Oily Hacks: Get the Most Out of Your Favorite Products

Our  guest blogger today is Cynthia Lengefeld: wife, mom, grandma and a Young Living Silver. We love her practical approach to oils and we’re excited to share her budget-friendly post today! Get in touch for more tips!

Did someone mention oily hacks?  Let’s talk!  Everyone loves a money-stretching product tip, am I right?!

Don't leave a bit of product in the packaging! We share our top tips on how to stretch product life and get the most bang for your buck.

Squeeze Out Extra Value: Thrifty Tube Trick

Let’s start with all the products in the squeeze tubes: Thieves Aromabright Toothpaste, Thieves Dentarome Toothpaste, Satin Facial Scrub Mint, Shutran Shave Cream, Seedlings Diaper Rash Cream, KidScents Tender Tush, KidScents Slique Toothpaste, Cool Azul Pain Relief Cream, Cool Azul Sports Gel, and Prenolone +.

When these tubes seem empty, they aren’t! They hold (what seems like to me) an endless supply of product. When the squeezing stops producing results, use scissors to cut the tube about an inch or two below the crimped edge. Open that baby up, and you’ll see ALL the goodness still screaming to be used. Don’t discard that cute little crimped top. It acts as a lid and protector as it slips right inside the end of the tube.  Don’t be afraid to dip that toothbrush or your clean fingers inside the tube, to grab the last bit of product. It could last another week! Who doesn’t want a week of “free” product?!

Recipe for Savings: Just Add Distilled Water

Since we are all interested in maximizing our dollars, let’s talk about how a little distilled water could change your life!  How about that Thieves Hand Soap?  Purchase the refill (always), and then when refilling the foaming pump bottles fill ½ with the soap refill and the other half with distilled water.  You’re welcome!  

Oh, the distilled water trick? Try it on your Orange Blossom Face Wash, too. In fact, repurpose a foaming hand soap dispenser for your Orange Blossom Face Wash/distilled water mixture. Combine 1/3 OBFW + 2/3 distilled water = instant OBFW foaming awesomeness!  

Smells Like Savings: Get the Most Out of Your Deodorant

I almost forgot about the Mountain Mint or Mountain Mist deodorant! When the deodorant pad has been rolled up as far as it will roll, and you KNOW (because you can see it) there is more deodorant but the silly things keeps falling off the stem, just take the deodorant pad off the stem. I keep the deodorant pad face down in the deodorant cap and throw the rest of the pieces and parts away.

Around my house, I never get the new deodorant! I get the pad off the old one when my husband is ready for a new stick. My “pad” lasts me as long as it takes him to use the whole stick! If you are a bit squeamish about using a “used” deodorant pad, just take a tissue and wipe it off before you apply it the first time.

Need More? Get in Touch!

Follow this blog, or message me for more oily hacks. Like hacks for the Seedlings Baby Wipes and Thieves dish soap and lemon oil and cedarwood oil and Thieves cleaner…...  Did you know you can use it for……  ??   Message me OilTogetherNow@gmail.com☺  Blessings to you, Cynthia Lengefeld, #1339187

Young Living Fall Favs: R.C., Raven & Breathe Again (What's the Difference?)

Sometimes this much-quoted Top Gun line comes to mind: “I feel the need, the need for SPEED!” Except, living in Houston, I find myself looking at my oil choices thinking, “I feel the need, the need to BREATHE!”

Fortunately, Young Living offers access to some really great oils to fill that need. While I sincerely appreciate the plants God created and YL’s ability to distill them into little bottles of oily awesomeness, TOO MANY CHOICES MAKE MY LITTLE BRAIN CONFUSED! Which one? How do I choose? What’s the difference?

Let’s focus on three of my favorite “breathing” oils! (See what I did there?!)

What’s the Difference? R.C., Raven & Breathe Again

R.C., Raven and Breathe Again all help support your respiratory system, but when should you use each? Good question! We're here with some helpful tips. 

First up: R.C.

R.C. is a blend of Eucalyptus (E. globulus), myrtle, pine, marjoram, eucalyptus radiata, eucalyptus citriodora, lavender, cypress, tsuga, and peppermint. What? Three different eucalyptus plants? Eucalyptus has great soothing properties, and RC delivers eucalyptus times 3! WOW! Add in myrtle, marjoram, peppermint and a few others, and you have powerful respiratory support.

I think everyone who breathes needs R.C., so let’s explore how to use it:

• Massage on chest, back and/or feet
• Use as compress on sinuses and nasal passages
• Rub around ears, neck and throat
• Use in diffuser
• Add to steaming water; put towel over your head and inhale

At this point, I’ll make a confession. Having been through nursing school, I understand the intricacies of the respiratory system. Lean in now because I’m about to whisper … at night when the lights are out in the bedroom my diffuser runs with R.C. and lavender. Why, you ask? My husband had a really bad habit of making excessive noises while he slept! With R.C. in the diffuser, I have a MUCH more peaceful night’s rest! A little extra R.C. on his throat and chest and – what’s that? – sweet silence! Shhhhhh.

Next up: Raven, an excellent companion oil to R.C.

Raven is a blend of Ravensara, lemon, wintergreen, peppermint, and Eucalyptus radiata. Although it has fewer oils, it goes “beyond R.C.” for your respiratory system. Ravensara is a heavy hitter. As a cross between clove and nutmeg, it also supports the endocrine system. The added wintergreen contains 99% methyl salicylate, which gives it an extra punch. Another great benefit of Raven is skin support, but use caution and/or add V-6 oil (carrier oil) to avoid skin sensitivity. How would I use Raven?

• Apply to lungs and throat
• Put on pillow at night
• Use in retention suppository with V-6 throughout the night to give lung support through the night
• Use in diffuser
• Add to steaming water; put towel over your head and inhale

Before I go further, it should be mentioned that alternating oils can be quite effective. R.C. and Raven can be exchanged and alternated effectively. For example, I might apply Raven on my feet and R.C. on my throat and chest, alternating morning and night.

Last up: Breathe Again Roll-On

If you like eucalyptus and you think R.C. is action packed, Breathe Again is your new best friend! This baby contains four (yep, count ‘em) FOUR single eucalyptus oils: eucalyptus staigeriana, eucalyptus globulus, laurel, rose hip, peppermint, eucalyptus radiata, copaiba, myrtle, manuka and eucalyptus blue.

Since it is a roll-on, it contains coconut oil as a carrier oil to help with the functionality of the roller filament. Typically, a one inch “roll” on the skin delivers about one drop of oil.  

Several of the single oils in this blend are noteworthy. Copaiba is extremely high in beta-caryophyllene. Manuka has a stabilizing and calming aroma. Eucalyptus blue’s invigorating scent offers a sense of peace and balance.

Even with the coconut oil added, be aware that this blend can cause skin sensitivity and is cautioned for use during pregnancy. How and/or when would I apply Breathe Again?

• Across the bridge of my nose
• On my sinus areas
• Under the nose
• Over the chest area

So, Which is Best?

You may still be wondering, ”Which one of the three is best?” Actually, it depends on your preference. In my family, one of my daughters prefers Raven and the other prefers R.C. I use both and carry Breathe Again in my purse.  

As I mentioned earlier, R.C. goes in my diffuser every night, but when I’m looking for serious respiratory support, I reach for Raven. If you want a particular result from an oil and aren’t getting the result you want, try switching oils. R.C., Raven and Breathe Again are only three of many YL oils you can choose. You might also consider adding Thieves and/or Frankincense to your respiratory support arsenal.  

If I had to make a comparison based on single oils in each blend, I would rate Raven as more powerful than R.C., and Breathe Again as a “convenience” oil due to the roller filament. I love the travel convenience of the roller aspect of Breathe Again, but when I am at home, I prefer inhaling oils from my hands, using them topically and in my diffuser. Try them all! Choose your favorite or alternate them! There is not a loser in the group!   

Join Our Team

Connect with us on FB on our Tree of Life page! You'll never miss a blog or update. Also, find me on FB and I’ll add you to my personal group, Oil Together Now and/or check out my website www.OilTogetherNow.net. If you have questions, you can drop me a note at OilTogethNow@gmail.com. I’d love to have you as part of my YL family where we live and learn with wellness, purpose and abundance!

Oil of the Week: Frankincense (Boswellia carterii)

Another week, another oil!  But first a challenge:

Oil of the Week Challenge

Choose an oil in your starter kit, use it and only it (if possible), for the entire week. Get to know that oil: diffuse it, inhale it, apply it, enjoy it. Know it so well that if it did not have a label, you would know it by smell. For some oils, that’s simple. For others, not so simple. Which oil will you try? 

Oily Standby: Frankincense

Young Living farms this oil from the Frankincense trees in Salalah, Oman. It is steam distilled from the gum/resin after making cuts in the tree by hand.

Frankincense has a rich, deep, warm, sweet scent. It gives me a grounded, “cleansing breath” type feeling. I inhale deeply and exhale slowly, allowing its fragrance and frequency to wash over me.

Frankincense is my “go to” oil. I wear it daily. I use it often, and I use a lot. If I need a particular oil to perform in a particular way and I’m not getting the results I want, I always add frankincense! It acts as an enhancer and equalizer. What does that mean in my world? It just “kicks” everything up a notch! How? Let’s start with a little science behind this oil.

Oily Science: Frankincense Frequency

Frankincense has the highest frequency of any oil in your starter kit. Why is that important? “Measurements on the human body found that a healthy person has a frequency of 62-68MHz. When a person’s frequency dips to around 58MHz cold symptoms can manifest.”* As your body frequency lowers, problems can arise.

I want to feel my best. I want my body performing at the highest level possible. Every day. Keeping my frequency level high allows me wellness, and wellness is what I want from my oils! Maintenance and prevention are key. Frankincense is part of my daily regimen, not only when I am not at my best, but preventatively.

Oily Spirituality: Frankincense & Spiritual Grounding

I would be remiss not to mention the spiritual aspect of this oil. Frankincense is referenced in the Bible over 52 times. Historically, it is a holy oil in the Middle East.  “As an ingredient in the holy incense, it was used anciently during sacrificial ceremonies to help improve communication with the Creator.”**

Oily Sense: Frankincense Day-to-Day

What can frankincense do? In my opinion, just about anything! In fact, I think it can be beneficial in EVERY body system! When I apply it, I don’t always know where it is going in my body, or what it is doing, but I do know I’m getting a boost of health and wellness by raising my body frequency.

Young Living thinks frankincense is vital for health and wellness, too. You will find frankincense as an ingredient in over 55 oils and/or products in the catalog; facial products, oil blends, soaps, body washes, sprays, supplements, oral care products, children’s products and more!

For all you list-y people out there, here are a few reasons to reach for Frankincense. It is an oil that:

• Promotes healthy looking skin/hair/nails        
• Promotes healthy respiratory function
• Supports mood by uplifting and encouraging positive energy        
• Supports the immune system        
• Promotes healthy nervous system
• Promotes mental health

Let’s get practical. Here are a few ways you can try applying frankincense today:

• Behind your ears or on your neck as a perfume    
• In your diffuser on a cloudy day
• Over your heart and on your temples before meditation
• On your chest before bed
• On any unsightly or compromised skin area
• In your daily moisturizer, or with coconut oil as a moisturizer
• On a pregnant belly
• On the feet of the elderly
• In a diffuser at a hospital
• On the crown of the head for anointing
• On the breast area combined with Orange essential oil
• On your feet for immune support
• On your brain stem when concentrating
• In your bath (mixed with Epsom salt) for relaxation and grounding
• On the spine for immune support

Start Your Frankincense Challenge Today!

I’m so grateful that Young Living chose frankincense as one of the Premium Starter Kit oils! Do you have an issue that you want to overcome? Perhaps, like me, you want to prevent unwanted issues. Open that bottle of frankincense. Inhale deeply, apply it, wear it, diffuse it. Restore and maintain your wellness with the frequency of frankincense!

Contact me (Cynthia) at OilTogetherNow@gmail.com or check out my team's site! I'd love to talk more about how to make Frankincense a daily part of your life. 

*    Healing Oils of the Bible by Dr. David Stewart

**    Reference Guide for Essential Oils by Connie and Alan Higley

Essential Oils: Gifts Fit for a King

Matthew 2:11 “As they [the wise men] came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed down and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” 

They opened their treasure boxes. As I contemplate that phrase, I am reminded that essential oils are treasures. Honestly, I don’t always treat them as such. I keep oils in my kitchen, in my bathroom, in my purse – everywhere I am! I treat them almost casually because they are as much a part of my life as breathing! Scripture has a “funny” way of reminding me, of bringing me back to what is important.  

Essential Oils: Gifts Fit for a King

The wise men traveled for months to find a “king” they had read about. When they found him, with the help of the Lord and a star, they bowed down and worshiped him.  Then, they opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts!

They offered the Treasure of Heaven gifts from their treasure boxes. Gifts they had prepared in advance. Gifts they had carried for miles. Precious gifts. Gifts fit for a king: gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Essential oils for a child? Yes. Essential oils for a poor family in a foreign country? Yes. Essential oils for a king? Yes.  

Why Frankincense & Myrrh?

Why? Did Mary and Joseph know they were treasures? Why were they treasures?   What was their purpose? Did they know what to do with them?

Plants and oils were part of everyday life in Bible times, much like they are in mine today! So, what made these two oils, frankincense and myrrh, more precious than others? Thanks to history and science, we have learned much about these two plants and essential oils. Let’s take a look at them!

Frankincense: The Right Frequency  

Frankincense has one of the highest frequencies in the essential oil world. Your body has frequencies as well. When the frequencies of your body come in contact with the frequencies of frankincense oil wonderful things happen!

Historically, frankincense was used for:

• anointing
• aromatherapy
• spiritual enhancement
• healing and wellness

I admit, I do not do much anointing on a daily basis, but I do use my oils for the other purposes listed.

Much research has been done in my home on the use of frankincense and promoting skin care. I do not have to go further than my bathroom mirror to see the amazing skin benefits of frankincense.  

I have also personally found that adding frankincense to other oils I use truly “kicks it up a notch.” Perhaps the high frequency gives my body what it is needs to keep doing what it is designed to do!  

Whatever the scientific reason, I know our home will never be without our frankincense!  We use it for spiritual health, emotional health, and physical health.

I have used it to support my:

• skin
• respiratory system
• immune system
• sleep

Frankincense is a day-to-day treasure for issues that arise in our home!

Myrrh: A Multitasking Treasure

Let’s move on to the treasure of myrrh oil. Yes, I love my frankincense, but myrrh is a treasure in our home, too. Although myrrh’s frequency is not as high as frankincense, it was one of the most desired oils in Bible times.

Historically, it was used to prevent infection, to aid in healing of the skin, and, of course, to promote spiritual awareness. Perhaps the skin on Mary’s belly was not as smooth as it had been. Perhaps as her baby grew, he might fall and scrape his knee.  Perhaps this young family would use their myrrh in worship.

Since Mary had just given birth, she would certainly find many uses for her newly acquired treasure of myrrh, both for herself and her family. It is an oil that can promote:

• dental health
• skin health
• respiratory health
• immune system

Join My Team to Find Out More About the Gift of Frankincense & Myrrh 

Although scripture doesn’t specifically answer the question of “why,” my mind runs rampant with reasons young Mary and Joseph would find many uses for the treasures of frankincense and myrrh given to them by the wise men!

I am also fairly confident they did not attend an oil class or research the uses on the internet, but since our western culture is not as versed in essential oils, I would be honored to help you explore how to incorporate frankincense and myrrh oil into your everyday life.

Join my incredible Silver (#1339187) team here to begin your Young Living journey toward better health, wellness and abundance! For any questions, please contact me at OilTogetherNow@gmail.com.

Whether or not you travel a long distance, as you open your Christmas boxes to view your own new treasures, I hope you are reminded of the True Treasure found by the wise men long ago.  May be your home be filled with the blessing of love and laughter!

Essential Oils and Travel: Preparing Your Own Oily Travel Kit

Over the past several years our family has spent time on mission trips out of the country, primarily in Haiti and most recently Ecuador and Uganda. These trips require quite a bit of planning, and, most importantly, quite a bit of oily preparation! 

My older daughter in Ecuador. 

In May, my older daughter spent time in Ecuador while my younger daughter and husband spent time in Africa. On our trips to Haiti we traveled as a family, sharing oils while away. The May trips were different! Each person needed his/her own “oily travel kit.” Since I prepared three of these kits, I thought I would share what my oily travel kit includes.

Travel-Worn Bottles = Healthy Bodies 

Beware! These are pictures of actual oil bottles that have traveled out of the country several times. They are NOT pictures of pretty little oil bottles! As much as I LOVE getting pretty, new oil bottles in the mail, I have conceded that ugly oil bottles are a byproduct of healthy bodies.

Keep in mind that these are merely the basic oils our family needs on trips. We also take additional oils used for specific purposes that are part of our daily oily routine such as Progessence Plus Serum, Shutran, Clary Sage, Endoflex, Sacred Frankincense, and others.

Plane Travel & Essential Oils

Carrying On Essential Oils

Although most of our essential oils are in our checked luggage, we make sure we have a few oils with us on the plane. Who knows when the checked luggage will really arrive?!?

Airline travel with oils is relatively simple. Your airline-authorized quart-size liquids bag can accommodate MANY 5mL or 15mL bottles of essential oil. We have never had any airline representative question our inclusion of essential oil in our liquids bag. Our liquids bag always includes peppermint, Thieves, and lavender essential oils as well as a bottle of Thieves spray and a few Thieves lozenges. 

Top Three Essential Oils for Every Plane Ride

Carry On Essential Oils: Peppermint, Lavender & Thieves.

1. Peppermint

Inhaling peppermint instantly calms my stomach when air turbulence unexpectedly strikes. 

2. Lavender

Lavender can aid in relaxation for those 17-hour international flights! 

3. Thieves

Once we have boarded the plane, we immediately reach for Thieves for immune support. Since we travel with flip flops or Crocs for easy security checks, it is important to slather those feet with Thieves and put socks on for the plane ride. Thieves spray comes in handy to spray in our throat or on our hands for extra protection. 

My Essential Oil Travel Kit

My travel-worn oily travel kit. 

Oils in our checked luggage (aka our Oily Travel Kits) include:

• Valor
• DiGize
• R.C. or Raven
• PanAway
• Immupower
• Oregano
• Purification
• Frankincense
• v-6
• Extra Thieves, lavender, peppermint and lozenges.
• We always travel with NingXia Red packets and NingXia Nitro, too.

This might seem like a lot, but we want to be prepared for anything! I make sure we have empty capsules to make our own immune-supporting concoctions of oregano, Immupower and frankincense. We all have those days when we are not feeling our best. 

Top Travel Tips:

• R.C. stands for respiratory/congestion which keeps our respiratory systems in tip-top shape.
• DiGize works well for all things digestion related that can (does) occur when traveling out of the country.

We are THAT Family: Healthy, Happy Travelers

We rely heavily on our oils. So much so, that we are known on every trip as THAT family! Usually as the week begins, we quietly go about using Purification to help repel insects, Thieves for immune support, lavender to promote good sleep, daily NingXia packets and Nitro, peppermint for head discomfort, etc. 

My husband and daughter in Uganda. 

Usually by the end of each trip, almost everyone else has noticed that our family is energetic, rested, and well. Predictably, they begin asking questions. That’s all it takes for me to share oily goodness and share the oil love with the rest of the team members! I have team members from all over the United States whom I met on international trips. It is always a blessing to bless others.

In May, my older daughter was known as the “alchemist” on her trip to Ecuador as she shared oils with her team members, and my younger daughter left most of her oils in Africa to bless the mission families who serve in Uganda.  

Time to Start Your Journey!

I am all about education and all about oils, so post a comment or question, and I’ll be happy to help!  When you are ready to start your oily journey, you can join the Tree of Life team by joining me at Oil Together Now, here. I’d love to share oily goodness with you, too!

Oily Travelers, What’s in Your Kit? Share in the Comments! 

Have You Ever Been a HOT MESS?

I am not a young woman anymore. In fact, as a grandmother of six, one might suggest that I am a middle-aged woman. How do you know you are a middle-aged woman? 

Hot flashes.  Yes, hot flashes. 

Those unpredictable feelings of physical heat that cause your neck to heat up, your upper lip to sweat, and your brain to completely stop functioning…except to scream to your body, “TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES!”

Hot Flashes: I’ve Got an Oil for That!

This pretty little pink bottle changed my life! Thank you, Progessence Plus Serum!

About three years ago, my hot flashes were consuming me, one or more per hour ALL DAY. They were so intense that people sitting on the same couch could feel the heat radiating from my body. One day, as I fanned myself during a church service, my friend leaned over and said those classic words, “I’ve got an oil for that!” 

Keep in mind that I had never heard of essential oils, so my mind immediately conjured images of cooking oil, spray Pam, and Crisco. Positive that my friend was completely crazy, I humored her by accepting her invitation to her essential oil class…whatever that was! At the class around the kitchen table, others discussed oils in cute little bottles. The smell was delicious. 

Finally, I spoke up and asked about hot flashes. My friend scurried off to another room and produced a bottle of oil: Progessence Plus Serum. She dabbed a little on my wrist and said, “Let me know when you have another hot flash.” HA! I started counting down, “ten, nine, eight…” Nothing. Nada. No hot flash the rest of the evening. I was sold! Four hours later, still no heat. I felt like a miracle in the flesh.

Just a dab will send hot flashes on vaca. Bye, bye!

The next day, still zero hot flashes. It was like they were on vacation. By the middle of the third day, they returned from vaca, and it felt like they had brought an army of friends! Scorching HOT friends! I ran to my little oil stash, still in its packaging from two nights previous, rummaged through to find that pretty little bottle with the pink label and dabbed a bit more on my wrists. The smell was like coming home. Absolutely divine!

After consistent use, I noticed some changes. My family noticed those changes, too.  My hair stopped falling out, my monthly crazies were less crazy, my skin looked brighter, my weight stopped multiplying, my headaches were less frequent, and my sleep was deeper and more refreshing – all because of that precious little bottle of oil.

Oil Together Now!

Progessence Plus Serum changed my life! I will forever be grateful to my crazy friend for introducing me to the world of essential oils. May I introduce essential oils to you? May I help you begin a chemical free, life-changing journey? It would be my privilege to share my knowledge and love for essential oils with you. My Facebook page is Oil Together Now, because let’s face it, it’s more fun to learn and oil together! Contact me at OilTogetherNow@gmail.com for more information or visit my website. Happy oiling!