Looking For A Easy To Use Guide To Essential Oils?

I have been getting a lot of questions about what resources and books I recommend. I have multiple stacks of books on essential oils and aromatherapy but, sadly, would not recommend most of them for reasons that range from not being well organized and user friendly, to promoting or teaching false information or promoting unsafe use of oils. I also avoid recommending books that are brand loyal. I think a good book should be about the oils themselves, not promoting a certain company or their blends. 

That being said, there is one book that has been my go-to since I first started using essential oils. I keep thinking I will find a book I like better, but this continues to be at the top of my list. The book is   Aromatherapy For Vibrant Health And Beauty__ by Roberta Wilson. It is a very practical, well-organized book that I highly recommend. The front part of the book is an A-Z guide to individual oils, their uses, cautions, etc. The middle section, also organized alphabetically, lists various ailments and the oils and treatments that are recommended. Finally at the back, there is a guide to making your own essential oil blends for various desired results, with recipes to help guide you. 
I highly recommend this book if you want an easy reference to keep in your home. I have provided a link below for amazon where you can look at the description and reviews if you like. It is well worth the money. Like I said, I have MANY books, and this one continues to be one I grab when I want to look something up fast and not have to fumble through a poorly organized book. I have the old version, put out in 1995, but I have no doubt the new version is even better, so check it out! I don't sell it, but trusty old Amazon does! Just click the Aromatherapy PA link below and see the book there!

Aromatherapy PA

Diaper Rash Help

Diaper rashes are something that cause issues for every mom at one time or another.  A couple weeks ago I posted a recipe for my diaper rash balm that works like a charm.  However, I know that not everyone has the desire to be mixing their own lotions and potions, and for that reason I wanted to offer another recommendation for a non do-it-yourself version of a diaper rash ointment that I have found extremely effective.
A while back my little boy Hudsen went from having no diaper rash at all, to a few hours and a few poopy diapers later having a bum that was flaming red and bleeding!  I wasn't feeling well at the time, and had run out of my homemade diaper rash ointment a while back, and hadn't made anymore because I hadn't been needing it.   But suddenly I had a very sore little bum, and a baby that would scream every time he got his diaper changed from the pain.  I had a stash of diaper rash creams that various people had given me for baby showers etc.  I tried everything from the traditional diaper rash creams off the shelf at Walmart, to the natural Burt's Bees balms, but nothing seemed to sooth or heal it up like I was used to with my homemade creams.  I causally mentioned to someone one day that I HAD to get some balm made cause nothing was helping my baby, but I just hadn't felt well enough to make any yet.  She then proceeded to tell me about this cream, that I could get at the drug store next door, that wasn't made for diaper rashes, but worked like nothing else she had ever seen.  Desperate and willing to try anything, I ran next door and bought the only tube they had.
Glancing at the ingredients, I saw it had menthol in it, and thought "oh dear this is never going to work!  His bum is so raw the last thing he needs is MENTHOL on it!"  But, the gal was so insistent that I decided to give it a go.  I had a wash cloth ready and waiting, thinking he was going to scream when I put it on and I would have to immediately wipe it all off.  But to my surprise he cried for a few seconds as he had been doing when I changed his diaper, then stopped.  And every time since then that he has had any type of sudden severe irritation it soothes SO well!

So, that being said, if you aren't in the mood for mixing your own concoctions, but want a diaper rash cream that is heads and shoulders above any other cream I've tried, THIS is the one!  You can get it at some pharmacies, or you can order it off of Amazon.  I've posted a link below so you can either order, or get a good look at the product so you can find it locally!

That's all for today!

Ashley Glassman

Calmoseptine Ointment Topical 2.5 Oz Tube

Quick Product Recommendation For Moms With Infants Or Toddlers

 Today I just want to do a little product recommendation for Herbs For Kids "Chamomile Calm".
For any of you mom's out there that have infants and toddlers that suffer from colic, sleep disturbances, hyperactivity, or just general kid hyperness (I think I just invented a new word!) I highly HIGHLY recommend this product.  At another time I may share a recipe for making your own version of these drops, but this brand has been the closest thing to the homemade version I used for years, and sometimes you just don't feel like making something yourself and just want to be able to grab something that is ready to use!
These drops are recommended for children 1 yr and older (I have some other tricks for the younger guys) and they really do work wonders on calming the little guys down, or helping with upset stomach.  Chamomile is very calming and relaxing as well as being very soothing to the digestive system.  These drops also contain Fennel, Catnip and a few other calming herbs as well.
Sometimes kids just get worked up, either from fun or because they are upset and it doesn't take much for things to spiral out of control.  My son gets these drops almost every night a few minutes before bed to help him relax and settle down.  The glycerine and fennel make the drops sweet and pleasant to the taste buds which makes it a breeze to get kids to take them.  My almost two year old requests them, and if he is in pain or upset as soon as he sees the drops he settles down cause he knows they will help.  He had pretty severe night terrors for a while when he was about one, and these really helped in the middle of the night to stop the fitful sleep.  He doesn't even have to be awake for me to give them to him.  I put the dropper in his mouth and he starts sucking cause he has taken these, or something similar since he was born.
If your kid struggles with hyperactivity, or bed time is a struggle every night I HIGHLY recommend these drops.  I don't sell them, but you can check them out on amazon via the link below.   They have just been such a great tool for me, especially on nights where mommy is exhausted and the little guy does not want to settle down, I had to share them with you!
Even if you don't have any regular issues with your kiddos just having them on hand for those once in a while situations might be very helpful!
Below is a link to amazon where I order my drops!


Herbs for Kids Chamomile Calm, 2 Ounce

There Is More To Life Than Happily Ever After

The world of essential oils, and natural medicine is quite full of fairy tale type stories.  Women who were sick and tired, and tried this one amazing oil or vitamin, or a certain company's products, and now they feel the best they have ever felt in their entire lives.  Stories of children who are never sick, energy that never runs out, and happiness that flows out like a river of syrup.  Stories like these are meant to bring hope.  But sometimes for me and maybe you as well, they bring a little bit of despair and sadness instead.
While I am truly happy for those who have found perfect health and happiness through essential oils, or other natural products, my story is not one of fairy tale happy endings.  Of trying an oil or herb and then basking in the glow of everlasting good health.  My story is one of constant struggle.  Health issues that no herb, oil, or even traditional medication has been able to cure.  And sometimes in the sea of seemingly perfect faces, and glowing testimonials I start to wonder, is there even a place for me here in this world of natural health and education?  Do I need to have a perfect life, perfect family, and perfect health to be able to help others learn and grow?

My story is one that began early on with various health issues almost since the moment I was born.  Struggles with migraines, heart issues, chronic fatigue, ruptured disks, endometriosis, fibromyalgia, lyme disease, spinal deformities, bone spurs, and hormonal problems has left me to cope with some serious issues, and some debilitating pain.  I had multiple miscarriages before my beautiful son was conceived, then a tumultuous pregnancy with a host of complications, a premie baby who was extremely sick and spent the first month in a NICU unit almost two hours from our home.  I had a recovery from an emergency C-section that was less than smooth and an infant that would NOT nurse because he learned to suck a bottle with a feeding tube down his throat which made him not able to latch on correctly, he also had to be fed at precise times every night because of his low birth weight and various complications.  Many nights my husband was up with him while I was either pumping trying to keep my milk supply (which didn't last long because of my illness) or I was too sick to get out of bed.
And none of my story seems to fit into a testimony of someone teaching on health and natural medicine!  You are supposed to have a have a healthy life, free of pain, a smooth pregnancy and birth free of intervention or drugs, at home surrounded by herbs and a midwife, an infant that breast feeds exclusively, and a momma free of pain that is able to care for her baby day and night.  Right?  Isn't that the message that is constantly bombarding us from the "natural" word?

So where does this leave me?  Where does this leave US?  Because somewhere deep down past all the flowers and sunshine I have a feeling I'm not alone in struggle against what it seems our culture expects of us.  I know many of you struggle with ongoing issues and problems and feel that somehow there is not a place for you until you manage to "get it together" or "overcome."  That you don't want to share with others about natural things you are doing because you are afraid they will discount everything you say because "well if it worked so well why isn't her health better?"
But I'm here to disagree.  I'm here to say that I do have a voice.  A place.  And so do you!  I many not have the happy ending to my story now or ever for that matter, but I do have a lot of wisdom acquired along the way.  Wisdom that came from sheer desperation!  I may not be able to tell you how to have perfect health and happiness, but I can tell you how to stop a baby screaming in pain more times than not in a matter of minutes.  Not because my health is perfect and I have no problems, but because if my son kept me up crying at night with colic or teething pain and I didn't get enough sleep, my body would get so stressed I would literally be unable to WALK the next morning.  It simply wasn't an option, I had to find things that worked.  I can tell you what oils work, and why.  Not because my life is perfect, but because it is not.  Because I have tried them thousands of times in thousands of situations over many years.   Not because I'm never sick, but because I am!
I have not researched and dug into the natural world the way I have because my life has been smooth sailing, but because I needed something to help me make it through each day.  Or something to soothe the fragile skin of my 46 year old mother who was dying of cancer, or something to ease the pain of my dad's busted up shoulder when he couldn't stop working because they had no insurance when my mom got sick.  My knowledge did not come from a happy place of contentment, but because some days me and my family needed help just to be able to function and preform every day tasks.
Am I an expert?  Nope!  Will I make you promises that these essential oils will "cure" you and leave you healthy and happy?  Nope!  And if you want a forum full of glowing testimonials of miraculous healing, this is probably not the place for you.  But if you are looking for honesty, and help through the bumps and bruises that life brings to all of us, then you have found a home!
I'm not about grand stories, or amazing recoveries, but I am about RESULTS.  I want to share with you what has helped me.  What helps migraines?  Sure it would be great if we never had one again, but here in the real world stuff happens.  So when it does, what will help?  What helps an infants colic?  What eases the pain of arthritis?  What can you do on those days you just can't get yourself out of that funk you are in, and everything seems dark.  We could pretend we never have those days, and we are always bright and positive, but if you are like me... some days are just dark.  How do you cope with panic attacks, sciatic nerve pain, tension headaches, coughs, colds, flu, respiratory infections... the list goes on and on.  Yes it would be great if we all could be so healthy that none of these things ever plagued us.  But we live in the real world here, and crap happens.
 So I want to share with you what I have learned over the years.  Those things that have helped me though this crazy thing we call life.  And just maybe, the struggles and pain I have gone through can help you with your struggles too.


To join me on my essential oils Facebook page, visit me at:
https://www.facebook.com/realessentialoileducation

Sick Of Conflicting Information About Essential Oils?

In a society drenched with information, why make one more class?  When people can go online and find all the information they could ever want, why did I decide to do a class on essential oils?
Well here is the answer as simply as I can put it.
In my research over the last 15 years,  I found there is a startling hole in the information available online.
Because of the size of some of the multi-level-marketing companies, much of the information put out educating the public about essential oils is written and produced by them.  And while there is absolutely nothing wrong with companies that chose to use the multi-level-marketing framework for their business, the information they put out revolves exclusively around their own products.  Their brand, their blends, their books, etc.   The educational material put out by companies such as Young Living and DoTerra has a consistent theme to it.  And that theme is this "use our oils, and only our oils."  And while I can appreciate the fact that they are trying to make money, it makes deciphering what is promotional material and what is actual educational material quite hard, especially for those just entering the world of essential oils.  The blogs, videos, tutorials, articles, etc. put out both by the companies themselves and their large network of distributors are full of statements such as "Don't try this recipe with any other brand of oils" or "This group is for people using our brand of oils only, do not substitute any other companies oils."  or similar statements directing every reader to THEIR products and AWAY from other similar products.
I have great appreciation for the hard work these companies have put into building a name for themselves and creating an intensely loyal following.  But these statements should be viewed as what they truly are at their core - - Promotional.
I fully understand someone making it clear which brand of oils they used for a particular application, and saying that they cannot guarantee the results with other brands, but the truth is with natural substances you can't guarantee the results even with the brand you are recommending!
I am all about stressing the need for quality practices in an essential oil company, and calling attention to sub par oils and the dangers of using them.  But promoting blind brand loyalty is not something I am interested in.
So this brings me back to the original question:  Why create one more facebook page, one more blog, one more class?
My reason for doing so is that from my research it seems there are only two camps in the business of free information.  The first is the start to finish education that is put out by these large MLM companies.  The educational material they offer promotes essential oils as a solution ONLY for those interested in purchasing THEIR products.
The second is random postings on various blogs, or articles in various forums that offer education unbiased by brand loyalty, but lacking in a systematic format.
I am constantly inspired and delighted by the random articles and blog posts I find with excellent content.  But unless you have hours to spend researching, and the knowledge base already in place to know what information you need to be looking for and then are somehow able to find it and put it in the right order... you are kind of screwed.
And in my opinion this is the biggest reason that those looking into the world of essential oils are very likely to end up becoming a part of one of the Multi-Level-Marketing companies.  They offer support, and a systematic form of learning and educating yourself and others on how to use essential oils properly.  And while these companies may not offer the best value on essential oils themselves, the community and the systematic education provided is something that is invaluable and has not been duplicated elsewhere in the aromatherapy world.  And I believe the reason it has not been duplicated is simple:  These companies are making so much money on essential oils that it is easy for them to offer lots of free information, especially when that free information in generating more sales in oils.  And it is brilliant marketing really!  I mean what better way to increase your sales than to spend large amounts of time convincing all your customers, or potential customers that every other product out there on the market similar to yours is not only inferior, but dangerous!  Brilliant!  But again, it is just that... MARKETING.
So I'm the crazy gal who is attempting to change the current in the informational tide.  To put out quality, systematic free education on essential oils and how to use them without the bias or the strings that are attached when you are promoting a certain company.
Now I want to make it very clear, I am not opposed to Young Living, or DoTerra, or other Multi-Level-Marketing companies.  They have been very successful and have a huge following.  While I may disagree with some of their methods, I have no desire to argue with their success.
My desire however is to create a community that is not centered around one company or brand, or person, but one that is centered around the actual essential oils themselves and what THEY can do for us.  Now do I have certain companies that I feel have quality oils, and certain companies that I feel fall short?  Absolutely!  But the purpose of my educational material is not to promote and sell essential oils, but rather to help educate all different types of people who are using many different brands.  I hope to give you information to help you make YOUR OWN decisions on what methods YOU use, what brands YOU buy, and what information YOU share with others.
If you are currently using Young Living or DoTerra essential oils and having good success, KEEP IT UP!  If you are currently using some small company's oils that no one has ever heard of, and they are working for you, KEEP IT UP!  This group is for YOU!  All of you!  I hope the information you acquire from this group, my classes, my blogs, or other links I share will help foster an atmosphere of true learning and community, and lay down a foundation that will help you along no matter wherever your journey to health takes you!


If you are interested in taking my beginner essential oil class please email me at essentialoilseducation@yahoo.com
To join our Facebook page, visit us at:
https://www.facebook.com/realessentialoileducation

Where Do I Start? Part 1: What Do I Need To Get Started?

Essential oils

Carrier Oil

Basic Book

Purchasing a Kit makes it simple

Keep away from eyes

Buy pure because the shelf life will be bad on oils mixed

Shelf life of reg oil vs cold pressed vs carrier oils

Things found in your medicine cabinet and which oils can replace them

Glass vs plastic  Take some pictures

Methods of application

Three common oils and how to use them

Where Do I Start? A Free Beginners Class On Essential Oils

So you are hearing cool things about essential oils.  Maybe a friend has talked to you about how they helped her complexion, or maybe you've just seen some on the shelves of your local health food store and you were intrigued.  Then maybe you got online and googled "essential oils" to see what you could learn, or perhaps looked on Pinterest to see if there was any helpful information to get you started off in the right direction.  Most likely you were hit with an enormous, overwhelming flood of information.  And not just information, but conflicting information.   One person says this company is better, someone else say that company is horrible.  One person says this is safe, another person says it is dangerous.  And it goes on and on.
And if you are anything like me, after seeing so much conflicting information you started wondering, "is it even worth all the hassle of combing through all this information?  And even if I want to, where the heck would I even start?"  You might then conclude that perhaps you don't have time right now to get into essential oils, maybe you will look into it later when you have more time.
This seven part online course is designed to give you the confidence you need to jump into using essential oils right away, and will hopefully save you from having to spend hours searching, reading, and sorting through the vast array of information online.
What you need to know when entering the world of essential oils is very important.  But almost more important is in what order you need to know it.  Learning the basics first, helps build a foundation for more advanced learning later on, and gives you a framework for future learning to fit into.
Reading more advanced articles and books on essential oil use before you have the basic foundational knowledge to build upon can be confusing rather than educational.  In the same way, debates about brands, chemistry, mixing formula's, and knowing how to properly use oils for different illnesses can seem too overwhelming as you are starting out.   But the reality is, using essential oils is so simple even children can learn to use them safely and effectively.  So don't be intimidated!  With a few basic pointers, a little foundation, and some guidance on where to start you can be using essential oils with great success in a
matter of days!

So a little about me and my background with using essential oils and why I am doing this course:
About 15 years ago I began my journey into the world of herbs.  I was fascinated by the plants themselves, how they grew, what properties they had, and how they could be used for health and beauty.  My passion grew as I cultivated hundreds of herbs both common varieties and very unique ones.  I operated out of a large greenhouse and sold starts to many nurseries within about a 100 mile radios of our farm.  I devoured every book I could get my hand on about herbs, both gardening with them, and using them medicinally, and for skin care.  I branched out into classes and courses, on wildcrafting, survival medicine, and traditional medicine.  As I became more fascinated with using herbs medicinally, branching into essential oils was a natural step.  Once I knew what the properties of each herb was, and how to use the herb medicinally, I found I had all the foundation needed to jump right into using essential oils.  Essential oils carried all the same medicinal properties as the individual herbs, just in a concentrated form, and that was very exciting!
Since then I have been blessed to work with hundreds of people developing products, educating on essential oils and natural skin care, speaking to women's groups and the cancer society, being a guest writer for various publications, working with Dr. Peter Eckhart from C.O. on the effects certain essential oils have on the hormones as well as making a line of estrogen free products for him.   Also during this time I continued my own research and education on natural skin care, herbs, and essential oils.
I am very passionate about essential oils, and proper education, especially for those who are themselves educating other people.  But in my zeal and passion I sometimes jump into my favorite subjects, (chemistry, product reviews, etc.) and forget to address the basic steps involved in getting started using essential oils!  This course is a wonderful walk back in time to the most important questions I had when I was starting out, and the answers I wished had been readily available to me.  My hope is that this series can help you avoid the mistakes I made early on, and not have to put in the hours of research I did to getting some simple questions answered.  And I hope that by the end of this course you will have the knowledge and the confidence to start using essential oils to help you, your family and pets live a happier healthier life.
I am excited for you to join me on this journey!



If you are interested in this free 7 lesson course,  please email me your name and the request for the class material, and you will receive the 7 class sessions via email each day!
You can request to be a part of this free class by emailing me at essentialoilseducation@yahoo.com

If you are reading this blog post after the class is over, no worries!  I do a class every few weeks, so you can email me at the address above and I will put you on the list for the next class available!
All the lessons are sent to you via email, and you can read the the material at your own pace.  There is no previous knowledge required for this class.  It is a basic introduction to essential oils for beginners!

For more information on essential oils and how to use them safely visit my Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/realessentialoileducation