Everything You Need to Know About Thieves Essential Oil

We're fans of essential oils, especially in the cooler seasons, when the change of weather and increase in stressful situations can wreak havoc on immune systems. You can check out our list of fall favorites here, but one oil that deserves a post of its own is Thieves. Thieves is a combination of several other oils and has an interesting back story as well as a laundry list of uses for both the body and the home. So why the name "Thieves"? The story goes like this:

When the Black Plague hit Europe, four spice traders found themselves forbidden to trade and had to find another way to generate income. Since the plague was claiming many victims, and most were afraid to touch the bodies of those who had died or were dying, these spice traders began to enter homes and loot the bodies and homes of the victims. To prevent themselves from becoming casualties as well, the four thieves rubbed a mixture of vinegar, oils and spices on their feet and bodies before entering the homes. 

When the king found out about these four thieves who had somehow managed to find immunity, he threatened to have them killed if they didn't share their recipe, which they did. Once the king had the recipe, he shared it with the kingdom and it eventually made its way all the way here!

Of course, we don't have to worry about the Black Plague in our modern day, but we do still get the sniffles and have to watch our immune systems closely when the weather begins to get chilly! Just like in days past, Thieves oil can help us to fight off sickness and maintain a healthy body! 

While there are many recipes for Thieves oil, depending on who you ask, the ratio of oils is generally very similar. 

For a small amount of oil, try:

10 drops of Clove oil
9 drops of Lemon oil
5 drops of Cinnamon oil
4 drops of Eucalyptus oil
3 drops of Rosemary oil

If you need a much larger amount, use:

80 drops of Clove oil
70 drops of Lemon oil
40 drops of Cinnamon oil
30 drops of Eucalyptus oil
20 drops of Rosemary oil

 

You can use these basic recipes to adjust for the amount of oil you need, but be sure to always use therapeutic grade essential oils, as other kinds may be toxic. We recommend seeking out Fair Trade as well! 

Once you've mixed your oil in a glass container, how do you use it? Thieves has a wide range of uses, but these are some of our favorites:

  • Mix Thieves in a 1:1 ratio (1 drop to 1 oz) with Witch Hazel or water to use as a general disinfectant and all-purpose cleaner

  • Mix in a 1:1 ratio (we like 9 drops of each) with carrier oil and massage on feet, back and chest to support a healthy immune system

  • Add one drop of Thieves to at least a cup of water and drink, cool or warm, to support immune system and lung functioning. You can even add a drop of lemon oil to make a great tea for throat pain!

  • Add a few drops to steaming water and use as a steam facial to support head, chest and lungs

  • Diffuse or add a few drops to a cinnamon stick to make your holistic space smell warm and welcoming, like the autumn and winter seasons, and to purify your indoor air!

We'd love to hear your favorite ways to use Thieves in your holistic spaces. Happy mixing!

by Anjie Cho 

The Ultimate Autumn Essential Oil Collection

As we settle into the cooler season, it's increasingly important to take care of ourselves, inside and out. We've shared plenty of tips here for updating your holistic spaces for the new season, and we've also spoken with many health experts on how to ease your body and mind into autumn. In addition to watching your diet and taking care to listen to your body, these essential oils can work wonders in making the switch from warm summer to cool fall. 

Eucalyptus - This essential oil is an amazing tool in treating a variety of respiratory symptoms, including coughs, runny noses, sore throats and more. It's also shown to be highly effective in reducing stress (holiday season, anyone?), and is a generally warming, calming scent.

Nutmeg - Speaking of pleasant smells, nutmeg essential oil is another option with great results in treating cold and cough symptoms. It can also help to alleviate some depression and act as a sleep aid, both helpful in the change to cooler weather! Maybe the best perk of this essential oil is the token autumn scent that acts as a mood setter as well!

Rosemary - This powerhouse essential oil has a wide range of uses for heading into the fall season, including helping to improve respiratory function, reduce stress, support a healthy immune system and prevent dry skin. Talk about a must-have!

Lavender - One of the most popular essential oils, lavender is excellent at healing skin irritations (think dry skin from all that wind and cool weather) and is also a wonderful way to reduce stress. Final perk? It helps boost your immune system! 

Frankincense - Another essential oil with many healing properties perfect for fall, frankincense is known to help tighten and tone skin in addition to fighting coughs and colds and soothing anxiety. 

Lemongrass - Lemongrass can help to give your skin that glow that cooler weather often steals from summer's bright days. It's great as a skin toner and can also help to fight depression that comes with colder months!

Sandalwood - Sandalwood is yet another all-around perfect essential oil for fall, as it helps heal dry skin and keep skin smooth, while also working to fight colds and coughs and boost the immune system. 

Rose - Rose oil is touted as one of the most effective for reducing depression, stress and anxiety, all of which can unfortunately accompany the change in weather. Not only can this oil uplift your mood, it's great for dry skin as well!

Vetiver - This is a grounding essential oil, perfect for the new fall season, when we look toward rooting ourselves to gear up for the cold, yin winter. 

Chamomile - Another essential oil worth having any time of year, chamomile offers a calming scent that helps us return to inner harmony, much needed as we head into the often stressful holiday season!

Of course, this list isn't all inclusive, but if you're looking for a great fall lineup, these oils fit the bill. You could also add fall-scented oils, like orange, cinnamon, clove and wood oils like pine, cedarwood and many more. Be sure to also try your hand at oil blends too! Check out this post from Fresh Mommy Blog for some great ideas for fall!

by Anjie Cho

The Best Ways to Reuse Items That Aren't Plastic Bags

We talk a lot about reducing, reusing and recycling as part of creating a holistic space, and I know we're not the only ones encouraging that green behavior. A quick Google search can return tons of suggestions for keeping those plastic bags, water bottles and cardboard items out of landfills. But what about other items made from recyclable material? What can you do with them once they've served their original purpose? We've got a few creative ideas on how to keep those items useful for a little longer!

Turn Wine Into Coasters

Well, sort of. If you enjoy a good glass of wine from time to time (guilty!), you've probably seen your fair share of corks, maybe even wondered what to do with them. There are places you can recycle them, but you can also use them to save a little money and your good furniture at the same time! Check out one of the many online tutorials, like this one, for turning old corks into coasters!

Give Your Plants a Little Tea

Likewise, if you're an avid tea drinker like me, you probably go through a teapot or two over time. Some pots make it longer than others for various reasons, but you don't have to throw that pot with a small crack or chip to the curb! Instead, use it to add a little nature to your home! Find a small plant that brings you joy and doesn't need much drainage, and create a new home for it in your old teapot!

Brush Outside Your Mouth

A toothbrush only lasts so long for its purpose, typically about 3 months with regular use. After that, it's not really hygienically safe for scrubbing your mouth. But its scrubbing power may still be strong! Instead of tossing it, put an old toothbrush (or two) to use in your home. Toothbrushes are great for scrubbing tile, small surfaces, shoes, even inside bottles, and they're much more cost effective than buying a single purpose brush!

Wash With Mesh

If you're a fan of fruit, you likely know it's often cheaper to purchase it in bulk. Many times, that means buying a red or green mesh bag full of lemons, oranges, and the like. Forget tossing that mesh in a recycling bin, since they can often get tangled during the sorting process, and don't even think about trashing it! Instead, use that material to make your own bath loofahs or pot scrubbers! It can be as easy as wadding up the mesh and securing with elastic or something similar. 

Let in Light With Newspaper

This reuse idea may not be quite as creative, but it's still super useful! Instead of buying paper towels for cleaning your windows, thus adding to the demand for paper products, keep a hold on old newspapers and use them! Newspaper is actually some of the best material to use for cleaning windows, which you should be doing often to make sure you can be seen and heard!

Do you reuse your recyclable materials? What are your favorite ways to breathe new life into old items? Share with us, so we can all take steps to be a little greener each day!

by Anjie Cho