How to move forward with EO use...

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This post will be a little different from most. I'm not going to share a recipe or remedy I've discovered. It is more practical. How to put this knowledge into action.

In the beginning I spent some time with all of this essential oil and healthy living knowledge in my head and good intentions to apply it to life. However, good intentions and knowledge are just thoughts. Thoughts weren't changing how I did things, or my health. I needed action.

There were several reasons that action wasn't happening often enough.

• Missing some of the ingredients
• Missing some of the tools
• Fear I would do it "wrong" and waste the oils
• Too busy with the current pattern of doing things 
• Simply forgetting to use them when I intended

I want to address some of these common roadblocks toward regular EO use in this post.

Darn! I'm Missing Ingredients:

Don't let this stop you! If you see a recipe you want to try on Mom's EOs or any other site, determine to make it. Each EO has several qualities to it. Depending on what you're making, it is possible the recipe will work even missing one of the EOs. Do some of your own research and see if your missing oil would be a make or break ingredient. If it is... Many EOs  have similar qualities. Substitute an oils with similar qualities. You could pick just about any quality in an EO and find that same or similar quality in another oil.  Be brave. Try a substitute. There is an untold amount of information out on the web. You can use the Spark Naturals oil descriptions to learn qualities. This is a good, reliable research site as well. It also helps to have a few reference books such as this one. You can even message me and I'll be happy to give some suggestions to try. Some common substitutes I've used...

• Birch and Wintergreen  and Peppermint all have cooling and pain relieving properties. 
• Roman Chamomile and Lavender are both calming and relaxing
• Basil and Thyme both have germ killing properties
• Most citrus are uplifting and help with mood. 

Oops! I'm Missing Some of the Tools:

There is always more than one way to accomplish a goal. No diffuser yet? You can passively diffuse by using a tissue, piece of felt, rub some on your hands and

breathe in, or cotton balls in a jar. No roller? Try a spray bottle, or just dabbing the oils on. No fancy jar? Recycle a cleaned out kitchen jar. Don't know how (or have the ingredients) to make salve yet? Add the oils to your current lotion. Don't let the idea of somethings being "just so" stop you from experiencing your oils.

I'm Afraid I Will Do It Wrong and Waste Precious Oils:

Just start. Honestly, one of the things I have discovered about EOs is that it is pretty hard to "do it wrong". I mean, you have to be careful. Don't ever put oils in your ear canal or your eyes. Read your bottles and don't ingest any EO unless the bottle says FOR DIETARY USE. If you ever have question about the strength, dilute it. But when making blends or diffusing - try not to stress if you get 3 drops instead of 2. It's all good if you need to use a substitute. Experiment. If one thing doesn't work, don't toss it ~ add to it and try again. Trust your instincts.  If you can't stand a smell ~ pass it on for someone else to try (many people experience oils differently. It has a lot to do with body chemistry). Just make sure you start somewhere or you'll never know. You might be a blending genius!

I'm Too Busy and Stuck With My Current Patterns:

It can be hard to break a habit. What are your habits? Headache? Grab a Tylonol? Heartburn? Tums? If you are busy, set aside a time one day to make up a few few remedies before you need them. You can specialize to your frequent issues. Then, when the time comes you are ready to try something new.  Some of the first ones I had on hand...

• LLP in a roller for allergies
• Stress blend
• Headache roller

I Keep Forgetting To Use EOs When I Intended: 

I worked on this several ways. First, I put my roller blend oils in my purse so they were handy no matter where I was, and I took the Tylenol out of my purse. Next I "attached" certain oils with behaviors that were already natural. For example, I put some Jeddy's in a small spray and set it next to my face lotion. When I put my lotion on daily in the morning my Jeddy's was there and I used that as well. I also got my family involved in using the oils. Then, when something would come up, like a headache or cut, my kids would remind me I had oils I could use. If all else fails, you could place a reminder post-it note on your Tylenol bottle "try oils first"! Switch out one thing at a time. Don't try to do it all at once. I started with LLP for allergies. This was all I did for quite a few months. Then, when  saw how well it worked, I was compelled to try the next thing.

I'm here to help. If you have questions, feel free to message me on Facebook or comment on this post!

Are there other reasons you haven't started using your Essential Oils yet? Share your reasons and any solutions you've found!

Above all... Let's just get started!

~Wendy


There are affiliate links in this post. If you choose to buy something from Spark Naturals, you will not pay any more, but Mom's EOs will get a small portion. If you'd like to save money you can use coupon code benderboymom at checkout and save 10%. 

Natural Deodorant

My Natural Deodorant Journey...

Some people look up a recipe for natural deodorant on the internet, make it, use it, and they are done. Others are like... me. This has been a long process of finding the "right" recipe. Let me start at the beginning....

Deodorant was the first health and beauty product that I set out to replace with a natural alternative. The research out there on the negative effects of commercial, chemical-laden, deodorant is just too numerous to ignore.

I thought, this will be easy. Just make one and use it. Hmmmm. Not quite. At the risk of TMI.... I will tell you, I smell. I always have. Bob is so sweet, he'll tell me I don't, but I know I do. I was one of the people that they make "clinical strength" deodorant for. I don't "glow", I sweat.

So I looked for recipes that stated they were "extra strength". I made them up and tried them. They would work some days, and not others. But my biggest issue with them was my sensitive skin. My pits seemed to burn or break out with every new recipe I tried. So it was back to the kitchen to try another.

This post isn't as much to share a recipe, since you can google and get hundreds. It is to share a journey and encourage you on your own journey to replace chemicals with natural ingredients.

I started my trial period in the fall. Convenient for one who lives in the AZ heat? Yup, I planned it that way. However, I am stubborn and I have never looked back. I'm now headed into my second summer (read 110 degrees for months).

I want to share several things I have learned on the journey. I would have found success sooner had I been able to read all of these tips in one post. And I like lists :)


~~You will smell the first few weeks no matter what. Your body is purging all of the chemicals and old bacteria, it's detoxing. Plan accordingly. I brought wet wipes to work, and extra of the current deodorant I was trying. My restroom breaks took a little longer.

~~You can expedite this detox process with this Armpit detox by Camp Wander. She also has a great explanation in this post of why you should stop using commercial deodorants.

~~Antiperspirant is unhealthy. Sweating is a way our body rids itself of toxins. If we stop it from sweating, guess where the toxins are.... Honestly, I used to sweat buckets, now that I use natural deodorant, I hardly sweat at all. I think it was a bad cycle of me stopping it, more toxins building, body trying harder to get them out, more sweat, and on it goes.

~It helps to make new recipes in 1/2 or 1/4 amounts. If you react to it, or you don't like the smell you are out less ingredients.

~You won't have a deodorant that goes on dry. Get over it. Make it be the first thing you apply out of the shower so it has time to soak in/dry. Just like any other area of your life you will make small sacrifices for the greater benefits of health.

~~Smell is caused from bacteria so essential oils with antibacterial properties work better.
I found that improving my gut health and building up the good bacteria in my body improved my body odor immensely. There was less for my new deodorant to have to 'fight'. My good and harmful bacteria have been out of balance all my life - maybe the reason I've always fought pit odor?? - could be.

~~Shaving my pits daily is critical. I think the bacteria must stick to the hairs? Just my guess. But experience says; shaving means deodorant works, skipping shaving means I smell.

~Stress sweat smells different that sweat from heat or physical exertion, and doesn't have the same causes. Learning to "let go" of things and try not to stress was not only good for my mental health but it helped my body smell better too.

~~Magnesium oil works! But it is a little irritating to my sensitive skin. I solve this by using it daily, then also using a soothing salve over it.

~~More is not always better with essential oils. I've found that if an oil is going to work with my chemistry, it works with only a few drops. If 4 drops doesn't work at all, then 10 won't either. On the flip side if you notice a difference with only 3 drops, 5 may improve the result.  I've found this principle can apply to using EOs with anything, not just deodorant.

~~Just because I'm sensitive to an ingredient doesn't mean I can't use it at all. Lemongrass causes a rash on me if I don't dilute it. I found diluting with witch hazel wasn't enough, but putting it in with the healing salve works for me. Also, the straight magnesium oil causes a sting and red bumps for me as the recipe is written. I use 1/2 magnesium oil and 1/2 witch hazel and that dilutes the magnesium oil enough to not cause a reaction but I still get the benefits from it.

Some of my journal notes on deodorant

I've tried sooooo many different types of natural deodorants I've lost count. I've tried solids, cremes, gels and liquid sprays. In the end it is worth it to find what works for you. Don't give up the fight. As I remove more and more chemicals from my life I can clearly see the effect they were having on my body. 

What am I currently using?

 

Magnesium oil in a 2 oz spray bottle with witch hazel and  6 drops ea. of Frankincense, Lavender, 3 drops ea. Cypress and Melaleuca. Then I follow up with healing slave to calm/condition my sensitive skin. Happy discovery was in the winter the healing salve by itself is a deodorant for me.  Like I said, it is a process, but worth it! I recently tried to dissolve my magnesium flakes in the oil of the salve to save a step. Don't try it, doesn't work - bummer. 

***I believe it is critical to use organic and pure ingredients, from your coconut oil and beeswax to the essential oils. If you choose to buy your oils through Spark Naturals you can rest assured that your products are of the highest quality and pure. You should also use coupon code BENDERBOYMOM to get 10% off of your order. Shipping is free after $55, and a reasonable $5 flat rate for orders lower than $55. 

Do you use a natural deodorant that works great for you? Please share in the comments! As always, feel free to comment or message me with any questions and I'll help you find the answers. We are on this journey together :)

~Wendy

Oil of the Month Club

Why participate in Oil of the Month Club (OOTM)?

First, let's go over what is OOTM with Spark Naturals? Per the web site

"The Oil of the Month Club is the best value out there - all oils are 15ml bottles - shipped out to you once a month (on the same date you ordered the product). The price is $US 15.99 a month and includes shipping and tax. This is a great way to collect oils at a discounted price."


I've been getting OOTM for almost a year now. So cool, it is like a monthly gift! Even if I didn't have the funds to otherwise expand my collection that month, I knew I would get at least one new oil.  Once I knew I was an essential oil 'believer' I wanted to start building my collection. This is a  great value way to do it. This past year each of the oils was retail priced more than the $15.99 price I paid, and shipping was included (so it's like free shipping). Awesome deal! 

They post a list of the oil for each month for the year, so you know what is coming and you can plan accordingly. For example, I use LLP monthly, but I knew it was coming in April and I didn't have to place an extra order that month (did I mention it was discounted too!). Also, there are no contracts, so you can cancel at any time. 

This was the awesome 2014 list :)

January - Peppermint 

February - Marjoram 

March - Lavender 

April - LLP 

May - Geranium 

June - Respire 

July - Oregano 

August - Melaleuca 

September - Bergamot 

October - Coriander 

November - Basil 

December - White Fir

I've gotten to learn about oils I may not have researched otherwise. I've found how versatile some oils can be. I've also learned alternative oils for certain properties. For example, I learned I can use Basil as an anti-inflammatory as well as Frankincense. I didn't even know what Bergamot was but I like it diffused to lift moods. I didn't know that Coriander is the seeds of Cilantro and they have different properties. 

FYI - Since the oils are already discounted AND they include shipping you cannot use any coupon code for them.

In order to qualify for the current Oil of the Month, you’ll need to sign up on or before the 25th of that month! So right now 10/31/14 - your first oil would be Basil.
No risk - You can cancel at any time. 
$15.99/mo. no surprise costs. 

If you are looking to build your collection at a discounted rate - this is a great place to start. Just follow this link OOTM

Updated: The 2015 list is below!!
All oils are 15ml bottles 

January - 5ml bottles of Lemon, Peppermint, Lavender and Melaleuca 
February - Cedarwood 
March - Peppermint 
April - LLP 
May - Rosemary 
June - Lavender
July - Birch 
August - Shield 
September - Oregano 
October - Melaleuca 
November - Respire 
December - Clove

Wendy

Improved Health....

Blood test results 10 Months later...

Just in case this information looks familiar, I posted this information to my Facebook a while ago. But for all of you who didn't know me back then, I figured I would share again. And honestly, I am behind on posting and just don't have the time at hand to re-create the wheel right now. Truth. There it is. 

So my husband's work asks us to get a biometrics test annually. If we comply, they give us a discount on our health insurance. Um, yeah. We can use that. So, for the past few years I let them weigh, measure and take blood from me. Of course they expect you to make lifestyle changes to get healthier. This past year, their evil plan worked! In all reality, I'm regularly trying to be healthier, have been for years. My heredity didn't deal me the greatest cards on this one. Anyway, This is the first year my efforts have actually shown in my biometrics! Can I get an Amen?!

Funny thing is, I saw less doctors and took fewer medications this past year. Hmmmmmm, let's think about that for a minute. 

I have been making little life changes as I can. I am not eating fully --- organic, grass fed, grain free, or sugar free but I live with the mentality that anything little I do today is better than before. I'm working on all of those things.  My biggest diet change was to try and eliminate processed foods, preservatives, and chemicals. Progress not perfection as we say in recovery. 

I followed the same "progress not perfection" premise with essential oils starting in about October of 2013. I started with LLP for allergies and lemon
in my water. 

I have been able to get off of most of my medications (that I now believe were causing more harm than good - but please know I am not a doctor, you should consult your doctor before any medication changes). 

I use Pure Essential Oils for most everything in my life. They are just part of my daily routine and my first go to when ANY issue arises (physical and emotional health, personal care, cleaning, etc). Below is a picture of the blood test results from last year and this year. The flower this year's results. I was not following any specific "cholesterol lowering" EO regimen. But I will tell you that using essential oils for my different medical conditions' symptoms allowed me to wean off the prescriptions. (I can't stress enough you need to talk to your doctor first on that). 

I cut out some of the personal parts of the report, but suffice it to say my height & weight have not changed and neither has my activity level. My BMI went down .1% (read 1/10th) and I lost 2 inches in my hips. 

I wanted to share how much "little changes" can help. Thank you Camp Wander for getting me started on a journey of health! 

What little changes are you starting to incorporate? Please share with us in the comments so we can all be encouraged.

Where to start...

Starting Out With Essential Oils...

So the most common question it seems is "where do I start?" I get it, really I do. The world of essential oils can seem overwhelming. I've even had one person tell me it is like reading another language. I felt that way too in the beginning. It is hard to believe how far I've come in the past 8 months. You see, I am a researcher. Not by trade or anything. But I research something to death before I begin. Call it caution, informed decision, or neuroticism :). But if I have any inkling that I am going to get sucked into something, I want to know how badly I'm gonna be hooked before I commit. This is a long standing pattern in my life. (Usually) It serves me well. Starting my journey with essential oils was no different. One of the things I love about Camp Wander is how she cites reference articles in many of her posts. Facts - love it! 

I shared last week how I started with Lemon, Lavender, and Peppermint, or LLP, for my allergies. After researching oils and how people use them, I decided to attack a problem, my allergies. But it doesn't have to start that way. You can just start with appreciating the way something smells. Aromatherapy. There are so many health benefits to be had while enjoying a scent from a pure essential oil. Or maybe you just need to start with a few drops of lemon, or lime, or orange, in your water. Our Citrus Kit is great for that. 

With all of that said....

I usually say to start with the Essential 4 pack  because you can do so much with it. Here is a great printable from OGT , and another. 

However, If you have any anxiety - diffusing LXR is the BEST! I also dab a little on the back of my neck, over my heart, and on my wrists.  

At this time of year I might suggest starting with a bottle of Shield  and a diffuser. It is great for killing germs and keeping the whole house healthy. 

One of the benefits of Spark Naturals is that they offer their oils in both a 5 ml and 15 ml size. I would start with the 5 ml bottles of things so you can tell if you like it. There are certain ones I knew right away my re-order would be a 15ml because I love it so much **read I cannot live without my LXR**

If you just want to jump in and buy several oils to start, than the Health and Wellness kit is the best place to start.  It is 10 - 5ml bottles of 7 single oils and 3 blends all focused on your health and staying well.

What I would have done different now that I'm "all in". 

*Buy a diffuser right at the start. I waited several months. I now realize it would have been better if I had postponed a few of the oils I bought in the beginning to redirect those funds to a diffuser. It is an investment, but well worth it and everyone benefits from diffusing. I wouldn't be without it now. Plus it is a great way to ease yourself (and family) in. I know I often post of my topical and internal use of some oils, but diffusing is very effective as well.

*Try the blends early in your journey. Spark Naturals has already done the work for you on these. They are so easy! Why reinvent the wheel.

*Try some of the single oils for their properties listed in their description on the website. I was excited to make blends at the start and always felt I was "missing" an oil I needed. I've discovered that sometimes less is more. 

*Key Point!!!  If you hear nothing else in this post, please here this. The purity of your essential oils matters. A lot! I started with a few cheaper oils from the health food store. I did not get the results I had read about. Even though they said "pure", they weren't. Scary to think what chemicals I may have exposed myself to as well. I could instantly tell the difference with the first Spark Naturals oils I ordered. I trust Spark Naturals. They are tested pure. Here is the excerpt from their web site:

Pharmagrade:

Spark Naturals  products are Certified Pure PharmaGrade – CPPG™ – a physical standard ensuring our products are of the appropriate identity, strength, quality, purity, and consistency standards used internationally for quality and purity. Our raw materials are tested and authenticated to be of pharmaceutical grade purity. 

But more than that I trust the experience of others I respect, who trust Spark Naturals too. Whatever brand essential oils you use, please make sure they are tested, high quality, pure, oils. Here is a great post of a simple way to check

.

However you decide to start, just start. It will begin to open your eyes to some great tools for health. If you have questions please contact me. I am happy to try to answer them or help you find the answer. 

Happy Beginnings!

Wendy