean QUICK.
What sparked the use for essential oils in my daily life - i.e. endocrine disruptors
How replacing everyday products can make a difference.
Where I started & where YOU can start, too!
Information & resources coming daily to @OurWellAbode on Instagram.
Quick Summary on What Essential Oils Are
What are essential oils even? That is a great question! Essential oils are powerful compounds extracted from plants. These oils capture the plant's scent or what we also consider as their "essence."
They are extracted through Steam Distillation, Resin Tapping Or Cold Pressing! This brings all the power from the plant into one oil which makes one drop go a very long way!
Every plant has it's own purpose, which you probably already know. There are so many ways these oils can be used alone with just a single drop or even together to compliment one another. The ways they can offer support & balance are endless.
Honestly, just think of those old ancient traditions!
Once the oils enter your system, they target areas based on their specific supporting properties.
They enter our systems in three ways!! Through smelling them, applying them topically & ingesting them! Cool, right! How quickly do they work — 22 seconds for molecules to find the brain, 2 minutes until they are found in our bloodstream & in only 20 minutes the molecules can reach every cell of our bodies. So quick.
What Sparked the Use of Essential Oils in the First Place
After a lot of research, specifically for PCOS, I was brought to information on toxins specifically endocrine disruptors. Wow! This info was crazy but so helpful. Here is my understanding on it, but I encourage you to look into it too!
Disclaimer - this is a very summarized version of my own research & understanding on toxins. I am ALWAYS interested in learning more.
Something I could do to help PCOS on my own is cut out harmful toxins. I knew this first thing after doctors suggested it. They never went into full explanation on a level I could fully understand, so some research on my end was crucial. I needed to know why toxins were bad, which ones were more harmful & why SPECIFICALLY for my body.
Long story short : What jumped out at me most was the toxins that involve endocrine disruptors. Once I learned more on what endocrine disruptors are & what they do to our bodies, a more toxin free lifestyle was a no brainer.
We are exposed to these toxins through the air we breath, products we smell, what we digest & on our skin. This is by no means meant to create fear. This is just a simple explanation to paint a picture in your head in understanding why essential oils became my lifestyle. All these products - shampoos, conditioners, perfumes, makeup, soaps - what? we cut them all out & just smell the rest of our lives? Absolutely, not. There are alternatives.
However, knowing the purpose in replacing these items is so important. Knowing what about them is bad & knowing how to catch these poor ingredients is most important.
What are Endocrine Disruptors, How Do We Do Our Best to Avoid Them
When endocrine disruptors enter your body, they pass through your limbic system which holds your hypothalamus.
Your Hypothalamus regulates your automatic nervous system by controlling your endocrine system by triggering the release of hormones.
Your hormones affect SO MUCH OF YOUR BODY & how your system works together, of which I am sure you know. Endocrine disruptors either mimic or block your natural hormones.
Endocrine disruptors have been linked to so many health issues like — alterations in sperm quality and fertility, endometriosis, early puberty, altered nervous system function, immune function, certain cancers, obesity, growth, neurological and learning disabilities, and more.
Take some time to do your own research, learn more about each point for yourself. Find out why living toxin free is important for you & your family. Once you choose to pursue a toxin free lifestyle, start eliminating as many of these harsh toxins as possible. I use the app "Think Dirty" to analyze each product (outside of YL) & what is inside it.
Learn the key words & ingredients to catch these toxins in your daily products. Just because something says pure or green or natural - does not make it so, sadly. Things like plastics with BPA, Triclosan, fragrance, & Phthalates are just a few of the things I DID NOT want on my ingredient list. Replace these items with pure products from reputable companies that YOU trust.
Where I Started and Where You Can Start, Too!
After doing all the research & taking the time to learn what is going on with my body, what is going in it & what surrounds it, I knew I wanted to make a change. (also spoke with drs). Room by room, product by product I cut out the toxins I did not want in my home. Already having a Young Living kit in my home, I was able to simply & quickly replace these items with pure products I made myself!
It has been over two years since this journey began & I am about 85% to a full toxin free lifestyle. All the way to what I am consuming to what is in my environment. At home, we are at about a 95% toxin free level. It can be a slow process & that is OKAY. This is a YOU journey. You must do research what sparks your mind & pursue what you feel is best for you!
This is Why Using Essential Oils Is Important to Me
Going the route of essential oils, I will be honest, was not an easy route. I didn’t want to fall for a trend or a sale. Something seemed different about these ladies that I watched share the oils, but I still had the fear of the dreaded MLM in my face. I HATE that I let that happen.
I saw with my own two eyes that these ladies took care of their homes & families differently & I wasn’t able to pin point the fact that it was the pureness of these products right away. I am so glad that I did my own research to know now. It is so much more than a business. I think anyone who encourages essential oils & a toxin free lifestyle truly has one thing at heart : to help others.
We are the gatekeepers to our homes.
Let that register. If any of this sparks an interest in you, I encourage you to do research. I encourage you to understand the impact these everyday products have on our bodies & our loved ones bodies & that there is something you can do about it.
It is not a fad. It is not trendy. It is bringing back ancient tradition & allowing the Creation God gave us to be at work. Be a the kind of gatekeeper YOU want to be for your home.
