Who doesn’t like a gentle natural way of skin care. This is a re-post from Young Living’s blog .
When it’s time to recover from a long day, it’s best to climb into bed with a fresh face. Scrubbing with ineffective or harsh removers can do more damage than good though, especially near the sensitive eye area where the skin is thinner and more prone to fine lines and irritation.
Instead of harsh makeup removers, opt for gentle DIY makeup remover pads infused with Lavender essential oil. You’ll know exactly what goes into this formula, plus you’ll get the benefits of Lavender’s relaxing aroma. Use the instructions below to add them to your nighttime routine.
DIY Makeup Remover Pads with Lavender from Young Living on Vimeo.
Last week, Health Canada approved 19 Young Living’s essential oils which are now registered as Natural Health Products (NHPs). What it means for us? It means we have a choice. You can grab a pill and just go with it, or you can use a natural product to reduce your symptoms and get a relieve from headaches or any other everyday ailments.
What is an NHP?
According to Health Canada’s website, “Natural health products (NHPs) are naturally occurring substances that are used to restore or maintain good health. They are often made from plants, but can also be made from animals, microorganisms and marine sources. They come in a wide variety of forms like tablets, capsules, tinctures, solutions, creams, ointments and drops.
Image Credit: ylnation.com
You can check out the Natural Remedies Guide page here where are all the oils listed. I will be doing more detailed post about these oils soon. But for now, here is Young Living’s statement:
We believe that life should be full of fulfillment and empowerment. The best way to get there? Through everyday decisions. We’ve seen how consistent, positive choices can have a dramatic effect on overall happiness and well-being. That’s why we strive to take small steps, every day, toward a more balanced life. For us, essential oils are a simple and natural way to get there. With these potent resources, millions support their health and enhance their homes through the pure power of nature.
Looking for a natural alternative? Young Living Essential Oils empowers you to dodge harmful chemicals, enrich your life, and reclaim your natural radiance. Young Living Canada’s Natural Health Products provide natural options to help support everyday ailments. Not only does Young Living provide 100% pure, quality essential oils, but we’re giving you choices. Try any of the oils below for the corresponding ailment for a natural alternative.
So now it’s up to you what choice you are going to make. I know which way my family will go.
We are several days into spring and I have to say, that this past winter was the easiest health-wise for our family. I believe that Young Living played a huge part of this staying-healthy success.
I haven’t been sick the whole winter, my husband the same. Our son got a cold which we treated over a period of two days without any pills, just using essential oils, and the same with my daughter. We are an outdoor people. All of us are cyclists and runners and go outside rain or shine, freezing cold or a sunny day, taking daily long walks with our hyperactive dog. We went for several hikes in a snow and biked at -4C. Our immunity system is stronger than ever.
We switched all soaps in our house to more natural ones – no more dry and cracked hands.
We switched to natural cleaning products – no more cleaning bathrooms with gloves on and having headaches afterwards.
We use natural toothpastes and shampoos which don’t include any harsh chemicals.
We use homemade roll ons which include essential oils to boost our immunity system and are staying on top of prevention.
We relax with amazing calming scents of essential oils in our diffuser.
We switched to more natural ways of living. It’s healthier and it’s fun to make your own products (which is also cheaper than buying the chemical ones in the store).
Thank you, Young Living, for being a huge part of our healthy everyday lives.
I think I don’t have to tell you how excited I am every month when my monthly order from Young Living comes in. I’m still at the beginning of my journey of switching to more natural products so it’s been a lot of firsts in the last couple of weeks for our family. This photo above shows my order for March – two toothpastes, V-6 vegetable oil, Mirah (shaving oil – it’s amazing, btw) and some oils. So let’s talk about the two toothpastes today.
If you do your own research about ingredients of conventional toothpaste, you will find that not everything included in it is good for your health. Some of the information about triclocan and fluoride are actually quite alarming! So yes, it’s up to us what we choose to use. And our family choice are these two above. We have been using these toothpaste for almost three weeks and everyone loves them. Yes, they taste different than a “regular” toothpaste, don’t foam as much (which none of us has found to be a problem) and they leave your mouth feeling so clean!
Thieves AromaBright Toothpaste
This premium, all-natural toothpaste is made with pure essential oils, including the cleansing benefits of Thieves essential oil blend. Its safe and effective formula provides a fortress of support for healthy looking gums, clean teeth, and a confident smile. It is the optimal choice for health-minded consumers. Essential oil favorites such as Peppermint, Spearmint, and Cinnamon Bark also give this toothpaste a sweet mint flavor, meaning you don’t sacrifice anything with AromaBright. You’ll ditch the ingredients you don’t want and keep all the results you do: a deep clean, bright teeth, and fresh breath.
Dentarome Ultra Toothpaste
Thieves® Dentarome Ultra Toothpaste is an advanced formula of all-natural ingredients that gently cleans and whitens your teeth while harnessing the power of pure Thieves essential oil blend for fresh breath. Dentarome Ultra is preferred by those concerned with appearance of whiter teeth. Dentarome Ultra also has a great taste. Its formula includes Young Living’s Thieves blend—with essential oils such as Clove, Cinnamon Bark, and Lemon—along with Peppermint, Thyme, and Wintergreen for a fresh, minty flavor.
Well, I don’t know about you, but we are switching toothpastes to more natural ones. The basics of a healthy smile is a mix of proper technique of brushing, flossing, right toothpaste and avoiding sugar as much as you can.
If you want to learn more about Young Living’s products, please don’t hesitate to leave me a comment or contact me through email (contact me tab on the top of this page). I would be happy to answer all your questions.
I have never been a girly girl. I think I just don’t have the right genes for it. I feel most comfortable in pants or shorts and a T-shirt, without make-up (which I wear very sporadically). I hate going to the mall; I would rather go for a 5-hours long hike than do some shopping in a mall. But, I have to admit, that lately I enjoy wearing little pieces of jewelry.
Last year I’ve discovered lava jewelry made by Sara from At Heart Essentials and immediately have fallen in love with it. Sara’s designs are very simple yet very elegant, exactly the way I like it.
Her work is beautiful, you can tell right away that she makes her jewelry with lots of love and passion.
When I bought my first necklace from Sara last year (not shown on the pictures here), it immediately has become my favourite piece to wear. And for a lover of essential oils, the bonus that you can actually use your favourite oils directly on the stone, it can’t get any better.
This is what Sara says about her jewelry:
” To me the fact that lava can be used for aromatherapy purposes is a really cool & unique perk. But another big reason why I love this stone is for its qualities: Lava is said to help keep you stable through changes in your life & because lava comes from the earth, it is known for its grounding properties {hence it being connected to your root chakra}. I once read that during war people carried lave to help keep them calm. I think there are reasons why we are drawn to certain stones & sometimes it’s surprising that what you think you would want, doesn’t turn out to be the one you need. “
When Sara asked me a few weeks back if I could take some pictures of her bracelet and necklace (shown in this post), I didn’t hesitate for a second. I’m really honoured that she trusted me and left it on my creativity.
I was curious what Sara’s favourite go-to oils for her jewelry are, these are her choices:
“I’m a big lavender fan, it’s a go to for my jewels and I like to layer lavender and geranium. I also love frankincense, especially before yoga or when I need to feel more grounded and citrus fresh/orange with peppermint! Perks me up and helps clears headaches. So many to choose!”
I absolutely agree with her, there are so many to choose from! I am still in the “trying mode” with my choice of oils, but I do enjoy wearing citrus fresh, lemon, orange or purification. Last week I tried peace & calming and loved it. The possibilities are endless and it totally depends on your mood or what you are looking for at the exact moment. And it is so easy! You just put one drop of your favourite oil directly on the lava stone and it will absorb into its pores and will smell for hours.
If you are looking for a handmade, beautifully done jewelry, I highly recommend Sara’s little corner at Etsy called At Heart Essentials. She has so many different designs and styles in there, that I believe that everyone will find something of her/his taste.
A perfect gift for your special someone can be for example a simple key chain with a lava stone. I love mine; when I drive and it’s handing down and smelling nice in the car, it’s so good!
For more inspiration check out also Sara’s Instagram page and if you are on Facebook, don’t be afraid to stop by on her page and say hi.
She is a sweetheart. You will love her work. I can guarantee you that.
We are definitely an outdoor people. Who wouldn’t be in our corner of the world?!
Our forests are magical. Just look! No matter if it’s January or July, the forest is always green. And when the light shines through the trees, it just takes your breath away.
When I need a “break” from the everyday rush, I just go to the forest. The smell of the forest, and all the breathtaking greenery around totally clear my mind and recharge me with a new energy. Totally works every.single.time. It’s my happy place.
No wonder that Northern Lights Black Spruce is one of my favourite oils. It’s like bringing the rainforest inside into our home.
Northern Lights Black Spruce (grown in BC) : diffuse this rich, woodsy, and invigorating scent during meditation to create a fresh aromatic atmosphere. Add it to skin care products or apply topically to help improve the appearance of dry skin or to help maintain the appearance of healthy-looking skin.
Northern Lights Black Spruce can also be applied anywhere, including to the bottoms of feet, along the spine, back of neck, or used for massage. This oil includes the naturally occurring constituents alpha-pinene, camphene, and beta-pinene and is an important ingredient in many products, including Valor II™, Peace & Calming II™, Light the Fire™, and Shutran™ essential oil blends.
Few weeks back the weather changed dramatically overnight and we went from cold sunny days back in our rainy, winter weather. The gray cloudy skies brought unfortunately runny noses and cough into our household. Even though we eat a lot of veggies and fruits, use vitamins and multi probiotics as prevention, sometimes you just can’t avoid the winter blues.
Mid January it was our little man’s turn with the cold. Most of the time, when he catches a cold or a virus, he ends up with a bad cough which always worsens at night. So I was on a quest to help him to ease this whole process the natural way this time. When he first started to sneeze, I turned the diffuser on and have been running it downstairs with thieves blend during the day. But I also put our second diffuser to work at night too. I did a little research about what blend would be the best to diffuse at night and ended up with a mix of 2 drops each of Lemon and of R.C.
When he got to bed, he was coughing a lot. I was a little bit skeptical at first if the diffuser will work or not but to my surprise only after 10 minutes of running it, he stopped coughing and slept through the whole night. He came downstairs in the morning saying that he slept well thanks to the diffuser. I absolutely love this thing. It uses mix of water and essential oils to create a cool mist but it also doubles as a humidifier, which is beneficial in winter. We ran the diffuser for three nights in a row and his virus was gone. No cough medicine or anything was needed. This is definitely my “go-to” combo for the next time.
Another example is my very good friend who was fighting a virus as well. I mixed R.C. and Lemon and borrowed her our diffuser. One day later she texted me that it was very helpful and she is feeling much better. Sometimes an easy thing such a running diffuser with essential oils can speed up the recovery time and makes you feel better.
So what exactly is R.C.?
R.C. is a blend of eucalyptus (E. globulus, E. radiata, E. citriodora), myrtle, spruce, peppermint, pine, lavender, marjoram, cypress}. It gives relief from colds, bronchitis, sore throats, sinusitis, coughs, and respiratory congestion. It decongests sinus passages, combats lung infections, and relieves allergy symptoms.
Ingredients:
Myrtle – supports the respiratory system and helps treat chronic coughs and tuberculosis. Is is suitable to use for coughs and chest complaints with children. It is a sinus decongestant and alleviates throat infections.
Eucalyptus Globulus – has shown to be a powerful antimicrobial and germ killer. It is expectorant, mucolytic, antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiviral, and antiseptic. It reduces infections in the throat and lungs, such as rhinopharyngitis, laryngitis, flu, sinusitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia.
Marjoram – supports the respiratory system and reduces spasms.
Pine – opens and disinfects the respiratory system, particularly the bronchial tract.
Eucalyptus Citriodora – decongests and disinfects the sinuses and lungs.
Lavender – is antispasmodic, hypotensive, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic. It is relaxing and grounding.
Cypress – promotes blood circulations and lymph flow. It is antit-infectious, antiseptic, refreshing, and relaxing.
Eucalyptus Radiata – is anti-infectious, antibacterial, and expectorant, and anti-inflammatory. It has strong action against bronchitis and sinusitis.
Spruce – helps the respiratory and nervous system. It is anti-infectious, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory.
Peppermint – is a powerful nasal and lung decongestant with antiseptic properties. It opens nasal passages, reduces cough, improves airflow to the lungs, and kills airborne bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
So there you go. So much goodness in such a little bottle.
Lemon – increases microcirculation and promotes immunity.
If you have any question or comments, please let me know through comments or the Contact tab at the top of the page. If you are interested in trying essential oils and don’t know where to start, please don’t hesitate to contact me and I can help you start.
Please keep in mind that the information provided on this page, are intended for informational purposes. It is not intended to treat or diagnose, nor is it to be substituted for professional medical advice. You should always consult a healthcare professional if you have any questions concerning diagnoses or treatment of a condition .
Air fresheners have become a staple in so many households, marketed with the promise of creating a clean, healthy, and sweet-smelling indoor atmosphere. But many of these products contain phthalates – hazardous chemicals known to cause hormonal abnormalities, birth defects, and reproductive problems.
Phthalates: Health Hazards in Many Forms
Phthalates are used in many common consumer products—to soften plastics in children’s toys, as sealants and adhesives in nail polish, and in perfumes and air fresheners. When people use air fresheners, the phthalates are released into the air where they may be inhaled or may land on the skin and be absorbed. Once these chemicals enter the bloodstream, they can alter hormone levels and cause other health problems.Phthalates are known to interfere with production of the male hormone, testosterone, and have been associated with reproductive abnormalities. Numerous animal studies have linked prenatal exposure to certain phthalates with decreases in testosterone, malformations of the genitalia, and reduced sperm production. The State of California notes that five types of phthalates—including one that we found in air freshener products—are “known to cause birth defects or reproductive harm.” Phthalate exposure in indoor environments has also been associated with allergic symptoms and asthma.
Read this article if you have a spare minute, it is one of hundreds posts about this issue and sadly people have no idea how dangerous are those “nice smelling” sprays they buy at your grocery store.
So are you sure you still want to buy those in the stores?
I am definitely sure that I won’t be buying any of those. Ever. There is much easier and cheaper solution to make your home smell amazing. Homemade air refreshener. You will choose exactly what aroma you want/like and you can change it anytime.
What you need to make your own spray :
- glass spray bottle (amber or any other colour you can get)
- 3-4 drops of pure essential oil (because you want to breath the best you can) – my favourite is Purification, Thieves or Citrus Fresh, Lavender
- pinch of salt
- water
On the bottom of the bottle put a pinch of salt and mix with a few drops of your choice of essential oil (I personally use Young Living essential oils because of their quality which is quaranteed by the Seed to Seal process). It’s totally up to your taste (well, smell buds) what you put into your mix. Then just fill the bottle up with water and that’s it.
If you have any questions, ideas for new homemade things or would like to know more about Young Living essential oils, you can contact me through comments or the Contact tab on the top of the page.
Photo Credit: Young Living
Let’s talk about diffusing oils.
We use the Home Diffuser – Dew Drop Design , and diffuse every.single.day! The choice of oil (or oils) totally depends on the mood, occasion or what we want to achieve. My daughter sometimes after coming home from school goes straight to the oil box, picks her favourite oil and turns the diffuser on. I love how easy it is!
I love to diffuse Northern Lights Black Spruce when we get home from a walk in the woods, it always feels like bringing the nature inside and smells like a forest.
In the morning I put on Lemon & Peppermint, or Citrus Fresh or Orange & Lemon, the fresh citrus-y smell wake us up right away.
In the evening I love to put on Lavender for calming down and just relaxing.
Purification is perfect to get rid of smells while cooking. And I could go on and on and on….
So what happens while you are diffusing oils?
Diffusing oils alter the structure of molecules that create odors, rather than just masking them. They also increase oxygen availability, produce negative ions, and release natural ozone. Many essential oils such as Lemongrass, Orange, Eucalyptus Globulus, Lavender, Frankincense, and Lemon, along with essential oil blends (Purification, Melrose and Thieves), are extremely effective for eliminating and destroying airborne germs and bacteria.
A cold-air diffuser is designed to atomize a microfine mist of essential oils into the air, where they can remain suspended for several hours. Unlike aroma lamps or candles, a diffuser dispers essential oils without heating or burning, which can render the oil therapeutically less beneficial and even create toxic compounds. Research shows that cold-air diffusing certain oils may among many:
- reduce bacteria, fungus, and unpleasant odors
- relax the body, relieve tension, and clear the mind (yes, yes and yes – all three)
- improve concentration, alertness, and mental clarity and many more.
If you haven’t tried diffusing pure essential oils yet, I highly recommend it to you. You will love it.
If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact me through comments or the contact tab on the top tab of the page.
Every time I mention the word balls, my twelve year old starts laughing. Yup, we are in that stage….
Well, as another little step of changing our home to toxin-free, I threw out all dryer sheets and bought these dryer balls instead. There are several kinds of these balls available on the market, I picked up mine in a local store (Winners). They are called Woolzies, it is a pack of 6 hypoallergenic wool balls. The balls supposed to reduce drying time, wrinkles and static without the harsh chemicals of conventional fabric softeners. I add a few drops of my favourite essential oils on them (so far I’ve tried lavender, purification and citrus fresh; it totally depends on the mood and your preferences. I love how flexible these can be!!) and just toss them into the dryer with my laundry. The laundry comes out soft and smelling divine.
It’s funny how I’m getting more sensitive to the “chemical” aromas since I’ve switched to the more natural ways. When I walk my dog and can smell someone’s laundry strong aroma through the whole street, it’s not pleasant. Especially when all people use the same smell of Bounce laundry sheets…
So here you go. Out with the sheets, in with the balls. Closer to the nature.
I love the smell of our laundry and the fact that I don’t have to stress about bringing unnecessary chemicals into our home.
If you have any questions about essential oils or any comment or just want to say hi, please don’t hesitate to send me a message. I would love to hear from you!
