Aromatherapists often talk about using essential oils safely by diluting​ them, but what does that really mean? Are there any that can be used on their own without being diluted? Can everyone use the same amount? Let's take a look at some of these questions.

Diluting: What Does It Mean?
Because essential oils are so powerful, they must be diluted before using them. This means that you need to mix a very small amount of essential oil into what's known as a carrier oil. A carrier oil is any type of vegetable oil or butter such as olive oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, shea butter etc. You can also mix it into unscented lotion if you prefer. Would water be sufficient as a medium to dilute essential oils into? Unfortunately not; because oil and water do not mix,the essential oil wouldn't properly blend evenly in the water - it would just float on top.

How Much Essential Oil Can Be Used?
Essential oils are not diluted in the same way for everyone. Premature babies should not have essential oils used on them at all, their little body systems are not developed enough to handle such potent oils. While babies from 0-6 months can handle oils at a very low dilution rate (0.1 - 0.2%), I don't think it's necessary to use them and my personal opinion is that they are still too little to handle essential oils. Generally speaking, children from the ages of 2-12 years old should be using between 0.5 - 1% dilution rates. These rates also apply to pregnant women, the elderly, and any essential oils that will be applied to the face. Once a child turns 12 years old, they are able to use adult dilution rates safely. This means that daily use should be around 1% and can go up to 3% for addressing acute problems such as cold + flu or wound healing.

Below is a chart that can be used to dilute essential oils safely for children when using them on skin.
Note: 30 ml = 2 tbsp

What Does it Mean to Use an Essential Oil 'Neat' ?
Using an essential oil "neat" refers to using it on your skin without diluting it first. Using essential oils without diluting them first often results in skin irritations such as redness, itching, rash or even burns. Some companies have developed "therapies" that involve using essential oils neat with the claim that they will detoxify your body and the irritation shows that the therapy is working. This is not true, nor is it safe.

There are two essential oils that can be used for spot treatments without diluting them: Lavender and Tea Tree. This should not be done on a regular basis, but to treat an acute problem.

Have More Questions About Diluting?
As a clinical aromatherapist, I am always happy to answer all of your questions regarding essential oils! Please feel free to send me a message via our Contact Us page. Have a great weekend!

​Love, Ashley xo

Sniffle, sniffle, sneeze. It's cold + flu season in Canada and already, my phone is ringing off the hook with calls for substitute teaching jobs due to classroom teachers taking sick days. Ah, the life of anyone who leaves their house in the winter - germs, germs everywhere. But wait! What if I told you that you could curb a cold before it even starts? What if I told you that you could clean the air in your classroom/home/workspace to keep germs at bay? Beat cold + flu season this year with some natural remedies to get you back up and running in no time.

 Sore Threat
​The Remedy: Eucalyptus oil
​Eucalyptus oil is an insanely effective anti-viral essential oil that can be used to treat a whole myriad of respiratory issues from the common cold to blocked sinuses to chest congestion. Anytime I feel a tickle in my throat, I grab my eucalyptus oil and boil a kettle of water to do a steam. 4-6 drops is more than enough to add to your bowl of water before putting a towel over your head and deep breathing through both your mouth and your nose for 10-15 mins; throw on a podcast and relax! Alternately, if you have a diffuser at home, you can diffuse some eucalyptus oil as well. (Though I personally think a steam is much more beneficial if you feel a cold coming on as it's more direct) The key is to attack the germs as soon as you feel the cold coming on - the more it invades your system, the longer it takes to leave.

Cautions: Eucalyptus globulus, which is the main genus of eucalyptus that is sold in stores (and is the type that we sell at Dadirri Naturals) is not safe for children under the age of 10 years old due to chemical constituents which can inhibit breathing.

Headache
The Remedy: Peppermint Oil
Headaches related to cold/flu can be combatted with peppermint essential oil, which is a cooling oil. Studies have shown that a combination of 50% peppermint and 50% lavender have been as effective as taking a painkiller! If using for a headache, the oil is best applied to your temples and the back of your neck. (Diluted to a maximum of 3% which works out to 3 drops of essential oil per teaspoon of carrier oil such as coconut or olive oil)

Stomach-ache/Nausea
The Remedy: Ginger Oil
Ginger has a long history in the world of natural/alternative medicine and is one of the best oils I can recommend for upset stomach. Spicy and warming, you can add up to 3 drops into a teaspoon of carrier oil and rub it directly onto your stomach to ease indigestion, gas, bloating, diarrhea, and nausea. Don't have ginger essential oil on hand? Steep a cup of tea that contains ginger or cut up some fresh ginger and add it to hot water with some honey from your local beekeeper.

Germs in General
The Remedy: Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil has a medicinal scent that you rave about in either a good way or a bad way. Love it or hate it, it's another great antiviral and antibacterial oil that works well to clean and purify the air in your home/workspace. Diffusing tea tree oil when members of your family or your coworkers are sick can help to kill any germs that are in the air, thus decreasing the spread of them. 

While using natural remedies can certainly help, it's always important to consult with a medical professional if your symptoms are not getting any better. Here's to staying happy and healthy this winter!

​Love, Ash XO

Berry season is upon us in Manitoba and let me say – the berries this year are cray-zay! All this heat and rain has made them so big and juicy, the sore back from bending down for so long is worth it! I haven’t been berry picking in quite awhile but I have a bit more time on my hands these days so I decided to take advantage. I went to Prairie Berry, a new strawberry farm that’s 10 minutes south of Winnipeg down Highway 75 (Pembina) It was great! Tons of sweet berries just waiting to be picked and at only $10/bucket for u-pick, you really can’t go wrong.

I decided I was going to try making jam as well as some strawberry fruit snacks that I saw on Pinterest, along with saving some to eat fresh. I haven’t gotten to the fruit snacks yet so this week, I’ll share the jam recipe that I used!
There’s a couple things I really love about this recipe. First of all, it’s so easy. There’s only 4 ingredients: strawberries, lemon juice, corn starch, and sugar. If you’ve made jam before, I know what you’re thinking: Umm.. where’s the pectin? Well, this recipe uses corn starch to thicken it which makes for a jam that is less “jelly” than store bought jam. It still thickened up really nicely but I think this gives it some versatility to be used on things other than bread. Being the ice cream fanatic that I am, I instantly thought it could be used as a topping on vanilla ice cream or perhaps on pancakes. The other thing I liked was that this recipe calls for waaay less sugar than most jam recipes I found – 1 1/2 cups as opposed to the 6-7 most others called for. You really get the strawberry taste instead of an overwhelming amount of sugar.
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OK so here’s the recipe!

Yield: 2 – 16 ounce jars (I put mine in 125 ml jars and it made 8 plus a bit)

Ingredients:
5 cups strawberries, fresh or thawed from frozen
5 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp corn starch
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar


Directions:
Add the strawberries to a large pot and mash. You could use a potato masher, fork — anything to mash up the fruit and release the juices.
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Pour the lemon juice into a small bowl and add the cornstarch. Stir until the cornstarch has dissolved. Pour the mixture into the pot with the strawberries.

Add the sugar and stir all ingredients together.
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Turn the stove top to medium-high and bring mixture to a ROLLING boil (as in, the bubbles don’t stop when you stir them). Allow the jam to boil for 20-25 minutes, stirring often. Mixture should thickly coat the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat and allow to cool before dividing the jam into jars. Store in the refrigerator.

That’s it! Easy-peasy! Try it out and let me know what you think! I should mention that this is NOT my recipe, I have a Pinterest addiction and you can read the full write-up here, which is where I found it.

If you’re heading out to Birds Hill for Folk Fest this weekend, or if you’re not but still want something to do, make sure you pop by the Pineridge Hollow Farmers Market on Saturday morning from 9-1! I’ll be there with my products including $5.00 Quick Fix sticks for instant relief of mosquito bites. With all this rain, I have a feeling you’ll be needing one!

Have a great week and be sure to get outside and enjoy this beautiful weather! It seems to fly by so we have to make the most of it!

Love, Ash XO

​Did you know that your skin accounts for about 15% of your body weight with the thickest skin being on your feet and the thinnest being on your eyelids? Every 28 days, your skin renews itself and every minute, you shed about 30,000 dead skin cells. Our bodies are so amazing at how they take care of themselves, however there’s always more we can do to help them run more efficiently. Being our largest organ, the skin does a lot for us so it’s important that we keep it in good shape.

The dark days of Canadian winters seem to have eluded us somewhat this year and already, it’s starting to feel kind of like spring! The moisture that spring brings, however, has not yet arrived (at least in Winnipeg) and dry, flaky skin is still an issue. The good news is, there’s an easy way to take care of that! Exfoliating. Many people just hop in the shower and use their bubbly body wash to get a quick clean, which is great, but that doesn’t remove any of the dull, dead skin cells that an abrasive scrub would!

Why Exfoliate?
When you use a scrub, you’re helping to remove the dead skin cells from your epidermis (the top layer of your skin), which means you’ll have a happy glow as your new skin isn’t being covered up anymore. Pile-ups of dead skin can lead to acne as your natural oils have nowhere to go when they get trapped under old skin cells and end up clogging your pores. Fine lines and wrinkles also become more noticeable. Exfoliating helps with this! You’ll also notice that your skin feels more smooth after exfoliating – oolala! Finally, all the other products that you spend your hard-earned money on to keep yourself looking gorgeous are more easily absorbed as they don’t have to soak through layers of dead skin first.

How Often?
No more than 2-3 times per week for the average person. If you’re older or have more sensitive skin, you might do it less so you’re not irritating your skin. If you have oily skin, 3 times a week might be necessary as you get more of a build-up.

With What?
Salt or sugar scrubs are a great, all-natural way to sluff off the old and make way for the new! On damp skin, they’re still abrasive and combined with other natural exfoliants like ground up walnut shell powder or various seeds, they do a fabulous job. On your face, you should not be using salt/sugar/seeds as they are too abrasive for delicate facial skin. Instead, opt for products with jojoba beads, clays, oats, honey, or other more powdery substances. These ingredients are more mild while still getting the job done.
As with cleansing, exfoliating is easy, necessary, and it leaves you smelling and feeling great. If scrubbing is not a part of your weekly skin care routine, it’s time to include it!

Have a great week!
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Love, Ash XO