Sticky Situations

Sticky situations are never fun.  Thank goodness for my Lime essential oil.  Not only is it tasty to add to drinks, but it is amazing at getting sticky crud off of things.   

Gum - Always fun to find that nastiness on the bottom of your shoe.  After scraping what I could off of my shoe, I grabbed a rag and added a couple drops of lime, and rubbed the rest off.  

Tar - If you've ever been to a beach in southern California, you may have also had a nasty encounter with tar.  Tar occurs naturally in some areas and just seeps to the surface...lurking...waiting for your frolicking feet on the beach to step in it.  Let me tell you, it is one of the worst things on the sticky chart to try and get off.  One day my husband came home from the beach only to realize too late that he had tar on his feet.  So there were tar tracks all over the bathtub and chunks of tar still stuck to his feet.  Grabbed a rag, couple drops of lime and it wiped right off in one clean swipe.  No scrubbing at all.  Amazing!

The sticky list is endless but these two sticky situations left me in awe of this versatile oil.  

June Promos

doTERRA Oil Origins Map

doTERRA knows the key to superior essential oil quality is the location where the plant is grown because where it’s grown is a primary factor in determining the therapeutic quality of the essential oil.  The composition of the plant will vary greatly based on the location, climate, and environment.  Plants grown in indigenous environments yield better results because the natural elements specific to that region promote a more therapeutic profile of the aromatic compounds produced by the plant. Where your oils are sourced matters.

doTERRA Shampoo and Conditioner

So I'm very particular about hair care, especially shampoo.  The ones you buy at big box stores all seem to leave my hair super dry and frizzy.  Which is why I pony up for the good stuff from the specialty stores.  So I wasn't a stranger to paying a little more for quality products.  So I was super excited to try doTERRa's shampoo and conditioner.  First thing I noticed is how amazing the shampoo smells.  It's smells of Lime and Wild Orange and smells so good in the morning.  The conditioner isn't too shabby either. The scents that stand out to me are Lavender, Rosemary, and Eucalyptus.  Both the shampoo and conditioner have many other oils and ingredients to give your hair exactly what it needs!  The first day I used it, after drying my hair I noticed I had a small patch of itchy dandruff near the hairline of my forehead.  It had been a little itchy for weeks, but there was so much build up from my old shampoo and conditioner that I couldn't tell I had a dry scalp under it all.  Until I used doTERRA's shampoo which got rid of the build up, leaving me with an icky flaky spot right where everyone can see it.  So I dabbed some Lavender on it a couple of times a day for a couple of days and voila! All better!  Lavender took care of the itch right away, and healed it too.  I'm sure the other oils in doTERRA's shampoo and conditioner also helped heal it.  Amazing.  My hair has a nice shiny, soft look and feel to it so I know this stuff is legit.  Like I said, I'm super picky.  If my hair starts to look even a tiny bit frizzy, or feel like hay, I'll take anything back for a refund.  I'm not going to waste good money on crappy products.

One little tip to share - The shampoo is a bit thicker in consistency than other brands I've used.  So I make sure my hair is super wet before lathering up.  And since it's so thick, I seem to need less of it so long as I have enough water to lather with.  A little goes a long way for me.  Just wanted to share.  Maybe start with half of what you normally use, lather up, and add more if needed to see how much works best for you. 

Read more about both here:  Shampoo      Conditioner

Splinters and Slivers

Why is it the smallest scrapes and cuts seem to hurt the worst?!  I remember slicing my finger on a cardboard box and thought my finger would fall off it hurt so bad.  But it was barely a scratch.  Splinters are no exception.  Those stupid little jerks hurt!  And are harder than heck to pull out - I mean dig out, cause half the time you gotta dig.  Which is so pleasant.  haha
Well guess what?  There's an oil for that!  Tried and true my friends. Just a dab of Lavender is all you need.  I'm sure it may vary a bit as far as how long it takes, but eventually it will work it's way to the surface.  I put a dab on a splinter on my husband's palm.  Mind you he has some pretty thick skin full of calluses so I thought it would at least take a day.  But within an hour it started to have a little fluid come out, so then I dug in hard with my nails and squeezed it like a pimple and that sucker literally popped out.  The whole thing.  No tweezers needed or painful digging.  I've never seen a splinter come out like that.  It was awesome.  If it's really painful, try adding some Onguard or Clove on it.  Clove will numb it a bit (which is in Onguard).  You probably don't need to squeeze it like I did. I'm sure if you keep applying Lavender a couple times a day it will eventually work itself to the surface to be pulled out.

May Promos

What's in YOUR Oil?

Did you know essential oils are NOT regulated by the FDA?  Or by any other government agency for that matter.  So what does that mean?  Are essential oils safe?  What it means is you need to do your research when choosing a product.  Even though the FDA doesn't specifically regulate essential oils, they do have a published food guideline for consuming essential oils which are Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS).  If being marketed as consumable, the label must include supplement facts.  See the list here:  GRAS Essential Oils.  The FDA also regulates how products are labeled and marketed, which means they can step in if they feel consumers are being mislead by how something is labeled and marketed.  Why is this important?  Well, if there isn't a governing agency with published standards on what constitutes essential oils as "100% pure", or "Organic", how can you trust what you're buying?  Just because the FDA regulates marketing of products doesn't mean they step in every time to slap someone's hand.  That's why it's important you do your own homework on the product and brand you're buying.  Which leads me to share doTERRA's testing process. 

All of their testing reassures me I am using 100% natural and pure essential oils that are safe for me and my family to use.

When shopping for a brand of essential oils, here are some things to look for.

1. The common name: such as Lemon, Rosemary, or Basil.  It should be on the label.
2. The botanical name/Latin name (preferably directly under or above the common name). Example of a botanical name: Eucalyptus globulus (Eucalyptus). Including the botanical name will prevent confusion, as there can be different species. The species is important because it tells you where it comes from and if it's safe.  Not all species of the same plant are safe.
   
3. The extraction method: steam distilled, CO2 extracted, cold pressed, solvent extracted – each method provides different therapeutic properties and safety precautions.
   
4. The plant part used in extraction: flowers, fruit, leaves, resin, twigs, seeds, roots, etc. 
5. Country of origin should be noted, as the climate and soil conditions can affect the therapeutic properties.
6. Safety warnings including but not limited to: keeping out of the reach of children; not using internally without the advice of a qualified aromatherapist; notifications to dilute; and when applicable, phototoxicity warnings.  These are important to adhere to.  I will also note that anything I can't consume that is listed on the GRAS listed, I would personally be leery of.  If it's labeled as 100% pure Lemon, and isn't consumable...RED FLAG!
7. Bottle:  A quality oil should always be stored in dark glass bottles for it to retain it's potency and properties.  If it's not, RED FLAG!