E88: Elevate Your Daily Routines with Essential Oils

WHOA! I've been getting so many questions about essential oils, and this trendy question needed it's own episode. Time to go #BehindTheScenes into how I use dōTERRA oils to elevate my daily routines...

[00:25] Hello and welcome back to the women’s empowerment podcast, I am your host Valerie LaVigne, and I am so grateful that you are choosing to listen to this particular podcast today. I recently learned that there are over 1 million different podcasts out there, and to know that you are listening to this one, well it is an absolute honour.

Another really exciting moment for the podcast this month was that we have officially reached over 10,000 unique downloads, and I could not have done that without you. Thank you so much! Honestly, it means the world. If you haven’t already, I would love for you to write your honest review over on iTunes. It helps me to create more episodes and for more people to find and benefit from the show.

Also if you want to connect with me personally, leave a comment at the bottom of this page. I love meeting the listeners and getting to know you all better, so don’t be shy! You can also connect with me on instagram @vallavignelife!

Speaking of instagram! I usually use this platform to connect with my audience to learn more about what you’d love to hear on the show. I find that I pop into the stories and slide into dms asking some of my listeners turned followers or followers turned listeners and ask them if they have any ideas, suggestions, or questions.

I was pleasantly surprised about how many essential oil questions I got! WHOA! I actually got so many that I’ve decided to make the upcoming Q&A episode about the most popular questions, and while I was organizing all the questions I discovered a very interesting theme or idea for a separate episode.

[2:24] This underlying theme was how I use dōTERRA products and oils in my everyday life, and as I was thinking of how to answer I realized that it’s a huge part of my lifestyle and it needed it’s own episode. So today I bring to you: How to Elevate Your Daily Routines with Essential Oils.

I’ll speak more about this in episode 90, but for now I’ll explain one of the main reasons I chose dōTERRA for all my essential oils instead of any other company. And the main reason is because of their quality and transparency. When it comes to essential oils, high quality is the most important factor. If an essential oil isn’t 100 percent pure, it’s not going to work. The problem is, essential oils have become very popular, very mainstream over the last few years, and although this is exciting, it’s also very concerning for people like me who actually understand the power of oils and the industry.

There is no governing body that regulates the essential oil industry. This means that anyone and everyone can label their bottle of “essential oil” as 100 percent pure even if it’s mostly synthetic fragrance AKA FAKE!

dōTTERA is the leader in the essential oil market and natural health space for many reasons, but one of those reasons is transparency. They label each bottle and batch of essential oil with a code which you can then use to look up the exact chemical constituents of that bottle. They tell you exactly what’s in it, no problem, because they know that they have an incredible product and the highest quality. They have the highest standard and have created their own quality standard called CPTG Certified Pure Tested Grade. Which means each of their oils and products go through multiple forms of testing to ensure the highest quality of oils.

If you have other oils at home that you purchased from a health food store or another essential oil company, you could definitely get it tested to better understand the quality of that specific bottle, but to get these test results you’ll need to pay about $200 per test. I bet you can guess why most people don’t get their $8 dollar bottle of Frankincense that they bought from Whole Foods tested. In fact, I’ll save you the $8 + $200 right now to tell you that a bottle of pure frankincense oil is going to cost you more than $8 (and less than $100!) But anyways, the point I’m trying to make is that I trust dōTERRA, and only dōTERRA for all my essential oils.

I’ve mentioned that essential oils have become more popular, and you’ve probably even heard of dōTERRA before, that’s great! Did you know that dōTERRA is way more than oils? They actually have heaps of other everyday lifestyle products that include oils for extra benefits and natural solutions! How incredible is that!?

[5:37] In fact, Heather, one of the listeners asked: How do you use dōTERRA in your life?

To answer this question I thought I would take you a little behind the scenes into some of my daily routines.

Starting with Wake Up:

I get up, open the windows and make the bed every morning. Some

mornings I will put the diffuser on, or I’ll choose an oil or blend to wear as “PUREfume”

Here are 4 of my favourite morning diffuser blends:

LIQUID SUNSHINE
3 drops Cheer Blend
4 drops Grapefruit
1 drop Peppermint

FRUITY PEBBLES
2 drops Lemongrass
2 drops Grapefruit
2 drops Bergamot

FIND A BALANCE
2 drops Hawaiian Sandalwood
4 drops Balance Blend

NO WORRIES
3 drops Lime
2 drops Wild Orange
1 drop Easy Air (aka Breathe) Blend

dōTERRA makes roller bottles that are pre-diluted called “touch” bottles for convenient topical use and I like those for the PUREfumes. Usually the floral oils like:

Rose touch
Lavender touch
Magnolia touch
Jasmine touch
Neroli Touch

I will either choose one, or blend a couple together. Usually putting them on my pulse points, or drawing them in a heart-shape around my chest.

[6:54] Next I drink water and take my morning dōTERRA supplements. The ones I take first thing are:

Deep Blue Polyphenol complex
This is a blend of powerful polyphenols clinically tested to help soreness and discomfort from physical activities and daily life. I’ll usually take these when I’ve changed up my workout routine, or when I’ve done more hiking, trekking, climbing, that sort of thing.

Mito 2 Max
This is a blend of adaptogenic herbs and extracts with energy co-factors made to increase mitochondrial biogensis and overall energy while correlating the stress response due to physical activity and daily life. I will take them for a month and then take a break, and then take them again, alternating. I do this because I like my body to be able to do things without external support, but I also know that I don’t always get the support I need and I feel really great when I’m consistently taking this supplement.

On Guard Softgel
One of my favourite softgels by dōTERRA is this blend of several essential oils in a convenient softgel that protects the immune system from foreign invaders (pathogens). I take this daily when I’m building my immune system or if I feel like I’m more susceptible to getting sick.

Yarrow | Pom Cellular Beauty Complex
This is one of dōTTERA’s newer supplements, it combines clinically studied extracts and a powerful blend of essential oils to provide powerful antioxidant support for healthy, luminous skin with an irresistible glow from the inside out. (doterra.com)

[8:32] Sometimes when I make my morning coffee I’ll add a drop of essential oil to mix up the taste, some of my go-to oils for coffee are:

Peppermint, and I’ll add some organic hot chocolate mix or cacao for a peppermint mocha flavour

Wild Orange is a fun flavour to add into a frozen coffee or a hot one!

Cassia is like a sweeter cinnamon bark oil and I was obsessed with this in my macchiato shots for a little while!

You could also try Cardamom, Ginger, Spearmint, or Lavender!

[9:03] I like to workout in the mornings and you better believe I use dōTTERA’s oils and products to support my physical health.

Mito2Max is an excellent energy booster in the morning, but I also like the “Energy” Roller bottle I make! I use this on my forearms and neck before working out. The recipe is:

ENERGY ROLLER BOTTLE
10 drops Motivate Blend
8 drops Spearmint
5 drops Peppermint

Add oils to a 10ml roller bottle, top with FCO (fractionated coconut oil), shake well and use for a burst of good vibes!

[9:36] My boyfriend LOVES dōTTERA’s Deep Blue Rub, and he likes to use it before the workout because he says it activates his muscles, I usually use it after my workout to soothe my muscles. You can use it for both!

Easy Air, aka Breathe Blend is one of my absolute favourite oils. I use this for hiking, spinning, working out, breath work, yoga classes, before bed. I love it SO MUCH! It comes in a touch roller, in a regular essential oil bottle, and it’s also available in a vapour stick form. Personally I love the touch roller and keep it in my gym bag or when we hike in the backpack LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!

[10:18] So I don’t always lift weights, but sometimes i do yoga and pilates. dōTTERA has a yoga collection of three oils called Align, Anchor, and Arise

Align is the “Centering Blend” some complimentary yoga poses to use this oil with are: Seated mediation, warrior 2, triangle, gate pose, and extended side angle.

Anchor is the “Steadying Blend” which is also great for seated meditation, seated twists, Bhu Mudra which is also known as the mother earth mudra.

And Arise is the “Enlightened Blend” is great with volcano pose, standing side stretch, and half moon.

You don’t have to do these poses with the oils, but they’re complimentary to the blends. I’ll diffuse these when I teach and when I do my self practice. Another one of my favourite blends was the second dōTTERA blend I fell in love with (the first was Easy Air) the second was Balance blend. This is the “Grounding Blend” and it is very earthy and lovely and I’m totally obsessed with it still. When I’m feeling anxious I’ll rub it onto the soles of my feet morning and night and it is really a calming and relaxing ritual for me.

[11:38] Speaking of rituals… Candice, another listener asked: Do you have a ritual when using oils?

I do have a few rituals that I use the oils with, and some of them I do daily, others I do occasionally.

Some of the “occasional rituals” would be more spiritual like during the new moon or full moons, or during intention setting/goal setting. Sometimes I make diffuser blends or rollers based on the energy of the moons, or I will grab an oil I’m most drawn to for manifesting.

A ritual that I love is creating a bath salt recipe with oils. My favourite epsom salt blends:

RELAXATION
5 drops Lavender
3 drops Frankincense

HIGH VIBE
3 drops Copaiba
5 drops Balance Blend

CLARIFYING
5 drops Wild Orange
2 drops Eucalyptus

RECOVERY
8 drops Deep Blue Blend
8 drops AromaTouch Blend

[12:32] Another sort of “oil ritual” I have is before I go on a live show, or before I record a podcast I will use spearmint which is the “Oil of Confident Speech” Lavender is another great oil for this as it is the oil of “Communication and Calm”

Most of the time I am drawn to an oil intuitively and I will diffuse it or put it on the back of my neck, on my chest, or put a drop in my palms and take a few deep breaths before presenting or recording a podcast.

[13:03] Getting back to more of a daily ritual, I use other supplements that dōTTERA has:

Their LifeLong Vitality Pack or LLV which contains three supplements:

ALPHA CRS+
This is packed with nature’s most potent anti-oxidants, natural anti-inflammatories, and energy cofactos, this blend of synergistic herbs will give life and energy to the cells and a sense of well being to the body.

MicroPlex VMz
A revolutionary micronutrient supplement providing naturally balanced amounds of all vitamins, minerals, trace elements, phytonuritines and antioxidants that give your body the most beneficial and safe amounts needed for long term health and vitality.

xEO MEGA
A blend of marine base and land base omega essential fatty acids in a unique assimilation capsule with essential oils and fat-soluble vitamins. This is the only omega supplement I’ve ever stuck with my entire life.

I know we’ve been talking about a lot of oils and products, and like I’ve mentioned, it’s a lifestyle!

[14:16] So let’s get into showering… haha I have a dry brush self care habit that I do before the shower and I know I’ve shared this on instagram, here are two of the recipes I use:

DRY BRUSH SPRAY ONE: Gentle Circulation
Add 20 drops of each to a 60ml spray bottle, top with FCO (Fractionated Coconut Oil), shake up, and spray.
Cypress
Eucalyptus
Frankincense
Rosemary

DRY BRUSH SPRAY TWO: Citrus Exfoliation
Add 30-50 drops of Smart & Sassy Blend (aka Slim & Sassy) to dōTERRA’s verage skin care toner. Shake well and spray.

I spray the oil mixture + FCO onto the dry brush and use it on my skin before the shower.

In the shower I use eucalyptus or easy air for a eucalyptus steam shower vibe. I also use dōTTERA’s body wash because I’m obsessed with it! And I am also obsessed with dōTTERA’s verage skincare collection.

[14:50] Now post shower things start to get a little more interesting… I finish with the verage skin care routine: toner, serum, moisturizer, with a drop of yarrow pom oil. For my body I either use the yarrow pom serum or the hydrating body mist with beautiful blend, they’re both amazing, you can't go wrong.

As I was preparing this episode I honestly thought to myself, how don’t I use these products in my life? That would have been a much shorter episode hahaha

dōTTERA also has other great bathroom products like their foaming hand wash, body wash, whitening toothpaste, and mouth wash! We have a hand wash in each bathroom + in the kitchen as well.

[15:38] Speaking of the kitchen, this is where we also keep our On Guard cleaner concentrate which is a safe, natural, and effective cleaning solution that can be easily diluted and used on almost every surface. We also use it to wash produce, 1 tbsp + couple drops of Lemon EO.

If I’m missing an herb or spice I’ll use oils in cooking but I haven’t played with this myself too much. Usually make a salad dressing if anything.

HOL:FIT HERBACEOUS LOVE DRESSING
¼ c ACV or white wine vinegar
¼ c Olive Oil
1 tbsp Yellow Mustard
1 drop dōTTERA Celery Seed oil
2 drops dōTTERA Lemon oil

[16:20] For laundry we use dōTTERA’s On Guard Laundry Detergent with a few drops of Tea Tree oil. You can also use oils like lavender or eucalyptus or balance blend for your dryer balls.

[16:33] Before bed I take a few more supplements….

Serenity Soft Gels
A blend of lavender essential oil and natural plant extracts to enhance a restful night' sleep by promoting relaxation without feeling groggy.

Turmeric Capsules
A unique dual chamber, providing an inner layer of botanical extract and outer layer of essential oil, intended to promote better absorption in a convenient deliver system. Turmeric is chemically diverse in composition, with more than 235 chemical constituents identified.

Copiaba Soft Gels

Adaptive Capsules
A blend of essential oils and botanicals combined to both relax and empower and encourage when adapting to stressful situations or acclimating to new surroundings. Intended as a tool to help manage effects of stress, tension, uneasiness, and worry that come during every day life.

Quick + Important Disclaimer for Legal Purposes: Since I sell essential oils, it's important for me to tell you that I have to comply to certain regulations since essential oils aren't regulated by Health Canada or the FDA. So the benefits and claims made on this website and in the podcast are not approved by these parties.

I like using easy air in the diffuser or on my chest/bottoms of the feet before bed. There is also Serenity, the restful blend that works great for transitioning into sleep either a drop on the pillow or in the diffuser with Cedarwood is also amazing.

[18:08] Most of these oils and products I use every single day, but some of them I use most days.There isn’t a day that I go without using some sort of oil or oil infused dōTTERA product! But it wasn’t always like this. I actually started with a handful of oils and since then my collection of oils and products has grown! I like to try a new oil or product each month. Or play with an oil I don’t use very often and try new things with it.

[18:36] Another one of our listeners, Michelle, asked: How to start integrating them into your every day practice?

This is a really amazing question, and I wanted to save it for last. Because yes, listening to this whole daily routine of how I use ALL of these incredible and supportive products for my health does seem a little overwhelming, and when you’re first getting into dōTTERA it can be a lot. I know because I totally felt that in the beginning. But the key comes back to some of my basic teachings on habits and creating a healthy lifestyle that you can be excited about and consistent with.

The first basic principle is to pick ONE area of your health to focus on at a time. Some examples would be:

NUTRITION
SLEEP
EXERCISE
EMOTIONS
MEDITATION
CLEANING/HOME

Choose ONE area of your health and start there. I promise you, whatever you want to “elevate” or “upgrade” there is an oil for that. And when I offer wellness consultations for people who are interested in bringing these powerful natural solutions into their home, I always ask them what are their top three health goals? This is our starting point!

Once you have your health goals/starting point, we figure out which oils would best support your goal and make it into a daily routine/habit/ritual that is specific to you.

[20:01] Something I love to do is meditate in the morning, or hold space with some deep breaths before I start the day. Some great oils that can elevate your centering practice are: Easy Air (akak Breathe blend), Peppermint, and Eucalyptus, Cypress. To use these in your meditation practice, place a drop of the oil in your palm, rub the hands together gently and then cup both hands over your nose and mouth creating a hand diffuser. Breathe deeply setting the intentions for your day.

If you have goals to support happy, glowing skin, you could start with some of dōTTERA’s essential oils for skin, or one of their wonderful skincare collections. As a daily ritual, use the oils on your skin (face, body, or both – depending), and speak kindly to yourself in the mirror as you use the products on your skin. Tell yourself what you love about you, give a coy wink to yourself in the mirror, or repeat positive affirmations.

If you have goals for better sleep, we can look at which oils are best for a bedtime routine, and create the perfect evening routine for you, using the support of your new oils, diffuser, or other products!

Along with all the other products, resources, and recipes I shared, I’m going to include a free copy of my monthly wellness box guide with the yellow button below. It’s a free resource I created to share with you some different dōTTERA products I use based on different health goals.

Download the FREE Wellness Box Guide

Val Lavigne Life Women's Empowerment Podcast

Podcast Host

Valerie LaVigne

Valerie is the creator and founder of Valerie LaVigne Life and the Women's Empowerment Show. She helps busy and empowered women create healthy habits so that they can become the best version of themselves and transform their lives. Learn more about Valerie here!