WEEK 3  This week (our last) we will be doing some hands on work with essential oils.  Let us start with household cleaners. Most that we buy over the counter contain some type of chemical cleaner. People may not want that in their homes for many different reasons.  The cleanser I will be helping you make today is a natural disinfecting spray. There are 3 ingredients: 1 ½ cups distilled water, 5 drops of lemon essential oil and 5 drops of tea tree essential oil.

REFERENCES:  Bayhouse Ingredients. (2013) Retrieved from on 5/23/15.  Young Living Essential Oils. (2014) Retrieved from on 5/24/15. on 5/24/15  Aura Cacia Pure Essential Oils. (2014) Retrieved from on 5/24/15. on 5/24/15  Complementary and Alternative Medicine. (2015) Retrieved from depth/alternative-medicine/art on 5/25/15. depth/alternative-medicine/art on 5/25/15  Althea Press. (2013) Essential Oils for Beginners. The Guide to Get Started with Essential Oils and Aromatherapy. Berkeley, CA.

NATURAL DISINFECTING SPRAY  This spray should be used in a spray bottle. Shake well to blend before every use, and let sit on counters, etc. for at least 15 seconds before wiping. Tea tree and lemon both have strong antibacterial properties and your house will smell great!  Questions or thoughts about this?  Remember that many different essential oils can be used in place of others. If you don’t like the smell of the lemon, replace it with grapefruit! There are many different alternatives that have the same qualities (anti-bacterial) as others.

SOOTHING VANILLA BODY MOISTURIZER  Everyone deals with stress on a daily basis. This moisturizer can help you deal with stress all day.  The recipe calls for 10 drops of orange essential oil, 2 drops of vanilla essential oil and 2 ounces of carrier oil (coconut oil is what we are using today). Blend essential oils first then add to carrier oil, store in a dark colored jar. Use after showering.  This blend helps to ease tension and promote positive thoughts.  Again, if orange isn’t your favorite smell, change it up with a different type of citrus. Just make sure that they have some of the same properties. I have printed out materials for you to take home to get you started.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT ESSENTIAL OILS  There are hundreds of recipes to choose from when using essential oils, covering everything from the common cold, to household cleansers, to arthritis, to anxiety. There are even recipes to help your pets!  I will be handing out a directory of the basic essential oils and copies of these recipes.  There are many different companies that sell essential oils along with their own special blends. Doterra is one, as is Young Living.  There are many inexpensive books that you can find online that explains the history of each essential oil, and the properties, along with recipes. Social media is great too! Facebook has many essential oil groups that would be happy to answer questions.

END OF WEEK 3  Here is the website that has a directory of essential oils. If you search around on that website, you can order essential oils and find recipes on there as well.   Are there any last minute questions or comments?  I hope you had fun and learned a little something about essential oils and aromatherapy!