Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Spring Cleaning & Essential Oils

It's about that time again...Spring has sprung, and while many of us have probably started our Spring Cleaning, there are those of us who have not yet begun the daunting task!

Spring is the season of renewal, where the April showers rinse off what was left of Old Man Winter and May flowers begin to push up through the murky soil to reach for the beautiful sunshine, thus awakening from a long winter's nap.  So, too, do we awaken with renewed spunk and energy, looking forward to the warmth of summer, basking in the glow, recharging our batteries in order to begin that process of Spring Cleaning!

As a member of Young Living, I have at my disposal so many helpful tips and uses for my essential oils in regards to cleaning.  With so many of us wanting to steer away from less than healthy chemical cleaners, why not try using essential oils instead?  An oil in a healthy dose of hot water and vinegar is a lot easier on the senses, pocketbook and our overall health & wellness, as well as that of our four-legged furry friends! They appreciate the natural smells of therapeutic-grade essential oils as opposed to the harsh chemical smells of other cleaners.

The following will contain just a few of the cleaning hints, tips & recipes for cleaners that I've found from some of our fellow Young Living Oilers, as well as some things I do in my own home with my oils.

Some of the best essential oils for cleaning include cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, thyme, spruce, lemon, lemongrass, and grapefruit. Try some of the following ideas for a powerful, natural clean:
 

Household cleaner:

  • Fill a spray bottle with water and a squirt of dishwashing soap.
  • Add 3–5 drops each of lavender, lemon, and pine essential oils.
  • Shake well.

Floor cleaner:

  • Add 1/4 cup white vinegar to a bucket of water.
  • Add 5–10 drops lemon, pine, spruce, melaleuca, or Purification essential oil.

Fighting dust mites:

  • Recent research has shown that eucalyptus essential oil kills dust mites that live in bedding.
  • Add 25 drops of eucalyptus essential oil to each load of laundry for an effective dust mite deterrent.

Hot tubs and saunas:

  • Use 3 drops per person of lavender, cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, thyme, lemon, or grapefruit to disinfect and freshen the water.
  • For saunas, add several drops rosemary, thyme, pine, or lavender to a spray bottle with water and spray surfaces. This water can also be used to splash onto hot sauna stones.

Kitchens and bathrooms:

  • Mix into 1 quart water: 2 drops rosemary, 4 drops lemon, 3 drops eucalyptus, and 4 drops lavender.
  • Shake well and put into a spray bottle. Shake again before using.

Window cleaner:

  • Mix in 1 quart spray bottle: 1 cup White Vinegar, 10-15 drops of Lemon Essential Oil, water.
  • Mix vinegar and water in spray bottle.
  • Add essential oil.
  • Shake and use.

Stain Removal:

  • Use a drop or two of lemon essential oil on stains.
  • Let stand and rub off with a clean cloth or throw into laundry cycle.

In the Dryer:

  • Instead of using toxic and irritating softening sheets in the dryer, toss in a dampened washcloth with 10 drops of lavender, lemon, melaleuca, bergamot, or other oils added.
  • While the oils will not reduce static cling, they will impart a lovely fragrance to the clothes.     
The above ideas were found on Young Living's Website.  As well as the above-mentioned mixes for cleaners, Young Living also has their "Thieves" line of products, which includes a household cleaner, wipes, spray, toothpaste, mouthwash, dental floss, hard & soft lozenges, hand sanitizer and of course, the Essential Oil Blend itself.

Young Living’s Most Popular Oils for Cleaning

I'm a big fan of the Thieves household cleaner, as it smells so great, cleans very well and is safe around children and pets.  I use mine in the laundry and to clean the dog's kennel.  I've used it to wash hardwood and ceramic tile flooring with beautiful results.  I even diffuse it to kill mold and other bacteria present in the air.

Here’s a quick run-down of some common cleaning chemicals, along with some of the many places you may see them:
  • DEA (Diethanolamine)—Found in more than 600 home and personal care products, such as shampoos, conditioners, bubble baths, lotions, cosmetics, soaps, laundry and dishwashing detergents. Suspected of carcinogenic activity (causing or contributing to cancer) or of being potentially dangerous or hazardous to health.
  • Propylene Glycol—The main ingredient found in anti-freeze; also common in shampoos, deodorants, cosmetics, lotions, toothpastes, processed foods, baby wipes, and many more personal care items. Implicated in contact dermatitis, kidney damage, and liver abnormalities; can inhibit skin cell growth in human tests and can damage cell membranes causing rashes, dry skin, and surface damage.
  • Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)—Industrial uses include concrete floor cleaners, engine degreasers, and car wash detergents. Also found in shampoos, liquid soaps, conditioners, cleansers, toothpaste, and children’s personal care products. SLS is found in nearly all toothpastes, and is absorbed through skin contact and retained for up to five days.
  • Talc—Chemically similar to asbestos, talc has been inked to ovarian cancer. It’s found in many body and baby powders, as well as many cosmetics.
  • Alcohol—Most mouthwash products have a higher alcohol content than most alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, etc). Mouthwash products with alcoholic content greater than 25 percent have been linked to cancers of the mouth, tongue, and throat. Alcohol acts as a solvent inside the mouth, making tissues more vulnerable to carcinogens.


    Pretty scary when you read what's in our most common household products like shampoos, soaps, cosmetics, powders, cleaners, etc.  The above chemical listings were also taken from Young Living's website.  The more you read, the more you want to take the next steps in trying to eliminate most of these toxins from your homes and lives.  It is a very daunting task, but once you make a few positive changes, you will find it becomes natural to you.  We may never rid ourselves of ALL the toxins out there, seeing as many of us have polluted air in our cities, offices, stores, etc. and the fact that we also can't live in a bubble.  There are things we can do, however, to live as clean and green as we can, as well as improve our health and wellness, to better able our bodies to deal with the toxins we come in contact with in our everyday lives.

    Stay tuned for more blogging on cleaning with Essential Oils and just as a last note:  I ONLY recommend Young Living Essential Oils as they are the world leaders in 100% therapeutic-grade essential oils...I would NOT recommend store bought oils be used on your person, pet or taken internally! 




Friday, April 22, 2011

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Winter's Long Road

It sure has been a while since I've last blogged.  I must make this more of a priority, as it's a great way to get emotions out.  Since my last blog, I've suffered an incredible loss in my family:  the death of my grandmother.  She was so loved by all, the head of our large family.  

Getting through this large "bump" in the road of life seemed to be compounded as it happened a week after my birthday, only several weeks before Christmas, one of Nan's fave holidays!  To further compound the heaviness of our hearts, a winter with a seemingly endless supply of snow!!!  Now, usually winter tends to bring with it the onset of SAD: seasonal affective disorder.  This winter, having gone through my first Christmas in 34 yrs without a significant member of our family present, I refused to let winter get to me.  I couldn't, as it would've easily crushed me...I was so very sad and lonely without her, despite being surrounded by many loving family members and friends.  She left a large emptiness in all of our lives, and so, this past winter, I decided to embrace the snow and cold.  After all, I have my powerful essential oils which helped me release feelings of negativity and gave me the strength to embrace the positive all around me.

I took up snowshoeing and continued running through the winter, all as a vow to make 2011 my year to get back into my best shape yet!  This renewed focus is what helped me get through a long, snowy winter season, and was a coping mechanism for me to deal with my recent loss.  I am feeling better now, each day is easier, knowing she'd be proud of my accomplishments thus far.  I use my new acquired Frankincense Resin Burner everyday, filling my house with the beautiful aromatic scent that is the very spiritual Frankincense.  I feel so at peace when I'm using either the essential oil itself or lightly burning the resin.  

Another oil I used in the several days and weeks following the loss of my grandmother, was Trauma Life essential oil blend.  This blend is known to help the mind and body release negative emotion that was a result of a significant trauma.  Joy essential oil blend is an uplifting blend, filled with positive feelings, bringing about a sense of peace from within, enabling the wearer to deal with the everyday stresses in one's life.  These two essential oil blends, along with my Frankincense essential oil, greatly increased my feelings of peace, positivity and ultimately, happiness, battling down those feelings of sadness, depression and loneliness.

I will include in this blog, some information on these oils and also a link to my Facebook page and Twitter account is on my blog page.

Frankincense (Boswellia carteri) has a sweet, warm, balsamic aroma that is stimulating and elevating to the mind. Useful for visualizing, improving one's spiritual connection, and centering, it has comforting properties that help focus the mind and overcome stress and despair. Frankincense is considered the holy anointing oil in the Middle East, where it has been used in religious ceremonies for thousands of years. More recently, it has been used in European and American hospitals and is the subject of substantial research. Frankincense is also a valuable ingredient in skin care products for aging and dry skin. The ancient Egyptians used it in rejuvenation face masks. Frankincense has an approximate ORAC of 6,125 (TE/L). TE/L is expressed as micromole Trolox equivalent per liter. 
 
http://www.youngliving.com/en_US/audio/ColeWoolleyFrankincenseWebinar.mov  (this is a journey regarding Sacred Frankincense)


Frankincense, Boswellia carteri, is also known as
“olibanum,” or “oil from Lebanon.” Considered the
“holy anointing oil” in the Middle East, frankincense
has been used in religious ceremonies for
thousands of years. It was well known during
the time of Christ and was one of the gifts given
to Christ at his birth. Anciently, the Chinese
used frankincense as a treatment for a range of
ailments. Today, frankincense is still used worldwide
for both its ceremonial and medicinal use.
Frankincense can be used topically, as a dietary
supplement, or diffused.
Primary Benefits
Frankincense can ease many minor aches and
pains, clear the lungs, act as a skin tonic, as well
as calm and soothe the whole body and mind.
Its sweet, warm, balsamic aroma is stimulating
and elevating. Useful for visualizing and improving
one’s spiritual connection, frankincense has
comforting properties that help center the mind
and overcome stress and despair. Frankincense
also contains sesquiterpenes which stimulate the
limbic system of the brain—the center of memory
and emotions—and the hypothalamus, pineal,
and pituitary glands.

Joy™ is a luxuriously exotic blend with uplifting overtones that creates magnetic energy and brings joy to the heart. When worn as cologne or perfume, Joy exudes an alluring and irresistible fragrance that inspires romance and togetherness. When diffused, it can be refreshing and uplifting.

Trauma Life™ is a calming, grounding blend of therapeutic-grade essential oils formulated to help release buried emotional trauma resulting from accidents, neglect, the death of a loved one, assault, or abuse. Left unchecked, emotionally draining episodes may be at the root of fatigue, anger, and restlessness.

For more information regarding these and more oils from Young Living's line of 100% Therapeutic-Grade Essential Oils, please don't hesitate to contact me via Twitter @NRG4ME or at my web address:  https://www.youngliving.org/melissasaucier  or on my Facebook page:  Health Scents- Essential Oils by YL.  

Until next blog, take care and keep smiling!  ;)