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 😊
Alright friends!
When is the last time you had your hair cut? I chopped my hair off in the fall and had my last cut the first week in December. With all of life's events and now the stay-at-home orders, I have absolutely no idea when a haircut will make it onto our schedule. To be honest, I wanted to start growing my hair out after my last haircut. This mama missed the ease of putting her hair in a ponytail. However, I knew I was in trouble with these color treated ends and no haircut for sometime. Over the last few months, I changed a few things in my routine and my hair has absolutely taken off and is looking super healthy! 
I am here to share that with you as I know switching to a plant-based hair care routine can be so tricky! First, in the fall, I started taking an MSM supplement, after attending Silver Retreat. Lindsey Elmore spoke about Sulfurzyme and how beneficial it was for our bodies. She said it should be incorporated into everyone's routine. This got me digging. I started googling MSM and WOW! I get it, we should all look into an MSM supplement. The list of benefits go on and on. MSM has been studied and may support things such as:
- Inflammation/Arthritis
- Cartilage Preservation
- Range of Motion & Physical Function
- Reduce Muscle Soreness Associated with Exercise
- Reduce Oxidative Stress
- Seasonal Allergies
- Skin Quality & Texture
I found this article helpful! https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5372953/ . Rather than go down the rabbit hole of all the supplements available, I went with what I knew and trusted, Young Living. After about three weeks of taking Sulfurzyme, I noticed a difference in my nails, hair, and muscle tightness/soreness post workouts. If you are looking for a starting point with supplements, here is a great one!
Onto nourishing my actual hair!
My hair is growing. There is no doubt about that! The question now was how to nourish and make it through all of these months without a haircut. The big key here, is a plant-based formula. We are trying to nourish the hair and stay away from harsh chemicals and toxins. However, if you have ever tried to make the switch, you know it can be tricky!
Step 1: Cleansing
I recommend everyone start with Young Living's Lavender Shampoo! It is light and you get a great lather. Another bonus, it ALSO contains MSM. You need no more than a nickle-sized amount! My husband uses less. Only cleanse your SCALP! Unless you have product in your hair, you only need to wash your scalp. Leave those natural oils that are nourishing your hair alone. If you find you need more moisture in your shampoo, then try the Lavender Mint Shampoo. If your hair is extremely dry, over-treated, or breaks easily, I would look into the Copaiba Vanilla.
Step 2: Conditioning
If you have fine hair that is prone to oil and grease, go with Young Living's Lavender Conditioner. I have color treated hair so I want something with more moisturizing components. I go with the Young Living Lavender Mint Conditioner. You are going to wring your hair out and gather in your hand like you are putting your hair in a ponytail. Massage a dime to a nickel-size amount into the hair you gathered, staying away from the scalp. The conditioners are as thick as body butter so you do not want to over do it. Leave in your hair while you finish your shower and then rinse.
Step 3: Leave-In Conditioning (optional)
If you have short or thin hair, you may want to skip this step or use a lighter conditioner, such as the Lavender Conditioner. I like to use the Copaiba Vanilla conditioner because my hair is color-treated and my ends need extra nourishment. A bottle will last you months and months and months if you are only using it for this step.Take a pea-sized amount in your hands and massage conditioner into the ends of your hair. Leave it in and wrap hair in micro-fiber towel.
Step 4: Healthy Scalp (optional)
I love this step year round. I change the oils I add to this recipe based on my scalp health. If I am dry, itchy, or irritated, I grab Lavender, Melrose, and Cedarwood. If I am looking to promote healthy growing conditions, I grab Rosemary, Cedarwood, and Geranium. If I want an added boost, I add Ylang Ylang. Start with half a dropper to one dropper full of Mirah Lustrious Hair Oil. Drop into two ounce spray bottle. Add 5 drops each of three essential oils of you choice. Top the bottle with alcohol-free witch hazel and shake to mix. Before drying hair, lift hair and spritz mixture on the root of your hair. Comb through and style as usual.
That is it folks! I swear by this routine. My hair feels AH-mazing. My ends look healthy and my hair is growing. If you aren't ready to jump in at once, start with the Sulfurzyme and Lavender Shampoo. Then slowly build your haircare collection from there. This would be a great time to jump on Essential Rewards, ease yourself into the routine, and earn points back to spend on your oils!
You will love the results. Here is a YouTube video of me talking about my routine!
