We are transitioning to the fall season and craving all the fall aromas, colors, and decorations that are going to make our home feel warm, festive, and cozy!
Back in the day, this mom would make a trip to the mall to stock up on all the fall candles, plug-ins, and hand soaps.
Here we are in 2022, and after a PCOS diagnosis in my late twenties, I know better. I know that what I am bringing into my home matters. I know that the environment I create for my family WILL impact their health. The transition to healthy products has been slow but I have found ways to make these swaps sustainable, budget-friendly, AND event better than my old mall favorites.
This is the time of year that I am trying to ramp up our immune system so the less toxin exposure the better! Luckily, I control this in our home.
I am excited to share my new semi-DIY with you! It combines one of my favorite products, with some essential oils to satisfy my need to constantly smell the scents of the seasons! Today, we will focus on fall aromas.
Pumpkin Spice seems to be the first aroma that comes to mind at the first mention of fall. However, I know some of you are like me and prefer crisp herbal aromas. I will share several combinations below but first, let’s start with a great base!
We love using Thieves Foaming Hand Soap in our home. If you are familiar with Thieves, you know that it already smells like fall with a combination of Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus, Lemon, Rosemary, and Clove essential oils.
Let’s take up a notch….
We are going to use Thieves Foaming Hand Soap as your base. This will ensure a powerful aroma that will have you taking a deep breath in after you wash those hands.
Things you will need:
A foaming hand soap dispenser
Purified Water
Thieves Foaming Hand Soap
25 drops total of your favorite fall essential oils
Vitamin E or Olive Oil
If you like baked goods and sugar and spice, you will like this first combination called “Autumn Spice”.
1/3 cup Thieves Hand Soap Refill
7 drops Cinnamon Bark
5 drops Nutmeg
5 drops Clove
5 drops Ginger (optional)
10 drops Orange
½ teaspoon of olive oil or Vitamin E oil
2/3 cup purified water
Mix in foaming hand soap container and screw pump into it. Add label and twine to dress up the bottle.
If you prefer a crisp, warm, woodsy aroma then “Autumn Air” will be a great start for you!
1/3 cup Thieves Hand Soap Refill
10 drops Cedarwood
5 drops Northern Lights Black Spruce
5 drops Eucalyptus
10 Drops Orange
½ teaspoon olive oil or Vitamin E oil
2/3 cup purified water
Mix in foaming hand soap container and screw pump into it. Add label and twine to dress up the bottle.
You can get 12 bottles of these DIY foaming hand soap recipes from one bottle of Thieves Hand Soap Refill solution. Not to mention, you can diffuse what is left of your fall oil collection.
You can shop the bottles here!
You can shop the essential oils and Thieves solution here!
Purchase the oils and hand soap solution for yourself, and I will mail you the labels for you hand soaps. Simply email me at theessentialdropin@gmail.com to request them!
Enjoy!
Whether it is the stinky feet of two little boys or the stench of an outdoor loving puppy, we have some odors to combat in our house these days.
My go-to was once the fragrance filled sprays and powders that would simply mask the odors and contribute to air pollution within the home (not that I knew that at the time). Now, I save money on all the odor masking products and whip up some simple recipes that get to the root of the problem.
Essential oils are made up of chemical compounds that serve a purpose. When I grab an oil such as Tea Tree, I know that it is going to work its magic on the funk and bacteria that are contributing to the odor itself. We eliminate the toxins and address the root of the problem.
When selecting your oils for odors, I suggest using Purification, Lemongrass, Thieves, Melrose, Kunzea, or Tea Tree. To sweeten the aroma and provide an extra punch to your concoctions, reach for the citrus oils. If you prefer a flora aroma, Lavender is a great aroma to add.
Here are three of my favorite essential oil recipes for combating odors in your home:
Carpet Powder:
2 cups baking soda
10 drops Purification
10 drops Lemon
10 drops Lavender
Put the baking soda in a 16-ounce mason jar. Add the essential oils. Place the lid on top and shake until well combined. Put a shaker top on the mouth of your mason jar. Sprinkle powder onto carpets and upholstery. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes. Vacuum when done.
Shaker Lid for mason jar here!
Room and Upholstery Spray:
4 ounces distilled water
4 ounces witch hazel
7 drops Purification or Kunzea
5 drops Orange
3 drops Lavender
Combine liquid and oils in continuous spray mister. Spritz air, linens, and upholstery as needed.
Continuous Mister here!
“At the Spa” Diffuser Blend:
90 drops Lemongrass
90 Drops Spearmint
90 drops Lavender
Add oils to a 15 mL bottle. Add 9 drops of mixture to your diffuser when trying to get rid of leftover odors in the air. This diffuser bombs will get you 30 uses.
I hope that you enjoy the above recipes, and they refresh those lingering odors in your home. If you try any of the above recipes, I would love to hear how you enjoy them!
As we talk about hormonal support this week, it is important that we touch on the products we use in our home. You can be the healthiest eater and someone who exercises everyday, but if you aren't watching the products you bring into your home, you are still putting yourself at unnecessary risk for so much. The next topic can REALLY get me going 😊 Shall we dive in?
Paraben free, Dye- Free, SLS-free, Sulfate-Free, Phthalate-free….we are seeing all of our household and personal care products try to clean up their act! Why? People are slowly waking up. They want reasons for their health issues and they are starting to become aware of the long-term impact the products we use in our homes have on our health. Unfortunately, people wait for that reason or health concern to arise before they start to do their research and pay attention.
You know what you will not see removed from most of these products claiming to be clean? FRAGRANCE.
It is in everything! From the candles we burn, the air fresheners we spray, to our dish soap and make-up. (Seriously though, why do you need fragrance in your dish soap?) There are a little over 3,000 chemicals than can be blanketed in that term fragrance and guess what… some of them are harmful! Endocrine disruptors, chemicals linked to tumor growth, chemicals that can have an impact on the respiratory system, chemicals that have been linked to cancer, and more. We often see a “green” label or “clean living” being advertised and ignore the FRAGRANCE label that is listed right there in the ingredients. The worst part about this label is none of the chemicals under this umbrella being used in your product are required to be disclosed to you. It is considered proprietary information. You could have an allergic reaction to a product, and they do not have to tell you what is under that label.
Think of the air in your home. Especially, with the holidays approaching and people wanting anything and everything to smell like pumpkin spice. It doesn’t matter what kind of wax you are using, fragrance is fragrance and you are polluting the air in your home. If the word fragrance is written on the label of your candle/spray/wallflower, it is not clean ( even some aromas claiming to be essential oils are labeled as “fragrance”). Your home is the one place that you can control what your family is exposed to. Already, your body is having to process these chemicals that are in the air you are breathing all day long before you leave the house.
Then think of your skin care products, soap, lotion, make-up, dish soap, dishwasher detergent, and your laundry products!! Laundry products kill me. When I can smell your laundry from down the street while I am running, I get concerned for your health. On top of that, you wear and smell that fragrance all day long. You sleep with that fragrance! The smell of flowers does not equal clean.
I challenge you to look at your products. Even the ones you do not think would contain fragrance. Read that label! This is why we use oils! High quality oils from a trusted source (the regulation on the essential oil industry is an entirely different post 😊) This is why we use Young Living! You will never see “fragrance” listed under the ingredients. They tell you what ingredients are making you product smell so good. I do not have to label read and worry about transparency with them. The other thing I love, is how long the products last because they are not filled with all the junk. From the outside it may look a little complicated, but it is quite simple to do this on a budget with the right help and resources!
Here is one of my favorite recipes to replace those nasty aerosol sprays:
5 ounce continue mist spray bottle
1 capful Thieves Household Cleaner (
Add 15-20 drops essential oils of your choice
I like Northern Lights Black Spruce and Orange right now
Top with witch hazel or vodka
You now have yourself a continuous mist “clean” air freshener/spray
Add a cute Avery label if you wish 😊
