Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Natural Clothes Softener

   For more than a year, I have been using vinegar in a Downy Ball for our clothes softener.  It does a good job at softening and it does not leave a film on the clothes like other softeners do.  One of the things I have noticed with this is how absorbent my kitchen and bathroom cloths are.  

Another thing the vinegar does is it cleans hard water deposits that build up on the inside of the washer and the hoses.  Even if you don't want to switch from your favorite softener, running a load with vinegar every couple of loads will help your washer stay 'ungunked'.

  Using vinegar instead of softeners with perfumes is very beneficial to people with skin sensitivities.  My husband and little boy have sensitive skin and the vinegar has been great for them, no more itchy skin.  I also make our laundry soap to help with their skin. This http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm is the recipe I use. I add either Lavender or Citrus essential oil to it for a great natural scent. I buy those here because of their purity and unparalleled scent.  www.5900975.myforevergreen.org

  You don't need to worry about the smell of the vinegar :) - it goes away completely when the clothes are dried.  I add 3-5 drops of essential oils to the Downy Ball too for the smell ( I love the smell of my laundry washing), and the antimicrobial effects.  I use Guardian blend when I want to make sure viruses and germs are being killed and I really like Lavender or Orange on our clothes too.  Another way to get these smells on the clothes is to put a few drops on a cloth in the dryer.

White vinegar helps with whitening so when I add it to a 'whites' load, I fill the downy ball to the top and add the essential oils.  When I do a 'colors' load I only fill the ball 1/4 to 1/2 way full.

  Try it out and see what you think. It is one more way you can be in charge of your health.

Happy Healthy,
~Elisa

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Skin problems

Probably the most common thing I have people ask me about are issues related to skin. So many people have eczema, rashes, dry skin, oily skin, psoriasis, etc. and lots of them are looking for ways to take care of it naturally. I don't blame them as the alternative is cortisone creams and ointments known for their side effects.  Two of my sons have had eczema so I know the dilemma. I say had because they no longer have it with  changes we have made to our diet, and other changes I will discuss here.

  First, as with most skin problems, the liver needs to be addressed. Skin problems are often a symptom of a toxic overload in the liver. It is very simple to clean the liver by doing a cleanse with Lemon and Peppermint essential oils. Recipe: 
  • 1 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 drop lemon essential oil
  • 1 drop Peppermint essential oil
  • 1 cup water (I prefer distilled - to be talked about in another post)
Stir all of the ingredients together and drink first thing in the morning on an empty stomach for best results. This is a gentle cleanse that does not require you to modify your schedule at all. Do this cleanse for 30 days and then reevaluate if it is needed again.

Another thing to think of with skin issues is dairy. Many times an allergy to wheat and dairy show up in rashes. When we stopped consuming dairy and wheat my sons eczema went away. No more rashes. We now substitute milk with almond milk which is very cheap if you make it at home, and we use grains like rice, millet, quinoa, spelt, and oats.

Lavender and Chamomile are two very good essential oils to use on rashes. I dilute them with grape seed or jojoba oil and put them in a roll on bottle to use wherever there is a rash. I know a couple of people who have done this with good results. Lavender and Tea Tree are good for rashes in a bath with dead sea salts. The Lavender is soothing and healing, the Tea Tree is cleansing and healing, and the Dead Sea Salts draw out impurities and toxins from the skin.

There are many essential oils that are good for the skin. The oil to use depends on the issue.
Blemishes = tea tree
Cracked skin = Rosemary ct. verbenone, Sandalwood, Myrrh, Patchouli
Eczema = Lavender, Geranium, Chamomile, TLC, or Quiescent mixed in an ounce of Message Oil
Rosacea = Moon on the cheeks
Scars = Lavender, Helichrysum
Skin Tags = Lemongrass
Wrinkles = Fennel in Message Oil, Frankincense, Parlmerosa, Salndalwood

These ideas are just skimming the top of what the oils can do. I highly recommend the book Nature's Farmacy by Lorene Davies. Some people call it their essential oil Bible because it is so comprehensive. It can be bought at http://everydayaromatics.com/divine where you can also learn about the histories, facts, uses, etc. of essential oils. This 494 page book teaches about how to use essential oils but it also goes into diet and other health factors. Great resource.

So, through eliminating dairy and wheat from the diet, drinking lots of clean water, doing a liver cleanse, and using essential oils, many skin problems can be taken care of naturally and easily. The oils can be bought through http://everydayaromatics.com/divine (Lavender, Peppermint, and Lemon essential oils are FREE for first time buyers), or to get them at wholesale prices go to www.5900975.myforevergreen.org .

I hope this helps someone.

Happy Healthy,
~Elisa
www.isntitdivine.com

Friday, December 3, 2010

My first Post On This Blog

  I have been posting on Facebook and Twitter about things that have been happening to my family as a result of using essential oils. (all good things:)  Those posts are so limiting because of the short length that I have to keep them. I want to be able to tell the 'behind the scenes' view of what is happening with my family.
   Not only are we using essential oils, but we are incorporating them with the use of herbs and whole foods nutrition too. Putting them all together makes for a powerful experience! How empowering it is to keep a kid home from school because a cough is starting, and send them back to school the next day with NOT ONE symptom of having been getting sick!  This has happened a handful of times this fall so I know it is not coincidence. When it happens more than a couple of times, you can be assured that it will happen again!
   My husband has not been missing work because of sickness, I am not getting pneumonia every year like I had for 3 years, and I am not afraid to visit family that might pass something on to us. When we are boosting our immune systems with oils like Defense blend and Kids Wellness, eating whole foods, and taking our herbal vitamins, our health is astounding! I hope I can blog about what we are doing to stay well and inspire others to action for their health.
   I do have to give credit to my Heavenly Father for leading me on this path of wellness. I feel very led in the things that I have been able to learn. Seminars I have been able to go to, herbal courses that have been made possible, people I have met, and the assurance that I am on the right track have come from Him. Now I hope I can be led by Him to help others that stand in need of this kind of knowledge. :)
  I think the first place someone should go if they want to improve their health naturally would be http://everydayaromatics.com/divine.  This is a site that answers questions, provides facts and insight, and you can try the 3 most used oils for free(lavender, peppermint, and lemon)! A ton of information comes with them and you can see for yourself how transformational the oils can be. When you go to the link it asks for your email address so you can get a free 16 page wealth of information. The only person who then has your email address is me. I use that information to send occasional emails and information - your email is safe with me!
   So here we go on this blogging journey. May it be inspiring to someone.