3 Reasons this Science Teacher has fallen for Essential Oils

Disclosure: I am partnering with Rocky Mountain Oils. All opinions are my own. 

I am always a skeptic when it comes to anything.  Essential oils were one of those items that until recently, I was very skeptical about.  Not anymore!  I did some research behind the science of essential oils, tested out the products myself and now I want to share our story and 3 reasons this science teacher has fallen for essential oils!

A Little Background Story

In May, I attended Mom 2.0 which is a social influencer conference.  What I love about this conference is that I am able to meet one on one with brands and often times try out their products before sending them a pitch!  Rocky Mountain Oils was the first brand I spoke to at the conferences, and to be honest, I was not intending on moving forward with a pitch.  I am a science girl through and through and in my mind this essential oil fad was just that.

Rocky Mountain Oils gave each influencer a bottle of Sweet Oasis essential oil and an aromatherapy inhaler that came in that adorable wooden box.  I politely tucked that away and went on my merry way.  It wasn’t until I got home and started unpacking and actually opened the bottle that my interest was piqued. Sweet Oasis is part of Rocky Mountain Oils mood kit, and opening the bottle, the fragrance that spilled out was a light elegance that was so calming.  I made my husband go to the store and buy a diffuser, because I wanted our room to smell like a Sweet Oasis.

After diffusing that around our house, I noticed a few things that were surprising to me.  First, my husband was sleeping better and made a point to tell me that over and over and over.  Second, our kids were not fighting as much. Last, I was not as moody.  Now, this is not a guarantee that your husband will stop snoring, your kids will be angels and you will magically be Mrs. Brady.  There are no guarantees to anything in life, but the point of this is to tell you that I was definitely noticing small changes and that I was starting to look into the science behind essential oils.

After doing a bit of late night research on google scholar and my screen was filled with peer reviewed literature full of data on antimicrobial and antibacterial benefits of essential oils, and their potential uses in pharmaceuticals and so much more.  The science of essential oils is a growing research position and if the science community was vested, then I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I contacted Rocky Mountain Oils and they graciously sent their single essential kit.  They arrived and within a few days, this science teacher was completely sold.  I had to share my 3 reasons for falling for essential oils.

1. Aromatherapy Works and Neuroscience Agrees!

I really thought I would spend time just diffusing various oils and see how they affected us and our moods.  Several of the studies that I had skimmed came from the International Journal of Neuroscience [2] and discussed how various oils made a person more alert and able to perform skills quicker, and in general discussed the effect on moods, body physiology and behavior.

I started with Lemon, because it can uplift a mood and we recently had a couple deaths and some negativity heading our way.  I will say that I felt more alert and ready to take on a task with the Lemon diffusing. I also diffused the lavender and peppermint of Rocky Mountain Oils, single essential oil kit and each brought great scents into the house and I would say, overall kept our mood more positive.  I definitely agree with those neuroscientists about essential oils.

2. Essential Oils Ease Symptoms

I have some food allergies.  Most are mild and some I have pretty much outgrown, but apparently eggs are not one of those.  At some point on Friday I ate something that came into contact with eggs and basically I was sick the entire evening, into the following day.  Had I been staying home, that would have been fine, but we had a movie screening, that I had been promising my daughter for months we would attend, and I could not miss this.  I had taken an anti nausea pill and western medicine failed me because it basically did nothing.  So I turned to the essential oils, figuring that it was worth a shot and what do you know, peppermint did the trick.

I had actually Googled, “what essential oils help with nausea” and peppermint was at the top of the list.  I was so thankful that it was in the single essential kit, because it truly was essential to me getting through the movie and the day.  I dabbed some on my skin by my ears and on my neck and within a few minutes I was starting to feel the wave of nausea subside. A quick search on Google scholar and I found articles discussing the use of peppermint oil for post operative nausea management [3].  In the study they tested pregnant women and rated their nausea level on the visual analog scale (that is the scale with emoji faces).  Overall the women who received the oil, had a quicker decrease in nausea then those that did not.  I would also say that I had a quick decrease in nausea and that I am now carrying the peppermint oil everywhere I go!

3. Bugs Be Gone

The fourth of July was prime time for us to try the tea tree oil.  I had read that it it can help with skin irritations and opening the bottle brought out a strong scent.  Well of course I get bit on the thigh by a bug and it starts to itch pretty soon after.  I grabbed the tea tree oil and dabbed a tiny bit onto the bite and the itching stopped, but you know what else stopped?  The bugs!  I didn’t get a single bite after and my sister was so impressed, she asked me to put a little on her and she stopped getting bit too!

I put a couple dabs on my kids as well, and we all agreed that the tea tree oil did keep the bugs from biting us.  In addition, the bug bites that we did get, were not itchy after I applied a small diluted dab onto the bite. The science behind tea tree oil (melaleuca) is all over the place here.  I found some data that suggested that it does help with keeping the bugs away [1], but other data that said efficiency is low.  Our own little experiment yielded good results and made me a believer.  One thing to note is that this essential oil can be toxic to pets, so make sure that the oil is diluted appropriately and do not put it on your pets!

Final Thoughts

My experiences so far with the essential oils have been very positive.  Everything I have tried has worked to alleviate an issue.  I do still lean heavily on the science behind things, however, I am finding that medical journals and professionals are also noticing the uses.  I was in the ICU visiting someone last week and they were diffusing essential oils.  I inquired as to why and they responded that research is showing that they can help with nausea.  This is no fad. Essential oils are useful in so many avenues.  From cleaning, to alleviating some symptoms to helping with moods and much more, essential oils can be very beneficial.

Ready to purchase?

Rocky Mountain Oils is the company to purchase essential oils from as they use 100% pure oil, that is stringently tested and that they have a thorough website with good customer service.  Their S.A.A.F.E policy ensures that the oils they offer are exactly as described.  They offer a 90 day return policy and the reviews for their oils are very positive. You can learn more about Rocky Mountain Oils and purchase them on their website.

Have you tried Rocky Mountain essential oils yet?

References:

1. Benelli, Giovanni, and Roman Pavela. “Beyond mosquitoes—essential oil toxicity and repellency against bloodsucking insects.” Industrial Crops and Products 117 (2018): 382-392.

2. Herz, Rachel S. “Aromatherapy facts and fictions: a scientific analysis of olfactory effects on mood, physiology and behavior.” International Journal of Neuroscience 119.2 (2009): 263-290.

3. Pasha, Hajar, et al. “Study of the effect of mint oil on nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.” Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal 14.11 (2012): 727.