Admittedly, I'm a bit of a skeptic when it comes to a lot of the claims that I've heard people make about essential oils. That being said, ever since I was a young teenager there have been essential oils that I've reached for in certain situations and that I still reach for today, so I was really excited when I got the chance to try out the Thursday Plantation Cold & Flu Emergency Kit*. Having a cold is a pain and I've never been a huge fan of cold medicine, so I was pretty eager to put these essential oils to the test. And the coolest thing? There are SO many recommended uses that I had no idea about!

Keep reading for more!

So, what's the deal with this kit, you ask? 

"100% pure, 100% natural, these oils are a must-have in your medicine cabinet to take care of your family, naturally. They possess a wide range of restorative properties to maintain your health and wellbeing." 

Intrigued yet? I was! Keep reading to take a look at each of the individual oils, some of their recommended uses, and how I personally have used them!

This kit comes with a selection of three different oils. First, you have 50ml of Eucalyptus Oil, which is actually the one that really comes to mind for me when it comes to cold & flu. Next, you have 25ml bottles of Lavender Oil as well as Tea Tree Oil. For me, I feel like these three oils are really the staples to have around the house - and I actually already had a bottle of Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Oil on my shelf before I got to try out this kit!

Thursday Planation Eucalyptus Oil* - 50ml

The thing that I've always reached for eucalyptus oil for is to help clear congestion, because I find that it really helps to clear out the nasal passages and get me breathing normally again. I've actually tossed this in the bath in the past, so that I can breathe in the steam, but you can also just add it to a bowl of hot water and breathe it in deep or sprinkle it onto a handkerchief and inhale from that. The coolest suggestion, for me, in this kit is to use it to make your own DIY vapour rub to help relieve congestion and respiratory issues by adding it to coconut oil and applying it to your chest or back. Cool, right? One thing that I didn't realize about eucalyptus oil is that it can be used to make a DIY disinfectant spray but just adding it 10-30 drops to distilled water in a spray bottle. Pretty cool, right? Especially when you're sick and you're walking around leaving a Pied-Piper-like parade of germs in your wake. Too much? I think maybe too much. This is the biggest bottle in this kit, but I'm sure you can see why!

Thursday Plantation Lavender Oil* - 25ml

So, for a long time I absolutely could not get down with the scent of Lavender. In fact, I was pretty staunchly against it until about the past year or so, when I've really seen just how much I can get down the fragrance of lavender when I'm feeling stressed or anxious. That's the biggest use of this for me. You can add it to a nighttime bath or even to your night cream to really soak in that scent to help you relax to sleep. For me, my absolute favorite way to use lavender oil is in my diffuser at night to really help me to go to sleep, because I find the smell of lavender to be incredibly soothing and relaxing, so if I'm feeling anxious or overwhelmed, it's a really good scent for me to reach for. I also have a friend who suffers chronic migraines and has told me that using lavender helps, though I am in no way saying that she says it cures her migraines, only helps to give some relief.

One way that I have used this oil is to create my own DIY Poop Spray - I know, "Poop Spray", shudder... - and I actually really, really like it. The scent of the lavender gives the bathroom a light floral scent that's really pleasant and calming - and doesn't make me think of disinfectant spray, which can be somewhat off putting in that particular scenario. If you're interested in making your own, here's the super simple recipe that I found on Pinterest using things I had around the house!

How To Make Your Own DIY Poop Spray

What You Need:

2oz Spray Bottle (I used a travel bottle that I got at the dollar store)

30+ Drops of Essential Oils of your choice (You can use one or make a blend of two or more)

1 tbsp Rubbing Alcohol

Water 

DIRECTIONS:

Start by adding the alcohol to the spray bottle and then add your essential oils. Next, fill the rest of the bottle with water. The water should turn milky as it reacts with the alcohol and the oils. That's it. Then you just spray 4-6 spritzes in the toilet before you get down to business and the oils create a film over the top of the water that keeps any unpleasant smells from escaping.

Tea Tree Oil is definitely the essential oil that I've personally been using the longest and the one that I've put to the most diverse number of different uses. As a teenager, it was recommended to me to help with acne spots. Basically, all you have to do is apply it to a Q-Tip and press the Q-Tip wherever you have a pimple and it really does help to get rid of it more quickly. My favorite way to use tea tree oil in recent years is actually as a pillow spray to help kill any bacteria that might be lingering in my pillow, waiting to give me breakouts. Disturbing thought, right? You can also gargle with tea tree to help relieve a sore throat, create a steam bowl using a few drops of tea tree oil in a bowl of boiling water and breathing it in deeply help clear up your sinuses, add it to a bath with epsom salts to help relieve aches and pains, and even apply it to cold sores to help clear them up! 

One way that I've recently learned to use tea tree oil in my every day life is actually a tip from my hairdresser, who says she deals with her dry scalp in the winter by adding a couple of drops of tea tree oil to her shampoo and letting it sit on the scalp for a few minutes before rinsing it out. You can bet I'm going to put that one into practice ASAP.

Honestly, you guys, I'm a little bit obsessed with all of the great recommendations that came along with this kit and I really can't wait to put them to use in my day to day life - and to get my boyfriend, who hates taking medicine and just got slammed with a cold to try them out as well. I feel like there really is room for skepticism when it comes to the ways that some people take natural remedies and run with them, but I don't think that means we should discount them all together. Know what I mean? I'm a skeptic who is firmly evidence based in my approach to my life and I would definitely like to see more clinical study on the subject of essential oils and aromatherapy and I do think that there has been some exaggeration on the subject from some people. That said, in my life I've found that certain essential oils are great for relieving symptoms of colds and headaches, for soothing anxiety, and for helping to treat breakouts - and others just smell really, really good, so I quite enjoy using them in a variety of different ways in my every day life.

I just have one note that I would feel irresponsible if I didn't mention here. Essential Oils can be pretty intense and cause irritation when applied directly to the skin, so I recommend diluting them with water or oil or doing a small patch test to try and determine if you're going to have a reaction if you do use them topically. Also, I would exercise caution if you're thinking about ingesting essential oils and would probably talk to a doctor or some other medical professional if that's something you want to do. None of the suggestions included with this kit include ingestion.

Thursday Planation Oils are available at Walmart, Rexall, Loblaws, Whole Foods, and Well.ca as well as other retailers!