Essential Oils are natural oils that are derived from a certain plant and take on healing properties along with the fragrance of said plant. In regards to Western medicine, essential oils are the better option because they are constantly strengthening and detoxifying the immune system whereas pharmaceutical drugs can actually become toxic in overuse and don’t always improve the immune system.

**You can put these oils into a diffuser and allow your room or house to fill up with these lovely and helpful smells! Or, you can out a few drops on your fingers and rub them on your temples, back of ears, stomach, wrists, or underneath your nose.**

**If your diffuser is a cool-air nebulizing diffuser, you will need to multiply the blend by 10 in a 15-milliliter glass bottle.**

**Essential oils are powerful. It is possible to be allergic so try putting a little on a small area of skin on your arm or leg (never on your face or neck) to make sure you don’t have an allergy. If you’re on any kind of medication check with your doctor before.**

**Always make sure that the oils you buy are grade-A and labeled as therapeutic. Other bottles will contain additives. DoTERRA is the best brand possible but is also very expensive.**

While there are many blends of essential oils, here are a few that may prove “essential” to you in these coming Winter months!

Relieving Congestion:

• Eucalyptus(5)/Camphor(3)[don’t use around children or infants because too much of this oil can prove toxic to them]/Peppermint(2)[for sinus w/cough, add 3 drops of cedarwood]

Cough Relief & Clearing Lungs:

• Hyssop(4)/Cedarwood(3)/Frankincense(3)/Anise Oil(2)

Anti-Bacterial:

• Bergamot(4)/Lemon(4)/Lemongrass(4)

Sleep Aid:

• Eucalyptus(5)/Lavender(5)

Illness & Immunity:

• Clove Bud(5)/Lemon(4)/Cinnamon Bark(4)/Eucalyptus(2)/Rosemary(1)

Not only are colds the products of Winter, but so are Finals. Consider these blends to get you through them!

Calming the Stress of Finals:

• Geranium(2)/Clary Sage(2)/Patchouli(1)/Ylang Ylang(1)

Run for 30 minutes to 1 hour before going to bed, or apply 1 to 2 drops of this blend to palms and take 3 to 5 deep belly breaths.

Anti-Agitation Blend:

• Cedarwood(10)/Orange(5)/Chamomile(3)

Are you struggling with Depression or Anxiety? These blends might help!

To Make the Anxiety Wash Away:

• Cedarwood(2)/Wild Orange(2)/Ylang Ylang(1)/Patchouli(1)

Run for 30 minutes to 1 hour before going to bed.

For a Calming Mood:

• Clary Sage(2)/Lavender(2)/Bergamot(1)

Run for 30 minutes to 1 hour before going to bed.

Mood-Lifting:

• Grapefruit(8)/Lavender(5)/Geranium(2)

Combine the essential oils with 4 tbsp. of a carrier oil such as coconut oil or organic argan oil and store in a dark glass bottle. Or, add 1/2 tbsp. to the bath or use as a full-body massage oil.

There are so many different essential oils and blends for certain things. These are only a handful and if you want a more detailed description of what essential oils are and why they are beneficial, you can search these websites:

• Medicinal Essential Oil Recipe Blends for Cold and Flu Season
• Essential Oil Diffuser Blends for Stress
• Top 15 Essential Oils for Depression
• Three Essential Oil Blends for Anxiety and Worries
• Top 10 Back to School Diffuser Blends