Alright ladies, if you experience any of the following symptoms, sit down, buckle up, and prepare yourself to find the cure to almost all of them, because I’m about to spill some major natural remedy tea:
- Headaches
- Sleeping Problems
- Period problems (cramps, bloating, back pain, etc.)
- Acne flare-ups
- Stress/mild anxiety
- Frequent illness
- Indigestion
And be sure to read until the end to get a bonus tip for studying!
As someone who experiences all of these problems myself, I use essential oils almost every day to keep these symptoms under wrap in order to feel my best. Now, before you go around calling me “earthy-crunchy,” a hippie, or completely dismissing it as a placebo effect, let me explain the miracles they have worked on my physical and mental well-being.
My sister introduced essential oils to me mid-way through my junior year of high school. She dealt with similar symptoms to me (as I’m sure most girls do) and swore that essential oils helped keep most of them regulated. Quick disclaimer: I use all Young Living essential oils, but most of the names are pretty generic and can be found by a variety of brands, just make sure whatever you are buying is natural with no added substances.
Headaches
Headaches can ruin an entire day of productivity if the pain is bad enough (at least for me). To help alleviate the pain, apply 1-2 drops of panaway to your temples and base of neck. This can be applied directly to the skin, so if you have sensitive skin there is no need to worry about causing a reaction (I have sensitive skin, so I know from experience!). This typically dissipates my headaches in about 5 minutes, and I usually don’t have to reapply during the day.
Sleeping Problems
If you have trouble falling and staying asleep like me, then lavender will be your best friend for the rest of your life. Every night 10-15 minutes before you go to sleep, either diffuse or apply 1-2 drops of lavender on your temples and it will send you into a blissful sleep. All you need to do to diffuse an oil is to get yourself a nice little diffuser (can be found on Amazon), fill it up with water, and add 2-3 drops of lavender to it and you are all set for a goodnight’s sleep!
Period Problems
No one likes dealing with the bodily stresses that come with periods. For cramps, apply panaway, copaiba, and lavender on your pelvic region. You can apply 1-2 drops of each oil directly onto your skin or you can buy fractionated coconut oil and put a little in your palms and add 1-2 drops of each oil, rub together, and then apply to your skin (my preferred method). For back aches, apply 1-2 drops of panaway and copaiba (again, directly or with coconut oil) to the site of pain. I use these two combinations a lot during my periods and they truly are a life saver and make that awful time of the month a little easier to cope with.
Acne Flare-ups
Acne can be very annoying, whether it’s caused by stress, hormones, periods, etc. To treat this with oils, you will need tea tree oil and a carrier oil (grape seed oil, jojoba oil, rose hip seed oil, etc.) and a mini roller (can be found on Amazon in large packs). Tea tree oil should not be applied directly to the skin, it can cause irritation that will only cause acne to worsen. To make the roller, apply 10-15 drops of carrier oil and 2-3 drops of tea tree oil. Then, take a q-tip and apply some of the mixture on the cotton and use as a spot treatment for those annoying zits.
Stress and Anxiety
No amount of oils can cure anxiety, but it may help with some of the symptoms for a temporary alleviant. Just diffuse 2-3 drops each of Stress Away, copaiba, and frankincense. Not only will your room smell amazing, but you’ll feel yourself start to calm as the concentration of the oils builds in your room the longer you run the diffuser.
Immune Support
I am someone who is always sick because my immune system is not the strongest. To help with this, I diffuse 2-3 drops of thieves if I feel a cold or illness coming on. Now, thieves is not meant to cure or even prevent illness, it is simply supposed to help your immune system during cold and flu season (the effects are different for everyone!). You can also make a roller out of 10-15 drops of carrier oil, 5 drops of thieves, and 5 drops of lemon for year-round immune support. Apply the roller to your temples, wrists, and bottoms of your feet in order to keep your immune system strong.
If you’re like me and have seasonal allergies, raven is your life saver. You can either apply this directly to your chest (like a vapor rub) or diffuse it for respiratory support and to alleviate allergy symptoms.
Indigestion
For all my ladies who display a signs of lactose intolerance but can’t give up cheese or ice cream (like me) and experience indigestion, I have come to answer all your dairy filled prayers. Using the fractionated coconut oil I mentioned before, put a good amount in the palm of your hand and add 3 drops of digize and 1 drop of peppermint (peppermint is considered a “hot oil,” meaning it can cause irritation on sensitive skin. If you have sensitive skin like me, feel free to leave this out or add more coconut oil). This will feel tingly but that is normal – it’s just the oils doing their magic. This should alleviate any stomach pain, and it may make you a little gassy due to it helping your digestive process move along.
Bonus Study Tip
Got an exam coming up and have lots of studying ahead? No problem! Just diffuse one of your favorite oils while you are studying, and then on the day of the exam, apply the oil to your temples, wrists, base of neck, etc. and it will help you remember the information you studied while diffusing the oil. My favorite oil to do this with is lavender because it is my favorite smell and it can promote relaxation during a stressful time (like studying).
If you have any further questions regarding usage or types of oils, you can follow my sister’s Instagram page dedicated to essential oils, @life_changing_oils. Happy diffusing!