Incorparating Essential Oils Around the Home

When people learn about the benefits of essential oils the first question they ask is "How do I incorporate essential oils around my home?" My answer is always the same: The process is fun and stimulating. It is healthy for the home and for your family too. Below are some great starter ideas.

Number 1: Minimize or eliminate chemical scents.

INSTEAD...Diffuse orange, Christmas Spirit, or rosemary into the air with a nebulizer or home made reed diffuser.
INSTEAD...Put a couple of drops of peppermint, pine, cinnamon, or clove on the cardboard in your toilet paper roll and you will freshen up the bathroom for days.

(That means Yankee Candles, Glade Plug-Ins, Bath and Body Works Christmas potpourri blend, etc. These scents will mask natural aromas and accustom your nose to unnatural fragrances. ANYTHING that has a scent that does not originate from an essential oil is a chemical scent EVEN IF IT SAYS "AROMATHERAPY"...Creme Brulee, Fresh Linen, and Winter Wonderland just are not essential oil based! For more on this topic see the following article: http://www.rosewoodmassage.com/aromatherapy.html.)
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Number 2: Consider using unscented detergents, cleaners, shampoos, conditioners, pump hand soaps, etc.

INSTEAD...Add a few drops of clary sage, cedarwood, lavender, or Roman Chamomile an unscented hair product, rosemary, Thieves, or tea tree to an unscented detergent, lemon to your window cleaner (good ol' inexpensive vinegar and water), and Thieves to an unscented pump hand soap. Not only will the oils make the products smell wonderful, you will now be benefitting from the aromatherapeutic properties of the oils too.

(I like to use Dr. Bronners Unscented Soap. You can find in in the cosmetics section of the health food store. It works well as a shampoo, body wash, and in my hand soap foamer. I simply divide the soap up for the various uses and then add the relevant essential oils.)
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Number 3: Consider replacing some harsher cleaning products with homemade products that contain essential oil cleaning power. (See also Suggestion #6)

INSTEAD...Window Cleaner - mix 25% vinegar/75% water in a 16oz spray bottle (you can recycle an empty Windex bottle)and 7 drops each of lemon (or lemongrass), Thieves, and tea tree.

Disinfecting Spray - mix 25% grain alcohol/75% water in a 16 oz spray bottle (recycle one!) and 15 drops each of tea tree, Thieves, and patchouli (or rosemary). THIS ALSO WORKS AMAZINGLY AS A HAND SANITIZER SPRAY.

Stain Remover - drop rosemary essential oil right on the stain and toss in the wash or drop right on the carpet and scrub with a stiff bristle brush (see before and after pictures of a carpet that we cleaned in this very way)
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Number 4: Consider essential oils the next time you get the sniffles or an abrasion.

INSTEAD...Dab lavender on cuts, burns, inscet bites, etc.

Dab tea tree on insect stings and bites.

Dab Purification on dry, cracked skin, itchy patches, or a persitant rash.

Mix a few drops of basil in with a few drops of olive oil and rub on your chest when you have congestion in your lungs and a cold that has settled i your throat.

Try on of the teas below when suffering from the said ailments.

Try making the Beeswax Cream recipe below and use as a moisturizer. Add a drop or two of essential oil if you wish.

Place one drop of eucalypus globulus or radiata on your palms, friction together, and take 5-6 belly breathes when suffering with sinus congestion and stuff nose.

Brew some tea using 100% therapeutic Grade Essential Oils in the following Flu Tea recipe: 1 drop Lavender, 1 drop Thieves, and 1t Raw Honey or to taste.

Pour boiling water over honey and oil. Sip. (If you don't have raw honey, buckwheat honey is a good substitution.) For more ways to use essential oils in your cooking visit http://www.rosewoodmassage.com/cooking-with-essential-oils---recipes.html.)
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Number 5: Take an Aromatherapy Class. (I offer them in my area. Perhaps there is one going on near you. If not, contacting me prior to my class and I can set up a webinar so that you can join via internet. Visit www.youngliving.org/leibacher. Here you can request a copy of my e-newsletter that I send once a month to all of my clients. This is where I typically have upcoming classes posted.)
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Number 6: Recognize health hazards.

The Cancer Prevention Coalition lists common household products which have ingredients linked with breast and other cancers. Here are just a few: -Household cleaners
-Air fresheners
-Furniture polish
-Chlorine and bleach
-Home and garden pesticides
-Spray paint propellant, stripper
-Dry cleaning solvents
-Certain plastics

At your fingertips is a wealth of online resources to help you become an informed consumer. Downoad a list of hazardous ingredients at www.preventcancer.com. Discover which brand name household products have toxic ingredients at www.cosmeticdatabase.com.