OILY HOME MAKEOVER, PART 1

Our homes should be a place where we feel safe, a place where we can go to take refuge from the world around us. The products we bring into our homes should not threaten that safety, but sadly, some of them do. Today, we’re going to walk through each room in your home, discovering what needs to go and what can be used as a safe replacement.

I can’t wait to share some ways to help you safeguard your home. So many products are marketed to us as safe, but are actually much more harmful than we think.

Why Does this Even Matter?

So why should we care about the products in our home? They say “innocence is bliss” but I assure you – if you ignore what’s coming into your home, you could be unknowingly welcoming in intruders.

Second to “falls”, poisoning is a leading cause of fatalities in homes in the US – 5,000 deaths a year to be exact. And it’s not just household cleaners that are to blame for chemical exposure. Did you know that MANY personal care products we allow in our homes contain known carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting chemicals? That means an increased risk for cancer, developmental malformations, interference with reproduction, and disturbances in the immune and nervous system function. That doesn’t sound good at all.

I want to see your home be the safe place it should be. I want to share the things I’ve learned and the info I’ve gathered so we can take this journey together to a happier, healthier home. You with me? Let’s walk through a few rooms today!

Living Room

First up is the living room. Now, you may be thinking to yourself – what could possibly be dangerous in a living room? Glad you asked! 😉

A living room is where your family gathers so we typically want it to smell nice and have a sense of comfort and coziness present. Most people seek to achieve that by using candles, air fresheners, plug-ins, and fabric sprays. As easy as those sound to use, they can be potentially harmful to our health.

Synthetically-fragranced products emit a range of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Breathing VOCs can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation as well as difficulty breathing and nausea, even damage to the central nervous system and other organs. Some VOCs can even cause cancer. Yikes!

So what can you use to replace ALL those? A diffuser, high-quality essential oils, and a spray bottle will do the trick!

Diffusing vaporizes essential oils and gets them into the air so that we can breathe them in. Young Living provides us with cool mist ultrasonic diffusers so that the oils are protected from heat and retain their incredible properties!

Diffusing also purifies the air, makes your home smell good without harsh chemicals, and helps get those awesome oils into your lungs and to your brains. Simply add your essential oils drops to your diffuser, add water to the fill line, and start diffusing. Some of my favorite oils to use in my home are Citrus Fresh, Thieves, Lemon, Peppermint, Purification, Christmas Spirit, and Grapefruit! Try some of these recipes in your Young Living diffuser or use them to create an easy “Room Spray” using a small spray bottle, distilled water, and a splash of witch hazel. Adjust the amount of essential oils to your liking and get creative with it.

Fresh Air

4 drops Tangerine
2 drops Tea Tree
2 drops Lemon

Cozy Home

4 drops Lemon
4 drops Orange
4 drops Peppermint
4 drops Rosemary

Happy Room

3 drops Citrus Fresh
3 drops Peppermint
3 drops Thieves

Kitchen

Next up is the kitchen – another place where the family gathers. You can use your oils and diffuser in here as well so create a special place just for them. The kitchen is also a place where a lot of people store household cleaners, soaps, and potentially dangerous chemicals. Have you ever looked at what ingredients are lurking on those labels? Sadly many of them – even the “green” products – contain ingredients you do NOT want in your house or anywhere near your family. Let’s take a look at a few…

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) – These are surfactants commonly used as an emulsifying cleaning agent in household cleaning products (laundry detergents, spray cleaners, and dishwasher detergents). In other words they keep things mixed up and help them create lather. Oftentimes they are synthetically derived and have the potential to cause skin irritation.
Triclosan – This is found in many antibacterial soaps, hand sanitizers, and detergents as well as some toothpastes, deodorants, cosmetics, plastics, and more. It can affect the thyroid and endocrine system and was recently banned by the FDA to be used in “antiseptic washes” but can still be found in some other products like toothpaste, cosmetics, and even clothing, kitchenware, furniture, and toys.
Fragrance – The word “fragrance” can appear on a label and contain an enormous list of ingredients that a company is not required to disclose, as it is considered a ‘trade secret.’ That means a product could contain some awful ingredients and the consumer wouldn’t even know! These chemicals could be linked to cancer, reproductive and developmental toxicity, allergies and sensitivities. Why take the risk?

So instead of risking your family’s health with the typical products available at the local store, grab yourself these incredible products from Young Living.

Thieves Household Cleaner is a plant-based, ultra-concentrated cleaner that can be used on virtually every surface of your home… bathrooms, kitchens, cabinets, counters, floors, furniture, toys, carpets, mirrors, glass, wood, walls, and more! It’s created with naturally occurring surfactants derived from coconut and sugars, so you get a powerful clean without harmful, abrasive chemicals. It’s pet-safe, kid-safe, and even septic-safe!

Thieves Dish Soap is a plant-based solution, infused with Jade Lemon and Bergamot essential oils as well as the Thieves blend. It contains no sulfates, dyes, formaldehyde, phosphates, or synthetic perfumes and uses natural grease-cutting agents, leaving dishes sparkling clean with no residue. Your hands will also thank you for using such a gentle formula.

Thieves Automatic Dishwasher Powder combines the power of natural enzymes, essential oils, citric acid, and saponins derived from soapberries for a superior cleaning system without the use of harsh chemicals. It’s also infused with essential oils for extra effectiveness and a great, fresh scent. It removes dried-on food, grease, oil, and other contaminants so you can enjoy sparkling clean dishes without compromising your health.

Thieves Fruit & Veggie Soak and Thieves Fruit & Veggie Spray – both have the same base formula and come packed with essentials oils that get the job done. The soak comes in a small jug; you simply add a little to a basin of water, soak, rinse, and enjoy eating your fruits and vegetables as nature intended. The spray can be used to give your produce a quick spritz before rinsing and enjoying!

Next up, we’ll walk through your bedroom and bathroom! Read part two here!