Skip to content

What the Oil!

Essential Oils; how I went from non-believer to believer!

 

By Pauline Halina

Nowadays, it seems like everyone and their dog are on social media trying to sell you something. It’s hard to get away from it, literally every time I login in to Instagram, I see posts ranging from skincare lines to vitamins to jewelry to hair products, you name it! Let’s be real, someone you know has approached you about this “great new product that will change your life.”

It can be a bit overwhelming and especially if it’s a friend of yours, you almost feel pressured to try it or even buy it. Allow me to turn the focus to today’s topic of discussion, essential oils. To be completely honest, I avoided any discussion of EOs like the plague – I had zero interest. I didn’t understand what the hoopla was about and I didn’t really care.

A few months ago, my German Shepherd, Hank, came into the house one-day smelling foul, like rolled around in another animal’s feces foul. Now I’m not a relatively large person and sweet Hank and I probably weigh around the same so me trying to bath him to get the stink off him would have been a losing battle. So onto Facebook I went, reaching out to anyone in my online realm who had a home remedy to take the stank out of Hank.

Low and behold, a good friend came to my rescue. She was going to make me a spray made up of essential oils to help Hank smell good again. I was a little hesitant because I was like “Really? Essential oils are going to make my dog stop smelling like s%^?” I was intrigued.

Later that day, I bring Hank inside and away I sprayed. It was within 20 minutes and I could tell Hank didn’t smell anymore. I thanked my friend profusely and said, “Ok tell me more about these oils.”

Let me start off by saying – I’m not selling anything here. I just want to share my experiences with these little wonders in a bottle. I am not that experienced with them to be honest because there are so many different oils and there are so many uses for each and everyone. I learn something new about different oils every day.

I would like to share with you the Non-Believer’s 5 Favourite Basic Essential Oils. These are the oils I find myself using on the daily. They made me transition from non-believer to believer and if they help me in my day to day, then maybe they will help you!

  1. Purification – This is the main oil that my friend used in the spray for Hank, It eats away odours to give that fresh and clean smell and purifies the air. People have used it for laundry, diaper pails, dish washers etc. I love this oil because with diapers and dogs, having a stinky house is sort of common thing and this bad boy in a diffuser is awesome.
  2. Thieves – This is a very interesting oil, it is known to kill airborne bacteria. This oil is great if you are feeling under the weather and want to kick any signs of the cold and/or flu. I used it with coconut oil on the soles of my feet one evening when I was feeling congested and felt a headcold coming on. The next morning, there were zero signs of a cold. Thieves is also great for a household cleaner, which is awesome if you have little ones. I hear more of my mom friends swapping out their chemically ridden household cleaners to a thieves cleaner because it is safer for the little ones. Use it on floors, kitchen, bathroom and even TOYS.
  3. Lavender – sweet, sweet lavender. I have 2 kids under the age of 3, so anything that brings down the crazy and replaces it with peace in my house makes it into the top 5. I love the smell of lavender, I diffuse it, I put a couple drops in my bath and it’s great for removing the itch in bug bites.
  4. Basil – great for cooking and promoting lactation in nursing mothers! Ha! Another thing I love about EOs are their uses with rollers. My Baby E is exclusively breastfed and as many mamas know sometimes it’s challenging to keep your milk supply up. I was fishing around Pinterest and found a roller recipe for nursing. Take a 10ml glass roller bottle, fill it with a carrier oil such as coconut or olive oil and add 10 drops of basil and voila, a nursing roller. I use this periodically at night after Baby E goes to bed, so when she wakes up she has a hearty meal waiting for her.
  5. Peppermint – not so great for nursing mothers as it can drastically hinder your milk supply but when you aren’t nursing, this baby is great in a diffuser, roller or rub. Lavender and peppermint together are great in reducing headaches. In a roller or rub form, it is great for aiding in stomach aches. In a diffuser, it smells fantastic and gives a good energy booster. Tons of uses for peppermint and Pinterest is full of great uses for many different oils.

That’s it my dear readers, that’s my top 5. It is nice that every once in awhile I can resort to some essential oils instead of harmful household cleaners, or can use something in the diffuser to help with a headache. I don’t like to always medicate by swallowing pills to get rid of that headache or head cold. It’s nice to switch it up to be honest. I am not very experienced with them as previously mentioned but I am constantly amazed by what I learn about them and their many uses.

So there it is, that’s my story of what the oil. Once a non-believer to “oh my goodness gimme me a bottle of this, this, and that.”

Please be sure to read the instructions and intended uses for the oils. Not all oils can be used topically or aren’t safe for littles under the age of 2. Make sure do your research for you use it on yourself, in your home or on a loved one or pet!

Just know this, if something is bothering you, there’s an oil for that!

Pauline Halina grew up on a dairy farm in central Alberta. After completing her journalism degree at Mount Royal University, she pursued a career in Marketing and Advertising. After falling in love with her husband, they left the hustle and bustle of the city to return to their farming roots and to help out on the family grain farm. Together, they have two beautiful children and can’t imagine raising them in any other environment. The farm is a home and a way of life. Join Pauline as she reveals her life on the farm and how to keep up in the country.