Essential Oils – Additive Free Lifestyle: Recent Episodes

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2021 – who would have thought we’d live in a world like we are right now?

It’s crazy times, people are scared, you never know what you’re going to wake up to and people’s freedoms are being taken away.

People’s mental health is suffering and it breaks our hearts to watch. It’s mental health week so we thought it was the perfect time to release a blog on my personal top five things I do when I’m suffering crippling anxiety.

I have suffered depression many times over the years with crippling anxiety. It’s not something I talk about much, but perhaps I should!

The more we normalise these conditions, the less alone people feel!!

1 in 5 Australians have a mental health condition.

According to The Australia’s Health 2020 report. This shows that you aren’t alone even though I know how isolated you can feel.

Please always reach out to friends, family, or entities such as these:

📸 👆🏻 Courtesy of healthdirect

Tapping into support services during this time can be really beneficial, so if you feel this is right for you then there’s plenty of help out there.

My top 5 favourite things to do when I feel down, anxious and like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. 1. EXERCISE

Even though it’s the very last thing I feel like doing, it is so good for my mental health. I actually call my walks on my own my ‘therapy time’.

Get outside, get some fresh air and move your body. It doesn’t need to be fast, even a stroll is all you need. See if you can do this on your own, otherwise, get the kids on their bikes and head outdoors.

Exercise is the game-changing thing you can do to help mental health naturally. Trust me, it helps!

1. SLEEP

I try and head to bed early and get a good night’s sleep. It’s hard sometimes when the mind is racing but getting a good night’s sleep is often one of the best ways to help reduce anxious feelings. Often we wake up feeling so much better, with a clearer head and better frame of mind.

1. NO ALCOHOL

Alcohol is a depressant. You might feel ok while you’re drinking, but you’ll only wake up feeling more depressed the next day. I always wake up with anxiety after a few wines!

1. JOURNALING AND POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS

My whole world changes when I journal and write down what I’m grateful for. I remember a time when I was in a super dark tunnel and I was told to do this. I just stood there and thought “I have nothing to write” so I thought of simple things.

I wrote “I am grateful for…

✔️ my bed

✔️ my house

✔️ my breakfast

✔️ my car

✔️ my family

and then it got easier and easier.

I realised that even though I was super depressed and didn’t want to feel the way I felt, there were still good things around me! Great things around me in fact!!

I urge you to give journaling a go and write down five things you are grateful for today. Try and get into the habit of doing this every day.

We made our mum do this when she was battling leukemia and it helped to put a positive spin on her day even though there appeared to be not a lot of hope some days.

1. ESSENTIAL OILS

I remember thinking these were just hippy woo woo smelly things. When I first got my oils I only used them in food. But I then replaced my cleaning products with DIY and lowered my toxic load. THEN I saw the potential to use these oils for emotional benefits.

It might seem woo woo but there are a lot of published studies showing the benefits of essential oils for emotional well-being. And hey, isn’t it worth giving a go?

Some of my favourite essential oils to use when my feelings are anxious are (the brand I love is doTERRA):

• Siberian Fir
• Frankincense
• Douglas Fir
• Wild Orange
• Bergamot
• Balance Blend

Depending on what smells good and what I’m drawn to that particular day, I’ll mix a few drops with some fractionated coconut oil and apply to my chest, spine, and back of neck.

I will pop a drop or two in my hands and cup them over my nose and mouth and breathe. Deep long breaths until I calm down. You can literally feel your heart calm down.

I’ll also put them in my diffuser so the smell and oils waft through the air, which ultimately, also helps the whole family.

I can’t use Lavender as it gives me a headache, however, lavender, Adativ Blend, Console Blend and Peace blend are all options you may like to try also.

But the main thing I want to stress is everything will be ok.

Many of the thoughts we have, never happen, and I now tell myself this when I have crazy thoughts that go through my head at 3am in the morning.

Stop, breathe, be grateful for the small (or big) things and reach out for help.

Sending you much love,

Jo xx

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doTERRA is known for its essential oils, but this is one of their most popular products and for good reason, it is so versatile!

We use the Cleaner Concentrate to clean so many things in our house:

➕ dishes

➕ floors

➕ toilets

➕ showers

➕ sinks

➕ benches

➕ stoves

➕ ovens

➕ dishwashers

➕ bbq’s

➕ cars

➕ small appliances

There really isn’t much it can’t clean, plus it can be used as a stain remover on clothes, furniture, and carpet (make sure to patch test first though – but so far it has been great on what we have tried it on).

It’s really economical too. One $18 355ml bottle of concentrate can make up 18 500ml bottles of multipurpose spray – that’s $1 a bottle! You can’t buy low-tox cleaners at the supermarket for that.

Give that it’s a concentrate a little goes a long way so a little squirt is all you need for whatever you are using it on.

So, what’s in it? The full list of ingredients are:

Aqua (Water), Polysorbate 20, Decyl Glucoside, Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate, Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate, Cetyl Betaine, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citrus sinensis (Wild Orange) Peel Oil Expressed, Eugenia caryophyllus (Clove) Bud Oil, Cinnamomum zeylancium (Cinnamon) Leaf Oil, Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Cinnamon) Bark Oil, Eucalyptus globulus (Eucalyptus) Leaf Oil, Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil.

We did have some concerns about the Polysorbate 20. We sent our concerns to them stating as follows:

In its original form, polysorbate is a harmless sorbitol, which is a sugar alcohol. For its use in personal care products, however, it’s treated with ethylene oxide. Thus, the name “polysorbate 20,” because it’s treated with 20 parts of ethylene oxide.

The result is an ingredient used as an emulsifier in cosmetic creams, lotions, cream deodorant, baby oil, sun lotion, etc. It is used to help mix oil and water.

The problem with any ingredient that is treated with ethylene oxide (or “ethoxylated”) is that it can then become contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a potentially dangerous toxicity ingredient. In fact, 1,4-dioxane in cosmetics is a known animal carcinogen that penetrates readily into the skin. This ingredient has also been linked with skin allergies. There is so much concern about this contaminant that a class-action lawsuit was filed in New Jersey against manufacturers of children’s bath and personal-care products. Defendants manufactured, distributed, marketed, or sold products containing formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane.

Will Halterman who is the doTERRA President, Australia and New Zealand responded with:

The polysorbate 20 used in the On Guard Cleaner Concentrate is absolutely safe to use. The information in the article you shared below only points out that polysorbate 20 can become contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, but fails to point out that 1,4-dioxane can only be generated under specific circumstances. For example, the ethylene oxide used in the production of polysorbate 20 would have to be found as a residue in the finished material, then hydrolysed to produce diethylene glycol. This would then have to be dehydrated using an acid source to create dioxane. Since the hydrolysis process and the dehydration do not occur in the On Guard Cleaner Concentrate, 1,4-dioxane is not produced.

But on top of this, any potential 1,4-dioxane residue in the polysorbate 20 raw material is removed using a steam process. The polysorbate 20 is then tested for contamination by ingredient suppliers before it is included in the On Guard Cleaner Concentrate. This ensures that 1,4-dioxane cannot be found in the product to begin with.

We were satisfied with this response. Will also went onto say that if we had any further questions about any ingredients, then he was happy to provide us with any information we needed.

This is company transparency that we love!

How do we use it? Glad you asked 😉 . Here are some recipes of the best ways we love to use it:

Toilet Cleaner – recipe HERE

Washing Machine Clean – top loader recipe HERE – front loader recipe HERE

Dishwashing Liquid – recipe HERE

Reusable Cleaning Wipes – recipe HERE

Surface Cleaner – recipe HERE

Cleaning Paste – recipe HERE

When it’s so cheap to use and when it replaces so many products in your cleaning cupboard, why would you want anything else?

If you want to get your hands on some of this and you don’t yet have a doTERRA wholesale account then head on over to HERE for all the details and to get set up.

Otherwise, let us know by commenting below how you like to use your cleaner concentrate? Let’s share all the hints, tips and hacks for everyone to benefit from.

Tracey & Jo x

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What is BOGO? BOGO is an acronym that stands for ‘Buy One, Get One’.

Roughly 3 or 4 times a year doTERRA runs a BOGO week, wherein if you buy a specific oil, they will give you another oil or related product for free. It’s doTERRA’s way of helping you get more of the essential oil products you love.

BOGO weeks are incredibly popular for a few different reasons:

• It can give you the opportunity to stock up on your most valued and used oils. For example, it’s not unusual to see a BOGO consisting of Buy On Guard and Get Easy Air for Free – 2 of the most used oils throughout winter! This kind of deal most commonly has a limit of 5 per account which means you have the opportunity to by enough stock to see you through many many months!
• doTERRA will also throw deals into the mix of oils you may not have tried giving you the opportunity to try new oils and expand your collection, whilst still being economical because you’re getting a free oil to go with it #winning

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to have a doTERRA account to participate in BOGO?Definitely not. In fact, BOGO week can be a great way to open your doTERRA account and start your essential oil journey in an incredibly economical way. Who doesn’t love freebies, right?! BOGO is open to new and existing doTERRA customers. If you’re new to doTERRA and you want to participate in BOGO week we recommend you contact us asap so that we can set up your account and get you that daily deal so you don’t miss out!

**How long does BOGO last?

​​​​​​​**BOGO week usually lasts for 5 days from Monday through to Friday. doTERRA changes it up every now and then but predominantly this is how it runs. They release a new deal at approximately 9 am each day via their social media channels and email.

Can I save a BOGO to process with a scheduled loyalty order?

No. BOGOs do not save to Loyalty Rewards Program (LRP) templates. If you save the BOGO to your scheduled loyalty order to process at a later date, the free item will not be included in that order. You must process your loyalty order on the day of the BOGO to receive the free item.

Note: Only add the item to purchase to your cart and the free item will automatically be sent to you. For example, if the daily deal is Buy Easy Air and Get On Guard free then only add Easy Air to your cart. doTERRA will automatically send you On Guard.

Can I use my loyalty points to buy BOGOs?

No. Points cannot be used for BOGO promotions.

How do I know if my order has been placed and processed correctly?

An order confirmation email will be sent to the email address listed on your doTERRA account.

I missed the BOGO. Can I get an exception?

No. These special offers are available for the specified time period only.

Do the BOGOs qualify to earn Loyalty Rewards Program (LRP) and Shipping Reward Program (SRP) points?

Yes, normal rules apply. To receive LRP points, loyalty orders must be 50+ PV. However, free items do not contribute to PV. All orders qualify for shipping rewards based on the relevant qualifications for loyalty rewards or standard one-time orders.

I’m having trouble placing my order. What should I do?

If you are having trouble placing your order for whatever reason, we always suggest you contact doTERRA Members Services direct either via the live chat feature in your online account or via telephone (02) 8015 5080.​​​​

How to Purchase – Existing Customers Purchasing on a Standard Order

1. Sign in to your back office and select the “Shop” tab.
2. Select the appropriate category for the special that day. For example, if the BOGO is “Buy Easy Air, Get On Guard for Free,” you would select “Single Oils,” search for Easy Air, and click “Add to Cart.” Once you have finished shopping, click “Proceed to Checkout.” The free On Guard will automatically be added to your cart.
3. Standard orders will not receive Loyalty Rewards Program points; however, standard order Shipping Reward Program points still apply.

Purchasing on a Loyalty Rewards Order

1. Sign in to your back office and click on your LRP template.
2. Go to the “Quick Add to Cart” bar and search for the special that day. For example, if the BOGO is “Buy Easy Air, Get On Guard for Free,” search for Easy Air and select it when it pops up in the dropdown menu.
3. You no longer need to add an additional item for your LRP order to process, but if you wish to earn LRP points, then your order must reach at least 50 PV. (This is necessary in order for doTERRA to continue offering these amazing deals.)
4. Once you’ve finished shopping, click “Ship Now,” and then continue to the Review Order page. The free On Guard will automatically be added to your cart.
5. Select “Process Order Now.”
6. Make sure you adjust your template after for future processing.

How to Purchase – New Customers

1. Click on this link to join our team and then follow the nine steps (remember by using this link you are becoming a member of Additive Free Lifestyle Oily Tribe and will be joining our team). Use our ID number – 2103440
2. Select your language and country of residence (yes we know, pretty self-explanatory).
3. Choose which warehouse your order will come from – if you’re Australian choose – ‘Local (OTG) Order: Select this option if you wish to order your items from an Australian Warehouse in Australian Dollars’. If you are outside of Australia select the country which best suits you.
4. Choose between a Wholesale Customer or Wellness Advocate. Both of these entitle you to a 25% discount on all products but will NOT obligate you in any way to sell or start a business however if you do want to start a business select Wellness Advocate. If you do not want to start a doTERRA business select Wellness Customer, you can always switch over later if you change your mind.
5. Fill out the ‘about you’ section of the application with your personal information. If the form asks you to enter a Sponsor ID ours is 2103440. It is important you use this ID to join our team. Continue down the form to ‘create a password’. This is your private password for your Virtual Office, where you will be able to place future orders and track past orders. Please keep this password safe.
6. Read the Online Terms and Conditions and tick the box to agree.
7. Now for the fun part – add the Introductory Packet ($35) this is your doTERRA 12-month wholesale membership (it is $25 annually thereafter and comes with a free bottle of peppermint worth $25) to your cart, then add the BOGO ‘buy’ oil to your cart. At this point, you can also add whatever else you like to the cart such as Fractionated Coconut Oil (great for diluting the oils when applying topically to your skin) or a starter kit, or nothing… it’s up to you!
8. Once you have finished shopping, click “Proceed to Checkout.” The free oil will automatically be added to your cart.
9. Yahoo, your order is complete and you’re now in our team! You will now receive ongoing support from us, so check your emails. Over the next few days, you’ll start receiving a 14-day email series running you through everything you need to know.
10. We cover:

– How to shop again using your wholesale account

– The amazing Loyalty Rewards Program (LRP)

– How to use your back office

– Safety Guidelines

– How to use your oils effectively

– Plus so much more!

IF that sounds all too overwhelming then contact us asap and we’ll help you set it all up for you so that you don’t miss out on BOGO!

Tracey & Jo x

The post How to BOGO – All you need to know! appeared first on Additive Free Lifestyle.

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When this essential oil and capsule system first came out at doTERRA® global convention in 2019 we were so excited to get our hands on it and we have not been disappointed. This blend has been our go-to for our emotional and mental well-being on so many occasions that it is now a staple in our households.

Fast forward to May 2020 and these oils are now available to purchase via the Australian warehouse! Well, all except the capsules. Unfortunately, at this stage, for the capsules to be sold in Australia, it would require that doTERRA reformulate the ingredients and this is something they are not prepared to do.

Here’s why – the amazing success of the clinical trials doTERRA has conducted as well as the thousands of positive reactions from all over the world, would be irrelevant if the formula were not the same. We, personally don’t want them to reformulate the capsules as they are perfect just the way they are, and given we are able to buy them from the US warehouse, it doesn’t phase us too much, we will just continue to do that.

We’re going to detail why this system is such a GAME CHANGER for us and why we love it so much! So, stick with us right to the end, it’s worth it!

First, check out this video doTERRA has put together all about the Adaptiv™ system.

Let’s get some more info straight from the horse’s mouth:

After years of research and formulation, the Adaptiv™ System was released during the 2019 Together Global Convention. This system is designed to support you in moments of tension and stress by harnessing the powerful benefits of several essential oils and botanicals.

The system includes the Adaptiv Calming Blend, Adaptiv Touch, and Adaptiv Capsules. Each of these products complements one another and gives you access to aromatic, topical, and internal benefits. So, what’s the difference between the products and how do you use them?

Adaptiv 15ml The Adaptiv oil blend includes Wild Orange, Lavender, Copaiba, Spearmint, Magnolia, Rosemary, Neroli, and Sweetgum. It has a sweet citrus scent that is calming and relaxing, making it perfect for diffusing. When applied topically, Adaptiv can also soothe, uplift, and increase feelings of tranquility.

Adaptiv Touch 10ml Adaptiv Touch takes all the benefits of the calming blend and makes it even more convenient. It comes in a 10 mL roller bottle, so you can easily take it with you to work, school, or wherever you find yourself in a difficult situation. The blend is also diluted in doTERRA Fractionated Coconut Oil, which helps with absorption and allows for quick and easy application whenever you need it.

Adaptiv Capsules (not available in Australia) The Adaptiv oil blend isn’t formulated for internal use, which is why we made Adaptiv Capsules. It has the mood-boosting effects of Lavender, Coriander, and Fennel essential oils and uses the clinically studied Sceletium and GABA to support healthy emotional responses to everyday stressors. The capsules can promote positive feelings, encourage relaxation, support emotional balance, and help you adapt to stressful situations.

• Take one capsile daily to combat stress, tension, and occasional anxious feelings.*

Stress in life is unavoidable, but the Adaptiv System can help you face change and tension with peace and calm confidence.

• These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration or Therapeutic Goods Association. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Let’s get all SCIENCE-Y…

Who better to tell us about the science stuff than doTERRA themselves:

The Adaptiv™ Calming Blend is the result of years of research and formulation. The final product is supported by clinical research conducted by doTERRA’s very own team of research scientists. The Adaptiv essential oil blend trial was a landmark case for doTERRA’s clinical research team; it involved a larger number of doTERRA scientists (over 10) than any previous in-house trial, it was the first involving psychological elements (stress), it included the youngest study participants in any doTERRA trial (as young as 12), and it investigated something we all face: STRESS.

We Will, We Will…STRESS YOU Participants in the Adaptiv trial were only told that they would be testing a new doTERRA product and that they had to first qualify to be a product tester by taking two assessments. Participants were randomized and put into two separate rooms, one where Adaptiv was being diffused and the other where a placebo was being diffused. To the horror of the participants, the assessments were a combination of math and word problems that progressively increased in difficulty. There were 15 questions in total with a time limit of 12 minutes. Furthermore, a countdown clock was projected onto the wall in each room. After completion of one assessment, participants would cross over, go into the opposite room and take the other assessment. Throughout the course of both assessments, each person wore a pulse oximeter to monitor their heart rate and a temperature strip on the forehead to measure autonomic response to the stress-inducing environment. Following the assessments, all participants answered a series of questions regarding how they felt throughout the test.

What Did We Find? The results surprised even those who were involved in formulation of the Adaptiv blend. Although final statistical analysis is currently under way, some trends were clear from the initial data. Nicole Stevens noted one such trend during her 2019 Together Convention presentation. In reference to the test scores, none of which was very high considering the level of difficulty of the test, many participants still scored higher when undertaking the test in the Adaptiv room. Also, with Adaptiv diffusing, average heart rates were lower and more consistent.

Most interesting were the subjective assessments. There are objective physiological markers of stress (i.e. heart rate, blood pressure, etc.), but stress is also psychological; if you feel less stressed…well, you are less stressed. Participants self-reported having lower levels of stress and anxious feelings when taking the assessment in the Adaptiv room, even though they had no idea what room they were in or what was being diffused. There was also a small subset of participants who were taking part in an extended clinical trial involving the Adaptiv™ Calming Blend Capsules. Those specific participants reported the lowest stress levels of all. Considering the products were formulated to be used together, that possible synergy between the oil blend and supplement was exactly what we were expecting (and hoping) to see.

But, the Smell? Don’t forget, the study participants volunteered because they were told they were going to be product testers, and we weren’t about to let them down. Following the testing portion, participants were presented with three separate blends and asked how they liked each blend and how it influenced how they felt. The real Adaptiv was the clear winner, with most participants rating it 8 or 9 (on a 1–9 scale). To complete the product test, participants were asked to come up with a description of how smelling all three essential oil blends made them feel. Remember, they had not been told what the name of the product was, which of the three was Adaptiv, or what Adaptiv’s intended benefit was. The words calm, content, positive, and happy came up repeatedly.

What Comes Next? The evaluation of the Adaptiv product line didn’t end with this stress-inducing clinical trial. doTERRA scientists were also busy investigating how effective the oil blend was in an institutional environment, conducting an 80-participant clinical trial on the supplement, and working with our research partners on a proteomic evaluation of how the capsules affected brain cells on the molecular level. All the data is currently undergoing final statistical analysis and will hopefully be published in a scientific journal for general public consumption in the near future. Don’t forget to follow doTERRA science on social media for updates on publication.

The Adaptiv Calming Blend is the precise solution to help you deal with the stressors of everyday life. Whether it’s a difficult test or just normal life, put a few drops of Adaptiv in the diffuser to induce feelings of calm and relaxation, and help the body and mind stay balanced.

How do we love to use Adaptiv™️?

These oils are always with us. We have bottles EVERYWHERE. At work, in the office, and in the household. We have the Touch bottles in our bags and sitting on our bedside tables. We don’t go far without a bottle of Adaptiv close by.

Tracey uses it nightly as part of her sleep routine. Both her teenage daughters use it during their monthly cycles. Her hubby has a bottle on his desk at work that he uses in the diffuser. It is often found diffusing in Tracey’s office with Citrus Bliss, Clementine or Passion. The capsules are a staple for those times when life gets just a bit out of control and your mind just can’t calm down, or you are super anxious about something. Recently Tracey found them amazing before undergoing some intense dental work.

Jo uses it nightly or when the kids are acting feral. It is perfect to use each morning while getting organised for school and even more amazing diffused during the nighttime rush of dinner, homework, and bathing routines.

Here are some other ways we like to use these products. You can also download this handy guide to print and keep if you need ?.

DOWNLOAD PDF HERE We hope you now have a better understanding of just how beneficial Adaptiv™️ really is. We can honestly say we will never be without it given how much of an asset it has been to our mental health and emotional well-being.

If you want to add these oils into your collection, simply order via your doTERRA account.

If you don’t have a doTERRA account then head HERE to set one up or email us at info@additivefreelifestyle.com and we will help set you up with oils to suit your needs.

Jo and Tracey x

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In this week’s episode of The Whole Circle Podcast we talk with Dr Mariza Snyder all about how to balance your hormones the natural way.

Oh boy, this is one of our all-time fave episodes. We could have talked to Dr Mariza for hours upon hours upon hours and just soaked up all her knowledge and wisdom. It still blows our minds that at our ages we are still learning so much about our bodies that we had no idea about. This really is a MUST LISTEN for all women!

Who is Dr Mariza Snyder?

Dr Mariza [mah-REE-suh] is a women’s hormone doctor, functional practitioner, educator, Amazon best-selling author, wife, and Wellness Advocate. She is passionate about helping people to become more empowered with simple healthy habits. She loves to empower women and their families to feel and live their best lives through plant-based, whole-food nutrition, essential oils, easy-to-follow habits, and mood-boosting remedies.

Dr Mariza’s story in a nutshell

In her own words:

Eleven years ago, I was chronically sick, feeling wired and tired, and experiencing a sensation of constant overwhelming from the combination of both work and going to graduate school to become a practitioner. I never seemed to have enough energy to get through the day. I was juggling too many responsibilities and suffering from some major consequences. One day, I looked up and didn’t recognize the tired stranger in the mirror. I didn’t feel like myself anymore.

Like many women I know, I was being held captive by crazy unbalanced hormones and overwhelmed with life. I come from a lineage of hormone imbalance and grew up watching my mom suffer from mood swings, lack of energy, and sleepless nights. During my mid-twenties, I was chronically tired, 35-pounds overweight, constantly cranky, and oftentimes feeling super unsexy. I felt like I had lost control of my body while doing all of the things that I thought were “right” for me at the time. Caffeine became the key to surviving each day.

I realized that I needed to change my lifestyle if I wanted to feel like my old self again. I started with simple changes. I began eating more plants and cooking at home. Leafy green vegetables became a staple in my diet. Green smoothies provided a simple daily habit that produced the necessary energy to start my day without caffeine. Then, I focused on yoga, dance, and fun exercises that I enjoyed. My stress level decreased and my energy increased, the excess weight started to melt off, and I began to feel like myself again. Over time, I explored more healthy habits: positive journaling, hiking on nice days, and using essentials oils and whole food supplements to keep me and my family healthy.

I reclaimed my life and my body! On my journey, I learned that 80% of what we do on a daily basis dictates the life that we live later. I want that life to be rich, healthy and filled with amazing experiences. In my 10 years educating on healthy lifestyle habits, I have helped thousands of women to lose weight, sleep better, lower cortisol levels, and reclaim their lost energy. I have seen women transformed both emotionally and physically…and get the body that they have always longed for.

What do hormones do in our bodies?

Hormones are chemical messengers in our bodies. They release chemicals through our endocrine glands all day every day. These chemicals really run our bodies from reproduction, growth, cognitive function, mood support, insulin regulation, metabolism, breath rate, body temperature, immune system, metabolic system, stress response system, survival system and so much more.

When it comes to understanding our hormones, it’s important to realise that our hormones are intentionally trying to sabotage us. They’re not choosing to become imbalanced, there is a driving force or root cause behind the imbalance that we need to figure out.

What are some common reasons for our hormones to become imbalanced?

Dr Mariza has identified roughly 7 main root causes of hormone imbalance:

1. Environmental toxins such as the persistent pollutants in our food, water, air, what we put on our bodies, especially women with beauty products which are endocrine-disrupting (eg. lotions, creams, perfumes, shampoo and conditioner etc.). One of the biggest reasons your thyroid can become hyperactive or inactive is due to toxins.
2. Heavy metals found in food, water or topically. There can be exposure to heavy metals in a lot of places and whilst each exposure can be minuscule, it accumulates over time to become a big problem in the body. Heavy metals disrupt our metabolism, brain function especially when it comes to mood and gut permeability issues that can lead to autoimmune deficiencies.
3. Nutrient deficiencies. For healthy function, our bodies require essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants. So, if there are deficiencies, especially in women, of zinc, magnesium, activated b vitamins, omegas and vitamin d then it generally shows hormonal imbalance in women.
4. Gut dysbiosis and gut permeabilities which is an inflamed gut or inflamed bowel or a very permeable epithelial layer in the stomach and in the small intestine where particles are going into the bloodstream, the immune system is hyperactive and reacting to that and potentially accidentally targeting the wrong tissues. A perfect example of this would be Hashimoto’s Disease where the immune system accidentally targets healthy thyroid tissue because it has mistaken it for something else. The gut is so often one of the root causes. It is very rare that Dr Mariza sees someone who doesn’t have gut health issues as being a root cause.
5. Trauma. Whether it’s severe childhood or adult trauma such as PTSD or micro-traumas that can add up over time, traumas can manifest into disease inside the body.
6. Chronic perceived stress. This is the most common cause that we can control, but which we are the most unaware of which is where the body goes into a state of perceived stress 30-50 times a day and we are completely unaware of it. This is where our bodies are constantly in survival mode.
7. Pathogens, known as opportunists, they are bacteria, viruses, candida, mould, parasites etc. can trigger gut dysbiosis, inflammation, unhealthy immune response, nutrient deficiencies.

From all the options listed above, a person could be dealing with 1, 3 or all 7. Dr Mariza would prioritise what would need to be dealt with first and go from there.

Essential oils for hormones

Dr Mariza is an expert in the field of using essential oils to re-balance and keep your hormones balanced. What better way to do it than the natural way. Not a pill in sight, nothing toxic or synthetic just nature. It’s music to our ears!

In Dr Mariza’s opinion, the best way to use essential oils is via topical application (applying them to the area of concern) or aromatic use (breathing them in). Essential oils can help with menstrual regulation, reducing inflammation, reducing stress levels, etc. You can also use essential oils to make your own no-tox cleaning products which are amazing for your health as well as amazing for the health of the environment.

Then there’s plenty of essential oil options for sleep support, mood support, cravings, trauma, gut support, endocrine system support and when it comes to the umbrella of hormone support, essential oils can tackle so many of the areas.

Essential oils for menstruation

Heavy Flow

Dr Mariza recommends using Lavender or Clary Sage, as Clary Sage is phenomenal for slowing down the heavy flow and menstrual cramps. She also recommends using Yarrow | Pom. Specifically, with women who are perimenopausal or women who are dealing with a heavy flow, Yarrow | Pom can really slow that down. Clary Sage and Yarrow | Pom are progesterone boosters which means that they ease out the seesaw between oestrogen and progesterone. You can apply these topically (diluted with fractionated coconut oil) to the uterus and ovaries. Dr Mariza’s Superwoman Blend is perfect for this which you can find here. This blend is best to use about 6 days prior to getting your period as well as after ovulation to ensure your progesterone levels stay increased.

Cramps

The 5 essential oils Dr Mariza recommends for menstrual cramps are Clary Sage, Lavender, Peppermint, Frankincense and Copaiba. You can make up a little roller bottle with 5 drops of each. You can also play around with the ratios if you want more cooling then add extra peppermint. It’s very versatile to suit the individual. Apply it to your lower back, ovaries, uterus, lower abdomen. This blend is also really for any general type of pain you have in your body too, as well as ovulatory or endometrial pain.

Are essential oils still useful if you’re taking the pill?

The pill suppresses your reproductive system. If you’re experiencing certain symptoms such as mood swings, bloating, funky menstrual cycle etc. these are all side effects of taking the pill. Whilst essential oils can help manage the acute symptoms of the side effects of taking the pill, they won’t be getting to the root cause. Dr Mariza says it’s not even worth testing your hormone levels whilst on the pill because you’re being pumped with fake hormones so you won’t be getting a true indication of where your hormone levels are at because it’s not really your system at work, it’s synthetic hormones at work.

How can aromatic use of essential oils help our hormones?

It seems weird to think that just breathing in essential oils can actually help our hormones … something deep inside our body… how does it work?

Essential oils are plant-based chemical constituents which means that our own biochemistry is highly responsive to them. When you breathe them in they go to multiple olfactory receptors in our bodies. The first port of call is our limbic brain and limbic system which controls our nervous system which is responsible for our survival/fight or flight mode. Our sense of smell is a powerful tool, if something doesn’t smell right, we don’t even think about it, we react on it straight away. The same goes for essential oils, the power of smell means that we can use essential oils for emotional support, stress support, cognitive function, alertness, energy, sleep all of which are overarching issues that a lot of people are dealing with that are related to our hormones.

Our bodies are so intelligent that we can take a compound from an essential oil and make another compound out of it to really benefit our cellular system. It is really complex in the way our bodies leverage these chemical constituents from essential oils. When we breathe them through the olfactory receptors of our lungs, they go straight into the bloodstream. From there, our bodies make intelligent decisions about what to do with that specific chemical constituent. What we know is that we metabolise them within about 3 hours, so we get all that benefit from the essential oils.

Can you diffuse hormone supporting oils around children?

Whilst Dr Mariza doesn’t know the answer with 100% certainty, what she does know is that essential oils are adaptogenic and our bodies are going to make decisions based on these adaptogenic qualities. So, for example, if you are diffusing Clary Sage for its hormone benefits to you and you have little children also breathing it in, Clary Sage is also an amazing oil for sleep, stress and mood-boosting so by breathing it is usually you are going to benefit from it via mood support and neurological than specifically impacting the ovaries. Especially given that it is being used in a diffuser where it is more heavily dispersed than if it was applied topically.

The Essential Oils Hormone Solution Book

We cannot recommend this book highly enough. We have read it and absolutely love it. It is a MUST resource for all essential oil lovers, especially women.

The Essential Oils Hormone Solution offers a step-by-step program to reset your body through focused and deliberate changes in daily self-care rituals, aided every step of the way by high-quality essential oils.

With over 100 targeted essential oil recipes and lifestyles recommendations, you will be able to easily implement solutions for your specific needs, allowing you to not only balance your hormones, but also reduce cravings, get deep, restful sleep, manage and mitigate stress, improve mood and irritability, banish the worst symptoms of PMS, improve focus and concentration, boost libido, and increase energy and vitality.

Where else can you find Dr Mariza and her amazing books?

Books: https://www.drmariza.com/books/

Website: https://www.drmariza.com/

Podcast: https://www.drmariza.com/podcast/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/drmarizasnyder/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmariza/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/drmarizasnyder

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Jo and Tracey x

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In this week’s episode of The Whole Circle Podcast we talk the amazing Liz Chick about the incredible benefits of having essential oils in classrooms.

As you are about to hear, Liz is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to kids in classrooms and how to support the child as a whole. We were totally blown away and could have listened to her for hours. We know that parents, as well as educators, are going to get so much out of this episode.

Who is Liz Chick?

With over 25 years’ experience in Early Childhood, Liz has filled most positions within it. After moving from Tasmania to the Northern Territory in 2012, Liz founded the Top End Early Year’s Research Network and continues to incorporate her experience as a Trainer and Lecturer to support Educators both in the Northern Territory and around the country.

Liz sits on a number of committees that advocate for the rights of young children. Liz’ area of interest lies within the Neuroscience behind wellness and identity; links between Aboriginal pedagogy and the key principles and practices of the Educational Project of Reggio Emilia.

Liz is passionate about supporting those who work and learn alongside children and empowering them to challenge their old ways of being and knowing within our education system.

How did the pedagogy of smell enquiry-based project come to be?

Through her own experiences with her daughter and essential oils, she learned the benefits they had on their emotional wellbeing. It didn’t take long before Liz started to incorporate essential oils into the work she was doing with children and not long after that before she started to see how positively the children were reacting to them.

One little boy, in particular, went to Liz to ask her to smell the bottle of oil again that ‘helped his brain’. From there, Liz knew that there was more to this and really wanted to delve deep into the neuroscience of essential oils.

From there the Pedagogy of Smell and enquiry-based project was born.

Since then Liz has seen the power essential oils have had when used with children. She has countless stories and first-hand positive experiences, not to mention she is a wealth of knowledge.

Using essential oils safely with children

Like anything you put on a child for the first time, patch testing is always important.

In the case of using essential oils in the home, Liz recommends diluting the essential oil with a carrier oil, such as fractionated coconut oil, based on the dilution ratios in this graphic, then apply it to somewhere like the inside or outside of the child’s elbow, then wait 10 minutes to see how the skin/body reacts to it. If the child has no adverse reaction, then it’s safe to continue.

But bear in mind that topical application is not the only way oils can be used. Aromatic application via diffusing the oils into the air is also a powerful way for children to reap the benefits. This doesn’t mean you diffuse them all day every day in bulk to the masses. Be mindful of the environment, allow the children to have time without them. Find the right balance. It could be having oils available for each child to select the oil that’s right for them to smell or if a classroom has a calm down area, having calming oils available for them to smell so that they can help themselves to emotionally regulate. There are so many options eliminating the need for it having to be a one-size-fits-all scenario.

The other important way to ensure the safety of children around essential oils is to ensure they cannot open the bottles of oils. You can do this by locking them away in a cabinet or you can also purchase child-proof bottle tops for essential oil bottles now so that you don’t need to worry about your little ones getting into them and accidentally ingesting them.

Incorporating essential oils into classrooms

This aligns with the safety aspect too, but Liz believes it’s vitally important to get the permission from families to allow the oils to be incorporated into the classroom, and not just via a tick-a-box form sent home either. You know those types of forms where it will state for example, ‘We are wanting to incorporate essential oils into your children’s classroom, do you consent for this to occur. Tick Yes or No and sign here’.

Liz is talking about educating the parents about why they are wanting to be used, what benefits they are going to have for the children and their learning, how they are going to be used. Parents are the first educators of children and continue to be so throughout their life, so it is incredibly important that they are included and comfortable with this process as well.

As a parent, instead of just approaching your child’s teacher to talk about essential oils in classrooms, Liz suggests it’s better to go to the main decision-maker for the school, whether that’s the Principal, Assistant Principal or Student Welfare Co-ordinator. Whoever would be in charge of student wellbeing and supporting the whole child is the person to speak to. It would be a much better idea to have the oils in all classrooms than in just one or two classrooms. That way you know your child will benefit each year they progress through each grade.

Where to start?

If you’re thinking you want to have the conversation with your school about incorporating essential oils into classrooms but have no idea even how to start that conversation, then head on over to Liz’s website and check out her guide Unlocking the Potential where you will learn all you need to, to support you and educators through the process.

Where else can you find Liz?

Website: https://www.lizchick.com/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/lizchickessentiallyconnected/

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Essentiallyconnectedchildren/

Jo and Tracey x

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In this week’s episode of The Whole Circle Podcast we take a look back and reminisce on the year that was.

We thought we would take a look back on the year that was. We have had a pretty full-on year this year especially with our mum battling cancer and it has given us a perspective we perhaps may not have had before.

There was a time where we have wished away certain things in our lives such as wishing the kids were older so we could shower in peace or not have to wipe backsides anymore or drive the kids here, there and everywhere. But you know what? That’s the juicy stuff! Now that Tracey has older daughters who don’t need her for those things anymore, she realises how precious those years were. So, don’t ever take that stuff for granted because before you know it, it’s all gone.

Our Mum

On 21 December 2018, our beautiful Mum was diagnosed with Leukaemia and our whole lives were devastated. For the next 6 months, we were right there with mum as she battled this wretched disease that was waging war on her body. There were times throughout this year that we thought we were going to lose her it was that touch and go, but she fought it so bravely and thankfully she is in remission. Thank you so much to all of you who have reached out to us asking how our Mum is, the outpouring of support we have received during this awful time has really touched our hearts and overwhelmed us with all the love that we are so grateful for.

Our book, Everyday Additive-Free

During Mum’s cancer battle we were writing our book, Everyday Additive-Free. Yeah ok, we don’t do things in halves, we get it! We honestly wrote this book whilst sitting beside mum in her hospital bed on the cancer ward. This is exactly what mum wanted us to do. This was the deal we had with mum, we would get this book released and she had to still be with us when it was released! It was tough, so much blood, sweat and tears went into this book, but we are so incredibly proud of it and know that it will help so many families live additive-free.

So, let’s throw a few stats your way….

Instagram

We have grown to over 20,000 followers now over on the gram. This blows our mind given we haven’t been on Instagram all that long so thank you to each and every one of you who follow us over there. We do have lots of fun, especially with our stories where we’re always mucking around and sharing all sorts of juicy info.

Facebook

We have over 65,000 followers which is just nuts! Facebook is where it all started for us and we have such a loyal following and we love you guys. You have stuck with us through thick and thin and especially when we lost our whole website which was so incredibly traumatic. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for being our backbone of support.

Oils with Additive-Free Lifestyle Facebook Group

We now have over 20,000 oily peeps in this group who are upping their knowledge game and learning and sharing how they use their oils. It’s an open group so if you want up your game too then feel free to join, we’d love to have you in there –> Oils with Additive-Free Lifestyle

Additive-Free Lifestyle Chat Group

We now have over 10,000 people in this group. This is also an open group that’s set up for people to come together as a like-minded community to take and learn all things additive-free. Whether you’re new or well versed in the additive-free lifestyle, this is the group that we share lots of additive-free info in as well as a great community where you can ask all sorts of info to help you with this lifestyle. If you want in, then feel free to join –> Additive-Free Lifestyle Chat Group.

Additive-Free Made Easy

We had over 530 new members go through our signature e-course Additive-Free Made Easy this year! We are so proud and thrilled that many people’s and family’s lives are now changed having learnt information that has changed their lives for the rest of their lives. The ripple effect it has on those around them is amazing! It gives us goosebumps just thinking about it. We’ve got another round coming up in March 2020 so if you want to get on the waitlist for that then, register –> Additive-Free Made Easy.

Additive-Free Lifestyle Website

We have had over 1 million page views on our website! WHAT THE?!?!?!?! That’s just in 1 year. It’s actually over 1.1 million views. Ok, mind blown! But so incredibly humbling to think that our little website created by little old us has been viewed that many times. We can’t even believe how this is even possible. We are so truly grateful.

To break that down further, 182,000 of those views are from new visitors which means that nearly 1 million views are from returning followers who are revisiting our website. This lights us up knowing that we are creating content that keeps you coming back because this is what we want to do. Make sure we are giving you what you want and more.

Additive-Free Lifestyle Shop

Yes, on a sadder note we closed our online store in June this year and we know so many of you loved it. On the flip side of this, it freed us up to bring more education to all of you, freed our headspaces up so we can create even more exciting content for you all about education about additives and preservatives.

It also allows us to be able to get more hands-on with our education and get into schools and provide education programs face to face which is what we have been wanting to do for so long now.

Most Viewed Blog Post for 2019

Drumroll please …. Zooper Doopers … more like Zooper Bloopers! Was our most viewed blog post for 2019, with over 10,000 views.

This blog post resonated and shocked so many of you. It has been one of our goals for a long time now to have Zooper Doopers removed from schools as a go-to ice block during summertime. There are other options that could be used instead that won’t have the potential to detrimentally affect our children.

Basic Icing Recipe

With over 12,000 views, our Basic Icing recipe was our most viewed recipe on our website which really surprised us.

The Whole Circle Podcast Show

Our most clicked on podcast episode to our website this year was Episode 170 – Progesterone Deficiency with Naomi Judge.

However, our most downloaded episode of all time was also with Naomi Judge which was Episode 3 – Let’s Talk Zinc and Magnesium with Naomi Judge.

It sure seems the topics our Naturopath Naomi Judge talks about are popular!

It also tells us that you guys want to learn more about your body which we’re happy to accommodate that going forward.

Another really popular episode this year was Episode 162 – The Impact of Wheat on our Health with Cyndi O’Meara. Cyndi talked a lot about glyphosate and how it is impacting our bodies as well as a lot of other awesome info and some practical tips on how you can get involved in taking a stand against the use of glyphosate in your local area. All the details are in our show notes –> here.

Lifestyle Wellness Event

We held our very first wellness event this year in Hobart which we were so excited about. We had been wanting to host something like this for years but had just never had a chance to organise it and to be honest we were a little daunted by it. But this year we just did it! It was amazing and we even had people fly in from around Australia to attend which amazed us. It was a really wonderful day and everyone who attended learnt heaps and left feeling inspired.

We will be doing it again next year so make sure you save the date when we share it early next year, we’d love to see as many people there as possible. Hobart’s a great place to come over for a weekend away. It’s such a beautiful city so you won’t be disappointed to make a trip of it.

The Lifestyle Wellness Event is an all-day event which is fully catered for on top of the awesome education that you get as well.

#notbragging

Ok, guys, this is not a bragging episode at all! It’s about reflecting back on the year that was and something we would love for you to do as well. We all get so caught up in moments that we forget to take stock of what we have achieved or the moments that we have experienced, whether good or bad over a 12-month period and this is what we are doing with this episode. We invite you to do the same. Reflect, take stock and bring in a new year with fresh eyes and curious nature of what you can create for yourself in 2020. Tag us in #additivefreelifestlye on social media all your memories or moments of reflection for 2019. We’d love to see them and share them on our own social media.

Stay Tuned for 2020

We have got so much coming up in 2020 that we are so excited about. We are kicking off with a tour in February so check out all our events and grab your tickets –> here. Just to give you a little idea, here are some of the places we are travelling to in a month:

➕Townsville

➕Mackay

➕Rockhampton

➕Burnie

➕Strahan

➕Ballarat

➕Minlaton

➕Golden Grove

➕Maroona Region

➕Adelaide

➕Mildura

➕Woolgoolga

➕Grafton

➕Sunshine Coast

➕Hobart

➕Wynnum

➕Brisbane

Sorry guys, there’s no Western Australia this time because Jo was there last year and there’s only so many places we can make in a month. Hopefully next time we can make it there. We are splitting up and doing these events separately because there’s just no way we could make it to that many places together. We can’t wait to meet you face to face.

Tracey’s Big Personal and Business Goal for 2020

She would love for her hubby to quit his job and come to work with her in their business with them. It’s been a dream of hers for a long time now and next year is the year to make it happen.

Jo’s Big Personal Goal for 2020

She would love to learn photography. She has no idea how she is going to fit it in, but it’s been something she has wanted to do for a while now.

Jo’s Big Business Goals for 2020

She wants to continue to inspire people, especially to live an additive-free lifestyle and she also wants to achieve the doTERRA rank of Presidential Diamond.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

We hope you have a wonderful festive season and a happy, safe and prosperous New Year. Feel free to tag us in your reflections or dreams over on social media as we would love to see them #additivefreelifestyle

Go and live your best life! We can’t wait to connect with you again in 2020

Much love

Jo and Tracey x

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Store-bought hand wash and hand sanitisers are quite frankly a chemical sh*t storm!

We’re talking serious nasties like:

TriclosanFound in some toothpaste and anti-bacterial hand washes, this chemical was first registered as a pesticide in the 60’s! It’s found to be behind a lot of antibiotic resistance and superbugs. After it reached the headlines on the news last year, many companies started to take this chemical out of their toothpaste and liquid hand soap ranges.

SLS and SLESSodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) is what makes bubbles, usually in shampoos, dish liquid and liquid soaps. You’ll find these two nasties in up to 90% of personal care items. There is a high risk that in the manufacturing process, these two chemicals are contaminated with other chemicals known to be human carcinogens (cancerous).

ParabensThese are synthetic preservatives that come in different forms and are found absolutely everywhere. Many companies are recognizing ongoing consumer concerns, and are now reformulating their product as a paraben-free range. While this is a fantastic industry shift, you need to be careful that they’re not replacing parabens with another harmful preservative such as phenoxyethanol. Current studies show that phenoxyethanol is irritating to the skin, hormone-disrupting and cell-mutating.

Parabens are also known to disrupt hormones, especially in younger aged people and lead to cancer when used over a long period of time. Look out for the word paraben on the ingredients list, and if in doubt, bring out your phone and Google any ingredient you don’t recognize while at the store.

Fragrance | Parfum | Perfume

These words are collective terms that can be made up of hundreds of chemicals in products. Manufacturers are under no obligation to tell their consumers, exactly what those chemicals are. It’s their little trade secret. Instead choose scented products that you know are naturally sourced, including pure essential oils.

AlcoholIt is added as a preservative in hand sanitisers as well as being a chemical compound that allows the liquid to dissolve and evaporate quickly. The problem with alcohol, in our opinion, is that it is damaging to our gut microbiome as well as being incredibly dehydrating to our skin. The last thing we want when we are trying to protect our health and our gut health from whatever nasty pathogens are going around is to damage our microbiome with alcohol, it’s counterproductive.

So, here’s how you can easily avoid all this ⬆️ and make your own non-toxic hand wash and hand sanitiser, in minutes, that actually works and is good for you AND the environment.

Hand Wash

Ingredients

2 tbsp. liquid castile soap

1 tbsp. fractionated coconut oil

20 drops essential oils

Filtered or distilled water

Foaming pump bottle (dark glass or amber PET1 or 2 plastic)

Method

1. Pour castile soap and fractionated coconut oil into bottle.
2. Add essential oils and give it a swish around to emulsify the oils and soap.
3. Top up the bottle with water, making sure to not fill all the way to the top so that the pump/lid can fit back in the bottle without spilling over.
4. Screw the pump/lid back into place.
5. Shake to emulsify all ingredients.
6. Now it’s ready to use. Just make sure to give it a shake every so often to re-emulsify the contents.

Essential oil options:

On Guard and Litsea

Wild Orange and Peppermint

Wild Orange and Lemon

On Guard

Lavender and Wild Orange

Patchouli and Lime

Balance and Citrus Bliss

Hand Sanitiser

Liquid Spray Version

Ingredients

30ml empty spritzer bottle (dark glass or amber PET1 or 2 plastic)

Witch hazel (organic alcohol-free)

20 drops doTERRA On Guard essential oil

Method

1. Add ingredients to bottle.
2. Shake before each use.

Tips:You could add 1/2 witch hazel and 1/2 filtered or distilled water to the bottle but witch hazel works well and evaporates the liquid quicker.

You could also add a little squirt of fractionated coconut oil to the bottle which will help emulsify the essential oils with the liquid a bit better and nourish your hands at the same time.

This recipe is for adult usage. If you are wanting young children to use it ie. grade 1, 2 or 3 school-aged kids then you may want to halve the number of essential oil drops. Work within the ratio guidelines as shown in this image.

Gel Version

Ingredients

3/4 fill bottle with aloe vera gel

1 tbsp witch hazel extract

10-20 drops On Guard essential oil

30ml squirt/pump bottle (dark glass or amber PET1 or PET2 plastic)

Method

1. Combine the aloe vera gel and witch hazel together, in the bottle.
2. Add On Guard essential oil.
3. Shake until well combined.

Things To Note

You can source castile soap, aloe vera gel and vitamin E oil from your local health food store or online from Oils for Life Australia

As for the foaming pump bottle and travel-sized squirt/pump bottle, see if you already have some lying around at home that you can empty, clean out and repurpose. Every little bit of plastic we save from going into landfill is a really good thing. Just make sure with plastic that it states either PET1 or PET2 on the bottom of the bottle as this will mean it is safe to use with essential oils.

As for the essential oils, we only use and recommend doTERRA Essential Oils because we know they are of the purest quality. If you want to get some for yourself, then you can head to our website for all the details and to order.

DIY is a personal choice and one we feel very confident in. It is, however, important for you to do your own research when it comes to the effectiveness of the hand sanitiser. We are confident and trust that the ingredients we use will fulfil their duties, and we would rather use this over a commercial product any day of the week.

DIY doesn’t have to be hard, a few minutes of effort can save you and your family a lifetime of exposure to nasty chemicals.

Much love,

Jo and Tracey x

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In this week’s episode of The Whole Circle Podcast we talk all about our upcoming trip to Guatemala.

We not going to lie, we’re nervous about what this trip has in store for us. But having spent a portion of our childhoods living in Papua New Guinea, we are hoping that we will have some, even if minor, experience with travelling to, and staying in, a third world country.

Why are we going to Guatemala?

We are going there as part of a doTERRA humanitarian trip through doTERRA’s Healing Hands Foundation. When you are building a business with doTERRA and have achieved certain leadership ranks, you are entitled to a few little perks. One of them is that we were able to put our names down to participate in a humanitarian trip. This year we were lucky enough to be able to go to Guatemala.

We are going over there to see where doTERRA source’s cardamom from. We are also going to be helping build a trade centre so that the locals can gain employment through that facility. We’ve been told to bring along work boots, gloves and all the Ice Blue we can carry! Haha

Our husbands are also coming with us which is so exciting!

doTERRA’s humanitarian efforts

This is one of the sides of doTERRA that drew us into the company almost more than the actual products.

doTERRA is constantly giving back whether it’s to our own community here in Hobart after devastating bushfires or many third world impoverished countries they source their produce from such as Nepal, Kenya, Haiti, Guatemala to name a few.

They give black on a global scale.

Long haul travelling additive-free

Whenever we go on long haul flights, we always want to take our own food because we want to get over the jetlag quickly and arrive feeling good and unfortunately, aeroplane food just won’t do this for us given it can be additive-laden.

Having said that though, this is a massive trip to get to Guatemala that will take around 40 hours from the time we leave Hobart to the time we eventually arrive in Sika’abe which is a little village in Guatemala.

On the plane, we will take lots of fruit and veggies which have a high-water content. Flying is incredibly dehydrating to our bodies so taking fruit with a high-water content gets extra hydration into us. We’re talking things like:

Carrot, snow peas, capsicum, watermelon, berries, oranges, apples etc.

Packaged food wise we will also be taking additive-free food bars such as the Berry Choc Chunk and Collagen bars from Nutra Organics.

We have been told that the village we’re staying in has clean water so we will be able to eat lots of fruit and veggies and not have to worry about our food whilst we are there.

We’re also taking probiotics to boost our gut health as well as grabbing some bone broth powder sachets from Nutra Organics so that we can make up bone broth drinks on the plane as well as whilst in the village in case we’re eating food that doesn’t agree with us.

We’ll also be taking protein powder sachets with us too so that we can get some much-needed protein into us after days of hard manual labour.

Because we’re taking food onto the plane with us, we will freeze a bottle of water as this will act as an ice-cooler to keep the food nice and cool in the carry-on luggage. However, double-check with the airline on the size you need though because you may be restricted for anything over 100ml.

Taking food on planes

The other thing to note is that you can take any food you like onto an aeroplane, it’s just that you cannot take it off the plane with you. So, if you’re prepared to leave some food behind or you know you will eat it all, then take what you want on the plane because it’s only at your destination that whatever leftover food you have needs to be left onboard.

Exercise

Tracey has been increasing her exercising in the lead up to their trip away to build her fitness up. Long haul travelling can be quite sedentary sitting on planes for long periods of time. So, the fittest they can be is a good thing because it will not only help with travelling but will also help when they reach their destination and start building the trade centre.

Bus Trip

So, that 40 hours of travelling also includes a 10-hour bus trip to take us from Guatemala City to Sika’abe. We don’t imagine this will be a lovely air-conditioned coach with a toilet haha. doTERRA even suggested we pack as much Ginger essential oil as possible to help us with queasy tummies. Oh boy!

What essential oils are we taking?

Tea Tree

For all those cuts, scrapes and bites we are likely to get.

Ice Blue

For all the sore muscles! There will be lots we’re sure.

Copaiba

For all the sleep support we can get.

Travel diffuser

Yes, we will have power so we can plug the diffuser in and get it cranking all day with Lemon Eucalyptus and Citronella to keep all the nasties and bugs at bay in our room.

TerraArmour and Arborvitae

For all the bug bites.

Helichrysum

For all the first aid support we need.

OnGuard

To keep our health supported and all those nasty germs away. Ah, aeroplane toilets…. need we say more?!

How are we going to manage jetlag?

When we both went to America last year, neither we nor our families suffered jetlag which was fabulous.

Jo’s strategy last year was to make herself stay awake until about 8.30 pm local time before going to sleep. She also spent time with her shoes off, grounding herself to the earth and being in the sun, especially when it was setting to help her body acclimatise to the new time zone she was in.

After doing all this, when she woke up the next day, she was absolutely fine and fully acclimatised.

When Tracey went to America they didn’t get into LAX until 6.30 am so they had a long time to try and stay awake. They didn’t get much sleep on the plane, so they were exhausted.

The biggest tip Tracey received to get your circadian rhythm back in sync was to not wear your sunglasses for the first day and do some exercise as soon as possible as this helps to produce melatonin in your body which you will need for good sleep later on.

So, when they got off the plane at 6.30 am they just got straight into the day. Of course, by the end of the day they were exhausted, but they stayed awake all day and went to sleep at the normal time that night so by the next day their bodies were in sync with the time zone they were in.

Airport food

If you’ve run out of food, especially for your travel home, then, of course, you have to eat what’s available to you and if that’s airport food, then so be it. We have done this many times. All we do is try and make the best food choice we can with what’s available to us. Go for less packaged foods, foods that look like they have been made fresh. Packaged foods with fewer ingredients. Fresh fruit if you can get it.

Noise-cancelling headphones

These have been game-changers for us! We love our Bose noise-cancelling headphones. They sure weren’t cheap (you can get them for around $400), but they have honestly been the best investment.

Jo has a fear of flying but she doesn’t want to let that stop her from doing anything so she takes her headphones on the plane with he, turns up whatever she is listening to and it cancels out all the plane noise that would normally make her fearful.

For Tracey, they are great to help her fall asleep. She will often put a podcast show or meditation on and this will help her fall asleep because it drowns out all the plane noise.

Oh, and this is not sponsored by Bose at all, we just love their headphones! Haha

Accessory tips

We also like to take neck pillows, a large scarf to use as a blanket, eye mask, our oils… pretty much everything you can think of and we are set to fly! haha

Hopefully, those little hints and tips have helped you for any long haul travelling you may have coming up.

We’re excited to share with you all that we get up to in Guatemala. We will then be staying 3 nights in Mexico City on the way home as a little mini-break and time to process all that we have participated in on doTERRA’s Co-Impact Sourcing trip.

See you on the flip side!

Jo and Tracey x

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In this week’s episode of The Whole Circle Podcast we talk all about our recent incredible trip to Guatemala.

We’re back!

We’ve arrived home safe and sound and our minds are still spinning from the amazing trip we just got to experience.

Since our return, we have had lots of questions from people wanting us to articulate how the trip made us feel. To be honest, it really is incredibly hard to articulate or to articulate it in a way that truly does it justice.

It was definitely life-changing that’s for sure.

It was also very humbling. The communities we went to were living in extreme poverty. We have witnessed this before given we spent some of our childhood living in Papua New Guinea, so we were not as shocked by it as we perhaps should have been or as shocked as some of our travel mates were, but the thing that struck us the most was that the people in these communities were extremely happy.

They don’t know any different. Living this way is their version of normal. They have nothing to compare it to, so they make the most of what they have and live their best lives possible.

Tracey’s 1st key take-away from the trip

The negative impact that western society has had on these communities. Everywhere she looked kids were chewing gum, or drinking soft drink, or eating junk food. doTERRA and Choice Humanitarian who are working together in these communities and are working on turning around because of the impacting it’s having. The kids have rotten teeth, there’s rubbish everywhere that’s wreaking havoc on the environment as well as ruining the beauty of the landscape.

We found it really sad and very concerning.

It really drove home the point that every single choice we make matters. Whether it’s choosing what products to buy, or making sure to recycle everything we can, what companies to align ourselves with. A prime example is doTERRA, we wholeheartedly believe in everything doTERRA strives for in educating communities such as these to make the world a better place. Having a global social conscience is extremely important to them and an ethos that resonates with us so intrinsically.

Jo’s key take-away from the trip

Whilst they were in Guatemala Jo got to attend a Days for Girls education session.

Days for Girls are turning periods into pathways. They increase access to menstrual care and education in third world or developing countries by developing global partnerships, cultivating social enterprises, mobilising volunteers and innovating sustainable solutions that shatter stigmas and limitations for women and girls. They create a world with dignity, health and opportunity for all. No more will women and girls be shamed for having their periods and be disallowed to attend work or school and be sent to isolation when they’re menstruating. So far Days for Girls has reached more than 1 million girls and counting. They provide education to women and girls about their reproductive systems as well as providing them with menstruation kits so that they can hygienically look after themselves.

They also educate the men as well about how a woman’s body works and taking the shame and stigma away so that they can be supportive to the women in their lives.

It is vital work that they do and incredibly empowering to women.

During the presentation a woman’s reproductive system was discussed and all the women were quite giggly and embarrassed at the start but then the presenter started talking about their cycle and when during their cycle they should expect their period and if they don’t get it during this time then that’s nor normal and they should see a doctor. They also talked about when they are likely to be ovulating so that this can help them to avoid unwanted pregnancies. During this discussion the women were transfixed and concentrating because they knew this was vital information they needed to know because they had never been told this before.

Talk then turned to the menstruation hygiene kits and it was Jo’s job to show the ladies how to put a pad in your underwear. The girls were a bit giggly again but, they had no idea what to do because they had never seen it before. Every single woman left with a hygiene kit that are reusable and were sewn and made in Australia.

There were some older women there who were talking to the presenters afterwards who were saying that they don’t get periods anymore and asked if they should see a doctor. It was determined that they had gone through menopause. From this, Days for Girls will be modifying their talks to include discussing menopause.

Whilst this presentation was taking place, Tracey, unfortunately, didn’t get to attend but she had an equally important role, playing with all the kids whose mothers were in the Days for Girls session. She loved every second of it playing with those kids and being in their joyful presence.

Tracey’s 2nd key take-away from the trip

Seeing firsthand dōTERRA’s Co-Impact Sourcing initiative and what that really means.

Tracey got to see the massive impact this sourcing initiative has on not just every farmer that aligns with doTERRA, but the massive impact it has on their families and their communities.

These farmers are being educated on how to best farm cardamom to yield the best crops possible and crops that will last and be sustainable through the generations.

It took time for doTERRA to build these relationships with the farmers as the farmers were wary of western influences given their own farming practices had been handed down through generations.

But once the relationships were built these farming communities are now reaping the benefits because they are yielding bigger and better crops and they are so grateful to doTERRA for educating them.

Let’s backtrack … how did we get to Sika’abe in Guatemala?

It was a loooooong trip to get there. It took about 33 hours to get from Hobart to Guatemala City. We were supposed to go on about a 12-hour bus ride up into the mountains, but there had been quite a lot of rain and mudslides, so they changed the plan. Instead, we went on two planes to ferry us, 1 plane was a 10-seater and the other was a 30-seater. The flight was about 45 minutes which took us to the coastline of the Caribbean. We then went on a 2-hour boat ride up the Caribbean which sounds very luxurious but it was a very basic boat like a large dinghy with a plastic roof and not a cruise ship! Haha After that we then embarked on a 4-hour bus ride up the mountain.

It gave us a massive appreciation for how they get cardamom essential oil to us and not just that oil but all essential oils that come from third world countries!

The process it takes to get that little bottle of oil into our homes it mind-blowing and we only saw a small portion. It really shocked us because it’s not something we really tend to think about, but we sure do now.

Just from farm to the distillery is a 15-hour truck drive. They managed to drive overnight for us so that when we got to the distillery, we could see a batch of cardamom seeds being distilled.

If you buy doTERRA oils…

You are in the best hands possible! They have THE BEST social conscience; they are humble and are dedicated to ensuring our planet and the people on it are well looked after.

If we all supported companies that are doing the right thing a little more then the world would be a much better place!

Every little bit matters, and every decision you make counts.

If you want to buy doTERRA oils…

Then we’d love to have you on our team and educate you on how to use them. You can check it all out at https://additivefreelifestyle.com/instructions

Jo and Tracey x

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Did you know that not all essential oils are created equal?

Adulteration of oils is rife throughout the industry given it is not regulated. It is estimated that 80% of essential oils on the market that are sold as ‘pure’ are in fact adulterated.

It’s a sad fact but this is why it makes it vitally important that you do your own research and choose a reputable brand that you know and trust.

We had no idea what to look for when we first wanted to get oils. All we wanted was peppermint essential oil to make peppermint chocolate. We knew that peppermint essence was laden with additives so we wanted to the pure stuff, but at the time we had no idea really what to look out for.

Thank goodness we stumbled upon doTERRA! It just so happened that we found the best essential oils that money can buy and a company that has set the standard for purity across the industry.

What is adulteration of essential oils?

Adulteration is the process whereby essential oils have had a foreign or inferior substance added to them rendering them no longer 100% pure.

Who tests the oils?

Essential oils are independently/third-party tested by the Aromatic Plant Research Center (APRC) which is a:

State-of-the-art laboratory that utilises a variety of methods to detect adulteration and confirm the purity of essential oils. Our executive advisory board is internationally renowned for quality control testing and expertise within the essential oil industry.

APRC aspires to reimagine the essential oil industry by conducting state-of-the-art quality testing, performing groundbreaking research, producing cutting edge publications, and creating unparalleled educational materials on essential oils. Our goal is to ensure that our clients have access to the most sophisticated and verified means of testing possible. This process includes compiling existing publications, interviewing experienced producers, conducting field research, gathering raw materials, improving distillation methods, advancing testing capabilities, discovering new chemotypes, developing new therapeutic uses, and so forth. This research will further develop our understanding of the purest essential oils in the world and will influence many publications soon to be available to the public as additional educational tools.

Many companies, but not all companies, use the APRC for third-party testing of their oils.

How can you tell if essential oils are adulterated?

According to the APRC:

There is no proven “hack” to tell if an oil is adulterated from home. Reading the ingredients actually will not let you know. Without specific lab testing, even a chemist won’t know if an oil is adulterated until they see the results. Lab tests analyze the individual components of oils to determine whether they are pure or not. There are three common ways oil is adulterated:

Aromachemical Adulteration A common way that oils are adulterated, or even created in a lab, is by adding the individual chemicals, either natural or synthetic fossil fuel based, to create the oil. Additions of chemicals like linalool or beta-pinene can create the recipe for a specific oil.

Addition of Carrier Oils Adding a carrier oil to a pure oil is another way to adulterate oils. This is usually done to “water” the oil down, thereby making a larger profit off a small yield. Common carrier oils used are cooking oils.

Similar Oils or their Isolates By adding a similar oil or its isolates, a producer can create something that smells like another oil. Lavandin, for example, smells very similar to lavender and often appears in “lavender” oil. Producers can also use fractions of oils to get the chemical constituents. In the lavandin example, a producer can extract a chemical like linalyl acetate and add it to an oil.

Knowing how producers adulterate oils is important because it shows there are many ways in which your oil may not be pure. Adulterated oils change the aroma and medicinal values. Either you can purchase oils from producers who provide the reports of their tested oils, or have them tested yourself.

Examples of common adulteration:

? Inclusion of carrier oils without it being detailed on the label

? Mislabeled species

? Inclusion of aroma chemicals

? Synthetic fragrances and chemicals added

? Some oils are 95% to 100% complete fabrications – made by trained perfumists to smell pure

Stats from the APRC revealed that tested oils from more than 5o companies, including from direct sellers, online retailers and retail stores show that 3 companies have consistently pure oils with doTERRA being 1 of the 3. This means that 95% of oil companies (who have submitted oils for testing by the APRC) sell adulterated oils!

How do you navigate where to get oils from?

Yep, it sure is tricky. As we said above, we had no real idea when we first bought essential oils. Yes, of course, oils being additive-free, or adulteration free, was crucial, but other than that we were flying blind.

With the ability of hindsight, we’ve learnt that it’s a good idea to consider/research the following:

1. Are the essential oils 100% pure and free from any chemical fillers or additives?
2. Where are the essential oils sourced from?
3. Are the essential oils independently/third party tested for purity and potency?
4. Does the essential oil company provide full transparency from sourcing plant matter to getting the bottle into the consumer’s hand?
5. Does the essential oil company source plant material sustainably?

Some other things you might like to consider are:

1. Does the essential oil company have a social conscience and give back to those less fortunate?
2. Does the essential oil company provide education on how to use their oils and products?
3. Will you be supported on your essential oil journey so that you can get the most out of using them?

Why we love doTERRA

It’s no secret we love our essential oils. We use them for EVERYTHING! They have become our medicine cabinet, cleaning products, emotional support, food flavourings and so much more!

Thank goodness we stumbled upon doTERRA! It just so happened that we found the best essential oils that money can buy and a company that has set the standard for purity across the industry.

doTERRA’s essential oils not only test as being the best for purity and quality across the industry, but they’re fully transparent to us, the consumers, regarding where they source the plant material from all the way through the process until it ends up in our hands.

The quality of each and every single bottle of essential oils doTERRA produces can be checked via their website Source To You. How is that done you may ask? Each and every bottle has a batch number written on the bottom. All you need to do is head to Source To You and type in that batch number and all the data comes up for the batch of oil that bottle came from.

For additional information about the purity of doTERRA’s essential oils, check it out >>> here.

In addition to supplying the highest quality essential oils, doTERRA is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of farmers, harvesters, and distillers who contribute to doTERRA’s oil production.

With over 100 essential oils in its product line, doTERRA sources its oils from over 40 countries—more than half of which could be considered developing countries. To ensure that small scale farmers and harvesters in disadvantaged areas are treated ethically, doTERRA has introduced an initiative called Co-Impact Sourcing.

Co-Impact Sourcing is an initiative that seeks to develop long-term, mutually beneficial supplier partnerships while creating sustainable jobs and providing reliable income in underdeveloped areas. doTERRA is committed to the ethical treatment of its suppliers by providing on-time payments at fair prices. Growers and harvesters are encouraged to form cooperative groups to share collective benefits and bargaining power while improving skills and capacity.

Additionally, the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation® helps support development projects in sourcing communities. Projects include schools, health clinics, improved infrastructure and clean water systems.

We encourage you to check out the amazing work they do trough their doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation®

This is the social conscience we know and love doTERRA for. They are so much more than just an essential oil company. They provide heart-centred work for the betterment of all of us.

We certainly wouldn’t recommend inferior products and this is why we only recommend doTERRA. They’re the best that we have ever come across.

If you want to get your own oils or talk to us about how to get some into your life, then contact us so we can guide you through the process. It’s easy and for us, essential oils are a vital part of our additive-free lifestyle.

Do your own due diligence

Regardless of who you choose to get your essential oils from, the best thing we can recommend is for you to do your own research into each essential oil company/retailer. Knowledge really is power.

Consider all the information we have detailed above so that you can empower yourself to make informed choices.

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I think it’s fairly safe to say that most of you will know that doTERRA is pretty well known for their pure essential oils.

But did you know that they also sell a whole heap of other products too?

We always order via the Loyalty Rewards Program as this way we get even more bang for our buck.

So why not make the switch to more natural-based products, rather than buying from the department stores. These popular brands may contain lots of nasties we recommend avoiding and we’d rather say no thanks.

Let’s take a look at all the ‘other’ products you can purchase from doTERRA:

WELLNESS

Lifelong Vitality Pack

This amazing supplement system is doTERRA’s No. 1 selling product! Who’d have thought, huh? Yep, that’s right it is an AMAZING trio of supplements derived from real ingredients and specifically formulated to be bioavailable. This means you absorb the whole supplement, giving your body exactly what it needs.

You also don’t pee it down the loo, just saying. There is no yellow wee like what happens with most other multi-vitamins.

This trio of goodness has helped our entire families. Both Tracey and Craig, and Joanne and Shane take a full dose each day and have never felt better. Even living a full additive-free lifestyle, these supplements have supercharged our health, we are all less tired, have more daily energy, more mental clarity and generally feel amazing.

The pack contains:

➡️ Alpha CRS – cellular vitality complex

➡️ xEO Mega – essential oil omega complex

➡️ Microplex VMz – food nutrient complex

This 3-step supplement wellness system benefits general wellness and vitality, antioxidant and DNA protection, energy metabolism, bone health, immune function, stress management, cardiovascular health, healthy hair, skin and nails, eye, brain nervous system, liver function and digestive health, lunch and respiratory health, gentle on stomach and is dairy-free and doesn’t contain any genetically modified material.

PLUS, did you know, when you purchase the pack and use it for 30 days, if you are not satisfied with the results, you can return your product for a full refund! How good is that?! It goes to show how much faith doTERRA has in this supplement system.

DDR Prime LiquicapsThese are gelatin capsules filled with doTERRA’s cellular complex which is designed to support healthy cellular response, repair, and regeneration. As we age, cellular renewal can be slow or be compromised by oxidative damage to cellular DNA. The essential oils in DDR Prime provide antioxidant protection and support a healthy response to cellular stressors. We like to take these in the morning with breakfast.

BODY CARE

Essential Oil Deodorant

We highly recommend changing your deodorant to a natural one. It’s not a good idea to be rolling or spraying toxic chemicals (found in a lot of commercial deodorants) right near your lymph nodes. The doTERRA Natural Deodorant is an all-natural formula infused with Cypress, Tea Tree, Cedarwood, and Bergamot essential oils to create an effective, odour-fighting product for both men and women. These powerful essential oils inhibit underarm odour while leaving a fresh, clean scent. We also think it is a great first deodorant for children so that it sets the foundation for good health and natural product usage from an early age. Learn more >>> here.

Correct-X

Oh gosh, we absolutely love this stuff. We use this all the time for all sorts of things. We use it in all sorts of ways – to help heal minor cuts and scratches, but wait till it is scabbed a bit otherwise it might sting. It is brilliant to use as an under-eye cream and we love it when we have been out in the sun a bit too much.

Basically this is an all-in-one multi-purpose ointment. Correct-X provides a moisture barrier that helps protect while simultaneously soothing and hydrating the skin. This petroleum-free, preservative-free ointment absorbs quickly and is gentle and non-irritating, making it ideal for sensitive skin.

SKINCARE

Veráge Skincare Kit

This is by far our favourite. We both use it daily and LOVE it. There are four steps to this kit and by using all four combined you’ll see the greatest results. So don’t skip the toner like many of us do. In fact, by using the toner you will see less oiliness and your makeup (if you wear it) will last a lot longer.

In this pack you’ll get:

➡️ Cleanser

➡️ Toner

➡️ Moisturiser

➡️ Serum

Did we mention that this kit is only $100 (wholesale), seriously a bargain!! The oils in the serum are incredibly powerful for supporting your skin through all the daily attacks it faces – sun, chemicals, toxins etc.

Combine this serum with all the other products in the kit and you have yourself a top-shelf, high grade, skin system for all skin types.

Learn more >>> here.

HAIR CARE

Salon Essentials Root to Tip Serum

If you’ve got flyaways, unruly hair, a scalp that needs a little TLC, then this is the product for you! We seriously love it and use it every day. It is brilliant in all types of hair, even Tracey with her hair extensions uses this (and the extensions love it).

It is so nourishing and makes our hair feel super soft and silky. It’s got all sorts of goodness in there, of course, a range of essential oils, along with protective lipids to provide a healthy environment for the scalp and hair. The carefully chosen essential oils of lavender, peppermint, marjoram, cedarwood, lavandin, rosemary, niaouli, and eucalyptus combine to maximise the health of the hair and scalp.

This serum is powerful and lightweight for extended protection and moisture without weighing hair down or giving it a greasy feeling.

Actually Tracey has noticed her hair is less greasy when she uses this daily!

SPA RANGE

Citrus Bliss Lotion

The sweet, familiar scent of Citrus Bliss essential oil gives this lotion it’s refreshing and uplifting aroma. In a convenient 75mL tube, this lotion is perfect for travel or to keep in your handbag. It is also really great to use as your carrier oil/lotion. You can add more oils to it to moisturise your whole body and ‘aromatically dress’ for the day.

Hand and Body Lotion

The way to silky, smooth skin lies in the perfect blend of botanicals and important humectants. This fragrance-free (so important), light-weight lotion is perfect for hydrating the skin and is even more powerful when combined with the essential oil or blend of your choice for a customized, hydrating experience. Also sold in a convenient 3-pack. So this lotion does not have essential oils in it so you can add whatever oils take your fancy to it and moisturise your whole body and ‘aromatically dress’ for the day.

Rose Lotion

This light, alluring lotion combined with Rose essential oil (doTERRA’s most precious essential oil) promotes smooth, beautiful skin, and leaves hands soft, supple and nourished. The best part of this product, however, is that the total $26 purchase price is donated to doTERRA’s Healing Hands Foundation, doTERRA’s registered non-profit organisation that offers hope to millions around the world through it’s commitment to improving lives by partnering with organisations that offer hope. Their foundation does amazing work and inspires us constantly to do more.

Lip BalmsdoTERRA SPA Lip Balm contains naturally derived ingredients from plant oils, botanicals, and essential oils to hydrate and soothe lips while delivering the unique scent and taste of essential oils. This extra-moisturising lip balm contains coconut, moringa seed and avocado oils along with beeswax to glide easily across the lips, leaving behind deep hydration that lasts throughout the day. Along with their new formula, doTERRA has added two new flavours to their Original blend of Wild Orange and Peppermint. Experience the scents of paradise with Ylang Ylang, Clementine and Lime essential oils found in their Tropical Lip Balm, or invigorate the senses with their Herbal Lip Balm containing Lemon Verbena, Marjoram, and Spearmint essential oils. They can be purchased individually or as a handy 3-pack.

Exfoliating Body Scrub

This indulgent body scrub gently exfoliates and polishes the skin. Containing Wild Orange and Grapefruit essential oils for their cleansing and purifying benefits and Ginger essential oil for its ability to soothe and warm the skin, this body scrub exfoliates and softens the skin.

Moisturising Bath Bar

This Bath Bar is a one-of-a-kind bar that provides a unique feel, lather, aroma, and cleansing experience. Unlike regular soaps with harsh surfactants, this natural bath bar leaves skin feeling clean, smooth, and soft. From the first use, you’ll notice this bar is distinctly different from any bar or soap you’ve used before. It has a gentle foaming action that glides across the skin with ease, thoroughly cleansing while moisturizing with jojoba seed oil, vegetable-derived glycerin, and aloe vera juice. The invigorating scent of Bergamot and Grapefruit essential oils is experienced continuously upon first opening the package and with each use. Enjoy a rich, cleansing, aromatic spa experience with doTERRA’s natural, truly original bath bar.

Serenity Bath Bar

This Bath Bar is a one-of-a-kind bar that provides a unique feel, lather, aroma, and cleansing experience. Unlike regular soaps with harsh surfactants, this natural bath bar leaves skin feeling clean, smooth, and soft. From the first use, you’ll notice this bar is distinctly different from any bar or soap you’ve used before. It has a gentle foaming action that glides across the skin with ease, thoroughly cleansing while moisturizing with jojoba seed oil, vegetable-derived glycerin, and aloe vera juice. Infused with the calming and relaxing aroma of doTERRA Serenity® Restful Blend, this bath bar will transport you to a state of blissful repose. Enjoy a rich, cleansing, aromatic spa experience with doTERRA’s natural, truly original bath bar.

Hydrating Body Mist with Beautiful Blend

The aromatic benefits of our Beautiful Captivating essential oil blend (one of our all-time faves to wear as a pure-fume) combine with the nourishing properties of coconut, sunflower, avocado, and passion fruit. This not only smells divine, but our skin always feels so so soft after using it, not to mention intensely hydrated!

EASY AIR RANGE

Clear Drops

Respiratory issues are not fun and we all turn to anything that will help, but very little ever does. doTERRA Easy Air essential oil is a tried and true support that has helped many against this age-old foe. doTERRA Easy Air natural drops are a blend of selected oils from doTERRA Easy Air essential oil blend mixed into a respiratory drop to make it more convenient to enjoy the benefits of these oils. Lemon, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Thyme, Melissa, and Cardamom essential oils all help to clean and soothe airways and now they can be delivered straight to your mouth and throat in these great-tasting lozenges.

Vapour Stick

Most vapour rubs on the market are derived from petroleum which, in our opinion, we should not be rubbing on our skin because what goes on our skin goes into our bodies. This Easy Air Vapour Stick is all-natural and provides quick absorption and smooth application. This unique delivery method of doTERRA Easy Air proprietary blend can be used anytime, anywhere to enjoy a cooling, soothing vapour. The natural formula of this vapour stick glides on the skin with ease, without leaving a greasy or sticky after-feel. The power of doTERRA Easy Air essential oil blend can be felt immediately, providing a cooling effect both topically and aromatically. The small and convenient package is perfect for travelling, and only a small amount is needed to feel its immediate effects. The vapour stick works in conjunction with the other doTERRA Easy Air products, providing powerful support for you and your family.

ON GUARD RANGE

Beadlets

The doTERRA On Guard Beadlets provide a flavorful dose of the dōTERRA On Guard proprietary blend of Wild Orange, Clove, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus and Rosemary, all contained in tiny vegetable beadlets that melt in the mouth quickly to freshen breath and support our bodies. They are perfect for use at home or on the go. We love to have them in our handbag and burst a beadlet in our hands after using the bathroom. This acts as a natural hand sanitiser without all the harsh chemicals.

Sanitising Mist

doTERRA On Guard Sanitising Mist cleanses hands by killing bacteria on the skin through an extremely fine, quick-drying mist. Infused with a natural apple extract, the moisturising formula will not dry out the skin and leaves hands feeling soft and smooth. doTERRA On Guard blend of Wild Orange, Clove, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, and Rosemary essential oils provides an uplifting citrus spice aroma and its protective benefits. Sanitising hands with the convenient mist is perfect for traveling, school, work, and on-the-go families. We use this everywhere! We spray it on door handles, use as a hand sanitiser after using public bathrooms, spray the air to in our cars and homes when bacteria are flying around. We have multiple bottles around the house and in our handbags.

Protecting Throat Drops

Don’t get caught off guard! dōTERRA On Guard® Protecting Throat Drops provide a convenient way to benefit from dōTERRA On Guard’s immune-supporting properties. With all-natural organic cane juice and organic brown rice syrup, these drops help support fixed and mobile immune function, and help calm and soothe dry, scratchy throats.

Natural Whitening Toothpaste

This fluoride-free Natural Cleansing Toothpaste combines the protective benefits of the proprietary doTERRA On Guard blend of essential oils with other natural ingredients that help clean teeth, reduce plaque, and whiten teeth with gentle polishing agents. The doTERRA On Guard blend of Wild Orange, Clove, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, and Rosemary essential oils provides an extra cleaning boost. Additional essential oils of Peppermint and Wintergreen, and the natural sweetener xylitol, give dōTERRA On Guard Natural Whitening Toothpaste a refreshingly unique cinnamon-mint flavour that leaves your breath—and toothbrush!—fresh and clean throughout the day.

Laundry Detergent

This unique formulation maximizes the aroma and efficacy of doTERRA On Guard essential oil. With 10mL of powerful On Guard essential oil in every bottle of detergent, this Laundry Detergent has the ability to do up to 64 loads of laundry! You only need the smallest amount to get maximum benefit. We love to buy this using our accumulated Loyalty Rewards Program points, that way we never have to pay for it.

Cleaner Concentrate

This powerful essential oil blend is combined with plant-based derivatives that provide a non-toxic and biodegradable way to clean and eliminate odours, so it is safe for loved ones as well as the environment. The multi-purpose capabilities of doTERRA On Guard Cleaner Concentrate make it perfect to expertly clean hard surfaces in the kitchen, bathroom, or any room, leaving behind a clean and invigorating scent. This stuff is AMAZING! We use this everywhere in our houses. The best part is 1 bottle of cleaner concentrate makes up 18 x 500ml spray bottles, which equates to $1 a bottle! It is so much cheaper than store cleaners and no nasty chemicals that you shouldn’t be breathing in or putting down our drains.

Mouth Wash

This mouthwash is formulated to help clean teeth and gums, assist with reducing plaque, and to promote a healthy-looking mouth. doTERRA’s proprietary essential oil blend of Wild Orange, Clove, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, Rosemary, and Myrrh is combined with other ingredients to promote a healthy-looking mouth. The mouthwash also contains Miswak extract. When used after brushing, Miswak extract helps freshen breath and maintain clean teeth by assisting in the removal of plaque buildup. Add doTERRA On Guard Mouthwash to your oral hygiene routine, in addition to normal brushing and flossing, to support a healthy-looking mouth and fresh breath. The best part is it not alcohol-based so it is a much better option, and way less harsh than it’s alcohol supermarket counterparts.

CONVENIENCE

8-Vial Keychain

The 8-Vial Keychain conveniently allows for easy access to your favourite oils on-the-go. It comes in either black or purple with eight, empty, amber 5/8 dram vials. You can fill them up with your favourite oils to either take away travelling with you or carry around in your handbag for those quick uses on the go.

Feel free to get in touch with us if you want to set up your own doTERRA account and try out these products we love. Email us at info@additivefreelifestyle.com

Jo and Tracey x

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

The post Our Fave doTERRA Non-Essential Oil Products appeared first on Additive Free Lifestyle.

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In this week’s episode of The Whole Circle Podcast we talk to Dr Eric Z about how to create a toxic-free lifestyle.

This episode was so exciting for us. It’s no secret how much we love our doTERRA essential oils and speaking to Dr Eric Z today was such a thrill. He is so knowledgeable on all things oils and health and wellness, so to be able to pick his brain today was amazing!

Who is Dr Eric Z?

Eric Zielinski, D.C. is a Doctor of Chiropractic and public health researcher who specializes in Aromatherapy and Biblical Health. A pioneer in the natural living space. Dr. Z is the author of the International Bestselling books The Healing Power of Essential Oils & The Essential Oils Diet, Executive Producer of The Hope for Breast Cancer documentary and creator of the Essential Oils for Abundant Living Masterclass. With his wife, Sabrina (Mama Z) he founded NaturalLivingFamily.com in 2014, which become the most visited website devoted to Bible health and non-branded essential oil education in the world.

Convenience to the detriment of our health

We live in such a ‘convenient’ world today, whereby chemicals are everywhere. In our foods, our medicines and our body products. We struggle to avoid them. Back in the early 1900s and earlier, medicines such as antibiotics weren’t around then, they used essential oils as their medicines instead, and with the advancements in technology and healthcare, it hasn’t made us as a collective any healthier. In fact, it’s the opposite. Yes, there were certain historical time periods where people died younger than what they do now, but that was because of extraneous circumstances (eg. poverty).

This is the first generation in the history of the world where children are not predicted to have a longer life expectancy than their parents!

So, this lets us know that what we’re doing isn’t working and hasn’t been working for the last almost 4 generations. Thankfully now there’s a complete shift to get back to nature with essential oils being considered cool and hip. The reality is they’re just catching up to what has always been there.

Where do you think Chemists get the chemical structures from when they create a new drug?

They don’t invent them in a vacuum! The perfect example of this is willow. We have known for forever and a day that our ancestors have used willow bark as an analgesic (pain reliever). They would make extracts out of it; they would chew it and all sorts of things to get its benefits.

Similarly, there is a chemical compound called methyl salicylate which comes from the Wintergreen plant. Chemists are aware of its pain-relieving properties so in a lab they synthetically created or mimicked methyl salicylate and created Aspirin from it.

Every drug whether it’s chemotherapeutic, chemoprotective, an autoimmune drug, a blood sugar balancing drug, whatever drug it is comes from a chemical structure that we find in nature.

The difference is the risk, risks involved with synthetic drugs, risks with essential oil usage because there is risks with those too, but pills were created for convenience and again, convenience comes at a cost.

Hints and tips on essential oils

Treat essential oils like you would medicine and drugs – research them!

Make a list of your primary health issues that bother you, it could be weight, or sleep, or libido or a hot temper. Health concerns that you would normally go to the pharmacist for. Then rank them with 0 being no complaint at all and 10 being the worst imaginable symptoms and put today’s date on it. The one that has the highest rank on your list is the one you focus on first to get that under control.

Dr Z has a list of protocols for health concerns in his new book, The Essential Oils Diet. You often find that if you follow the protocols for your health issues, then symptoms dissipate such as pain. You will also find a tonne of information and resources over at his website Natural Living Family as well as being able to buy a copy of his book The Essential Oils Diet.

Bear in mind that there is no one particular oil for one particular situation, in the same way there is no one particular drug for one particular condition. We are all individual and what works for you may not work for someone else because we are all made up differently. So, it’s about trial and error and practice using essential oils to find what works for you.

No matter what protocol you are using for your health concerns you want to start slow, track your results and continue changing things in the rest of your life such as eating cleaner, healthier and moving your body.

Essential oils won’t negate the damage done by a horrible habit or addiction but when you embrace a change of lifestyle then that’s when the changes happen, ie. losing weight, clearer skin, hormone balances etc.

Essential oils allow you to start small in beginning to change your lifestyle. It could be as simple as starting with diffusing 5 drops of Lavender in a diffuser in your bedroom to give you a restful night’s sleep.

Simple steps can lead to big changes over time.

Creating healthy habits for life

Currently, Dr Z is travelling a lot and needing to be awake a lot more so he is staying away from his favoured calming oils like lavender, the chamomiles etc. and instead he is using a lot of citrus oils for their uplifting properties as well as they help keep him awake, alert and focused.

Because he is so busy and going through a stressful time in his life, stress causes an inflammatory response in the body which breaks down your joints and weakens your immune function so he is doing all he can to stop stress at a cellular level. This means that he eats a very anti-inflammatory diet, he exercises regularly and uses essential oils to support his body.

Tips to low-tox your home

✚ Remove all synthetic fragrances and chemicals from the home such as candles, perfumes, air fresheners, cleaning products etc.

✚ Use additive-free lotions and soaps.

✚ Diffuse essential oils throughout the house.

✚ Change up the additive-free products and essential oils you use so that your body doesn’t build up a resistance.

✚ Make small swaps to additive-free products over time, don’t feel like you have to do it all at once as that can be too overwhelming.

✚ Use natural washing powders/liquids so that you are not wearing synthetic fragrances around all day that are still stuck on your clothes.

Oils ain’t oils

Not all essential oils are created equal, they can quite often contain synthetic fillers and be adulterated given the industry is not regulated.

For a comprehensive guide on how to choose and buy your essential oils you can check out Dr Z article here >>> https://naturallivingfamily.com/where-to-buy-essential-oils/

doTERRA Essential Oils

As you have heard Dr Eric doesn’t advocate for any specific brand of oils other than they MUST be 100% pure and free from any synthetic fillers whatsoever, as well as being ethically sourced. This is why we love doTERRA so much, not only are we assured that what is in a bottle of oil is only pure essential oils with no adulteration, but if we want to we can head to Source to You and check out the batch number of every bottle of oil we have because the batch numbers are written on the bottom of the bottles. There is complete transparency from doTERRA.

Not only that but the Aromatic Plant Research Centre (APRC) rates doTERRA as being the highest grade of oil for their purity and potency.

doTERRA also has an incredibly high social conscience. They give back to communities where oils are sourced, they support wonderful charities through their Healing Hands Foundation both local and abroad and they pay their farmers fair trade prices through their Co-impact Sourcing initiative.

We love everything they do for the world just as much as we love their pure oils, maybe even more.

Want your own oils?

If this episode inspires you to start your own essential oil journey and you would love to join our team and get your own wholesale account so that you can get 25% off retail pricing, then please head on over to www.additivefreelifestyle.com/instructions.

What do you get if you join our doTERRA team?

✚ Exclusive access to us as your oily mentors.

✚ A 14-day email series teaching you how to use your oils safely, their purity plus how to use your doTERRA wholesale account.

✚ A supportive like-minded community.

✚ Full business training if you are interested in running your own doTERRA business which is free and run by us and our team.

✚ All the support you could ever want and need.

Links and Resources recap

• Check out Dr Z’s Natural Living Family >>> here
• Grab a copy of Dr Z’s books >>> here
• Check out Dr Z on Facebook >>> here
• Check out Dr Z on Instagram >>> here

Podcast Review

We would love for you to leave a review of this podcast >>> here

The post Podcast 165 – Toxic-Free Makeover with Dr Eric Z appeared first on Additive Free Lifestyle.

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It’s probably no secret that we love doTERRA! Not just the oils and how they have completely revolutionised our healthcare for us and our families, but doTERRA as a company as well. The reality is using essential oils in our daily lives is an integral part of being able to live an additive-free lifestyle.​​ However, there has been something that has been weighing me down that I wanted to get off my chest. For those that have followed us for a long time, you know we will call out a company and not stock or recommend anything that goes against our values. It is for that reason that you don’t see the doTERRA shampoo or conditioner recommended by us, or we don’t ever promote some of the other skin care products either. Not all doTERRA products meet our high additive-free standards.

We have given our feedback to doTERRA numerous times on this front and we are happy to say that they do listen. For example, they are removing Carrageenan from all the softgels (yahoo!). This is a massive step in the right direction because as I am sure you can appreciate, this takes time and a lot of money to remove even just one ingredient, but they are doing it anyway.

Further to all this, almost on a weekly basis someone either says to us, or we read online words to the following effect: “doTERRA is an MLM and it’s just about money”. Oh boy, do we argue this with a vengeance!

Here’s why:

Commitment to Customers

doTERRA has invested millions of dollars to ensure that their products are tested over 40 times (both internally and via a third party). Every single batch that gets harvested and every single bottle that hits the shelves is tested. Just think about that for a second, that’s millions and millions of bottle tested! The sheer scale of that is phenomenal. If even a trace amount of anything that should not be there is discovered, then it won’t be sold. Period! This is doTERRA’s level of commitment to its customers to ensure they produce the highest quality product possible. Organic certification varies from country to country, province to province, and in the US, from state to state. This means it is not currently possible to acquire all oils under certified organic status. The other reason is because they source from so many developing countries, where requirements vary and in some locations, it is not possible to certify as organic.

Third Party Testing

Third party testing is conducted by APRC (Aromatic Plant Research Centre) and they specialise in the identification of pesticides, microorganisms, heavy metals, allergens and synthetic chemicals. The best part? We get to see this data that is recorded on exactly what is in the bottle you just purchased. All you have to do is head to Source to You, type in the batch number located on the bottom of your essential oil bottle and all the data comes up! BOOM! In our opinion, this makes them the most transparent essential oil company we have ever come across.

No Adulteration

The oils are never, EVER adulterated. The essential oil industry isn’t regulated, you can sell pretty much anything and call it ‘pure’. You could have a few ‘pure’ drops of essential oil in a bottle and then top that bottle up with synthetic fillers and be able to label that bottle as ‘100% pure’. You can claim organic with no proof. The APRC recently tested 50 companies and found that only 3 were providing pure, unadulterated essential oils. doTERRA has fought for a properly regulated industry, but interestingly enough, other companies don’t want this to happen. Clearly, this begs the question why? Maybe they don’t want to put their oils through the same testing process?!

Generosity

The founders are incredibly generous. Money was never their reason for creating doTERRA. They created doTERRA because they wanted to change the world for the better and which they are doing via a few means (see points 5 and 6 below).

Sourcing the Oils

They will only source oils from the places they are best indigenously grown which then, in turn, produces oils with the most therapeutic properties. They do not mass plantations in one area (as an example) in America because it just doesn’t produce the same quality oil. Tea Tree, Eucalyptus and Lemon Myrtle are all sourced from Australia, simply because we produce the best quality with the highest therapeutic value.

Co-impact Sourcing

Co-Impact Sourcing is an initiative developed by doTERRA that seeks to develop long-term, mutually beneficial supplier partnerships all the while creating sustainable jobs and providing reliable income in underdeveloped areas. doTERRA is committed to the ethical treatment of its suppliers by providing on-time payments at fair prices. Growers and harvesters are encouraged to form cooperative groups to share collective benefits and bargaining power while improving skills and capacity. The doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation helps support development projects in sourcing communities. Projects include schools, health clinics, improved infrastructure and clean water systems. Find out more about doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation projects in Co-Impact Sourcing areas by clicking here.

Humanitarian Work

When asked about doTERRA one of the first things I think about is the humanitarian work they are involved in.

✚ If you have never heard of Operation Underground Railroad, then please, pretty please, watch this – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHerSyM7odI

✚ If you have ever wondered how they source Frankincense, then watch this – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg9mVE7-yPQ

✚ Or Pink Pepper – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOQr8WA0x18

✚ Or Manuka (sourced from New Zealand) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAu2OeVuBxE&t=34s

There are so many more of these videos I could link in, but I think you get the point (if you watch them, please watch them!).

Pride

Jo and I are proud to be a part of a company that provides thousands of entrepreneurs the ability to earn money, the ability to be involved in changing the world and taking wellness to a new level, the ability to make an impact in a way we have never seen before.

Direct-selling is Not a Dirty Word

So yes, it is a direct-selling model, a model that allows you to be served in the most amazing way – via the ability (as a customer) to attend classes and workshops. To receive aftercare support from the person that recommended the oils to you. To be a part of a community and attend events. To have access to hundreds of resources, including people like us. I can’t think of a better selling model if I am perfectly honest.

When I purchase something from the shops I don’t get asked if I would like to attend a make and take workshop, or if I would like to be phoned in a few days to see how things are going. It really baffles me that people have such a negative opinion of direct selling (sorry, but it does).

Just my thoughts on it all ☺️

Much love,

Tracey x

The post doTERRA Transparency appeared first on Additive Free Lifestyle.

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Placing a US order through your doTERRA back office is so super simple!

? Here’s a list of current products you can ONLY get from America ?

Instructions * Log into your doTERRA store * Click the ‘shop’ tab (you will probably already be in it) * Click U.S. Products (as per picture below) * Shop as per normal

We will always recommend you place an LRP (Loyalty Rewards Program) order, you will get rewards points on your order doing it this way

FAQ

Q: If I place a US LRP order, do I also need to do an AU one?

A: No. You only need to do either one US LRP order, or one AU LRP order per month.

Q: How do I cancel my AU LRP order if I place a US one?

A: First make sure you place your US order by completing it all the way. Once you have received your order confirmation email click the ‘shop’ tab and reset your screen. Go into your AU LRP template and you’ll see up the top blue wording that says ‘cancel this LRP order’. Click that. (or you can cancel your US template and leave your AU one standing).

NOTE: make sure you have ONE LRP template set up. This needs to be either an AU or US one.

Q: Does my order show in AU dollars?

A: No, your order shows in US dollars so make sure you use the currency converter to see how much your order will translate to

Q: How much is shipping?

A: Shipping starts at US$13.95

Q: Do I get America’s 125pv free product of the month?

A: Yes, as long as you haven’t received AU’s deal. You can only get one free product of the month

Q: Do I get America’s 200pv deals?

A: Yes, adhering to their T&C

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I am always up for a challenge, so when I hear people say “I don’t have time for DIY” I wanted to prove them wrong, sorry! In this Facebook live I demonstrated 10 products in 10 minutes… and nailed it (if I say so myself) :)

When living additive free it is all about making the entire house as low tox as possible, for us to achieve this, in the cheapest way possible, we do a bit of DIY. It is very easy, anyone can do it, as you’ll see in this video.

What did I make in 10 minutes:

1. Foaming Hand Wash x 2

2. Toilet Cleaner

3. All-purpose Spray

4. Glass Cleaner

5. Hand Sanitiser

6. Cleaning Paste

7. Mum Needs To Sleep Blend

8. Tracey’s Marriage Saver Blend (aka hubby stop snoring)

9. Car Freshener

10. Diffuser Blends (no more candles)

Let’s go through them one at a time:

Foaming Hand Wash – there are many recipes available for this online, we love Krissy from The Inspired Little Pot, but to be honest, we don’t measure or follow a recipe anymore. Just use a decent squirt of Castille soap, around 10-20 drops essential oil of choice and then fill the rest of the bottle with clean water (distilled, filtered or cooled down boiled water).

Our favourite blends for hand wash are – Wild Orange and Peppermint, Lemon and Lime, Eucalyptus and Wild Orange, Lemongrass and Ginger, or straight up On Guard.

Toilet Cleaner – it can’t get faster than this. Just use an old duck shaped bottle, or re-use a bottle of the doTERRA On Guard Cleaning Concentrate. In your empty bottle squirt in around a tablespoon of Castille Soap and 20 drops of On Guard. Or to make it even easier, just use the On Guard Cleaning Concentrate and follow the directions on the side of the bottle.

All-purpose Spray – I absolutely love the spray bottles from doTERRA. At the moment these are only available via the US back office, so ask your upline to help you place an order this way. The recipe is very simple – fill your bottle with clean water (distilled, filtered or cooled down boiled water), then add around 10 drops of essential oil of choice.

Oils we love for cleaning are – Oregano, Lemon, Wild Orange, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree and On Guard. You can find more ideas for using essential oils for cleaning in this blog post :)

Glass Cleaner – this is a simple mix of half and half white vinegar and clean water, mixed with 5-10 drops of Lemon essential oil in a 300ml sized bottle. Add more Lemon if your bottle is larger.

Hand Sanitiser – Mix some witch hazel extract with 5 drops On Guard essential oil. I love the bottles from the doTERRA back office (available from the US shop). I find they last longer than any others I have purchased over the years. Or, you can purchase the doTERRA Hand Sanitiser via your wholesale account, then refill this bottle when it runs out, using the recipe above.

Cleaning Paste – This recipe is from doTERRA and is brilliant. You can find it here. We love using different essential oils for different parts of the house. Oregano is amazing for cleaning the oven, but the citrus oils are our main choice as they are the cheapest for every other part of the house. You can use combinations of oils if you prefer. I still use gloves when cleaning, especially if using Oregano.

Mum Needs To Sleep Blend – I have been using this blend for quite a while and am finding it works extremely well for me. I reuse old bottles and mix 15 drops each of Copaiba and Frankincense, then top the rest with Fractionated Coconut Oil. I apply this to my wrists, soles of the feet and top of spine. You may also apply a teeny bit to your temples. Sweet dreams!

Marriage Saver Blend (aka reduce the snoring blend) – My hubby has been using this for years and it has literally saved our marriage. I was so close to moving him to the spare bedroom (totally serious about that), but since he started using this it has dramatically reduced his noisy habits and works well for us. In a 10ml roller bottle mix 10 drops of Easy Air then top the bottle with Fractionated Coconut Oil. He rolls it over the bridge of his nose and on his chest as he hops into bed each night.

Car Freshener – The little clips are available from eBay (or many other online stores). They come with little felt pads on the inside. Simply place your oil of choice onto the felt pad and you’re done. Super easy! Personally, we love the citrus oils and suggest choosing something uplifting when driving.

Fresh Diffuser Blends – One of the first things we removed from our homes were candles and synthetic reed diffusers. We switched these out to Ultrasonic Diffusers and have never looked back. If you need some inspo around diffuser blends then check out this eBook – Diffuser-Blend-e-book

Want your own customer account portal to be able to access wholesale prices. Your just one click away!

When you join our Additive-Free Lifestyle team you get access to some amazing perks – including a private phone consultation, welcome packs, email education series, private training sessions and more…

Need the link again, here it is https://additivefreelifestyle.com/instructions/

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In today’s episode of The Whole Circle Podcast we talk about 10 easy swaps you can make to ditch synthetic fragrances from your life.

Recently we watched the Netflix documentary called ‘Stink’ which we highly recommend you guys watch. It is a total eye opener and we are so glad it brings awareness to the masses of how bad these are.

FACEBOOK LIVE

We did a Facebook live recently demonstrating how easy it is to make 5 simple swaps to ditch synthetic fragrances, which you can check out here.

Today we are giving you a comprehensive list of 10 easy swaps you can make to ditch the synthetic fragrances from your home.

In a lot of products that contain synthetic fragrances, the ingredient listing, if in fact there is one, most likely won’t contain all the ingredients in that product because simply, they don’t have to list them all! To give some perspective, the word ‘fragrance’ or ‘perfume/parfum’ on an ingredient panel is not 1 ingredient. This can be hundreds of chemicals that make up that one-word ‘fragrance’ or ‘perfume/parfum’. Shocking huh?!

It’s well documented that synthetic fragrance can be detrimental to your health. They have been linked to:

• Endocrine/Hormone disruption
• Headaches/Migraines
• Allergic reactions
• Respiratory issues

WHERE CAN SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCES BE FOUND:

• House
• Car
• Work
• Public bathrooms
• Shops/Shopping Centres
• Supermarkets
• Schools

Whilst you may not be able to switch out every synthetic fragrance you encounter, you can certainly get rid of them from the places that are within your control.

WHAT YOU CAN DITCH OR SWAP

1. Hand Wash

This is a really commonly used one. Not only are you likely to find synthetic fragrance in hand wash, but if the liquid is coloured, then you’ll likely find artificial colours in there too, together with a lot of other nasties.

It is so much cheaper to make your own and so much better for you. We have made this quite often on Facebook, so here’s a video you can watch. You can also check out the recipe here.

1. Kitchen Cleaning Spray

Ditch all your kitchen cleaning products because all you need to do is make up the doTERRA Soft Scrub. This scrub can pretty much clean your whole house.

If you do want to use a spray then you can use this recipe to make that up which is really simple. Having said that, we just generally fill a sink with hot soapy water and use that to wipe down our kitchens, tabletops etc.

1. Dishwashing Liquid

Once again these are usually filled with artificial colours and fragrances. Yuk!

It can be hard to find one to switch to from the supermarket, so just be mindful and check ingredients. Having said that, we are fairly confident that the EcoStore brand from the supermarket is a good one to switch to. It’s not a perfect option, but it’s certainly a better option than a lot of other brands.

You can also check out health food shops for dishwashing liquid. Or you can use plain castile soap as dishwashing liquid and there’s a great recipe here.

1. Dishwashing Powder

You can have a go at making your own via this recipe here, however, your dishes may not come up sparkling. They’ll certainly be clean but may not be as shiny as you would like. Therefore, if that bothers you, then look at getting the EcoStore brand as this is a better option.

You can easily ditch the dishwasher cleaners too, all you need to do is cut a lemon in half and add that together with some white vinegar to your dishwasher and run it for a cycle and this will clean it.

1. Laundry Liquid/Powder and Fabric Softener

These wreak of artificial fragrances! You don’t want to be breathing those chemicals in all day long from your clothes.

There are much better choices out there. You can make your own washing powder following this easy recipe or even, once again, go with the EcoStore brand.

As for fabric softener, if you must use something, then plain white vinegar and 4-5 drops of essential oils of choice added to your fabric softener drawer work just as good. Don’t worry your clothes won’t come out smelling like vinegar. Vinegar has the added bonus of softening fabrics as well as cleaning your washing machine drum at the same time. Bonus!

1. Air Fresheners

These are EVERYWHERE and yep we get it, they can be hard to avoid at times.

If you need to freshen your house, then simply open your doors and windows and let that beautiful fresh air waft in! Could it be any simpler?! And it’s free!

For those times when the weather doesn’t permit this, diffuse some pure essentials oils in your house and then not only are you getting the benefit of your house smelling nice, but also the health benefits that pure essential oils bring as well.

1. Candles/Reed Diffusers

These are really popular. Most are artificially derived, however, you can get ones made from soy and essential oils which are a better choice so long as they are of a good/high-quality soy, essential oil and wick.

You can also swap this out for a diffuser and pure essential oils.

1. Carpet Deodoriser

This is so easy to switch out, all you need is bi-carb soda and essential oils, sprinkle that over the carpet and then vacuum up. Here’s a great recipe. Not to mention it is so much cheaper doing this.

1. Car Air Fresheners

You can ditch those dangly or air-vent attached air fresheners very easily. If your car is a bit stinky, just opened up the windows for a few hours, weather permitting, and let the smell escape via the power of fresh air.

1. Scented Tissues |Wipes |Garbage Bags

Swap these in favour of non-scented varieties such as what Who Gives a Crap has to offer. You will need to source non-scented garbage bags from somewhere else, however, we are looking at stocking these in our online store in the future.

1. Scratch and Sniff Items

These are also quite popular, especially with kids for stickers or scented stationery. Be mindful when you are buying the kids things this Christmas. The scented varieties are not necessary, so just go for unscented.

1. Perfume | Body Sprays

Ok, don’t shoot the messenger on this one! Have you ever had a physical reaction to perfume you have smelt whether it’s in the store or on someone? This is your body’s way of telling you that it’s toxic and it does not want to be anywhere near the smell.

If you want to make yourself smell pretty, then do what we do and just use pure essential oils. The beauty of using essential oils is that you can make up whatever ‘perfume’ smell you want and it’s all non-toxic and is not going to do you long-term harm.

Just to recap, you may have a product which details the ingredients list, but if it says ‘fragrance’ then you don’t know the whole ingredients it has taken to make up that product.

The shocking part is that legally they don’t have to be listed nor are the chemicals tested before they make up a product. So, we have no way of knowing what the chemical reaction on our bodies will be, short or long term, to a whole bunch of chemicals that create the one product. The industry is simply not regulated. It totally blows our mind and scares us at the same time. We are the guinea pigs, but only if you allow it!

We recommend you be really wary and mindful of what you are buying and please switch out whatever you can to safer products or make your own. Really guys, DIY doesn’t have to be hard, if it was, we sure wouldn’t be doing it!

We hope this has given you some great ideas to make some simple swaps.

If this has resonated with you, then please leave us a review and as always, we would love it if you would subscribe to our show, that way you are notified as soon as a new episode is released.

Links and Resources

• If you would like to get your own pure essential oils, then head here
• If you would like to register for the next round of Additive Free Made Easy head here
• We would love for you to leave a review of this podcast here
• To shop for the ice-creams head to www.additivefreelifestyle.com
• Visit our Additive Free Lifestyle Facebook Page
• Follow us on Instagram
• Additive-Free Lifestyle Private chat group

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In today’s episode of The Whole Circle Podcast we give you ideas of how you can have an additive-free Christmas.

Yep, we get it, it’s usually acceptable that Christmas Day is the one day of the year where you can eat whatever you want. However, it is totally possible to have an additive-free Christmas just like us.

To save yourself and your kids from feeling bloated, over-emotional or simply like you are going to be sick because of all the additives you may have eaten on Christmas Day, then follow our simple and easy tips and feel so much better for it.

1. PRE-ORDER

Ring around your local butchers as soon as possible so that you can grab a nitrate-free ham. These sell out fast, so it always pays to order this as early as you can so that you don’t miss out.

Also, hunt around and pre-order a free-range organic turkey/chicken/pork if this is something you are going to be serving.

1. BREAKFAST

Because we have a big lunch, we don’t eat too much for breakfast. We mainly stick to things like:

• Pancakes (home-made)
• Fresh fruit (get organic if your budget will allow – a nice Christmas treat)

Pancakes

If you are away camping this Christmas, you can still have your pancakes. Simply pre-mix all your dry ingredients to take away with you so that all you need to do on the day is add milk, whisk up and you have the batter ready to cook.

Maple Syrup

Make sure you get 100% pure maple syrup. There are a few types at the supermarket, you don’t want the one that is labelled as ‘flavoured syrup’ as this is the fake stuff filled with additives.

1. SNACKS

Some of our favourite Christmas snacks are:

• Chocolate coated nuts
• Gems (kind of like smarties)
• Gingerbread house
• Dips
• Fresh fruit

Chocolate Covered Nuts

Hunt around for organic chocolate covered nuts. You will be able to find them at your local health food store or online. We love the Organic Times brand.

Gems

Gems are your additive-free version of smarties or M&M’s and are great to have in a little bowl for people to nibble on or to sprinkle on top of home-made ice-cream or cakes. You can get them from your local health food store. We love the Organic Times brand.

Gingerbread Houses

Gingerbread houses are not only fun to make with your kids, but the additive-free versions are yummy. We love the Gingerbread Folk brand which you can get direct online from here.

Dips and Crackers

These are great to have around on your table for morning tea or nibbles throughout the day. We’ve got some great home-made dip recipes on our website which are so easy to make, such as:

• Creamy Roast Capsicum Dip
• Roasted Pumpkin and Garlic Dip
• Roasted Carrot Dip
• Labneh
• Plain Cracker Biscuit
• Gluten-Free Cracker Biscuits

If making biscuits/crackers is not for you then you can go to your store and get the following additive-free crackers (disclaimer: these are additive-free, that we are aware of, as at today’s date 30/11/18), so always best to check the ingredients:

• Tuckers Natural
• Be Finest Crackers

Be aware that the ones with dried fruit are likely to have sulphur dioxide in them, which you want to avoid.

1. DRINKS

You will need to hunt around the supermarket, but you will be able to find preservative-free drinks like plain lemonade, just check the ingredient panels for ones without preservatives.

You can also make up some sparkling water with some Roar Cordial or flavour water with essential oils. Head here to check out our preservative-free drink recipes.

For alcoholic beverages, have a look around and see what you can find that is additive and preservative-free, especially with drinks like wine.

1. ENTRÉE

You’re totally going to think this is weird, but we love bananas wrapped in bacon! We promise it’s delicious!

Chop your firm bananas and bacon rashers up into slivers and then wrap the bananas in the bacon with a toothpick to hold them together and fry them in the BBQ.

We dare you to give it a try?

You can also do this with prawns wrapped in slivers of bacon too.

1. LUNCH

Turkey | Chicken | Stuffing

Even though it’s hot in Australia, a traditional Christmas lunch works a treat. We usually always go for a turkey or chicken (organic and additive-free) regardless of whether it’s hot or not. Be careful when buying already stuffed turkeys, whether rolled or whole, as they are likely to contain lots of MSG. It’s really cheap and easy to make your own stuffing:

• Chopped onion
• Dried mixed herbs
• Breadcrumbs (preservative-free or fresh)
• 1 tbsp. of butter
• A splash of oil

Mix until it binds together and that’s it! So easy and no MSG in sight!

Utilising Your BBQ

If you have one, cook your lunch in the BBQ to keep the heat out of the house as well as the smell. You can cook the turkey or chicken in a frypan or wok on the BBQ, with the veggies also in the pan, using a pan such as a Solidteknics pan.

Gravy

Once your meat is cooked, you can transfer the pan to your stovetop and make gravy with the pan juices. We have a great gravy recipe here.

Cranberry Sauce

You can easily make your own as it’s just like making jam with cranberries, sugar and a bit of water. If making it is not for you then as of today’s date (30/11/18) we know that Woolworths stock their own branded cranberry sauce that is ok additive wise. However, ensure you check the ingredients.

Glazed Ham

A lot of pre-bought glazed hams have a lot of colours or additives on them. It is really easy to make your own using 100% pure maple syrup and pineapple juice. You’ll be able to find additive-free glaze recipes with a quick Google search.

Salads

They are great plate fillers and we have a heap of options on our website which you can find here.

1. GET EVERYONE INVOLVED

If you are hosting Christmas at your house, then to help take the load off you, get everyone to bring a dish.

1. DESSERTS

We love the following for Christmas desserts:

• Lemon Cheesecake
• Jelly Slice
• Christmas/Fruit Cake
• Custard
• Pavlova

If you need cream, use pure cream instead of thickened cream. As the thickened cream has an emulsifier in it whereas pure cream is just that, which you can whip up to your desired consistency.

1. BE PREPARED

The key to an easy Christmas additive-free is being prepared. Make in advance what you can and either refrigerate or freeze it and defrost the day before.

Because Christmas day this year falls on a Tuesday, you can prepare most of your menu on the weekend prior.

See if you can get help from your family to prep for the day.

If you’re spending Christmas Day elsewhere, where you don’t know what’s going to be in the food, a simple solution is to take your own food, especially things like snacks.

We get it, you don’t want to offend anyone so there will be things you may just have to deal with, but control the things you can.

1. DETOX

If you or the kids just couldn’t avoid the additives and preservatives this Christmas, then have an Epsom salt and essential oils bath to detox your body of the toxins.

We hope you have gotten some great ideas of how you can have a well-prepared and easy additive-free Christmas.

The most important thing is to enjoy it and #dontstressit

Share with us what you have planned for Christmas in our Facebook Groups and don’t forget to leave us a review as we love reading them.

Jo and Tracey x

Links and Resources

• If you would like to register for the next round of Additive Free Made Easy head here
• We would love for you to leave a review of this podcast here
• To shop for the ice-creams head to www.additivefreelifestyle.com
• Visit our Additive-Free Lifestyle Facebook Page
• Follow us on Instagram
• Additive-Free Lifestyle Private chat group

The post Podcast 144 – Your Ultimate Additive-Free Christmas Day Menu appeared first on Additive Free Lifestyle.

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In today’s episode of The Whole Circle Podcast, Shane interviews Jo and Tracey as they answer all your listener questions. It’s going to be a fun ride!

A few weeks ago, Jo put the call out to their listeners to see if anyone had any questions they wanted Shane to ask her and Tracey and wow were they inundated! So today you get your answers.

To set the scene, Tracey, Jo and Shane are recording this podcast on the teenage filthy floor in the bedroom of Tracey’s daughter. The things they do to record a podcast with good sound! Lol

Shane has narrowed it down to five questions each, so let’s get into it!

Tracey

Shane: What has been your greatest highlight/achievement in Sistermixin’ and Additive-Free Lifestyle to date? (Question from Christine)

Tracey: Their greatest achievement would definitely be their Additive-Free Made Easy course which includes the thousands of lives they have changed. That gives them the biggest high they have ever had especially with all the feedback they get of how those lives have changed from doing the course.

But if she had to pick a really close second, definitely watching their team grow in doTERRA (she’s included doTERRA because doTERRA is a part of their overall business) and watching those ladies that are now starting to grow their businesses into a full-time business which is supporting their families, or having holidays because of the doTERRA income that they are earning.

Jo

Shane: What are your go-to oils and why? (Question from Louise)

Jo: They change based on how she is feeling at any given time. If she is really hormonal, then her go-to oils will be Clary Sage and Frankincense. If she needs uplifting, then she will go to a citrus oil like Citrus Bliss or Lime or something that makes her happy and smells beautiful.

Tracey suggests that she should start using Spearmint which is the Oil of Speech! Hahaha

Jo said that if she needs some calming down or has anxious feelings then her go-to is Siberian Fir and Frankincense.

Shane asks Jo what they would suggest for their son who is physically crazy at the moment (lol). Jo said calming oils would be the ones to go to such as Cedarwood and Petitgrain, which smell beautiful when combined, but are also really grounding and supportive oils.

Tracey

Shane: If you had the opportunity to meet anyone in the health and wellness industry, who would it be and why? (Question from Emily)

Tracey: Jamie Oliver and maybe Pete Evans too. Jamie Oliver was the first inspiration she had with healthy eating and cooking from scratch and the food education side of things that he also does is pretty cool too.

Jo

Shane: When you lost everything how close were you to giving it all away? (Question from Jenna – a long time follower)

Jo: For those that may not recall, Jo and Tracey lost everything regarding what was then Sistermixin’ on their website due to an IT issue. If you want to revisit it, check out Podcast 14 – How We Came Back After Losing It All (Website). Jo thinks she thought about quitting for maybe 10 seconds! The attitude was about how to move on from it to the next step. It was never about giving up.

She said the thought did run through their minds and to just keep working in their day jobs and with no business responsibilities which would have been really easy, but it wouldn’t have fulfilled her life. Quitting just wasn’t an option! The thought of helping families and children to live additive-free was their driving force to keep going.

Tracey

Shane: How do you cope with moody and fussy teenagers? (Question from Claire)

Tracey: She picks her battles! As she said at the start of the podcast, they are sitting in her daughter’s bedroom which is awful with stuff everywhere, but this does not mimic the rest of her house at all, so she definitely picks her battles. It’s her daughter’s bedroom, it’s not causing a health hazard, nothing’s broken, it’s just untidy and messy. You need to figure out what’s important to you.

In the rest of Tracey’s house her girls have to do what they’re told but their bedrooms are their space where they have free reign and it gives them the opportunity to express themselves instead of Tracey dictating their whole entire life to them.

As far as food goes, it’s the same thing. What is in the kitchen is what they’ve got. She doesn’t go and pander to their needs or wants because they don’t need it. They will often say ‘mum can we get this ice-cream’ which is met with ‘no, but you can have this version instead’.

That happened on their recent American holiday a lot and eventually they just stopped asking because they knew Tracey would say no. She is treating them a bit like an adult and not as kids anymore.

Talking to other parents in the same situation is good too as you may likely be all going through the same thing, at the same time, as this has been Tracey’s experience with her friend circle.

Jo

Shane: What guidance would you give to someone wanting to start using doTERRA Essential Oils and what path would you guide them down? (Question from Ashleigh)

Jo:She would tell people to not overthink it. Just get some essential oils and then you need to start using them. Jo thinks sometimes we overcomplicate things a little bit. When you think about all the things that you want to achieve with essential oils such as cleaning, sleep, dry skin, eczema or dandruff etc. it can then get really overwhelming.

So, her best advice is to just enrol and the best way that you can save money is buy purchasing a kit. You can find all that information on their website here or if you want to know a bit more about essential oils then head to their website here. Otherwise, you just have to get a kit and starting using them.

If you get the Nature’s Solution Kit that’s going to overhaul your whole house. If you get the Home Essentials Kit, which has dōTERRA’s Top 10 oils, then you’ve got a really great start and you can build from there. In both those kits there are oils that you can start using for cleaning, for sleeping, for calming you down or uplifting you. Once you have them worked out then get some more oils to experiment with.

You just have to start! If you are scared when you think you don’t know enough, well that can be said for anything you start out in during your life such as working, driving a car etc. You learn as you go.

Shane: What sort of support is out there for someone wanting to start with essential oils? (Question from Shane)

Jo: When you join Jo and Tracey’s Additive-Free Lifestyle team you get a heap of information. You will go into an email series that lasts about 14 days which will teach you how to use the oils in the kit you purchased (if you purchased a kit). It will teach you the back office of your doTERRA system because you will have your own account. You will be able to save yourself 25% off retail prices and you will be able to log-in and order or re-order anytime you want to. You will also get some links to recipes and blogs.

If you are not in Jo and Tracey’s team then just go to the doTERRA website, Source To You which is another great resource, Pinterest or Google. They also have a Facebook Group which has so much information and DIY videos in it. There is over 20,000 people in that group now and it’s wonderful. So many people ask questions in the group every single day and get help and support with their oils. There really is so much information out there that you will never have your question go unanswered, but at the same time it can get a little bit overwhelming because there is so much information out there. Just make sure you trust your instincts and use common sense.

Tracey

Shane: Morgan is a mum of 2 young children and she has noticed behavioural issues of late. Her hubby is grumpy, and she wants to help them out. She has noticed some of the foods they are eating are causing mood changes and she can’t help but think that their dietary intake is having an impact. What are the best things that she can do to help improve their lives?

Tracey: They get asked this question a lot about what can they do to help their family situations with things like mood swings or behavioural issues and it’s certainly a question that maybe Jo is better off answering because that is what started Additive-Free Lifestyle, or Sistermixin’ as it was known back then, due to her daughter’s behavioural issues.

From Tracey’s experience though, just try and start out really slow and switch over ingredients and items that might be in your fridge and pantry. There is a lot of information over on their website which you can check out here. Start out there and then you can progress further if you find that that’s working. There is also their program Additive-Free Made Easy which you can also check out.

You can make simple swaps such as swapping over flavoured foods to more plain foods, like flavoured chips to plain chips or flavoured popcorn to plain popcorn, things like that. Flavouring with salt is ok but she’s talking about things like chicken flavouring and BBQ flavourings etc.

You can also go back through their podcast show and check out all the podcasts they have done about making simple switches or swaps with food which will give you a really good insight into living additive-free.

Shane recalls that he and Jo have done a podcast together too about how you can get the men in your lives involved in living additive-free which you can check out here.

Jo

Shane: What motivates you and drives you to do what you do? (Question from Claire)

Jo: What gets her out of bed every day is kids. It’s all about the little kids for her. Jo looks at her kids and thinks about how much their lives have changed. They get emails constantly how living additive-free has totally changed their lives, from grandparents all the way down to little kids. That’s what gets her out of bed, what motivates her and Tracey and why they can’t and won’t stop doing it. She just couldn’t imagine going to a job that she doesn’t want to do. She just loves doing what she does every single day!

Tracey

Shane: How did you cope with having no control, or very little control, in the food over in America and what was prepped or given to you and what tips do you have to fellow travellers to help? (Question from Mel)

Tracey: We are going to record a whole podcast on this topic very soon so she’s only going to give a short answer now. They stayed in a lot of Airbnb’s which helped them control what they were eating every day.

Tracey found that she was nervous about going to America because of the food. You can quite often hear horror stories about the food being horrible, fatty and sugary but she actually found it the opposite.

She found it really easy to buy organic produce and bread and everything else they needed including nitrate free bacon which was in every supermarket they went into.

Airbnb’s were a godsend. It would have been different and a lot harder if they were in hotel rooms because they would have had to have eaten in restaurants and takeaway stores.

Most of the time they ate additive-free but there were times they didn’t, and this was by their own choice, not because they couldn’t find additive-free food.

Jo said that it was definitely easier living in Airbnb’s but trying to find an additive-free takeaway dish was really hard. Tracey found Disneyland hard for that, but they did find a little café that did bacon and eggs with sourdough bread and they always made sure they got salad dressings on the side.

It was a lot easier than she expected it to be.

Jo

Shane: With a super awesome husband that works alongside Jo and Tracey, what tips can you give other entrepreneurs or business people to be able to grow your business to be the source of family income and to integrate partners into the business? (Question from Shane ?)

Jo: She gets asked this all the time because first she had to take that leap of faith and quit her job to work in the business full time. The second time was when Tracey had to take the same leap of faith and quit her job to work in the business full time. Then the third time was when Shane quit his job to work in the business full time. She’s been through it three times in the last two years and it’s hard, definitely and nerve-wracking.

Jo had a headache for three weeks straight when Shane quit his job because it was so scary. But she thinks you will deep down know you’re ready to take that leap. There’s a lot of planning and budgeting that goes into a decision like that and anticipating worst-case scenarios. If you can still survive from your worst-case scenario then you’ll be fine.

Their worst-case scenario is that they don’t earn enough money to pay the wages. If that happens then they’d just go and get a casual job at Woollies or Coles packing shelves. They will find something that they can do to bring the money in.

Once you’ve worked out your worst-case scenario then you have to take that leap of faith and you will make it work because your livelihood depends on it. Your passion will be driving it.

Tracey agrees. When she was leaving the defence force whom she worked for, for about 20 years, she took about 6 months to be able to hand in her resignation as she just couldn’t do it. She would bring the form up on the screen and then she would almost vomit. It was way too scary, she was not ready to quit, and it wasn’t because she didn’t have faith in the business or anything like that, she just wasn’t ready. So, she agrees that when you are ready you will know because the day that she did it was elating, with no problem or sick feelings from it.

As far as integrating your partner into your business, you have to treat it like a business and layout all those ground rules. They’ve certainly had to do that. Shane works with his sister-in-law and wife and they’ve had ups and downs and things they didn’t even think of that they had to plan for. Yes, it’s easier because they are family, so they can talk it out without any moodiness and just sort it out. But the same can be said for any relationship though, as long as you have good communication.

They have a rule that nothing is a secret, if one of them is annoyed at the other one, they let everyone know about it between the three of them and it works really well for them. Shane works better when he goes around to Tracey’s office and works there with her than what he does at home working in his office with Jo as he and Jo need to have that separation at times and Tracey would be the same if her husband was working with them as well. There is no way they could work together every single day side by side. She would need to find an office somewhere else or he would need to work somewhere else for the business and that’s completely ok. It’s about what works well for your marriage and not comparing yourselves to others.

Jo thinks it’s about being realistic and figuring out what works and maybe it’s ok not to work together as well. As an example, there are lots of high ranking doTERRA leaders who are earning a very good income, but their partner hasn’t quit their job because they don’t want to work in the business, and that’s ok as well.

Shane was very nervous when the opportunity arose to work alongside Jo and Tracey but having said that he was also very excited. He did love his previous job but it was great to be able to work on the business with Jo and Tracey and in turn be home more and around their kids more. Of course, they’ve had their ups and downs, but you don’t know until you take that step about what it’s going to be like.

You guys need to find your business model and what will work well for you.

Well that’s it, not as scary as what Jo and Tracey thought it would be.

Coming up next week they’re going to be talking about Tracey’s holiday to the US which will give you some tips on how do that additive-free especially with the Christmas holiday travel season coming up.

Hit that subscribe button so you are notified when our next episodes are released and make sure you follow us on Facebook and Instagram as we’re doing heaps of Insta-stories at the moment so check them out.

Links and Resources

• If you would like to register for the next round of Additive Free Made Easy head here
• We would love for you to leave a review of this podcast here
• Visit our Additive Free Lifestyle Facebook Page
• Follow us on Instagram
• Additive-Free Lifestyle Private chat group
• Additive Free Lifestyle Oily Tribe

The post Podcast 140 – Jo & Tracey Answer Listener Questions appeared first on Additive Free Lifestyle.

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In this episode of The Whole Circle Podcast we talk to the lovely Leia Dillon about her journey of becoming a doTERRA Wellness Advocate and then building a flourishing doTERRA business.

Tracey and Jo met Leia about 18 months ago on a doTERRA trip to Fiji.

Recently at the 2018 Australia doTERRA Leadership Conference Leia shared her powerful story of how having a doTERRA business has changed her whole family’s life and in the process given them the financial security and freedom they needed whilst their son, Mako, has been suffering with some serious health concerns.

How long has Leia been building a doTERRA business?

Leia has been growing her doTERRA business for 3.5 years now. She was a High School Teacher when she first started using the essential oils and then just began naturally sharing them with friends and family. She started growing her business part time whilst she was still teaching. From there she started cutting back her teaching hours until her doTERRA business reached the rank of Platinum which is when she was then able to stop teaching and focus on doTERRA full time.

Leia’s story

At the beginning of 2017 Leia found out that her little boy, Mako. who was 7 at the time, had a really rare and severe hip condition called Hip Dysplasia. They had been spending a long time searching for answers since their son started walking and when they discovered that the condition he had was a really big deal, it was extremely shocking and required him to have reconstructive surgery of his hips and tops of his legs which would leave him in a spica cast, which is a half body cast, for several months whilst his bones and body recovered then he faced the journey of completely learning to walk again. It was quite an ordeal both mentally and physically for Mako and the whole family.

Thankfully through it all the one thing Leia knew she didn’t have to worry about was her doTERRA business because she knew that being her own boss she didn’t have to take time off work, nor did she have to think about how they were going to pay for it all, so she felt extremely lucky for her successful doTERRA business and for also having the oils to support them through it all.

At the time they were ranked at Platinum but were close to rank advancing to Diamond so they had the financial backing they needed to get them through this family crisis.

By July 2017 they had reached Diamond rank and at this time they were in the midst of surgeon appointments and getting things ready to book in Mako’s surgery which was finally booked in and took place in October 2017. Leia’s first two Diamond rank monthly pay cheques paid for her his surgery. This was a massive achievement and even though they had private health insurance, they still had a very large out of pocket expense to pay given that Mako required two Surgeon’s to operate on him.

Moving on from the surgery, having her own business allowed Leia and her husband the freedom to be able to both be home with Mako to care for him and his high post-surgery needs. His spica cast meant that he had a cast from his belly button down to his ankles and his legs were splayed apart which was very emotionally frightening for him and would require both Leia and her husband to move him around. Without their doTERRA business they would not have both been able to be home as it meant they had a constant stream of income coming in.

Tracey pointed out that for the average person in a ‘normal’ job, when such a family crisis might arise, they wouldn’t necessarily have the leave accrued to be able to take a lengthy period of time off and still be paid, so more often than not people would be taking this time off unpaid and it could put such a financial strain on families.

If Leia had still been teaching, she would have needed to leave her job given the amount of time her son needed to be cared for and her husband would have needed to have gone back to work a lot sooner and when she thinks back she does not know how they would have survived if not for their doTERRA business and the residual income it provided It could have quite easily resulted in them having to sell their house or car to be able to financially survive because the financial side to her Mako’s condition is ongoing. They still have 2-3 appointments a week and she would still not be able to be working now.

After the surgery she did the bare minimum in her business for 2-3 months and she is very blessed to have a capable and amazing doTERRA team that kept things ticking over whilst she focused on family. That’s the beauty of setting up strong foundations for your doTERRA business as it ends up creating that residual income for you, so Leia could check in with her team occasionally, but because they knew she was going through a hard time they focused on growing their businesses which meant that it ended up growing her business at the same time. When she did start to refocus back to doing work, she was at home, so she could still be present for her son and work on her doTERRA business as well.

So what does a doTERRA Diamond rank income look like?

When you start off at the level of Diamond rank you are earning (roughly) $10,000 per month and then it can average out and be anywhere between $10,000 to $14,000 per month which, as we have heard, Leia was earning working part time whilst Mako was unwell and being cared for.

When Jo was working part time, prior to Additive-Free Lifestyle and doTERRA, she was earning $23,000 … per year!

As Leia said, even though money isn’t everything, when you are already in a stressful situation caring for your son who is dealing with a serious condition which is costing a lot financially, to not have to worry about where that money has to come from to give your son the best of what he needs, is a massive relief.

Tracey agreed, even though we say that money isn’t everything, it really is a big factor in us living and for things like paying a mortgage, to have a car, to run a car, to pay school fees, to eat, to pay all our bills, to keep our heater going through winter, so that financial pressure cannot be underestimated or overestimated and a lot of families break up because of finances or issues arise in marriages because of finances and a lot of stress happens with our own children because we are arguing about money. So, for Leia to have that pressure completely gone is an absolute blessing.

What was the process of caring for Mako?

Mako had a full reconstruction of his pelvis and had 3 cm removed from each femur bone which is now held together with plates and screws which he will have to have another operation at the end of 2018 to have all of the plates and screws removed and then he had 3 cuts through each pelvis with bone grafts and that all happened on each side. It was a major 8 hour operation which was the longest 8 hours of their lives. Following the surgery Mako then had an epidural in place for 6 days. So it was a massive ordeal for him!

When he eventually came home from hospital with his spica cast on, we would have to turn him every 2 hours from side to side with pillows to stop pressure sores from forming under the cast. Leia is a part of a few Facebook support groups for this condition which has been really helpful and there is so many things that parents face post-op with their little ones, some of them really generic or common things like tummy issues or things which the oils have been amazing for, such as circulation.

Then when his cast was removed the journey to re-learn to walk again began which was really slow going. They assumed that because he was a kid he would recover quickly but it was a lot bigger than they expected. It started with really small movements such as moving his knees and ankles just slightly so they would set alarms on their phones and every hour they would do small movements with his legs to start to get some mobility back again. From there it went to beginning to weight bear and now he has been through 3 different types of walking frames and the physio has been ongoing and now he can stand, walk, get a little bit of a jog up, play handball at school and ride his bike. He’s still quite stiff and there’s still a long way to go with physio, but in terms of him being able to do what he loves to do, he is pretty well back to himself which has made him much happier.

How much time did Mako have off school?

He had all of fourth term 2017 off, so Leia basically home schooled him which she found really hard….hat’s off to all the home schooling families! He did go back into school a few times, once was for book week dressed up as a mummy from Goosebumps (lol) and because of his spica cast they could not drive him anywhere as he did not fit in the car, so they would have to take a wheelchair taxi if they needed to go places with him. As they don’t live in town and live about 30 minutes from Tweed Heads and 2 hours from Brisbane, they would not go many places because it was just too difficult.

Jo and Tracey were amazed at how Leia, Mako and their family got through it all and upon reflection Leia doesn’t know how they got through it all either, they just did.

So what does the future look like for Mako?

He will have the operation at the end of 2018 to have the plates and screws removed which is quite a minor operation in comparison to what he has already had.

Because Mako was undiagnosed for so long it is likely to impact him for the rest of his life. It is very likely that he will need another operation later on when he is a teenager and there’s every likelihood that he will develop osteoarthritis as he gets older because the bones rubbing on bones will start to cause pain and then he’ll likely have to have hip replacements from his 30’s onwards, but there’s no definite on what’s going to happen yet.

What does Leia do with the essential oils on a day by day basis?

Leia gives Mako a massage every night, although Mako did give Leia a foot massage the other night and for those that don’t know, at the time of recording this podcast, Leia was 39.5 weeks pregnant so she deserved the foot massage! Lol

She gives Mako a massage with Copaiba, Frankincense and often Lemongrass or AromaTouch blend which are all really great for helping his muscles and joints to relax and to soothe him after a big day because he gets really tired. A couple of times a week Leia will get a call from school to come and pick him up early from because he’s tired. He’ll also have magnesium baths and she’ll add Frankincense often as well. Frankincense and Copaiba have been amazing and Copaiba in particular. Leia attended the US doTERRA Leadership Conference last year when they released Copaiba and she felt like they were talking to her and that the oil was brought out for Mako, so she was super excited about that and they started to use it straight after his surgery.

One huge impact that Copaiba had was that the doctors said that he would get really bad muscle spasms because of the way that they have stretched, pulled and moved everything around which would be really uncomfortable because he would not be able to move and stretch it out because of the cast. So, when Leia learnt about this she started using Copaiba on the bottom of Mako’s feet because it’s really relaxing to the central nervous system and from this, Mako did not have one spasm! The medical staff in the days following the surgery kept coming and checking for spasms and then they were all talking about the fact that Mako was not getting any muscle spasms, so Leia told them about the Copaiba she was using on him.

What an amazing mum! Amazing family! And amazing essential oils!

Tracey shared that having a doTERRA team is much more than having a doTERRA business, it’s a community that all has each other’s backs. doTERRA as a company is so supportive and just has no competition, competitive nature and has an amazing culture. It is hard to describe how wonderful it is because when you try most people don’t believe you.

You simply cannot underestimate the power of residual income and what that can do for you!

For anyone that wants to build and grow a doTERRA business, then all you need to do is reach out to Jo, Tracey, Leia or your existing upline if you already have a doTERRA wholesale account.

Links and Resources

• If you would like to check out Leia Dillon’s website, Blissful Being, head here
• If you would like to check out Leia Dillon’s Facebook page head here
• If you would like to learn more about doTERRA Essential Oils (and how to save 25% on each order), please head over to the Essential Oils tab by clicking here! OR
• Send us an email at info@additivefreelifestyle.com
• doTERRA Wholesale Enrolment
• Join our Facebook group Oils with Additive-Free Lifestyle
• Visit our Additive Free Lifestyle Facebook Page
• Follow us on Instagram
• Additive-Free Lifestyle Private chat group

The post Podcast 136 – Wellness Advocate and doTERRA Business Builder, Leia Dillon appeared first on Additive Free Lifestyle.

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In this episode of The Whole Circle Podcast we discuss how you can use top quality essential oils to support you and your family during long haul trips. Tracey and her family are about to head off on a USA adventure for four weeks and, well, it got us thinking about what we can do to make the long-haul flights and time away as comfortable as possible. So, if you’re about to head off on a trip, then we’ve got you covered in this podcast.

Choosing what oils to take is like choosing your favourite child!

We get it when you go away the temptations are high to take all your oils with you. But honestly you don’t need to, we subscribe to the KISS method (keep it simple silly – lol). There are some great all-round oils you can pack that can support you for a lot of different things. It’s going to be hard enough deciding what clothes to pack let alone what oils. When using essential oils make sure you are getting top quality, high-grade essential oils from a company you know and trust. We wholeheartedly trust doTERRA and choose to use their oils. So, let’s make it easy for you and give you some inspiration.

1. Ice Blue Planes are cramped spaces and cause us all sorts of aches and pains, plus with all the walking we do from sightseeing our bodies really can cop it on holidays. Ice blue is going to support your body right where it needs it. Tracey is taking the 5ml neat bottle of oil away with her as well as some fractionated coconut oil for safe dilution and application, but ice blue also comes in a ‘Touch’ 10ml roller bottle which means it is already pre-diluted with fractionated coconut oil and ready to roll right onto your sore spots.

2. Lavender Carry this on the plane with you so you can soothe and calm any anxious jittery feelings you may get, especially on the plane, we know we sure get them! It will also assist with you being able to sleep so that when you get off the plane you are feeling somewhat refreshed. We like to apply it to our temples, wrists, back of the neck and possibly bottom of feet (if they’re not too stinky while on the plane – lol). It’s also great if you get too much sun whilst away, just lather it on your overexposed bits and your skin will feel much better.

3. Frankincense Geez, we love frankincense! He is the one we go to for all sorts of different reasons. Frankincense is known as the ‘King of Oils’. He will enhance all the properties of the other oils he is blended with. So, let’s say you have gotten a bit too much sun, grab your frankincense and lavender and he will boost the effectiveness of the lavender (pretty cool huh?!). Not to mention if you have any mishaps while away, Frankincense will be great for skin support. We also love Frankie for our general wellness. If you are away for a while and feeling a bit exhausted, grab your bottle of frankincense for support. Because let’s face it, holidays are usually jam-packed full of sightseeing and we end up needing a holiday from the holiday! Also, if you find you have run out of a certain oil while you’re away, then Frankie can step in and act as a fantastic replacement due to his all-around abilities.

4. Peppermint Beadlets With 1/3 of a drop of oil in each beadlet, it is so easy to carry these around in your bag as a quick natural solution for so many things. It has the added bonus of not being an overpowering smell for your travel companions, so you can take it everywhere with you to support things like motion sickness, breath freshener, mood uplifter, muscle and head tension.

5. OnGuard Beadlets These are just the same as the peppermint beadlets, but instead, they have the protective blend, OnGuard in them. OnGuard’s job is to guard and protect our bodies from whatever is going around, so it’s perfect for travel! You could take a beadlet daily to boost and support your general wellness or burst one open in your hands and you’ve got an instant hand sanitiser.

6. Lemon Need a bit of a cleanse and detox from all the food we usually eat while away, then add a drop to your water. Let’s say you are in another country where the drinking water doesn’t taste as great as what you’re used to, then add some lemon to it for a flavour boost. It can also be a good idea to take a small diffuser away with you and then diffuse lemon and OnGuard to detoxify and purify the air of where you’re staying. If you’re feeling a bit tired from all your travel, then get your lemon and peppermint together to help uplift your mood. If airborne pollens are bothering you, then grab your lemon, lavender and peppermint and inhale to support you. We know that this blend was what converted our Dad to essential oils!

7. DigestZen We all want to live in the moment while away and this may mean you are not eating as additive-free as you usually do and that’s totally ok because it’s your choice. This is where our #dontstressit motto comes in. Holidays are to be enjoyed and submerging yourself in the culture. So, for those times when our digestive system doesn’t feel that great, this is where DigestZen will be your best friend for all tummy issues.

8. Balance We could seriously go on and on about balance! Tracey loves it blended with citrus bliss or just on its own as a pure-fume. Take balance with you on the plane so it can help keep you grounded (yep we get the irony of that – lol) and calm. Blend it with lavender and you’ve got great sleep support. As we said earlier, holidays are usually always on the go and can at times be quite stressful, so take balance with you to help you calm the farm for yourself and those around you.

9. ClaryCalm This will help support Tracey and her girls hormonally for the four weeks they’re away as well as helping support their moods.

10. Copaiba Copaiba is a last minute addition to Tracey’s oil travel bag but she just couldn’t leave home without it. It is so good for calming your body down when the travel jitters kick in or when you just need to get some shut-eye and recharge your body. It is such a gentle oil but with massive benefits. Copaiba will blend beautifully with frankincense and lavender and even balance.

11. Fractionated Coconut Oil And last, but certainly not least, is fractionated coconut oil. When we need to apply any of the above oils to our bodies then we use fractionated coconut oil to ensure safe dilution and application. Using fractionated coconut oil will ensure our oils are as effective as we need them to be.

So there you have it, there really is an oil for everything!

We hope this has inspired you to take your oils on holiday with you. This is especially good if you are travelling to countries with language barrier issues because you know your essential oils will protect you. They really will be your first response medicine cabinet while away and how good is it that we can be empowered to take back that control to support our own bodies naturally.

Links and Resources * If you would like to learn more about doTERRA Essential Oils (and how to save 25% on each order), please head over to the Essential Oils tab by clicking here! OR * Send us an email at info@additivefreelifestyle.com * doTERRA Wholesale Enrolment * Join our facebook group Oils with Additive-Free Lifestyle * Visit our Additive Free Lifestyle Facebook Page * Follow us on Instagram * Additive-Free Lifestyle Private chat group

The post Podcast 134 – Long Haul Travelling with Essential Oils appeared first on Additive Free Lifestyle.

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In today’s episode of The Whole Circle Podcast, we are going to guide you through our three favourite go-to cleaning with essential oils recipes for cleaning your entire home. So if you are into spring cleaning but hate using those harsh, damaging chemicals, other products contain then you’ll surely love this episode!

Did you know:

• Most household cleaners contain harsh, damaging toxic chemicals. These chemicals can cause an array of medical issues and have been linked to various cancers, asthma and skin irritations and more.
• What we tip down our drains makes its way into our waterways. This kills marine life, pollutes our waterways and in some cases has catastrophic effects on the fish supplies…
• Children are often more susceptible to chemical exposure from cleaning products than adults.
• According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the air inside a typical home is 200–500 per cent more polluted than the air outside mainly due to toxic household cleaning products.

So, in this episode, we get to teach you how to spring clean on a budget using only three amazing essential oils Lemon, Wild Orange & Peppermint. That’s right only three, and these oils are affordable yet will give you that sweet, fresh clean that is entirely naturally.

1. All-Purpose Spray – Lemon and Wild orange

• 1 x 500ml glass spray bottle
• 250ml cooled boiled water
• 250 ml of white vinegar
• 10 drops of lemon oil
• 10 drops of wild orange

Mix all the ingredients together, give it a good shake, and your all-purpose spray is ready to go. This will clean your toilets, bathroom, showers and everything related plus you get that lovely citrus scent all over your house.

2. Window Cleaner

• Bucket of warm water
• Half a cup of white vinegar
• Lemon essential oil

Mix everything together and give your windows a good spring clean.

3. Soft- Cleaning Scrub (bath, toilet, sinks, vanity, oven and rangehood cleaner)

• ¾ rounded cup baking soda
• ¼ cup unscented liquid castile soap
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 5-10 drops of lemon or wild orange essential oil.

It’s effortless to make, mix it up into a consistent paste. Your paste will become a fantastic soft scrub for bath, vanity bowls, tiles, and toilets. Give your toilet an excellent scrub. You can also pour some of it down the plughole and pour a little white vinegar on top, let it fizz up down the plug and clean your drains out.

4. Barbeque Cleaner

Using the same ingredients as the soft-cleaning scrub, make up some paste in a bowl (you may need to double the ingredients to cover the whole bbq) put your rubber gloves on, take the bbq plates off and all of those things that move. Smear it all over the barbecue, give it a few minutes, hose it off or pour a kettle of boiling water, which gives your barbecue a really good clean. Note: We recommend if using on the outside finished surface that you try in a small, non-visible, area to test it will not disturb the finish of the bbq.

5. Microwave and Fridge Cleaner & Deodoriser

• Get a little dish of water, pop in a few drops of Lemon essential oil, pop that in the microwave and then turn your microwave on for a few minutes. All that steam from the water and essential oil will come out into your microwave, and you’ll be able to wipe down the sides so much easier, it will also leave your microwave smelling amazing.
• Use a couple of drops of lemon essential oil and wipe out the inside of your fridge and freezer which will leave it looking brand new again!
• The other thing you can make is a deodoriser for your fridge. Mix some bicarb, a few drops of Lemon or Wild orange essential oil into a mason jar with a few holes in the lid, sit that inside the fridge – a natural way to put a deodoriser and detoxer in your fridge. You can do the same in your bathroom and toilet to help reduce some unwanted smells in that part of the house.

Note: Don’t spray anything inside your microwave, especially around the openings and vents. Don’t forget to turn it all off at the power point before wiping and cleaning.

6. Kettle Cleaner

• Put a couple of drops of lemon essential oil into a full kettle, a teaspoon of citric acid and then boil the kettle. Use this water again, by pouring down the drain that has some bicarb sprinkled in it. Fill the kettle again with plain water, boil it, rinse out and you’ll have a sparkling clean kettle.

7. Dishwasher Cleaner

• Spring clean your dishwasher by mixing in a ½ cup of bicarb, ½ cup of white vinegar, 10 drops of lemon, wild orange or peppermint essential oil in the powder holder. You can use one or all of the oils mentioned. Turn the dishwasher on for a full cycle. You will now have a deodorised, rinsed out, sparkling clean dishwasher.

8. Mattress and Carpet Deodoriser

• Mix some bicarb soda and a few drops of essential oils. You can use Lemon, Wild Orange, Peppermint or a mixture of all. Sprinkle that over your carpet, let it soak in for an hour or two and give it a really good vacuum.
• Same goes for your mattresses, sprinkle the bicarb and essential oil mixture, let it soak under the sun before giving it a good vacuum. Using peppermint essential oil will also help you get rid of all those creepy crawlies for a healthy good night sleep. Super easy!

9. Natural bug and insect repellent

• Peppermint is excellent to use if you’re having a problem with insects and 8-legged friends, especially in your kitchen and pantries. Wipe the inside of your pantry, cupboards and drawers out with peppermint. Or use peppermint instead of wild orange in an all-purpose spray and give each shelf a good clean for a nice clean pantry ready to be restocked.

These essential oil bottles are really quite cheap, you don’t need a lot so a little of this stuff goes a long, and you can use these in many different ways. The best part though is that you’ve cleaned your whole house, 100% naturally, without any chemical sprays. There are no concerns about what you’re using and breathing in.

Links and Resources:

• If you would like to learn more about doTERRA Essential Oils (and how to save 25% on each order), please head over to the Essential Oils tab by clicking here! OR
• Send us an email at info@additivefreelifestyle.com
• doTERRA Wholesale Enrollment
• Join our facebook group Oils with Additive-Free Lifestyle
• Visit our Additive Free Lifestyle Facebook Page
• Follow us on Instagram
• Additive Free Lifestyle Private chat group
• Check out our YouTube of the DIY Soft Cleaning Scrub
• doTERRA Soft Cleaning Scrub
• Kitchen Cleaner Video

The post Podcast 131 – Essential Oils for Spring Cleaning appeared first on Additive Free Lifestyle.

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Let’s all face it; stress can become a big part of our everyday lives from time to time. Between family, work, other commitments, things can get overwhelming and stressful. In this episode of The Whole Circle Podcast, we discuss tips and ways to keep your stress at bay because we all know the less-stressed, more relaxed and calm you are day in and day out — you find yourself eating healthier, life feels happier, and the people around you will notice that glow emanating from you. So to help manage your stress and take back that feeling of control here is our top 10 Stress Less Tips.

1. Get regular, good quality sleep

While most mums like you, consider night time as your “me” time by catching up with some Netflix shows past midnight, it is never nice for you the next day. Your alarm wakes you up in the morning, and you do not want to get out of bed, then you have this awful feeling of the need to get more sleep. Waking up tired with low energy will only contribute to your stress levels.

If you are having a hard time getting some quality sleep, try to: diffuse some essential oils in the bedroom, buy a new pillow, get a new mattress topper, or simply just adjust the temperature in the room. Go ahead and do anything that will make you sleep better. It’s worth a try. The more quality sleep you get, the less stressed you would become.

2. Get a little bit more organised

If your brain goes a million miles an hour and you feel like your not going to get things done, merely getting out everything that’s in your head and on to some paper — a todo list — will make you feel way less stressed.

Now when things get chaotic, and your to-do list gets a little longer than usual, try asking for help from a friend, your partner, or even your kids. Delegate or detail off a couple of items from your to-do list to them, thereby releasing the burden off your shoulders. The result? Things will get done, and your stress will go away too.

3. Look at your level of Exercise

Exercise has been proven to lower stress. But it doesn’t mean that you need to go and lift heavy weights and look buffed like an MMA fighter. Doing yoga or just simply taking a leisurely walk each day for 15 minutes around the neighbourhood or your office block during lunch time at work is enough to get your heart pumping and release those endorphins but also by exercising you will find that your mind becomes clearer.

4. Use Essential Oils

We can’t tell you enough about how much we love our essential oils and how it changed our lives forever. You can find out more about essential oils here in our blog post. But to tell you how essential oils help reduce our stress, this is what we do best:

• If I’m having a hard time sleeping, I use the Lavender and Copaiba blend and roll it on the bottoms of my feet, big toes, inside of the wrist, and within 10 minutes, I’m sleeping like a baby. It’s made a massive difference in me.
• Diffusing Balance in the morning at breakfast keeps my children calmer, fewer fights and arguments. One time, I forgot to turn on the diffuser, that morning got a bit crazier than usual.

5. Self-care time

Self-care time can mean getting that long awaiting massage to release the tension and tightness in your body or having a long bath relaxing at night. It’s literally: me time = alone time.

But self-care could also mean going out with friends for a movie or a drink. It really depends on you, as long as you’re doing things that you really enjoy doing. And make sure to schedule it in by writing it down in your diary too.

6. Talk about it

It’s essential to talk about any stress you may be under. So if you are overwhelmed, and you feel that the weight of the world is on your shoulders, and you don’t know what to do, find someone to talk about it with. Open up and share that stress with a partner, a friend or a counsellor.

It has been proven that when you have that support system around you, you will feel happier and healthier.

7. Start a gratitude diary

When I first started a gratitude diary, I wasn’t in a great place. I wanted to write how I’m really feeling like: “My life sucks”, “My life is crap”, “My life is busy, stressful and chaotic”.

But I turned it around and just wrote in the opposite. And now, whenever I write in my gratitude journal in the morning — it’s all positive. I didn’t have to make up stuff anymore.

Now I write: “My life is amazing”, “I’m grateful”, “I’m wonderful”, “I’m strong”. Then your whole world just changes when you can write this positive stuff down.

8. Meditate or yoga

I’ve been doing yoga for most mornings for 15-30 minutes and it feels really good. You don’t need to leave home to take a yoga class as there are lots of great yoga videos you can watch online. I have stumbled upon a yoga instructor on YouTube her name is Adriene, you can check her youtube link here to help you start your yoga exercises too!

Meanwhile, meditation doesn’t always have to be done sitting down like what we usually think, there’s what they call meditation walks and there’s an app called Active Meditation that allows you to do that. There are tons of great apps, blogs, and free stuff that you can learn from when it comes to meditation. But if your mind quickly wanders off, our tip is to start with just 1-2 minutes and then build your way up there.

9. Detox from technology

This is especially hard for us because we are running an online business and we need to have our devices with us all the time. What you don’t know is that it does play on your stress levels. That constant voice in your head — I need to check what’s on facebook, I need to check my email, I need to check my messages — is really hard to stop and it’s such a time waster which then leaves you no time to do everything else and then you start stressing out about what you haven’t done but yet you’ve actually just wasted it on your phone.

What you can do is to try to minimise your screen time, detox off your phone, off your emails or your computer for a day or over a weekend. Try doing physical activities or go on holidays, enjoy your time out of the modern technology then see how it goes. You will notice how much it can reduce your stress and improves the quality of your life.

10. Laugh more

Definitely full-on belly laugh. Watch a funny flick, a comedy show or those stupid cat videos and make sure it makes you “wee-in-your pants” laugh. Heck, you can even google someone laughing and you’ll be finding yourself rolling on the floor laughing with that person in that video. Laughing is just as contagious as yawning.

Doing a belly laugh is much like exercising with that rush of endorphin, goodness, fun, entertainment, and joy, but way better! Come on, laugh out loud with us now!

Please do hit the subscribe button if you love our podcast show and we love for you to leave a review. Special thanks to “Driving Along” for leaving a cool 5-star rating on Apple podcasts.

Resources and Links:

• additivefreelifestyle.com
• Learn more about essential oils
• Podcast 23 The exploration of our sleep habits (Part 1)
• Podcast 24 The exploration of our sleep habits (Part 2)
• Yoga with Adriene
• Additive Free Lifestyle on Instagram
• Additive Free Lifestyle on Facebook

The post Podcast 130 – Our Top 10 Stress Less Tips appeared first on Additive Free Lifestyle.

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As we’re right in the middle of winter here in Australia, we thought it would be a great time to talk about ways in which to boost your immune system and dodge the many colds and flu’s that circulate around this time of the year. We also discuss ways to boost your child’s immune systems, as we all know just how easy it is for them to spread their cold throughout the whole family.

The importance of sleep

This is something you’ve heard us talk about a lot – and for good reason! Sleep is just so important for your wellbeing and when you don’t get a good sleep, you tend to physically feel it in your body and mind the next day.

What we want to really focus on is how to set up regular sleep patterns. Yes, that means turning off Netflix and your phone by a certain hour, and getting into a regular routine no matter what the season!

Avoid sleeping with your phone right next to your bed, is it something you really need to go to sleep with? If you wake in the night do you grab your phone and check your phone? This is a sure fire way to have an interrupted sleep pattern.

Try to aim to get to bed at the same time each night, give or take half an hour to an hour. Do all those things that help you to fall asleep quicker, like using an electric blanket to make your bed nice and toasty.

It’s funny that we tend to be pretty good at getting our kid’s into a great sleeping routine, but sometimes we forget to look after ourselves. Your body is a human body too! You’ll work out what your body likes the most, but in general, if you’re not getting to sleep by 11pm or 11.30pm then you’re missing out on your optimal time for sleep. This is where your body recovers the most.

Your immune system will protect you best when you set up the routines that allow your body to adequately rejuvenate and recover.

Listening to your body

It’s never too late to start to get in tune with your body and start to understand what it means when you feel a bit sluggish, have a brain fog or can feel yourself coming down with something.

Rather than ignoring it and getting on with life, as is often the case for us busy parents, you need to find a way to go back a level, before you get to the stage of chronic illness or sickness. Read the signs along the way, take that day off or ask the husband or kids to help out a bit more with the chores while you recover.

If you can afford it, go and book in that message or do some self-care, even a bath or a nice peaceful walk can do wonders. So before you let yourself get to the stage of absolute exhaustion, take the steps to unwind and rest as much as you can. If you do wake with a sore throat you can also boost your immunity with essential oils, consumption of fermented foods, bone broths, hydration and getting more sleep. If you’re stressed, then finding ways to unwind from that stress is so important. While you might not be able to take a day off work, there are certainly others things that you can do…

Bone broths

This is soo easy to make yourself and even easier to buy the bone broth powder that we stock on our website! Bone broth is great for our immunity!

For making your own chicken broth all you need to do is get some good chicken bones (maybe some chicken feet if you’re feeling brave!), some veggies like celery, herbs, corn cobs, carrot and all the hearty veggies that won’t break down and then throw them in whole without worrying about peeling. This is a great way to use up older veggies in your fridge too.

When you do peel an onion or any other veggies during the week, you can put those aside and use in your bone broth. Put in a bit of apple cider vinegar to bring out the marrow in the bones which are so good for your immune system.

We stock bone broth on our website, which is just a powder that you can add to anything. If you do have leftover meals where you’ve used bone broth, this makes great dog food as they also receive all the benefits of the bone broth. It’s never been easier to add a scoop into your spag bol, shepherd’s pie, scrambled eggs, veggie roasts or curries.

Fermented foods

Things like sauerkraut are so good for your body, along with kimchi and kombucha. We’ve just done a whole Facebook live series on how to make the perfect kombucha (see resources below for link) which is really easy to make, and the whole family will love. It becomes a bit of a treat to sit down and enjoy, the kids also think that it’s a special drink- which it is!

If you’re just not into the taste of all the fermented foods or drinks, then get onto a good quality pre or a probiotic supplement.

Hydration, hydration, hydration

In winter it can be a bit hard to gloss over this oh so important habit. The tap water is cold and it makes your teeth hurt and gives you an ice cream headache (at least down here in Tasmania anyway!) Tracey admits it, she’s even pretty bad at hydrating in winter, but you can always choose a hot drink to boost your hydration levels. You can also purchase a 2L water jug and fill that up, by the end of the day if that’s still got water in it then you know you need to drink up!

It’s just not a nice feeling to have that dry throat and dry skin when you’re not adequately hydrated. Even that dry throat feeling means you’re well into the point of dehydration. Water helps to flush out toxins and keep you out of the sick bay this winter!

Exercise

Winter is the time where it can be so easy to skip out on your exercise routine, due to plummeting temperatures and the temptation of being warm and snuggly at home. It’s cold and dark early in the morning and it always seems easier to exercise in summer.

However, so many gyms have great competitive rates on their membership fees, which leaves you with no excuse for shorter days. If you can hire some workout equipment over the winter period or get onto Youtube where there are thousands, if not millions of free videos you can watch on exercise then this will also help you to create a winter workout routine.

High-intensity workouts are good for overall strength, fitness and release of endorphins, and really important as you move into your older years. Strength training is so good for your bones, with so many science-backed studies for improving the risk of getting osteoporosis.

Yoga is incredible for your immune system as it works on your bones and internal organs, all the things underneath the surface! Yoga is about focusing on the breath, releasing tension and releasing thought, which is incredibly calming. If you’re just not into yoga, try push through your limits and keep going. There are so many different versions of yoga, so explore which option suits you best. It’s all about what works for you and your body. Bottom line, just keep moving in winter!

Essential oils

These are absolutely going to help you stay out of the sick bay, as they’re natural plant-based medicines, that have been around since forever. We always laugh that so many people think that essential oils are a new-age thing. When your immune system gets down, go to the essential oils that help boost your immunity. Even Googling essential oils for immune support will go a long way in introducing this huge topic into your life.

There are so many calming oils to help you fall asleep, even if you have a lavender bush at home, you can rub some of the purple flowers along your arm or take a deep inhale of those beautiful aromas.

These oils have been used for centuries and will help you to get in tune with your body. You can even add them to your food for extra flavour. Try to throw them (the edible ones) into your bone broth, kombucha or even glass of water to make it taste better, which in turn will encourage you to drink more (lemon or grapefruit are both great oils for this).

Easy Air by doTERRA is great for exercising as it helps you to breathe easier, or Ice Blue for your joints to get through the hard workouts. Essential oils can be used as a preventative measure, and also as a remedy or treatment when you do find that you get sick.

Eating additive-free

This one probably doesn’t come as too much of a surprise to you! This is a huge aspect of reducing toxic loads by keeping chemical-made foods that are loaded with synthetics, preservatives and additives that you simply don’t need in your body. Ask yourself do you really want to be eating food that is designed to last for years in your cupboard? The same goes for skin-care products.

Jo touches on a history of her family where they were always sick, constantly run down and tired, bloated, inflamed and not sleeping. The children were also always sick with tonsillitis, ear infections, bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, constantly sick, red rosy cheeks and so many other illnesses. It got to the point where Eva her daughter was always on back to back antibiotics, and their GP knew her family really well. That just became the norm!

When questioning the GP on the constant sickness, he replied that it was, in fact, normal when they are daycare. They would then remind her of all of the germs and sicknesses that are going around. It really doesn’t have to be that way! The moment her family decided to eat additive-free, was the moment they all stopped getting so sick- especially Eva.

Break the process down

Feeling better all comes down to eating better, then gradually moving onto improving your cleaning products, body-care, essential oils and fermented foods. This is a huge process that doesn’t just happen overnight.

Start with one thing and stick to it the best you can. Pick something that you feel you’re struggling with the most and tackle that. Perhaps it’s improving your sleep habits and doing everything you can to improve that. Take a few steps back and ask yourself if you’re doing everything you possibly can to help the problem.

Educate yourself further with the oodles of information, course registrations, podcasts, recipes and guides over at our website!

While you can take on all these hints and tips yourself, finding a really good naturopath can give you great guidance in the early stages of your journey, in order to help you truly get in tune with your body. They will help you to understand what’s really going on, and help you find the ways to boost your gut health and immunity through winter. These days many health food stores have naturopaths on site that you can consult with! We hope you’ve found this podcast incredibly useful for improving your overall health!

Resources

• Podcast 23 – The exploration of our sleep habits (Part One)
• Podcast 24 – The exploration of our sleep habits (Part Two)
• Kombucha Making Series
• Dr Axe Essential Oils Guide
• doTERRA Essential Oils
• Our website: www.additivefreelifestyle.com

The post Podcast 123 – How To Stay Out of The Sick Bay appeared first on Additive Free Lifestyle.

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Brace yourself because you’re going to learn so much in this episode! This question came up quite often in our Additive-Free Made Easy Group. Just why are petroleum-based ingredients harmful to your health? You might want to read the back of your skincare product labels after hearing this podcast! Petroleum ingredients are found in some of the most popular skincare products around.

What are petroleum-based products?

This is likely the biggest question we get asked. In a nutshell, they are a by-product of crude oil. Yes, something you put in your car or lubricate your car engine with. That’s what’s going on your skin. It just blows our mind that health authorities allow companies to place petroleum in popular beauty care products!

There are a couple of grades of petroleum to look for:

• Xylene
• Toluene
• Mineral oil (perhaps the most deceptive branding)
• Liquid paraffin
• Paraffin wax
• Petroleum jelly (has been around for 50 to 60 years as a base in makeup products)

While there are no real links to major medical issues, there are plenty of concerns expressed by medical professionals and it doesn’t offer your skin any health benefits. If the main ingredient in your skin care product is a petroleum-derived ingredient, we believe you’re simply throwing your money away.

You need to ask yourself the question, is this a product you want to go onto your skin? By now you’ll be aware that whatever you put onto your skin, then leaches into your skin and makes its way into your bloodstream.

Anti-ageing miracles!

Petroleum-based products sit on top of your skin, essentially creating an extra layer, which is the reason why companies use it in anti-ageing products. This helps to disguise wrinkles and lines, helping your skin to feel ultra-moisturised and soft, but the problem is that it doesn’t actually absorb deep into the layers where you want it to be, instead, it’s only creating a pretend layer of moisturiser.

Can your skin actually breathe?

You don’t realise it at first, but the product ends up really drying out your skin, which requires another product to counter-act the damage done. It acts as a barrier, suffocating your skin as it’s unable to breathe naturally. This leads to clogged pores, acne, blackheads and other nasty skin conditions.

If you’re at the gym or out and about on a hot day, if your skin can’t sweat, everything is staying inside the layers of your skin. This goes completely against what your skin is designed for, TO BREATH AND SWEAT. You just basically will not sweat out all the impurities in your body. Ironically this is very ageing for your skin! Therefore, we highly recommend avoiding these products.

Natural alternatives that support your skin health

There are so many better things you can be doing for your skin. Like what I hear you ask?

Well, you want to start using something like jojoba oil, which is incredibly hydrating and penetrates deep within the layers of your skin. Jojoba oil is as close to the natural oils in your skin (called sebum) as anything you can find.

As you age, your sebum production actually decreases over time, which is where your fine lines and dry skin starts to occur. Jojoba oil helps to replace that natural sebum in your skin, which will help to reduce the fine lines, wrinkles and sagging.

Jojoba oil contains essential fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins and is super gentle and non-irritating, making it perfect for all skin types, regardless of whether you have oily or dry skin or even acne prone skin.

To make your own body oil:

• 100ml of Jojoba oil (a great organic one). It’s very cheap to buy!
• 15 drops of Frankincense (again get a top quality essential oil) – it’s been in skin care products for hundreds and hundreds of years, and it’s one of the most popular products in skin care for that very reason. It’s been used since Cleopatra days!
• 10 drops of Geranium- Promotes the appearance of clear, smooth skin and is perfect if you do suffer from skin irritations. Has a calming effect which makes it great for applying before bedtime.
• 10 drops Ylang ylang – Has a floral fragrance and has been known to support healthy skin and hair, promoting an amazing glow for both!

When you can make your own amazing natural oil products like this, we see no reason to want to buy a pretend product that clogs your pores and only adds to the ageing process.

Rosehip oil

Don’t get confused with Rose essential oil, Rosehip oil actually uses the seeds from the roses. It has amazing benefits for your skin, as it’s full of beta-carotene which is a potent form of vitamin A and is also loaded with Vitamin C and E. It also contains all the essential fatty acids for radiant, youthful skin! This helps with dark spots or pigmentation.

Rosehip is great for moisturising your face and you can also mix up with Jojoba oil. For a face or eye serum use:

• 30ml of Rosehip oil
• 10 drops of Lavender essential oil– Calming and soothing which makes it great for night time use
• 5 drops of Lemon essential oil which is packed with vitamins, helping to reduce pigmentation
• Blue Tansy, Geranium, Frankincense or any other essential oil of your choice will also go great in this face/eye serum

Fractionated coconut oil

Fractionated coconut oil is perfect for your whole body, makes a great massage oil (well so does jojoba oil!) It’s super light, absorbs quickly and won’t sit on your skin feeling sticky or greasy.

It’s colourless and odourless which makes it a great carrier oil if you wish to mix an essential oil in. It makes a great perfume blend. It’s super cheap too and you can mix in jojoba oil and rosehip oil if you want a triple blend!

If you’re not one to make DIY products yourself or don’t have the time, we have so many great natural skin care products over at our website here.

All of these serums only take a few minutes to whip up, we can almost guarantee will be cheaper and more beneficial for your skin health than any anti-aging skin care product you might buy at an expensive department store. It makes the world of difference to know that you’re using nothing but natural ingredients that are supporting your health. We highly recommend top quality essential oils like doTERRA! Why not switch up your routine, save some money and improve your skin at the same time. Once you start you can’t stop!

Resources and Links

• doTERRA essential oils
• Shop our products here!
• You can find a wide range of doTERRA Essential Oils at or shop. There are so many more available by heading to Essential Oils page

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When people think of Essential Oils a few things happen – either they only think of the synthetic ones from cheap shops or they dismiss them as some sort of snake oil. But we are here to explain what essential oils really are and why you should have them in your life.

Essential oils have literally been around for thousands of years (with hundreds of references throughout the bible). They are the basis for a lot of modern day medicines and have been used for beauty treatments as far back as Cleopatra. People have used essential oils for a very long time, but unfortunately, they have gotten lost in our modern society, and replaced with a lot of synthetically made products instead.

What is an essential oil?

According to the dictionary, essential oils are: – a natural oil typically obtained by distillation and having the characteristic odour of the plant or other source from which it is extracted.

If you have ever enjoyed the scent of a rose or a freshly cut lemon, you’ve experienced the aromatic qualities of essential oils. These naturally occurring, volatile aromatic compounds are found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants. They can be both beautifully and powerfully fragrant. Essential oils give plants their distinctive smells, essential oils protect plants and play a role in plant pollination.

Why use essential oils? Living an additive-free life means living as low tox as possible and this is where pure, essential oils come in. You can use your oils for literally hundreds of things around your house and yard – ranging from cleaning, flavouring food, gardening or health and wellness – trust us when we say “there is an oil for that!”

When we first started looking for something to enhance the flavour of chocolate, we were looking for a non-synthetic peppermint flavour. Something that was safe to consume and made from all natural ingredients. doTERRA kept coming up in our search fields. The more we searched, the more we fell in love and finally made the decision to purchase an enrolment kit and we have never looked back.

These oils have changed our lives, they have allowed us to take living additive free to the next level and that is so empowering for us!

How are the oils sourced? doTERRA put a lot of time and effort into ensuring that they produce the highest quality oils on the market. To do this they take the time to ensure that they identify the specific genus and species to harvest the best oils from. They then ensure that the crops are grown in the best soil and environment for that particular species, on top of that they only harvest when the time is exactly right and then distil them in the most effective means possible.

Then, once the specific plant and the proper environment have been identified, doTERRA goes to work finding the experts who have built their lives around those plants—many of whom have been doing so for generations. That expertise is irreplaceable and sets doTERRA products apart from every other product out there.

With over 100 essential oils on the market, doTERRA sources its oils from 40 countries. Of those countries, 23 are developing countries that do not enjoy many of the basic amenities that we so often take for granted. In these cases, and in many cases in developed countries, doTERRA’s need for essential oils is elevating communities out of poverty and desperate need. This initiative is called Co-Impact Sourcing.

Through Co-Impact Sourcing, doTERRA helps to provide the resources and education needed to improve the economy—and even sometimes create an economy—in these communities. Jobs are created as the need for an essential oil is met and the farmers are paid fairly and on time. Additionally, farming and distilling equipment, as well as training, are also provided. But that’s not all. doTERRA’s non-profit, charitable organisation, the Healing Hands Foundation™, also plays a role in Co-Impact Sourcing. The Healing Hands Foundation steps in to help the rest of the community, providing education, building schools, and working to provide the necessities of life, such as portable water and needed infrastructure.

This commitment to not only source the highest quality essential oils but to also improve the lives of the communities results in a great deal of trust. As doTERRA has grown, that trust has resulted in many essential oil cooperatives entering into exclusive agreements with doTERRA. Word has also spread, and many more farmers and distillers are beginning to reach out to doTERRA to enter into their own agreements.

Throughout it all, doTERRA’s commitment has remained the same—changing lives throughout the world with the precious gift of essential oils.

Learn more about a few of doTERRA’s Co-Impact Sourcing programs:

Co-Impact Sourcing: Frankincense

Co-Impact Sourcing: Lemon and Bergamot

Co-Impact Sourcing: Vetiver

Co-Impact Sourcing: Wintergreen

Co-Impact Sourcing: Ylang Ylang

How do I get these Essential Oils? The most cost-effective way for you to purchase your essential oils is to become a part of Sistermixin’ Oily Tribe and purchase your oils at Wholesale Price. You do NOT need to place an order every month or onsell to friends or family.

The benefits of becoming part of Sistermixin’ Oil Tribe * Purchase at Wholesale Price (25% Discount) * NO Monthly Spend Requirement * Option to receive 10-30% back in FREE product points * Ability to receive the product of the month FREE (conditions apply) * Earn Compensation and bonuses when sharing with others * Receive newsletters advising product of the month and great ways to use your oils * Ongoing support and training in how to use the oils * By far the best and cheapest way to buy your oils

Click HERE and follow the step by step guide, it is really easy, promise!

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Krissy shares with us how she’s held onto her slow-burning passion for health and wellness over the years. She’s studied human movement, majoring in health promotion, and even taught health for 7 years at a primary and high school level. It wasn’t until she became a mum that she one day woke up and a little light-bulb went off. As she gazed around her kitchen, she saw all the little bottles and boxes and wondered what all the strange and unpronounceable ingredients were, that were listed on the products.

You can always control what you choose to put in and on your body

Krissy has always loved making a lot of her family’s food from scratch, as it makes her feel amazing to know exactly what was going into that food. She thought well why not control what also goes on our body too.

Through a lot of research, experimentation and sharing recipes for things like laundry powder and deodorant with friends, she became pretty pumped. She started a Facebook page and a basic website and grew her business from there. Now she runs workshops across Australia, on how to make chemical-free products, inspiring and teaching others at just how simple it is.

“It’s just such a buzz for me because I know they’re there, because they’re investing in their health.”

Even if you don’t have health problems, you can always feel even more amazing by cutting out unknown chemicals

One thing Krissy realised, is that you don’t have to be sick to start making changes in what’s going into and on your body. For her, she never has had any major ongoing health issues, but she knows that if she feels great, she can feel even better from cutting out even more unknown chemicals from her life.

The power of going back to basics

Some people are still a little afraid to be making even the simplest of recipes, feeling a little stuck in the mindset that it has to be complicated to actually work. Krissy loves to bust this myth, and show people just how easy it is, to make your own products at home.

Most of us know when we feel crappy from eating junk food, but what about from using toxic body care products?

While eating a block of chocolate may feel amazing at the time, you’re going to go down-hill pretty quickly. While the link between feeling bad, and the source of that feeling is so obvious (junk food), people often don’t recognize the link between feeling bad and what’s going on their skin.

Krissy describes how our skin has no filters, and how any product you put on your skin, goes straight into your bloodstream. This is often the source of headaches and fatigue, due to the high level of chemicals.

The main ingredients to avoid are:

• Fragrance: Any scents of synthetic candles, air fresheners, scratch and sniff stickers and the endless sources of fake fragrances, should be avoided at all costs. In fact, the manufacturers of these scented products, are under no obligation to tell their consumers, exactly what the hundreds of chemicals are in their products. It’s their little trade secret. Instead choose scented products that you know are naturally sourced, including pure essential oils.
• Parabens: These are synthetic preservatives that come in different forms that are absolutely everywhere. Many companies are recognizing ongoing consumer concerns, and are now reformulating their product as a paraben-free range. While this is a fantastic industry shift, you need to be careful that they’re not replacing parabens with an equally as harmful preservative.

Parabens are known to disrupt hormones, especially in younger aged people and lead to cancer when used over a long period of time. Look out for the word paraben on the ingredients list, and if in doubt, bring out your phone and Google any ingredient you don’t recognize while at the store.

• Triclosan: Found in some toothpaste and anti-bacterial hand washes, this chemical was first registered as a pesticide in the 60’s! It’s found to be behind a lot of antibiotic resistance and superbugs. After it reached the headlines on the news last year, many companies started to take this chemical out of their toothpaste ranges.
• SLS and SLES: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) is what makes bubbles, usually in shampoos, dish liquid and liquid soaps. You’ll find these two nasties in up to 90% of personal care items. There is a high risk that in the manufacturing process, that these two chemicals are contaminated, with other chemicals known to be human carcinogens (cancerous).
• Mineral oil: This is an oil that’s petroleum derived, and should certainly not be going on your skin. Often if you go out to get a massage, they will use a product that contains mineral oil, so it’s better to ask what they use or bring your own. In traditional deodorants, you will also find mineral oil, as it stops the body from sweating, even though our bodies are designed to sweat and eliminate toxins. Home-made deodorants or natural deodorants don’t block the natural sweating process, but they do block odours.

A good skin care company is transparent in their ingredients

Sadly, many companies are focused more on profits and the use of cheap and harmful chemicals, than the effect of those chemicals on your health. With clever marketing, you’ll even find some companies using the word organic, and featuring earthy colours on their product range to really suck us in. There sure is some ultra-clever marketing going on out there, including stores that look incredibly natural by using cute little wooden boxes, minimal patterns or simplistic designs and natural colours.

You’ve probably already noticed that organic just has a certain look about it, and it usually draws you in. If a product has a natural ingredient in it, always be sure to see what preservatives have been thrown in there, to keep that ingredient fresh and lasting a longer on the shelf.

Luckily, there are now many emerging companies that absolutely care for what ingredients they are blending into their products. While there are plenty of loopholes in the regulations surrounding disclosure of chemicals, if you call a company, and they can’t or won’t tell you exactly what’s in their product, it’s better to avoid them.

You can certainly make a big impact by asking companies why they use a certain chemical and point them in the direction of research showing just how toxic it is to our health.

Resources:

• Shop Krissy’s Books here
• https://krissyballinger.com.au/

The post Podcast 102 – All Things Body Care with Krissy Ballinger appeared first on Additive Free Lifestyle.

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If you have followed us for a while, then you would have noticed we have developed quite a bit of an obsession with essential oils. They have just become a part of our lives, and we wouldn’t be without them nowadays.

OUR FAVOURITES FOR SUMMER While it’s been a challenge, we have managed to narrow our favourite oils down to our top 10 (ish). We have found doTERRA oils to be absolutely life-changing, and of course, love that they are 100% pure, natural and sourced ethically, from all over the world.

Ease the pain of sun exposureåÊwith Lavender, Tea Tree and Peppermint

Summer typically comes with its fair share of extra sun exposure, and while you may have the best intentions to stay sun smart, sometimes you can’t avoid a good old roasting! We have a lavender blend that will come to your aid. Lavender and Tea Tree mixed together is great for application on sun exposure, mixed with a carrier oil such as fractionated coconut oil or rosehip oil. In fact, we say lavender and tea tree are a match made in heaven when it comes to skin support!

Other uses for these oils:

Applied just before bed, you’ll find lavender to be incredibly calming in preparing you for a great night’s sleep.

Tea tree is our go-to for those pesky insect bites, by reducing and calming the sting and itch.

Peppermint is perfect for cooling the skin and incredible in recipes with anything to do with chocolate or ice cream! If you need a pick-me-up, try blending peppermint and wild orange in a diffuser! We can’t say enough about the versatility of peppermint oil, and you’ll certainly get your fair share of ideas of what to use it for!

Lemon for detox and cleansingåÊyour inner soul

If you love to indulge in a good old fashion spring clean, then lemon is great for creating a beautiful fresh-smelling cleaning paste, or add a few drops to a spray bottle, fill with distilled water and use as a room freshener. You can also try mixing with white vinegar and water for a fantastic natural glass cleaner. As soon as you begin replacing commercial cleaning products with natural oils, you will feel such an amazing difference around your home! There’s just something so rewarding about using 100% natural ingredients, that’s safe for your family (and of course smells great!).

Lemon is also great for uplifting your mood (add a couple drops in a diffuser as an oil around the house), flavouring foods, or adding a drop into a glass of sparkling water.

How to use the rare Helichrysum oil

Any parent knows just how easy it is for their kids to get their fair share of bruises, grazes or scratches all over them! It’s what being a kid is all about. Combining a couple of drops of Helichrysum and Lavender, in fractionated coconut oil, creates the ultimate skin supporting tonic and is perfect to assist with any grazes or bruises. This is one mixture you want to keep handy in your first aid kit. You’ll also find this blend to be ideal for neck and shoulder tension, as a lovely gentle massage oil. It is also known to be great to boost your metabolism.

Again, with sun exposure, a couple of drops of Helichrysum with fractionated coconut oil helps to keep your skin looking and feeling hydrated.

A natural insect repellent with TerraArmour

We just love this all-natural insect repellent blend that comes in both an oil bottle and a spritzer bottle. It is already diluted and ready to use. It can often be difficult to find a mosquito repellent with natural ingredients, that actually works, but this one is certainly tried and true! TerraArmour is a great spray for putting on tent doors if you’re away camping, as it helps to continue repelling any insects that are buzzing around. Popping a few drops onto your diffuser bracelet is also a great idea also!

The irresistible scent of fruity Grapefruit and Tangerine

Grapefruit has to be one of Tracey’s all time favs, simply because of the fruity summer scents that drift through her house when she diffuses it! Tangerine is also an amazing fruity scent that goes well in your laundry and for freshening up you linen after washing (add a few drops to some distilled water and spritz over your linen, as it dries it will leave behind the fruity smell). Grapefruit is perfect for giving your digestive, and inner health, a boost. Both grapefruit and tangerine are loaded with all natural antioxidants, they are also a perfect blend as part of a summer detox.

If you’re really into body scrubs, then adding one, or both, of these fruity oils, just adds another dimension to your exfoliation session! They are ideal for skin lotions and potions! Make sure you keep your fruity oils to nighttime routines though, as sun exposure while wearing these oils will magnify the exposed skin, possibly creating sunburn! We often add a couple of drops of these to mineral water – deeeelissh!

Calm the farm with Balance

Summertime is all about long school holidays, late nights, family gatherings, the hustle and bustle of Christmas and general chaos! Jo describes how her son Jacob was absolutely feral one night (in her own words!). She tells us about how obnoxious he was towards her, and how a few simple drops of Balance changed his mood for the better. This oil truly does promote tranquillity and relaxation. Spruce, one of the oils in doTERRA Balance, was used by Native Americans for health and spiritual reasons and is still used today to bring harmony to the mind and body. Ho Wood, Blue Tansy, and Blue Chamomile can provide a sense of calmness, while Frankincense provides a grounding, balancing effect on emotions.

Easy Air

Last, but certainly not least, this is the oil for seasonal threats, that are often brought on by the hotter temperatures. It’s our go-to oil for anything to do with respiratory issues. The primary benefits of this oil are:

• Feel clear and calm when breathing.
• Ideal to be applied before a restful night sleep.
• Equipped for seasonal threats.

It can be applied topically to the chest, back, or bottom of feet, or diffused at nighttime to calm the senses and promote a restful sleep.

Tracey describes the positive effects this oil has on her quality of sleep, from the ability to help reduce her husband’s noisy sleeping habits! She even labels it as a ‘marriage saver’!

Through the use of essential oils each day, you’ll find that your instincts will begin to guide you towards which oil is the best, for each and every moment. Once you experience the effect of each oil, it’s pretty easy to turn into an addict!

doTERRA oils help to create that day spa kind of feeling every day in your own home! Like us, you might struggle to go anywhere without your pack of essential oils on hand!

Links

• doTERRA on additive-free lifestyle
• How to buy doTERRA at wholesale price

The post Podcast 98 – Our Favourite Essential Oils During The Summer Period appeared first on Additive Free Lifestyle.

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In this episode, we discuss what it means to start your own doTERRA business, including how you can go about making income (all the way from a little side income, right to full-time earnings). The amazing thing about starting your own doTERRA business, is your the one in charge, setting your own financial goals and targets. Hey, you might even be able to give up your full-time job like we did! You’ll also have the chance to travel to some great places around the globe. The point is, you can potentially have the financial freedom that you’ve been craving your whole adult life! It’s time to start living on your own terms.

You’ll learn how much money you can really make

doTERRA’s compensation plan is anything but secret. When we started out with doTERRA, we didn’t have any intention to start a business. However, after using their products for a while and totally falling in love, we then opened our minds to the financial opportunities that existed within this company – simply by sharing our love of the oils with the world. That’s where our passion started and still is today – sharing the benefits of these oils with everyone, but we couldn’t help but begin a doTERRA business.

Compensation Plan – find out more here: As you progress through the ranks, just like any other business, you start to earn more and more. Here is a brief summary or what you may receive if you are actively growing your team

1. Elite Rank is where you will start earning enough money to cover your monthly 100-point value order. You can expect to earn approx $100 – $150 per month.
2. Silver Rank is the beginning of the management ranks. This is where you start earning a part-time income of around $25,000.00 per year. With a bit of effort, you may achieve this level in around 8-10 months.
3. Gold Rank is the beginning of a full-time income, earning approx. $50,000.00 per year. Of course, it’s totally up to you how long it takes you to get here. It depends on a few factors, like how many business development activities you attend, how much time and effort you invest and how much you really want it.
4. Platinum Rank is, on average, where you start earning the bigger bucks, around $100,000 per year.
5. Diamond – the average earnings are approx. $200,000.00 per year.
6. Blue diamond earns approx. $400,000.00 per year.
7. Presidential diamonds can expect toearn over $1million per year.

As you can see, the opportunities to earn some serious money is real, it is not just a fantasy. It truly can happen, you just need to trust the system and put in the effort. Just like university or beginning in the working world, you have to start somewhere, in order to move up in the ranks! The harder you work the more you’ll be compensated.

We are Blue Diamonds and Super Proud We are happy to be totally honest with you and open up about what it means to reach the rank of Blue Diamond. We put in a lot of effort to get to this rank and are really proud of our achievements. We are also quite happy to share that we earn much more with our doTERRA business than with Sistermixin. This is simply because there are no overhead expenses. doTERRA has given us financial freedom, and we’re 100% confident that you can achieve this too.

Ever wondered why doTERRA chose the multi-level marketing structure? This has come up in our chat group a lot, and it’s important to understand doTERRA’s selection of this particular business model. After meeting one of the founders and hearing her story we learnt that they certainly didn’t start out with any intention of making money. They simply came from a place of pure love and passion of essential oils and knew the difference they could make in other people’s lives.

They didn’t want their products sitting on a supermarket stand, with no real follow up customer service. They had a deep desire for face-to-face contact, where you could ask all the questions you wanted about the product, and how it would support your lifestyle. Direct selling has helped to solidify this desire.

Check out doTERRA on Sistermixin here. We hope our transparency has inspired you to start your own business today!

Links & Resources

• Website: additivefreelifestyle.com/essential-oils-doterra/
• Listen to Episode #92 – Why You Should Start a doTERRA Business

The post Podcast 93 – Exactly What A doTERRA Business Can Mean For You Financially appeared first on Additive Free Lifestyle.

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If you have followed us for a while you will know that we are super excited by essential oils, especially the company doTERRA. It fills our heart with joy, it has allowed us the financial freedom to expand our business, it has given us the opportunity to travel and it has provided us with numerous ways to improve our additive free lives – past just flavouring food.

But this is not where were started out if we are entirely honest, we had massive reservations and all the same fears as everyone else…this is a multi-level marketing company after all…and aren’t they just a pyramid scheme! NO THANKS, NOT FOR US!

That was until we learned more about doTERRA…and the more we learned the more we fell in love.

doTERRA is different. We don’t know how to describe it, but it just is. Some might sit there and roll their eyes… “but they are a billion dollar company so it must be about the money.” Well, after you hear the founders story, learn where they started from, learn that they turned down investors (who wanted majority control), learn that they instead mortgaged themselves to the hilt and created doTERRA from the ground up, learn that they didn’t pay themselves a cent for around 13 months…you begin to understand that this company is about love, respect and integrity… and very little to do with the money – it is truly outstanding!

Don’t get us wrong, we are not saying that money isn’t important, because the reality is, that of course it is. WE ALL need money to survive, but that is another amazing this about this company – it allows thousands of families the financial freedoms that you only dream of, but they do it in a way that is not sleazy or pushy. Sharing the benefits of essential oils is powerful.

It’s really clear to us that the founders of doTERRA have people at heart, rather than profits. With a vision of offering families all over the world the benefits of essential oils, they are well on their way to achieving that vision.

It all started with peppermint chocolate! Ok, back to us. We didn’t want to have anything to do with the business side of doTERRA, we already had a business!åÊ We didn’t want to host classes or workshops or push this onto our family and friends (aka you guys), we didn’t want to ‘sell’ doTERRA, not one little bit (it is kinda funny now when we look back, lol). All we wanted to do was make peppermint chocolate using something that was not synthetic. We had looked around the shops and couldn’t find anything suitable, so we turned to the internet, and after many searches, doTERRA kept coming up. We had finally found the flavouring we needed, but how do we buy it…oh bugga, it is a ‘direct selling’ company…and as we said earlier, this turned us right off.

As fate would have it, we happened to be contacted by someone we trusted and they wanted to ‘sign us up’. We first said no thanks, but because we trusted this person, we believed them when they said – it is different, you don’t have to sell, you don’t have to do anything blah blah blah…

So we put our fate in their hands and signed our lives away – well that is what it felt like – did we just sign the rights to our firstborn to some MLM company…..surely this was not going to end well!!!

The rest, as they say, is history! Don’t get us wrong, it didn’t happen overnight, but pretty quickly we became hooked. Not only did we learn that some essential oils were amazing in bliss balls (just saying), but we soon started experimenting with body scrubs, lotions and potions. We have since gone on to learn more and more about these little bottles of magic and now that we know what we do, we will NEVER live without them!

As soon as you step into the world of doTERRA, you’ll be pretty blown away by just what these oils can do – you have been warned, lol!

How to sign up, and which account works best for your needs ? Whether you’re wanting to set up a small business or simply register as a customer, everyone gets wholesale prices (25% off)

Option 1

Register as a Wellness Customer – Purchase at least one item every six months to keep your account active and open. You are not allowed to operate a doTERRA business, this is purely a wholesale account for customers. You are, however, eligible to activate the (optional) Loyalty Rewards Program.

Option 2

Register as a Wellness Advocate – Zero pressure to run a business, but the option is there if you want to. Must purchase at least one item, every six months to keep your account active and open. Opportunity to earn commissions (even if you, yourself are not actively running a doTERRA business). Eligible to activate the (optional) Loyalty Rewards Program.

Option 3

Pay full retail price – but why would you want to?!

We’ve made it really easy to register for a wholesale account! Follow these simple instructions HERE!

If you’re keen to run a business, or just want to know more -check out Jo’s tutorial below! You’ll learn about all of the amazing ways doTERRA give back to third world organisations and how they sustainably source their oils from around the world.

From building schools to visiting the countries where their oils are sourced and meeting all the farmers, to actually taking one of their oils off the market, after they found out the plants they sourced the oil from were at risk of becoming extinct. doTERRA is doing huge things to ensure their oils are created with care from harvest to shelf.

Links & Resources

• Website: additivefreelifestyle.com/essential-oils-doterra/

The post Podcast 92 – Why You Should Start a doTERRA Business appeared first on Additive Free Lifestyle.