Young Living Essential Oils » Wellness

Essential Oils vs. Drug Resistant Bacteria

Melissa Boice — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 03:51:42 +0000

Good News! Another study is backing up what we have been saying for years. Essential oils have the amazing ability to combat drug-resistant bacteria.

With this knowledge, you can appreciate why it is vital to have therapeutic grade essential oils on hand at all times. I personally always have thyme, oregano, and Thieves blend on hand. You never know when you are going to need these oils.

Here is a link to the article:

Study: Plant Oils Highly Effective Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria

Peace & Calming

Melissa Boice — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:40:53 +0000

For several reasons, when left to my own devices I tend to get easily overwhelmed by the stresses of my life. That is why I was drawn to essential oils and why I love Young Living’s therapeutic-grade essential oils. Using the oils consistently has caused me to be much more “laid back” than I would otherwise be. I know this about myself and thus choose to use oils frequently and with joy. Using therapeutic-grade essential oils is one of ways I am able maintain emotional balance.

I am always impressed with the blend Peace & Calming. Diffusing this blend really does make a difference in my mood…and my husband’s too! One day my husband called me on his cell phone, ranting about his frustrating day. That caused me to tense up and my stomach to knot up. I decided we both needed Peace & Calming. I put 15 drops of the blend into my diffuser and let it run for a couple of hours until my husband got home from work, filling up our house with the relaxing scent of citrus oils, ylang ylang, patchouli and blue tansy. I was soon feeling better, but how would my husband act when he got home? When I heard him coming up the driveway, I turned off the diffuser so he didn’t know what I was up to. For the first few minutes he was grumpy but soon he began to relax and was in a good mood for the rest of the evening. An important note on this experience is that my husband doesn’t think he likes essential oils. That’s why I did not make a production of running my diffuser in front of him. Why add to his stress?! The oil molecules that were still in the air were enough to help him release the negativity and relax. Cool, huh?!

I attribute this to the way essential oils work. Essential oils are volatile, meaning they evaporate, and the fragrance of oils are present in the evaporated gases. When essential oils are diffused into the air, the tiny healing molecules are inhaled through the nose. At the base of our brain, in the area above our nose, sit the olfactory bulbs. Think of a bulb with tiny hairlike nerve extensions, or odor receptors. These odor receptors are stimulated by and attract fragrance molecules. When these receptors grab pure, truly therapeutic essential oils, amazing changes happen to our moods and emotional states. The odor receptors send messages to the limbic system in the brain, which then creates a chain of responses throughout the whole body. The limbic system includes the amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus and several other glands that affect our emotions and stress response. Simply smelling therapeutic-grade essential oils – whether breathing them from the bottle or diffusing them in your home – can change your brain chemistry.

So, next time you are told to “take a few deep breaths and calm down”, remember to grab your bottle of Peace & Calming!

Here are a few ways to use Peace & Calming:

Rub 1-2 drops of Peace & Calming oil on the bottom of the feet and on the shoulders before bedtime to get good quality sleep.
Diffuse in the room to calm overactive or hard to manage children. (or husbands!)
Mix with massage oil for a relaxing massage.
Mix with Bath Gel Base in warm water for a relaxing bath.
To help stop nocturnal teeth grinding, diffuse while sleeping.

Peace & Calming Fact Sheet (pdf)

Home Diffuser Fact Sheet (pdf)

Using Present Time to Manifest Goals

Melissa Boice — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:17:33 +0000

Last year, I went to a special leadership conference that Young Living hosts called Silver Club. Gary Young, the founder and president of Young Living, shared with us that one of the keys to successfully accomplishing our goals, no matter what they are, is to stay in PRESENT TIME. He passed the oil blend Present Time around the room. We all were able to inhale its delightfully strengthening fragrance. It is a blend of neroli (focus), spruce (grounding) and ylang ylang (balancing).

Gary’s advice, along with using Present Time, was:

Determine what your goal is.
Map out what steps you need to do on a daily and weekly basis to achieve that.
ACT… Take daily action over and over, looking ahead regularly to make sure your present steps are aligned with your ultimate goal.
Celebrate every success along the way… before you know it, you’ll be there!

The Reference Guide for Essential Oils suggests an effective way to use Present Time is to rub clockwise of the the thymus (down the sternum – middle front of ribs) in a circular motion, close eyes and tap three times with energy fingers (pointer and middle). Also apply to neck and forehead. Gary suggested another good way to use this blend: put a drop on your thumb and suck it! So if you catch me sucking my thumb, you’ll know I am “in the moment” enjoying my therapeutic-grade essential oils!

It is really so simple. Stay in the Present, focus on positive actions, and look for reasons to celebrate with Gratitude and Abundance.

How Do Essential Oils Work?

Melissa Boice — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:51:44 +0000

by D. Gary Young

Aromatherapy is a phrase coined by Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, Ph.D., in 1920, who was a French cosmetic chemist. While working in his laboratory, he had an accident that resulted in a third degree thermal burn of his hand and forearm. He plunged his arm into a vat of lavender oil, thinking that it was water. To his surprise, the burning slowly decreased and then stopped within a few moments. Over a period of time, with the continual application of lavender oil, the burn healed completely without a trace of a scar. As a chemist, he analyzed the essential oil of lavender and discovered that it contained many substances referred to as chemical constituents or chemical properties. As a result of this, Dr. Gattefosse determined that essential oils contained tremendous healing properties.

Dr. Gattefosse shared his experience with his colleague and friend, Dr. Jean Valnet, a medical doctor in Paris, France. During World War II, while serving as a medical physician in the French Army at the China Wall, treating war victims, Dr. Valnet ran out of antibiotics, so he decided to try using essential oils. To his amazement, they had a powerful effect in reducing and even stopping the infection, and he was able to save many of the soldiers who otherwise might have died even with antibiotics.

Dr. Valnet had two students who did their internship with him who were responsible for expanding his work, Dr. Paul Belaiche and Dr. Jean Claude Lapraz. They discovered that essential oils contain antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and antiseptic properties as well as being powerful oxygenators with the ability to act as carrying agents in the delivery of nutrients into the cells.

For example, if you take a geranium plant and tear the leaf or the stem, a clear liquid will appear. This liquid is a very subtle and volatile essence that exudes from the damaged tissues of the leaf. So it is with the human body. With a cut or scrape, we see the flow of blood from that opening in the skin.

One significant difference between the blood and the plant liquid is the color. In the resin or oil being released from the plant, we find trace elements of nutrients, hormones, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, antibodies, and antifungal, antibacterial, anti-infectious, antiseptic, and immune-stimulating properties. Another key agent found present in that resin is OXYGEN. Oxygen molecules are part of the chemical elements of the resin, such as alcohols, phenols, esters, sesquiterpenes, terpinols, etc., which together create an essential oil. The plant releases the oil in order to clean the break, kill bacteria and start the regeneration process. When blood is released because of broken skin, it is for the same purpose: to clean the wound, kill the bacteria, prevent infection, and begin the healing and regeneration process. A simple comparison of the plant and the human body shows us a precise similarity, as both the oil and the blood are the transporters of the fundamental nutrients necessary to feed and nurture the cells.

Furthermore, the essential oil has the ability in its chemical structure to penetrate the cell wall and transport oxygen and nutrients inside the cell, thus increasing cellular oxygen and giving more support to the immune system. Research has shown that with their immune-stimulating properties, essential oils enhance and support the building of the immune system, whether they are inhaled or rubbed on the body topically. Even those who contract a cold or the flu recover 70 percent faster using essential oils.

It has been said that when essential oils are diffused in the home, they have the ability to increase the atmospheric oxygen, as they release oxygenating molecules into the atmosphere. Oils increase ozone and negative ions in the home, which inhibit bacteria growth. This prevents and destroys existing odors from mold, cigarettes, animals, etc. Essential oils have the electrical magnetic attraction to fracture the molecular chain of chemicals and take them out of the air, rendering them non-toxic to the body. Scientists in European countries have found that essential oils will bond to metallics and chemicals and carry them out of the body, working as natural chelators, inhibiting these toxic substances from staying in the tissues. Essential oils remove dust particles out of the air and, when diffused in the home, can be the greatest air filtration system. These are all wonderful attributes of essential oils.

Essential oils can be extracted from plants, trees, seeds, flowers, petals, stems, roots, bark, or even the whole plant. Today, about 200 different types of oils are being distilled with several thousand chemical constituents and aromatic molecules that have been identified and registered. These aromatic Substances and compounds within the oils will alter and change based on weather conditions, climate, temperatures, and distillation factors. Today, 98 percent of essential oils are used in the perfume and cosmetic industry.

Essential oils are recognized as being the greatest substances for increasing cellular oxygen through their normal function. When applied to the body by rubbing on the feet, essential oils will travel throughout the body and affect every cell, including the hair, within 20 minutes. They may have a lasting effect for as long as five months from only one application. The oils do not build up and store in the body because they are very subtle and volatile and have a high evaporation rate. Because of their chemical structure, they are metabolized like other nutrients in the cells.

One of the causes of disease in both the plant and the human body is the inability of nutrients to penetrate the cell wall, causing cell deterioration, leading to cell mutation, creating a host for bacteria and disease.

The integral part of the nose responsible for odor detection is the olfactory, consisting of two membranes, one on each side of the mucous membrane covering the bony extension of the nose. The olfactory membranes are very tiny and are well protected by the casing of the nose. They contain about 800 million nerve endings for processing and detecting odors. These nerve endings are triggered from a signal from the genes along the inside passage of the nose. The olfactory hair-like nerves receive the micro-fine, vaporized oil particles, carrying them along the axon of the nerve fibers, connecting them with the synapse of the secondary neurons in the olfactory bulb. The impulses carried to the limbic system and the olfactory sensory center at the base of the brain, pass between the pituitary and pineal gland and then to the amygdala, which is the memory center for fear and trauma. The impulses then travel to the gustatory center where the sensation of taste is perceived.

Only in 1989 was it discovered that the amygdala plays a major role in storing and releasing emotional trauma, and only odor or fragrance stimulation has a profound affect in triggering a response with this gland. Dr. Joseph Ledoux, of the New York Medical University, feels that this could be major break-through in releasing emotional trauma.

People who have turbinate problems, such as a deviated septum, polyps, or who have had nose surgery, may have a very difficult or impossible time detecting the complete odor. The same holds true for people who have worn a lot of make-up, perfume and cologne or used hair sprays, hair colorings, perms and other products with synthetic odors. Many olfactory hairs respond to only one kind of odor molecule, and simultaneously others will respond to several different kinds of odors. This tells us that not all of the receptors are stimulated at the same time in the presence of odorous vapors.

The olfactory nerves are very much like other nerves and organs in the body. They also respond to electrical signals and impulses that form coded messages that are dispatched to various areas of the body. This may be why some oil inhalation will increase endorphin, neurotransmitter and antibody production.

Fragrance is one of man’s greatest enjoyments, bringing back memories of past experience and creating a feeling of security, grounding and well-being.”

Thyme to Stay Healthy

Melissa Boice — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 03:53:05 +0000

With so much information in the news about the dangers of this winter’s coming flu season, I thought I would share a healthy option. I usually expound on the benefits of Thieves, and believe me, I am stocking up, just in case. Actually, I plan to have a little stash of several different essential oils that have powerful antiviral properties. Thyme is one of those. I found the following article in a 1999 Essential Edge magazine, published by Young Living. I think you will be as impressed as I was about the value of thyme oil!

The Ideal Antiseptic: Thyme Linalol

It is common knowledge among aromatherapists that the essential oil of thyme (Thymus vulgaris CT thymol) is one of the most potently antiseptic essential oils known. Its chief constituent, thymol, is a phenol that has been extensively documented for its antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal action. According to Jean Valnet, M.D., thyme oil kills the anthrax bacillus, the typhoid bacillus, meningococcus, and the agent responsible for tuberculosis. The oil is also a stronger antiseptic than phenol, which was widely regarded for years as the ultimate germ killer.

However, because thymol is caustic and can be very irritating to the skin and mucus membranes, the thymol chemotype of thyme oil is not suitable for all applications. It is best used highly diluted and is not suitable for infants or children.

In contrast, the linalol chemotype of Thymus Vulgaris is far less irritating to the skin and mucus membranes, while exerting powerful anti-infectious and antimicrobial effects. Why? Because Thymus vulgris CT linalol is very low in thymol and high in linalol, a strong antiseptic that is minimally irritating to the mucus membranes or skin. This makes the oil far more versatile than traditional thyme oils, enabling it to be used in a greater variety of applications and on more sensitive skins with less dilution. It is even suitable for children and can be administered in topical, oral, enema, douche, and diffusing applications.

Daniel Penoel, M.D., recommends thyme linalol for tuberculosis, bronchitis, pneumonia, intestinal parasites, psoriasis, cistitis (bladder infection), nephritis (kidney infection), candida infections, and intestinal tract infections.

At the first sign of a cold or flu, a drop of oil should be added to a tablespoon of honey and taken every half hour. A drop or two of oil may also be sprinkled on a handkerchief or washcloth and inhaled directly as needed to treat respiratory or sinus conditions. In cases of serious respiratory conditions, systemic candidiasis, or local yeast infections, an enema or douche may be needed.

Add 1-2 drops of essential oil to 2-4 tablespoons of grape seed oil or massage oil base.

Reprinted with permission of Young Living, Lehi, UT, 84043 U.S.A.

A Well Oiled Machine

Melissa Boice — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:59:01 +0000

That’s what I am. I use essential oils all the time. Frequently, I take them internally: I either put them in a capsule OR scoop out a teaspoon of virgin coconut oil, make a little well with my finger, and add a couple of drops to the indentation. Sometimes simply rubbing a few drops of an essential oil directly inside my cheek is the easiest and quickest way to benefit internally from therapeutic-grade essential oils.

One of my favorite oils is the blend called Thieves. It’s a blend of cinnamon, clove, lemon, rosemary and eucalyptus. It smells and tastes good, and it is so powerful! When these oils are combined, they work synergisticly to kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

I don’t know how many times I have warded off getting sick by starting to use Theives or other essential oils at the first sign that I am coming down with something. I usually hit the oils (or virus?) really hard, along with Mineral Essence and vitamin C, especially at first. Putting several drops on my feet is also an excellent way to protect myself from any germs or bugs that are going around.

Following is a list of the individual oils in Thieves and some of their beneficial actions:

Cinnamon: Antibacterial, antifungal, helpful in the treatment of candidiasis

Clove: Anti-infectious, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic, and antiseptic

Rosemary: Effective against staphylococcus aureus, antifungal, disinfectant

Eucalyptus Radiata: Antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, decongestant, anti-infectious

Lemon: Kills germs that cause meningitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, staph infections, inhibits mold growth, repels insects

These are just simple therapeutic-grade essential oils. Just imagine the power they have when they join forces!

For more information on Thieves essential oil blend, to to www.thieves-oil.com.

At this point I must remind you of what you already know. What works for me may not work for you. I am not prescribing or telling you what you should take. It is always good to learn as much as we can about whatever is available to us, and then make an informed decision based on the facts.

Essential Oils – Nature’s Powerful Anti-Viral Weapons

Melissa Boice — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:35:00 +0000

Science is now beginning to acknowledge the value of the healing substances found in essential oils. Clinical research has shown that essential oils are highly antiviral and anti-infectious. In 1995, Dr. Jean C. Lapraz discovered that there are two essential oils in which no bacteria or virus could survive. This is a significant breakthrough since there are so many life threatening viruses and drug resistant bacteria. A recent study done at Weber University has proven that four essential oils will kill 100% of the bacteria and virus in any room where they are diffused.

Doctors once predicted antibiotics would vanquish infectious diseases. But the bugs are rapidly overwhelming today’s medicines. Bacteria naturally evolve to avoid antibiotics, a process first spotted just five years after penicillin’s debut in the 1940s. But resistance appears to have speeded up in the last decade, largely because antibiotics are being overused giving the germs more chances to mutate.

Dr. Valnet points out that pathogenic microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria do not become resistant to essential oils as they do to modern-day synthetic antibiotic drugs. He states, “Infectious microbes do not appear to become accustomed to the essential oils as they do to the many forms of treatment using antibiotics.” One reason virus and bacteria cannot mutate with the essential oils is because of the chemical constituents that make up essential oils. One essential oil can have anywhere from 200-800 chemical constituents. It is impossible for a virus to mutate and adapt to that many chemical constituents. Drugs are made by isolating one or two constituents. A virus can easily mutate and adapt to the drug, making it useless.

Although the powerful medicinal value of essential oils is only now being rediscovered by modern medical science, it has actually been known for centuries. In fact, essential oils were considered more valuable than gold by ancient cultures, due to their phenomenal healing properties. Dr. Valnet states, “In recent years both doctors and the public have re-discovered the medical value of essential plant oils, but the idea of using their properties to maintain or regain health goes back to antiquity… The Romans had their knowledge of essential oils from the Greeks, who in turn had received it from the Egyptians… “Hippocrates, for example, tackled the plague epidemic in Athens by fumigating the whole city with aromatic essences of plant oils. Later, in the 19th century, it is known that perfumery workers always showed an almost complete immunity during cholera outbreaks.”

In tests conducted in France by Professor Griffon, Director of the French Police Toxicology Laboratory, the antiseptic effect of a blend of essential oils—including pine, thyme, peppermint, lavender, rosemary, cloves and cinnamon—was studied in order to test the ability of the oils to purify the air of harmful disease-causing bacteria. First, Professor Griffon set up a number of Petri dishes approximately 15cm from ground level in an open room, allowing them to stand for 24 hours, the germs from the air being collected naturally as they settled into the open Petri dishes. After 24 hours he analyzed the dishes, finding them to contains 210 colonies of various microbes, including numerous molds and staphylococci. He then sprayed the mixture of essential oils in the form of an aerosol into the air in the room. After only 15 minutes, only 14 colonies of microorganisms out of the original 210 were left alive. After 30 minutes, only FOUR colonies of the original 210 were left. Importantly, ALL of the potentially harmful disease- causing molds and staphylococci had been killed within the first 30 minutes.

In another French experiment, the number of pathogenic microorganisms in various locations were measured. In a forest, there were found to be five pathogenic microorganisms in the air for every one cubic meter. In an average apartment, there were found to be 20,000 microbes in the air per cubic meter. In public stores, there were found to be nine million microbes in the air per cubic meter. On the top of a work table there were found to be five million microbes per square meter. On a carpet, nine million. And in the air of a large hospital there were found to be on average 10,000 microbes per cubic meter. According to Dr. Valnet, when an inquisitive doctor put some of the microbe-laden air from the hospital into a flask containing just a few drops of essential oils, 40% of the microbes were destroyed in only 20 minutes, 80% in an hour, and 100% in nine hours!

These scientific studies have finally jolted a small number of far-sighted researchers within the American medical and scientific community to sit up and take note of the incredible antimicrobial power of essential oils, particularly in light of today’s plague of deadly antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. As today’s growing plague of pathogenic, antibiotic resistant bacteria, mutating viruses, infectious fungi and disease causing parasites are becoming more & more of a threat, it is comforting to know we can have such powerful weapons as therapeutic grade essential oils.

Every family needs to know about them.

by Melodie Kantner

Essential Oils: The Missing Link

Melissa Boice — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:01:00 +0000

Are you sick and tired of feeling sick and tired?

Are you concerned about your family’s health care in light of unstable world events? Essential oils may be just what you need to get a fresh start! Today is a perfect day to begin enjoying greater health and greater life with the help of Young Living Essential Oils. Because of their highly oxygenating molecular structure, therapeutic-grade essential oils help to nourish, strengthen, support, and restore the cells of the body.

Essential oils are the oldest and most respected medicines known to man. Historical records indicate that essential oils were one of the most important therapies in daily life in Egypt, India, and China, and are mentioned over 100 times in the Bible. In 1992 when King Tut’s tomb was opened in Egypt, liters of essential oils were discovered. After removing a thick waxy substance from the top of the jars, the oils were tested to reveal that the chemical constituents were in perfect condition. If shelf life is important to you, pure, unadulterated essential oils withstand the test of time!

Essential oils are the life blood of plants, flowers, trees, and shrubs. When we cut ourselves, blood cleanses the cut, protects the wound, fights harmful microorganisms, provides oxygen and nourishment for cell regeneration. The same event occurs in the plant kingdom. The clear liquid that seeps from a plant is called the essential oil. These oils are highly antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antimicrobial and are now gaining the reputation as being the missing link in modern medicine.

Ensure you’ll always have the benefits of Young Living’s therapeutic-grade essential oils on hand with the Everyday Oils Collection. It contains nine of our most popular essential oils and essential oil blends that can be used for a wide range of uses and benefits. This kit contains 5 ml. bottles of frankincense, lemon, lavender, peppermint, Purification, PanAway, Peace & Calming, Thieves and Valor.

Start Living with Everyday Oils!

Listen to Gary Young as he explains why Young Living oils ARE the Missing Link to better health!

Raindrop Technique – The Art of Bringing Balance

Melissa Boice — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:25:00 +0000

Essential oils were used in ancient times to lift the spirit and increase the energies of the body. The Bible contains many examples of oils being used to anoint and cleanse the body. The beautiful ritual of applying oils was practiced with the purest intentions in the hope of bringing great joy and relief to both those who gave and those who received it.
The Raindrop Technique is one of Young Living’s most popular essential oil collections. This energizing technique has been used for years as a highly effective method for balancing and rejuvenating the mind and body. The essential oils found in Young Living’s Raindrop collection penetrate the skin and promote energy and vitality. When oils are properly applied to neck, back and feet, this technique can bring about electrical alignment and helps relieve a variety of discomforts caused by imbalances in the body, especially those found in the spine.

The Raindrop Technique, a gentle massage method of “dropping” essential oils on the spine and back, was introduced to modern society by D. Gary Young. His inspiration came from the traditions of the Lakota Indians. A Lakota medicine man named Wallace Black Elk told Gary the story of how the Lakota people used to migrate to Canada each spring. There they would experience the beauty and healing benefits of the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights.

The Lakota people would reach their hands high into the sky, using them as antennas to pull down vibrant energy from the dancing ights. They would breathe the energy level in and push it up their spines. They believed that these enchanting lights had the power to raise their personal energy level and to make them well. In the 1800s, when the borders between the United States and Canada were completed, the Lakota people could no longer travel north to experience the energizing effects of the Northern Lights. So they used feathers instead to raise their energy, brushing them lightly up the spine.

A few years after his meeting with Wallace Black Elk, Gary studied the beneficial effects of therapeutic-grade essential oils on spinal malformities and other difficulties of the body. He was inspired at that time to use a brushing technique similar to what is used by the Lakota when applying the oils. The result is the famous Raindrop Technique, which has benefited thousands.

This collection includes nine 5 ml bottles of Young Living’s essential oils, two bottles of Young Living’s premium massage oils, and an instructional DVD on how to perform the Raindrop Technique.

Essential Relief for Seasonal Affective Disorder

Melissa Boice — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:58:00 +0000

By Melodie Kantner

As the hours of sunshine dwindle and the gray days follow one after another, many people suffer from depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder, what may be a natural biological response to the dark days of winter.

The best remedy for SAD is exposure to full spectrum light banks, and for someone who truly suffers from the disorder to the extent that he or she is unable to function, the investment in the special lighting is a worthwhile expenditure.

However, aromatherapy, with its deep effect on the spirit and on the emotions, may be very helpful. This is the time of year to use your citrus essential oils. All the citrus oils are uplifting and mood elevating. Generally, the citrus oils are cold pressed from the rind of the fruit. Please be aware that all of the citrus oils have the potential to cause sun sensitivity. Do not apply to the skin and then expose yourself to ultraviolet rays, whether outside, with a tanning bed, or in any other form, for at least 12 hours.I like to diffuse citrus oils in my diffuser when I am feeling depressed. When diffusing oils, use a COLD diffusing method. Never heat your therapeutic grade oils. Heating destroys the therapeutic qualities. If you don’t have a cold diffuser, you can put some oil on a cotton ball or tissue. You can even mix oil in a spray bottle with water & spritz the air.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not merely the aroma of essential oils imparts their effects. Certainly, the aroma has a lot to do with the psychological and spiritual effects the oils have, but get the oils on your body to get the full effect of the oil. One of the best places to put therapeutic grade oils is on the bottom of your feet. You can put the oil neat (undiluted) on the bottom of your feet.

Orange oil is a wonderful “happy oil.” It is great to use when you have a group of cranky people in the house. It is very difficult to be depressed when the air is full of the scent of orange. My absolute favorite for lifting the mood is the oil blend Christmas Spirit, from Young Living. Christmas Spirit has orange & cinnamon. It smells absolutely wonderful & can lift your mood almost instantly.

Another oil that seems to banish the blues for many people is Bergamot. This essential oil is gentler, with a touch of floral in its scent. I will only use Bergamot in an airborne blend. It is the most photo-toxic essential oil; you do not want to risk exposure to UV rays with Bergamot on your skin.