Kate Schmida

Essential Oils. If you're like me, when I first started hearing about them, I just thought they were oils to make things smell good. And, while that's true, there's so much more to them than that. 

Let's start with the WHY. WHY was I looking into them?

Well, I'll have to be careful how I word this because the FDA gets all cranky when people start talking about how oils are helping them (insert eye roll here). In 2014 I was prescribed a medication called Effexor and I'll let you Google it to see what it's for. Not only did it not help me, but as far as side effects, I was having massive hallucinations, insomnia, dizziness, memory loss, and extreme fatigue, amongst other things. I tried other prescriptions, but nothing was working. I could feel myself slipping back into that "sadness" and in an effort to avoid more side-effect-ridden medications, I started researching. Now, before I go on, I know others who were on that same medication and same dosage as I was and they had NONE of those complications. Everybody is different. I get it. But for me, prescriptions just weren't making a difference. 

Around that same time, my son was diagnosed. Again, in an effort to stay compliant, I can't use the medical term for what he was diagnosed with here but it's the disorder where individuals are often non-verbal or are delayed with speech, and this disorder has a very broad scale. While he is on the high-functioning end of this scale, he was struggling with focus, extreme tantrums/meltdowns, rigidity in behaviors and sensory issues. So, I started researching and talking to other mamas about what was helping their kids who were going through the same thing. 

Essential oils kept popping up for both. 

While math has never been a strong suit of mine, I sure do love science. I love knowing the HOW and WHY things work they way they do. Have you ever smelled something and you're instantly mentally transported back to a very specific moment in time where you can remember things about that event so clearly? There's a scientific reason for that. Our sense of smell is directly linked in our brains to the limbic system (which is where emotional memories are stored). So when you smell whatever it is, your brain quickly and easily accesses that memory and the emotions that went along with it. That same limbic system is also connected to parts of the brain that control heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress levels and hormone balance. And when people tell me that "it's all in my head" that oils have helped us, I have to laugh, because they have no idea how scientifically correct they are ;)

Around that same time my friend and fellow blogger, Clare Smith, started talking about essential oils. It got me thinking, but I wasn't ready to try them just yet. It seemed too easy. 

But as months went on, I wasn't feeling any better and my son wasn't either. I kept seeing Clare post how oils were helping her in one way or another. So, I caved. I bought into all the hype. I ordered a whole dang kit, and she doesn't know this (well, now she does), but I also tried oils from a few other brands. I was desperate, but I also wanted to test different brands to see which ones I liked. 

When I got my kit, I ripped it open immediately and put the diffuser in our bedroom. As a mom, at the end of the day, as physically tired as we are, it's sometimes hard to get our minds to stop racing. That first night, I started diffusing lavender and slept like I didn't have a care in the world. 

I also purchased a few books to help educate myself on how best to use these little drops of goodness for me and my family. The information (and research studies) are out there. All you have to do is look. I started making my own personal care products with essential oils and ingredients that you'll find in your kitchen pantry. I diffused every day. I made the boys their own little roller bottles filled with their favorite blends and carrier oil. Soon, I didn't have to say "come here boys, it's time for your oils." - they would come to me and ask for them. There were some months in there where I wasn't using the oils consistently and when that happened, our wellness took a hit. 

A few years later, we use our oils more than ever. Aromatically, topically and in a few cases, as a dietary supplement. We've got 5 diffusers in our home because I got tired of moving our one lonely diffuser from room to room. The boys each have one in their room and insist that we turn them on each night before bed. Oh yeah, did I mention that many of the boys' doctors have encouraged to turn to oils? Yep. They're legit.

If you think that incorporating essential oils into your life is something you want to do, I encourage you to do your research. And by research, I don't mean this blog. I don't mean blogs by other users who are endorsing one brand or another. Look for solid research. Solid medical studies. Heck, just google "frankincense research studies" and be prepared to see all of the amazing info out there. Seriously. Google it. It's pretty damn awesome. 

Once you've done your due diligence, if you'd like to get a kit and join me, my family and friends on this oily journey, we can get you started HERE .

 

Your starter kit will come with the following:

• your choice of diffuser

• Premium Essential Oils Collection;

  • Lavender 5-ml

  • Peppermint Vitality™ 5-ml

  • Lemon Vitality™ 5-ml

  • Copaiba Vitality™ 5-ml

  • Frankincense 5-ml

  • Thieves® Vitality™ 5-ml

  • Raven™ 5-ml

  • Citrus Fresh™ 5-ml

  • DiGize™ Vitality™ 5-ml

  • PanAway® 5-ml

• Stress Away™ 5-ml

• AromaGlide™ Roller Fitment

• Thieves Household Cleaner 1-oz. sample

• 2 NingXia Red® 2-oz. samples

• Product Guide and Product Price List

• Essential Oil Magazine

• Essential Edge

• Member Resources and more!