an oily introduction

This has been saved as a draft on my blog for more than a year. I've surprised myself by continuing to use these natural solutions for my family, so I finally hit 'publish'. 

I've seen essential oils (I'm going to go ahead and shorten that to eos) pop up on various social media feeds throughout the past few years. "There's an oil for that!" has intrigued me. My interest in essential oils was like many mothers: seeking natural health and cleaning solutions for my family. I've used homeopathic treatment for various things throughout my life, so this seemed the next logical step. About the same time, L was about a year and a half old, having frequent ear infections. When the nurse practitioner mentioned the possibility of tubes if the antibiotics did not work, I hit the pause button and turned into a mad researcher seeking a natural option for treatment of ear infections. Enter eos.

A few things I was looking for when I sought out eos: 

• Immune Support // L is in daycare, and consistently had a runny nose and congestion; I wanted to be able to support his immune system instead of giving him medication; I did not want him to have another ear infection
• Skin Irritation // L has sensitive skin, and every few months has a flare up of skin irritation. I wanted to be able to offer him something that would soothe and treat his skin without added chemicals.
• Relaxation, Rest // L is a high spirited guy that sometimes had difficulty winding down before naps and bedtime
• Less Chemicals for Cleaning // I've used natural cleaners for years, and have only recently realized that even the 'natural cleaning products' still have a lot of chemicals in them

I started using eos from the other multi-level marketing company, and then switched to my current brand after a bit more research. 

The first thing I noticed was that I liked the branding better. Silly, but true. I found the company name, oil names, and overall presentation simpler and easier to understand. The name of the company means 'of the earth'. The thing that sealed the deal was this their oils grow in indigenous environments around the globe, they work with local folks, and pay fair wages. (As a social worker, social justice advocate and Christian, these are things that resonate very strongly with me.) So I decided to give them a try -- ordered a few oils to see how they compared to the eos that I was already using. Honestly, I didn't notice much of a difference, but I did like the proprietary blends better. After a few weeks of more research and use, I decided to make the switch, so I enrolled with them as a Wellness Advocate.

Since then, I still use them regularly with my family and have been really enjoyed incorporating them into our family's lifestyle.