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For Your Health: Understanding the Difference between Synthetic Perfumes and True Essential Oils
The zest orange peels … a crisp, cold breeze … the sweet warmth of ground cinnamon. You, like most people, probably like things to smell good. Our sense of smell evolved to help us be attracted to things that are good for us, and be repelled by things that cause harm. Unfortunately, like so much else in the modern world, that sense has become skewed and manipulated. Synthetic perfumes are pretty good at mimicking natural scents .. so that ethyl butyrate makes our brain think of oranges and cinnamaldehyde of fresh cinnamon.
Synthetic fragrances are added to almost every product you buy – from body wash to lollipops. Many of these fragrances consist of hundreds of chemicals combined to produce a specific scent to manipulate your brain. They are made up of petroleum, aldehydes, allergens and animal byproducts. But most consumers aren’t aware of these complex and problematic products – a loophole in labeling law makes it so that companies are only required to list one word the label – “fragrance.”
Do you see the problem?
Companies often choose synthetic fragrances over natural ones because they cost less to produce. And, sure, they smell good – but do you really want to expose your body to fixatives and solvents to save someone else a few bucks? For your own health and personal wellbeing, it is important to understand the difference between synthetic fragrances and natural essential oils, and to seek products that help you to be healthier and lead a more natural lifestyle.
Essential oils are concentrated extracts of plants. They contain only natural compounds sourced from leaves, bark, resin, roots, and petals. Essential oils are most commonly extracted through distillation or expression at the peak harvest. They can be diffused in the air, applied topically, used in aromatherapy, inhaled, used in massage, and substituted for chemical household cleaners. They are a versatile, functional, and green way to create an environment that is healthy and free of manufactured products.
Synthetic fragrances don’t have the natural compounds that benefit the body through aromatherapy. They often contain animal byproducts, like musk and civet (scraped from the anal glands of the respective animals), and all sorts of harsh manufactured chemicals and hormone disrupters that mimic natural smells. All in all, not something you want to be spreading on your skin or spreading through the air for yourself or your family.
Essential oils offer numerous health, beauty, spiritual, and psychological benefits. Certain essential oils can give you feelings of energy, help you relax, assist in better sleep, treat your skin, support your health and improve your mood. Examples of essential oil include Peppermint, Lavender, Frankincense, Sweet Orange, Cedarwood, and Chamomile, among many others … all simply extracted from their respective plant.
You may wonder what the term “blend” means for essential oils. Blends are combinations of pure essential oils mixed together to achieve certain benefits (mood, health, or emotional balance, for instance). The natural benefits of each oil is augmented by building on complementary strengths. Sometimes blends are sold undiluted and can be used in a diffuser or for household application. Other times they are pre-diluted with natural carrier oil (such as coconut oil or jojoba) and ready for application to the skin. Look at the product information or label to find out what is in the blend, and whether or not it has been diluted.
So trust your nose … but help it too. Check the label to make sure the products you use everyday are made with safe, healthy essential oils … and don’t include the ubiquitous “fragrance” that companies pass off as safe. Surround yourself and your family with the healthy ambiance and health benefits of pure essential oils, and let life still smell as sweet.
Bewitching Blue Tansy for Skin, Muscles & Mood
Seemingly straight from the pages of a fairy tale, Blue Tansy essential oil offers a fascinating blue tint and the intoxicating natural scent of herb, wood and apple. Now featured in Sacred Life’s powerful Blue Collection, Blue Tansy infused products are designed around this remarkable resource to serve those need effective power and pure, nature-based solutions. Blue Tansy offers the best of both worlds, imparting deep and natural muscle relief, unique skin care solutions, help for better rest and a path to pure and natural grit.
Blue Tansy’s Rich Past and Troubled Present
Tansy has been grown as a folk remedy for hundreds of years by the ancient Greeks, the Benedictine monks of St. Gall, and has long been valued for its ability to lessen stress and relieve negative emotions. The sweet scent carries natural constituents that work to support a healthy respiratory system, calm seasonal irritations, and bring feelings of relief to aggravated, stressed, and irritated skin. Sore muscles and joints also benefit by exposure to Blue Tansy essential oil.
This powerful essential oil comes from Morocco, where the leaves and flowers of the perennial plant Tanacetum annuum are steam distilled to extract rare volatile compounds, including inflammation-cooling Chamazulene, to benefit body, mind, and spirit. High demand and low supply has triggered volatility in the market in recent years, and has led to unscrupulous companies offering cheap knockoff oils as substitute. Don’t be fooled by inferior products. Substitutes simply don’t offer the benefits of real Blue Tansy … and some of these fakes may even be dangerous to your health.
At Sacred Life we’ve developed a rigorous process to ensure that only the best authentic Blue Tansy receives our label. We’ve built relationships with the producers and suppliers in Morocco to obtain a premium-quality product which is grown, harvested, and distilled under ideal conditions. Our oil is 100% pure, 100% natural, unadulterated, undiluted, and therapeutic quality, with no added chemicals or fillers.
The Remarkable Benefits of Blue
The sweet and earthy scent of Blue Tansy is a powerful and versatile aromatherapy solution. In our Blue Collection, this rich, warm, and complex foundation is be combined with other essential oils and nature-based creams to deeply support skin health, relax the mind, ease feelings of discomfort in the body, and calm the mood. Each of the products in this collection has been carefully crafted to combine the natural power of Blue Tansy with complementary natural constituents for the ultimate Blue Tansy experience.
- Blue Beauty Cream: A dynamic solution for a beautiful complexion, you can apply this effective plant-based cream to rejuvenate and moisturize the skin on a deeper level. It actively works to plump, brighten, and firm your complexion for daily support. The nourishing formula is infused with powerful Blue Tansy and sweet Geranium essential oils – unique natural tools that work to visibly improve the texture of your skin, reduce the appearance of wrinkles and refine your tone for a noticeable healthy glow.
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Blue Beauty Serum: A unique product that works to expose your complexion to the topical power of pure Blue Tansy essential oil – use to repair, refine, and maintain a healthy tone. Blue Beauty Serum improves the appearance of fatigued or environmentally challenged skin with a synergistic combination of Blue Tansy and other pure essential oils – healing Frankincense, gentle and effective Helichrysum, soothing Lavender, and a combination of two best-quality nourishing and moisturizing carrier oils – Almond and Argan oil. Apply daily to tone and tighten your complexion, smooth the appearance of blemishes and imperfections and promote natural resilience from outside stressors. Nourish your skin, keep your complexion looking young, reduce the appearance of age lines and smooth the effects of daily damage. Also coming soon to the Sacred Life lineup is our new Blue Beauty Cream, another dynamic and effective solution for a beautiful complexion using the natural power of Blue Tansy.
- Blue Sleep: The perfect combination of natural ingredients to help your body unwind, relax, and release tension before bedtime. We've combined the best essential oils shown to promote rest ... powerful Blue Tansy, calming Lavender, sweet citrus, restful Vetiver, and relaxing Sandalwood in a base of best-quality fractionated coconut oil. This remarkable natural fusion will help your body release stress, ease your whole self into a great night's sleep. Try making it part of your bedtime routine. Use it an hour before sleep to help your body feel relaxed and ready for rest. For an especially restless night, use it along the spine or across large muscles to help your body move into a more restful state and stay there. Apply to hands and sleep with them near your face to breathe the remarkable and delicious scent for subtle and supportive overnight aromatherapy.
- Blue Ice: Blue Tansy is also a powerful ally for exercise and fitness. It can soothe and relieve muscles and joints after extra exertion or to get you through a tough day. Take Blue Ice to the gym or on the trail and use it either before exercising to work out the kinks, or afterward to boost and soothe tired muscles, tendons, and joints. You can use it between workouts, as well, to ease tiredness in your hands, elbows, hips and knees, especially after overuse. Find natural endurance with this Blue Tansy-infused blend designed for active people who need a clean-living solution to meet the demands of daily endurance, occasional injury and exercise recovery.
A Word on Blue Tansy Safety
Be aware that Blue Tansy oil may interfere with certain medications including antidepressants, antipsychotics, antihistamines and antibiotics. Because it is high in camphor, it shouldn’t be used by people with epilepsy or Parkinson’s disease. Speak with a medical professional about your concerns. Also note that there is the possibility that the beautiful blue tint on the oil could stain delicate fabric. Adjust use as necessary to avoid a mishap. Learn to use this exceptional essential oil, enjoy the natural benefits, and watch your life become focused, stronger, sweeter, and more natural.
Using Attention Blend for Natural Focus & Creativity
HEY ... YOU! Do you feel, these days, like you are sometimes trying to communicate with a brick wall? Or worse yet, do you ever feel like you are that brick wall? That people and ideas that should be the center of your focus are instead fuzzy around the edges, fading into the background or completely forgotten? We live in a buzzing, alert-blinking, alarm-beeping world that relentlessly pulls our attention in 50 different directions. It becomes fatiguing to have your eyes and mind constantly darting from one thing to the next – especially when you really could benefit from staying still for a few minutes, focusing on priorities, and simply being where you are at that moment.
Recognizing the problem is one thing. Solving it is another. It isn’t easy these days to silence the distractions and train your mind for better focus. But it is possible.
Aromatherapy can be a powerful tool to help you regain control of your thoughts and consciousness and to achieve better focus at work, at home, for study, and even for meditation and communication. We’ve created our Attention Blend for that very purpose … to allow you to access the best essential oils to help your mind be alert, creative and energized … and to stay focused on the people, tasks and ideas that are most important to you.
Sacred Life’s Attention blend is an engaging combination of earthy Frankincense, warm Cedarwood, focusing Vetiver and sweet, calming Lavender. This grounding and energizing combination works on both a physical and psychological level to give you control over and direction for your thoughts. We’ve built flexibility into this blend by offering it in several forms … full strength for diffusing or DIY projects, and a conveniently diluted roll-on for topical use and to enjoy when you are on-the-go. We also offer a Kids Attention blend roll-on with the same effective ingredients, but diluted at an appropriate level for kids’ more sensitive skin. Get to know the powerful ingredients in this natural blend:
- Frankincense: An earthy and grounding foundation that calms the mind, releases tension and lends feelings of strength and focus.
- Cedarwood: A warm and cathartic aromatherapy base that works to relax the body and release feelings of nervous energy or stress.
- Vetiver: A bright, green and uplifting scent that works to both strengthen attention and retain mental focus for increases feelings of creativity.
- Lavender: A sweet, cheering, floral-and-spice scent that gives feelings of calm energy, emotional release and mental resolve.
There are two strategies you could choose to applying this effective blend in your life … in the air or on the skin. Which of these two will work best for you depends on your situation and preferences. Diffusing quickly fills a room with the powerful focusing ambiance and allows an immersive exposure to the beneficial constituents. Topical use is more personal, more discreet, and portable. Some people prefer topical application to target specific areas of the body as they work to focus their attention … the wrists, temples, neck and chest or feet. Here are a few ways to consider using Sacred Life’s Attention Blend:
- Try diffusing our full-strength blend at home or in the office as you launch yourself on a tough project. Add 4-6 drops to a diffuser and mist as you start planning, brainstorming, or working toward your goal. Or, use for better concentration after school and during homework hour. Diffuse as you read, study, or practice for feelings of concentration and commitment.
- Keep the pre-diluted roll-on with your for long drives in the car, essential conversations, or challenging tasks on-the-go. Apply it to wrists, neck, temples, or across the top of the spine. Use fingertips to massage gently into the skin, breathing deeply to gain additional exposure to the aromatherapy constituents.
- Send Kids Attention with your older child to school to help them make it through a long day. Instruct them to dab a small amount on their wrists and breath the scent if they have trouble concentrating during class. Hold the deep breath for a count of 3, and let it out slowly. Repeat as needed.
- Use Attention Blend as part of your mindfulness practice. Diffuse as you read, meditate, or relax. Breathe deeply and work to relax all the muscles in your body, especially in your shoulders and neck. Notice where your thoughts travel, and gently bring them back on task as necessary.
Sacred Life’s Attention blend can be a powerful ally to help you regain control over your thoughts and focus in a distracting world. Use natural tools to build a stronger, happier and more resilient body and mind with the help of pure essential oils.
How To Dilute Full-Strength Essential Oils
Essential oils pack enormous wellness potential into a remarkably small bottle. This natural power is created by careful extraction of plant constituents from large amounts of botanicals – leaves, bark, seeds, petals and peels of plants. It takes 50 pounds of Geranium leaves, for instance, to extract just one pound of Geranium essential oil. This kind of concentration gives you access to and control over the natural constituents you apply to your skin … but due to this extraordinary power, it is important to control it.
You skin is both a barrier and a doorway. It absorbs essential oil directly into your body and allows you to gain access to the health benefits these products offer. But skin can’t always handle the high concentrations essential oils pack. You may run into problems like skin irritation, phototoxicity (citrus oils reacting to sunlight and causing blisters), and topical allergies. To use essential oils safely and effectively, it is necessary to dilute them.
Benefits for Your Skin
Diluting is good news for both you and your skin. Adding essential oil to a neutral carrier oil makes it easier to spread the valuable essential oil over large areas, and more efficiently carries the aromatherapy benefits to your body. Plus, your little bottle will last way longer than you might expect since you are using the equivalent of just one drop or less with every application. There are some instances when it is advisable to use essential oils neat (at full potency) – such as in a diffuser, through an inhaler, or for some cleaning applications. But all topical use requires dilution.
Many Sacred Life products are sold pre-diluted so that you don’t have to worry about diluting at all (this includes all of our ready-to-apply roll-ons). But some of our singles and blends are sold at full strength. These products are potent and require dilution before using them on your skin. We recommend a 3% dilution for most topical purposes (see below for how to do the math on that). Some circumstances require a more gentle approach, such as when you use oils topically on small children, are pregnant or nursing women, or use them on those with sensitive skin. Inversely, you may, on occasion, want to use a stronger concentration to get specific results if you have normal skin – but keep the area small and the use short-term.
How to Dilute
Don’t be intimidated by the process of diluting. It’s important, but certainly not hard to do. It gives you tremendous control over potency and personalization of the oils in your collection. All you need is a few drops of essential oil combined with a carrier oil such as Fractionated Coconut, Grapeseed, Jojoba, or Rosehip or even Olive Oil. For a 3% dilution do either of the following:
Combine 4 drops of essential oil with a teaspoon (5ml) of carrier oil and mix well. To scale that up, add 12 drop of essential oil to one tablespoon (15ml) of carrier oil. Or, open a new, empty 10ml roll-on bottle. Add 9 drops of your favorite essential oil and fill the rest of the bottle with a carrier oil. Replace the lid shake gently. Consider taking a shortcut by adding a few drops of essential oil to a lotion, hand sanitizer, aloe vera, body soap, shampoo, or conditioner. For household cleaning blends, you can use water instead of a carrier oil, but this isn’t recommended for applying to the skin, since they easily separate between uses.
- For children ages 2 to 10 and people with sensitive skin: 4 drops of essential oil in a tablespoon of carrier oil.
- For adults with normal skin: 13 drops of essential oil in a tablespoon of carrier oil.
- For short-term, targeted applications: 22 drops of essential oil in a tablespoon of carrier oil.
Safe Topical Use
Some essential oils are considered “hot.” Cinnamon, mint, clove, and others have spicy or mentholated qualities that can affect your skin. Use a lower dilution when mixing with these oils. Another thing to be aware of is that many citrus oils are phototoxic … they can cause blisters and an uncomfortable rash if used topically before exposure to sunlight. Dilute phototoxic oils especially well, and keep skin exposed to these oils out of the sun for 12-24 hours to avoid an adverse reaction.
Sacred Life products are a powerful aid in your quest for a healthy and natural home. As you gain experience with these natural tools you’ll feel more comfortable knowing what concentration work best for your body.
Best Ways to Use Essential Oils around Children
Parents get it all ... soft kisses, snotty noses, curious minds, cocky attitudes. Nothing is more challenging, interesting, stressful and fatiguing than a person under the age of 12. As a caregiver, you likely already understand the benefits of using essential oils to support your own mental, emotional, and physical health. But did you also know that essential oils, when used properly, can enrich kids’ lives too?
The sweet smell of our Kids Immunity Blend can give feelings of protection from whatever bug happens to be going around at the daycare or church. Or the scent of our Kids Breathe Blend can help with a unsettled tummy during bumpy car rides. From calming nerves to improving moods, essential oils can make life with your half-pint just a little bit sweeter.
Talk to the Doc
The first step is to consult with your pediatric physician. Your doctor can answer specific questions about using essential oils and blends around your child, and can advise you about specific circumstances and concerns. When you consult with the doctor, bring a list of the ingredients in the blend you want to ask about, and be prepared to describe how you plan to use it. This will allow your doctor to give you the best information for your circumstances.
Safety First
Kids don’t understand the concentrated nature of essential oils – but the sweet smell may entice them to experiment if they get their sticky little hands on a bottle. This could be dangerous. Certain essential oils can be toxic if ingested, and irritating if overused on the skin. Always keep your essential oil collection well out of reach of children and babies. No oil should never be ingested by children, and remember that adults, not children, should always be in charge of oil application.
Some oils will help your child sleep better (lavender), feel better during a cold (spearmint), and be able to better concentrate (orange). But not all oils are safe to use around children. Peppermint, eucalyptus, and rosemary, for instance, should be avoided because they can trigger dangerously slow breathing in children. Other oils are just too potent. And some oils (cinnamon, clove) are spicy enough to irritate. Do your homework about which oils and blends will work for your kids, and start slow to observe for irritation or adverse reaction.
On the Skin
Your kid may look like a mini-me, but children’s bodies are not just miniature adult bodies. Kid skin is thinner and more sensitive. When using essential oil topically, it is important to be cautious on sensitive skin. Do a “spot check” on your child, applying a small amount of the dilution on a patch of skin before putting it all over them, and observe it for an hour or two for signs of sensitivity.
When you are ready to apply it, try rubbing the dilution on the soles of their feet to reduce the chances of an adverse reaction. Remember that young kids also stick things in their mouths … observe them after you’ve applied oil topically to make sure and avoid incidental ingestion.
Home Sweet Home
Using essential oils in a diffuser is a great way to get natural benefits for kids. Our pure oils and blends can enhance feelings of relaxation, attitude, motivation, focus, and calm when you need it most. Consider turning on a diffuser in the evening as part of your bedtime routine to help kids be mentally and physically ready for a good night’s sleep. Or try enhancing their concentration after school to get homework done with no (well, less) fuss.
Remember that kids’ eyes and mucous membranes are more sensitive to essential oils. Use fewer drops than you would typically in the diffuser. (Normally use 5 drops? Try one.) And give your kid some space … don’t put the diffuser directly adjacent to their bed. Place it across the room or even in the next room. Don’t diffuse for long periods of time (like overnight). Start with five minutes at a time, 1-3 times per day. When introducing new oils, observe your child carefully for signs of sensitivity.
Essential oils are a powerful tool, and can make your home a healthier and happier place to be. The more you know, the more you are empowered to make good decisions for your entire family, and keep them healthy, energetic, happy, and all-natural.
Using Personal Aromatherapy to Boost the Mood and Squash Anxiety
It’s a rare person who’s emotional life is as calm as a flat sea. We all have occasional storminess, paddle through the odd wave and brace for the intermittent emotional breeze. But some people seem to command their emotional lives with greater control, stability and balance. It’s an admirable mastery that not everyone seems to have. Some people know how to captain their daily lives with a generally positive mood, and are able to use that stability to build trust at work, enjoy solid relationships at home and focus on long-term goals. How do they do it?
Moodiness can be hard to deal with in personal relationships, on the job, and when you are trying to maintain focus. It’s true that you can’t entirely control how you feel or how you relate to the people around you on a daily basis – but neither are most people completely at the mercy of the whims of their emotions. You can, to some degree, influence how you feel. One of the biggest reasons people seek out essential oil aromatherapy, in fact, is for better emotional control.
How Does it Work?
Boosting mood and mental energy are well-established benefits of essential oil aromatherapy. Essential oils can help you to create healthy daily habits that benefit your mood and outlook. Smell has the power to trigger mood and emotion like no other sense. The olfactory bulb is an areas of the brain closely associated with memory and feeling. The sweet scents of essential oils can call up memories and powerful emotional responses almost instantaneously with such intricate detail that the experience can have a powerful effect on our brain.
Because scents tap into our brain’s memories and moods, it becomes possible for us to use this system for our own benefit … finding aromas that trigger energy, creativity, happiness or peace, and diffusing them via essential oils when we need the lift in our environment. The smells that work for you will be as unique as your life experience. Two people can have completely different perceptions of the same smell. You might love the nutty, spicy kick of clove essential oil, associating it with a warm mug of spiced cider at Christmas with cousins. Or, you might hate it because of some bad Indian food you once had. The best way to discover which scents trigger positive emotions and moods is to try a variety of oils and blends in your diffuser, taking note of which ones work in a positive way for you.
As powerful and useful as they are, essential oils can’t fix everything. If you are suffering from depression or anxiety, living in an unsustainable way, are chronically sleep deprived or have an unhealthy lifestyle, essential oils are not a long-term solution. Find healthy patterns and get outside help for long-term mood challenges. But for occasional moodiness and help overcoming circumstantial emotional dips, aromatherapy can help.
What are the Best Essential Oils for a Better Mood?
The best essential oils to use for better mood will depend on your personal experience and preferences. For some people, the tangy brightness of citrus is the perfect energizing way to get them back on their emotional feet. For others, the calm strength of woods or herbs is what they need to feel emotionally responsive and connected. The best way to find out which essential oils work best to build your emotional foundation is to give them a spin. As a starting point, here are popular essential oils that many people find useful to boost the mood. Or, try a blend specifically designed for the mood with a balanced mix of several essential oils to create a synergistic effect.
- Peppermint Essential Oil has a sweet and spicy aroma to clear stagnant or irrational thoughts.
- Lavender Essential Oil has a gentle and calming scent that relaxes and reduces feelings of stress.
- Frankincense Essential Oil has a woody and warm smell that breaks down circular thinking and focuses the mind.
- Orange Essential Oil has a sweet citrus aroma that fills your space with cheer and relaxation.
- Lime Essential Oil has a fresh, bright, citrusy scent to boost cheerful feeling and enhance joyful experiences.
- Grapefruit Essential Oil has a tangy, citrusy aroma that rejuvenates and energizes the mind, body, and soul.
- Patchouli Essential Oil has an herbal and lightly floral aroma that calms and balances the mood.
- Spearmint Essential Oil is a sweet and mild mint that lifts the mood from irritability and tension.
How to Use Essential Oils for the Mood
You know your own brain the best, so you may already have essential oil practices that work to interrupt negative patterns and boost your mood. If you are new to essential oils and need a few ideas, give these mindfulness techniques a try:

Stop Rumination in its Tracks
Rumination is that negative, circular thinking that your brain sometimes resorts to when you are feeling low. The best way to interrupt a bad rumination cycle is not to reason through it … it’s to jump entirely out of the loop. If you find yourself ruminating in a negative way, change your environment. Go to a new place, or change the position of your body. Use an essential oil roll-on and breathe deeply to engage the brain in aromatherapy benefits and to remind yourself of your current surroundings Try and stay mentally present. Talking through your concerns can help, but make sure you pick someone who won’t simply ruminate along with you.

Monthly Lows and Winter Blues
Many people find that monthly and seasonal cycles are the most difficult for emotional stability. If you ride the hormone rollercoaster from month to month, or seem to get down when sunshine is in short supply, try using a citrus oil blend to get through the bumps. When you need the boost, apply it and massage gently in to your gut, feet, wrists and hands. Cup your hands over your mouth and breathe deeply to absorb more beneficial constituents.

Daily Stress and Anxiety
Slowing down and practicing mindfulness allows us to relate to our thoughts, feelings, and emotions as they arise. This practice is about learning to approach and acknowledge whatever is happening in the present moment, setting aside judgment and just being with whatever is there, rather than avoiding it or needing to fix it. Incorporate essential oils into your daily meditation for deeper aromatherapy benefits. Simply apply the oils to feet and wrists before you begin to create an ambiance of relaxation and focus. If sadness, stress or anxiety is there, instead of trying to fix it or figure it out, we might just acknowledge the sadness, let it be, and get a better understanding of what we need in the moment.
If you tend to be a moody person, don't expect to become an optimist overnight. But with practice, eventually your habits will contain less negativity and more self-acceptance. You may also become less critical of the world around you. When your state of mind is generally optimistic, you're better able to handle everyday stress in a more constructive way. That ability may contribute to the widely observed health benefits of positive thinking.
Happy Feet and Happy Body – Using Reflexology for Stress Relief and Natural Health
Your feet are literally the foundation of who you are. After long hours spent standing, walking, tapping, (stubbing!), stomping and perhaps even occasionally skipping, isn’t it time to give your hardworking feet a break from the pressures of the day? When you do, you may be benefiting more than just your feet … reflexologists maintain that your feet are intrinsically linked to every other organ in your body, from the brain to the spleen … and research is confirming this ancient practice. Taking care of your feet may benefit your overall health – both emotionally and physically.
Reflexology is a specialized form of massage using essential oils and gentle pressure on your feet. It is meant to stimulate points which are connected to the body through nerves. This pressure works to restore balance the body and to release feelings of tension. It facilitates a deep state of relaxation, calms the emotions, and produces a serene mind, as well as reducing pain and anxiety. Recent research on the practice supports many of these benefits. People describe a profound sense of relaxation, increased energy, pain relief and better mood following a session of reflexology with essential oils.
The theories behind reflexology have been around a long time. Records indicate that it has existed in China since 1000 BC. From those ancient roots, modern methods have been modified by medical and holistic health experts to meet needs and support the lives of today. Now, this alternative medicine practice is commonly used as a way to reduce stress, connect to the body spiritually, and to be proactive about whole-system health.
Treating specific locations on the foot with non-invasive pressure, massage, and essential oils, benefits parallel parts of the body, practitioners believe. Gently applied pressure sends calming messages from the peripheral nerves to the central nervous system. This enhances overall relaxation, brings internal organs and their systems into a state of optimum functioning, and increases blood supply (which brings additional oxygen and nutrients to cells and enhances waste removal). It positively affects the circulatory, respiratory, endocrine, immune, and neuropeptide systems. Essential oils augment the practice by facilitating the massage and through natural aromatherapy benefits of the topical application.
To represent how the body systems correspond to one another, reflexologists use foot "maps" to indicate regions on the foot to treat for different ailments. It is interesting to note that the feet are not mirror images of each other when it comes to reflexology, although they share many characteristics. The pad of the left foot has a point for the heart, for example, while the right foot has a specific spot to benefit the appendix. You can find a simple map of reflexology points if you are curious about how your feet and body might benefit – and to practice targeting certain areas for your own health.
The best way to understand the benefits of and function of reflexology is to try it for yourself. It’s not hard to do, and you don’t need to be an expert to begin. Try applying your favorite blend and using your fingers to gently explore the bottom of your feet and toes. Make note of any area that feels sensitive or sore. Massage the entire surface gently. You can even keep a journal record of how pressure or various blends on different parts of the foot make you feel into the next day.
Ready to try?
Use this natural reflexology technique at the end of a long day to provide relief to tired feet and ankles. You’ll need Sacred Life’s Muscle Blend and Forgiveness Blend from the Pain Relief Kit. You can either get a partner to work on your feet, or use a modified version to treat yourself.
Wash and pat feet dry with a soft towel. Working from the arch of your foot backwards toward the heel, apply a generous layer of the Muscle Blend and assert gentle pressure, moving in a small “C” pattern as you progress. When you reach the heel, return to the arch and apply the Forgiveness blend to the front of the foot and toes. Gently squeeze the top and bottom of the foot and walk your fingers across the surface, noting any spots that are especially sensitive or tender. Squeeze each toe gently, sliding your fingers off the end.
Wrap your feet in a warm towel and keep slightly elevated until the oils absorb (15-30 minutes). Gently wipe away excess oil before walking on a slippery surface. You can also put on a pair of socks and let the oil soak in overnight.
Using pure and effective essential oils on your feet will boost your mood, balance your emotions, and release tension and help you deal with feelings of pain throughout your whole system. Treat your feet right, and your whole body may thank you.
Harnessing the Simple Power of Pre-diluted Single-Oil Roll-ons
If life gets more simple, it only improves. Take for instance the breathtaking relief of a simple day ... one that allows you to focus on priorities, be present in the moment and move through your schedule at a comfortable pace. For most of us, that kind of time is a treasure. Or how about the directed energy of simple tasks – such as peeling carrots for dinner and planting flowers in the yard? The soul-feeding satisfaction of simple joys are what make life worth living … a warm hug, a word of encouragement, an early morning walk. Simple is good.
That’s why at Sacred Life we love to offer simple solutions. We want to help you find joy in an uncluttered, minimal and manageable lifestyle, if it’s what you choose. We offer pre-mixed blends of your favorite essential oil singles to use on your skin – this means you don’t have to do any of the dilution work yourself, and your oils are ready to use as soon as they come out of the box.
The elementary elegance of Sacred Life’s Single Roll Ons make embracing natural solutions more simple. They are ready to use without fuss, mess, measuring or mixing on your part. We’ve blended these essential oils with pure fractionated coconut oil at a potent 10% dilution (stronger than the typical 3%) so that you can enjoy a targeted, potent effect from these flexible natural tools. Normally, to use these oils, you’d have to determine a proper dilution for your skin, research and purchase a carrier oil, measure and mix the ingredients and store them in a purchased bottle. But you can use these convenient products on your skin straight out of the box
If you are new to these four foundational essential oils, you may not yet realize how flexible and fundamental they will become to your daily life. Here are a few ideas for how to take advantage of their natural power:
Lavender
The wild and and wood-spice scent of Lavender is a truly enticing scent that has a deeply relaxing and satisfying aromatherapy power that works for stress relief, better sleep and natural skin health. Many people enjoy using Lavender for skin support. Use this pre-mixed dilution on scars, blemishes and irritations on the skin. For unsettled nights, apply it to the nape of your neck and massage onto your feet to help you ease into a good night sleep and wake rested and refreshed the following day. Many people enjoy Lavender for its delicious aroma … use it as a personal scent that releases over time against the warmth of your skin.
Peppermint
This essential oil has an energetic, sweet natural heat that is the perfect boost after an intense workout, a long day, or an overwhelming meal. Rub this pre-diluted Peppermint across large muscles for feelings of relaxation, warmth, and release before or after your next workout. Use it for feelings of natural energy to keep your mind focused on a difficult or dull task at work, or keep you awake during long afternoons at the office.
Rub Peppermint on your wrists as a quick pick-me-up without resorting to sugar or caffeine to wake up your brain. Peppermint is excellent to have on hand when you’ve overindulged at a meal, if you are experience cramps or have other gut discomfort. Rub a simple stripe across you lower gut and massage in with your fingertips for feelings of gentle relief. Don’t want to pop another ibuprofen for head pressure or discomfort? Apply Peppermint to your palms and cup your hands over your mouth. Breathe deeply, releasing your inhale with long, gentle breaths for feelings of natural relief.
Eucalyptus
The bracing mint-and-honey scent of Eucalyptus is supportive to respiratory health and boosting to the body’s natural immune defense. Apply it to your skin when you are feeling stuffed up or congested for feelings of natural relief. Use it on areas of discomfort on your face and head to relieve feelings of sinus pressure. Keep it handy when you are enjoying the great outdoors to ease skin irritation such as bug bites and sun exposure.
Apply Eucalyptus to support muscles after an intense workout or to address overexertion strain on muscles, joints and tendons. It can also be used for the feelings of relief of cuts, minor wounds, blisters, and bruises. Eucalyptus is your go-to oil for distracting and annoying itchy skin. Apply generously and massage the oil into your skin deeply with an open palm (avoid using the tips of your fingers so you don’t further stimulate the nerve response). Wait five minutes to allow the oil to absorb, and reapply, if needed.
Tea Tree
Also known as Australian melaleuca, Tea Tree has long been been touted for its natural grit to fight against surface threats and shared grime. The potent aroma is bracing, astringent and medicina. Use it to support skin health. Use it after your hand sanitizer to moisturize, nourish and further protect your skin against whatever is going around.
Apply Tea Tree in the morning before your makeup to improve the appearance of oily skin. Use it after you remove your makeup in the evening to reduce the appearance of blemishes and give your skin an overnight beauty boost. Breathe this scent to support respiratory healthy. Use when you are feeling stuffed up or dealing with seasonal congestion. Apply to boost the immune system. Use when kids head back to school, for camping, traveling, or during winter season when you need the extra immunity support.
With these four powerful single essential oils in your home, ready and waiting to be used safely and effectively on the skin, you’ll find even more practical uses. Keep them handy to address everyday pain, discomfort and irritation, and to improve your mood, focus, and levels of natural energy.
Putting Your Pre-diluted Blends to Work
Remember what it feels like to stand at the very end of the dock, toes hanging above the rippling silver water, ready to jump? Exciting, right? Well, it’s time to take a dive of another sort – into the pure and natural experience of essential oils. We are your figurative lifeguard in this scenario. If there is some point holding you back from the experience, we want to help. We’ve got information, support, ideas and answers so that you can take the plunge with full confidence.
At Sacred Life we offer convenient pre-diluted roll-on blends so that you can enjoy the benefits of natural essential oils without worrying about blending, diluting or diffusing oils on you own. When you choose our blends, you can literally uncap them the moment they arrive at your door and begin enjoying the aromatherapy experience.
How to Apply Oils
There are simple, effective way to use essential oil blends to benefit everything from stress to attention to improved intimate relationships. We’ll start with the basics. The easiest way to use prediluted roll-ons is simply remove the cap and roll them on the skin. The healthy constituents influence your body through contact with the skin and through aromatherapy exposure in the air your breathe. Most people prefer to apply oils to high blood flow areas of the body for maximum circulatory exposure … the wrists, neck, torso, gut, inner thigh and armpits. The high-circulation area you choose will depend on your circumstances, target problem and personal preference.
Wrists. Applying oils to the wrists is a great way to experience both the contact of natural plant-sourced constituents on the skin and the accessible effects of aromatherapy through breathing. Use this application as a flexible and general method for multiple problems and blends.
Neck. Application to the neck is both intense and intimate. Apply blends to the front and back of the neck to address headaches, pain problems and breathing issues. Target it for stress relief and for intimate stimulation.
Torso and Gut. Massaging essential oil blends into your torso and gut area is deeply comforting both physically and psychologically. Apply blends to this area for stress relief, internal support, sleep, digestion, mood and pain.
Inner Thighs and Armpits. Target the areas under your arms and inside your thighs for all-over physical support. The large arteries in these areas efficiently pump blood to your entire system, so use these for whole-system support – immunity, energy, muscles and mood.
Reflexology
Reflexology is the application of essential oils and pressure to specific points on the feet, hands and ears that correspond with different organs and systems. For example, reflexology holds that a specific spot in the arch of the foot corresponds to the stomach, brain or bladder. Applying oils and pressure to these points may benefit function. Although reflexology is not used to diagnose or cure disease, millions of people use it to complement other treatments when addressing conditions like anxiety, asthma, cancer treatment, cardiovascular issues, diabetes, headaches, kidney function, PMS, and sinusitis. Reflexologists use foot maps to guide their work, but you don’t have to be an expert to give it a go.
Try This.
Use reflexology for better sleep. With a towel under your feet, generously apply our Sleep Blend to each foot. Relax them, one at a time, by pressing and squeezing, lightly slapping or gently kneading – whatever feels best. Press and hold your thumb on the solar plexus point of each foot for 5-10 seconds. Then, starting at the bottom of each foot walk your thumb from the heel to each toe. When you’ve finished, repeat the squeezing exercise and another thumb press on the solar plexus point. End by lightly running your fingertips down the tops, bottoms and sides of each foot in a feathery motion, barely touching the skin.
Palm Aromatherapy
For an experience with a slightly deeper aromatherapy impact, apply your pre-diluted roll-on onto the palms of your hands and wrists. Spend a moment massaging it into your hands and fingers – and then cup your hands gently over the nose and mouth. Breathe in deeply several times, releasing your inhale with a slow and even pace through your mouth. Take a few breaths free of your hands and then repeat the process, cupping your hands over nose and mouth again.
Try This.
Use the palm aromatherapy method for feelings of relief from congestion, allergies and stress. Apply our fresh and powerful Breathe Blend to hands, wrists and fingers. Gently massage it up forearms, kneading gently. Cup hands over nose and mouth and breathe using the “4-6-8” breathing technique – breathe in for four counts through the nose, hold it deeply for 6, and breathe out through the mouth for 8, releasing tension as you do. Even just one round of this breathing makes a difference.
Massage
The manipulation of muscles with a combination of massage therapy and essential oils increases health and wellbeing for recipients. Pre-diluted essential oil blends are ideal for massage because carrier oils allow for spread across larger areas and smooth maneuvering across the skin. Massage with essential oils creates physiological changes in the body through relaxation response and the physical effects that occur in the body when pressure is applied to the soft tissues.
Try This!
Massage for stress relief. Help the recipient lie comfortably on a firm couch, bed, or on the floor. Coat the skin with a blend of your choice (consider Forgiveness Blend or Sensual Blend). Begin by gently rubbing a small area with your fingers, moving across the area that needs massage. After 3-5 minutes move to a gentle kneading technique by crossing the hands back and forth in an action similar to kneading dough. Keep the pressure light and comfortable. If appropriate, ask the recipient if there are sore spots need extra pressure. Re-apply essential oil to these spots for best maneuverability. Your aim is to offer comfortable pressure while still allowing the person to fully relax. Use fingers and thumb to apply gentle pressure to the sore points, asking for feedback as you go.
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