Oil My Goodness

I may regret writing this blog post... not that it says anything too controversial or what we haven't already been hearing in the news. But, as I'm upping the use of essential oils in my beauty routine (dabbing a little on my wrists and behind my ears each morning), I'm trying to reduce my use of plastic on the daily. The two materials, while different, can perhaps be classified as "oil" since plastic is often (in the U.S.) made from natural gas or crude oil. (A helpful article can be found here.) This has been my thing as I try to reduce my use of non-renewable resources and err more towards something I love: glass bottles.

I think it all started when I read Jhumpa Lahiri's book, "Interpreter of Maladies." Featuring a collection of short stories, Lahiri frames a scene in which a rich man goes to buy his wife a melange of beauty products in Boston. Within the scene (if my memory serves), the man gently holds a unique glass bottle in his hand and I pictured it looking like something a king would have possessed in the Mughal Empire. From thereon, I was kind of hooked and looked for glass bottles wherever I went. But, like Lahiri implies in Interpreter of Maladies, glass bottles often house expensive products (save for maybe Revlon Nail Enamel) and as my budgetary priorities shift with age, I find myself unable to snatch up all the essential oils in their pretty bottles without some serious guilt. An article featured on Into the Gloss entitled The Personal Aromatherapy Trick That'll Finally Put All Those Essential Oils To Good Use offers a counterpoint to my issue, featuring an "inhaler" which allows one to smell their essential oils, gaining an awakening (maybe calming) rush depending on the mixture. The inhalers, however, are plastic and brought me back to my original beef with the material.

This "beef" with plastic seemed to become particularly relevant as I packed up my belongings in anticipation of my summer move to Connecticut. Since I do have a few essential oils and carrier oils, not to mention shampoos, hydrogen peroxide, etc. my inclination was to place them all in plastic bags and ship them up. However, as I looked around my room, I realized there was a reason I kept all my shoe boxes and tissue paper piled up in a single corner. Just a slight wrap in soft paper and careful placement in a box allowed me to bring up my goodies with little use of Ziploc (read: plastic). And while I realize this may not be an ideal way to travel with a large family, it made me happy. And though I may be reducing my use of some oils in plastic, I've come across a brand of essential oils that have peaked my interest... mainly because they come in glass bottles. For anyone who wants to try, KIS Oils (and Aromatherapy Associates) has a great line of essential oils to suit one's every (oily) need.