Welcome to our blog! Join us as we explore God's gift of Essential Oils and increase in "Scents Ability."

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Homemade Toothpaste

Our family doesn't use fluoridated toothpaste (learn why here), but it is sometimes hard to find toothpaste without it.  We either buy ours from Young Living, or we make it ourselves.  Here is a recipe for the toothpaste we use and enjoy.  It is fun to experiment with different flavors!  Some of our favorite oils to use in toothpaste are: lemon, cinnamon & orange, Thieves, and peppermint. We just make sure that we are using Young Living essential oils that say "supplement" on the label.  (This just means that they are completely edible oils)


Ingredients:
3-4 T Food Grade Vegetable Glycerin.
6 T Baking Soda
4 drops liquid Stevia OR 1 tsp Powdered Stevia OR Xylitol.
Essential oil(s) of your choice.  We start with 10 drops and add more to taste.

Combine all ingredients in bowl.  Don't use plastic, as the essential oils can break down the plastic.  This can cause the plastic to leach into the toothpaste... Ewww.





Once the mixture is combined and and the consistency is smooth, taste to see if you need more oil.  Adjust as needed.  Store in a glass container.  Some like to use a clean popsicle stick to apply the paste to the toothbrush.  This is the most sanitary method we have seen.  Enjoy brushing your teeth without the use of fluoride!  

With Joy,
Rachel for the Scents and Scents Ability Team

*Please Note:  We are not here to diagnose, prescribe, or treat, any illness or malady.  Please seek professional help when needed.  





Monday, July 14, 2014

Fluoride?

To fluoride or not to fluoride...   It is a good question, and one that my family has researched and thought a lot about over the years.

(Please understand that these are our personal decisions.  I am not posting this to prescribe, treat, or diagnose any illness or malady.  I am just sharing our journey to what we believe is a healthier lifestyle.  Please do your research, and decide what you believe is best for your family.)

On any tube of "normal" fluoridated toothpaste, I see instructions to only use a pea-sized amount of paste per brushing.  I also see instructions to call the poison control center if more than that amount is ingested.  Of course, it is reasonable to say "everything in moderation."  But I asked myself, do I really want to put that in my mouth.  Possibly swallow some?  Do I want to encourage little children in my family to put poison in their mouths?  And c'mon, fess up. As a kid, the toothpaste was dessert, right?

Is it poison?  Here is what Dean Murphy, DDS says in an article I found through the Weston A. Price Foundation.  Read the full article.

"In microscopic amounts fluoride will gradually but steadily interfere with a wide range of metabolic functions causing slow deterioration and breakdown. Victims will think they are just getting old and not realize what is really going on. Mental processes are impaired, creating a dumbing down effect. Aggressive instincts, initiative and sex drive are all suppressed. And fluoride is carcinogenic. It is a key component of nerve gases that can kill in such grotesque ways that I must refrain from describing them." 

Sounds like poison to me.  In fact, here is more from the same article...

"Fluoride is very versatile. It can kill you slowly, or it can kill you quickly, depending on dose. And it can kill anything—even cockroaches. In the 17th and 18th centuries they had a nickname for it: The Devil’s Poison."


Due to our concerns about fluoride, we are now making our own toothpaste (see recipe here!)  or ordering it from Young Living.  Here is their selection of toothpastes.











Please consider whether or not fluoride is something you want to use in your home.  Do your research, and make an informed decision.  

Joyfully,
Rachel for the Scents and Scents Ability Team.

Note:  We are not here to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any illness or malady.  Please seek professional help when needed.












Saturday, June 28, 2014

Itchy Sniffles







Dust, pollen, animals...  The things that cause the running, itching, and sneezing misery that most of us battle.  There are so many ways we put our essential oils to work in promoting comfort when these irritants are in the air. Before popping an anti-histamine, we turn to our stash of oils.  Here is what we do...  *Please note that I am simply sharing what we have done in our family*

1.  We like to combine the following oils in a capsule:
  • 2 drops of lavender
  • 2 drops of peppermint
  • 2 drops of lemon 
      Once the oils are in the capsule, we swallow immediately (waiting too long will cause the capsule to melt, and the oils will be lost).

2.  If noses and eyes are itching, we put a drop of lavender on a cotton swab a swipe the inside of our nostrils, being careful not to insert deeply.  We also put a drop of lavender on our hands and rub together.  Then, we cup hands over our eyes (being careful not to get the oils in our eyes) and blink a few times.

3.  We swab the inside of cheeks and behind the ears with lavender.

4.  Thieves is one of our go-to oils for many things, especially for those itchy sneezy irritations.  We will rub 1-2 drops on wrists or hands and inhale.  Sometimes we apply some behind our ears along with a drop of lavender.  Remember that Thieves is a "hot" oil, so dilution may be necessary.

4.  To spread the benefit of our oils all through our home, we put 2 drops each of lavender, peppermint and lemon in our diffuser.  We have found this blend to encourage a sniffle-free atmosphere.  Plus, it smells wonderful!

Please note that everyone's body is different.  Certain methods for using essential oils may work for some people while others don't. Just keep experimenting, and don't give up!

Also, we aren't here to diagnose, prescribe or treat any illness or malady.  Please seek professional help when needed.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Dusting Powder

Use this after applying your Spray Deodorant or whenever you need to freshen up!  It smells wonderful, and you avoid all the questionable ingredients such as talcum powder.

~Dusting Powder~
In a zipper plastic bag combine...
  • 1 cup of any of the following: arrowroot, organic cornstarch, baking soda, or bentonite clay.  If you use the bentonite clay, add a portion of one of the other powders to make it silky.
  • Up to 20 drops of a Young Living Therapeutic-Grade Essential Oil of your choice (you can make your powder match your Spray Deodorant if you choose). 
Some Favorite Oils:
Lavender, Peace and Calming, Joy, Valor, and Orange.
Be careful not to inhale the powder while combining.  Store in an airtight container.  Apply with a cotton pad or a make-up brush. Enjoy your Dusting Powder!
With Joy,
~Rachel for the Scents and Scents Ability Team~

Please note; we aren't here to diagnose, prescribe or treat any illness or malady.  Please seek professional help when needed.

 

Homemade Spray Deodorant

Detoxifying a home is not something that can happen overnight, although it sure would be nice to snap our fingers and declare our habitation completely healthy and chemical-free.  Cleaning out the toxins in our home can be overwhelming, and trying to find healthy and effective alternatives to the chemicals upon which we have come to rely is not always easy. 

One of the things I have found difficult to replace is deodorant.  The "healthy" deodorants are often expensive, and in my experience, rarely effective.  I found myself constantly tempted to return to the chemical laden, but cheap and reliable,  deodorants.  That is, until I discovered this recipe.  This deodorant is my very favorite!  Not only is it an easy recipe with very little clean-up, it really does work!

  • 4 drops of vegetable glycerin
  • 20 drops of Young Living Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil (potential combinations below) 
  • 2 oz. Witch Hazel (minus a little to allow room for the other ingredients in your bottle) 
  • 2 oz. amber glass bottle.  (You can buy them here)

Potential oil combinations:

  • 10 drops of orange
  • 7 drops of vetiver
  • 3 drops of frankincense   


  • 10 drops of Purification
  • 10 Lavender

Feel free to experiment with your own scents!  Any oil with bacteria-fighting properties will help keep odor in check.

Fill your spray bottle with all the ingredients and shake before each use.

This deodorant dries well if you fan you arms a couple times.  If you prefer an immediate dry feeling, follow your sprits with this pleasant Dusting Powder.

With Joy,
~Rachel for the Scents and Scents Ability Team~ 


Please note; we aren't here to diagnose, prescribe or treat any illness or malady.  Please seek professional help when needed.







 

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Natural Bug Spray

For many years I have been uncomfortable spraying chemical-laden bug sprays on my family, but what else could I do?  The ticks around our home are horrible, and mosquitoes are numerous as well.  I found myself trying to decide which was the lesser of the two evils: the neuro-toxins in the bug spray or the risk of contracting a frightening disease that may be transmitted by these critters.

Thankfully, we now have the "ability" (get the connection to our blog name?) to use essential oils to protect ourselves from the bugs AND avoid the chemicals!!!  In the past, I tried to limit the commercial sprays to our clothing.  It is such a relief to feel no stress about spraying it directly onto our skin!  Here is my recipe ...


Lori's Natural Bug Spray

For a 2 oz. amber glass spray bottle (you can purchase them here), fill halfway with vodka.  Then add the following Young Living Therapeutic-Grade Essential Oils:
  • 10 drops of Purification
  • 10 drops of Lavender
  • 5 drops of Oregano
  • 5 drops of Thyme
Fill the rest of the way with purified water.  Be sure to leave enough room for the spray tube to fit without causing the mixture to overflow, spilling your precious oils.  Label as "Bug Spray" and include "Shake Well."  That's it!  Enjoy protecting your family from both bugs and chemicals!  Plus, I think it smells much better than the other stuff!

Please Remember 
It is important to know that these are therapeutic-grade essential oils.  Some oils that are available on the market today have potentially dangerous chemicals in them and should never be inhaled, applied to the skin, nor ingested.

How to Get These Oils!
If you would like to learn how to buy these amazing oils at wholesale prices (24% off retail ) AND receive the Quick Reference Guide for Using Essential Oils as a FREE gift from me, click HERE.