When the study was done in 2007, only 3 lipsticks were found to have more than 2.0 ppm of lead with the highest sample having 3.06 ppm.  The study released in December 2011 found 51 samples over 2.00 ppm with the top offenders having over 7.0 ppm and 14 of the the top tainted samples over 3.0 ppm. These results seem to show the problem getting worse, don’t they?  How long do we play Russian roulette waiting for statistics to come in with adverse effects showing the toxicity of lead in lipstick?  I’m providing you with links to the studies, the results and other information so you can see the data yourself and make informed choices. I am taking this information seriously especially for my growing daughters who will soon want to wear make-up and have already been getting “lipstick” type products from friends.

This evidence is pretty compelling, and for me this subject hits too close to home. Last year I was tested for heavy metals and found to have high concentrations of lead in my system. I’ve had friends ask me where my exposure has come from and I honestly don’t know. I did wear lipsticks for years, some of them brands now shown to be high in lead.  I will never know for sure if the lipsticks I used contributed to my high levels, but I am eliminating any possible sources of lead exposure. Lead toxicity mainly happens by ingestion, do you think that some of your lipstick is being ingested if you wear it while eating? I think the answer is obvious if you have less lipstick on after dinner than when you started. And where does the lipstick go after you’ve kissed someone? I’ll be sharing with you some things I’ve learned on my journey to remove the lead and other heavy metals from my system over the coming months. How do you know if you have lead toxicity in your system? Often the symptoms are vague, especially if the exposure is gradual over months or years. Lead has a half life of 30 years once it reaches the bones. The body identifies lead similar to calcium, so if you are deficient at all in calcium (like pregnant and nursing women) your body is more likely to absorb the lead thinking it might be calcium. This also makes the removal tricky because you want to remove the lead without depleting your body of precious calcium. I am not a doctor and not prescribing treatment for heavy metal removal, I just want to be real with you that these studies and the risks of exposure to lead are real. I am also not making any recommendations for removing heavy metals from your system, I’ll just share some of the things I’ve done while working with a holistic medical doctor.

Would you be comfortable using a product on your skin that you knew had lead in the ingredients? What do you think about the FDA holding out on passing any regulations regarding lead and lipstick?  Let me know what you think, I’d love to hear from you!

In the meantime, if you want to make sure that your lip products are safe, check out www.EWG.org/skindeep/

Pamper yourself before a special night out, this easy to prepare recipe will remove dead skin cells and leave your skin soft as silk. Blend all the ingredients together until you have a small ball of paste, adding more almond oil as needed. After drying off from a shower or bath, roll the mixture over your entire body, massaging into areas that are dry. You’ll want to cover the skin with a fine layer that will dry pretty quickly. When you are done, brush off the excess with a dry washcloth and your skin will be left glowing!

Ingredients:

1 T ground oatmeal

2 tsp ground almonds

1 tsp dried, ground citrus peel

1 tsp dried, crushed rose petals

1 tsp dried, crushed lavender buds

1 pinch ground clove

1 pinch ground nutmeg

2-3 drops essential oils of choice: sandalwood, myrrh, neroli or lavender

1-2 T almond or sesame oil

This treatment is not one to rush through, it might be something different than anything you’ve ever done before.  Give yourself time to do it when you can enjoy the process and be relaxed. How else do you pamper your skin at home?  I’d love to hear about little luxuries you treat yourself with at home!

Fine wines – The best wines are cultivated with care in the proper soil and growing conditions. The grapes are harvested at the optimal time.  Any quality wine producer will test the sugars in the grapes frequently until it is the perfect time to harvest the crop. The attention to detail continues as the wine is formed even to the point of selecting the type of wood for the barrels that will  store the wine.  The slightest variation in any of these steps could greatly reduce or affect the quality of the finished wine.

Therapeutic grade essential oils are also like fine wines, with care taken each step of the process.  Plant material harvested too soon will result in a weaker, lest robust oil. Harvest them too late and mold may begin to grow on the plants, infusing spores into the ending oil. Organic plant material is essential or pesticides will become concentrated in the end product. Therapeutic grade oils will also be tested for purity to ensure they have optimal constituents (nutrients) and no additives or chemical residues before being bottled. Inferior oils will often be put into the wholesale marketplace and sold as ingredients in products where the quality is not as important.

Budget Wines – These are excellent wines produced at a reasonable price. Wine Spectator is known for listing the best budget wines each year, quality vintages at a great value.  One year it could include Bogle or Orin Swift, another year a DeLoach or Frog’s Leap wine makes the list. The point is budget wines are generally inconsistent and unpredictable. The producers might be small or large vintners and the variety hit or miss.  There are most likely some great producers of essential oils in the world, unfortunately the oil industry does not have an organization that tests and ranks the quality and value of essential oils. The end product is most likely unpredictable especially if a producer does not monitor the full process of creating oils, from seed to bottled product. In fact, many oils are distilled in other countries, then purchased by a company who bottles them with their own label.  They may produce a nice smelling oil but the end consumer has little way of knowing what value it really offers if any. By luck you may end up with an oil that smells like lavender but there is no guarantee that it will speed the healing of a burn.

Boxed Wines – There is not much to say about boxed wines except that they are, uh, wine. My 8 year old commented about a glass of Kombucha I was drinking the other day, “it smells like wine”, she said, her nose wrinkled as she detected the fermentation.  That pretty much sums it up for boxed wine, fermented grapes, not much else. It does offer alcohol content, but not much for the palate or the nose. It is cheap and convenient.  At least my Kombucha supports healthy intestinal flora.  Boxed wines won’t give you much more than a buzz and elevated blood sugar. I guess it does serve a purpose, maybe at a tailgating party or a rock concert guaranteed to give you hangover the next day. Essential oils that are mass-produced or synthetically produced are like boxed wine. Consumers have no idea where the oil came from or what species it was grown from. In fact it might be a blend of plant material, you never really know. It probably does smell a little like it should ,unless you have a quality oil to compare it to, the undiscerning nose most likely can’t tell. Oils like this are often found in grocery stores, mass-market discount stores, bath shop stores, even health food stores. Price should be a clear indicator of unknown oil content, something priced too good to be true is most likely boxed wine quality.

Wine Coolers – Strawberry Kiwi, Mango-Lime, fun flavors either artificial or “natural”, it really doesn’t matter because the labels are fun. Wine coolers are totally diluted wine, most often with juice or sugar-flavored-colored water. The quality of the wine doesn’t matter either, because you don’t really taste it over the imitation fruity flavors. All the flavors mingle for a taste sensation that blasts your senses, and your brain cells. They’re great if you are looking for entertainment in your beverage.  Essential oils that are bottled in fancy boutique packages and sold as “blends” may be no better than wine coolers.  Because of packaging laws, manufacturers don’t have to tell you what is in personal care product if it has the ingredient “fragrance”.  Oil blends may also be a gamble, when several oils are mixed together it makes it more difficult to detect an inferior oil or additive. This is even more apparent if a stronger oil like eucalyptus or camphor is added that overpowers the blend. It looks great on the pretty label though when you read it: “chamomile extract, rose hip seed oil, lavender oil, eucalyptus, fragrance”.  Putting ”fragrance” (unknown chemicals) into anything with natural extracts is like putting a drop of furniture polish onto your organic salad, why would you ruin a good thing? Any company that does this most likely says “it’s such a small amount it doesn’t matter much”.  Probably not if you don’t mind drinking wine coolers.

Ultimately, your nose knows. Unless you have access to scientific equipment to test the purity of an oil.  Even though some testing like gas chromatography might indicate an essential oil is frankincense, the length of the chamber may not be long enough to detect fillers in the oil.  As with fine wines, a nose can be trained to detect a quality oil.  If you’ve been using synthetic fragrance, your sense of smell has most likely been dulled. Over time, and with practice, your nose will be able to discriminate a quality oil from something with fillers. Like fine wines, the highest quality essential oils have notes, undertones and subtleties that will change over time.  Cheap oils have a distinct smell that hits your olfactory senses, they might have been produced by a method called “washing”. This manufacturing process removes the subtle tones and notes in an oil that bring it balance.  The result is a strong fragrance that has no variety or undertones, the aroma just starts and stops (think of a popular vapor rub). It gives a quick “wow” effect then leaves you flat.

My nose surprised me the other day when I passed by someone who had just sprayed a boutique essential oil blend onto a sore muscle. Just from passing by I could detect camphor in the aroma, a cheap filler that gives a short term cooling effect to the skin – the quick “wow” effect. Lavandin is another filler often substituted for real lavender oil.  The plant requires less care than spike lavender and produces more flowers, but it contains high levels of camphor in the buds, something that would negate it from Therapeutic Grade value according to ISO standards in Europe. The bottom line is if you are looking to essential oils to support a healthy body, go for the fine wines, Therapeutic Grade oils that are cared for and nurtured from seed to finished bottle.  Buy them undiluted so you know what you are getting, a pure oil, not something with additives or unknown fillers. Store them in a cool, dark place away from sunlight. Expensive oils can also be stored in the refrigerator.  Your oils will last months, even years and you can use them a drop at a time.  You can dilute them with your own almond or jojoba oil for a fresh, pure product every use. You’ll know what you are putting on your body and can experience the fine wines of personal care, therapeutic grade essential oils. Otherwise, if you’re looking at your personal care products as entertainment or social status, then it’s fine to stick with the wine coolers or the overpriced boutique brands with cool labels. You really get what you pay for, sometimes.

Now, you don’t have to give up fragrance all together, the great thing is essential oils offer natural fragrance that supports your body’s health.  Many oils make great deodorants because they are killing odor causing bacteria.  Some essential oils are even excellent for deodorizing clothing, like those sweaty gym clothes that sat in your bag all day from your morning workout.  I know people who just buy new workout clothes because they can’t remove the soaked in sweaty, smell from clothing.  Young Living’s Purification or Thieves does the job in just one washing!  Just add 2-3 drops to your laundry soap and wash as usual.  I’ve been using a deodorant from Young Living for years and after I teach a yoga class others coming into the room have commented that it smells like a spa – Maybe because I’m sweating essential oils instead of toxic chemicals~

Just make sure any oils you use are Therapeutic Grade and not diluted or filled with additives. Since there is no regulation in the essential oil industry, make sure you get product from a trusted company that verifies and tests all their oils for purity, otherwise you may be just trading a synthetic fragrance for another chemical filled product.  No matter what your personal preferences, there are essential oils to suit your personality.  Essential oils were some of the first perfumes, synthetics have only been around the past 100 years or so, with Chanel No. 5 being the first mass-produced synthetic perfume.  Real perfumes are out there and you can make your own. But purchasing a real perfume with real oils would be cost prohibitive to most, hundreds or thousands of dollars. Relying on cheap oils with potential additives or fillers is not wise either. Often additives in an oil will be the cause of irritation on skin, something many perceive as the oil being the culprit.    Tainted oils may cause many symptoms including dizziness, nausea, headache and even heart palpitations so be careful when selecting your brand.

When you use essential oils for a personal fragrance, get them from a reputable source to ensure purity.  You can use many essential oils directly on the skin if they are therapeutic grade with just a few things in mind.    If you have a quality oil with nothing added and nothing taken away you will be more pleased with the results.  You can always test a small area on the inside of your elbow or forearm to see if you are sensitive, any response would be apparent within an hour.  Avoid applying citrus oils to skin exposed to the sun within 24 hours because they increase your sensitivity and you may burn.  Here are some basic suggestions to help you find a scent you like.

Earthy – Cistus (Rose of Sharon), frankincense, myrrh, onycha, patchouli, spikenard & vetiver. Tree oils ground your emotions, they can be earthy or woodsy depending on what they are blended with. My favorite earthy blend is Young Living’s Sacred Mountain (spruce, ylang ylang, balsam fir & cedarwood).

Citrus – Bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, lime, mandarin, orange &  tangerine.  Young Living’s Citrus Fresh is a blend of citrus oils plus a hint of spearmint.  Gentle Baby and Peace & Calming are two blends with citrus oils, but they have a gentle sweet aroma.

Spicy – Black pepper, cassia, clove, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg.  Abundance is one of my favorite spicy YL blends.

Floral – Geranium, jasmine, neroli, rose, ylang ylang.  YL’s “Joy” blend fits in the floral category.

Herbal – Angelica, chamomile, clary sage, lavender, rosemary. Tranquil Roll-on is an herbal blend of lavender, cedarwood and Roman chamomile.

Woodsy – Cedarwood, juniper, pine, spruce, sandalwood. Inspiration is an amazing YL blend of cedarwood, spruce, rosewood, myrtle, sandlewood, frankincense, spikenard and vetiver.

Complex oils contain many different essential oils, some more than 50 or 60!  The result is an aroma full of character  with definite top, middle and base notes like an expensive perfume. Creating blends is an art and takes time and practice using the best quality oils.  If inferior oils or chemical additives are used, the quality of the overall blend will not be as pleasing as it could be.  One of my favorite YL blends is Awaken, an amazing blend of over 25 different oils.  The scent changes gently over time, reminding me of a fine wine.  Watch for my next post, Essential Oils, the Fine Wines of Personal Care and an upcoming series on easy ways to use essential oils for personal care – including deodorant!

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.  For medical treatment, see your doctor.

When my two youngest kids started to cough in the midst of my daugher’s illness I diffused frankincense in their bedroom a few nights.  Thankfully the frankincense was enough to stop the spread of germs, their coughs disappeared and really didn’t turn into anything.

Frankincense has been used for hundreds of years, historically it was first given as a gift to the Christ Child.  It is one of the most valued essential oils and in Ancient Times it was worth more than gold.  It’s most common uses have been as a cough medicine and for asthma, and most recently it’s been included in the Journal of Royal Society Medicine (1991).  It has also been researched for it’s benefits in rejuvenating the skin.  Frankincense is gentle enough for babies, but only if it is the highest Therapeutic Grade like Young Living’s food grade Frankincense (Boswellia Carterri)  and Sacred Frankincense (Boswellia Sacra). Research is finding that the boswellic acid in frankincense is highly anti-inflammatory and blocks  the biosynthesis of leukotriene acids. Boswellic acid can have a positive affect on the body whether it is inhaled for respiratory issues, or applied topically to rejuvenate the skin and soothe arthritic joints.  Not all frankincense, however, contains boswellic acid.  Buyers should beware when shopping for frankincense as there is a great tendency to add fillers and additives to extend the volume of frankincense essential oil.  Boswellia frereana for example, is a species of frankincense that contains no boswellic acid and is only useful for perfumes or fragrance and has no therapeutic benefit.

Young Living offers 2 species of Frankincense, Boswellia Carteri and Boswellia Sacra: Sacred Frankincense.  Boswellia Sacra has higher levels of incensole acetate, found to have anti-anxiety effects.  The Sacra species also has higher levels of Alpha-pinene.  Young Living exclusively distills Boswellia Sacra frankincense from Oman, a region known in the essential oil industry to produce this superior species of frankincense.  Boswellia carteri contains higher levels of limonene, a component found effective against cancer cells.  Both species of frankincense support a healthy immune system and may even repair damaged DNA cells.

Frankincense (Boswellia carteri)            15ml   whsl  $69.75     retail $91.78

Sacred Frankincense (Boswellia sacra) 15ml whls    $89.75     retail $118.09

You can order Young Living oils at wholesale (select Independent Distributor and order a $40 Start Living Kit for lifetime wholesale pricing, and no monthly minimums, enter sponsor #1003003)  or retail (select customer).

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.  I am not a medical doctor, and I’m not prescribing treatment, I’m just a mom trying to keep her kids healthy.  This information is for educational purposes only and is not meant as a substitute for medical advise. If you need medical attention seek the counsel of your doctor.

Farid A. Badria, Eman A. Mohammad, Mohammed K. El-Badrawy, et al (2004). Natural Leukotriene Inhibitor from Boswellia: A Potential New Alternative for Treating Bronchial Asthma. Altern & Comp Therapies. 10 (5) 257-265.

Houssen M, Ragab A, Mesbah A, El-Samanoudy A, Othman G, Moustafa A, Badria F. (2010). Natural anti-inflammatory products and leukotriene inhibitors as complementary therapy for bronchial asthma. Clin Biochem 43 (10-11) 887-890.

Safayhi H, Rail B, Sailer E, Ammon H. (1997). Inhibition by Boswellic acids of Human Leukocyte Elastase. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 281 (1). 460-463.

Ziment I, Tashkin D. (2000). Alternative medicine for allergy and asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 106: 603-614.

The foundation of the champagne is simply sparkling water, Soda Stream now makes it possible for you to add carbonation to your tap water if you choose.  I like San Pellegrino, partly because I love all things European, and  glass bottles. The “champagne goes together very quickly, you simply add 1 drop of  citrus essential oil to your glass champagne flute: tangerine, orange, lemon or grapefruit. Add garnishes like organic cranberries or twists of lime, lemon or orange.  Then pour in your sparkling water to mix it all together.  You could even add a couple drops of agave nectar to the glass bottom before adding the water to sweeten your drink for a pure, refreshing spritzer.

The options are endless and can suit your personal taste for the moment. You could even bring along a bottle of San Pellegrino or Perrier and a bottle of Young Living Therapeutic Grade  Tangerine, Orange or Lemon as a gift for your hosts this season. Whatever combination you choose, the citrus essential oils work to gently detoxify your system and will give your taste buds a boost.  Many citrus oils naturally have anti-depressant qualities versus alcohol which is a depressant, so you’ll be giving your psyche a lift too when you choose to go healthy this season.

1 drop of citrus oil will infuse 8-16 ounces of sparkling water~

Optional garnishes:

• fresh, organic cranberries
• lemon, lime, orange twist
• fresh pomegranate seeds

1 tsp agave nectar for a sweet drink (optional)

Cheers!

The most important steps include frequent hand washings ( Thieves foaming hand sanitizer), washing bed lines and towels (I add a drop of Thieves or Purification essential oil to my laundry soap for extra disinfecting), cleaning my bathrooms with Thieves wipes (you can make your own wipes with Thieves household cleaner and tough paper towels, store them in an old baby wipes container for convenience) and diffusing highly anti-bacterial blends like Thieves, Purification, Christmas Spirit and Frankincense to kill airborne bacteria.    Young Living essential oils are also the most important items in our medicine cabinet.  In fact, we really don’t have anything else in our medicine chest – no ibuprofen, acetaminophen,  or over the counter cough syrups with artificial flavors & colors.  This is what  we use for colds & flu symptoms:

1st onset:  For adults, make up a  capsule of Thieves:  2 drops of Thieves essential oil plus 3-6 drops of lemon in gel cap.  For kids  under 6, a spoonful of agave nectar with 1 drop of lemon essential oil added and 1-2 drops of R.C applied to the bottoms of feet.  Use Thieves hand sanitizer to keep germs from spreading.  Keep mouth clean where germs multiply with Thieves mouthwash.

Cough medicine -  1 tsp agave nectar with 1 drop of lemon essential oil.  For adults add 1 drop Thieves for extra boost. Suck on Thieves lozenges.

Fever – Adults, 3-5 drops peppermint essential oil on each foot.   Repeat as needed until fever is gone.  Children under 7 – Lavender & Frankincense on bottoms of feet or along spine – repeat as needed until the fever is gone.

Sore Throat – 1 tsp agave nectar with 1 drop of lemon essential oil (Lemon essential oil contains many more nutrients and antioxidants than just lemon juice as the essential oil is distilled from the rind – use only food grade lemon essential oil for ingesting) .  For adults and children over 6 add 1 drop of  Thieves oil to the spoonful of lemon/agave nectar.  Thieves lozenges are also helpful.   Gargle with Thieves mouthwash.

Sinus & Chest congestion – R.C. applied to the bottoms of feet, rubbed on the chest or inhaled.  Add a  few drops to bath water and breath deeply.  Frankincense supports the respiratory tract and viruses.  Apply to the chest and throat area on lymph glands.  Place a drop of frankincense on the tongue to fight viruses.  Raven is a Young Living blend made of Ravensara, wintergreen, eucalyptus radiata, lemon and peppermint.   It is especially effective when layered with the R.C blend.  Breathe Again Roll-on is a convenient blend to apply directly to the chest or Vita-Flex points for breathing relief due to cold and asthma.

Cold/Canker Sores – suck on a Thieves lozenge or apply a drop of Thieves essential oil directly to the spot to alleviate pain and speed healing.  Peppermint oil also may help when applied directly.

Headache /body aches – Raindrop Technique, apply peppermint or Panaway on the forehead and temples or  lemon essential oil on the big toe.  Soak in a mineral bath like Ancient Minerals with 3-4 drops of lavender essential oils added.

Vomiting/diarrhea - peppermint essential oil applied to bottoms of feet, on the belly and 1 drop in water to sip.  Children under 6 should not use peppermint oil, instead use Frankincense or ginger essential oil on the feet and belly.  After 1 hour of no vomiting, gradually introduce liquids. Dilute 1 oz. Ningxia Red with 4-5 ounces of water is a gentle way to start adding nutrients.

Inner Defense is a supplement that contains 4 different types of Oregano.  This is highly antibacterial, research shows this blend is as powerful as some antibiotics.  When using Inner Defense, 10-12 hours later take a probiotic likeLife 5.   For example, Inner Defense in the morning, Life 5 at bedtime to replenish healthy intestinal flora.

In addition to some of these suggestion make sure to add some homemade chicken soup, drinking plenty of  high quality fluids, rest and some common sense to ensure a quick recovery.  Always seek the advice of your doctor for serious illness.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are meant for educational purposes only, they are not a substitute for medical care.

Therapeutic Grade Melissa essential oil comes from the melissa officinalis plant, in the mint family. It’s commonly called “lemon balm” and   it is steam distilled from the aerial parts before flowering.  Historically it has been used for nervous disorders, to promote fertility and in Munich, Dr. Dietrich Wabner, a professor at the Technical University in Munich found it effective against the Herpes Simplex virus.  It may be helpful for depression, viral infections, anxiety and insomnia.  Diffuse 1-2 hours up to 3 times a day, apply to the skin or Vita Flex points to support the immune system.

Melissa essential oil is found in the Young Living blends of Awaken, Brain Power, Forgiveness, Hope, White Angelica and in the supplement Multi-Greens.

Our family has personally received the benefits of  melissa essential oil in the Thieves mouthwash blend and Multi-greens.  Awaken is one of my favorite Young Living blends, a combination of 5 different blends including 27 different essential oils including melissa essential oil.   It’s an exquisite blend that  I wear  as a “healthy” perfume.    When you use the essential oil blends or personal care items with melissa in it, you are getting a powerful oil in an economical way.

Select Research:

Kucera LS, et al. Antiviral activities of extracts of the lemon balm plant. Ann NY Acad Sci. 1965 Jul 30;130(1):474-82.

Sadraei H, Ghannadi A, Malekshahi K. Relaxant effect of essential oil of Melissa officinalis.  Fitoterapia. 2003 Jul;74(5);445-52.

Most chemicals are absorbed through your skin and circulate into your bloodstream, almost as if you ate it.  Drug companies know this, and now you can find more drugs “delivered” through the skin via patches with nicotine, pain medications and hormone treatments.   What you put on your skin matters!  When you make choices in body care, it’s important to keep in mind the long term results.  Your body will absorb chemicals  not identified by the body as a natural substance.  They circulate them through your body systems like the endocrine system and store those chemicals in your major organs and fatty tissue.  If you are trying to lose weight, you need to get the toxins out of the cellulite before you can really lose weight for the long term.    Antiperspirants contain aluminum, so every time you apply that underarm protection, your lymphatic system is drawing in the aluminum.  Doctors already know this, before a mammography you’ll be instructed to avoid using anti-antiperspirants or deodorants a couple of days before an exam since the metal particles will show up as “landmarks” on scans.  Short term, you probably won’t see any difference, but fast forward 20 or 30 years of daily application and you might see a profound affect.  The bottom line is many of these long term effects are still unknown, so an ounce of prevention where you know it might matter can help.

Multiple applications equal more exposure Let’s look at hand sanitizer for example.  My focus in health is very much on my children’s exposure to chemicals.  Kid’s bodies are more vulnerable to toxin overload simply because of their size and developing bodies.  Hand sanitizer is one product I have chosen to convert to a healthier option.  Most hand sanitizers have alcohol as their main ingredient.  Hand sanitizer dispensers are everywhere: bathrooms, stores, libraries, churches.  Everywhere you turn, your child can fill her hands with foaming hand sanitizer.  It looks like fun until you think about the dose of alcohol absorbed into her skin every use.  Alcohol baths had once been used in hospitals to lower fevers.  This practice has since been discontinued because the medical community realized patients were absorbing the alcohol through their skin and getting very ill.   There are plenty of safer options in hand sanitation including a few that rely on naturally anti-bacterial essential oils like Young Living’s Thieves Hand Sanitizer that utilizes cinnamon, rosemary, clove and lemon essential oils to clean hands.

Look at your daily routine   Body lotions,  shampoos and shower gels are also other potential points of chemical absorption.  Most products contain artificial fragrance (a.k.a “parfum”), just a combination of secret chemicals, many linked with endocrine disruption.  Your endocrine system regulates your hormones, thyroid, metabolism, pituitary gland and more.  Avoid any products with the ingredient “fragrance” as the manufacturer can use a combination of unknown chemicals under this term.   Parabens have most recently been found to disrupt hormones,  and the FDA has banned the use of them in children’s bath and body products.  Paraben ingredients are allowed in other products, though.   As adults, we still rely on properly functioning hormones don’t we?  How many of you know someone in their 50′s, 40′s, even 30′s on thyroid medication?

Name That Product   I was surprised when I read on the product samples in my husbands “goodie bag” that one product contained Parabens!  This sample was a gift to athletes, training for months on end to get their bodies into top shape for an event.  I’m pretty conservative when it comes to what I use in my family, I realize this is new information to some of you, but would you use this product knowing that it contains ingredients banned for use with children?  Here are the ingredients:

menthol, carbomer, FD&C blue #1, FD&C yellow #5, glycerine, herbal extract (flex paraguariensis), isopropyl alcohol USP, methylparaben, natural camphor USP, propylene glycol, silicon dioxide, triethanolamine, purified water.

I’m going to have a little fun with this, and see if anyone can guess this product. Whoever can comment back first with the correct answer will get a 3-pack of  Young Living Thieve’s Hand Sanitizer, an $18 value!

I’d love to get your input on this, would you use products with these ingredients?  Treat your body products like food for your skin, read your labels and know what you are putting into and on your body!

Congratulations to Cindy G. for guessing this product, BIOFREEZE, used by massage therapists, chiropractors and bodyworkers to release muscle tension, aches and pains from aging and active lifestyles.  If you want truly natural muscle and pain relief,  Therapeutic Grade essential oils are the best choice.  You’ve got many options including:

• Peppermint  (anti-inflammatory & cooling)
• Idaho Balsam Fir (anti-inflammatory  and muscle relaxant)
• Basil (anti-spasmodic and muscle relaxant)
• PanAway is a Young Living blend that eases joint & muscle aches and pains
• Raindrop Technique oils (helpful for back pain, using many anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic oils like peppermint, basil, marjoram and cypress)

Give yourself the best and reduce the chemicals you are exposed to.  Chemical laden products work for the short term, with effects on your future health unknown.  For most issues, there are essential oil options that work to bring your body into balance and support your health.  Check an Essential Oil Desk Reference for more issue specific uses of essential oils.

2 T organic butter

1 T organic, extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil

2 small organic onions, chopped

3 large cloves organic garlic, minced

2 oz. organic cream cheese

Sea salt

Fresh ground pepper

2 lbs steamed organic butternut squash, peeled and cubed

6 T organic white miso dissolved in 4 C purified water

2 drops Young Living oregano essential oil

1 drop Young Living lemon essential oil

Heat soup pan over medium heat.  When hot, add butter and olive oil.  When the butter is melted add onions and saute’ for 1-2 minutes.  Add garlic and cream cheese. Heat until cream cheese is melted,  add sea salt and pepper to taste.

Add squash to mixture and saute’ 1-2 minutes. Add miso broth and bring mixture to a boil.   Allow to cool, then spoon out 1/2 the mixture into blender and blend until smooth.  Return to soup.

Add essential oils and allow the soup to simmer 5 minutes.  Garnish with whole grain croutons, shredded carrots or fresh oregano.

Makes approximately 5 1/2 cups.