WHY I ditched chemicals and choose Essential Oils
After learning what Essential Oils are, I'll share my WHY.
This is WHY I choose to swap out chemicals for oils in our home.
The WHY is what makes a seed grow to a sprout!
My WHY came in several layers – here are the highlights:
*Because I don’t like to see toddlers with skin irritation and rashes! In 2013 we were blessed with a spirited little girl and this was the first time I thought about the chemicals in our home. We washed her clothes in Dreft and bathed her in Johnson & Johnson – I was uneducated about chemicals at that time and thought I was protecting her by buying name brand bottles with a picture of a cute baby on the front – but this was ultimately a failure (more about this later!) Fast forward to summer with a two-year-old. She’s a mermaid at heart so I stocked up on sunscreen to protect her baby skin in and out of the water. Then this --
She developed a rash that covered her arms, chest, and legs. (Kinda hard to see in this picture but it's a fine prickly rash that turns red with any scratching and in the heat) This meant a trip to our pediatrician who told me this rash was more prevalent each year, with several cases of this same rash already this summer. She said, “I bet you use Coppertone Water Babies sunscreen”. I was shocked – “yes…” (but how did she know that?!?!). She went on to explain that sunscreen companies have been increasing the amount of a known allergen ingredient called “Oxybenzone”. The chemicals cause such irritation and rashes. I was a little skeptical of her quick diagnoses, but the rash was localized on the places we applied sunscreen all weekend. Hum… On the ride home I kept thinking, “this doesn’t make any sense, I’m buying the name brand, and higher cost, sunscreen – how can this be?” A few quick Google searches later and I was astonished. Apparently, the product I was rubbing into my child’s skin was hazardous – I had no idea. And- when we stopped using the sunscreen the rash went away.
* Because I can not trust a product to be safe just because a store sells it!
Next, I downloaded the Healthy Living App by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). I love this app because it allows you to scan the barcode of products in your home and see an overall score of the safety of the product. The app also lists out the individual ingredients and rates each ingredient. So, I scanned our sunscreen bottle and found this:
This sunscreen, marketed for babies and children, contains chemicals I wouldn't want on my own skin! That led to me scanning lotions, shampoos, bubble bath, hand soaps, body wash, laundry detergent, shower cleaner, dishwasher detergent, all-purpose spray cleaner, face wash, hand sanitizer, air freshener, candles and eventually every product in our cabinets, on the sink, and in the shower. I began to realize that a label of ‘gentle’ or ‘natural’ or even ‘dermatologist tested’ means NOTHING about the safety of the product or ingredients. I sat feeling tricked and frustrated by these high priced household products- but I emerged feeling determined to find better and safer options for our family.
* Because if other states or countries have banned the chemicals, then I’m banning them from our home!
I began reading more articles and studies shared by the EWG (their website and Facebook Page keep me informed) and the more I learned, the angrier I got. Other countries have banned over 1,000 chemicals from everyday products - the US has only banned 11!!!! AND the US allows companies to 'hide' chemicals in our products because they consider "fragrance" to be a proprietary blend that doesn't have to be disclosed. Remember that Johnson & Johnson soap that I was using on our child? That exact bottle of soap was banned in other countries because of the harsh ingredients! AND the companies know this and in order to distribute their product overseas they make a safer version – but continued producing the cheaper and hazardous version to sell here in the USA. WHAT?!? [now recently some companies began changing the formulas for the USA. Read about Johnson & Johnson making changes here]
Want to know more about products and ingredients that are banned overseas but sold in the US? Here's an article from SafeCosmetics.org and another from Beauty Counter And - if that's not frustrating enough - you'll hate to know that sometimes looking at a label isn’t enough. For an eye opener about candles www.worldwatch.org where they report an independent lab studied 14 common air fresheners including “sprays, gels and plug-in air fresheners” and found big problems. “Independent lab testing confirmed the presence of phthalates or hormone-disrupting chemicals that may pose a particular health risk to babies and young children, in 12 of the 14 products- including those marked as ‘all natural’.” Furthermore, “none of the products had these chemicals listed on their labels.” Ugh!! So without a hesitation, I’ll swap those air fresheners for my oils to freshen and purify the air.
*Because there’s a better way
While at a friend’s house for a cookout, the bugs began showing up around dusk. As the children ran in the grass playing, I began dreading the complaints of itchy spots that would happen tomorrow. I didn’t bring any spray with me, but even if I did, I wasn’t sure if was better to expose them to bug bites or chemicals. Then a friend called her children over and pulled out a brown glass spray bottle and began spraying their legs. She caught me staring and said – “Oh, if it’s okay I’ll spray the other kiddos too”. I must have looked confused because she quickly began explaining that her spray is a mixture of water, witch hazel, and essential oils. She began telling me about oils, some of the benefits, some of the products she makes with oils, and then about Young Living’s Seed to Seal guarantee. The smell was nice, and the best part was the lack of itching the next day. Hum…The oils definitely warranted more research.
* Because chemicals don’t just affect our child, but me too
I was just starting to immerse and sort out all this information about household chemicals and essential oils when we began trying to have another child. After over six months and no positive pregnancy test, I met with my doctor and tests showed there were cysts on my ovaries. Hum…ovarian cysts were something I knew very little about. So my research began! I learned that these household chemicals not only cause skin irritation but disrupt the endocrine system. Then I began a lot of research on the endocrine system and found that endocrine disorders include diabetes, thyroid issues, reproductive issues, sleep disorders, mood disorders, weight issues, and a host of other hormone related problems. Basically, while my daughter was having inflammation on the outside of her body, I was having inflammation on the inside, where it was unseen. Further research led me to read “The Ultimate PCOS Detox Guide for Enhanced Fertility”. The book states “Learn how to reduce PCOS symptoms and Increase Fertility by Detoxing your Diet and Environment”.
This book names and explains all kinds of common chemicals that should be avoided. Honestly – when I read this part, I was totally overwhelmed. The names of the chemicals seemed to be 10 syllable unpronounceable words, and there were pages of them. How can I possibly remember these names and recognize them in an ingredient list with all the other unpronounceable chemicals in my products? I remembered my EWG app and began scanning the couple products I use every day and compared the list of ingredients to the list in the book. I was relieved to find the EWG app was already locating these risky ingredients and marking them as such – so I didn’t have any additional work to do! And because of the explanations in the book, I better understood the possible effects these chemicals were having on my body and began trashing the products I needed to avoid.
Before my follow-up appointment to check the cysts again and talk about a game plan, I finally got that positive test. But unfortunately ten weeks later I miscarried. We were devastated and will always wonder 'what if'. This loss was my final wake-up call! My WHY was clear. I want to spare others from the experiences we had! I have the knowledge of the changes we need to make, now I HAD to take control and make the changes to support my family’s wellness.
* Because we are in charge of our own wellness
Throughout this process, I learned about the chemicals in my home, and I was appalled and angry. I am the grocery shopper, I paid our hard earned money and brought all these products into our home. I wanted to grab a trash bag and throw it ALL away (and I did immediately throw away a few items that I found particularly appalling). But I needed to start slowly swapping out chemicals and bringing in safer products. Baby steps, baby steps, one month at a time. I decided that when a bottle/box was empty, I WOULD NOT put it on the grocery list, but instead swap it for something approved by EWG or something homemade. #Swapped4YL
This was the start of my oily journey. I logged onto Young Living and signed up for a wholesale membership and purchased a starter kit. I received eleven oils and a diffuser (with lots of extra samples and info cards included) that allowed me to begin making my own products and allowed me to swap several things right away (and the diffuser is better than any candle or melt!)
So now when I hear a friend talk about her child’s sensitive skin, sleep issues, or continued illness, I wonder ‘what if they knew what I know about chemicals – would their wellness improve?” Or when a friend describes her own struggle with thyroid issues and weight, experiences a miscarriage, or hears the word cancer, I wonder ‘what if she knew what I know about chemicals – would her wellness improve?”
In the book Gameplan, author and YL leader Sarah Harnisch shares: "The number 2 cause of death in the United States is cancer. 1,620 people a day die of cancer. 1 in 3 cases in the US are directly linked to poor diet, physical inactivity, weight, or chemical exposure. The American Cancer Society says only 5 to 10 percent of all cancer cases are from gene defects. 5 percent. That means 95 percent of cancer cases are under our control. It's what we allow into our homes." She goes on to explain that "There are 100-thousand chemicals on the market today. The Toxic Substance Control Act of 1976 grandfathered them in. What does that mean to you? Simply put: these chemicals have not had any safety testing, and we know very little information about their side effects. Dr. Samuel Epstein, chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, says "it is unthinkable that women would knowingly inflict such exposures on their infants and children and themselves if products were routinely labeled with explicit warnings of cancer risk. But they are not labeled."
*Now it’s time to inventory yourself and find your WHY. What areas need improvement in your life?
Are the products you are paying for, in your cabinets, honoring your WHY?
We can no longer believe that everything sold in our local store (or online store) is safe. We must flip over boxes of snacks, drinks, food products, cosmetics, baby products, cleaning supplies and medications to read ingredients. Young Living is aware of the risks and does not produce products based on old procedures or cost saving gimmicks. They are a total wellness company helping your family stay above the line of disease. Two months after getting my starter kit, I found out I was pregnant. This baby will never have to experience the harsh soaps or chemicals we unknowingly exposed to our first child.
Young Living also sells their own cleaners, detergent, soap, toothpaste, sunscreen, deodorant, baby wipes, etc. in case you don’t desire the adventure of making it yourself. (See my other posts and videos to see the products I make for our home)
Don’t just take my word, for more WHY stories and outcomes, visit:
Ready to start your oily journey? Here's how to purchase Young Living Essential Oils and Oil products:
Young Living has compiled a starter kit of the most commonly used oils with samples of their popular products and offer this bundle at a discounted rate to get you started. The Premium Starter Kit includes a diffuser, 11 oils, sample packaged oils, small bottles to mix your own blends or share the oils, 2 NingXia Red drink samples and lots of informational booklets/magazine/info cards.
To become a Young Living member you must have a current member to Enroll/Sponsor you. Oils come with a learning curve, so your sponsor is there to share their experience and offer ideas to effectively use the oils.
I would love to be your Young Living sponsor/enroller!
Enter my sponsor number # 10089755
Be sure to include your correct email so I can send you a promotional $20 Amazon Gift Card! You can use this card right away to order spray bottles, roller bottles, and carrier oils so you'll be ready to oil when your kit arrives!
Watch this video on Vimeo to show you click-by-click process to sign up, then use this link to actually Purchase your starter kit and get oiling! See my other posts for more info!
Share your WHY story with #Swapped4YL
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