Lavender

I really just quickly have to say again how awesome lavender essential oil is.  Last summer we learned the hard way to keep it on hand.  Afton went outside to play on our monkey bars and almost immediately got stung by a wasp.  She cried and cried for an hour!  I don't know what to do or how to make it better.  The next day the same thing happened again.  We realized that there was a wasp nest in the pipe of the monkey bars.  That time I thought to try lavender.  I hadn't heard to use lavender for stings, but I knew it was the universal oil.  "If you don't know what to use...use lavender."  So I thought we would give it a try.  As soon as I put the lavender oil on the sting, she stopped crying and was all better.  Instantly...that fast!  Really.  I was convinced.  

This year we haven't had as many opportunities to try it.  Thank goodness!  But tonight we got ready to go for a walk and Kensi got stung by a wasp that had been hiding out in the stroller.  I grabbed the lavender and put it on.  Within 30 seconds she had stopped crying and was just fine.  It really is amazing.  I have learned to ALWAYS have lavender with me.  I keep a bottle in the car, one in the house and send one with the boys every time they go on scout camp outs or hikes.  I know for sure that I NEVER want any of us to be caught without it!

Essential Oils

I have been learning a lot about essential oils in the last year because of necessity.  I have come to understand them and I love to use them.  I had a class at my house in April that was taught by a woman who has been using essential oils for years and is a wealth of knowledge.  Here are the notes I took from that class:

All of the oil blends mentioned below are from the company, Be Young. You can email me if you want to know more about how to get them.

Essential Oils Class Notes

RECIPES:


·         Liver Cleanse:  1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 drop lemon EO (essential oil), 1 drop peppermint EO.  Take 1 dose every morning.  (Unless you have high blood pressure, then use spearmint instead of peppermint)



·         Bath salts: 1/4 c. Epsom salts, 1 squirt of a carrier oil, 3-5 drops of EO.  For healing bath salts add the following oils: peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, chamomile


TIPS:

·         EO's like to float of the top or liquids in teas or in baths.  To remedy this in a tea, stir the EO into a spoonful of honey and then add the water.  In a bath, mix the EO with some bath salts (or just plain Epsom salts) and then dissolve it in the bathwater.

·         To help the oils get deep into the muscles, use peppermint oil on it or cover with a moist, warm towel.

·         Less is more.  One drop is often sufficient.

·         Be careful what oils you use in pregnancy.  Especially avoid the hormone blends (Venus & Mars) and peppermint.  If you are unsure, test a small amount on your feet and see how it affects you.

·         The citrus oils (i.e..lemon, orange) will make you burn if you expose the skin where you have rubbed them to the sun.  Be careful.

·         For the milder oils, the best way to take them internally is either by the "lick trick" (put a drop on your wrist and lick it off) or in a small amount of water and then swished around the mouth before swallowed.  Swishing gets the oil 90% absorbed in your mouth vs. the 25% absorption that you would get if you just "chugged it" into your stomach.


AILMENTS:

·         Neck pain: chiro-touch (relaxes) &; physical touch (healing)

·         Headache: Make a small pillow using 2 of 3x7 inch material.  Stuff it with equal parts of rice, flax seeds, lavender buds &; spearmint leaves.  Sew it up and store in a plastic bag.  For a headache, warm it up and lay it on your head.  If the potency of the spearmint &; lavender has faded, add 2 drops of lavender EO and 2 drops of spearmint EO on the bag and shake it around.

·         PMS: Mars & Venus EO blends.  They balance the hormones.  Mars balances testosterone, Venus balances estrogen &; progesterone.   Use one in the morning and the other at night.  (do not use in pregnancy)

·         Infection: Use Spice for Life, Guardian &; Defense blends.  Take internally swished around in the mouth.  Spice for Life in the morning when viruses are easier to kill, Guardian at lunch when fungus is less active &; Defense at night to kill the bacteria.  Use one drop or for more serious infections, 3-4 drops each time.

·         Breathing trouble/allergies:  Use the Breathe blend, peppermint or Eucalyptus.  Rub on chest over the lungs and also inhale deeply.

·         Depression: frankincense, 1 drop under your tongue

·         Heart burn: lemon oil, 1 drop under your tongue

·         Sudden overwhelm or anxiety: Geranium

·         "Baby Blues": Venus blend rubbed on the lower abdomen and frankincense taken under the tongue

·         Sunburn: peppermint &; lavender oils mixed with 4 oz. of water and mist on the sunburn often

·         Hormone imbalance in men: Mars blend or coriander

·         Hormone imbalance in women: Venus or bergamot

·         Labor help: Rose oil will open up the cervix if applied directly.  Loving care blend is good rubbed on the abdomen and thighs.  Basil helps you relax.

·         Breast engorgement in nursing: dill oil rubbed on

·         Stimulate breast milk production: coriander

·         Bug repellent: Lavender, tea tree, lemon, eucalyptus, &; rosemary.  Diluted with water and spritzed on.

·         Adrenal fatigue: juniper berry & geranium oils

·         Urinary tract infection: encapsulate 4 drops each of thyme &; oregano and take 2 times a day.  Rub Juniper berry on the kidneys.  Sometimes UTI's are caused by a blood sugar imbalance, treat for that as follows.

·         Blood sugar imbalance: 2 drops each of coriander, dill &; fennel taken with every meal


OILS and WHAT THEY ARE GOOD FOR:

·         Mars blend: for over aggressive boys.  It will calm the testosterone overload

·         Orange &; Lemon oil:  good for learning and stimulating the brain.  Orange for right brain activities (creativity) and lemon for left brain activities.  Rub the oil behind the ears and on the neck.  Orange is also good to use in water to help the body's cells absorb the water and hydrate the body.

·         Spice for life blend: anti-viral.  Best used in the morning when viruses are easier to kill.  Best if taken internally by the "lick trick" (put a drop on your wrist and lick it off) or in a small amount of water and then swished around the mouth before swallowed.

·         Fennel: digestion and car sickness.  Also can be put in water to help the body's cells absorb the water &; hydrate the body.

·         Brain Gem blend: lazy eye & learning disabilities.  Tells the tissues of the brain to repair themselves.

·         Helicrysm: pulls the poison out of the body, i.e..scorpion bite

·         Lavender or Rose oil: diluted for use on diaper rash, yeast infection, bug bites, & sunburn.  Dilute in water and then put in a spray bottle and spritz on the area needed.  Rose oil will open up the cervix if applies directly during labor.

·         Loving care blend: good rubbed on the abdomen and thighs during childbirth.

·         Basil:  helps you relax during childbirth.

·         Dill oil: will help ease engorgement in breasts when nursing

·         Coriander: helps stimulate breast milk


INTERESTING FACTS:

·         It takes 6,000 rose petals to get 1 drop of rose EO

·         Peppermint is the same frequency as the brain.
·         There are 2 "universal oils" which can be used for almost anything: Lavender & rose oil

*** Oh, and don't forget the "don't take this as medical advice and sue me later" disclaimer.  :)