Essential oils are a great way to improve your health and can save you money. They do require a lot of education, and a fairly high initial cost. Here’s what you need to know:
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Getting Started:
There is so much to learn about essential oils when you first start out! Not only are there so many oils, there are also SO many people and places selling oils! It can be really easy to waste your money on junk oils if you are not careful!
I made my first purchase from a direct seller with Young Living. Their starter kit is a bit pricey BUT the consultant I bought from has taught me so much about the oils. If you are new to oils, having someone like this is a huge plus! I highly recommend connecting with someone who can teach you.
I do not exclusively buy from one oil company.
There are so many great oil companies, and I have researched and read reviews for many of them. In addition to Young Living, I’ve been happy with Plant Therapy (PT) and Rocky Mountain Oils (RMO). (There are other oil companies that sell high-quality oils, but I have not personally tried them.)
PT and RMO are a bit cheaper on most oils compared to Young Living and often have some really great sales. One downside to these companies is you don’t have your own rep like with Young Living to answer questions and let you sample an oil before purchasing.
Stay away from oils that are priced really low compared to the companies I mentioned above. Yes, the price may be great but the oils are probably not. In addition to not being safe, they probably will not be as effective and you won’t end up saving any money in the long run.
I do not recommend buying oils from gas stations, supermarkets, or other box stores.
I do not recommend buying oils on Amazon. PT and RMO sell their oils on Amazon, but when you order directly through their website the prices are typically better and you qualify for rewards.
Oils are expensive, but here are a few ways to save:
- Go ahead and buy a starter kit, or a bundle when you are first starting. There have been several oils I wouldn’t have tried unless they came with the kit. Kits also offer you a pretty good discount compared to buying the oils individually.
- Sign up for emails with Plant Therapy and Rocky Mountain Oils. You will get coupons just for signing up AND they often send “you haven’t ordered in a while” coupons which are awesome.
- Plant Therapy offers new customers $10 off their first purchase of $25 when you sign up through THIS LINK.
- Rocky Mountain Oils offers new customers 10% off their first order when you sign up through THIS LINK.
- If you are going to go all out and start using oils for everything, look into rewards programs. You will get some great discounts when you order each month.
Using the oils:
I am not give specific details on how to use to oils since I am not an expert. However, there are 2 things you will need if you are getting started with oils.
I recommend buying a diffuser. The YL starter kit comes with a very nice one but I also have one I like from Amazon that is much cheaper. Here’s a link to it. It’s about $15 and has lasted several years. It’s not as easy to fill as the YL diffuser, BUT at that price, I don’t mind!
You will also want to get a carrier oil like coconut oil to put on your skin before applying some of the oils. Amazon also has some great choices for this.
Ways Essential Oils Can Save You Money:
Congestion Relief (This is my favorite use for oils)
Depending on what company you use, the oils have different names for their congestion blends. I like “Breathe Ease” by Rocky Mountain Oils. You can get a bottle for $19.95 but it often goes on sale for $12.00. This replaces the need for all other congestion medicines.
A one week supply of the generic drugstore congestion/cold medicine will actually come out more expensive than running a diffuser with a few drops of oil 24/7 for a week. You can also mix a few drops of this oil with coconut oil to make a Vick’s vapo rub substitute that I think works even better. We like to make a roller bottle using a few drops of “Breath” and fractionated coconut oil to use when we’re on the go and not near the diffuser.
Headaches
A little bit of peppermint (with a carrier oil) placed on your temples will take care of a minor headache and will provide immediate relief. If you have a big headache while you wait for your pain meds to kick in. Using peppermint has drastically cut down on the amount of Tylenol I need to buy.
Carpet/Fabric Deodorizer
Here’s a super cheap alternative to store-bought carpet powders: Combine about 2 cups of baking soda and a few drops of lavender, lemon, peppermint or “purification” blend oil. Shake, and then sprinkle over the carpet or fabric. Let sit overnight or for a few hours and then vacuum up! You can even make an easy to sprinkle jar by filling a mason jar and poking holes in the metal top or use an old spice container.
Itch Relief
My kids and I get eaten alive by mosquitos in the summer! We have a roller bottle made of fractionated coconut oil, lavender, peppermint, and copaiba that provides instant itch relief. One roller bottle only has a few drops of each oil, so the price is almost zero compared to a tube of regular itch cream. I also feel much safer using this on my kids’ skin compared to medicated itch creams.
*Note- I have tried to use oils as a natural bug repellent but have not had success. I 100% believe they work for some people, but our skin must be too sweet or our mosquitoes are too hungry for it to work.
Air Freshner
There are a few oils that REALLY stink, but MANY smell wonderful! Most smelly things like wax warmers and room sprays give me a headache after a while. I have yet to get a headache from diffusing oils though.
Some of my favorite smells are lavender, lemon, orange mixed with clove, and the YL blends called purification and Christmas spirit. I also like the immune-boosting blends each company has (Thieves- YL, Germ away- PT, and Immune strength- RMO).
With oils, you not only get the good smells, but you also get the health benefits. Since you only use a few drops in the diffuser at a time, the price is comparable to using wax melts or room sprays.
There are so many more ways I use oils around my house BUT those listed above are the ways that essential oils can save you money. If you are looking for ways to reduce chemicals in your home, essential oils are a great place to start! I’m not going to pretent to be anywhere close to an expert on oils…but I’m happy to direct you towards people and websites that are!
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