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Aromatherapy room spray, a simple introduction to the world of essential oils.  Most people have heard of or even used essential oils.  It can be a daunting task learning what oil to use for what ailment, but with the wonderful world of "Google" essential oil reference is at your fingertips.

So, the purpose of this article is to show you the many uses of an aromatherapy room spray.

First, we need to talk about what kind of room spray to look for.  Are you needing to calm the kids or yourself?  Try lavender or a blend containing lavender.  Needing more energy for the day?  Try citrus blends or plain citrus oils.  Needing more joy?  Try rose or ylang ylang.   

1)  Room sprays are a great way to freshen up a room or area.  Please make sure that your room spray only contains pure essential oils, preferably therapeutic grade essential oils.  Spray throughout the room.  The mist of essential oils will infuse the air with a beautiful scent that hopefully will accomplish your original goal.

2)  Spray a bit on your pillow for a good nights sleep.  Best essential oils for this are lavender, bergamot, ylang ylang, cedarwood or roman chamomile.  

3)  Monster spray - we've all had those nights when one of the kids can't sleep and what can we do, they hear a nose or think something is under the bed, this is the time to pull out your  monster spray - make it a calming blend of essential oils and your little one will soon be off to sleep.

4) Sometimes the bathroom just needs a facelift a pick me up, for this job, I recommend your favorite citrus oils, make a blend or use one by itself.  Citrus is uplifting and just provides that clean smell that you long for.

5)  Your furnace filter or vents can be sprayed with your choice of aromatherapy room spray, sending fresh scents through the air.

6)  Spray some on your body, on your wrists, back of neck, to provide a pick me up or relaxing mood.

7) Can't think?  Try vetiver or cedarwood, both are known for clearing the mind.  Vetiver is a bit costly and the smell may not be appealing to all.  We got around this by using it on the bottom of our feet.  Works wonders for clearing the mind.

8) Washing machine smelling like mold?  Use a few drops in your loads or drop a few drops in the drum of the washer.  I prefer to use lemon, grapefruit or my defender oil for this.

9)  Weighloss - you may not know, but there are essential oils that are great for weightloss.  Grapefruit is one such oil.  Spray it on your body, bathe in it, spray your room.  Other good choices are peppermint, lemon or ginger.

10) Freshen your vehicle with your room spray, theres nothing like a sports season to put a stale smell in your car/truck.  Spray a fresh scent of your favorite blend into your vehicle to remedy this problem.

There are many more ways to use aromatherapy sprays, but this should give you a good start into the world of essential oils.

Don't feel like making your own room spray?  You can purchase ours here.

Years ago, I was having trouble with really dry hands, this was before my soap making days and I was just beginning my journey to a healthier way of living.  I realized that the hand soap I was purchasing from the store was causing my dry hands and decided to search for a better way.  It had to be easy as at the time I had many children under tow.  So, here is what I found.

At first, I purchased foaming soap at the store and poured out the contents, not very frugal I realize, but the pain and discomfort it was causing me outweighed the loss of the discarded soap.  So, with foaming bottle in hand, I poured in about 1/4 inch of an organic castille soap, like Dr. Bronners or Vermont Soap.  Then fill the container slowly with water, if you fill too fast, you will just create a bottle of foam.  You can leave it unscented or put 15-20 drops of your favorite essential oil or blend into the foaming bottle.  Put the cap on and you're all set.  This works like a charm and it's saved my hands and hundreds of dollars. 

 1 or 2 Foaming Soap Bottles

1/8 cup (approximately) of organic liquid castille soap per bottle

Water

15-20 drops of essential oil

If you prefer to purchase my hand soap or my DIY Foaming Hand Soap you can do so here https://elegant-rose-boutique.myshopify.com/admin/products/9217443784

One of the main ways your body acquires nutrients, other than eating, is through the skin. Your skin is your largest organ and most of the substances you put on it are eventually absorbed into the bloodstream. Our skin absorbs the good, the bad and the ugly ingredients that you put on it.  It can't discern what is good or bad, that is left up to you.

Chemicals in common soaps can disrupt our hormones, cause allergies, lead to reproductive issues and increase risk of some cancers. With serious side effects like these, we need to be particular about what we put on our skin.

1) Triclosan -
Triclosan is a pesticide that has antibacterial properties. It is found in soaps because it helps to get rid of potentially dangerous bacteria that have built up on your skin during the day.  Overexposure to antibacterial products can cause an immunity to them.  Another important reason to avoid triclosan is that it is considered an endocrine disruptor. Endocrine disruptors cause potentially dangerous fluctuations in your hormone levels which in turn can lead to hormonal problems.

2) Sodium laurel sulfate (SLS):
  A common ingredient in personal care products, sodium lauryl sulfate, or SLS, is an additive that allows cleansing products to foam. According to the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, SLS is a "moderate hazard" that has been linked to cancer, neurotoxicity, organ toxicity, skin irritation and endocrine disruption.  SLS is in almost all shampoos and soaps.  Check your labels and be informed.  SLS goes by many different names, some of which include sodium dodecyl sulfate, sulfuric acid, monododecyl ester, sodium salt, sodium salt sulfuric acid, sodium dodecyl sulfate, aquarex me or aquarex methyl, reports the EWG. 

3)  Fragrances
Almost all bars of soap contain added fragrances in order to make them more enjoyable to use in the bath or shower. However, printing ‘fragrance’ on a soap label can be extremely misleading, as this often means that thousands of different chemicals have been added in order to create the special smell of the soap.

The FDA doesn’t require companies to disclose the breakdown of a fragrance’s ingredients to consumers because the chemicals that produce fragrance are considered “trade secrets.” Most of the time, synthetic chemicals and cancer-causing toxins are hiding under that one sneaky term. Constant exposure to fragrances has been shown to negatively impact the central nervous system and can trigger allergies, migraines and asthma symptoms. 

4) Parabens

These ingredients are estrogen mimickers—meaning that once applied to the skin, they enter the bloodstream, and the body mistakes them for estrogen. Further studies have demonstrated that parabens can also cause neurological problems by way of nervous system toxicity.

So, if we are washing our bodies with soap that contains harmful ingredients every single day, think of what a lifetime of doing this could do to your health

Government testing on these chemicals is minimal, so it is up to you to make informed decisions about what goes on your skin and what doesn't.

Happy New Year! The start of a new year always brings along the feeling that I need to make resolutions or at least make a fresh start on things that are important to me, likely you are the same.  So how do you go about doing this?  Many years ago, I followed a blog to help put order back into my home, the most important thing I learned through that following was that taking baby steps was the best way to accomplish things that needed to be done.  So, as you reflect on things that are important, things that you want to change, create a list of "baby steps"  to move you along that road to your end goal.  

Here are some ideas for the most common New Starts!

1) Detox - Detox your skin naturally to renew that youthful glow.  Why is it important to detox?  Over the course of a year, your skin comes into contact with many chemicals, chemicals in your laundry detergent, your lotions, your sunscreens, all of these chemicals are absorbed by your skin.  Take a few days to give your body a break from all of these toxins, a rest, so to speak.  Nourish it with a light fast and detox with a few natural products great at renewing your mind, body and spirit.

•     Charcoal soap - a naturally detoxing bar that aids in clearing the skin, this bar gets rave reviews, if you haven't tried it, now is the time.  Also available in unscented for those with sensitive skin.
•     Detox soap - a great detox bar with dead sea mud and a blend of essential oils known for their ability to detox the skin.  You can also lather up with these soaps and leave it on for a few minutes to let the dead sea mud or charcoal work at adsorbing the toxins.
•  Detox Bath Bomb - relax and soak for 20-30 minutes with my detox bath bomb.  I like to break my bath bomb in half and use it for two baths.

2) Lose weight - Watch what you eat and try to exercise a few times a week, in addition, there are many essential oils that can aid you on your journey, grapefruit essential oil for instance is excellent in this respect.  

Grapefruit Bath Bombs - bathe in grapefruit, the best way for it to absorb into your skin.

Grapefruit Scrub -   Prefer to take a shower?  A scrub is the perfect way to use grapefruit in the shower, it provides exfoliation and aromatherapy benefits of grapefruit.

3) Natural Beauty - Now is the time to take a fresh start with your beauty care routine.  Minimize what you use and pay attention to the ingredient list.  You can have amazing skin with natural ingredients.  Make it a point to change 1 or 2 products to more natural products for your skin this month!

 Natural Skin Care Products 

4) Less Stress - It's not easy to have less stress, but you can change the way you handle stress.  Take time for yourself, and make it a point to bring more essential oils into your routine.  Pure therapeutic essential oils can provide a calming affect.  Try lavender, peaceful or lavender dream, all of these oils and oil blends will relax the body and mind.  Place a drop or two on the back of your neck or on the bottoms of your feet, you can also put a drop on your pulse points.  Another good way to use essential oils is via wax melts or an essential oil diffuser, both allow the essential oils to be diffused into the air, thereby benefiting everyone in your home.

Peaceful Essential Oil

Breathe Deeply - It's amazing what a deep breath can do for you.  It's healing for the mind and body.  Seems like such a simple thing, but the outcome might surprise you.  Sit down, feet on the floor and just deeply inhale and exhale 3-4 times.  Your mind should feel clearer and your body more relaxed.  It's really a good practice to get into because the benefits will amaze you.

Massage- Getting a massage might be a little harder than just breathing deeply, but it is very relaxing.  Teach your kids or spouse to massage your neck and shoulders or even do a foot massage.  This can be a great way to bond and provide stress relief at the same time.  An added benefit could be an aromatherapy massage using your favorite aromatherapy massage oil or lotion.  

Aromatherapy - Essential oils have been used for hundreds of years for many things.  There are many essential oils and essential oil blends that help your body to relax.  Try a room spray or essential oil diffuser to diffuse essential oils into the air.  Some of my favorite calming blends are winter calm, lavender, lavender mint splash or rose. 

Take time out for yourself - This can't be said enough, in the hustle and bustle of the Holidays, take time to take a relaxing bath, go out for coffee with a friend or just sneak a few moments of peace and solitude.   Bath bombs are the perfect way to de-stress and take time out for yourself.  Browse our bath bombs 

Take a Walk - Might seem like a small thing, but sometimes just taking a walk can energize while at the same time calm your body.  Make it a brisk walk while you're at it to get the benefit of exercise.

Make a Plan - One of the best ways to make things less stressful is to have a plan.  Plan your Holiday meals before the rush hits, purchase things for the meal a little at a time each time you go grocery shopping, thereby making that last minute rush to the store in traffic galore non-existent.  

Plan your Christmas, shop early, make lists of things you need for the home, things for the meal and gift ideas.  Firm up your gift ideas and purchase by the first week in December at the latest.  Last minute shopping causes stress, not only because you are last minute shopping, but also because you usually end up spending more money because of poor planning!

Ask for Help - Seem simple enough, but sometimes we feel we have to do it all ourselves.  Don't be afraid to ask for help, have other people pitch in for the meal, assign your kids to each be in charge of making a dish, not only are you teaching them to cook, but you are working with them and getting things done together.  Togetherness is what it's all about!

My sweet daughter was exposed to poison oak at the football field, actually behind the field where they were playing last weekend.  By the next morning, one side of her face was starting to swell, a few hours later and her eye was swelled shut.  We started by taking Benadryl, hoping to avoid the ER.  It didn't really seem to be getting worse, but it wasn't getting better either.  So, I pulled out the essential oils and found a combination that worked wonders.  I mixed 1 drop of my Defender essential oil blend(similar to Thieves oil) with 1 drop of Peppermint essential oil in about a tablespoon of aloe gel. You could very easily use olive oil or coconut oil if you don't have aloe gel, it just happened to be what I thought of first.  I gently smoothed this blend onto her cheek and even her eyelid, only because it was so swollen shut that I was pretty sure it wouldn't seep into her eye.  Always err on the side of caution when putting essential oils around the eyes as they can make there way into your eyes quite easily, either by seeping down or even by forgetting to wash your hands immediately after applying!  Can't tell  you how many times I've rubbed my eyes before making it to the sink, must be automatic or something!  We also applied a cool wash cloth afterwards to help with the tingling from the oils.

By the next morning the difference was almost astounding, that side of her face was still swollen, but it had gone down considerably.  She was even able to open her eye a crack.  We kept applying about 3 times per day and by the second day, her skin was really drying up, so we started using my Organic Coconut Cream to add moisture, but continue the healing.

After spending 2-3 days cooped up in her room, she made her way downstairs tonight. 

This may not work for younger children as these particular essential oils may be too strong even diluted as I did.  My daughter is almost a teen and she did fine, but I would look at other essential oils for anyone  younger.  Some that may work are lavender or perhaps eucalyptus essential oils.

Let me know what has worked for you!

Sometimes it's hard to tell if something is really as natural as it says.  Labels can be really misleading.  So, here are a few things to look for in natural bath and body products. 

First, if someone is selling a product with essential oils in it, make sure it comes in a colored bottle or jar.  I see so many people selling essential oil products in clear jars or bottles.  Essential oils can be harmed by heat and sunlight, the actual quality of your essential oil can be adversely affected.  Store your essential oil products out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources.  That means don't leave them in your car in the summer!

Second, always check the ingredient list, look for things like SLS(Sodium Laurel Sulfate) or like names that have been proven as harmful.  Many natural product companies use SLS and still call their products natural.

Third, if you are searching for essential oils, there are so many different types, some good, some not so good.  Try to find a reputable source, look at their history, their knowledge, how they package and ship their products.  These can all be good indicators of the quality of a product.  There are many altered essential oils out there, some contain part fragrance oils or have been watered down.  NEVER take essential oils internally unless you have done your research and have a trusted source for your essential oils.

Last,  I have been using essential oils for over 12 years and have tried many different essential oils.  I recommend you take the time to educate yourself about essential oils to know what each oil is used for and how to use it.  Don't rely on claims made by products, do the research yourself.  There are many good books and even websites that can start you on your journey.