4 Support Items To Always Have On Hand

Following the idea that simplicity is crucial in holistic medicine, there are 4 go to items that every household should keep which support the use of herbs and essential oils. All of these items either add to the medicinal value of a chosen herb or provide the vehicle for using the herb or essential oil

Carrier Oil

A carrier oil is necessary especially when working with essential oils. There are lots to choose from but some of the more popular oils are coconut, jojoba, and almond. They each have their unique benefits that they bring to the table for application. For instance, if you are looking for a quick drying oil then almond oil is your best bet. However, if you're looking for a highly moisturizing oil that will last longer on the skin for a massage application the Jojoba oil is perfect.

Which ever need you may have, a carrier oil is a necessity for diluting your essential oils for topical skin application. Some essential oils can be applied directly to the skin in small amounts, while others need to be diluted in a carrier to prevent skin irritation. Some examples of essential oils that need dilution are ginger, cinnamon, and malaleuca oil (tea tree). It is also recommended that you always dilute essential oils in a carrier when applying topically to children under age 10.

Epsom Salt

Epsom salt is one of those amazing and often overlooked items that can make a world of difference for certain ailments. You can probably find a bag of it in your grandma's bathroom cabinet because grandma knows it's excellent for soaking tired muscles and joints. To get a supercharged benefit from an epsom salt bath, which can help alleviate anything from cold symptoms to severe muscle aches to insomnia, we can add in supporting essential oils or herbs to the bath.

Epsom salt, which is actually Magnesium Sulfate Epsomite, helps open up the pores and release toxins throughout the body. This also allows for essential oils and herbs to be absorbed easily during the bath. Now, I will try not to get too into the weeds with explaining why it does what it does for muscles, insomnia, and such. But, if you're like me, you like knowing the science behind things so that you can discover even more uses in the future.

Magnesium Sulfate Epsomite is a compound of naturally occurring minerals. It can be found in powder form (andhydrous) or in crystal form (heptahydrate). Magnesium itself, which is typically found in a whole foods diet, can be one of those make or break minerals. If you don't have enough, which these days is the case for most people, then your muscles will easily tire and you will suffer from a host of related issues. It is essential to proper body function. If you are lacking in the magnesium department a great way to get it without having to take a giant horse pill is by taking an epsom salt bath at least twice a week. Magnesium is easily absorbed into the system in this manner. It is almost impossible to overdose on Magnesium because any excess in the system is removed by the kidneys. However, if you have any sort of kidney impairment then you need to consult a doctor prior to upping your magnesium because it can cause some severe systems otherwise.

Vodka

Now we're talking, right? Calm yourself, the vodka is not for drinking. However, Vodka can be used with essential oils and herbs for quite a few really important applications. For instance, if you are interested in making a lovely room freshening spray and kicking the chemical laden Febreeze to the curb, then Vodka is your new best friend. Vodka can also be used to create a highly concentrated tincture by soaking your herb of choice (fresh or dried) in it in an airtight container for several weeks. If you use a high enough proof ( usually 50% alcohol) your tincture will have a shelf life of up to ten years!

Spring Flowers Room Spray

2 parts Vodka
1 part Distilled Water
3 drops of Neroli essential oil (orange blossom)
2 drops of Geranium essential oil
1 drop lime essential oil

Mix ingredients together in an amber or cobalt blue glass bottle with a spray tester. Shake before spritzing. As a general rule, do not spray directly on fabrics.

White Vinegar

I personally use white vinegar for a ton of cleaning applications around my house. Not only is it a lot safer that commercial cleaners, it often works better. A good white vinegar is 6%. The only problem is that so many people don't particularly enjoy the stinging aroma of vinegar. The best way to get around that and add a little cleaning oomph to your repetoire is including some super powered essential oils!
I am head over heals for citrus scents, grapefruit and lemon being my favorites. The citrus essential oils are perfect for adding disinfecting power, grease cutting, and bad odor reducing. If you want to get creative, you can also try Four Thieves oil for cutting down on germs during the flu season!

I keep a spray bottle of white vinegar handy and I add 6 drops of grapefruit essential oil and 6 drops of lemon essential oil. I use this mixture to clean anything from the bathroom to the kitchen countertops! I love it because it's a simple spray and wipe, no rinsing required and it smells divine!

4 Essential Oils You Shouldn't Be Without

Four Thieves Essential Oil

I covered Four Thieves oil in one of my previous posts, however, it's bears repeating the importance of this one in particular. It is essential to any holistic medicine cabinet because of it's germ killing properties. It also aids in boosting the immune system and that can keep you from suffering needlessly during cold season.

Peppermint Essential Oil

This is my favorite all around essential oil. Primarily because I suffer from headaches quite often and just smelling peppermint can often drastically take the edge off. I also sometimes rub a drop of it directly on my temples or on the base of my skull and its cooling effect is incredibly relieving. This is also a great oil for little ones with tummy trouble as it can relieve nausea.

Lavender Essential Oil (Angustifolia)

Lavender Angustifolia can be used to aid in relaxation and calming anxiety, which is the most commonly known use. However, it has incredible topical healing properties when it comes to skin burns. I personally have used it directly on a burn on the palm of my hand that I got after I accidentially touched the rack in a 400 degree oven. I had tried over the counter burn spray with benzocaine and it would not touch this burn. It was incredibly painful and in a last ditch effort to find relief I doused the burn in lavender as I had heard of this being an application. I was honestly shocked that it worked. It didn't instantly take the pain completely away but it instantly started relieving the severity of it. After 2 applications I was finally comfortable enough to be able to relax. The really wonderful thing is that this burn never scarred which is unheard of for me.

Melaleuca Essential Oil (Tea Tree)

Melaleuca oil is a powerful antiseptic and therefore can be used in applications ranging from dental cleanser to wound treament. I'm not particularly fond of it's scent (it's smells medicinal), however I have used it in a toothpaste replacement (which was amazing) as well as to cure skin boils that a friend of mine suffered from for years. There is evidence that it can even be used to combat MRSA.

Final Notes

I was going to write about important herbs to keep on hand but I find that it is such a vast subject and there are so many important things to learn regarding the collection, storage, and use that it warrants it's own post. Therefore, I will work on Part 4 being strictly the beginning basics of herbs and everything you need to know to get started using them. I would also like to expand upon the essential oil information. There is much to share about that as well regarding storage, sourcing, and use. Perhaps Part 5?

I also realize that there was interest in most post regarding Graves and Thyroid disease. I'm realizing more and more how difficult it is to find information to help oneself to get well. While, I don't feel that I can say I'm well necessarily, I have things under control without Dr intervention so I will share what I know and what has worked for me perhaps in a specific series.

If you have any questions or would like to see more information about a particular part of the Natural Medicine Series, please let me know!!