Essential Oils: Slap a Cold, Kick a Fever!

It's that time of year, everywhere you look.. You can't seem to get away from it, no matter how hard you try. It's cold & flu season, and if you refuse to get a flu shot like me then you are washing your hands nonstop and avoiding anyone who dares to clear an itch in their throat within a five mile radius. These days I'm avoiding human contact with anyone who shows any signs of sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head or fever.

Moms don't get days off, especially Mom Bloggers!

I often get asked what I use on my kids when they do come across the occasional cold. So I'm sharing it all with you! Now, I usually diffuse Onguard essential oil in my boys room at night whenever they are in contact with a lot of children (which is weekly), I also apply to the bottoms of their feet. Usually if one of my little guys shows any sign of a sniffle I will apply diluted Onguard and rub on the Thymus for some added immune support (many times this is enough to cut whatever it was off at the pass). This, along with tons of hand washing are pretty good at keeping everyone generally healthy for the most part.

Occasionally (much less frequently since I started using essential oils as a means of preventative maintenance), they will come across something that they have to work through and in this case I use an arsenal of essential oils until I see symptoms subside. I keep the following in my medicine cabinet at all times.

• Onguard Essential Oil Blend
• Breathe Essential Oil Blend
• Lemon Essential Oil
• Eucalyptus Essential Oil
• Breathe Throat Drops
• Onguard SoftGels

In case of fever I would also add Lavender or Peppermint oil to the mix. 

The Onguard blend as I mentioned before is great as added immune support, I diffuse this as well as rub it on their feet and/or chest (Thymus). This is in addition to anything else I am using to treat symptoms.

If there is a lot of chest congestion and sinus pressure I apply a diluted Breathe blend on the chest as well as the feet. This usually helps to make breathing a bit easier, clears your sinuses right up (even if only for a little while). When I notice they start to struggle with breathing again I reapply, these blends won't completely erase the cold but it will help make us more comfortable throughout and it seems shorten the length of the cold.

I also apply diluted Lemon Essential Oil along the spine to help cut some of the congestion. For myself and my husband I will just add some Lemon Oil to a glass of water and it really helps ease coughing and break through some of the congestion. Children are not supposed to ingest any essential oil before the age of six so for now I just apply on their spine and I notice the runny nose takes a break for a few hours.

In order to bypass those night time interruptions due to sinus pressure/ congestion/ or constant coughing I diffuse  Eucalyptus Oil. I usually double the dosage when they are really stuffed up, this helps us all get a lot more rest (sleep is essential for a speedy recovery). This, along with a healthy diet, plenty of fluids, my "magic soup" and lots of mommy cuddles will usually do the trick. Before you know it they are up and running ready to drive me crazy keep me going.

If there is a problem with fevers then some Lavender Oil on the temples and forehead should do the trick. For a high fever that wont quit or keeps spiking I add some Peppermint Oil to the temples and/or feet, this usually brings it back down pretty quickly. To be clear, if the fever is scary high or persists, this warrants a trip to the pediatrician. I'm all for taking the natural route as much as possible, but I am not wreckless with my children. I also highly respect the opinion of my pediatrician, which is why I have chosen him. I mean, I was able to reach this man on Christmas Eve at 9pm when I was a new mom dealing with an infant who had severe acid reflux. Let's just say I'm a believer!

Now, during all of this "mommy-care" I have to be responsible and be sure to take care of mommy as well, otherwise I'm no good to anyone. So to help me stay healthy while caring for everyone else I make sure and stay on top of my vitamins, food and water intake, sleep schedule (ha, ha), AND I make sure and take my Onguard SoftGels. Moms need all the added immune support they can get when dealing with a germ filled household.

If I start to get that "scratchy throat" that usually warns me a cold is on its way, then I will start using the Breathe Throat Drops. These are very soothing and help feel as though they open up your airways and take away that tight / dry feeling in the throat. This along with the SoftGels and a little Onguard oil to the throat usually help fight off anything that was trying to form. If not, then I just follow the same protocol listed above with a lighter adult dilution.

That pretty much wraps up my cold care remedies. I love having natural options for my family. If you'd like to learn more about the essential oils mentioned above just click here. If you are in the Delray Beach area come join us for free Essential Oil Education classes offered monthly at The Salt Suite. The next class is scheduled for January 29th at 6pm. You can RSVP for the class at EssentiallyErika@gmail.com.

If you would like to learn about other all natural options that are available over the counter, you can check out my previous post on Kids Relief Homeopathic Medicine.


Essentially Yours,


Erika

Essential Oils: Ah, Ah, Ah....Allergies???

Gesundheit!

I hear it day and night, allergies are in an uproar this whole season and it seems its worse for everyone!
Either everyone I know who have always had allergies has it worse this year, or people who have never had this problem suddenly develop it well into adulthood. Is it a coincidence that allergies are strongest now more than ever and as a society we are riddled with chemicals now more than ever? Don't get me started

As always I like to find a natural alternative to deal with these kinds of issues and cut them off at the pass if at all possible.

Soooo... Here are some allergy fighting alternatives to over the counter antihistamines:

Purify, definitely one of my favorite oil blends! It's anti-bacterial pathogen killing properties make it perfect for fighting off all sorts of things. I use it in my homemade lysol spray (if sprayed on baseboards in your home can also be used as a natural pesticide, great for picnics!), in my homemade laundry detergent, I even pour a couple of drops on our a/c filters at home for cleaner air.

By applying a few drops of Purify topically, not only will you keep the bugs away but it can also help to protect you from unwanted reaction associated with seasonal allergies!


Wait! There's more...

Another popular line of defense in the oil community is what I like to call the "trifecta". A blend of three powerful go-to oils: Lemon, Lavender & Peppermint. Combining these three oils can help to bring down inflammation from your's body's allergic response, they are great for airborne allergies. There are a few ways you could use this oil blend, I've broken them down into three different methods:

Ingredients:

2-4 drops Lavender
2-4 drops Lemon
2-4 drops Peppermint

Method #1: Place all the oils in a glass with water or juice. Gargle, then drink.

Method #2: Place all the oils in a veggie capsule and swallow.

Method #3: Place all the oils in a spoonful of raw honey and swallow. (Excellent way to administer to children, especially since local honey is great for seasonal allergies)

For really young children and toddlers, you can blend all three oils and rub on the bottom of their feet and along their spine.

Breathe is another one of DoTerra's awesome blends that is wonderful to diffuse at night for added respiratory relief.

Side Note: DoTerra's oils are Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade, which is labeled as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) by the Food and Drug Administration. The same cannot be said for all oils. There are different grade oils and I only trust DoTerra for this reason.

These three oils together and separate are so powerful they are even offered in an "Intro Kit" by Doterra, you can find out more about this kit and all of their oils at: www.mydoterra.com/erikasessentials.

The new Tri-Ease Seasonal Blend Softgels are also a wonderful way to fend of seasonal allergies, this can also be found at the above mentioned website. The blending work has pretty much been done for you with equal parts distributed in each softgel if your looking for a shortcut.

As always, if you have any questions feel free to e-mail me at: EssentiallyErika@gmail.com!


Essentially Yours,


Erika

Stain, Stain, Go Away!

Stains. They are inevitable! Especially with two boys under the age of four. Around here, they are unfortunately a constant occurrence (insert my mother shrieking here). 

Refusing to use any laundry products with chemicals, I've somewhat backed myself into a corner where I'm either in denial about these stains or I've accepted them as the newest member to our family. Either way, I was in trouble. 

Until now!!!

I'm amazed at the power of essential oils and all they can do for my life! When I first started this blog I didn't intend on promoting any oils, but the change they've made in my day to day life is worth mentioning. The name I chose for this blog was actually just "catchy" and at the end of the day I'm essentially just me. I digress...

I introduce to you essentially the easiest stain remover recipe EVER! 

This concoction only has two ingredients!

You will need:

1/2 cup of vinegar

20 drops of Therapeutic Grade Lemon Essential Oil 

(For more info on different grades of essential oils you can visit:http://www.modernwellness.com/webinar-makeover-your-medicine-cabinet/, this webinar is lengthy but so worth it!)

That's it! 

Add to a glass spray bottle and spray those stains away.

Now, I'm always down on myself for not catching before and after pics for all my oil miracles. I'm still new to this blogger mentality and often race straight into "mommy mode" to fix an issue. But not this time! 

I finally snapped a quick before shot for you fine folks!

It seems my little guy is an artist like his father, I can't keep the crayons, paint brushes or markers out of his hands. It's amazing to watch his natural talent unfold as he tries to color inside the lines and watch his strokes, he's only two! That is until it's on my sofa, then it's no longer miraculous and now it's just inconvenient (ha, ha still cute though). Here is his latest masterpiece..

I've been looking to throw a pop of color in my living area, this wasn't what I had in mind...

A few sprays and a little scrubbing from my newest concoction and here you have it:

Back in action! We live to fight another stain!! 

To purchase doTerra's lemon essential oil, or any of their fabulous oils you can go to: www.mydoterra.com/erikasessentials

In my research I found tons of advice on how to remove crayon stains, some were quite "crafty", what's your all natural go-to stain remover?


Essentially Yours,


Erika

Essential Oils: Rooty Tooty, Fresh & Fruity!

One of the biggest surprises about essential oils, is that you can safely ingest them. (Some, not all) This Fruit Dip recipe is a favorite with my boys, it's light fresh flavor as well as scent makes it a great sensory experience for them as well!

All you need is:

8oz pack of cream cheese

8oz of sour cream

1/3 cup of honey

2 tsp of vanilla extract

3-5 drops of Lemon essential oil

It won't disappoint!

Essentially Yours, 

Erika