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Do Essential Oils Really Work?

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Young Living Essential Oils

UPDATE: I am no longer a Young Living Distributor. You can read about my search for the Best Essential Oils Company here. You can also skip to the end of the series here.

The other day, I wrote about how I overcame my serious doubts about essential oils (specifically, Young Living's oils) and experience using Young Living's Thieves blend.

I was a complete skeptic about essential oils, thinking they were some kind of scam or “woo woo foo foo” stuff that really did nothing.

As in, “you put it on and it smells good and somehow you convince yourself that it's really working” kind of thing.

Today, I'm going to share with you some other oils that I've been experimenting with and what's happened with them.

Really, read on. Some of these things really surprised me.

How Essential Oils Have Helped Me

Following are ways that we tried using essential oils for common ailments, and the results we had.

Head Tension

Peppermint Oil is great here too.  Again, I don't typically get headaches, but when the occasional one strikes, just a drop of peppermint rubbed on my temples has taken the pain away.  Amazing.

I can't say that it cured my head tension and I personally think that it's important to figure out why your headaches are happening and work on that, rather than just treating symptoms, but I assume that the peppermint supports the body's work in getting better.  My youngest gets head tension sometimes, but his has been diminishing since starting a new therapy and using zeolite.  Regardless, he has found relief with the peppermint as well.

No acetaminophen.

Nice.

Stomach Aches and Digestion Issues

I typically don't struggle much with stomach aches, but at times I do. One particular time when I had some tough stomach issues was when I was trying to address adrenal fatigue. 

I worked with a practitioner Nutritional Balancing that is designed to rebalance minerals and remove heavy metals and toxins from my system. (2014 UPDATE: I am no longer doing Nutritional Balancing, but have moved on and found other things that have helped immensely.)

More on all that later, but when the metals are coming out, I've hada some uncomfortable symptoms at times, one of them being an upset stomach.

And of course we all can have a sour stomach or stomach but at times.

Peppermint tea is supposed to be good for upset stomach, but Peppermint Oil is like super-charged peppermint tea. There are a lot of essential oil reps saying to just put some peppermint oil on your tongue at times like this, but that's not safe.

You should instead dilute it with a carrier oil and apply to the stomach. If you are going to take essential oils internally, they should be diluted with an appropriate amount of carrier oil in a capsule.

Growing Pains

My youngest had growing pains regularly until we started Nutritional Balancing.  Now, he really only gets them every once in awhile.  These pains were one of the first things that we tried essential oils on.  I was really skeptical – “So, how on earth is an oil going to help with something painful going on inside of him?”

Well, they did.  We've used Peppermint, Wintergreen, and a blend for pain, all of which have helped him.  What a blessing to have your little one, who was in pain a moment ago, say to you, “Mom, I really think it's working!  I feel better!”

He gets to sleep and so do I. And having your son smell like a Wintergreen Lifesaver is a nice side bonus.

Tendon Issues

This one really floored me.

I'm a blogger.  That means I type a lot!

Well, about 2 months ago I started experiencing pain in my right pinky finger and it really hurt to type.

I'd had carpal tunnel years prior that was cured with B6, but this pain was worse.

I didn't really want to own up to myself that the pain was there. What if I couldn't blog anymore? What if I needed surgery? Not pleasant thoughts.

After a few days of pain and worry, I decided to turn to my Essential Oils Desk Reference Guide for some ideas.  It recommended a blend for pain, so I tried it.

Again, the skeptic in me thought, “This surely isn't going to work.”  But I doubtfully rubbed a drop around my knuckle where the pain was, just before bed.

I awoke the next morning completely amazed.

The pain was gone!

No surgery, and I can still blog.  I am not for sure I had carpal tunnel or cubital tunnel, but my pain went away.

Since then, I've used peppermint and lemongrass diluted in carrier oil for tendon issues and that's worked amazingly well.

Muscle Aches

Numerous times we've had aches and pains that needed some TLC.  Whether from injury or overuse, we've tried several oils and blends: Peppermint, Wintergreen, and several pain blends as well.  Each one has worked well.  Depending on the situation, sometimes one oil or blend has worked better than another, but it sure has felt nice to use something natural rather than OTC meds or synthetic chemical-filled creams and ointments.

Update: – Please use caution when using wintergreen. It can be dangerous when used topically and ingestion can even cause death. 

Are Essential Oils Worth the Cost?

And I know, you're probably wondering about the cost of these oils.

There are loads of kinds of essential oils in stores and online.

Some are cheap and some are more pricey.

Let me assure you – I am super frugal.  I'm sure that you've figured that out if you've been following me for awhile.  If you haven't, you can see how stingy frugal I am by checking out my posts on:

As you can see, I don't spend money typically if I don't think it's worth it.  And I save wherever I can.

I personally try to choose the best quality that I can, for the best price, and for me that means paying up a bit to make sure that I am not getting lower quality essential oils – especially since I will be putting them on my skin (where they will be absorbed) and using them occasionally internally.

UPDATE: I am no longer a Young Living Distributor. You can read about my search for the Best Essential Oils Company here.  I ended up choosing this company, Rocky Mountain Oils (formerly Native American Nutritionals).

You can find out why and see all of the “dicey” discussion by starting here.

Here are my basic thoughts on the cost:

  • Health is priceless
  • I'd rather use natural oils than OTC meds or prescriptions drugs (and they're not cheap either)
  • Essential oils can be cheaper than going to the doctor or physical therapist (or even surgery!)
  • When you feel good, you have more energy to save money elsewhere

Basically, yes, if you choose quality essential oils you will be paying more than the inexpensive brands, but if you use them only when needed you will likely save in other arenas that will more than make up for it.

Regardless, I am thrilled to have a new natural remedy in my medicine cabinet.

What has your experience with essential oils been?

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102 Comments

  1. I WAS WONDERING I AM NEW TO ALL THIS IS THERE A LIST THAT TELLS WHAT OILS DO FOR EACH THING AS WELL AS A WAY TO DETOX

    Reply

  2. i have used oils for a couple years now. i am a believer who was raised in a FDA only approved home, so it was a big leap for me. i wanted to share that i use the YL original thieves toothpaste for deodorant. it works great & is aluminum free. thanks for the oily posts!

    Reply

  3. I have to say, I had not tried or even looked at eo’s until this past June. I got a horrible cold that turned into a bad sinus/chest infection. I had just helped my bulldog whelp a litter of pups and there was no chance that I was going to go to the doc! I got a sample of eucalyptus oil and “breathe” from a doTerra rep., and with in 5 days was nearly “well”. I was shocked! Ususally I get a bad sinus infection, it easily takes 1-3 months to clear, with or without antibiotics, but these 2 little bottles of essential oils cured me! I was so pleased with the powerful nature and yes the gentle ability to be used on my children (diluted with a fractionated coconut oil). I have healed 5 ear infections (we get lots of “fun” spring/summer allergies in our home), 2 sinus infections, tummy troubles, car sickness (kiddos!) and so much more, that I am forever “sold” with doTerra’s Certified Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils. I’d be glad to offer help in finding out more about them or getting a sample or order.

    Please do not ask me about the law suit with YL. I disagree with a lot of it and will not care to offer thoughts on it. ;0) I do know that doTerra has worked wonders for me and my family and saved us $100’s of dollars on visits to the docs and pharmacies, let alone having saved us from all the toxins in the meds that they give us.

    I am not a 100% “natural gal”, but I am doing my best to lean towards a cleaner way of living and for me and my family, the eo’s of doTerra are part of daily living for us. I cannot see us ever being without them.

    A quick note of thought… my 10 yr old daughter asked to have her own set of small bottles of eo’s to keep with her so that she can use them safely when at school. Whether it be an upset/nervous tummy, a headache, fighting germs/colds, etc., I feel safe and comfortable with her being able to use them at school during the day when I am not there. *(Yes, I am cautious with instructing her to use them sparingly, etc., and she is a very mature/respectful 10 yr old.) 😉

    I welcome emails “of interest in doTerra’s eo’s” privately at:
    (email removed by blog owner for privacy reasons) Again, I will not comment about YL’s product or law suit.

    Have a blessed and healthy day! Love running across your blog! <3

    Reply

  5. So…I see you have an ad for Doterra on the sidebar…do you now prefer them over young living? Just wondering…still hoping to get some from one of them, but not sure which is best…like the idea of the theives oil from young living…but… thats not my first purchase if I ever do manage to be able to get something from one of those companies. :-))

    Reply

      1. I am looking into purchasing a starter kit and was wondering about Young Living vs. DoTerra. Any updates? Thanks 🙂

        Reply

  7. Love peppermint oil for my tummy after eating too much Chipotle. 🙂 My daughter asks for it to rubbed on her tummy when she has a tummy ache, too.

    I have used Thieves for headaches (a drop on the tongue), but I’ll have to try peppermint oil next time.

    (found you via the Green Resource link up)

    Reply

  8. Carpal Tunnel Symptoms
    The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include:

    Numbness
    Pins and needles
    Pain, particularly at night
    Darting pains from the wrist
    Radiated or referred pain into the arm and shoulder
    Weakness of the hand
    The little finger and half of the ring finger are unaffected.

    so pain in your little finger is NOT a symptom of carpal tunnel.

    Reply

    1. Hanna.

      I had carpal tunnel (diagnosed by an excellent doctor in Oklahoma) years ago. This felt exactly the same to me.

      Because of your comment I went and did research on the web. It appears that sometimes carpal tunnel can affect the other fingers, but that this could have been ulnar nerve entrapment or cubital tunnel syndrome. Either way, they can be treated with surgery and I avoided it.

      So, thanks for the info – I will update that post accordingly, but it is still miraculous and a great treatment that saved me pain and a load of money. Here is one thread on a forum that shows more info:

      Reply

  9. LOVE my Young Living oils! Peace and Calming in my kids feet and being diffused keeps them happy and I hear less fighting! 🙂

    Reply

    1. I’ve read a lot of things about Gary Young. I got satisfactory answers to my concerns prior to signing up. In fact, some of the accusations I find to be highly suspect. I will say that I found all the attacks on his to be a bit disconcerting.

      Additionally, the author of Quack Watch basically makes it a point to go after almost anything in the alternative realm. I haven’t (of course) read everything on his site, and there are some things that he talks about that I have issues with (like Reiki), but there are valid alternative therapies that he takes issue with.

      I am not easily taken by things. These oils are working. If Mr. Young as some issues that he needs to deal with, so be it. But if I didn’t buy something just because there were questions about the owner of the company, then I probably would buy nothing.

      Now – that being said, I did ask a lot of questions about YL before signing up.

      Here is a partial rebuttal to some of the claims by QuackWatch and information about some of the other people whom Dr. Barrett attacks regularly. Update – the link that I posted isn’t working any longer.

      Here is a refutation of the QuackWatch claims that I would encourage you to read:

      Thanks for sharing! It’s important we all stay “on our toes”!

      Reply