My homemade vaporub

One go-to remedy for cough and colds when we were growing up was Vicks vaporub. Just hearing the words brings back it's scent. Some people can't stand it and others love it, but we all know it's scent. I'm one of the ones who loves it. Anytime I get sick I practically bathe in it. If I have a cold, I only use Puffs brand tissues with Vicks. Got a cough? Slather it all over your feet and cover 'em with socks, Grandma always said.....Well, maybe Grandma is on to something. I always thought she was crazy when she said, "put some slippers on or you'll catch a cold" How exactly can walking around barefoot cause you to catch a cold?

Well, did you know, that the pores on the bottom of your feet are the largest on the body? This means that the bottom of our feet are very absorbent. Think about all the bacteria and "germs" found on the ground. All that "junk" can be absorbed into the body through the soles of your feet. The same goes for the ingredients in that Vicks vaporub that helps quiet your cough. The main ingredients in Vicks are: Levomenthol, eucalyptus oil, turpentine oil and camphor. Eucalyptus oil is a key ingredient in many cough and throat medicines as well as chest ointments (such as Vicks) because it assists with clear breathing and supports overall respiratory health. So it makes sense that, rubbing vicks on the bottom of your feet allows that oil to be absorbed into your body and help with the cough, but what else exactly is being absorbed into your body?

Levomenthol is one of the main ingredients found in Vicks and is "an organic compound made synthetically or obtained from cornmint, peppermint or other mint oils." Another main ingredient, turpentine oil comes from the resin from certain pine trees and is used in medicine so that has to be good for you, right? Well, as WebMD states, "Turpentine oil is POSSIBLY SAFE when adults use it on their skin or inhale it appropriately. When used on the skin, it can cause skin irritation. When inhaled, turpentine oil can cause spasms of the airways, particularly in people with asthma and whooping cough." POSSIBLY SAFE? Well how about camphor which used to be made by distilling the bark and wood of the camphor tree? Sounds all natural. Today, camphor is chemically manufactured from turpentine oil. Turpentine oil, which is "possibly safe" and can cause spasms of the airway. WebMD also states that camphor is "likely safe," but if used on broken or irritated skin can be easily absorbed into the body and reach toxic levels.

Now, I have safely used Vicks on myself as well as my children with no unfortunate side effects to report, but it does make me think twice about what exactly we put on and into our bodies. Since I have been using essential oils, I've been trying to cut out as many chemicals and artificial products out of our house as I can. Making my own "vaporub" was my first experiment since it seemed like the easiest and we have a need for it with my daughter's allergies. Her cough always seems to start up at bedtime. Last night I tried my homemade "vicks" on her and she slept quietly and comfortably. The ingredients found in my "vaporub" are: Organic coconut oil ( I used refined coconut oil since it doesn't have a strong coconut scent) doTERRA Breathe essential oil blend and doTERRA peppermint essential oil. Next time I will also add in some eucalyptus oil too. Since doTERRA's CPTG (Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade) essential oils are all natural, I feel safe using them on my family because I know exactly what ingredients are in them. If you want to learn more about these essential oils, please visit My doTERRA Website

Wishing you wellness through essential oils

A mom on a mission

More and more we are seeing people turn away from chemicals, artificial ingredients, processed food,GMO's and taking a more natural approach to their diet, beauty products and cleaning supplies. For as long as I can remember, we have used the big brand name products when it came to all of these things. When someone gets sick in my house, I reach for the Lysol® brand disinfectant spray and wipe everything down with their wipes. My mirrors and windows get a "streak-free shine" with Windex®. It's just what I've always known, but what if you knew there was something better?

Do you know what the active ingredients in your cleaning supplies are? Some popular cleaners contain dimethyl benzyl ammonium saccharinate, Ethanol, or "other ingredients". They also have warnings printed right on the labels, "Hazards to Humans and Domestic Animals" Wait? So, the products I am using to protect my family are actually hazardous to my family? I don't know about you, but those all natural, chemical free "recipes" on Pinterest are starting to sound more appealing.
I'm not saying that I will NEVER use store bought cleaning products again, but knowing what I am using around my family is important to me and I'm a 'mom on a mission' to do what I feel is best for my family.

I found this recipe for Homemade Laundry Detergent that I can't wait to try. I will most likely substitute On Guard protective blend for Lemon oil because of it's anti-bacterial and immune supporting properties, but you can use any oils that you want. I think I will even attempt to make these Dryer Puffs once I run out my dryer sheets. If you have tried any of these homemade products or other homemade cleaning products, please share them with me or tell me about your experience and if you want more information on essential oils check out My doTERRA Website

Wishing you wellness through essential oils

Discovering essential oils

I was introduced to doTERRA essential oils last December when I was scheduled to have surgery and determined to do everything in my power NOT to get sick. Some years we get our flu shots and some years we don't. This was one of those years we didn't. One of the worst recorded flu seasons in years. My family usually manages to stay pretty healthy, despite my failed efforts to make them eat their veggies and take their vitamins, but the closer my surgery was getting, the more people around me were getting sick.

While I was browsing Facebook one day, a friend was asking about finding some oils after someone in her house had gotten sick and she was trying to keep it from spreading to everyone else. I offered my go to stomach bug prevention tip (100% grape juice and apple cider vinegar) but I stayed curious about these oils. At this time we started coming down with minor cold symptoms: cough, stuffy/runny nose, sore throats. After messaging my friend, I found out that she had used the oils and everyone in her house managed to avoid getting sick. I was able to get my hands on two products by doTERRA. On Guard essential oil and On Guard protective blend softgels. I began rubbing the oil on my feet every night as well as my children's feet and taking 1-2 softgels every day. By the time my surgery arrived I was well on my way to being over whatever was trying to get me down and my kids never picked up anything that was going around school. I'm not saying that the oil was a "magic cure" or that we will never get sick again, but the more I have learned about them, the more I believe that they are a good natural alternative to a lot of the medications that are out there.

doTERRA essential oils are Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade oils. They are 100% pure, natural, aromatic compounds which are carefully extracted from plants and contain no fillers. On Guard is a protective blend of oils containing wild orange, clove bud, cinnamon, eucalyptus and rosemary essential oils. It can be used to support healthy immune function, protect against environmental threats and can be used as a non-toxic cleaner. You can also purify the air through diffusion. If you want to learn more about these essential oils, please visit My doTERRA Website

Wishing you wellness through essential oils