Quick Tip!

Peppermint can help relieve some pain that comes along with having a headache, whether it’s a tension headache or a migraine… next time you feel one coming on reach for Peppermint essential oil. 

Dab a couple drops on your temples, back of the neck and your sinuses.   The peppermint will provide soothing relief of the pain and if it’s a migraine, the smell of peppermint can help alleviate any associated nausea. 

Give it a try next time.   Peppermint can cause some irritation to sensitive skin, so be sure to have some carrier oil handy in case.  If you know you are sensitive to it, you  may wish to dilute it with carrier oil before applying.

Quick Tip of the Day!

 

Keep your fresh cut fruit from turning brown until you're ready to serve!

The Don’ts of Essential Oils…

 

While always sharing the “DO’s” of Essential Oils, I feel it also necessary to share the “DONTs” as well.   Please read through these for your safety and effective use of essential oils..

• DON’T expose essential oils to sunlight, excessive heat, or moisture.
• DON’T place or use near cell phones and gadgets with high electromagnetic interference.
• DON’T touch the opening of the bottle (Orifice), instead drop oils from 3” away from palm or surface.
• DON’T forget to see how your oils can be used (Topically, Ingestible, etc)
• DON’T drop essential oils into ears and avoid contact with eyes.
• DON’T use water if there is a persistent burning or the oil is “HOT”, this will only make it worse.  Always use a carrier oil for sensitive skin and young children.
• DON’T use plastic or Styrofoam cups if you plan on drinking water with essential oils.  Due to the high concentration of the oil it can melt or damage them.
• DON’T touch your keyboards if you have oils on your fingers, the print will rub off.   It can even melt nail polish.  
• Use a ceramic spoon when you stir your oils into water or swirl your glass instead.
• DON’T overuse essential oils… a little goes a long way.   Overuse can also result in negative side effects.

Please please! Do your research on how to apply and use your essential oils.   They are easy to use and a safer alternative to most synthetic drugs on the market.   They are natural and use of essential oils trace back to ancient man.  But Safety should always be first.   When introducing essential oils to your body, it is best to only try one at a time to see how you react to it.   If applying topically, try it on a small spot of the skin (the inside of the elbow) and see if your skin is sensitive to it.   Always have a carrier oil handy, there are examples in one of my previous posts.  Remember good essential oils are pure, highly concentrated oils… a little truly goes a long way and they are very powerful thus resulting in some reactions to plastics etc.  Always store essential oils in a cool, dry place and keep out of reach of little hands.

Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions. 

Homemade Dishwasher Soap!

 

DIY Automatic Dishwashing Powder

Ingredients:
2 cups borax
1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup citric acid
1/2 cup kosher salt
5 drops Lemon essential oil

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Store in sealed container, glass is best when using essential oils.

 

To Use:

Add about 2 tbsp. to dishwasher per load.

Quick Tip!

Indigestion ? Stomach ache? 

 

Try this! :)

 

 

Lavender Bath Salts

There are so many things you can do with essential oils!   This particular recipe can benefit the entire household.   The power of lavender and Epsom Salts combined can have a very natural relaxing effect.

Let's talk first about the benefits of Epsom Salts:

1. Epsom Salt helps kids (& Adults) sleep:

Through the stresses in life, magnesium is drained from the body. The average person is already deficient in magnesium, so this draining removes even the small amount a person has in store. Magnesium helps to produce that calming effect we get from seretonian. The result of bathing in Epsom Salt and absorbing the magnesium are: improved sleep, concentration, and relaxed muscles.

2. Espom salt boosts the immune system:

It's cough, cold and flu season! Epsom Salt can help boost the immune system. Bathing in Epsom Salt helps stimulate the lymphnode system and circulate oxygen through the body. In turn it keeps toxins at bay in the body which can naturally drain the body and decrease immunity.

Lavender has amazing benefits! The health benefits of lavender essential oil include its ability to eliminate nervous tension, relieve pain, disinfect the scalp and skin, manage insomnia, enhance blood circulation and treat respiratory problems. The Latin name of lavender is Lavare, which means “to wash”, due to its aroma which has a particularly clean aroma.

Combine the benefits of lavender and Epsom salts and you have one powerful relaxing bath!  

This recipe is good for not just adults but good for kids too who may need a little extra help relaxing before bedtime.

Feel free to experiment with the recipe a bit.   Crushing up dried lavender and adding it to the salts would add some charm to the salts, or adding a drop of color:) 

What you will need:

• 1 cup Epsom Salt
• 1/2 cup Real Salt, Sea Salt, or a high-quality mineral-rich salt 
• 5 drops Lavender Essential Oil
• 1/4 cup crushed lavender  optional (helps give the calming lavender smell and effect and it is pretty! )
• 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil (this is not mixed in the salt formula, but added at time of bath) 

How To:

If using dried lavender, simply crush it. You can use a morter and pestle 

In a storage container, glass is best because essential oils can react to most plastic containers,  add the Epsom Salt, Real Salt, and crushed dried lavender. Mix the ingredients together. 

Once combined, add the lavender essential oil. Mix the oil throughout the salts.

Seal the container and use 1/3 cup per bath. While the warm water is drawn, I also add 1 Tablespoon coconut oil. You can also add apple cider vinegar to help with immune-boosting, particularly while fighting a cold.

If adding color you do this to the Epsom salts separately.  A little goes a long way... 1 or two drops I the salt and stir until salts are colored.

Choosing Quality Essential Oils…

Things to consider when choosing the best quality essential oils...

An essential oil is a natural product extracted from a single plant species. Think about peeling an orange and how sometimes you can see a fine mist going into the air and you can smell that fresh orange scent…? That’s the essential oil!
Not all plants produce essential oil. In the plants that do, the essential oil can be found in the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, or peels.

It is important to note that essential oils do not feel oily; they are called “oils” because they contain the oil-soluble chemicals in the plant (usually 100 to 200 chemicals per essential oil). This complex chemistry gives essential oils their therapeutic properties and explains why different essential oils may have overlapping effects.

Quality of essential oils is of great importance. When using essential oils you may be tempted to find a "cheap" version at a local store. However don't be fooled by these. These are often times not good quality grade, not for internal use, often times synthetic or blended with other oils and diluted with carrier oils.

How will you know the difference? Start by reading the label. This will provide many clues.

An knock off or cheap version of an essential oil will give you sure-fire clues that tell you that the essential oil contained in the bottle is inferior and may not actually be an true essential oil at all. If the label states things such as:

• do not take internally (when you know the plant is an herb used in cooking (like oregano, lemon, orange, thyme, cinnamon, etc)

• no Latin name (means it is 100% synthetic, chemical mixtures do not have botanical Latin names

• nothing that indicates the oil has been tested (i.e., therapeutic grade)

• “pure” – the world means nothing, it used to but it’s been abused and no longer has any value in regards to quality or even purity for that matter

• if the essential oil feels greasy – it’s been cut with a fatty oil (fatty oils are not essential oils and no therapeutic benefits)

• Smell the oil! This is one of the easiest indicators when comparing two essential oils. A high quality oil will smell right, even if it doesn’t smell pretty.
It will also have different "notes". When you open the bottle, hold it down low near your belly button and smell, slowly move the opened bottle slowly up the front of your chest, every couple of inches you ‘should’ smell something different. For example: at one point it may smell earthy, the next floral, the next earthy, etc. You’re smelling the different constituents. If the scent of an essential oil does not change when you do this you know you’ve got a 100% synthetic oil in your hands. A synthetic and/or cheap quality oil will smell exactly the same no matter what.

One more indicator is that high quality essential oils will have an indefinite shelf life. Meaning if you keep it out of sunlight and away from heat, moisture and cold extremes it will out live you.

An inferior aromatherapy oil will have a shelf life of about 6 to 8 months. At which point it may start to smell rancid and the consistency may change and the oil will become sticky or thick.

The shock of the prices will deter some people from a good quality grade essential oil but please remember these things. It only takes a small amount of pure high quality essential oil to get the job done which usually equates to anywhere from .05-.27 cents a drop. How much do you pay per doctor visit? But using a low quality diluted oil will not provide the same effects as good quality oils, leaving one skeptical or disappointed in the power of these oils.

I strongly urge you to take a closer look next time you reach for the "cheaper" bottle...! There is a reason it costs a little less.   But I do encourage you to do your own research and educate yourself on the differences.  There are many companies out there that do sell high quality essential oils, but fact is, the good quality grades are going to be similar in cost from company to company.  This is another sure sign.   If you find Melissa oil from three companies for about $60 and one company for $15 chances are the $15 bottle isn’t going to be as effective as it will likely be synthetic or diluted with carrier oils reducing it’s strength and power.

I’m not giving you this information because I want you to buy just from the company I have chosen.   I want you to understand the reasoning behind my choice at this time.   I’m currently taking an Aromatherapy and Reflexology course and I am sharing what I have learned thus far.    Knowledge is truly power… and I am excited to share what I learn with you all.

If you have any questions feel free to comment, email, or find me on facebook!