Sweet but Deadly: The Danger of Artificial Fragrance

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet... I'm not sure if Shakespeare would agree once he saw the list of side effects of 'fragrance.'

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) reports that, while many popular perfumes, colognes and body sprays contain trace amounts of natural essences, they also typically contain a dozen or more potentially hazardous synthetic chemicals, some of which are derived from petroleum.

“The average fragrance product tested contained 14 secret chemicals not listed on the label,” reports EWG, which analyzed the Campaign’s data. “Among them are chemicals associated with hormone disruption and allergic reactions, and many substances that have not been assessed for safety in personal care products.”

Read more about the Scent of Danger at Scientific American.

How does this happen? In the U.S., manufacturers can legally hide hundreds of synthetic chemicals in the one word--"fragrance"--without revealing what those ingredients are. It's referred to as a "trade secret" in the industry. If "trade secret" protects the company, who is protecting you? And more importantly, why does it matter?

You know that co-workers perfume that gives you a headache? Or the lemon-scented cleaner that leaves you feeling a little light-headed? There's a lot more going on than just sensitivity.

Environmental Working Group (EWG) researchers found more than 75 percent of products listing the ingredient "fragrance" contained phthalates (THAL-ates) which have been shown to disrupt hormone activity, reduce sperm counts, and cause reproductive malformation, and have been linked to liver and breast cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Additionally, studies by Dr. Philip J. Landrigan of the Mount Sinai Children's Environmental Health Center, link fetal exposure with autism, ADHD, and neurological disorders.

Read the 5 Must-Knows about Artificial Fragrance.

How can you avoid it? Because of "trade secret," you may never know what your 'fragrance' includes, so the only way to avoid it is to make safer choices and use all-natural fragrances like essential oils.

I use doTERRA essential oils for EVERYTHING from perfume, to home fragrance, to cleaning, because they are guaranteed to be 100% pure therapeutic grade quality. With essential oils, not only are you avoiding the dangers of artificial fragrance; you are also purifying the air, affecting your mood, supporting a healthy respiratory system, and promoting your overall sense of wellbeing. 

Read more about doTERRA here and how it can benefit you.

DIY: Naturally Antibacterial Foaming Hand Soap

Who loves foam soap as much as I do?? Something about those fluffy bubbles makes me (and my sticky-handed toddlers) so excited to wash my hands, and that's never a bad thing. 

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The problem is that most store-bought foam soaps dry out your hands and contain icky artificial fragrances, not to mention they are quite pricey. Also, many contain triclosan, a nasty chemical that kills good bacteria and pollutes the earth. With kids in the house that are obsessed with bubbles, $5 for a single bottle of soap doesn't add up.

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So here's my favorite life hack right here... even better homemade foaming hand soap! With the addition of coconut oil and gentle castille soap, our hands are softer than ever. And at just pennies per bottle, I don't care how many times per day the little ones want to go bubble crazy. Plus, no icky chemicals: Lavender oil is naturally antibacterial and kills all the icky stuff while supporting a healthy immune system. 

Find the recipe here on the doTERRA blog, and stock up on the essential oils you'll need to make your own here at my doTERRA shop.

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Yoga Class Sequence: Practicing Stillness

Intention: Find stillness in a world that is constantly moving, changing. In the midst of chaos, find stillness and calmness.

1. Seated meditation in sukhasana (Close eyes, focus only on breath. Tune into body's rhythms and allow your soul to move + dance to the rhythm of your own body)
2.     Raise arms 3x with breath, side bends + twists
3. Downward dog
4. Plank 5 breaths
5. DD->Plank 5x
6. Childs

“Our thoughts are like waves and ripples on the sea. When the water is still, we can see the beauty of our own depth. Be still. Find your depth.”

7. Tail of dog-> Crescent -> Vinyasa (Repeat 3X)
8. Surya Namaskar A
9. Surya Namaskar B
10. Twisted chair
11. Dancing Warrior Series -> Eagle arms (5 breaths, rest forehead on upper arms, breathe into back of neck) -> Vinyasa + repeat

“Learn how to be still and let life happen. That stillness becomes a radiance.” 

12. Surya A w/ side plank
13. Triangle -> ½ moon -> Prasarita
14. Build to pyramid, rev. triangle (Vinyasa, repeat other side)
15. Crescent -> W3 -> Revolved ½ moon (Vinyasa, repeat other side)
16. Supta virsana w/ bolster (1-3 minutes)

“When you lose touch with your inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you can easily lose yourself in the world.”

17. Down dog
18. Hop to back -> Knees to chest -> Low back twist
19. Forward fold (Halasana option)
20. Happy baby
21.   Savasana

“Stillness does not mean to be in a place with no noise, no trouble, no hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart. In stillness, all conflict must come to an end.”

Autumn Meditation: Letting Go

Today let's take a lesson from the changing trees: Embrace life deeply rooted with faith in the ground below us, with the ability to easily let go of the things that no longer serve us.

Begin meditation 

Find a comfortable seat. Connect your sitting bones + tailbone to the earth, while keeping lifted in the upper body with a tall spine. Relax your eyes, jaw, and neck. Close your eyes and take your breath a hundred times deeper. Focus on the breath expanding the body softly as your breathe in, and relaxing, releasing everything as you breathe out. Imagine sending your breath down through your body, then allow the exhale to rise up and out. Feel your breath move down your back, hips and legs like roots growing into the Earth. Allow it to move back upward, up through the back and the top of the head, as if branches begin to sprout upward toward the sun. Focus only on your breath.

Imagine a tree outside right now, leaves changing with the season. From golden yellow to candy apple red, fiery orange and deep brown.

Beside the tree is a stream of water, reflecting the warm autumn sun. Something that worries you, pick up a leaf, any color you want, and set it on the stream. Let it go and watch it float away.
Someone who angers you. Something that keeps you up at night. Continue setting your troubles downstream.

Picture yourself as this tree. Deeply rooted to the earth beneath you, free of dead weight, able to let go of what no longer serves you so effortlessly. Breathe in feeling grounded and secure. Let your breath go. Breathe in with balance and ease. Release again.

Move forward with the wisdom of the trees--how beautiful it can be to let the dead things go.