The Alphabet of Essential Oils

I've started a series of notes on my facebook pages, and wanted to share the essence of those notes here on my blog.

For a whole alphabet of ailments, Essential Oils can be a simple, affordable, easy-to-use "pharmaceutical alternative" to costly and sometimes toxic drugs.

Here are some oils to try that correspond with some common ailments:

A is for ALLERGIES
Before you reach for Claritin or Allegra or something stronger, the three oils to try include Eucalyptus, Lavender and the special blend Breathe. You can apply a few drops to the back of the neck and the bridge of the nose, and maybe just a smear under the nostrils. In moments, you'll experience some relief.

B is for BACK PAIN
If your back pain is chronic, and you're tired of the smell and expense of those over the counter pharmacy cures, again, use your Eucalyptus drops where it hurts. If you'd like to add to the effectiveness, Wintergreen oil and the special blend, Deep Blue can really help to make you feel some sweet relief. Just get a friend to gently massage the drops and dabs into the small of your back and anywhere else it hurts.

C is for COLD SORES
If you've got a tingle coming on, and the tiny tube of expensive cream isn't working fast enough for you, use a few drops of Melaluca, Lemon Oil (which is really good added to your water every day, too), and that special blend called On Guard. This trifecta will reduce the blister's healing time and you can get back to kissing your sweetheart that much faster. Just dab the concoction on the tingle, then the sore, several times daily, and watch it disappear.

D is for DEPRESSION
When you're feeling low, up late, and see those anti depressant commercials on tv, don't give in. Before you sign up for the side effects, why not try a few drops of Citrus Bliss, Lavender and the special blend called Elevate in a warm bath. You can add these to a diffuser and take it to work with you, or keep the wellness swirling in your bedroom or tv room and see if you don't begin to feel better. Of course, see your doctor, go to your therapist, keep your medical professionals employed--but give this a try and see if it begins to make a difference in your mood.

E is for ECZEMA
That itchy, scratchy build up of scaly dead skin on your extremities isn't something you have to suffer with. Even before you try all the regular pharmaceutical cures over the counter and behind the pharmacists window, it's worth rubbing a few drops of Helichrysum, Thyme and Geranium directly on the affected parts and see if you don't find some immediate relief.

F is for FATIGUE
Before reaching for a Red Bull, stocking up on Starbuck's or downing a 5-Hour Energy Drink there at the gas station cash register, see if dabbing some Lemongrass, Basil and Lemon behind your neck and under your nose might wake you up organically!

G is for GASTRITIS
Gastritis is an inflammation of the stomach lining. Patients will complain of belching, feeling bloated, and may even experience some abdominal pain. Better than any over the counter medication from the pharmacy, Peppermint, DigestZen and/or the Lemongrass you already have for fatigue can make an immediate difference in your return to feeling better. You can massage these oils directly onto the stomach, or find them in capsule form.

H is for HEARTBURN
Rather than downing a whole roll of Tums, it's best to try some essential oils to help get at the root cause of heartburn and begin to repair the digestive system.  Try Peppermint, Ginger and/or Lemon Oil massaged topically into the chest or as a drop or two added to water. See, over a week of regular use, if you don't start to feel a kind of on-going relief.

I is for INDIGESTION
Staying with the theme of stomach and digestive track issues that so many people are bothered by, I recommend a daily use of the Peppermint and Ginger, and add in some Orange oil massaged directly into the stomach and intestine areas. Essential oils make an immediate and on-going difference in digestive health.

J is for JOINT PAIN
The right essential oils to use include Wintergreen, Birch and Deep Blue. These are to be used topically, massaged deeply into the areas of the body that are affected, and you will feel a kind of deep and immediate relief. If you're a runner, jogger, yogi, or someone who likes to get outside and move, you want to be sure to consider having a Deep Blue Athlete's kit on hand in your gym bag. You can buy yours here: https://www.mydoterra.com/ShoppingCart/index.cfm?FuseAction=CategoryShop&CategoryID=1869

K is to remind you to KEEP USING ESSENTIAL OILS.
Whatever your ailment or condition, there is a blend or an oil specifically for that purpose. Just keep learning & moving through the Essential Oil alphabet to find a new oil to try. Chemical free, non-toxic essential oils are so much better for the body and the environment than what you can find at Walgreen's. Try essential oils FIRST, every time you are tempted to wade through the big-pharma options at your local drug store.

L is for LEG CRAMPS
Clary Sage, Lavender and Cypress oils are good for leg cramps, menstrual cramps and other kinds of cramping in the body. Simply apply a few drops to the affected area and massage them in, or add a few drops to a warm bath, and relax for 30 minutes, and feel the revitalizing, mood-enhancing benefits of these healing oils.

M is for MIGRAINES
Now, if you're the type that can't take time off to find a dark quiet room and lay flat and keep still until the migraine goes away, then you want to be sure to have a bottle of each of these in your pocket: Helichrysm, PastTense, and Sandalwood. When you feel the first signs of a migraine coming on, put a drop or two of these oils in your hands, rub them together, and cup them over your nose and mouth. Breathe in deep. Then, to do your level best to keep the migraine storm from taking over your day, dab a drop or two behind your ears, at the base of your skull, at your temples, and rub some in to your forehead. Clients who once complained of regular migraines now carry this migraine survival kit of essential oils, and tell me that the oils work wonders--deterring the migraine when used in time, or shrinking the time it takes for the migraine storm to blow over.

Essential Oils are essential. These little drops make all the big things better by keeping you pleasant, less stressed, more healthy. I love that I've found these oils to offer to my patients and find them to be a perfect complement to Acupuncture, Herbs and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

I hope you'll order a vial or two of the bottles that might help you. Here's a link to my website where you can get them: www.mydoterra.com/drye