I was overjoyed to have my Mum contact me after I’d sent out the bulletin about Bloom Collagen Complete. She loved the information in the bulletin, and saw how beneficial this product would be for her. At the youthful age of 81 her skin is quite thin, so building up collagen is a great step for her.

I’d given her a bottle of Bloom Collagen Complete when I last saw her, and last night she rang me. It was her first chance to taste it, and she loved the taste! In fact, she spilt some on the bench and was licking it off the bench to make sure it didn’t go to waste! Ahhh….I love you Mum! I’m so pleased we’ve found another winner for you in the Young Living range.

The Sheerlumé Oils

Last week, I mentioned that Bloom by Young Living is a 3 part skincare system comprising a Cleanser, Essence and Lotion. You’ll see best results if you use all 3 products in conjunction. At the core of each of these products in the Bloom skincare range is a special combination of essential oils (the same combo that’s present in Young Living’s Sheerlumé Brightening Cream).

This week, I want to introduce you to the 10 amazing essential oils that make up Sheerlumé. Even if you’re not using Sheerlumé or Bloom, these oils are ones that you can add into your skin care regime, or mix with whichever moisturiser you love to use.

First, let me explain what they do for your skin, and then I want to do a deep dive into the other physical and emotional benefits you’ll experience from each of these oils:

Vetiver

I loooooovvvvveeee Vetiver. This beautiful oil comes from the roots of a tall grass that grows in swampy areas. There was a study done in Beaudesert (Brisbane) where Vetiver grass was planted in areas where the water was contaminated and toxic. Thanks to the Vetiver grass, the water transformed and became beautifully clean.

That tells us that Vetiver is a beautiful oil to energetically transform any negative or toxic situation in our life. And it’s smell – WOW! It smells like a forest after a fire. Not everyone loves the smell. Some people adore it, others find it a bit strong. But we all love the results.

Vetiver has this magical quality of being able to still an overactive mind, making it a beautiful oil for meditation and spiritual practices, or when you need to still your mind for greater concentration.

You can put a drop on the occipital area (where your neck joins your skull), or on your chest, under your nose, or in the diffuser. Combine it in the diffuser with some lighter oils like Orange or Tangerine, or some sweeter oils like Jasmine. Patchouli or Rose. You’ll find you need only a tiny bit of Vetiver oil. And it’s such a thick oil that you sometimes need to take the stopper out of the bottle in order to get the drops out!

In skincare, Vetiver rejuvenates the complexion, and plumps up thin and sagging skin.

Click here to read more about Vetiver Oil…

Blue Cypress

I love the story behind Blue Cypress. This is an Australian tree that grows in the Northern Territory – a beautiful conifer that can live for over 200 years. It was used for many years to build houses, however that all stopped on Christmas day in 1974, when Cyclone Tracy devastated the township of Darwin. It killed 71 people, and destroyed more than 70% of buildings and 80% of homes in Darwin. 30,000 people were evacuated and many never returned.

After the storm had passed, Darwin was rebuilt – this time using steel framed homes. The Blue Cypress plantations stood as sentinels to a closed chapter of history…until one man (Vince Collins, pictured below) discovered the amazing essential oil that is contained in its wood.

This essential oil is a deep cobalt blue in colour, and is high in a compound called Guaiazulene. The guaiazulene is formed when the essential oil of the heart and sapwood touches the bark, and a catalytic reaction occurs.

The essential oil has a wide range of amazing properties, and the tree itself has been used by the Indigenous Australians for thousands of years. I’d love to tell you what it does, but unfortunately I’m not able to make any therapeutic claims about this oil. So instead, do your own research online and through a good reference book.

The Outback Botanical Reserve and Distillery operated by Vince and his wife Maryann is one of Young Living’s Australian partner farms, located just outside of Darwin.  

Click here to read more about Blue Cypress Oil…

Davana

Davana grows in the same part of India as Indian Sandalwood. It’s often used as an aphrodisiac, and it’s rich, concentrated aroma has made it a popular addition to perfumes. Interestingly, its aroma varies according to the person wearing it. It interacts with each person’s unique chemistry to produce a different aroma. How cool is that!

Because of its potent aroma, it’s generally used in blends where it can complement the other essential oils in the mixture without overwhelming them.

Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood

There are many varieties of Sandalwood in the world, and Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood (Santalum paniculatum) is a different species to our Sacred Sandalwood (Santalum album), which is the true Indian Sandalwood.

Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood grows in a very small area on the Big Island of Hawaii, in the foothills of the volcano, so you can imagine the incredible energy that goes into the tree!

During the late 18th and early 19th Century, thousands of tons of Hawaiian Sandalwood trees were harvested and sent mostly to China for making furniture and incense. This drove the tree to the brink of extinction.

But then one man and his family had a vision, to begin a reforestation project on their 3,000 acre farm. The Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood tree is a natural part of that forest ecosystem.  By planting it and cultivating it for its essential oil, the sales of the essential oil bring in the funds needed to do more re-forestation of the hillsides, so it’s a win-win for the land and the people…and for us, the people who buy this beautiful oil.

There are now over a million Sandalwood trees on the property, and this farm is one of Young Living’s partner farms!

Sandalwood oil (both varieties) are incredibly calming. They help to deepen our breathing, and carry us into a meditative state, so they are a wonderful companion to our spiritual practices.

I love combining Jade Lemon oil with Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood oil in my diffuser. It’s a stunning combination!

Click here to read more about Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood Oil…

Clove

Clove is a hot oil, so it’s definitely not one I’d put neat onto sensitive skin like the face. One of its main constituents is eugenol, which was used for many years in dentistry to numb gums before procedures. It’s therefore not surprising that clove buds have been used since ancient times in China and India, and that clove was one of the ingredients in the “Four Thieves Vinegar” which forms the inspiration behind Young Living’s extremely popular Thieves essential oil blend.

In the 15th Century in Marseilles (France), four thieves made up a protective “vinegar” containing various herbs and spices. The story is a fascinating one – if you google “four thieves vinegar” you’ll find various accounts of it online. The authorities finally caught them, and forced them to divulge their secret formula.

Clove oil creates a sense of protection and courage, so this might have helped the Thieves at their rather gruesome task.

The aroma of Clove oil is very stimulating to the mind. Despite this, it also encourages sleep and vivid dreams.

Click here to read more about Clove Oil…

Jasmine

Jasmine has an enticing aroma. Renowned as a fertility herb, it’s been used for thousands of years as a natural aphrodisiac, helping to awaken sensuality, passion and emotional sensitivity.

In Ancient Egypt, Jasmine was associated with the Goddess Isis, who held the secrets of fertility, magic and healing. It’s the perfect oil to use when you are feeling constrained and repressed. Let it work its magic on your psyche, as it helps you to unleash spontaneous joy!

One pound of Jasmine oil requires about 1,000 pounds of jasmine or 3.6 million fresh, unsquashed blossoms. The blossoms must be collected before sunrise, otherwise a lot of the fragrance has disappeared. A single pound of pure, therapeutic-grade Jasmine oil can cost in the order of $4,500 USD, compared with $3.50 per pound for synthetic Jasmine oil.

There is a lot of money to be made by adulterating oils, and selling them as “pure”. That’s why Young Living has their patented Seed to Seal process, so they can guarantee their oils are pure and unadulterated.

Click here to read more about Jasmine Oil…

Carrot Seed

Carrot Seed oil is a winner when it comes to its anti-aging effects. Distilled from the tiny seeds of wild carrots, Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt (PhD) has described Carrot Seed oil as one of the most revitalising essential oils in the world.

It has a delightful, rich and sweet aroma, and is often used in skin care to improve skin tone, restore elasticity, and slow the progression of wrinkles. In fact, it’s shown to give marked improvements to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, at the same time supporting cell rejuvenation for a more radiant complexion.

It is a wonderful skin antioxidant, helping to promote collagen production and fight against sun damage.

Spearmint

Spearmint oils gets its name from its spear-shaped leaves of the Mentha spicata herb. Believed to be the oldest plant of the mint family, Spearmint is often thought of as the “Gentler Mint Oil” compared to Peppermint. Its scent is softer and its effects are milder, making it more suited to skin care than regular Peppermint oil. It’s also commonly used as the minty, breath-freshening flavour in toothpastes and mouthwashes.

Spearmint oil is traditionally used in Ayurvedic practices to soothe the skin. It’s another natural skin antioxidant, helping to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, skin imperfections and discolouration, at the same time increasing the skin’s resilience and elasticity. It also helps cleanse the pores and tighten the skin.

If ever you are feeling emotionally blocked or stressed, Spearmint oil will help you to open up so that these blocks can dissolve, restoring a sense of inner tranquillity, balance and wellbeing.

Click here to read more about Spearmint Oil…

Geranium

The Geranium plant was introduced into Europe in the late 17th Century, and from there it became a very popular garden plant, eventually making its way into gardens around the globe. In 1819, the French chemist Recluz was the first to distil geranium leaves. Since that time, it’s become an important ingredient in perfumes, often used in place of the more expensive oil of Rose.

Like Lavender oil, Geranium oil is able to relax the mind, ease frustrations and irritability, and calm agitation. It’s particularly helpful for people who are intensely driven and who tend to work to the point of exhaustion, then finding themselves overwhelmed with emotions and worry.

Like Jasmine oil, it reconnects us to our emotional sensitivity and spontaneity, inspiring a renewed thirst for enjoyment and pleasure. This in turn opens us to a greater capacity for physical and emotional intimacy, allowing us to experience the pleasure of both giving and receiving love.

Click here to read more about Geranium Oil…

Frankincense

Unlike many essential oils that are distilled from leaves, flowers, bark and roots, Frankincense oil comes from a resin that oozes from the Frankincense tree when its bark is scraped. This resin is allowed to dry, then is distilled.

I was privileged to accompany Gary Young (the founder of Young Living) to Oman in 2013, where he showed us an ancient sandstone bath sitting high atop a mountain at Wadi Anur. Gary had personally made this archeological discovery. The ancient camel caravans would have travelled through the Middle East and stopped at this way point. Frankincense resin was placed into the sandstone bath, and the heat of the sun gently distilled it.

Frankincense oil is renowned as one of the holy oils, given to the Christ Child by the 3 Wise Men. Its name is derived from the medieval French word franc, which means “pure” or “free”, and the Latin word incensium which means “smoke”.

This might leave you thinking of church ceremonies, where Frankincense resin has traditionally been burned in order to purify and uplift the congregation. It’s interesting that Frankincense contains psychoactive compounds, which enable the congregation to access heightened and ecstatic states of consciousness.

Click here to read more about Frankincense Oil…

Here’s how to Order…