Oily people get a lot of questions about their “chosen lifestyle.” As an oily person, I have gotten more than my share of questions about being oily. I don’t mind the questions. Personally, I don’t think there are stupid questions. If you don’t know, ask! I don’t even think there are rude questions when it comes to people wanting to know about being oily. There are “rude tones,” but I never let them bother me. I love questions. Questions is how we learn. Learning is how we grow, how we broaden our horizons and how we become better people.
What Does It Mean To Be Oily?
To me, being oily means I use essential oils. I ingest them. I diffuse them. I apply essential oils to my skin. I even “dose” my animals with essential oils when they are needed. How oily am I? My diffuser is always on. I have an “oil bag.” I make all sorts of skincare products with them. I have a few “oily t-shirts and sweatshirts.” I’m also a band mom. You should inside my “band mom closet!” Despite that, I don’t have any “diffusing jewelry.” I have some ordered though. They should be here soon. That gal who makes the oily jewelry is really good at it! She makes shirts too. Where do you think I got my band mom shirts?
Do Oily People Go To The Doctor?
When I need to go to the doctor, I go. Depending on the situation, I will “go oily” first. If I fall down the stairs and break my arm – that is not the time for me to be oily; I’m going to the doctor! I don’t take any prescriptions or over-the-counter medications unless absolutely necessary. This oily gal reaches for my oils first, if oils are appropriate for the situation. My husband is insulin-dependent and he definitely goes to the doctor. He does use oils to help regulate his blood sugar though. Our daughter is the least oily of the family (including the critters!), but she will use them and, once in a while, she will mention an “issue” she is having and if I have an oil for that. Of course I have an oil for whatever she is having an issue with!
Do You Eat Meat?
Every chance I get. I love a steak on the rare side of medium rare. We have bacon for breakfast. Fried catfish is the bomb! Fried chicken is good too, but it is too much work to make very often. I’m an Okie so I love my fried foods. If I knew of a way to deep fry mashed potatoes, I would do it. I think all the fried foods make me greasy instead of oily. I substitute ground turkey for hamburger meat in recipes – meatloaves, soups and stews. Not a fan of turkey burgers though. If you have a really good recipe for one, please send it to me. I’m willing to try, at least, one more time.
Do You Use Deodorant/Soap?
I’m oily, not nasty! Of course I use deodorant and soap! [This is one of my favorite questions and I love my answer!] The deodorants and soaps I use are mostly all-natural and holistic. Not always though. I don’t like the chemicals and toxins in “traditional” products, but I will use them in a pinch. And, yes, the things I use really do work! The things I use, I get from a reputable company, known for their all-natural, holistic products. Trust me, If they didn’t work, I wouldn’t use them. I do not like being dirty or stinky. Did I mention I am not nasty? Just so you know – I don’t think this is a rude question. Before I was oily, I was curious about all-natural deodorants and soaps. Sadly, I never had the nerve to ask anyone about them.
Do You Believe In Vaccines?
I am neither pro-vaccine or anti-vaccine. I am against using unneeded medications. I was that way long before I was oily. If I have a cold, but not a cough, I do not take a cold medicine with a cough suppressant. I do believe in titers testing! We have our daughter’s titers checked regularly to see if she has the antibodies to fight off infections and diseases. If her antibodies are strong enough to fight off X, she doesn’t get the vaccine. If her antibodies are not strong enough to fight off X, she gets the vaccine. Yes, I am anti-unnecessary medications and pro-titers testing.
Do You Own Goats/Chickens/Pigs?
I have three dogs and three cats (all oily pets), but I do not have any livestock. Oily people aren’t always farmers or ranchers or “homesteaders.” My teenage daughter wants a potbelly pig. I doubt we let her have one because we have our hands full now. It is something we might consider in the future – especially if having a potbelly pig will keep her from living in a dorm when she goes to college. I do have to admit I posted on Facebook, asking my friends if they had any “chickens for rent.” Believe it or not, that makes sense. Our yard was infested with fleas and chickens are great at getting rid of fleas. It has something to do with the prey/predator thing.
Do You Make Your Own Clothes?
Not if I want to wear them! I don’t sew. My entire family goes buttonless because I have difficulty sewing them on. I’ve tried and I’m just not good at it. I don’t have the patience for it. And, making matters worse, I flunked scissors in elementary school! As oily as we are, we go shopping just like most people. We wear store-bought clothes. We wear shoes and they aren’t hemp shoes, In fact, if you saw me and my family out and about, you wouldn’t be able to tell if we are oily or not. Truthfully, I never owned a sewing machine until a few months ago.
Are You Crunchy?
Absolutely not! I moisturize! I know – that was a bad joke. This is a tough question for me. I am “crunchy-ish.” Of course, it also depends on your definition of “crunchy.” I try to be as healthy, holistic and all-natural as possible. We eat a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits. We did that long before we knew anything about being oily though. We buy fresh eggs from a friend. Not sure if that is for health reasons though. I love saving money and I love knowing my money is going to a friend instead of a giant corporation. So…Is this oily gal crunchy? Sometimes, depending on your definition of crunchy.
Do You Have A Garden?
My black thumb and I do not have a garden. I wish I could grow vegetables and herbs, but everything I grow dies. Even my cacti will die. And, I just don’t have the time to invest in a garden. I’m too busy with my family, my church, my volunteer work, my business, my pets and all the things I have to do. I would love to be an oily gardener, but I don’t believe in “plant abuse.” I am going to get some irises from an elderly neighbor. I have been assured I can’t kill them. She even volunteered to come over and help me with them, show me how to keep them alive. I’m going to try, one more time. It is my belief every yard needs some type of flower or plants to make it pretty.
Do Your Kids Go To School?
Funny you should ask that. Like with most things, we homeschooled our daughter long before we were oily. She started going to school in seventh grade. We still “supplement” her public school education with the ABeka curriculum. We love ABeka and recommend it to everyone. I loved homeschooling and I miss it. I miss having my daughter around. She is a wonderful kid and I love spending time with her. If I could do algebra, geometry and other “crazy math” half as well as I can diagram sentences, we’d still be a homeschooling family. For us, homeschooling has nothing to do with being oily.
Do you drink soda?
Do I drink soda? Seriously? I inhale Dr. Pepper. I’m not ashamed to say it. This oily gal loves her Dr. Pepper. I know there are so many healthier drink options. Truthfully, I don’t particularly care. I have always loved Dr. Pepper and I don’t see myself ever giving it up. Oily or not, I want my Dr. Pepper!
There are times I am really surprised by the questions I get about being oily. I think it is because there are a lot of misconceptions about “oily people.” We are pretty much like everyone else. Oily people come from all walks of life. We’ve simply made the choice to add essential oils to their lives. All though we’ve made the same choice, we all have different reasons for making that choice. You can’t always pick out the oily people from the rest of the world. Unless, of course, we are wearing a shirt. If you have any questions about my oily lifestyle or you are curious about becoming oily, please feel free to join our Oily Housewives Facebook group.