4 Reasons to Use Essential Oils (and 3 reasons to not)

Is using essential oils right for you? Let’s see!

Pros of essential oils

They are powerful tools

There is little else in this world my body responds to in the same way it responds to essential oils. The oils can illicit physiological and emotional responses. I hate to call it biohacking, but there are ways to use the oils and how they work with your bio-individuality to support your body. Many who use essential oils will tell you the benefits they have received from the oils. Whether it was the feeling of opened airways from Peppermint, the skin soothing benefits of Lavender, or the mood boosting support of Wild Orange.

They smell amazing

Duh, right? But listen… As someone who used to use air fresheners (like pretty wall plug-ins), candles, and perfumes, when I learned how harmful synthetic scents can be to our health (a big thank you to one of my docs for leading me down this road) I was dismayed to say the least. To me, scent is part of what creates a space, or completes an outfit, or can help lift my mood when I’m having an off day. The oils help me create those moods without giving up on my health goals or my goal to keep as many toxins out of my home as possible.

They are easy to use

Pick an oil, and either diffuse it or use topically (always with a carrier oil). It doesn’t get any easier than that. You can use it locally or use down your spine or on the bottom of your feet for a more holistic approach (or if you find a scent a bit off-putting).

They are versatile

I use them to create diffuser blends to set the energy in my home, to create perfumes, as part of my skin care and body care routines, to create DIY cleaners, to make insect repellants, to boost my mood, to anchor moments in my life, and the list goes on. There is nothing I’ve brought into my home that touches as many parts of my daily life that essential oils have.

Cons of using essential oils

follow safety measures

Essential oils are indeed powerful tools and as such there are safety measures to be used. This link will take you directly to safety guidelines from doTERRA, but I also suggest you read about using the oils in books like The Essential Life, Mom’s Guide to Essential Oils, and The Healing Intelligence of Essential Oils. You’ll get a broad amount of information and then you can feel confident in the ways that you are incorporating the oils into your life. Like anything else in the world - If you aren’t going to be safe while using them - you might as well not use them.

environmental impact

While I know doTERRA does their best to do what is good for the world holistically - including for the earth, the growers, farmers, harvesters, distillers, and those who use the oils - the fact remains that it does take a lot of plant matter to create oils (some more than others). Some oils are made from products already being created (like Bergamot) and for some the biomass made is handed off to be used so as not to create waste in the end (like Black Spruce) or used as fertilizer (like Blue Lotus). doTERRA does their best to close the gap and I love them for it. That said, it is still an intensive endeavor. I believe in using these oils with respect because of their intense creation - and I encourage you to as well. I also use herbs for teas in my home which i did not grow, and eat food I did not pick from my garden, there are things I consume I will never meet the growers, farmers, harvesters. One of the keys is purchasing with as much awareness as possible and using my dollars as my voice supporting companies that do close the gap.

Not all Essential Oils are the same Quality

Please, whatever company that you are purchasing oils from, make sure that they are doing quality testing all along the supply line to ensure that what they say is in the bottle is actually in the bottle. Around 80% of all essential oils on the market have been adulterated in some way. Be sure that the company you purchase your oils from is doing the most to make sure that what is coming into your home is exactly what you think it is.

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