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.

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.

• Morning:   splash face with warm water, apply 2 drops of frankincense over entire face.  Follow with lavender lotion or Boswellia wrinkle cream for more hydration.
• Night:  Wash with orange blossom face wash (for normal days), melaleuca geranium bar soap for oilier days.  Splash face with Aubrey’s pure aloe vera, follow with 2 drops frankincense or lavender essential oil.  Finish with lavender lotion or Boswellia wrinkle cream.  Apply wolfberry eye cream before bed.

I modify my routine as needed, and have found that keeping my digestion healthy keeps my skin healthy.  My favorite for staying “regular” is Sulfurzyme, 1-3 times a day between meals.  It’s excellent for alleviating joint pain as well.  For occasional breakouts due to hormones I’ve used lavender, frankincense, lemon or Thieves (sparingly, only a tiny drop on blemish), sandalwood & myrrh for drier times.    Let me know what works for you!

Share these materials with your friends, use them for your personal libraries,  but no parts may be copied and sold.  Thank

Natural Skin Care Class Invitation you can customize!

Handout_on_The_Skin_and_ART  

Natural Skin Care A-Z Handout

Natural Skin Care Powerpoint

1. Chemicals behave differently when they are in nano-form.  In these micro-small forms, substances may trigger potentially harmful chemical reactions.  One example most people are familiar with is Asbestos.  In it’s inert form of silica (often used in packaging to absorb moisture – those little packets that say “do not ingest”), it is relatively safe.  When the substance is changed to asbestos crystals it becomes highly dangerous, found to cause lung cancer when breathed in)
2. Nanoparticles are difficult to eliminate from the body Preliminary research is supporting the fact that nanoparticles are absorbed by the body and not readily released once they are dissolved.  The long term effects of the body absorbing these nanoparticles is too uncertain.   There have been many substances once thought safe, only to be rapidly removed from product ingredients and store shelves when they are found harmful:  DDT, lead in paint, synthetic estrogen,  BPA to name a few.  The FDA’s track record with new products such as the previously mentioned as well as nanoparticles is to wait and see the long term consequences.  In the mean time, the general public is the “guinea pig” for nanoparticles in body care products like sunscreen, anti-aging creams and cosmetics.
3. Research already shows they are unsafe.  Dr. Robert Schiestl PH.D. at UCLA found in studies with nano titanium dioxide particles (now used in sunscreen) the nanoparticles began to induce double strand DNA breaks and chromosomal damage  in mice within 5 days of exposure!  This type of damage is what causes cancer to thrive.

Skin care companies promise renewed youth and cell regeneration with nanoparticles in their ingredients,  much quicker than traditional formulations.  So far, though the risks obviously outweigh the potential benefits with long term consequences even more unclear.  Man has been using unrefined, pure ingredients like essential oils to keep skin healthy and beautiful for centuries.  For the safest skin care  use only products with simple ingredients like essential oils that are naturally anti-aging, make your own if you’d like, and avoid nanoparticles in all products.

Recently, I’ve found some great directions on making your own lotions at WabiSabi Baby.com.  I’ve had the how-to  information for years but never ventured out to try it until I read the clear directions from WabiSabi Baby.  Packaged lotions are convenient and you don’t have to worry about shelf life, but if you’d like to try making your own lotion, I recommend this recipe.  When you add your pure essential oils from Young Living you’ll have the purest lotion customized to your skin’s needs.  I mixed together this batch of simple ingredients and had a very emollient lotion in 15 minutes.  I used Young Living’s V-6 oil one time and coconut oil the 2^nd.  The coconut oil version was amazingly emollient.  I have used Young Living’s lavender lip balm (made with coconut oil) for dry patches and the coconut oil  version was very similar.   If you can heat up a can of soup, you can make this recipe.  The first time I did this, the water separated a little.  I reheated the mixture in the double boiler and it turned out much better.  I look forward to trying this recipe with glycerin (making sure it’s vegetable glycerin) for even more moisture.   Mountain Rose Herbs carries a large selection of lotion making supplies including beeswax pastilles and glycerin.   Let me know if you’ve made your own lotions and what has or has not worked for you!

I mixed up ½ this amount the first couple times just to get comfortable with the technique:

¼ C vegetable oil (Young Living’s V-6 oil blend, coconut, jojoba)

¼ C emulsifying wax (I used local, organic beeswax. You can also get an emulsifying wax specifically for cosmetics)

1 ¼ C hot water (almost boiling)

Melt vegetable oil and emulsifying wax in a small sauce pan.   Pour in hot water (this step is critical to avoiding a mess!) and stir until well incorporated, the consistency should be like milk.  Pour the entire mixture into a glass canning jar or other glass bottle with a tight lid.   Make sure you temper the glass first by running  it under hot water to warm the glass slightly.  I found it convenient to sterilize the bottle first, filling it with lotion once it has cooled a little, taking care to use hot pads for hot surfaces.  Pour the lotion mixture in slowly as a dramatic temperature change will break the glass.  Gently shake the bottle about every 10 minutes until the mixture sets.

Add 8-10 drops of essential oils when the lotion cools to customize to your needs:

Calming lotion: Roman chamomile, lavender & frankincense

Acne prone: Melaleuca alternifolia

Eczema: Myrrh

Cooling Foot Lotion: Peppermint

Sunscreen: Add 1 T non-nano zinc oxide plus lavender to protect and support skin health (I ordered mine from WabiSabi baby.com)

Insect Repelling Lotion: Purification, Peppermint, Cedarwood, Thieves, Citronella (make sure it is not a chemical citronella oil, but pure plant extract).  Add non-nano zinc oxide to make a bug repellent sunscreen

I made half this version for a couple days use and keep it in the fridge since there are no preservatives.  You could also add some Vitamin E oil or essential oils that would act as natural preservatives.  Make sure you don’t use citrus oils in lotion you will be putting on before sun exposure.

Watch for an upcoming post on (making your own facials at home) with pure ingredients and essential oils customized for your skin type.

There is speculation about when skin cancer was actually discovered, with some resources finding that a malignant melanoma was even discovered on an Egyptian mummy.  The traditional medical community states that skin cancer rates are soaring simply because detection rates have improved.     Historically, many cultures avoided the sun because light colored skin was more desirable than darker colored sun.   Currently, skin cancer rates are highest in developing countries with speculation that it is related to increased sunscreen usage.  Some of the ingredients in question include oxybenzone (also known as benzophenone-3) and retinyl palmitate.  Those who defend the use of these chemicals cite studies, but these studies have only been performed on animals, not humans, so more research needs to be done.  They also argue that these chemicals are safe to use in sunscreen because the amounts are so small.

The research I have found regarding these two ingredients is enough for me to avoid them altogether in my family.  Given the FDA’s history of releasing chemicals as safe for use, only to have them banned later after finding them harmful (DDT, Parabens, BPA to name a few) I’d rather not have my children be the test market for new drugs, particularly if there are safe options to purchase or make yourself at home.

Oxybenzone (also known as benzophenone-3) is used in industrial processes to initiate chemical reactions. The MSDS lists it has having negative long term effects on reproductive systems.

Retinyl Palmitate – is Vitamin A.  This additive is used in skin care products because of the potential it has to heal the skin.  The problem with the  chemically engineered retinyl palmitate is it reacts with sunlight – UVA rays, showing  in research with animals that  it accelerates the growth of skin cancer tumors.  So it is safe and good for your skin, but maybe not if used in the sunlight – any volunteers for human studies with this chemical?

Nano-particles – including nano-zinc oxide.  Nano or micronized particles are manufactured to be superfine and readily absorbed by the body. Marketers claim these micro-molecules can penetrate deeper into the skin healing tissues further than previous products.  The problem is that the long term effects of delivering man-made chemicals deep into human cells is unknown.  As with many man-made chemicals, I try to limit exposure with nano-particle chemicals because they are too new and the lasting effects are uncertain.  If you are going to make your own sunscreen with zinc-oxide, make sure to use ingredients that are not nano-particles.

When you choose sunscreen for your family, do your research and make an informed decision.  Sunscreens are loaded with chemicals that may or may not affect you in the long run.   Read labels and know what you are putting into and on your body.  Long term affects may be just a gamble , is it one you’re willing to take?

Watch next week for a recipe to make your own sunscreen with single ingredients that can protect your skin without chemicals plus therapeutic grade essential oils that nourish and heal your skin!

The first step in battling mosquitos is to lessen your exposure: Remove standing water from your yard where they will lay their eggs.  If you have small ponds or bird baths keep the water treated or empty containers and clean weekly to keep larvae from hatching.  Check out some natural insect control products from an organic garden supply for your yard.  Wear light colored clothing, long sleeves and pants in particular after dusk or when walking in wooded areas.  Check your window and door screens for holes or spots mosquitos could invade your home.  Consider replacing outdoor lights with a yellow bug light that does not attract mosquitos like traditional lighting.

Essential Oils are some of the most powerful mosquito deterrants available.  Fragranced oils will not be any help against pests like mosquitos so make sure you are using a Therapeutic Grade Oil that will offer the best defense.  Essential oils are pure plant extracts that protect the plants and trees from natural pests.  These same plant extracts can offer protection to people as well.  For the best results use a combination of oils to create a powerful blend.  Here is a list of the most powerful oils mosquitos hate, followed by recipes I’ve used as natural mosquito repellent.  Many of these oils are safe for use on everyone, including children and pets. 

• Lavender - safe for everyone, young and old including infants. Simply apply therapeutic grade lavender (I only recommend Young Living food grade lavender) directly to exposed skin (Neat).
• Peppermint – safe for children over 4 diluted with a carrier oil.  Peppermint is stimulating so avoid using right before going to bed.  Also has a cooling effect on the skin, good for hot days.
• Lemongrass – powerful oil that should be diluted before applying to the skin.  Effective when applied to clothing from a spray bottle. Do not apply to the face.
• Citronella – make sure you use pure therapeutic grade citronella oil, not just a fragranced oil which will not repel mosquitos.  Dilute before applying to skin. 
• Cedarwood- adds a woodsy fragrance to a mosquito repellent, helps repel other insects in addition to mosquitos such as sand flies.
• Thyme – anti-parasitic oil, has a very strong aroma that may be softened when blended with other oils.
• Purification Essential Oil blend – Young Living exclusive blend of citronella, lemongrass, lavandin, rosemary, melaleuca & myrtleessential oils.  This is a powerful blend that mosquitos and other flying insects dislike.  We mix 8-10 drops of  purification blend with a teaspoon of vegetable oil and apply to exposed skin.  This blend is also excellent for bringing relief to any insect bites and stings.  Apply undiluted 1-2 drops directly to the location as soon as possible after a bite or sting to lessen itching & swelling. (test first on a small area for sensitive skin).
• Thieves  Essential Oil blend - Young Living’s exclusive blend of clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus radiata & rosemary essential oils.  Helpful when mixed in a spray bottle and misted on the skin.  Also a good option for treating an insect bite when applied topically.  Dilute Thieves 1:1 with a carrier oil or witch hazel and apply on location as needed.
• Melrose Essential Oil blend – Young Living’s exclusive blend of melaleuca alternifolia and rosemary essential oils.  Apply neat or diluted 1:1 onto location to relieve pain and itching from stings and mosquito bites.  Mix in a spray bottle and apply to clothing or exposed areas of skin.

Here are a couple of mosquito blends we’ve used in our family.  You can mix up your own combination of essential oils to have on hand.  Add the essential oils to a glass spray bottle, the same method as making your own air freshener.   You can also add the essential oil blend to a vegetable oil and apply to the skin before exposure to mosquitos.   Making your own mosquito repellent makes sense if you want to live a life with less toxins.  These combinations are quick and easy to mix and you’ll know what ingredients you are putting on your body.

Mosquito Blend #1, mix together in a 4 ounce spray bottle and shake before each use, or add 1 drop castille soap or bath gel base to emulsify the oil

• 15 drops Purification essential oil blend
• 8 drops peppermint essential oil
• 8 drops lavender essential oil
• 8 drops cedarwood essential oil
• enough purified water to fill the bottle

Mosquito blend #2, mix in a 4 ounce spray bottle, shaking before each use, or adding 1 drop of catille soap or bath gel base to emulsify oil:

• 10 drops lavender essential oil
• 10 drops peppermint essential oil
• 10 drops lemongrass essential oil
• 10 drops melaleuca essential oil
• enough water to fill bottle

Alternatively, apply lavender or purification oil directly to exposed skin, mixing with a vegetable oil if desired to extend the time between applications.  The oils in these blends may also be used for pets. 

This information has not been evaluated by the FDA and Pure Home and Body LLC does not intend to diagnose, treat or cure any diseases.