I was an essential oils skeptic, largely because of its affiliation with Multi Level Marketing (no offense to those who are into it) but just a personal choice. However after doing some of my own research on the ‘magic’ of essential oils and the ‘scientific’ nature of these remedies, I decided to give it a try. I suppose anything that would help prevent my kids from falling ill or that would help their recovery process was worth a try and welcomed in my house. That being said, I do not promote any particular brand of essential oils and the recommendations below are just the ones that have worked for me.

Before I go into which oils worked for me and what I use them for. I have to make a disclaimer that the essential oils work and agree with Jah however they don’t quite agree with Bella. So I maintain that it differs from person to person and it depends on how each person reacts to it. Perhaps Bella was a little too young (1 year old) when I try to introduce it to her or maybe she just has very sensitive airways. (Her symptoms tend to get worse when I use the oils on her through diffusion). So I have since stopped using them on her and I have no intention to re-introduce them. Jah on the other hand, uses various oils every night through different ‘application’ methods.

There are several ways to use these essential oils and I use a combination depending on what oil I’m using. I rarely apply the oils neat and I don’t consume my oils.

Ways I use my Essential Oils

Diffuser – For oils that are for relaxation, calming, sleeping, congested airways

Carrier Oil – For oils that are for muscle aches, immunity boosting, hair growth, eczema/ skin conditions

Mix with water – For oils that are for healing/ wound application, insect repellant, air freshener, germ fighting

Top Essential Oils in our family

Thieves Oil – The ever famous thieves oil that is known to be anti-bacterial, immunity boosting, germ busting and the list goes on. Used by thieves during the Black Plague to avoid diseases and thus the name. Contrary to belief, thieves oil is not just available from any 1 particular brand and it is actually a blend of 5 basic essential oils so technically you can blend it on your own if you can’t find it. I purchase mine pre-blended because I’m alittle lazy to self-blend if I can help it. I use a 2% dilution for my thieves + carrier oil mix which means I mix 12 drops of thieves oil for every 30ml of carrier oil (I use aloe vera or rosehip carrier oil because they do not have a strong scent). I apply a few drops of this mixture to Jah’s spine every night before he sleeps. Some people also apply it to the feet (think foot reflex points) but I don’t because I hate oily floors. I also have a spray bottle of thieves mixed with water in my car which I use to ‘sanitize’ or ‘freshen’ the car especially when anyone is sick/ coughing/ sneezing in the car before the kids come on. I don’t want to go into details of how this oil has worked for me (abit superstitious :p) All I will say is that it is meant to help combat illness and be immunity boosting and it has worked. 🙂

Lavender – Probably many people’s favourite and commonly used in spas. I like lavender for its scent, its relaxation effect and healing properties. I often add a few drops to oils/ blends that don’t smell too nice or are over-powering. While I do use certain sleep/ relaxation blends which often also contain lavender, I have also found that just using lavender on its own through a diffuser, works very well for Jah. And most of all, I am super impressed by lavender’s healing properties. Again I use a 2% dilution, feel free to add more drops if you want something stronger and instead of oil, I mix it with water. I keep a spray bottle of lavender + water handy, to freshen the air and also to spray on wounds or cuts. Very useful when kids fall and scrap their knees or elbows so often. It might sting alittle upon spraying but the wounds or cuts heal up really quickly!

R.C – This is a blend from a particular brand so I really don’t know what oils are in the blend. I believe the list is rather long so I probably would not self-blend either. This blend works for respiratory illnesses (cough, cold, flu, congestion etc). This blend failed to work for Bella and in fact worsen her condition every time she had a cough. However when Jah shows signs of an itchy throat (cough) or a trickle from the nose, I will whip out this blend and his cough or drippy nose would be gone within 2 days or so? Of course this is also with a combination of thieves application and sometimes early intervention of meds to help ‘widen the airways’. But I have seen better results from using the R.C as part of my remedy as compared to when I had just resorted to pure medication. Approximately 4 drops to a diffuser (note it can be very over-powering) so I usually add another 6 drop of lavender on top of it and you can’t even smell the lavender.

Roman Chamomile – I initially used Roman Chamomile through a diffuser during Jah’s nap time as its primary usage is for relaxation. However I think it might have been alittle too mild for him and it didn’t quite work. Then I found another use for my roman chamomile, eczema! Both Jah and Bella suffer from eczema that would flare up on the insides of their elbows or around their chin/ neck when they perspire and scratch. A 2% dilution with carrier oil allows me to apply a few drops of the mixture to the affected area and the eczema is normally under control within a day or 2. This is also the only essential oil remedy that has worked for Bella and in fact works better on her than Jah.

So there you have it..JahBella’s Top Essential Oils! There are tons more that work for us on a daily basis at home like shoe freshener and insect repellants but these are some of our can’t do withouts!

JahBella’s Mummy