What’s an Oily Mama?

Alright, what’s this new term that has surfaced  “oily mama”? Maybe you want to be an oily mama too! Well first off, you need to know they’re talking about essential oils. I know…it sounds a lot freak-ier than that. Just oils. Get your mind out of the gutter girl!  Why are they all the rage now? They actually have been used forever, but companies like DoTerra and Young Living have brought it all to social media. This marketing is reaching younger generations and people in general that never paid attention (that was me). This is awesome news though ladies! You shouldn’t look over what’s been used for thousands of years. Especially if you’re a mom that wants more natural alternatives for your children and home.

I get it, oils are sort of intimidating. Allow me to give you the gist in a simple post. Firstly, essential oils are not oils, there are no fatty acids, and is made up of organic compounds. Essential oils are highly-concentrated and highly-fragranced compounds of leaves, roots, flowers, barks, and plants. A lot of mainstream pharmaceutical companies still use these compounds, but since penicillin came out, a lot of synthetic drugs came to light. The attention has been taken away from plant-based medicine not too long ago.

There are different ways to extract the oils from steam distillation to carbon dioxide extraction, to cold-pressing, and a few others. Steam is the most common, carbon dioxide is the least unaltered, and cold-pressing is used for citrus oils. The one distraction method you don’t want is solvent extraction, which can leave behind solvents in the oils.

5 things you need to know before you get started with EOS:

1. Skip oils all together the first trimester if pregnant.
2. There’s a 5-year shelf life away from the sun.
3. Never buy something labeled “fragrance oil”.
4. Do not use citrus within 12 hours of sunlight exposure, due to phototoxicity.
5. Cancer patients should avoid certain oils, so always check.

When you do select oils, you will need a carrier oil to apply safely to your skin. Some great carrier oils are almond oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, olive oil, and jojoba oil. Different methods for using oils are diffusing, aromatherapy, or therapeutically. I never ingest the oils. Also, when using a diffuser certain oils can damage the diffuser. Some diffusers have special instructions on water use, oils, and care. Not all diffusers are quality. Do your homework on them. I prefer ceramic plated diffusers.

Now that you know the basics, let’s jump into the main oils used. Lavender is extremely calming and great for aromatherapy. Lemon is a natural detoxifier that also boosts alertness. Rose oil is excellent for moods and has many benefits to help aging skin. Those are just a few of my favorite oils and is perfect for beginners.

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Join the conversation! What are your favorite oils?