Introduction to Essential Oils

My own essential oils in carrier oil for massage

A year ago I had one essential oil and I really didn't even realize what it was. Someone had told us Tea tree was good for bug bites and I had ordered a bottle on their recommendation.
It does stop the itching quite well.

Just prior to starting massage school I discovered peppermint oil and had begun trying it on what ever ailments we were facing and found it was pretty amazing for headaches and other aches.

My massage school has a collection of more than 60 essential oils and we have the opportunity to work with those oils in a variety of ways. In the past year I have built my own collection to about 25 oils. Its still growing as I am able to research and add new oils. I want to add black pepper and chamomile, Siberian Cedar wood and many others but it takes time to grow and maintain a collection on a limited budget. I've already gone through several bottles of tea tree, lavender, peppermint and lemon. If you are wanting to start your own collection those four would be my starting recommendations. They are each good for so many things.

When my son says mom I'm having trouble focusing or I need something to help with creative inspiration we go to the essential oils and create a blend for that purpose. They have replaced all the things that used to be in my medicine cabinet and we have found essential oils work better than all that over the counter stuff with out the additional side effects.

Essential oils are extracted generally through steam distillation from the the flowers, leaves, stems, roots of various plants. Some use other extraction methods. Some plants are very easy to extract oil from and others like rose oil takes 60 roses for one drop of essential oil. As you might guess rose oil is pretty expensive. An 1/8 of an ounce is about forty five dollars. Lemon oil made from the lemon rind, on the other hand is only about five dollars a half ounce.

I've discovered that each oil has a long list of healing benefits. For a general headache I would try one of the following Peppermint, Rosemary, Lavender, Frankincense or Clove from my collection.
My favorite being peppermint or Lavender or perhaps combining them.

Supplies I've purchased

I have books that I have added to my collection that I can reference but I am able to find quite a lot of information on line as well. I've found great inspiration on Pinterest. For example just type in "Pine Essential Oil" or "Lemon Essential Oil" and you come up with some great ideas and information.


When you are buying essential oils you do want to make sure they say 100% pure. I am not representing any brand and I do buy my oils from a variety of sources. I do have several friends who sell Dotera Essential Oils and they do have an exceptional product line that is great for folks who want the benefits and commitment that come with brand loyalty. When I was first approached by one of them I thought how on earth would I ever use all those oils. I've come to find out that with my family and my massage training that I use them for everything. The best way to think about it is to add up what you would spend on over the counter medicines, cleaning and beauty supplies and begin the switch to essential oils spending no more than you are already spending. Its a matter of moving your money from the drug store to essential oils and natural products. For example rather than buying a bottle of your favorite pain relieving pill buy a bottle of peppermint oil. When I get a headache I rub it on my feet in it's 100% pure form or I mix it with a carrier oil (I like almond, rice bran, coconut, olive or grape seed oil) and rub it on the back of my neck, shoulders and temples. Just don't get it in your eyes. It does make you cry for a bit but you won't go blind.

I didn't tell you where to find essential oils. I've gotten most of mine from local health food stores. I'm a bit impulsive and I want to get my hands on them now so I generally buy local.
I have liked what I've ordered on line from Mountain Rose Herbs www.mountainroseherbs.com
I generally have things from them in about a week. There are Dotera and Young Living folks that would be happy to tell you about the benefits of their programs.

My Self Care Wellness Activity
Essential oils are great for self care I will begin to add at least one post a week that talks about individual essential oils with ideas how to use them. Again I'm not selling them nor am I prescribing them. Do your homework- you will be amazed at their wonderful health benefits.

Here's a few ideas for you to try. If you don't have lemon essential oil yet, you could use real lemon in the foot soak. Lemon is revitalizing and helps your mood elevate. It is anti fungal and antiviral among other things. Look for a future post on the benefits of Lemon Essential oil this is just to get you started.

Moisturizing Lemon Foot Soak
Add the following to warm water in your foot soaking basin. Relax
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 freshly squeezed lemon or 3-6 drops of Lemon Essential Oil
• 2 tbsp sea salt or epson salt

Lemon Sugar Scrub

Use this on your feet, hands or body to refresh and invigorate your skin. I just used it on my hands and they feel so smooth.
• 1/4 Cup Virgin Coconut Coconut Oil
• 5 - 10 Drops of Lemon Essential Oil
• 3/4 to a 1 Cups of Sugar
(add more or less if you like to get your desired consistency.)

How to Make It

1. Melt Coconut Oil in a glass bowl (in the summer its already melted)
2. Mix in 10 Drops of Lemon Oil
3. Mix in the cup of Sugar
4. Store in a glass canning jar.
You can use this scrub on your hands, feet and even all over your body for silky smooth and invigorated skin!