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!)

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

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.

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

My Lips Don't Lie... Or Was That Hips?

Alright lovely ladies, here is recipe number ONE for skin care products!  Lip Balm!  I've tried many different recipes over the last 15 years, and being unsatisfied with many of them I ended up making my own, and that's what I've been selling for the last 10 years.  So if you've tried my lip balm and liked it, this is the recipe!  I like my lip balm smooth and creamy, not too oily or waxy which most recipes are (in my opinion.)  I feel most recipes add too much wax which in turn makes the lip balm more stiff, and when you rub it on your lips less actually comes off.  I think lip balm should glide onto your lips easily without much effort, or without having to repeatedly rub the lip balm across your lips just to get enough off.
However, if you like a stiffer lip balm, you can always just throw in a little extra bees wax and firm this recipe up a bit.

There is 3 parts to any truly wonderful lip balm or salve.

1. Wax.  If you love bees wax, that is of course the go to wax for balms and salves.  But if you have an allergy, or some other reason you need to avoid bees wax you can use other waxes like soy wax, or candelilla wax.

2.  Butter.  For a lip balm or salve to be rich and creamy and not "thin" feeling, it needs some type of butter added to it.  My favorite is shea butter, but you can also add mango butter, cocoa butter, or hemp seed butter.  Don't use the thinner butters, which aren't actually true butters at all but dried plant juices mixed in coconut oil.  They are great to use, but don't have the creaminess of a true butter (since they are actually powders in coconut oil.)  These "untrue" butters include: aloe butter, blueberry butter, cranberry butter, lemon butter and others.

3. Oil.  This probably goes without saying, but you have to have good oils to make a good lip balm.  My lip balms have changed over the years as I get bored with one oil and try another, in fact sometimes they change from week to week!  Some great rich oils to use alone, or as a mix are: extra virgin olive oil, sweet almond oil, avocado oil, castor oil (in small amounts), and jojoba oil.  Oils that are thinner and in my opinion don't produce a soothing enough lip balm are: coconut oil, grapeseed oil, sesame oil, and apricot seed oil.  Now there is nothing wrong with using these oils, they are just thinner and don't have the richness and body that I love in a lip balm.


Recipe:

4 oz oil
1 oz bees wax
1/2 oz butter
Essential oils to taste  (peppermint, spearmint, or lavender are good choices for dry lips.  You can also use citrus oils, but be careful if you are outdoors a lot as they can cause sun sensitivity.)

This is my basic recipe.  You can mix and match oils, most of the lip balms I sell at the store use olive oils as the only oil. (just so you know if you want them to be just like mine)


Step 1: Melt your bees wax over low heat.  I usually make batches with a pound or two of bees wax at a time, it is more important when making a large quantity to watch your heat.  But when making a small batch, put the bees wax in the bottom of a stainless pan, and turn the heat to medium low.  You can gently "slosh" the pan around to stir it a little as it is melting, but don't use a spoon as most of your wax will just attach to the spoon if you do.  Why do you melt your wax first?  Because if you add it to your oils and then try to melt it, you have to bring up your oils to a much higher temperature than is ideal.  You want to preserve the integrity of your natural oils by using as low of a heat as possible.  So melt your waxes first, and add the oils to them later.

Step 2: Add the butter.  Next add your butter in and melt it completely.
One frustration that many people have with using butter in a lip balm is that it may become "grainy" after some time.  So when you rub on your lip balm a few months later it feels like there are crystals in it.  The trick to getting around this is to melt your butters at a low temperature for a longer time.  Butters melt very fast, and it is easy to think you are done as soon as the last chuck melts away, but patience really pays off here in making a wonderful creamy lip balm that will stay that way.  Trust me, it took A LOT of grainy lip balm over the years for me to finally figure out something that works every time.  In this step we aren't heating it for long, we will cover that in the next step.  For now just put the butter in the pot, wait for it to disappear, then move to step 3.

Step 3: Just as soon as the last piece of butter melts into the pool of bees wax, add your oils.  It can be one oil, or a mixture of several.  When you add the cold oils, you may notice the bees wax butter mixture starts to freeze up again.  This is very normal.  Just mix your oils in with a spoon (this should be the frist time you have stirred the mixture with a spoon.) and give it a few more minutes on medium low heat to melt back down.  The reason we did not melt the shea butter for a longer amount of time in the last step is because just the bees wax and butter would burn.  If heated over a longer period of time, even at low heat, bees wax turns very dark and strong and while it isn't "bad" it can overpower your lip balm both from it's strong smell and taste.  You have to wait till you add the oils so that there is a buffer between the wax and the heat.
Now comes the waiting part.  There are two methods I have found work great for un-grainy lip balm.

The Frist Method:  Once your pan has melted down to a silky pan of oil again, with no chunks of butter or bees wax, turn your pan all the way down to the lowest heat possible. (you could even turn your burner off for 5 min and then back on for 5 a couple times.)  You don't want to be cooking the lip balm, just keeping it warm enough it stays liquid.   Keep your lip balm at this low heat, stirring every so often for about half an hour.  After half an hour, you are ready to pour your lip balm into tubes or tins.

The Second Method:  Let your lip balm cool completely till is is a solid in the pan.  Then some time after it is cool, heat it up again till it is completely melted.  Repeat this process 4 - 6 times.
I know this method sounds like more work, but for me, I get super busy doing other things and have burnt the lip balm I left on the stove before.  So for me, it's easier just to remember to melt it now and then over the course of a couple days.  And usually I am making it down at the store.  So it can just cool and be re melted between customers.  Personally I think this method works the best for eliminating the grainy butter, but the first method can be effective too.  The reason butters may become grainy is the  tiny fat crystals it contains.  They need to be broken down by continuous, or repetitive heating for the butter to remain creamy.

I know most lip balm recipes only take a few minutes to make, but adding a little time on to melt the butters correctly will improve your lip balm experience a lot and be well worth your while!  And you can make a larger batch so you only have to do this once or twice a year!


After your oil is all melted correctly you are ready to add essential oils.  How much oil you add is very much about preference.  I suggest adding a few drops, stirring, and then dipping your finger in a bit of the mixture on a spoon and rubbing it on your lips.  Then taste it a little.  For the mint oils, I like to add enough so that when I try a little of the warm lip balm on my lips it just has a slight tingle, then I know it will be nice and minty refreshing when it is cool.  You can also dip the end of a spoon in the mixture and set it in the refrigerator for a minute to cool and try that on your lips.  This will give you a better idea of what the mixture will be like when it is cool.   It will probably take more essential oil than you think.  A few drops is not going to be enough.  Even if it smells strong when it is warm (which it will) you will probably not be able to smell or taste it at all when it is cool.  So test, taste, and remember that it needs to be stronger than you like when it is warm because when it cools it will seem "weaker."


Now all you have to do is put them in the containers of your choosing, a tube, or jar, or tin.  You want to pour lip balm at as cool of a temperature as you can without it setting up.  If you pour it when it is hot, it will be thinner, and much harder to get into small tubes, and also it will shrink a lot.  So you will fill your tubes up to the top, and then when it cools they will be caved in up to a half of an inch on a very small tube.  So you want to let your oils cool a bit before you try to pour them.  No worries, if the mixture cools too much you can always re-heat it.
 To pour lip balm into tubes, I recommend using a small metal bowl of some sort (very small) or a metal measuring cup (like a 1/3  or 1/2 cup).  Add some melted lip balm mixture to your metal cup, then slowly pour it into the containers you have.  The reason for this is first: it is much easier to hold onto a small cup than try to pour your lip balm from a large pan.  And second: if it is metal, and the lip balm starts to solidify in the cup while you are pouring (which it always does) you can just set that metal measuring cup right onto a hot burner for a few seconds and it is ready to go again!
You can do the same thing with plastic, only put it in the microwave to re melt.  But it is easy to over heat in the microwave, so I prefer metal and the stove.  Just set the measuring cup on the stove burner for a few seconds and the lip balm that has solidified around the edges that makes it hard to pour will melt right off again.


Now that your containers are all full, just let them cool, label them (or not) and you are ready to go with your very own lip balm!

Top 7

Alright, so as promised, here are my 7 favorite essential oils, and some of the reasons why!  I've listed them from most favorite to least, although of course they are all my favorites, so it's kind of hard to rank them down to least favorite!  This is in no way meant to be a list of all or even most of the things these oils can be used for, or are said to do.  Rather, this is just what I love most about them, and what I personally use them for most often.  If you want a more in-depth look at essential oils and properties there are several books I can recommend that will fill you in on many more details, uses, cautions etc.

#1.  Clove
Clove made it to the top of the list because it is my favorite go to oil.  Cloves are native to the Maluku islands, and are primarily harvested in Indonesia, India, Madagascar, Zanzibar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. They have a numbing effect on the mouth tissue, and other tissue also for that matter.  The compound eugenol, found in cloves is responsible for much of the numbing effects that clove oil has.  You may not know what the dentist numbs your gums or the inside of your cheek before injecting you with anesthetic is made from clove oil.  Almost every dentist uses clove oil in some form because there is no arguing with it's safe amazing numbing abilities.  That can't be said about many natural products, because the medical community scoffs at most of them!  That being said, cloves numbing action can come in very handy, from sore gums or tooth pain, to teething babies,  painful ear infections, or infected and painful ingrown nails, painful scrapes, down to back pain.  Ear infections are my favorite thing to use clove oil for, as there seems to be nothing that can kick that horrible pain that can keep you awake when you have a nasty ear infection!  A few drops of clove oil mixed in some olive oil is a sure way to ease the pain in babies and adults alike.  Of couse being the mixer I am I always throw in a few other oils just for good measure!

#2.  Peppermint
I have suffered with migraines for as long as I can remember.  At age 5 I had them quite regularly, and would often spend the afternoon laying on my bedroom floor with my head under a blanket because the light hurt my eyes, and the aura I would get would make me really dizzy and so nauseous I couldn't move without getting sick.  My dad had them regularly, and my Grandma too, so it was always chalked up to being in my genes.   Any of you who suffer with migraines know the intense pain, and crippling side effects that come along with migraines.  I am not claiming that peppermint will cure your migraines.  I still have them.  I still take meds for them.  But that being said, peppermint helps me a lot.  I've read a lot of stuff about how people use peppermint for their migraines.  Some say they dab oils on their temples, some say they put it on the back of their neck, some say they inhale it etc.  For me, the only thing that has worked has been an agressive approach.  I take between 1 and 3 ml of essential oil and squirt it onto the top of my head, where it runs town my head towards my back.  Then I get in the shower, turn the water as hot as I can stand it, put just enough water on my head to suds, then put shampoo on my head, rub it all around, and let it stand for a couple minutes.  Then I rinse it off with as hot of water as is comfortable, not using too much water or trying to get it all out, just enough to get my head all hot again.  Then I let it sit again.  After a few more minutes I rinse and get out, or just let the hot water run and breathe in the peppermint steam for a while.
NOW... don't go home and try this right away.  If you haven't used peppermint much and don't know how your skin handles it, start slower.  Put 3 or 4 drops on your head and do this.  Then if there is no discomfort work your way up to more peppermint oil.
The reason this helps so much is because you are getting the peppermint all over your scalp, which you usually wouldn't be able to do without having a really oily head.  Also, the heat from the water opens up the pores in your head and allows it to stimulate blood flow to your brain.  And the steam vaporizes the peppermint oil and lets you breathe it in as well, which helps ease sinus pain and tension that comes along with migraines too, and the cooling effect peppermint has it soothing as well.
And I don't use the "it helps" term lightly.  I take some very heavy duty medications for my migraines, and not always, but quite often it either helps enough I can just take tylenol and be ok, or, even though I still have to take my meds, it reduces the other effects I usually get from migraines, like nausea, sensitivity to light, and dizziness.  Imitrex, is one of the most prescribed migraine medicines right now, and it works my opening the capillaries in your head and allowing more blood flow, this easing the symptoms of a migraine.  Peppermint works similarly.
I also use the exact same "shower technique" when I have a head cold, it sure does help the misery!
Also, I use a variation of this "technique" for Hudsen when is is stuffy.  I just don't apply the oil to his body, I just drip the oil on the walls or floor of the shower, let really hot water run over it for a minute to get the bathroom nice and steamy, then adjust the water to a more comfortable temp and sit in the bottom of the shower and let the steam help clear out his sinuses.

#3.  Lavender
I love this oil because it is safe for use undiluted, although once you become more familiar with oils you will find many of them can be used undiluted in different situations, but often caution must be used.  Lavender is great for pain, bug bites, insect repellant, and healing irritated skin.  I use it in all my diaper rash creams, muscle rubs, etc.  If an area in too sensitive to use clove on to help numb or deal with pain, lavender is your next best bet.  While I feel that claims for lavender oil have been greatly exaggerated, and claims for clove oil greatly under-exaggerated, I do still feel there is a wonderful place for lavender oil in any medicine cabinet.  It is gentle enough to use on tener skin, like in babies and children, and gentle enough to place directly on most cuts, scrapes, and boo boos.  Like I discussed in my previous blog post "Outrageous Claims Are A Turn Off", while I do think that essential oils have antibacterial, and anti-viral properties, what delights me the most is the immediate results that you can see.  And with lavender oil dropping a drop or two on a cut, sting or boo boo and watching a child's tears fade away as it soothes the pain is wonderful to see.  For adults, who don't mind a minute or two of burning before relief sets in, I'd highly recommend using clove oil for painful cuts or scrapes, because while it is a bit more harsh, the numbing effects are much stronger than lavender.  It's the next best thing to being able to have lidocaine on hand whenever you want!  But lavender possesses many of the same properties, just in a milder form.


#4.  Tea Tree
I like tea tree oil for the usual things you would expect and a few things you might not.  It is of course great for skin irritations and boo boos.  It is great for acne and oily skin.  But I also love it for its deodorizing properties.  Tea tree and orange are my two favorite oils for getting bad smells out of laundry.  Including diaper, spit up, cat pee, and nasty work clothes from men.

#5.  Ginger
This is an oil I rarely use by itself, but mixed with other oils made it popular enough to put it in my top 7.  Because ginger simulates circulation so well, it is beneficial in dealing with quite a few aliments.  The one I use if for most often is pain, or healing.  If I have back pain, it is usually because something is not right, and needs my body to heal it.  So, increasing circulation is always helpful in allowing the body to do it's own healing.  It is also the same for wounds.  Increasing circulation helps them heal. Also it is great for stomach issues, stimulating the digestive tract etc.

#6.  Sandalwood
Everyone should have one oil that just makes them happy.  At least that is my opinion, and sandalwood is just that for me.  I love the woody, earthy nature, and the sweet undertones it has.  That being said, Sandalwood is also excellent for skin ailments, and helps heal and soothe itching and inflammation from psoriasis, eczema and other types of dermatitis.  For this reason, I love sandalwood for sunburns, diaper rashes, eczema, and other annoying itchy skin problems me and my loved ones have had.  It is a very gentle oil, that is great to use on baby's bottoms when they are all raw and burned.  Always mix it with a carrier oil when applying it to babies though.  Sandalwood is an expensive oil, but you can purchase it mixed with a carrier oil already and it is quite reasonably priced then.  And for most applications you are diluting it anyway, so using it already in a carrier oil works just fine!

#7.  Chamomile
This is one of my favorite baby oils.  It is so soothing for irritated skin and so gentle on fragile little bodies.  Using it for diaper rashes, a few drops in bath water to soothe tender skin, or just to calm a fussy baby down.  I have given hudsen most forms of chamomile at one time or the other.  I regularly made him a "tummy tea" as I called it that had chamomile in it, put it in baths when he had a bad diaper rash, and now I give him drops before bed time and they calm him down so well it is nothing short of amazing.  Even traditionally minded medical doctors often recommend chamomile for its soothing and sedative properties.  It's primary action is that it calms nerves, and this is great for young and old alike.


So there are my top seven essential oils, and why I love and use them the most.
Hope it has been helpful and maybe you have learned something along the way!

Outrageous Claims Are A Turn Off!

I am going to kind of go against the main stream of natural health and skin care with this blog post, but this is just my honest opinons and experiences, so I hope you will read and post your comments because I am very interested to hear your thoughts on this topic!

So the truth is, I love natural health care not for what it can prevent, or heal, but how it can help you get through the bumps, bruises, pain, and sickness that are bound to pop up from time to time.  Now I know it seems most people into natural health care promote it as a preventative miracle to the flu, infections, disease, etc.  And don't get me wrong, I am a HUGE proponent of health food, vitamins, herbs, essential oils, etc.  But for me, how can you REALLY know if you were getting a cold, and you took something and it "knocked it" (a term I hear a lot in the natural world) or if you just had a little scratchy throat and then would have felt better the next day without your magic potion?  Do I think natural remides help your body fight off illness?  Absolutely.  But I get tired of all the claims.  "Oh I was about to get sick and then I took this and then I didn't get sick at all!  It's so amazing!"  Well, how do you know you were about to get sick?  Or, "I got sick and this helped fight it off or I would have had the cold a lot longer!" Again, my cynical self repeats..."how do you know?  Maybe this cold was only going to last a week anyway!  Or how about "this oil prevented me getting stretch marks!"  Really?  How do you know you were going to have any in the first place!  And like I said, I do believe natural things can help, I just have a problem when people are trying to get others interested in products with these claims, cause it is kind of a turn off to me because there is no way to prove if it is true or not, it is all in the person's mind.  And I know it is a turn off to others too.  They hear what they consider outrageous claims, and it makes them doubt there is any validity to using a natural product at all, cause it is so obvious that some of the claims are full of air.  But show me something that will help my congested head from the cold NOW... that's something I'd be interested in!  Or show me something that will help the stretch marks I already have....that would be awesome!  Now don't get me wrong, I do think prevention is the best medicine, I just get tired of the unprovable claims flying around.  I want to see it actually do something, or help heal something that is already wrong, THEN I might believe it can help me prevent something.

So... all that being said, I want to share a few things about essential oils today, using them, and what I love about them.
FIRST: I want to have a word of warning here.  With the rising popularity in using essential oils, but unfortunately (in my opinion) not the necessary education being given to those using essential oils, there is this hype that goes around with essential oils that turns a lot of people off and frankly can be harmful.  For example, an essential oil with antibacterial properties may or may not have enough of those properties when diluted in water, oil, or whatever else to kill bacteria in your home, on a cut, or anywhere else.  Just because you find a recipe in a book, online, or wherever for an "antibacterial salve" or "great natural cleaning product", does not mean it actually does that.  Straight oils are very powerful, and I am not arguing with that, but unless someone has analyzed the cleaning formula, or antibacterial salve recipe to see if it actually kills most germs IN THAT FORM, it really doesn't matter if there are tons of studies on the oils in it that show they can kill germs, when the form changes so can the properties.... so be a little cautious.  Also there are so many super charged viruses, and germs from these days from all the antibacterial lotion use, and antibiotic use that even a very potent oil may be powerless.  And that is just one example of things to look out for.  Just because a single oil has a certain property, that does not mean diluted it still will be strong enough to do what you were told, or hoping it would.  But because no one is testing most of the recipes stuff like this gets promoted and people assume it works like they want it to.  That being said I do think diluted oils can work wonderfully.  But be careful if you are using them to kill bacteria and other germs if the formula you are using has not been tested in a lab.  You could wind up with salmonella, or some other illness if you are placing your confidence in something that is not actually sanitizing your home.  It can just give you a false sense of confidence that can be dangerous.  Another example would be treating an ear infection, and not taking your kid to the doctor when you should because "this blend of oils will kill everything I'm sure it will work."  I'm not saying it won't, but please don't hurt yourself, your family or kids because you were told an oil would do something.  And I know that may seem extreme to some of you, but I know people who have done exactly that.  Refused to get medical care because they were sure something else was "healing" them but it just took time.  But the truth was it wasn't working at all... and there were very sad consequences.  And my life is forever changed because of those choices.  So be reasonable please!

So, that word of caution being said, here is why I love essential oils and why I use them.  Not for the "mental uplifting" or "clarity" or even really the health benefits although they may well do those all things.  75% of the time I use essential oils it is for immediate relief from pain or discomfort.  And the reason this excites me so much is because you don't have to speculate if it is helping or not over months of use, you know right away if it worked or not!
So here are some of my favorite uses for essential oils.  Bug bites, sunburns, sore throats, blisters, tooth pain, ear aches, injuries, stomach pain, and back pain.  And of course I use them for other things, but those are the most common.  And this is where it gets exciting to me.  Because what really makes me happy is when something natural can help with things that I know are GOING to happen.  Cause we all know bad things happen.  We are going to get hurt, going to get the flu, going to have a teething baby, etc. etc. etc.  So when that happens having something that actually helps the discomfort is AMAZING!  Especially with babies and kids, cause so many medicines are not safe to use at that age, so options are limited!   And yes, the fact is clove oil has antiviral, antibacterial properties.  But I don't know if it kills an ear infection or not.  Hudsen and my little sis both have had multiple ear infections and have only each been on antibiotics once, so I tend to believe it does help kill the infection, but the truth is I can't prove that.  But what I do know is it stoppes a screaming baby in their tracks, and by doing so stops a frantic mommy in her tracks too!   I don't know if my mixture of tummy oils heals something in the digestive tract or "restores the mucose lining to the stomach", but I do know it soothes colicky babies like a charm.  Almost instantly.  Not after months of use.  Just a few drops and most of the time within minutes they are much clamer.  You don't need to use it every day.  I use my oils mostly as a first aid kit.  Yes, I use oils almost every day, but the part that excites me and I talk about is the first aid type stuff, cause I see instant results, and that is something I can feel good about sharing with others.

My reason for writing this blog is for those of you that have been turned off to essential oils, or herbs or other natural products because of all the hype that surrounds them.  So from me, an avid natural remedy lover to you... I am truly sorry for all the outrageous claims that are supposed to make you "believe" but often wind up doing the exact opposite.
Perhaps you could come to love essential oils and herbs like I have.  Maybe you could love grabbing a bottle of lavender because it works better for bug bites than a lotion from the drugstore.  Maybe you could love clove because it will numb things like none other, and that is really handy sometimes!  Maybe you could love essential oils not because of the outrageous health benefits, or amazing healing stories, or because they will "keep you well", but because they make your life easier by helping deal with the bumps and pains that we all have to live with.

So this is what I will be focusing more on in my blogs.  Not all the properties of each oil, and what they are supposed to do, there are lots of books written on those subjects.  But what I use them for, what I have found actually works, my recipes for ear oil, bug bites, etc.  So if you are skeptical, please keep reading my blog posts.  And if you want to just try one oil and see what all the fuss is about, come into the store and talk to me.  I promise I won't tell you why oils will cure all your problems.  Cause heaven knows I have lots of issues I haven't even cured in myself!  But having something help me through is so valuable to me!
My next blog will be about my favorite 7 oils, so be sure to check that one out if you are interested!