I remember the first time my friend told me about Essential Oils. She handed me this tiny amber-colored bottle and told me to put a little on each wrist and breathe in the scent deeply when I felt I might cry or be angry...see I was headed to court for a very long and very stressful custody hearing with an ex-husband...and while my dear spouse and I had a very firm resolve, and knew what that we would ultimately be able to provide what we felt to be the best thing for our daughter - - - it didn't make this particular meeting any less stressful.
(If any of you have ever been through something like this, you know what I mean...)
Anyway, she handed me two bottles - Balance and Serenity. When she told me they were "oils" I imagined rubbing a highly ...well, OILY substance on my wrists and was instantly grossed out by the thought. However, she insisted (and she's pretty persuasive) - and so I opened the bottles and applied it.
IT WASN'T AT ALL WHAT I EXPECTED.
It was liquid. It was slightly thick. It was not at all slimy or oily in texture.
And they smelled amazing.
I spent the rest of the court hearing with my wrists near my nose, inhaling deeply - which I totally credit to the fact that I didn't later end up in contempt of court for doing things that one shouldn't do in court.
(I was a VERY good girl. Not a single outburst. You would have been proud.)
So, I decided to look more into these "oils". And, obviously, I fell in love - because, I don't know what I'd do without them.
So, Essential OILS are small organic molecules that tend to change quickly from their solid or liquid state to a gas at room temperature. That's super scientific talk - but basically, they are the aromatic components of plants. You know when you make pasta sauce and you cut fresh basil - - - and then you smell your hands and they smell like basil? That is the plant's naturally occurring essence - or essential oil - transferring itself to your hands. These oils are extracted from plants either through steam distilling (basically, cooking with hot steam) or cold pressing...depending on the type of oil and the properties that are being extracted.
Not just any plant will make the cut - and not all plants are created equally. For instance, doTERRA Lemon oil comes from trees in Italy - Frankincense from Oman - Lavender from Belgium. This is not simply because it's fun to travel the world for exotic scents - it's because the composition of the air, soil, water, and environment create a very specific molecular profile for each oil - which is vital for achieving the specific therapeutic qualities and benefits for each oil.
Honestly - would you rather eat a lemon from a tree in Italy - where they have grown for hundreds of years, and where the acid and sugars are perfectly balanced from the environment ... or do you want a lemon off of a tree in Boise, Idaho?
doTERRA has put a lot of time and money into researching the therapeutic properties of each oil - and sourcing is the biggest part of that.
So, that's what an oil is - you can watch this awesome video to learn more.
As for me - I think I'm going to go eat a piece of lemon meringue pie --- because all this talk about lemons makes me think it's time for some. Also, I just happen to have some in my fridge, currently...so there's that.
