Essential Oil Love

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One of a gazillion reasons I consider myself “crunchy” is my sensitivity to synthetic fragrance. Back in high school, I could slap on all sorts of products from Bath and Body Works and the like (though even then I had some certain aversions) with no consequence. As I went through the college, the number of scents I could use without repercussion were on the decline. The headaches and nausea I experienced certainly weren’t worth a nice smelling lotion.

By the time I got married, I couldn't use any signature collection scents from B&B Works (just the aromatherapy line which I also can no longer use), and candles? I had two go-to scents from Yankee Candle. I couldn't tolerate anything else! Even worse was the fact that Sean was able to accurately screen scents for me. He would smell things first and know which ones not to let me even try. Even so, when I was craving a nice new scent, I would generally leave a store frustrated with a huge headache.

Many of you know that Arbonne was a huge catalyst for my cleaner lifestyle. One thing I noticed when I started using the products was that they all smelled nice…and not a single one of those nice smells bothered me. That’s when I first realized I had fragrance options other than synthetic – I could enjoy scents again! 

lavender essential oil + massage oil = WIN!

As a lover of aromatherapy, I started playing around with essential oils. I can safely say I’m riding that bandwagon these days.  Aside from smelling amazing, they all have so many uses. Often times, I just mix them in my Arbonne (unscented would work fine too) lotion or massage oil to enjoy the scent, but there’s so much else I can do. Here are some favorites:

• ·         Allergy relief: Oh, the allergies. I like to mix a few drops of lemon, lavender, and peppermint oils into lotion or coconut oil and rub into my feet before bed. Sometimes I will also rub a very small amount around the sinus area as well for additional relief. Smells great and eases the symptoms. I learned about this trick here.
• ·         Extra dreamy linens: You can make a linen spray easily by following a formula like this one. I like lavender since it promotes relaxation. It’s such a nice light scent on my pillow at night!
• ·         Laundry that smells good without making me sick: I actually do still use many of the products I review. Last year, I was given Woolzies dryer balls to use in place of dryer sheets. Since I use DIY or unscented laundry products, the Woolzies combined with EO (again, lavender is a favorite of mine here) allow for a light, non-toxic fragrance in our clothes. Simply place a few drops on a ball or two when the clothes are dry and run the dryer on an air (unheated!) cycle for a few minutes. Easy!

Notice what those uses all had in common? Lavender oil! While I use a few different oils and constantly try to expand my uses and the types I use, lavender is an easy and familiar friend that even EO virgins can use easily.

When  Elite Gold Solutions offered me the opportunity to give their lavender EO a try (the best selling lavender EO on Amazon), I was ecstatic! The bottle they sent me was a full ounce which will last me forever (a lot of the bottles you see in stores are usually half that size and still last a long time).

Their oil turned out to be the only one I had access to for the first couple weeks after our move - my other oils had ended up packed in a box in a low-priority room. So, the Elite Gold EO and I had plenty of time to get acquainted. My feet have been super achy lately, so one night before bed I mixed it with massage oil (the only other thing I had on hand yet) and rubbed it into my feet. When Sean came in later to go to bed, his first question was "What did you put on?" He loved how good it smelled! I have to agree. It smells a lot stronger if you smell the bottle, but that is simply because there is much more oil to smell. Once used properly, it smells and acts just as good as I expect an essential oil to. 

I am more than happy with this EO and plan to use every drop! As I use up my other oils, I may have to also look into the other varieties offered by Elite Gold.

Are you a fan of Essential Oils? What is your favorite type and use?

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.