Thursday, June 12, 2008

Sunburn and Mosquitoes: Are You Prepared?

Summer is just around the corner…
Are you prepared for Sunburn and Mosquitoes?

· Personal Testimonials
· Order Checklist
· Fun Recipes to make

Essential Products Order for summer:

  • Lavaderm Cooling Mist
  • Lavender essential oil
  • Peppermint essential oil
  • Purification essential oil blend

Some other helpful items:

  • Aloe Vera gel. Please check the label to ensure that it is 100% pure and is not blue or green in color. Aloe vera gel can be purchased at Wegmans in the Nature’s Market or you favorite local health food store.
  • Glass Spray Bottles
    http://www.sks-bottle.com/

Here are some of my recipes. Use your imagination!

Sunburn Cooling Spritz

  • In a 2-oz glass spray bottle, fill with distilled water, then add:
  • 20 drops of Lavender essential oil
  • 4 drops of Peppermint essential oil
  • A smidgeon of 100% pure aloe vera gel.
    Shake well before using. This spritz could be used preventatively or to care for a sunburn. Apply on location. Store in a cool, dark place. Avoid direct eye contact.
    Add a ribbon around one and give it to a friend :)

    Don’t Bug Me bug Spray
  • In a 2-oz glass spray bottle, fill with distilled water, then add:
  • 20 drops of Purification essential oil blend
  • 4 drops of Peppermint essential oil
  • A smidgeon of 100% pure aloe vera gel
    Shake well before using. Close eyes and spray over head, on arms, legs and don’t forget those ankles. Store in a cool, dark place. Avoid direct eye contact.
    Add a ribbon around one and give it to a friend :)


    Please let me know if you have any questions – or feedback from your homemade products or essential oils that you use.
    Thank you, Amy

Sunday, June 8, 2008
















HAY FEVER, ALLERGIES & AROMATHERAPY

Suggested Essential Oils:

  • Eucalyptus radiata or globulus: Clears nasal or sinus congestion; expels mucous
  • Frankincense: Helps break down excess mucous; anti-inflammatory
  • German Chamomile: Anti-inflammatory, antihistamine
  • Helichrysum: Anti-spasmodic
  • Laurel Leaf: Expectorant, decongestant; calming and sedative
  • Lavender: Antihistamine, Anti-inflammatory, sedative and relaxing
  • Lemon: Immunostimulant
  • Opoponax: Antimucolytic, Emotionally grounding
  • Peppermint: Eases breathing
  • Ravintsara: Decongesting, anti-inflammatory
  • Roman Chamomile: Anti-inflammatory, antihistamine
  • Vetiver: Anti-inflammatory; reduces itchiness; emotional grounding
  • Ylang ylang: Anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, relaxing and calming

Recipes

Clear Head Blend

  • 1 Tablespoon of carrier oil (olive, jojoba, grapeseed)
  • 2 drops of Peppermint essential oil
  • 2 drops of Lavender essential oil
    Massage in to scalp, temples and base of neck. Inhale essences from hands following application. Avoid direct eye contact. Take a few minutes of quiet time to relax and close your eyes.

    Allergy Relief Formula
  • 2 Tablespoons of Sea Salt or Epsom Salts
  • 3 drops of Lavender essential oil
  • 2 drop of Peppermint essential oil
    Fill a foot basin or tub half full with tepid water. Add essential oils to the salts and mix before adding to the water. Avoid direct eye contact. Soak your feet while sitting for at least 15 – 20 minutes.

    Asthma Oil Blend
  • 2 Tablespoons of carrier oil (olive, jojoba, grapeseed)
  • 16 drops of Lavender essential oil
  • 3 drops of Peppermint essential oil
  • 3 drops of Eucalyptus radiata or globulus essential oil
  • 3 drops of Ylang ylang essential oil
    In a glass amber bottle, add the essential oils and carrier oil and mix/shake well. Massage well on upper back and front of upper chest. Avoid direct eye contact. Inhale from hands with several deep and relaxed breaths. Apply three times per day.

    APPLICATIONS

    Massage
    Add a total of 10 - 12 drops of any combination of essential oils to 2 oz of carrier oil (olive, jojoba, grapeseed, etc.)

    Cold Air Diffuse
    Set a timer to diffuse for 15 minutes every 2 hours

    Direct Inhalation
    Place 2 drops on a tissue or cotton ball and inhale as needed

    Nasal Inhaler
    Soak a blank cotton nasal inhaler with a combination of essential oils. Use only as needed.

    Young Living Essential Oil Supplements
  • Cleansing Trio Kit
  • Detoxzyme
  • Essentialzyme
  • JuvaTone
  • MultiGreens
  • Polyzyme
  • Sulfurzyme
  • References:
    The A to Z of Essential Oils by E. Joy Bowles, 2003
    A Lifetime Guide to Healing with Essential Oils by Valerie Cooksley, 1996
    The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood, 1991 Essential Oils Desk Reference by Essential Science Publishing, 2005

    Sunday, May 18, 2008

    Triclosan: What it is and why You Should Avoid It

    About Triclosan (reource: Wikipedia.org)

    Reports have suggested that triclosan can combine with chlorine in tap water to form chloroform gas,[16] which the United States Environmental Protection Agency classifies as a probable human carcinogen.
    As a result, triclosan was the target of a UK cancer alert, even though the study showed that the amount of chloroform generated was less than amounts often present in chlorinated drinking waters.

    Triclosan reacts with the free chlorine in tap water to also produce lesser amounts of other compounds, like
    2,4-dichlorophenol.[16] Most of these intermediates convert into dioxins upon exposure to UV radiation (from the sun or other sources). Although small amounts of dioxins are produced, there is a great deal of concern over this effect because some dioxins are extremely toxic and are very potent endocrine disruptors. They are also chemically very stable, so that they are eliminated from the body very slowly (they can bioaccumulate to dangerous levels), and they persist in the environment for a very long time. However, dioxin is not one compound, but a family of compounds of widely ranging toxicity. The dioxin compound that formed when triclosan degraded in sunlight is not a dioxin of public health concern.
    Triclosan is chemically somewhat similar to the dioxin class of compounds. Its production leads to small amounts of residual polychlorinated dioxins, and polychlorinated furans which are contained in small amounts, in the products that are using it.

    A 2006 study concluded that low doses of triclosan act as an
    endocrine disruptor in the North American bullfrog.[17] The hypothesis proposed is that triclosan blocks the metabolism of thyroid hormone, because it chemically mimics thyroid hormone, and binds to the hormone receptor sites, blocking them, so that normal hormones cannot be utilized. Triclosan has also been found in both the bile of fish living downstream from waste water processing plants and in human breast milk.[18]

    The negative effects of Triclosan on the environment and its questionable benefits in toothpastes
    [19] has led to the Swedish Naturskyddsföreningen to recommend not using triclosan in toothpaste.[20]

    Triclosan is used in many common household products including
    Clearasil Daily Face Wash, Dentyl mouthwash, Dawn, the Colgate Total range, Crest Cavity Protection, Softsoap, Dial, Right Guard deodorant, Sensodyne Total Care, Old Spice and Mentadent. At this time, in the United States, manufacturers of products containing triclosan must say so somewhere on the label.

    The ADA (American Dental Association)
    published a response to the concerns stemming from the Virginia Tech study stating that Triclosan in toothpaste is not relevant.

    In one study, recently accepted for publication in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives and made available online, Isaac Pessah, PhD, director of the U.C. Davis Children's Center for Environmental Health, looked at how triclosan may affect the brain. Pessah's test-tube study found that the chemical attached itself to special "receptor" molecules on the surface of cells. This raises calcium levels inside the cell. Cells overloaded with calcium get overexcited. In the brain, these overexcited cells may burn out neural circuits, which could lead to an imbalance that affects mental development. Some people may carry a mutated gene that makes it easier for triclosan to attach to their cells. That could make them more vulnerable to any effects triclosan may cause.
    [21]

    Learn more from these Articles
    Data results on Triclosan from Skin Deep:
    Toxic chemical triclosan commonly found in anti-bacterial soaps, toothpaste products http://www.naturalnews.com/022178.html

    Cleaning product chemical triclosan can produce a carcinogen when mixed with tap water, new study says
    http://www.naturalnews.com/007126.html

    FDA Warns Proctor and Gamble about Unlawful Marketing Claims with Hand Sanitizer for Kids http://www.naturalnews.com/022554.html

    Using Antibacterial Soap May Disrupt Your Hormones http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2006/oct/science/jp_triclosan.html http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T4G-4M0S2Y9-1&_coverDate=09%2F29%2F2006&_alid=486996859&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_qd=1&_cdi=4974&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=f2b4b16c7d02feeaa64ad3d81b46c350
    Can Washing Dishes Really Harm Your Health? http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/06/04/dish-washing.aspx

    Why You Don't Want to Use Antibacterial Soap Anymore
    http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/esthag/2007/41/i07/abs/es062227l.html http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/feb/science/ee_chloroform.html?sa_campaign=rss/cen_mag/estnews/2007-02-28/ee_chloroform

    A note from Amy
    ALL YOU NEED TO PROPERLY WASH YOUR HANDS IS PLAIN SOAP AND WATER.

    AFTER CHECKING YOUR HAND / DISH SOAP LABELS FOR THIS NASTY CHEMICAL, TAKE A LOOK AT THE COLOR OF THE SOAP... IF IT'S BRIGHT RED, ORANGE, BLUE, YELLOW, PUT IT BACK ON THE SHELF. THOSE COLORS ARE FROM FD&C DYES (ORIGINATED FROM COAL TAR) AND ARE NASTY TO OUR ECOSYSTEM AND TO YOUR CHILDREN'S BEHAVIOR PATTERNS.

    COMMERCIAL BAR SOAPS CONTAIN TALLOWATE, WHICH IS SLAUGHTERED ANIMAL FAT, WHICH MOST LIKELY INJECTED WITH HORMONES (BIG SURPRISE) AND NOT SOMETHING YOU WANT TO PUT ON YOUR SKIN.

    BUY A GALLON OF DOCTOR BRONNER'S CASTILE SOAP AND PUT IN FUN LITTLE PUMP JARS AND PLACE OVER THE HOME, GIVE TO FRIENDS. DR. BRONNER'S SOAPS ARE FOUND IN MOST HEALTH FOOD STORES, WEGMANS AND ONLINE:
    http://www.DRBRONNER.com/

    PURCHASE YOUR SOAP FROM LOCAL SOAP MAKERS (FOUND AT YOUR LOCAL FARMER'S MARKET), MOST OF THEM USE GENTLE INGREDIENTS LIKE GOATS MILK, CALENDULA, OATMEAL AND HERBS.

    YOUNG LIVING'S THIEVES FOAMING HAND SOAP ALONG WITH ANY OF THEIR BAR SOAPS ARE VERY NICE ALTERNATIVES.
    Amy