Natural Tips To Help You Sleep Facebook Live

Do you struggle to get asleep at night and stay asleep? Here's some quick tips to help you overcome these struggles.

Therapeutic Healing on The Dublin Business Show

Johann Callaghan opens up to Alan Hennessy and Howard Hughes on The Dublin Business Show about her still birth and her journey to question who we really are and her path to creating Therapeutic Healing. She talks about the power of essential oils, her Aromatherapy & Holistic Living online training and her live webinars.

What is the difference between an oil diffuser and an oil burner?

People have asked me many times what is the difference between an oil diffuser and an oil burner and which one is better. I use both interchangeable and I enjoy both but have preferences for when I use them.

OIL BURNER

The oil burner consists of a bowl on top that is filled with water and essential oils. The tea light candle is placed underneath it and heats up the water. The steam carries the essential oils into the air. The therapeutic properties of the essential oil are somewhat degraded through the heating process. It changes the molecular structure and this is what reduces the therapeutic benefits. This method is suited for aromatic purposes as a nice natural air freshener. I personally love the flame aswell.

OIL DIFFUSER

There are two types of oil diffusers: A nebuliser and an ultrasonic humidifier.

Ultrasonic Humidifier

The ultrasonic humidifier uses a mixture of water and essential oils. The water carries the essential oils into the air. This cool mist is not heated and safe to use in childrens’ bedrooms. You can also use a portable diffuser for your car.

Nebuliser

The Nebuliser Diffuser uses pure essential oils only, requires no heat and does not use any water. It uses pressurised air to atomise the essential oils into micro particles. The aroma is quite potent and remains in the air for a number of hours.

Inhalation is one of the most effective ways of using essential oils. It is a great way to kill airbourne germs and helping to lift moods. The aromatic molecules reaches the limbic brain via the olfactory system and so has an impact on our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.

HERE ARE SOME OILS THAT YOU CAN USE:

Lavender: Calming, relaxing, de-stressing. Great before bed.
Lemon: Cleansing, air purifier. Helps fight colds and flus.
Peppermint: Focus, Stimulating. Great if you are studying.

If you liked this article and would like to find out more, visit Johann’s online courses.

Which do you prefer, oil burner or oil diffuser? Comment below.

Source: http://therapeutic-healing.ie/difference-oil-diffuser-oil-burner/

Essential Oils for Gut, Thyroid and Adrenals

In this interview, Dr. Josh Axe discusses:

1) Discover how gut issues can cause thyroid and adrenal disease 
2) Recognize the warning signs and symptoms of leaky gut 

Have you any gut issues that you are aware of? What warning signs have you discovered? Comment below.

Aromatherapy 101

In this article, you will learn:

1. Our Favorite Aromatherapy Blends
2. What is an Essential Oil?
3. History of Aromatherapy
4. Herbal Oils vs. Essentail Oils
5. How Essential Oils Work
6. Putting Oils in the Context of the Plant
7. How Essential Oils are Used
8. Conversions and Dilution
9. Application Methods (Inhalation, Topical, Ingestion)
10. Beginners Guide to Aromatherapy
11. 5 Steps to Getting Started with Aromatherapy

Although the use of essential oils isn’t new, it’s definitely gained steam (so to speak!) in recent years. More and more people are using essential oils in place of artificial fragrances in the home and on their bodies, for culinary purposes, and for health and healing. The more we use essential oils, the more we fall in love, and it’s hard to remember a time when aromatherapy was an unfamiliar term.

Everyone has to start somewhere, though – few of us were born into families who already used aromatherapy regularly. If you are just starting out and find yourself a bit lost in the jargon, recipes, and excitement, don’t worry. You aren’t alone. Let’s take a little bit of time here and catch you up to speed.

Our Favorite Aromatherapy Blends

I’m not sure about you, but my wife and I utilize aromatherapy all day long. It enhances our mood, health and virtually every aspect of our lives! We have a steamdiffuser in nearly every room in our home, and once we gave all those toxic plug-ins and aerosols the boot, we started to notice some pretty cool changes in our health and the health of our children.

These are our favorite blends:

• Good Bye Allergy Blend – Lavender, lemon, and peppermint
• Healthy Digestion Blend – Anise, caraway, fennel, ginger, lemon, tarragon
• Focus Blend – Cedar wood, frankincense, sandalwood and vetiver
• Christmas Blend – Fir (Balsam, Douglas, white), peppermint and vanilla absolute
• Holy Anointing Blend – cassia, cinnamon, frankincense, myrrh
• Immune Boosting Blend – Cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, rosemary, orange andlemon
• Joyful Blend – Orange, lemon, bergamot, grapefruit and vanilla absolute
• Deep Breathing Blend – Cardamom, eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint, rosemary,tea tree
• Sleepy Time Blend – Roman chamomile, lavender, and vetiver

At this point, may be asking, “How can these aromatherapy blends make a difference in my life?”

Well, it’s all about the healing power of essential oils…

What is an Essential Oil?

“And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” (Revelation 22:2)

I can think of no other substance on earth that epitomizes this Bible verse than essential oils.

The very first questions a newbie should ask – what is aromatherapy, and what is an essential oil? You might associate aromatherapy with massage therapists and thick massage oil. Or perhaps you picture heavy patchouli incense and a Volkswagen van. Or the base, middle, and high notes of a perfumery’s concoctions.

All of these can be accurate associations with aromatherapy – while at the same time, each of them may or may not be using essential oils.

The term essential oil doesn’t refer to how much we need it (though many of us argue that they are pretty vital parts of our daily lives!). In fact, the original scientific term for these oils is volatile oil, which paints a much better picture of what we’re referring to.

The volatile oil – or essential oil – of a plant is the part that releases quickly from the plant and into the air. The Encyclopedia Britannica describes the naming rationale:

Essential oil, highly volatile substance isolated by a physical process from an odoriferous plant of a single botanical species…Such oils were called essential because they were thought to represent the very essence of odour and flavour. (1)

The essential oil is why you smell a rose when you lean down and sniff the blooms. It releases as you walk through the garden and shake up the plants. How many plants can you identify by their scent alone? The scientists who had the privilege of naming this chemical component could think of plenty, as well, and thus believed the oils to be “essential” to the plant as much as it was volatile (quickly released).

We now know that essential oils are more prevalent in some plants than others, and can be found in roots, stems, leaves, and blossoms alike. They aren’t necessarily an essential part of the plant – in fact, we don’t always know the function the volatile oil serves, and it can very from plant to plant. But we do know that essential oils are complex, with broad therapeutic actions that vary based on their composition.

Ultimately, the essential oil of a plant is a component of the plant itself, filled with vast amounts of molecules specific to that plant’s needs and uses. This is important to remember, because chemical composition (phytochemistry, the chemistry of plants) tells us how we can best use a substance.

History of Aromatherapy

More recently, essential oils have been used under the guise of the aromatherapy profession, although we have records of people using them as far as thousands of years ago. Did they have essential oils like we know them today? Of course not! Modern distillation procedures are relatively new in relation to the Earth timetable. However, Nicander (b.c. 183—135), a Greek poet and physician for example, “Spoke of the extraction of perfumes from plants by what we should now call a process of distillation” and we have other ancient accounts of crude methods to extract the precious oil from plants. (3)

The term aromatherapy is relatively new in our history, coined by a French chemist named Rene-Maurice Gattefosse in the 1930s. His work ultimately led to the modern understanding of essential oils as therapeutic for health and healing benefits. (2)

This shift toward isolating and emphasizing the use of essential oils as a separate and concentrated compound with the goal of therapeutic results has shaped what we know about essential oils today. It gave us the vials of pure essential oils, separate from the other compounds they shared space with in the larger composition of a plant. But it wasn’t the first time essential oils were recognized for their healing abilities.

Because essential oils are part of herbs – the aromatic compound that hits your nose right away – they can be part of herbal preparations. The practice of using herbs as medicine dates back to the beginning of human history, and since we have always had noses, the fragrant component of those herbs did not go unnoticed.

Most civilizations utilized fragrant herbs for medicine and rituals, and oil extractions were commonly used to separate the fragrance and medicinal benefits from the bulkier material of the rest of the plant. Many of the oils used in this way were rich in essential oils that we continue to use to this day – myrrh, cinnamon, frankincense, cassia – prized for their fragrances and traded vigorously throughout the ancient world and into the development of the Western world we know today. (4)

The “spices” were burned, infused into carrier oils, and even crudely distilled into something similar to what we know as hydrosols – distilled oil that remains in the water from the process. What do each of the uses have in common? Maximizing access to the fragrance – the essential oil!

Today, thanks to pioneers such as Gattefosse, we really do have essential oil extraction down to a science, and we’re learning more all the time.

Herbal Oils vs. Essential Oils

There is no doubt that the ancients realized the fragrance was something more than just pleasant. Such was the confidence in the therapeutic power of aromas that, at one point, the entire prevailing theory of disease centered around bad and good smells! (5)

So when we talk about essential oils being used from ancient times – for example, in the Bible, when fragrant offerings were commanded and incense was to be burned – it’s true in that the essential oils were present and utilizing the fragrance was the intended result.

Where ancient and modern use differs, however, is that we are now able to isolate the essential oil – not simply include it, but use it exclusively. An herbal oil is herbal matter infused with an oil such as olive, so that it contains the essential oil alongside many other compounds from the plant. There are fewer compounds, obviously, since the plant matter is strained away and discarded, but there are still many, creating a highly usable oil infused with a range of medicinal properties.

The essential oils as we know them, on the other hand, take the small amount of volatile oil from part of a plant and concentrate it so that it’s the only component of the plant remaining. This is usually accomplished using steam distillation to release the droplets and then catch them. Because it’s an “extraction” of a very small facet of a plant, it takes large volumes of each plant to create even a 5ml bottle of essential oil.

It comes down to this: for herbed oils, the oil is now medicinally varied and stronger than it was before, but the herbal matter is dispersed throughout the carrier and is no longer as concentrated as it was in the small volume of a leaf, stem, or seed.

For essential oils, the oil is concentrated and specific in use, condensed from large amounts of herbal matter that have been isolated for a single component, therefore compressed into much, much smaller volumes of oil.

To break it down further, the herbal oil can contain the essential oil but not vice versa.

How Essential Oils Work

Let’s put this into practical terms. Cinnamon, for example, is a delicious spice. The cinnamon that you sprinkle onto toast is essentially ground-up bark and is the culmination of a combination of many chemical components – yes, including essential oils.

In cinnamon sticks or ground cinnamon, the oils are dispersed amongst the other components, giving you a wide range of substances to stir into tea or add to Christmas pie.

Now, to make cinnamon essential oil, that same bark would be placed through a distillation process, releasing and separating the essential oil. Great amounts of bark would be used in the process, and little vials of essential oil would be the result. Same bark, same plant. But would you shake your cinnamon essential oil bottle all over your morning toast, just like you did with the powder?

Putting Oils in Context of the Plant

When the essential oil component – whatever is left after processing, packaging, and then your cooking methods – is part of the whole product, it is in such small and dispersed amounts that it’s only a small contribution to the whole. You’re enjoying powdered cinnamon for the combination of molecules that create texture, flavor, and varied benefits.

When you use an essential oil, you should use it for the very specific benefits that those specific molecules can provide. In the case of cinnamon bark, it’s pretty potent as an antibacterial, moreso than a dessert seasoning. (6)

And while it still does taste great and could be used with proper care in a culinary setting (we’ll get to that in a minute), it’s also a dermal irritant. In other words, it could really hurt your skin or the tender lining of your mouth and throat if you were to use it just like cinnamon sticks or powder.

To throw another wrench in the works, the essential oil gathered from the bark won’t have the same components as that of the essential oil taken from leaves. And it will vary between varieties of the same plant species, growing methods, seasons, and even the way it’s harvested. These are volatile oils, remember? They are pretty delicate in their composition and will adapt based on their conditions and use to the plant.

Pretty powerful stuff! The progress that we have made since Aromatherapie was first written allows us to choose essential oils for specific uses based on what we know of their composition. Rather than burning whatever smells good and hoping it chases away disease, we can combine the art and science of aromatherapy to be intentional and effective in our use.

How Essential Oils are Used

The term aromatherapy was coined to combine aroma and therapy, indicating therapeutic benefits using fragrance. This is still the heart of aromatherapy, but essential oil use has expanded in many ways and toward many uses. The main categories of use are (7):

• Inhalation
• Topical
• Internal

Inhalation

Not only is inhalation the oldest form of essential oil use, it is also arguably the safest. Oils diffused throughout a room are relatively safe for most people in most cases due to the high level of dilution. More direct effects can be obtained by breathing in a steam directly or inhaling right from the bottle, or from a few drops on a cloth. This carries the volatile oil directly into your respiratory system and mucous membranes, dispersed throughout the steam or air molecules.

Topical

Topical use is a step further than traditional inhalation-based aromatherapy, though still familiar in the context of massage therapy, which often utilizes fragrant oils for massage applications.

Instead of the broad dispersion through air droplets that inhalation provides, topical use is much more direct. But at the same time, the oil is absorbed through the barrier layers of skin, while inhalation moves quickly through the thinner mucous membranes. Knowing your oil and the goal you have in mind can help you determine which application is more appropriate.

In theory and in professional practice, some essential oils can be used on the skin undiluted. However, the safest application is via dilution. Carrier oils like olive,coconut, jojoba and avocado oils usually have benefits of their own, and you can easily combine a couple of drops in a teaspoon to dilute the oils and bypass potential irritation.

Internal

Finally, and most controversially, some oils are safe for ingestion. The most basic form of ingestion is in culinary use. Revisiting cinnamon, you could use cinnamon essential oil in a cake batter, but you’d only need one drop for the whole batch vs. a tsp or more of the bark powder.

Another common internal preparation is to combine it into a drink. Do remember that oil and water do not mix, so simply adding a drop to water will leave that drop undiluted. Some oils are irritants and all oils are very strong, so it’s best to be safe and dilute it into some honey or coconut oil first.

Many aromatherapists believe oils are never to be ingested, and most will suggest only trained professionals utilize internal methods. Again, it’s better to be safe, and for someone just starting out, this is excellent advice to consider.

Conversions and Dilution

Dropper sizes vary and volume varies based on oil, so advanced techniques would include more specific measuring techniques. Most bottles that I’ve seen contain either 5 ml or 15 ml of oil, which would be 100 drops or 300 drops, respectively. For you math enthusiasts out there, this is how the conversions all pan out:

• 1/8 oz. = 3.75 ml
• 1/4 oz. = 7.5 ml
• 1/2 oz. = 15 ml.
• 1 oz. = 30 ml
• 4 oz. = 120 ml
• 8 oz. = 237 ml
• 16 oz. = 473 ml

Since most droppers will give you about 20 drops of essential oil, the final conversation typically looks like this:

• 1/8 oz. = 75 drops
• 1/4 oz. = 150 drops
• 1/2 oz. = 300 drops
• 1 oz. = 600 drops

Using these conversions:

• 1% dilution: 6 drops of EO per oz of carrier oil (1% of 600 drops is 6)
• 2% dilution: 12 drops of EO per oz of carrier oil (2% of 600 drops is 12)
• 3% dilution: 18 drops of EO per oz of carrier oil (3% of 600 drops is 18)

If working with tablespoons are more comfortable for you, 1 oz. = 2 tablespoons. So, there are 300 drops of EO in a tablespoon.

• 1% dilution: 3 drops of EO per tablespoon of carrier oil (1% of 300 drops is 3)
• 2% dilution: 6 drops of EO per tablespoon of carrier oil (2% of 300 drops is 6)
• 3% dilution: 9 drops of EO per tablespoon of carrier oil (3% of 300 drops is 9)

Application Methods

Within the major types of essential oil use, there are many ways to actually apply them. These suggestions and guidelines can get you rolling, but once you are familiar with your oils and their safe use, you can really start to think outside of the box.

Inhalation

For inhaled oils, you only need a small amount to create a big impact. Diffusers will use a bit more, but direct inhalation is up close and personal and only requires a couple of drops. Here are some of the methods you might use to inhale essential oils.

• Diffusion – Good for blends intended to affect the entire room. Place as few as 2-3 and as many as 6-10 total drops in the diffuser or in a pot of simmering water and let it disperse throughout the room. The benefits should be lasting after the diffusion has ended; there is no need to run it continuously.Ideally for oils that are energizing, antimicrobial, promoting memory and focus, relaxing. Ex: citrus, lavender, rosemary.
• Personal inhalation – Good for portable, direct inhalation for specific benefits to an individual. Fewer drops are needed due to the close proximity of use. Place 1-2 drops of a single oil or a pre-prepared blend of oils on the inhaler, then hold it close to the nose and breathe in periodically. Inhalers can be a piece of porous jewelry, a piece of cloth or handkerchief, or inhalers made of a wick of sorts placed in a glass tube. Ideally for personal benefit such as clear breathing, focus, anxiety, headaches, and stress relief. Ex: eucalyptus, bergamot, peppermint.
• Steam inhalation – Technically also personal inhalation, “tenting” is more intensive and not very portable. When the oils need to be inhaled in greater concentration and affect the respiratory system more directly, 2-3 drops of a single oil or pre-prepared blend can be placed in a bowl of boiling water – usually warmed in and poured from a tea kettle. Place a towel over your head and drape it over the bowl (forming a tent, of sorts), close your eyes, and breathe deeply. Ideally for clearing the nasal passages and respiratory system. Ex: eucalyptus, citrus, tea tree.
• Sprays – Aromatic sprays have benefits of both inhalation and, in the case of antimicrobial oils, surface cleaning benefits. Combine 10-20 drops of a combination of oils to ½ oz alcohol or witch hazel, then add ½ oz distilled water and shake to combine. Spritz in the air, on linens, or on clothes as desired.Ideally for air freshening, cleaning, antimicrobial purposes, body sprays, and even topical anti-inflammatory benefits and healing. Ex: tea tree, lemon, thyme.

Topical Application

Essential oils placed directly on the skin are able to sink in through the pores and then move through the body, creating both topical benefits as well as systemic. While some oils are okay undiluted (neat), most are not. The smart way to apply oils topically is to first dilute them. Carrier oils are non-volatile oils and are not irritants, so essential oils can be blended into them first and then the mixture applied.

Popular carrier oils include: coconut, olive, almond, jojoba, avocado, apricot, and sunflower. Most carrier oils have benefits of their own that can be explored to create even more beneficial blends.

Topical application can be direct in a small area such as for scar healing or broader such as for a massage oil. The important variables here are dilution rates.

• .05% dilution – Strong oils, application on children, and oils that you are testing for sensitization. The heavy dilution allows for greater distribution throughout the application and less per dose. Ideal for irritating oils, children, and those who are highly sensitive. Ex: cinnamon, eucalyptus, peppermint.
• 1% dilution – Even adults who tolerate oils well will still find some oils too strong for normal applications. A 1% dilution rate protects your skin while still enjoying the benefit of the more powerful essential oils or use on sensitive areas of the skin .Ideal for facial applications, dermal irritants, treatment of delicate skin. Ex: clove and cinnamon oils, tea tree for acne, melissa.
• 2-3% dilution – This is the most common dilution range, suitable for massage oils, healing treatments, lotions and creams, and cosmetic applications. It is enough to gain significant benefits of the essential oil without risking sensitization. Unless the oil is particularly potent or you have sensitive skin, this is likely to be the dilution you’ll use. Ideal for most applications – lotions, creams, salves, balms. Ex: ylang ylang, helichrysum, chamomile.
• 5%+ dilution – Higher concentrations should be used with care. You might find a high proportion of a bath salt is appropriate, for example, because it will be further dispersed into the tub. Or, extremely safe oils can be used in small amounts on small areas of the skin – for example, as a strong acne treatment. Know your oil’s safety profile and choose high concentrations with caution.Ideal for specific situations based on either extreme safety and high potency in a targeted area OR further dilution beyond the initial formula. Ex: lavender, sweet orange, tea tree.

Ingestion

Typically reserved for culinary oils or for use by trained aromatherapy professionals, ingestion is used when the medicinal profile of an oil is required. Dilution remains important, as does education before use. Some of the more common ways ingestion is used are highlighted here.

• Excellent for digestive oils or simply to enjoy the flavorful concentration, 1-2 drops can be mixed thoroughly into a lipid or syrup portion of the recipe and then added to the rest of the batch. Ideal for oils that benefit digestive wellness, essential oils of culinary herbs, and oils of culinary spices. Ex: dill, sweet orange, cinnamon.
• Dispersing an oil into a glass of water is the quickest way to ingest it, but do not miss the importance of both dosage and dilution. One drop is more than sufficient, and remember that oil and water do not mix! Without diluting it into honey or oil first, the drop is likely to make direct contact with sensitive internal organs. Ideal for quick and simple use, especially for digestive wellness. Ex: chamomile, ginger, lavender.
• A truly medicinal application, encapsulated oils are used to get the oil directly to the stomach, or – in the case of enteric-coated capsules – to the intestines. This is used when the oil is to be consumed regularly and when the individual struggles with the taste of it in other forms. Dilute the essential oil into a carrier before making the capsules, or purchase encapsulated oil blends already made. Ideal for professional guidance, digestive health, and oils that need to make it directly to the intestines. Ex: peppermint, lavender, lemon.

Beginners Guide to Aromatherapy

So now that you know what an essential oil is to a plant, how to differentiate between an herbal oil and an essential oil, how the ancients used oils and how that has evolved over time to the modern science of aromatherapy – are you hooked yet?!

Aromatherapy is absolutely incredible. Plants are literally throwing these substances at us (really! Pay attention the next time you walk past a lavender shrub). And then chemists can isolate those substances, analyze their very molecules, and know exactly what compounds will benefit us in specific ways. And THEN we can combine them based on benefit and scent to create beautiful, fragrant combinations that also have an effect on our health? If you aren’t hooked yet, you will be once you get started.

5 Steps to Getting Started with Aromatherapy

1. The best place to begin with essential oils is with familiar scents. Lavender is both a familiar scent and a versatile and safe essential oil. The citrus oils are also easy to use on their own or in blends. Choose a few, and then learn all you can about them.
2. Next, locate a source and make your purchase. Remember that it takes large amounts of plant matter to make small amounts of oil, so a cheap bottle of a precious oil is not likely to be high quality. You want real essential oils – nothing synthetic – and always a pure therapeutic grade, especially if you are going to learn to safely ingest them.
3. Once you have a few oils ready to go, start by diffusing them on their own, and then in combinations of a couple of drops of two or three of them at a time. You can buy a diffuser, or you can simply simmer a pot of water on the stove and add your drops there.
4. When you are familiar and comfortable with the scents, you will start to learn what blends you like. As you learn more about their effects, you can begin to create blends for specific reasons, like energizing your sluggish afternoon or clearing the air after a virus passed through the house.
5. From there, you can begin to experiment with diluted topical applications, like a soothing peppermint rub or a calming massage.

The important thing is to always be learning – never stop learning! The more we learn and grow, the better we can utilize these precious, truly essential substances.

Resources:

1. http://www.britannica.com/topic/essential-oil
2. https://www.naha.org/explore-aromatherapy/about-aromatherapy/what-is-aromatherapy
3. http://www.britannica.com/topic/spice-trade
4. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1002/j
5. http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/techniques/miasmatheory.aspx
6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25369660
7. https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/treatment/aromatherapy

Source: http://drericz.com/aromatherapy-101/

When to Apply Essential Oils: Muscle Pain Relief Blend

Making your own natural body care products can offer so much relief! Let us know if you have made any blends. Comment below.

Essential Oil Safety Tips

1) Learn how to use essential oils safely and without risk
2) Tips for avoiding sensitizations and allergies
3) How to find your “preferred blend”


What is your favourite blend? Comment below.

Top Tips To Reduce Toxic Ingredients In Personal Care Products

Research shows that carcinogenic and hormone disrupting chemicals have been linked to a number of health problems including infertility, lower sperm counts, obesity, diabetes, thyroid imbalance, and certain types of cancers. The knowledge and information you’ll learn here will inform you and therefore help to empower you to make healthier choices for you and your family.

We are exposed to toxins on a regular basis. TOXINS are anything that can interfere with our body’s ability to function OPTIMALLY. They have a major impact on your SKIN! Your skin is the largest organ and it has many functions often not appreciated. The skin can tell you how your body is performing inside from a cellular level. So the skin is a doorway to how your body is working.

Toxic exposures

Food: Pesticides (Fungicides, herbicides, insecticides), Dirty Dozen Foods (EWG), Hormones/Antibiotics in Animal products, Additives (Aspartame, MSG, Sugar)

Outdoor Environment: Pesticides, electric power plants, factory emissions, cooling systems, and diesel fumes

Indoor Environment: Most indoor air pollution comes from sources that release gases or particles into the air. Carbon monoxide (Blocks the movement of oxygen around the body), Nitrogen dioxide (combustion pollutants- a by-product of gas fires or cookers), Flame retardants in furniture and mattresses, Radon (Radon is a radioactive gas that seeps from the soil and rocks beneath your home). Other sources are harsh solvents in cleaning products, Mould, Mildew, dust mites and Personal care products.

All of these sources of indoor air pollution can combine to create a toxic mess in the air we breathe.  The common denominator is CHEMICALS.

Dirty Dozen These are foods that are sprayed most heavily with Pesticides. 

Additives are pretty much what you get in processed foods. It can throw things of metabolically and hormonally. And that’s pretty much what a toxin does.

Personal Care Products contain toxic chemicals like Parabens, SLS and Phthalates which we are going to go into more detail about.

We will Never Rid the body of all toxins BUT we can decrease our exposure and their impact.

Personal Care Products

The health and beauty industry is a business and many companies will do whatever it takes make money. Even if this includes using additives and preservatives that are not safe to put on the human body!

Many people ignore this because they are only putting these products on their skin and not ingesting them. However, this is not the case.

Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in your body and up to 60% you put ON your skin goes INTO your body!

The average woman uses about 12 products daily which contain up to 168 different  chemical ingredients. This ranges from body wash, shampoo, shaving gel, body lotion, face moisturiser, deodorant, make up, hair spray and more. The average man uses 6 products daily with 85 unique ingredients. Kids are exposed to more chemicals than adults in the environment around them including the air, water, food and personal care products. Their immune system is less capable of dealing with chemical toxins. Baby wipes containing bronopol, DMDM hydantoin and fragrance are a very big offender. Teenagers are using more personal care products now from hair gels and strengtheners to make up and tanning lotions. EWG detected16 potentially toxic chemicals including phthalates, triclosan, parabens, and musks in the blood and urine samples from 20 teenage girls. These are hormone disruptors and are carcinogenic. Teenagers are now experiencing earlier onset of puberty as a result.

Top 8 Toxic Cosmetic Ingredients to Avoid

Parabens

This is also known as Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Isoparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben. These are synthetic preservatives found in many cosmetics and personal care products to inhibit microbial growth and extend the shelf life of the product. They act as oestrogen mimics and thus disrupt the hormonal system. They are known to cause rashes and allergic reactions, so not good if you have sensitive skin.

Linked to breast cancer, decreased sperm counts and precocious puberty (early onset of puberty).

Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate (SLS)

It is an inexpensive and very effective foaming agent. It is used in concrete floor cleaners, engine degreasers, car wash detergents, and just about every soap and shampoo on the market. In the same way as it dissolves the grease on car engines, sodium lauryl sulfate also dissolves the oils on your skin, which can cause a drying effect. They act as oestrogen mimics and thus disrupt the hormonal system.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), and Ammonium Laurel Sulfate (ALS) are in most body care products. According to the EWG review, research has shown that they put you at risk for cancer, skin irritation, and organ toxicity.

Mineral oil/ Petrolatum (Petroleum Jelly)

This is a by-product of crude oil and it is used as a very cheap emollient base ingredient. It has no nutrient value and can interfere with the body’s natural moisturising ability. It can not be absorbed by the skin and creates a film on the surface, blocking the pores and preventing the skin from its normal functioning. This petroleum by-product can causes allergies.

Synthetic Fragrance/Parfum

This is a blanket term for hidden chemicals that should be avoided. Phthalates (plasticising agent) are included in this.

Phthalates

Used to retain scent in a product. A plasticizer, used to soften plastic and makes pvc flexible. Used in skin moisturisers and skin penetration enhancers in cosmetics. Linked to cancer.

A study published in the journal Environmental Research analysed urine samples of 1040 men for 8 types of phthalates. The average age of the men was 32 – 36 years old. They each gave two samples for the study. The researchers found that the presence of phthalates in the urine was linked to poor semen quality.

Phthalates are chemical plasticisers that can sneak in almost anywhere from milk (the plastic used on the cows’ udders) to shower curtains and toiletries but you must do what you can to reduce your exposure to them. Make a habit of reading the product labels of everything you use around your home and on your body. Phthalates contain hormone disrupting effects in the body.

Talc (Magnesium Silicate)

A natural mineral found to be a lung irritant. It is widely used in makeup and body powders as well as baby powder. cornstarch powder is a safe and reliable alternative. Made from the purified mineral bearing the same name. Is poisonous when inhaled or swallowed.

Oxybenzone

An active ingredient in chemical sunscreens that accumulates in fatty tissues and is linked to allergies, hormone disruption and cellular damage.

Formaldehyde

A known neurotoxin and carcinogen and irritant found in personal care products. DMDM hydantoin-(formaldehyde releaser) It increases the shelf-life of cosmetics (e.g. shampoos, skincare products, hair gels, baby wipes etc) by “releasing” formaldehyde and thus killing bacteria.

Essential Oils and Toxins

By using essential oils and plant based oils you can reduce your overall exposure to toxins. Use essential oils instead of synthetic air fresheners and spray deodourants. Essential oils help to bring the body back into balance. They are anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal and help to boost your immune system. They smell amazing and boost your overall well-being and immunity also. Vegetable oils or carrier oils contain phytonutrients that nourish and protect your skin and fight free radicals, the precursor to pre-mature ageing and other skin diseases.

Using essential oils helps to build your immune system to help reduce the effects of toxic exposure and open up your detoxification pathways.

Using and making your own skin and beauty products and personal care products are the only way to guarantee that you won’t be exposed to these dangerous toxins. There are friendly to the environment, your skin will love you for it and you’ll not regret it!

Conclusion

Don’t be fooled by companies claiming that their products are “all natural” or even “organic.” Empower yourself by not assuming that something is 100% safe. Be a voracious label reader and make sure that you’re not putting dangerous chemicals onto your skin!

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