Health Risks Of Hand Sanitizers

Over-the-counter hand sanitizers seem such a quick and logical fix to disinfect hands, but when used on a regular basis or improperly they can cause adverse health effects. Health experts recommend washing hands with soap and water whenever possible, but even commercial hand soaps are full of toxic chemicals. Most hand sanitizers are made with potent toxic chemicals for the purpose of killing germs. The majority of hand sanitizers contain 60-90% of either ethyl or isopropyl alcohol, a concentration much higher than what is found in most hard liquors! Therefore, even small doses of sanitizer, when ingested, can cause headaches, dizziness, and slurred speech. Extreme cases of hand sanitizer poisoning include brain damage and death. Hand sanitizer poisoning is most common among children who are drawn to the bright colors and sweet scents. Children who ingest even a small amount of hand sanitizer can become intoxicated and be at risk for alcohol poisoning. 

Parents should teach children to keep hands out of mouths, eyes, ears, and noses when out in public such as at school, at the store, at a friend’s house and so on, and to wash hands immediately upon arriving home as well as frequently as possible. Parents themselves should be models of frequent hand washing as well as doing so for their own health. But, teaching children to keep hands out of mouths is especially important if children use sanitizers at school, at home, at friends’, and so on. It’s also important to keep hand sanitizers out of children’s reach as with any other chemical.

Since hand sanitizers contain a high amount of alcohol they are also highly flammable. Small quantities of hand sanitizer burn "very hot, very quickly" if set on fire. Keep sanitizers out of the hot sun, cars overheated by the sun, and away from incandescent light bulbs and heaters. Should you choose to use hand sanitizers when cooking or grilling make sure hands are completely dry before getting near a hot stove or grill!

Furthermore, due to their high alcohol content, sanitizers can cause dry skin, which in turn means skin can become cracked and broken. Broken skin exposes the body to "the same contagions hand sanitizers are trying to prevent." Do not use sanitizers if you have any open cuts and scrapes on your hands, including hangnails and paper cuts. Sanitizers can irritate cuts and scrapes, which can cause infection, burning, itching, and rashes. Health experts discourage the biting of fingernails or any touching of the mouth and lips with hands after using sanitizers.

Another problem with hand sanitizers is that they may not leave hands completely clean after use. Should hands be visibly dirty or have dirt under the fingernails hand sanitizers will not be very effective. Hand sanitizers are not a replacement for using soap and water, especially if the body is fighting illness. Sanitizers will not clean hands if hands are greasy, wet, or are covered with food residue.so washing hands is important.

Chemical hand sanitizers do in fact kill both the good and the bad bacteria. While, it is good to kill the bad, it is not so great to kill the good. The good bacteria protects our body from infection as well has helping it to fight the bad bacteria. If we get rid of the good, how will we fight the bad?? 

Ultimately hand sanitizers will not protect you from getting sick and some of the ingredients may actually make you sick. So a more preferable way to stay healthy and avoid viral and bacterial infections is to take plenty of natural vitamin C and vitamin D, eat powerful super-foods, drink plenty of clean water and use essential oils to support your body.   

Everyone knows how important it is to have clean hands. Cleaning them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is the best method but there are times when you could use a quick cleaning.

Most folks would love to have a hand cleaner and hand sanitizer to use when they don’t have access to soap and water. Making your own sanitizer using essential oils is very simple to do. There are many recipes available to make your own.

Common essential oils for use in any type of sanitizer include but are not limited to the following: Tea Tree (aka Melaleuca); Oregano; Thyme; Eucalyptus; Cinnamon leaf; Geranium; Rosemary; Lavender; & Peppermint.

Happy Easter!

It is a good day to diffuse spring scented oils.  I am using uplifting ones - lemongrass and wild orange.

Making Lotion Bars & Lip Balm

A good friend, Sarah, taught us a class on Friday.  She demonstrated how to make lotion bars and lip balm, which she has been doing for several months.  Sarah has been suffering from problem skin on her hands for several decades.  When her hands come into contact with almost anything, she ends up with blisters, cracks, bleeding, and horribly itchy hands.  She wears gloves to clean and do quite a few things because most things including creams from doctors have only made it worse.  She has been reluctant to use anything on her hands.

About six months ago, I suggested that she try coconut oil.  She was hesitant at first, but tested it out and was pleasantly surprised.  Since then, she did some research and started making lotion bars and lip balm.  The lotion bars actually act as a protect-ant so that she is able to do some of the normal things we all do without her gloves.  She decided to share her technique with us last Friday.

First, she melted equal parts of cocoa butter, lip balm and coconut oil.  She poured the melted mixture into molds and chap-stick containers.  Next, 3 -5 drops of essential oils were added.  She swirled them in with a toothpick.  The last step was letting them cool.  Sarah also had a shrink wrap for the chap-stick that was adorable.  We cut out scrapbook paper for a label and melted the shrink wrap around it.  

The lotion bars and lip balm are great for anyone to use.  Some essential oils that soothe skin include helichrysum, juniper berry, thyme, geranium, melaleuca, lavender, and patchouli.  

Chivalry Cologne for Men

For Valentines day, I decided to make up a special cologne for a male family member.  I had the perfume making notes in mind when I started and wanted to incorporate oils from each category (link to perfume post).  I also definitely wanted it to smell masculine and attractive.

Here is my recipe:

10 drops of vetiver
20 drops of white fir
10 drops of clove
5 drops of thyme
25 drops of bergamot
5 drops of lemon
fill the rest with fractionated coconut oil

When I made it, I didn't have plans to share the recipe other than with the person it was for.  However, it seems to be a huge hit.  I gave it a name this evening and decided to post it.  

 

Perfume Making Guide

We just wrapped up a very fun, informative essential oil class on how to create breath and perfume sprays using essential oils.  We felt like chemists making our different concoctions for their therapeutic and just pleasurable benefits.

Perfume making all starts with the classification of notes. Oils from each of the classifications of notes are blended for the best desired perfume.  Base notes consist of large molecules that evaporate slowly.  The scent of these oils are rich and they are not usually perceived until about 30 minutes after it is applied.  Some of these can extend the scent of the perfume to over 24 hours.  Middle notes are often referred to as the body of the perfume. They are usually more mellow and bind the tops notes with the base notes to round out the perfume.  These oils usually appear between 2 - 60 minutes after the application.  The top notes contain small/light molecules that evaporate quickly.  They are the first scents to be perceived.  The citrus oils fall into this category.

Here are a  few DIY "how to" links that we referred to in the class that will give some helpful hints and recipes on getting started on this super simple, fun process!! Once you experiment with some recipes, you will be ready to create your very own unique combinations.  Don't forget to give your trade secret breath sprays and perfumes/colognes a great name!

A few DIY recipe links for Perfume Making:
DIY Essential Cologne
15 Tantalizing Perfume Recipes
Make Perfume

If you are wondering why anyone would go to the effort to make perfumes and colognes, it is more than just a fun hobby or creating a unique scent.  Commercial perfumes are known to have toxic chemicals.  Here are a few links about toxic chemicals in perfumes and colognes:

What's In Your Perfume or Cologne?
Is Your Perfume Toxic?
21 Most Common Chemicals in 31 Fragrance Products
Toxic Perfume Chemicals
Scent of Danger
Hidden Chemicals in Perfume and Cologne
  

Essential Oils for Kidney Support

Back in 2003, I started experiencing strange pains in my back. They were easy enough to
ignore, so I did. Not too long after that, I started having sharper pains just below my
stomach on the sides. I remember the time frame, because it started before we came to
Houston for my brother's wedding at Christmas. I mentioned it to my mom. I decided that
it hurt more when I was drinking soda, so I stopped drinking soda.

A month later, the pain increased, so I went to the doctor. He had me pee in a cup. He told
me that nothing was wrong because there were no white blood cells in my urine. I didn't
know what to think about that, so I just left and went about life. Fortunately, the pain didn't
continue hurting too much longer after that.

Fast forward to the spring of 2008. I had a toddler and little baby only a few months old,
when I started having the same pains again. This time, they were MUCH worse. One
Saturday, we went to a party for a friend's son. On the way back, I was in excruciating
pain. I called my mom and she told me that it is probably kidney stones. She told me to
drink lots of water and go to the doctor or hospital. I decided I would call a doctor on
Monday. I am one of those silly people that only go to the doctor if I am on my death bed,
so you can only imagine what it would take to get me to go to the emergency room at
midnight. Apparently, a tiny (4mm) kidney stone will do the trick.

There is a reason that most people compare this pain to giving birth. I had just given birth a
few months before, so it was easy to compare. I can tell you that I would rather give birth
because at least you get something positive out of that agonizing experience. The hospital
gave me a CT scan and a prescription for pain killers. I left the hospital not feeling any
better. Pain killers may be great for someone who feels like they are dying of pain, but not
the best thing for a woman who is nursing a baby. The next few days were less than fun for
me. Trying to pass that huge stone was NOT pleasant. I visited a urologist after that and it
all came down to the fact that I don't drink enough water.

Fast forward again to 2013. Do you see a pattern here? It is not that I wasn't trying to
drink more water. I guess I am just not that successful at it. This time, as soon as the
pains started, I knew exactly what it was. I also knew that if I went to the doctor, I'd most likely be
told to drink lots of water and let it pass. I looked up remedies online and came across the
olive oillemon juice remedy. I put 2 TBS of olive oil and another TBS of lemon juice in a
shot glass and downed it. The pain subsided rather quickly. When it came back, I did it
again.

I also mentioned my kidney pains to a friend, Tiffany. She had recently started
using essential oils and was kind enough to give me my first bottle of lemon oil. She told
me to add a drop or 2 to my water to support my kidneys. Within a few days of doing these 2 things, my pain was gone. I finally felt like I had a good solution.

I guess I have to wait to 2018 to see if the pattern is completely broken, but I am doing my part to support my kidneys in the mean time. I drink lemon oil in my water on a regular basis, which
makes drinking water more appealing.

I have mentioned what I have used and liked. There are other great oils to support kidney function including lemongrass, cinnamon, juniper berry, clary sage, wild orange, rosemary and coriander.

Ramping Up Romance with Essential Oils

Happy Valentines Day!

In honor of this special day of romance, I'm posting about how you can use oils to ramp up your romance.  I, like most women, have close friends that share some of the more intimate details of their lives.  Fortunately, this kind of sharing helps us come up with ideas and share solutions for issues.  One of these topics is definitely romance in the bedroom.

Men, in general, tend to be more amorous. They are very physical and visual. It usually doesn't take a lot to get them in the mood. Although, men have issues too or drugs like Viagra wouldn't be a household word.  

Women seem to have lots of things that become obstacles for feeling that desire.  Some of these obstacles could be related to stress, fatigue, worry, anxiety, feeling ugly or fat, sensory overload from kids, etc.

No matter what the difficulty is, people crave love and romance, so this post is dedicated to ramping your love life up.  Here are some oils that can do that:

1. Cinnamon Bark

Cinnamon Bark is often called the Oil of Sexual Harmony. I put it at the top of the list because it nurtures healthy sexuality.  It invites people to be genuine and unguarded so that pure intimacy can surface.  This is a good one to diffuse because it helps to normalize amorous feelings, whether that means increasing or decreasing feelings.

2.  Ylang Ylang

This oil is on my list because it encourages play and joy.  It allows emotional mending to progress while healing the heart.  Ylang ylang is commonly used as an aphrodisiac as well as for exhaustion, hormonal balance, and libido.

3. Wild Orange

I am listing wild orange because it adds fun, joy, relaxation, and energy into life.  It assists individuals to give without thought of benefit.

4. Blend for Women

This blend is one of my favorites.  It has patchouli, bergamot, sandalwood, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, vetiver, ylang ylang, geranium and others. This blend helps women and men connect with their feminine side and encourages flexibility.

5. Grapefruit

Grapefruit oil is often used as an appetite suppressant or weight loss, but it is also known as the oil of Inner Beauty. It inspires individuals to discover feelings of self-worth and acceptance of physical appearance.

6. Geranium

Geranium oil definitely belongs on this list because it is the Oil of Love & Trust.  It mends the heart and instills unconditional love as well as cultivating trust. Some people are more logically minded and this oil helps to nurture the warmth in the heart.

7. Bergamot

Bergamot happens to be one of my favorite oils.  I love the way it smells and I am definitely drawn to it.  It is also known as the Oil of Self-Acceptance.  This oil encourages optimism and diminishes feelings of gloom and low self-esteem.


Reading through the list of oil and what kinds of feelings they generally foster, it is apparent why these would help with romance.  I hope you try them and smile more.  

       

Health Benefits of Cherries

Face Map

Just like reflexology, face maps come from Chinese medical practitioners. They swear that internal health issues manifest themselves on the face.  They believe that the face is basically a map of health issues.  This comes from centuries of observations.  Since reflexology is so accurate, I tend to accept their wisdom for face maps at least for adults (teenagers probably have lots of different things going on).  These issues show up as rashes, dark circles and acne. If these are persistent or there is a cluster of pimples in one area, getting to the root of the problem and solving it will improve your health and in turn help your face clear up.  Healing is where oils come in.  I made this diagram of the zones and listed the issues below along with suggested oils.

1. Neck = Illness/Infection

It is believed, that pimples or rashes in this area signal that there is an illness or bacterial infection that the body is fighting.  My first go-to oil would be a blend. I would take it internally in capsules and use 20 drops in my 10 ml roller bottle with FCO on the bottom of my feet. Other oils to consider would be cinnamon, oregano, melaleuca, rosemary, clove and frankincense.

2. Chin = Stomach

The stomach is responsible for disintegrating food using stomach acid.  Oils that help are basil, peppermint, and lemongrass.  These can be taken in a capsule or diluted and applied topically.

3. & 4. Side of the Chin = Hormones/Endocrine System

For support with hormone balance, females usually turn to several different blends for women.  Oils that help with hormones are rose, geranium, ylang ylang, clary sage, jasmine, ginger, fennel, and thyme. Oils for the endocrine system are frankincense, sandalwood, geranium, ylang ylang, clove, lemongrass and rosemary.

5. & 6. Cheeks = Respiratory System

My favorite oil to support the respiratory system is ....respiratory blend.  Other popular oils include eucalyptus, peppermint, white fir, cinnamon, and protective blend.

7. & 8.  Ears = Kidneys

Kidneys are organs that filter waste and extra water from the blood. They convert waste into urine.  They also play an important role in hormone production.  Oils that are used to support kidneys include lemongrass, rosemary, lemon, eucalyptus, and juniper berry.

9. Nose = Cardiovascular System

There are many components to the cardiovascular system.  This system is responsible for transporting blood to the various tissues throughout the body.  Wild orange and cypress are beneficial for the overall system. Other oils include ginger, Ylang Ylang, lavender, lemon and lavender. General circulation can be supported using cypress.  The heart tends to benefit from ylang ylang, marjoram, and geranium.  

10. & 11. Under the Eyes = Kidneys

See 7 & 8

12. Between the Eyes = Liver

The liver helps with digestion, produces cholesterol, removes waste products and old cells from the blood, and metabolizes harmful substances and toxins into harmless chemicals. Oils for supporting the liver include clove, geranium, helichrysum, and digestive blend. Frankincense and myrrh helps too.

13. & 14.  Lower Forehead = Bladder and Digestive System

Lemongrass, rosemary, cypress, juniper berry, and thyme aid with bladder support. The digestive system is comprised of a series of organs and glands. Overall health of the system benefits from peppermint, ginger, lemongrass,and fennel.

DIY Cleaning Supplies

Last Friday, a group of us got together to make cleaning supplies.  We had several different labels to choose from and recipes.  I thought I would share them here.

Here are the recipes:

Here are the labels, in case you are interested in having them printed from moo.com. **By the way, I don't make any money from them.  I just like their stickers.