Essential Oil Tips For Busy Households
Lately I’ve been hearing a lot from people that they’re super busy and that there’s no way they could fit essential oils into their busy lifestyle. First of all, I want to say that I can totally relate! I used to feel like it was just one more thing and with a packed schedule I wasn’t sure it would work for me. If this sounds familiar, keep reading. Once I figured out some tricks to making essential oils fit seamlessly into my life, they become my go to for natural wellness options. So, today I thought I’d share my “Top 5” Tips to set you up for success so that you can make using essential oils as easy and convenient as possible and fit them into your busy life too!
TOP 5 TIPS
#1 - Stash Your Oils Around The House
As I mentioned before, getting started with essential oils was exciting, but I often felt like it was an extra rather than part of my routine and I was constantly running all over the house to grab the one oil that I had or the oil I needed at that moment. So the very first thing I did was stash my oils around the house so that I had my oils available to me in the places I used them. Here are some examples:
I kept essential oils like Tranquil Roll-On, Lavender, and Cedarwood in my bedroom.
Any essential oils I used in my skin care routine, like Frankincense, Geranium, Manuka and Tea Tree, were stored in my bathroom.
I put my cooking and baking oils (Vitality essential oils) like Black Pepper, Cinnamon Bark, Peppermint, Thyme, Basil, Rosemary, Nutmeg, Lime, Lemon, etc. (I’m sure I’m missing a few) in my kitchen cabinets.
I kept our everyday oils that we used frequently in a centralized location (Owie, Peace & Calming, Valor, Thieves, and so many more). We used a shelf we got on Etsy from Tucker Design Company, but you can use drawer organizers or bins. Do whatever works best for you, but I highly recommend keeping them visible because often when they aren’t, it’s like the saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind.”
And when I was on the go I filled up my essential oil travel bags (my two faves were from The Wildbloomery and Modern Maker with the basics so I had what I needed while I was out.
Pro Tip - If there’s an oil you use often, pour part of the bottle into another container so you can access it in multiple places, or depending on your budget, grab a few more for each floor in your home and your go bag. This way you’ll never be without.
#2 - Make A Roller
Another fabulous way to make using your oils more convenient is to turn them into rollers. Why? Well, if you’ve ever used essential oils before you may have noticed that some oils come out fast, others come out super slow, and sometimes it means making a mess. Rollers are a great way to regulate the amount of essential oils you use and it’s also a great way to dilute your oils especially if you have sensitive skin. So what’s involved in making a roller? Not much…I’m not much of a DIYer, so if I can make them, you can too! Here’s what you’ll need:
Roller bottles (10 ml or 15 ml) - You can grab these from lots of places, but if you don’t want to spend a fortune take a peek on Amazon first. Look for a set that includes a small funnel.
Essential Oils of choice - We are a Young Living family and I highly recommend them because of their Seed To Seal Guarantee. If you want the best of the best when it comes to essential oils, feel free to use my Friends & Family Link.
Carrier Oil of choice - Make sure you check out my Carrier Oils post on the blog so you know which one(s) are right for you. My go-to is usually Young Living’s V-6 Carrier, but there are tons of options.
Now that you have what you need, here’s what you do:
Add 10-20 drops of essential oil.
Fill to the top with carrier oil.
Pop on the roller top, make sure it’s snug (some even click when they are in place), and screw on the cap.
You can also add roller tops directly to your essential oil bottles. Just remove the plastic piece (orifice reducer) at the top first. This is a great way to reuse old essential oil bottles once they’ve been cleaned out. Or add the roller top to a full bottle of a gentle essential oil you know you don’t have to dilute. Adding the roller top just makes application so much easier and less messy. For all you moms out there, this is the BEST way to use oils with kiddos!
Pro Tip - Always check the labels prior to applying essential oils directly on the skin (neat application) and use your common sense. A good place to start is with gentle essential oils like Lavender, Valor, Peace & Calming, Stress Away, and Frankincense. If you want to use spicier oils stick to the bottoms of the feet where there’s thicker skin.
#3 - Make A Master Blend For The Diffuser
Diffusing is such a great way to use your essential oils because you benefit just by breathing them in. However, sometimes the diffuser recipes we choose have several oils and the amount of drops for each is different which can make it feel like a hassle. So here’s what I do…Because I’m a lazy oiler, I make something called a Master Blend. All that means is I fill a dropper bottle with my blend. So instead of pulling out each individual bottle I need for the diffuser blend I can pull out my Master Blend containing my pre-mixed oils and just put in the number of drops I want in my diffuser and turn it on. Again this is super easy because we want to take the path of least resistance. So here’s what you’ll need:
Dropper Bottle(s) (1 oz - 2 oz) - Depending on your budget, you can grab these on Etsy or Amazon.
Essential Oils in the Diffuser Blend - You can do a Google search and find tons of diffuser recipes or go to the Young Living Blog.
Once you’ve created your Master Blend, use the dropper to add the blend to your diffuser. What’s easier than that? You can have a Master Blend for each room or use the same one all throughout the house. So many options!
#4 - Keep Water Nearby
Another sticking point for me was filling up the diffusers with water each time I wanted to use them. Just the thought of unplugging the cord, taking off the top, going to the bathroom or kitchen sink to fill them up, and then plugging it back in again just wasn’t my favorite activity. It just seemed like wasted time especially when I had to fill a bunch of diffusers all at once. Are you struggling with this too? So here’s what did which was a game changer...I kept a bottle of water next to your diffuser. This gets you a few uses before having to refill and it means the diffuser can stay put and you just fill up the bottle. I like to repurpose our glass NingXia Red bottles for this because they’re a good size and clear so I can see how much water is left. Then I can see when I need to fill it up, but any bottle will do.
#5 - Grab Some Diffuser Jewelry
My last tip for today is probably my favorite because it combines jewelry with essential oils! If you want to be around your oils all day, diffuser jewelry might be the way to go. You can find everything from essential oil vial necklaces to diffuser bracelets and earrings. Some of my favorite places to grab these items are The Wildbloomery that I mentioned above and EngenEssentials. Whatever you decide, have fun with it!
I hope this helped you to see how you can fit essential oils into your busy life. It’s easy if you set yourself up for success by making it so convenient that it becomes the obvious choice. Leave a comment below with your favorite tip or the tip that helped you the most. Come back again soon for some more from the Blossom & Thrive Blog!
