Friday, June 28, 2013

My Review of DoTerra Essential Oils

I've been getting a lot of questions from people recently on my view of a fairly new company called DoTerra.  So I decided I will post my thoughts and opionons about this company and their oils.

DoTerra Essential Oils


Until about 6 months ago I had never used DoTerra's oils, even though I had been hearing about the company for a few years.   DoTerra started when a few people who used to work at Young Living (another large oil company) branched out because they felt they could produce higher quality oils than were being manufactured at Young Living.  The company started in 2008, and has grown by leaps and bounds since then.  I in  no way claim to know everything about this company, or it's oils, but I will will share with you my thoughts both pro's and con's and you can weigh them all out for yourself.

 The Pro's.

This company is doing a pretty good job of providing educational material.  Both from the books they have put out, to the videos posted online from them and their distributors.  The only reg flags there are  the occasionally strewn in marketing hype, and pushing more internal use, and improperly diluted use, but other than that most of what I find appears to be good and solid.  I wouldn't recommend their educational material for someone just starting out because it would be very difficult to determine what is safe, unsafe, true, or just marketing hype, etc.  But for someone who has a bit of experience with oils, and can sift through a bit of the over use it could be an easy to use recourse.

They also focus a lot on the quality of their oils, including where the plants are grown, what species of the plant is distilled, and how they are distilled.  They also seen to have a fairly good group of tests that are preformed on each batch of oils to insure quality.  Now wether they have indeed "set the new standard" in essential oils is yet to be seen.  But none the less, they do seem to care a lot about quality.

Their oils smell amazing.  In fact, so amazing that it set up some red flags with me.  Numerous reviews online stated something to the effect of "DoTerra oils smell so much better than any other oils I've ever used!  This tells me that their quality is way better than most of the other oils on the market."  As I have discussed in other blogs, smelling good can be a bad thing as it can mean chemical fragrances and additives were mixed in with the oils.  Oils should smell full, complex, earthy, and sometimes almost dirty.  After hearing about them so much I decided I wanted to try out their oils for myself, and when I received my started kit, the lavender and lemon smelled very comparable to other oils I have used, but like the online reviews said, the peppermint smelled MUCH better!  This made me do a bit more digging.  There is usually a logical explanation to everything, and I was wary that the oil more than likely contained some vanilla, or synthetic vanillin.  Having been involved in aromatherapy for years, and smelling countless essential oils as well as fragrance oils, the delicious aroma coming from the peppermint bottle was a red flag, but one I hoped to put to rest with some more research.  I did find out that some distributors re-distill their peppermint oil.  This means that after the first distill, the plant material is discarded but the oil is re-distilled to remove some of the unwanted constituents, and primarily to result in a product which is higher in menthol.  DoTerra does not do this, so that accounted for the lighter aroma, but not for the sweet peppermint candy scent.  Sadly, a recent third party testing revealed that there was in fact a synthetic component ethyl vanillin present.  The amount of the chemical was very low 0.07%, so low in fact that the testing DoTerra does did not detect it, but their testing only tests for constituents above 0.1% so their test results would not have detected this even if they had been looking.  The third party testing, done in France tested for even trace elements.  Although the synthetic compound was only a trace amount, Robbert Tisserand, and world renowned expert on essential oils said that this small amount was more than enough to account for the "better" fragrance of the DoTerra oil.  Ethyl Vanillin is an extremely strong fragrance, and requires very minute amounts for the desired effect.  I do want to interject here that I do not believe that DoTerra is responsible for this pollution of the oil.  Another peppermint tested from Heritage Farm also contained the chemical, and according to the chemist these two oils were chemically identical and positively came from the same distributor, which would indicate a pollution farther up the line.  

I have heard and seen very good reviews about owners and upper management.  Sincerity, and a true desire to offer quality products, and to help others seems to be their motivation.


The Cons:


Pricing.  Because of their MLM business structure, prices are higher than other companies with a more simple business structure.  While MLM companies can provide great business opportunities that allow people to earn some extra income, to do this, they are not able to offer the best value to the consumers.  Also, I'm not sure why their prices are so high on some of their oils (like peppermint) when they are mixing all the distills together thus creating a more "diluted" product, that should bring their costs down, not up.  Other companies are selling a pure first distill which is usually recognized as being higher in medicinal properties,  at lower costs than DoTerra.  And while DoTerra's quality controls and testing procedures they have put in place to insure high quality oils are wonderful, contrary to how they promote themselves, their procedures are not very different from many other companies who are offering their oils and much more affordable prices.

Hyped Up Claims:  I expect companies to want to promote their products as the "best" and the "greatest" but there are a few ways that DoTerra has crossed from the realm of "good marketing" into "false advertisement" in my opinion.  Claims that fall under this category include the following:

"Our oils are the purest, safest, most effective oils available anywhere in the world." 

 Really?  I get saying they are pure, safe and effective, but you cross the line when you claim no one else on earth could have created a  better oil than you.  Especially considering this is from a company that is only 4 years old.  There is no way in four years you can be certain that there is no other oil on earth that is as good as yours.  This would take millions of dollars worth of testing every other product on the market today, which I know they have not done.

"Synthetic oils cause side effects, natural ones don't."

Well this is just not true at all.  There are many essential oils that cause very significant side effects, some good some bad.  In fact some essential oils are quite deadly even in small amounts.  I'd call that quite a significant "side effect" wouldn't you?  Dont' make up false statements just to make people feel good about using your products.

"Every plant we use is harvested at the "perfect moment" to ensure the highest medicinal properties."

While this may be me being too picky, statements like this bother me.  There is no way that thousands of acres of land over the entire globe are all being harvested at ANY "exact moment".  I think oils should speak for themselves rather than needed hyped up terminology to help them along.  And it just makes me suspicious about what other truth they are "padding" to make their products look superior.  Also, they claim an awful lot of knowledge into their suppliers and how every single plant is harvested and processed, and distilled that I find very had to swallow.  How can a company that is only 4 years old have developed all the connections for all of the millions of acres it takes to grow all these plants all over the globe, closely monitor every part of the growing process, and harvesting, and distilling process, and also have developed the worlds best system of testing for all these oils, and developing their own blends all from the ground up.  Maybe that is just the cynic in me, but I find it quite impossible to believe.  I could get behind them offering maybe a half a dozen oils that they claimed to be so superior and attention to every detail was paid.... but this I find a little hard to swallow.


"A pure essential oil should smell "crystal clean"

Again, this is not true.  Most of the "crystal clean" smelling oils are synthetic.  True pure oils should have complex notes and many of them often smell kind of "dirty."


"Only use CPTG" essential oils internally or externally"

CPTG, which is a trademarked term invented by DoTerra (which means certified pure therapeutic grade), that they use to describe the standard they have invented for their oils.  While this is a wonderful way for them to describe their process, and quality, it implies there is some sort of outside governing body that inspects and certifies oils based on some widely accepted standard, which there is not.   Stating that you should not us an oil without the "CPTG" label on it eliminates all oils since the term is trademarked and no other company could use this title even if their standards were exactly the same as DoTerra.  To me a company should just admit they want you to use their ONLY oils instead of trying to seem unbiased and just recommend you use a certain "grade" of oil, when that grade was invented and trademarked by them.   In many of their their video's they show a pie graph with the different types of essential oils on the market, and show CPTG as a tiny percentage supposedly because of the superior purity and quality.  What they don't tell you is only a tiny percentage of the market is CPTG because it is a term they invented and no one else is allowed to use it.  This is deceptive advertising in my opinion.  Also, as I mentioned above, the DoTerra oil and the oil from Heritage Farm both came from the same supplier.  As I have written about in previous articles, all essential oils come from only a handful of suppliers, regardless of what many of the companies would like you to believe.  Claiming that your oils are far superior to every other oil when they actually come from the exact same place as other companies oils is also a bit deceptive in my opinion.  Of course it is a great marketing strategy, and one that works extremely well.  Many, many people buy their oils because they are scared into thinking that all the other oils on the market are polluted, and DoTerra offers the only truly guaranteed pure oils.  But this just isn't the case.  Research, scientists, and lab testing disprove this readily, however, many people just simply don't have access to this information and find themselves sucked into believing the hype.  


The last thing is how many oils they recommend using "neat" or without diluting them in a carrier oil.  The success they are having with these recommendations and the lack of complaints I am finding or hearing about from skin irritations leads me to believe that their oils are "weaker" than other oils on the market.  I often apply peppermint oil to my scalp mixed with shampoo for migraines, and this typically causes a significant cooling effect.  But when applying DoTerra's peppermint, the cooling effect was very minimal, almost imperceptible, as if I had diluted it significantly before adding it to the shampoo.  Again, I know this is subjective, but I use peppermint for my migraines regularly, and I have never experienced a peppermint this weak.  It gave me no relief whatsoever for my migraines any of the times I used it.  I know others may site that it helped their headaches, but I have a gene that causes me to be very drug resistant, and I have to fight very hard to keep my pain controlled as many pain meds don't help.  So I have used many many different medications, and essential oils for my migraine pain, and DoTerra's peppermint has been the weakest oil I have ever used to date, including extremely "cheap" oils that cost over 4 times less than their peppermint which is supposed to be so much higher quality.  Also, aside from whether their oils are weaker, recommending neat usage has no benefit except to the company because it makes you buy more.  Neat usage can lead to many problems such as skin irritation, sensitivities, and in some cases quite severe reactions.  Scientific studies have shown that in in most cases essential oils actually affect the human body the MOST positively when they are diluted to between 1% and 2%.  That means 1-2 drops of essential oil to 98-99 drops of a carrier oil such as olive oil or coconut oil.  Dilution is not simply to prevent irritation, it's actually how your body best processes the oil.  There is simply no reason for applying an oil straight.  In some situations, such as for pain, a stronger dilution is recommended, but still not neat (or undiluted) applications.  Also, diffusing oils for hours on end is not recommended.  After 20 min the body's ability to take in the oils via the lungs is reduced by over 1/2.  This is your body's way of telling you that is long enough, and also, diffusing longer than a 1/2 hour at a time simply just wastes your oils and causes you to have to spend money faster, which is something most of us would like to avoid doing!

I could keep writing both pro's and con's but I think I will leave it at that.

So my conclusion?  I think they are a good new company that most likely has some good oils, (at least from most of what I have found, and personally talking to a chemist that has tested a number of their oils) although some of them seem "weaker" (I hate to use that term, but I don't know how else to put it.) than other companies I have used over the years, and that one batch of oil did test as having a synthetic compound in it.   I think they offer some good educational materials, although some of the promotional hype about their oils needs to be taken with a grain of salt, as well as their suggestions for over use, and applying oils neat.  Because of their business structure they are not able to offer the consumer the best quality for their dollar, and this causes their prices to be higher than many other companies, but they could also be a very good choice for those looking to make a business opportunity out of this company!


And that's this Friday's review!


For more helpful information, tips, recipes, tutorials and reviews visit me at:
https://www.facebook.com/realessentialoileducation

Diaper Rashes Can Really Bum You Out.

Diaper rashes can be sheer misery for both mama and baby.  If you are anything like me, the creams that you find over the counter for diaper rashes more times than not, moisturize a bit, but really don't seem to soothe and heal all that much.  You have to be a little bit careful using essential oils on a raw little butt, even when they are diluted, so I decided rather than going into lengthy details about how to dilute them so they won't burn, and how to make sure your proportions are correct, I would just share a recipe that I formulated a while back that has had great success.  I had a group of mom's doing test runs for me years ago when I was trying to get the formula just right.  They reported back to me until I finally had one they all said worked!
I used to sell it all the time, but I haven't made it in years.  I've made some different variations of a butt balm or salve since Hudsen has been around, using what essential oils I had on hand, but none seem to work quite as well as this original tried and true butt balm.
If you don't have all the oils, you can just use what you have, it might not work quite as well, but I think you will find even using a few of the healing essential oils in this balm will help heal up those red butts like none other!  Please don't add more essential oils to the mixture unless you are sure they won't burn you baby's bum.  One last thing before the recipe.  If you don't have time to mix up a butt balm, the best single oil to use on a chapped babies butt that I have tried is patchouli.  It smells dirty, but it soothes and heals and does not burn.  Simply mix several drops with a little carrier oil and apply it to the rash.  Sometimes you can even apply it straight, but always start with it diluted and test it first.


Butt Balm Recipe:

1 oz bees wax
1/2 oz sweet almond oil
1 1/2 oz jojoba oil
1/2 oz castor oil
1 oz vitamin e oil
1 oz olive oil
1 oz shea butter'
40 drops rose absolute oil (5% concentrate mixed in carrier oil less drops if using a stronger concentration)
60 drops of patchouli oil
40 drops juniper oil
100 drops of lavender oil
10-20 drops chamomile oil
20 drops of frankincense oil
10 drops of myrrh oil

Instructions:  Melt bees wax and shea butter in a pan over medium-low heat.  Add the oils, heat just until the balm is liquid.  Remove from heat, add the essential oils, stir well, pour into containers.


Variations:  This makes quite a bit, to make a smaller batch you can cut the amounts in half.
 You can also substitute pure olive oil for the sweet almond oil, and the jojoba oil.

For more information on essential oils, and recipes visit my Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/realessentialoileducation

Using Rooibos Tea For Babies And Children

The health benefits of rooibos tea are not restricted to children, but I am choosing to focus this blog on little ones because so many drugs, as well as herbas supplements are not safe for use in infants and small children.  I know this is not an essential oil, but rooibos tea has helped Hudsen so much since he was born I felt I should write a bit about it for other mom's out there.

As many of you know, my little guy Hudsen was born premature with severe lung, and other health issues.  He spent the first 3 weeks of his life in the NICU with more tubes and wires coming out of him than I thought was possible!  Doctors warned us that because of his underdeveloped lungs he would likely be vey susceptible to colds, flus, allergies, and most likely have asthma.  So, right from the beginning it was very important for me to help his little immune system.  I started giving him rooibos tea fromt he time he was a few months old, not a lot, but if he showed any signs of getting a cold or having the sniffles out would come the rooibos tea.  My Grandma teased me that he was "addicted" to tea by the time he was 8 months old.  Here are some of the reason I choose to give Hudsen rooibos tea, and I must say he has never had the poor immune system or the lung issues the doctors were sure would follow him for his life.  I'm sure rooibos tea is not all to credit for this, but I'm sure it helped!  It also helped his colic immensely.  Between rooibos tea and my herbal tummy drops (which I will talk about another time) I don't think we ever had tummy tears that lasted more than half an hour.  When Hudsen stopped getting a bottle for bed time, I transfered him into drinking tea every night for a while to give him some extra vitamins, and help relax him for sleepy time.  I still make him tea for bed or nap time from time to time.

Rooibos tea contains no colors, additives, or preservatives, making it a wonderful natural beverage.  it contains no caffeine as it is not actually a "tea" but an african herb.  According to studies conducted in South Africa and Japan, rooibos has been shown to aid in health problems such as insomnia, irritability, headaches, nervous tension, and hypertension.  Studies also show that this tea contains anti-spasmodic agens, which can relive stomach cramping and colic in infants.  It has also been used to trat allergies such as hay fever, asthma and eczema very effectively.
Rooibos tea is also used for irritated skin.  For diaper rashes a strong tea of rooibos can be brewed and added to bath water for a soak, or applied directly with a cloth to the irritated skin.  Rooibos contains oxidants which help boost the immune system.
Rooibos contains the following minerals, copper, iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, manganese, alpha-hydroxy, magnesium, and others.  In South Africa pregnant woman and nursing mothers drink rooibos because it contains no caffeine.

Because it has a naturally sweet taste, most kids will drink it without any sweetener.  They also have flavored rooibos tea, such as strawberry and peach that can encourage a kid to drink it.

To use it:  Simply brew it like you would any other tea, let it cool a bit, or add some ice, and serve in in a bottle or sippy cup.  Or have a cup yourself!

For more information visit my facebook page:

Thursday, June 27, 2013

The Crazy Cat Lady Of Essential Oils

When I talk to people who have neven used essential oils about trying them out, I often get a response that goes something along the line of "oh no, will I turn into the "crazy cat lady of essential oils?"

When I first began really using oils a lot, there was an older lady in our community that was known as just that.  "The crazy oil lady."  You could always smell her coming from a long way off as she was sure to be wearing whatever newest mixture of oils she was sure would "cure" whatever her ailment happened to be at the moment.  Her purse looked like a walking apothecary, and you could guarantee in anyone was unfortunate enough to make a comment about having anything from an upset stomach, a bit of tension in their shoulders or even high blood pressure, regardless of weather she was invited to or not, out would come the oils and she would be dabbing them on the unsuspecting victims before they even realized what was happening!  Her stories of how they cured her nephew of his autism, or her grandfather's hemorrhoids were also sure to pop up at random awkward times, and cause reactions ranging from chuckles of skepticism and disbelief, to sheer horror.

While there is nothing wrong with being a "crazy oil lady" some people tend to believe that once you start using oils, you are doomed to a life of the exaggerated, pushy, and slightly annoying "oil crazies!"  You may start out just trying Lavender for that bug bite, and then the next thing you know you are carrying around 20 bottles of oil in your purse and applying them to strangers as they walk down the street!  Nor will you suddenly sprout bushels of armpit hair, or turn into a conspiracy theorist that avoids doctors and tradition medicine at all costs because you are convinced they are all trying to poison you!
Have no fear!  There are lots of people that have found wonderful benefits from using only one or two essential oils and never feel the need to fill their medicine cabinet with rows of oils, or apply them their friends or random passerby's.  You can use essential oils and still hold tightly on to your status as a "normal" person.  You don't need to spend hours of research or hundreds of dollars to enjoy the benefits of using essential oils.  Of course as you know, I tend to be a bit more on the side of the "crazy oil lady" as rows of essential oils line my shelves, and books and research papers are some of my favorite past times!  But for most people this holds little to no interest.  But that does not need to hold you back from experiencing some of the wonderful benefits of using essential oils.  So in this blog post I want to share with you 5 "non crazy" ways to use essential oils for every day issues.  Don't worry, buying oils is not contagious, unlike potato chips you CAN just have one.  You can in fact enjoy the perks of using one or two and keep your status as a sane "normal" human being.  (It's far too late for me to be called "normal" but you don't need to succumb to my fate.  :-)


1.  Laundry.
Having laundry that smells clean and fresh without using fabric softener can be tricky sometimes. With our well water, even when clothes are removed immediately from the washer and put in the dryer, they still always wind up coming out with just the faintest "sour" smell, which drives me nuts.  What to do?  Add 5 or 10 drops of tea tree oil to your wash load.  If it is for a load of dirty work clothes or diapers add more, if it is just a normal load add less.  This will help remove smells and leave your clothes smelling fresh and clean.  Don't worry, they won't come out smelling like Tea Tree oil, that washes away, but it will leave them nice and crisp and fresh.  (can clothes smell crisp?  Hmm... well you get my drift.)  And you also don't have to worry about the "oil" staining your clothes, as essential oils aren't actually oils at all, so they will leave no residue. You can also use lemon, orange, peppermint, or other oils to help your laundry smell fresh, but tea tree and orange have an extra "kick" when it comes to knocking out bad odors.


2.  Burns.
If you are anything like me once in a while a hot pan gets away from you and before you know it a nasty blister has popped up from one little slip of the hot mit, and there is nothing quite like the pain of a nasty burn!  Keep some Lavender handy to slap on it right away.  You will be amazed at how much it helps take the sting out of a fresh burn.  And while aloe is very helpful for helping burns heal it doesn't have anywhere near the ability to help with the pain that Lavender does.  Tea Tree can also work great on burns too, but Lavender is the first choice.


3.  Ear Infections.
There is just something about ear pain that can drive a person to madness.  Whether it is an adult battling an ear infection, or swimmers ear, or a little infant that has ear pain from teething.  Tylenol doesn't ever seem to ever be able to quite kick it for me, or my kiddo.  But clove oil will! Mix a few drops of clove oil in a little olive oil and drop it directly into the ear till the ear canal is filled.  Let it sit for a few minutes until the numbing action of the clove kicks in.  If you don't feel a difference, add more clove oil to the mixture and try again.  I have never had this not work to significantly reduce the pain and allow me or my kiddo to sleep.  Even at a few months old Hudsen and my little sister both would learn to lay still when I put oil in their ear because they knew relief was coming!  While I'm not claiming it cures ear infections, it most certainly does help with the pain!


4.  Headaches.
Almost everyone has a headache from time to time, and peppermint is wonderful at relieving tension, and increasing circulation, both of which can be very helpful when dealing with headaches, both tension and migraine.  Mix a few drops of peppermint with a few drops of carrier oil, and apply to the back of your neck and shoulders.  Applying some to your forehead and temples can be very helpful too, but be sure to keep it out of your eyes as it can sting!  For more persistant headaches, you can mix 5-10 drops of straight peppermint oil to a handful of shampoo, and after running your head under hot water, apply the shampoo to your scalp and let it set for a few minutes.  Then rinse in hot water.  This allows the peppermint to penetrate your skalp.  The "cooling" effect of the peppermint oil can bring a lot of relief.


5. Bug Repellent.
Most of you have probably seen the citronella candles that are available in the outdoor sections of most department stores and grocery stores.  Did you know that they contain essential oils?  Citronella oil is the most popular of the bug repellant oils, but lemongrass is a close second.  To repel bugs using citronella essential oil, you can add a few drops to any jar candle you already have and burn it outdoors in the area you wish to keep free of those of pesky mosquitoes   Or you can apply the oil to your clothes, or mix it with a carrier oil and apply it directly to your skin, or your kids to help keep the bites to a minimum!


So there you have it!  A few simple "un-crazy" ways to use essential oils.  And while there will always be us overly zealous types, you don't have to join in the craziness to be able to use essentials oil to help with every day issues.

For more information and educational material on using essential oils and natural skin care recipes and tutorials visit me at:
https://www.facebook.com/realessentialoilseducation

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Anxiety, The Story Of My Life.

Over my lifetime I have received a lot of comments about all the things I do, or how I do them all.  I have always been a very busy person, since I was very small.  But I get asked many times how I can run a store, have time to do my art, take care of my family and still have time to research and write, all while dealing with some fairly crippling health issues.
I would love to tell you that I simply have boundless energy, and am constantly looking for productive places to use it all.  But the truth is much darker, and far less beautiful than that.  The truth is I have struggled with severe anxiety for most of my life.  This anxiety has taken different forms over the years, from stomach issues, to severe panic attacks, to depression, social phobias, and insomnia.  From years of dealing with anxiety I've had a lot of experience trying different things to keep it under control on a daily basis.  I get some funny looks when I share that I struggle with anxiety on a daily and sometimes minute by minute basis.  People usually assume that if I was severely anxious I would stay at home, and avoid people, not run a store and be out in public all the time.  I'd be lying if I didn't say it was a huge temptation to just hide away, but hiding often makes the anxiety worse.  Being left alone with your thoughts can be very counterproductive for me.  And that is what I want to share with you today.
It is easy to think when dealing with anxiety that avoiding the situations that make you anxious is the answer.  The problem with that is, if you are anything like me, your anxiety is like a systemic infection.  It isn't limited to one or two areas of your life.  It may seem like it is related to only one area, but when that area is eliminated, it seeps into another area of your life and before you know it it is just as crippling as it was before you removed the first area!  This can be very discouraging, and cause even more anxiety when we start becoming anxious about being anxious. For those of you who have never experienced persistant anxiety, this may sound quite foreign, but for those of you who have experienced it first hand, you know exactly what I am talking about.  So it soon becomes obvious that eliminating the source of our anxiety is usually a fruitless effort.  Instead we have to learn ways of living with our anxiety in ways that does not allow it to cripple us and rob us of our life.

It is important to realize that a lot of anxiety comes from pathways that are formed in our brains, many times from childhood.  It may not have ANYTHING at all to do with our present lives, but is simply a pattern that our brain has fallen into.  Something may happen that triggers a response, someone may raise their hand and your brain instantly assumes you are going to be hit, or someone raises their voice, and you are right back as a child fearing the wrath of a parent.  Or it could be a situation that subconsciously triggers something that you can't even make sense of.  This pattern the brain is in cannot be broken out of by will power, or changed overnight with any amount of information.  It takes time, and sometimes a lifestyle that takes into consideration the limitations involved with severe anxiety.  This does not mean however that you have to live with crippling anxiety all your life.  Sometimes it takes creative solutions to fool your brain into not being anxious, or at least not spiraling down into the negative patterns or panic attacks.
So I'm here to share some of the techniques I've found for dealing with my anxiety.  The first is probably obvious.  I stay busy.  Sometimes just a little busy, sometimes VERY BUSY.  My busyness comes and goes like waves.  Some days I am able to relax, and enjoy the sunshine, while other days idleness causes a full blown panic attack.  Now I'm not promoting running yourself into the ground (which I have been guilty of doing in years past) simply to outrun your anxiety.  This will leave you exhausted which will ultimately lead to more anxiety.  Rather, I am talking about fooling your brain into forgetting that it is anxious at a particular moment when the anxiety is overtaking you.  For me, two of the tools I use to distract my brain from going into a full on panic is research, and writing.  Both of these work wonders for me.  It has become so second nature to me, that many times I don't even realize I am anxious, I just feel a sudden compulsion to research something, or start writing in my journal, blog, or a letter or email.  Then once I stop and think of what "inspired me" to research or write, I will realize that it was overwhelming feelings of anxiety.  And it does not matter what you research, just find something you are interested in, and dig in!  It gives your brain something else to think about, and pulls it out of the dangerous spiral that was starting.  And you don't have to be a good writer either!  You can simply write in your journal.  One fantastic way I use writing to combat my anxiety is to jot down my thoughts for my little boy.  Things I would otherwise no doubt forget to ever tell him.  What I was thinking about him that day, how much I love him, the cute things he does, or what dreams I have for him and how I believe God will use him in the future.  This is something I would likely never stop to do if writing wasn't a tool I used to cope with my anxiety.  It is amazing how distracting your brain can ward off a panic attack or just settle down anxiety.  Another thing I often do is take my ipod, which has all my pictures of Hudsen and just start flipping through them.  I find myself relaxing, and smiling at the different memories and fun times.   The important thing isn't so much "what" you do, as that you have a plan in place.  Trying to stop in the middle of an anxiety attack and think about "what to do" is rarely effective.   By the time you are trying to think of what to do, your brain is already in fight or flight mode, and trying to reason with it is of little use.  You must decide before hand what you are going to do, write, research, run.  Because of my health issues right now, I'm not able to do a lot of physical exercise right now, which is previously how I kept my anxiety at bay.  But exercise is another wonderful tool to use.  But again, you must have it planned out before hand, not wait till the moment of and then try to decide what you are going to do to help your anxiety.  By then it is too late.  Eventually, like me, your response plan will become second nature, and without even realizing it you will ward off an anxiety attack by jumping right into your action plan.  No there are still some days despite my best efforts, I find myself in a full blown panic attack.  But these days are much farther apart now that I have a plan.
Now that I shared this with you, my secret is out!  When you see a day with several blog posts it's probably a good assumption that I am having an anxious day!  Some days I'm just very full of words, but many days I'm fighting of my anxiety with writing!

Other than the "doing something" side of dealing with my anxiety, I also have a few other more "fluffy" things I like to do.  Most often I do the active part first, and then after the anxiety has somewhat subsided I use one of these things to calm myself down the rest of the way.
A hot shower.  There is nothing like a relaxing how shower to help clear the tension that anxiety brings.  Essential oils, or other soothing smells.  I am someone who has a very emotion response to smells.  And not just pleasant ones!  To this day I still get a happy warm feeling when I smell skunks, because as a child when we started smelling skunks it meant we were almost to my Grandparents house!  But aside from wearing skunk scent, which my husband seems to object too, using pleasant aromas has a wonderful ability to calm me down.  I'm not talking about supposed relaxing or calming benefits from essential oils, although those may be helpful.  I'm just talking about what scents remind you of a happy memory, or just calm you.  It might be your grandmother's perfume, or your dad's cologne.  Or it might just be an herbal oil that you love.  But the ability of scent to affect our brains is truly amazing.  And in the case of anxiety it can be a powerful tool to "jolt" our brains out of a downward spiral.

So I hope this will be helpful for those of you out there who like me, struggle with anxiety.  And maybe using these tools will help your mind begin to develop more healthy patterns and systems of coping.

Lavender Oil, A Quick Chemical Overview.

Lavender is one of the most popular essential oils in clinical aromatherapy practice. As a plant, lavender has been used medicinally for thousands of years. The various chemical components that go into making up lavender oil define its specific therapeutic properties; scientific research backs up what many aromatherapists already know from everyday use of the oil.  So in this blog post I will attempt to put into easy to read terms some of the boring, wordy, medical studies that have been done on what chemical components are found in lavender, and what good or bad they may do in the body.  I won't attempt to go into the many uses of lavender, as the benefits of lavender are being touted all over both in the natural and medical communities.  If you would like more information on how to use lavender, there are many books available, as well as lots of sources online explaining how to use lavender safely.

There are multiple varieties of lavender used for medicinal essential oils.  True lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is the most common species harvested for its essential oil, and has been in use for thousands of years.  True lavender grows at altitudes above two thousand feet, and has been used historically to treat throat infections.

Spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia) was traditionally used for headaches, rheumatic pain, colic and dyspepsia. It grows at lower altitudes than true lavender and has a very high yield. Spike lavender has gray-blue flowers, and is mainly grown in France and Spain for essential oil use.


Lavender as a species, and within the species, varies from plant to plant and from oil to oil due to factors such as climate, environment, altitude grown at and country of origin. However, each type of lavender oil does carry a similar chemical make-up. The main chemical constituents of lavender are as follows:
  • Lavandula angustifolia – predominately esters and alcohols
  • Lavandula stoechas – predominately ketones (the high amounts of ketones is why this type of lavender is usually avoided in aromatherapy.)
  • Lavandula latifolia – predominately oxides, alcohols, followed by ketones and monoterpenes
  • Lavandula x intermedia – predominately alcohols and esters.
    Overview of Essential Oil Constituents:
    In general, pure essential oils can be subdivided into two distinct groups of chemical constituents; the hydrocarbons which are made up almost exclusively of terpenes (monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and diterpenes), and the oxygenated compounds which are mainly esters, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, phenols, and oxides.
    Terpenes – inhibit the accumulation of toxins and help discharge existing toxins from the liver and kidneys.
    Sesquiterpenes are antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. They work as a liver and gland stimulant and contain caryophyllene and valencene.  Other sesquiterpenes, like chamazulene and farnesol, are very high in anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activity.
    Esters – are the compounds resulting from the reaction of an alcohol with an acid (known as esterification). Esters are very common and are found in lavender oils. They are anti-fungal, calming and relaxing, thus giving Lavender it's healing, and relational properties.
    Aldehydes – are highly reactive and characterized by the group C-H-O (Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen). In general, they are anti-infectious with a sedative effect on the central nervous system.  Again, giving Lavender some of it's antimicrobial properties, and calming effects.  Also, this may be the chemical responsible for Lavenders anti-histamine like effects.  Lavender is often used to help allergies, or eliminate allergic reactions, and the soothing effect of these Aldehydes on the central nervous system may well be the reason behind this added bonus from Lavender. 
    Ketones – They are helpful with such conditions as dry asthma, colds, flu and dry cough.  But caution should be used if ingesting lavender, as these ketones can cause liver damage in high concentrations.
    Alcohols – are commonly recognized for their antiseptic and anti-viral activities. They create an uplifting quality and are regarded as nontoxic.
    Terpene Alcohols stimulate the immune system, work as a diuretic and a general tonic, and are antibacterial as well, thus giving lavender the reputation for speeding recovery from, or preventing the flu as well as colds.
    Cautions: Lavender in all it's forms contains higher of phytoestrogens, or plant based chemicals that mimic estrogen in the body than many other plants and oils do.  While these phytoestrogens may be helpful when dealing with low estrogen production in women, they can be very harmful when dealing with other hormonal imbalances or many hormonally driven diseases such as: breast cancer, endometriosis, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, and thyroid disease.  For this reason many experts question the  safety of using lavender oil regularly on pre-pubescent boys as the phytoestrogens can cause an estrogen dominance in young boys.  Caution should be taken when using lavender on a regular basis if you fall under any of the categories above, or if you are pregnant.  Caution should also be taken when using lavender oil "neat" (without dilution in a carrier oil.)  While generally regarded as safe for undiluted topical use, there have been a few cases of documented allergies from lavender, so always apply lavender diluted in a carrier oil when first beginning use.  After you determine your skin's reaction to lavender, you may be able to go on to use it undiluted.  

    I hope this gives you an idea of how lavender works, and some ideas of how it might be beneficial in your arsenal of essential oils!


    For more educational material on essential oils, natural skin care, tutorials, and recipes visit me at:
    https://www.facebook.com/realessentialoilseducation

Why I Am "Suddenly" Carrying Essential Oils In The Store.

I get a lot of questions and comments about why I am "suddenly" carrying essential oils in the store.  So I thought I'd take a minute and answer a few of the questions and comments I've been getting lately, and let you in on why I decided to carry these oils in the store.
I've been getting a lot of comments like, "Oh you are starting to do essential oils too now?"  or "What made you suddenly start carrying essential oils in your store?"  or "did you learn about essential oils from _______" (insert the name of any number of local or not so local essential oil users.)  "Since you are just getting into using oils too you might be interested in ________." (insert a website, or book.)

So why am I "just now" getting into essential oils?  Well the truth is I'm not!  Those that know me well know this has been an almost life long passion of mine.   I've been using oils both medicinally and for skin care for over 15 years.  I've studied, traveled, and used oils from distillers who are operating out of their backyard all the way to multi million dollar companies who are distilling oils.  I have used oils from small backyard distillers claiming no grand benefits to their oils all the way up to companies claiming their oils are the only pure oils available in the world.   I have formulated oil blends for hundreds of individuals for various issues, as well as working with many mom's developing blends that are safe and effective when used on babies.  My "closeted" interest and study of essential oils and skin care migrated from a quiet hobby to a business when my mother got cancer and asked me to make natural skin care products for her delicate skin.  She wasn't exactly quiet about her love of what I created for her, and told friends and family, which then told people, and soon I was getting calls and emails from people all over the country asking about my skin care products.  Am I an "expert?"  Nope!  But I do have a lot of experience from working with oils and skin care for many years now.
My passion in addition to actually formulating products is taking things that seem complicated, and helping others understand how to use them for every day issues.  Not just helping them understand what they do, but more importantly WHY, the products do what they do.  When we know "why" we can make much wiser choices about "how" to use products.  I enjoy writing about all types of natural skin care, and have been published in various magazine and journals.  I'm not writing this to "toot my own horn" but just to give you a sense of the amount of time, energy, and devotion I have put into this subject.  I am not just starting out on this journey.  I have spent years traveling this road and am now branching out and sharing my journeys with you all.
My mode of choice, is usually the behind the scenes, the quiet type, formulating or blending behind locked doors, and sharing my knowledge and creations only with those who ask.
So what has changed?  Well, that question has multiple answers.

When I first opened the store here in Potlatch, I really wanted to do a large skin care section, with DIY products for people to experiment with and learn with.  Teaching classes, promoting my website and research etc.  So, when I opened I stared talking to various local people about skin care and essential oils, and incorporating this into my store.  I was mostly met with odd stares, and questioning looks.  The responses I got ranged from "you do WHAT?  How do you MAKE your own skin care line?" to "essential oils are a scam, good luck with that."  The quizzical looks, and "wow you are a geek" comments were quite amusing!  So after quite a bit of talking and asking around, I decided that it just was not the time to add these things to the store.  Without sounding trying to sound down on northern Idaho, or other rural areas, the fact is that it takes some time for things to catch on up here.  In some areas we are a bit behind the times, but that's ok, there are many wonderful things about rural communities that make up for any lag time we have with trends.  And honestly being a little behind the trends can be a pretty good thing a lot of the time!  I couldn't love this area more! (unless it was hot for 3/4 of the year!)  The people are so wonderful and supportive, and having a business here has been a sheer delight!

Last year was when I really started working on my plans again for this "natural" section of my store.  I had noticed a changing "mood" in the town and surrounding areas about natural skin care and herbal oils and products.  Even some of the people that I talked to three years ago about essential oils, who just looked at me with pity that I would "believe" in something like that, had now become avid users of essential oils, much to my delight!  Also, after Hudsen was born, and I began using many of the "potions" I had made for my baby sister, or other people's children on him, it lit my fire again for doing what I'd wanted to do in the store from the start.
But things take time, and with the store, a new baby, and lots of other life challenges I was not expecting, things just drug out longer than I thought they would.  But finally, it's here!  The "natural corner" I've wanted to have for so long is up and running!  Of course there will be many more "add ons" as the weeks go by, but it is a good start!  And I believe the time is right.  I believe people are open and searching for natural solutions to skin and other health issues, and open to learning more.

 But with the openness, and "popularity" rising, so is the mis-information.  Particularly online.  This is always the case as well meaning, (and sometimes some not so well meaning) people promote ideas and experiences that are exaggerated, misleading, or downright false.  And essential oils is no exception to that curse.
And this brings me to the reason I am now being far more vocal about my knowledge and experiences with natural skin care and essential oil use than I have ever been in the past.  The popularity of using essential oils is rising, unfortunately out of proportion to quality education.  Because essential oils are "natural" people think they are harmless and similar to using whole herbs.  This is quite far from the truth.  And while I am not claiming to be an expert on using essential oils, I think my experience and knowledge can shed some light on some of the mis-information being promoted out there.
Because of my interest in the chemistry side of skin care and essential oils, I have been very involved in research about not simply "what" essential oils do, but "why."  I don't want a book that tells me lavender will "relax" me.  I want to know what chemical constituants does lavender posses that might have this effect on me?  There are so many books, websites, classes, and blogs stating willy nilly what essential oils "will do" for you.  In my opinion most of them are exaggerated, or quite simply downright mis-leading about the actual properties of essential oils and what they can do for the human body.  For example, stating an essential oil has been found in lab studies to kill certain types of cancer, can be quite misleading.  While not outright saying so, it  promotes the idea that essential oils will kill cancer IN YOUR BODY.  However, cancer cells in a dish being killed by an essential oil is in no way indicative of whether that same oil in small quantities in the human body will have a similar effect.  These mis-representations of the abilities of essential oils on diseases are dangerous and downright fraud in my opinion.  And I'm not just making statements.  My mother was one of those unfortunate enough to believe that certain oils and other natural products would kill her cancer.  And it cost my mother her life.  Now can I know she would have lived had she had traditional medical treatment?  Absolutely not.  But what I do know, is the false hope and assurance that these claims gave her caused her to not get diagnosed until it was too late.  She felt "if it is cancer, what I am doing is killing it, because studies have shown these oils, and supplements kill cancer.  So I don't need to get tested and see if is or isn't cancer."  So I am not just spouting off the danger of this over exaggerated information because I think it MIGHT mislead someone.  I know it does.  Natural remides are NEVER a substitue for proper diagnosis or treatment.  While I respect that everyone has the choice to the treatment options of their choice, whether natural or traditional, diagnosis is a MUST.  And self diagnosis for anything more than a minor skin irritation is often not wise.  Treating yourself for an unknown illness with oils or herbs can lead to masked symptoms and further degeneration.  Also, this type of exaggeration and mis-information is a turn off to educated people who see the fallacies inherent in the logic used.  I am not meaning to imply that anyone who believes this hype is not educated.  Denial and hope can be very powerful things that get in the way of our better judgement.  Please be wise!

Now I know many people don't want to be bored with all the "facts" about the chemistry of oils etc. but just want to know what the oil is "good for."  And I can understand this type of thinking for those who have incredibly busy lives like I do, so I will attempt to share my research and findings with you all through this facebook page.   But while this type of thinking is somewhat understandable coming from those who just want to use the oils for themselves and their families, it is (in my opinion) inexcusable in educators.  While an in depth knowledge of chemistry and biology are by no means necessary, knowledge about why oils do what they do is not too much to ask from someone who is promoting the use of oils or attempting to educate others in any way.  Can you tell I am very passionate about this subject?  My blood boils when I see facts twisted or misrepresented to pad the pockets of large (or even small) companies.  Or just from excited people who are full of "testimonies" with a blatant disregard for the facts, or those who claim to be "educated" but sadly have a very biased view because their education has come only from essential oil companies that stand to profit from what they are teaching.   They give essential oils, and other natural supplement companies a bad name, and give people false hope, as well as putting them in danger either by their lofty claims, or the false confidence they instil by claims to education that is at the least biased and at the most insufficient.  (I am primarily referring to online information here.)
In fact, this issue is why I hesitated to carry any essential oils in my store at all.  I am so passionate about essential oils and proper education, I was fearful that if I carried oils in my store, my research and knowledge would be discounted by people who might decide that I am saying things simply because I have something to gain by it.  I'm afraid of comments like "of course she is saying this or that brand is better or worse, she has something to gain by it!" or "she is just trying to promote "her" oils."   Despite this, I decided I should be able to offer essential oils since I am promoting their use, and educating people on them, so I finally decided (with lots of prompting from my husband) to sell essential oils at the store.  However I will continue as always to promote education on how to use essential oils, without promoting one particular brand.  Are there reasons I choose the brand I did?  Absolutely!  Is it the ONLY brand that is safe and pure?  Absolutely not.  Aromatherapy has been around for far too long to imagine that one company holds the monopoly on purity.

So, am I just starting out with essential oils?  No.  But I have decided that it is time I become a bit more vocal about them.  This is way out of my comfort zone because I don't like stirring up controversy, and usually am a "live and let live" type of person.  But I do love helping people, and  I see a tremendous need in this area of essential oils, and if I can be of help in educating people I will be extremely delighted and blessed.

Warning: please don't read my blogs or the posts on my essential oils facebook page "Essential Oils Education" if you are easily offended by conflicting opinions or if you are extremely brand loyal.  I don't promote loyalty to particular brands, and I'm sure there will be lots of facts that may conflict with some of the more popular philosophies about essential oils.  I will also be giving honest reviews of essential oil companies from time to time, and refuting false claims.  But most importantly I wil be focusing on essential oil use, education, science, biology, and dangers and caution of using essential oils.  I am not big into "fluffy" posts about oils and their many claimed uses, or grand testimonials about oils changing people's lives.  I do believe oils can change people's lives, but I choose to focus more on my passion, which is why and how oils work.  Really.  Scientifically.  Some of you may find it a bit dry and boring.  That's ok.  I understand I am a bit odd in my approach to oils, and understand that the "fluffy" approach can be much more enticing.  And once in a while I'll try to include some of the more "fluffy" side of using essential oils, because there is no doubt it's fun to hear about!  But I hope if you are skeptical about using essential oils, and all the grand claims you may have heard about them, some of the information I bring to light will help you come to the conclusion that there is something to it... just maybe not all the "somethings" you've heard.  :-)

So to conclude, I am so delighted and blessed to be able to share with you about this subject I am so passionate about.  And I want to give a huge thanks to all the people who have pushed and pulled and clawed me out of my shell to get me to the point where I would even attempt to share on this subject in a public forum like this.  To my dear friends (you know who you are!) and to my wonderful hubby, you have given my voice wings.  I know it has been a huge task, and without you I have no doubt I would still be quietly formulating in a back room somewhere.  So thank you all, and if this new venture goes wrong it is all your fault.  (just kidding!)

Monday, June 24, 2013

Using Essential Oils Internally. Is It Safe?

There is a lot of articles floating around, and a lot of questions flooding essential oil forums about using essential oils internally.  I am getting a lot of questions about whether the brand of essential oils I am carrying are "safe" for internal use or not.  And the amont of questions I am getting about the internal use of essential oils is a little alarming to me honestly.   So I wanted to just take a moment and talk about using essential oils internally, and what "safe for internal use" practically means when dealing with essential oils.

First, I want to note that historically the use of essential oils has been almost exclusively external application, or inhalation, of course there are some exceptions, but usually these were for treatments of serious diseases, not every day use.  Also, a lot of the work siting the use of essential oils in ancient cultures or mentions of essential oils in the Bible is false, as they did not have the ability to distil what we know today as "essential oils."  They actually used aromatic oils, or infused oils, which much more closely resemble tinctures made from whole plants than they do the "essential oils" we know today.  They did come along later in history, but not in ancient cultures.  And this makes a big difference, as whole plant extracts that have been used for thousands of years are much safer with many fewer risks involved than the highly concentrated essential oils we use today.  Using the whole plant in many cases may eliminate risks associated with using just certain components from the plant, such as essential oils.
 In my opinion from years of using and studying essential oils and herbs, and how and why they work, in over 90% of cases there is never a need to use essential oils internally.  The push to use oils internally is a relatively new idea that has come largely from a couple companies in the US pushing their use internally, and also a couple French doctors who advocate using essential oils internally to treat ailments and diseases.  It should be worth a bit of extra caution and consideration that most of literature promoting the use of all types of essential oils internally comes from these few companies, or from people that are selling or promoting products from these select few companies.  Most experienced aromatherapists still strongly disagree with this "new" concept of ingesting oils of all varieties for a host of ailments, or even every day health.  And this should be a caution sign.  Not saying it is the end all, but should warent a bit more digging.  I very passionate about encouraging everyone I discuss essential oils with to get their information on using essential oils and what is safe and what is not from un-biased sources, herbalists, and experienced aromatherapists rather that from any essential oil company no matter how reputable.  While these companies may provide some good information, a filter that comes from a base knowledge of herbs, traditional and historical uses, and chemical compositions of oils is often needed and vital for safety.  It is even more important if you wish to share your love of essential oils with others.  I could write whole blog posts siting instance after instance (if you are curious of specifics feel free to ask me about it) where large "reputable" companies post and publish mis information that shows a basic lack of knowledge of chemistry, and biology, and the herbs the oils come from themselves.  And when these companies are claiming to be the "best in the world" and the "leaders in research, but yet lack the basic knowledge that is the foundation of their whole business, this makes me very cautious.  Why I hav studied and researched these herbs and oils for many years, I am not in any way claiming to be a "formost expert" or any such titile, so if even I can see the grose inconsistencies and mis-information that is being put out, that should be reason for a warning flag to go up.  Like I said, companies want to make money, even if that means putting out sub par, or unproven information about the products they are selling.   And if you lack the basics which everything else rests on, your conclusions and future studies and findings have a high probability of being false.  Even testimonials claiming wonderful benefits and lack of side effects from essential oil use internally must be taken with a grain of salt.  There are testimonials for most everything you can imagine claiming no ill effects.  And lots of people who will site "I do it all the time" as if that is a  reason to throw out caution, or ignore science or lack of research.  Also, there are not well funded, unbiased studies going on to determine how these oils change the bodys chemistry or internal functions over long term use.

That being said, I do think the use of essential oils internally can be a good thing, but used wisely, with only certain oils that are known and well recognized to be safe to ingest both as a raw herb, dried herbs, extracts and tinctures and as an essential oil. (two examples would be peppermint, and clove, both an herb and a spice that you can consume in their natural forms.)  But these oils should still be used with wisdom, and generally only as a remedy for a temporary condition, not as a ongoing supplement.  In my opinion, anyone considering using essential oils internally should first have a base knowledge of herbs and their properties, and cautions to be aware of.  Also, they should know the chemical composition of the essential oil they are considering for internal use, and learn what the possible cautions of the chemical components they contain could be.  For instance, ketones are found in large quantities in oils such as peppermint and spearmint (30% in peppermint and 55% in spearmint.)  Ketones generally stimulate the formation of tissue, dissolve fats, and are potentially neurotoxic.  Ketones are one of the most common toxic substances in essential oils, and this does not change based on higher "grades" of oils, it is simply a naturally occurring substance.  According to Dr. Penoel, ketone molecules can penetrate the blood-brain barrier more easily that other molecules.  Some of the oils high in ketones can cause liver damage.  After absorption from almost all regions of the gastrointestinal tract, most substances pass directly to the liver, where the great majority will be deactivated, but some may be made more toxic.  Not all ketones are equally problematic, but this is the reason why many oils that are high in ketones carry the caution: do not use in pregnancy.

Even in Europe where essential oil use is much more widely accepted and even prescribed my many medical doctors, and where standards of extraction exceed any in america, you will still be hard pressed to buy essential oils off the shelf marked "for internal use."  Because it is still recognized that experience is required when and if you use oils internally.

 Now are there some essential oils that can be used very safely and effectively internally?  Of course!  However it is imperative that their formulation in products for internal consumption is undertaken by someone who really understads what they are working with.  Just because someone else tells you that they take a drop or two of an essential oil for a specific health benefit daily, does not mean it is safe to do so, or that it will be safe for you to do so.  Keep in mind that each person's system is quite unique and individuals and not everyone's system can deal as easily with what are relatively large doses of active ingredients.  So please be caution.  Please educate yourself on historical uses of the oils, and the herbs and spices they come from.  Or at the very minimum ask someone who is well versed in the use of herbs and essential oils what the cautions might be for ingesting a particular oil.  Lots of companies and writers spend a lot of time on the benefits, but much less time is spent on the potential hazards.

So, to conclude, do I use oils internally?  Yes I do.  Do I think they are wonderful both internally and externally?  Yes I do!   However, I do not use them internally every day, and when I do, it is with a lot of knowledge and research to back it up.  So the question "are these oils safe for internal use?" should not be at the forefront of your mind when looking for what essential oil brands are the best.  Just because a company claims their oils are all safe for internal use does not mean they are higher quality than other oils on the market that take a traditionally approved more cautious approach of labeling their oils for "external use only."  External use is by far the most common, most studied, and most widely accepted use of essential oils, and often the most effective as well.  So start using essential oils externally, start learning and educating yourself on them, and then grow into expanding how you use them to include internally.
This does NOT mean the purity of oils is less important if you are not taking it internally though, rather, it is still just as important if not more so when using these oils only externally.  Oils applied to your skin are absorbed directly into your blood stream and are not filtered by the liver like oils that are ingested.  This means the purity of your oils in still vital (if not even more so) even when not ingesting them.
So again, please be wise, please be informed, and please educate yourself from sources that have nothing monetary to gain from the information they give out.  Educate yourself from sources such as aromatherapy schools that have been around for years and years.  See what they recommend, what they caution against, and why.  Brush up your knowledge on using herbs in their whole forms.  All of these things will expand and broaden your knowledge and give you wisdom you can then apply to using essential oils, both internally and externally.

For more information on essential oils, skin care, tutorials, and recipes visit me at:
https://www.facebook.com/realessentialoilseducation

Saturday, June 22, 2013

The Courage To Live A Life Of Failure!

Yesterday several sections of the store needed significant rearranging, so I set about in my usual fashion to do so.  First, I wandered seemingly aimlessly about the store, and pick items from all the different area's that I feel would match my color scheme and the general feel I wanted for the new area I was going to decorate.  I piled them all on top of the area I was about to work on.  Then I started arranging them.  Nope, that didn't work... take off that stool, go find another doily, this one was too small.  I need something to raise up that picture.  I thought blue would be a nice touch to add in with the red but it looks awful.  Hmm.. I wandered around the store looking a bit more.   Found a couple green things, not sure if they would look better or worse though.  I toted them over to the table I was arranging and plopped them down.  Perfect!  Now for the chalk boards.  I had them all up and where they should be... I thought... but it was all wrong.  The one hung down too low, and the other one just overwhelmed the table and kept getting in the way.  So all of them came down and I moved them all around until they were balanced just like I wanted them!
My little sister was at the store with me watching me running around like a crazy woman.  Bringing this thing to set out... oh dear no... put it back.  Try something else.  She just kept giggling over the half an hour I was running back and forth "No wonder you wear yourself out all the time, you run around like a nut!" she laughed!  I chuckled and responded "And to think I used to do the whole store like this every other week!"  Then I shared with her that I believe the reason people don't think they are "good at decorating" is because they are afraid to fail.  They are afraid to move 20 things to a corner and then have it not work.  Or they are afraid to buy things and have to return them, but through all the hunting finally find the perfect thing that makes the room pop!  Failure is part of the process!  Getting right back up and trying again RIGHT AWAY when you "fail" is the key.  You can't wait two months to re-decorate that room that you miserably failed on.  If you wait too long to try again your brain settles into thinking "well, I really am no good at decorating, but at least I tried".  And this type of thinking is destructive to the creative juices!  You need succeses to fuel your confidence, and creativity, even if that means your living room has to look like a war zone for a while and success comes only after 14 failed attempts!  Now do I have much more of an eye for decorating now than I did 6 years ago before I had a store?  Absolutely!  But it's not because of my "natural" ability.  It is hard earned ability from arranging thousands of displays for art walks, craft sales, homes, and of course in the store.

And that is why I am writing this today, to encourage you to fail.  In crafts, in fashion, in sewing, in health, in home decor.  FAIL!  If you never fail it means you aren't trying.  And if you only fail once in a great while it means you are not learning or growing, but doing the same old things that you feel safe and comfortable with.  Don't be afraid to be wrong!  It takes lots of failure to get to where you want to be.  If you never try new hair cuts you will never find that wonderful look that frames your face, and is easy to care for!  If you never try painting, you'll never know how things work and feel and you can never get better and be able to relax and paint the pictures you've always dreamed of doing!  I think in our world we have so much internet exposure that the "comparison bug" has bitten all of us, which might be fine if what we were comparing ourselves to was the actual truth.  But it is not.  We see the gorgeous pictures of homes, crafts, or styles people post on pinterest or other sites and we somehow believe that they just breathed out this beauty as easy as an eyelash floating on the wind.  We know they probably had to work at it some, but once we start the project ourselves and struggle and have frustrations we decide we must be "doing something wrong" or  conclude that is is just not what we are "cut out to do."  I think more tutorials should include frustration, and mistakes as actual steps!  Because no true artist gets through their projects without them, so why would it be different for someone following in their footsteps!  But the glossy photo's and "easy" steps rarely communicate the mistakes that even very experienced people make every day.

I get lots of comments down at the store about how "talented" people think I am or how they feel they just "don't have it" whatever "it" means.  Now I'm not saying that some people don't just have natural talent, but most people we look up to or admire worked very hard and are not just simply "talented.'  These kind of statements really bother me, I know people mean well, and I take it as a great compliment, but they bother me because not only am I NOT really that "talented," and these statements and philosophies are destructive to the learning process!
I get comments like "You just have such a natural gift for arranging everything in the store!"  or "is there anything you aren't JUST good at?"  or "Some people just get all the talent!" or "You do _______ TOO?  Is there anything you can't do?"  In fact yes there are many things I "can't" do, but more times than not I keep trying until I can!  Most things I do now I was quite alarmingly NOT good at at some point.  But all most people think about is what they see now, not all the back story that went into making those things I seem to do with effortless ease possible.
And while I know these comments are said by well meaning people, they are based in a falsehood that can discourage people from growing and learning in their businesses, crafts, and hobbies.  And honestly these comments take away credit an artist deserves, rather than complimenting the person as they are intending to do.  Personally, I have worked very hard to get where I am today.  I have owned and operated my own business since I was 14 and have put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to making it successful.  I have learned, taken classes, courses, read tons of books and made HUGE mistakes, and learned from them.  But when all the years of hard work and failures is just chalked up to be "talent" by others, it  takes away from all that has gone into me having the abilities that I do today.  And again, these ideas perpetuate  the thought that people are just "lucky" and some have it and some don't, which I believe to be very false.  If instead when we wished to complement someone we tried to use phrases like "Oh my goodness this is beautiful!" or "I love the technique she used on that!" or "look at all the work that went into that lovely piece!" I think it would help to begin to change the atitude of "luck" and lack of responsibility for those who just don't think they have the "natural" talent.  I think we should praise each other and compliment each other's art and other projects, but do it in a way that actually does so, not in a way that passes their success off as just being a fluke of nature they were born with, not something they have worked hard and earned.
The truth is I guarantee you that I make more mistakes and have more horrible outcomes on so many things in one week, that it would probably take most people a year of living to make that many mistakes!  I am constantly trying new things which often end in disaster!  But this does not bother or upset me too much, because it really is not a disaster at all!  When I try something, and it looks awful, or turns out bad, I file it away in my brain for next time.  And after thousands of failures logged away in my brain, I am able to avoid many mistakes now, that could make it look like I'm just "talented."
Very few even truly genius artists start out amazing.  They usually put hundreds of hours into their art and are far more dedicated to it than many people are to their own families!  No wonder they are successful and amazing!  They are constantly learning, growing, trying, and yes, failing.

One time, about 15 years ago, I was working on trying to invent a solid bath oil because I was tired of how messy natural bath oils were.  The containers always seemed to leak, and taking them on any sort of a trip was sure to end in disaster.  I wanted something that would look like a "bath fizzy" type of a product, hard and round, but that contained oil.  I wanted the product to fizz when you put it in bath water so the oils would disburse, not just hang around in a lump like bath oil beads did.  In addition I wanted it not to have any messy oiliness to touch, but to be totally hard and dry until you put in into the bath water.  Needless to say this proved to be a rather daunting task.  I lost count of how many failed batches of product I made.  Every day, right back at it, sometimes till wee hours of the morning.   There HAD to be away to make this work!  Then one day, I was reading something about different ingredients used to bake with, why you use them and what they actually do to your pastries.  Now the thing that must be noted here is: I was a MISERABLE baker.  It was well known that although people loved my cooking, when it came to baking all you had to do to guarantee an abismal failure was let me just TOUCH something that was baking related.  This sad little fact is why I was researching baking at the time.   I was miserably failing and despite my many attempts, even the simplest muffins would always fall.  But that day, reading about how certain ingredients helped solidify and set baked goods, and why they worked this way, it suddenly hit me!  And just like that, something I learned from researching baking which I was a huge failure at, transported perfectly into my world of chemistry and body products, and Vwala!  The all natural solid bath oils were an absolute success and people loved them!  I can't express how many times something similar has happened to me.  One learning experience spills over into another.  You just have to keep at it and open yourself up to failures, and the wonderful things they can teach you even when you least expect to learn from them.

So I'm here to say, you don't need to be lucky, or talented, or "a natural"!  You need to be able to fail, to learn and grown, and to not beat yourself up or put yourself down because of your failure, but realize instead that failure itself is the best way to learn!  So go out and fail my friends!  Purposely put yourself in situations that you are unsure about, then just try something!  Anything!  The outcome is not what makes learning valuable or worthless, it is the experience, the information your brain can hold on to for next time, even if "next time" isn't even a similar situation!  Keep learning!  Keep trying!  Keep growing!  Keep Failing!  Failure is the stuff beauty is made of.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Hormone Disorders And Essential Oils.... The not so well known dangers.

The following is an article I wrote back in 2009 that was published by The American Chronicle.  I decided rather than writing a whole new blog post I would just re-post the article here.  For more information on essential oils and hormone disruption check out Dr. Peter Eckhart's books and website.  He is an endocrinologist from Colorado that has done ground breaking studies on the hormonal effects of certain essential oils and how they negatively affect those struggling with estrogen driven diseases and symptoms.  He found that some of his patients despite proper medical treatment, and a healthy lifestyle could not get well and get their hormones balanced.  He discovered that when certain chemicals and also certain essential oils and other plant oils were removed from their skin care regimen, they were suddenly able to make a full recovery.  He observed this over and over, and decided to do more research.  Dr. Eckhart also found out from one of his patients, (who is a dear friend of mine) that I loved formulating skin care products, and ended up contacting me (very much to my shock and surprise!) and asking if I would be interested in developing a line of skin care products for his patients that would not include any of the natural ingredients that contain plant based estrogens.  He was un-able to find any company on the market that had a whole line of product dedicated to being "estrogen free" for those struggling with hormonal disorders.  His patients were very frustrated that his regimen for healing included certain limitations in skin care, but there was no line of products Dr. Eckhart could recommend for them to use.  And there is a good reason for this because many of the ingredients he asks his patients to avoid are very hard to "get around" in skin care because they hare what make the products nice to use, smooth, preserved etc.  So that is how I became connected with Dr. Eckhart and his research.  The ingredients his patients were instructed to avoid include, but were not limited to Lavender oil, Tea Tree oil, Rosemary oil, Castor oil, and Hemp Oil as well as any chemicals, preservatives, and stabilizers.  And thus the mad scientist in me emerged yet again as for months on end as I worked at getting effective formulas that did not include a very large list of ingredients typically used in natural skin care.
I feel I would be remiss if I did not include this research in my blogging here on essential oils.  Please note, that while these oils only contain small amounts of phytoestrogens (plant based estrogens) they can be more than enough to have damaging effects on those struggling with estrogen dominance.  Sometimes people wonder why I recommend an oil for a certain problem other than for example Lavender, which might be the obvious choice in a situation, but this article explains why I will suggest another oil many times if it can be just as effective for a given situation.  The three oils I mention in this article are particularly overused, and if the same affect can be achieved with another oil, sometimes it is wise to do so.  Thanks for reading!  Enjoy!



Estrogen Dominance, Hot Flashes, Skin Problems And Migraines.  Is There A Link?

One of the most frequent questions I get in dealing with cosmetics and skin care products is, "do you have anything to cure my _________" fill in the blank.  These ailments can range from eczema, acne, rosacea, dry itchy skin, overly oily skin, and the list goes on and on.  We never seem to think about our skin until there is a problem with it.  We look in the mirror and suddenly notice the bags under our eyes, or the wrinkles forming around our mouth, or that zit on our chin flashing like a neon sign.  
As the old saying goes, "an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure."  And this couldn't be turer in regards to our skin.

The skin is the largest organ of the body, proceses more toxins than our liver, and repairs itself on a daily basis.  When food is consumed, the body processes it through the digestive system, the liver and kidneys filter out the toxins and then the food is absorbed into the blood stream.  However, with the skin, what is placed on it is directly absorbed into the blood stream.  Chemicals, dyes, preservatives, etc., that we would never dream of putting in our mouths have a straight path from our skin to the blood stream where they directly effect our health, energy, and beauty.

Skin care products have been very overlooked in the health care world.  Emphasis is put on supplements, healthy eating, and exercise, and while these things are beneficial and very necessary to a healthy lifestyle, a major piece of the puzzel has been missed.  People with severe allergies, skin issues, hormonal issues, severe hot flashes, headaches, chronic pain, cancer, and other ailments have found skin care products to be the "missing link" in their treatment plans.  As is attested in the research and treatment of the many patents of Dr. Peter Eckhart.

Ingredients that are harmful to our health and skin sneak into every area of skin care, and change forms and names like a chameleon.  Some of the most well known harmful chemicals are: sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, and propylene glycol, among others.  However, parabens, phosphates, fragrances, and even some essential oils are being linked to skin issues, hormonal disorders and even some chronic pain issues.  Many products that label themselves as "natural" products still contain these chemicals and confuse buyers.  Shopping for truly natural products has become and extremely frustrating process for many health conscious individuals, and it is our goal to help inform and educate.

When the concept of the "essential oil" first starting gaining popularity in our modern western society, it hit the world of natural skin care like a bombshell.  Everyone was excited about the highly touted healing properties of the oils and the fact that you could smell good and get well at the same time.
Now, years later, after the craze of the oils has slowed down a bit, some startling discoveries regarding the negative effects of some essential oils are being made.  One of the more surprising links recently discovered is that what we are putting on our skin seems to directly impact our hormones.  This particularly applies to essential oils.  And many products that are "natural" contain one or more essential oils that can drastically impact our hormones.  Those who have balanced hormones and bodies that are functioning properly may feel no adverse effects from using these oils.  However, research shows that women with ailments such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, osteoporosis, migraine headaches, hair thinning, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), hot flashes, and many others are adversely impacted by the Estrogen like effects of these oils.  So, while we may be making our skin and noses happy, we could be feeding underlying issues for many health and skin problems.
Why is research showing that that some essential oils increase symptoms of hormone related diseases?  It is because of the ability of some plant substances, as well as certain chemicals to mimic the effects of estrogen in the body.  These substances are known as phytoestrgens, or foreign estrogens.  These substances, whether plant or chemical can mimic estrogen in the body, enhance the effects of estrogen, or cause symptoms of estrogen depletion, or dominance, thus causing severe hormonal imbalance, which may result in many adverse symptoms and even serious disease.  Plant based estrogens (phytoestrogens) are much healthier on the body than chemical based estrogens (xenoestrogens) because plant based estrogens will wash out of the body naturally in a few days, whereas chemical based estrogens stay stored in the body causing havoc for up to 10 years.  That being said, using a bit of  one of these oils will not cause long term damage.  Even if you are struggling with a hormonal disease or imbalance a drop or two of lavender on a bug bite, or some acne now and then probably will not cause you any problems.  However, using a shampoo, lotion, lip balm, or tooth paste regularly, or or just rubbing these oils on every day could easily be enough (and has been observed by medical doctors) to cause, or prolong hormonal problems.

The of the oils that seem to especially exaggerate hormonal issues are:
1. Lavender
2. Tea Tree
3. Rosemary

Because these three oils are in so many natural products, this causes a problem when shopping for skin care products.  In an effort to avoid many of the harmful chemicals found in skin care products, many companies turn to natural products containing these oils because they are found in health food stores and assumed to be harmless.  And while you are succeeding in avoiding the harmful chemicals, the essential oils in these products may cause other symptoms of estrogen dominance which can also be harmful.  These three oils are not the only essential oils that can adversely effect the hormones, but they are three of the most commonly used, and hard to avoid.  These three oils offer fantastic preservative qualities which is why so many natural products use them, in an effort to avoid chemical preservatives.  These three oils are some of the most well known essential oils on the market, and are touted for their many relaxing and healing properties.  The purpose of this article is not to argue or debate the natural benefits that come come from oils such as Lavender or Tea Tree, but to bring awareness to the potentially detrimental effects these oils can have on those struggling with hormonal disorders.
Many essential oils are assumed to be natural and are "safe" to use, so they are recommended to everyone with out previous knowledge of health or hormonal issues.  Please be wise when using natural products and be aware that just because something is "natural" it does not mean it is safe or beneficial to everyone.  And while the negative effects of essential oils as compared to many pharmaceutical alternatives, they should still be used and recommended with wisdom and care. 


Article By: Ashley Powell-Glassman, skin care expert and founder of: "On Angels Wings" Natural skin care products for every day.  Ashley has studied herbs, essential oils, and has been formulating natural skin care products since 1998, and has written numerous articles on healthy living and natural skin care.

For more educational information on essential oils, natural skin care, tutorials, and recipes visit me at:
https://www.facebook.com/realessentialoilseducation