Even if you are new to essential oils, chances are good that you have used or at least seen lavender essential oil at some point in your life, but why is it so popular?

Native to Northern Africa and the Mediterranean, Lavender gets its name from the Latin word “lavare” meaning “to wash.”  In fact, ancient Romans would add lavender blossoms to their baths and use the flowers to scent their clothes, beds, and hair. The Romans did not just use lavender for its smell, however, Roman soldiers also brought lavender with them to battle to clean and treat their wounds. Even before the Romans, ancient Egyptians would use lavender in their embalming practices, and Greek physician Dioscorides experimented with using lavender as an insect repellant. 

Today, lavender essential oil is derived from steam-distilling the flowers of this popular member of the mint family. One of the most versatile and popular essential oils, lavender is commonly used for its calming scent and its skin soothing properties. In Canada, lavender essential oil is listed as a natural health product used to:

No wonder lavender essential oil is considered the “Swiss Army Knife” of oils—it’s good for just about everything! 

Try some of these simple DIYs to incorporate lavender essential oil into your beauty and wellness routines.

 * Skin soothing roller—In a roller-topped bottle, put 10 drops lavender essential oil then fill with almond, avocado, olive, or other carrier oil. Use on scrapes, stings, bug bites, dry spots, and other skin irritations to soothe and restore skin’s natural health.

* Relaxing Lavender Bath Salts—Mix together 2 cups Epsom salt, 1 cup coarse sea salt, 1/2 cup dried lavender buds, 20 to 25 drops of lavender essential oil, and 1 tbsp carrier oil (almond, avocado, olive, etc.) until well combined. Store in air-tight container such as a glass jar. Add about 1 cup of bath salts under running water while tub fills. Relax your mind and body as you soak away the stresses of the day. Yields 3 baths. 

* Gardener’s Hand Scrub—Combine ¼ cup unscented Castile soap, ¼ cup melted coconut oil, and 15-20 drops lavender essential oil until well-mixed. Stir in 1 cup plain white sugar and ½ cup Epsom salt. Store in air-tight container such as glass jar. To use, scoop out about a Tablespoon of mixture and rub it all over hands, rinse with warm water. This scrub helps to remove dirt and soften work-worn hands. 

* Nighty-night eye pillow—Cut two rectangles of fabric 10inches x 5 inches. With the pretty side of the fabric on the inside, sew rectangles together on both long sides and one short side. Turn right-side out. Mix together 1¼ cup of flax seed, ¼ cup plus 2 rounded tablespoons of dried lavender flowers and 3-4 drops of lavender essential oils. (Use more for a stronger fragrance.) Using a funnel or a spoon, fill the fabric rectangle with this mixture. Turn the rough edges of the unsewn side of the rectangle to the inside and sew opening shut. Place over eyes at night to enjoy the soothing scent of the lavender. This can also be made into a “lovey” for a child to help promote feelings of calm at bedtime.

Water is essential for life! As a natural resource, water is necessary for our body’s health. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the human brain is 95% water, our lungs are 90% water, our blood is 83% water, our muscles are 76% water, and even our bones are 22% water. Those numbers should give you a good idea of why water is so important. In fact, even our body systems intuitively know how important water is. Your lymphatic system, the body system that helps maintain fluid balance in the body, performs ruthless triage. If you do not consume adequate water to meet all the body’s needs, it will route the available water to the more important cells, leaving less vital cells to suffer. This causes your body to function less efficiently and leads to symptoms of dehydration such as headaches, fatigue, lack of focus, dizziness, and even fainting. 

Water isn't just important, it is vital! But what exactly does it do for our bodies? Plenty. It lubricates joints and cushions vital organs. Water is the main component of blood, and water regulates the body’s internal temperature. Proper hydration is essential for promoting good mental health and cognitive function.  Maybe when that afternoon brain-fog hits, what we should reach for is a glass of water, not a cup of coffee. 

Drinking water, all by itself, is an amazingly beneficial act. But when you add Young Living's Vitality oils to it, those benefits grow! The first benefit is flavor. It can be easier to drink your recommended water if it has some taste to it. With over 45 Vitality oils, Young Living has plenty of options to add interest and flavor to your water. Our citrus Vitality oils contain limonene, a beneficial compound found in the peels of citrus fruits. This compound has been found to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer properties. Limonene has also been shown to have heart protective benefits as it may reduce cholesterol, blood sugar levels, and triglyceride levels. Limonene also reduces appetite, decreases stress and anxiety, and supports healthy digestion. Along with the citrus oils, parsley and cilantro Vitality oils have detoxing and cleansing properties and are often included in juicing recipes to help cleanse the body from metals and toxic overload. Spearmint, peppermint, Digize, and ginger Vitality oils can all aid digestion, while clove, Thieves, Longevity, cinnamon, and other vitality oils promote a healthy immune system. Additionally, Vitality oils can make it easier for your body to absorb vitamins and minerals, making nutrients more bioavailable. Each vitality bottle contains about 80 drops of oil. They are non-GMO certified and many are certified Kosher. Not only are you getting the benefits of these amazing plants, but you are getting oils made from plants grown in healthy ways and harvested at the peak of their prime. From Seed to Seal, Young Living’s Vitality oils are the best of the best for you and your family.

Adding other ingredients can have benefits too. Sliced fruit, berries, and fresh herbs add visual appeal to your water and can impart additional nutrients. Supplements such as maca and ginseng can give you a burst of energy and increase overall health. Adding herbal teas or green tea can add extra flavor and benefits to your water as well. 

How much water you need each day will depend on many factors including gender, age, body size, and activity level. Also, how fast you lose water will be a factor. We lose water in our bodies when we breath, digest our food, sweat, and eliminate our waste. Any increase in these activities will increase our daily water demand.

In general, the guideline for water consumption is between ½ and 1 ounce daily per pound of body weight. That means if you weigh 150 lbs, you should drink between 75-150 ounces or between 9-18 cups of water. An easier rule is to aim for 8 glasses of water a day, or (4) 16-oz water bottles full. 

Did you know that water has different effects on your body depending on when you drink it? Drinking water when you first wake up activates your internal organs. Drinking water before a bath lowers blood pressure. If you drink water 30 minutes before you eat, it can aid in digestion, and taking a drink of water 30-60 minutes after you eat will give your body time to absorb the nutrients from your food. A drink of water before bed will help hydrate your body from all the water lost during the night while you sleep. One tip, cold water first thing in the morning can be a little rough on your system. I like to prepare a bottle of infused water the night before and leave it on the counter so that it is at room temperature for me to drink as soon as I wake up. 

Having a water bottle to carry around with you is a good start in making sure you drink enough water throughout the day. If you empty 4 water bottles per day, you should be getting about what you need for water consumption. I like to aim for 2 water bottles gone before lunch, 1 ½ more before dinner, and the last ½ a bottle before bed to pace myself. If you like technology and always have your phone around, there are apps like HydroCoach or Waterlogged that can track and remind you about your water consumption. 

Believe it or not, you can drink too much water, though that is less common in our society. Over-hydration can lead to feelings of nausea, fatigue, and even headaches. If you are constantly running to the bathroom and your urine is completely clear, consider if you are drinking too much water or maybe space out your water consumption a bit more.

Another consideration is your drinking vessel. Citrus oils in particular are great for pulling toxins out of our bodies and breaking them down. For this reason, they also are great at breaking down plastic from our water bottles and straws and leaching these materials into our water. Yuck! Always choose a glass or stainless-steel water bottle and/or straw when adding Vitality oils to your water. 

As I mentioned before, Vitality oils can make the nutrients we consume more bioavailable to our bodies. They can also do this with medications. Grapefruit or Lemon vitality oils are particularly known to cause possible interactions with medication (like grapefruit juice can). If your doctor has advised you to avoid grapefruit juice because of medication you take, you may want to ask about essential oils as well.

A final consideration is how much is safe to consume. Because these vitality oils are so concentrated, most people feel that it is possible to consume too much. General guidelines say that 12 drops of Vitality oils ingested per day, every day is the amount you want to keep in mind. Can you safely take more than this? Probably, but I would suggest that it be for a short time and for addressing a specific condition. Twelve drops a day would allow for 3 drops in each of your 4 water bottles per day. I don’t usually put vitality oils in every water bottle so I have yet to reach the 12 drop suggestion.

I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to enjoy your infused water, but below are some recipes to get you started. And if you're ready to try some of Young Living's vitality oils, click here to create an account and get started.