The Power of Essential Oils

by Rachael Green

Mother of four, Lawanda Kress watched in horror as her four year old daughter, Raechel cried “That alligator is coming to get me!” Kress quickly tried reassuring her daughter that there was no alligator, but to no avail. Raechel shrieked out once more, “Mommy it’s on the ceiling, and it’s going to bite me!”

Claritin, an over the counter allergy medication prescribed by four-year-old Raechel’s doctor, was causing her hallucinations.

She suffered from a severe chronic cough, in which she would cough all day, every day. Kress took her to several allergy specialists. “They did multiple tests on her poking all kinds of holes in her little arms, and back, several times. They had no idea what she was allergic to, but she was definitely allergic to something,” said Kress.

To add to little Raechel’s already miserable condition, Kress was told that she had also developed asthma. “The asthma really did not seem to affect her oxygen intake, according to their tests, meaning she was not a typical asthma sufferer, which was good; but they told me it would probably get worse before it got better,” said Kress.

Raechel suffered from several health issues for five years after her doctor visit. She dealt with ear infections, bronchitis, almost having to have her tonsils taken out, and trying several more allergy medications, including one very strong antibiotic that gave her thrush.

Kress was desperate at this point, and searching for alternatives that were more effective, and less painful her daughter. That’s when friends introduced her to essential oils.

“My friends who introduced me to these essential oils I use now, were convinced they would help her coughing. I actually tried oils from my local health food store that were cheaper in price, and they did not produce any remarkable change in her coughing or other symptoms. I was skeptical and it took some time to convince me to try these ones. When I finally gave them a try, I was so impressed with the effects they had on her coughing, I began collecting the essential oils to try for other issues,”  said Kress.

Kress said when she would rub lemon, lavender, and peppermint oil on Raechel’s feet, she would stop coughing for four hours at a time. “We used a blend of oils that also helped with the wheezing and asthma. The essential oils had zero side effects,” said Kress

There are a number of methods and uses for essential oils. The three main ways to benefit from the oils are topically, aromatically, and internally, if it is specified to be safe on the label.

Since beginning to use essential oils, Kress said her family has not needed antibiotics in three years, and Raechel has not needed her allergy or asthma medication for almost four years.

“I believe essential oils are the best kept secret out there. I had used them off and on so many years and never knew what they were capable of, and how amazing they can be. I am eternally grateful to my friends for introducing me to them,” said Kress.