Essential Oils are becoming increasingly popular and one area of essential oils that I don't believe is discussed enough is Essential Oil Safety. Essential oil safety is extremely important for you and your family and even our fury friends.

Essential Oils can pose a toxic risk to your pets especially cats. You may ask why are some essential oils so dangerous for cats? Essential oils are rapidly absorbed through the skin or orally and are metabolised in the liver. Cats are at great risk of being poisoned by certain essential oils as cats are missing an essential enzyme in their liver that helps to metabolise essential oils therefore they are at risk of poisoning from these particular essential oils. It doesn't matter what brand the essential oil is it is actually the higher the concentration of essential oil i.e. 100% the greater the risk to the cat.

Essential Oils that are toxic to cats include -

Citrus Oil (Including lemon)

Peppermint Oil

Tea Tree Oil

Eucalyptus Oil

Cinnamon Oil

Clove Oil

Ylang Ylang Oil

Sweet Birch Oil

Pennyroyal Oil

Pine Oil

Wintergreen Oil

Always be cautious when diffusing these oils arounds cats using an active diffuser as droplets dispersed by your diffuser can drop onto your cats fur. It is also recommended if you are planning on using these oils that your cat is not in the room at the time of diffusing these oils as the inhalation of these oils can be enough to make you cat ill. Symptoms that can develop depend on the which oil your cat has been exposed to and can include drooling, vomiting, tremors, wobbliness, respiratory distress, low heart rate, low body temperature, and liver failure.

All these oils have great properties so you may wish to still use some of these oils when cleaning your home or for the health of your family. However I do recommend being cautious so that your fury friend can't be exposed to the oil. For example I use lemon essential oil in my load of washing this wouldn't pose a risk for your cat.

Researchers have found that deterioration in lung function of women working as cleaners or regularly using cleaning products was the same as smoking 20 cigarettes a day over 10 to 20 years.

The study was published in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the study examined data from more than 6,200 participants, analysing their health over a period of 20 years.

It is suspected that inhaling cleaning chemicals causes irritation of the mucous membranes of the airways and therefore damaging the airways permanently. These products are full of chemicals designed to strip dirt and grime off surfaces, so it’s likely they are way too harsh for our lungs.

http://www.thoracic.org/about/newsroom/press-releases/resources/women-cleaners-lung-function.pdf

I only use Natural Cleaners in our home that I either make them myself using essential oils and other various natural ingredients found in my home. Or when I don't have time to make my own I will purchase natural cleaners.

Here's a simple Natural Spray cleaner you can make out of essential oils water and vinegar.

Natural Home Cleaning Spray -

2 cups of Distilled or Filtered Water

1/2 a cup of white vinegar

10 drops of lemon essential oil

10 drops of peppermint essential oil (if have young children or if you are pregnant/breastfeeding replace with Orange Oil)

Bathrooms are a prime target area for mould because of the amount of moisture in the room daily. To limit mould in your bathroom always keep the window open even if it is only slightly while bathing or showering and if you have a bathroom exhaust fan alway ensure you leave this on when showering or bathing as well.

If you already have mould in your bathroom or another room in your home you may have used bleach in the past to get rid of this mould only to find that the mould return. The mould will return because bleach does not kill the mould spores but only bleaches the colour out so you can no longer see it.

It is really important to get rid of the black mould spores as black mould spores can cause conditions like chronic coughing and sneezing, irritation to the eyes, mucus membranes of the nose and throat, rashes, chronic fatigue and persistent headaches.

Clove oil kills mould spores and is safe to use however I always wear gloves when cleaning with clove oil as it can cause skin irritations. It should always be kept away from children and if you are on blood thinning medications don't use it.

DIY Mould Spray -

250ml spray bottle

1/4 cup of vinegar

1/2 cup of water

30 drops of clove essential oil

One table spoon bicarb Soda

1) Add vinegar to spray bottle and add approx. 30 drops of clove essential oil to the bottle and shake.

2) Add water to the bottle and shake well again.

3) Spray over surface where the mould is and leave for 15-20 minutes.

4) Rinse surface with a mixture of one litre of hot water, bicarbonate soda and another 1/4 cup of vinegar.

5) Spray surface again with clove essential oil spray mixture and leave.

Ceiling after using the Natural Mould Cleaner

Silverfish are another household pest that we don't want around. They consume starches and carbohydrates and are capable of destroying book bindings, wallpaper and photos as they consume the glue found in these. They also consume linen, silk, cotton, and carpet. If you find your clothes with holes in you may think it was moths that put the hole in your clothes however silverfish can get in clothes baskets and clothing draws and may leave your clothes with holes.

So how do you get of these pesky little creatures. The conventional way to get rid of these is by using pesticides containing permethrin and deltamethrin. However these are harmful for our health and should never be in the house especially around children and animals.

Luckily like most household pests there are essential oils that silverfish don't like and are a great control for these pests.

The best oils to get rid of silverfish are Cedarwood, Cinnamon, Citrus oils (Lemon, Orange), lavender, peppermint and basil essential oils.

Silverfish lay there eggs in the cracks and crevices that you will find around your skirting boards so spray here and around any clothes baskets, book shelves and chest of draws you may have.

DIY Silverfish Spray -

250ml spray bottle

1/4 cup white vinegar or vodka

1/2 distilled or filtered water

10 drops of cinnamon oil

10 drops of cedarwood oil

10 drops or lemon or orange oil

5 drops of peppermint oil

1) Pour the vinegar or vodka into the bottle mix with the essential oils and shake.

2) Then add the essential oils and shake again.

3) Spray around affected areas.

4) Spray daily for 10 days.

5) Do not spray directly on clothes or linen.

I have only used facial oils as moisturiser for years now and Rose Hip Oil has been one favourite oil based moisturiser as it is great for a more mature skin type.

Rose Hip Oil is a great anti aging facial oils as it has high levels of both Vitamin A and C both of which are anti aging and if used every day will help to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. The Vitamin A in Rose Hip Oil combined with the essential fatty acids can help to improve your overall skin tone and age spots. The essential fatty acids in Rose Hip Oil also help the skin.

Rose hip oil is great by itself but for even better results you can add some great Anti Aging Essential Oils to you daily moisturiser.

The best Anti Aging essential oils to add to your daily moisturiser include -

Frankincense - Helps to prevent scars, smoothes out fine lines, soothes skin and promotes it regeneration.

Rose - Is anti inflammatory oil which helps to soothe and heal your skin. It also helps to balance the moisture levels in the skin and promote an even skin tone. Rose Oil is known to stimulate new cell growth and lessen fine lines.

Neroli - Helps to stimulate new cell growth and shed old skin cells. It is also helps to maintain the oil balance of the skin therefore is suitable for all skin types.

Lavender - Is great for dry skin, wrinkles, stretch marks, soothes inflamed and itchy skin.

Geranium - Helps to tone and tighten skin and wrinkles. Is a great oil for sensitive and dry skin. Helps to balance oil production of the skin.

Helichrysum - Helps to repair damage tissue and will sooth irritated skin. Will help to reduce the appearance of any veins.

Carrot Seed Oil - Has mild SPF properties and helps to remove toxins and water build-up from the skin, giving it a fresher and firmer appearance.

Anti Aging Serum Recipe Ideas -

10ml of Rose Hip Oil or your favourite carrier oil

4 drops of Frankincense Essential Oil

10ml of Rose Hip Oil

10ml of Argan Oil, Macadamia or jojoba oil

4 drops of Frankincense Essential Oil

2 drops of Lavender Essential Oil

2 drops of Geranium Essential Oil

Love

Natural Mama

At one stage or another all my three children had mild eczema. With my first child I would use the creams I was recommended from the pharmacy for eczema and a mild steroid cream to control it when they had a bad flare up. The eczema would come and go and always seemed to be worse in winter when the air was drying. Winter would also be when we wouldn't be swimming in the ocean which is one of my families favourite pass time in summer (salt water is also excellent for eczema).

Hughie my third child also had eczema and I didn't want to use steroid creams on him when he got a flare up and that was when I discovered the wonder's of coconut oil for eczema. I started adding coconut oil to Hughie's bath daily and after a few daily baths the eczema disappeared. Daily coconut oil baths became my routine for Hughie and the eczema didn't return.

I also noticed that Hughie never had a nappy rash while I gave him these coconut oil baths. I later researched and discovered that coconut oil has antimicrobial, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties which keep a baby bottom soft and free of nappy rash. The Fijian women have known about coconut oil for nappy rash for a long time and they use it on their babies bottoms.

Hughie also had cradle cap and I also discovered that the coconut oil was excellent for this. I would put the coconut oil on his cradle cap and leave it for 5 minutes to soften and then comb it out.

All my children are now at school and have outgrown their eczema but when I think back to the day when I discovered coconut oil to help them with their dry skin condition and am thankful.

Reasons why Coconut Oil works well on dry skin conditions, eczema, cradle cap and nappy rash -

* Coconut Oil is one of the very few natural sources of Lauric Acid. Another is mother's breast milk. Lauric Acid is converted into monolauric acid, which has antimicrobial, anti-viral, anti-bacterial and antifungal properties. Coconut oil application is particularly effective against Staphylococcus aureus infection that very frequently complicates eczema.

*Coconut Oil is an excellent moisturiser it gets absorbed into the skin and softens the skin. Keeping the skin moist and soft is a key to stopping eczema breakouts.

*Coconut Oil also helps to relieve the itching that is associated with dry skin, nappy rash and eczema, .

*Coconut Oil is also anti-inflammatory which helps for people who suffer from eczema as in eczema sufferers an inflammatory response could be set off from from contact with rough surfaces, plastics, soaps etc.

Here is another really easy Homemade Natural Christmas Gift made from ingredients that you will probably already have in your home. Sugar Scrubs are a natural gentle exfoliator which are great for the skin and by adding coconut oil it is also very moisturising at the same time. The Sugar Scrub is the perfect homemade Christmas gift for friends, or family members.

How to make Exfoliating Sugar Scrub -

1 mason jar

2 cups or sugar - white or brown (organic preferable)

1 cup of coconut oil

12-15 drops of essential oil combination

5 drops of food colouring if you would like to colour (natural food colouring preferred)

Step 1 - Melt your coconut oil on the stove (on low heat) or in the microwave for 25 seconds.

Step 2 - Put your sugar in a bowl and combine melted coconut oil until well combined.

Step 3 - Add chosen essential oils and combine well again.

Step 4 - Finally if you wish to colour add your food colour in now.

Step 5 - Once all combined add to your mason jar and decorate with string or ribbon and a label.

Essential Oil Combinations -

Refreshing - 6 drops ofPeppermint and 8 drops Lemon essential oil (use yellow or purple food colouring for this combination)

Relaxing - 8drops ofLavender and 6 drops of Lemon Essential Oil

Luxury - 10-12 dried broken up Rose Petals and 10 drops of Lavender Essential Oil

I thought over the lead up to Xmas I would focus on DIY Natural Mama Christmas Gifts that you can make yourself for teachers, friends and relatives.

The first gift is something that I would personally love to receive as being a busy mum of 3 kids there is nothing I love more at the end of a busy week is have a relaxing bath once all the kids are in bed.

The relaxing bath salts recipe contains Epsom Salts which is an excellent source of magnesium and by just having a relaxing bath in Epsom Salts you can naturally increase your magnesium level without having to take a supplement. Also the sulfates in Epsom Salts assist the body in flushing out toxins and heavy metals. Epsom Salt baths also help to relieve muscle tension, pain and inflammation of the joints.

The baking soda adds a softness to the bath water and it also help to sooth skin.

How to make Relaxing BathSalts

1 Mason Jar

3 cups of Epsom Salts

1/2 cup of baking soda

Essential Oil Combination of Choice

Step One - Combine the Epsom Salts and Baking Soda in a large bowl.

Step Two - Add 15-20 drops of your preferred essential oil combination and combine.

Step Three - Put in mason jar and decorate the jar with natural string or ribbon.

Essential Oil Combinations -

Sleep - 10 drops of lavender and 10 drops of chamomile

Relax - 10 drops of geranium, 6 drops of Bergamont and 4 drops of Ylang ylang

I am going to be really honest now. I hate slime and have tried to keep it out of the house, but with 3 kids aged 9, 7 and 6 this wasn't happening.

I hate slime for a couple of reasons -

1) Most slime is made out of glue and borax. Being a Natural Mama I am not happy about my kids playing with either of these with their hands.

2) Slime gets on clothes, bedding or carpet it isn't easy to get out. Or at least that's what I thought!

I now let me children make their own slime as I found a slime recipe that doesn't have Borax and Glue as ingredients. This made me a happy Natural Mama, I will share this recipe with you in another post.

I also found that slime is easily removed with one of my favourite natural household cleaners, vinegar. All you need to do is soak the slime affected area with vinegar and then remove the slime with water and wash like normal. The same applies if you get slime on your carpet pour a little vinegar over the slime and then wipe with a cloth and clean with water.

So with this knowledge we can let our kids enjoy playing with slime as long as the slime phase continues happy knowing that we can clean it off clothes and carpet and make slime that doesn't contain glue and borax.

Using natural laundry stain removers for most stains on clothes works very well. Most of the items that you can use you will probably have in your kitchen cupboards at home.

1 # White Vinegar

White Vinegar is an essential item to have in your natural home laundry. White vinegar is cheap and very gentle on fabrics and safer to use than bleach or fabric softener.

White vinegar is great for removing yellow perspiration stains and odour from underneath the armpits of shirts. I use it daily as a stain remover for your kids white cotton school tops. It even removes tomato sauce stains.

White Vinegar is a great natural fabric softener and when added to the final rinse section of your washing machine will keep your clothes soft. Adding the vinegar to the final rinse also helps to keep your clothes smelling fresh even if you leave them in the washing machine for a while prior to hanging your clothes out.

Using white vinegar in your washing machine regularly will help to keep away musty washing odour and clean your washing machine.

2 # Lemon / Lime

Adding lemon or lime Juice directly to the stain to get rid of stains on whites will also help to fade yellow underarm or perspiration stains on clothes.

However if you do get some on your coloured clothes remove before it discolours your clothes.

You can also add a few drops of lemon or lime essential oil into your liquid draw in your machine to ensure your clothes come out smelling fresh with a lovely lemon or lime scent.

3 # Baking or Bicarbonate Soda

Adding 1/2 a cup of baking or Bicarbonate Soda to your natural washing powder will give you whiter whites and brighter colours. The Baking or Bicarbonate Soda also helps to soften the water so you can use less washing powder or detergent.

4 # Hydrogen Peroxide

Head into your medicine cabinet to find a bottle of hydrogen peroxide to replace bleach to whiten your clothes. Hydrogen peroxide or H2O2 has strong oxidising properties which makes it a powerful bleaching agent. You can pick up a 3% solution from your local chemist or supermarket.

Add the solution to the stain prior to washing. You can use on both whites and colour fast clothes. It is great for removing red wine, underarm stains and curry stains which can sometimes be difficult to get out.

Peppermint Essential Oil has lots of uses but today I am going to concentrate on its use with common household pests.

If you ever have had an ant infestation in your house, you would know that it can be difficult to get rid of the ants and even find out where the ants are coming from. We all want to limit our households exposure to toxic chemicals, so the best way I have found to keep ants away naturally is with Peppermint Essential Oil. The Peppermint Essential Oil kills the ants on contact and the smell of the oil deter's them away. You can either place a few drop of essential oil in areas that are affected or you can make up your own peppermint essential spray by combining 10 drop of peppermint essential oil and water in a small spray bottle (cosmetic size). Then spray around sideboards and entry points and anywhere where the ants are seen.

Peppermint is also a good deterrent for spiders as they don't like the smell and they taste with their legs. You can make up a spray of peppermint mixed with vinegar (spiders also dislike) 1/2 cup of vinegar, 20 drops of peppermint essential oil and 1 cup of water. Spray around windows, doors, cracks and corners of rooms and anywhere you see a spider.

In a perfect world we would all grow our own vegetables organically or purchase organic vegetables free of pesticide residue for our families. But for a lot of families this is far from reality. Many families now live on small blocks of land, or in apartment complexes and townhouses and don't have the room for a vegetable patch. And unfortunately Organic Vegetables can be very expensive so this isn't always an viable option for all families.

To ensure that you effectively clean your fruit and vegetables before consuming you can make up a vinegar wash.

Vinegar Wash

3 parts water (or 750ml's)

1 part vinegar (250ml's)

Clean sink or large bowl to Soak Fruit

Method -

Remove any soil debris from the fruit and vegetable prior to placing in the solution as this decreases the effectiveness. After you have removed any soil soak the fruit and vegetables in the solution for around 5-10 minutes.

Tips

Only wash Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries and Blackberries prior to consuming as wetting them shorten's their shelf life.

Why Buy Organic when we can or at a minimum use a Vegetable Wash?

This study shows how important it is to buy Organic when we can or at a minimum remove pesticide residue with a fruit and vegetable wash like the vinegar wash.

Swedish researchers recently proved that pesticides build up in our bodies by taking urine sample before and after consuming only Organic Produce. However a two week break the family had nearly no pesticide in their urine samples. The scientists warn that we don't know the long term effects of ingesting these chemicals.