Welcome Katie Drexler to talk about Essential Oils in the Home

Hello all.

The week before last, when we were all in our flu-prevention/treatment mode, Katie Drexler commented about how she used essential oils in her home.

I was  particularly interested because I have experimented with them some, but I'm really a novice at it.

I reached out to Katie and asked if she would consider sharing her knowledge with us. She graciously agreed, so today, I bring you Katie and her wisdom and experience using essential oils in her home. 

Essential Oils in The Home

Hello from this pure-bred South Dakota girl! I am excited to be with you guys today on the other side of the blog! Huge thanks to Cate for inviting me on to talk about how we use Essential Oils in our home.

 When I started to think about what I was going to share I started listing off what we use oils for and realized my husband and I use essential oils in our everyday living often. If you are working with essential oils make sure you are using a reliable brand. I personally prefer doTERRA oils. Today I am going to touch base on four different uses:

1)     Flu Bomb

I got this recipe from one of my mom-friends she is a mother of FOUR and this is what she had to say about it “Every time someone has had something here, either stomach flu or influenza, I do this and it shortens and lessens the severity AND prevents the others from getting it.” Special thanks to Missy for the recipe! Now this recipe does call for one specific oil that is sold by doTERRA called On Guard. Link here: https://www.doterra.com/US/en/p/on-guard-oil

Things You Need

On Guard, Oregano, Lemon, and Melaleuca (Tea Tree) essential oils, and carrier oil of choice (I use fractionated coconut oil)

Mix one drop of each with one Tbsp of carrier oil. You can apply to soles of feet, chest, or throat. If you have a diffuser you can also diffuse a drop of each without carrier oil. When we are sick, my husband and I actually will put a drop or two of each oil we are using in a glass with a small amount of our favorite juice to mask the taste as much as we can and just drink it. (Remember to make sure all the oils you are using are made to be ingested) I like to do that because your body doesn’t have to wait for a capsule to dissolve. You can also use a vegetable capsule to take the blend internally. It is said that oregano is natures antibiotic so it doesn’t hurt to diffuse it on its own.

2)     Cleaning the Kitchen Sink with Lemon Oil

Things You Need 

Lemon oil, non-scratch scrub pad, and paper towels

I know this may sound silly because it is so simple! One of my favorite things to do is to clean the kitchen sink out with a few drops of lemon oil. It leaves a nice shine and smells lemony fresh! All you have to do is put just a few drops of lemon oil in the sink, scrub it around until you feel you have scrubbed all the grub out of your sink, rinse with water and wipe out with a paper towel. I took a photo and it doesn’t do the shiny sink justice, but it still looks good!xx

3)     Cleaning Dogs Ears 

Things You Need

Dogs with dirty waxy ears, cotton balls, Melaleuca oil, Fractionated Coconut oil, dog treat (bribes are ok sometimes), and an extra human

Our dogs have big floppy ears and at times they get something in them that causes them to get wax build up and causes what could be a dog version of an ear infection. A dog’s skin can be sensitive so you must use caution by doing a test spot before going full on with the oils. Because Melaleuca is so strong you just mix one drop of the oil with about a teaspoon and a half of fractionated coconut oil. You then let a cotton ball soak up the oil and get your extra human to help soothe the dog while you gently clean their ear with the oiled cotton ball. Just do not go all the way in the ear. If you have a dog with more folds in their ear a Q-tip will work as long as you have the dog secure so they wont move. Once all is said and done, give the pup a treat and they will immediately forgive you for making them live through a trauma that could keep them out of the vet’s office. Usually we have to do this about two or three times, no more than once a day, before it is fully clear. If trying this please do use caution and make sure it is deluted properly and if you are using a brand that you don't know is pure melaleuca oil please ask your vet before using on your pet. 

 Cate back adding a note: I know that tea tree oil is very dangerous for cats because apparently there is something in there that their bodies can't process, so if you have cats in the house, take extra care!

4)     Peppermint for Motion Sickness and Headaches

Things You Need

Peppermint oil (either in a roll-on or plain)

Living in the Black Hills sometimes it feels like I am riding in a roller coaster because I struggle with motion sickness. Then I discovered my peppermint roll-on oil! If you don’t have a roll-on, all you need to do is take one drop of peppermint oil and place it by your temples. The aroma will do the work from there! Do a test patch on your skin first and if you need to make sure you dilute it with a carrier oil. The premade roll-on already does that work for you or you can purchase roll-on bottles and make one yourself with peppermint oil and a carrier oil of choice.

These are just four ways we use oils in our every day lives and I am so glad I got to share today! Now I will leave you with a final photo of a Curry Thai vegetable chicken soup I made for my husband this last week. Sorry no recipe, but I can tell you I used ginger essential oil in it for flavor and that is why I wanted to share! He gave it a 7 out of 10 only because it did not have pita bread to go with it. I would say pretty good score considering I don’t care for curry and it was a special soup just for him!

Thank you so much, Katie for being with us today. I'd love to hear from others in the comments with any of your own experiences or questions!