essential oils · health · natural lifestyle

Natural Deodorants and DIY Anti-perspirant

Let’s talk DEO.

Anyone else out there who has tried several natural deodorants and even tried making their own? After many, many product tests and recipe attempts, Primal Pit Paste is my absolute favorite. Only it’s not an antiperspirant. So I took a shot at making my own spray.

The Essential Oils Desk Reference book recommended sage and Purification, and my ref guide 4 essential oils app added Endoflex to the list which my husband uses to support his thyroid. I love it!

I can’t say that I don’t sweat at all, but I don’t get wet circles under my arms and I know the body needs to sweat some to get rid of toxins. I’m just thankful not to be applying memory killer aluminum to my body anymore. I need all the brain cells I can get!

Please do your own research and you will find as I unfortunately did, that over-the-counter deodorants contain aluminum, which has been linked to breast cancer and Alzheimer’s.

To make your own anti-perspirant use any of these oils you may have on hand:

  • 2 oz spray bottle
  • 2 drops sage
  • 2 drops Endoflex
  • 2 drops Purification
  • 2 drops nutmeg
  • 2 drops petitgrain (EO that controls perspiration like no other, IMO)
  • a splash of witch hazel
  • fill rest of the way with water

If you don’t have all of these, I think just Purification or just petitgrain would work great. I’ve actually applied a drop of Purification under each arm on days I’ve left the house without using my spray. Works awesome in a pinch. 🤓

You can get started with the world leader in essential oils here.

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How Bubblegum is Made: Plastics and Rubber?

We watched this video for “science” this morning and then wished we didn’t. Gum used to be made from gum from trees but now it is made of synthetic rubber and plastic! We did more research after the video and learned that nowadays gum is not biodegradable.😷

Did you know most chewing gum contains plastic?

This is why mom always said, “Don’t swallow your gum!” I do not want my kids chewing on plastic and definitely don’t want them potentially swallowing it. Kids say they don’t but we know different. 🤦🏼‍♀️

Then we discovered Glee gum. It contains no plastics, is sugar free and contains no aspartame (associated with Alzheimer’s). Looks like a good one and I’m pretty sure I have seen it at our local pharmacy. Sorry and you’re welcome. We can’t unlearn this stuff.

essential oils · health · natural lifestyle

DIY Thieves

DIY Thieves.

Last week, I did the unthinkable. I ran out of Thieves. 😭 And this is NOT the time to be without the king of immune system support oils!

Obviously I ordered more, but until it gets here, I had to get creative. I realized that not only do I have all of the ingredients to make my own Thieves, I realized that Young Living is giving most of these to their customers this month as promos for hitting different spending targets. They are giving us the gift of health!

How accurate this is, I’m not for sure, but all four recipes that I was able to find online generally had this ratio:

2 drops rosemary
3 drops eucalyptus
4 drops cinnamon bark
7 drops lemon
8 drops clove

I kept this ratio but multiplied each number times 5 and placed in an empty dropper bottle to make a synergy or mixture. I did not add any carrier oils. This way, I can simply add 4-6 drops of the mixture to our diffuser. And it almost smells just like our wonderful Thieves!

Notice I said “almost.” Rest assured when my bottle of Thieves arrives I will be going back to it. I’m no Gary Young over here! But if you’re ever in a pinch, this is good to know about.

I won’t be wasting this concoction. My family really likes it so it is going to be the “Thieves” for our kitchen diffuser.

Raise your hand if you have Thieves or something similar in your wellness cabinet!

natural lifestyle

Thieves Cleaner: Life Saver

I can remember before we switched to all the natural things, I had to wear a mask and open all of the windows on cleaning day.

Cleaning day was every Saturday. I would fuss and complain and basically couldn’t breathe the rest of the day.

Flash forward to today and there is no more mask and no need to open windows.

Back then, I didn’t know any different. Everyone used Clorox wipes and Lysol and Windex and so did I. It was just so normal that I didn’t question it.

Then I entered learning communities on natural living and discovered all of the toxins that are in our popular and heavily marketed products. Why wouldn’t they want us to know? Dollar signs, obviously. And when you know better you do better.

I no longer dread cleaning day and would not want to live without this concentrate. It single-handedly replaces all of our commercial toxic stuff and for pennies per diluted spray bottle.

I have written a separate post with more information about Thieves Cleaner if you are interested in knowing more.

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Memory Resolution Technique

Have you ever had a painful memory that kept haunting you? You couldn’t seem to get it out of your mind? The power of oils and scent is amazing!

I was skeptical at first, but I read the memory resolution chapter of this book, Aroma Freedom Technique, and followed the steps to a tee. I used the oils pictured exactly as it specified, and I have to say I am amazed how much relief I feel related to my memory. I went from obsessive thoughts of it to feeling it was very petty and old news by the end of the process.

You can find the book here. In addition to Lavender, Frankincense and Stress Away, you will also want Inner Child and Believe essential oil blends to complete this entire technique.

Do you have a memory resolution or aroma freedom technique success story? I would love to know in the comments!

essential oils · natural lifestyle

Wellness Mindset

I woke up around 2 a.m. and couldn’t go back to sleep.

I went to the bathroom to grab some lavender essential oil to apply to my wrists.

While I was up I noticed I had drainage in my throat from the tobacco barns fired up here in Tennessee so I applied a drop of Purification to my throat. Not to stop drainage (sickness mindset) but to clear my throat (wellness mindset).

I slicked on some Young Living grapefruit lip balm in gratitude that I can pronounce all the ingredients on the label, and applied some Young Living Lavender Lotion, thankful that it has no toxic artificial fragrance. Just scented with real 100% lavender.

I applied a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water to a wart that has almost disappeared, and Sacred Frankincense to a mole that is slowly shrinking as healthy skin is taking its place.

While I was at it I applied Valor to my jawline and the back of my neck to soothe tension, relax my jaw and help with sleep. I love the versatility of my oils. 🙌🏻

I headed back to bed with so much gratitude for the knowledge I have to use these oils and natural products, and that I know after using them that within SECONDS my body is in a better place.

My oils are fast. They keep me well. My lotion and lip balm don’t have to be reapplied every few hours like cheaper chemical laden ones. I probably won’t need any lip balm or lotion in the morning. I know sleep is on the way and feel tension leave my body.

I wish everyone knew about this lifestyle and that more people were more open to it. I’m sure more thoughts followed but I don’t recall them because I drifted off to sleep.

essential oils · natural lifestyle

Kidscents Products

I don’t rave about Young Living’s kids’ line of products nearly enough!

I wanted products to use on my girls’ skin that were free of harmful chemicals and had ingredients I could actually pronounce. Young Living delivered. 🙌🏻

Contains:

Natural Ingredients

Therapeutic-grade essential oils

No mineral oils

No synthetic perfumes

No artificial colorings

No toxic ingredients

KidScents Shampoo contains no synthetic perfumes, colors, or toxic ingredients. The natural components in this shampoo—aloe, MSM, Chamomile, and Tangerine and Lemon essential oils—effectively and gently cleanse without causing irritation.

KidScents Bath Gel is a safe, gentle soap that cleanses and protects sensitive skin. Formulated with MSM, aloe vera, antioxidants, and pure Lemon, Cedarwood, and other essential oils, this liquid soap is pH balanced for children’s skin.

KidScents Lotion. I would challenge you to download the Think Dirty app for your phone and type in the lotion you use for your kiddos. We used what we considered to be “high-end” brands and they were some of the top offenders! Young Living kids’ line is all natural, infused with essential oils, and I love knowing what I’m putting on the girls’ skin. Things I can pronounce! And it’s so moisturizing that a little goes a long way. It lasts forever!

**Confession, I may or may not steal this one for myself sometimes too!

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Ditch and Switch: Bubble Bath

Bubble bath! I’m a girlie girl and love a bubble bath. My girls love bubbles. But after learning how harmful Mr. Bubble and many of the most popular bubble baths are for skin, and not finding any good replacement, I became a t-totaler and cut bubbles out completely for a couple of years!

Why would I deprive myself and my children of one of life’s pleasures?

The number one reason is that the skin is our largest organ and anything applied to the skin is quickly absorbed by it. We really should be as concerned about what we apply to our skin as what we consume or what we breathe in!

The second concern for me is most of these popular bath products, including Bath and Body Works (which I at one time adored) contain FRAGRANCE. Synthetic scents or “fragrance” represent an unidentified mixture of ingredients including carcinogens, allergens, respiratory irritants, endocrine disruptors, neurotoxic chemicals and environmental toxicants. Check out Dr. Axe’s complete explanation of why you should beware of synthetic fragrance here.

Phenoxyethanol (found in Mr. Bubble) can cause skin and lung irritation, is toxic to the kidneys, nervous system and liver, and long-term exposure can cause organ damage. Yet this product is marketed to children. Pass.

In the past few months I have found myself daydreaming about bubble baths and longing for the days when I didn’t know so much about the harmful chemicals in our skincare products. Then one day, recently, on Pinterest I stumbled upon this most wonderful product: Honest Company Bubble Bath!

Honest Company makes a CLEAN bubble bath to be proud of. Safe to use on my precious girls and free from harmful chemicals. And the quantity of bubbles is very satisfying!

If you don’t already have the Think Dirty app, it is one worth having. It rates topical products on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the most harmful. Please check out the Think Dirty images below on the products mentioned in this post. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and these are very telling.

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Oils for Emotional Support

https://www.youngliving.com/us/en/referral/2183425

Oils for Emotional Support (per Gary Young, Young Living Essential Oils founder) ❤️

Are you ready? This is straight from the notes I took from our live session with Gary Young during convention in 2016.

YOU might want a pen and paper to jot down specific oils that pertain to you for your own needs. I can tell you my wish list definitely grew after this session! HERE WE GO! (Oils are in ALL CAPS)

———————————————————–

Emotions are the most powerful tool you have in your arsenal. Powerful in creativity and construction and equally powerful in destruction. You can use them to drive you into greatness or into the grave. But the will drive you one way of the other. If you do nothing you will stagnate, which is the same as death.

What can help you navigate your senses in a constructive way? COMMON SENSE. Where else can you buy it? Use it.

Every substance that God created has a frequency. Every man-made thing does too. God-made frequency (oils) leads to construction and man-made (not oils) leads to destruction.

There are many ways to travel through life be sure to choose one.

When you are presented with something, never say “no I don’t want to do that.” When you say that you build up a wall of negative energy that says “I don’t want to do that.” Self sabotage. You’re letting someone decide what you will or wont do. You end up spending more energy building walls than accepting life.

We’re not all cut out to do the same things. But don’t short-change yourself from experiencing life. Instead maybe say “let me think about it.” Don’t shut the door or build walls. Never close life out. Say words that leave the door open. Don’t put a wall around you that may block what you need.

Life is based on structure, belief and behavior patterns. How are you creating the pattern of success if you’re saying “I don’t want to,” “I can’t,” or “I’ll try?”

You either did it or you didn’t do it. There is no try. Two words to eliminate: CAN’T and TRY. You will never reach success using those two words.

We have the power to change, to adapt to any situation. No other living creature can do this. We can change our behavior pattern. How?

CLARITY. If you have a behavior pattern you don’t like, use while your sleeping, diffuse it. You’ll start noticing a shift.

FORGIVENESS. The behavior pattern could have been instilled in you from a parent or grandparent. You may feel like you are betraying them by doing things differently. No one was meant to be a cookie cutter. You are very special to God.

Our behavior patterns are those of our parents and ancestors and are encoded in my DNA. The function of DNA is to store genetic info.

ABUNDANCE. Put it on your checks and in your PO Box/ Mailbox. Put abundance on your checks when you pay your bills. Where as perfume. This is to attract prosperity and also to attract others to you.

We can change how we see ourselves. We can change our beliefs which will change our attitudes which will change our behaviors.

Don’t be a victim of yourself instead of a successor.

You always want your children and your grandchildren to be better than you.

Rear sight (present emotion) and your front sight (distant emotion). Use your past emotion to lead you to your future destiny. It’s as simple as CHOICE.

Every blend is created specifically for a need. Absolutely no oil blends were created for profit.

COMFORTONE. For bowels support. “smooth move”

Everything that goes on in your life is determined by emotion. It’s always there before the physical manifest. Runny nose, sore backside all began with an emotion.

Talk to God about your day what you feel good about or not, do a self- evaluation. Be more gentle, attentive, caring. Your greatest power is in self-evaluation and it only has power if you’re honest with yourself.

Take responsibility for your choices.

You can be whatever you want to be. You have to first choose it.

MOTIVATION. Put drop on pillow before you go to bed or use in bath. Keep on nightstand. Snort it. Will help you get out of bed.

En-R-Gee. Up the spine.

Put Motivation and En-R-Gee on at the same time. En-R –Gee up the spine and Motivation on your feet.

Pay attention to how you talk. There’s always pressure from some place in the world and you feel burdened. Here is the key to getting out of that space. The new behavior is using essential oils, becoming greater than you were.

PRESENT TIME should be on your person at all times. Helps keep you feeling burdens of life. You are secure with who you are and in control. This is when God resides with you – present time. When God resides with you, you are the most powerful force on the face of the earth and nothing can stop you.

When the sun sets at the end of the day, are you satisfied with what you accomplished? If you’re satisfied you will keep trying so always keep your expectations a little higher than where you are.

HARMONY. When you wrestle with yourself in your self-talk. When you’re playing mind games it comes from insecurity.

Gary was first to bring EOs to America.

Use when playing mind games. >HARMONY, CLARITY and BRAIN POWER plus VALOR.

Writing is the most powerful tool that you have to release. Write down things you like, don’t like. What you want and don’t want. Write constantly.

**************************************

This is just the first half of my notes from Gary’s 2016 session! Stay tuned for the second half in an upcoming post.

If you are interested in grabbing any of these amazing oils, you can find them here.

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Essential Oils Companies that let you visit their farms…

I thought this was very interesting! #repost

Sarah Goff called 15 essential oil companies and asked if she could tour their farms to see how the essential oils are made. I have toured Young Living’s farms several times. You can check them out too.

Here is a list of the company, phone number, and answer to what Sarah learned.

1. NOW essential oils: 888-669-3663, they do not grow their own plants. This either means that their “oils” are made in a lab or they buy plants from random farms.

2. Piping Rock Essential Oils: 1-800-544-1925, the representative told me no. She did not give me any explanation.

3. Aura Cacia essential oils: 1-844-550-7200, the rep said that they do not grow their own essential oils. She would not give me the names or numbers of the farms where they buy the plants.

4. AnimalEO: 320-286-3277, the mailbox was full. 😂

5. Mountain Rose Herbs essential oils: 800-879-3337. The rep said I cannot see the farms because their plants are sourced. She would not give me the name or numbers of the farms so I could ask them.

6. Edens Garden essential oils: 949-388-1999, the website said to not take the oils internally (Young Living Vitality oils are FDA regulated to take internally). The rep said that she had never received a question like that before and asked to place me on hold. She returned to tell me that they do not own any of their own farms and that I cannot calls those farms.

7. OnePure essential oils: only available by email. They did not respond to my message.

8. Healing Solutions essential oils: 1-800-819-4098, the rep had to place me on hold. He returned to say that I cannot see the farms. He said that the company is not equipped for face-to-face consultations.

9. Gurunanda essential oils: 866-421-0309, the rep told me that they source their oils and that I cannot see the farms.

10. Plant Therapy essential oils: 800-917-6577, the rep told me that they do not own their own farms and I would not be able to take a tour to see the plants or oils be made.

11. Rocky Mountain essential oils: 1-866-493-8159, the rep said that they do not own their own farms. I quoted, “We do not have any direct correlation with the farms, so it would be impossible for us to set anything up.”

12. doTERRA essential oils: 1-800-411-8151, the rep had to place me on hold. He said that I can only come on tours that are offered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10:30, 12:30, and 2:30. I told him that did not work with my schedule, and he was not sure how to respond.

(Edited to add: DoTerra does not allow tours of their farms. I got clarification that the times listed about are for tours of their headquarters, not farms. According to DoTerra’s website, they do not own any farms.)

13. Jade Bloom essential oils: 1-844-787-3645, after listening to a long message, they do not take phone calls. I emailed and asked to see the farms. They have not returned my email.

14. Melaleuca essential oils: 208-522-0700, Mindy Buda actually made this phone call 🖤 she said that the rep told her that there are no farms for Mindy to tour. The rep then said she doesn’t know where the farms are and cannot give any other information.

15. Young Living Essential Oils: 1-800-371-3515, I called and pretended to be someone who is interested in the oils but not yet a member. I was directed to the Visitor’s Center (1-800-371-0819). I was told that I do not need a tour guide or anyone with me while I tour the farms. The farms are open M-F 8am-6pm, Saturday 9-5, and closed on Sunday. She said I can also tour the distilleries where the plants are made into oils.

I feel like these results speak for themselves. I was very emotional after making all of these phone calls and getting answers.

Why do some companies not know where their farms are?

Why wouldn’t they give me a phone number?

Why do some companies not have anything to do with how their plants are grown?

Why was I given an answer of “no?”

Why can’t I ingest something that I made from plants?

Why do some oil companies make their oils in labs and not from plants?

Why can I only visit a farm WITH a tour guide? Why can’t I go by myself?

Why did every company claims to “set the standard” and have the “highest quality oils available,” but they had no part in farming the plants?

Why don’t the employees know where or how the product is made?

How can you sell something to someone knowing they are going to put it on themselves/their kids and not know anything about it? ”

Feel free to call these numbers and see what they say.

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The photos included in this blog post were taken on my visit to one of the many Young Living owned farms. All research described above was done by Sarah Goff, shared with permission.

You can get started with Young Living Essential oils here.

– Angie