The Essential Oils First Aid Kit

Essential oils can be very helpful in any number of emergencies. Many people only think of essential oils as pretty smell or a natural perfume. Essential oils are so much more. Many Essential Oils repel virus, bacteria, and other microbes and have antiseptic properties.

If you have essential oils in your home and are not using them in your first aid kit, you are missing a powerful tool that could help you in all kinds of situations.

By "First Aid Kit" I don't mean a literal box with oils in it. I mean oils kept on hand for various types of emergencies. They could be on a shelf in the bathroom, in the medicine cabinet, on your night table, in a basket, in a special oils cupboard, in an oils pouch in your purse or as in my case, all of the above.

Your choices for emergency oils might be very different from mine. There are so many possibilities and everyone is different in what they prefer to use. For example, cuts and scrapes - there are many oils that you could choose to clean and disinfect the wound.

Some of my favorite choices are: lavender, lemon, Melrose, melaleuca alternifolia (commonly called tea tree oil), panaway, peace and calming, peppermint and valor.

Several oils I will always keep well stocked for whatever emergency might come up: lavender, peppermint, Valor, Trauma Life, PanAway, Thieves, Peace & Calming, Christmas Spirit, Joy, Purification, lemon, helichrysum and Melrose. I have many others I like to keep on hand but these are the ones I make sure I never run out of.

If I could only use three oils, I would choose lavender, peppermint and panaway.
Thankfully I have many more than three.


Note: The first 7 of the oils on my list are in Young Living's Essential 7 Kit. #3120

LAVENDER
The most "universal" oil. (When in doubt, use lavender.) It's antiseptic, analgesic, sedative, anti-inflammatory.
Burns & Sunburns - Apply lavender oil to a burn and experience almost immediate relief. Also use it to cleanse & soothe cuts or scrapes.
Other uses for lavender: to calm and relax, anti-stress, anti-depression, insomnia (just inhale), headaches, PMS, poison ivy and poison oak.


LEMON
Has antiseptic qualities, Mood uplifting - Lemon is beneficial for anxiety and promotes a sense of well being.
Sore Throat - Mix 1 drop lemon in half glass of warm water. Mix well then gargle. Disinfecting - Use a drop of lemon to disinfect your hands after using public restrooms. Lemon also works well in removing gum, oil and grease spots. Mix a drop in a teaspoon of water & wipe the kitchen counter to kill bacteria (makes the kitchen smell fresh too). Put a couple drops in drinking water to purify.
NOTE: Citrus oils are photosensitizing, so avoid applying to skin that will be exposed to direct sunlight or UV light.

PEPPERMINT
I always have at least 2 bottles of peppermint on hand. One in y bathroom and one in the kitchen. I use it for headaches, nausea, motion sickness. For a headache, I put a drop on my forehead and temples. Don't get any in your eyes. You can also make a compress using a washcloth dipped in a bowl of ice water to which a few drops of peppermint oil have been added. Squeeze out the water then lay the cloth across the forehead. Renew the compress often.
For nausea I put a drop on my tongue. If I ate something that didn't agree with me, I put 2 drops in water and drink it.
Pain Relief - If you bump or bruise yourself, use peppermint to relieve the pain. Put a drop on the area.

PANAWAY
Gary Young created PanAway as a result of an injury in which he severely tore the ligaments in his leg. PanAway is a blend of birch, which has an active principle similar to cortisone; clove, which contains eugenol, used synthetically by dentists to numb gums; peppermint, calming for nerves; and helichrysum, soothing to localized discomfort. Many people have had relief from arthritis symptoms, sports injuries, sprains, muscle spasms, bumps and bruises. Apply on location for muscles, cramps, bruises, compress on the spine and Vita Flex points on the feet.
Headache - Rub a couple drops of PanAway on the back of the neck, on temples or forehead, inhale. Create a soothing compress by rubbing 1-3 drops of PanAway on location, cover with a warm cloth. Leave for 30 minutes.

JOY
I absolutely love Joy. It simply brings joy - just by smellng it and rubbing it all over my body! Joy and Christmas Spirit are also known as "MUST HAVE" anti-depression oils. Diffuse, put in bath water, over the heart, on wrists, neck, as a compress and dilute with V-6 Mixing Oil for full body massage.
NOTE: Joy has citrus oils in it. Citrus oils are photosensitizing, so avoid applying to skin that will be exposed to direct sunlight or UV light.


PURIFICATION
Helps to purify the air. It neutralizes mildew, cigarette smoke, poison from insect bites such as spiders, mosquitos, bees, hornets, wasps, and noxious odors found in homes, offices and other confined areas. Diffuse, apply topically to disinfect, put on cotton balls to place in air vents of home, car, hotel room, office, etc. It has been said to repel bugs, insects and mice.
Insect Bites, Cuts & Scrapes - Apply to the skin to cleanse the area. Purification may help neutralize poison from spiders, bees, hornets & wasps.
Insect Repellant - Mix with carrier oil and rub on skin or mix with water in a spray bottle. Shake well before using. Spray on skin before going outside.

PEACE AND CALMING
Promotes relaxation and a sense of peace after a stressful day. When diffused in the home, it may help calm overactive and hard-to-manage children. Diffuse, wear as a perfume, apply on bottom of the feet.
This blend has been used to reduce depression, anxiety, stress and insomnia. Peace & Calming along with Mineral Essence may be a healthy alternative to Ritalin.
NOTE: Peace & Calming has citrus oils in it. Citrus oils are photosensitizing, so avoid applying to skin that will be exposed to direct sunlight or UV light.

VALOR
This is one of my favorite oil blends. Valor has often been called, "Chiropractor in a Bottle." If you haven't experienced it yet, you are missing something really great. Valor is also good for balancing the electrical energies of the body. It is the first oil used in the Raindrop Technique. It is wonderful for massage therapists. Use it on the feet first. Let it work for 5-10 minutes before you start the massage, then massage 5 or 6 drops into the back. On the emotional level it helps with courage, strength and confidence.

MELROSE


Has antiseptic properties when used topically for cleansing cuts, scrapes, burns, rashes and stressed tissue. It may also help prevent microbial growth.
Melrose also helps dispel odors.



THIEVES
I keep this one around protect my family from colds, viruses, etc. It was created from research about the thieves during the 16th century plague in England who rubbed oils all over their bodies to protect themselves while they were robbing the dead and dying. It is a proprietary blend of pure essential oils tested at Weber State University for its potent antimicrobial properties. Thieves was found to have a 99.96 percent kill rate against airborne bacteria.


TRAUMA LIFE

Was created at the request of Steven Seagal, renowned actor, director and producer, who uses the oil for the work he does in hospital trauma centers. It may help release buried emotional trauma as well as upsets such as accidents, the death of a loved one, assault, abuse, etc. This blend of calming, grounding essential oils can help purge stress and uproot traumas that cause fatigue, anger, restlessness and a weakened immune response.