Plant therapy Q and A with an Aromatherapist

I have always wanted to try essential oils. Being a single Mom on a tight budget, essential oils always seemed out of reach. I have been plagued with chronic migraines since 2011. My dive into essential oils was really a last-ditch effort to find some relief. I fell into the lies that MLM Essential Oil companies were the only authentic essential oil producers. Their oils are so expensive and I believed it was because they were pure and therapeutic grade.

After doing some research and seeing friends using other oils that were not MLM, I decided to take the leap. I bought some oils and found relief almost immediately. I still have migraines but I am not having them every day. I went from taking 800mg prescription ibuprofen twice a day and Excedrin migraine twice a day to just once or twice a week. So for me, it is nothing short of a miracle.

I am still extremely new to essential oils so I reached out to Plant Therapy's resident Aromatherapist for some Q and A. It took no time for her to get back to me and she was very helpful and willing to answer all my questions. Even my really weird ones. Please don't think that you can't afford essential oils and don't let anyone make you feel bad if you are not using major brand essential oils. Do your own research. As for me and my house, we are loving our essential oils and right now as I am typing this I have Plant Therapy's Sleep Aid running in my diffuser. It helps me to relax. I also just put my own mix of oils on my son for his allergies. He was a skeptic and called it hippy vegetable oil, but now he comes to me when he has a cut for lavender.

DISCLAIMER: I was not compensated for this blog. I bought my oils with my own money. I am just a very satisfied customer hoping to help educate others about essential oils. I also want to help others who have bought into the deception of MLM brands. You CAN afford pure essential oils!

1. I am just starting out in my essential oil journey. It is very overwhelming looking at all the oils. What five oils do you recommend to someone new to this world? The top 5 singles I would recommend are Lavender, Peppermint, Lemon, Frankincense Serrata, and Eucalyptus Globulus. These are some of our most popular selling oils and they have many different therapeutic properties that give them a wide range of uses. I know some people like starting out with singles so they can really get to know each individual oil. However, I like starting out with some synergies too. Just because they are easy to know exactly what they can be used for. So if I was going to include synergies in my top 5 list, this would be my top 5: Lavender, Germ Fighter/KidSafe Germ Destroyer, Immune Aid/KidSafe Immune Boom, Respir Aid/KidSafe Sniffle Stopper, Eucalyptus Globulus/Rosalina (KidSafe oil that can be substituted for Eucalyptus).
2. I learned the hard way not to use peppermint oil undiluted close to your eyes. I actually got some in my eyes and it was a painful experience. I used coconut oil. What is the best way to get oil out of your eyes? This is tough. You can use a carrier oil or like half and half (anything high in cream). But I would also immediately contact a doctor. You don't want to mess with essential oils in the eye. That can be very dangerous!
3. How important is diluting oils before use? Where can I find this information? Very important. Not only are there safety precautions when using essential oils undiluted on the skin (some are high skin irritants, some are very hot and can literally burn the skin, etc.) but essential oils are also very volatile. If you put them on your skin, they become very drying to your skin because they are so volatile. 
4. Can you overdose on oils? Yes, you can. Not even discussing using oils internally, your body can become overwhelmed with simply diffusing or using the oils topically. In some scenarios, it is called sensitization. 
5. Can you get high on oils? I only ask because I diffused sleep aid and put tension relief and let's just say I felt pretty relaxed. This is a good question. I don't know if high is the correct word, but as discussed above, your body can be overwhelmed with essential oils and each body reacts differently to this. 
6. What does kidsafe mean? Do I need to worry about using oils near my niece's and nephew who are all under 6? What could happen? Plant Therapy's KidSafe means the oils that are labeled KidSafe are safe to use around children ages 2-10 when diluted corrected. The oils we mark as KidSafe and the KidSafe synergies are the absolute safest oils for children. However, if used incorrectly, any oil could become unsafe. We have very specific usage instructions on each of our KidSafe products so parents not only know what products are KidSafe, but how to use them safely with their children.
7. Which is better topical or diffusing? What is the difference? It depends. If you have a topical concern like a skin rash, you have to use the oils topically. If you are wanting to use essential oils for emotional or mental concerns, diffusion is usually best but you can use them topically near your face and that works too. 
8. Can you use too much oil in a diffuser? Yes, you can. The truth is you truly don't need too much to get amazing benefits of the oils. Often less is more so why not save the oil and money! 
9. Is it dangerous to mix oils? I currently use germ fighter and sleep aid at night. It is not dangerous. If it is two different concerns like a Germ Fighter and Sleep Aid would be, it can be fine. We just recommend using oils only when needed. However, we don't recommend using two synergies for one purpose. For example, using Sleep Aid and Relax at the same time to help you sleep. The reason we do not recommend this is because one of them might work just as well by itself and if you continue to use both, it might be a waste. 
10. My son is 12 and he is a skeptic. Is there medical proof that essential oils work? How do essential oils work?There are some research and studies that show the amazing benefits of essential oils. This is a newer thing that so much research is being done on essential oils and the more and more we learn the more and more amazing we are with these essential oils. Lavender has been proven to help with sleep. Rosemary has been proven to help with memory. These are just a couple where scientific research and studies have been done to show the amazing properties of these oils!
11. There is so much confusion about oil brands. What is the difference between plant therapy and MLM Brands? The major difference is the price. It is hard for me to speak about another company's products because I don't know the whole process of their quality control, etc. I can speak to the quality of Plant Therapy though. 
12.  Are your oils therapeutic grade? Therapeutic grade is a marketing term. Any and every company can use this term and it means nothing of the actual quality of the product. Because essential oils are not regulated in the United States, any company can claim anything. Instead of looking for Therapeutic Grade, I recommend looking at the experts who work with that company. Look at the company's quality control measures. Is the company doing batch testing? What kind of testing? Is the testing done in house or a third party? Is the testing available to look at? Does the company list important information such as country of origin, extraction method, botanical name, etc.? The answer to these questions will tell you what quality of oils the company is selling. Therapeutic Grade will not. 

Retha Nesmith CMO & Certified Aromatherapist, Plant Therapy Inc. A 510 2nd Ave S. Twin Falls, ID 83301 P 800-917-6577 F 208-969-9959 E retha@planttherapy.com W www.planttherapy.com