Lexsential Oils
Fun fact: when I started my blog, my inspiration for the name “lexsentials” was because I wanted to open an essential oil business one day. At the time (and without really looking much into it) I thought I could actually harvest the oils myself and then sell them. Clearly I knew nothing about the process of producing them and how many of the oils are grown in other countries but what I did know was that they worked and I was interested in learning more.
My personal journey with oils: I started using oils probably around 10 years ago now when I graduated college and started to care more about my health. I was making gradual changes to a more holistic lifestyle, relying more on nutrition and alternative medicine than trips to the doctor and pharmacy. I mostly used them aromatically for relaxation until my brother sent me a recipe for a lavender eucalyptus skin oil he was using. After lathering my body in it and realizing that every time I used it, it made me tired, I decided to use it more strategically. I made rollerballs with it that I would apply behind my ears before bed time whenever I was having trouble falling asleep. It worked WONDERS…better (and safer) than melatonin or anything else I was trying at the time. To this day, Bryan and I both use this same sleep blend and it always works. I also use it on flights when I want to fall asleep. After seeing how well that blend worked I knew that these oils were powerful if you knew how to use them. Over the years, I bought a variety of brands, usually the cheapest I could find from Amazon, Target, Whole Foods, wherever. Some seemed to work, some didn’t but I never really looked into how they were produced and tested. I bought my favorite single oil, sandalwood, from one of these cheaper brands and it smelled nothing like the actual oil. That was when I started to question the quality of my oils.
doTERRA: my doula and chiropractor, Dr. Kyle Klim, introduced me to doTERRA. He is a master with the oils. He showed me how to use oils before I was pregnant to knock something out of my system at the first sign of feeling sick, during my pregnancy to help deal with all of the first trimester symptoms like headaches and nausea and even to avoid medication when I felt something like a UTI coming on. I fell in love with the oils he showed me and would buy them from him here and there. I learned that as long as you had a good mentor and were open to some trial and error to see what works for you, you could use oils as “natures pharmacy” to avoid medication with unwanted side effects in so many situations. And of course, (most) of them smell so good that even if I wasn’t using them medicinally, I would still feel calm and relaxed diffusing them. I’ve always been a big scent person. I love the way smells take me back to memories but knew that the “fragrance” in my favorite perfumes and candles was made of chemicals and something that I wanted to let go of with my goal of eliminating toxins from my lifestyle. The biggest selling point for me with doTERRA was the testing that they do on their oils. I never would have felt comfortable enough to take oils internally prior to seeing the way they test but now I take them internally, and also use them topically and aromatically with no hesitation. So I decided to finally commit to one brand that I love and truste and join doTERRA as a wellness advocate to share what I’m learning as my oil journey continues and especially now that I’m so excited about finding the best ways to use them for Parker.
A lot of people say that there is not enough research on the usage of essential oils and to some extent that is true, as it is with many other alternative medicine options. My response to that is always “compared to what?” Yes there might not be a ton of research on using peppermint oil for headaches but there is research on the lengthy list of side effects that come along with your other option, medication. I feel that peppermint oil in this example, a more concentrated version of an herb that you can grow in your backyard, is a much safer option than medication for me personally and I always try to lean on oils or other forms of alternative medicine first prior to resorting to meds. They’ve worked so well that I actually haven’t taken medicine in as long as I can remember. I’m not against modern medicine. I think that it is here for a reason but I like to always try more natural options first. I had strep throat six times my senior year in college, yes SIX, and was put on a course of antibiotics which always resulted in a yeast infection which then led to another medication. It was a vicious cycle. Now at the first symptom of a scratchy throat (and potentially strep) I’ll get going with my oils and other natural protocols and have been able to avoid antibiotics since. As with everything, I use oils in moderation.
OK so now on to the fun stuff. I don’t want to say I’m obsessed but really I just love my oils so much. They’ve become a ritual and something that I look forward to. It’s like your morning cup of coffee. I wake up, make my matcha and get so excited about picking out my oils that I’m going to diffuse for the day. Right now I’ve been all about the citrus oils for spring (grapefruit, lemon or lime mixed with something to balance out the citrus like frankincense or bergamot). In the winter I was really into my more masculine woodsy oils like cedarwood when I wasn’t getting outside as much. My all time favorite oil is sandalwood because it reminds me of my favorite candle, Le Labo’s santal 26 which has notes of sandalwood and my favorite blend is serenity because it was used during Parker’s birth and takes me right back to that day. I love to lather my face in coconut oil + a hydrating or anti-aging oil like myrrh or ylang ylang at night and have been experimenting with some more beauty focused recipes for skin and hair. I’ve also started to add them to my foods in place of “natural” flavors which are usually just chemicals. I’ll add lemon to my unflavored cashewgurt or to water for gentle cleansing. Most importantly though, I love that I’ve been able to upgrade my medicine cabinet with more natural options. Onguard is my go-to at the first sign of sickness and has worked for so many different ailments. I apply digestZen to my belly button for sinus relief and have had the best allergy season yet. I’ve been using copaiba or clove on Parker when she’s teething and have been able to avoid using Tylenol so far (she does only have two teeth so I know this might change but fingers crossed we can get by with just oils!). Sometimes I can’t believe it when they work so well but at the end of the day they are plants and plant medicine can be very effective. So whether I’m using them in the diffuser, topically or internally and whether its medicinally or just for fun, oils bring me a lot of joy and I’ve been really excited about learning how to use them for our family :)
If you are interested in starting your journey with oils, you can check out my shop page here. The best way to get started is with one of the enrollment kits that include a variety of the most used oils + a diffuser. The kits cover the yearly fee of $35 to have access to the wholesale rates on all products which are marked down 25%. If you plan to share what you are learning with friends and family then you can choose to be a “wellness advocate” and if not then you can simply be a wholesale customer but whatever you choose, there are no obligations or monthly minimums. You can purchase what you want, when you want. My favorite part about joining so far is that I get access to my larger team’s Facebook group where you can ask questions or search whatever you are dealing with “sinus, seasonal allergies, diaper rash, headache, etc.” to see what other people recommend and what has worked for them. From there it’s trial and error to see what works for YOU but this is how I’ve discovered so many great remedies. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at lexsentials@gmail.com. I would love to have you on my team and help kickstart your oil journey!
xx,
lex
