Have you heard about essential oils but aren’t sure how to use them–or even why you might want to use them? I started using them a few years ago with my family and in my home, and I would love to tell you a few of my favorite ways to use them and to encourage you to give them a try!

To freshen the air and bed sheets:

I have a little dog who sleeps in the bedroom with my husband and me. We keep her bathed and trimmed, but let’s face it, she still causes our bedroom to smell not-so-fresh sometimes. To help keep the room smelling fresh and to kill germs, I use essential oils in a diffuser each morning. As soon as my husband and I are up and out of bed, I add water along with a couple of drops each of 2 or 3 essential oils, and I let the diffuser run for at least 30 minutes while the bed is still unmade. Once the diffuser has had time to freshen the air and my sheets, I make the bed.

• A few of my favorite essential oils for this purpose:
  • lavender
  • peppermint
  • lemongrass
• You may also choose to use:
  • rosemary
  • eucalyptus
  • tea tree (melaleuca)
  • cinnamon bark

To help my children and me settle down and get ready for sleep:

Some evenings, especially after a really busy day, my children and I have trouble settling down and getting ready to go to sleep. It seems that we get stuck in “high gear” and can’t slow down! I’ve found that using essential oils in a diffuser in the living room or in each bedroom helps us a lot. About 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime, I put fresh water and a few drops of 2 or 3 essential oils into the diffuser in the living room or the diffusers in the bedrooms. Then we read or do something else quiet while the essential oils help us start to quiet down and relax.

My teenage daughter in particular benefits from having a few drops of essential oil massaged into the bottoms of her feet about 30 minutes before bedtime. Lavender and cedarwood work very well for her. Both of these oils can be used neat (which just means they can be applied directly to the skin without being diluted), so I massage a drop of cedarwood onto the bottom of each foot followed by massaging a drop of lavender onto the bottom of each foot. Cedarwood doesn’t smell very good, so we always use that one first. Using lavender second helps get rid of the cedarwood smell. But cedarwood truly helps so much that it’s worth the not-so-wonderful smell!

• A few of my favorite essential oils for this purpose:
  • lavender
  • cedarwood
• You may also choose to use:
  • orange
  • ylang ylang
  • chamomile

To freshen my laundry:

Not long after I began using essential oils, I read about using them to help freshen laundry. I don’t like to use fabric softeners in my washing machine or dryer because of the chemicals they contain, but I do like for my laundry to smell fresh and clean. I also want to be sure it really is as clean and germ-free as I can get it. For these reasons, I began using eucalyptus essential oil along with my detergent to help get rid of dust mites on sheets and towels. It can also help kill germs. (Then I put vinegar into the cup meant for fabric softener. The vinegar helps get rid of all traces of detergent and washes away the eucalyptus smell so that my clothes smell fresh but don’t have a medicinal smell.)

I usually put a drop or two of eucalyptus into the laundry detergent cup right after I put in the detergent. (You can do this with liquid or powder and with store-bought or homemade detergent.) I also often put a couple of drops of orange or lemon essential oils onto a wash cloth and toss it into the dryer with my clothes when I want them to smell extra good!

One final way I use essential oils with my laundry is when I make a spray that I spritz onto my clothes as they hang on the clothesline during the summer. I love this linen spray! I know commercials often show clothes hanging on the clothesline and mention how fresh and clean they smell, but the truth is that clothing from the clothesline really doesn’t have a very pleasant smell, so I use this linen spray to make them smell good! When my kids were younger, they loved to spray the clothes on the line! It made them happy to help hang out and bring in the laundry–and that’s always a good thing!

To make my linen spray, I mix 10 to 20 drops of lavender (or other essential oil) into 2 tablespoons of witch hazel or vodka. (Essential oils won’t mix well with water, so the witch hazel or vodka is necessary.) Then add 3 ounces of water. Mix well. (I like to shake mine up in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.) Then pour into your spray bottle. This recipe makes about 4 ounces of linen spray. I usually make about 12 ounces at a time in a larger spray bottle so I don’t have to make it as often. Each time I use it, I simply shake the spray bottle to make sure everything is mixed well.

• A few of my favorite essential oils for this purpose:
  • lavender.
  • eucalyptus
• You may also choose to use:
  • orange
  • lemon
  • peppermint

To help my students stay attentive:

Another way I like to use essential oils is to help my children pay attention while they do their school work. I simply put a few drops of peppermint essential oil in my diffuser and let it run in whatever room my children are doing their school work. If I forget, my children will ask for me to turn on the diffuser because they feel like it helps them so much!

• A few of my favorite essential oils for this purpose:
  • peppermint
• You may also choose to use:
  • vetiver
  • lavender
  • frankincense

These are a few of my favorite every day ways to use essential oils. If you’d like to find out more about using essential oils, getting a good guide book is a very helpful way to learn more. The following are a few of the guide books I use:

• The Complete Aromatherapy & Essential Oils Handbook for Everyday Wellness
• Essential Oil Pocket Reference
• Quick Reference Guide for Using Essential Oils

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Do you use essential oils? If so, please share your favorite use in the comments! We’d love to hear from you!

Almost 2 years ago, I was home with a 5 year old, a 2.5 year old, and a 2 week old.  As luck would have it with a December baby, my 2.5 year old was coming down with a nasty cold, and I was looking for anything that could help keep my 2 week old son from catching her bug.  My sister was here to visit and well, let’s be honest, keep us all alive!  I had heard of essential oils, but didn’t know anything about them.  A few hours later, I was the proud owner of peppermint oil, a First Response oil, and some frankincense.  So started my journey into learning how essential oils can be a helpful tool for my family’s health.  I’m not against medications, but any time I can find a natural alternative for myself and my kids I’m so much happier to use that!

Essential oils have been so useful for us!  I’ll be honest, it’s a really overwhelming world to get into. Even after 2 years there is still so much I don’t know.  But, I have learned a few things, and I’d love to share them with you.  I have no certifications in this area, I’m no expert for sure, just a mama trying to help her family in as natural a way as is possible.  Here are my 5 favorite oils and how they have helped us in case any of you are beginning to look into them and are as confused as I was.

1. Lavender – What can I NOT do with lavender?  Love this one.  So gentle and versatile, it is a great one for using with kiddos* around.  A swipe of lavender can change the mood around here for my fussy toddler, emotional preschooler, or hyper 6 year old.  The first few months I felt so silly trying it and thinking it couldn’t possibly be working – but I can’t deny the mood change that occurs almost every time I use it!  We use lavender on bee stings, bug bites, and burns for quick relief for little ones, and add it to lotion for dry itchy skin.
2. Frankincense – Am I the only mama who too frequently finds herself with a spinning brain full of thoughts and plans, but can’t quite process what to do next?  Well, maybe I am, but somehow I think not.  Using frankincense in a diffusing necklace, a room diffuser, or just a few deep breaths over the empty bottle really helps to clear my thoughts and balance my brain on these kinds of days.  It has also been really helpful for my headaches, used together with peppermint and lavender.  (Frankincense is one of the more expensive oils, but remember, you only use a drop or two at one time so it really stretches out.)
3. Tea Tree (Melaleuca)- This is another incredibly versatile oil, and is used in our house on a daily basis.  A drop in my face lotion helps keep my skin clear.  3-5 drops in my laundry loads, especially those loads that have been washed multiple days in a row because the next step keeps getting missed.  Oh wait, does that happen in your house too?
4. Peppermint – This oil is one to be cautious in using on little ones, but has been very helpful for me.  I used it for morning sickness to help survive my first trimester, use it on the back of my neck with lavender and frankincense for headaches, and it helps clear out stuffy sinuses quickly.  I’ve used it in lotion on for my back muscles that aren’t thrilled about the second trimester baby growth spurts.
5. Lemon – I love lemon oil.  Honestly, I just love the smell!  I love mixing it with frankincense to freshen up the smell, as I don’t love the smell of frankincense.  It’s great for adding to laundry to freshen it up.  You know that lovely sticker goo you find folding a load of laundry that’s already gone through the washer and dryer?  A few drops of lemon oil and it will wipe right off. Amazing right?  I thought so.  Gum stuck in the little girl’s hair because her brother told her he would make it pretty?  Yup, takes that out too.  Mixed with peppermint, it makes a great morning blend to help wake up after a sleepless night.

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While it can certainly be an overwhelming world to get into, I have so enjoyed finding all the different ways that these oils can help our family.  What a gift that God has created plants with properties that can help our bodies function more healthily and naturally!  What is your favorite use for essential oils in your home?

*Note: Not all essential oils are advised around children and babies!  Please research your oils, dilute and use kid safe oils around your little ones!