WINTER WELLNESS USING ESSENTIAL OILS

It seems that Winter has arrived in full force making the entire east coast of Australia a chilly ice box over night this week! And just as quickly I've heard so many people say they've got the sniffles or a cough, or the kids are unwell, Aunty June got the flu, the kids are off school today, the list goes on.

So without a little for-thought, and preventative health support, we might be the next ones.

I did a live video last week in my ✨Good Vibes Oily Tribe Facebook Group ✨and thought I'd share what I spoke about here as this information can benefit anyone and be used by anyone, for Winter Wellness prevention before the lurgies set in.

For Well-being and Clear Breathing: doTERRA On Guard, Eucalyptus, and Peppermint

To help protect against seasonal threats and support healthy immune function, you're going to want to be diffusing On Guard in your home. I have mine going daily, sometimes combined with Lemon or Wild Orange or Elevation and the place smells heavenly! I've also added a drop to my hot choocie for the dreamiest drink ever to warm your bones and support your immune system at the same time.

Lucky for us though, there are many great doTERRA On Guard products to aid in supporting healthy immune function, not just the oil blend. So these add protection in our home against winter lurgies, all whilst doing the jobs we want these products to do at the same time (eg. wash our hands, clean our teeth).

Cleaner concentrate

Laundry liquid

Foaming hand soap

Toothpaste

On guard beadlets

On guard soft gels (from USA)

A couple of oils I use to help promote clear breathing include Eucalyptus and Peppermint oil, and the Easy Air/ Breathe blend as well, which is my favourite to diffuse with Lavender in our bedrooms before bed each night.

All of these can be used in similar ways but you must dilute them all with a carrier oil before applying to the skin.

• apply over chest with carrier oil
• add to steamy bathwater
• diffuse at night to aid in promoting feelings of open airways
• use in a steam inhalation bowl (be sure to close your eyes tight)

Be careful to dilute both Eucalyptus and Peppermint for skin sensitivity. (For young or particularly sensitive essential oil users, consider using Melaleuca and Spearmint oil in place of Eucalyptus and Peppermint. Both are gentler oils that can assist in feelings of clear breathing.)

More info on the benefits of these oils can be found by clicking below:

On Guard

Easy Air/Breathe

Peppermint

For Digestion and Cravings: DigestZen and Slim & Sassy

These two oils can help alleviate discomfort and support healthy digestive function.

And our immune system starts in our gut so the better you look after your gut, the better your immune health will be, and the less likely you are to get winter sniffles and sickness.

Fennel, Peppermint, and Ginger are just a few of the oils in DigestZen, the “tummy tamer” blend which has so many success stories attached to it if you start to talk to people who have used this for themselves and their family. I know it's one blend I'd be lost without! 

Rub DigestZen (diluted) on your stomach or the bottom of your feet to help relieve occasional stomach discomfort, or when you need the big guns out (really sore tummy, eaten something you weren't sure about, nauseous feelings), put a drop in a small glass of water and down the hatch it goes (bonus if you add activated charcoal here too).

Slim & Sassy, known as the Metabolic Blend, not only helps to curb cravings and manage your appetite (when we tend to overeat in cooler months and eat more), but also helps support a healthy metabolism when taken internally. A few drops of Slim & Sassy in a glass of cold water can support cravings you might be having and ease discomfort in your tummy as well.

The aromas of Grapefruit and Cinnamon, along with Lemon, Peppermint, and Ginger, are also uplifting and comforting. 

For Smoother Hydrated Skin: Rose Touch and Lavender

Cold, dry, and windy weather leaves our skin dry and irritated, feeling not the best ever am I right? It's not fun and not matter how much water you drink, it's not gonna cut it. We need moisture, hydration and ingredients both topically and internally, as well as looking at lifestyle factors.

Rose oil is known to reduce the appearance of skin imperfections and has a calming and reassuring aroma.

Use Lavender oil and doTERRA Rose Touch oil with your moisturiser to soothe, moisturise, and ease occasional irritation and dryness, bringing back a balance of moisture to your skin.

Together these oils can be especially useful for soothing chapped knuckles, elbows and knees.

I love the Hydrating Cream in Winter as the Verage moisturiser I adore isn’t always enough for me when my skin is super thirsty for more. This cream is packed with emollient-rich ingredients and probiotics to provide intense hydration and nourishment to the skin, but it is not heavy or thick on my skin at all. It's a dream!

I still use the Verage serum first though, after a spritz toner, and add oils to both serum and cream.

Always remember your hands too!

Learn more about Rose, Lavender and the Hydrating Cream at these links.

For Uplifting and Motivation: doTERRA Cheer, doTERRA Motivate, and Neroli Touch

Any oil in the doTERRA Emotional Aromatherapy System can be used to help alleviate negative emotions that arise during the winter, but two oils in particular can help lift your mood when you are unhappy or discouraged... and right now, I have definitley been feeling both of these 😳

Cheer Uplifting Blend combines citrus and spice oils to provide a boost when you need cheering up (rolls literally all over body this morning).

Motivate Encouraging Blend utilises the calming and uplifting benefits of citrus and mint oils to energise you, give you courage to face pessimism and doubts, and help create feelings of self-assurance. MY FAV BLEND! Citrus 🍊 + 🌿Mint = Happiness in a bottle for me!

Another great oil for relieving occasional anxious or unsettled feelings is Neroli Touch (which also doubles to help soothe our skin). I use this on my palms and cup your hands over your nose, breathing deeply, to feel more relaxed and at peace. I also love this combined with any floral oil as a daily perfume.... Neroli + Magnolia being my current love.

So, I love using all three of these for my own DIY mood management! As a mama, I def need a little help from Mama Nature most days and I find the oils are the perfect little handbag addition to help lift my spirits and bring a little sunshine back into my day.

ALSO... I want to add a few more tid-bits for Winter Wellness even though this is a post mainly on my beloved doterra essential oils.

• stay hydrated - hugely important as we tend to dry out with heaters and hot showers
• keep eating your veggies - it doesn't need to be salad. Warm veggie soups, stews, roasted are all full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants for supporting good health during Winter
• add in some supplements if you're feeling something coming on or are surrounded with sick friends, family, colleagues, or if you work in air-conditioning building all day. Check out my fav immune support supplements at the moment over here
• get outside in the sunshine - vitamin D levels tend to hit rock bottom in Winter as we venture outside less but this very important vitamin is necessary for so many bodily functions and performing at our best
• keep sugar and dairy levels low, and cut them out completely if you get a cough, the flu, or anything where you feel blocked up, stiff and sore

There you go guys! I hope you got something out of this.

If you don't already have your own account to order doterra essential oils to your door, whenever you like, jump over and have a read of how and why I use them in my home and how you can too. And then if you decide they're for you, you can also follow the instructions to create your own account and get your first oils.