It's not the Product, It's the Creation

When you move over to essential oils there is a temptation to go all natural on everything and why not right?  There are actually reasons to not do so or if you're going to do so then be aware of some things.  Water is where bacteria proliferate.  So that anything that has water in it is going to become contaminated with bacteria within about the same amount of time as left out food.  Most vegetables and fruits have some natural protection on them before you cook them or cut them up and most folks wash them before using them anyway and we know meat goes bad almost immediately but think about how long does cooked broccoli stay good outside the fridge - that's about how long a cleanser made with water is going to stay good - maybe add a day to that tops because the essential oils are in there but minus a preservative the bacteria will get in and make a party if only on the sides of the bottle and that's plenty of room to make a mess that will contaminate your counters if you

My shrink says don't write about something boring, write about your life!!!  She says I've lived an interesting life and I am aware that I have alot of experiences that many folks do not share.  She sees me as rather entertaining and I am - I can be super silly and fun but when alone I have to admit that I am much more serious.  Although still maybe more silly than most ... idk.  Why am I writing though?  I would like to help people.  I have been told soo many times in my life when going through one ordeal or another that someday all these experiences will add up to me being able to really help someone else.  And I have been told a time or two by people that I REALLY have helped them through something.  I don't know why I should want to do that on a bigger scale as even helping one person is SUPER powerful to me  in terms of being rewarding.  It DOES make all the heartache worth it (or at least gives it a good deal of meaning).  It may even seem a bit egotistical to think t

Chamaemelum nobile Chamaemelum nobile is Roman chamomile.  Unlike German Chamomile it is not blue but rather a light yellow in color (the blue of German Chamomile is striking indeed).  I like both the chamomiles.  Well there are more chamomiles actually but the two most popular I have at least used.  They can be pricey.  If you wish to try them and you are just starting out I recommend buying a very small bottle.  A little - a few drops - goes quite a long ways so that a small bottle may last you a full year anyway.  By small I mean 1/6 of an oz which would run you about $35.  I recommend folks purchase at a place called Appalachian Valley Natural Products ( av-at.com ) when they are buying in small quantities.  They only sell small quantities there and at VERY reasonable prices and they can be trusted. Side Note - in the sale of essential oils there is ALOT of hanky-panky so to say.  Folks mis-price both up and down.  Things that are marked at unnaturally low prices you can c

I actually have a few more things to say about Peppermint (see previous page if you haven't already on the usage of Peppermint essential oil).  While I normally do not suggest internal usage for essential oils Peppermint is one of the ones that is especially good for when one has an upset tummy, travel sickness, neasea, or I have found it to be especially good for mild cases of food poisoning (where one isn't even certain that it is food poisoning but just feel icky after eating a meal).  But one must be SUPER careful (I went over contraindications on the last page).  I would say that before one ever ingests an essential oil that they use it several times in other methods first so that you have a real feel for how the oil behaves and can make a good assessment on whether this is something you really wish to do. But ok let's say you have used it in a lotion on your feet for instance - it has got a nice cooling property (for most folks - for some folks it feels warming) a

Okay let's move on to one of the MOST commonly used essential oils but one that has substantial harms attached to it if used incorrectly.  Upping the ante so to say :) Mentha x piperita is the Latin for Peppermint.  While there are LOTS of mints there is only one peppermint - otherwise it's Chocolate Peppermint or Cornmint or Spearmint and so on (I have never seen Chocolate Peppermint sold as an essential oil but if I had a still and a BUNCH of Chocolate Peppermint you can betcha that I'd distill some!!)  In any case, Menthol comes from Peppermint.  It is used alllll over the place in food and medicine and cleansers and so forth.  It is one of the essential oils that has alot of commercial and other uses.  But you do not want to get it up too close to your nose or especially around the nose of a child of any age which could cause breathing problems for that child so care must be taken when you have Peppermint Essential Oil in your home!  The other risks associated with

Citrus limon is the Latin for Lemon Essential Oil.  It, just like the Lavender, can be found in different well not species but rather different chemotypes - this just means that some trees have more of a certain chemical in their lemon essence, a slightly, but enough to make a difference, different chemical makeup, than the standard but here the differences aren't quite so much something you need to be terribly worried about.  By that I mean you are not going to accidentally come across too much of something potentially harmful like you could with the lavender (those potential harms are also where the real benefits lie - it's just a matter of what is your goal.).  With Lemon Essential Oil the main thing you want to watch out for is the fact that it's a sun sensitizer.  This just means that if you inhale, ingest, apply or otherwise get Lemon Essential Oil in or on your body you should avoid the sun for around 24 hrs otherwise possibly suffer a bad burn.  10 minutes exposur