Essential Oils, do they really work?

{VERSIONE ITALIANA QUI: Oli Essenziali, funzionano davvero?}

My experience with the Essential Oils started a year ago when a friend of mine, who moved from Dubai to Singapore, started to talk about these “magic” oils (she didn’t used the word magic of course but for me it sounded a lot like that LOL).
My experience with Essential Oils was pretty much zero. I probably knew about Lavender and Tea Tree Oil bought at Trader’s Joes when I was in USA and that’s it and to be honest I’m a skeptical person and hard to convince, but the truth is that she is a very good friend and a very smart person and I just decided to listen and to try.
She gifted me first with Peppermint and Lavander EO and I really LOVED their smell! I went on reading what she was sending me and learning about it Still not convinced 100% (told ya I’m skeptical..) but decided to give it a shot. It was for the health of my family and me and why not to try?
So I simply did my first purchase at Young Living and became a member (you can find HERE all the infos for purchasing your oils ).

So I became a member (no obbligations here just wholesale price and shipping discounts!) and I ordered the Premium Starter Kit , simply because it was honestly the best deal in order to begin. With the Starter Kit you get 11 most used and incredible oils plus a roller blend, catalogue, a diffuser and 2 bags of Ningxia Berry Juice.

When the Kit arrived I felt a little kid at Christmas! I loved the packaging, the oils and my new diffuser. My first one, what a nice discovery!
Now what to do with all those cute little colorful essential oil bottles!?! So I just began to look for all the informations and to create cards with all the practical use of each oil. I read about the usage, how they work, how to apply and I just begin to use them on a daily base

I cannot lie to you, it took me awhile. It is overwhelming and it is a life change that needs time and some good informations. But I cannot tell you how much I’m happy for this! Being a skeptical and very curious person I really wanted to 1. learn and understand how essential oils work on our body 2. try them all and experience myself if they worked (it is nice to hear a lot of stories about the success of the oils but it is better to try and realize by ourself right?) e 3. and last but not least to get to know this company better and why it is considered the best and why trust Young Living and not another company.

So my main questions were and are:

do essential oils really work?
how essential oils work on our body?
why there are not so many scientific studies yet?
are essential oils safe?
how do I know if a essential oil is pure and therapeutic?

The truth is that there are and there always will be a lot of questions about this but my personal aim and my researches were all about the health of my family and me. I wanted to stop using more and more chemicals in my home and to live a better, safest and healthier life.
I will not have all the answers but the community and the people that are behind all this, are amazing and supportive and I will try to be that for all of you who wants to embrace this with me.

Just to be clear. I’m not against the medicine or science or whatever but I honestly think that it is time the two areas can coexist. It is time for us to open our eyes and to really avoid using harmful products in our own home!
This is just a personal study on Essential Oils and their use. I’m not an expert, I’m not a doctor but I’m here available to talk about it here on my blog with you.

What are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are the highly concentrated version of the natural oils in plants.
Getting essential oils from plants is done with a process called distillation, most commonly distillation by steam or water, where many parts of the plants are being used, including the plant roots, leaves, stems, flowers, or bark.

After distillation, the outcome is a highly concentrated portion of essential oil, which will have the characteristic fragrance and properties of the plant from which it was extracted, and contain the true essence of the plant it came from. This includes the smell, but also the plant’s healing properties and other plant characteristics.(source: www.essentialoilhaven.com )

How do Essential Oils work?

There are different attributes to each oil that make it helpful to use when trying to assist in whole body wellness. Each of these attributes, listed below are part of the chemical makeup of an essential oil. While not every oil will have all the attributes listed, it is a good bet that many of them have at least two or three within their chemical makeup.

Terpenes – inhibit toxin accumulation and discharge them from liver and kidneys
Esters – antifungal, calming, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral
Oxides – expectorant, antiseptic, anesthetic
Alcohols – antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial, stimulate immunes system
Phenols – fragrance, antiseptic, antibacterial, possibly anti-cancerous
Ketones – stimulate cell regeneration, loosen mucous
Aldehydes – anti-infectious, sedative, topical irritants, calming when inhaled

(source: www.medicinehow.com )

Even though you rely heavily on vision and hearing, you can easily block those senses by closing your eyes or plugging your ears. It’s impossible to turn off your sense of smell unless you figure out an alternative to breathing. That’s nature telling you to be keenly aware of the chemicals around you. As our oldest group of senses, chemosensation – smell, taste, and touch/heat – is the earliest kind of communication we have. ^[2] Plants produce volatile oils to communicate with the world around them as well.

How can Essential Oils be used?

Essential oils are best used in three ways.:

INHALATION
TOPICALLY (on the skin)
INGESTION

Safety Issues: It is very important to research into proper use for each EO and their applications, especially for children and pregnant and nursing mothers.

1. INHALATION: Inhalation is a great way to use the oils. They work through what is called the olfactory nerves and system. When essential oils are inhaled, droplets of the oil are absorbed by the lungs. They can be inhaled by diffusing them in a special essential oil diffuser ,in a boiling pot of water, by smelling the bottle of oil or to put a couple of drops in the palm of your hands and inhale deeply.
I got my first diffuser with the Starter Kit and since then I bought other for each room. It was my first amazing discovery!

2. TOPICALLY:The skin is one of the easiest ways to use essential oils. They are absorbed quickly allowing their benefits to do their work in the systems of the body with minimal effort on your part. Some areas of skin (under arms, head, palms, soles of feet, etc.) are more permeable than others. Warming or massaging the skin may also increase absorbency. Essential oils are most often applied to the skin along with a carrier oil such as coconut, olive oil, almond oil, jojoba oil etc.

3. INGESTION:This is a debated use of essential oils. Some say you should never use them this way while others use them frequently in this manner. I have used oils internally for a while and believe that, when used correctly, essential oils do work can really help. I think it is really important to use them internally with caution and after research. For this application it is very important the Essential Oil is PURE. That is why I trust Young Living. They are 100% pure and they also use a different color label for some of the oils you can use internally. Please ask and research first.

How much is the purity of an oil important?

The quality of the oils used will impact their function and potency. Quality is indicated by how pure the oils are (if they are adulterated), grade (usually determined by processing method) and integrity (natural and from a single plant species).

None of these factors are defined or regulated by a governing institution. In other words, if you see a purity/quality claim by a company, they get to define what that actually means and are not held accountable to an external standard. However, quality will have a big impact on how much you pay and who you buy your oils from.
(source: www.intoxicatedonlife.com )

I believe in the Seed To seal promise by Young Living. Check their website for more infos: http://seedtoseal.com/

Do Essential Oils really work?

I really hope at this point, I’ve given you some more information about Essential Oils. I’m still in my process of learning and reasearching and I’m happy to share it with you. I’m here if you want to contact me anytime and you can write me at elegalli@worldwidemom.com and follow my instagram @worldwidemomlife!

I’m happy of my choice and I will continue testing and trying, hope you will join me too!
If you want to try the oils just follow this link: Yes, I want to try Essential Oils! YEY!

or contact me anytime 😀

*FDA disclaimer: “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.”

{VERSIONE ITALIANA QUI: Oli Essenziali, funzionano davvero?}