Oil Reviews

Like a Pro (Monthly Oil Review)

Posted on by bythelbblog

 

This month’s oil (blend) is Young Living’s Progessence Plus.

I may have mentioned before that three pregnancies and two babies really did a number on my hormonal state. Which did (does) a number on my anxiety. I’ve been working toward finding as many natural ways as possible to help even things out, and oils have been high on that list (along with yoga, meditation, caffeine and sugar moderation, and enough sleep).

Many plants (and the essential oils derived from them) are historically reputed to be helpful for getting (and keeping) hormone levels balanced. Young Living took some of the heavy hitters from that list (Bergamot, Peppermint, and Cedarwood, along with a few others) and mixed them with USP grade progesterone (from wild yam extract) to create a soothing, encouraging smelling mix that helps keep you at a more even keel.

I had my doubts healthy skepticism about how effective this blend would be in my overall quest for balance and health. I do believe that oils have made and continue to make a difference in my every day life, but I don’t automatically assume that each new bottle is going to be 5-15 ml of miracle. Honestly, I didn’t realize how much this blend was helping me until I laid off of it for awhile. It wasn’t intentional, I just moved it to a different spot in the bathroom and thereby derailed my previous daily ritual with it.

January turned out to be a very difficult time for me, anxiety wise. I think less sunshine (and nothing like Christmas preparations to balance that out) had a lot to do with that, along with the 3 year anniversary of discovering and losing my 3rd pregnancy. I did all the things I’ve come to recognize as my necessary self care and was still struggling a bit. Then I remembered this little gem. I figured, as I was trying everything else already, it wouldn’t hurt to add this into the mix. I decided to start applying it on my neck once a day and see what happened. There wasn’t an instantaneous magical turnaround, but gradually I did find that I was leveling back out. A few weeks later, it’s still part of my daily routine and things are continuing to approach back to “normal” and evening out. I can’t say this is the only thing I’m doing to take care of my hormones right now, but it’s one of the major players.

Have you used Pro-Plus? How do you take care of your hormonal health?

 

Monthly Oil Review: Thieves

Posted on by bythelbblog

It’s that time of year in the northern hemisphere (those below the equator, feel free to bookmark and come back to this post in August when it’s a little more relevant to you). Short days with little sunlight and way too much time spent indoors with other immunity challenged individuals means all of the colds and flus and various other snifflies and stomach bugs. We’re all looking for ways to stay as healthy as possible. Or just ride out the winter until spring comes back. Preferably with as few doctor bills and vomit incidents as possible (that second is really more of a year long goal, but probably spikes in intensity during the winter for most of us who aren’t frat boys. Apologies to any sober frat boys for that gross generalization of your drinking habits).

Most people have probably at least heard the Thieves legend. The plague was traipsing its disgusting way through Britain (presumably in the winter, which as previously discussed is the worst time of year, especially when hygiene hasn’t been invented yet) indiscriminately killing the occupants of house after house.

Which left a good deal of material goods unguarded and technically without owners.

Every century has its opportunists, and the 15th (don’t check facts on this; I’m probably wrong) was no exception. A band of bandits (*note to self: check on a possible connection between the origin of these two words to wow people in casual conversation later*) began taking advantage of this situation by raiding the homes of the dead and those so close what little strength they had was not suitable to fight off robbers.  They made a killing (which is a terrible joke in the context), until they were caught. When they were brought to trial for their crimes, it was noted that none of them had caught the plague during this time period despite having been in close contact with it each time they had robbed a recently (or soon to be) vacant house. They were offered clemency of a sort (probably a slightly less public execution, or a handful of hay for their jail cell floor) in exchange for the secret formula that had protected them from contracting the plague.

The resulting recipe (which varies from telling to telling but often includes the basic constituents of vinegar, rosemary, lemon, clove, and cinnamon) has been passed down in the subsequent centuries and many holistic natural remedies have been made to replicate it.

Including essential oil blends.

Review: The Thieves blend from Young Living (my preferred oil distributor for quality and company integrity) contains clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary oils. If you’re thinking “sounds like it smells like Fall”, you’re right on the nose (*note to self: look up the origin of this phrase and if it’s as gross as it potentially seems immediately remove it from your vocabulary*). I try to stay stocked up on this oil so that we can use it to support our immune systems this time of year (I’m halfway through my 2 bottle winter allotment at the moment) and put it on our feet/spines and in the diffuser when we’re feeling under the weather for that little boost to get better faster. This year I’m trying to be better about diffusing it often, even when we’re not sick, to prevent those little bugs from taking hold to begin with. No matter the season I tend to at least diffuse it on Saturdays while we do our household chores. For me, the scent is very warm and comforting and clean. At night I like to diffuse it with lavender and frankincense for an extra soothing version to go to sleep to.

If I had to pick only 5 oils or blends to live with for the rest of my life, this would definitely top the list. It’s one of the best and least dispensable oils in my collection and a major stepping stone on my journey to natural wellness.

Have you tried Thieves? Do you love it? Do you hate it? Do you have any other  home cold and flu remedies you swear by? Let me know!

Monthly EO Review: Lavender (plus bonus DIY recipe!)

Posted on by bythelbblog

If you’ve heard anything about essential oils (and, let’s face it, you’re on the internet right now  so you’ve probably at least (possibly only) heard of oils and yoga pants), you’ve heard about lavender. It’s sort of the “original” essential oil, as it were, and a good starting point if you’re new to the whole thing and are trying to figure out what oils are all about.

Lavender is a flowering plant that usually grows in more tropical/warm locations, and the oil is steam distilled from the flowers themselves. Most people are familiar with its use in aromatherapy, and even non hippies tend to associate its scent with calmness and serenity.

What you may not know is that lavender’s uses go beyond just helping you chill out. It’s been shown to be a good all-purpose oil, helpful for both mental and physical healing as well as general cleansing (body, air, etc) and skin health.

Review: honestly, I’m not in love with the smell. It’s very flowery and it’s not that it’s really gross but if you said “what do you think smells good?” lavender just isn’t going to be my answer. That being said, it is one of my go-tos for diffusing and a staple in my face oil (recipe to follow). I love to diffuse it in my kiddos’ room at night with cedarwood (knocks them out every time!). It goes with almost every other oil, scent wise, and definitely has that calming effect it’s famous for. Overall, it’s a fantastic general-purpose oil and, if you’re going to get serious about this oil gig, one of the first you should try (honestly, even if you’re not going to get serious about it. If you’re only ever going to buy one oil, make it lavender).

Basically: I’m not going to say it’s the best smelling oil but if you’re going to try oils at all you should definitely get this one because it just DOES SO MUCH.

Ok. Recipe. I’ve been making my own face moisturizer for I’m not even sure how long now, because I could never find one simultaneously minimalist in ingredients and price tag to suit my tastes (before you ask, no- I don’t know the price point of what I’m about to share with you; all I know is it’s cheaper than a $15 tube of organic moisturizer that lasts me all of 2 months and is, in my experience, way better on my skin. Although maybe it’s just the lack of stress from not having spent $15 on it that so drastically improves my complexion). Anyway. This is what I use on my combination, oily in the summer, dry in the winter, still-breaks-out-even-though-my-teenage-years-are-so-far-behind-me-I-can-remember-life-without-Facebook skin.

  • 1 oz of carrier oil (I have been using grapeseed with a little argan oil mixed in; this is a good all purpose mix for most skin types. I also change it up by making a portion of it olive, coconut, or apricot seed oil depending on the season or my skin’s mood at the time)
  • ~5 drops each of the following skin-healthy oils
    • Lavender (thar she blows!)
    • Frankincense
    • Patchouli
    • Geranium
    • Cedarwood
  • Glass container with a dropper top (I use a leftover Argan oil bottle but you can buy several different options on Amazon)

Put them in. Mix them up. Put them on your face. Voila.

I use mine in the morning after I wash my face (with my homemade face wash; a recipe for which may be forthcoming in future posts). Around 3 drops is perfect to cover my whole face without leaving an oily residue.

Where does lavender rank on your essential oil must-have list? If you try this recipe, let me know how it works for you. If you change up the essential oils involved (or already have a recipe you use), I wanna hear about it!

Monthly EO Review- Vetiver

Posted on by bythelbblog

Essential oils.

One of a handful of things that, when mentioned in casual conversation (I’m not sure about formal conversation; I don’t have many of those), will pretty much provoke one of two polar opposite reactions:

“Oh, we’re very into oils in our house. Thieves on the feet every day this time of year. And lavender at bedtime.”

OR

“Oh. I don’t believe in all that hippie nonsense. I like actual doctors and actual medicine.”

If you know me, you know that I fall into the former category (if you don’t know me, that fact is a real window into my make up as a person). The thing is, I realize there is actually a third group of people in the above fictional conversation: those who hear the phrase “essential oils” and think, “oh, I’m kind of interested in those but I don’t know enough about them to contribute to the dialogue right now” and don’t say anything.

These posts are for you. They are also for those of the “real medicine” camp, in case they want information on something they’ve previously categorically disavowed (which I’m not accusing them of doing without said information, but just in case). And for those who use oils on a daily basis, because I’m interested in input, advice, and opinions from other users.

Today’s review is on an oil that is new to me, but which I’ve heard highly touted by several of my oily friends: Vetiver.

As you may or may not know, essential oils are derived from plants. Vetiver is a type of grass native to India. It has been used for centuries to make soap, perfume, and essential oils. The dried grass is good for mats, hats, roofs (really wish I could have found a rhyming word for that last one), and other such items. The plant’s roots are deep and strong, and it is used to prevent erosion in the tropical areas where it naturally grows. Its scent has been compared to sandalwood. It has historically been reputed to have a calming, grounding, and soothing effect.

Review:  I get where the sandalwood comparison comes from, but I also really picked up on the green, woodsy smell you’d expect from a grass-derived oil. I have only diffused it a couple of times, and my favorite partner for it so far is lavender. My favorite use for it was at bedtime, but diffusing it in my office definitely gave me an “I can take on this day and be calm while doing it” vibe. It’s really thick, which makes it a bit harder to get out of the bottle than some other oils (but the smell and aftermath is worth it).

Honestly, it may be one of my new favorites.

What’s your favorite oil? Are there any you’d like to see reviewed? What information in a review would help you in your oily pursuits?