Episode 272: Don't Miss Out on BOGOs!

Welcome to a special episode of Essential Oil Solutions with doTERRA. Right now is one of the most exciting times we have at doTERRA: it’s BOGO time. To help get you excited for this amazing week, let’s look at some of the oils in this BOGO. We’ll talk about some of the fantastic history of the plants, and we’ll ask some of our Wellness Advocates—Stephanie Calderon, Marisa Caccamo, and Emily Butler—about how they love to use the oils.

If you’re interested in any of the products we talk about today, make sure to click on the link in the episode description.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Lavender, a plant that’s been treasured and revered for almost 3,000 years. Wherever you’re headed on adventures, make sure that Lavender is always with you so that you stay doTERRA ready.

Right now—as a podcase exclusive—if you buy a bottle of Lavender and enter the promo code NATURAL at checkout, we’ll send you an exclusive audiobook: Internal Use of Essential Oils. This audiobook will help you learn how to safely use essential oils, as well as tips and ideas for the best ways to used essential oils internally. Check out the link in our episode description or visit doterra.com/podcastoffer to learn more—open to US orders only.

Today we’re going to talk about some internal historical uses for some of these plants, 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 for the individual oils in the blend are not applicable to aromatic or topical use. Also, various plant parts, such as the leaves, bark, flower, stem, fruit, peel, bud, resin, etc., 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.

Our first essential oil is Roman Chamomile. Roman chamomile is originally native to southern and western Europe, where it grows wild in all the temperate regions. It’s an aromatic, herbaceous perennial that is low-growing and a creeping plant with delicate white flowers.

Also known as English chamomile, true chamomile, and common chamomile, the noble chamomile plant has been used since ancient times for its wellness properties. Its history dates back as far as the ancient Egyptians. They used it in multiple areas of their lives. It was often used in mumification—specifically as the main ingredient in the embalming oil for deceased pharaohs. It was also used extensively in their traditional wellness practices, and ancient Egyptians even dedicated it to their gods because of how much they revered its properties.

Additionally, chamomile was used by the ancient Romans, who also utilized it in their traditional wellness practices, as well as using it to flavor beverages and scent incense.

During the middle ages, this particular species of chamomile was commonly used as a strewing herb, meaning that at public gatherings and celebrations, it was strewn on the floor and people would walk on it, which helped to create a fragrant atmosphere. This is because when the plant was walked on, the essential oils sacks in the flowers would release their wonderful fragrance into the air.

If you have ever had the chance to stroll through a field of chamomile, you will have experienced this incredible scent for yourself.

doTERRA: Stephanie, thank you so much for being here today. What is your favorite way to use Roman Chamomile?

Stephanie Calderon: Roman Chamomile is one that we use for soothing in our home. It’s in some of our favorite blends, like Serenity, because it’s very, very calming. I used Roman Chamomile a lot, when my daughters were younger, to soothe them. It’s also one that we go to when we have any sort of skin irritations—we use Roman Chamomile.

But our favorite use is definitely for calming.

Next we have another floral essential oil: Lavender. The history of Lavender goes back some 2,500 years. Believed to have originated from the Mediterranean, Middle East, and India, Lavender is a flowering plant from the mint family, known for its beauty, its sweet floral fragrance, and its multiple uses.

The Romans named the plant aver its use in their bathing rituals. Lavender derives its name from the Latin root lavar, meaning “to wash.” The Romans used lavender to scent their baths, beds, clothes, and even hair.

Beyond Lavender being a favorite ingredient in herbal baths for both Greeks and Romans, they also discovered its wellness properties. Both the flowers and the leaves are used in traditional wellness practices.

Lavender also has a long history of being associated with love. This association extends from Cleopatra to modern times. Cleopatra is said to have used lavender to seduce both Marc Antony and Julius Caesar. And in Tudor times, a Lavender brew was taken by maidens on St. Luke’s day to discover the identity of their true loves.

Today, lavender continues to be cultivated across its countries of origin, as well as Europe, Australia, New Zealand, North, and South America. Its widespread presence is understandable due to its beautiful flowers, its alluring scent, and its extensive uses.

doTERRA: Emily, thanks for joining us. How do like to incorporate Lavender into your routine?

Emily Butler: Lavender . . . [laughs] my other best friend. I love Lavender for a million different reasons. One of my favorite ways is to use it topically, just for any bumps along the way . . . in like. Bee stings. So if you’re looking to take care of life’s little emergencies, there are tremendous stories all over about Lavender.

Next we have Peppermint. Did you know that some of the earliest mentions of peppermint appear in Greek mythology, by Roman philosophers, in the Christian Bible, and by monks in the Middle Ages? There are even ancient Egyptian texts dating as early as 1550 BC that include peppermint.

Pliny, a Roman scientist and historian, recorded that the Greeks and Romans used peppermint to flavor sauces and wines. Sprays of peppermint also adorned their tables. And in ancient Greek wellness practices, they used two different species of mint. There’s also evidence that Egyptians cultivated peppermint, the dried leaves of which were even discovered in several pyramids.

Peppermint’s popularity around the world has long been documented. In the late 1700s, in England, as well as America and Canada, a produce called Essence of Peppermint had great popularity. A popularity that continued through the late 19th century. And in London, in the 1850s, there were even street vendors who would sell peppermint water out of kegs.

doTERRA: Marisa, thank you for sitting down with us today. How do you like to incorporate Peppermint into your routine?

Marisa Caccamo: I love to use Peppermint every day. I also love to use it when I’m sharing oils. I give people one drop of oil in their palm. I have them just dip their finger in it and tap the roof of their mouth so they get the experience of what it feels like to use Peppermint internally. They rub their hands together; they inhale it so they understand how it feels aromatically. And then I have them take that same drop of oil and rub the back of their neck so they can experience how Peppermint feels on the skin. It’s an amazing way to share oils, and I love Peppermint, and I use it all the time.

Cinnamon is just one of the powerful essential oils inside of our On Guard blend. When you reach into your cupboard and pull out the powdered cinnamon, you might never imagine that cinnamon was once more valuable than gold.

In the Middle Ages, cinnamon was transported via cumbersome land routes in the Middle East, resulting in limited, expensive supply that made the use of cinnamon a status symbol in Europe.

Legend holds that the Roman emperor Nero burned as much as he could find of the precious spice on the funeral pyre of his second wife in 65 AD to atone for his role in her death.

To maintain their monopoly on the cinnamon trade and justify its exorbitant price, traders would weave colorful tales for their buyers about where and how they obtained the luxury spice. One such story, related by the Greek historian Herodotus, said that enormous birds carried the cinnamon sticks to their nest, perched high atop mountains that were insurmountable by any human. According to the story, people would leave large pieces of ox meat below these nests for the birds to collect. When the birds brought the mean into the nest, it’s weight would cause the nest to fall to the ground, allowing the cinnamon sticks stored within to be collected.

Another tall tale reported that the cinnamon was found deep in canyons guarded by terrifying snakes, and first century Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder proposed that cinnamon came from Ethiopia, carried on rafts that with oars or sails, powered by man alone and his courage.

Today we don’t have to make up any kind of story to recognize that cinnamon holds great value in our lives.

doTERRA: Stephanie, how does your family like to utilize On Guard?

Stephanie Calderon: On Guard is definitely a staple in our home. I joke that my second daughters is a doTERRA baby. She has been with our family just as long as we’ve used doTERRA, and On Guard is definitely top of the list as one we use as a family.

In fact, On Guard is the one that made my husband a believer in essential oils. Any time we have irritated, itchy throats. I also have heavily diluted On Guard for when my daughters were teething. We diffuse it and Breathe together about round the clock this time of year. We also dilute it and rub it on the bottoms of their feet. High when they’re out in school and out and about.

So it is definitely a staple in our home—not one that we run out of. To keep our immune systems high, soothe that irritated throat, and soothe any sort of teeth discomfort that we may be dealing with.

Laurel Leaf is one of the unsung heroes in our Breathe blend. When you think of a crown, you probably think of gold and jewels—precious, expensive materials. Well, in ancient Greece, athletes of the highest status could be found adorned with a crown fashioned from laurel leaves. It was a symbol of honor and victory, and it was a symbol of the god Apollo.

The high regard for laurel carried over into Roman culture, where it was also seen as a symbol of victory. It was also associated with immortality, prosperity, and health. Laurel was also closely associated with the Roman emperors, beginning with Augustus. At the entrance of Augustus’s house on the Palentine hill in Rome, there were two laurel trees, which flanked the entrance.

The laurels had the dual purpose of advertising Augustus’s victory in the civil wars, as well as his close association with Apollo.

Suetonius, a Roman historian, additionally tells the story of Augustus’s wife and Rome’s first empress, Livia, who planted a sprig of laurel on the grounds of her villa at Prima Porta after an eagle dropped a hen with the sprig clutched in its beak onto her lap. The sprig grew into a full-sized tree, which fostered an entire grove of laurel trees, which were in turn added to by subsequent emperors when they celebrated a triumph.

Even in the modern day, laurel’s association with victory and triumph remains, and in Italy, laurel wreaths are worn as a crown by graduating school students.

The wellness uses of the herb stretch back through history as well. It was found in the traditional wellness practices of the Romans, the English, as well as many others. Utilized in many different ways, these traditional wellness practitioners found use for every part of the laurel plant.

doTERRA: Marisa, how do you like to use the Breathe blend?

Marisa Caccamo: I use Breathe oil every night before I go to bed. I love to take just a few drops in my hands, rub them together, inhale them, and then I like to actually apply it on my neck. And this helps while I’m sleeping. It’s an amazing oil, and I do use it every day and love it.

One incredible floral note in our Balance blend is blue chamomile. Blue chamomile is also known as German chamomile, Hungarian chamomile, wild chamomile, or scented mayweed. The flowers contain a blue essential oil that give them their characteristic smell and interesting properties. Just like Blue Tansy, the blue characteristic of the oil is an attribute of the chamazulene it contains and explains why the plant is also known as blue chamomile.

The Latin name of blue chamomile is Matricaria chamomilla. In Latin, one of the meanings of matrix is “womb.” The name matricaria was given to the genus most likely because of the plant’s use in the traditional wellness practices of women.

Blue chamomile is native to Europe, North Africa, and some parts of Asia and is closely related to the Roman chamomile. Chamomile has been well known throughout Egypt, Greece, and Rome, and its popularity grew through the Middle Ages, when it became highly valued in traditional wellness practices.

Past the Middle Ages, chamomile is one of the most popular wellness herbs in Mexican and Puerto Rican cultures.

doTERRA: Emily, what is your favorite way to use the Balance blend?

Emily Butler: My favorite way to use Balance essential oil is basically . . . a two-year-old, a three-year-old, a 23-year-old, anyone having a temper tantrum. I love to use Balance with a little bit of Wild Orange on the back of the neck, over the heart. Get them to breathe that in. That is what I call the tantrum buster method. Oh my goodness. We as adults and little kids . . . we need that extra support.

My other favorite way to use Balance essential oil is in my skincare. So I’ll add it to my moisturizers—just because I have that combination oily and dry skin. It’s amazing. I’ve had other experiences with people that they’ve put Balance on their achy feet.

I’ve literally seen people that are high-stress, out in the world—they put a little Balance on the back of their neck, breathe it in. And their shoulders just went from this to this. It was incredible. I love Balance and all that it can do.

Daily, I have it on the bottom of my feet and in my moisturizer, because I am getting older, and it definitely helps with the grandkid’s mood swings. And sometimes mine.

Thank you to our Wellness Advocates for joining us today and sharing with us their tips and tricks on how to use some of the amazing products in our BOGO.

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. And remember, if you liked what you heard today rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.