How We Use Essential Oils: A Day in the Life of an Oily Mama and Wife

I have had lots of request to share all about how I use essential oils in my home on a daily basis. You probably already know I’m a Young Living Oils Distributor with a lovely team of ladies working with me; but it didn’t always look like this, y’all. I started out very slowly.

This has been an 9 month journey for me. When you see all that I’m doing below, understand that this is where I am now. My essential oils daily routine looked a lot different when I first started out. I know it will continue to look different in the future as I grow and learn. I would like to do even better, like by adding in supplements, for example.

What does a day in the life of an oily mama and wife look like in the Myers house?

It all starts with the “Great Day Protocol”

I like to start my day by getting dressed, putting on my makeup, and taking care of my morning essential oils routine. Part of that routine is “Gary Young’s Great Day Protocol“. I start with a drop of valor on my wrist and inhale deeply 3 times. Second, I put drop of Harmony on my tummy (or Northern Lights/Black Spruce). Third, I rub a drop of Joy (or if you don’t like Joy, your favorite oil) over my heart.

Lastly, I place a drop of White Angelica in my hands, rub them together and put it on the top of my head, then wipe it all the way down.  After I have finished with the oils, I pray for myself and my day. I figured in the Bible they anointed people with oil and prayed over them so why not? I specifically pray that God will apply a shield around me – and that I will watch my mouth. 😉

One tip: if you don’t enjoy a particular smell, try pairing it with something that is more tree- or citrusy-like, like pine/spruce or grapefruit.

Some “Personal” Tips

I brush my teeth every day with Thieves peppermint toothpaste. It doesn’t foam like conventional toothpastes, but that’s just because it doesn’t contain any of those foaming agents that aren’t good for you. If they’re posting “do not swallow” on a toothpaste label,  then why would you and I want to scrub it all around our mouths? Doesn’t make sense!

I use Thieves Dentarome Plus toothpaste – wait for it – in my armpits as deodorant. I know it sounds crazy, but I didn’t make this up. Check out Alana Bookhout’s B to the O for the full instructions. I put about a dime-sized amount into wet hands and just rub them together before using my hands to apply to my arm pits. Word to the wise, don’t put this on right after you shave your arm pits. I’ve heard (from other people, of course) that it feels like the fiery, burning pits of hell if you make this mistake.

After I get out of shower, I put a small bit of almond oil in my hands with a drop of either Frankincense or Gentle Baby essential oils, and then I gently rub it on my face. These are my two favorites and I alternate every few days. I always do this before I go to bed each night.

If we have boo-boos we use lavender. It’s called the swiss army knife of oils because it does everything you want it to do. I have a roller-ball-topped bottle that’s filled with lavender and a carrier oil (like sweet almond or fractionated coconut oil). Super convenient, I can just whip it out whenever we need.

For Eli, I mostly alternate these oils – Lemon, Lavender, and Peppermint (LLP) and a combo of Eucalyptus, Frankincense, and Copiaba  (smells like the woods) on his feet every morning. Peace and calming works wonders on Eli when he’s having a hard time with his emotions.

Annie’s oil of choice is Stress Away. She likes to use it before bed each night to help her turn her brain off and relax. I have these blends diluted in a roller ball and just rub it behind their ears.

At night before we go to bed, we all like to put a little RC on the bottom of our feet, which helps promote a quiet night’s sleep, free from the annoyance of sound. If you maybe got a little bit too “exercise-y” during the day, you can also put PanAway on the bottoms of your feet or on any area that needs extra support. Really soothing!

Barry’s Oils of Choice

Barry loves the Shutran Beard Oil. He also takes Peppermint for digestive support – just a drop or two in a capsule that I fill the rest of the way with carrier oil. I make his cologne with fractionated coconut oil and Northern Lights Black Spruce or Finance because I love the way they smell – very manly and tree-ish.

Using Oils Throughout our Home

We all have diffusers in our bedrooms and there’s one in the kitchen and another in the living room.

If I cook something and it smells bad, like fish, or if I burn a hole in a wet dishcloth (that’s what happens when I try to multi-task!), then I always diffuse Purification. If this happens, I’ll keep the diffusers running all night and day, until they run out of water. But by then the house smells awesome – completely normal.

My favorite essential oils to put in the diffusers each morning are peppermint and orange. These are two of my favorite smells – very energizing. And bonus, they are also super affordable.

In our bedrooms at night, we all like to diffuse essential oils, like Peace and Calming, Lavender, Cedarwood and/or Frankincense. I have a sleepy spray that we put on the kids pillows each night with those same essential oils. It really creates a calm atmosphere that helps everyone sleep better.

All our bathrooms have a foam soap made with 1/4 cup of Dr. Bronner’s Baby Unscented Liquid Castile Soap (I buy mine from Vitacost) and 10 drops of Thieves oil. All you have to do is stir it together and top it off with some water. Easy as pie.

We have a “Church Protocol” specifically for Sundays.  We diffuse Thieves in the morning and use Thieves Hand Purifier in the car after we leave church. When we get home, we diffuse more Thieves.

For our family, reaching for our oils instead of chemical based cleaners has become a habit.

In our laundry, I put 4 drops of Tea Tree Oil in with our loads of towels. This keeps them from ever getting that awful funky towel smell.

Eucalyptus is a great grease stain remover. All you have to do is put a few drops on a grease stain and let it sit overnight – the stain comes right out! Essential oils are not the same structure as fatty oils.  The essential oil molecules are so compact (that’s why they are so effectively absorbed thru the skin) that the Eucalyptus oil doesn’t just sit on the top of the stain, but instead it actually breaks through the grease to remove the stain.

Drinking more water

I am trying to drink more water – not just coffee – every day. One way I’m doing that is by adding Vitality essential oils and a little bit of Real Salt to my water. (I got that tip from Kitchen Stewardship). I’m really bad at measuring; I just say, “Oh, that looks good.”

Just add a pinch of Real Salt to your glass and top off with 2 drops of essential oils and cold water. A fatty oil like coconut oil, would just float on top of the glass, but the essential oils have smaller molecules so they will permeate all the water in the glass. I especially love Grapefruit Vitality, but you can try Lime Vitality, Lemon Vitality, Peppermint Vitality, etc. It’s so refreshing!

 Few Oily Notes

As far as safety with children goes, you can ask a lot of people and get a lot of different answers.  I recommended researching for yourself to find your own level of comfort with oils for your household.

I know there are certain oils that cats (or dogs) don’t like. Check out this excellent pet safety webinar by Shannon Hudson.

What do you need to get started?

All you need to get started is 10-20 essential oils – that’s it.  Young Living offers these great essential oils starter kits that allow you to get your feet wet without feeling overwhelmed. I know lots of people are tempted to buy just one oil and try it out… like maybe, Tea Tree Oil for their laundry. I don’t recommend for anyone to just buy individual oils because it doesn’t make mathematical sense. But buying a starter kit does!

When you  purchase a starter kit, you are getting a $310+ value for just $160! After that, you get 24% off every oil you purchase. If you start with a kit you get a much better deal! It might not work for some of you, depending on your budget, but it’s something I believe is worth saving up for.

If you want more information, just email me or you can find me at livinglighthearted.com. I’d love for you to join our Oily Team!