Plastic: are you aware of this?

Here are excerpts from a Frontline transcript, June 2nd 1998, that I thought was worth putting in the spotlight.

The complete transcript can be found at Fooling With Nature

Fredrick Vom Saal is a Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri. A leading researcher in the field of developmental biology, Vom Saal has studied the effects of both natural and synthetic hormones at extremely low doses. His studies have shown that extremely low doses of hormones can permanently alter development of the reproductive system in mice. He has also studied how manmade chemicals, including plastics, can mimic hormones at extremely low doses.

Interview conducted in February 1998 by Doug Hamilton, producer of FRONTLINE's "Fooling With Nature."

DH: You've said that the doses at which hormones affect the body are extremely low. Give me an example to make me understand that.

FvS: The issue of the amount of hormone that actually causes effects is very difficult for scientists to talk to people about because we're dealing with numbers that are outside of the frame of reference that anybody is going to be thinking about. We see changes, profound changes, in the course of development of essentially the whole body of experimental animals, and we're working with mice and rats, and we see these changes at fifty femtograms of the hormone per milliliter of blood. That's 0.05 trillionths of a gram of this hormone in a milliliter of blood.

DH: And what sort of effect does it have?

FvS: We see changes in the functioning of the prostate. We see dramatic change in the sprouting of glands within the fetal prostate. We see changes in testicular sperm production. We see changes in the structure of the endocrine control region in the brain, which is accompanied by changes in sex behavior, aggression, the way these animals behave towards infants, their whole social interaction, the way they age, the time that they enter puberty, the age at which they cease reproduction. It changes their entire life history, and these changes are capable of occurring at very low levels of hormones.

I remember when we first did this and I was a post doctoral fellow, and my advisor and I looked at the hormone levels and said, "My God, these levels are so staggeringly small and the consequences are so immense it's amazing." Even to biologists, it's amazing.

But what you have is the entire field of toxicology thinking of a millionth of a gram of a hormone or a chemical as being this staggeringly tiny amount, and to most people if I said there's only a millionth of a gram of it here you'd say, "How can it do anything?" A millionth of a gram of estradiol in blood is toxic. The natural hormone is actually operating at something like a hundred million times lower than that. So when you have a physiologist thinking of a millionth of a gram, you have that physiologist thinking this is a toxic high dose. When you are raised in the field of toxicology you are looking at that from the other perspective of "My gosh, that's such a tiny dose, it couldn't do anything."...

DH: Can you again describe the results, the developmental effects in your laboratory mice, that you are seeing with these unbelievably small changes in hormone levels?

FvS: We published a paper just a few months ago in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" in which we experimentally elevated estradiol levels in mouse fetuses during the period when their reproductive organs were forming. And what we did was we experimentally elevated estradiol by one tenth of one trillionth of a gram of estradiol in a milliliter of blood. We estimate that we're increasing estradiol by about one molecule of estradiol per cell in the body. Okay? The consequence of this is that at the end of the first day of development of the prostate in the male fetuses we could see dramatic change in the sprouting of prostate glands. We rendered the prostate abnormally enlarged, and this was detectable within twenty-four hours of the beginning of its embryonic development. And when we looked at these treated animals as adults, that difference had persisted. They had abnormally enlarged prostates that were hyper-responsive to hormones.

Now, prostate disease is for every male in this country and for every male in the world a very, very serious concern. It's the largest bill to the medical community. It's the most prevalent disease of aging in humans. Seventy percent of men, by the time you're seventy years old, will have an abnormally enlarged prostate. We caused this to happen at the first day of embryonic life with that change in estradiol. That's how sensitive embryonic organs are to these staggeringly tiny changes in hormones....

DH: These hormone levels you're talking about are inconceivably low, staggeringly low. How do we even begin to measure them?

FvS: For some chemicals, and for some hormones, the technical capacity to measure them is actually less sensitive than the body's ability to detect them. We've been working with a chemical, bisphenol-A. It's what polycarbonate plastic, hard plastics, are made out of: CD's, the plastic in your glasses' lens, milk containers, baby bottles. It's the chemical that they use to line cans with, it's the chemical they put on your teeth as a sealant and it is a very potent estrogen. It mimics the hormone that women produce in their ovaries, and it mimics this hormone estradiol that is actually being produced in fetuses and during pregnancy that is a major coordinator or an alligator or any other animal.

Estradiol plays a critical role in development and then normal functioning of the body for the rest of an individual's life. The amount of estradiol you're exposed to throughout your life is also the best predictor of breast cancer. This chemical mimics that hormone. The body can't tell the difference between bisphenol-A and estradiol. In other words, it sees this chemical and it thinks it's getting exposed to its natural hormone....

DH: So you're saying that the hormone that has the clearest link to breast cancer, the hormone that is responsible for sexual development in any animal or human, is found in plastics?

FvS: Absolutely. The plastic materials, if they are polycarbonates, are made with this chemical bisphenol-A. And you can think of polycarbonate as a house made of bricks. Essentially you take this brick, this building block, which is bisphenol-A, and you link it together with other bisphenol-A molecules. That's a polymerization reaction. The bisphenol-A is the monomer used to construct these plastic materials. When it's attached to another one, that forms a polymer. And unfortunately in the process of making these plastics not all of the bisphenol-A gets linked together. So you put your food or other material in the plastic and it absorbs the unreacted bisphenol-A into it. And now in your food is a sex hormone...

DH: And what are you finding to be the effect?

FvS: Okay, the chemical bisphenol-A passes out of the plastic or out of the dental sealant that's put on your child's teeth or out of the lining of cans, into the food or liquid that's in contact with the plastic. Now the important point about detection by instrumentation of the bisphenol-A is that, based on our research, the ability of the current instruments used to monitor for bisphenol-A in food is a much lower level of detection than what our animals are able to detect. It's a huge difference as a matter of fact. So that you can put food that you have in contact with plastic into a chemical analysis and say there is no plastic material there. We extract from that same food, put it into animals and we get a big effect. The animals are more sensitive to the chemicals than the machinery...

DH: So the plastics we use in daily life, the baby bottles, the food containers, leach chemicals into the food at levels that cause effects in lab animals?

FvS: One of the things that we started doing a number of years ago is we started looking at the effects of the materials that plastics are made out of in cell culture. We used human cells to see how responsive these cells were to these chemicals, and at what doses the chemicals could influence human cells to start growing and doing things differently. So, in other words, we're getting biological responses out of the cells and we were astonished at the incredibly small amounts of these chemicals that were actually able to alter human cell function...

So what we did in mice was based on the studies using human cells. We know that mouse cells are essentially identical to human cells in the way that they respond to these hormones. That's been known actually for quite a long time...

Now one of the surprising things is that when we started looking into the literature concerning the amounts of these chemicals that were being released into food from plastic containers, and we compared that to the doses active in our cell culture studies, they were the same doses. But they were also doses that the toxicological community was saying were absolutely safe...

...But there were no actual experiments that had ever tested to see if that was true. So we did something that had never been done...

DH: And what did you find?

FvS: For the males, decreased sperm count and enlarged prostates. The treatment altered virtually every aspect of the reproductive system...

...In other words, in every aspect of physiology that we look for, we see effects. And they're permanent. And the important thing about what I'm talking about is we are only exposing babies to these chemicals for very, very short periods of time in development and the consequences are for the rest of the life of that individual. Once you change the development of an organ there is no way to undo that effect. It's a life sentence -- that's a lifetime consequence. Medical science can't undo the development of organs.

DH: And you're finding that organs are affected at levels as low as those that are leaching into our food from common plastics?

FvS: That's correct...

DH: Could I just get you to repeat that in simpler terms?

FvS: OK. If you look at the fish or the human or the frog or the bird at the earliest stages of embryonic development, when the reproductive organs are forming, you're hard pressed to tell them apart. And if I were to show you the developing prostate in a human at the very beginning of its development, and the developing prostate in a mouse at the beginning of its development, you wouldn't tell them apart. And at the functional level they're essentially identical...

DH: One of your colleagues actually stumbled onto this problem with plastics. How did that happen?

FvS: Well, it's a fascinating detective story. At Tufts University, they were doing the same types of studies that we have been doing with human cells: culturing them and then looking at the ability of the cells to respond to chemicals in the environment. They had purchased some new test tubes and the test tubes were made of polystyrene plastic, and the cells that we're using to detect estrogens require estrogens to grow and to proliferate, to go through development. And they put the cells in these test tubes and they started growing. And so the natural assumption was, "Somebody spilled some chemical in the lab that is infiltrating all of our cultures, and oh my gosh this is a disaster." Contaminated labs are a real serious problem.

Instead, after months and months of work, they realized that the lab was absolutely clean and that it was the test tube that was causing the cells to grow. So they called up Dow Corning, from whom they had purchased these test tubes, and said, "Your test tubes are causing our estrogen-responsive cells to grow. They must be releasing an estrogen. What could that be?" And Dow Corning said, "We won't tell you. We won't tell anybody what's in our products." And I'll come back to this because this is an extremely critical issue with regard to knowing what chemicals we're exposed to. Because the chemical industry will not inform scientists or the public what the chemicals in the products we're using are, and so it took months of work, of chemical analysis of these plastics, to realize that it's an additive material.

It's an antioxidant that stops discoloration of the plastic and it's added to the plastic to stop it from discoloring, and it's present in soaps, detergents, hand creams, vaginal creams. It's used in loads of different types of products. This same chemical is also used as an antioxidant in plastics. And it's a potent enough estrogen that when you put human cells into a plastic material made of polystyrene, but it's got this additive material in it, it can cause human breast cells to start proliferating. That's not a good thing...

DH: Could it be cancer causing?

FvS: Well, you can't have breast cancer if you don't have enough estrogen to cause the breast cells to undergo differentiation in development...

DH: And this is coming from soaps, creams, plastics that are in our daily lives?

FvS: That's correct...

DH This issue can't be talked about without getting into politics, it seems. Why is that?

FvS: The political aspects of dealing with the endocrine disrupter issue have really altered the course of what is happening dramatically...In the case of the endocrine disrupter issue, where the chemical that we're publishing about happens to be one of the fifty top chemicals made in the United States, it is worth billions of dollars to a few major corporations such as General Electric, Shell Oil, Dow Chemical. Each of them makes billions of dollars from this chemical...

MC: Steve Safe said to us that the levels of chemicals in the environment have all gone down.

FvS: DDT is at much lower levels in the United States today than it was in the 1970s. Of course it's also being used all over the world, and it's in the atmosphere. And the very current evidence is that while levels decreased after it was banned, we're now somewhat stabilizing. The same with PCBs. Those two chemicals do not encompass endocrine disrupters...

...Every four years, one trillion pounds of plastics are made in the world. They are being thrown away in the landfill. They are leaching these products back into our water. No one is looking for them. So as a general statement, to say that all endocrine disrupting chemicals are at lower levels today than they would have been twenty years ago is just ludicrous. Because nobody's looked. Nobody knew they were endocrine disrupting chemicals...

...what you have is the entire field of toxicology thinking of a millionth of a gram of a hormone or a chemical as being this staggeringly tiny amount, and to most people if I said there's only a millionth of a gram of it here you'd say, "How can it do anything?" A millionth of a gram of estradiol in blood is toxic. The natural hormone is actually operating at something like a hundred million times lower than that...

...We published a paper just a few months ago in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" in which we experimentally elevated estradiol levels in mouse fetuses during the period when their reproductive organs were forming. And what we did was we experimentally elevated estradiol by one tenth of one trillionth of a gram of estradiol in a milliliter of blood. We estimate that we're increasing estradiol by about one molecule of estradiol per cell in the body. Okay? The consequence of this is that at te components of plastics. Every four years, one trillion pounds of plastics are made in the world. They are being thrown away in the landfill. They are leaching these products back into our water. No one is looking for them. So as a general statement, to say that all endocrine disrupting chemicals are at lower levels today than they would have been twenty years ago is just ludicrous. Because nobody's looked. Nobody knew they were endocrine disrupting chemicals.

The complete transcript can be found at Fooling With Nature

*

Aspartame:Ant Poison or Human Food Ingredient???

In my little web travels, I came across this tid-bit of interesting information that I thought my readers would enjoy knowing about. By the way, the DORway link down at the bottom is a pretty good site to check out too.

I currently don't have any insect pest problems to test this out, but if any of you do and are willing to try this little toxic concoction I'd love to hear about your results.

From the June 2006 Idaho Observer:

Aspartame - The World’s Best Ant Poison

contributed by Jan Jensen of WELLthy Choices

We live in the woods and carpenter ants are a huge problem. We have spent thousands of dollars with Orkin and on ant poisons trying to keep them under control but nothing has helped.

So when I read somewhere that aspartame (Nutrasweet) was actually developed as an ant poison and only changed to being considered non-poisonous after it was realized that a lot more money could be made on it as a sweetener than as an ant poison, I decided to give it a try.

I opened two packets of aspartame sweetener, and dumped one in a corner of each of our bathrooms. That was about 2 years ago and I have not seen any carpenter ants for about 9 to 12 months. It works better than the most deadly poisons I have tried. Any time they show up again, I simply dump another package of Nutrasweet in a corner, and they will be gone for a year or so again.

Since posting this information I have had many people tell me of their success solving ant problems with this substance, when nothing else worked.

We found later that small black ants would not eat the aspartame. It was determined that if you mixed it with apple juice, they would quickly take it back to the nest, and all would be dead within 24 hours, usually. I have found that sometimes it will kill them, and sometimes it does not. Not sure why, may be slightly different species of ants or something.

Fire Ants: We got our first fire ant hill about 2 weeks ago. Poison did not work. We tried aspartame and the ants ignored it until we got a light rain. It was just a sprinkle, enough to moisten the Nutrasweet and ground, but not enough to wash it away. They went crazy, hundreds of them grabbing it and taking it back into the mound. When I checked the mound 2 days later, there was no sign of the fire ants. I even dug the mound up some, and still saw none of them.

How does it Work: Aspartame is a neuropoison. It most likely kills the ants by interfering with their nervous system. It could be direct, like stopping their heart, or something more subtle like killing their sense of taste so they can’t figure out what is eatable, or smell, so they can’t follow their trails, or mis-identify their colonies members, so they start fighting each other. Not sure what causes them to end up dying, just know that for many species of ants it will kill them quickly and effectively.

As with any poison I recommend wearing gloves and washing any skin areas that come in contact with this poison, and avoid getting it in your mouth, despite anything the labeling may indicate.

I suspect it will work for other insects such as yellow jackets as well, but have not tested that yet.

More information on this fantastic poison can be found at: DORway

The Idaho Observer
P.O. Box 457
Spirit Lake, Idaho 83869
Phone: 208-255-2307
Web: Idaho Observer 


When Was the Last Time You...

My gift to all for the holidays and the New Year...

You will need to click on this link and scroll down to nearly the bottom of the page and click on "A Knock at the Door" to view the Flash movie.

A Knock at the Door

Enjoy, and may you all have a most inspired 2007, and remember to open the door to your dreams.

Cranberry Holiday Salad

1 - 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup Agave
2 cups fresh Cranberries
1/2 cup diced Celery
1/3 cup chopped Walnuts
1 Tablespoon Agar-Agar
1/8 teaspoon Sea Salt   

In a two-quart saucepan combine the water and Agar-Agar, bring to boil then reduce heat to simmer, stirring often until Agar-Agar is dissolved.

Add Agave and the cranberries and cook without stirring until all skins pop open. This should take about 5 minutes.   

Chill until mixture is slightly thickened. Then stir in the  celery and walnuts. Pour into serving bowl and chill until firm.  
Makes  6 servings.

If you don't know about Blue Agave here are some details: Blue Agave nectar is a delicious natural sweetener preferred by health-conscious people for use in foods and beverages. It has a low glycemic index rating, making it ideal for diabetics, hypoglycemics, dieters, and athletes, as well as those who wish to avoid sucrose or artificial sweeteners. Use it in recipes by reducing the amount of liquid called for, just as with honey. There are about 189 servings per 8 oz. bottle.

Calories: 20 per serving, Carbohydrates: 5.2 grams per serving, Sugars: 5.2 grams per serving

How to use Organic Blue Agave: It is much sweeter than sugar, but with a glycemic index of only 11 (sugar has a glycemic index of 68-85). In recipes, use 1/2 to 3/4 cup in place of 1 cup sugar. You may also need to reduce the amount of liquid, just as you would for honey. Use like honey in beverages or on cereal, bread, etc.

If you'd like to purchase Blue Agave (item # 3221) it is available at my product website: The Very Essence

Make Your Own Furniture Polish

How to Make:

16 ounce spray bottle
Two teaspoons olive oil ( preferably the light kind)
15 drops of lemon essential oil
1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
fill the rest of the bottle with distilled water
 
How to use:
Spray formula on your rag or directly onto the furniture. Wipe it dry immediately. The olive oil conditions and the vinegar cleans. You can also squirt some on your dust mop for your hardwood floors. This recipe is nontoxic and smells terrific! Plus, it's a lot cheaper than the store bought polishes!

Disclaimer: The recipes in this blog are for educational purposes only and intended for those seeking nontoxic solutions. Please use common sense when trying anything new.

Pure lemon essential oil can be purchased at my website: The Very Essence

Pets & Essential Oils

If you've been wondering if essential oils can be used with most pets, the answer is yes.

However, I must CAUTION you should NOT use regular store-bought essential oils on your pets as they are not pure and could case great damage to your beloved companion. A reminder, when I refer to essential oils in my blog I ONLY refer to the Young Living oils, because they are AFNOR - ISO quality, in layman terms it means, you can't get any better. And remember, a little bit goes a very long way.

Here is an excerpt from one of Gary Young's books and his experiences using essential oils on his animals...

by Gary Young, N.D.
I have raised animals all my life and presently have several miniature horses as well as four teams of draft horses. I also have pygmy goats, barbadoes sheep and llamas at my ranch where I reside. On my 1300 acre herb farm at Whispering Springs in Mona, Utah, I have an animal petting zoo with Bactrian camels. zeeboos from Africa (miniature Bhramas), Watusi cows and bulls, Walleroos (miniature kangaroos), llamas, buffalos, miniature donkeys, as well as horses and goats. As you can see we have a wide variety of animals.

We have used the oils extensively on many of the animals and are continually making discoveries. The animals respond extremely well and we feel they have benefited greatly. In my experience, I have found that animals respond to essential oils much the same as humans. Animals are not as sensitive to the phenol and sesquiterpene constituents so they can be applied "neet" or full strength. One needs only to determine which oils are applicable to the situation and then apply a few drops 3-4 times daily.

Where and How Much to Apply

The amount for small animals, like cats and dogs is like the application for a child: 3-4 drops each time applied. For larger animals, like large dogs apply 6-7 drops, for horses, apply 15-20 drops.

After applying the oils, I have found it beneficial to cover the open wound with Rose ointment, which keeps the skin soft and helps promote the healing. I have applied the oils in the following ways.

Note: treating cats is different than other animals, be sure to avoid using the citrus oils on and around cats.

1. Apply on their paws where absorption is very fast.

2. On cloven hoofed animals, apply on the auricular points of the ears and/or spine or both.

3. Underneath the top lip on the gums and on the tongue.

4. Sprinkle a few drops on the spine and then massage into the skin, just like with humans.


Conditions and Oils Applied

For various problems I have experimented with the following oils and herbal/mineral products:

1. Strangle in horses, I used a combination of the oil blends Exodus II and Melrose together.(4 parts Exodus II to 1 part Melrose.)

2. Ear mites in cats and dogs - purification and peppermint.

3. Ticks and fleas - Tansy and tansy floral water.

4. Tumors- all animals - Frankincense and lavender mixed together, frankincense and clove mixed together.

5. Worms and parasites- all animals - Parafree and Di-tone.

6. Open wounds- all animals -Melrose, Helichrysum and gentle care Rose Ointment.

7. Trauma- all animals - Trauma Life, Valor, Peace & calming, Melissa, rosewood, lavender, valerian, and chamomile.

8. Bones- all animals - PanAway, birch or wintergreen, lemongrass and spruce.

9. Nervous anxiety with horses - Valor, Trauma Life, geranium, lavender and valerian.

10. Saddle sores- Melrose and Rose ointment.

11. Mineral deficiencies- Mineral Essence( liquid tincture, taken internally) may help meet the animals needs and when met, they will quit chewing on the furniture and engaging in other undesirable activities.

12. Tissue repair and healing directly on wound - Melrose.

13. May help with pain and stop bleeding - Helichrysum.

14. Healing of wounds and abrasions - Rose Ointment.

* * * * *

SOME OF MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES

I have a lovely dog. He's 6 or 7 years old now and sometimes is a bit gimpy. He's a mix of Flat-coated retriever and Irish Setter (a beautiful dog with a fantastic disposition!) And our experiences using essential oils on him have been wonderful. His favorite essential oil is Palo Santo (which by the way, you will only find through Young Living, no one else distills it). He enjoys having a drop rubbed onto his back. After a couple minutes he has what we call "puppy energy."

I also use either the Young Living Pet Shampoo or one of "my" Young Living Shampoos on him. Not only does he smell terrific but the scent of the pure essential oils keeps flea's and ticks away. He loves being groomed, and actually loves having a bath, which he gets once a month. I would think that having a bath that often with these products contributes greatly to keeping those nasty insects off of him.

Young Living also has a fantastic pet ointment. Naturally it has essential oils in it as well. Of course it's like all the other Young Living products, nontoxic. The pet ointment can also be used on people. I used it one day for a scrape I had, I didn't have my bag of essential oils with me, so I thought... Well, I know what all of the ingredients are and they're safe, so I gave it a try. I was impressed how well it worked and wouldn't hesitate again to use it on myself. It also worked great on my dog when he got a nasty insect bite on his eye lid, it took the swelling down within minutes.

What I like best is that I don't have to use those toxic flea collars and other nasty products, things that I would never think of putting on my body... So why would I want to put them on my lovely dog???

If you've been looking for nontoxic solutions for your pet you may want to consider the Young Living products. They can be seen and ordered at my website: The Very Essence

Disclaimer: The information in this post is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to prescribe, treat or diagnose any condition. Please refer to your veterinarian or other health care provider.

My Vanilla Wolfberry Granola Recipe

4 cups Rolled Oats
1 cup Spelt Flour
1/2 cup Blue Agave
1/3 cup Hemp Seed Oil
1 cup NingXia Wolfberries (slightly rehydrated)
4 Tablespoons pure Vannila Extract
1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 325°.
In small bowl add wolfberries, add enough hot tap water to cover, let sit for 4 minutes, then drain.
In large bowl combine all ingredients and stir well until mixture is evenly moistened. Spread entire mixture onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Recipe by Evelyn Vincent

ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
Ningxia wolfberries rank as powerful antioxidants and as the most nutritious fruit, and provide an array of nutrients and protein. Ever so slightly tart in flavor, use Ningxia wolfberries in cooking (not at too high heat though), as an added nutritional boost in cereals, salads and other foods, or snack on them right out of the bag (far more nutritous than raisins and no added sugar!).

The NingXia Wolfberry is different than other wolfbrries, this species rates the highest in antioxidants. To get more info on the NingXia Wolfberry and the delicious tasting NingXia Red juice click on this link:

Very Red and sign up for my free newsletter.

Blue Agave nectar is a delicious natural sweetener preferred by health-conscious people for use in foods and beverages. It has a low glycemic index rating, making it ideal for diabetics, hypoglycemics, dieters, and athletes, as well as those who wish to avoid sucrose or artificial sweeteners. Use it in recipes by reducing the amount of liquid called for, just as with honey. There are about 189 servings per 8 oz. bottle.

Calories: 20 per serving
Carbohydrates: 5.2 grams per serving
Sugars: 5.2 grams per serving

How to use Organic Blue Agave: It is much sweeter than sugar, but with a glycemic index of only 11 (sugar has a glycemic index of 68-85). In recipes, use 1/2 to 3/4 cup in place of 1 cup sugar. You may also need to reduce the amount of liquid, just as you would for honey. Use like honey in beverages or on cereal, bread, etc.

If you'd like to purchase NingXia Wolfberries (item # 6360) (Lycium barbarum) or Blue Agave (item # 3221) they are available at my product website: The Very Essence

The anti-inflammatory effects of both omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids have been demonstrated in many studies, in particular in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. However this only occurs when these fats are consumed in roughly similar amounts, such as what is found in hemp oil.

What is particularly interesting about hemp oil is that the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fat is 3:1, which is generally the ratio recognized as being ideal for optimum health. Most North Americans consume a ratio of 10:1 as a result of a heavy reliance on oils and products that contain significantly more omega-6 fat (e.g. soybean/vegetable oil). Hemp Seed Oil can be purchased at: Manitoba Harvest

For the Photographer in Each of Us

I've always had a passion for photography. I got my first camera back in 1976, a second-hand Canon 35mm SLR with 5 different lenses, and B&W dark room equipment for $100 from an old timer photographer, I was in heaven! I have since sold the dark room equipment, but still have that Canon and lenses. Boy, they sure knew how to make a good camera back then, to this day that Canon has never failed me, nor has it ever needed a repair!

A year and a half ago I got my first good digital camera, a Nikon CoolPix 5900. As much as I love my old Canon, there is an ease of use with the digital. What I like is that I don't have to keep buying film and getting the color prints developed. But the best part is I can download the photo's onto my computer and into iPhoto. If there's a shot I really like and want to do some creative things with it I export it into PhotoShop CS2, WOW!

I came across something that may be of interest to many during this gift giving season and for all those budding photographer's. It's Derrick Story's Top 10 Digital Phtography Tips.

Derrick Story is the digital media evangelist for O'Reilly, and his experience includes more than 20 years as a photojournalist, a stint as the managing editor for Web Review, and a speaker for CMP, IDG, and O'Reilly conferences, author of 'Digital Photography Hacks', and co-authored 'iPhoto the Missing Manual.

Root Canal Interview & My Toothache Experience (an eye-opener)

I wanted to share this information with you because this past September one of the reasons, other than being exhausted from a too busy August, that I was unable to attend the Young Living '06 Convention was because of a toothache I got 2 days before the event.

I knew that others had used Young Living essential oils for toothache, so I went to my computer files and dug them up. This tooth that was hurting was a tooth I had a root canal in some 8+  years ago. After reading what others had done, I got out my bottle of Thieves and Helichrysum essential oils and would put a couple drops on a Q-Tip and rubbed all sides of the tooth, I layered the oils. I knew teeth have all these little tubes in which nutrients and so forth flowed through and that teeth are porous, I thought if I could work the essential oils into the tooth sides as much as possible that it would help the beneficial properties of the oils get "inside" the tooth. I did this several times a day. I also rinsed my mouth with the Young Living Fresh Essence/Thieves Mouthwash before applying the essential oils. 

Even though it still hurt and the side of my face was swollen due to the infected tooth, I was able to sleep just fine. I couldn't really talk much or normal, or eat/chew, but I was able to get sleep which I think says a lot. 

I also found that I had the best results when I applied the essential oils every 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours that it made a big difference and alleviated a good bit of the pain. I tried not to get too much oil down the inside of my mouth because I knew the skin there is quite delicate and because I'd be doing many applications a day I certainly didn't want to risk irritating the skin. I did rub the Q-Tip at the tooth & gum area thinking that it would help the oils to get down deeper as I knew the infection was also spreading into my jaw. I also applied Helichrysum on my face focusing around the jaw and neck area. 

After using the mouthwash and essential oils about 4 days later I was almost pain-free and able to chew soft foods slowly. By the 5th day, the pain was 100% gone, swelling gone, and I could chew anything I wanted to eat. No trip to the dentist either!

What I just discovered today (below) at Dr. Mercola's website in this interview is the reason "why" I got the toothache in the first place - and - "why" the Thieves and Helichrysum worked. Be sure to read the interview clear to the end because I think there is a lot of information about oral care that we have never been fully aware of, I know I am walking away form all of this with a completely different take on the how's and why's.  

What I am going to be doing in the future as a preventative is this: at least once a week applying Young Living's Thieves essential oil using a Q-Tip to that root canal tooth and neighboring teeth, and be certain to use the Fresh Essence/Thieves Mouthwash at least twice a day. If I find the tooth is giving me health problems in the future I will have it taken out. 

Hope this experience of mine and this interview can help others.

VIDEO UPDATE -- Why You Want to Avoid Root Canals - Dr. Mercola reviews the reasons why root canals can destroy your health and some practical alternatives, Why You Want To Avoid Root Canals and Interview with George Meinig, D.D.S. author of Root Canal Cover Up Exposed.

The Thieves and Helichrysum essential oils and Thieves/Fresh Essence Mouthwash are avaialable at: The Very Essence

Disclaimer: Information found here refers solely to products from Young Living Essential Oils and is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. We urge you to do the health related research necessary to learn what is right for you. Young Living uses only AFNOR-ISO grade oils. Perfume grade or poor quality oils may possibly be harmful due to unknown additives and poor plant or distillation conditions.

The Best Drug: Love

Over the past two decades, Dr. Dean Ornish has scientifically proven that people can open their blocked arteries without drugs or surgery through diet, exercise and meditation.

However, the most interesting find was that loneliness is more toxic than a cheeseburger.

“Love and intimacy are at the root of what makes us sick and what makes us well,” Ornish declares. “I am not aware of any other factor in medicine—not diet, not smoking, not exercise—that has a greater impact.”

Ornish’s research corroborates what is know as the ‘Roseta Effect’. Until 1965, the people who lived in the small town of Roseta, Pennsylvania, seemed immune to heart disease. Compared to the residents in the nearby town of Bangor, they smoked as much and ate similar food. The striking distinction was Roseta’s tightly bonded social life. The communite comprised mostly third-generation italian immigrants, all of whom had strong commitments to family and friends.

Isolation is definitely a health hazard. Here are a few startling facts from actual clinical studies:

• Women who felt isolated were 3 ½ times as likely to die of breast, ovarian or uterine cancer over a 17-year period.

• Heart patients who felt the least loved had 50% more arterial damage than those who felt the most loved.

• Unmarried heart patients were 3 times more likely to die within 5 years.

The authenticity and intensity of our relationships appears to be the deciding factor in health. Your cheeseburger might not be as harmful if you eat it with someone you love.

Here's the link to Dean Ornishes webiste and article ttitled: Love & Survival. Be sure to look around his website as he has some terrific information to share.

Much love, happiness and great health to all my readers!

Mercury Tooth Fillings A Toxic Time Bomb?

Here is another article I came across on yet more reasons why we need to insist that our fillings and any other substance or product we use not contain mercury. It boggles my mind to think that mercury is still being used at all and that there is debate on whether or not it's safe in any amount.

by Charles W. Moore

Sweden has banned mercury amalgam dental fillings, effective January, 1997, after determining that at least 250,000 Swedes have immune and other health disorders directly related to the mercury in their teeth. Denmark will ban amalgams beginning in January 1999.

In 1991, Germany's Health Ministry recommended to the German Dental Association that no further amalgam fillings be placed in children, pregnant women, or people with kidney disease, and in 1993 this was extended to include all women of child-bearing age, pregnant or not. Austria is also phasing out mercury fillings.

By contrast, the American Dental Association (ADA) says replacing amalgam fillings from non-allergic patients for the purpose of removing toxic substances from the body is “improper and unethical.” The Canadian Dental Association (CDA) insists that there is no scientific evidence linking medical illness symptoms to mercury fillings, except relatively rare allergic sensitivity to mercury. (The number of persons with a specific and detectable sensitivity to mercury may not be so small. According to a Health Canada report, as many as 15 percent of people with amalgam fillings show signs of sensitivity to mercury. Some American researchers claim that at least 20 percent of people with amalgam fillings are “mercury toxic.”)
What gives? Are the Europeans and Scandinavians hysterical Cassandras, in a sweat about nothing, or are the North American dental associations concerned about things other than patient health? Are mercury amalgam tooth fillings dangerous or not?

Amalgam tooth fillings are an alloy of 50 percent mercury, 35 percent silver, 13 percent tin, 2 percent copper, and a bit of zinc. Mercury toxicity was known in the 19th century, but amalgam's cheapness, ease of placement, and durability kept it popular. Dentists argue that mercury fillings last longer than resin composites, and are more gentle to tooth pulp. Composites also require more skill and time to place.

Unfortunately, mercury is a poison that penetrates all living cells of the human body. It is more toxic than lead, cadmium and arsenic. The smallest amount of mercury that won't damage human cells is unknown. Autopsy studies show a correlation between the number of mercury fillings and mercury levels in the brain and kidneys. Research also indicates that amalgams have an adverse effect on the immune system's T-lymphocyte count.

Scrap dental amalgam is classified hazardous waste by the American Environmental Protection Agency, and by law must be stored in unbreakable, sealed containers, and handled without touching. Dr. Sandra Denton, M.D., who specializes in treating chronic mercury toxicity, asks: “What is it about the mouth that makes this same stuff non-toxic?” Referring to American Dental Association (ADA) claims that amalgams have been proved safe in studies, Dr. Denton challenges them to produce such studies. They have not. “On the other hand,” says Denton, “research documenting mercury toxicity is voluminous.” She has collected some 3,000 articles and several books on the topic.

A Danish study found that Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients had eight times higher levels of mercury in their cerebrospinal fluid than healthy controls. An article in the Journal of Forensic Medicine & Pathology states: “Slow retrograde seepage of mercury from root canal or Class V amalgam fillings...may lead to multiple sclerosis in middle age.” Dr. Hal Huggins of Colorado Springs, Colorado, a dentist who has MS himself, treats MS victims and people with other chronic health problems by removing mercury amalgam fillings as well as with detoxification and nutritional supplementation. He claims that 80 to 85 percent of his patients improve significantly.

Despite Huggin's successes, the U.S. Multiple Sclerosis Society opposes mercury amalgam removal, stating that they have found no scientific correlation between amalgams and MS. Dr. Huggins counters that if his results are to be written off as “anecdotal” or “placebo effect”, then he has the largest collection of sustained recurring anecdotal placebo responses in the world.

Antibiotic resistant bacterial disease has become a significant and growing public health problem over the past decade. Studies show that genes protecting bacteria against mercury poisoning often bundle together with other genes that give bacteria antibiotic resistant qualities. If amalgam fillings stimulate and maintain populations of mercury-resistant bacteria, it's no major stretch to suggest that they might also be an agent in developing antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Research by Dr. Anne O. Summers, et al., at the University of Georgia shows such a relationship in monkeys. Dr. Summers put mercury fillings into the molars of monkeys. Within five weeks bacteria in the animals' intestines became resistant not only to mercury, but also to common antibiotics like penicillin, streptomycin, and tetracycline.

Another monkey study by Dr. Stuart B. Levy at Tufts University found that before having mercury fillings, an average of one percent of the monkeys' oral, and nine percent of their intestinal Enterobacteriacae were antibiotic-resistant. After receiving mercury fillings, 13 percent of oral and up to 70 percent of intestinal bugs became antibiotic resistant. The ADA responds by reiterating its stand that mercury fillings are safe, and arguing that animal studies “cannot be viewed as affecting humans.”

It is well-established that elemental mercury vapour emits from amalgam tooth fillings during chewing, brushing, and eating hot and/or acidic foods. Most of this vapour is inhaled. allowing efficient absorption across the alveolar membrane in the lungs. Mercury easily crosses the blood/brain barrier – the brain and nervous system's main natural defense against many toxic substances. It can bind strongly to sulfur-containing proteins in nerve tissue (which may explain the association with MS – a disease of the nerve sheaths), and deposits in virtually all body tissues and organs. In experiments on mercury fillings in sheep, Dr. Murray Vimy, a dentist at the University of Calgary, proved that mercury migrates from the teeth into nearly all body tissues, especially the brain, kidneys, and liver.

The average dentist handles two or three pounds of mercury annually. According to Consumer Reports, up to 10 percent of dental offices have mercury vapour levels exceeding 50 micrograms per cubic metre of air – the upper limit considered safe for eight-hour workplace exposures. Dr. Sandra Denton cites a study at the University of North Texas that found neuropsychological dysfunction in 90 percent of dentists tested. Female dental personnel have a higher spontaneous abortion rate, higher incidence of premature labour, and elevated perinatal mortality, which has been substantiated by the EPA to be characteristic of women chronically exposed to mercury vapour. Stillbirths are significantly correlated with maternal blood mercury levels. Methyl mercury, the organic form of mercury that forms after oral ingestion of mercury, is 100 times more toxic than elemental mercury. Methyl mercury easily crosses the placental barrier and builds up 30 percent  higher red blood cell levels in the unborn child than the mother.

The CDA counters that with billions of mercury amalgam fillings placed, there is no apparent epidemic of ill health effects. However, others argue that so many people have mercury fillings that no effective control group exists. Former Health Canada biologist Mark Richardson, who researched the scientific literature on mercury toxicity in preparing a risk assessment, notes that it is people wanting to maintain the status quo who conclude that there is no evidence that mercury toxicity is a health problem. He refers to the tobacco industry's stalwart insistence that studies linking smoking to lung cancer are unscientific. Richardson's report, under consideration by Health Canada, recommends limiting the number of mercury fillings per person.

Stubborn reluctance of dental associations to acknowledge the health risk of mercury toxicity from amalgam fillings may indeed have much in common with tobacco company tactics. If diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity are linked to mercury exposure from tooth fillings, significant potential exists for individual or class action lawsuits against dentists. Indeed, the German Dental Association has stated that if the government recommends further limitations on amalgam use, it will advise its members to stop using amalgams completely due to increasing risk of legal liability. The truth will eventually out, and if mercury fillings are indeed eventually proved harmful, a history of foot-dragging will not bolster the dental community's case in court.

Dr. Murray Vimy is certain that every time you chew, brush, or grind your teeth you absorb mercury. However, he councils against panic and suggests that mercury fillings be replaced with non-mercury materials like resin composites, porcelain, or gold, as needed. There is some risk that mass replacements could expose the patient to more mercury than if old fillings were left alone.

Charles Moore is a freelance writer living in rural Nova Scotia who specializes in health issues.
Source: www.life.ca

The Dangers of Mercury (you HAVE to see these video's!)

by Townsend Letters for Doctors

Editor:
Just recently, the Director for Science in the Public Interest, based in Washington, DC, suggested that there is a higher level of mercury in tuna than that which is safe for children.
If a child ingests mercury-containing tuna regularly, blood levels won’t rise until a tissue saturation has taken effect. Long before this tissue saturation takes place, such a child might experience speech and motor development delays, allergies, energy problems, learning disabilities, digestive problems, tooth decay, emotional and severe psychiatric problems.
When we see elevated levels in a child’s blood, the exposure has been severe and symptoms of toxicity are present. In other words, the child’s mental and physical well-being is affected, sometimes severely and irrevocably.

As early as 1982, Dr. Martin Laker of the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Bristol wrote in his Lancet article which accurately assessed the differences between hair, blood and urine analysis: “…in the future, when an assessment of body trace elements is needed, it might be wise to pause before rushing to take a blood sample. A specimen of hair might be more appropriate.”

Just a few days after Parenting Magazine hit the shelves, a medical doctor’s wife brought in a hair sample of their 4-yeaar old son who has severe speech delays and motor developmental problems. Because of apparent learning disabilities, the boy had been admitted to a special school for the mentally disabled. While no medical or psychiatric tests or help had been spared in this child’s evaluation treatment, a hair mineral analysis had never been performed. Since the child had always been a fussy eater, his daily diet consisted of tuna fish sandwiches and huge amounts of soymilk. A subsequent hair mineral analysis showed very high mercury levels.

Biochemically, mercury compounds readily react with sulfhydryl groups in proteins and inhibit important enzyme activities. Both organic and inorganic mercury compounds are highly toxic to humans and animals, yet the present worldwide production of this toxic element is in excess of 10,000 tons per year and the toxic by-products of this heavy metal industry are a well documented danger to the environment. Frequent consumption of large fish such as tuna, shark or swordfish caught in contaminated waters can cause considerable mercury accumulation in tissue. It is a well known fact that insoluble mercury compounds in industrial waste are discharged into rivers an lakes, because it is incorrectly assumed that these compounds remain insoluble and thus non-toxic. In fact, it has been proven that soluble compounds which are absorbed by fish and plants enter the human food chain. Methyl mercury, a compound which is easily absorbed and deposited in the brain, causes CNS disorder and paralysis.

Reprinted from: Townsend Letters for Doctors and Patients, June 2000, as reprinted in Extended Health Newsletter

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PRESS RELEASE: August 2, 2000 Content: Charles Brown, (202) 462-8800

Judge blocks Maryland Dental Board from gagging dentists who discuss risks of mercury fillings.

Mercury, the most toxic nonradioactive element, is now disfavored in virtually every health use. Mercurochrome is banned. Mercury preservatives have been ordered removed from vaccines, and were earlier taken out of contact lens solutions. Some cities have banned the use of mercury thermometers. The American Public Health Association and the California Medical Association have condemned all mercury use in health care.

Reprinted from: The International DAMS Newsletter, Vol. 11 (1), March 2000, as reprinted in Extended Health Newsletter

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MERCURY IN ACTION (you have got to see these!)

This first video is of a 50 year old chunk of mercury amalgam tooth filling wafting mercury vapor, 15 years after it was extracted! Click on this link and scroll half way down the page to the video The Smoking Teeth be sure to also watch the video by the International Academy of Oral Medicine & Toxicology while there. This website is also selling a mercury detox product, I do not know enough about it to say whether it's good, safe or even works, therefore I cannot endorse it's efficacy, but the video's are terrific.

Here is a link to the The University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine Dept. of Physiology & Biophysics to view the video on how mercury causes brain neuron degeneration and obtain more information.

Under Our Skin: Lyme Disease

..."There is general agreement that most cases are mild to moderate if treated promptly. But therein lies a problem. As of yet, there are no reliable tests for Lyme disease. Fewer than 50% of patients diagnosed with Lyme ever find the offending tick, and the telltale bull's eye rash associated with the disease is only seen in 10-40% of the cases. Available blood tests yield a high percentage of false negatives due to the crafty nature of the spirochete, which is able to change into a dormant, undetectable cyst form, or hide within white blood cells, the very cells that are supposed to destroy invading bacteria.

Further, new research shows that the bacteria are able to exchange genetic material with one another and change the outer proteins of its cell walls, allowing the organisms to mutate and effectively hide from targeted human antibodies. The situation is complicated by the fact that there are over 300 strains of the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, and the test kits used by most labs don't detect all of these varieties. This results in thousands of false negative Lyme tests, delaying the treatment of many infected patients.

Lyme disease has been called the new "great imitator" because of its ability to mimic other diseases. Patients are routinely told they might have multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's disease, fibromyalgia, systemic Lupus, Alzheimer's, chronic fatigue syndrome or rheumatoid arthritis. According to one physician, there is not one diagnostic feature of Lyme disease, except for the rash, that is different from any of these other conditions...."

Go to Under Our Skin to watch the informatonal trailer. It may be the fastest growing infectious disease in the United States, yet each year, thousands are misdiagnosed. In this upcoming documentary feature (in 2007), we investigate the shocking human, scientific, and political dimensions of Lyme disease.

Go to Under Our Skin: The Untold Story of Lyme Disease for more information.

Creative Menopause

I think Sherrill Sellman is perhaps the most outspoken right on the money woman out there today! This is a terrific article by her....

by Sherrill Sellman

• MENOPAUSE! Just hearing that word causes women to dive for cover. Does it really herald the end of all that women value about themselves...their attractiveness, their sexuality, their worth and their health?

• There exists a cultural virus that reinforces the belief a woman's worth and value is directly linked to her sexual attractiveness and youthfulness. Fortunately, we are now dispelling such debilitating myths that have surrounded menopause. Women are at long last awakening from the dark ages that have hidden the real power of women's wisdom.

• So first let's dispel a few of those myths. Eighty percent of women never experience menopause as a problem. In fact, the predominant body of knowledge that has been gathered about the symptoms and effects of menopause have been the result of medical science studying menopausal women who have had serious imbalances and difficulties. There has few if any studies about healthy women. According to Dr. Chris Northrup, author of Women Bodies, Women's Wisdom, no one has ever proven that lack of oestrogen automatically leads to heart disease or hardening of the arteries.

• Most medical texts will say that at menopause the ovaries fail. Another myth!! Actually the ovaries never stop functioning and provide hormones throughout a women's entire life! For many women, sexual energy is, in fact, increased or deepened offering a much richer and fulfilling sex life.

• Unbeknownst to most women, menopause is a most profound and significant rite of passage in one's life. Just as puberty heralded a transition form child to woman, so too does menopause represent another transformation into a greater feminine power and inner knowing.

• Indigenous cultures throughout the world have recognised that only at menopause do women truly come into their most sacred and profound wisdom.

• We may indeed have to live in this culture, but we do not need to be driven by it. During the menopausal time, women must take the time to find out who they are and then bring that truth into their lives and all they do. It is a time when powerful creative and mystical forces are released. This is the time to truly become yourself. It can't be denied any longer!

• Margaret Mead, the well known sociologist has said, "There is no more powerful force in the universe than a menopausal woman with zest!"

• The challenge of this initiation into power which is the real meaning of menopause, is to allow emotions truthful release and expression. For so many years, women have lived within the whirlwind of their desires, duties and responsibilities. Now it is time to go to the core of one's being that is beyond activity and desire.

• During this time all unfinished business within oneself surfaces to be attended to. What has often been perceived as menopausal outbursts in women, is really inner wisdom fighting for survival. Women begin to realise that their bodies are totally related to their emotions, mind and spirit and the way they have been living their lives.

• During menopause, women must take time for their inner lives. It is vital get to know themselves. It is a time to experience deep rest and rejuvenation. Women need to give priority to do what nourishes them. Retreats support the mid-life transformation by providing opportunities for solitude and inner attention.

• Solitude is essential during the menopausal years. Menopause is a woman's time to connect with and establish a relationship with her deeper self. Farida Sharan, author of Creative Menopause, says, " it is a time to gather strength for our elder years. the earlier we begin to take personal retreats, the more prepared we will be when our change of life begins."

• For all to long women have been kept in ignorance about themselves and their bodies. As women now reclaim a greater appreciation of who they really are, the gift of menopause will be valued as the transformation of a woman into her true wisdom and power. It is a time to celebrate, honour and encourage the emergence of the Wise Woman.

• About the author:
SHERRILL SELLMAN is a psychotherapist, lecturer, and Women's Health Educator. Sherrill writes for health magazines in over 12 different countries and presents public and corporate lectures and trainings in Australia, New Zealand, America, Canada, and England. Sherrill offers a Hormonal Balancing Coaching Program by phone consultation at (918) 437-1058. For further info visit www.ssellman.com or email golight@earthlink.net

Cold & Flu Suggestions

from Dr. Nicole Garcia

Many of my patients come to see me after their viral infection (90% of colds and flu are viruses first) has become out of control with other side effects of a more serious nature. The suggestions below are for you to employ at the first sign of illness. These are simple, but effective if used within the first 24 hours of illness.

Because medicine has little to offer to benefit the viral arena, what I am about to tell you is from "God's pharmacy" and your kitchen.

Did you know that all citrus fruits; lemons, oranges, grapefruits, tangerines etc. have strong anti-viral qualities?

* At the first sign of cold or flu start taking 1,000 mgs. of vitamin C many times a day and drink lots of hot lemon water.

* Avoid all dairy during a cold as these foods create more mucus.

* EmerGenC packets, which can be found at Henry's or any health food store offer a simple way to carry that 1,000 mgs. of C in purse or pocket.

* Wash your hands frequently and those of your children.

* Several drops of lemon essential oil can be effective in as gentle hand soap for more anti-bacterial, anti-viral action.

Did you know that many therapeutic grade essential oils have powerful anti-viral and anti-bacterial qualities?

Cinnamon, Clove, Eucalyptus Radiata, Lavender, Melaleuca Alternifolia, Thyme, Oregano, and Lemon are antibiotic in nature, antiseptic, antiviral and antifungal.

A blend I highly recommend is one called "Thieves" because of its history during the 1500's and the black plague in Europe. In the British museum is the story of how grave robbers and looters during this time period wore masks and clothing covered with spices like cinnamon and clove, lemon and rosemary to avoid getting sick. When the authorities cornered these men and questioned them as to why they never got the plague they told of the spices they used. This blend of cinnamon, clove, lemon, rosemary and eucalyptus radiata called Thieves is available in lozenges, oral and hand spray, wipes, mouth wash, tooth paste and essential oil blend and household cleaner, safe for user and environment. Dilute essential oil blend and rub on the bottom of children's feet for protection.

Sore throat: Gargle with 1-2 drops of Thieves blend in 1 oz. of water or use spray

Cold sores: Apply lemon essential oil directly on cold sore. Lemon improves microcirculation, promotes white cell formation and improves immune function.

Chest congestion: Rub, steam, or diffuse essential oils of eucalyptus, lemon, and peppermint.

Dilute essential oils with a carrier oil (almond, grapeseed oil) for the young and old or sensitive.

Do NOT use peppermint on the face of children under 3 years of age.

Sinus congestion: Dilute eucalyptus and peppermint with carrier oil and apply liberally in nasal cavities and chest and back. R.C.

Headaches: Inhale peppermint, peppermint and peppermint oil and drink lots of water. Essential oil blend RC, a blend of 4 eucalyptus, myrtle, pine, spruce, marjoram, lavender, cypress and peppermint is my family's favorite for chest rubs. It is similar in smell to Vicks, but much more powerful as this is a pharmaceutical grade of oils.

* Use only the BEST AFNOR-ISO grade essential oils. Essential oil's from bath shops and natural foods stores are often perfume grade and thus may not yield therapeutic results. Perfume grade oils have been rendered toxic by the distillation method, fillers, chemical extractants, etc. and may cause adverse reactions.

Essential Oils & Dried Herbs

When herbs are grown for the purpose of creating supplements, they are not usually grown organically.  Then they are harvested and taken into warehouses where they are dried with big blowers. Then they're chopped, capped, bottled, and packaged, and weeks, months, or even years later, we buy them and take them.  And they STILL help us, but it usually takes awhile.

Have you ever dried a rose?  What did it smell like after you dried it?  Not much?  That's because the essential oil of rose is very delicate and vaporizes easily into the air.  Once it's dried, very little of the essential oil is still left. It's the same with herbs. Once an herb is dried, it only contains 3 - 5% of its essential oil, and it's the  ESSENTIAL OIL that gets us well! And in the process of drying the herb, many molecules found in the essential oil of the plant are lost altogether because they are volitile oils and evaporate. So yes, dried herbs are very helpful, because that's what we've used for centuries in healing.  But the truth is that essential oils are a QUANTUM LEAP from dried herbs, in my humble opinion. They're plant concentrates, and they're clean (of course the plants have to be grown organically), pure, and non-toxic (very few on the market are pure, organic & unadulterated).

A drop of peppermint oil is equivalent to about 28 cups of peppermint tea! A person simply could not drink that much tea to get the same results!

I have grown my own herbs for as long as I can remember, I've also purchased herbs for reputable organic sources, and I still use herbs today, I love them. However, depending upon the situation I would chose an essential oil over an herb. For example, as lovely as my herbs are I am going to chose my Young Living Frankincense or Sandlewood essential oils to lessen my wrinkles. Or if I'm coming down with a cold or flu, I'm reaching for my NingXia Red, Longevity capsules, and Thieves essential oil because they are far more potent choices.

If you were to walk into my kitchen right now, you would see I have over 100 different amber glass jars (all beautifully labeled with common and botanical names) filled with dried herbs. If you look in my essential oil case, you'll see I have over 100 different Young Living essential oils. Clearly I am BIG on healing plants, in dried and ditilled forms, for nearly everything in my life. I LOVE beneficial and healing plants.

Another interesting fact - It takes 5,000 pounds of rose petals to distill one pound of rose oil, making it one of the most expensive and precious essentail oils we have. If those rose petals were laden with chemicals and pesticides, the oil would actually be toxic, which will explain why, when you're at the mall, and you pass some stores claiming to have therapeutic aromatherapy, you get an instant headache. Your body knows.

So it's an honor for me to be a part of pioneering this exquisite modality with essential oils, and teaching people in such a way as to positively affect the health of future generations!

If you have questions please contact me through my website The Very Essence If you'd like to place an order online through my website click on "Create an Account."

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Hurricanes, Earthquakes & Essential Oils

by David Stewart, PhD, DNM

Someone recently asked me about essential oils and earthquake preparation. They did not know how appropriate it was to address such a question to me. Before I was a Methodist Pastor, and before I became a full-time teacher and advocate of aromatherapy, I was an earthquake seismologist.

I was a professor and director of Seismological Observatories and Centers for Earthquake Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for seven years and at Southeast Missouri State University at Cape Girardeau for five years. During those times I taught courses in environmental hazards, including floods, hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, and earthquakes. During 1988, I was also the Executive Director of a government organization under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) whose mission is to prepare the Midwest for a major earthquake.

I taught courses for FEMA on earthquake preparation for schools, hospitals, public utilities, law enforcement, firemen, and emergency management personnel, as well as seismic building design for engineers. Between 1990 and 1995 I published five books on earthquakes, can be purchased at www.carepublications.net

1. The Earthquake America Forgot (29.95) (2000 Temblors in Five Months and It Will Happen Again). This is a history of the most powerful sequence of earthquakes in American history. Between December1811 and May 1812 more than 2000 earthquakes struck the Mississippi River Valley near New Madrid, Missouri, causing the Mississippi to run backwards, creating a dozen new lakes, and completely obliterating five towns. Hundreds died, including several entire tribes of Native Americans. The largest of these seismic events measured 8.3, 8.6, and 8.8 on the Richter scale. These tremors were felt from Canada to Mexico, from the Rocky Mountains througthout the East Coast of America and as far south as Cuba. They did damage up to 800 miles from their epicenters. That's bigger than any quake that has hit California. This book contains all the fascinating people stories and drama of the tragedies and heroes of that cataclysmic natural disaster. It has been used as a basis for several novels and even one play.

2. The Earthquake that Never Went Away (19.95) (The Shaking Stopped in 1812, but the Impact Goes On) This book contains 150 photographs of the New Madrid Fault zone taken between 1988 and 1994 showing the permanent effects of the earthquakes that had struck almost 200 years prior in 1811-12. Sand boils, land fissures, surface faults, landslides, disrupted river channels, and earthquake lakes--all created by those earthquakes and all visible today. These features are still problems to the present time for highways, bridges, building construction, and agriculture. Some of the permanent quicksand features resulting from those earthquakes that lie under railroad tracks continue to cause train derailments today--almost two centuries after the shaking stopped.

3. The New Madrid Fault Finders Guide (16.95) This is a set of seven self-guided field trips into the New Madrid Fault Zone, that spans portions of Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Upon completion of each of the seven trips, one can visit the New Madrid Historical Museum and receive signatures on a certificate for being a Certified Fault Finder. Upon completion of all seven trips, you become a TOAFF (Totally Awesome Fault Finder) and will have a certificate to prove it. The New Madrid Fault is still active, producing 200-300 small earthquakes a year, most only measured and not felt. If you drive Interstate Highway I-55 from Memphis, Tennessee, to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, you will be driving right over the fault, which is also called Earthquake Alley. Using this book, many earth science classes have toured the zone while families have come for an Earthquake Vacation and sightseeing trip throughout one of America's most geologically unique areas.

4. Damages and Losses from Future New Madrid Earthquakes (9.95) This book was written under contract from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It details the damages and casualties that will result from magnitude 6.0, 7.0, and 8.0 earthquakes when they happen again along the New Madrid Fault. A magnitude 7.0-7.6 earthquake in the Midwest would do damage over a 20-state area measuring in hundreds of billions of dollars and many fatalities. Such a quake has a 25% chance of happening in the next 15 years and a 50% chance in the next 50 years. A strong quake measuring 6.0-6.9 has a 50% chance in the next 15 years and a 90% chance during the next 50 years. This book is for earthquake planning in the Midwest by engineers, businesses, policemen, firemen, schools, municipal and country governments, hospitals, emergency management officials, National Guard units, and the public at large. It is the factual basis for premiums charge by insurance companies offering earthquake coverage. It is also the basis for earthquake zoning legislation and building codes in Midwestern states. While based on technical information, it is easily read, understood, and applied by anyone.

Besides Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, and MIssissippi which are within the zone most threatened by the New Madrid Fault, the states considered most at risk from major earthquakes are California, Washington, Alaska, New York, and South Carolina. Except for British Columbia, Southern Ontario, and Southern Quebec, the rest of Canada is relatively free of significant earthquake risk.

So what does all of the above have to do with hurricanes and oils?

Preparation for earthquakes is similar to preparation for any major natural disaster, be they floods, hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, and temblors. Although there are different things one would do to prepare and mitigate the potential effects from each of these types of hazards, when it comes to dealing with environmental disruptions, emotional trauma, injuries, and health issues following such events, it is pretty much all the same.

Major natural disasters disrupt normal infrastructure, which can be for extended periods of time. This includes our supplies of water, electricity, natural gas, and fuels such as gasoline. They also disrupt or destroy sanitation facilities and proper disposal of garbage and sewage, posing biohazards. Meanwhile, they can also temporarily interrupt one's access to hospitals and health care facilities while destroying our homes and dwellings, leaving us exposed to the elements and no place to live. Hazardous and toxic fluids and fumes can also be released during such events. Besides threats from nature, today we have additional threats in the form of terrorism, which can strike anywhere, any time.

As for oils, with these thoughts in mind, I keep the following on hand and ready to use. It is a good idea to keep them in a little Emergency Oils Kit set aside for such purposes:

. Purification (item # 3399) for disinfecting cuts and bites
. Lemon (item # 3578) for purifying water
. Lavender (item # 3575) for burns and abrasions
. Frankincense (item # 3548) for healing wounds
. Helichrysm (item # 3563) to stop bleeding
. Peppermint (item # 3614) for headaches and fatigue
. Panaway (item # 3390) for bruises and achy muscles
. Wintergreen (item # 3658) for sprains and cracked bones
. Lemongrass (item # 3581) for sprains and twisted joints
. RC (item # 3405) for the lungs in case toxic fumes were inhaled
. Sandalwood (item # 3634) to help get a good night's sleep
. Peace and Calming (item # 3393) for panic
. Valor (item # 3429) for overcoming fear with courage
. Trauma Life (item # 6350) for post-traumatic stress syndrome
. Along with Gratitude (item # 3346) and Joy (item # 3372) for surviving the disaster and still being alive and intact.

There are many other oils you could add to this list, go to The Very Essence to see the hundreds of therapeutic-grade essential oils I have available and contact me, Evelyn, if you have questions or need help making good choices.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The information in this post is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, or substitute for professional medical assistance. It is provided as information only for your better understanding of holistic health. In case of medical need, please consult an appropriate licensed professional.

Is There Really "Therapy" in Aromatherapy?

By Frances Fuller, BS, LMT, CHTP, Reiki  Master

Have you ever wondered just how  essential oils work – if, in fact, they do work on any level other than  “smelling good”?  The therapeutic  value of any essential oil is directly related to a number of factors from the  manner in which the plants are grown all the way up to the handling of the  finished product.

The highest quality plants are  grown organically on land which has never been sprayed with pesticides and on  which chemical fertilizers have not been used.  This land is far away from factories and  major highways where pollution can damage the delicate healing properties locked  deep within each tender young leaf, flower, stem, and root.  Even the water used for irrigation is extremely important as chemicals – and often drugs – which are in municipal  water supplies affect the plants adversely, reducing their healing  capabilities. Wouldn’t it be far  better for them to be watered with pure mountain-stream water far from the  toxins of the cities?

Once the plants have been  nurtured and allowed to grow to maturity naturally, it is quite important that  care be taken in the harvesting and extraction, which is most commonly  accomplished through steam distillation.  As soon as a plant is cut, it begins to lose potency.  Therefore, it is essential that the distillery be located close to the farm in order for the time between the actual  harvesting and the distillation to be minimized. Next comes the process of  unlocking the natural healing compounds held within the carefully-grown plants –  the precious drops of essential oil.  This golden liquid has often been called the “life force” or “blood” of  the plant. Much like the blood of  the human body, essential oils deliver oxygen and 
nutrients to all parts of the  plant.  In addition, they have the  capability of fighting bacteria, viruses, and other destructive things that  could injure the plant.  When the  leaf of stem of a plant is cut or torn, it is the essential oil that rushes to  the site of the “wound” to repair the damage just as human blood responds to  cuts or injuries.  Amazingly, even  the major chemical components are the same as those of human blood – carbon,  hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.  This is why the pure oils are so compatible with the human body.

The proper extraction, or  distillation, of the essential oils from the plants is a time-consuming and  precise process if all of the delicate chemical constituents are to be retained  in the finished product.  For  instance, cypress twigs require 24 hours of distillation at 130 degrees  centigrade and only 5 pounds of pressure in order to produce a quality essential  oil.  If the time is reduced by just  2 hours, the resulting oil will be missing 18 of the constituents that should be  present in therapeutic-grade cypress!

You may be wondering, “What  would happen if the temperature and/or pressure were increased?  Couldn’t the oils be produced more  rapidly?”  The oils would still  smell the same, but the therapeutic value would be dramatically reduced.  Unfortunately, this is one of the ways  that inferior oils are produced as the shorter distillation time lowers the cost  involved – and it is impossible to detect this adjustment by the aroma.  Often, the same plants are even distilled several times, and then synthetic fragrance is added! Can synthetic oils be as effective as natural ones which are carefully grown 
and  properly distilled at low temperature and pressure for the full length of  time?  The answer is quite simple  when one understands how the oils work.

Whereas pharmaceutical drugs are designed to treat symptoms, pure and natural essential oils work to achieve balance within the body.  This is known as "homeostasis”.  Our bodies desire to be in balance, but  we often do many things to disrupt that natural balance.  For instance, we eat chemically altered food, breathe polluted air, and slather products filled with harmful chemicals on our bodies. When we introduce a  pure, therapeutic-grade essential oil such as lavender, which has hundreds of  chemical constituents, it is like offering the body a giant buffet of healing  substances.  The body is able to   
select whatever it needs to achieve homeostasis and eliminate whatever it does  not need at that time.  Synthetic  lavender, by contrast, has only 8-10 chemical constituents, which does not offer  the body a significant healing opportunity.

You may be wondering now, “even  if all this is true, how can I access these healing properties?”  The molecules of the essential oils are  very small – so small, in fact, that they are able to penetrate the skin quite  easily.Almost all essential oils  are absorbed into the skin within 2 minutes – and many absorb within  seconds!  They are then ready to  begin their task of oxygenating the cells of the body and returning it to a  state of homeostasis through offering the many chemical constituents which can  potentially assist in achieving this balance.  In addition, the oils are volatile,  which means that they naturally diffuse into the air that we breathe. As the tiny molecules are  inhaled, they stimulate the limbic system.  This is the part of the body related to emotions.  When one inhales the aroma, it is actually the tiny molecules of the essential oils entering the body, and one is  able to positively affect emotional balance as well as balance upon the 
physical  level.

Years ago scientists discovered that every  living thing has a frequency which can be measured.  The unit of measurement is called  megahertz (mHz). Studies at many  universities in Europe and the USA found the following range of frequencies for  certain foods and even for the hu8man body both in a healthy state and when  illness disease is present.  

It was  established that the frequency of a healthy human is  62-68mHz.
Human Brain....................72-90 mHz
Healthy Human Body........62-68 mHz
Cold Symptoms................58 mHz
Flu Symptoms...................57 mHz
Candida............................55 mHz
Epstein Barr......................52 mHz
Cancer..............................42 mHz
Death Begins.....................25 mHz

The following range of  frequencies was also established:

Processed Canned Food.....0  mHz
Fresh Produce....................0-15 mHz
Dry Herbs..........................12-22 mHz
Fresh Herbs.......................20-27 mHz
Therapeutic-grade Essential Oils......52-320 mHz

What does all this have to do  with how essential oils can positively affect your health and your life?  It is a principle of physics that when  two objects which have different frequencies are placed in close proximity to  one another, the one with the lower frequency will shift upward.  Further studies have indicated that  pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils have the ability to raise the frequency  of the human body.  Thus, the  introduction of these tiny droplets either through inhalation or absorption  through the skin can even raise the frequency of the body above that of illness  or disease!  This is an amazing  property for assisting everyone in achieving optimum  health. These tiny gifts from Nature are  truly some of the most powerful healing substances known today!

Can you tell if an essential oil  is “therapeutic-grade” or even “pure” by the smell?  Sometimes, it is possible, but certainly  not always. Occasionally, you may  be able to detect certain solvents which are commonly used in extracting inferior oils and/or to boost the volume inexpensively.  However, more often than not, it is not  possible to detect the quality of the oil by the aroma.  As the public is more educated, more  sophisticated methods of camouflaging the quality are employed, but there are  certain guidelines that will assist you in your selection.  Oils which have the AFNOR  standard on the label have passed the strictest tests. This is the Association of French Normalization Organization Regulation.  You can feel confident about both the purity and the therapeutic value of  any oil which has earned this designation. Are there other pure, therapeutic-grade oils available?  Absolutely, but it could be difficult to determine the quality without  the use of gas 
chromatography – the intricate laboratory analysis.  However, you may choose to ask the supplier the following questions which can assist you in deciding whether the oil is of a suitable quality for your needs.

HOW  TO BE SURE YOUR ESSENTIAL OILS ARE THERAPEUTIC GRADE

- Are  the fragrances subtle, rich, organic, and delicate?
- Do  the fragrances of your oils vary from batch to batch – an indication that they  are pure and painstakingly distilled in small batches rather than industrially  processed on a large scale?
- Does  your supplier send each batch of essential oils it receives through up to five  different chemical analyses before it is released?
- Are  these tests performed by independent labs?
- Does  your supplier grow and distill its own organically grown herbs?
- Are  the distillation facilities part of the farm where the herbs are grown so they  are freshly distilled, maintaining their potency?
- Does  your supplier use low pressure and low temperature to distill the essential  oils, preserving all of their delicate chemical constituents?
- Are  the distillation cookers fabricated from costly stainless steel alloys to reduce  the likelihood of the oils chemically reacting with the metal?
- Does  your supplier have representatives traveling worldwide to personally inspect the  fields and distilleries where the herbs are grown and distilled?
- Do  they scrutinize the facilities to check that no synthetic chemicals are being  used in any of these processes?

If  your answer to ALL of these questions is “yes”, you can feel confident that your  oils are therapeutic grade – the highest standard available.

Are you now thinking, “Can I  afford to use pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils?”  Perhaps a better question might be, “Can you afford NOT to use pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils?” To see my complete line of essential oils go to The Very Essence, contact me if you have questions. You can place an order directly by contacting me or online by clicking on "Create an Account."

Frances Fuller recently relocated to Singapore from Palm Beach, Florida, bringing her vast experience in the world  of wellness and healing with her.   Trained in most spa services and modalities, Frances holds regular classes in Singapore on aromatherapy, specialized massage  techniques, meditation and cellular level healing.  She is a nationally certified massage  therapist and instructor in the US and holds training classes throughout Asia.


Mark Your Calenders and...

EXPLORE THE DREAM!

Date: November 21st 2006
Time: 6:30pm - 9:00pm
Place: Edmonds Conference Center 201 - 4th Ave. Edmonds, WA

Join us and other top Young Living Distributors, for an amazing evening as we kick-off our Northwest regional event.

Here's what you'll learn: an introduction to our newest essential oil Palo Santo, cleansing & core nutrition, and how our line of over 300 non-toxic products has produced life-changing results in health and wellness, Q & A, and more!

Refreshments, samples and door prizes too.

Begin your New Year
Exploring the Dream and Experience the Freedom of Owning Your Life!

The cost is FREE to all who are not currently a Young Living distributor.
If you are already a distributor the cost is $10, join us and bring a guest for free!
Everybody is welcome!

R.S.V.P. - so we can be sure to have plenty of everything!

TheVeryEssence@mac.com

We look forward to meeting and helping you to Own Your Life!
Evelyn Vincent and Curt Siters

Young Living's Community Involvement & Commitment

OUR COMMITMENT with genuine sympathy and a commitment to enhance the quality of life for all, Young Living eagerly and generously contributes to many causes. We have helped in some of the major disasters of our time, as well as provided a helping hand every day in the community in which we live.

KATRINA RELIEF 
When Hurricane Katrina made landfall on August 29, 2005, it set off one of the worst national disasters in the history of the United States. After viewing images and reading accounts of loss experienced by those who survived the natural disaster, we at Young Living were touched by the suffering of so many and could not idly stand by.

Joyce Cothern, a distributor who lives in one of the areas that was hit by the storm, sent this message of hope to Young Living’s corporate headquarters: “I have been using the oils consistently on my family during the storm and its aftermath for all sorts of injuries and emotions. At one point in the storm, I mixed a blend of essential oils to use on a lady who was oxygen deprived, and it helped her until she was able to get to a hospital. The severity of this storm was unbelievable, and it will take a long time for this area to recover, but we are doing a little better each day. I share the oils with all who are willing to use them, and I know that many are being blessed by the oils.”

While the danger and heartache lingered all around the southern United States, many individuals desired to extend help and comfort. Katie Land, Turner Bourne, and Emily Laurel, all Young Living distributors, requested and received donations from Young Living for use in the recovery efforts at the Cajun Dome in Lafayette. While there, they taught and worked with medical and support staff, natural healing practitioners, and massage therapists in using Young Living essential oils to help Katrina evacuees. “Virtually everyone who found their way to us remarked on the beautiful aromas wafting from our room, as well as the gentle, caring touch of the volunteers. We will never forget the sights, sounds, and smells of our Katrina experience,” Emily said. This was just one of the many people and organizations Young Living provided oils to for hurricane relief.
Back at the corporate office in Lehi, Utah, employees rallied together to create hygiene kits for the survivors of the disaster. The kits included basic necessities such as Young Living bar soap, towels, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and combs.

TSUNAMI AID
When we at Young Living learned about the devastation caused by the December 26, 2004, earthquake and resulting tsunami, we responded immediately. It was quickly decided that a portion of our sales during early 2005 would be donated to relief organizations. We also gave oils to distributors who were traveling to these distant countries to provide aid.
Young Living distributor Dr. Carolyn DeMarco went to a small clinic in Aceh, a territory of Indonesia. She used Young Living essential oils to assist in the healing of emotional and physical traumas. The Acehnese people were very receptive to her holistic ways of healing. “For those who had trouble sleeping, the essential oils had a near miraculous effect. People gravitated to them, sighed with relief, and came back and asked for more. We used single oils like lavender and brilliant combination oils like Peace & Calming®, Hope™, Sacred Mountain™, 3 Wise Men™, and Joy™,” Dr. DeMarco wrote in her journal. When she came back and reported on her successful experiences, Young Living donated more essential oils to be used to help relieve more victims of the tsunami.

OTHER SERVICES
Young Living actively participates in many other projects and programs around the world.

In November of 2003, Young Living Founder and President D. Gary Young led a team of Young Living corporate leaders and distributors on a weeklong humanitarian expedition to the Tarahumara Indians in the mountains of Mexico. The expedition provided the village with food, school kits, building materials for a small school house, and a new well. We continue to donate to these strong, humble people.

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, affected all Americans and left the whole world shocked. Young Living’s donations of essential oils assisted in the rescue efforts, as grateful firefighters used the oils on their masks while they worked amidst the rubble and smoke.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Young Living employees contribute to their communities in numerous ways. Individual employees provide personal time to a wide variety of community needs, from blood drives to scout service projects to humanitarian aid, as well as contribute monetarily to religious and charitable organizations. Young Living’s employees actively participate in a United Way campaign and are sponsors of the Oakridge School, a school for the disabled. During the holiday season, employees have participated in local Sub for Santa programs where they adopt a child or family and provide toys, clothing, and other necessities that they would not otherwise be able to afford.

As Young Living continues to expand and bring greater health and prosperity to others, we will continue to look for ways to help those in need. We encourage, hope for, and expect the same from everyone associated with Young Living Essential Oils.

If you're interested in becoming a part of our terrific group and Young Living Family come by my website, take a look around, and conatct me:
The Very Essence

Skin Worthy of Celebration:Essential Beauty Serums

Vibrant, beautiful skin has always been considered an important part of health. But in today's modern environment, soft, smooth, flawless skin can be difficult to achieve and even more challenging to maintain. As the body's largest organ, your skin is constantly exposed to contaminated water, air pollution, and the sun, which can sabotage healthy skin and leave lasting effects on skin strength, resiliency, and appearance.

With the emerging trend in skin care products and services, anti-aging, acne-fighting, and other products targeting specific skin care needs are in the news often and on retail shelves everywhere. Most of these products boast of clinical research and proven results but, despite all the hype, can fall short on their promises. Some consumers have sought alternative means of achieving younger, healthier-looking skin, opting for face-lifts, eye-lifts, microderm abrasion, and specialty skin peels for fast, noticeable results. But even though surgical procedures are becoming more mainstream than ever, are you really willing to take the risk for youthful-looking skin? And when it comes to high-end or specialty skin care products, do you really get what you pay for?

No matter how popular these products and procedures are, they can quickly shrink the size of your wallet and present real risks to your health and beauty. As a result, consumers are asking for more medicinal-type truly natural products that are safe, efficacious, and affordable, with noticeable and lasting results.

The use of pure therapeutic-grade essential oils for skin care needs no introduction. Therapeutic-grade essential oils offer pure, potent plant remedies for the skin and have been used since ancient times for a number of skin care needs. It's no secret that pure therapeutic-grade lavender essential oil nourishes stressed or sunburned skin, that sandalwood can hydrate and repair dry or damaged skin, that Melaleuca can prevent the recurrence of breakouts and blemishes.

The extensive history of essential oil use has prompted beauty, cosmetic, and skin care brands to use essential oils to improve the potency of their products. As the leader in the essential oil industry, Young Living recognizes the many benefits of essential oils and has always promoted the use of pure therapeutic-grade essential oils as an important part of any skin care regimen. Having set the standard in quality, therapeutic-grade essential oils, Young Living knows which oils deliver the best results and has carefully selected pure, unadulterated essential oils for premium skin care and beauty products.

We invite you to celebrate living with Young Living's latest essential-oil-based products for the skin. Carefully formulated to treat specific skin care needs, Young Living is pleased to announce three essential-oil-based serums that can enhance your skin care routine and deliver enviable results.

Young Living's Essential Beauty Serums

Specially formulated to treat dry, oily, or acne-prone skin, Young Living's new line of Essential Beauty Serums is designed to protect, stregthen, and improve the appearance of skin. These new serums use pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils such as sandlewood, orange, lavender, and other rare, exotic essential oils like pink pepper, blue cypress, and davana, all known for their remarkable skin care benefits.

Utilizing a proprietary blend of skin-nourishing carrier oils like coconut oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, rosehip seed oil, and wolfberry seed oil, the Essential Beauty Serums can be easily applied ad more readily absorbed in the skin to ensure you're getting the maximum benefits.

Each of the Essential Beauty Serums can be used as a spot treatment before your moisturizer, sun block, or makeup is applied. If preferred, add three to five drops of the serum to Young Living's ART Day Activator (item # 5170) and ART Night Reconstructor (item # 5171) creams, mix well in the palm of your hand, and spread evenly over the face and/or neck. Spot treatment can also be incorporated into this regime as needed.



Dry Skin
ESSENTIAL OIL BEAUTY BLEND
sandlewood, blue cypress, cedarwood, myrrh, clove, and lavender
Essential beauty benefits: Moisturizes and nourishes dehydrated skin.
Order item # 3782

Oily Skin
ESSENTIAL OIL BEAUTY BLEND
spearmint, nutmeg, pink pepper, orange, and davana
Essential beauty benefits: Controls surface oils and minimizes shine.
Order item # 3781

Acne-Prone Skin
ESSENTIAL OIL BEAUTY BLEND
Melalueuca alternifolia, cedarwood, Eucalyptus staigeriana, manuka, and red thyme
Essential beauty benefits: Soothes blemished skin and discourages future breakouts.
Oder item # 3783

For more information on Young Living's Essential Beauty Serums, visit my website or conatct me:
The Very Essence