Back to School Essentials

It’s that time again!! Back to school and that means your family is going to be exposed to many environmental stresses. To protect your family, using essential oils and teaching good hygiene habits is always a wise approach. Here are some tips to protect yourself and the ones you love with doTERRA products:

• Wash your hands frequently with Protection Blend Foaming Hand Soap.

• Sanitize surfaces and places that are known to harbor germs with Protection Blend Cleaner Concentrate. Desks, computers, lockers, or any other place where multiple hands touch are great ways to spread germs.

• Use 1–2 drops of lemon essential oil to remove gum, oil, grease spots, glue or adhesive, and crayon from most surfaces.

• In addition to sanitizing areas, make sure to get adequate sleep, eat a healthy diet, and exercise regularly.

As the back-to-school season begins, it is important to keep these tips for good hygiene, sanitation, and building a strong immune system in mind. Also support a strong immune system with products such as:

• Protection Blend: Apply to the bottoms of feet before going to school.

• Vitality Supplements or Kids Vitamin Chewables: Take at least once daily.

• Protective Throat Drops or Respiratory Lozenge: they can take these to school.

Also, have you ever stopped to think about how you prepare your child’s body for school? Think about it, they go from a clean and safe home environment to a new class, possibly new friends and new teachers and this can be HARD on children. It’s a lot of NEW so keep an eye on them for emotional and physical changes the first few weeks of school and try some essential oils to support them. So here are the Top 5 Back to School Essential Oils to help you and your kiddos in the upcoming school year stay healthy, strong and smart. 1. Protection Blend The #1 thing I think of when I think of Back to School is … Ickies and Yucks! If there is only one oil you use on your family this school year, it should be the Protection Blend. This blend will protect your kiddos from all the environmental stresses out there!! A good before school routine includes rubbing a drop of the oil on the bottoms of both feet. Also again at bedtime! When any kind of yuck is present in your house, diffuse it to keep it from spreading. Keep in mind that this is a “hot oil” which means it can feel hot on the skin and should be diluted before applying to the skin or taken internally. Dilution should be done by a carrier oil such as fractionated coconut oil or any fatty oil. If after dilution, the oil still feels hot, just add more carrier oil. DO NOT put water on it, as water and oil repel each other, and it will make the heat feel more intense. 2. Lavender Lavender is one of the most gentle and versatile essential oils found, which makes it a must-have for every household. It is an amazing first-aid oil and my favorite for helping children wind down and relax after a busy day. Lavender is an adaptogen – it helps the body adjust to imbalances. Lavender smells lovely and is great to diffuse during homework time to settle the wiggles and help them concentrate. Also you can use Lavender for a peaceful night’s sleep. Try applying a drop to the bottom of each of their feet and massaging a drop around their spine. 3. Cedarwood This oil is known to increase focus, mental alertness, brain oxygenation, calmness and to be mood elevating. It is often used for children with attention challenges but we can all benefit from its properties. Cedarwood is unique in that no other oil that exceeds it in oxygen-carrying capacity. More oxygen to your brain = more mental capacity. Plus, we all know that sleep deprivation affects our brain function and performance. This oil can help maintain a deep, restful, brain rejuvenating sleep. For study time, rub a drop on the back of the neck, at the brain stem, and up the spine to heighten focus. For nighttime help, diffuse in the bedroom overnight to keep the kiddos in a deep, restful sleep all night. 4. Invigorating Blend or Peppermint & Wild Orange Combo This oil is to get everybody (including moms and dads) up, energized and ready for the day. The scent is known to bring about a sense of well-being, creativity, and feelings of joy (all things we need in those rushed mornings to get our day started). It will also freshen up the air in your home. So put a few drops of this in your diffuser first thing in the morning so the whole family can get its benefits as they are going about their morning routines. Keep in mind, citrus oils will eat plastic, so always use them in glass or stainless steel containers. They are also very photosensitive, so do not apply directly to your skin if you are going to be exposed to prolonged sunlight. 5. Rosemary This oil is known to improve brain performance, concentration and reduce nervous tension. One way to apply this oil is by adding a drop or two in your hands and rubbing it through their hair while they are eating breakfast before heading to school or rub on the back of their neck. Also, you can diffuse this oil before the kids leave for school or when they come home and work on homework. Here are few more oils that might help with your child’s specific needs: Peace, Calming & Relaxation: Calming Blend, Balance Sleep Tight: Calming Blend, Roman Chamomile, Vetiver. Lessen School Day Wiggles: Vetiver, Lavender. Support Sitting All Day Soreness: Soothing Blend, Massage Blend, Marjoram. Stinky Shoes/Gym Bag: Purification Blend Hocus Pocus Focus: Focus Blend, Lemon. Shake Off the Blues: Joyful Blend, Wild Orange, Bergamot, Frankincense Taking Oils to School There are a few ways to send these back to school essential oil blends with your kids. You can give them roll-on bottles (try the touch kit) or a sample size carrying case. However, if you don’t think your kids will want to apply them at school (so embarrassing LOL!!), you can try a diffuser necklace or bracelet, or even try cotton balls in zip lock bags. Good Luck and have a great school year!!