Essential Oils for the Oncoming Cold

You know it when it's coming. It takes hold of all of us in different ways. Every person has their symptom-it might be a lingering headache, feelings of lethargy, or a sore throat. And when you get whatever your symptom is, you know an illness could be in your future. 

I was fortunate to have been blessed with a pretty stellar immune system. I typically get sick one to two times a year. When I do, the illness is usually pretty mild. My little ones immune systems are still developing, though. My oldest will get sick at least one time each fall. It typically comes between Thanksgiving and Christmas, or right after the first cold snap-whichever comes first. 

This year, our cold snap fell on Thanksgiving! Temperatures dropped into the low 40s, and even though we were prepared with jackets and sweaters, it seems as though this year’s sickness is coming right on schedule. Generally speaking, they get sick first, and then it gets passed to the rest of the house (even though I sanitize everything -_-). So as soon as I start feeling it, I know they are too. 

My symptom is a sore throat. This morning I woke up with one. I actually haven't had an upper respiratory infection in a while, so you could say I was due.  I also ran a 5k last night in 40-degree weather and rain, so that could be why I'm feeling lethargic. Either way, we are in full scale, DEFCON 1 sickness preparation mode. And this mama is pulling out all the... 

Wait for it... Essential oils! 

I could write a dissertation about how I got introduced to essential oils and their benefits (some day I will), but the bottom line is, they're fantastic. So here are my go to essential oils and my first line of defense against illnesses. 

Thieves. 

Thieves is a blend of essential oils exclusive to the Young Living brand, developed by four French thieves during the 15th century. While robbing the dead and dying, they coated themselves in this unique blend of oils that supported their immune and respiratory systems¹. These oils included clove, rosemary, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus, and few others. 

My first line of defense against an impending cold is to diffuse this oil in the common areas of our home. This can help purify the air and also disperse the tiny particles that make up the oil into the air so they can be inhaled. 

I also put thieves on the bottom of all of our feet before bedtime and cover the kiddos feet in socks. My husband, who was totally against buying the oils in the beginning, now asks me to put thieves on him when he starts to feel sick. 

I also use Thieves household cleaner² and clean the common parts of the house that we all touch but often don’t get sanitized, including door handles, toilet handles, light switches, sink handles, refrigerator doors, cell phones, and remotes (this is what I will do later this afternoon, actually!). Sometimes I get a little crazy, but doing this makes me feel like I’m doing all I can to combat the spread of germs. 

R.C.

R.C. is another exclusive blend from Young Living that can support proper respiratory function³, and this one replaces how I used to use Vick's Vapor Rub. R.C. is a unique blend of Cypress, Spruce, and multiple genera of Eucalyptus. I (always) dilute R.C. in a 1:1 ratio with a carrier oil (coconut oil or jojoba are my two favorites) and rub it on my chest. I will also rub this on my kiddos backs if they have a cough or stuffy nose. I find that this blend really helps support my respiratory system, but doesn't come with the stickiness factor of the Vick's. In fact, after my skin absorbs the oil, it feels as if there was never anything there in the first place, and I often reapply! 

Lavender. 

Lavender is one of the most popular oils in clinical aromatherapy practice⁴. It's extremely versatile, and has been studied for years for its effectiveness. I find that it’s a terrific aid in helping me fall asleep! Sleep when you recovering from an illness is so important. While you are sleeping, the body's natural processes that fight infection are strongest⁵, so it really is vital for your recovery. Lavender provides a soothing, slightly floral aroma that has been proven to help people fall asleep⁶. Any time the babies are restless, they want to get in bed with us, and I find that when I diffuse lavender they usually go back to sleep easier. I also love to use lavender behind the kids’ ears if they start pulling on them or if my oldest complains of an ear infection (never use essential oils in the inner ear canal). I find that for viral ear infections these will soothe my babies just as well as acetaminophen, and I would much rather give them something that doesn’t have a laundry list of side effects (always see your physician to confirm the presence of a viral or bacterial infection). It's one of Young Living's most popular oils!⁷


So those are my go to oils for combating illness! Today I am diffusing Thieves in the great room and lavender in the bedrooms, cleaning with the Thieves Household Cleaner and rubbing R.C. on all of our chests and praying that we escape this one! My oldest starts swimming lessons tomorrow and in a few weeks it’ll be Christmas, so to say we are busy is an understatement.

If you are in need of some essential oils or would like to do some more research, feel free to visit the sites below.  I only use Young Living Essential Oils because of their Seed to Seal Guarantee, so it is for that reason I only recommend their brand⁸. If you are in need a sponsor to guide you, please feel free to email me or message me for my sponsor ID. I love sharing the benefits of these amazing oils with family and friends.

Hopefully everyone had a great Thanksgiving and can stay healthy through out these winter months. I will be in the kitchen cooking up some Sheppard’s Pie tonight, in an attempt to finally rid our refrigerator of leftovers!

Be well!
 -C

1. www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/essential-oils/blends/thieves-essential-oil  
2. www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/home/natural-cleaning/thieves-household-cleaner
3. www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/essential-oils/blends/rc-essential-oil  
4. www.decodedscience.org/lavender-essential-oil-chemistry-and-therapeutic-properties/21340  
5. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20398008
6. https://sleepfoundation.org/bedroom/smell.php  
7. www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/essential-oils/singles/lavender-essential-oil

8. https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/discover/seed-to-seal

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Young Living Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.