Dabbling in doTERRA + Essential Oils Q&A

Have you ever been really fascinated by something that was essentially risk free to try but still put it off forever?  That was me with essential oils.

I’ve talked about my dear friend Ashley rather frequently in regards to Disney, but she also is extremely knowledgeable about essential oils and sells for doTERRA.  (Instagram: Disney |  Oils)  I’ve followed along on her pursuit to use and share essential oils in creating a healthy and happy home since she started, but I never felt like I could do it myself.  After many conversations, texts and messages, she was an absolute doll to surprise me with this starter package in the mail.  No strings attached, no commitments – she generously just wanted me to give it a try.  And so, my oily adventure began!

One month later and I am OBSESSED.  I have only scratched the tip of the iceberg, but the Family Essentials Kit and the Petal Diffuser are the best place to start.  Honey laughs at me because I carry this little box and diffuser with me from the living space up to the bedroom at night, and then back down in the morning.  Haha!

I told y’all that I am a novice here, and I mean that.  I have only diffused oils this past month and used them for cleaning my counters.  The next step for me personally is to invest in some roller ball containers (I am sure there is a better name) and to start with some topical uses.

As far as diffusing, here is what we’ve come to love this month:

• Sniffles: With the cooler weather, the first runny nose set it.  I diffused 2 drops lavender, 2 drops lemon and 2 drops peppermint in John’s room at night.
• Immunity: During the day in the living space, we boost immunity with 3 drops on guard and 3 drops frankincense.
• Relax: My favorite at night to wind down and relax is 3 drops lavender and 2 drops franknicense.  I also do this in the bathroom on nights when I get to enjoy the new tub.
• Energy: On mornings when I’m dragging, I use 3 drops peppermint and 3 drops lemon.

For cleaning, I mixed water, vinegar and lemon.

Ashley also sent hand sanitizer, peppermint lime foot soak and sun relief – all made with perfectly safe ingredients.

For my own personal next steps, I have done some reading on the properties and uses of different oils in the materials that came with my Family Essentials Kit.  I made a list of common “ailments” around here and a list of oils to add to my arsenal over time.  If you’re curious, here is my list:

• Wart (on one little person’s knee) – oregano and thyme (need thyme)
• Tummy ache – ginger, digestzen, peppermint (need ginger)
• Fever – eucalyptus and peppermint (need eucalyptus)
• Congestion – peppermint, fennel, eucalyptus (need eucalyptus and fennel)
• Cough – lemon, breathe, cinnamon (need cinnamon)
• Diffuser for bedroom(s)
• OnGuard cleaning concentrate
• Storage solution
• Rollers / droppers

After I received my package, I had a ton of initial questions.  She was traveling up North with family on an extended trip and we decided email would be easiest.  She gave me permission to share my questions and her answers here on the blog.  This is a lot to read, but it is great information.

How did you get started in using oils?
My cousin sent me a care package for my then-newborn son, which sat unused for his first seven months of life. When he got his first stomach bug, I pulled out the DigestZen digestive blend and was amazed (and thankful) when the virus passed within 24 hours.

I don’t have much (any) time to invest in educating myself. Can I still be good at this?
Yes! That’s what I am here for! When you join our team, you’re plugged in to several Facebook groups and an Instagram page full of helpful community members with answers to any of your questions. Pop into the FB group, type in your concern in the search bar, and have tons of solutions to your problem. Or text/call me! I also offer online classes that you can listen to while folding laundry, taking a walk, etc. I also always suggest the resource book ‘Modern Essentials’ which is an encyclopedia for all things oils. Either look up the issue at hand OR the specific oil you’re interested in using to have all the info you need.

There is so much info and so much these little oils can do, that it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Think about the one or two things that are most important to you right now- sleep support? Immunity health? Diffusing/home fragrance? Non-toxic cleaning? Focus on those first.

(This was great advise.  As with anything, start small while you build your confidence.  I started with diffusing and am ready to move on!)

Do you have recommendation for a good, inexpensive way to store oils?
We recommend our oils be stored somewhere where they are not exposed to sunlight all the time, such as a box or shelf. doTerra offers a wooden box that holds 25 oils for $15; other options can be found through Etsy, or cute shelves from home goods stores have been used with success.

(This is next on my purchase list!)

Outside of the Family Essentials Kit, which seems to have a great selection for getting started, are there another 2 or 3 favorite oils that you frequently use?
Depending on the season, I like to pick up a few oils to diffuse (scent into the air) to use in place of scented candles. Right now, it’s cinnamon, clove, and ginger.

(I saw the new holiday oils on Ashley’s social media and will DEFINITELY be getting both new oils to diffuse this Christmas!!)

I also can’t live without my Balance oil blend and Serenity blend; Balance is our grounding blend to manage emotions; Serenity is our calming blend to settle the mind and body.
We offer several kits that make it easy to get started, and include the yearly membership fee. You can also get started with a custom kit by selecting the products that you want and adding a membership.

When using a diffuser, can you reuse the water/oil mixture until it runs out? For example, it seems like my petal diffuser will run for 4 straight hours. Can I fill it once with lavender and frankinscense to diffuse for 2 hours on 2 nights?
Yes, you can reuse if you’re using it within a few days. Otherwise, it’s advised to dump out the water and swish with fresh water and/or wipe out with a paper towel or cloth to keep the parts from getting an oily residue. You can absolutely run it for a few hours at a time, as mentioned above. I set a monthly reminder to do a ‘deep clean’ of my diffusers once a month, which is a simple process that I explain in several of my resource locations (FB, Instagram, etc).

What are your two favorite household things you’ve replaced with oils?
Handsoap and all-purpose cleaners!!

Our OnGuard foaming hand wash comes with a foam pump bottle, smells amazing, and kills germs and bacteria while bolstering your immune system- all while washing your hands!

Our OnGuard cleaner concentrate takes only a few tablespoons mixed with water to create 24oz of all purpose cleaner- use on everything from countertops to sinks to showers to toilets. Again, kill the crud and help your body systems while using non-toxic, plant based ingredients. (My favorite thing about it, especially having a toddler in the house, is that it is non-toxic and even says on the bottle that if it’s ingested, drink a glass of water. That’s it! No poison control!)

(Okay, adding these to my wish list!)

Do you find that essential oils really, actually work for things like fever or allergies relief?
I do. Our bodies know what to do with plants; they work synergistic-ally. The chemical compounds in essential oils target specific areas in the body, depending on the oil. They help our cells to work more effectively. The oils suggested for allergy relief (peppermint, lavender, and lemon are the most common) target the histamines and soothe them, kill the bacteria, and open the airways. Peppermint and lavender for fevers does the same thing- calms the nerves and cools the body, naturally.

Essential oils HELP your body to work more effectively, but they aren’t a band-aid you can slather on and expect to work without a solid foundation of eating right, getting proper exercise and rest, and having informed self-care. doTerra offers products to target all of these areas in a natural, homeopathic method, which help to enhance the benefits of the oils.

I always encourage people to look at the site PubMed.gov to find peer-reviewed, scientific research to back up these claims. Books like Modern Essentials, mentioned above, also explain the science behind how these oils work. doTerra is the ONLY essential oil company being used and researched in hospitals and universities. We are proud of our product and want the world to know!

Have you ever used them topically for something like a wart? I know, that’s gross. Whit has one on his knee.
Using oils topically is what initially sold me on their effectiveness. I’ve had them clear up hand-foot-mouth disease sores in one day. A hornet sting was virtually eliminated with Purify- redness and swelling instantly gone. Lavender on a burn helped to heal it within a few days.

Oils are used for warts, skin tags, and other things all the time. Oregano is a potent anti fungal oil, as is melaleuca (tea tree). Applied directly to the spot, it will dissolve within a few weeks. (Oregano is a ‘hot’ oil so dilute with fractionated coconut oil or use a toothpick/q-tip to put directly and only onto the spot). Again, this is where our wealth of resources comes in so handy; search for your ailment and have tons of options presented.

Do you think that using oils is much more expensive compared to things like burning candles for nice scents or purchasing cleaning products?
Initially the cost may seem off-putting, but when you break it down, it really is not only cost-effective, but the best option for your family’s health. You know the phrase ‘you get what you pay for?’ This is a perfect example. The cheap hand soaps or scented candles come with a price: the toxic chemicals and synthetic fragrances disrupt our bodily systems. Essential oils not only DON’T do this, but they HELP our bodies! A Google search for doTerra cost per drop 2018 will give you a great starting point; here’s a link I found: http://dropsofyoga.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/doTERRA-Price-Per-Drop.pdf

For the sake of comparison, let’s look at Lavender. A 15ml bottle ($21) has approximately 250 drops of oil in it; which breaks down to roughly $0.08 per drop. Considering you’re using, say, five drops in the diffuser each time, for a total of $0.40, that will give you 50 uses from one bottle. Consider your diffuser runs for four hours, that’s 200 hours of diffusing. You’d be hard pressed to find a candle with that same value, and remember, the candle won’t give you the therapeutic benefits that the oil does, either. In fact, it has adverse effects. AND you can use the Lavender oil for lots of other things too, like topically for soothing irritations, and to calm the nervous system. A lavender scented candle only gives you one use.

It really comes down to the price you’re willing to put on your health. When you add up the cost of doctor’s visit, prescriptions, and the like, in conjunction with the toxins and crummy stuff that comes along with using synthetics, the essential oils seem like a no-brainer to me.

(I’m a numbers girl and this speaks to me!)

How do I order more and give you credit?
Use my link! https://www.mydoterra.com/ashleysuit

While me getting credit is icing on the cake, knowing you’re getting the highest quality, natural products and empowering your health and that of your family is the biggest reward. Then, when you share the oily love and start getting your oils paid for simply by spreading the love, well, that’s a whole new ball game.

What are the perks of becoming a member? Am I going to have something auto shipped to me every month that I have to remember to cancel?
The perks of becoming a member are plentiful; the Wholesale discount is the tip of the iceberg. Think of it as Costco or BJ’s; one fee for a year of discounted pricing. Not only that, but by becoming a member, you get plugged into the many resource groups I mentioned above, as well as having me on-call to hold your hand every step of the way.
There is never any commitment to place a monthly order, but there are many benefits to doing so. Free product, earning ‘cash back’ to use toward future product, being able to change and customize each ‘monthly wellness box,’ as I like to call it, and one of my favorite perks, having all of my natural health solutions shipped right to my front door! Do you know how much money I’ve saved by not making a Target run each time I need household cleaners and the like? Plus, Target isn’t paying me back for shopping with them.

Our monthly ordering program is called the Loyalty Rewards Program- LRP- and can be cancelled any time. You are not automatically enrolled in it, so you can choose when to jump in, but trust me when I say that it is in place to be of benefit to you and to help you make the most of your membership. In addition, whatever you spend on shipping, you get back as points to use toward product. So, if you choose the $11.99 two-day shipping option, you’ll get 12 points into your account (that’s a free bottle of Lemon, for example!). Or choose the $3.99 standard 5-7 day and get 4 points into your account. Again, pay yourself for the things you’re going to use anyway, rather than a big-box store.

What is the key difference in being a Wholesale Customer and Wellness Advocate? (ie. Cost versus benefit)
The key difference between the two is simply inputting your social security number and thus having the option to make money through doTerra- a Wholesale Customer gets the discounted rate on each product; a Wellness Advocate gets the discount as well, but has their social security number in the system so they can earn commission of ANYTHING that anyone buys under them. Say Bestie M buys a bottle of lemon using your link- you’ll earn commission! I always encourage people to sign up as a Wellness Advocate because there is never any commitment to sell, only the option to make money.

Which one would you recommend for someone just getting started?
Wellness Advocate- why limit the chance to make some money, even if you don’t have any intention of ‘selling’ the oils? The option always stands. (If you do sign up as a Wholesale Customer and later decide you want to become a Wellness Advocate, we can easily add your social and change your status with the simple click of a button.)

I see promotions on your facebook page that say get xx free with a xx PV order. What is a PV Order?
PV stands for Product Value-basically, every product is assigned a value, most of them being dollar for dollar (if you buy a bottle of Lavender for $21, it is worth 21 PV). One of the perks of being on our LRP (Loyalty Rewards Program) is that you earn a percentage of the PV you spend back as points to use on future product. PLUS, every month, when you spend 125PV (so roughly $125 which I tell you is EASY to do when you start transferring your spending from Target to doTerra), doTerra includes a free product of the month with your order. The product of the month is always related to the season at hand; doTerra wants to help you make the most of your membership and get the best, most applicable products into your home.

You were really, really sweet to send me all of this stuff, to share your tips and tricks on social channels AND to answer all these questions while on vacation.  I want to share your information with Dixie Delights readers, friends and family too.  What is the best way to contact you?
Email at [email protected]
Facebook at Suit Essentials (must request to join)
Instagram at Suit.Essentials
Through my doTerra page at my doterra.com/ashleysuit

She knows her stuff, right?!  I am so very happy and humbled that she shared doTERRA with me and will continue to share how I’m using essential oils in my home here and there on the blog and on social.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask them here and I’ll see if Ashley can answer them!

Finally, if you have a favorite use for essential oils, share that in the comments!!  I’m hungry for information!!

DIXIE DELIGHTS DELIVERED