Creating your own gifts is a great way to demonstrate care. They can be personal, fun and healthy when you give chemical-free nourishing, healing essential oils. They are also easier on tight budgets without compromising quality.
Did you know the average woman applies over 300 chemicals a day to her body just through soaps, makeup, shampoo, and hair care products? Eighty of those products are applied before breakfast!
The “Healthy Living” app by Environmental Working Group - is an independent resource that can be found at the app store for download. You can scan the product barcode or type in the ingredient you are wondering about. It will give you a 1-10 dirty rating, along with detailed but easy-to-understand information on ingredients, certification, health impacts & health warnings by governments and independent organizations such as the Lung Association and Cancer research foundation among others.
Check the products you are using and gifting to see if they contain ingredients with health warnings. Support wellness for your loved ones.
Not all Oils are Equal
Many companies increase profits by spraying crops with pesticides to get a higher yield or using chemical solvents to extract the oils and then dilute them with cheaper 2nd and 3rd distillations or carrier oils. Many essential oils are sold more cheaply because companies cut corners.
When shopping for oils, I landed with Young Living because of their seed-to-seal commitment. Young Living oversees every step to ensure the soil, seeds, distillation process and final product are beyond organic and are gently extracted to retain all the therapeutic compounds necessary for wellness support.
Here are some ideas for transforming essential oils into great gifts. The star indicates that they are part of the Premium Starter Kit oils collection, our best value for getting an awesome lineup of oils and a diffuser in your home that gets you ready for meeting a wide spectrum of needs.
HOME SPA GIFTS!
SUGAR SCRUB
¼ cup + 2 T Young Living V-6 Oil Complex or Coconut Oil
5 drops Bergamot or Lemon*
3 drops Lavender*
2 drops Frankincense*
2 drops Wintergreen or Peppermint*
¾ cup raw sugar
In a small bowl, mix carrier oil with essential oils. Add mixture to raw sugar in a larger bowl and combine thoroughly. Store in an airtight jar. Short wide-mouth canning jars work great!
Top with a ribbon and gift label and you have a gift ready for a teacher, Mom, teen, or Neighbour.
BEAUTIFUL NAILS
In a 2oz Dropper Bottle
3 drops Lavender*
3 drops Lemon*
3 drops Rosemary
3 drops Frankincense* or Geranium
Top off with Jojoba or Argon Oil and apply to nail bed daily
If you have no time for a DIY but want to give a nourishing body lotion. Young Living just introduced Coconut Lime Body Butter to the Canadian Market.
DIY DRY SHAMPOO
For Light Hair
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
3 drops Lavender*
3 drops Rosemary
For Darker Hair
2 TBSP Arrowroot powder
2 TBSP Raw cocoa powder
3 drops Lavender*
3 drops Rosemary
ESSENTIAL OIL INFUSED BATH SALTS
- Epsom Salts
- Stress Away or Lavender* Essential Oil or other skin-friendly fragrant oil
- In a mixing bowl combine the Epsom salts with Essential oils to make a calming, muscle-nourishing bath soak to pamper mind and body.
- For gifting, choose a pretty jar and fill it with this mixture, add a tag or bow and you have an inexpensive but highly valued stress-reducing present.
And a ready-made facial spa in a bottle!
Satin Facial Scrub Mint - Water-based exfoliant with jojoba oil, mango butter, MSM, aloe, and peppermint essential oil to rejuvenate skin.
Charcoal Mask - all the hydrating and purifying benefits with only the purest ingredients to leave our skin renewed and fresh!
Gifts for Getting Active:
MUSCLE MIX
Make your custom blend in an empty 15 ml bottle and top it with a roller fitment.
20 drops Lemongrass
20 drops Copaiba*
20 drops Northern Lights Black Spruce*
20 drops Wintergreen
20 drops Peppermint*
Top with Carrier Oil and apply generously after shovelling the driveway, or working out.
OR USE:
MUSCLE RUB #2
6 drops Frankincense*
6 drops PanAway*
6 drops Peppermint*
6 drops Copaiba*
6 drops Wintergreen
Stir essential oils into ¼ cup softened coconut oil. For a creamy texture add ¼ cup shea butter.
OR USE:
TENSION ROLLER
10 drops Pan Away*
10 drops Peppermint*
10 drops Copaiba*
Top with Carrier Oil in a 10 ml Roller bottle.
Non-DIY OPTIONS:
Ortho Ease Massage Oil – designed for a relaxing, soothing massage, a calming blend of vegetable oils with Wintergreen, Eucalyptus, Thyme, Lemongrass, Peppermint, Juniper, and Marjoram.
A bottle of Deep Relief with a Roller Top on it works well, too, if you want an awesome ready-made gift.
DIY BUG BITE ROLLER
8 drops Lavender*
8 drops German Chamomile
8 drops Helichrysum
Top up a 10 ml roller with a carrier oil.
MAKING WORK DAYS BETTER!
GEARHEAD HAND SCRUB
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup Young Living's V-6 Oil Complex or Fractionated Coconut oil
10 drops Lemon Oil*
10 drops Purification Oil*
8 oz Mason Jar
Combine all ingredients well and place them in the jar. Add a tablespoon of extra carrier oil to the top to prevent it from drying out. Scrub dirty, greasy or paint-splattered hands and nails with 1-2 tablespoons of the sugar scrub and rinse well.
HOMEWORK HELPER ROLLER
2 Clarity
4 Grapefruit
4 Lime
2 Rosemary
Mix oils in a 10 ml bottle and top with a carrier oil. Roll on the brain stem and temples.
PEACE ROLLER
5 Lavender*
3 Frankincense*
2 Lemon*
Top up with Carrier oil in a 10 ml Roller Bottle for ages 6-12. Double the number of drops for an adult.
TEEN BODY WASH
1/2 cup Nature Clean All Purpose Cleaning Lotion or Glycerin Liquid Soap
1 TSBP Vitamin E Oil (moisturizing - optional)
20 Drops of favourite essential oil or blend* (I love Lavender & Thieves together)
Add ingredients to an 8 oz glass bottle. Fill the rest slowly with water. Shake before use.
HAPPY SKIN ROLLER
10 Frankincense*
10 Lavender*
5 Tea Tree Oil
5 Lemon Oil*
Top up a 10 ml Roller Bottle with Jojoba oil and witch hazel. Increase jojoba for dry skin and witch hazel for oily skin.
For those on the front lines in serving the public, Young Living has some small size, large impact immune protection.
Thieves Spray -is a portable cleaning spray ideal for small surfaces. Thieves Spray may be used on doorknobs, handles, sweaty hockey bags, and any surfaces where germs can spread.
Thieves Hand Sanitizer* will keep hands clean without drying skin while on the go. Choose from the large pump size or the personal size. Approved by Health Canada
Thieves Essential Oil - help boost immune systems with this favourite essential oil. Dilute it with coconut oil and rub on feet morning or night, and wrists during the day, or diffuse it wherever the air needs some extra purifying.
IMMUNE SUPPORT ROLLER
10 Thieves*
10 Lemon*
10 Frankincense* or RC*
Top a 10 ml Roller with Carrier oil for an adult-strength dose of immunity. For 6-12 use ½ the number of drops. Apply to the soles of feet daily; twice a day for an added boost!
COLLECT A FEW GREAT YL GIFTS FOR A PERSONALIZED BAG OR BASKET OF GOODNESS:
Satin Mint Facial Scrub - Polish and prep your skin with this naturally derived exfoliator! Made with apricot seed powder, our Satin Facial Scrub gently lifts and removes dry, dead skin cells to reveal bright and even-looking skin. Plus, it has pure Peppermint essential oil for a minty scent and tingly fresh feel.
Lip Balms - The Young Living lip balms are one of our favourite products.
Whether you choose Lavender, Grapefruit, Cinnamon and holiday-exclusive Vanillamint, you really can't go wrong. Because they are formulated with coconut oil, jojoba oil, beeswax, wolfberry seed oil and Vitamin E, all of the Young Living lip balms are incredibly moisturizing and help prevent skin dehydration, giving you soft, smooth lips!
Tranquil Roll-on –A mix of Lavender, Cedarwood, and Roman Chamomile. A versatile oil blend for cough & cold relief, muscle pain, headache relief, digestive discomfort, cuts, burns and calming or sleep support.
Thieves Mints – will keep breath fresh on the go with sugar-free ingredients alongside the protective benefits of Thieves and Peppermint oils.
Check out YL's beautiful Ceramic and Glass Cover HAVEN, EMBER, and LUSTRE DIFFUSERS at the same price point! And for Children, the indestructible Snowy Owl Diffuser with sound and night light features!
DIY ESSENTIAL OIL WARMERS
1. Turn Fabric Scraps into a neck or hand warmer. Sew three sides and turn the right side out.
2. Add drops of essential oils to Rice in a mixing bowl and mix well.
3. Add the rice to the hand warmer.
4. Using a needle and thread or dental floss, sew the opening closed.
Microwave until warm to bring heat to cold hands, sore muscles or a crampy tummy.
DIY ROOM SPRAY
20 drops of your favourite YL essential oil
1/3 cup water
1 TSBP Witch Hazel
4 oz Glass Spray Bottle
Combine the oils and the witch hazel in the bottle and swirl to mix. Add the water. Shake well before spraying. Replace those chemically-laden air fresheners.
Enjoy giving your loved ones gifts of thoughtful, wellness support. Moving away from products that harm to products that heal is a great way to demonstrate care! And respecting your budget is a great way to care for your partner and dependents.
Let's care well for our loved ones and add a boost of wellness to cheer these shorter colder days!
Here is a printable form: Christmas DIY.docx
You might also enjoy:
Updated November 2022
Viruses are opportunistic. They look for a way into our bodies through any crack in our defences - a cut is a breach in our skin wall of defence. Our nose, ear, mouth, and eyes all offer access inside. When a virus gains entrance, it enters a cell and begins to use the resources of the cell to create copies of itself. The cell is gradually destroyed, and the multiplied copies of the virus look for new cells to inhabit and create copies. Viruses are multiplying and destroying new cells quickly, so it is best to fight colds and flu aggressively from the first symptoms. By the time you have a cold or flu symptoms, your body has been fighting for 24 hours or more and is asking for help.
Our body is prepared to meet the threat with white blood cells, and the ability to create more tears, ear wax, or mucous to flush the invaders out. Sleep is an amazing way to support the body's healing efforts! Deep rest allows our body to get on top of healing any damage and rounding up the invaders. So calming the body for rest is key!
But we don't want to leave the invaders to multiply unchecked. Our family has learned to be aggressive in our countermeasures - meaning, we do something supportive to our body every hour we are awake.
At the first sign of a virus - sore throat, increased nasal discharge, elevated temperature, sneezing - we know our body is on the defensive against an invader. So instead of turning off the body's natural defences by chasing symptoms, we go for the root of the problem. Thankfully, many Essential Oils are recognized by Health Canada as Natural Health Products to help our bodies win against invaders!
Here is our favourite tactical response team:
Prevention:
We apply a few drops of Young Living's Thieves Essential oil to our feet daily to help support our immune system. We put a roller top on our bottle to make it easy to put a swipe on each foot in the morning. Thieves is a blend of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus Radiata, and Rosemary essential oils. Named after the Thieves who robbed the homes of people who died of the plague without getting ill, Thieves is known for its immune care. It is also used for its cleansing power in YL cleaning products such as laundry soap, hand soap, dish detergent, Fruit & Veggie Spray and Household cleaner.
Keeping a baseline of nutritional support is also important. During cold and flu season, we are sure to have Vitamin C available (this is our favourite kind). We take Vitamin D3 (1000 IU) with K2 (100mg) daily (we like this one). There are liquid D-drop versions for little ones that can be very helpful in supporting the body's immune system. We also pay close attention to gut health and use probiotics as needed to keep yeast and bad bacteria in check.
Dietary Recommendations:
We avoid sugar and dairy while our body is fighting. Dairy thickens mucous secretions making them harder to expel from lungs and sinus cavities. Sugar wipes out some white blood cells with every teaspoonful which makes it harder for our body to surround and eliminate the multiplying virus. By eliminating sugar at the first sign of cold viruses, it made it clear that our boys were actually sick because they never give up sugar lightly.
Nutritionally, we choose a soft-boiled egg, collagen smoothies or bone broth for easy-to-digest protein and colourful vegetables and fruits for antioxidant power to repair cell damage. Our favourite nutritional powerhouse when we are sick or for prevention is Ningxia Red. 2 oz a day goes a long way toward supporting our body's efforts to heal! More details can be found here: NingXia Red Spotlight (lifestepseo.com)
When we want to increase our level of protection, we add our Raindrop Roller which contains 7 oils.
Raindrop Roller:
10 drops each of Oregano, Wintergreen, Thyme, and 50 drops of Aroma Siez (or 10 drops each of Basil, Cypress, Marjoram, Peppermint, and Lavender - the oils in Aroma Siez).
Top a 10 ml roller bottle with a carrier oil of choice. (I love liquid coconut oil since it has a long shelf life and no scent).
These oils can be purchased separately or are collected together in the Raindrop Collection here.
We roll this one on the spine every morning and a few times a day during intense seasons. These can be used on all ages - just dilute more for little ones.
Top a 10 ml roller bottle with a carrier oil of choice. (I love liquid coconut oil since it has a long shelf life and no scent).
These oils can be purchased separately or are collected together in the Raindrop Collection here.
We roll this one on the spine every morning and a few times a day during intense seasons. These can be used on all ages - just dilute more for little ones.
At first symptoms we take:
- Homeopathic Oscillococcinum tubes or 'flu tubes' as we call them – 1 tube every six hours for 3 doses
- Increase Thieves to a swipe on the feet every two hours. Dilute as desired with carrier oil. With littles 2 and under, put a carrier oil and a drop of Thieves on your hands and let it absorb a bit before giving your little one a foot massage with it.
- Dietary Dropper bottle: We keep a mix of these ready for ingestion at the first symptom of throat irritation, fever or congestion. We take every hour during acute needs and then taper off as our symptoms resolve. I have been using this regime with my children since they were over 6 years old. YL also has an amazing supplement called Inner Defense available to Canadian members through our NFR site. Contact me for details. For children, you can open a capsule and apply it to their feet with a carrier oil as noted above.
- Diffusing any pleasing combination of one or two drops of Purification, Thieves, Peppermint, Lemon, Lavender, Frankincense, Copaiba, and PanAway, RC can lightly humidify and clean the air as it assists the body's fighting power and soothes cough and cold symptoms. Generally, in a medium-sized room, we use about 6-9 drops total of essential oils. Use whatever you find pleasing.
- In a large glass of water, we often add 1 drop or a toothpick swirl of Lemon Plus oil, and one drop of any other dietary oil of choice (Peppermint and Lavender are favourites). Sipping at these throughout the day can be soothing and help support the body's healing efforts.
- Young Living Frankincense Plus has just recently been approved as a dietary oil by Health Canada. One drop under the tongue is supportive to all body systems.
- Our list of other immune boosters include Vitamin C, Sore Throat Tea, Bone broth, Thieves lozenges, Essential Oil Throat Spray, Thieves or DIY Chest Rub, Cod Liver Oil.
For Children:
- If you are not comfortable with ingesting oils, or your children are between 2-6 yrs, Oregano, Frankincense, Lavender, Purification, or Lemon essential oils can be applied topically in a carrier oil (like coconut oil) and rubbed into adult hands before massaged into a child's feet. The bottom of the feet is a non-sensitive area for hot oils. Young Living's oils are so potent, one drop or two is plenty in a carrier oil.Oregano is not recommended for children under two. The others are great options.
- For children, Frankincense, Copaiba and Lavender oil can be diluted and rolled on a sore throat, on the chest to ease congestion, on cheekbones or inhaled for helping clear sinuses. These oils are extremely gentle yet effective.
Please don't let these suggestions overwhelm you! This blog is to help those of you who purchased an essential oil starter kit use the oils you have effectively. The recipes can be put together as needed for symptom relief.
Recipes:
Dietary Dropper Bottle:
I keep a pre-mixed dropper bottle ready for when our bodies require extra support. Our family takes 5 drops of our dietary oil mix every time our irritated throat or other symptoms remind us:
15 Oregano
15 Peppermint
15 Lemon
15 Lavender
15 Frankincense
Top with coconut oil in a 15 ml dropper bottle. This is an adult dilution. Use half the drops for 7-12 yrs.
I keep a pre-mixed dropper bottle ready for when our bodies require extra support. Our family takes 5 drops of our dietary oil mix every time our irritated throat or other symptoms remind us:
15 Oregano
15 Peppermint
15 Lemon
15 Lavender
15 Frankincense
Top with coconut oil in a 15 ml dropper bottle. This is an adult dilution. Use half the drops for 7-12 yrs.
Immune Roller
10 Thieves
10 RC Eucalyptus Blend or Frankincense
10 Lemon
Put 10 drops each in a 10 ml roller and top up with liquid Coconut oil.
Apply every 1-4 hours as symptoms remind you, on sore throat, congested chest, wrists, behind ears or if too strong for your sense of smell, begin with bottoms of feet or along spine for fever. This roller can be used preventatively as well during cold and flu season.
10 Thieves
10 RC Eucalyptus Blend or Frankincense
10 Lemon
Put 10 drops each in a 10 ml roller and top up with liquid Coconut oil.
Apply every 1-4 hours as symptoms remind you, on sore throat, congested chest, wrists, behind ears or if too strong for your sense of smell, begin with bottoms of feet or along spine for fever. This roller can be used preventatively as well during cold and flu season.
Congestion Roller:
10 Lavender
10 Lemon
10 Peppermint
Put drops in a 10 ml roller topped up with carrier oil.
Roll on cheekbones, temples, behind ears and forehead as desired for sinus pain and congestion.
10 Lavender
10 Lemon
10 Peppermint
Put drops in a 10 ml roller topped up with carrier oil.
Roll on cheekbones, temples, behind ears and forehead as desired for sinus pain and congestion.
SALINE NASAL OR THROAT SPRAY:
Add 1 cup of boiling water to 1/8 tsp of Natural Sea Salt & 1/8 tsp of Baking Soda - dissolve together and let it cool.
When just warm, add 1 drop of Essential Oil - I like Frankincense for its anti-inflammatory properties and for soothing irritated skin. Lavender or Eucalyptus would also be good choices.
This can be put in a nasal spray bottle, a throat spray bottle, or both.
Sore Throat:
Frankincense and Lavender are very soothing to tissues, so we put a few drops of each in a teaspoon or tablespoon of Castor oil or Cod Liver oil to drink in order to coat and soothe irritated tissues in the throat.
Drink warm teas to thin mucous secretions so the body can keep moving them out. Celestial Seasonings Throat Coat with Lemon Echinacea is a favourite - add a tsp of honey and a drop of Cinnamon for added benefits.
Throat Lozenges - Thieves Throat Lozenges and Cough drops are available through the US site and are game changers. They are sugar-free and loaded with immune support while soothing symptoms!
Mouth Rinse:
A choice of Thieves Mouthwash or a DIY with Peppermint, Lavender and Frankincense dietary oils can be mixed in a glass water bottle and used to gargle and swish around the mouth as desired to clean and help the body heal sore throat or other irritated tissues.
A choice of Thieves Mouthwash or a DIY with Peppermint, Lavender and Frankincense dietary oils can be mixed in a glass water bottle and used to gargle and swish around the mouth as desired to clean and help the body heal sore throat or other irritated tissues.
Chest Rub:
A DIY chest rub can be made by combining our Eucalyptus oils, RC, or the Peppermint/Lavender/Lemon mix with solid coconut oil or a natural lotion you like. We also really like the Thieves Chest Rub YL introduced recently: https://m.lfstps.com/tnqj8/fwQ
Bath to Soothe Sore Muscles:
- Panaway, Lavender or Frankincense mixed with Epsom salts can be added to a bath to ease sore muscles and relax the body and mind.
- For Body Ache - Agilease & Sulfurzyme have been so helpful to keep our use of NSAIDs really low - We only used Ibuprofen to help us sleep if the pain was too high for rest. We are careful with Tylenol and Ibuprofen because they can irritate the digestive system, are hard on organs, and can sometimes allow the virus a deeper hold since we turn off the signals that remind us to keep fighting throughout the day!
Tummy Trouble Roller
15 Digize
15 Peppermint
In a 10 ml Roller bottle top up with carrier oil.
Roll on the abdomen or back of the neck.
+ Inhaling these essential oils is so helpful in assisting with nausea.
+ A spoonful of honey may calm an irritated stomach.
+ We also use the same homeopathic 'flu tubes' and oregano oil with these types of viruses.
15 Digize
15 Peppermint
In a 10 ml Roller bottle top up with carrier oil.
Roll on the abdomen or back of the neck.
+ Inhaling these essential oils is so helpful in assisting with nausea.
+ A spoonful of honey may calm an irritated stomach.
+ We also use the same homeopathic 'flu tubes' and oregano oil with these types of viruses.
Almost all of these oils and a diffuser are included in a Starter Bundle for best value by Young Living. There is also an amazing Starter Bundle for Kids with a sound machine and night light owl diffuser with oils prediluted to use with Little Ones! The Desert Mist diffuser is my favourite in the Starter Bundle for its long diffusing time and ability to travel!
I hope you and your family find healthy days free of invasions this season. And when viruses come knocking, I hope you grow in confidence to find the tools to shut the door quickly.
I have been gradually learning how to replace chemically laden items in my home with more natural ingredients. For awhile I have been wondering what to do about sunscreen. I have heard friends say that they aren't sure which is more harmful, UV rays from the sun or the carcinogenic ingredients in many commercial sunscreens. So, for the last few summers I have been searching for more natural ingredients in our family sun protection. Goodness Me carries some great natural brands and they have sample bottles which allowed me to test whether they left a pasty white residue which my guys are not a fan of. We go through a lot of sunscreen, though. My oldest son has been a counsellor at camp this summer and often has a cabin of 6-8 boys all needing to be coated before heading out for a swim, a hike to the low ropes course, or paddle around the lake.
So, for my budget I am experimenting with homemade sunscreen. Here's a recipe from one of my team-mates, Krista Laposi.
Homemade sunscreen can seem intimidating, but it's actually pretty easy! Zinc Oxide powder has a natural SPF of 20-25 and can be bought in health food stores (we found ours in Goodness Me) or can be purchased on Amazon. Carrot Seed oil also offers a level of protection with a natural SPF of 30-40.
I have added beeswax pellets for a little water resistance and shea butter to nourish the skin, but this recipe can easily be made without them if you don't have those ingredients on hand.
Essential Oil Sunscreen
+ 1/2 cup coconut oil
+ 4 tbsp olive oil
+ 2 tbsp beeswax pellets
+ 2 tbsp shea butter
+ 2 tbsp zinc oxide powder
+ 30-40 drops carrot seed oil
Melt coconut oil, olive oil, beeswax pellets and shea butter in a double boiler (I used a glass bowl set on top of a pot of boiling water). Remove from heat and stir in zinc oxide powder, being careful not to inhale the powder. Once the mixture is slightly cooled, stir in carrot seed oil. The mixture will firm up in the fridge or can be stored in a squeeze-bottle at room temperature.
As with all sunscreens, please remember to apply liberally and often, especially after swimming and sweating.
I took inspiration from Krista's recipe and changed a natural sunscreen I purchased that was really pasty white (in fact it is called pasty white babies by Kynk Naturals). It already had incredible ingredients - shea butter, rice bran, jojoba oil, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, & seabuckthorn oil.
To change the texture, I added 2 tbsp of coconut oil, 30 drops carrot seed oil, and 20 drops of lavender oil (great for skin and scent - so far the flies and mosquitos have left me alone with the lavender added). It now goes on smoothly without the pasty look. It has needed a stir each time I open the container to apply. I'm not sure if my boys will use it, but it did make me able to use a sunscreen that I'd purchased but found a little thick. I tested it as we went for a game of mini golf last week in the sun. My skin felt nourished and safe. So far so happy.
Another sunscreen recipe I want to store here to try:
20 drops Myrrh EO (15 SPF)
30 Drops Carrot Seed EO (28 SPF)
2/3 cup coconut oil (4-6 SPF)
1 cup shea butter (5 SPF)
Mix and apply liberally. Store in a cool dark place to maintain freshness.
SPF stands for sun protection factor which increases the length of time exposure to UV rays would take to burn skin. 15 times means if you burn after 15 minutes you can last 15x longer before burning.
Time to get outside.
October, 2018
With the availability of local vegetables and fruits comes a great opportunity to cleanse the body of any build up in the digestive tract caused by eating refined flours, sugars, and poorly digested foods caused by a lack of enzymes. It was a digestive cleanse that turned my health around in the 1990's. I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome after struggling for eleven months with flu like symptoms like body ache, heavy limbs, brain fog and extreme fatigue even after sleeping for 12-14 hours. The medical system was able to diagnose the problem based on symptoms and blood testing that revealed a lack of many key vitamins and minerals. But the prognosis was that it was a Chronic disease that I would live with indefinitely. So, I stocked up on vitamin supplements and started to read and pray and search for knowledge that would help me to heal.
A friend shared a group of products that included a digestive cleanse, a parasite cleanse and a rebuilding nutritional supplement. When on the digestive cleanse I felt like toxins were being pulled out and eliminated from my body tissues. I would feel really ill just before a bowel movement and then a lightening afterwards. My head became clearer, my skin eczema began to clear up, my muscles were able to handle more activity allowing me to lose the extra weight I had gained from ill health, and my immune system and energy improved. Lance and I have continued to use the Pure Trim Digestive Cleanse every year or two to maintain regularity and better health. I have had persistent food allergies and headaches that I wonder if a different cleanse might help with.
I have been reading a book called "Inner Transformations Using Essential Oils" by Dr. LeAnne Deardeuff & Dr. David Deardeuff. In it, the author traces her own path to health by learning about herbal remedies first and then hearing a lecturer explain that even more potent than the dried herb is the lifeblood of the plant - the essential oil. She bought a grocery store bottle of essential oil and was disappointed in her results and so dismissed oils as helpful for awhile. When a friend introduced her to the therapeutic Young Living oils, she found an oil that delivered on its claims. She began incorporating essential oils in her chiropractic care practice. She has seen restored health in patients with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, infertility, yeast overgrowth, scoliosis, emotional upsets and everything in between.
I have been seeing a naturopath, Dr. Laura Margaritis, for a year now and found adding bone broth, Carlson's Cod Liver Oil, and a variety of Probiotics to a homeopathic regimen. I'd like to add a cleanse to the mix to see if I can get more out of my supplements.
The colon is lined with small villi that absorb nutrients and create a great environment for friendly bacteria which keep yeast and unfriendly bacteria from overpopulating the digestive tract. Problems with digestion occur when the villi get coated with refined processed food that prevents them from absorbing the nutrients we ingest. Have you ever seen a recipe to make Christmas ornaments with white flour and water or milk. They harden when baked. Now imagine the white flour, white sugar hardening in the oven of our 100 degree bodies effectively immobilizing the villi which are meant to help move food along when the muscles contract in natural peristalsis. If this isn't cleaned out, it builds and starts to back up and retain toxins in the body - overloading the cleansing systems and lining the walls of the colon with thicker build up. The muscles of the bowel have a harder time moving food along and everything slows down. I have one friend who used to only have a bowel movement once a month! This was normal for her. That is frightening.
Clearly, we need effective ways to cleanse the colon of build up and restore peristalsis. Young Living has a product called Comforcleanse that works to nourish and restore natural muscle tone to the bowel. I have been using this for a week to begin my cleanse. It is doing a good job of promoting regularity and beginning to change my cravings and sense of wellness. I have also added Essentialzymes-4 with my largest meal of the day. It is full of digestive enzymes that help the body break down food effectively. As we age we make less digestive enzymes and so supplementing is a good idea. Once the bowel is functioning well, adding ICP is like scrubbing the walls of the digestive tract with a high fibre nutrient dense powder. I am liking the gentle action of this combination so far. I have had mild cleansing symptoms, but have been able to carry on with life as normal. I'll update this post as I finish the fall digestive cleanse.
If you'd like to do a Fall Cleanse with companions, touch base with me and we can set up a group to cleanse together!
HAPPY SIDE EFFECTS OF USING ESSENTIAL OILS:
Having a good hair day can make me feel so different than when my hair is not working out! So, though it feels a little vain and silly to talk about hair, I just had to let you know about a fun side effect of using natural plant based products, supplements and essential oils.
I pulled a hair off my towel after my shower last week and marveled that the root end was dark brown and only the end was white. I attached it to a sticky note to take a picture of it.
This was not part of the intended purpose of good nutrients, healthier shampoos, and hormone and mood balancing essential oils - but it is an awesome side effect!
I'm aging backwards!
Colouring and ingredients like sodium laurel sulfate took their toll on my hair a few years ago and I didn't like the damage I was seeing. At first, I switched to a more natural way of colouring and used a commercial Argan oil product to try to rebuild.
Then last year, my best results came when I started nourishing my hair, skin, nails and joints with Sulfurzyme. I also began using Hydrolyzed Collagen in my smoothie each morning. These nutritionals gave my body the building blocks for re-growing health from the inside out. I've been startled to see some new growth and some of my hair shafts are producing colour again... white ends with colour from the root!
I also switched my shampoo and conditioner to a plant based essential oil infused version from Young Living. This was a gentle way to clean and nourish in my daily shower routine. The Copaiba Vanilla gives me best results.
After showering, I use pure Argan oil (the commercial version had chemical additives) from Kynk Naturals - a fair trade organic company founded by a dear friend. I added a few drops of Rosemary EO, Cedarwood EO, and Lavender EO - I sometimes add in Peppermint EO for the energizing scalp tingle. Frankincense EO is also great for any scalp issues. A little goes a long way with Argan oil. Short hair just use a drop or two - shoulder length I use 4-5 drops with a dropper.
This spring I decided to try the Mirah Lustrous Hair Oil and love it just as much as my DIY Argan oil. It has a soft scent and is formulated from Argan oil, Camelia oil, Vitamin E, Abyssinian and Monoi oils which blend to add body and frizz free nourishment. The little bottle goes a long way. My first bottle lasted me almost a year.
What are your favourite ways to restore damaged hair?
Have a healthy hair day!!
