Essential Oils 101

I am always looking for alternatives to medicine. I believe that if you treat the CAUSE of illness and not just the symptom, then you will lead a healthier life. For example, if you have high blood pressure and you are overweight, then losing weight may help you get off blood pressure meds.
I recently discovered that many of my friends and some family are using essential oils. What are essential oils? Essential oils are oils that are extracted from certain plants (leaves, bark, flowers, etc...). They have been used since biblical times! They seem to work, but it is not used in mainstream medicine...yet. Why is that? I think you all know the answer. It always comes down to money.
In the meantime, I see anecdotal evidence that suggests the use of essential oils for almost everything. I decided to dive into the essential oil waters and test it out for myself. I started using lavender at night to help me get to sleep. I put a couple drops into my diffuser and let it run for hours. The first night I used it I noticed an immediate difference. I was able to get to sleep a lot faster. This past week I had the opportunity to spend the week at a summer camp with young women ages 12-18. My cabin had 5 girls who were all 13 years old. The first night they could not settle down. I sprayed my pillow with lavender and I slept like a baby. The following night the girls asked me to spray their pillows. They fell asleep quickly and slept like little angels! It was amazing!
I tested another essential oil on my second to oldest son. He has autism and ADHD. We are currently doing summer reading at the school to help him finish the two books and reports he has to have complete before the first day of school in August. He spent 3 hours at school. When we got home, I put some peppermint in the diffuser and he absolutely loved it! He was able to focus and do almost two more hours of homework! This is an amazing testimony to the efficacy of essential oils! I was so excited that I did not have to give him a booster dose of his medicine.
The more I read about essential oils, the more I realize that I have so much yet to learn. Right now I am getting my oils from a company called DoTerra. This is a company my friend introduced me to. The oils are of a great quality and the price is competitive with other companies out there. One thing to consider when choosing essential oils is the formulary and consistency of the oils. This is very important, especially when using for medicinal purposes. If you are just looking to have something that smells good to put into a diffuser, then any old essential oil blend will do. However, when you get serious about it then you want something that is the real deal.
Do your homework and learn about essential oils. There are so many to choose from! I am excited to use the different ones I have purchased so far. I will continue to update you all on what I learn. This is all so exciting!