my essential oil journey

I've been using essential oils for a couple months now so I wanted to give you guys a little update on how I'm liking them and using them! I was an optimistic skeptic when I got my starter kit. I had heard tons of wonderful testimonials from lots of people and it seemed like the perfect next step in my journey towards more natural living. I was a little worried that I wouldn't have much of an opportunity to use them, since I don't have a lot of recurring or chronic health problems I could use the oils for. I've started to realize, though, that even though I'm a relatively healthy human, there were more than enough things that I could use the oils for! 

I chose to go with Young Living essential oils after a bit of research.  I'd decided that I didn't want to use the cheaper oils I could find at health food stores, simply because I'd read too much about impurities and lower grade oils not being recommended for topical use.  After learning about Young Living's process of making their oils, which starts with owning all the farms that grow their plants, owning & running the distilleries that distill the oils, and the testing they do to ensure that each batch of oils is pure and up to snuff, I decided I felt comfortable going with them.  They're more expensive than health food store oils, but in my mind you get what you pay for.  And I'm pretty stoked about what I paid for, haha.

Since I wanted to really dive into essential oils rather than just sticking my toe in, I decided to get their Premium Starter Kit.  It comes with 11 super practical oils and a home diffuser.  The diffuser and oil pack together would be $261 at the full retail price, but the starter kit is only $150, so it seemed like a good deal for someone looking to get started learning about oils and using them.  Another sweet thing about getting the kit was that I got to become a Young Living member, which means I get 24% off the retail prices of any oils (sorta like being a Costco member)!

My first opportunity for using them came with some gnarly chapped lips.  The weather was cold and dry and they were cracking and splitting like whoa.  My little essential oils lightbulb went off and I searched what would be good for chapped lips.  Lavender was recommended so I slathered some Lavender on there with a carrier oil (I think I used olive oil or avocado oil).  Instantly the pain was relieved from the cracks, and by the next morning my lips were so smooth and happy you never would've known they were gross the day before.  

I was impressed, but still skeptical.  Chapped lips was a minor league problem.  I really wanted to see if they would help with something bigger.  My opportunity came in the form of a yeast infection (oh yay).  I'd used some natural remedies before (Garlic cloves work wonders, people), but I wanted to see if the oils would work.  Again, I searched for testimonials and found quite a few.  I soaked a tampon in coconut oil with 25 drops each of Purification and Thieves (two of Young Living's essential oil blends), and used it overnight.  The next morning I felt pretty great, and had no symptoms all day, but by evening the itch returned, so I did the same thing again overnight.  By morning: Boom.  Gone.  I told the goopy Monistat in my medicine cabinet that it could get comfortable and plan on expiring.

My other big test came after I chomped down on the inside of my cheek.  Whenever I do that, it almost always turns into a really bad canker sore, to the point of not being able to eat properly sometimes.  So I searched oil remedies and found that Thieves was a popular oil to nip that in the bud.  I put a drop of Thieves on my finger and held it against the spot inside my mouth for about 30 seconds, twice a day for two days.  By the third day it was nearly healed up completely and it never turned into a canker sore.  Huzzah!

There have been plenty of other smaller things I've loved using them for.  Peppermint for headaches,  Panaway for achey muscles (I just started Insanity again last night so I'm probably gonna have to bathe in Panaway tomorrow), Cedarwood and Valor for insomnia, Purification for blemishes.  I haven't taken any drugs since getting my kit.  So exciting!

I think I must be a rambler because all my videos are over 10 minutes long.  Anyway, I made a "little" video showing how I use the oils aromatically, topically, and internally.  The highlight is Dusty's cameo, obviously.
Since I'm pretty stoked on the oils I wanted to share them with you guys.  I think the Premium Starter Kit is a really great way to get into the oils.  It's $150 (plus shipping + tax), so I thought it'd be fun to sweeten the deal and throw in an extra oil for anyone who gets the Premium Starter Kit this month!  If you want to get the kit, sign up here, and I'll order a 15ml bottle of Lemongrass for you and send it to you!*  Lemongrass is great for reducing inflammation and it's one of the oils that people frequently order after getting the kit since it's not included.  
*Must order here and sign up as a member to get the Premium Starter Kit (the starter kit isn't available if you sign up as a customer).  This is only for those who get the kit during the month of April.  Make sure you click the Premium Starter Kit with the diffuser as there are a couple starter kits and not all of them come with the diffuser, so double check to make sure you picked the right one.  Once you order the kit, shoot me an email with your name and shipping address so I can get your Lemongrass to you!
// Full disclosure: Similar to other affiliate links on Delightfully Tacky, I make commission off of Young Living sales that are made through my link.  That being said, I truly love the oils and I'm stoked that I can share my love for them with you guys.  If I didn't like them I absolutely would not recommend you guys buy them, but I've been so pleasantly surprised by my experience with them!  If you guys are on the fence or just have more questions about oils before jumping in, email me!  Seriously.  I'm happy to answer any questions you have, I definitely had tons of questions for my oil loving friends who guided me when I first started using them. 
I am required by law in the USA to state, “These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Products and techniques mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.” If you are under the care of a physician or taking prescription medications, please inform your doctor before using essential oils. If you are pregnant or nursing be sure to check with your physician before using essential oils. Keep essential oils out of the reach of children.//