I often receive questions from people who are using homeopathy asking whether one must make a choice. The answer is simple: Essential oils can be used right along with homeopathy except for PEPPERMINT, which must be used 30 minutes apart.
I find that it is also helpful to compare and contrast homeopathy and premium essential oils.
(Does this sound like the former math teacher speaking???)
- Both are plant-based
- Both are natural in the purest sense of the word
- Homeopathics begin with the plant and are diluted repeatedly until only the energy of the plant remains
- Premium essential oils the actual “life force” or “blood” of the plant. They are the most concentrated form of the plant. Therefore, they are extremely potent and often require only 1 drop to be effective.
Extending the comparison to herbs . . .
Plants are the most potent when they are growing and attached to the root of the plant. The moment a plant is cut, it begins losing life force. When essential oils are distilled shortly after harvesting, the oil retains the maximum life force of the plant. Young Living’s peppermint essential oil is in the distiller within 15 minutes of the time it is harvested. Is it any wonder why peppermint is such a potent oil?
By contrast, herbs are usually dried. They definitely work, but the potency is not the same as that of a premium essential oil.
Are premium essential oils safe to use for children?
Not only are they safe to use for children, they are safe for children to apply themselves with supervision. (There are a few oils that contain “hot oils” that can potentially cause skin sensitivity. These must be diluted in a little pure vegetable oil.)
Models of aromatherapy
There are three models of aromatherapy: English, French, and German.
The English model suggests creating blends and diluting them with vegetable oil and using light massage techniques. Often, premium essential oils are not used in aromatherapy massages, but rather fragrance oils. Therefore more care must be taken to avoid skin sensitivity due to potential synthetic ingredients and additives.
The German model suggests inhaling the oils. When premium essential oils are inhaled either by cold air diffusing or by cupping the hands over the nose and inhaling deeply several times, the tiny molecules absorb easily into the delicate membranes of the nostrils and travel up to the brain, stimulating the amygdala which is the emotional center of the brain. This can be highly effective.
The French model is the one I use most often because it is so simple – and you “cannot do it wrong”! When creating blends, one must understand that a new substance is being created as the tiny molecules interact before they are applied. If one understands the chemistry, incredibly powerful blends can be created. However, it is also possible that the molecules interact in such a manner that they neutralize one another, creating a substance that smells good, but has no beneficial value. The third possibility is that the oils interact in a manner that creates a toxic substance. For the reasons above, I leave the blending to Gary Young who has all his blends tested repeatedly long before they are available to us . . . and I use a technique called “layering”.
When we layer essential oils, we apply one oil at a time, waiting 1-2 minutes between application of each oil. Some oils will absorb within 15-30 seconds, and any oil will absorb within 2 minutes. The order of the oils and the ratio of drops of each is totally inconsequential. That is why I say that even children can safely apply the oils themselves with supervision.
Young Living’s premium essential oils are labeled in the US as supplements. This means that they can safely be ingested. They can be swallowed or allow to absorb directly into the blood by placing under the tongue. In fact, all of Young Living’s supplements are infused with essential oils to enhance absorption and to bring about rapid results. Isn’t that great?
Do Young Living essential oils need to be taken before or after meals – and how often can they be used?
This is one of my favorite questions. Young Living essential oils can be used ANYWHERE and ANYTIME – and they can be repeated as often as you like!
You don’t have to worry about “overdosing” because the oils work to bring the body to balance. Every oil is a complex substance containing hundreds of chemical constituents. You body knows what it needs to come to balance and can choose those particular things that it needs while eliminating the remainder. It is like offering your body a giant buffet! Whatever portions of the oils that are not used will be eliminated through the urine, the feces, the saliva, and the sweat as long as you drink plenty of water – and most are eliminated in 20 minutes. Therefore, you could repeat application without concern about “overdosing”.
What could be easier?
Frances Fuller
May 2012