First, a solid definition of essential oils from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences:

So, in a nutshell, or in this case, in a lemon peel, what do essential oils do for our bodies? Remember chemistry class? I do, but barely. From a doTerra article, “Essential Oil Cellular Activity:”

Here’s a list of benefits essential oils may help with: inflammation, mood, sleep, relaxation, gut health, headaches, nausea, cramps, muscle pain, fungal infections, respiratory and metabolic support. An essential oil goes far beyond surface level work.

 

If you'd like to look up just one to learn a little more, check out frankincense oil (yes, the stuff the wise men brought to Jesus). It's considered the "king of oils," and wow, does it do some great work at the cellular level. Pretty exciting stuff.

 

Do essential oils actually work? Yes. Much of what an essential oil does in our body is considered preventative care. We should keep in mind, too, sometimes the work they’re doing may not show itself at a surface level, and a body might need additional support with further medical treatment of some kind. We’re not so much looking for a miracle cure, we’re looking to support our body naturally, in partnership with all other components of healthy living (ie. nutritional diet, movement, medical consultation).

 

For those times an oil might not have worked, there could be a couple reasons. Perhaps the amount used, or the amount of times it was used, wasn’t adequate for treatment. Remember, our bodies all react differently because we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139).

 

By now this might not come as a surprise, but it could be the oil used was an inferior product. If the oil marked “pure” also has additives mixed in, the actual oil you’re getting might be rather insignificant, or it might not be that pure in the first place.

 

If you'd like to hear stories about oils doing good work, our doTERRA team has a customer FB page. It's for anyone, and people share stories about the products they use all the time: Live Well. Live Free. Live Naturally.