Essential Oils

Essential Oils

What is an essential oil?

Plants contain complex and powerful substances known as essential oils. These are aromatic liquids derived from shrubs, flowers, trees, roots, bushes, and seeds. These distinctive components defend plants from insects, harsh environmental conditions, and disease. They are also vital for a plant to grow, live, evolve, and adapt to its surroundings. Referred to as the essence of the plant, pure essential oils not only protect the plant but also determine its aroma.

Essential oils have been used throughout time dating back to 4500 BC. From perfumes and pleasant aromas to embalming and medicinal purposes, essential oils were used in everyday life for centuries. In modern days, research shows that pure essential oils can provide similar benefits to humans and animals that they give to plants.

Importance of quality

Many oils, touted as essential oils, are derived with harsh chemicals, diluted, or copied and produced in a lab. Cheap copies bring cheap results and have the potential to be toxic. Therefore, it is imperative to take great care in choosing high-quality essential oils.

The Young Living Standard

Young Living offers pure, unadulterated essential oils, oil blends, and oil-enhanced products. At Young Living, in-house and independent laboratory testing shows that Young Living essential oils meet high industry standards that qualify them as "therapeutic grade." This means that health professionals choose them for promoting health and wellness. Young Living is dedicated to producing essential oils from the highest-quality plants. Healthy plants and proper distillation produce superior essential oils with powerful benefits. Every oil is put through a series of rigorous tests before it is deemed qualified to bear the Young Living label. Young Living essential oils are bottled in dark, thick, glass containers to protect the integrity of the oils. Under the lid is a fixed orifice that helps to measure dosages and to ensure safety, particularly for young children.

How to use essential oils

There are three basic ways to use essential oils: inhalation, topical application, and internal consumption. Read the Safety Guidelines and Tips prior to the use of any essential oil.

Inhalation

The inhalation of essential oils heightens the senses and can trigger numerous desired responses in the body. Below are several techniques used to inhale essential oils.

Direct inhalation – simple smell them.

Diffusion

Diffuse the oils using a Young Living diffuser which disperses the oil in a micro-fine vapor into the air. The Young Living diffuser will not heat the oils, thus ensuring full benefits, as extreme heat can damage important constituents in the oil.

Fill a humidifier with water. Put a tissue or small cloth, sprinkled with a few drops of oil, in front of the escaping steam. (Do not put oil in your humidifier. It will float on top of the water instead of rising with the water and may cause damage to your humidifier)
Carefully pour hot water into a bowl and add a few drops of oil. Cover your head and bowl in a tent-like fashion with a towel. Breathe deeply and slowly.

Topical Application

Apply essential oils directly onto the skin where indicated. Dilute with V-6™ Enhanced Vegetable Oil Complex or a pure vegetable oil (e.g. olive or almond) before applying if dilution is indicated. Dilution may protect against possible skin sensitivities.

Key points of application on the body are:

Crown of Head
Forehead
Temples
Behind ears
Neck
Upper back
Abdomen
Over vital organs
Soles and top of feet
Ankles

To apply topically on any of these areas, follow these simple steps:
Carefully tip the oil bottle and drop 2-3 in the palm of the hand or directly on the desired application area.
If dropping oil in your hand, rub palms together in a circular motion and then massage oil onto the desired point of application. If applying directly to the desired area, use your hand to massage the oil in a circular motion into the skin. Repeat if desired.

ATTENTION: Essential oils are very potent, and some may be irritating to the skin. If irritation occurs, immediately apply V-6™ Enhanced Vegetable Oil Complex or pure vegetable oil to the area to dilute. Please read label NOTE directions for each individual oil before using.

You can also create your own massage oil blends by mixing your favorite essential oils with V-6™ Enhanced Vegetable Oil Complex or by using Young Livings premixed massage oil blends (e.g. Relaxation™, Ortho Ease™) to relax, uplift, soothe, and relieve.

Internal Consumption

Research indicates that some oils are more effective when taken orally. Only pure essential oils, proven safe and labeled as dietary supplements, should be used internally. Dilution and dosage is dependent on the age, size, and the health constitution of the individual. Follow the recommended dosage on individual product labels to ensure safety or seek the advice of a health professional before administering oils internally.

Suggested internal consumption methods:

Put several drops of oil into an empty capsule and swallow with water.
Add 1-2 drops to a glass of water or rice milk.
Put 1-2 drops onto a piece of bread or add to your meals when cooking.
Add 1-2 drops onto a teaspoon of Blue Agave.
Drop directly onto the tongue and swallow. Exercise extreme caution when using this method. Many oils are very strong and should be tested by pouring a single drop onto a spoon and tasting a small portion – 1⁄4 of a drop – to determine the amount of oil to be used.

NOTE – The Young Living Users Guide, from which this information was taken, includes an application chart that addresses application method, when dilution is recommended or required, which methods are not recommended for particular essential oils. Also included in the Users Guide are Safety Guidelines +

Better health with essential oils

Chauncey Penfold

1-337-856-9461