Travelling with Essential Oils

The season of travel is upon us, so here's a sneak peek at my season essentials.

1. The first thing in my bag is Thieves. A blend consisting of Clove, Cinnamon Bark, Lemon, Rosemary and Eucalyptus oils; because of the Cinnamon and Clove, Thieves is considered a “hot” oil & should be diluted with a carrier such as coconut, olive oil, v-6, grapes, etc. Proven to kill 99.96% of airborne bacteria this will be diffused as soon as I get to my destination. 

I'll also be applying to my feet before travelling and daily to protect myself from any germy fellow travellers. Along with the essential oil blend, I'm also packing a bottle (or two) of the thieves hand purifier. A bottle of Thieves spray is also accompanying me for similar reasons!

2. Peppermint is a must-have even when not travelling, so it's coming with me to Spain too. I use it for headaches and to help invigorate me for the day ahead. Peppermint can also help relieve anxiety and alleviate fatigue. In terms of traveling, Peppermint is essential for any queasy travellers. You could add a drop to mug of warm water and consume before travelling. It is also a great idea to dilute this oil in a liquid carrier and put in to a roller so it can be used easily on the go. If you have space then ginger is also great for tummy issues. Digize is a blend containing both longer and peppermint (amongst others) so is good to have on hand too. I will also be adding a drop or two to the bottom of the shower tray to help wake me up, since getting up at silly o'clock is going to be a reality more than once! Traveller's cold is also commonplace in the first few days of travelling, so if possible taking some of my D.I.Y. shower discs would be amazing. Unfortunately I can't so peppermint in the shower is the next best thing.

  

3. Lavender is, as we know, the swiss army knife of essential oils; used to help a multitude of ailments. Like Peppermint, Lavender normally comes every where with me, so taking it whilst travelling is a no-brainer. Lavender essential oil can be used to alleviate swollen feet and ankles, so it is a must for any long-haul flights. if possible add three to five drops to a damp pieces of cotton, store in a small plastic bag and apply as necessary to feet/ankles in an upwards motion for 

a few minutes. Lavender may also help you get a more restful sleep and assist with seasonal discomforts. Getting sunburn is the unpleasant bit of travelling. You can make a sunscreen with essential oils (which i'll post shortly). However, if you find yourself with sunburn at the end of the day then Lavender oil is the most effective treatment. The most important thing is to reduce the heat in the skin. You could try filling a sink or bath with cold water and immerse the affected part for at least ten minutes. Then apply three to four drops of Lavender essential oil directly to the affected area. Note: Water and oil do not mix, so add some salt (preferably epsom salts) to give the oil something to cling to and disperse.

4. Purification is a blend oil. It includes citronella, lemongrass, rosemary, Melaleuca (tea tree), lavandin, and myrtle oils. This has made my travelling shortlist, because as the name suggests, it is a purifying blend that helps to cleanse and disinfect the air and neutralises mildew, cigarette smoke, and disagreeable odours. This is a must in hotel rooms which often have poor quality air. I am taking a small travel diffuser with me, but unfortunately have not yet found one that is suitable for citrus oil (since they eat petrochemicals in plastics) so instead will be doing a few drops to some tissue and placing strategically around the room. It may also help to disinfect and cleanse cuts, scrapes, insect bites and stings, so great to have on hand just in case. Bugs are not prevalent at this time of year where i'm going, but because it contains citronella is great for travelling with.

E x t r a s If you are travelling with kids then I would make sure you pack Peace and Calming. It is a gentle fragrant blend oil of: Blue Tansy, Patchouli, Tangerine, Orange and Ylang Ylang. Use during long trips in confined spaces to help with the “ants in the pants” syndrome. I added a roller-fitment to the top of P&C and leave in the car, pass it around the car and hey presto - calm space!

If you or any of travelling companions are nervous about flying or indeed travelling, then a mix of the four below, make a great anti-anxiety combo. \

Young Living have also recently introduced a great Travel Pack, 'Bon Voyage Travel Pack'.

Bon Voyage offers ten Young Living personal-care products inside an attractive, custom-designed Young Living bag:

• 1. Thieves® AromaBright Toothpaste, 60ml.
• 2. Thieves Waterless Hand Purifier, 29.5ml.
• 3. Thieves Dental Floss
• 4. Thieves Fresh Essence Plus Mouthwash, 60ml.
• 5. Young Living branded Toothbrush
• 6. Lavender Shampoo, 60ml.
• 7. Lavender Conditioner, 60ml.
• 8. Cinnamint Lip Balm
• 9. Morning Start™ Bath & Shower Gel, 60ml.
• 10. Genesis™ Hand & Body Lotion, 60ml.
• 11. A.R.T™ Light Moisturizing Cream, 10g.

What are your favourites for travelling?


If you would like to find out more about these amazing oils and how they have helped my family, you can browse this site and check out the post, 'Wellness Toolkit', to see how you can get these oils with 24% off R.R.P. Alternatively please do contact me and I will be more than happy to discuss oils with you.

Sleep Essentials

Sleeping is one of those things that we all must do, but good sleep is one of the hardest things to achieve. Do you struggle getting off to sleep? Wake up feeling worse than before you went to bed? Well do not fear, you are not alone. Together we can learn the essentials for better sleep.

B E F O R E  B E D  R O U T I N E

This has got to be one of the hardest things to get right, but is absolutely one of the most important things.

There was a time when I had three children under three and in order to keep what was left of my sanity I had to instigate a strict bedtime routine; dinner, bath, massage, story, bed.

The same is absolutely true for adults - a consistent bedtime routine lets your body know what's coming next, which in turn allow for better relaxation because your body expects it and knows you're going to meet its needs.

1. Turn off digital devices an hour before you intend to go to bed. 

This is so difficult in the age of digital distractions; the first thing I do when waking is check my first and the last thing before the lamp off is, you guessed it, check my phone. 

The other problem with these digital devices is that we use them for our alarm clocks too. 

Tom and I made a decision at the beginning of the year that we would remove our phones not just from the bedroom, but from our house when we were together. 

We got our wedding gift radio alarm from the garage, moved the phone chargers downstairs and vowed to support each other. 

It's so sad that I'm even having to write that, but it's such a first world problem and we all need to know we're not alone. 

When we're in the house together our phones are not near us, we don't need to contact each other and if anyone important needed us then they have our landline number.

 Not only has this helped our bedtime routine but our marriage too - quality time is spent actually together instead of just sitting next to each other doing separate things.

2. Take a warm bath. 

In this busy society, where we're always on the go and always finding ways to cut down our time doing things, showers are an important part of life. 

Don't get me wrong i'm all for doing things quickly so we can get more done, but sometimes taking time over the mundane brings a whole new level of satisfaction to the task. 

I like to make time for a long, hot soak at least three times a week. I add about 6-10 drops of essential oil to one cup of epsom salts and allow to dissolve in a hot bath before I lose myself in it. 

My favourite oily combination is 7 drops of Stress-Away and 3 drops of Lavender.

 I'll sometimes take a book (non-Uni related of course!) in with me and lose myself in another world - I sleep so good after this! 

NB. Epsom salts have a detox effect on the body, ensure you are well hydrated before getting in, drink more during and after your bath too.

3. Ensure your bedroom is a relaxing space. 

I struggle with this almost daily. 

I get fed up with putting clothes away that by the time I get to mine I often can't be bothered so they're strewn over the floor, with baskets of clean washing piling up. 

Whenever I actually put them away and make our bed, I feel so much better for it. 

I really need to get in to a better routine of putting clothes away as my sleep definitely improves in a tidy room.

4. Get or Give a Massage

I remember when my eldest was a baby and we attended baby massage sessions, he would fall asleep about ten minutes in to the session. Why? Well because human touch is relaxing. 

When we were on honeymoon I remember having a massage at the same time as Tom in the same room and we both drifted off. 

Why? Because human touch is relaxing. 

I'd love to say that I'm lucky enough to have a massage each night, unfortunately i've not managed to convince Tom that this is good thing, so I do the next best thing and massage my feet. 

Not only does this help me relax, but I'm on my feet all day, so it releases so much tension from them too. 

I've posted my 'Bedtime Foot-Rub' elsewhere but here it is again in case you've missed it. 

The few times that I've persuaded Tom to give me a massage, I needed something on hand to use, otherwise he might lose interest in the idea in the time it took me to whip something up, so I purchased a great massage oil called Ortho-Ease from Young Living and it is simply sublime. 

Off topic a little but I also really like Ortho-Sport for a post work-out muscle rub. 

Since kids respond so well to human touch too, I often use the foot-rub on their backs for some mummy-child time too!

E S S E N T I A L  O I L S 

I've already mentioned four essential oils that I use in my sleep routine: Stress-Away, Cedarwood, Lavender and Peace & Calming.

However, every person is different and reacts to essential oils differently so here are a few other that you may wish to try.

• Vetiver - May help relax the nervous system and relieve over-stimulation. NB. This has amazing results when applied to the third-eye - middle of forehead.
• Valerian - Assist restlessness and relax the nervous system.
• Valor - May balance the nervous system and helps strengthen the body and mind; increases feelings of strength, courage, and self-esteem. If you struggle to sleep because your bed-sharer snores then this is AMAZING. As they are getting in to bed apply to their big toe.
• Roman Chamomile - has a warm, sweet, herbaceous scent that is relaxing and calming for both mind and body. Its gentleness makes it especially valuable for restless children.
• RutaVaLa - Promotes relaxation of the body and mind. It helps ease tension and relieve stress. This blend may help overcome negative feelings whilst encouraging a positive attitude and comfort.

W A Y S  T O  U S E

I've already touched upon the ways that I use essential oils for sleep; massage would come under the section of 'topical' usage. You may also wish to try some of the options below as well. Alternating topical and inhalation methods is rumoured to help as well.

1. The easiest way to receive the benefits of essential oils is through diffusing them. I use a variety of diffusers from Young Living; If you purchase a Basic or Premium Starter Kit then you will receive the new Dew Drop Diffuser (effective as at March 2015). This is a specially designed cold-air diffuser that disperses the essential oils molecules into the air and allows you to inhale them.  The molecules of the essential oils are so small that they easily enter the olfactory nerves inside of your nose and into the limbic system, which is the seat of emotions in the body.  Diffuse oils 30-60 minutes before bedtime.
2. If you do not have a diffuser yet, you can place a one or two drop of essential oil in to the palm of your hand, rub your hands together, cup them around your nose and inhale deeply.  Do this for several minutes.  I have found this an effective way to use many of my sleep oils. You can, of course inhale directly from the bottle.
3. Just like in the Bedtime Foot-Rub recipe above you can make your own sleep time mix to apply to the bottoms of your feet, shoulders,  back of your neck or stomach. Just add a few drops to a carrier oil like coconut or jojoba to allow for easier application.
4. As mentioned above, taking a bath with essential oils is a great way of getting the benefits of essential oils, both through inhalation and topical application. Add your essential oil to salts before adding to the water so that the oil disperses in to the water.

O T H E R  P R O D U C T S

Sleep Essence -  This supplement contains four powerful Young Living Therapeutic Grade™ essential oils that have unique sleep-enhancing properties in a softgel vegetarian capsule for easy ingestion. Combining lavender, vetiver, valerian, and Ruta graveolens essential oils with the hormone melatonin—a well-known sleep aid—SleepEssence is a natural way to enable a full night's rest.

NingXia Red - This is my favourite non-oil product that Young Living sell. You might find it odd that I am suggesting taking this drink for sleep, when I also promote it for energy. However, it is full of naturally occurring Melatonin.

This is synthetically re-produced as the main ingredient in common sleeping tablets. When in its natural form melatonin aids in drifting off to ‘good’ sleep but is also important for staying energised throughout the day.

What other things do you do to help you get to sleep?

Spotlight On: Lemon

Did you know that Young Living's Lemon essential oil is cold-pressed from lemon rinds ?

It is not the juice of the lemon and as such isn't acidic so won't affect things like tooth enamel.

Lemon essential oil has a strong, purifying, citrus scent, which is both revitalising and uplifting.

It contains 68% d-limonene, a powerful antioxidant.

Lemon essential oil mayimprove circulation and is also a solid overall immune stimulant.

Fun Fact: Jean Valnet, MD, estimated that it takes 3,000 lemons to produce one kilo of Lemon essential oil. In his book The Practice of Aromatherapy, Valnet wrote that lemon is a tonic for supporting the nervous and sympathetic nervous system.

(Dr Jean Valnet, The Practise of Aromatherapy, Inner Traditions Bear and Company, 1990)

Do you remember how I likened the blend 'Joy' to joy in a bottle? Well in my opinion, Young Living's lemon is sunshine in a bottle; liquid sunshine. It brightens the worst of grey days for me.

12 Ways to Use Young Living Lemon Essential Oil

* Use 1-2 drops of Young Living Lemon Essential Oil to remove: gum, oil, grease spots, wood stain, glue or adhesives, and crayon from most surfaces (including gum in hair)

* To clean a painted wall where something has rubbed and left marks, put a few drops of Young Livings Lemon Essential Oil on a cotton ball or the corner of a rag to dissolve the marker marks

* Add 2-3 drops of Young Living Lemon Essential Oil into the washing machine’s fabric softener dispenser to have fresh smelling clothes.

* Add 1 teaspoon of Young Living Lemon Essential Oil to 1 cup of mineral oil for an effective furniture polish.

* Add a drop of Young Living Lemon Essential Oil to your dishwasher before the wash cycle for spot-free dishes.

* Place 3-6 drops of Young Living Lemon Essential Oil on a cotton ball and put in the refrigerator to help eliminate odours.

* Add 2-3 drops of Young Living Lemon Essential Oil to water and spray counter tops to sterilise them - this is a SUPER cleaner when combined with Thieves essential oil.

* Soak your kitchen dishcloths overnight in a bowl of water with a drop of Young Living Lemon Essential Oil to disinfect and kill germs.

* Rub 1-3 drops of Young Living Lemon Essential Oil to clean and disinfect a butcher’s block or other cutting surfaces.

* To clean and extend the shelf life of fresh produce, fill a bowl with cool water and 2-3 drops of Young Living Lemon Essential Oil, then drop your fruit and vegetables into the water and stir. Be sure all surfaces of the fruit contact the lemon water.

* Diffuse Young Living Lemon Essential Oil to freshen the air in your home or add a few drops to a spray bottle to deodorize and sterilise the air.

* Remove temporary tattoos by applying a few drops to a cotton wool pad and rubbing gently over the area

Tip: Try a test area before to make sure you won’t ruin any finishes.

CAUTION: As a citrus oil, lemon oil is photosensitive. As such, citrus oils should not be applied to skin that will be exposed to direct sunlight or ultraviolet light within 72 hours.

HOW DO YOU USE LEMON?

How to get hold of this oil

If you would like to purchase a bottle at wholesale price or would like a free sample please do contact me. Alternatively, please see our 'Wellness Tool Kit page for the best ways to join Young Living and the amazing Essential Families team with over 5000 members.

BALANCING HORMONES

Are you a woman?

Do you suffer with irregular cycles?

Do you have to get rid of unsightly facial and/or body hair?

Do you have thinning hair?

Do you struggle to lose weight despite a healthy diet and exercise?

If you answered 'Yes' to any of these questions, even just the first one without any of the others, then you may have hormonal imbalance. 

It is incredibly common in women, often left undiagnosed as women are made to feel really crap about going to the GP with women's ishoos. I'm here to tell you that you are not alone. You do not have to suffer. There IS a better way.

What are Hormones ?

Hormones are messengers in the body that generally travel through the bloodstream to convey a message that regulates various body functions, such as: growth, reproduction, immune response, emotions, hunger, metabolism and tissue regeneration. Different hormones control different things and illicit different reactions. These reactions can be positive or negative. For example, I have PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome, this affects each sufferer differently, but tests have shown that mine creates an abnormally high level of Testosterone (the male hormone). Testosterone controls things like muscle and hair growth, so I have a tash, a treasure trail line and a great set of 'mum-guns' ! 

I say 'have' but it should really read 'had'. As with lots of things, treating the symptoms of something, whether that be obesity or PCOS, does nothing to help to the root cause. If we focus on the root cause, then the symptoms disappear. So, instead of dealing with heart disease (for the obese person), let's look at why they are obese and sort that. For me, addressing the imbalance of hormones has regulated my cycles, given me healthy nails and a full head of hair, amongst many other things.

So, What Can You Do About It?

The honest answer, lots. So much so it can be overwhelming. I have compiled the ten best ways to re-Balance hormones in my eBook - leave your email here to receive your copy

However, we'll go through a few things here too:

1. Reduce Stress

​Although stress is a natural mechanism, to help keep us prepared for 'normal' challenges, most modern lifestyles add more daily stress than our bodies were made to handle. In fact, studies have shown that modern, everyday stresses, if left unchecked, can negatively impact our health; chronic stress uses the progesterone needed to balance oestrogen and converts it to adrenalin and cortisol (the death hormone), which can lead to oestrogen dominance. 

I know that it is not always possible to eliminate stress (heck ,did you read my bio - I had three kids under three y'all !), even little changes can have a massive impact.

Mindfulness, meditation and Yoga are things that I have found helpful, not necessarily to get rid of the daily stress but to be less stressed about it.

The website name gives this next bit away, but I can't write a post about balancing hormones without talking about the big player in my wellness toolkit - essential oils. 

Now, you're probably thinking, "oh yeah ! I smell something nice (or not so nice) and voila all my problems disappear". But i'm here to tell you that they are so much than scents - Google "essential oils blood-brain barrier". 

I'm not going to go in to how the oils work in this post. Just trust me when I say they do and if that's not enough, try them for yourself ! 

• Roman Chamomile essential oil - has calming and relaxing properties.
• Royal Hawaiian™ Sandalwood essential oil - encourages deeper meditation.
• Neroli essential oil - encourages confidence, hopefulness, and peace.
• Lavender Essential Oil - calms the mind and body.
• Cedarwood Essential Oil - promotes relaxation, balance, and increased mental focus.
• Valerian Essential Oil - was historically regarded for its calming properties.
• Ylang Ylang Essential Oil - relaxes the mind and uplifts emotions.
• Peace & Calming II essential oil blend - contains a mix of oils all renowned for their calming effects
• Stress-Away essential oils blend - this just does what it says on the tin !

There are SO many more, but these are some of my favourites. Find one that works for you and USE it.

2. Eliminate Toxins

The sad truth is that we live in a toxic world. Everything from the food we eat to the things we clean with are toxic. 

Our endocrine system is delicate; the littlest things upset it and yet it is VITAL to keep it at its best.

So, what can we do about it?

Well, first things first remember that whatever you put on your skin goes in to your body. I set myself a goal at the beginning of the year that I wouldn't put anything on my body that I couldn't eat. Bold move, Ally !  We're now in September I can say there is only one occasion when I slipped - I was away at a conference and forgot my normal hair washing products and i didn't have the ingredients to make a dry shampoo to hand, so I had to buy something. Now, I purchased something natural and organic. Was it still full of crap ? Almost definitely. But hey, if that's my only slip up, i'm happy. My body is thanking me.

This may sound like a drastic step, but is it really ?

The amount of chemicals in our homes in scary. On average, it is said that women come in to contact with approximately 168 chemicals and men 83  in any one day. Eurgh ! I hate that figure. 

I am proud that we are now a chemical free home. We'll talk about that in a later post.

My best tip for eliminating toxins is to start with area. It may be personal care products or cleaning green, it may be switching to organic foods - which I promise makes a huge difference ! Whatever your first area is choose one product to switch out. Start small. It may be that you switch your deodorant for Purification essential oil or change the bleach to Thieves household cleaner. Whatever it is, change that one thing, get used to it. See what happens and then change another. It doesn't have to be overwhelming, it can take you as long as you need, just please, start somewhere !

3. Support Progesterone Production

We've spoken about reducing stress and eliminating toxins already. By doing 1. and 2. you're already aiding in 3. Because as we've already noted, toxins and stress use up much needed progesterone. 

• Eat more anti-oxidants. The very best thing for this is to eat more fruit and veg. I  know, you hear this all the time and it's proffered as the miracle cure for almost everything these days, but organic fruit and veg is the very best way to maintain a healthy body.
• Use Progessence Plus. This is a serum derived from wild Yams. I read a study many moons ago about a tribe in Africa that had the highest rate of twin pregnancies in the world. Anthropologists and scientists studies this tribe and the only thing they could find in their lifestyle that was different to any where else was the high percentage of Yam in their diets. Yams contain natural progesterone, which aids ovulation. Amazing ! 
• Frankincense essential oil - this oil is amazing for reducing stress particularly in meditation so kill two birds by adding this in to your daily regime. Apply to the inner ankles (female reproductive vita flex point) to help balance the endocrine system.
• Thyme essential oil - thought to help the body absorb progesterone better

There are so many other things that I could write about here, but I don't want to pummel you with more information than you can take in !

So, if you remember nothing about what I've written just integrate  the following tips into your daily routines for better hormonal balance and whole body wellness:

• Eat Organic
• Drink more water
• Avoid plastic or coated cookware
• Relax more
• Get hold of my eBook
• Find support

I am not an expert on hormone therapy, just somebody who has been there, trying to help others along the way. 

I hope and pray that this helps you take steps to Whole Body Wellness, whether they be big or small.

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