New product! On Guard Sanitizing Mist

The wait is over, ladies and gentlemen! dōTERRA has released the dōTERRA On Guard® Sanitizing Mist. Not only is this product going to bring the amazing aroma of On Guard around anytime you spray it, but it will kill 99.9% of bacteria and other germs. And it won't dry out your hands, thanks to naturally moisturizing apple extracts!

Could we ask for anything more? Probably not. 

This 27mL bottle of sanitizing mist is perfect to keep with you at all times in your backpack, your purse, or even in your pocket. The active ingredient is naturally derived, USP Certified ethyl alcohol, which gives the mist antiseptic properties to effectively cleanse and prevent the spread of bacteria. To learn more about this new life-saver of a product, check out the spotlight on dōTERRA.com: https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/product-spotlight-onguard-sanitizing-mist.

I got mine early, as part of  this year's Convention kit, and it is awesome! It is sure to be an instant best seller. Want to get yours? Just click over to my site.

DIY Aftershave using essential oils

It's Man-Day once again. A little disrupted today, because Thing 1's school was evacuated this morning due a bomb threat. Everyone is safe. He's all happy being back at home in his man cave, watching videos and swinging. (Yes, we have a swing in the house.)

The point of Man-Day posts is to teach you ways men can use essential oils. The truth is:

Everyone can benefit from Essential Oils.

And that means men, too. I get that there's a bit of a stereotype that oils are for women, or just crunchy moms, or hippies. Totally not true. I mean, Yes, for them, too! But not only. 

An easy way to incorporate essential oils into your life is through scent- replace a cologne or body spray with an all natural version. With so many options available, you are sure to find something that appeals to you. Try any tree oil alone or mix with a citrus or herbal, like Cedarwood and Wild Orange or Marjoram. You'll get the health benefits of some de-stressing, too. Can your cologne do that? doTERRA's Balance blend smells like a walk in the woods, and makes a great men's scent, as do the new yoga collection blends: Anchor, Align, and Arise.

available October 2, 2017

Balance also makes a really soothing aftershave. It really doesn't get easier than this:
1. Open bottle.
2. Put a few drops of Balance in your hands.
3. Apply over face and neck.

Easy, right?

If you are up for a little bit more work, I found an easy aftershave recipe in the Essential Life book. 

3/4 cup witch hazel
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
10 drops sandalwood
5 drops peppermint
3 drops rosemary
2 drops melaleuca

Mix all ingredients in a bottle. Shake well and pat on after shaving.

Apple cider and witch hazel both make great toners and the oils used are great for cleansing and soothing irritation.

Do you have a favorite DIY after shave recipe? I'd love to try it out!

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.

Do You Know Frank(incense)?

Do you? Do you know Frank? I love it. Absolutely one of my favorite oils. Do I say that every week? But, seriously. Frank does it all.

We first started using frankincense with my older son. Thing 1 has some special needs and I'd heard that frank supports healthy brain function. I thought it couldn't hurt. I want to do everything I can to set this kid up for success,  right? We started rubbing a drop on the back of his neck, right over the cedarwood.

Let me tell you, we had some side effects. You know what I love about essential oils? Did you say: Everything!? Yes, of course, everything! But specific to this story: 

I love that the side effects are GOOD side effects. 

We noticed that he was healthier,  because his immune system was stronger. That impressed me. But what really impressed me was Thing 1 stopped dropping to the floor during transitions.

He had this incredibly annoying,  (and occasionally painful if you were holding his hand) habit of dropping to the floor when he was supposed to go somewhere new. Like every time he needed to change classroom stations, or classrooms, or leave the gym, or go to the store. It was bad. It was so bad that the school was calling us almost every day to tell us that he had dropped to the floor and they couldn't get him back up. Could we come and help? Yeah, that bad.

You know what Frank did? Frank put an end to that. 

What began as a physical wellness use of frank (healthy brain function) blossomed into an emotional use: feeling safe. Frank makes you feel safe!

I diffuse it for myself on days that I am just Done with a capital D. DONE.

Here are my Top 5 ways to use Frank.

1. Healthy brain function. Rub on the back of the neck or take 1-2 drops internally.

2. Keep that immune system strong! Rub on bottom of feet or take 1-2 drops internally.

3. Get grounded. Diffuse or rub drop on your hands and breathe in deeply. Rub on the back of the neck or bottoms of feet. Take 1-2 drops internally. 

4. Healthy cellular function. Take 1-2 drops internally or rub on the bottom of the feet.

5. Skin care! Add a drop to moisturizer to improve appearance of skin, or use topically to support skin that has had minor irritation.

Did you notice that a lot of those had the same suggested application for different uses? You do not need to repeat the application for every solution! One dose will cover it. Smaller doses more often is the key to success when using essential oils. Frank is also considered an enhancing oil. That means it makes gives a boost to other oils, and helps them do their job just a little bit better than on their own.

Do you know Frank? If you haven't met, I'd love  to introduce you! Just click here and then choose Join & Save for the best discount!

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Welcome to Man-Day!

Welcome to Man-Day! Every Monday here at So Essential Oils will feature an essential oils tip for men. Some men come to essential oils easily.  Other men, like my husband, get tricked by their wives. There is no judgement here. 

Occasionally,  there is some mockery, but no judgement. 😉

One of my husband's favorite things ever is the doTERRA Breathe Vapor Stick.  I mean, sure, I told him it was awesome,  but what do I know? We'd been diffusing Breathe at night for a while and both noticed how much better our quality of sleep was. It was an enormous difference, for both of us.

The Breathe Vapor Stick, though.... so handy to carry with you, where ever you go! My husband uses it over his upper lip, so he can breathe in all those amazing essential oils. It quickly opens airways for clear breathing. You can also draw it over your chest, back, even the bottoms of the feet. 

Last week, he was packing for a trip and asked about travel size toothpaste. I offered him some On Guard samples, which are great for travel, and some shampoo and conditioner samples, too. And the Deep Blue samples. Travel means a lot more walking around than his usual office work. And then I offered him an extra Breathe vapor stick....

Oh, I don't need that! I already have TWO.

If you need to ease of a Breathe Vapor Stick in your life, and want to learn more about essential oils and how you can benefit, than please contact me!  Or join my team here. Just click Join & Save to get the best discount! 

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.

Mojitos! made with doTERRA essential oils

Mojitos have become quite the favorite summer drink in our house. Yummy, easy to make mojitos (and nojitos, too! )

Every month I have a team gathering at my house to get together and be social and share oils and support my downline team. I have drinks and snacks, made with essential oils. Not everyone in my team drinks, so I like to make something that can easily be non-alcoholic as well. Last month featured the mojito.

It was perfect timing, too, because Lime oil was a freebie for rewards members. If you'd like to become a rewards member and get lots of freebies, let me know so I can help you! I am passionate about helping people live better with oils, but I am just as passionate about freebies! Contact me to learn about the best savings!

The mojitos were a hit!

Not long afterwards,  my husband asked me if we had anything fun to drink. Honestly, we are big water drinkers in our house. Really, there was nothing that I thought my husband would qualify as "fun".

And then I remembered that I had everything I need for mojitos! I offered him one, and then thought twice and suggested a nojito instead. My husband is not a big drinker. It was sweet and bubbly and refreshing, perfect for a summer evening!

He was slightly skeptical,  but agreed....and he LOVED it! 

It is super easy to make and uses lime and spearmint essential oils, along with agave syrup, club soda, and rum if you choose. I like using agave syrup instead of sugar because it is already a liquid, and you aren't trying so hard to get it to dissolve. Using essential oils means no muddling is required! The reason you muddle spearmint leaves is to release the essential oils within the leaves.

I don't have measurements for the club soda and rum, because I don't measure. Truthfully, I make the syrup up with the agave and oils and only eye ball the agave. Put the syrup in a glass and top with club soda, or 1/2 club soda and 1/2 rum. Either way you will need to give each glass a quick stir. 

Have you made any cocktails with essential oils? I would love to hear what you've tried! I am always on the lookout for something new, so please share your successful recipes with me!

What You Need To Know About doTERRA's New Siberian Fir Oil

I was originally planning to go A to Z when I spotlight oils, but I can't possibly when we have all these new oils ready to be released next month! Sorry, arborvitae. I love you, but you will just have to wait.

The Siberian Fir announcement was a bit of a mixed blessing.

I LOVE TREE OILS!

So I was doing a little happy dance in my chair, until the announcement that White Fir was going away. sob! I've been using White Fir nightly in my diffuser, along with Breathe, and a drop of thyme. But, science. Yep, we get a lot of science from doTERRA. These are CPTG, Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade oils, known for their purity and potency. White Fir no longer had a sustainable supply source, so it goes away. I hope it will be back. But, science! 

White Fir has nothing on Siberian Fir. 

The key constituents that White Fir has (that Douglas Fir doesn't) are found in much higher quantities in Siberian Fir! What does this mean? It means Siberian Fir, will work much in the same way as White Fir, only better!

To help you get started with this amazing new oil, here are some ways to use it!


💧Diffuse to promote feelings of grounding,    relaxation, and rest. 

💧Inhale to soothe dry airways.

💧Apply Topically, to soothe skin irritations.

💧Apply to overactive tissues to ease discomfort.

💧Use 1-3 drops in a capsule to support body systems and normal cellular function.


Yes! Siberian Fir is GRAS labeled so it is safe for internal use. I've tasted  it (because I could) and it is not unpleasant. I'm working on a cocktail recipe using it. Once I perfect it, you can be sure that I'll share it here!

In the meantime,  I have an awesome diffuser recipe to share! I'm calling it Silent Slumber.  It supports open airways and clear *silent* sleep. Raise your hand if you have a noisy roommate! 🖐🖐🖐👃💤💤💤

Siberian Fir has already become a new favorite! Be sure to let me know if you try this blend!

Post Convention Renewal

I am so inspired coming back from Convention. (For those of you not in the loop, doTERRA just held their annual convention in Salt Lake City. It's three days of awesomeness in the form of new products, science, and inspiration.) This year's theme was all about you. And me. And all of us. And empowerment. And empowering. And hope, And a vision! And Disrupting Health Care!!! And service to others. And lifting up. And holding up. And holding space.

It was as amazing as I expected.

This was my second year at Convention and my excitement was a little different from last year. Last year was full of Wonder at the Unknown. This year was marveling at the Glittering Future laid out before me.

I am ready.

Founder Emily Wright asked me (and 30,000 of my closest friends) to go all in. To not play small. So here is me showing up in a big way, with a heart of service.

I am rebranding. Rebuilding in a way to make the most of my time and energy and reach. My So Essential facebook group is now super secret, so I can best serve the people on my team. There is a new facebook page, So Essential Wonders so I can still educate people about essential oils, and this blog, which has started in fits, repeatedly, has a new way forward, too. I will be posting three times weekly.

On Mondays, there will be the Men's Post. Yep, Monday is ManDay.

On Wednesdays, there will be a product spotlight.

On Fridays, a new diffuser blend each week!

You can follow me on social media on facebook, instagram, pinterest, and of course, right here.

Are you ready? To not play small? To live life fully, and naturally? What are you ready for?

What's in the Box? My June doTERRA rewards order

Happy Summer! 

My kids have been home for summer break for 2 weeks, and I would love to say we have a great routine in place, but we don't. At all. But, it's summer vacation and I kinda feel like you should be able to do what you want on vacation, as long as your chores are still getting done and you are wearing at least some clothes.

Thing 1 is having a bit of a problem with that last one...  He's been up for an hour and I've already said You cannot be naked! at least 47 times. So summer is going to be interesting around here.

Anyway...so what's in the box? I'll tell you I resisted doTERRA's  rewards program for months. Autoship? Scary! No way! I really saw the benefit of the oils, but I did not want any part of a rewards program. Monthly ordering? Forget about it.
But then I was seeing free oils that I wasn't getting and rewards points I could be getting on things I was already buy

ing and decided to give it a try.

So easy! And completely not scary. And full of free! So much free! And, let's face it, free is good. Especially when it's free that you pick out yourself! For the uninitiated, doTERRA's rewards program (or LRP, as we like to call it) works like a frequent flyer program. You earn up to 30% back on qualifying purchases, and that's on top of the 25% wholesale discount. All shipping fees are also rebated as rewards points. It adds up fast! And every month doTERRA offers a free oil to rewards members called the Product of the Month. When you add the 25% discount and the 30% back and the Product of the Month and other freebies, I average pretty close to 60% savings off retail pricing.

All in a Day's Work

It is quite literally part of my job to help people on my team get as many free oils and products as possible. Yes, of course, I empower them to find natural solutions for physical and emotional wellness, and to build financial freedom (for those who want it) but FREEEEEEE. So I started a giveaway for my So Essential team members. Yep. More free stuff! Every month I give away a different oil, and one way to to get a chance to win it is by posting in our private facebook support group about What's in the Box. This month I'm giving away CHEER!

What's In The Box?

I thought I'd give you a sneak peek into my doTERRA box and show you what I ordered this month. My LRP order is absolutely different every month.

V-Shake times 2, because now that is summer vacation, Thing 1 thinks he can have unlimited smoothies. And he kind of can, because of the next thing in the box. This can be used as a meal replacement, but we use it more as a sports drink, high fiber, high protein snack.

TerraGreens, also times 2, are powdered greens. My kid's getting veggies every time he asks for a smoothie. See my Spring Break Smoothies post here. 

PastTense is a must have in my purse. You never know when the occasional stress-related head tension will pop up, and a few swipes of the PastTense roller and it's done. And if you carry stress in your neck and shoulders, try it there, too. 

*Even my husband will use it. 

TerraShield is an all natural bug repellent! It doesn't smell like poison, doesn't feel like poison, because it is actually not poison! And it works. I am a mosquito magnet, and never get a single bite when I use it. It's safe for your dog! It's safe for your garden! 

Pro Tip: Spray it outside around your doorways, to prevent mosquitoes from coming inside.

The Serenity Combo pack is in my box this month because I am co-hosting a sleep study this month! We use the Serenity blend nightly in Thing 1's diffuser, and rubbed on the bottom of his feet, to help ease him into bedtime. The Combo pack will save you a few dollars. The Serenity Complex Softgels contain lavender oil and L-theanine, an amino acid, both of which are helpful for calming & de-stressing! I'll have an update on how you an be part of the sleep study later this week! 

Lemon is used daily in our house: in my water as a gentle, safe detox and for antioxidant support. Thing 1 takes it with lavender and peppermint for seasonal issues (check out TriEase for a softgel version, especially if pollen is making you miserable.) I also use lemon as a safe, non toxic cleaner, and for DIY furniture polish.

I use black pepper mostly in cooking, and lately we are going through a ton of it, thanks to Thing 1's other obsession: hummus. It's smoothies and hummus all day long at our house. Take a large store bought container of plain hummus and add 5 drops each: black pepper, lemon, and cumin oils. It's fantastic.

We give Thing 1 On Guard daily for immune support. The rest of us use it as needed. This makes a great safe, effective, non-toxic cleaner, jsut mix in a spray bottle with water and/or vinegar. A science fair project was circulating on facebook last month that showed On Guard besting commercial cleansers.  

And now for the freebies! YAY! FREE! 

DoTERRA's Product of the Month is a 5ml bottle of  Serenity, so yes, I did get two bottles of Serenity this month. There is another promo this month and it's open to anyone and everyone! Immortelle is free with any 200pv order, whether you are ordering through the rewards program or getting your very first starter oils! Immortelle is an anti-aging blend because it helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as sun damage and can even fade stretch marks. 

SO ESSENTIAL GIVEAWAY!

Cheer is an awesome happy blend from the Emotional Aromatherapy collection. It is a great mood lifter. Cheer is for aromatic and topical use only. New So Essential Oils members can also win this oil by joining with any starter set of oils. It's super easy!

Go to mydoterra.com/dawndiamantopoulos, or use the my oils tab at the top of the page. Then choose Join & Save and Wellness Advocate, enter your personal information and choose your starter kit. The most popular kits on my team are the Family Essentials, Home Essentials, and Aromatouch Diffused kits. The Home Essential kit will earn you the FREE Immortelle this month! Start your journey to wellness with FREE! Then ask to join the private facebook group So Essential Oils. I will contact you withing 2 days to welcome you to the team and schedule a wellness consult where I will show you how to get all the FREE oils you possibly can!

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease.

Spring Break Smoothies

It's Spring Break. You know what that means? We might get to sleep in this week. We aren't going anywhere. Amazingly, both my kids have the same week off. This hasn't happened in at least 5 years. So what Spring Break means for you might be different, but here it's an extra long weekend. 

What it means here is I'm not trying to drag my kids out of bed or nagging hurrying them to get ready so they won't be late. It likely means that Thing 2 will still complain about doing his chores all week. It means Thing 1 refused to wear a shirt this morning and I don't care. I can't send him to school without a shirt, but he can watch Sesame Street youtube videos in his mancave without a shirt on. 

Most days, Thing 1 comes home from school and asks for a smoothie. He brings me the blender, and the V-Shake, and the TerraGreens. Yep, the kid brings me powdered greens to put in his smoothie! Do your kids ask for veggies? 

It makes me feel a little bit like this...



V-Shake is awesome because it's high protein and high fiber so it helps fill my almost 17 year old kid up. (17? How did that happen?) He's a bottomless pit. And I can hide veggies in it. He won't eat fruit or veggies because he has sensory issues, so we are still buying baby food. With a smoothie, I can fill him up and get fruits and veggies into him and give him some probiotics. It's a Win-Win-Win.

Probiotics? Oh Yeah. So much of behavior and immune system strength is tied to a healthy GI tract. Honestly, it is not necessary to hide the PB Assist Jr. It tastes like Pixie Stix. And it comes in a similar packaging. It can be mixed into a smoothie or juice but tastes great right out the package. I may have taste tested it, once. Or twice. Or more. Thing 2 loves them. And he can easily swallow pills, but if I hand him a capsule of probiotics, he isn't interested. If I hand him a sachet of PB Assist Jr., he asks if he can have more. With a guaranteed 5 billion live colonies per serving, it's a powerhouse in a yummy kid-approved format. And those colonies are specially encapsulated to make it through the stomach acid to land in the intestines where they are actually needed. Yay for good gut flora! 

What?! You don't get excited about good gut flora? Wierdo.

Anyway the smoothies... I switch up the recipe in terms of frozen fruit, so that it tastes different every time. I do this purposely so that 
1. He gets more types of fruit (and therefore nutrients) into his diet.
2. He doesn't get so accustomed to a specific flavor that he won't drink it if it's different.
Thing 1 is a creature of habit, and that's a real concern.

Thing 1 Smoothie

8 oz. non-dairy milk (we rotate between coconut, almond, and cashew)
2 scoops doTERRA V-Shake
1 scoop doTERRA TerraGreens
1 banana (or sometimes 1/2 avocado)
approximately 1/2 cup frozen fruit. I never measure. Today we used strawberries.
1 sachet doTERRA PB Assist Jr.
1-2 drops of wild orange or tangerine doTERRA essential oil

Put everything in a blender and blend til smooth. 

The mason jar is for pictures only. Thing 1 gets his smoothie in a plastic cup.

I use the TrimShake, too! TrimShake is vegetarian friendly, but the V-Shake is vegan. While my son is using this line more as a sports shake, I use it as a lunch meal-replacement shake. It makes a yummy addition to any weight control plans. It's great for times when I'm on the go. And I am in love with the Orange Cream flavor. Perfect for Spring Break!

Spring Break Smoothie

8 oz. non-dairy milk
2 scoops doTERRA Orange Cream Trim Shake
1 scoop doTERRA TerraGreens (because Mommies need veggies, too!)
1 banana
~1/2 cup frozen mango or pineapple
1-2 drops doTERRA wild orange or tangerine oil

Put everything in a blender and blend til smooth.

This needs a paper umbrella.

If you try these, let me know what you think! If you are ready to take charge of your own wellness goals, I want to help! Please contact me. I'd be happy to call you and help you create a wellness plan.


These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease.

How a small sample of essential oils changed my life.

Sounds crazy, I know. A tiny little sample of essential oil.. life changing?

Yes.

If you don't know me personally, allow me to share a little background information. I have 2 boys, Thing 1, nearly 17, and Thing 2,  solidly 14. Names have been changed to protect the innocent cranky.

Thing 1 has some pretty significant challenges. I'm not going to go into diagnoses right now, but he has multiple issues. I am not a doctor.  I am a mom. And like every mom I know, I try to do the best I can to make my kids' lives better. Whether your kid has an alphabet soup series of diagnoses or not,  he or she can still benefit from essential oil usage. And let me tell you, parents: we can, too.

My doTERRA Story

My cousin had been posting about essential oils for a while and I half paid attention to them. One day she offered samples, and I asked if there was something for Thing 1. We chatted a bit, and settled on something calming. Thing 1 gets frustrated sometimes. He is non-verbal and that causes some problems for him. And for me. And for us as a family.

I was sent a tiny sample bottle of cedarwood. 

As a tree oil, cedarwood is grounding. Grounding is a calming feeling but not a knock you out for the night calming. Think about a tree being rooted to the earth. Tree oils can help dial back your daily stress levels.

Emotionally,  cedarwood is the Oil of Community. It helps you be open to relationships and feeling like you belong to a community, at work, at school, with family. 

Not long after I received that sample, my son had a huge meltdown. A meltdown is not a temper tantrum. A toy or a piece of candy won't stop a meltdown. My son had thrown himself on the floor. He was crying, screaming, thrashing.

It was heartbreaking. 

It is hard to see your child in anguish.
I could not console him. 
It was not safe for me to be near him.

I put a drop of cedarwood on my finger, darted in, and barely touched my fingertip to the back of his neck. 

Within one minute, he had calmed to a whimper. 

A minute after that, it was as if it had never happened.

Thing 2 and I looked at each other,  wondering if we had actually just seen what we had witnessed.

It was miraculous. 

I had to have this oil in my life! I joke that I wanted to bathe him in it. Truly, these oils are powerful. But they are so powerful that only a very small amount is needed. Usually one drop is all that is needed! 

We incorporated cedarwood into our daily protocol, and have since added other essential oils to help him, and us! I have been continually impressed with these oils. Since then, we have incorporated doTERRA essential oils and products into every aspect of your family's life. It is not overstating it that a sample changed my life.

If you are ready to change your life, I want to help. I am offering a free webinar on using essential oils for children with special needs, based on my own experiences and those from my team, as well. Contact me here if you would like an invite to this private event.

The webinar is Wednesday, March 29, 2017 7pm Central. It will be recorded, but you must be registered to receive the playback link.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease.