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It’s no secret that traditional cleaning products are harmful. However, many people believe that the only way to effectively clean their home is with toxic chemicals. While these products may appear to work, they are exposing your family to poisonous toxins known to cause respiratory issues such as asthma, hormonal disruption, migraine headaches, dizziness, tumor growth, infertility and even cancer.
As part of a healthy lifestyle, we strive to keep our families safe and well by having a clean environment in the home. A clean home can help to avoid many health issues and spread of illness.
So how you clean your home safely and effectively? With some inexpensive products and essential oils, you can get the job done for a fraction of the cost of traditional cleaning products. Essential oils are very potent, so just a few drops can clean multiple areas. In addition, if you have small children or pets at home, using essential oils to clean, can ensure that your family is not being exposed to unnecessary toxins every day.
Essential oils are surprisingly versatile and can be used for cleaning, as well as for personal care and in cooking. While cleaning, they can provide a pleasant aroma by combining different essential oils for your own signature scent.
So which essential oils should you use for cleaning? There are certain essential oils that contain properties most effective for surface cleaning. Examples of great surface cleaning essential oils are lemon, melaleuca, lime, eucalyptus and wild orange.
It is important to remember that not all essential oils are created equal when it comes to quality and purity. Low quality essential oils will contain fillers, artificial fragrance and other unknown chemicals. High quality essential oils (certified pure therapeutic grade) will produce the best results for cleaning and safety. When using CPTG oils, you can be sure that the oils will be provide the best cleansing benefits for your home.
YOU CAN MAKE ALL OF YOUR CLEANING PRODUCTS
AT HOME!
With some simple ingredients, you can make your own products for every area of your home. See the Green Cleaning Checklist at the bottom of this article. Some simple ingredients include baking soda, white vinegar, castile soap and salt.
One of the best ways to use your essential oils is to diffuse them to help cleanse the air and remove unpleasant odors. Lemon is especially good for removing odors. You can add 4 drops of lemon and lavender to your diffuser.
Also, be sure to replace your air filter every season. You can add a few drops of melaleuca or Purify to disinfect the air.
You will also want to replace your air fresheners with essential oil rooms sprays. Most air fresheners are extremely toxic to both humans and animals.
DIY Recipes
Room Spray Recipe
Combine 1.5 oz of distilled water, 1 tablespoon witch hazel, 10 drops lavender, 10 drops wild orange.
Window Cleaner
Combine 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup water, 10 drops lemon essential oil in a 16oz bottle.
Furniture and Wood Polish
Combine 1 cup olive oil, 7 drops arborvitae, 8 drops wild orange, 1 cup white vinegar in a 16oz spray bottle.
All Purpose Cleaning Spray
Combine 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup distilled water, 15 drops melaleuca, 15 drops lemon, 10 drops lavender in a 16oz spray bottle.
Stainless Steel Spray
Fill a spray bottle with undiluted vinegar and 10 drops lemon essential oil. Follow the grain of the essential oil with your microfiber cloth.
Soft Scrub Recipe
1.5 cup baking soda
1/2 cup castile soap
2 tablespoons distilled water
16 drops lemon essential oil
10 drops lime essential oil.
Combine baking soda and castile soap. Stir in water. Add essential oils until it forms a soft paste. Store in an airtight container or glass mason jar.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
1 cup baking soda, 10 drops melaleuca in mason jar. Mix well. When cleaning toilet, add half cup of baking soda mixture and ¼ cup vinegar. Scrub as vinegar and baking soda react.
Mold and Mildew Shower Spray
In a 16oz spray bottle, combine 30 drops melaleuca and 30 drops peppermint with distilled water and spray shower walls and tub.
Linen Spray
Mix 2 cups distilled water, 2 tbs rubbing alcohol and 15 drops lavender. Spray linens or the air for a relaxing scent.
Carpet Refresher
2 cups baking soda
5 drops melaleuca, 5 drops lavender or eucalyptus.
Shoe Sole Spray
Combine 10 drops melaleuca and distilled water in a 2oz spray bottle.
As you begin to use essential oils for cleaning, you will be amazed at how easy it is to make your own cleaning products and how effective they are. You will not only save money by making your own products, but you will also get to benefit from the aroma of your favorite essential oils.
To get started with using essential oils for cleaning and a natural lifestyle, you can get your own wholesale account and save 25% on all your products. The best way to start is with an enrollment kit because you will get all of the oils you need for cleaning at the lowest cost. You can open your own account right from my website at www.PurefitWomen.fit.
To order additional supplies, some products listed below can be found on the “Shop Section” at www.PurefitWomen.fit and the links will take you to Amazon. Additional supplies can be purchased at DoTERRA DIY Accessories.
DIY Green Cleaning Supply Checklist
People strive for wellness in life. “Wellness” can be characterized by not only the absence of disease, but by feeling generally healthy and being able to enjoy life. How you feel physically and emotionally, determines the state of your overall health and well-being.
Poor lifestyle habits put people at high risk for many physical and mental diseases. In addition, stress-related ailments, combined with a genetic predisposition, can trigger a health crisis. Our culture encourages a dependence on doctors and drugs to heal these physical and emotional issues.
It is clear that negative behaviors and lifestyle choices such as poor stress management, inadequate nutrition, lack of exercise and sleep, smoking and drinking are major contributors to illness.
Modern medicine focuses on diagnosis and treatment, whereas a wellness lifestyle focuses on education, self-awareness and prevention.
Instead of merely treating the disease, the wellness lifestyle addresses its causes of the “dis-ease” in the body and assists the body in healing itself.
The wave of the future is to nurture the mind, body and spirit for optimal health. Ultimately, the key to wellness is to simply learn what serves the body, then restoring to the body what it needs for lasting wellness.
Besides a healthy diet, and proper rest, we must pay attention to what we put on our bodies as well. In today’s world, we are bombarded with products for everything. Between skin care, makeup and personal care products, our bathrooms are packed with products for everything imaginable.
Unfortunately, many of these products are harmful to our health. It may surprise you to know that the federal law on cosmetics and other personal care products have not been updated for nearly 80 years.
Some chemicals contained in cosmetics have been linked to many health problems, including allergies, asthma, headaches, skin issues, and even cancer. The good news is that there are natural and safe options to all of these products through the use of essential oils.
Plant remedies, known as essential oils, have been used throughout the world for thousands of years. It is one of nature’s most powerful tools available to help the body heal itself.
We can use essential oils can be used every aspect of our daily lives. Typical uses include cleaning, cooking, skin care, immune support, animal care, purifying the air and supporting emotional and physical needs of the body.
The overall quality of essential oils is extremely important when using them therapeutically. The most important factor in selecting essential oils, is that are thoroughly tested and certified for purity and potency.
There are some essential oils that are popular for their many uses and are considered daily use oils. Below I have listed my most used oils in our home and some ways you can use them.
Lavender
Peppermint
Invigorating, cooling and refreshing properties
Lemon
Tea Tree
Frankincense
Visit my doterra store to purchase these amazing oils and get your own wholesale membership account.
If you have any sort of digestion issues, or just want to continue to support a healthy digestive system, essential oils are important to add to your routine. When using essential oils for digestion, they can be consumed or used topically on the abdomen or lower back. Let’s take a more in depth look at some of the best essential oils for digestion.
Ginger
Ginger is probably the most effective herb when dealing with minor digestive issues. It can ease nausea, soothe indigestion and help break down heavy meals. Ginger essential oil has a warm spicy fragrance and can be added to hot tea or diluted with a carrier oil and massaged onto the abdomen or lower back.
Peppermint
Peppermint has been used for centuries in many different cultures to aid with digestive issues. Peppermint essential oil has a cooling effect on the skin and feels very soothing when massaged onto the abdomen or lower back to help ease minor stomach pains or nausea. It also is delicious when added to hot tea after meals. Peppermint can also relieve minor headaches, so it’s a great oil to use to help ease the symptoms of menstruation.
Clove
Clove has a deep spicy fragrance and because of its soothing properties is known as one of the best essential oils for digestion. Clove essential oil can reduce inflammation in the intestinal lining, so it’s a great oil to use if you suffer from gas, bloating or frequent stomach cramps.
Oregano
Oregano oil has very powerful properties that work well on digestive issues. Because it is extremely antibiotic and anti-fungal, it can help maintain a healthy digestive tract when used regularly. Oregano essential oil can be placed in a vegetable capsule and taken daily. It should never be placed directly on the skin or in the mouth because of the burning sensation it can cause.
All these essential oils for digestion can be used together or separately to support a healthy digestive system.
Stress Less With Essential Oils
Who isn’t stressed these days? It seems that stress, in one form or another, is something we all have to deal with at one time or another. As moms, we strive to achieve the American dream. We are taught to get a good education, find a great job, have a family, and balance it all perfectly at the end of the day. With all of these expectations, the reality is, that we are overworked, run down, and flat-out stressed.
Unfortunately, your body cannot distinguish one type of stress from another. Whether you get a flat tire on the highway, run 5 miles, or lose your job, stress is stress. It is impossible to alleviate stress altogether, however, it is possible to make changes that can reduce stress in your daily life.
When you can reduce the stress in your body, you can help support your body’s natural functions, and have better overall health and wellness.
There are many ways we can manage stress more effectively:
Many people have heard of essential oils, but are not quite sure what they are or what they do. Essential oils are volatile, aromatic compounds that are found and extracted naturally from plants. They are nature’s defense mechanisms for plants and cells. Essential oils have been used throughout history for their therapeutic and medicinal benefits.
Essential oils can be used aromatically, topically and internally. Aromatic use of essential oils (whether diffused or inhaled) can help affect your mood, purify the air and ease breathing. Topical use can service every cell in your body and can be applied to troubled areas for immediate relief. Internal use can nourish the entire body and support your immune system.
Whether you choose to use essential oils aromatically, topically or internally, they can have life-changing benefits to your overall health and wellness. Be sure to always use Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade oils to ensure the safety and efficacy of your products.
Here are my Top 10 Picks for Essential Oils for Stress:
Below are some great diffuser blends for stress. You can also make these same diffuser blends into a roller bottle blend and apply topically with fractionated coconut oil.
Be Calm
4 drops lavender, 4 drops spearmint
Stress Free
4 drops lavender, 4 drops wild orange
Sleepytime
4 drops lavender, 2 drops vetiver
Anti-anxiety
2 drops sandalwood, 2 drops ylang ylang, 2 drops lavender, 2 drops wild orange
Emotional Balance
4 drops frankincense, 4 drops bergamot
Emotional health is a topic that has become more openly discussed in recent years. It seems that many people today are dealing with feelings of being overwhelmed, anxiousness,, stress, and depression. Often, these same feelings trigger anger, frustration, fear and grief. When these emotions begin to interfere with a person’s ability to enjoy daily life, damage relationships or affect their job, it is something that needs to be addressed.
Therapy can be very helpful and just talking about these feelings with someone can help greatly. Unfortunately, many people resort to medications first to help them feel better. Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications come with side effects and are linked to long term health issues. Studies indicate that there is improvement for patients in the short term, but long-term benefit is not as effective.
Essential oils can provide safe and natural support without negative effects. First and foremost, a healthy diet can great impact mental health. Avoiding processed foods and focusing on whole, plant-based foods will have a positive effect on the mind and body. Getting quality sleep and daily exercise are additionally important to restore and rejuvenate the body.
So how does aromatherapy affect your mental health? As you inhale an essential oil, it triggers a response in the olfactory bulb, which is responsible for our emotions. Certain oils can trigger different responses.
How do you use essential oils for improving mental health? Simply inhale a drop or two of the essential oil right from the palm of your hand. Rub a couple of drops together in your hand, cup your hands over your mouth and inhale deeply. You can also use a diffuser. Keep it next to your bed or in the main room of your home. Add 6-8 drops of the essential oil of your choice to the diffuser and enjoy the aroma for the desired effect. Another popular way to use your oils is to add a few drops to a small spray bottle with water and make a mist. Spray on to your pillow before bed or in the car on your way to work.
Lastly, you can apply the oils to your skin. Rub a few drops over your heart, back of neck or bottoms of your feet. Add a few drops of a “carrier oil” such as coconut oil or sweet almond oil to prevent any skin sensitivity.
So which oils are best for mental health? Here are my top picks:
Regular coconut oil has been popular for a few years now, but you may not have heard about fractionated coconut oil. Fractionated coconut oil contains caprylic acid and capric acid, which are used in cosmetics. While you can consume fractionated coconut oil, it’s best used for a variety of cosmetic purposes because it’s odorless and colorless.
Fractionated coconut oil is a natural moisturizer and absorbs quickly into your skin, so you won’t have that greasy feeling many traditional lotions leave behind. Frequent use of fractionated coconut oil as a moisturizer will give you the smooth, silky skin we all desire.
If you are using fractionated coconut oil as a moisturizer, you can add your favorite fragrance to essential oil. Not only does this makes your essential oils last longer, but it also let’s you take advantage of an essential oils benefits. doTerra recommends you use one-part essential oil to at least five parts of their fractionated coconut oil.
Fractionated coconut oil can be used as a natural conditioner. By applying a few drops on a daily basis, you can use this oil to hydrate damaged hair for a glossy and silky-smooth appearance. For those with frizzy air or hair that easily tangles, fractionated coconut oil can be used to manage wild hair.
As busy moms and professional women, we tend to wear a lot of makeup. Instead of using harsh cleansers, you can use fractionated coconut oil to remove your makeup. It even works on waterproof makeup. All you need to do is apply some oil to a clean tissue.
These are just a few of the many uses for fractionated coconut oil. Many people like using it for massages, as a natural alternative to sunscreen, and as part of an exfoliating scrub. It’s a very versatile oil. Get your bottle today on doTerra’s online store.
As a mom, I want to be sure that my kids live in a home that is free of as many harmful products as possible. Most of us are unaware of common products in our homes that can cause serious health problems. Unless you begin to look into what is contained in these common products, people just do not realize they can cause allergies, asthma, endocrine disruption, and even cancer.
In my journey toward a more natural lifestyle, I started to think about the safety of the products I was using on myself and my children. Most of what we put on our skin is absorbed into the body. I decided to make some gradual changes toward making better choices for the health of my family.
Here are my top 5 steps toward creating a more natural and toxin-free home.
Moving toward a more natural lifestyle will take time. Little changes will make big changes in your health. Visit my website www.Purefitwomen.fit for more info on healthy tips, recipes and essential oils.
Lavender has been used for over 2,500 years. The ancient Greeks called it nardus. The herb was so important that it was even mention in the Song of Soloman as nard. It wasn’t until Ancient Roman times that lavender received a name closer to what we call it today. The Romans named it lavandārius from lavanda, which means things to be washed, because they would put the herb in their baths and on their beds and clothing. We continue to use lavender because it has several culinary uses, helps relieve the symptoms of many skin conditions, and is useful for aromatherapy.
When ingesting lavender, you must make sure you are using an edible essential oil because not all those available on the market are fit for human consumption. One way to make sure you won’t get sick is to go with a trusted brand, such as doTERRA, that will tell you which essential oils you can use internally.
If you love lavender, you may want to experiment with it in cooking. Lavender is very versatile. It can be added to almost anything to add flavor complexity and can be used in place of rosemary in bread and fish dishes. Many people also enjoy adding it to champagne or chocolate dishes. However, a little bit goes a long way. Using too much can make your meal taste bitter or like perfume.
External uses for lavender oil often have the user apply the oil directly to their skin. Lavender oil can be used to promote the growth of healthy skin and hair. It can be used to sooth small cuts, burns, bruises and insect bites because it helps stimulate blood flow. Many people have found success with using lavender to help treat acne.
Lavender essential oil can also be used to improve mood and provide a sense of tranquility. To get the most out of lavender, apply it to your wrists in the morning and rub a little on your pillow before you go to bed.
These are only a few of the uses for Lavender essential oil. For those who are unsure of which essential oil to start with, Lavender is a great place to start because there are so many ways to use it.