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Summary
On episode 249 of 40+ Fitness, Coach Allan sits down with Kac Young, who holds a doctorate in clinical hypnotherapy, natural healing, and naturopathic medicine and runs a private practice helping people with weight loss, smoking cessation, addictions, and chronic pain. She is the author of The Healing Art of Essential Oils.
Kac argues essential oils are not perfume: they are concentrated chemical compounds distilled from a plant’s bark, blossoms, roots, and seeds, and they need to be handled with real caution, not curiosity.
The conversation moves through how to source pure oils, how to dilute and patch test them safely, and a long list of everyday uses, from freshening a car to easing a headache.
Links
- https://www.healingartofessentialoils.com
- https://naha.org
Key Takeaways
- Essential oils are concentrated plant compounds, not perfume. They are the extracted chemical essence of bark, blossoms, stems, roots, and seeds, distilled without excess heat. Because they are so concentrated, treating them like an eau de cologne can cause real harm.
- Buy certified organic or wild-crafted oils only. Distillation concentrates whatever was on the plant, including toxins, so skip vague marketing terms like “therapeutic” or “pure” and look specifically for the organic or wild-crafted label.
- Never use an essential oil “neat” (straight from the bottle). Always dilute in a carrier oil first, run a patch test (diluted 50 percent, wait 24 hours watching for redness), and adjust the dilution strength for children under 12, adults over 55, and pregnant women.
- Multi-level-marketing “oil parties” worry Kac. Buyers get excited and go home with kits but no real education on safe use, sourcing, or handling, which is why she calls these gatherings dangerous.
- Store and dispose of oils carefully. Keep them capped, out of reach of kids and pets, away from open flame, refrigerate carrier oils, and never pour leftover oil down the drain.
- Some oils are phototoxic. Citrus oils like lemon can lighten skin in a cream but will burn if you go out in the sun afterward, so use citrus oil skin products only at night.
- Essential oils have practical household uses beyond wellness. Lemon or grapefruit deodorizes a fridge, peppermint repels spiders and rodents, and diluted lavender or tea tree disinfects small cuts and scrapes.
- Effects build gradually, not instantly. A headache blend of peppermint, eucalyptus, and lavender massaged into the temples may take 20 to 30 minutes to work, which beats popping a pill but requires patience.
“These are powerful tools, but you really need to begin by learning at the beginning what to do with them. They can be our friends. They can be our enemies if we’re not careful.”
Kac Young