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When we first began using oils, I wasn’t sure which ones I should have on hand at all times. And, because I really didn’t understand which oils were good for what purposes, I had a difficult time figuring it out on my own. But what good is a bunch of oils sitting in my bathroom if I can’t use them? And, it’s a bit of an investment to get this many bottles of oils at once!
Legally, I can’t tell you how you should use the oils – nor do I want to do that. You should do your own research to find out exactly what works for you and how to use them. Everyone’s chemistry is different, so the oils will react slightly differently to your family than they do to mine. I will, however, tell you how my family uses the oils. The First Aid Kit: Lavender: Lavender is probably our most used oil. We use it every day, whether it’s me mixing it in coconut/olive oil to put on my face or a child getting it dropped on his boo-boo. It is calming and anti-bacterial, which is an excellent mix when dealing with children! We especially like lavender for burns, bruises, and cuts. Frankincense: Frankincense is one of our more expensive oils, but well worth its money. It has been used at our house on warts, infections, and in both of our calming blends. It can be added to water to flavor and enhance the health qualities of the water (just a drop at a time!). When my kids get sick, I blend 1 drop frankincense, 1 drop oregano, and one drop protect in honey and each of them takes a teaspoonful. Helichrysum: This is one of my “won’t do without” oils because we use it to stop blood flow. Bloody noses – gone in seconds (or a couple of minutes if the nose is broken…). It’s often used for hemorrhage and any other type of excess bleeding. It’s one of the most expensive oil we carry, but if possible, we are never without it. Peppermint: When my oldest son was three years old, he came down with a nasty case of poison ivy. We put peppermint on it neat (uncut) on the red splotches, and it went away in a couple of minutes. Several hours later, a few splotches came back, and we repeated the application. It was gone until a few years later when he got into poison ivy again! If my husband lands himself in a chigger patch while picking black berries, he does the same thing with those red dots, and the itching subsides and swelling decreases. We use peppermint to reduce fevers by striping it across the forehead, on feet, or down the spine (just keep it out of the eyes and away from baby hands!); but, we are never interested in completely removing a fever, because fevers are your body’s way of removing some unwanted toxin. We also sometimes use this in tea, and to flavor other foods at times (frosting!). Oregano: When we come down with a nasty bug and we need the strongest, most potent infection fighter, we go to oregano. We especially like to take 1 to 3 drops each of Oregano, Frankincense, and Thyme in a capsule, up to 3x a day. Cleanse: This blend has a very clean smell about it, and rightfully so! It’s anti-bacterial, which makes it great for cleaning. I use it in my all-purpose cleaner (32 oz spray bottle filled with hydrogen peroxide and 2-4 drops essential oil). In the past, people have used it to remove smoke, mold, and other nasty smells (like urine). We also put it in a spray bottle and douse ourselves before going out into the woods to protect us from bugs. Cleanse is in the first aid kit because I've personally used it to pull out rattle snake venom on my dog's face. It is said to also work on brown recluse and black widow venom. Digestion: This blend was produced when a friend asked me to make a copy-cat of Young Living's DiGize. We had several people test it for us on everything from throwing up to gas to indigestion and dizziness. It's effective and refreshing. We find it to be really uplifting and energizing. Protect: These oils are known to kill germs and bacteria. Scientists have been studying a blend like this for some time now for its anti-bacterial properties, and they’re getting great results! We take protect when we’re sick (in water or a teaspoon of honey), and every night when we brush our teeth, I put 2 drops on a cotton swab and run it along my gum line. My husband often brushes with Protect, alone. We have a Protect Balm that is great to take in the purse and smear on everyone’s hands before going out in public. It’s moisturizing and protecting! Pain Out: This is a copy cat of Young Living's PanAway blend. We don't use it much, but when we need something for serious pain (think broken leg, head injury, etc.), this is our go-to. Wintergreen: Wintergreen is our anti-pain go-to – we never need Tylenol. If someone has pain, smearing a little wintergreen on gets them going again. We don’t use this one too often, thankfully, but for those late-night pain attacks, when nothing is open and everyone else is sleeping, wintergreen is amazing. Tea Tree: We often swab Melaleuca in our ears with a cotton swab. It is anti-bacterial, which is beneficial to kill anything that’s fighting our immune systems. Tea Tree is very gentle, and can even be used on infants. It’s great for the skin, too, so if baby gets cradle cap, I can use Tea Tree on that, too! It’s also good for cleaning kitchen counters or wounds. Congestion: We keep one of these roller bottles on our night stand for those times when a child comes in at 2:30 a.m. coughing or congested saying, “Mom, I can’t breathe!” We roll it on their chests/backs and send them back to bed, breathing perfectly fine. ... or snuggle them up in our bed. :) Inhale: This is what we use for deep congestion that is beginning to look like it’s going to stick to the lungs and never come out. The blend used here packs a powerful punch against mucus in the lungs, and within minutes of applying Inhale to the chest and back, we usually hear the child coughing up phlegm. Extinguish: This blend, which I’ve never seen anywhere other than Joyful Mountain, is great for removing scars and dissipating inflammation and bruises. When someone gets a bump that looks like it’s going to turn into a nasty bruise, I put a drop of Extinguish on it and gently rub it in or follow it with an ice pack. Because of the calming properties of the lavender, not only does it heal quickly, but the child is usually up and running around immediately. Bottom Balm: We love Bottom Balm! My littlest always asks for it when we’re changing his diaper, even if he has no need of it. It is soothing to the skin, and quickly heals any type of rash we’ve ever had, including bacterial rashes. It is safe for my cloth diapers. And, it’s completely safe for us, even to ingest. We use it for everything from rashes to dry skin and lip balm around here. I am absolutely never without at least one large container of Bottom Balm. Of course, there are a few more oils that I love having around my house, like B'Nai Shalom (which I need on occasion….only occasionally, mind you!). I love diffusing eucalyptus when cold season comes around. I love dropping lemon oil into my kids’ tea when they aren’t feeling well, and using thyme oil for those really nasty bugs. But, you can’t put everything into your first aid kit and call it “first aid!” What other oils might you add to a first aid kit? Let me know! Perhaps I’ll add them to this one…
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