Essential Oils - Olathe,KS

I don't have any experience with these but know many who are claiming they are the answer to everything that ails us. I am reserving judegment until I hear the same from people who aren't involved in selling them.

like most things, there's some truth to it. but like most things american, we tend to think 'hey, this is good! so ALL OF IT ALL THE TIME MUST BE TEH AWESOMEZ!!!'
don't buy from a pyramid (young living and its ilk) and don't expect them to be cure-alls. after many years of having and using them, and talking to others who do, it's clear to me that their usefulness is a very individual thing. a little lavender and yarrow oils help promote a nice sleep, but won't cure a determined bout of insomnia for me.
khairete
S.

I think you have to be very careful to look at a few things.

First, are there any clinical studies on them? While a food supplement does not require (and is not eligible for) FDA approval (any more than the food in the grocery store is), many do have clinical studies run by independent research institutions, universities, etc. That's very different from studies run (for drugs or for supplements) but the same companies that make them or the hospitals that receive funding for the work with them. So look at a variety of independent studies. And If it's a supplement, the company cannot claim that the product is designed to cure, treat, diagnose or prevent a particular disease - unless of course said clinical data is there.

Second, be very wary of any company that sells a zillion different products for a zillion different conditions. If you need to invest in a whole cabinet full of products so you can take X for headaches and Y for colds and Z for menopausal issues, it's going to be very very expensive. Moreover, it leaves you being the "kitchen chemist" and mixing/matching. That can be dangerous, can be ineffective, and can be confusing. Reputable food scientists look much more at comprehensive, formula-based approaches rather than the old model of many different products or vitamins.

A few essential oil companies just got in FDA trouble for making claims that cannot be substantiated (it may have been individual distributors, but the company should have controls and requirements in place so that their people are not making claims).

I bought YL ones and diffuse lavender and drink lemon oil in water. They are fine but probably won't get again. My husband insists its a pyramid scheme.

I use them to make homemade cleaning products. I also use them in a diffuser to make my house smell nice and give a feeling to the day. Bright citrus in the morning to help wake up or lavender at bedtime to promote sleep. I don't use chemical scents in my house so these are a great alternative.

I used to rub lavender or peppermint oil on my temples if I had a pre-migraine to see if that would calm it down. Or to just calm me down when I taught high school, I kept it in my desk.

But I don't get the new craze or would I actually consume them.

I think they are a nice thing but not a "healing" thing.

I know they are all the rage, and I confess to having some in my cupboard, but I just don't really buy it for the majority of the things that people are trying to claim can be treated/cured by EOs.

Here's an article that popped up in my Facebook feed today. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but thought I'd share it anyways. http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/mar/11/homeo...

I did some research on Thieves Oil. There are stories from centuries ago that show these combined oils kept these thieves from getting diseases when they were opening tombs and raiding graves. So there is a long line of proof they do work.

Have I invested in them? No, I can't afford them. IF I was going to invest in them I would start with only those we take into or put on our bodies. To me that makes the most sense. Then if those worked well I might use a diffuser but so far I'm not sure that opening the windows and clearing out the polluted air inside won't do the same things.

Im interested in them also but dont know much. Im going to google it and read about them for more info. I recently bought some peppermint oil from amazon so i want to be sure to use it correctly. You can also look on amazon at the reviews and how people use them.

hi
I know of a great site run by Nadine Artemis.. it's called, livinglibations.com
on her site, she lists various ingredients and what and why they are used in (her) essential oils.. I believe she even has starter kits. she's been at it for a long time.. I would check it out.

good luck

I buy YL oils but only about 4 that I use frequently. Thieves, lavender, peppermint and lemon (to put in my water).These are multipurpose. I bought the starter book from YL that goes into depth of the multitude of uses for each oil. Good information. My kids are both getting a cold right now and I'm putting diffusing the thieves and slathering them with it was well. I would recommend the "basic kit". It's got about 10 that you can use for a lot of different things. Unless you have lots of disposable income, that's probably all you'd ever need.