By Chrysa Keenon | Echo
"God didn't just put us on this earth, he gave us what we needed (to be healthy)."
So said Lindsi Richardson, a essential oils enthusiast and crafter of scent-infused necklaces. Richardson has been selling her homemade jewelry in the campus bookstore for less than one month, but has been pleased with the response from students.
Richardson's goal is all about starting conversation. She worked as an intensive care unit nurse for five years and gained perspective on health, particularly how making poor choices at a young age can affect a person's well-being for the rest of their lives. While she learned much during her nursing career about preventative health, her therapeutic oil use stemmed from her home life.
Richardson has dealt with sensitive skin all her life. When she was a child, she had off and on cases of eczema, and the condition got passed on to her son when he was born. Richardson found that by cutting chemicals in her laundry detergent and home care products, her son's eczema cleared up. She admitted nontoxic products don't smell desirable, which is why she then turned to essential oils for a natural boost of scent. She has been using oils for two years now.
Being a mother of three young children, Richardson sets time aside to devote to her healthy living blog or oil business. She shared that she often diffuses certain oils to help her maintain a clear mindset during her allotted work hour, and the daily routine of focused scents has improved her productivity.
Bringing her passion to Taylor students seemed like the next obvious step.
"I think the college years by nature of what they are can really have an impact on your health," Richardson said.
She explained how constant stress can wear down the body's immune system, and stress is no stranger to a college campus. She gave the examples of everyday stressors such as being away from a familiar home environment, roommate conflict, planning of the future beyond college and, of course, daily assignments and exams. One natural way to combat these stresses is by using essential oils in a necklace, as the unique perfume will bring peace to the nervous system in waves of calming scent.
The process to make each necklace takes about 20 minutes. Richardson uses beads made of lava rock which she purchases from a special supplier online, as that specific stone is naturally absorbent. She explained how when more oil gets soaked into the rock, it can affect how potent the scent of the oil will be.
A small sampling of oils comes with each purchase of a necklace. The current oil sample available is called "Stress Away" and holds the scents of lavender and cedarwood paired with lime and vanilla. Richardson believes the combination of these scents will provide a kind of tropical getaway to those who smell it.
Richardson doesn't believe essential oils are magic potions that will solve all health problems, but she recognizes there is a benefit to using natural alternatives to improve your wellbeing.
"(It's all about) supporting your body's natural defense and natural ability to heal itself, so that when you're faced with a stomach bug or the flu, your body has the natural defenses to fight against it," Richardson said.
