Episode 256: Diffusing Through Your Day and the History of Tea Tree Touch

Diffusion of essential oils is something that you can do all day long. And today we'll share some of our favorite oils to get you through the day.

Welcome back to Essential Oil Solutions with doTERRA—the podcast where you'll hear exciting, useful and simple everyday uses for essential oils from experts in the field.

Today's episode is brought to you by Lavender, a plant that's been treasured and revered for almost 3000 years. Wherever you're headed on adventures this summer, make sure that Lavender is always with you so that you stay doTERRA ready.

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Today, we're excited to talk to Samantha Lewis, a member of the doTERRA Product Marketing team, about oils you can diffuse all day long.

Plus, we'll take an exciting look at the history of Tea Tree Touch.

doTERRA: Samantha, thank you so much for sitting down with us today.

Samantha Lewis: Thanks for having me.

doTERRA: I am so excited to talk about this because I don't feel like we talk about diffusing enough. I think it is so powerful and not enough people are talking about the different ways it can impact your day.

So, to start off with, what are some of your favorite essential oils to diffuse in the morning to make sure that you're starting your day off right?

Samantha: I totally agree with your opinion on diffusion. I feel like it is one of the easiest ways to incorporate essential oils and in some ways may be one of the most underrated. And my morning routine is full of diffusion, full of essential oils. It's so important to me.

So, with my routine, from my quick journaling, skincare, supplements, to snuggles with my kiddo, of course, I incorporate essential oils throughout the entire whole routine and it's anything but instagrammable. But it's how I get my day started off right. You can almost always find a combination of uplifting, awakening citrus and then grounding, refreshing woods diffusing throughout my home in the morning.

One of my favorite combinations year-round, no matter the season, is Grapefruit and Green Mandarin with Northern Escape^®. The combination of crisp, clean, essential oils makes my whole home feel just awake and ready to take on the day. It's a key part of my morning routine.

doTERRA: And those oils in particular just sound so bright and so fresh and so incredible to just really get going in the morning.

Samantha: Yeah, it really is. I feel like it's just refreshing and a really fun way to bring a different energy into your home to start your day off right.

doTERRA: Absolutely. Now, the middle of the day can be really hard for a lot of people. It's a time when we feel really stuck or there's a lot of transitions going on. What oils do you like to use to create a productive and energizing environment for the middle of the day?

Samantha: Yeah, I mean that midday slump is so real. I feel it almost every day, but when you have the right tools to support you through it, things can go much smoother.

So, if I'm at work and looking to create a very productive and energized environment, I usually turn to herbs and woods, sometimes with a touch of citrus, depending on whatever pop of energy I'm looking for. My go-to right now are Spanish Sage—I actually put a few drops in diffuser and then a drop under my tongue. And then I bring in Rosemary, 'Iliahi (aka Hawaiian Sandalwood), and some Douglas Fir. And then if I want that little pop of energy, I'll bring in Tangerine and a touch of Lime.

I also recently saw a really great suggestion on Instagram the other day. It seemed so simple thinking about it now, but diffuse Wild Orange throughout the day in your home to create a positive environment as your family members breathe in the scent. I love how her Instagram post called out the limonene-rich nature of Wild Orange and all the incredible knowledge we have about that constituent.

Now, I'm sorry, I can't recall the leader who posted it—I really wish I could give her credit—but I thought it was just such a clever perspective and really wanted to share it with you.

doTERRA: Yes, I love that. And Wild Orange, especially in the summer, just is the perfect scent. It matches the brightness outside and the energy that your family is having doing all their different activities. That is an amazing idea.

Samantha: Yeah, I love it. And I have started incorporating it into my home ever since I've seen that. It's just so great, yeah, it brings in a lot of that summer vibe. And even in the winter, like when you're feeling some of those winter blues, bring in some of the sun inside and some of that brightness and energy.

doTERRA: Yes, there's no reason you can't have that all year long. Now, obviously we're in summer right now, but we're quickly approaching kids starting school again and that really busy time.

When kids are coming home from school what are the oils that you think are great to have in the diffuser?

Samantha: Yeah. So, everyone's after-school routines are a little bit different and it might be different day-by-day. So, I kind of wanted to go through a few different scenarios.

So, first, and this was my regular scenario growing up, if we're rushing to get packed and out the door for sports, practice, games, performances, whatever it is, I think the dōTERRA Motivate^® blend is a really great option to pop into the diffuser, or even bring along with you on the car ride to practice, or to the performance in a Pilot^® Portable Diffuser. Just that on-the-go, quick boost of motivation. doTERRA Motivate really helps to create a bright, engaging atmosphere.

And then if we're getting right into homework and studying, I would say go with something like the herb, wood and citrus combo I mentioned earlier. Or even diffusing some of the InTune^® Focus Blend.

Now, I know InTune comes in a roller bottle, but I know a lot of people, and I actually do this at my own home, repackage it into a dropper bottle for quick and clean diffusion. The combination of uplifting and earthy aromas in the InTune Focus Blend really create the perfect setting when used while working or studying.

And then if you're settling in for some quality family time, I feel like the grounding blend or dōTERRA Balance^® blend and then dōTERRA Console^® Comforting Blend can really encourage an environment of calm, grounded positivity. Northern Escape would be another really good blend to use in that setting as well to bring in that grounding from the pines and some of the brightness that creates that feeling of positivity in the environment.

doTERRA: I love that you took the approach of different scenarios because like you said, every family has some different stuff going on. It's going to depend on what your day looks like. But there are essential oils to create any environment that you're looking for after school.

Samantha: Yeah, they're so flexible, especially in diffusion. You can really do a true DIY and it's so much fun to mix and match things up.

doTERRA: Yes. Now, finally we get to the end of the day trying to wind things down, trying to get kids to bed. What oils do you like to diffuse to create that really peaceful and restful environment in your home at the end of the day?

Samantha: Again, this is another very important routine for me and my family. While putting the house to bed, I like to call it, you know, doing the dishes, picking up everything, maybe get a load of laundry started for the morning, I usually start diffusing some doTERRA Peace^®, which just brings an aroma of that reassuring calm I often need at the end of the day to help me get through my tasks and to keep things peaceful.

And as everyone gets ready for bed, we start to bring out the heavy-hitting restful blends. Along with topical use of Calmer^™, we diffuse doTERRA Serenity^®, which is just chock-full of incredible linalool-containing oils. I often add a little overdose of Roman Chamomile and Lavender to my doTERRA Serenity-filled diffusers just to change things up and take advantage of these beautiful floral essential oils.

doTERRA: Yes, and like you said, it's great to boost it. Especially if you have a scent within the blend that you really love. If you really love the Lavender inside of doTERRA Serenity boost it a little bit. Make sure that it's working for you and your environment and that you're getting the best effects that you can.

Samantha: Yeah, I love that. And that is one of my favorite things to do with a lot of these blends.

This is just a little tip, too, kind of along the same vein: if there's a blend that I love the benefits of, I love the whole purpose behind it, but I can't get past the smell of something in it, I'll often actually pull out some of the oils from the blend and just tweak it in a diffuser for me because I know that I'm going to get similar benefits.

But maybe there's one oil—like I know for me, Patchouli, is just not my vibe. And there are some ones that have Patchouli in it and so I'll kind of cocktail my own blends without Patchouli and it works really well. And it's just kind of a fun way to be your own mixologist in the diffuser.

doTERRA: Yes.

Well, Samantha, thank you so much for sitting down with us today, going through a lot of really incredible oils and routines that you can work into your diffusion throughout the day and how you can make sure that you're supporting yourself and your family and your environment every single day.

Samantha: Yeah, absolutely. I'm excited to hear what everybody has with their fun little cocktail diffuser blends.

And thanks for having me.

doTERRA: In the warm regions of Australia lives a beloved tree. It's an adaptable plant with different species that can endure a variety of tough conditions, from boggy swamps to sandy soils. In the right region, some people enjoy planting it in their gardens for its beautiful and fresh aroma. This tree is known as honey myrtle paper bark and more commonly, tea tree.

Today we're going to talk about some internal, historical uses for this plant. But we want to remind you that not all of these oils and blends are for internal use and should only be used aromatically or topically. Any internal benefits discussed are not applicable to aromatic or topical use.

Also, various plant parts, such as the leaves, bark, flower, stem, fruit, peel, bud, resin, etcetera were often used for many different practices and benefits. These historical uses are mentioned here to offer insight as we explore the history of oils and plants. As such, these ancient uses are solely for informational purposes and are not being advocated or recommended by doTERRA.

Proceed at your own risk with such uses.

Tea Tree is a special plant and has been used by the native people of Australia in many different ways for centuries, such as in traditional wellness practices.

Indigenous Australians would also inhale the oil from crushed leaves or apply the leaves to their skin. The trees are native to southeastern Queensland and northern New South Wales, where they can be found in abundance along the shores of freshwater lakes.

Tribal stories from the area state that there are magical lagoons where the tea trees grow on the shore, dropping their leaves into the water where they stain it a rich brown from the tannins produced in their leaves. So revered were these plants that the tea tree lakes were reserved for women only and were sacred places used for child birthing ceremonies.

The plants also have an important place in an Australian Aboriginal myth. In 1995, at the Tea Tree Oil National Conference, Dr. Allan Twomey retold the story of Eelemani .

He said in "The Legend of Eelemani," we learn of a beautiful princess who has to leave her true lover and travel through the bushland of coastal New South Wales. The journey was long and the forest trail was unknown to her. She was concerned that the return to her loved one and family would be difficult.

But Eelemani was no ordinary princess, and so she spoke to the gods of the earth and planets and was rewarded with special seeds that were to be sown along the trails. As she walked through the forest the bell birds called reassuringly, and willie wagtails followed protectively through their territory.

The special seeds were scattered on the moist, fertile forest soil. Falling to the ground, they grew roots and shoots and flew toward the sunlight. So remarkable were these trees that their beautiful white paper bark stood out from all the other trees. At night, the polished green reflected the light of the moon, showing the trail and Eelemani felt so safe, knowing the gods had given her such a powerful marker to protect her on her journey.

The tea tree came to the attention of the western world when Captain James Cook visited Australia. While he was there, he saw the indigenous people using its leaves to create tea. Because of this, Captain Cook called the plant "tea tree." And while you shouldn't follow his leads, sailors at the time also used tea tree leaves to brew beer.

As time went on, Tea Tree oil became a household remedy in many Australian homes. In World War II it was even included in Australian soldiers kits.

During the 1920s, an entrepreneur named Arthur Penfold saw the potential and he created the commercial tea tree industry. As time progressed, production increased and in the 1970s and 1980s, commercial plantations began to produce large quantities of tea tree oil.

Since then, it's become a world- renowned, essential oil for its incredible properties. Some have called tea tree "The Protector" and in Ayurvedic practices it's known as the "Knight in Shining Armor.”

Tea Tree has an incredible history, and today it's an essential oil staple. Many have come to rely on its wonderful properties, and having it in a touch roller bottle makes it even more convenient. We know you and your family will love having this in your home.

Thanks for joining us and congratulations on living a healthier lifestyle with essential oils. If you want to try any of the products you learned about, click on the link in the episode description or find a Wellness Advocate near you to place an order today.

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