Eating my Words (with a few drops of oil)

I’m not a sellout. I’m not a buy-in. All of my friends and family know it. I don’t do the fancy chef thing, the scrapbooking extravaganza, or the secret panties club. I don’t want the free facial, the extra points or the fancy stick on nails. None of that. I don’t go to parties and I don’t host parties. No ifs. No ands. No buts. So, when one of my good friends began selling (and pushing) essential oils, I stuck to the rules. “No thank you,” I said. I ignored the testimonials, the invites to classes and the firm nudging to “just give it a try, Karla.” I thought, “I’m NOT doing it. I’m not buying in. I will not sellout.” I taught preschool at the time and many of my co-workers bought in, many of the mothers bought in. I stood strong. Admittedly, I truly thought they were all a little bonkers.
Let me digress. I’m a fairly healthy woman in my early forties but I’ve struggled with asthma and allergies (thanks to my daughter’s beloved cat) for years. For years and years, really. I was on a daily regimen of allergy and asthma medications that included, but was not limited to, the following: melt away, immediate relief 12-hour allergy tabs once-a-day, every single day, a morning dose of a decongestant, a daily dose of asthma-preventative medication, a preventative inhaler AND a rescue inhaler. Yet, still, I knew better than to laugh too hard or try to run too far or even to clean too many rooms on a Saturday morning. My adult-onset asthma truly ruled my life.
My youngest daughter has suffered from severe (and I don’t use the word lightly) eczema and psoriasis her entire life. She suffers from constant “itchies” that she struggles to resist scratching. The scratching then, inevitably, creates open sores that are susceptible to a plethora of staff infections. Through her eighteen years, we’ve tried it ALL – every cream sold in the drugstores (both prescription and non-prescription) and many that aren’t sold in drugstores. We’ve tried oral medications and she’s taken her fair share of steroid rounds. In our home, we don’t use scented anything. All detergent, body wash, shampoo and etc is perfume and dye-free. We do not use perfumes, air fresheners, carpet powders or anything that even remotely smells of perfume. Our strict no-perfume rules have helped but the itchy problem has remained a constant presence in our daily family life.
Now, I’ll come full circle, while I was thinking that my “oily” friends and acquaintances were a little crazy, I also refused to sell out and buy in due to our firm “no smelly things” rule. Many tried their pitch. “It’ll help your allergies,” they claimed.  “It’s so good for itchy eczema skin,” they tried to tell me. “Pish,” I thought. How can anything so smelly help my already sensitive allergies OR my daughter’s itchy skin. Smelly things exacerbate the problem, not help it. That’s just crazy talk. I continued to firmly, but politely, decline their sales pitches, offers of samples and invites to educational classes.
Fast forward a year (give or take). I’m suffering from yet ANOTHER sinus infection brought on by an allergy flair after a cleaning spree. I remember feeling miserable and thinking there just has to be a sensible solution. So, in a moment of desperation, I sold out. I messaged a friend that I knew lived a loud and proud oily life. She was more than happy to share her testimony (NOT a sales pitch) with me. Then, I bought in. I purchased a starter kit of Young Living essential oils AND the Young Living Thieves cleaning products kit.
That was five months ago. It’s been quite the educational experience. I’ve learned more than I can share in a single blog post so I’ll keep it short. Please understand that I accept that I’m now one of the crazy-oily people that goes around smelling “funny” and saying things like “Hey, there’s an oil for that.” However, I am not (and most like will NEVER be) a sales person. This is not a sales pitch. Instead, consider this a testimonial of the highlights of my oil journey so far.

·         I no longer take allergy medicine every day. I take it some days here and there, but not every day.

·         I no longer use an inhaler every day. As a matter of fact, I can’t remember the last time I did use it.

·         Our home is alllllllllmost chemical-free (which I believe is the main contributor to bullets one and two).

·         My daughter’s skin looks better than it has looked her entire life. It’s less itchy so she sleeps better and feels better during the days.

The simple truth is that I cannot pinpoint exactly what has benefited us the most; the diffusing of essential oils, the application of particular oils onto our skin or the elimination of chemicals in our home. Truth be told, I don’t really care which it is. I enjoy doing all three and I’ve seen my family benefit from the combination. For us, it’s been an excellent investment. I’m careful, mind you. I do my research. I know more about essential oils, essential oil companies and the toxins and chemicals in everyday household supplies than I ever thought I wanted to know.  My knowledge has only scratched the surface. I learn something new every single day.
I sold out. I bought in. I’m a believer.  I live an oily life. The end.

*Disclaimer*
It gets on my nerves that this is necessary in today's society, but alas...
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