DIY Facial Mask

Last Friday, Tiffany taught a class on skin care. The highlight was definitely the DIY Facial Mask. She mixed up the recipe above. She was careful to use a non-metal bowl and utensil. We had two wonderful volunteers. The rest of us were amazed by the results. I went out the next day to Sprouts and purchased one of the ingredients (Bentonite clay). Together, the clay and the vinegar pictured below are about $10. It is amazing how little you use, so it ends up being VERY inexpensive.

 Of course, I already had the Geranium essential oil. It is one of my favorite oils for skin care.

I mixed the recipe up and put the mask on as soon as I had the ingredients. I also put some on my kids' noses. We had it on for about 15 minutes and then washed it off. My skin was flushed and felt warm to the touch for a little over 30 minutes. I have heard that this reaction is a good thing because it is stimulating the collagen. I know for sure that my face was smoother and looked healthier.

Over the last few days, quite a few people from the class rushed right out to buy the Bentonite Clay and Apple Cider Vinegar as well. I'll definitely be doing it again.  

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.

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.  

       

Essential Oils for Pregnancy

Essential oils can be a wonderful tool to use during pregnancy.  I have been asked by several different women what oils I would recommend. Sadly, this is not a topic I can share my personal experiences with. It has only been a year and a half since I first started using essential oils and my baby is 6 1/2 years old.  Picking an oil or several oils really depends on the exact issue someone wants to address.

Here is a quick breakdown of these oils:

1. Geranium - This is a powerful floral oil. It supports several systems in the body including the liver, gall bladder, pancreas, and kidneys. It has been known to help with emotions, hormones, and oil on skin and hair.

2. Ylang Ylang (I love the way this one smells) - It is commonly used as an aid with hormones, libido, mental fatigue, anxiety, frustration, stress, stomach issues, oily skin, and emotional balance.

3. Lavender - The top uses for this oil are sleep issues, stress, anxiety, teeth grinding, focus, concentration, pains, headaches, and emotional balance. It also promotes skin healing.

4. Grapefruit - This oil is cold pressed from the rind of grapefruits. It is often used to aid with weight loss and cellulite, sugar cravings, oily skin and acne, detoxification, lymphatic and kidney systems, breast and uterine health, hormones, gallbladder support, and emotional well being.

 5. Roman Chamomile - This oil is steam distilled from flowers. It has been known to assist with stress and shock, dry skin and sore nipples, sleeplessness, cramps, anger and irritability, and emotional balance.    

While I have no intention of getting pregnant again (I'm 41 years old), I wish I had been using essential oils back when I was pregnant.  I can see that Ginger (aids with nausea), Peppermint (relieves digestive upset) and wild orange (energizes and lifts mood) could be on the top of the list too. Here is a picture of me when I was pregnant:

I still remember being horribly uncomfortable and exhausted. I made a decision to avoid caffeine, soda, and pain killers, which means I would have LOVED using essential oils for little pick-me-ups. Oh well, live & learn, right?

Hidden Freckles

It is no secret that I have freckles. In fact, there are many people at my family reunions with freckles. I have gotten use to them over the years and have even grown to appreciate them. I realize, however, that it is a visual sign of sun damage. The video above shows that people often have sun damage that they aren't even aware of. Sun block is great for preventing future damage, but what about what has already occurred? I'm sure it is no surprise to anyone who is learning about oils, that there are oils to support healthy skin! Here are the a few of main oils that seem to make a difference for me:

Geranium
Lavender
Frankincense