Winter Essential Oils and Their Uses.

Oils for the holidays fall into three categories- the oils used to scent the home with the fragrance of the holidays, the oils used on ( or internally) by the individual ( this means you) to help promote a peaceful, healthy holiday, and the oils given as gift to introduce your friends and family to the use of essential oils.

For scenting the home, try Spruce.
Pure Spruce oils soft pine-y smell invokes the emotional response of the joy and comfort a warmly lit, beautifully decorated Christmas tree brings, or, to some it might bring the invigorating clarity of a frosty morning walking in a snow filled pine woods.
Spruce Oils fits the season as far as our senses go, and it supports respiratory function and nervous system function. Both of these systems can use extra support in the winter months.

Christmas Spirit is another good choice for scenting the home- this blend was developed just for that purpose. Christmas spirit is a sweet yet spicy blend that always reminds me of good things cooking for the holidays. It's aroma is joyful and the oils in the blend promote a peaceful feeling and a calm, relaxed nervous system response. If you have cats in the house, use a little at a time until they get used to it, cats are sensitive to citrus oils. Start with just 5 minutes of diffusing.

If you don't have a diffuser yet, you can place drops of oil on cotton balls and place the cotton balls in the vent of your home heating system. If you have a table top water fall, just put a few drops of the oils in the water. For bathroom and kitchen, put a few drops of oils in the sink and then run the tap water on high. ( not hot, high). You can also buy a small spray bottle, fill with cold water and then add drops of oil ( about 10 drops to a pint of water), spray as you would an air freshener. For the bedroom, place a few drops of oil on a tissue and place inside your pillowcase.

In the winter, not only do people face the stress of the holidays, but also the physical and psychological stress of winter. If you live in a northern climate, the lack of sunshine and severe cold can be a burden to your hormonal and nervous system, as well as your immune system.

If I had to choose just one oil to use in the winter, it would be Thieves. This oil can be applied to the bottom of the feet to help the body fight illness, it's components are anit-viral and anti-bacterial as well as being anti-oxidants, which help the immune system. It can be taken internally ( I place 3 drops on my tongue, and then drink my glass of vitamin c mix each morning), Thieves can also be diffused to kill pathogens in the environment ( start with just a few minutes, the oils in this blend can irritate the eyes and mucous membranes if you get to much of it in the air).

My second choice is Immupower, which I use a few drops of each day, on the bottom of my feet and on my neck ( to allow absorption into the lymph and blood system for the neck and head, and for faster absorption to the brain). This blend contains Frankincense, cistus, oregano, Idaho tansy, cumin, clove, hyssop, ravensara and mountain savory. It strengthens immunity, is said to help repair DNA damage and is antiseptic and anti-infectious. Some one told me recently that studies show the average person has numerous colds over the holidays. I can't remember the last time I had a cold, and I've been using this oil blend in the winter for 5 seasons.

Immuopower has a earthy, spicy fragrance and can be worn by either guys or gals as a perfume oil. So you can easily wear it during the day to support your health. If the scent is to earthy for you, add a drop or two of geranium, tangerine or ylang ylang for a softer scent.

The third oil I keep on hand for the winter season is RC. This blend of 4 types of eucalyptus, myrtle, pine, spruce, marjoram, lavender, cypress, and peppermint is a very effective blend for relief from the symptoms ( as well as the necessary support for the body systems involved) of colds, flu, bronchitis, sinusitis, respiratory congestion, coughs, sore throat, and other winter illness. The scent is warm and comforting when the body is not feeling well. A few drops inhaled, rubbed on the feet or rubbed onto the chest bring relief quickly.

There are many other oils that would be of assistance if illness crept into your holiday, these are just my top three. As always, contact me if you want more suggestions.

Now, last but not least- oils to give as gifts.
I think giving oils for the holiday is a great way to introduce those you love to the use of pure therapeutic grade essential oils. If you can afford it, giving the Every Day Oils kit is the best way to go. It comes with an oil users guide and the kit has enough oils to last long enough for the recipient to really use and see the results of the oils.

Remember, when you are giving oils, tell the recipient that they should get all the artificial chemicals out of their personal care products ASAP, those chemicals can adversely effect the oils action in the body, and the oils will not be quite as effective. (Give them a gift certificate to a health food store and tell them to go get all natural soap, shampoo and conditioner, as well as skin cream).

If The Every day Oils Kit is not in your budget, the next best choice is the Essential Seven Kit. It contains the 7 most used oils and is an excellent bargain kit. Again, an oils users guide is included, and I encourage you to make sure the recipient reads the safety instruction. You probably know how easy it is to accidentally get oils in your eyes, make sure the recipient knows what to do if this occurs, ( milk! rinse with milk!) or if skin irritation occurs ( cut with massage oil! ).

If the Essential 7 kit is not in your budget, and you are giving to someone with health issues, give the gift of peppermint, and lavender. These two oils can be used in so many ways, they make a nice starting point for oils use. Make sure your recipient knows how to use these oils for a variety of symptoms.

If you want to give something to relax or sooth the spirit, try one of the fragrant flower oils, or oils blends for emotional balancing, like joy, valor, abundance, believe, hope, release, sensation, inner child, gathering or dream catcher. Use your catalog to pick an oil that goes well with the person you are shopping for. Use you intuition, your knowledge of their health ( or lack thereof), and their likes and dislikes to guide your choice.

As we head into the winter, and the holidays, I hope that each of you has time to relax, reflect and enjoy the season of hibernation, traditionally a time to look inward, rest more, and huddle close to the hearth with family and friends.