How I detoxified myself and my household with Aromatherapy and why you should do that too..
As you already know me, I like to experiment with everything, especially if it may improve my and your lifestyle and health. My newest experiment was with Aromatherapy. The purpose- to detoxify myself and my household, which I believe will lead to better health and cleaner environment in general. How I did it and what are the results- read below. You’ll be amazed!!
But why I started with this experiment on a first place? Recently, I read a book, called “The Hundred Year Lie” by an investigative journalist Randal Fitzgerald. As the author says, we are constantly exposed to all kinds of toxins, for which are not even aware of- personal care products, add to that the over-the-counter and prescription drugs (vitamins and supplements as well) and all of the household cleaning products that you use (and I do too!). And on the top of that, most people just take it for granted that the products they use must have been thoroughly tested and deemed completely safe to use. Not so, folks.
Chemicals and toxins are invading our lives, often bringing serious illnesses and chronic disorders and I believe thyroid disorders are no exception. They destroy our immune system- making it underactive (cancer), overactive (allergies) or confused (autoimmune disorders) I’ll not explain here why, but if you’re interested check the book I mentioned above.
So, when you make a decision which is aligned with your “divine purpose”, (in my case to get rid of unknown, probably dangerous personal care products and cleaning supplies and substitute them with eco-friendly products + essential oils) the whole Universe starts to conspire with you. This is what happened:
I “met” Heather Grant (on Internet of course, where else?), a young, beautiful woman, mother of five and who was very kind to introduce me to aromatherapy- used as medicine, personal and household care. When you meet a mother of five and she starts talking to you, especially about Aromatherapy, you can only listen because probably she has a point.
For the purposes of my experiment she provided me with 6 essential oils (Lemon, Wild Orange, Peppermint, Lavender, and a few combinations). Not much, but it happens they were enough for my experiment. So, these are some of the things that I’ve learned and done in the past few weeks and I want to share with you:
- Essential oils are drinkable and can be used for literally thousands of ailments, but they have to be “Pure Certified Oil”, or you may poison yourself. So, don’t take them internally if you are not 100% sure!!
- Toothpaste: mix powdered clay +baking soda (equal quantities) + a few drops of Pepper mint. Mouthwash: bottle of water+ a few drops peppermint + tea tree oil (my choice). Both worked.
- All purpose cleaning: I trashed all different chemical sprays I could find under my kitchen sink and substituted with baking soda and/or white vinegar+ a few drops of Lemon or Peppermint. That’s it, worked fine.
- Shampoo– was substituted with clay powder (pretty much any you can find)+ 4-5 drops Lavender. Works for me!
- Conditioner– apple cider vinegar with Lavender (that didn’t work very well because of the vinegar smell, otherwise my hair was soft and manageable. I am looking for other options).
- Face wash: 1 tbl honey+ Lavender. Another one: milled oats+ grinded almonds + 2-3 drops Lavender. Worked wonders on my skin.
- Lavender: I also used it for relaxation and to put me to sleep, quickly. Infused or topically, even internally, added to the water (glass bottle!).
- Lemon: a few drops in my glass water bottle. Now the water had taste so I could drink the necessary 8 glasses of water/ day. You’ll love it.
- Peppermint: 1-2 drops in water (glass) for upset stomach (I had that problem once).
- You can also use Wild orange oil in water as a detoxifier. Fabulous.
- Combined essential oils: I could not figure out initially what to use them for, I mean they smelled good, but then what? Heather said that if I put them at the bottom of my feet, my wrists or temples they can balance my moods throughout the day (well, I have these moods and weird emotional states too, and who doesn’t?). (As Heather explained, with 5 kids you need balance and serenity, so I believed her:).
- Besides the essential oils I used for this particular experiment of mine, I know a few other Aromatherapy uses that can help your life right away: Lemon balm (melissa) oil- works directly on your thyroid ( used internally or topically); Lavender calms down the hectic mind; Frankincense oil improves your autoimmune system (internally, topically or infused); Grapefruit oil will help you loose weight; Orange, Peppermint or Ylang Ylang may help depression and low moody states; Maleleuka (Tea tree oil) will improve your gums and has anti-fungal properties to name a few of its hundreds of uses (this is a “must have” oil).
- Hyperthyroidism symptoms, to name a few: Lavender (again!) and Vetiver – for hyperactivity. Restlessness– lavender and Yland Ylang (topically). Palpitations: Ylang Ylang, Wild Orange, Lavender (topically or a few drops on the chest). Inflammation: Frankincense, Wintergreen- topically and internally.
The above list of essential oils and their applications is not exhaustive or complete. I am just mentioning the most popular oils and their everyday use (or at least for what I have used them). I can’t also share all the recipes I prepared and used due to limitation of space and time (deodorants, dish washing liquids, softeners, face tonic etc. (Heather Grant was so nice to provide me with a cheat sheet on how to use the different products and she also made herself available for my crazy questions!).
There are a few conclusions that emerged from my last experiments:
- You can substitute pretty much any chemical product in your household/personal care with products that are toxin- free and environmentally friendly. (And I mean make them by yourself!).
- The product substitutes will be cheaper financially and health wiser as well.
- Aromatherapy is centuries old alternative/complementary method for treating various ailments. It’s safe (if you use pure, certified essential oils of course), effective and works in most of the cases (if a particular oil does not work for you, try the next in line).
- A single essential oil has numerous applications. You just need to know what you’re doing!
- If you are sensitive or allergic- check first, or before applying the oil directly to your skin and mix with coconut oil/ almond oil or any other carrier oil. Never put in eyes and ears. In all cases, use essential oils with the label “Pure Cerified oil”.
This article is not complete; I didn’t have the space to write about everything I’ve learned about aromatherapy these past few weeks. But it’s a start. I feel lighter, happier and healthier. I know my body is also thankful for this experiment!
I am sure that many of you know or have applied at least one essential oil, and we want to hear from you how! Heather was kind enough to set up a drawing for my subscribers. Depending on when you are reading this article, the contest may be over. We actually have a winner from my subscribers and this is Terry, from Portales, NM, USA.
Also, any of you who may have any questions about the essential oils you may contact Heather at heathergrantwellness@gmail.com , she will be happy to answer to the best of her knowledge.
(Sorry guys, when it comes to Aromatherapy, Heather is the expert, so better ask her than me! I only can tell you that Aromatherapy is one of the best complementary methods I’ve ever used and you probably already guessed: I am not going back to the chemicals!
Happy smelling!
Disclaimer: I have no financial interest for writing this article, or recommending Aromatherapy or any of the above mentioned essential oils.