Well folks, here comes my confession. I am an oily mama. You may have guessed it already after reading that I cloth diaper my daughter, but yes, I am also into essential oils. Young Living Essential Oils, to be specific :)
My oily journey actually started out as a cloth diapering tangent. I was busy researching away, when I read that when cloth diapering, you typically use cloth wipes as well because it makes a lot more sense to just throw everything into one (laundry) bag rather than throwing the diaper in one bag and the wipes in another. Before I knew it, I was reading about baby wipes and baby wipe solution, when I came across a curious ingredient: "a few drops of essential oils." What was that?? I hadn't really heard about essential oils before, so I began researching that as well.
A week or two before this discovery, I had heard a good friend of mine casually mention essential oils at a women's retreat, so I decided that since she obviously knew a thing or two about oils, I would ask her if there was a way I could purchase some Lavender or Tea Tree Oil through her (those seemed to be the most common and were called for in a baby wipe solution) - as long as it wasn't too expensive. She was more than happy to talk to me about them, and promised to bring a few samples the next time I saw her.
I, however, being the impatient person that I am, was way too excited about my cloth diapering journey and wanted to get crackin' on wipes and the wipe solution. I decided to head over to Trader Joe's and see if they might have any Lavender or Tea Tree Oil, and then to figure out the rest of the ingredients on my own. Trader Joe's had some Tea Tree Oil, and I assumed (wrongly) that all oils are created equal and so this would be sure to do the job nicely. Before I knew it, I had whipped up a batch of "wipe solution" and was able to start using it on my daughter without having to wait on my friend's samples! It seemed like I was all set!
Within a few days, my daughter's skin started to redden. At first I wasn't sure what the cause was, but I soon discovered that not only was Tea Tree Oil not the best choice of essential oils for babies under 6 months, but I also learned that not all oils labeled "essential oils" are actually therapeutic grade aka the real deal! Devastated that my hastiness had resulted in a sore bottom for my little girl, I began to be more thorough in my essential oils research.
I learned that Lavender was actually a better choice for babies under 6 months because it is a whole lot gentler than Tea Tree. My friend also got back to me as promised, and instead of giving me a few samples, she and her husband gifted us an entire Young Living Premium Starter Kit. To understand the amazingness of this gift, here is a little visual aid:
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| This kit is $150 wholesale, with a retail value of over $300! |
I was both blown away and touched by our friends' generosity! Little did I know, this would be one of the best gifts I would ever receive: the gift of health + endless possibilities.
Now that I knew that I had an amazing starter kit on the way, I began researching even more. I had never heard of Young Living before - only doTerra, and I was curious as to why one company would be a wiser choice over another. I learned that doTerra (which is actually a company that branched off from Young Living), while cheaper, does not offer as near as many oils as Young Living does, and that they do not oversee their oils and farms in the same amazing Seed-to-Seal process that Young Living faithfully maintains. I also learned that Young Living has been around a whole lot longer - 20+ years, to be exact! All of this information made me all the more excited to begin my oily adventure.
By the time my kit came, I could scarcely contain my excitement. After days of constantly checking the mail, it finally arrived one crazy hectic day while my husband and I were in the midst of our HUGE move from Chicago to Hawaii. I was most excited about my diffuser, and so I opened that bad boy up, plugged it in, and - now the best part - which oil would I diffuse first? We chose Stress Away (a blend of oils put together to promote stress relief), and - just like that, I became an oily wife/mama. I was hooked.
Since then, I have incorporated these precious oils into my everyday life. At night I apply a diluted blend of oils to the bottom of my daughter's feet which promotes sleep (her sleeping habits improved dramatically after the very first time I used it on her), I diffuse a little Lavender + Cedarwood in our room to help us sleep better at night, I will dab a little Tea Tree Oil aka Melaleuca Alternifolia on any acne and it dries up by morning, rub some Peppermint on my temples to combat my horrendous allergies, and in the morning I have the exciting task of choosing which oil(s) I will diffuse for the day!
I have also been able to make my OWN, safe, non-toxic, non-poisonous, natural cleaning supplies! From glass cleaner, to all-purpose cleaning spray, to bug repellant, to toilet cleaner! And I can't tell you what a relief it is to know that should my increasingly mobile daughter ever decide to raid my cupboards and get into Mommy's cleaning supplies, I won't have to call poison control and make a trip to the ER!
The possibilities are ENDLESS with Young Living Essential Oils. Note that I only recommend Young Living as it is the brand that I trust after thoroughly researching the different brands of essential oils and the different essential oil making processes. And like I mentioned earlier, not all oils are created equal - and I can attest to the bad side affects that can occur when using another "essential oil" brand.
If you are wondering how you can get started on investing into your family's health via the oily train, then wonder no further! I'm here to help :) Getting your hands on Young Living's essential oils is easy once you know someone who can help you out! There are two options to consider when converting (haha):
First, you can purchase the oils as a
retail member. You will purchase whatever oils you want that Young Living has to offer (and believe me, there are TONS!) at retail value + shipping. This might be an ideal choice for you if you are unsure about essential oils, but still want to get started on one or two that you have heard good things about, without investing the initial $$$ it costs to become a member with wholesale privileges.
This leads me to the second option. You can also purchase essential oils as a
wholesale member by signing up using my link (
here & below)! This enables you to purchase oils at a wholesale cost which is 24% less than retail!! In order to become a member, you need to purchase a starter kit. Like cloth diapering, this is a lot of money upfront, but in the long run it pays itself off and is the cheaper option! I highly recommend the Premium Starter Kit (above) as it not only includes samples, cool info, a roller attachment, and a diffuser (worth $100 itself I might add), but it also includes ELEVEN essential oils! This is an amazing way to jumpstart your oily journey! I have been able to create SO many concoctions with my starter kit oils! It was over 3 months before I began to run out of certain oils, and even today the majority of my oil collection is oils that I was first introduced to from the starter kit!
So! This is a brief overview of how you can get your hands on some oils, so I won't bother you with all the hundred other benefits that stem from being a wholesale member of Young Living oils. I can save that for a future post! But for now, I will stop here and leave you with that Wipe Solution Recipe that originally got me interested in the wonderful world of essential oils :)
Fluff Wipe Solution
- 1 T oil (olive or melted coconut - I use coconut)
- 1 T Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild Castille Soap
- 4-5 drops essential oils (Now that my daughter is over 6 months, I use 3 drops Lavender, 2 drops Melaleuca Alternifolia/Tea Tree)
- 1 C water
- A squirt bottle (I use the bottle they gave me at the hospital after I had Ryenne)
Add all the ingredients into the bottle. Shake before each use to make sure oil is evenly distributed.
I usually squirt this solution onto the wipe right when I'm changing my daughter's diaper. Then I just toss it in with the rest of the cloth diapers! The reason I prefer to use coconut oil over olive is because coconut is also really good for getting rid of yeast infections, so I use it as a preventative measure.
For cloth wipes, I simply use the hundreds of baby washcloths that we were gifted at every baby shower haha They do the job perfectly!
Lastly, here is my sign-up link if you would like to purchase some oils or become a wholesale member yourself today!!
As always, email me if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions!
Happy oiling, my friends! What are some of your oily adventure stories??
