The Power of Essential Oils: An Interview with Expert Katy Tillero

Whether you’ve dabbled with essential oils, never tried them, or use them religiously, chances are there’s at least one ailment in your life right now that essential oils can alleviate and possibly solve. Apart from being used in aromatherapy and providing a pleasant smell, essential oils have powerful therapeutic properties. 

These plant essences can practically be considered a cure-all that can help with anything from skin concerns to anxiety and depression. Essential oils have been known to ease stress, boost mood, relieve headaches, increase libido, and even relieve morning sickness.

I had the opportunity to talk with natural essential oils expert and DoTerra Wellness Advocate Katy Tillero. A mother of three, Katy became interested in finding a holistic approach to her kids health and from there grew her passion in homeopathy and alternative medicine. 

It was this passion that eventually led her to essential oils. Being otherwise a very health person, she was afflicted with chronic insomnia. After myriads of treatments, both traditional and alternative to no avail, she accepted her condition. It wasn’t until someone suggested she try essential oils to help her sleep that she finally found a remedy; a natural one at that. 

At first Katy was skeptical of the effectiveness of essential oils, but because they were completely natural she gave them a try. They worked. Eventually, she was able to fall asleep faster, deeper, and wake feeling more rested than ever. Seeing the positive impact essential oils had on her sleep, she started avidly educating herself on their benefits and how she could incorporate them into other areas of her life. Katy committed to learning everything there is to know about essential oils and now shares her passion by helping people find ways to enhance their mental and physical well-being. 

After reading this interview, I won’t be surprised if you too consider incorporating essential oils into your daily life and wellness toolkit for both everyday use and specific ailments. Read on to learn more about essential oils and how they can make a positive impact on your health and wellbeing. 

To learn more about DoTerra essential oils and purchase your own, visit Katy’s website here. Please note any essential oil blends listed below are DoTerra signature blends.

Q1: Tell us how you got interested in essential oils?

At first, I wasn't really interested in essential oils because I didn't know much about them. But out of desperation (due to a personal health issue), a very good friend of mine introduced me to this wonderful world of essential oils. To be honest, it was quite a journey learning about the oils. Once I saw how much they worked wonders for my health, I totally fell in love with them!

Q2: What are essential oils and how do they work?

Essential oils are taken from the essence of a plant from their roots, seeds, flowers or bark. What results is a concentrated, highly potent, chemical compound. These components are what give a plant its scent, protects it from hazardous environmental conditions, and even assists it with pollination. They work in three different ways: aromatic, topical, and internal. 

Aromatic: When you inhale an essential oil, it stimulates the olfactory bulb that recognizes smells in the brain. It focuses on the limbic system, which is the part of the brain that deals with emotion, memory and feelings. When your nose smells something, it sends a signal to the brain. Depending on the oil, it can be used to stimulate or relax the body and even  improve mood. It also helps to purify the air and leaves a beautiful scent. 

Topical: When essential oils are applied to the skin, their healing components are absorbed through the pores and hair follicles into the bloodstream. There, they are dispersed to the specific organs and systems on which each oil targets.

Internal: Some oils can be dropped into water or in placed in vegetable capsules to be absorbed into systemic circulation via the digestive tract.

Q3: When I first heard about essential oils, I associated them with use in diffusers. Many people don't realize that there are various ways to use essential oils-- including topically and internally. What are some of your favorite ways to use essential oils?

I use them topically everyday in my cleaning products and in my skincare products. Internally, I have my daily protocol to support my immune system, to focus on specific conditions, or for overall well-being. I use them constantly for their aromatic properties as well. In our home, there are diffusers everywhere! Sometimes I diffuse the oils becarse of their nice smells, but often, I use them to: uplift our moods, calm anxiety or stress, or to boost our energy levels. So, as you can see, I use them every day in every way!

Q4: The list of benefits of these powerful oils goes on and on. What are some of the most notable benefits of essential oils?

There are so many benefits! The most notable aspect of essential oils, to me, is that they are natural solutions to many ailments such as stress and anxiety, digestive issues, inflammation, as well as sleep and insomnia. I also love that they have antibiotic and antimicrobial properties! 

Q5:There are so any essential oils on the market, but not all are created equal. How do you know an essential oil is high quality? when people are looking to buy essential oils, what are some of the things to look at to make sure its pure? and how do you know if it can be ingested or not?

There are so many essential oils on the market and they all claim to be pure and all natural. Be careful that they really are. You want something natural so make sure they are not contaminated or adulterated with synthetic chemicals. Look for their purity, their sourcing ( responsible and sustainable), extensive and thorough testing, clear safety and usage information and transparency ( third party testing). You can only ingest 100% pure essential oils. And still there are some you should not ingest because of their natural chemical compounds. It should always be shown on the label if the oil is for internal use or not. And once you start using oils you will know the few you should not ingest.

Q6: For someone who's just getting started using essential oils, which ones would you recommend for a beginner?

For a basic first aid kit I would start withe the most common oils like:  Lavender, Tea Tree, Lemon, Peppermint, Frankincense and Oregano as for single oils. And then there are some blends which are super useful as: Digest Zen, Deep Blue, OnGuard and Breathe. With these oils you can make a wide variety of remedies for diferent ailments, natural cleaning products and even skin care solutions.

Q7: Immunity is a top priority for many people right now. What are the best essential oils to help keep your immune system in top shape?

There are a lot of fantastic oils to boost your immune system. My favorite ones are: Copaiba, Frankinsence,  Oregano, Melissa, Black Pepper, Clove, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree and top of the list for easy and convenient use the blend OnGuard. This blend contains: Wild Orange Peel, Clove Bud, Cinnamon Leaf, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Leaf, and Rosemary Leaf and Flower. And if you want to even give it an extra boost you add Black Pepper and Melissa. Take it internally, rub it on the sole of your feet, inhale it and diffuse it. 

Q8: With most of us staying at home, what are some ways people can use essential oils as a non-toxic cleaning agent and sanitizer?

Again the OnGuard is perfect for cleaning and sanitizing. There is a variety of products like Sanitizing mist, Cleaner concentrate, Laundry detergent and hand soap. But you can also add a couple of drops to your favorite dish soap or all purpose cleaner. I also can give you some diy recipes for non toxic cleaning products. You can use Lavender because it has antibacterial properties, lemon oil purifies, degreases and deodorizes, TeaTree oil has antiviral and antiseptic properties, Peppermint is anti fungal, antibacterial and refreshing and the list goes on and on. 

Q9: So many people are experiencing higher levels of anxiety and stress in these times. What are your suggestions for calming the mind and central nervous system/

Essential oil wise there are quiet a few oils that can help to relax your mind and body. The most common one is lavender. Inhale it, make yourself a nice cup of tea and add a drop of it or add a couple of drops to a hot bath. The same is true for Bergamot, Melissa, Copaiba, Wild orange, Roman Chamomile, Ylang Ylang, Petitgrain or Vetiver. Also Balance is a very grounding blend. And DoTerra just added a new blend called Adaptive. Not only does it smell delicious it is a total game changer. Some people call it " the brakes of the brain". It works lovely for mood swings, anxiety, stress, depression , totally in love with it.

Q10: Lavender is the most popular essential oil choice when it comes to winding down and aiding in sleep. Are there any other essential oils that support quality sleep?

Yes lavender is for sure the most popular oil for calming down. My favorite oils for quality sleep are : Serenity, Copaiba and  Vetiver. In the diffuser I love Cedarwood, Wild orange and Lavender or Adaptive, Vetiver and Serenity. Choose from the calming oils the ones you like most and put a drop of each in the diffuser and make your own favorite blend.

Q11: I am sure this is constantly changing, but what's your current favorite essential oil or essential oil blend?

Yes it is changing because it depends on my mood, my needs and the situation and therefore right know I use a lot! OnGuard for cleaning and immune boosting, Lemon in water for cleaning internal and alkalinizing, because of eating more unnecessary food than normal, Adaptive to adapt to this situation and not getting overwhelmed, anxious or stressed (capsule for ingestion and oil in the diffuser and topical.I also have my favorite diffuser blend which I call my Happy blend : Bergamot, Geranium,Wild Orange and Cedarwood. And again, make your own favorite blend. Choose the oils you like most and mix them up!

Q12: Whats a good book on essential oils you would recommend for beginners?

I absolutely love The Essential Life. It has information about all the oils, ailments, body systems, how to use etc. And it is easy to understand it has beautiful pictures and everything is well explained. 

Q13: You’re a Wellness Advocate for DoTerra. How does DoTerra stand out amongst the plethora of essential oil brands on the market?

One of the first challenges I encountered as I started to learn more was the overwhelming quantity of different oils and oil brands to choose from. Since every brand has their version of each oil, my focus went into researching the differences between brands. After a lot of digging, I found DoTerra had many values engrained in their business model that resonated strongly with me such as their sustainable sourcing model, their empowerment of marginalized communities, and the commitment to produce only the purest oils in the market.