EO Basics // Essential Oils 101
You may have seen a post on Instagram, heard someone talking about them, or even seen some oils at your local health market, leaving you wondering what are these oils that everyone keeps talking about.
What are essential oils?
Really, essential oils are concentrated liquids from inside flowers, shrubs, trees, roots, bushes, and seeds.
Think of them as the "lifeline" or "essence" of these plants.
So we know that the blood inside of our veins transports nutrients to our cells and takes away toxins and waste. EO’s (essential oils) do the same within the plants. They are called ESSENTIAL because they are literally essential to the life of the plant.
Why are they important?
They help with recovery from injury, protection from predators and serve as the plant's basic immune system. Essential oils are extremely versatile in their uses because of their strength in nature.
When these oils are extracted with great care (you can read more about Young Living’s seed to seal process here) they can aid in keeping our bodies healthy & happy; they way they were intended to be.
What makes essential oils different from my cooking oils?
Essential oils are made up of TINY molecules. Molecules so small that they can make their way into our cells and basically access the most fundamental levels of our body. These types of oils are different than cooking oils (like olive or sunflower oil) which are made of fat.
Does it matter where I buy the oils?
Yes! It is really important to know that not all essential oils are therapeutic grade and safe to use in the ways Young Living essential oils are. For example, those oils you saw at the health market probably cannot be ingested the way Young Living oils can.
After researching Young Living’s “Seed to Seal” process and seeing that many other essential oil brands contain synthetic oils, one can start to see the difference.
How do I use essential oils?
There are many ways to use oils, including topically, aromatically, and internally.
Young Living Essential Oils can be applied directly to the skin. Before doing so, ALWAYS check the label on the bottle of oil for dilution recommendations. Some oils need to be diluted with a carrier oil (i.e. grape-seed oil, organic olive oil, V6 oil, etc.) while others can be applied directly on the skin with no dilution. Applying oils to your feet is actually a super quick way to get the oils into the body! Oils can also be inhaled directly from the bottle, or via diffuser! This is the quickest way for your body to absorb the oils.
Lastly, because Young Living’s medicinal grade of oils, there are many oils that can be taken internally as a dietary supplement. You can add oils to your water, or even into a capsule for swallowing. Again, just be sure to read the bottle guidelines before taking internally.