Yes, good quality, pure essential oils will cost you money outright (read about why here), but all the other stuff you are buying when you could be buying essential oils is more expensive in the long run!

The quality of the essential oils you use and thus their potency, means that the quantity you use each time is MINIMAL.

I’ll give you an example.  My 19 week old baby came down with a cold yesterday.  In addition to breastmilk and some vitamin c, I used 1 drop of Melaleuca (0.01c/drop*), 1 drop of Lemon (0.07c/drop*) and 1 drop of Frankincense (0.46c/drop*) in 3 tablespoons of fractionated oil ($1.50) in a roller bottle ($1.45) that is probably going to last me 6 months (and cost me $3.49).  Let’s call this List 1.

Let’s compare that to what I would have spent at the pharmacy, pre-essential oils…  This is List 2!

Nasal Aspirator to suck out the snot – NZ$24.95

Vicks – NZ$12.50 – to clear her airways

Pamol – $12 – to relieve her pain and help her settle.

Total – $49.45

Now let’s look at why you might want to be avoiding those things in List 2…

• The nasal aspirator:  Look how delicate your baby is on the outside.  I don’t even want to hazard a guess at how delicate they are on the inside, especially in places like the nasal lining.  Plus, my daughter always found nasal aspiration traumatising!
• Vicks VapoRub:  I could write an essay on why I wouldn’t put this on my babies’ skins, even with a barge pole!  I won’t.  I will let you do your own research.  Have a look at the recommendations about dose and age first off.  Firstly, many parents don’t realize that most doctors do not recommend the use of Vicks for children under 2. One reason is because it contains camphor, which is linked to causing seizures.  Also, swallowing just a few teaspoons of camphor (we all know what toddlers are like) — one of the main ingredients in VapoRub — can cause fatal poisoning in toddlers. Topical camphor absorbed through mucous membranes or broken skin also can be toxic and another study found the ointment to cause inflammation in young children, as well as increase mucus!  Next just have a wee investigation into the ingredients, which are seemingly natural on the surface.  However, there are some worrying reports around some of the ingredients, like petrolatum (Petrolatum Health Report):  “Among the studies linking the petrolatum impurity PAHs [polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons] to breast cancer is a Columbia University study in which researchers found that the breast tissue of women with breast cancer was 2.6 times more likely to contain elevated levels of PAHs bound to DNA (called DNA adducts) than the breast tissue of women without breast cancer (Rundle et al. 2000). Serious questions need to be answered over the safety of petrolatum or petroleum jelly as it is more commonly known.”  Skin Deep Report on Petrolatum (from the Environmental Working Group’s website):  “Breast cancer and impurities. EWG’s [Environmental Working Group’s] assessment of product ingredient labels and data on cancer-causing chemicals identified three common impurities in personal care products that are linked to mammary tumors in animal studies — ethylene oxide, PAHs [polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons], and 1,3-butadiene. The ingredients for which these impurities are of concern are used in one of every four personal care products on the market.”  Finally, check out this groovy fact!  “Some of the ingredients in Vicks, notably the menthol, trick the brain into thinking that it is easier to breathe by triggering a cold sensation, which is processed as indicating more airflow,” he said. “Vicks may make you feel better but it can’t help you breathe better”(CBS).“”This may be of little physiologic consequence in older children and adults, but in infants and small children, this potentially can lead to respiratory distress,” the study’s authors concluded” (CBS). 
• Pamol:  Again, I could write an essay and it’s a topic that gets peoples’ backs up so I won’t!  But, I will say to once again look at the ingredients (if you can find a full ingredients list.  Google it.  It’s hard to find info outside of the active ingredient, but basically Pamol contains e-numbers and an artificial sweetener that may act as a possible carcinogen and needs to be further investigated for its potential effect on an increase in the incidence of cancer.)  Also, paracetomol is hugely liver toxic, even in adults and is the number 1 cause of liver failure in the UK, and the number 2 cause in the US (of cases requiring liver transplantation).  It is more common than viral hepatitis leading to acute (sudden) liver failure.  So, in small children, an accidental overdose can lead to liver failure.  Accidental overdose is easier than you think when you look at how many combination products include paracetomol, including over the counter cough syrups, Nyquil, pain formulas and more.

So finally, let’s look at the benefits of going with List 1 and the multitude of other things you can use these powerful essential oils for, increasing your bang for your buck!

• Lemon Essential Oil is great for the respiratory system, but will also boost your energy and clean your whole house!
• Tea Tree Essential Oil (Melaleuca) has antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic and antiviral properties, so will fight those bugs and has been used for centuries to soothe and help heal damaged skin. It has antibacterial, antiseptic, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties, so is great in the cleaning and first aid box too!
• Frankincense Essential Oil is a must for physical and emotional wellbeing.  It increases ability to focus, grounds, de-stresses and calms the nervous system.  It supports the respiratory tract and can support the body’s ability to keep existing cells and tissues healthy and promote healthy cell regeneration.  It is also an astringent to strengthen gums and hair roots, stop wounds from bleeding and speed up the healing of cuts, acne, insect bites, and boils!  Pure Frankincense is very gentle; even more so than Lavender. It has no known adverse effects yet it’s an essential oil that stands out above all others for it’s regenerative properties on a cellular level. Frankincense has antiseptic, antibacterial, stimulating, analgesic (weak, but better than pamol for me anyway), and expectorant properties.

“But I wouldn’t know where to start using my oils to get my value for money!”

If these were the words on the tip of your tongue and I just beat you to saying them, don’t fret!  If you buy from me you get all the support you need and more.  I have a newsletter, blog and offer one-to-one support.  For example, read my recent (and timely) blog post here about the oils that I recommend for colds and flus.

Have I got your attention yet?

Essential Oils will save you money and improve your health.

If you want to give them a try and are a mum, like me, you need to get your hands on this starter kit of 10 essential oils in 5ml bottles that you will use every day!