4 Essential Oils That May Improve Your Health
Before I start this post, I want to make it very clear that I am not trying to save anyone’s life, nor am I claiming to be some sort of natural medicine doctor. I am simply speaking from my own personal experiences and what works for me. I’ve always had some sort of health “issue,” but being so young, I’ve tried my best to stay away from medication. I’m the person that when I get sick, I go to google and type in “natural remedies for…” About 2 years ago, I was introduced to the world of essential oils and I haven’t looked back! I have 4 oils that I probably couldn’t live without. Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Peppermint, and Feverfew are all of the oils that I keep either in my purse or at home in my medicine cabinet.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus oil was the first that proved to be successful for me. I had bronchitis about 2 years ago (those who have had bronchitis know how AWFUL it really is) and literally nothing was working for me. For 2 weeks straight, I was up coughing nonstop, despite what my doctor had given me. At this point, I was desperate. You could’ve given me any suggestion and I would have most likely tried it. I began to search on google and Pinterest, and that’s when I came across eucalyptus oil. I went straight to Whole Foods (10 minutes before they closed) and bought the Aura Cacia brand of eucalyptus oil, plus some jojoba oil because you have to have an oil to dilute it with. It’s some strong stuff, ya’ll. When I got home, I put about 3 drops of eucalyptus oil in my hand, plus a dime sized amount of jojoba oil and rubbed it together. Then I rubbed it on the bottom of my feet, put socks on and went to sleep. Ya’ll… It was the first night that I had gotten sleep in 2 whole weeks! I was on to something. I also couldn’t breathe out of my nose, so I put 1 drop of oil on my pillow case and slept like a baby! Other than helping me with bronchitis, this oil also has a ton of other benefits. See here for the top 10 uses!
Frankincense
Now frankincense oil really blew my mind. Last year, I was playing on a coed softball team. Not sure if it was the best idea since I’m so accident prone, but it was fun nonetheless! At some point during the season, I ended up with a pinched nerve in my elbow. I’m not sure how it happened, but having a pinched nerve sucks big time! I began to lose strength in my right hand and I could literally feel tingling from my fingertips up to my neck. It was one of the scariest things I had ever been through. I went to a neurologist and he gave me… muscle relaxers. MUSCLE RELAXERS?! I took them for 2 days and I had had enough. I decided to get back on google and do some more research. That is when I came across frankincense oil. Frankincense oil has been known for its healing properties for centuries. It has been said to help with the nervous system, disease prevention, and act as an anti-inflammatory.
“Nervous system” is what caught my eye. I did a little more digging, searching for the connection between frankincense oil and the nervous system. I was sold. I took another trip to Whole Foods and purchased the Aura Cacia brand once again. This time, I didn’t need to buy a carrier oil because I still had plenty of the jojoba oil left from the last time. I used 3-4 drops of frankincense mixed with a small amount of jojoba oil, and massaged it into my hands and on my neck and shoulder. The next day, I no longer had the tingling sensation but I did have to repeat this for several days. A couple of weeks later, I went to a physical therapist for my neck and was fine afterwards. It has been a year since I’ve felt any tingling or major pain! I have also rubbed it on my lower abdomen for menstrual cramps and it has definitely eased the pain. For more uses for frankincense oil, click here.
Peppermint
I use a peppermint tincture (it can be taken orally,) the Herb Pharm brand that is found in Whole Foods. I first initially bought it to help with a cold, in hopes that it would open my nose. What I soon came to find out was that it had a ton of more uses than that! I get migraines often and I’ve put just a dab of it on the temple of my forehead to ease the pain. What it has helped me with the most is gastrointestinal issues. I’m about to have a little TMI moment, so bear with me. I was experiencing trapped gas in the worst way not too long ago. I mean, up in my ribs trapped gas and could barely walk. I remembered my peppermint oil and on the bottle is says “gastrointestinal,” so I figured I’d give it a try. I squeezed the recommended amount into 4 ounces of water and about 10 minutes later I was fine! So now it is definitely my go-to when I’m having tummy issues. To see the top 25 uses for peppermint oil, click here.
Feverfew
Feverfew is the most recent of the oils that I’ve tried and it’s also a tincture. Like I said, I get migraines. They. Are. AWFUL. I haven’t completely figured out how to control them, but I’ve noticed that I get them every time the weather changes drastically. Nashville may not be the city for me. I had a friend tell me about feverfew last year, and I finally decided to give it a shot a month or 2 ago. I literally hate the smell and the taste! Probably one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever tasted, but guess what? It works! I don’t think it’s all that great once I have a full on migraine, but if I can catch it when it’s just starting, feverfew usually does the job! It’s more of a preventative method. I took feverfew for a week straight, with no signs of a migraine and I’ve been getting them A LOT less frequently. I was initially prescribed meds for my migraines, but the medicine makes me feel worse. It also doesn’t cure me from migraines. It stops and starts again the next day, so trying feverfew was literally a godsend. For more information on feverfew, click here.
It is always best to consult your doctor or herbalist before trying anything new. I am simply sharing this to show you all what works for me. I believe in natural medicine and healing, so I always try to listen to my body and do what’s best for me. I’m sure that these won’t be the last 4 oils that I’ll try. As I try new natural remedies, I will share them with you so that we can go on this journey together! If you have any comments or questions, just drop them below!