I know, I know, sounds so time-consuming and crunchy to make all your own cosmetics and household products, doesn’t it? But really, once I started learning about what goes in some of the products we use, I just couldn’t do it anymore.

I became aware of the link between anti-perspirants and breast cancer. It makes sense, that if we spray toxins such as aluminium, parabens and other carcinogenics near breast tissue, it could leave us more at risk of developing malignant tumours, especially if we are genetically pre-disposed.

Taken from Dr Mercola’s article, ‘How Dangerous Is Your Deodorant’.

Parabens are preservatives that are found in many antiperspirants and deodorants. These chemicals have estrogenic activity in human breast cancer cells, and research published in 2012 found one or more parabens in 99 percent of the 160 tissue samples collected from 40 mastectomies.¹¹

Separate research also detected parabens in 18 of 20 tissue samples from human breast tumors.

While a definitive link hasn’t been made, the growing collection of research suggests caution is warranted. Considering chemical antiperspirants and deodorants are an optional product, it may be a risk that’s not worth taking.

It just isn’t a chance I’m willing to take anymore. We can most definitely help ourselves prevent cancer. Our lives are filled with toxins so it’s up to us to reduce them as much as we are possibly able to.

There are of course heaps of amazing organic brands for cosmetics and body care, and I use a few of them, from Fit Pit or Hippie Paste deodorants, to Green People sun cream and bath wash for Braxton, Faith in Nature shampoo and laundry detergent, Georganics charcoal toothpaste and Neal’s Yard body creams, as well as Weleda products for Braxton, but once I bought my essential oils kit and realised how easy it was to make stuff – and got over my aversion to it – I thought, I can do this myself! I still have some of those products at home and I’ll mix and match, but thought I’d tell you all about the ones I make.

I’m still learning about which essential oils are good for what, but since frankincense helped me so much after the post-partum arthritis flare I had, it made me realise the strength of EOs and what I must be missing out on. So I set about to make as much stuff as I could myself, in the hope that the EOs could benefit me in as many ways as possible.

For the frankincense anti-inflammatory rub, all you do is mix 20 drops of Frankincense essential oil drops (make sure it’s a high quality brand) into 20ml coconut oil and rub it on the affected joints a few times a day. I also took 2-3 drops in tea twice a day. Not many brands are safe enough for internal use so I used doTerra.

Of course you can diffuse oils in the house, which I do every day. We have a diffuser in Braxon’s room which I put a few drops of lavender oil in every night. When he’s chesty I put a couple of drops of oregano oil to help, or some ravintsara for his immune system. In our room I diffuse the doTerra Serenity blend most mornings. It wafts through the house and cleanses the air and helps me concentrate. If we are unwell I use doTerra’s On Guard for immune boosting and if we have chest problems I use the Breathe blend, but it’s important to note you can’t use this around young children.

Downstairs I tend to use patchouli or the Balance blend. Balance is a lovely way to cleanse the air and it’s very refreshing and uplifting and patchouli could honestly be a strong, expensive candle, it’s that amazing, just without all the toxins. People always ask what that smell is when they come in my house.

Speaking of patchouli, I use it for perfume as well. For perfumes I just bought some glass spray bottles from EssentOils and I filled them with frantionated coconut oil (a coconut oil that is already melted), a drop of vodka (you can use more expensive alcohols specifically for perfumes but I didn’t bother), and then 15 drops of whichever oils I choose. Patchouli smells a bit like Angel, a perfume I used to love. Geranium is also a good perfume choice.

I made a face cream using melalecua, lavender and geranium, and a body cream using frankincense and vanilla, both of which used the Neal’s Yard professional range base cream as a base. I also made a face oil for night, for a more serious moisturising session using coconut oil, melaleuca and geranium.

Before we went on holiday I got to making a mosquito repellent and a mosquito bite roll on soother (the roll on bottles were also from EssentOils). I used lemongrass, clove, rosemary, peppermint, lemon and geranium in a base of coconut oil for the repellant.

If you haven’t yet checked out my toothpaste post, please do. I make toothpaste for us and for Braxton now using the oils, which I use peppermint for, but the best use of peppermint has been for household cleaning products. I have made a disinfecting surface spray with on guard and lemon, and peppermint and lemon as a toilet freshener, and as a bin sanitizer (all in the spray bottles mentioned above), as well as furniture polish, which I used wild orange for, too.

The possibilities are endless. I’m using the Modern Essentials book I got from EssentOils as guidance any time I need to use an oil for something, that has really helped.

It should also be said that although I only use doTerra oils, I am not a rep for them and do not get paid by them, I am simply writing this post to share my experience and I hope it helps.

Please send in your homemade creations!

Love & health,
Lauren