If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I went to the annual dōTERRA convention in Salt Lake City this past September. I was introduced to the brand in August and got on board with both using and distributing the oils. Even though I’m open to trying new things, I often begin as a scoffing skeptic. I still am. That said, the effect essential oils has had on my life has exceeded my expectations. I use oils for specific things, like my anxiety, but there have been other experiences and benefits that I didn’t expect:
- Mini G knows the oils she likes by name and creates her own rollerball combinations. I make the mix after she selects the oils.
- Mini G can work her diffuser by herself. This one is our favorite one so far.
- George doesn’t want to use body spray or cologne anymore and makes essential oil mixes, instead.
- My nails, which are always brittle and breakage prone, are growing regularly. I put 5 drops of Frankincense in my bottle of rosehip oil. I’m using that as moisturizer for my face and hands. Hands are more moisturized, too.
- My stomach doesn’t bloat up and down like it used to. I think my cortisol is lower. I don’t feel like I’ve lost weight (scared to get on the scale), but the heaviness in that area goes away when I use my oils regularly.
- Fewer trips to Target for the remedy of the day and, as a result, spending I’m spending less. You know about going in for milk and $50 later….
- My overall personhood is changing for the better. I feel empowered to have natural options for many things in my life. Essential oils have many more uses than I anticipated.
What are essential oils?
The video (2:13) on my doTERRA website explains it well. In short, essential oils protect the plant fron illness or injury. They’re aromatic compounds from plant resin, tree leaves, fruit rinds. Those elements of nature are steam distilled or cold pressed to get the oils. The result is a highly concentrated oil. You usually only need a few drops if the oil is pure, like dōTERRA’s.
What about inexpensive oils?
Yeah….those. Many companies mix what they call essential oils with a carrier oil and sell the blend as 100% pure. The next time you’re at a drugstore or health food store, read the label of an essential oil bottle. Some will say “100% pure” on the front, but say “mixed with jojoba oil” on the back. And some have nothing at all on the reverse of the label. If you think you don’t like lavender, it might be because you’ve been exposed to fillers, dyes or pesticides in the lavender. And some oils are synthetic.
A synthetic fragrance is a manufactured scent. We know why synthetics are created. Cheaper costs and more control over product delivery. If a storm damages crops, that will affect availability and price. Labs offer more control. A problem with synthetics is that they can be hormone disruptors. This can affect fertility and other areas of health. For some of you, it may explain why fragrances give you headaches.
How do I use essential oils?
Essential oils can be used three ways. (1) Aromatically. I use a diffuser, which works with cold or room temperature water. Using the diffuser has been a huge life changer. It encourages me to breathe deeper, which reduces my anxiety levels. It’s why I’m convinced my cortisol levels are lower and, as a result, I have considerably less bloating. You can also inhale the essential oil straight from the bottle or put it on a scarf for aromatic benefits. (2) Topically. Some oils, like Lavender, can be applied “neat” — that is, without a carrier oil. To protect the skin from future sensitivity due to exposure, it’s recommended that you always mix with a carrier oil. Carrier oils are jojoba oil, sweet almond oil and fractionated coconut oil, which stays in liquid form at all times. It doesn’t solidify or soften based on the room temp. (3) Ingest them. I was a scoffing skeptic about this one. I thought diffusers and rollerballs, fine. Ingesting? No. George reminded me that the allergy pills he had taken this summer and worked were dōTERRA’s Tri-Ease (lavender, peppermint, lemon). And of course when I learned there was a Slim & Sassy oil, I was all about trying that. dōTERRA essential oils that can be ingested have Supplement Facts on the label. You should always, always consult with a doctor in general and particularly if you have health concerns and/or are on medications. There are opposing camps on whether you should ingest essential oils or not, but I think both would agree that physician care is still very important.
Slim & Sassy & On Guard
Why dōTERRA?
I’ve used essential oils for five years. I didn’t know how to research essential oils, so I picked a brand based on what I read online and based on prices that weren’t dirt cheap, but wasn’t expensive. I didn’t come across dōTERRA at all during my brief search. The first couple of years, I only used lavender. I would put it on my wrists, hoping to create feelings of calm. I could tell that each bottle wasn’t the same, but I didn’t know how to explain why. They just smelled different. And one blend of oils I bought from Amazon smelled awful. I should’ve thrown it away because it gave me a headache, but I kept using it, thinking maybe I wasn’t understanding how essential oils are supposed to work.
After learning about dōTERRA, I sampled the lavender. I used it on my wrists and neck, at the end of that lunch meeting. I took a nap about an hour later and had the relaxing and rejuvenating sleep I’d had in awhile. I compared dōTERRA’s lavender to my everpresent bottle of lavender in my driver’s side door and could tell the difference by smell alone. Moreover, I could tell that dōTERRA’s worked better because I only needed a couple of drops at a time vs practically showering in the other bottle in order to feel affected.
Since then, I’ve learned about dōTERRA’s self-created CPTG label: certified therapeutic grade. You can read more about it on doterra.com. It’s a registered trademark and like all other essential oils, there’s no FDA approval. It was wild to attend the convention after only a month of joining, but I’m glad I did. Touring the facility (it smells so good!) and learning about the company made me feel confident about using and sharing the brand above others
dōTERRA’s restful blend for sleep – looooove it!
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Enrollment Kits
If I had it to do over again, I would’ve reached beyond my mental comfort zone and purchased the Natural Solutions Kit. It has dōTERRA’s Top 10 oils, for which there are more than 150 uses. All of the bottles, except one, are 15ml, which is the largest size. And you get 100pv credit in your account. 100pv is worth a bottle of lavender, a bottle of Vetiver (calming) and 2-3 other oils, depending on point value of each.
I ordered the Home Essentials Kit because I really wanted the diffuser. I don’t regret my kit. I was eager to get started and that seemed like a good fit. I was really fixated on the diffuser, I will admit.
There’s also the Family Essentials Kit, which has dōTERRA’S Top 10 Oils. The bottles are 5ml, the smallest size. I think it was previously called the Family Physician’s Kit. I will admit that I couldn’t connect to the former name. I didn’t even really look at the product offerings. I don’t see myself as a physician, so I couldn’t connect.
October Specials:
* Sign up as a new dōTERRA Wholesale Customer and place a 100 point value (PV) enrollment order from October 1–31. You are not obligated to sell antyhing and you won’t be getting any pressure from me. You’re simply enrolling as a customer and getting access to wholesale prices.
* Membership for the first year is $35. In my opinion, the best way to join is to choose an enrollment kit, which waives the $35 fee and saves you money right off the bat. However, some people pay the membership fee and order a bottle of lavender to join.
* Get started on the Loyalty Rewards Program (LRP). Earn 10% back in reward points right away. If you stay on the program, over time you will work your way up to 30% back in reward points on each order.
* Place a 100 PV Loyalty Rewards Order from November 1–30 and receive a FREE dōTERRA Lifelong Vitality Pack® ($106.00 Retail Value) with your qualifying 100 PV Loyalty Rewards order. I was a scoffing skeptic about supplements as I’ve spent quite a bit of time creating my own regimen. Why mess with what’s working, right? However, I’ve heard incredible things about the Lifelong Vitality Pack, so I will be trying it in the future. It would be great to get off of 8 bottles of pills and down to 3.
* There’s no minimum dollar amount for the LRP order. If you don’t want the November special, just order what you need in November. Even if it’s just a tooth of toothpaste, you are still working your way toward the 30% reward point ceiling.
Questions?
I’ve been answering tons of questions via email and direct message. People have asked about the cost and my short answer is that I’ve moved money from one category to another. I only had 2-3 Starbucks this month. I don’t need the afternoon kick as much anymore because I’m sleeping better at nite. I was easily spending $50+ at Target. I don’t even want to add it up. I’m also at Target far, far less. I don’t even know what I was buying that warranted me being there 3-4 times/week, but I only go about once/week now.
I wanted to do a couple of Zooms this month to share everything I shared up above and more, plus answer questions. I was very busy with acting, sharing dōTERRA essential oil information in-person and other things. I will be doing online classes, so stay tuned for that. Sign up for a Zoom account if you don’t have one, so that you’re ready to watch once I start inviting you and sharing recordings. That’s not an affiliate link, btw. You can have a free Zoom account and of course there are paid options, depending on your needs.
If you have questions in the meantime, the best ways to conatct me are via direct message on Facebook, direct message in Instagram @gigisgoneshopping or @essentiallyhip, or email gigiofca@gmail.com. I will respond to comments here, but it will take longer. I’m a huge believer in oils. I will not have you buying things that just sit around your house. I’ll be with you on your oil journey. Including how to use Oregano essential oil, which is one of dōTERRA’s Top 10. Another scoffing skeptic moment, but turns out there are lots of uses for it!
Thanks for stopping by…
