Summer is here and so are the BUGS

Summer has finally arrived and I am thrilled to see sunshine and warm weather.  Summer brings camping, swimming, family trips and more.  It is the time of year that sunscreen and bug spray seem to be out on my kitchen table and ready for use every day.  This year we are utilizing more natural products to assist us during these warmer months.  I have created my own bug spray with essential oils. Since our skin is our front line defense against disease and harsh chemicals, I am glad to know that I am making strides at reducing the number of toxins that my skin absorbs everyday.  

Did you know that different essential oils naturally repel certain types of bugs?  Mosquitoes hate cinnamon, lavender, lemongrass and vetiver essential oil, spiders hate peppermint essential oil, gnats hate patchouli and ticks don't like eucalyptus essential oil. Depending on what type of bug you need to repel will determine what essential oils you will use in your bug spray.  I like to start my bug spray with a repellent blend, because it has citronella, cedarwood, eucalyptus, fir needle, and other beneficial essential oils.   

Here is my Bug Spray Recipe:  

4 oz spray bottle 

10 drops Repellent Blend 
10 drops Lemongrass
4 drops Peppermint 
1/4 cup Witch Hazel

Add all of the essential oils and Witch Hazel to the spray bottle. Top off with water.  Shake well before each use.    

If you want or need your bug spray to be stronger, you can use up to 35 drops of essential oil in your spray bottle.  

Happy Oiling! 

Seasonal Threats are in Bloom

It is that time of year again....the flowers are blooming, the grass is growing, and the wind is spreading the pollen everywhere.  Many of you LOVE this time of year. For those of us with seasonal issues,  we DREAD this time of year. Our bodies are under attack from all of the pollen, grass, trees, and flowers that are in bloom.

Before Essential Oils, my head was always full of gunk and liquid that made me foggy and exhausted.  Now with Essential Oils I have a way to address these issues naturally with three amazing essential oils:   Lemon, Lavender, and Peppermint.

Lemon essential oils primary therapeutic properties are antidepressant, antiseptic, detoxifier, and an immune enhancer.   I use the Lemon oil to to help my body get rid of the environmental threat and to boost my immune system.  

Lavender essential oils primary therapeutic properties are analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, anti-viral, and a sedative. I use it to relieve the pain and pressure in my sinus cavities and temples as well as to reduce the inflammation.    

Peppermint essential oils primary therapeutic properties are analgesic, anti-inflammatory, decongestant, expectorant, and a fever reducer.  I use Peppermint oil to relieve the pain and pressure, promote clear breathing and to aid with any stomach upset that might occur with sinus drainage.  

When I am faced with a seasonal threat, I like to put two drops each of lemon, lavender, and peppermint in my diffuser to help me breathe. If I need added support, I will use a carrier oil, like fractionated coconut oil (FCO), and apply a drop of peppermint on my chest to assist with respiratory function.  I will also put a drop of lemon and lavender oil in my palm mixed with FCO and then dab my finger in it and massage my cheeks and temples to relieve any muscle tension in my face and head. This always provides me with immediate relief from the pain and pressure.  After you have used your essential oils, please make sure that you wash your hands to remove the essential oils.

If you are suffering from severe congestion, you can put a drop of peppermint oil in your palm and then cup your hand over your nose to breathe in the oil.  Please make sure you close your eyes. Peppermint oil can make your eyes water. Wishing you a blessed Spring.    

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any diseases.   

Spring Cleaning with Essential Oils

It is that time of year again.  The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and everyone is ready to get outside and enjoy the season. After the long winter hibernation, it is time to get moving and do our Spring Cleaning!

As part of my journey to better health, I am incorporating essential oils into my cleaning regimen. It has only been in the past few years that I have really started paying attention to the fact the majority of the cleaning supplies we bring into our home are increasing our toxic load.  Most products can be toxic and harmful to your health due to the chemicals and artificial scents used. An easy way to save money and reduce the amount of chemicals in your home is to make your own cleaning supplies!  

Did you know that many essential oils have antibacterial, antiviral, anti-fungal, and antimicrobial properties.  So not only are they all natural and have no harmful chemicals, they are also able to kills germs!   Here are few recipes to get you started.  

All Purpose Cleaner                               

Recipe #1                                       Recipe #2

24-32 oz Spray Bottle                    24-32 oz Spray Bottle 

1 ½ cups white vinegar                  1 cup distilled water

2 cups hydrogen peroxide              1 tsp unscented castile soap

10 drops Melaleuca                        1/3 cup white vinegar

10 drops Lemon                              5 drops of Lemon 

Distilled Water                                5 drops of Cleansing Blend 

Add all ingredients to spray bottle.  Shake Well and spray on surfaces.   Wipe clean. 

Glass Cleaner 

16 oz. Spray Bottle

1 1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup distilled water

15 drops of any citrus oil of your choice (could use Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit, Orange, or a combination)

Add all ingredients to spray bottle.  Shake Well and spray                                               on glass.  Wipe clean.   

Wood Polish 

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup vinegar

10 drops essential oils (try Orange or Lemon)

8 oz. glass spray bottle 

Vacuum Freshener

Put a few drops of your favorite essential oil on a cotton ball and place in your vacuum bag.   Lemon, Lime, Cleansing Blend, White Fir, or any other essential oil you love to smell.   

Air Freshener Spray 

8-ounce glass spray bottle

1/2 cup distilled water

20 drops essential oil of your choice

Recommended Essential Oils:  Eucalyptus, Lemon, Lavender, Cleansing Blend or any other oil that you love to smell!  

Add all ingredients to spray bottle.  Shake well and spray

Here is a great list of essential oils that can be used for cleaning. 

ANTIBACTERIAL OILS

Thyme, Melaleuca, Geranium, Oregano, Cinnamon, Lemon, Peppermint, Rosemary, Lime and Lemongrass

ANTIBACTERIAL & ANTIVIRAL

Cinnamon, Clove, Eucalyptus, Lemon, Marjoram, Melaleuca, Oregano, Thyme

DEGREASING

Lemon, Orange, Bergamot

FRESHENING

Lemon, Bergamot, Orange, Grapefruit, Basil, Peppermint

MOLD

Cinnamon, Melaleuca, Oregano, Clove, Thyme, Rosemary 

Join me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/essentiallyenlightened for other great tips and ideas.    

Essential Oils in your bath

Many people enjoy relaxing in the bath.  Did you know that you can use essential oils in the bathtub?  You can make your own bath salts or bath oils.  Bath salts are the most cleansing and healing of all the aromatherapy bath recipes because they are natural detoxifiers and pain relievers. Adding essential oils to your bath salt recipes provides even more healing benefits. 

Most bath salt recipes utilize Epsom salt, kosher salt, and baking soda.  Epsom salt's magnesium content helps to draw impurities from the body, relieves muscle aches and pains, and disperses essential oils.  Baking soda balances an over acidic system and it is refreshing, energizing, and softening to the skin.  Individuals that have blood pressure issues or are diabetic should replace the Epsom salt with sea salt and consult their physician prior to using.  

Bath Oils are a great way to nourish and moisturize the skin.  Add Bath Oils immediately before getting in and swish it around. You will need to swish around the oils every few minutes in the tub, because oil and water do not mix.  Essential Oils need to be put into a carrier oil to minimize the risk of sensitization to the skin, because the essential oils can gather into one spot by your skin.  Do not ever put essential oils directly in the water.

What if you do not like taking baths or have loved ones that can no longer get in the bath.  Do a foot soak instead!  Whether in the bath or doing a foot soak, soak for a minimum of 20 - 30 minutes.  

 

Here are a few great blends to consider making:

 

 

 

 
 





Bye Bye Head Lice - Essential Oils to the rescue!!

I have to be honest and say that I never thought I would be writing about head lice. Head lice hit my home with a vengeance. I am embarrassed to say that I thought it was dandruff. I knew that there had been issues at school and I had been checking my children's hair every few days and never saw anything! Eventually I started noticing little white flakes on my daughter's hair. I told her to start using her dandruff shampoo again.

Then it happened!  One night when I was checking her hair, I saw bugs!  It took everything in me to stay CALM.  I wanted to jump off the bed and run away.  I HATE bugs.  I calmly called her father into the bedroom and had him check it out. We suspected it was lice. I immediately went to the Internet and began educating myself about these nasty little bugs. It turns out the "dandruff flakes" were really lice eggs (nits).  GROSS!!

I started looking up the effectiveness of the OTC solutions to discover that they have limited success at killing lice eggs. Articles went on to say that the lice were becoming resistant to these solutions, just like bacteria was becoming resistant to antibiotics.  My husband and I discussed it and decided to try the essential oils first and then if that did not work, we would discuss our next step.

After doing some research, I created my own head lice concoction.  I mixed fractionated coconut oil with Lavender, Lemon, Geranium, and Melaleuca essential oils.   For every two tablespoons of fractionated coconut oil, I used 5 drops of Lavender, Lemon, Geranium, and Melaleuca each.  I made an entire bottle of the mix.  I applied the mix to my daughters head and made sure that it was on her entire scalp.  I then used a flea comb brush, yes it is for my dog, to start pulling the lice out of her hair.  Everything I read, said to leave the mix in for a minimum of a 1/2 hour to an hour. I spent that entire time combing through her hair and pulling out lice. I did not have any success at pulling off the lice eggs (nits).  After about an hour she took a shower and used 2 drops of melaleuca mixed in with her shampoo  I then put the flea comb through her hair one more time.  We of course had to change the sheets, launder the towels, pull the stuffed animals, etc.

Everyday for three days we used the head lice concoction. After I ran out of the first batch, I decided to switch to olive oil instead of fractionated coconut oil, because it is cheaper and I read that it is more effective at drowning the lice.   The third night, we purchased a disposable shower cap and had her keep the essential oil mix in her hair all night long.

I am happy to report that this has been a very effective way to treat the head lice.  She does not have any active lice and the lice eggs are disappearing.  We continue to add melaleuca to her shampoo every night when she showers.   We have also had everyone else in the house add melaleuca to their shampoo to prevent the lice from spreading.  We will continue to comb through her hair for the next few weeks to ensure no new lice appeared and we will treat with the essential oil mix if needed. Similar to fleas, head lice is very time consuming to eradicate.  New eggs take roughly 7-10 days to hatch, so we will be monitoring the situation very closely for the next few weeks.

When we first learned that there was lice in her class, I told her that having her hair in a ponytail makes it harder to get lice.  She ignored me or took her hair down during the day at school.  Needless to say, she is very eager to get her hair put up every morning now.

I encourage all of you to do your own research and utilize whatever method works best for you.  I am so grateful that this worked for my family.  

Essential Oils and Phototoxicity

Did you know that certain oils are phototoxic? All of the citrus oils are considered generally phototoxic. The method of extraction (cold pressed or steam distillation) of the oil determines the phototoxicity.  To be on the safe side, if  you do not know if it was cold pressed or steam distilled, I would consider it phototoxic. Essential oils that are cold pressed are phototoxic, while steam distilled oils are generally not phototoxic. 

Phototoxicity is a reaction on the skin to sunlight or tanning beds due to an agent, like essential oils, being applied  to the skin. A phototoxic reaction can cause burning, blistering, and discoloration (abnormally dark patches and red areas) on the skin. Some essential oils are termed “phototoxic,” since they increase the likelihood of a phototoxic reaction.






Here is a list of essential oils that are considered phototoxic:

Lemon                                                    Invigorating Blend
Lime                                                       Joyful Blend
Orange                                                   Massage Blend
Bergamot                                               Metabolic Blend
Grapefruit                                               Protective Blend
Cleansing Blend                                     Respiratory Blend

  
If you apply these essential oils to an area covered by clothing and then go out in the sun, you'll be fine. The phototoxic reaction only occurs if the skin, where the essential oil is applied, is exposed to the sun (or tanning booth). Obviously, the longer the skin is exposed to the sun, the more harm it can do.

Diluting the essential oils in fractionated coconut oil or another carrier oil, reduces the risk of phototoxicity. 

Allergy season is here to stay!

We are almost at the end of April and allergy season is in full swing in my house.  Running nose, congestion, post nasal drip, cough..... We have it all.  In the past I would have been medicating everyone in the house with Zyrtec and Tylenol Sinus & Congestion.   Unfortunately, they would only help relieve the symptoms temporarily and we would be right back where we started and usually be into a full blown sinus infections, bronchitis, etc.  

Now that I have been introduced to essential oils, I have new remedies to try with my family.  We have the allergy bomb which is 2 drops each of lavender, lemon, and peppermint in a shot glass with water.  You swish the water around in your mouth and then you swallow.  Immediate relief occurs!!  It is truly amazing. Even the hubby loves this one!

I also have seasonal blend pills.  It is the allergy bomb in a soft gel that is easy to take on the go.  These are my new best friend!  They work great on my 7 year old daughter as well.

Plus I also do a sinus rinse as needed.  I personally use the squeeze bottle.  I add one packet of the rinse mix and 1 drop of melaluca diluted with fractionated coconut oil on my cheeks.  This has helped tremendously with my chronic sinus headaches and pressure.  If I am feeling congestion and pressure in the morning I will do this sinus rinse and it gets the gunk out of my nose and the melaluca fights off any mold or other allergens in my sinus cavities.  I also use this one on my 7 year old daughter.  It has made a huge difference for both of us.  

I cant' say enough about how therapeutic grade essential oils are changing our lives.  I ran to Walgreen's the other day to get some batteries and I realized when I was walking in that I had not been there to buy OTC medicines for probably two months.  That is huge in my house!! Walgreens has always been my go to place for sinus meds, indigestion, reflux, headache, etc.  How awesome is it that I have not needed to replace any OTC.  Instead I have been able to use my all natural essential oils (allergy bomb, seasonal blend pills, digestive blend, soothing blend etc).  

I am so grateful that I don't have to keep going to the doctor to treat my seasonal issues all the time!!


For more information you can check out my Facebook page at: 

https://www.facebook.com/erikaraymondessentialoils