Launched in 2016 as a means to serve as an essential oil resource and DIY lifestyle product database for our friends and Oily Family, EssentialOils.Life has grown into a global resource for natural minded people like you who are interested in finding more ways to use essential oils to enhance your quality of life.
How EssentialOils.Life Came To Life
Hello. My name is Nicole Graber. Military research analyst turned natural wellness advocate, homeschooling mom, self care expert, and entrepreneur.
The story of EssentialOils.Life is inspired by my own personal experiences, navigating my way out of my own personal Hell.
And evolves to becoming the support system I wish I had back then, so that you have something simple to use to help you through your journey.
To understand how this website came to be… I invite you to journey back with me to 2013… way before this dream came true.
In 2013 I was unknowingly on the tail end of my nearly decade long chronic autoimmune and neurological health crisis that had stripped me of my military career, and left me homeless. By 2013, I averaged 6 seizures every single day, endured constant chronic pain, suffered through unexplained muscle weakness and failure that left me unable to walk or stand much of the time, struggled through short term memory loss, and lead me into a season of severe depression and anxiety where I was left a shell of the physically fit, vibrant, energetic young woman I once was.
Plans Changed While I Waited To Die
In 2013, I was waiting to die. I was closing in on my 30th birthday, with multiple doctors' words ringing in my ears, warning me that I wouldn't live to see 30. Between seizure spells and during my weak moments where I spent close to 20 hours a day either sleeping or nearly unconscious, I would surf Pinterest for anything positive that could distract me from my misery. While sifting through recipes and needlepoint patterns I knew I'd never have the dexterity to actually create, I came across other bloggers sharing their stories of putting diabetes into recession through using food as medicine. Back then there was very little on the internet about healing naturally, but that article piqued my interest. I don't have diabetes, but I knew from past medical trainings that diabetes is an autoimmune disorder. If food could help with that, then perhaps it could help my 13 autoimmune and neurological diagnoses.
It wasn't my fault I became sick (chemical exposure during my time in the Navy was to thank for that). However… it WAS 100% my responsibility to heal myself. And thus far… the veteran hospitals and health clinics were only making me worse with horrific side effects from the medication they prescribed.
Finding Hope Through Shocking Revelations
Something I've learned through everything I've been through… the moment life seems overwhelmingly infuriating with struggle after struggle hammering down on you… that is the perfect time to make some changes. Stop doing what you've always done, and start something new.
I decided to try the Paleo diet for a month to see how things went, especially after learning about all the harmful additives in prepackaged foods and different farming methods. My seizures decreased from 6 each day to 2 a week. I became able to walk more unassisted. And while assisted with crutches, I was able to build up my walking to 1/8 mile (a really big deal after struggling to walk across a small house).
This caused my analytical mind to spin… if removing harmful chemicals from my diet helped me this much, is there anything else in my home that could be hindering my healing?
I was shocked to learn my “healthy” cleaning supplies were actually toxic and greenwashing the truth. I was speechless to see how many household products contain neurotoxic and hormone-disrupting chemicals, so much that we created a course to teach more about them.
I threw them all away. ALL my household cleaners, cosmetics, beauty products, and personal care products. They all had questionable or toxic chemicals in them or lacked the transparency to see what the ingredients truly are. And I had a major anxiety attack seeing probably $200 worth of product being hauled into the garbage truck and driving away (not chump change when my monthly disability was less than $1,000). Then… relief. This pushed me to create all of my cleaning and personal care supplies using healthy ingredients while I searched for a better alternative that wasn't so labor-intensive for me.
It was a major turning point for me. 3 weeks later of DIYing all my cleaning supplies… I had my very last seizure. September 19, 2013, at 8 in the evening… I endured my last seizure, which also happened to be the very last symptom of all my health diagnoses.
Learning Essential Oils Aren't Immune To Harmful Additives
During this time, I was also researching the health effects of essential oils and started a year-long series of experiments using my body as a litmus test to see if the research would help me. I found a few essential oils that actually helped me with supporting my nervous system, detox, and support my body through healing and gaining strength.
Then my mind took on the daunting task to dive down the rabbit hole by conducting a lot of research as to whether there were any issues with additives in essential oils, the difference between brands (especially those easily found in grocery stores), understanding which essential oil brand has the highest quality, and figuring out the best option for me. This was massively eye-opening for me… and ultimately is where the motivation for this website came from. I needed to share my findings with other people. Spoiler alert… not all essential oil companies sell the same essential oils. There are manor differences between brands, and the lack of transparency throughout the industry is sickening.
My favorite essential oils ended up coming from Young Living Essential Oils. I signed up for their Subscribe To Save Program to save on future purchases after being so impressed by their production transparency, natural ingredients in each of their products, the ease of using their customer service, and the number of different essential oils available. Having peace of mind with the products we use is crucial.
Breathing Life Into Dead Dreams
I was forced out of the Navy in 2008 because of health problems that suddenly appeared in 2005 while I was stationed in the Middle East. In 2012 I was told by my 3rd Neurologist that no one could help me, I was just waiting to die, and only a miracle from God would cause me to still be alive to see 30 (in 2013).
Before succumbing to my health crisis, I had big dreams… I loved teaching… I loved leadership… I loved traveling and exploring… I loved animals… I loved weight lifting and running… and I loved to laugh.
My health crisis took everything from me… my work, hobbies, identity, mindset, motivation, give-a-damn, physical abilities, energy… everything that mattered to the core of who I was.
Slowly making a few lifestyle shifts and embracing essential oils changed everything all over again. I regained my physical abilities, rebuilt hope for the future, regained my mental abilities, reconnected with God, inspired a whole new career path, gave me the family I was told was impossible, and provided me with quality friends.
For the first time in nearly a decade… I felt alive again. Literally feeling like I've been given a second chance at life.
Sharing my newfound passion for life and leading an alternative healthy lifestyle lead me to blogging and coaching. Telling my story, sharing my research and ideas, and inspiring other families through blog posts quickly became a passion and ultimately lead me to team up with a high-quality essential oil company and creating this essential oil blog.
The TL:DR
Leaning into simple healthy lifestyle changes armed with high-quality oils and natural products saved my life, gave me purpose, and segued into serving as a leader in the natural wellness space, which includes setting up this website.
I truly believe knowledge not shared is knowledge wasted, and strive to help you by making your searching easier and more comprehensive so you can live your best life feeling confident, energized, and inspired.
Because life is too short to feel bogged down and sluggish… and living should never require harmful junk to be laced in most cleaning and personal care products.
EssentialOils.Life is here to inspire, uplift, and encourage you… guiding you on your journey to living your best life.
Let's Join Forces So You Can Live A Higher Quality of Life, The Natural Way
Our team at EssentialOils.Life is here to guide you through ending your life season feeling confused, bogged down, exhausted, and unfulfilled. We will do this by helping you solve these problems by ditching the harmful chemicals that weigh on your body, encouraging you to honor your mind, body, and soul through your transformation into leading a vibrant, purposeful, energetic life where you will spend more time living in gratitude and feeling like yourself again.
Nicole's Favorite Essential Oil Resources
Purchase your own essential oils reference guide or app (the one we give our new customers who purchase a premium Starter Kit and enroll in subscribe to save)
The Essential Oils Desk Reference Guide – I love this one because it's comprehensive, yet simple to flip through and understand. This reference guide is exclusive to including Young Living branded pre-made blends in addition to single oils information, uses, how they're created, and what they're good for. They also make a smaller version without supplement info.
Another reference guide I love that is not brand-specific is The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy. This is a fantastic book, especially for beginners. It's easy to read and understand, and filled with excellent information.
Start your own blog (if you're an active customer or brand partner with us, enrolled in the subscribe to save program, you're welcome to submit articles to us here on EssentialOils.Life)
See our Healthy Home for a Happier Life online course to learn about removing avoidable harmful chemicals from your home.