(Part 2) Best essential oils according to redditors

I've been getting mine from the same store for 20 years and I have never paid more than $5-7 unless it's something like frankincense. Friend of mine got me a DoTerra lavender oil as a gift (she's not a hun and it was a thoughtful gift) and I looked up the price... $28. I can get twice as much edit: the same amount for $5. It's an insane mark up. And then they tell you to use way more than you need and put it in everything.

They're not totally useless, they just aren't 'cure alls'. They're good for a few minor ailments, just not what the sellers claim. Lavender is calming and de-stressing, peppermint can settle nausea, eucalyptus clears the sinuses, and bergamot covers the smell of pot smoke really nicely. Aromatherapy and traditional medicine have been around for ages, but these huns act like they rediscovered some long lost secret...

Edit: I went and checked the prices out of interest in case people wanted to see the comparison between a standard essential oil from DoTerra, a reputable high street store, and Amazon.

DoTerra charges $28 for 15ml. I can get it here for approx $7 (taking into account size difference and currency), and that's from a retail store in a nice area with actual business costs and staff who have some knowledge of aromatherapy that isn't just 'use oils for everything!!). So DoTerra is literally charging 4x what I would pay in my local store.

If you want to compare it to a business that doesn't have a storefront overhead... you can get the same quantity of oil here on Amazon for $5.. DoTerra is 5.6x more expensive.

Here's the wiki article on Mercola - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Mercola

Dr. Mercola is an osteopath, and he's a D.O., not an M.D. This site puts a lot of stock in pseudoscience and his claims have been repeatedly the subject of warning letters issued by the FDA. Here's also an archived BusinessWeek article that talks about his site's sketchy sales practices to sell very expensive supplements and alternative health supplies (for instance, organic lavender oil is $21 per oz on his site and $3.75 per oz on Amazon).

Here's a more well-rounded article from NPR from two days ago on this exact topic: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/09/25/552668449/pregnant-women-should-still-get-the-flu-vaccine-doctors-advise

They note "association between the flu vaccine and early-term miscarriage in some women." Specifically, when comparing the 2010-11 flu season to the 2011-2012 flu season, "among women who received pH1N1-containing vaccine in the previous influenza season, the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) in the 1-28days was 7.7 (95% CI **2.2-27.3*); the aOR was 1.3 (95% CI 0.7-2.7) among women not vaccinated in the previous season."

In translation.... that means that pregnant women who received no H1N1 vaccine in 2010 but got one in 2011, there was a 1.3x elevated risk of miscarriage, and those who got both, there was a 7.7x elevated risk of miscarriage. After 28 days, there was no increased risk of miscarriage found. This does not mean that 7.7% of the otherwise healthy group lost their babies; rather, they were only looking among confirmed miscarriages and there were 4 miscarriages in the control group with no flu vaccines, but they found 14 in the two-season H1N1 vaccine group* out of the 485 miscarriages they looked at.

Source: the article's poster https://idsa.confex.com/idsa/2015/webprogram/Handout/id3459/POSTER254_1900.pdf

They conclude in the abstract that "this study does not and cannot establish a causal relationship between repeated influenza vaccination and SAB, but further research is warranted."

Basically, this one study found a correlation when looking at confirmed miscarriages, but it's just one study, and it's got a lot of limitations including the wide confidence interval (2.2-27.3 is HUGE)... so it's worth looking at more closely and gathering more information, but doesn't mean women shouldn't get the vaccine.

>"These results are something we need to pay attention to and follow up on, but the overwhelming data supports the importance of vaccination," says Dr. Christopher Zahn, ACOG's vice president of practice activities.

TL;DR - talk to your OB/GYN, but while there's a recent study that makes people go "huh?" the flu vaccine is still highly recommended for pregnant women and Mercola is known for disproportionately hyping scares.

How long have you had the Nexplanon in?

It is normal, and may continue to change (for better or worse) over time. The Nexplanon alters your body's hormones and can cause changes in acne, menstruation, cravings (and in turn weight if you give in to said cravings and consume too many calories), etc.

The best thing you can do is stay on top of it. Wash your face in the morning and at night, and more during the day if need be. Choose a gentle wash like cetaphil, cetaphil baby wash+ lotion, or aquaphor wash/baby wash. A castile soap or Aveeno is also nice, so is a simple mild bar of soap. Try to get things that aren't perfume scented or wildly colored. Wash your face only with that soap, then gently pat dry and fan dry if need be. Afterwards, apply a very very thin layer of a gentle non-scented non-dyed lotion like eucerin, curel, or lubriderm. The lotion is very important. Giving your body clean, gentle moisture is going to help cut down on bad oil production. You do NOT want to dry out your face or "let your pores breathe" because this will amp up oil production and even lead to scarring and more acne.

Keep your hands off your face. Wash your face whenever you get dirty or sweaty. When you're in the shower wash it after you condition your hair to ensure that you wash off any conditioner that might drip down because that stuff wiiiiill cause acne. Don't use any spot treatments, salicylic acid washes, face scrubbers, etc. Wash your hands, then use the soap and water just on your hands or on a very gentle applicator like those little silicone "scrubbies"
or an ultrasoft facial brush. You don't want to scratch your skin up, scrub anything open, etc. If you are a person that exfoliates, don't do it more than once a week or once every two weeks. Use ground oatmeal (mixed with honey), baking soda (mixed with water) or sugar (mixed with a gentle oil like coconut or olive) mixed into a paste and gently rubbed on in a circular motion-- again, no need to scratch and scrub to exfoliate, always be gentle.


Between washes or when you can't wash immediately, use a gentle non-scented non-dyed baby wipe like pampers or other natural care brands. You can also find oil sheets in the store, but a square of toilet paper works just as well (if not better than) oil sheets and is far cheaper-- just tear some off and store it in a ziplock baggie inside your bag. A dab of tea tree essential oil or rosemary essential oil will help soothe the soreness and reduce the redness of pimples. Lots of people think EOs are BS, but they do have their place and can be very helpful. They aren't going to magically fix anything, but they do help if only a little. You can mix a few drops with a couple tbsps of extra virgin coconut oil as well to make a very gentle overnight moisturizer for your face.

Aztec clay face masks are nice for getting oil off and clearing up acne, as well. Always lotion after use. Drink tons of water (32-64oz a day minimum), eat well (cut out as much greasy, sugary food as possible), and spend some time in the sun moving around each day. Wash your sheets and pillowcases once a week (some people even change their pillowcase every single night to help prevent acne) and try to use 100% cotton sheets that will breathe and keep you from building up sweat as you sleep. And the big one-- absolutely STOP using make up if you can help it or only wear it when necessary. If you must wear it, try to find a foundation like bareminerals or rodan + fields mineral peptides. It should be oil free and you should aim to keep it pretty tame and natural as these are much less harsh on the skin. Always moisturize and let dry before applying any makeup, and wash off your makeup as soon as possible.

Hope all of this helps. It's an absolute bitch for me once in a while (like right now), too. I wear no makeup, wash my sheets once a week, wash my face twice a day and freshen with wipes or TP squares. I use cetaphil baby wash+lotion and wash only with my hands. I use Curel or lubriderm lotion. For really bad spots I dab on tea tree oil a couple times and by the next day they don't hurt any and are clearing up. For the most part it keeps everything in check.

Not me personally, but I know a couple of people that have used oil of wild oregano topically with great results. I've gotten rid of a couple of warts with This one. You do have to dilute it. You can also try Oreganol which doesn't need to be blended with another oil. I use olive oil btw.

edit: typo

I'm not a doctor, so if you've been prescribed tret, I would talk with your doc before adding any additional products. That said, if your skin can handle it and your doctor doesn't tell you not to, you could try adding AmLactin. Retinoids and AHAs [are different chemicals] (https://phamix.com/2008/12/alpha-hydroxy-acids-or-retinol-which-is-best) so it's possible adding one would do something slightly different for your skin.

In terms of how many products you can use, it's entirely up to you. I use anywhere from 2 to 8 or 9 products at once layered /r/AsianBeauty style, including mixing (NON-prescription strength) retinoids with an AHA. On a normal day I just use glycolic acid + CeraVe (2 products). But on a weekend evening before bed, I'll take a bath using [zinc soap] (https://www.amazon.com/DermaHarmony-Pyrithione-Zinc-ZnP-Soap/dp/B00MWB0ZGE/ref=sr_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1493411293&sr=8-5&keywords=zinc+soap) and [physically exfoliate] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007IAE5WY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1) in the tub, spray my skin with a [low-Ph toner] (https://www.amazon.com/Cosrx-Clarifying-Treatment-Toner-150ml/dp/B00OZ63ODA/ref=sr_1_2_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1493411340&sr=1-2&keywords=mizon+aha+bha+toner), apply a [Vitamin C serum] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00THEGVCG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1), then an [AHA gel] (https://www.amazon.com/Paulas-Choice-Resurfacing-Treatment-Exfoliant/dp/B00DH21DBS/ref=sr_1_5_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1493411427&sr=1-5&keywords=paula%27s+choice+aha+gel), then some [Retinol Cream] (https://www.amazon.com/Retinol-Surge-Moisturizer-Cream-2-5/dp/B00OQQLNG4/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1493411480&sr=1-1&keywords=body+merry+retinol), then a [more moisturizing cream] (https://www.amazon.com/CeraVe-Moisturizing-Cream-Pump-Ounce/dp/B01CTRLLFE/ref=sr_1_3_s_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1493411504&sr=1-3&keywords=cerave+cream), then top it all off with an [occlusive] (https://www.amazon.com/Aquaphor-Advanced-Therapy-Ointment-Protectant/dp/B00IB0X5FS/ref=sr_1_1?srs=7301146011&ie=UTF8&qid=1493411531&sr=8-1&keywords=aquaphor) to seal in all that moisture. I might even throw an extra layer of or two of [moisturizing toner] (https://www.amazon.com/ORGANIC-ROSE-WATER-SPRAY-Uplifting/dp/B00YMMENPK/ref=sr_1_15_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1493411630&sr=8-15&keywords=rose+water+toner), [tea tree oil] (https://www.amazon.com/Pure-Tea-Tree-Essential-Oil/dp/B018J6KIBW/ref=sr_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1493411669&sr=8-5&keywords=tea+tree+serum), [snail gel] (https://www.amazon.com/Mizon-Snail-Recovery-Gel-Cream/dp/B00BQM3S3C/ref=sr_1_9_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1493411704&sr=8-9&keywords=snail+gel), or [honey ampoule] (https://www.amazon.com/SCINIC-Honey-Ampoule-Types-Whitening/dp/B00STAV016/ref=sr_1_9_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1493410839&sr=8-9&keywords=honey+cream) in there if I think my skin needs extra redness reduction. Is that excessive? Absolutely. But I put all that stuff on my face to make my skin happy, so I don't see why the rest of my body shouldn't be allowed to occasionally join the party.

I'm a total novice and have just experimented to find things that work for me based on stuff I've read here, so please take this all with a huge grain of salt. Ymmv, etc.

Anyway. Yes, I started with just plain mineral oil - I had to go to Amazon to find just straight mineral oil, everything local had fragrance or something else, so I found a food-safe mineral oil there, figuring if it was high enough grade to ingest then it was high enough grade for my face. (Not saying, "anything you can eat, you can put on your face!" I just mean if it's a thing you would put on your face and it is high enough grade of that thing that it is food-safe, then it's also probably face-safe, even if they're not marketing it for that purpose. Please anyone feel free to correct me if I'm making a dangerous error!)

I'm currently using a mix of oils I make using that mineral oil and apricot kernel oil 50/50 for the base, and then adding a little rosehip oil and tea tree oil.

When I wear makeup, I double-cleanse and use micellar water in addition to oil. I just use Simple brand stuff I found at Kroger or Walmart.

OCM helped, but I struggled to stay moisturized all day, especially under makeup. CeraVe and Pond's broke me out, I had a hard time finding anything at the store that didn't have a lot of ingredient overlap with them and I wasn't willing to shell out $20+ on moisturizer I wasn't sure would work. I found this weird Egyptian Magic stuff at Walmart and thought the simplicity of the ingredients was promising (olive oil, beeswax, honey, bee pollen, royal jelly, and propolis), so I tried it out and fell in love. Before I found out Amazon has it too, my Walmart ran out and didn't get any back for a week, and my skin really suffered - it sounds silly but it was almost painful to not have it soothed and hydrated all the time, it just felt so sensitive and uncomfortable. This stuff has become my Holy Grail, can't-live-without-it item.

Edit - jfc that got long, sorry. Hope that was informative and helpful for you or someone, thank you all for coming to my very shitty TED talk ❤️

(Part 1/2)

Fitness wise: Along with r/Fitness, I would definitely recommend trying out "Sweat: Kayla Itsines Fitness" app. She has a bunch of workout routines/programs on the app. The best part is that you can slowly build up from your own fitness level and get to your goal essentially. Her workouts are amazing and I personally love it. Also, Jillian Michaels has some bomb workout videos out there and they show amazing results as well (though it is a little harder!)... 30 Day Shred is one of the best ones out there for sculpting your body!

Hair: I definitely like what notfitperson recommended. I like leave coconut oil on my hair/scalp for at least 1 hour before washing my hair... and on weekends, to take care of my split ends, dehydration and encourage hair growth, I generously apply a homemade hair serum overnight and wash in the morning/later in the afternoon. If I used a lot of hot tools/styling products during the week, I'll keep on the hair serum for 1-2 days to repair the damages. For the hair serum, I like to make it with: rosemary oil, castor oil, peppermint oil, and organic coconut oil. Also, I apply Lush hair masks every 2-3 weeks. I love those ones because they are made from natural ingredients and I store them in the fridge. I even use the castor oil and coconut oil that I linked on my lashes every night before bed... if you do it religiously on both top and bottom lashes every night, you will have longer, fuller and healthier lashes! Castor oil is amazing for hair growth/repair, but it has a really thick consistency ... you gotta mix it with a light oil like coconut oil or olive oil!!!

Makeup:

If you have a limited budget, I would honestly hold off on getting luxury makeup right away and practice with drugstore brands first. Then upgrade!

Eyes/Brows:

I would get one neutral palette for everyday looks.

Brow pencils/gel/pomade ...ABH is the best out there, but the most expensive

Mascara: Better Than Sex by Too Faced is one of the best out there. A dupe that is comparable to that mascara that is cheaper and also a really good quality is the L'Oreal Paris mascara. It is amazing!

Lips:

Nude/pinkish lipstick for everyday looks - Dulce Vita by Nars is a popular one and it has a blue-ish undertone which helps your teeth appear whiter (bonus!)

Classic, matte red lipstick that is good for everyday, date night or special occasion looks - Cruella by Nars is bomb!!! It looks good on everyone! I have yet to meet someone who doesn't look good in it! Totally worth the investment!

Pencil lip liner - Definitely get this (in a color closely matching your lipstick color)... because it helps reduce the lipstick from bleeding onto somewhere around your lips and helps keep your lipstick stay put!

Lip gloss - Buxom, Milani L'Oreal and L.A. Colors have really great, high shine ones!

*Exfoliate your lips using sugar and Vaseline OR sugar and olive oil to remove the dead skin before applying any lipstick... especially matte lipsticks! It hydrates your lips and makes a huge difference + prevents the cracked lips with lipstick look ...cannot emphasize this enough! Also, before starting your makeup... apply Vaseline/chapstick on your lips and do your lips last.*

holy fuck, thank you so much. ive been searching for something to help reduce my naeseua from psychs, as every psych ive taken has give me trouble with my belly (AL-LAD + Shrooms)

Its the largest reason why i dont like psychs, cuz i fucking hate dry heaving for 20 minutes and just feeling like shit (i struggle to actually release, so i just get stuck in limbo of need to yack but not being able to let it go)

so essentially what you are saying is that if i buy some of this and take like 12 drops as I take my psychs, i have a high chance of not feeling like puking? or do you have any suggestions regarding brand of oil that seems to be the best for what we are discussing?

We all know that /u/nacho_cheezus is the sexiest mod ever...apologies /u/thesmy.

Tea tree oil is good stuff!

OP is using this one
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZQDKDIU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You can get big bottles of essential oils for super cheap on amazon.

https://smile.amazon.com/Eucalyptus-Large-ounce-Best-Essential/dp/B00PHVXIME/

Any health food store will have it, or any spiritual/hippie kinda store :) I think I paid about $8-10 each, and they last forever.

Saje's oils smell amazing but I think they're mostly blends for diffusers.

EDIT: Even Amazon is fine. https://www.amazon.com/Peppermint-PREMIUM-Pharmaceutical-Grade-Essential/dp/B00P6O9KDS/ref=sr_1_4_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1524599190&sr=8-4&keywords=peppermint+essential+oil

Surprised you remember that candle! I believe it was this oil.

ArtNaturals 100% Pure Peppermint... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011JBP5DK?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

this is the oil. currently not using a carrier oil, partly because i’m a cheapass idiot and partly because i don’t mind smelling like peppermint all day.

Man, I don't even know if this will help http://www.amazon.com/Peppermint-Oil-MONEY-BACK-Aromatherapy-Indigestion/dp/B00KRBLD1C

Nice collection!

You could save some space with some essential oil cases if you run out of shelf room.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008BPHO8W

Buy the shoes for two reasons. One, you obviously like them, want them and potentially need a new pair of shoes. For secondsies they have the color mint on them, which is always exceptionable.

Add on

She can GET IT

This One Doesn't.. but it's f*cking expensive.

Also. I have been taking it twice a day ~30 min before a meal. From what I have read, 15 min is fine unless you have GERD issues, then wait an hour.

Edit:
Or get THIS and any enteric coated capsules. 10 drops is roughly 180mg

My add on list is only 7 or so things so I'm going to choose a few or you can choose from my list

• replacement brush heads for my awesome face scrubber.
  
• Tazo green tea
  
• cinnamon essential oil for my house to smell fabulous.
  
  
  
  Those Himalaya's of the mind!
  
  Thanks for the contest :)

I am so happy for you! I hope you enjoy your new job.

You would like this because, well, books + party game! I would like this because I am starting my essential oils collection and I do not have this one, but could utilize it for my digestion issues.

Thanks for having fun with us!