Grapefruit Essential Oil

Information by Carrie Vitt
Used by Permission

Grapefruit essential oil has a cleansing effect on the kidneys, lymphatic system and vascular system.

It blends well with Basil, Bergamot, Cypress, Frankincense, Geranium, Lavender, Peppermint, Rosemary and Ylang Ylang essential oils.

Apply 1 drop Grapefruit and 1 drop Basil over your adrenals or on the bottoms of the feet to support the adrenals.

Diffuse 2 drops Grapefruit, 2 drops Lemon and 2 drops Lime to freshen the air and reduce stress.

Put 3 drops of Grapefruit oil in a diffuser to help reduce sugar cravings.

Combine 2 drops with a bit of Fractionated Coconut Oil and rub directly over areas of cellulite. Grapefruit oil is a lymphatic stimulant, and because cellulite is stagnant lymphatic tissue, it can help reduce cellulite.

Dilute 2 drops with a little Fractionated Coconut Oil and apply to oily skin or acne to help manage breakouts.

Rub 1 drop Grapefruit and 1 drop Geranium over the liver each day. Both of these oils are fabulous for liver and gallbladder support.

Rub 2 drops Grapefruit on the feet to ease PMS symptoms.

Cooling and Healing After-Sun Spray

by Lois Breneman

For a soothing and cooling effect after sun exposure, mix the following ingredients in a spray bottle in this proportion:

1 cup Aloe Vera Juice
20 drops Lavender Essential Oil
15 drops Rosemary Essential Oil

Store in the refrigerator.  If you plan to take this to the pool or beach, it is best to pack it in a cooler or a Ziplock bag with an ice pack. 

Simply shake the bottle before spraying on the skin after sun exposure.  Ahhhhh!  It will nourish the parched skin and bring healing.  After showering, spray again and rub into the skin.

Remember to refrigerate the bottle, just as the bottle of aloe vera instructs to do after opening. 

I ordered aloe vera from Vitacost and always use doTERRA essential oils.

DIY: Deep Hair Conditioner

https://doterra.com/US/en/blog/diy-deep-hair-conditioner

Used by permission

Dry, damaged hair? Millions of women can relate. Buying deep
hair conditioning products or getting a conditioning treatment
at a spa can be expensive, and most treatments contain
unnecessary chemicals that are not good for you or the
environment.

 

So what are you supposed to do about it? Make your own, of
course! This homemade deep hair conditioner is easy to make
and will leave your hair soft, smooth, and chemical free. So
grab your girlfriends for a fun spa night in!

 

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 drops doTERRA essential oils

Stand or hand mixer

 

A few great essential oils for your hair include: Lavender,
Peppermint, Rosemary, Geranium, and Clary Sage. You can
use one or all five of the essential oils in your deep conditioner.

 

Directions:

1. Put coconut oil, olive oil, and essential oils in mixing bowl.
2. Mix on medium/high speed for 5 minutes or until
   ingredients are whipped to a thick and creamy consistency.
3. Once whipped, apply to clean dry hair.
4. Comb through with wide tooth comb to evenly distribute.
5. Let sit 15-20 minutes. Rinse, shampoo and style as desired.
6. Repeat once a week or as often as desired. 

Enjoy your soft, healthy, and chemical-free hair!

- See more at: https://doterra.com/US/en/blog/diy-deep-hair-conditioner#sthash.tmN8YY0J.dpuf

Reducing Harmful Compounds While Grilling Meats

by Lois Breneman

We've all heard how grilling meats can be unhealthy for us, but there are ways to make it work for our good health.

Marinating meats for hours beforehand in liquid mixtures that contain rosemary and other herbs and spices can dramatically prevent harmful compounds that can form while grilling meats at high temperatures. 

The simple and tasty solution is to marinate meats in antioxidants such as rosemary, thyme, garlic, oregano and/or other spices before grilling to drastically reduce any harmful effects that normally would form when grilling meat.

Even essential oils of rosemary, thyme and oregano can be used to replace the actual herbs for adding delicious flavor and good health, but go easy.  Only a drop or two of each is needed.  Not every brand of essential oils is safe to ingest, so check into that first.  I keep my essential oils for cooking in my kitchen cabinet, along with others that I use when making smoothies.

Excellent essential oils to use in grilling are rosemary and thyme.  Garlic, oregano, and others also add to your good health.

Charred meats are a real health problem, so be sure to keep the temperature lower and be careful not to burn the meat.  If you do, remove those burnt parts before consuming.

So why not give your meats extra flavor as well, while you treat yourself and your loved ones to better health!

Ginger for Good Health

by Lois Breneman - Heart to Heart - 2015

The following benefits can be yours by drinking ginger tea, juicing with ginger, consuming it in your foods, as well as by using ginger essential oil (a more concentrated form). 

I use a therapeutic grade of essential oils because of their purity and safety in being able to use most of them internally, something that most companies cannot claim.  In a health food store I asked about a brand that stated on the front label, "100% pure" whether or not it could be ingested.  The answer was, "Oh, no! Never!"  However, that same oil in the therapeutic brand that I use could be safely ingested.

In doing research I read that for beverages it is suggested that one drop of ginger oil be used for each 4 ounces of beverage. In making a syrup, they suggest one drop to one teaspoon of honey.

Research says children under age six should not be given ginger essential oil internally.

It can be applied neat (straight from the bottle) for adults, but because of repeated use, that can result in contact sensitization for this oil.  

So for adults I would dilute 1:1 with fractionated coconut oil.
For children dilute even more.  In a 10 ml. bottle use only 3-10 drops, then fill the bottle with fractionated coconut oil.

A drop or two of ginger essential oil, added to a daily cup of tea, would go a long way in boosting your health!

Certainly incorporating ginger into your daily regimen would help cover a lot of bases.  The easiest way to do that is to use a roller bottle of ginger, and possibly other essential oils, diluted with fractionated coconut oil, and rub it on the bottom of your feet every morning or night.  Since ginger is a beneficial food, if a little more ginger is ingested by way of juice, food, or tea, during the day, that's a good thing.

Homemade Hand Cleaner

This homemade hand cleaner is quick and easy to make, very effective, kind for your skin, and inexpensive. The essential oil gives you the expected effect in cleaning your hands well, while the aloe and Vitamin E oil nourish your hands, rather than dry them out.  No harmful chemicals either!

3 Tbsp. aloe vera gel (I bought some through i-herb)
5 drops immune blend or melaleuca tea tree essential oil
1 tsp. Vitamin E oil
1 Tbsp. filtered water
Note: If you use aloe vera gel straight from the plant, you may need to omit the filtered water.

Put the mixture into a dispenser tube to carry in your purse.

There are no chemicals or alcohol to dry out your skin!

Teething Tips for Babies and Toddlers

by Lois Breneman - Heart to Heart - August, 2014

You might want to print out this article and tape it to the inside of your kitchen cabinet! 

Grandmas, this is for you as well,  for times when you babysit or have your families visiting.

A screaming baby or toddler, because of teething discomfort, can set the entire family on edge, especially when you can't seem to find anything that eases the gum irritation for your precious little one.  Many times rocking, bouncing, walking the floor with him, or diverting his attention just doesn't cut it.  Night time teething is especially difficult when the parents often get robbed of their much-needed rest.  I saw a cute onsie in a store the other day that said, "Nobody gets to sleep until I say so!"  In that case, I'll try to help you fill your teething remedy arsenal with possible solutions.

Around three months of age a baby usually begins teething, and by the time he is three years old, twenty baby teeth will have broken through his gums.  Ouch!  Symptoms of teething are drooling, irritability, loss of appetite, having trouble sleeping, tender gums, and chewing on soft and firm objects.  For our babies, I thought the canine teeth were the most difficult.  Some babies and toddlers feel teething irritation more intensely, while others don't seem to be bothered much.

Diluting a drop or two of clove essential oil with olive oil or coconut oil, numbs the gums, and helps to remove severe discomfort of the gums for babies and children.  It works very well for adult tooth irritation as well.  Not all brands of essential oils are safe to use internally though.  I learned at a health food store that even the brands they carried which say 100% pure are not safe to be ingested.  One brand I know that is completely safe to be taken internally, however, is the one I use.

FDA regulations forbid Wellness Advocates or distributors of essential oil companies, as I am, to mention the brand name in their blogs or websites.  We also may not mention names of blends by our company!  What will the government demand next?  So if you want to know specifics, please e-mail me.

Years ago, before I got involved in essential oils, I used frozen fish sticks for my daughter's teething discomfort.  That worked great!  I was willing to put up with the fishy smell when the frozen fish actually calmed down my teething toddler.  It's interesting that she is the one who introduced me to this esssential oil company years later.

A little soft giraffe was the favorite teething toy for all three of our children - easy to grab onto, and the long neck and head were perfect for gnawing on.  Poor giraffe!  There are all kinds of teething toys available that can be kept in the freezer for numbing the irritated gums.

Rolled-up wet baby wash clothes, stored in a plastic bag in the freezer, come in handy and babies love chewing on these, even if they don't last long.

Fruit popsicles, either homemade or bought, help numb the gums. Blend strawberries and bananas for natural sweetness without adding sugar.  If you need to add sweetness to another blend of fruit, use pure stevia.

Lorna Wanner, a mother of five, in Virginia, gave this recommendation:  "I was told of a teething remedy that has proved very effective.  Instead of Oragel, rub a small amount of  liquid Benadryl on the baby's gums.  This worked like nothing else!  But what I didn't realize is that it worked for me as well when I had agony with a tooth myself later."

Many moms have found the "Mesh Feeder" to be a wonderful soothing remedy for teething ittitation.  Another Heart to Heart subscriber, Lauren Britton, a mother of four in Virginia, says, "A frozen banana in a mesh feeder continues to be THE best teething remedy...4 kids tested - 4 kids approved."

Meagan DeLong, mother of four, also in Virginia, says, "I have used the Baltic Amber teething necklaces with my last two babies and I do think they are helpful, although it is hard to judge perfectly since teething discomfort comes and goes. They are just for wearing, not chewing, and the *succinic acid, a naturally occurring component in amber, is absorbed through the skin.  Some moms are afraid to let their babies wear them at night and just use them during the day and that would be the safest, but most moms I know let their babies wear them all the time and I have as well.  The sizing is very important.  You just have to make sure it is not long enough for the baby to notice to be able to grab or chew.  The stones are usually double knotted in between each one so if the necklace breaks, none of the stones fall off. 

Meagan adds, "I also use Hylands homeopathic teething tablets and if the discomfort is really bad and I know which tooth it is, I will rub Herbs for Kids Gummomile oil on it, as a natural alternative to Oragel.  My favorite teething toy is Zoli Gummy Sticks and I have also used a cold apple, frozen blueberries, and frozen banana in a mesh feeder as well.

Note:

* Baltic Amber teething necklaces are sold by Bouncy Baby Boutique.

They report that it is the succinic acid, a naturally occurring component in amber, that makes it so effective. Succinic acid is a natural teething discomfort reliever, anti-inflammatory, and a central nervous system calmer. It is so effective on babies and small children because it simultaneously eases their pain while also having a strong soothing effect on their nervous system, all with zero side effects!
 
(New FDA regulations do not allow me to mention the brand of essential oils I use or tell more specifically how they help so many "irritations" or "discomforts" in life, since I am a Health Advocate, meaning I get their great discount.  If you would like to know more about the therapeutic grade of essential oils I use and trust, please e-mail me and ask.)

Make Your Own Natural Moisturizing Lotion Recipe

No harmful chemicals are in this lotion as they are in most others sold! 

http://blog.aromatools.com/2014/04/30/all-natural-moisturizing-lotion-with-essential-oils/

 

 

 

Homemade Chapstick Recipe

by Lois Breneman - 2015 - Revised 2016

Many of the brands of chapstick, even those bought at a health food store, often contain soybean oil, which is a cancer-causing substance, so I wanted to avoid products that use soybeans in making a homemade chapstick.  As often as I use chapstick, it's good to know that all these ingredients are completely healthy and safe to ingest.
Recipe for Chapstick
3 Tbsp. bees wax
1 Tbsp. shea butter
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 Tbsp. jojoba oil
1 Tbsp. lanolin
1 Tbsp. vitamin E oil
20 drops of any combo of therapeutic essential oils
(Examples: 
10 drops orange and 10 drops lavender; 
10 drops melaleuca and 10 drops orange;
10 drops orange and 10 drops bergamot; 
or 20 drops of one essential oil)
5 drops helichrysum, optional

Directions:Melt bees wax, shea butter, and coconut oil in a double boiler. Add jojoba oil, lanolin, and Vitamin E along with the essential oils of your choice.

Carefully pour melted ingredients into clean chapstick containers.  I used a teaspoon to transfer the liquid.

All of the essential oils mentioned in the recipe are therapeutically safe to ingest if using the brand I use, as well as a few other brands.

The convenience in making this recipe is that if you don't have enough empty chapstick containers, you can save your liquid, which will become solid, for another time.  I suggest saving it in a glass container so when you want to remelt it to pour into additional chapstick containers, you can.  Products with essentials oils should be stored in glass containers anyway.

The Versatility and Benefit in Using Essential Oils

by Lois Breneman - Heart to Heart - 2013 - Revised 2016

What are essential oils, anyway?  We've all been hearing so much about them in the last few years.  Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, and flowers of plants. They can be both beautifully and powerfully fragrant providing many benefits.

Due to FDA regulations, this helpful article on essential oils had to be removed from my blog.  (See below)

If you are interested in knowing the brand I use as well as reading the entire article which was taken down, please contact me by e-mail.  I hope you will find safe and non-invasive help for your family's health and wellness!

(New FDA regulations do not allow me to mention the brand of essential oils I use or tell more specifically how they help so many "irritations" or "discomforts" in life, since I am a Wellness Advocate, basically meaning I get their great discount. If you would like to know more about the therapeutic grade of essential oils I use and fully trust, please e-mail me and ask.)

Natural Baby Wipes Made with Essential Oils

by Lois Breneman - Heart to Heart

Make these natural baby wipes for a safe, sweet-smelling, and germ-eliminating substitute to much more expensive baby wipes.

You will need:
1 roll Bounty paper towels or another high quality brand
2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons fractionated coconut oil (olive oil would work)
3 drops lavender essential oil (good for skin and much more)
3 drops tea tree essential oil (anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, etc.)
An airtight storage container (Cool Whip), an empty Baby Wipes container, or a Tupperware container.

Cut paper towel roll in half with a serrated or electric knife. Place half of the roll in a container.  Save the other half for the next batch.

Combine water, fractionated coconut oil, as well as lavender and tea tree essential oils in a small bowl.

Pour the mixture over the paper towels and cover with the airtight lid.

Allow the mixture absorb into the towels for 10 minutes before turning the container over to absorb for another 10 minutes.

Remove and discard the cardboard tube in the center. Then simply pull the wipes from the center when you are ready to use.

Notes: Use travel size wipe containers for diaper bags, your purse, or car.  Even small Tupperware containers work well for that.

Another way to use this solution in the nursery would be to keep this solution in a small covered container, with a box of tissues next to it for dipping into the solution as needed for diaper changes.  When my children were in diapers, I used Amyway Liquid Organic Cleaner (LOC) in water for cleaning up.  Either way, this is a great money-saving tip as well!