I'm a total hypochondriac. I always interpret the slightest aches and pains as the worst-case health scenario and while I don't go to the doctor about them because I know it's just anxiety talking, I do stress over things for a long time. But then I learned about Essential Oils.

There is an essential oil for everything. Literally, everything from dry skin to bronchitis. While I wouldn't go so far as to replace modern medicine with essential oils, there is a time and a place for both. For me, if I feel a sore throat coming on, I can use some OnGuard- a doTerra brand blend that boosts immune system.

I really like the doTerra brand for a lot of reasons. First of all, the oils are pure. You can buy oils from Bath and Body Works but they're not going to be pure oil. Usually those mass produced brands put fractured coconut oil or some other filler into it so they can charge just as much but sell less pure product- it's a money saver, but it's less effective. Second, there is a code on the bottom of all doTerra brand bottles that you plug into a website called sourcetoyou and it'll tell you exactly what is in the bottle.

Finally, and possibly more importantly, there are no negative effects to using essential oils. I hate when I hear about a healthcare product on TV or see one in CVS and the possible side effects are worse than the initial ailment. But essential oils are all natural and the worst side effect possible is skin irritation- which you can combat by adding fractured coconut oil to the essential oil when applying it topically. Y

ou can take EOs topically on your skin- which takes about 30 seconds for it to get into your skin and 30 minutes for it to be distributed throughout your body- ingest them using veggie caps, or diffuse them into the air with an essential oils diffuser. doTerra brands will tell you how certain oils can be used because not all can be ingested and some (like oregano which is a hot oil) need to be combined with fractured coconut oil before applying them topically.

Even though some oils are more pricey than others, it gives me a lot of peace of mind to know that my health is in my control. More essential oils means less copay and visits to student health. I'm just embarking on my essential oils journey, but so far I've successfully used lavender to help me sleep and On Guard to boost my immune system while I'm around my parents who both have sore throats, and now I'm so excited to learn more!