Essential Oils 101: My Favorite Wellness Benefits for Moms, Kids, & Families!

08 Mar Essential Oils 101: My Favorite Wellness Benefits for Moms, Kids, & Families!

Posted at 16:50h in Wellness by Dr. Christina Hibbert 0 Comments

Essential Oils 101- My Favorite Wellness Benefits for Moms, Kids & Families www.DrChristinaHibbert.com #essentialoils #health #wellness #family #motherhood

The first time I heard of essential oils was about 8 years ago, from a dear friend of mine. Cooped up with a broken leg, she was telling me how challenging it was to be stuck in bed, unable to walk on her cast yet, and feeling so cramped and miserable. “I started using essential oils,” she said, “and they’ve been my lifeline!” She told me how these oils helped soothe her discomfort and lift her spirits, and she encouraged me to try them out, too.

I wasn’t so sure. I thought, “They might help you, but you’ve got a broken leg, and of course ANYTHING will probably help you. I don’t think they’d help me in any useful way.” So, I shelved the idea, for a couple more months, until that same friend brought it up again. This time, she was telling me how, now that she was up and moving around again, she’d started using oils to help in other ways, and how her kids had been using them, too. She’d tell me how “this oil is amazing for a scratchy throat,” or “this one is incredible at helping my kids’ respiratory issues,” and I admit, I was finally intrigued. Could they do the same for me and my family? I decided to give it a try.

Why I Started Using Essential Oils

I started with just a few “basics”–an immunity blend, peppermint, and lavender oils. First, I tried the immunity blend, which I use whenever I start to get a scratchy throat or the sniffles, and especially during the winter, to boost my immune system (to find out more about my favorite oil brand and names, register to WIN, below!). I first tried it when my throat was getting hoarse and I was supposed to sing a solo a couple days later, at church. I was amazed at how well it worked for me! My throat felt immediately soothed, and after using this immunity blend, along with chamomile tea with lemon, rest, and taking it easy, I was in good enough shape, come Sunday, to sing, if not at my best, at least well enough. Now, I use this blend in a hand soap, I take a drop each day, and carry a bottle of beadlets of it around with me all winter long!

View from my morning jog today--isn't it gorgeous? I'm getting some R&R here in CA. Rest+ exercise + nutrition + essential oils = Wellness & happiness for me!

View from my morning jog–isn’t it gorgeous? I’m getting some R&R here in CA. Rest+ exercise + nutrition + essential oils = Wellness & happiness for me!

I started using lavender in a hot bath at night, to help me relax and have more restful sleep. I started using peppermint to pick me up when fatigued, and also when my nose would get stuffy–a little bit on my pinky rubbed in each nostril would open things up so I could breathe easier, especially at night.

Then, I started using essential oils with my children. I loved that they are made from plants and fruits, and that they are safe for all ages when used in the correct ways. I loved that my kids could use some of the oils themselves, and I especially loved how empowered essential oils made me feel as a mother. I still love all these things about essential oils, and over the years, I’ve branched out into using all varieties of essential oils to help me, my kids, and my family. I truly can’t say enough about how wonderful they have been for us!

What do I love Most about Essential Oils?

So, why am I telling you all this? Because when I find a solution as good as this one, I want to share it. What can essential oils do for you? Well, that’s for you to answer, but let me tell you a little more about what essential oils have done for me, and for my family.

The three things I love most about essential oils are:

1) They are safe for my whole family to use. Essential oils are extracted from plants and fruits, which have been used since the dawn of man to improve health and wellness. Because I use the best quality oils (CPTG certified–see below to learn about my favorite oil brand), I know they are safe for me, my kids, and my entire family, when used correctly. There are three ways to use essential oils (see #2)– Each oil is recommended for one or more of these ways, and when used in the proper way, all are considered safe. Some oils, like lemon, you can use everywhere. I love it in my water or I use it as the secret ingredient in chicken noodle soup and chicken salad. Others, like oregano, require more care; it can be hot on the skin, so it’s important to use it wisely, according to recommended directions. Bottom line, however, is that essential oils are safe for my whole family, and that I love.

I never thought I’d be a “make a shake for breakfast” kinda gal, but here I am! This mix, coupled w/ daily vitamins, helps me feel so much more energized each day. I use my single-serving Farberware blender (my FAV!), mix, grab, and go! (For more on my fav “Green Drink” blend & vitamins, sign up, below!)

2) They’re easy to use. As mentioned just above, there are three main ways to use essential oils–topically, internally, and diffused in the air. In our home, we diffuse our favorite oils, like orange, citrus, and “happy blends” as pick-me-ups; or, when the kids are fighting, I put some of my favorite calming blend in the diffuser to help settle things down. I use lemon and lime daily in my water, and even use a green drink blend of essential oils and greens in my breakfast shake each day, along with taking multivitamins that also contain essential oils. I can’t tell you how much more energized I have felt since adding these things into my daily routine! Once you have an oil and know a few of the many ways to use it, the possibilities are endless! (To learn about my favorite oil blends, vitamins, and green drink mix, register to WIN, below!)

3) Essential oils empower me as a mom, and empower my family, too. Now that I have so many oils on hand, I have a wealth of wellness at my fingertips. In the middle of the night, I can turn to my favorite respiratory blend, which helps support my children’s respiratory system. In the mornings, when my kids wake up with a scratchy throat, I make them a “cocktail,” as they now call it–with a drop each of the immunity blend, oregano, peppermint, and lemon, in a tiny bit of water. “Make me a cocktail, mom,” they say, and I do, and then they gulp it down. No, they don’t do this because of its wonderful taste (it’s a strong blend, but you can definitely feel it working!). They do this because they know, like I do, how it makes them feel–better. And I love that they can use the oils themselves. My 12 year-old daughter keeps a diffuser by her bed and uses it when feeling stressed, down, or when she really needs to relax (so do I!). My teenagers (and I) use oils, like melaleuca (tea tree oil) for skin blemishes and irritations, lavender to soothe bug bites, and my college boys even took an essential oil kit with them away to college. Now, they are teaching their friends how to use them, and sharing the wisdom!

What can Essential Oils Do for YOU?

This is the question. It doesn’t matter what essential oils have done for me. The question is, “What can they do for YOU?” You won’t know until you try, but I hope I’ve at least given you something to think about. Essential oils can be a valuable addition to a healthy diet, exercise, sleep, and other wellness practices. I know they have been for me, and I can’t imagine giving them up at this point.

Listen to my “Motherhood” radio episode on “Essential Oils 101: The Many Uses & Benefits for Moms, Kids, & Families” to hear two of my favorite essential oil “gurus” and I share education and inspiration on how and why to use essential oils. Then, ENTER TO WIN a FREE “Family Physician” kit—with 10 of the most-used essential oils–a value of over $160! Register below to win, and to learn more about essential oils! I hope they will improve your family’s wellness as much as they have done for mine.

Enter to WIN a FREE Family Physician Kit–10 Essential Oils, and worth over $160!

Register by completing the form, just below, to win!

Deadline to enter is midnight March 31, 2016. Winner will be drawn on or about April 1, 2016!

Good luck!

Listen Now to “Essential Oils 101: The Many Uses & Benefits for Moms, Kids & Families” on “Motherhood” radio!

Listen on demand/download the episode at WebTalkRadio.net, and/or visit iTunes to subscribe!

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