Ragweed plants (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) cause allergy
Allergy Season Recipes
Allergy season is here! Are you confining yourself to the indoors, avoiding the Great Outdoors, because of allergies? Allergies can be debilitating, and contribute to depression, anxiety, and stress. If you have allergies, try these allergy season recipes for the aromatic tools that you need to beat them and set yourself free again!
For Frontline Support
When you are already under attack, and need help now—try dabbing a drop of Allergy Freedom Essential Oil under your nose, or placing a drop on a tissue and putting it in your nostril. It can also be diluted and applied to the lymph glands before getting into a shower.
For skin allergies, rashes, and irritations; try spraying Allergy Freedom Spray on skin.
For extra heavy duty clearing, you can spray it into the back of your throat, and inhale it into your nostrils, to relieve the itching, and decrease mucus production.
Prevention
In order to get a long term protective effect, remember to drink nettles tea beginning about a month BEFORE allergy season starts. You can build immunity before hand to have a different experience of the season altogether. Simply steep the dried stinging nettles in water to make a tea, taking one cup daily until allergy season is over.
For a ready made herbal supplement that can neutralize allergic symptoms, try our One Source Allergy Relief with Jade Elixir, available online.
Moroccan Chamomile is a powerful anti-histamine. It is one of the strongest anti-allergenic essential oils known. It works by inhibiting the original release of histamine, so the whole cascade of inflammatory processes is not initiated.
Peppermint helps to clear the sinuses. It is cooling and comforting.
Goldenrod has anti-allergenic properties, and is especially helpful for reducing the reaction to animal dander, dust mites, and other respiratory system irritants.
St Johnswort is highly anti-inflammatory, slightly sedating, and acts as a tonic for the liver, endocrine & immune systems. It is especially good for rebuilding the immune system.
Cypress is relaxing, soothes pain, opens bronchial tubes, and clears congestion.
I have been working with this recipe for several years now, and I have actually seen it work wonders for some people. It can help the following conditions. It is not a miracle cure–and like everything, it does not work for everyone.
Even so, this recipe offers improvement for most, great improvement for many, and seems to halt or slow progression for some. It is definitely worth a try for those who want to try a natural method before going for surgery or other eye corrections.
Conditions that I have experienced or witnessed improvement with this recipe, include:
Cataracts
Blurry vision
Lack of focussing ability
Floating blobs
Wearing glasses or lens correction
Eyestrain caused by computer or over use
Dry eyes
Red or irritated eyes
Eyedrops Recipe
Part 1
Eyebright herb 1/4 tsp.
Golden seal herb 1/8 tsp.
Raspberry leaf herb 1/4 tsp.
Cayenne powder herb (not essential oil!) 1 drop (1/64 tsp.)
Simmer in 2 cups distilled water for 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Part 2
1/16 tsp. N-Acetyl-L-Carnosine (No other form of carnosine will absorb into the tissues of the eye to dissolve calcium, a primary concern with cataracts.)
1-1/2 cups distilled water.
Combine and stir until completely dissolved.
Combine
Add 22 drops of Part 1 into all of Part 2. Store excess of Part 1 in fridge for up to 3 months. Fill Eyedropper Bottles and store out of direct sunlight.
Use daily, or up to 3 times daily for extreme cases. It generally takes 3 months of very consistent usage to see an improvement. It may take 6 months or longer to reach optimum results.
How to Support Eyes and Vision Restoration–The Rest of the Picture
There is much more that one can do to support eye health and recover from vision loss, cataracts, or even wearing glasses. Not everyone can restore vision, and not every condition can be corrected, but many issues can be resolved over time with an eye friendly diet.
Macular degeneration, cloudy vision, and cataracts, can all be improved or resolved by adding certain key nutrients to our diet. Lutein, astaxanthin, and zeaxanthin are anti-oxidants that the eyes must have in our daily diet to maintain health. Most Americans do not get enough of these vital vision nutrients, which results in macular degeneration and deterioration of our vision.
Omega-3 fats, proper calcium ratios, retinol, and B vitamins all play critical roles in keeping the health of our eyes, even more so as we grow older. And simply supplementing nutrients such as lutein and zeaxanthin, may not give us the results we are looking for. This is because supplementation of some of these nutrients can cause toxicity. In many cases, the form of nutrients taken as a supplement is not the same as the nutrients found in our foods. Often, they are cheaper versions, or synthetic versions, prone to be less absorbable and less effective.
So how do we get enough of these critical nutrients in our diets? One simple answer is, by drinking a daily smoothie with all of the nutrients needed to restore your vision, regenerate your body, and eliminate aging signs.
Put the beeswax into the pan, along with the coconut oil and cocoa butter. Heat the pan over the lowest heat setting.
Once the beeswax, cocoa butter and oil are completely melted, turn off heat and allow the mixture to cool.
Stir the melted ingredients with the plastic fork. Add the baking soda and stir very well.
Allow the mixture to cool, stirring frequently to keep it well mixed. You may set it in the refrigerator to speed the cooling process. Be sure to keep stirring frequently.
When mixture is fully cooled and somewhat stiff, but still creamey enough to spoon up, spoon the mixture into the container, pressing it in, and set it into the refrigerator to solidify.
If you are using a soap mold instead, spoon the mixture into the soap mold, and set it in the refrigerator.
Note:
You may need to store your deodorant in the refrigerator in summer months. If you want to make your finished product firmer, try adding a little more beeswax to the mix.
I have been “sudsing shampoo free” for years. One day I just got tired of putting chemicals on my head, and I began a long journey of exploring my options.
I found that so many “natural” shampoos were still laden with chemicals, glycerine, phthalates, and a multitude of other chemicals. I found several non-sudsing shampoos on the market, but none of them worked for me long term.
Finally I resorted to using the coconut shampoo bar from Chagrin Valley. It worked very well, but sometimes I would feel like the soap was leaving a build up on my hair, so I would switch back and forth with my own suds-free shampoo recipe and the soap.
This has worked beautifully for me over some years now, but every now and then I wish for a really truly natural sudsing shampoo base that I could use once in awhile.
Recently we found a source who is producing clean, certified organic body care bases. We tried a sample of the simple, one-ingredient shampoo base, and I fell in love with it immediately. We now offer it online for our customers.
I have already experimented with a couple of my own shampoo recipes, and I am sharing them now for you to experiment with too.
If you need extra conditioning, add 1/2 teaspoon protein powder. You can experiment with using soy protein powder, dried whey powder, hemp powder, etc. Any type of protein powder is a candidate for nourishing and conditioning the hair.
If you want to add essential oils for therapeutic reasons or for scenting, add just a few drops to see how the formula handles it. Every oil addition will affect the sudsing quality of the base. You must find the balance between oils for conditioning and detergent (shampoo base) for sudsing.
Essential Oils for Hair Loss
If you are experiencing hair loss, you may want to try these essential oils or a combination of several. These are the most recommended oils for restoring hair and stimulating the scalp.
This is my favorite recipe for skin lotion. It is a bit lighter than salves and some of the other lotions that use beeswax to emulsify the fat with water. And the Aloe has a wonderful tightening effect on skin, wonderful for skin that is flabbier aging, or for people who have recently lost weight and have excess skin.
It does create a bit of shine on your skin when applied. I often apply it at night before going to sleep, and allow it to work deep into my skin over night. I have been so happy with the results that I could not wait to share it with everyone.
This lotion is a little more challenging to make than the simple 4 ingredient salve, but it is definitely lighter than any salves made with oils and beeswax only.
Aloe Vera Skin Lotion Recipe
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon beeswax (chunk or shavings)
Place beeswax, almond oil, and seabuckthorn extract in a pint mason jar. Put the open jar into a saucepan. Fill the pan with water, up to 2 or 3 inches up the side of the jar.
Heat pan over low heat. Stir frequently with a plastic or wood spoon or fork. Do not leave utensil in the wax & oil mix, remove each time after stirring.
When the beeswax has completely melted, turn off the heat and remove the jar from the saucepan. Place it on a trivet or hot pad to cool.
If you want to add optional essential oils, now is the time to add them and stir them in well. About 15 drops total is a good amount to add.
Allow mix (also called fat phase), to cool to room temperature. It should just begin to harden sightly around the edges. This will insure that it emulsifies correctly.
You can use a fork, whip, or an immersion blender for this step. Start blending vigorously, and add aloe vera gradually, just a little at a time. Stir after each addition until fully incorporated, then add more and repeat.
Wipe the jar sides down with a spatula and re-blend a couple of times after the mix is fully incorporated.
This Aloe Vera Skin Lotion recipe will store in a glass jar for up to 6 weeks. You may extend the shelf life of this product by adding essential oils.
Many people are getting wise to the chemical based body care products that are marketed to consumers in the USA. Every year I talk with more people who are seeking chemical free products. But even the best products in the health food store contain a few unpronounceable chemical ingredients and preservatives even though they are advertised as “natural”.
Many natural deodorants no longer contain aluminum. But they still may contain glycerin, phthalates, and chemical preservatives.
So what does one use when eliminating chemicals? The only way I know of to truly know what you are putting on your body, is to make your own products.
I and others I know, have thrived for many years using a home made under-arm spray containing only essential oils and hydrosol. But if you are opposed to having to use your deodorant several times throughout the day because it wears off quickly, you might get a better result from using this easy natural deodorant bar recipe.
Plastic wrap and a small jar or cup OR a soap mold
Put the mason jar into the sauce pan. Add enough water into the pan to cover the sides of the jar 2 to 3 inches.
Put the beeswax into the mason jar, along with the coconut oil. Heat the pan over low heat.
Once the beeswax and oil are completely melted, turn off heat and remove the mason jar from the pan.
Stir the melted oil and wax with the plastic fork. Add the baking soda and stir very well.
Allow the mixture to cool, stirring frequently to keep it well mixed.
When mixture is cooled to room temperature, line your cup or small jar with plastic wrap. Pour the mixture into the container and set it into the refrigerator to solidify. If you are using a soap mold instead, pour the mixture into the soap mold, and set it in the refrigerator.
Allow several hours for the bar to cool completely. Then remove the bar from mold or jar.
If you used a small jar, cup, or long shape, you can wrap half of the bar with plastic wrap.
For added ease in handling, wrap a layer of tissue paper on top of the plastic. Tape it together so it stays. Now the bar is easy to apply to underarms without touching.
In the summer season, you may need to store your deodorant bar in the refrigerator. If you have a cool bathroom closet, you may be able to store it there. Just remember, coconut oil liquifies at around 76 to 78 degrees.
Deodorant and Cancer Recovery
One of the first things to consider when facing cancer recovery, is the elimination of phthalates and other chemical ingredients from all body care products.
Deodorants are one of the worst culprits in the “harmful for cancer patients” category. They contain at least several substances that don’t contribute to recovery–including phthalates, aluminum derivatives, and others. Even a lot of the “natural” deodorants found in health food stores and supermarkets, are packed with chemicals that just do not belong on a woman’s body when she is recovering from this disease (in my humble opinion).
Not to mention the fact that deodorant is applied to the underarms, in the very same location where lymph glands are often infected with cancer. Does that seem like a coincidence to you?
When applying essential oils to skin, dilution creates a better potential for success. If oils are not properly diluted, they can create an unintended effect.
Essential oils should be diluted to a strength that imitates the way they are available in nature. Between a 1% to 4% dilution is a very good starting point for oils that will be applied to the skin.
1% dilution
For children, elderly, pregnant, very sensitive, inside nose, mouth, or ears
•8 drops essential oil in 1 oz. carrier
•4 drops essential oil in 1/2 oz. carrier (or 1 Tablespoon carrier)
•3 drops essential oil in 2 drams carrier
2% dilution
For full body massage, spinal compresses, and most applications
•15 drops essential oil in 1 oz. carrier
•8 drops essential oil in 1/2 oz. carrier (1 Tablespoon)
•5 drops essential oil in 2 drams carrier
4% dilution
For local inflammation, pain reduction, burns, wounds, sprains, funguses, infections, organ compresses, whenever stronger effects are desired
•30 drops essential oil in 1 oz. carrier
•15 drops essential oil in 1/2 oz. carrier (or 1 Tablespoon carrier)
•10 drops essential oil in 2 drams carrier
Stronger dilutions
Stronger dilutions are sometimes useful for certain applications. Wounds, burns, skin funguses, insect bites, and topical infections will often call for an oil from 50% to 100% essential oil (pure undiluted oil is referred to as “neat”).
Equal amounts of essential oil and carrier make a 50% dilution
Nature’s Dilution Ratio
Keeping in mind the extreme concentration of essential oils, it is usually more effective to use highly diluted formulas, as they mimic the levels of aromatic substance as they occur in nature.
Every drop of essential oil produced contains the aromatic equivalent of 50 to 70 cups of herbal tea. One pound of lavender essential oil takes 1,000 pounds or more of lavender blossoms to produce. These are clues to use them sparingly and dilute well, honoring the true value of these natural gifts from the plant world.
None of our products are recognized or approved by the FDA. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. This information is anecdotal, and is provided for educational purposes only. It is not meant to be taken as medical advice. See a health care professional for medical advice.
This high intensity blend for body pain is perfect for relieving muscular, nerve, joint, and connective tissue pain. Apply oil directly to skin right before massage. Or apply as a compressto painful muscles or joints, feet, or spine.
Add the above essential oils into a 1 ounce bottle. Add your choice of carrier oil (filtered coconut is a good choice because it is thin of consistency and highly absorbable) to fill the bottle. Shake well.
Apply this oil to aching joints of muscles, or use as a massage oil to relieve body pain. It can be further diluted for use over the whole body.
It can also be added to the bath, add 1 to 2 teaspoons and soak in a warm to hot bath for 15 minutes to relieve pain.
