Ocotea Essential Oil

If you are like me, when you first saw the word “Ocotea” some questions immediately popped into your mind: What is it? What can it do for me? And most of all...how do I pronounce it? Here are some answers.

Ocotea (pronounced: Oh-koh-tay-ah) is a tropical plant found primarily in the Americas. There are over 300 species of Ocotea, many of them being evergreen trees. Young Living's Ocotea essential oil is made from the female trees of the species Ocotea quixos, which are grown and distilled on Young Living's farm in Ecuador. Ocotea trees are often huge, with some growing to be 60 feet tall or higher.

Thyme Essential Oil

My step-dad is an organic grower, and I am an organic foodie, so we love talking about organic gardening, recipes, and food preparation. Whenever he visits, we can kill an entire afternoon drinking glasses of fresh-made veggie juice (usually made from the stuff from his garden), and talking about nothing but organic food.

The other day, he brought over a bag of fresh produce, including a small bunch of Thyme. The little sprigs smelled fantastic and looked so lovely that I stuck them in a vase where I can easily pull off a few bits whenever I need them for cooking. That vase is sitting before me as I type this.

Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

Cananga odarata, commonly known as Ylang ylang, is a tropical tree that is used worldwide to create perfume. Pronounced “Ee-lang ee-lang”, this species is a favorite among essential oil enthusiasts due to its sweet floral fragrance. In traditional folk medicine it is used for stress, tension, circulatory issues, beautifying skin and hair. and also as an aphrodisiac. So what does scientific research have to say about this heavenly scented oil? Here are some of the ways that Ylang ylang is being studied right now.

How I Use Grapefruit Essential Oil

By now you've probably seen this month's Young Living promotions for the Canadian market.  I was very excited when I received the promo flier as all three of these oils are among my favorite and most used.  In fact, I was planning to purchase both Peppermint and Grapefruit this month so it was awesome to receive them for free with my essential rewards order this month!

We have already covered some of Peppermint Oil's amazing uses in a previous post so I wanted to share some of the ways that I like to use grapefruit essential oil in our home:

It's Beginning to Smell a Lot Like Christmas

One of the best parts of the holiday season has to be the wonderful smells.  Some of my favorites are cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg,- probably because they remind me of gingerbread cookies!  In the past I've used a variety of scented candles, room spray, and potpourri, but this year I am so excited to use my diffuser and essential oils to keep the house smelling like Christmas. 

I ordered a bottle of Christmas Spirit blend last month, but it has not arrived yet so I have been mixing up some of my own blends.  The possibilities really are endless and it is a lot of fun experimenting.  I've been involving the kids and having them make up their own recipes too, which they are thoroughly enjoying. 

All Purpose Soothing Balm & Diaper Lotion

Have you started (or finished?!?) your holiday shopping yet?  This year I am endeavoring to make as many gifts as possible and I am excited to have found some great ideas using essential oils. This first recipe is something I have been making for a few years now and is pretty much considered a necessity around here.  

When my kids were babies I cloth diapered them and one of my greatest frustrations was finding a diaper lotion that was both cloth diaper safe as well as effective.  After a lot of searching I found a natural brand that met my criteria, but it was *very* expensive.  The ingredients were fairly simple though and after a bit of experimenting I was able to develop a recipe that I was happy with and worked well for us.

Thieves Essential Oil

This article is the third in our "Living the Essential Life" series by Danielle McElroy.  Danielle is an oil enthusiast who enjoys living the natural life with her cat in a cozy cottage in the Boonies.  We are very fortunate to have Danielle as a part of our team applying her excellent research skills to the field of aromatherapy and essential oils.   

It's November and this month Young Living's Canadian promo items are all from the Thieves line-- just in time for cold and flu season.  You can get FREE Thieves products with any order of 190 PV or more.  (For more details check out Young Living Thieves Free Promo Items).  This is going to make a lot of folks happy out there because Thieves products are a huge favorite due to their effectiveness and versatility.

If you've never tried any of the Thieves products yet, you are probably wondering, “What's all the fuss about?”  and, “Why the weird name?”  For newcomers, here is your crash course in Thieves.

Oregano Essential Oil

This article is the second in our "Living the Essential Life" series by Danielle McElroy.  Danielle is an oil enthusiast who enjoys living the natural life with her cat in a cozy cottage in the Boonies.  We are very fortunate to have Danielle as a part of our team applying her excellent research skills to the field of aromatherapy and essential oils.   

Also, in case you missed the announcement on our Facebook page yesterday, the winner of the Quick Reference Guide to Using Essential Oils is Rebecca!   

Oregano oil is a natural health remedy that has enjoyed a lot of popularity in the last decade with the general public.  Oregano is high in cavacrol, a phenol which has received a lot of scientific attention for its antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties in the lab.[i]  Used therapeutically since ancient times and also in Chinese medicine, oregano is seen as a virtual powerhouse of health. 

Blog Launch Giveaway #2

Peppermint Essential oil is one of our favorite and most often used oils.  It is a really versatile oil and is a great choice for anyone just starting out with essential oils.

Not only does Young Living peppermint oil boast a wide variety of therapeutic uses, it also tastes delicious.  (We can't speak to the taste or safety of ingesting any brand other than Young Living though!) We like to use it in peppermint chocolate chip milkshakes and peppermint ice cream.  It's also really yummy in coffee or hot chocolate.  It is highly concentrated though, so make sure you start with just one drop!

Essential Oil Deodorant Creme

Throughout the course of my childhood, my mom went on a few different “health” kicks that dramatically affected what was served for dinner and what kind of shampoo (or lack of) you could find in our bathroom.  I didn’t always appreciate her efforts though.  As a young teen I didn’t really care if they were full of hormone disrupting carcinogens, I just wanted pretty smelling lotion and shower gel.  And peanut butter with added sugar.

I particularly remember when my Mom read somewhere that antiperspirant was full of aluminum and possibly linked to breast cancer.   I now fully agree with her decision to switch to natural deodorant,

Joy® Essential Oil Blend

This article is the first in our "Living the Essential Life" series by Danielle McElroy.  Danielle is an oil enthusiast who enjoys living the natural life with her cat in a cozy cottage in the Boonies.  We are very fortunate to have Danielle as a part of our team applying her excellent research skills to the field of aromatherapy and essential oils.  

Who couldn't use a little more Joy in their life?  We love using the Young Living essential oil blend called Joy and since you can receive a free bottle of Joy as part of Young Living's September promotion for the Canadian market (see all the details here) we thought it would be the perfect time to talk about this amazing blend.   

Joy is a combination of a number of different essential oils, including: bergamot, rose, geranium, lemon, palmarosa, ylang ylang, jasmine, roman chamomile, coriander and tangerine.  Joy's fragrance is beautiful and uplifting, like walking through an exotic flower garden after a spring rain.  Not only does it smell terrific, Joy has a variety of practical health uses.  Here are a few tips on how to use Joy: