Squeaky Clean Teeth

So....I've been reading lots about brushing teeth with essential oils and decided to give it a go yesterday!  

Some people make their own paste (I may try that some day) but for now, I am just adding EO's to my store-bought toothpaste.
Yesterday morning I tried 2 drops of spearmint.  

Yes....it is now as clear to me as it is to you that I need a new toothbrush!!  

I couldn't believe how insanely clean my entire mouth felt afterward!  Cheeks, tongue, squeaky clean teeth!  In love with this!!

So later in the day I decided that rather than 2 drops of spearmint, I'd try one drop spearmint and one drop cloves.

I have read many good things lately about clove oil and oral health.  It's antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral, the list goes on and on!  It is also said to soothe a toothache.  

Well....let me tell you, cloves in most certainly as potent as it smells!  Although it was not painful, it did have some bite, made my eyes water a little, and tingled the gums, cheeks and tongue!!

So.....last attempt of the day, and tied for first place with my love of spearmint.  A simple blend of cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, lemon and rosemary.  I blended this in a 2ml amber vial, and only used 2 drops of the blend in my toothpaste.  The strong clove is blended nicely with the other 4 oils and was quite refreshing.  

Give it a try!  Don't use too much.  

**I don't recommend this be used in toothpaste for children, due to the fact that they have a tendency to swallow at least some, and the EO's would then be ingested.  

Happy Brushing!!

Natural Head Lice Prevention

Well….we are into our fifth year of elementary school, had preschool before that (and still do), and daycare before that (and still do), and never have we been unfortunate enough to have to treat head lice (knock, knock)

Why?  Maybe we’re lucky, or maybe because when that unnerving letter comes home that says, “we have confirmed cases of head lice at your elementary school...or preschool...or daycare” I have always begun applying an essential oil lice deterrent to my kids’ hair, sometimes as simple as just tea tree oil.  Just a couple drops is all it takes. 

If a louse has to choose between a kid with essential oils or not, it’ll choose the kid without.  Insects don’t tend to like the smell, or other properties of essential oils.  Perfect!!

The next time you are faced with that dreaded letter, try this!

In a 2ml amber vial combine:

25 drops tea tree

10 drops eucalyptus

10 drops lemon

10 drops lavender

5 drops rosemary

**to make this in a larger size, simply multiply to increase- 10ml vial = drops above X5 

Shake/roll the vial lightly to blend the synergy.

Shake 2-3 drops of the blend into the palm of your hand, rub hands together, and then run hands through hair.  That’s it!  Easy!!  Remember to wash your hands afterward!!

If you want, you can add to shampoo or conditioner too. 

This can be used once or twice per day while the “threat” is present. 

This is a preventative measure only.  If you already have lice, please contact me and I will be happy to provide you with suggestions to kill off the little buggers naturally with some home treatments.

Photo discovered at: herewegrowagain.blogspot.com   

Essential Oil Notes- Top, Middle, Base

After making the comment that lemon was a “top note”, I thought perhaps I should share a little more on what these “notes” mean!!

Top notes are the most volatile.  Their scent lasts the least amount of time.  They are uplifting and stimulating.  Some examples are: bergamot, eucalyptus, lemon, mandarin.

Middle notes help bring the body into balance.  The scent of these oils tend to be a bit more powerful than top notes, and their scent lasts longer.  Some examples are: geranium, lavender, marjoram, peppermint, ylang ylang.

Base notes are very grounding.  Their scents are more dominant, and will be present the longest in a blend.  I find it is better to use only a few drops of base notes in a blend, or the entire mixture will be overpowered by this oil.  Examples are: benzoin, cinnamon, frankincense, patchouli, pine, sandalwood.

Photo discovered at: safealternativemedicine.co.uk

The smell of fresh squeezed lemons - MMMMM

I am diffusing Lemon oil in the kitchen today.  It is so fresh and uplifting!  Close to the diffuser, it is quite powerful, but being a top note, the scent is evaporated and lost quicker than most oils I am used to diffusing.  It is one to enjoy quickly and closely!!    

Phototoxicity and Essential Oils

Did you know that some essential oils can cause phototoxicity?  Sun sensitivity, which can lead to burns and damaged skin more easily.  

Exposure to sunlight, and any other UV light should be avoided after being exposed to phototoxic oils.  It is suggested that a minimum of 12 hours should pass after a massage with phototoxic oils before UV exposure. 

Some phototoxic oils are: 

Bergamot

Bitter Orange

Grapefruit

Lemon

Lime

Mandarin 

Orange 

Tangerine 

Carrier VS Essential Oil

Did you know that sweet almond oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, and macadamia oil, just to name a few are NOT essential oils?  

If your essential oil synergy lists any of these oils, it is not pure, and has been diluted with a carrier.  

This means the shelf life of your product will be reduced significantly, and the strength of your essential oil will be weaker than that of a full strength, pure essential oil synergy.

Stay tuned for a simple test you can do at home to test the purity of your oils!!

Photo discovered at  allthingshealing.com

When Life Gives You Lemons...

I am IN LOVE...with my diffuser

I LOVE my new diffuser!!  It looks cool and it circulates oils like you wouldn't believe!!  It converts oil and water into a lovely, light mist.  Perfection!

"Diffusers are an effective method of dispersing oils throughout your environment" -Rae Dunphy Aromatics

Diffusing pure essential oils purifies and cleanses the air. The oils are also absorbed into your system through the nose and skin.   

This diffuser I just got acts like a nebulizer.  You fill it with water, and add a few drops of essential oils, plug it in, choose your settings and within a few minutes, the room is filled with fresh, clean air, and the benefits of essential oils!!

When I opened it up, I set it up on the bathroom counter to check it out, then took it to the kids' rooms to "clean up" their air.  

I am diffusing pure lavender at nighttime in our bedroom.  No scent is more beautiful to me than that of lavender.

Because we are getting to that cool, fall, "germy" season, I am diffusing eucalyptus and tea tree in the kitchen/livingroom during the day.

If you don't yet own a diffuser, I highly recommend getting one!  Doesn't have to be like this one!  Get yourself a little counter-top one that uses batteries (that's what I have used until now), one that plugs in the wall, or one that plugs in in your car.  Purchase an oil that you like the smell of, that has the therapeutic properties you are looking for.  Make sure it is a pure, undiluted oil and that's it!  You're set!

Pain is Your Body's Way of Asking for Help

Every day, our bodies are exposed to toxins.  Whether it is pollutants in the air or food chemicals or dyes.  Over time, these trace amounts of toxins build up in our bodies. 

It has been said that eventually, the build up can become too much for the body to cleanse itself.  As a result, you may experience a headache, sore muscles or fatigue.  Your immune system will try its very best to rid your body of these toxins.  In the process you may experience inflammation in your joints.  Perhaps in your shoulders, maybe your hips, possibly your knees.

In an effort to combat the pain associated with inflammation, and to help rid your body of toxic build up at the same time, try this blend on inflamed areas to help reduce inflammation, ease pain, and cleanse the body. 

30ml base cream

15 drops camphor

15 drops wintergreen

10 drops eucalyptus

20 drops lavender

This blend is potent, mixed at 10%, and should not be used internally.

This application may tingle a little, but should never sting.  Test in a small area before applying to the entire targeted area. 

Keep this blend away from children and pets.

Photo discovered at: ufitbootcamp.co.uk

Ingesting Essential Oils- Don't Do It

Please keep this in mind when seeking advice from any individual who is recommending essential oils to you.  Although it is becoming a more common recommendation from some distributors, as a general rule, those trained in the modality of aromatherapy will NOT recommend ingesting essential oils. 

Just as essential oils applied “neat” to the skin can cause irritation or burning, oils that are swallowed can have the same effect (or worse) on the tongue, esophagus and stomach. 

Essential oils are very potent in their pure form, a few are even poisonous if ingested.  Please stick with skin applications in a carrier, inhalations, bath blends, diffusers, and other applications which are recommended to you by trained professionals.    

Essential oils are FANTASTIC!!!  But not if they aren't used properly :) 

What is Reflexology?

Reflexology is NOT a foot massage!  It should be performed on dry feet, no oil or lotion.  

Reflexologists apply pressure to reflex points in the feet (and sometimes hands or ears) with specific thumb, finger and hand techniques.

Reflexology or Zone Therapy is a natural healing art and science based on the principle that certain reflexes correspond to every muscle, joint, gland, and organ of the body.

Reflexology aims to improve your health by relieving tension, increasing circulation and promoting relaxation and balance to the whole body.

By applying pressure on specific reflex points a reflexologist can stimulate the corresponding organs or glands to promote the natural function of the related areas of the body.

Have you considered Reflexology as an option to help you with chronic aches & pains?  Want to lower your stress level or reduce fatigue?  Find a registered reflexologist in your area and give it a try!!

Even better, how about "Essential Reflexology"?  Reflexology combined with the benefits of essential oils!  Cleaning the feet with tea tree and lavender, for example, and then ending the treatment with a relaxing foot massage with peppermint and orange or lime essential oils (in a carrier of course), which will leave you with delish citrus-mint smelling feet.   

Photo discovered at: bellebeauty.co.uk

Shower Cleaner!

We are very fortunate to have access to aquifer water.  It’s fantastic!!  But, it is very hard water at our place!!  Luckily for our marriage, my husband and I are both in agreement that we DO NOT like the feeling of soft water on our skin.  Unluckily for our shower, the tiles take a beating without having softened water.  We basically have to stay on top of it daily to keep it from building up, especially with 5/6 people in our house using the shower.  And, well, during the prairie summer, who wants to spend their days scrubbing shower tiles?? 

So…..this is what I was up against over the weekend after a wee bit of shameful neglect.

 

I decided to make cleaning fun and try a little experiment!  Who would be the winner?  Foaming store bought cleaner (left)?  Or a simple mix of 50% warm water, 50% vinegar and a few drops of essential oils (right)?

After leaving the foam to sit for five minutes and then scrubbing the tile and then scrubbing the tile on the right with the vinegar solution, (equal scrubbing time, equal pressure, and all that jazz) THE WINNER IS…..

Huh!  No one?  They both came out pretty much the same!  The grout around the vinegar solution tile did seem a bit cleaner, but the tiles themselves were about the same level of clean!

Now, price wise, vinegar and water is a pretty inexpensive option AND better for the environment AND as the days have gone by this week, the vinegar/water/essential oil tiles seem to be repelling water!  It is beading off the tile! 

Try it out!  Everyone’s water (and scum) is different of course!  But it is worth testing in your shower or tub surround.  I’d love to hear how the experiment goes for you!

Does more expensive always mean better?

NO!!  Not all essential oils are created equally, but more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better.  You do have to pay for quality BUT, purchasing the most expensive oil you can find is not always a necessary choice.  You need to do your research, or seek the advice of a trained professional.  Look for a supplier who offers pure, undiluted, organic essential oils, and make an informed choice from there. 

Don’t overpay unnecessarily!!  Here’s an example of just how overpriced a product can be if customers are willing to pay the price.  A particular blend I found online from a fairly well-known company lists their 15ml blend at $50.99.  Using the brand of oils I know and trust instead, as an aromatherapist, I can blend this synergy myself, and make any adjustments needed to suit a particular client.  I have priced it out.  Even after marking up the cost of the synergy to a retail price to sell to customers, I can sell a 15ml bottle for ….are you ready??  For $20 - $25!!! 

Please also keep in mind that if your intention is simply to use essential oils in cleaning products, there are lower grade oils that can be purchased for these purposes at lower prices.  

 

“No thief, however skillful, can rob one of knowledge, and that is why knowledge is the best and safest treasure to acquire” – L. Frank Baum 

Pure Essential Oils = Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy should not be confused with fragrances or perfume oils.  Fragrances are often made with chemicals, and lack the therapeutic properties of essential oils.  

Just because someone lights a scented candle, doesn't make it aromatherapy!

Photo discovered at blogs.scientificamerican.com/

Is it hot in here?

Did you know that certain essential oils can assist with the unpleasant experience of a hot flash?  

By adding oils (in a carrier) to bath water, or in a cream or massage oil, or by inhalation, relief can be that easy! 

Some women have reported to me keeping a blend beside their bed so that when a hot flash comes on in the night, a cream can be applied to stop it!

A great oil blend for hot flashes includes:

Clary Sage

Geranium

Rosewood

Lavender

Ylang ylang

Note: some oils listed above are contraindicated for pregnant women.  Please always seek advice before using essential oils. 

Photo discovered at: mississaugalife.ca

Suffering from an embarrassing itch you can't scratch?

No...not the one from the tv commercial! I'm talking about poison ivy!!!! 

Try this remedy the next time you have an uncontrollable urge to scratch! 

Apply as needed. 

30 ml base cream or lotion, blended with:
4 drops geranium
4 drops lavender
4 drops marjoram
3 drops peppermint 

Tip- Re-apply before your skin becomes super itchy again. Stay on top of it! 

Remember to consult with an aromatherapist to be sure this blend is right for you. 

Photo discovered at twineagles.org 

Do What Makes You Happy

Author Rachel Ann Nunes

No Cook Aromatherapy Play Dough

Made this with my youngest 2 last night.  Quick and easy to make and smells SO good!! 

What's great about adding EO's to the dough besides the smell?  Anti-bacterial properties!!

Add whichever oils will help you achieve your goals.  If the intent is to calm a child, try lavender, chamomile or sandalwood.  If this is part of play and learning where an alert child is desired, try peppermint or citrus, like orange, grapefruit, lemon or lime.

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1/2 - 1 cup cold water
**edit- I would definitely recommend closer to 1/2 cup than 1 cup.  Became a little too tacky by day 2

food colouring

6 drops of your favourite essential oil

Ta da!!

For a less marbled look, add the food colouring with the water and oil

Exciting- certain essential oils are anti-inflammatory and analgesic!!  Play dough doesn't just have to be for kids.  Arthritic hands can benefit from squeezing and rolling play dough with essential oils in it like birch, cypress, eucalyptus or frankincense.   You can use a few more drops of oil if this is your purpose for making the dough.  

Going and Flowing…..the 72 hour plan

This past Thursday started out like any other day- get up, get self and kids ready and get to work.  After work, one kid had swimming lessons from 5-5:30, another from 6:30-7.  Normally, we would have supper in between and then get home and get everyone ready for bed.  However, on this particular Thursday…there was no plan, no meal plan, no plan at all.  So….we had a quick snack between lessons and would worry about supper later.  After lessons in the vehicle I got the, “what’s for supper?” question and, I didn’t know!  Went to the store….still didn’t know.  Got supper, drove home, cooked, ate, got everyone ready for bed.  Normally, suppertime is about 5:30 or 5:45.  This night…..8:45.  No schedule, no plan.  What’s the worst thing that happened as a result of this lack of planning?  Every kid, all four, SLEPT IN on Friday morning!! 

The plan is- there is no plan

And so began the plan to commit to having no plan for the weekend.  We were headed to a national park until Sunday night.  Aside from a dinner reservation on Saturday night and a massage my husband booked for me at the spa, there was no schedule.  We did what we wanted, when we wanted.  We ate when we wanted, the kids slept when the needed to, not when they were scheduled to.

Now, for those of you who know me, you might say I am an organized, take charge kind of girl.  You might even say I am a weeee bit of a control freak.  BUT, as time rolls on I realize more and more that there are so many scheduled events in life, between work and  kids` activities and school  and sports and…and….and…. that the unscheduled time is something to savour.  I like organization and order and timelines and deadlines, but during those times when there isn`t a deadline, it is important to let go, relax and let what happens happen.  If the kids are having fun and stay up an hour or two later when they have no obligations first thing in the morning, that`s okay.  If they are in the middle of building something super awesome in the sandbox and don`t want to eat lunch right at 12:00, that`s okay too!  

Inhale, exhale, and then live in the moment!

Check out the article below!

How Planning Less Can Set You Free

By Ben Craib

“Life is a process of becoming. A combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.” ~Anais Nin

Normally my girlfriend and I have a routine for Saturday mornings:

She goes to yoga at eleven AM and then heads into Central London to do a small amount of shopping, and perhaps visit a museum. I might get up, do some writing in the morning, tidy the flat, and then take a dance class at 1PM. These are routines we enjoy, or at least enjoy most of the time.

Last Saturday we spontaneously decided to do none of that.

Instead, we went for a walk along a local canal towards central London. It was a mild, hazy morning, with calm water, seagulls, ducks, joggers, quiet, and sun.

We left the canal and visited some inner city churches and their second hand markets, offering cheap coffee and large, silent spaces.

We finished by visiting two different specialty coffee shops. At the end we sat in the second and best, with sun streaming in through the windows, feeling calm and content.

As opposed to our normal Saturdays, there was a natural flow to the morning—perhaps better described as an evolution.

Every decision was spontaneous. Every decision felt natural. Every moment was savored.

I could have spent an hour planning our “intimate time” down to the last degree—but would it have contained the joy and peace that naturally flowed that day?

This is increasingly how I am practicing living my life: with a minimum of routines and plans, allowing the present moment to dictate the future.

I try to stay in touch with the process of becoming. In doing this:

·       Decisions come from a deeper, more natural place.

·       Life feels harmonious.

·       You cling less to plans and routines.

·       When circumstances do change, you are better prepared to face them because you do not cling to a desire of how things should be.

·       You open yourself up to infinite possibilities.

I don’t want to knock routines completely. They can bring richness, happiness, and comfort. For example, I cherish my early morning coffee grinding.

But clinging on too tightly to routines can be counterproductive because:

·       When something strays from our routine we suffer.

·       We create routines and make plans to impose some certainty on the future. The future is always uncertain. Therefore, by clinging onto routines we are always setting ourselves up for a fall.

·       Routines can be negative as well as positive. By blindly following them we can cause ourselves damage.

·       We close ourselves off to fulfilling and exciting possibilities. We can think we are happy living in a certain way, but really we are ignorant of the alternatives.

By clinging onto your routines you can, as Anais Nin says, you elect a state and remain in it, and close yourself off to growth, evolution, and change.

Think about your routines and the way you make plans. How many of your plans actually work out how you planned? How many of your routines do you go through blindly and mechanically?

Yesterday, did you have a plan, and did something unexpected happen?

How many of your major life events—jobs, relationships—have come out of the blue? How many times have you allocated an hour to go shopping, and then taken three, or allocated three hours to go and buy something, and then taken one?

If you are an obsessive planner, try a test: tomorrow, look at your plan, and then at the end of the day see if it worked out.

By becoming aware just how uncertain even the most planned lives are, we can let go of our need to control, learn to be soft, and move with the shifting events.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Have been using this recipe for just about 2 months now.  Even with a family of 6, it seems to be lasting a very long time!!

3kg box of arm and hammer super washing soda, 

1- 2kg box borax, 
1- 3lb container oxiclean powder, 
1 cup baking soda, 
2- sunlight laundry bars, grated and 
2- bottles purex crystals
Grate the soap and then mix everything together in a big bucket.

2-4 tablespoons per load.

For a more natural (and more yummy) scent, next time I plan to skip the crystals and try scenting with essential oils instead.  Perhaps with one of my most favourite synergy scents- “muscle mend” by true essence – birch, eucalyptus, marjoram, black pepper and nutmeg OR something simple like ylang ylang, lavender or lime!  The possibilities are endless, really!

"ME" TIME....it's important!

From: http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/

"It may sound obvious, but many of us forget to take time for ourselves. People have all sorts of expectations for themselves and the drive to meet those can make it hard to take time.

"We are entitled to breaks," says Beth Evans, manager of Mental Health Promotion at Alberta Health Services. "People need to respect that for themselves." And, she says, we should be able to do it guilt-free. "You are taking care of yourself by taking a break. It ensures you'll have the energy to return to whatever other roles you play, whether as a parent or a professional, or whatever your roles in life generally are."

Taking a little "me" time is an important part of managing life's stresses.

"Anyone can get stressed," Evans says. "Absolutely anybody, anytime."

While most of us may not enjoy feeling stressed, it's not always a bad thing. Stress is a biological reaction to what is going on around us and it is a part of how we function. "We need a bit of stress in order to work at peak performance," explains Evans. Some stress is good, but chronic stress is bad.

When you begin to feel overwhelmed or burnt out, one of the best things you can do is call a timeout, step back and take a moment for yourself.

When you take time for yourself, you are really making space for yourself in your life—giving your mind and body a break and time to re-energize. It's meant to be about you.

"Do things that you enjoy, that invigorate you," says Evans. Enjoy your favourite hobby, go for a hike, take a bath—use this time to take care of yourself in whatever way you choose. Taking time for yourself doesn't have to mean taking time alone (unless, of course, that’s what you need). "It is useful often when you are under stress to connect with other people," Evans says. "People need relationships in order to stay well, generally."

The benefits of taking a personal timeout aren't limited to adults. Children and teenagers experience stress, as well, and need to they be encouraged to care for themselves. "Children need downtime," Evans emphasizes. "There are a lot of pressures they experience we may not realize." If you notice your son or daughter showing signs of stress, encourage them to take an hour off to take some "me" time, as well."

By ABBY MILLER