Blends by Ruth: True Synergies

Blends by Ruth Nelson; The total package. 

This is the brand I am most excited to introduce people too!

I was fortunate to try a few blends from Ruth.  Just wow.  Ruth is becoming a brilliant blender.  Her synergies go far beyond what a normal synergy does.  Why?  Because she researches and uses the best carrier oil for the purpose.  The added benefits of emu oil for a pain blend is noticeable when you use her blends.  The therapeutic qualities of the essential oil are increased by the added therapeutics of the carrier oils.

I tried 4 blends; Allergy Relief, Anytime skin, Valiant and Deep Healing.  I have had them for a while as I try not to review until I have really seen if they worked.  THEY REALLY WORKED!

First let me tell you that this one person show is not as glitzy as some other places you may buy from.  The labels are plain, simple and easy to read.  I also received a typed handout giving me the %dilution, all the ingredients and possible uses.  The handout was a serious winner!  My old tired eyes liked not having to try to find everything on the bottle.  This was a refreshing change for me. 

I started with the Deep Healing and Valiant blend which I transferred into roller bottles ( I find I can apply to almost anywhere on my own back if I put it in a roller bottle.)  The Deep Healing is fantastic!  I suffer from chronic neck and back pain from a very bad accident, pain relief is something I truly appreciate. It is what I used the most on myself so I can speak first hand to its benefits.  This is not an oil you feel the pain relief as it is happening (think icy hot type blends) but in 5 minutes the pain is less and often within 15 minutes it is gone for me.

There were a few times the pain was worse than usual and I layered with Valiant.  They work together beautifully.  Valiant I used more on my husband as it was more suited to his particular issues.  He is sort of a baby (let’s say HUGE wimp) about pain so I know it worked as he stopped complaining.  Valiant works well on pain but also assists with nerve issues.  It greatly decreased the numbness associated with Hubby's Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.  

The allergy relief is a huge bonus.  I know how to blend.  I have inhalers of my blends.  I have purchased blends.  What do I carry in my purse?  Ruth’s Allergy Relief.  Of all my choices, I keep her blend with me.  A drop on my finger, then rubbed on my throat and I am breathing again.  Enough said.

The one blend I thought I would need Hubby to review was the Anything Skin.  I am blessed with good skin.  He has terrible skin.  Who ended up using it first?  Me of course!  While checking the tires of the motor home I suddenly was being bitten by fire ants.  After much dancing around to make sure they were all off me, I went to dig into my oils, packed tightly for safe traveling.  I grabbed Ruth’s Anytime Skin.  It was so nice not to have to think about diluting or which carrier.  It was just there ready to go.  (The ready to go aspect is very nice!)  I put a few drops on and rubbed it in.  RELIEF!  Since I had hours of driving ahead it was definitely something to be thankful for!  I reapplied it a few times because those darn things are not called FIRE ants for nothing.  I missed one by my heal and it looked so different than all of them I treated immediately.  The treated ones were small and most did not swell. The one I missed was HUGE.  After 3 days, the ones I treated immediately were gone.  It has now been a week and the one I missed is still very large, angry and swollen.  

All four blends were fantastic.  All went beyond what I expected.  I am excited to watch Ruth grow and expand.  She does not have a website.  She sells through her Facebook page.  She will answer any questions you have.  I am so happy to introduce many new people to Blends by Ruth Nelson.  

You can find her products on her Facebook page for now. Blends by Ruth Nelson.  

Some of my links are affiliate links, if you choose to use them.  I am not funded by any of the companies I endorse.  

Neem Oil

#Oleavine Health

Neem Oil

Neem oil is a very useful carrier oil to learn about for skin, scalp, and other blending needs.  It possesses antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.  

There is one very important thing about Neem that the uninitiated needs to know.  Neem has a very STRONG odor.  It isn't necessarily a bad odor, but it can be over powering.  I have encountered some Neem oils that I just could not stomach regardless of how well they worked.  Then again, I never had major dry, cracked and itchy skin.  So after a few failures, I took a break from Neem for awhile.  It was time for me to revisit this great skin oil as my hubby has very dry itchy skin.  

The Oleavine Neem oil I tried is very effective, almost instantly Hubby's itching stopped.  Equally importantly to me, the blender and applier, it has a tolerable odor.  It is still strong, as I expect all Neem to be, but it is more toasted nuts, than dead fish and compost.  (Yes really, some are that bad.) 

Neem oil is usually used as a low dilution of a carrier oil blend.  You might start at 2% Neem and see if you get the desired results before slowly increasing the percentage until you find the right amount for your needs.  Neem oil would also be a great addition to hair and scalp treatments.  It can be used straight safely but as with many things, less can be just as effective.  

So for a great Neem oil that works without making your eyes water;
Oleavine Neem oil !

For more information, you can also go to Oleavine Health for more information on using Neem oil.

Some of my links are affiliate links, if you choose to use them.  I am not funded by any of the companies I endorse.  

Preserving your INVESTMENT, Storage

A cool, dark corner

Preserving your investments.

The hunt for oils is the fun part.  Maintaining your collection for safe use is the less than fun part.  There is one great enemy of our beloved essential oils, OXYGEN.  We need it but the oils do not.  Oxygen combines with the chemical constituents of essential oils to slowly change and degrade them over time.  Oxidization speeds up with increased temperature.  Some oils will also be effected by UV from light.  So what can we as home users do to minimize the effects of oxygen?

Storing your oils properly can save you a lot of money and possibly a chemical reaction from an oxidized oil irritating your skin.

The simplest, most cost effective way to increase the shelf life of your oils is to store them in a cool place away from light.  Multiple options exist for this already in your home.  It just takes time to find the right spot or locate a good storage container. If you have young children, take into account their curiosity.  You can even look for lockable storage.

Taking the cool dark place one step further, we end up with refrigeration.  Keeping the average temperature of the oils lower, slows down the rate at which oxygen combines with the chemical constituents and increases the amount of time your oils will be as you expect.

My fridge box

If you do not have a separate refrigerator, the oils that benefit the greatest from refrigeration are the blue oils (yarrow, German Chamomile), citrus (tangerine, bergamot) and the evergreens (pines, spruces).  I buy some of my citrus in larger quantities and refrigerate all but a small bottle for everyday use.  I highly recommend sealing your bottles stored in the fridge in some kind of container to avoid having all of you food taste like grapefruit fir!

For some with large collections, or that buy in bulk a separate refrigerator becomes necessary.  Dorm style or mini fridges are often home users first choice.  They range in size and it is generally best to plan on enough room for your carrier oils too.  That is right, carrier oils oxidize as well. 

EOs, carriers waxes and butters

These are the most common ways to preserve your collection.  There is one additional way that is rarely talked about and much under rated.  It can be combined with both of these to maximize your investment.  It is a subject in and of itself so I will be discussing decanting next.



Storage ideas;  These are just ideas, examples of possibilities!  So many options!  There is only one word of caution, collections grow and shrink over time.  Flexible is a good idea. 

Spice racks
 http://amzn.to/1Uzs7j0
 http://amzn.to/1ip7IRK
Nail Polish racks
 http://amzn.to/1ip7Qkk
 http://amzn.to/1KT9o0Y
Tool boxes (lockable) 
 http://amzn.to/1VFXjzs
Craft boxes
 http://amzn.to/1ip8m1z 
 http://amzn.to/1KTaIkv 
Custom EO storage
 http://amzn.to/1VFXI4S 
 http://amzn.to/1VFZ4wD


One last word on storage ideas; ETSY!   Seriously, I do not recommend Etsy for oils but for storage, check them out!

Some of my links are affiliate links, if you choose to use them.  I am not funded by any of the companies I endorse.  

NOW brand product review

When I need it  NOW!

Essential Oils, carrier oils, Waxes and butters.

The Company!

NOW Foods

The Products!

Quality: This is the biggest debate about NOW.  NOW standardizes their oils.  What does that mean?  Standardization is a common practice among large companies as a way to ensure consistency over large batches and over time.  It is generally achieved by blending batches to reach a desired sent and chemical characteristic profile.  Some argue this is undesirable and others say it is realistic and expected.  The oil I purchase the most from NOW is peppermint.  In general I do not enjoy the scent of peppermint EO.  Many are very sickly sweet to me.  I like the fact that with NOW’s standardized product I get a consistent herb scent with peppermint instead of candy.  This is an example of standardization being a huge plus.  It can also be a huge minus.   By blending and always having a specific profile, you lose the chance to have an individual batch that just WOWs you.  NOW oils will not knock your socks off.  They are a relatively inexpensive, decent quality option.  

Selection: NOW is available from many retailers and can often be found in your local natural foods market.  They are also widely available on Amazon.  Some oils come clearly labeled as being sold in dilution.  It is important to check for both the percentage it is diluted and what carrier oil is used.  (For shelf life, allergies, etc.)  Each retailer will have a different selection.  The carrier oils are frequently in my products and they are adding more organics all of the time.  Hubby really likes the Organic jojoba.  Unfortunately every now Carrier oil I have ever used has a lid that leaks slightly.  It leads to a drippy messy bottle.  I still use their carriers; I just transfer it into a different bottle.  Of the places I shop, Amazon has the most extensive collection available.

Value: The oils are sold in 30 ml instead of 10 or 15, so you are aware when comparison shopping.  Frequently you can buy them in higher quantities if you wish for bigger projects like soaping.  I frequently break a 30 ml bottle down into 2 bottles to minimize oxidation (a process called decanting that I highly recommend.)

Service!

Shipping and packaging: Primarily I purchase mine either through a local store or through Amazon.  Neither ends up with me paying shipping directly.  I trust Amazon to package it well, perhaps better than the clerks at the natural food stores I use.  Fast, 2 day shipping with Amazon Prime.

Customer Service:  I have never needed to contact customer service.  If you ever do, there is a batch number on each bottle allowing ease of tracking for this very large company.  I use NOW for very basic oils and almost exclusively peppermint.  I have never requested a GC/MS.

Education:  Not a company that spends resources on educating the consumers in general but they have changed their labels over the last few years to include Latin names and suggested uses; a big improvement!

What I love most about this company.  I love having a dependable, consistent product.  I love that if I need something quickly it is available locally.  The price per ml is very good.  The increased availability of organics is encouraging.

What I would like to see improved.  The redesign or selection of a new source for their 4 oz. bottles for carrier oils!  When selling diluted oils, I would like to see them diluted in a long shelf life carrier such as jojoba or FCO so rancidity is not an issue.  Many are currently diluted in grapeseed.  Increase the number of organics available.

My top 5 products from NOW for aromatherapy are:

Organic Jojoba Wax 

http://amzn.to/1UpnKfJ

 
Organic Argon Oil
http://amzn.to/1VzlpvS

Lanolin
http://amzn.to/1PNFjPN

Cocoa Butter
http://amzn.to/1Uppl5e

Organic Peppermint Essential Oil
http://amzn.to/1VzlHCU

I am getting most of my NOW products from Pure Formulas these days.  If you use the link above, you get $5 added to your account.  

Some of my links are affiliate links, if you choose to use them.  I am not funded by any of the companies I endorse.