Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Are You Diffused Yet?



Well, maybe you're not diffused...rather you're confused!  Are you wondering what diffusing essential oils is all about?

I've talked a lot about diffusing essential oils.  But what does that mean?  When I diffuse my oils, I'm simply placing my essential oil or oils of choice in a diffuser with a little bit of water to disperse and suspend the oil into tiny droplets into the air for several purposes.  

One purpose of diffusing the oils is to allow inhalation of the teeny tiny micro-droplets of oil in order to benefit from their medicinal properties. This could be using a combination of peppermint oil, lavender oil, and lemon oil to help aid in allergy relief.  Or if you need a mood booster, you could diffuse a blend such as Joy essential oil.  If you want to evoke relaxation or restful sleep, you could diffuse lavender or a blend called Peace & Calming. If you want to aid in decongestion you could diffuse eucalyptus oil or use a blend called thieves.  For mental clarity and concentration you can diffuse peppermint or rosemary.  There are countless oils that are useful for an array of needs. Diffusing the oils is my favorite way to enjoy their medicinal properties.  

Another benefit of diffusing oils is to clean the air around you. Lemon is a great antimicrobial oil used to freshen and clean the air. Another oil blend used for this purpose is called purification. I've read that diffusing is so effective that many hospitals in England and France diffuse essential oils daily to keep incidences of drug-resistant bacteria low and to keep the air free from micro-organisms.  Sign me up for that!

And if you have doubts about the above uses of diffusing, everyone can at least benefit from the third reason to diffuse essential oils!  They make your house smell wonderful!!!  I never bought candles often, because we move so much and the movers will not pack candles.  Buying myself candles means bringing them to our next location in our car, rather than the moving truck. I certainly used candles, but didn't use them as much as I wanted to because they're pricey and I don't want to haul them if I don't finish them.  I've read many articles about the possible dangers associated with the burning chemicals in candles and synthetic air fragrances.  Plus, I get tired of the same smell.  But with a diffuser, I can fill my house with Joy in the morning and peppermint in the afternoon!  I can switch between scents as much as I want. If I want a Christmas scent, I can use spruce and cinnamon oils (Young Living sells a Christmas blend).  If I want a fresh scent, I can use a citrus such as orange or grapefruit!  And the best part about it is that it's completely natural!  No chemicals or fake fragrances to fret about. It's just plain goodness!  And FYI, the aroma happens as soon as you turn the diffuser on.  Immediately you smell the goodness you have chosen!  


Where did I get my diffuser?  I got it when I bought a Young Living Premium Starter Kit.  The diffuser was included along with 11 bottles of the everyday essential oils to get you started.  I've used my diffuser everyday, that's for sure!!!    

p.s. I've been thinking about how wonderful diffusing would be for teacher's classrooms!  On testing days, you can boost focus and mental clarity with peppermint diffusing.  If you and your students need a pick-me up late in the day, you could diffuse a citrus oil like orange.  And if the gunk is going around school, you could throw some thieves in the diffuser.  Oh the possibilities!    

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Homemade Deodorant Scented With Essential Oils

So, the real reason I wanted to get into essential oils is to make my own products.  Along the way, I've realized essential oils can be beneficial so many other ways.  But creating my own chemical-free products has been my excitement for a few months now.  I think making my own stuff is fun and if there are benefits such as zero toxic chemicals and better for my pocketbook, then YAY YAY!

So I finally took the few minutes it takes to make my very own stick of deodorant.  I was so excited about doing this because I fell in love with the scent of Joy essential oil from Young Living.  I decided to make a deodorant using this scent.  However, the oil is a bit pricey, so I used half the oils it called for using Joy and the other half I chose to use lavender.  I followed this RECIPE from a pin I pinned on my Pinterest Homemade board.  I also used the 4 drops of tea tree oil because it is an anti-bacterial oil and helps with odor.

It was seriously SO EASY!  And I LOVE the way it smells.


The ingredients:  one empty dial deodorant container, 1/2 cup of coconut oil, 1/4 cup baking soda, 1/8 cup beeswax beads (I got these from our healthfood store in the beauty bulk section), 4 drops of tea tree oil, and 30 drops of your choice of oils (I did 15 of Joy and 15 of lavender...for a more manly scent, maybe some cedarwood or just tea tree oil).  


Melt the coconut oil and beeswax on a low heat, once melted remove from the heat and stir in baking soda and essential oils.  Keep stirring until it thickens up.


Then pour it into your empty deodorant container and place it in your refrigerator to fully cool.  

  
It comes out looking like this and smells AWESOME!  And no chemicals, super cheap, and took less time to make it than to run up to the store and buy it!  Maybe I'm getting really old, but that's my idea of fun!  I love this kind of stuff!

Again, let me know if you'd like to use the Young Living Essential Oils and I can help you enjoy them as much as we have so far.