Essentially

I've been dabbling in essential oils for about 9 months. We were super sick last winter and while looking for ways to help my family stay healthy, I stumbled into the strangely large world of essential oils.

Essential oils aren't that complicated. Basically, they are highly concentrated compounds distilled from a variety of plants.

It gets complicated, however, when you start to talk about various brands and companies that sell essential oils. Two large companies market them through direct-sale methods - folks not only buy oils, but they typically sign on as consultants (I did at first to get a discount on the products) and then can start to sell and market the oils and build their "business."

This is where things got strange for me. The cost, schemes, requirements, and business models of a few companies rubbed me the wrong way -- I wanted to use more oils in my house, but I just couldn't get around these things.

I have recently found a brand that I love - I'm loving the oils and the company itself! And it's been so fun learning new ways to use these powerful tools in new, beneficial ways.

I see myself writing more about the ways I use oils every day, and hope to share my experiences (in a fairly brand-neutral kind of way).

Do you use you essential oils? I'd love to hear how!