Immune System Support through essential oils!

Want to learn how to support your immune system naturally?

Find out what Kirsten Taylōr Yōrk and I have been learning for the last decade in boosting and supporting our immune system daily!

 

Check out our class tomorrow (Tuesday April 26) @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/1506679992958915/
Starts at 9am and runs throughout the day, and we'd love to have you check it out!

What the heck is 1,8-cineole?

If you've ever looked into essential oils, you've probably heard of the component 1,8-cineole. And, unless you have a background in chemistry, you're probably like me and have no idea what 1,8-cineole is. The thing is, I like to know what I'm putting in my body. Okay, to start off I might trust that's its a natural compound that is safe for my body, but I want to know more! So here's a little intro to 1,8-cineole.

Dictionary.com lists cineole as:

 

noun,

1.

a colorless, oily, slightly water-soluble liquid terpene ether, C ₁₀ H ₁₈ O, having a camphorlike odor and a pungent, spicy, cooling taste, found in eucalyptus, cajeput, and other essential oils: used in flavoring, perfumery, and medicine chiefly as an expectorant.

Still a little too much? I had to keep going with my research... So lets break this down.

Colorless- got it, no color

Oily- doesn't absorb or evaporate quickly

Slightly water-soluble- only partly dissolves in water

Terpene- any of a class of hydrocarbons occurring widely in plants and animals...regarded as built up from isoprene [chemical structure], a hydrocarbon consisting of five carbon atoms attached to eight hydrogen atoms (C₅H₈)

The structure of 1,8-cineole 

 The structure of the 1,8-cineole allows the therapeutic properties benefiting the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. 

Because 1,8-cineole is such a strong compound, essential oils containing 1,8-cineole should be used cautiously with younger children. Dilution and/or diffusing oils such as Peppermint and Eucalyptus or ideal for children. Dilution of these oils should be close to 1 tsp. of carrier oil (Coconut oil, Grapeseed oil, Olive oil, etc) with 1 drop of essential oil.

For more information on essential oils with 1,8-cineol, or uses of these oils, send me a quick message through the contact button.

http://www.britannica.com/science/terpene

http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/sial/00020590?lang=en&region=US&gclid=CjwKEAjwi9K4BRCQzq7d1c6A_XASJABueAO2SSAXPnujjCUIRwaSmgNNPQDPfNa652sxqX05AM8ZsxoCWzTw_wcB

http://www.aromahead.com/blog/2009/08/02/essential-oil-chemistry-oils-high-in-18-cineole/

 

Spring Time Love :)

Good Morning!

Who loves spring time? The beautiful flowers starting to bloom, the spring time storms (I love the thunder storms!), the rain over the new greenery! I live in an area where winter lasts for almost 6 months, so spring for me is literally a life saver. I love when the weather warms up and my kids can finally enjoy going outside for more than 5 minutes, that's about how long they last in the snow :/

Another part of spring I love is getting out and working in the yard. Now I have a large yard, which means lots of work to do every spring. I want my yard to look nice, but in the past I've literally only been able to work for a little while before I start to come down with some seasonal discomforts, I know a lot of you experience this also! So I used to go in and take some sort of pharmaceutical  product which would temporarily relieve my discomforts, wait half an hour or so, and then be able to go back to work.

But I did find a way better, way tastier way! I started taking a drop of peppermint essential oil in a 8oz glass of water every morning. Those days I forgot, as soon as I noticed any discomforts, I headed inside for my glass of peppermint water. And guess what? I drink my water, go outside, and no more discomforts! It didn't take 30 minutes- for me it's literally 5 minutes and I feel amazing and clear! I can work outside without worrying about any discomforts (unless I get stung by a bee or something ;) but even with a bee sting, I have something for that)

So what is peppermint essential oil? Glad you asked! Essential oils are plants defense mechanisms. Plants have evolved for millions of years to protect themselves, right? They can't just go to the doctor when they don't feel well. So the peppermint essential oil, or Mentha piperita, I use is derived from peppermint plants from Washington, from a generational farm. How many of you have ever chewed peppermint gum, or had a candy cane? How do you feel after chewing that gum or eating the candy cane? Do you feel clear and alert? Peppermint essential oil has a large percentage of menthol, along with 1,8-cineole, limonene, beta-pinene, that all help to boost your body systems, especially your respiratory system!

If you're like me, you probably have used menthol in some sort of product, but who really knows what 1,8-cineole, limonene, or beta-pinene are? Don't worry- during this next week, we're going to talk a little bit about what these different chemical constituents are. Stay tuned for the next few posts to learn about these different components that can boost and balance your body!

Circulatory Sytem Class!

Tomorrow is our Circulatory System Class! So many people, including me, tend to have issues with their circulatory system, and we just ignore it and then, or course, it gets worse. Lets start taking care of our bodies!

What types of problems do you have with your circulatory issues do you have?


https://www.facebook.com/groups/1506679992958915/

Who's Ready?!

Challenge started today! 

Join our No Makeup and Beyond Challenge group at 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1005118292910434/

And Change Your World!

Spring Time Pests- Spiders and Mice!

What is your least favorite sprint time pest?

Mine are probably the spiders! Oh my gosh, and we get some nasty looking spiders here. My husband always tries to convince me to leave them be because they eat the other bugs, but seriously, I'd rather have the flies than spiders. Do you want Hobo spiders and Wolf spiders, and those black furry ones with the red spots wandering around with your kids? No way!

Next to spiders, I just had a mouse in my house! I know mice are probably more irrational to hate then spiders, but I really don't like them, especially scurrying around my house. This one ran into the laundry room, and I'm assuming, behind the washing machine and got into the wall, I haven't seen him since.

But here's the thing, I don't want either in my house. And I don't want dangerous spiders around where my kids play outside. So outside, I know the snakes will take care of the mice, but what about the spiders? I tried having my house sprayed outside for spiders, but I was paying a ton of money, and within weeks of the spraying the spiders were back. So I needed alternatives badly!

Peppermint oil!

Peppermint oil repels spiders and mice! My life saver (especially when I lived in the basement)!

Now, usually I like to back up my claims with scientific research, but so far I haven't found any for peppermint oil repelling spiders and mice. It appears that they just don't like the smell, or for spiders, something in the chemical composition deters them. I've seen a huge difference in the amount of spiders I have inside when I spray my house with peppermint oil.

So here's how you make your peppermint spray:

Spray bottle (I prefer a 32oz)
Half full water
Half full vinegar
30 drops of peppermint essential oil (fill out my contact sheet to find out what I use)
1 tsp. Epsom salt (helps to mix the oil with the water)

Shake really well and you're good to go. Spray on door frames, baseboards, and windows, and anywhere else you might find spiders and love your spider free life :)

What are your pest free hacks?

No Makeup and Beyond Challenge!

Update: The group is all set up for this challenge, you can join at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1005118292910434/ The challenge will officially begin on April 1st, but I'll be adding posts every few days to get us ready :) Hope you all join us!


Why do you wear makeup? Lately, I've been thinking about how I portray myself to my kids and to others. I have 3 girls and they all love to wear makeup, but my 2 year old especially will ask for makeup and then say "Now I look beautiful." Now, I don't wear makeup all the time, and even when I do it's not very much, but the fact that she already feels like she needs makeup or cute clothes or jewelry to look beautiful is really sad to me.

So, April 1st, I'm starting a No Makeup and Beyond Challenge! This challenge is open to everyone, I'll have a monthly challenge where you can earn points in various ways (posting pictures and posts, participating in daily/weekly challenges). I'll also show the different products I'm using for my body and skin, along with posting daily workouts, recipes, and ideas for beauty inside and out! I personally will be posting No Makeup pictures everyday. 

I know this will be an amazing time for me, and all those who join me, to truly love ourselves for who we are! Not for the clothes we wear or the makeup we cover our faces with, but our personalities, and loving our bodies for what they are now.

More information will be coming, along with
a Facebook group/event page for the challenge. I hope you'll join me on the awesome journey!

I'm Back!!!!

Good Morning!

I have been off for a long time as I've been learning how to make sure my posts are compliant with FDA guidelines  for essential oil use. I'm really excited to get back into sharing with you what I love so much! And we're going to go into so much more than just essential oils, we're talking about whole wellness here- from your physical body to your emotions, to your household and your recipes, to your kids and their welfare. I am seriously so excited to get back into writing for you guys, I've truly missed it!