Cooking with Essential Oils

Yup, you can cook with your essential oils.  Young Living has an entire line of oils called Vitality that are branded for ingestion.    One of the easiest ways to ingest oils is to put a drop of Lemon or Peppermint in your drinking water.  This is a great way to increase your water intake because it tastes so good. Plus, the Lemon is helpful for good body function!!

We all can't have fresh herbs in our kitchen but having essential oils is the next best thing!!  When you use your oils in cooking dishes that are baked or cooked on the stovetop, add them in at the very end of the cooking process.  This way the full flavor of the oil will be retained instead of cooked off.  You also need to remembe....less is more! These little drops of oil are really potent and you really truly don't need a lot to season your dishes. Start with only one drop and increase from there.

The Young Living blog has a great list of ideas of ways you can use your oils in your food prep.

Please check it out HERE!

Essential Oil Explosion!

You know what I heard the other day.  It is projected that the Essential Oil industry is expected to double in the next 5 years. Let that sink in!  By 2020, the industry could reach $50 billion in sales. This mean that if you aren't currently using essential oils, it is likely that you will be in the next 5 years.

Just like I searched for chemical free ways to live my life, more and more consumers are demanding healthier products. Just like me, they are seeing the benefits of essential oils in achieving this healthy lifestyle.

So there will be a ton of companies who want to get in on the essential oil ride to give you what you'll want.  What many of the companies won't understand is that putting a $9.99 bottle of essential oil in someone's hand is NOT fulfilling the need they are asking to be met.

When you see a company that is selling oils on the cheap, that is exactly what you are getting.  A cheap oil.  So, what exactly do you get when you purchase a $9.99 bottle of essential oil?

Here are a couple of examples on how new companies will be able to get that price per bottle down to make it cheap for you.

1. They buy plants from farmers on the cheap. You should ask the question then of "How do you get cheap plants?"  Your local farmer could probably answer that one. Spray the plants with chemicals to keep bugs off and weeds out so you don't have to pay people to tend the fields.  So, it stands to reason that if the farmer is tending to his plants with sustainable growing and harvesting methods that their product would be more expensive.   If the company selling the oil doesn't have control of the farm growing their product, you shouldn't buy from them.

2. They purchase their distilled oils from companies that dump in chemicals during the distillation process.  Distillation is the process of getting the oils out of the plant.  As you know, time is money so speeding up the time it takes to get the oils out of the plants can be done by adding chemicals.  The chemicals can also draw out more oil from the plant material.  Companies that do this don't realize that distillation is serious science. Without the science, you actually change the way the oil works AND you can actually cause harm to the human body.   Altering the chemical constituents of the oil will change the way it works for you as well. When the distillation process isn't correctly monitored or completed correctly, the oil will not work the same as properly distilled oils.  If the company selling the oil doesn't distill the oil themselves, you shouldn't buy from them.

3.  Adulteration is another method commonly practiced to 'stretch' the essential oil.  This is where the company adds a carrier oil like grapeseed, fractionated coconut, jojoba or another oil to extend the essential oil to increase the amount of oil they have to bottle.  Would you be happy to pay half the price for a Pepsi only to find out that only half of the syrup was used?  Yuck!   Adulterated oil will not give you the same 'action' as a pure unadulterated oil.  Sometimes you'll have to use 4 - 6 drops of a cheap oil to get the same result as only one drop of a pure essential oil.  Not really as cheap as you thought.  If the company dilutes their oil, you shouldn't buy from them.

4.  There are some companies that will tell you their oils are wonderful then say "Not for topical use". This is a RED flag that should say STOP!!!   Why would you even diffuse this oil?  The essential oil makes its way into your system when it is diffused.  If the oil says you should not use topically, that should suggest to you that it is adulterated and probably laden with chemicals.  If the company's oils say "Do Not Use Topically",  you should not buy from them.

Please don't waste your money and risk your health by purchasing oils that are cheap.  You'll get exactly what you paid for!

Young Living is the ONLY essential oil company that owns its own farms and partners with trusted growers. They are the only company that controls the process from the seed to the bottle. They are the only company with over 20 years of experience with essential oils. No one else even comes CLOSE to this sort of knowledge when producing oils.   Click HERE to read about their Seed to Seal promise.  Seed to Seal is NOT their slogan, it is their CALLING!

So when you are ready for oils, save yourself the time, frustration, and energy. Young Living has the best essential oils. (Mic Drop).....Boom!  And as for diffusers?  We have them too and they work!  So, if you are interested in oils and/or a diffuser, please send us a message.  We'll show you several different ways you can start the oily life.  We don't want you to do ridiculous things like pay $9.99 for a bottle of questionable essential oil (regardless of the scent!).  That company shown above?? If you need a pillow or a towel get it there, but leave essential oils to the pros!

Gift giving made easy!

I often keep my eye out for something special for gift giving all year long.  I refuse to decorate for Christmas BEFORE Thanksgiving but I ALWAYS shop early!!  Now, here is your chance to do the same with the beautiful new 2016 Christmas Catalog from Young Living.

There are some super gift ideas in there.  I particularly like the Tree Scent set where you can give your fake tree the smell of the season.  Speaking of smell of the season, Christmas Spirit Essential Oil was diffused all the time around here last year.  You will love its smell filling your home.  Then there is the Stainless steel thermos.  Perfect for putting your essential oils into your drink, cold or hot!  For your baking experience, you can get the Einkorn flour (the same kind they donated to the Louisiana bakeries) for your holiday baking.  And the list goes on and on........Oh...did I mention that there is a 4 pack of lip balm.  You can break that apart for separate gifts....OH.....and the wellness kit for teachers. Well, I could go on and on.....Check it our for yourself!

CLICK HERE for the catalog.

This makes me just proud!!

I hope that you can take the time to read the article below!!  It isn't too long and it has many pictures from the flood area. This is the kind of reaction that makes me proud of the company we represent. THIS is how caring people should react in time of tragedy. Young Living did it in a big way for their members who were hard hit.  They also reached out beyond their membership with help food wise. Beyond the normal, way beyond awesome!!  Can you say help to 900 members AND over 2 tons...yes I said TONS (that's over 4,000 lbs) of Gary’s True Grit™ Einkorn Flour to Louisiana, along with salt, butter, yeast, and loaf pans. 

Sometimes hope comes in the form of a loaf of bread or a 5 gallon bucket of product to help you when you need it!  For those of you who don't know, the Bon Voyage kit has 10 personal care product in airport ready sizes.  Perfect.  The Slique and Wolfberry bars are like energy bars.  The Ningxia is an anti-oxidant energy type drink.  All helpful!

Read the article here!

Kicking the Chemicals to the Curb

Almost two years ago, I started on my quest to get rid of chemicals in my daily routine.  Think about it......Your skin is the largest organ of your body.  Everything you put on it is absorbed into your body. So many chemicals are endocrine disruptors!  Taking care of your skin and not assaulting it with chemicals is very important for your ultimate health. Since my quest started quite a while ago, here is an update!  Below is a list of what I used to use and what I use now, effectively deleting most of the chemicals!  

My morning routine included:

• Shower using soap
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Brushing Teeth
• Using Deodorant
• Daily lotion

I used to use Zest bath soap......Just look at all those ingredients.  I switched to Kiss My Face soap with only three ingredients ......Water, Salt and Olive Oil.  What I found interesting about this soap is that it just lasts and lasts.  I'll go through only one bar of this soap while my hubby goes through about three of his.  And my skin feels great and is clean.  That was my first win.

The second items I tackled were my shampoo and conditioner.  Even though they were from a company that called themselves Modern Organic Products, I called them Mostly Organic Products.  The shampoo still had the dreaded SLS and both had wheat!! For someone who deletes wheat from their diet, this just needed to go!  I love the way my hair feels and have saved a ton of money with the new way.  You can read all about my new hair routine in this blog post about my No-Poo Shampoo!

The next item on the list was toothpaste.  I had been with Young Living about 6 months before I decided to try their Aromabright toothpaste.  Wow, oh wow!!  I was happy!  When my teeth were brushed they felt like they had just come from the hygienist, so smooth and clean feeling!  AND if you want to add a little whitening to it, you add one drop of Orange Essential Oil!  It is a gentle whitening for a natural looking tooth color.  You can see my one month trial picture HERE.  I had only been using it a couple of months when I went for my cleaning and she said that there was very little tarter.  Score!  But, what is in it?  NO chemicals AND NO SLS!!!!  (Water, Calcium carbonate, Cocos nucifera (Coconut) oil, Sodium bicarbonate, Glycerin, Xylitol, Xanthum gum, Mentha piperita† (Peppermint) oil, Mentha spicata† (Spearmint) leaf oil, Stevia rebaudiana leaf extract, Lecithin, Eugenia caryophyllus (Clove) bud oil, Ocotea quixos† (Ocotea) leaf oil, Cinnamomum verum† (Cinnamon) Bark oil, Citrus limon† (Lemon) peel oil, Eucalyptus Radiata† leaf oil, Rosmarinus officinalis† (Rosemary) leaf oil)   Another win!!

The next thing on my morning list was deodorant.  This was the hardest item to tackle on my original list because you just DON'T want to stink!!  So, I picked a long weekend when we weren't going anywhere.  I could wash up if I felt I was too stinky and tried the Young Living Mountain Mist Deodorant.  There were several things I noticed over the weekend and into the first week.  Did I get a little stinky......yup.  But the stinky seems to change at the end of the week.  Instead of being super awful, it wasn't bad at all.  I guess it took me a while to get the old deodorant out of my system.  Now, about a month later I don't notice hardly any smell at all.  What really threw me at first was that I actually sweat, which is good for you!  After using antiperspirant for decades having my pits wet was a new experience for sure!  My shirts do need to be laundered a little more.  Sometimes I can't wear the shirt the second day.  That's okay with me though.  Getting rid of the aluminium and the other chemicals is a big win!   I will definitely be continuing the new deodorant.  Here are the ingredients of the Mountain Mist Deodorant (Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil Extract, White Beeswax, Pure Ester 34, Zinc Oxide, Pure Ester 40, Syzygium Aromaticum† (Clove) Flower Bud Oil, Citrus Limon† (Lemon)Peel Oil, Mentha Piperita† (Peppermint) Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis†(Rosemary) Leaf Oil), Eucalyptus Radiata† Leaf Oil, Abies Concolor† (White Fir) Oil, and Tocopherol (Vitamin E).  

Finally, the last of my morning routine to change was my facial lotion.  I've loved Mary Key TimeWise Age-defying Moisturizer but just look at all these ingredients!!  (Water, glycerin, C12-15 alkyl benzoate, cettearyl alcohol, isostearyl alcohol, triethanolamine hydrogenated lecithin, behenyl alcohol, propylene glycol, dimethicone, bis-diglyceryl polyacladipate-2, ceteareth-20, linoleamidopropyl PG-dimonium chloridephosphate, silica, carbomer, diazolidinyl urea, lauramine oxide, disodium EDTA, betaine, glyceryl polyacrylate, methylparaben, sodium PCA, C9-15 alkyl phosphate, tocopheryl acetate, sorbitol, propylparaben, serine, threonine, proline, arginine, glycine, alanine, lysine, glutamic acid, thermus themophillus ferment.)  Yikes!!    So what do I use now.  Jojoba oil and Frankincense Essential Oil.  I put a little Jojoba oil in my hand, add one drop of Frankincense and rub all over my face.  I am literally in LOVE with this.  The Frankincense is super good for your skin and the Jojoba doesn't clog your pores either.  My skin tone has been fabulous!  

So, I hope that this inspires you to delete chemicals out of your routine.  It isn't too hard and your body will thank you.  Later this week, I'll tell you how I have expanded my quest and deleted chemicals from my cleaning products.  

Car Diffuser Winner!

We are home from our wonderful Rhododendron Society conference and ready to draw the winner of the car diffuser!  Truly I wish all of you could win but alas, only one will!  I posted a Facebook live video of the random generator winning number so you could see that it was on the up and up!

You can see the video HERE.

For those of you who are NOT on Facebook here are the details!

There were a total of 18 entries.  From lines 3 - 20.  That included 5 Facebook shares for an extra entry.  The random.org generator picked number 19 on the list which was Christina Santoyo.

CONGRATS!  Your diffuser and Stress Away essential oil are coming your way this week!

For those of you who are soooo bummed that you didn't win, I want to share where I got the diffuser so you could get one for yourself if you wish!  Click here.  I've ordered many things from this company which hosts many different vendors and have always had wonderful service.

THEN......for those of you who might be interested in Stress Away OR if you are interested in a diffuser that can go in either the car or a small room, there is a super Young Living one called an Orb.  ....just leave me a comment below and I'll share you how you can get your own!

Again...congrats to Christina!!