It was one of those things I just went years and years without addressing, because even though it made me feel miserable… it was just a “normal” part of life.
How many things in life do we call “normal,” and looking back later realize they really weren’t good for us at all?
Anyway, when I was a kid, I thought it was normal to go to church on Sunday and get a headache from all the perfumes around me. Many times I even felt like I was going to pass out.
Even in high school, when I wore my own perfume and sprays and lotions, I felt this sort of malaise come over me.
Perfume headaches are normal. Just a part of life. Right?
There’s a popular lip stain makeup right now that stays on all day. “Oh, yeah, your lips will feel like they’re burning off at first, but that’s normal.”
I have learned that it can be wise to question the status quo…
Whenever my mom cleaned the house, growing up, for some reason I always felt woozy. I’d get a headache, pop some pills, and get on with life. And then I grew up and bought those same cleaning products to clean my own house. Because getting a headache every time you clean is just kind of… normal.
If you can identify, I have some good news for you!
But let’s start with the bad news.
The bad news is you may be sensitive to synthetic (manmade) chemicals, or have something called “multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS).”
The truth is that, while those with MCS have immediate symptomatic reactions to harmful chemicals, these chemicals are harmful to everyone and contribute to much more serious, long-term health issues in all kinds of people.
I have dumped 99% of our synthetic-chemical (toxic) cleaning products in the garbage, after learning their ingredients can cause a lot more than just headaches.
And I haven’t worn perfume or anything from the bath and body store for at least 10 years.
I still try to hold my breath near these stores and near the cleaning aisle at Target, to avoid an instant headache. But it helps a lot not having that stuff in my home!
The good news is that using these products doesn’t have to be our “normal.”
So after the big toxic dump (which was actually more of a process than a one-time dump), here’s what I did to create a new normal…
*A normal where I don’t have to feel like I’m going to pass out or get headaches from chemicals and perfumes!
**Bonus: We aren’t too likely to develop cancer or other diseases from toxic chemicals and perfumes when they’re not in our home!
- Got me a Young Living starter kit with essential oils and a diffuser.
2. Sprinkled some Purification essential oil in that diffuser.
3. Turned it on. At this point, other smells are virtually gone and replaced with some uplifting, energizing plant smells.
4. Got me some Thieves Household Cleaner, which has been faithfully cleaning every surface in my home for almost four years, and smells like cinnamon rolls are baking in the oven.
5. Went back for the Purification.
6. Sprinkled that in my washing machine.
7. Sprinkled that on my wool dryer balls.
8. Sprinkled that in a spray bottle with water as a bathroom freshener – which surprisingly worked WAY BETTER than synthetic bathroom freshener!
9. Sprayed that on all the furniture.
10. Later used my Young Living discount (that came with my kit!) and bought an oil called Present Time. *DIVINE.* Sprinkled some of that in a spray bottle with water and… voila! Body spray.
So there it is, plain and simple. A couple oils and a bottle of Thieves Household Cleaner was technically all I needed to replace all the cleaners and perfumes. That’s it!
Easier.
Cheaper.
Healthier.
And can I just say that it smells so much better?! Once you get used to real plant fragrances that God created to smell good, the fake stuff really reeks. (Not that every essential oil smells amazing to me, but most DO.)
The essential oil “smells” actually help carry oxygen to the brain, so no more passing out or perfume headaches in church. If a lady near me has perfume on and we don’t want to move, I can just whip out my Peppermint or Purification oil and start inhaling that. (Sometimes that will start a fun conversation too.)
Of course, there are many more easy “replacements” you can do with essential oils – and we have – but feel free copy my 10-step example if you want to get those basics covered.
There are literally hundreds of simple ways to turn your sensitivity into STRENGTH by using essential oils for all kinds of health issues, beauty, home care, personal care… and I will even be so bold as to say that oils are a necessity if you have kids. When there is nothing more you can do for your kids (in almost any situation), there’s always an oil that can help.
Does this sound interesting to you? The essential oils were so easy to use and helped us with so many everyday needs that I couldn’t help but share about them with friends and family. We now have a fun little oils community called Rise & Shine.
Hope to meet you in the group soon and introduce you to all kinds of essential oil solutions that will leave you feeling empowered and alive as a mighty sensitive.