I lean on aromatherapy to help me as I walk into the fresh start of a new year. In particular, I use essential oils for energy and motivation. I also like to incorporate essential oils that give me a little courage and fortitude.
Let's dig into essential oils that energize and how they can impact our emotional health.
All citrus essential oils are bright and cheerful and have an uplifting effect on mood and energy levels.
]]>For New Year’s Eve, my son suggested we try something new. I loved his idea and the feeling that came with the activity.
We each wrote down something that we wanted to let go of from the previous year. On another slip of paper, we wrote something new that we wanted to bring into the New Year with us. At midnight we burned the slips of paper with the things we wanted to let go of. We each kept our slips of paper with the something new we wanted to create to carry with us into the new year.
Trying new things and letting go of things that no longer serve us, can be hard.
I lean on aromatherapy to help me as I walk into the fresh start of a new year. In particular, I use essential oils for energy and motivation. I also like to incorporate essential oils that give me a little courage and fortitude.
Let's dig into essential oils that energize and how they can impact our emotional health.
All citrus essential oils are bright and cheerful and have an uplifting effect on mood and energy levels. I am especially partial to Sweet Orange essential oil. It can help to unblock stagnant energy.
Have you ever noticed how a sunny day can impact your mood? Especially if you live in a state (like Michigan) that tends to have a lot of cloudy and gray days. When the sun does make an appearance, your energy level and your state of mind get brighter.
The aroma of Sweet Orange essential oil has that same effect. It's like opening a bottle of sunshine!
Grapefruit essential oil is another energizing essential oil. It exudes happy, outward energy. Grapefruit has an uplifting effect on the mind and emotions. One of its most prominent chemical components, d-limonene, has stress-reducing actions. It is a wonderful oil to use when you have a task on your to-do list that is outside of your comfort zone.
Siberian Fir essential oil is a wonderful oil to help promote feelings of strength and perseverance. The trees that make this oil are majestic and tall. They have the strength to grow and thrive in the cold mountains of Siberia. The piney, fresh and sweet aroma helps to promote feelings of alertness.
Eucalyptus essential oil is powerful and fresh smelling. It has an uplifting aroma and can help clear the mind and aid in concentration. Use this oil when you need a little extra energy and focus! Be aware that there are several varieties of eucalyptus oils. Some are not recommended for young children.
Lemon essential oil is bright and cheerful. Like most citrus, the method used to extract the essential oil from the rind is a cold press process. Think about when you slice into a lemon or zest the rind. That amazing fresh scent is exactly what you get in a bottle of lemon essential oil.
Limonene and citral, two of the chemical components found in lemon essential oil, can decrease physical and psychological stress.
These are a few of the essential oils for energy and happiness that can help you motivate you into trying new things this year.
I have created for children and adults specific essential oil blends for energy and motivation. I also have a variety of products and sensory tools so you can enjoy and reap the benefits of this aromatherapy experience.
Due to the properties of the essential oils used in these blends and their salty (and humorous) names, we recommend these blends for adults. (Or at least 10 years and older)
Add a drop or two of the Getting Shit Done diffuser blend to your favorite ultrasonic mister to motivate and inspire everyone in your home. Inhalation of essential oils with a diffusing mister is one of the fastest ways to feel the effects of aromatherapy on our emotions.
The essential oils in this fragrant and uplifting blend will give you the focus and fire you need to complete your to-do list.
The energizing essential oils used in this blend include:
Are you on the go but need a boost of energy? The Getting Shit Done rollerball is the perfect way to take your aromatherapy with you where ever you go.
Roll the blend on your pulse points or rub it on the palms of your hands, make a tent over your nose, and breathe deep to increase energy levels.
Rollerballs are a handy and impactful method to experience aromatherapy. A rollerball gives you pure essential oils diluted with carrier oil. At Wellnessed, our rollerball blends include fractionated coconut oil. It is a lightweight carrier oil, absorbs into the skin, and won’t clog your pores.
Another great essential oil blend for positive energy, motivation, and self-confidence is Carpe F#cking Diem. The combination of oils helps to increase concentration, encourage creativity, and promote productivity
Rollerballs are great to use when you want a slower and more long-lasting outcome on your mood. A rollerball introduces the oils deeper into your tissue and bloodstream. You are getting a slower, more continuous absorption of the essential oil properties.
We have incorporated Carpe Diem blend into a sensory putty. The tactile sensation of squeezing, pinching, and pulling the putty helps to relieve stress or nervous tension. You benefit from both inhalation and absorption of the essential oils.
We offer the putty on its own and with the Carpe F#cking Diem journal. Take five to ten minutes at the beginning of your day to record your thoughts, feelings, goals, and ideas for seizing the day!
We create a variety of aromatherapy and sensory goods designed for children. Our Star Essence products give children a tangible way to self-regulate their emotions.
Included in this product line is a special blend of essential oils for focus and energy called Star Essence Energy.
This unique blend combines citrus oils and frankincense.
This blend is sure to brighten up your child’s day. He or she can enjoy the aromatherapy benefits through touch and smell.
Children can knead, roll, cut and pinch the Star Essence Energy putty. They will absorb the feel good properties of the essential oils through their skin and their sense of smell.
Or how about some bubbles with benefits? Children enjoy the sensory activity of blowing and chasing bubbles while inhaling the citrusy and uplifting energy essential oil blend with our Star Essence Energy Bubbles.
Energy Body Butter nourishes and soothes dry skin. While the mix of essential oils encourages feelings of happiness and positivity. Wellnessed whipped body butters are handmade with organic shea butters, cocoa butters, and coconut oil.
Our vision for Wellnessed is to make it easy for you to find and use all-natural and safe aromatherapy and sensory products that will enhance your emotional well-being.
To your wellness… cheers!
Susan
]]>A sensory break is a moment of mindfulness, paying attention to our bodies and focusing on our sensory experience at the moment. It’s taking time to listen to what our bodies need. It can be as simple as fidgeting with something and focusing on the tactile sensations in our hands.
Sensory breaks activities focus on three core sensory systems:
1. Vestibular
2. Proprioceptive
3. Tactile
Our vestibular system helps provide a sense of balance and provides information about the position of our body.
Proprioception is awareness of where your body is in space. It is your ability to sense movement, action, and location. Because of our sense of proprioception, we don’t have to think about each step we take.
Tactile is what we perceive through our sense of touch.
Sensory breaks and moments are a great self-care technique for all of us. A sensory break can help us feel calmer, more grounded, focused, and ready to take on the task at hand. It’s an incredible way to care for ourselves.
We should distinguish between a sensory or brain break and a time-out. Today, children are given a time-out as a form of punishment, but that is not the purpose of a time-out.
Time-outs are a way for children to remove themselves from situations that were becoming difficult to handle emotionally. Time-outs should give children time to calm themselves. Time-outs are generally reactive and used after a child is already in a state of emotional distress.
Sensory or mindful moments are proactive. We want to teach our children to read the cues from their bodies so they can take care of their needs before it becomes distressing.
I will suggest a sensory movement break when I notice my student bouncing their leg or wiggling and shifting in their seat more than usual. We stand up and do some physical activity to help them feel more grounded in their bodies and get some of the energy out that’s bottled up inside.
Sometimes these breaks are as quick as 1-2 minutes. Other times, we take a little longer. We listen to our bodies. We can concentrate on our work when we pay attention to our body cues and give ourselves the sensory input we need.
In working with children for the past 20 years, I have found taking a proactive two-minute break is much more enjoyable for myself and my student. I prefer using sensory movement activities compared to struggling through a lesson and denying the child and myself what we need at the moment.
Other times, we find ways to get the sensory input needed while continuing our work. It can be as simple as something to fidget with while listening, reading, or writing.
Taking a mindful moment can help to calm anxiety. When we feel anxious, it can help to ground us. When we take a moment to focus on our sensory experience, it takes us “out of our heads” and out of our anxious loop of thinking. Sensory breaks calm our nervous system, increase self-control, and enhance concentration.
Children can become overwhelmed by a lot of sensory input, especially children with sensory processing disorder or autism. These children can find it hard to filter out irrelevant sensory information. They can calm their nervous system by taking a moment in a quiet area and engaging in a calming sensory activity, like playing with Aromatherapy Putty.
There are many ways to incorporate sensory breaks or mindful moments into the classroom.
We can help children to take care of themselves in a proactive manner during class time. Help them identify the signals in their bodies that they need a sensory break or mindful moment before they are in distress or become disruptive to the classroom.
When working with a child, I watch for signs that their bodies may be entering “fight or flight” mode. If their hands feel cold, their pupils dilate, or their hands tremble slightly, I suggest we take a sensory break. I tell them what I’m noticing, so they can start to observe these signals for themselves, and I help them find an activity that calms their nervous system. If available, a weighted lap pad or blanket is an excellent tool during these moments.
It’s fun and easy to work sensory breaks and mindful moments into your day at home! Here are a few ideas.
Use our aromatherapy bubbles! Blow the bubbles while your child runs, jumps, and pops the bubbles. Bonus! They get a dose of aromatherapy!
Take a quiet moment to roll, squeeze and pinch our aromatherapy putty.
Our Purposeful Playsets include aromatherapy putty and bubbles and are a great way to introduce sensory breaks at home. Use the Relax Playset before bed or the Focus Blend Playset when your child needs help with attention.
A small trampoline in the house is a fun way to help your child get the sensory input that they need.
Make an obstacle course with items you find around the house, such as pillows, and take turns running, jumping over, crawling under, and spinning around the obstacle course.
Use our aromatherapy chalk to create a sensory path for your child to follow.
There are many ways to encourage your child to practice mindfulness and incorporate a sensory break when they need it. These are just a few suggestions.
Our goal is to make it easy and convenient to use both sensory tools and aromatherapy to take care of your emotional well-being.
We believe it should be easy, convenient, and safe. We create all-natural and nontoxic aromatherapy and sensory tools for both children and adults. All raw ingredients that go into every product have been researched and sourced to ensure safety and quality so that you can feel good about your choice.
To your wellness - cheers!
Susan
]]>Anxiety is a common emotion that all of us feel at one time or another in our lives. There are different levels of anxiety. A mild case could be a feeling of unease or nervousness, but severe anxiety can cause a panic attack.
I have created several essential oil blends for anxiety to use in many different ways to help you or your little ones cope with feelings of anxiousness, sadness, and stress.
]]>Anxiety is a common emotion that all of us feel at one time or another in our lives. There are different levels of anxiety. A mild case could be a feeling of unease or nervousness, but severe anxiety can cause a panic attack.
Today with the COVID-19 pandemic going into its third year, symptoms of anxiety and depression have increased from 36.4% to 41.5% according to a Household Pulse Survey. If your anxiety and depression are severe, I encourage you to seek professional help. If you are considering suicide, please call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-8255.
We can manage anxiety through intentional and mindful actions that we can incorporate into our daily routines. Essential oils and aromatherapy can play a part in helping you to manage your feelings of anxiety.
I have created several essential oil blends for anxiety to use in many different ways to help you or your little ones cope with feelings of anxiousness, sadness, and stress.
Before I go into the specific blends I have created, I want to talk about the specific essential oils that help with anxiety.
Bergamot is a warm citrus oil that supports emotional health. It provides a calming effect and a feeling of centeredness. Bergamot is phototoxic, so you must dilute it properly if you plan to use it on your skin.
Cedarwood is an incredibly grounding oil. One of the main chemical components found in Cedarwood oil is cedrol which has been studied and found to have a sedative effect on the central nervous system. It is a great oil to use during stressful or anxious times. However, pregnant women and young children should avoid this essential oil.
Lavender is one of my favorite oils because it is both gentle and powerful at the same time. It has been studied extensively and can be used safely in many different ways. It also has a soothing effect on the central nervous system. Lavender oil is a great choice to use for yourself and your littles at bedtime.
German Chamomile is a bright blue oil that helps calm feelings of anxiety, anger, or frustration. A little of this oil goes a long way, as the aroma is quite strong!
Ylang Ylang oil is another excellent choice when you need emotional support during anxious times. The scent of Ylang Ylang is known to be uplifting for your spirit while at the same time calming the body and the central nervous system.
These are just a few essential oils I would recommend for anxiety. I have curated several essential oil blends for anxiety that include the above oils and have aromatherapy properties to calm anxiety and help with stress.
This soothing blend is available as a diffuser and rollerball blend. For the diffuser blend, you would add a few drops of UNWIND essential oil blend to a misting diffuser. It disperses a fine mist of water droplets combined with tiny droplets of the essential oils.
Inhalation is the fastest way to feel the effects of aromatherapy on our emotions. Why? Because our sense of smell is closely related to our limbic system. The limbic system processes and regulates our emotions.
Diffusing essential oils has many benefits. Besides making your home smell amazing, inhaling the essential oils will affect your emotions. Every tiny little droplet contains all of the chemical components of each essential oil.
The oils in our UNWIND blend are high in the chemical component known to have a sedative effect on your central nervous system. Every time you breathe in, you will trigger your limbic system with oils that help reduce anxiety and stress.
When you diffuse our UNWIND blend, you create an atmosphere of calm and comfort.
Rollerballs are a convenient and effective way to experience aromatherapy. A rollerball gives you pure essential oils diluted with a carrier oil. We use fractionated coconut oil in our rollerballs because it’s lightweight, is easily absorbed into the skin, and won’t clog your pores.
Carrier oils, like coconut oil, are fatty lipids, and essential oils are lipophilic, which means they combine with or dissolve in lipids or fats. So carrier oils, like coconut oil and shea butter, are the best way to dilute and absorb the essential oils into our skin.
Rollerballs are great for using when you want a slower and more long-term effect on your emotional state. When you use a rollerball you are introducing the oils into deeper tissue and into the bloodstream. This means you are getting a slower more continuous absorption.
I often use my rollerballs for both the quick effect of inhalation and the slow absorption through the skin. I start by rolling the blend into the palms of my hand, making a tent over my nose and mouth, and take a few deep breaths. This gives me the immediate effect through the mucous membrane.
I then roll some onto the back of my neck, my wrists, and the front of my throat, this gives me a slower and more continuous effect.
UNWIND essential oil blend recipe contains bergamot, cedarwood, clary sage, and ylang ylang. You could use this blend proactively and apply it when you know you are going into a situation that makes you feel anxious. These oils produce a sense of calm so you can think clearly.
If you are feeling emotionally confused or indecisive, put a few drops of UNWIND into your diffuser, sit quietly or meditate, breathing in the aromatic molecules of these oils. Once your mind and body are calm again, approach your problem or decision again.
I developed the Star Essence Sensory Goods line specifically for children to give them a tangible way to self-regulate difficult emotions and circumstances.
Star Essence Relax blend is available in a diffuser blend (safe to diffuse for babies ages 6 months or older) and rollerball blend (diluted with a carrier oil and safe to be used on children 2 years and older). This blend is also available in a much wider variety of products. To see them all, please visit the Star Essence Relax Collection.
The Relax blend contains wild orange, green mandarin (for topical products), bergamot (for non-topical products), ylang ylang, frankincense, and vetiver.
I want to highlight a few of our best sellers and how they can help you or your child with self-regulating feelings of anxiety and stress.
Star Essence Relax Aromatherapy Putty is infused with these stress-relieving oils and is absorbed into the skin and bloodstream through the simple act of playing with the putty. Your child will also be experiencing the aromatherapy benefits through inhalation as they play.
Younger children use our Putty through what we call Purposeful Play. They can use cookie cutters, rolling pins, stamps, or simply squeeze and roll the putty.
The sensory activity of squeezing, pinching, and kneading the putty helps to ground children in the present moment by engaging their senses. It can provide a sense of calm and help to increase attention and focus.
We can help our children learn to care for and regulate their emotions by prompting them to play with the Relax putty when we see that they are feeling worried or anxious. As they play with the putty, bring to their attention the great smells and the sensory feeling of the putty.
In this way, we are helping to ground them in the present moment which can help when they are feeling anxious.
For older children, we have a guided meditation to use with the Relax Putty. Introducing mindfulness to our children can be an incredibly useful tool for dealing with anxious feelings.
Relax Body Butter serves double duty as a skin-nourishing moisturizer. Every whipped body butter is handmade with organic and all-natural shea butter, cocoa butter, and coconut oil infused with the Relax blend of essential oils that can help with anxiety.
Perfect for your child’s bedtime routine. Apply the Relax body butter after bath time to help ease your child into a state of relaxation. The sensory experience of massaging the body butter on their skin if done in a purposeful way can help to keep their focus on the present moment. The fragrance of the Relax essential oil blend will help their mind and body get ready for sleep.
Our BLISS blend combines lavender, wild orange, and frankincense and was one of the first blends I created. In fact, I created it specifically for myself to deal with stress and to help with unwinding and calming my mind when needed.
BLISS has been such a popular blend that I now use it in many different products both topical and through inhalation only.
With the Omicron variant spreading so quickly, you can have feelings of anxiousness just going out in public for your essentials – buying groceries, going to work. Apply a few spritzes of BLISS mask refresher spray to your mask and inhale the soothing and calming scent of the mix of BLISS oils before you head out. As a bonus, the spray does contain some grain alcohol, so it helps to kill germs.
Our vision for Wellnessed is to make it easy for you to find and use all-natural and safe aromatherapy and sensory products that will enhance your emotional well-being.
We would love to hear how one of our products has helped you or someone in your life. Please leave a comment here or leave a review of your experience on the product page of your favorite Wellnessed aromatherapy or sensory good.
To your wellness… cheers!
Susan
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I love aromatherapy and mindfulness. Together, it feels almost magical. You close your eyes, inhale deeply an aroma that smells so good, and almost instantly you feel your shoulders relax, and a small smile comes to your lips. Just taking five minutes to be present in the experience of sitting quietly and enjoying the smell of essential oils diffusing is practicing mindfulness.
Adults aren’t the only ones who can benefit from the magic of aromatherapy and practicing mindfulness. You can introduce your child to the empowering practice of mindfulness with Star Essence Sensory Tools and the concept of play with purpose.
Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils to support health and well being. According to Robert Tisserand, author of The Art of Aromatherapy and international speaker, educator and consultant on the science and benefits of essential oils, “Aromatherapy is a caring, hands on therapy, which seeks to induce relaxation, to increase energy, to reduce the effects of stress and to restore lost balance to mind, body, and soul.”
Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts. These extracts can be broken down into the individual chemical components that make up each particular plant. Each drop of essential oil contains all of those individual chemical components.
When you inhale an aroma you are inhaling all of those little chemical components and they will have some kind of impact and effect depending on which essential oils are used.
Why is aromatherapy so effective, especially for helping us to regulate and support our emotional well being?
For that answer let's take a look at the science behind our sense of smell and our brains. Inside our noses is the olfactory membrane, these are specialized nerve endings that recognize and identify scents.
The olfactory membrane physically is located very close to the limbic system. The limbic system is the emotional control center of our brains. It is responsible for emotion, learning, and memory, among other things.
The limbic system establishes your emotional state. When you inhale the aroma from an essential oil, you are inhaling all of those little chemical components that make up that particular oil. The aroma molecules hit the olfactory membrane and the information immediately gets sent to the limbic system and you have a reaction.
This is why the sense of smell can bring back memories so quickly! I cannot smell the aroma of vanilla without thinking of my Grandmother and time spent with her in the kitchen.
The definition of mindfulness is “a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thought, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.”
Mindfulness and meditation are empowering tools that can be practiced by anyone, anywhere, and anytime.
There are many different methods and techniques, and even a few moments of mindful awareness can have a big impact on our mood, our brain function, and our ability to handle difficult situations.
Studies on mindfulness and meditation over the past few decades have shown improvements in everything from memory to pain management.
It can be as simple as placing your attention on your feet when you are walking. How do your feet feel as they take each step? If you keep your attention focused on the present moment and each step as you take it… you have just practiced mindfulness.
Aromatherapy and mindfulness are two incredibly empowering practices. At Wellnessed, we have worked to combine these two forces into simple, easy to use sensory tools that can be used in meditation practice.
Our Star Essence Line of products are intended for children and combine four distinct aromatherapy blends with sensory tools and a guided meditation. Our mission is that through using the Star Essence sensory tools children and their parents feel empowered, knowing they can immediately affect and support their mental health and well being.
It can be as simple as blowing aromatherapy bubbles for your child and drawing their attention to the incredible aroma as each bubble is popped.
Or as your child is drawing with chalk, take a moment to notice the texture of the paper, chalkboard or sidewalk and how that changes the drawing.
Have your child try using different chalks with different blends of oils, taking time to notice the different fragrances and how those different smells make them feel.
Sensory regulation and aromatherapy can be combined in fun and familiar play things. We have curated an essential oil blend that is safe for kids and helps them with feeling grounded and balanced – Star Essence Awesome blend.
The Awesome blend is infused into bubbles, chalk, and a sensory putty. Your child will inhale the calming aromatherapy fragrance while squeezing or rolling the putty or creating sidewalk chalk art with the aromatherapy infused chunky and fun shaped chalk.
You can encourage your child to repeat an affirmation while playing: “I am exactly where I need to be.”
You will have to guide your child through this next exercise a few times, but through repetition your child will learn to practice this type of mindfulness on their own. This short exercise will give them a concrete method of dealing with many different types of stress and anxiety.
1. Have your child take a Relax Aromatherapy Putty and split it in half so they are holding a chunk of putty in each hand.
2. With putty in each hand, instruct them to close their eyes and take three deep breaths – inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.
3. As they inhale, gently tell them to squeeze the putty in their hands. As they exhale, have them stop squeezing or release their grip on the putty. Take a moment to notice and talk about the sudden feeling of relaxation in your hands, arms, shoulders, and maybe your chest.
4. Repeat this exercise of squeezing and releasing the putty as you intentionally breathe in and out three times. Keep your focus on the sensations of tension and then relaxation in your body.
5. After your final exhale and release of squeezing the putty, end your meditation by saying: “Peace begins with me.”
Each Star Essence Aromatherapy Putty comes with a guided mediation card to help parents teach their child how to practice mindfulness.
LEARN MORE
Star Essence Aromatherapy Putty Set
Star Essence Sensory Sensory Goods
If you had the opportunity to read our blog post about the custom essential oil blends we offer that will energize and boost feelings of happiness, then you know that your sense of smell is powerful because of the olfactory membrane located inside your nose. This membrane immediately sends information to your limbic system which is responsible for your feelings or emotions.
In this article, we are going to focus on the essential oils that help create emotional balance and a sense of being grounded.
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If you had the opportunity to read our blog post about the custom essential oil blends we offer that will energize and boost feelings of happiness, then you know that your sense of smell is powerful because of the olfactory membrane located inside your nose. This membrane immediately sends information to your limbic system which is responsible for your feelings or emotions.
In this article, we are going to focus on the essential oils that help create emotional balance and a sense of being grounded.
According to Psychology Today, emotional balance is achieved when we can feel various emotions without letting them overpower or overwhelm us. We simply accept the emotion we are feeling in that moment without judging it or ourselves.
When you achieve emotional balance, you do not avoid or suppress emotions and neither do you let the emotions consume you and your thoughts. There are many different strategies you can use to work toward creating emotional balance.
Mindfulness takes deliberate action on your part to self-soothe. This can be accomplished through a variety of physical activities. These can include:
Each of these mindfulness activities can be enhanced by including aromatherapy as you practice. The combination of being present in the moment as you practice yoga, mediation, intentional breathing, or listen to music and breathing in the aromatic molecules through the olfactory membrane can help balance your emotions and ease the tension in your body.
Some essential oils are better suited to help you achieve emotional balance due to the aromatic properties of the plant from which the oil is derived. You can use each of these essential oils alone or use a custom blend of the essentials designed to enhance or encourage a specific emotional state of being. We have created four custom essential oil blends which include many of the oils listed below with the purpose of helping you feel balanced, grounded, and centered.
This oil is often referred to as the ‘king of essential oils’ and has been valued and used for hundreds of years. Its fragrance is complex and rich and the powerful aroma can help the mind relax and focus while creating a sense of balance to your emotions.
Andrea Butje, the founder of the Aromahead Institute and author of the book The Heart of Aromatherapy, writes,“When the frankincense tree’s trunk or branches are injured, the tree’s resin comes out from within the tree to heal the wound. The essential oil is distilled from this resin. You can see this as frankincense’s way of helping you draw on inner strength to stay healthy.”
This essential oil is extracted from the peel of the bergamot orange and has a citrus scent with some floral notes. The certified organic bergamot oil that we source is made from the rinds of citrus fruits grown in Italy. This oil is often referred to as the ‘oil of self-acceptance’ since it is believed to help reduce anxiety and stress and help clear away negative thoughts.
Because bergamot is an oil that is phototoxic (meaning that when used on the skin it can cause a reaction when exposed to sunlight) we use bergamot in our blends for inhalation (diffuser blends and other products that are not intended to be applied to the skin) and for topical applications we use green mandarin oil to replace bergamot. Green mandarin is similar in chemical composition and aroma to bergamot without being phototoxic.
Clary sage has high amounts of the chemical components linalol and linalyl acetate. These chemical components have been studied and shown to have a sedative effect on our central nervous system. This is why clary sage is so effective at calming your mind and reducing feelings of anxiety. Clary sage has a complex aroma, it is distinctive, sweet, light, warm, and herbal.
The organically crafted vetiver oil that we source is steam distilled from the roots of grassy plants in the rain forests of India. Vetiver is famous for its grounding and emotionally balancing properties. Vetiver oil helps connect one with the earth and the earth’s energies, as well as connecting to oneself. It’s a great oil for introspection during meditation. The aroma of vetiver oil is very distinct, it has a smooth, strong, sweet, rich, and woody aroma.
One of our all time favorite oils! This oil has a high percentage of sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpenols, making it an amazing oil for grounding and emotional balance. Patchouli can help to calm and balance an overactive mind, so it is a wonderful oil to use as part of your bedtime routine. Patchouli’s aroma is very unique, it is rich and intense, slightly sweet, with many nuances - earthy, herbaceous, and woody.
We have curated four unique blends with the purpose of helping you and your family practice mindfulness and work toward finding a sense of balance.
Each custom essential oil blend is available in a variety of products, both topical and tactile, so you can incorporate aromatherapy in a way that best suits your needs. Use a body butter at night, apply the butter to your chest and back of your neck, with intentional breathing exercises to reduce anxiety and set yourself up for a good night's sleep.
Our aromatherapy putties can become a part of your meditation practice. Each putty is infused with an essential oil blend and the motion of squeezing and pinching the putty can help calm your body and mind to allow your thoughts to easily float in and out without judgement.
This custom blend of essential oils includes lemongrass, cypress, geranium, spearmint, and frankincense. Each of these oils contain properties that contribute to a sense of balance and comfort, but the combination of these oils creates a bright and inspiring way to encourage feelings of positivity. The fragrance is earthy with a splash of mint. Place a few drops of the Awesome diffuser blend into your favorite sonic mist diffuser as you meditate, practice yoga, listen to music or engage in deep breathing exercises.
A sensual and warming aromatherapy blend of complex and rich essential oils that include sandalwood, patchouli, vetiver, bergamot, cinnamon, and benzoin. After you unroll your yoga mat, take time to apply this custom blend of essential oils topically to the bottom of your feet and pulse points with our LUMINOUS rollerball. The fractionated coconut oil helps the oils to absorb into your skin with the bonus of some moisturizing benefits.
The scent of the HIMALAYAN MAGIC blend of essential oils has been described as both earthy and floral and includes patchouli, lavender, geranium, and rose essential oils. If you are feeling worried or anxious, apply the body butter to your chest and neck, then put in your earbuds and enjoy your favorite playlist on Spotify.
An emotionally grounding blend of essential oils that include cedarwood, green mandarin, chamomile, frankincense, clary sage, and vetiver. This intense and deeply soothing fragrance will assist you in your meditation practice. We offer the blend as a rollerball, diffuser blend, and an aromatherapy putty with a meditation book so you can journal at the conclusion of your meditation and enjoy a bit of levity.
Striving for emotional balance is an ongoing process, but well worth the effort. We learn how to deal with negative emotions without letting them take over and consume us. Having this life skill can improve our relationships, help us sleep better, perform better at our jobs, and elevate our general sense of happiness.
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We are excited to announce that our products are now available through the website: Sensory Processing Disorder Parent Support.
This website is managed by Jeanette Baker-Loftus to help support and give options for parents whose children have a sensory processing disorder. Jeanette’s daughter was diagnosed with SPD over nine years ago. Jeanette discovered she had few resources to learn about the disorder and didn’t know where to find a community to ask. So she began her own.
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We are excited to announce that our products are now available through the website: Sensory Processing Disorder Parent Support.
This website is managed by Jeanette Baker-Loftus to help support and give options for parents whose children have a sensory processing disorder. Jeanette’s daughter was diagnosed with SPD over nine years ago. Jeanette discovered she had few resources to learn about the disorder and didn’t know where to find a community to ask. So she began her own.
Since starting her website nine years ago, it has become a refuge for parents who have children with SPD. They have found it to be a safe place to find support, ask questions, and become acquainted with other families who have a family member with this special need.
Sensory processing disorder is a neurological disorder that affects how the brain processes information coming in through the senses - sight, smell, touch, sound, and smell. Generally, children and adults who have SPD feel over stimulated by their environments in some way.
Examples of Sensory Processing Disorder
Sensory processing disorders are usually diagnosed in children, but can affect adults as well. In fact, Jeanette speaks to how she also has SPD, but didn’t know that’s what it was until her daughter was diagnosed.
For more information on what sensory processing disorder is and how to recognize the signs that your child may be on the SPD spectrum, please visit Jeanette’s website: What is SPD.
A few of the items that we at Wellnessed Boutique have created to help children with different sensory processing disorders include:
The use of a weighted lap pad can help reduce anxiety, provide a sense of calmness, and help a child sleep. You can increase the benefits of the weighted lap pad when you combine the aromatherapy benefits of Star Essence Relax or FOCUS Blend with it. A small pocket on the Star Essence Lap Pad contains a felt pad that can be recharged with the essential oil blend of your choice.
Star Essence FOCUS blend is an easy and wonderful way to produce a sense of calmness when your child needs it.
Star Essence Relax blend helps to calm the mind and is helpful with situational anxiety.
The weighted lap pad is portable and is designed to be easy to clean and maintain.
Learn More about the Star Essence Weighted Lap Pad
Your child can knead, roll or pinch our Star Essence all natural putty to help with creating a sense of calm and reduce tension. This type of sensory therapy can help children with sensory processing disorder overcome tactile fears or sensitivity.
We have also developed a variety of aromatherapy and sensory play items that are safe, non-toxic, and fun. These include bubbles, sidewalk chalk, and plush moon and star fidgets.
The Wellnessed Boutique was created with a purpose. Part of that purpose was to empower our customers with choices they can feel good about. Our goal was to empower our community to have tangible methods to feel more in control of their thoughts and emotions. So we created blends based on the emotions we wanted our community and ourselves to feel. Happiness, contentment, joy. Those feelings are high on everyone’s list. We created several essential oil blends with the purpose of making you feel happy.
Let’s take a look at the science behind aromatherapy. There is science behind it even though my family likes to call it “Mom’s witchcraft”. Another reason I love aromatherapy - it seems to work like magic. Who doesn’t need a little science and a little magic in their lives?
Every Wellnessed product has an aromatherapy component to them. Each one uses one of our curated blends in some way. Some of our products are designed to be used topically. You reap the amazing benefits by absorbing the essential oils through your skin. You can also greatly benefit from essential oils by inhalation or more simply - by smelling them. I am going to focus on the science behind how the inhalation of essential oils work to impact your emotions.
The olfactory membrane is located inside your nose. This membrane is full of specialized nerve endings and receptors that are able to recognize and identify scents. Essential oils are made up of aromatic molecules that pass over this membrane. The olfactory membrane recognizes these individual molecules and almost instantly sends the information to your limbic system and cerebral cortex.
Your limbic system is the part of your brain responsible for emotions, motivation, and instinctive behavior. Because the limbic system facilitates memory storage and retrieval, a smell can immediately evoke a memory from long ago. Your mood can be affected by smell because the limbic system establishes your emotional state.
The cerebral cortex is responsible for conscious processing, recognition and memory. Olfactory stimulation (smelling) is the ONLY type of sensory information that reaches the cerebral cortex directly. All other sensory input goes to another portion of the brain first. This is why aromatherapy has such an immediate impact on our emotions.
Magical science! Test it out for yourself, it’s almost impossible to smell our Energy Blend without smiling.
We created several essential oil blends to give your emotions a positive boost. Each blend is available in a variety of products so that you can reap the benefits in the way that works best for you. Whether that is placing a few drops in your ultrasonic diffuser so your office, bedroom or family room become enveloped in the scent or you need a more tactile method - such as applying our body butter or manipulating our sensory putty.
Star Essence Energy blend is liquid sunshine in a bottle! Its purpose is to be uplifting and to be a boost to your emotional energy. This will not cause a hyper feeling, but a calm emotional boost. Energy blend is created with citrus oils which are very uplifting in nature and frankincense essential oil which helps to balance mood.
The primary essential oil in the FOCUS essential oil blend is peppermint. Peppermint oil helps to uplift the mind and reduce fatigue. Peppermint oil also helps with stimulating new ideas and creativity, making it a great choice for when you need to do homework or concentrate on a project.
This essential oil blend is a powerhouse of good feelings. Your motivation will increase with the combined energies of eucalyptus essential oil, grapefruit essential oil, and lemon essential oil. These citrus oils are uplifting and highly energetic while the eucalyptus oil clears your mind and aids your concentration.
April Showers is an amazing spring blend of essential oils. It is a refreshing combination of peppermint, rosemary, and lavender pure essential oils. I enjoy the body butter product of this essential oil blend because the rosemary essential oil has a high concentration of 1,8 cineole (a natural component found in some essential oils) and this has been shown to help increase circulation. Due to the high 1,8 cineole (can cause respiratory issues in younger children), we recommend this blend for those over the age of ten.
Tropical Dreams is a blend of lime, green mandarin (for topical applications) or bergamot (for aromatic uses), and neroli/petitgrain essential oils along with pure vanilla oleoresin. This aromatic fragrance is amazing and gives your brain tropic vacation vibes! Tropical Dreams body butter includes organic coconut oil, mango butter, and cocoa butter to create the most luxurious and skin nourishing product. It’s perfect for after a day in the sun. And if you’ve overdone it in the sun our Tropical Dreams After Sun Skin Spray made with organic aloe vera gel is the perfect all natural remedy.
Enjoy any of these essential oil blends created to make you feel happy at any time.
To Your Health and Happiness,
Susan Nelson
#wellnessedliving
]]>The coronavirus quarantine coinciding with Autism Awareness Month can be a lesson in empathy for us. Unfortunately, this April we are all experiencing a month where nothing is predictable and we are all out of our ordinary routines! If you live with autism, either on the autism spectrum yourself or love someone with autism, you know that routine and predictability are BIG deals.
Throughout this quarantine, I’ve had many moments when I felt anxious, moments when I felt angry, and I have felt generally unsettled. This time has been difficult for those of us who can easily adjust to change and disruption in our lives, but for children with autism spectrum disorder, it can be even more taxing.
I want to share some activity ideas to help ourselves and our people with autism cope with this challenging time.
Guided Meditations are helpful for ourselves and our children. When we meditate, we practice mindfulness and mindfulness helps you feel calm and relaxed. During meditation you are connecting different parts of your brain: the prefrontal cortex, the limbic system, and the brain stem. The neurons from these areas in your brain connect and touch each other resulting in a sense of calmness.
Thankfully, there is not one right way to meditate. The only requirement of meditation is spending a few moments being aware. There are many options available to you or your child.
You can customize any of these methods to fit your needs. If your child is older, you can lengthen the meditation time. If your child is younger or has trouble sitting still for longer periods, make the meditation time shorter.
I have put together a Meditation Guide that I have used with children on the autism spectrum. I use the Star Essence FOCUS Aromatherapy Putty when I take the children I work with through this meditation, but you could use another handheld object, like a plush toy.
Susan Nelson, Wellnessed founder and play therapist takes you through a guided mediation in this video
If you or your child with autism are experiencing a particularly challenging time - perhaps feeling very anxious or worried - there are a couple of things you can try.
When we are anxious we are operating from the amygdala. This is the part of your brain that gets activated when we think we are in danger. An activated amygdala releases the hormones cortisol and adrenaline and we experience “fight or flight”. This response is great when we are faced with a danger - like being chased by a bear. When the danger is not a bear, but the thoughts in our heads that we feel stuck in, we become stranded in an anxious uncomfortable place.
One method to help your brain get “unstuck” is to engage in an activity that helps your brain shift from the feeling part (the amygdala) to the thinking part (the prefrontal cortex). We accomplish this with a task that requires some thought.
For our children, the could mean we play games like:
An example of a word game I have used in the past with my people with ASD is starting with a sentence such as, “I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing apples”. The next person repeats what you’re bringing on the picnic and adds their food that starts with the letter B, the next person the letter C and so on.
Don’t underestimate the power of reading a book. Reading can be very regulating for ourselves and for our kids. A good story transports you out of your own world and thoughts for a time. I work with children on the autism spectrum on a regular basis and they have called me when their anxiety levels are spiking. Many times, I read a chapter of Harry Potter (or their book of choice) until the feeling has dissipated.
Another great thing to try when feeling stressed is Bilateral Stimulation. There are three types
Bilateral Stimulation helps neutralize strong emotions allowing you to feel more relaxed. One theory why this works is related to the orienting reflex. This reflex is the natural tendency of our nervous system to orient or pay attention to a new sound or stimulus in our environment.
In simplest terms, bilateral stimulation keeps your brain shifting from left to right. The constant shifting of your brain from left to right makes it harder to focus on whatever you were worried about and gives your brain a chance to break out of your worried or anxious thinking pattern.
Examples of auditory bilateral stimulation can be found on Youtube and is simply called Bilateral Music:
You can also find bilateral stimulation music on Spotify.
You can provide tactile stimulation for your child by first squeezing their right hand, then their left, or have them hold a ball of our aromatherapy putty in each hand and instruct them to alternate squeezing the putty in each of their hands.
Engaging in purposeful activities can be incredibly regulating. From personal experience, the days I have actually gotten out of my pajamas and done something purposeful I’ve generally felt better! Having said that I also think there is something to be said for having days here and there when we stay in our pajamas and binge watch a really good show!
A few ideas of purposeful activities you can try with your kids include:
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It seems that collectively as a society we have a sleep problem. Use sleep body butters in your bedtime routine.
Most parents know this is important for children. The consistency of a routine prior to going to bed, tells the body and mind that it is time to rest and recharge.
Applying a sleep butter to your neck, chest, feet as part of your wind down routine can help you in your quest for a good night of sleep.
]]>The story is familiar. I hear it from family, close friends, and many acquaintances.
“I have trouble sleeping.”
“I sometimes have insomnia.”
“I can’t quiet my mind at night… it keeps me up.”
“I’m so tired during the day because I don’t get restful sleep at night.”
“My child has trouble falling asleep.”
It seems that collectively as a society we have a sleep problem.
There are many different all natural avenues a person can explore to help them with getting a better night’s sleep. Some suggestions that have value:
All of these suggestions and a few others I found at HealthGuide have value. Depending on the severity of your sleep problem, you may need to try each tip or maybe just a few.
I want to focus on number four: creating a bedtime routine.
Most parents know this is important for children. The consistency of a routine prior to going to bed, tells the body and mind that it is time to rest and recharge.
Applying a sleep butter to your neck, chest, feet as part of your wind down routine can help you in your quest for a good night of sleep.
How? I’m glad you asked.
In both our FORTY WINKS and NIGHTY NIGHT sleep butters, I have created a recipe of organic butters and oils along with a curated blend of pure essential oils. These essential oils have properties to help with relaxation and relieving anxiety and stress.
Both sleep butters contain magnesium oil. One of the many benefits of magnesium is improved sleep. Magnesium oil relaxes the GABA receptors in your brain and nervous system to promote the slow down you need in order to sleep. One of the best ways to get magnesium into the body is through the skin. Applying magnesium oil to the skin helps your body replenish cellular magnesium levels.
Magnesium oil can sting or itch when applied to the skin so I have combined the magnesium oil in our sleep butters with skin nourishing organic shea butter and coconut oils.
I recommend applying to a small area on your little ones forearm first to make sure it’s comfortable for them. The oils in each butter also assist the brain and body in slowing down and relaxing so you or your little one can have a restful night of sleep.
FORTY WINKS is formulated with oils that I recommend for children ten years old to adults. This blend calms your mind with:
NIGHTY NIGHT is diluted specifically to be safe for children as young as two years old. This blend is sweet and soothing with:
Applying the butter each night is a wonderful extension to your child’s bedtime ritual and will help your child relax and prepare them for a restful night’s sleep.
Thank you for being a part of the Wellnessed Living Community,
Susan Nelson
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The Salt Cave of Perrysburg was recently opened by two friends searching for alternative resources to heal and renew the mind, body and spirit - Jess Wagner and Jennifer Lynch. Their search began several years earlier when Jess’ daughter was diagnosed with Lyme disease. Jess went on a quest to find ways to help her daughter heal and with the help of Jennifer discovered the benefits of dry salt therapy or halotherapy.
Halotherapy is an alternative treatment to assist with respiratory conditions and some minor skin conditions. It involves the use of halogenerator that grinds salt into microscopic particles releasing them into the air. Patrons of the Salt Cave of Perrysburg sit in a temperature controlled room for approximately 30 - 45 minutes and breathe in these particles.
Dry salt therapy is believed to reduce inflammation, absorb toxins, and strengthen the immune system.
The Salt Cave also offers detoxification in an infrared sauna and recommends following up with a session in the salt cave. Instead of heating the air around you, this sauna treatment uses infrared lamps to warm your body directly at a lower temperature than a traditional sauna. The benefits can include:
Everyone on the Wellnessed Team felt the vision or goals of the Salt Cave of Perrysburg aligned with our own.
You can find the Star Essence line in the Salt Cave’s Wellness shop. This line of products is specifically formulated to be safe and enjoyable for small children.
It includes but is not limited to:
Stop in and check out their shop in downtown Perrysburg. While you are there, take a relaxing 30 minute salt cave session and relax, unwind, and do your body some good. Then take a dose of aromatherapy home with you with your choice of a Wellnessed Boutique product.
318 Louisiana Ave, Perrysburg, OH
419.873.7300
]]>I recently took a road trip to Sesame Place with my good friend Jen and her son Jakob, a young man on the autism spectrum that I have been working with for the past 12 years.
I have learned many lessons over the years from my friends on the autism spectrum in my profession as a play therapist. So after our weekend at Sesame Place, I reflected on our experience and realized I took away three important lessons.
I can’t think of a better place to learn new life lessons then the place I learned so much from in my own childhood, Sesame Street!
It’s such an amazing place. Walking the streets brought back a flood of memories. The neighborhood and all my favorite characters hanging out ready to meet us. Big Bird sits in his nest. Bert and Ernie hanging out. My personal favorite, Super Grover, patrolling the streets!
Sesame Place was the first theme park in the world to be designated as Certified Autism Center. The staff is so engaging and wonderful with all the kids there, especially those with challenges.
As someone who loves people with autism I can’t tell you how wonderful it feels to see other people treating your friends with respect and care instead of giving them a weird sideways look. (Although, to be fair, with those googly eyes it really was hard to see where the characters were really looking.)
We spend so much time in our lives trying hard to fit in and be like everyone else, worrying about whether or not we’re cool enough, or if other people will think what we like is weird. What a colossal waste of time.
Jakob is 17. He loves Sesame Street! He thinks Elmo is great and he still gets so excited about the letter of the day! It is refreshing that he can enjoy this place without hesitation. We didn’t waste a single second of our time at Sesame Place worrying about what anyone else thought. We soaked up every last bit of fun we could!
“Oh my God there’s Snuffaluffagus!!! Hurry up let’s go meet him!” That may or may not have been a direct quote from me, or it could have been Jen, we both love Snuffy!
I think Jakob could have cared less about meeting Snuffy but he’s such a good friend he went and got his picture taken with him for me and his Mom.
Just stop resisting and enjoy the ride! So many moments in our life we resist what’s happening right now, or wish we were somewhere else, it just makes the ride less enjoyable.
Jen and I were taught this valuable life lesson in Elmo World. We were on a water slide ride. As we waited in line Jen began to get more nervous, she hadn’t been on a water ride in a while and wasn’t sure she was going to like it. Jakob had never been on a water slide so we really had no idea how he might respond. I told them both how fun it would be!
I went down first. I sat on my inner tube and started down the slide. I headed into the tunnel and was plunged into darkness as I hurtled toward the pool at the bottom. I felt my body tense up as I braced for impact with the water. When I hit the water, the rigidity of my tense body caused my inner tube to flip. Into the water I went. I came up sputtering and laughing, but also aware that my friend Jakob was coming down next and I wanted to make sure he was going to be ok. Surprises like a nose full of water can be upsetting for kids on the spectrum. And for a 48 year old woman like myself!
Once I got out of the pool, I turned to watch Jakob. He was laughing, relaxed, and bouncing gently into the pool of water. He didn’t resist. He just accepted the moment and enjoyed the ride!
Jen still had to come down. I knew she was nervous so I wanted her to be prepared for possibly going under. She shot out of the tunnel and I have never seen a human body so stiff and rigid in my whole life. I don’t know how she came through the tunnel without snapping her legs in half.
I yelled, “Plug your nose, you’re going to go under!” She hit the water and sure enough under she goes. She came up sputtering and coughing looking just like I did on my ride.
We continued our day walking around Sesame Place with Jakob, who was smiling and laughing, not a hair on his head wet from his ride down the water slide. Then there was Jen and I, eyes red and bloodshot from the coughing and sputtering, hair wet and bedraggled looking, but we were smiling and laughing with Jakob. Because why not? It was a sunny day…
My trip with Jakob and Jen to Sesame Place gifted me with fun memories along with these lessons to treat people with kindness, enjoy life and all that it offers without worrying what others may think, and to be present and enjoy the ride. I am looking forward to next year’s trip.
Susan has been working with children with autism for the past 26 years. She received her Bachelors in Social Work from Eastern Michigan University in 1992 and worked as a case manager with the local Community Mental Health Office providing services to families with children with special needs. When her own son was diagnosed with autism in 1998 she explored and learned many different treatment options, including The Son-Rise Program and dietary interventions. After his recovery Susan and her family moved to Massachusetts for several years so that Susan could complete the intensive training program at the Autism Treatment Center of America, and the home of the Son-Rise Program. Susan completed her training there and received her Certification as a Child Facilitator in 2005. She has been working with children and families as a Play Therapist since then. She is currently working on her Certification as an Aromatherapist through the Aromahead Institute.
We created a line of all natural skin care products because we wanted a daily facial cleansing system for ourselves and our families that we could trust. We also wanted it to be effective and nourishing for our skin. And we wanted our skin care system to being completely natural and 100% toxin free.
In the past, I would buy personal care products labeled organic or all natural. When I studied the ingredient list, I discovered it included many unnecessary items. Many were definitely not nourishing!
We were already creating personal care products using essential oils and organic butters. These include our body butters, body scrubs and essential oil rollerball blends. I was confident we could make an amazing skin care line using the power of pure therapeutic grade essential oils.
The Wellnessed Skin Care System was born.
We spent six months researching the ingredients we chose for each product and skincare formula. We tested different combinations on ourselves (and brave friends and family members). We are so proud of the end result. A complete all natural skin care system that is effective, natural, and oh so good for your skin!
We studied organic ingredients to use in our personal skin care products. We also discovered many of the ingredients we wanted to avoid. Unfortunately, these toxic ingredients are found in most skin care products you find on your local store shelves. Exposure to the chemicals in many of these products may not have a negative affect if a person is only exposed to that single chemical. The fact is, we use multiple products daily that expose us to toxins that could affect our health and wellness.
According to a survey conducted by the Environmental Working Group, an activist group committed to empowering people to live healthier lives, the average adult uses 9 personal care products daily. These 9 products alone can have a combination of 126 unique chemical ingredients.
The survey results are disturbing.
12.2 million adults are exposed daily to ingredients that are known to be cause cancer or are suspected to be cancer causing every day. This survey result was only focused on their use of personal care products.
We absorb, inhale and ingest many of these chemicals into our bodies. Approximately 168 chemicals in personal care products alone! This doesn’t take into account the chemicals we encounter throughout our day in other ways. Plastic containers holding our food, pesticides sprayed on our fruits and vegetables or the chemicals we use to clean our homes.
The exposure to all these toxins and chemicals can add up over time.
Toxins and chemicals commonly found in skincare products are:
Parabens are preservatives that help prevent the growth of bacteria and mold. Parabens have estrogen-mimicking properties that are associated with an increased risk for breast cancer. Found in makeup, body washes, deodorants, shampoos and facial cleansers. Parabens absorb through our biggest organ, our skin, into our bodies.
The most common parabens used in cosmetic and beauty products are methylparaben, propylparaben and butylparaben.
Synthetic colors are chemicals or ingredients used to dye or add colors to many personal care products. Made from petroleum or coal tar sources, synthetic colors are suspected to be a human carcinogen. The European Union has already banned synthetic colors.
Be wary when you see the word fragrance on a label. You could be putting countless chemicals on your body without knowing what toxic chemical you applied. Or even how many toxic chemicals. The ingredient “fragrance” is a term that cosmetic companies use to protect their “secret formulas”.
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Skin Deep Database, fragrance mixes have been associated with allergies, dermatitis, respiratory distress and potential effects on the reproductive system.
These chemicals are endocrine disruptors. Phthalates have been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, early breast development in girls and reproductive birth defects in both males and females. They are commonly added to “fragrances” and are not always listed on the label. They are found in deodorants, perfumes/colognes, hair sprays and moisturizers.
One of the most common raw ingredients found in skin care is Mineral Oil. But just because something is natural, doesn’t always mean it’s good for us. Mineral Oil is a by-product of the distillation process that turns petroleum into gasoline. In short, it is made from petroleum. It’s colorless, odorless and inexpensive, and used in many moisturizers.
It sits on top of the skin and helps reduce water loss from skin. But it creates a barrier on top of your skin and can clog pores and cause breakouts. It has no nutritive value, meaning it does nothing good for your skin. It doesn’t even provide hydration, because it doesn’t penetrate the skin. If you’re going to go through the expense and work of cleansing your skin and then applying a moisturizer, the moisturizer should be full of nutrition for your skin!
For a comprehensive list of toxic ingredients in skin and body care products, I recommend going to the Environmental Working Group’s Top Tips for Safer Products.
We wanted to use natural organic skin care ingredients in our skin care formulas. Our goal was to provide benefits to your skin through the topical use of all natural ingredients and pure therapeutic essential oils.
We met our goal with the following list of natural ingredients for skin care:
Sweet Almond Oil is a great moisturizer because it’s naturally rich in vitamin e and fatty acids. The vitamin e in sweet almond oil is a powerful antioxidant. It helps stave off oxidative stress and keeps your skin's collagen layer intact and healthy. This is important because collagen helps keep your skin looking great and wrinkle free. When your skin doesn’t have enough antioxidants to fight free radicals it can deplete your skin's collagen layer. The fatty acids in Sweet Almond Oil retain moisture and can help heal chapped or irritated skin.
Vitamin E Oil is sometimes referred to as a skin vitamin because it has excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It provides moisture and hydration to dry skin and may help repair and heal skin including wrinkles and fine lines. Vitamin E oil moisturizes skin and can effectively remove dirt and impurities while helping your skin maintain the proper oil balance. It is a nutrient and an antioxidant that fights free radicals (free radicals can damage cells causing illness and aging).
Castor oil boosts collagen production and softens and hydrates your skin. Due to its high concentration of essential fatty acids, Castor Oil penetrates your skin delivering intense hydration and decreasing the appearance of scars, fine lines and wrinkles. The essential fatty acids present in Castor Oil hydrate and plump scar tissue, while at the same time encouraging new healthy cell growth.
Evening Primrose Oil is anti-inflammatory and moisturizing and another great source of essential fatty acids. In particular, linoleic acid which is critical to maintaining healthy skin. If your skin tends to be too dry, or too oily, there’s a good chance it is lacking in linoleic acid. Evening Primrose Oil can help balance your skin, keeping it healthy and nourished.
Rosehip Seed Oil is full of vitamins and antioxidants and the essential fatty acids known to correct dark spots while minimizing fine lines and scars.
Calendula Oil softens and soothes skin.
The Aloe Plant is called the “medicine plant” for good reason. The healing properties of this plant are amazing. Aloe Vera Gel contains two hormones - auxin and gibberellins. Both of these hormones provide wound healing and anti-inflammatory properties. Gibberellins stimulates new cell growth and helps speed the skin's healing process. The all natural benefits of these hormones, combined with the fact that Pure Aloe Vera Gel is super moisturizing without adding oil to your skin, makes Aloe Vera Gel a great option for anyone with oily skin or acne-prone skin.
French Yellow Clay is a great choice for all skin types, but is especially great for those with more mature and/or sensitive skin. This gentle clay pulls toxins from deep within your skin and stimulates blood circulation. At the same time essential minerals within the clay release and absorb into your skin, healing and softening your skin.
Fullers Earth clay is one of the best clays for those with oily or acne-prone skin. It has the ability to soak up excess oil in the skin, removes dirt and dead skin cells. This clay also removes excess sebum (oil secreted from the sebaceous glands in your skin). This clay also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Making it a wonderful and natural ingredient to keep your skin clear and healthy.
The lactic acid in buttermilk powder is a great addition to our facial cleanser. It gently exfoliates, softens, and brightens your skin. Buttermilk’s high acidic content it is useful for tightening skin and treating age spots.
Organic Honey Powder is full of powerful antioxidants and can help slow down the aging process of your skin.
A gentle exfoliant and natural humectant. Raw demerara sugar keeps skin hydrated while encouraging cell turnover to generate fresher, younger looking skin.
Organic Oats is a gentle and natural exfoliant.
We added Activated Charcoal to our skin care system because of its ability to draw impurities and bacteria to the surface of your skin. It pulls toxins and impurities out of your skin to help make sure your skin stays healthy and clear.
Micro beads in your cleanser can work great to gently scrub your skin. The problem with most micro beads in commercial cleansers is that they are generally made from tiny bits of plastic. These little “beads” end up in the environment. So we use tiny little beads of an all natural grain, Amaranth! Gently scrub and exfoliate your skin without adding plastic into the environment.
There’s so much to say about rose water and its benefits for your skin. Rose water balances your skin's Ph levels and controls excess oil production. Rose water contains incredible anti-inflammatory properties which can reduce redness and irritation and prevents acne. Rose water’s antioxidant properties can help strengthen skin cells and regenerate skin tissue. The use of rose water dates all the way back to Cleopatra, who used it in her skin care routine!
A great and all natural way to remove dirt and oil from the skin while tightening and toning.
A custom blend of 100% pure therapeutic grade essential oils chosen for their topical properties in cleaning, healing and nurturing your sensitive skin. A few of the oils used in several of the skin care products include:
Frankincense essential oil because it helps strengthen your skin and improves its tone and elasticity. Frankincense has powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and skin healing properties.
We also include Rose Essential Oil because of its ability to increase your skin's permeability. It helps your skin opens up and allows more of the other beneficial ingredients to soak deep into your skin so you can reap all the amazing benefits from your Wellnessed Skin Care Routine.
For the past fifteen years, I have been working as a professional play therapist. I specialize in children with autism spectrum disorder. My son, diagnosed with autism at age two, is now twenty-three. If you include the years I worked with him, I’ve been using play therapy sessions for over twenty years.
This is the second article in a series called Confessions of a Play Therapist. I plan to pass along tips, games and techniques I’ve used, along with some amusing memories.
A play therapy tool I use over and over is the trampoline. Yet, I have a love/hate relationship with it.
Here are some of the reasons I love this play therapy tool.
The trampoline helps children with autism organize themselves sensorily. Sometimes children with autism need sensory input, like the motion of jumping. The joint compression can fulfill deep tissue sensory needs. With each jump, a child with autism becomes more aware of their body and space.
Jumping on a trampoline helps with gross motor skills and helps improve balance.
A child with autism can expend some of their excess energy jumping on a trampoline. When children with autism rid themselves of excess energy they can sit still and focus. They fulfill their sensory needs and it helps them to feel calmer.
Oh and the trampoline can be FUN! (Duh.)
It is a great motivation tool for those kids who respond to visual stimulation. I have spent many hours laying on the floor next to a mini trampoline with a favorite toy or action figure on top. I then use my hand underneath the trampoline to “pop” the toy into the air.
Sometimes it is fun and visually stimulating for a child to dump a whole basket of small toys onto the trampoline and make them “pop”. Then I can engage the child in many different ways in the activity. I can work on speech, asking them to say “jump” to see the toy fly through the air. I can ask them to physically take part in the activity by encouraging them to pick up the toy after it “jumps”. Then putting it back on the trampoline so it can jump again.
Here is the reason I sometimes dread using the trampoline.
I was working with a boy who was 10 years old at the time of the trampoline incident, as I now call it. He is slim with knobby knees, blonde hair and big blue eyes - adorable!
He was having a grand time jumping and doing a variety of tricks and flips while I stood on the side bouncing slowly. I was not letting my feet leave the stretchy black material.
He’s a prolific teller of knock knock jokes and riddles (that I never seem to be able to figure out without a lot of clues). So he’s jumping and telling me jokes and I’m gently jumping on the other side of the trampoline.
He then stands still in the middle of the trampoline and asks me to bounce him. So I do a timid jump toward him. I’m aware of the weight difference between us and have seen what trouble that can cause on a trampoline.
Timid jump, nothing. He doesn’t budge. “Come on!” He says, “Jump!”
So I jump with a little more gusto… nothing, again he doesn’t budge. “Come on! Jump!”
So I jump with more gusto… my little friend went sailing through the air and my heart jumped up into my throat. I felt like I was watching it happen in slow motion.
He lands on the trampoline! (Thank goodness!) But not on his feet! On his shoulder! I rush over to him and ask him if he’s ok. He jumps up, tilts his head to one side and says, “thanks for the chiropractic!” He then went back to jumping and telling me knock knock jokes.
I am so grateful that I can look back on this trampoline incident and laugh about it. I am always aware of the volatility of the trampoline. I now approach joining my kids on the trampoline with even more caution.
Stay up to date on the sensory tools that I offer - Star Essence Aromatherapy. And on my many adventures as a play therapist.
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Luminous Collection is a group of aromatherapy and natural skin care products made with one common factor - our unique Luminous Essential Oils Blend. Luminous has become a staple and favorite essential oil blend for many of our customers. It has been described as hippie with a softer edge. Hippie, I suppose, since it contains patchouli oil. Softer because it is blended with other oils which helps blunt the intensity of this strong oil. The scent has also been described as earthy from some of our repeat customers.
We created this essential oil blend because we wanted a group of aromatherapy goods that were both warming and sensual. This aromatherapy blend does the job.
We decided on these core therapeutic grade essential oils for our Luminous recipe:
We fell in love with this oil right away and knew we wanted to incorporate it into a custom aromatherapy blend. Its fragrance is exotic, sweet and woody. The oil is derived from the sandalwood tree creating the woody and earthy scent.
We researched the history of sandalwood essential oil and loved the fact that it rooted in the history of India’s spiritual practice and traditional medicine. In the Hindu religion sandalwood essential oil was used during mediation to help keep the mind focused. In Ayurveda, India’s holistic health system, sandalwood oil is used for treating a variety of mental disorders since its fragrance has a calming effect on the mind.
Sandalwood’s fragrance is also considered an aphrodisiac. So there is that. Which may have played a small factor in using this essential oil in our Luminous Blend.
It is also good for your skin. Providing moisturizing and nourishing benefits for dry and dehydrated skin. A no brainer decision for our Sugar Scrub and Body Butter products. We also included Mica in our body butter to give your skin a little glimmer. So moisturizing, calming and an aphrodisiac… you may want to order a few jars!
While sandalwood essential oil fragrance is exotic and woody, vetiver is grassy with a touch of lemon. It comes from the vetiver plant roots which grow very deep causing this essential oil to have a grounding effect. The aromatherapy benefits include a sense of being centered, solid, and balanced.
We found vetiver essential oil very appealing for its aromatherapy benefits of keeping you rooted in the present moment. Producing a feeling of being in harmony with yourself and your surroundings. Wow! Who doesn’t want a sense of harmony with themselves? I recommend using our Luminous Rollerball, which is small and very portable, apply and reapply as needed throughout the day to keep calm and centered.
Not only does this little powerhouse essential oil have all these wonderful aromatherapy benefits, it also is another oil that is nourishing for your skin. The oil’s properties help with moisturizing your skin. Another reason to use our Luminous body scrub and body butter.
A another critical essential oil in our Luminous Blend is Patchouli. Patchouli is what gives Luminous Blend its hippie appeal. (For some of us here at Wellnessed it reminds us of Grateful Dead concerts!)
We decided to include patchouli essential oil in Luminous Blend for several of its aromatherapy qualities. Patchouli oil uplifts your mood, relaxes tension and relieves feelings of anxiety, anger and sadness. According to Organicfacts.net, when you inhale patchouli essential oil, it stimulates pleasure hormones in your body and mind, causing negative feelings to dissipate.
This is another oil that claims to be an aphrodisiac. It blends beautifully with the other oils and keeps Luminous true to its mission of being a sensual and warming aromatherapy blend. Try a few drop of our Luminous diffuser blend in a one of our aromatherapy ultrasonic diffusers in your bedroom to spice up your bedtime routine.
Patchouli Oil is another essential oil that is wonderful for your skin since it has properties that soothes inflammation and irritation. Making this blend perfect for our skin care products.
Sandalwood, vetiver and patchouli are the core essential oils that make up our signature Luminous Blend, but I want to give a shout out to benzoin essential oil, which we added to lend a warm honey vanilla scent. And cinnamon essential oil which we added to provide a slight warming sensation.
We love Luminous Blend! We hope that you will give it a try. If you already love and use a Luminous Collection product, we hope you will leave a review either on our Facebook page or on our Google page. Please pass on the good news about Luminous!
]]>We are so excited about the review from Bianca @bianca_beatz5150 on Instagram. She reviews many beauty products and we are grateful for the time she took to try out the Wellnessed Skin Care System.
Check out her and her daughter's experience with our 3-Step Skin Care System:
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On July 8th, Wellnessed Boutique was a first time exhibitor at the Shed Flea 5, Eastern Market, Detroit. . . And it was awesome!
We arrived to a market buzzing with activity. The energy of the vendors setting up was contagious. The savory and sweet fragrances drifting from many food trucks was mouthwatering. While the sounds of musicians tuning various instruments created a party atmosphere. The mood was festive.
Food trucks offering sandwiches, beignets, cupcakes, and pasta. Produce stands piled with fresh peaches, cherries, zucchini, cucumbers, and green beans were set up between the sheds - no chance of leaving hungry! We enjoyed a sandwich from the Hero or Villain Detroit Food Truck. (I recommend the Thor Sandwich.)
One of my favorite market experiences was walking around and chatting with the other vendors. Meeting other entrepreneurs putting their creative efforts out there for the world to enjoy recharges my own creative spirit.
We spent time talking with a vendor we met at a previous event, “Jacq of All Trades”. She creates the most amazing pet portraits! Shhhh… don’t tell my husband, I’m ordering a portrait of his beloved goldendoodle, George, for his birthday this year.
Artists are set up inside and outside the Shed. (You can find us inside Shed 5.) I loved seeing the creative displays. We strolled by revamped vintage campers repurposed as mobile shops. I can envision a Wellnessed Aromatherapy mobile shop in our future! How fun would that be? We’d be the best smelling camper ever!
The market shoppers definitely had a sense of humor. Our gift sets, Getting Shit Done and F#CK OFF I’m Meditating Aromatherapy sets, were best sellers.
The Shed 5 Flea keeps growing bigger and adding more vendors so I can’t wait to go back on August 12th and see what’s new. Hope to see you there too!
You can always check on our Where to Find Us page to see where we will be next.
]]>I’m a play therapist. I enjoy my job. It’s fun.
I get to spend time with people I enjoy. Children and teenagers with autism or sensory disorders and their parents. I find there is never a dull moment. The kids are honest with me. Sometimes too honest. Sometimes I have to teach them to hold back on their honesty just a bit.
]]>I’m a play therapist. I enjoy my job. It’s fun.
I get to spend time with people I enjoy. Children and teenagers with autism or sensory disorders and their parents. I find there is never a dull moment. The kids are honest with me. Sometimes too honest. Sometimes I have to teach them to hold back on their honesty just a bit.
[I created an entire line of aromatherapy goods and sensory tools for children with autism and/or special needs called Star Essence]
One young man I work with loves chubby people. He means this in the most genuine way possible. He thinks people who have a little extra weight are so lucky. He would love to have some extra weight on his bones. But his metabolism runs so high, he can eat whatever he wants without gaining an ounce.
His fondness for chubbiness extends to pigs. He thinks pigs are the bomb. In fact, one day with the utmost sincerity, he looked at me and said with enthusiasm, “Susie, you look like a pig!”
I looked down at myself in what I had thought was a very pretty pink shirt and both sighed and chuckled. I thanked him for his compliment. I then explained I understand he loves pigs and thinks they are awesome and cute because I know him. But it could offend some people, especially those who don't know him.
This shocked him! Looking like a pig is the greatest in his mind. How could anyone find that offensive? Yet, he possesses enough self-awareness to understand he can misread social queues.
We talked about how to handle this type of situation and decided on a solution. Whenever he saw a person wearing pink, who may be a little on the chubby side, he could think to himself:
“She or he looks like a pig.”
But what he should verbalize to that person should sound more like:
“You look pretty” or “You look beautiful.”
Occasionally, I test him on this. I wear my pretty pink shirt on the day I am to spend with him. He sees me and smiles big. I smile back because I know what he is thinking.
Then he says with earnestness, “You look very pretty, Susie.”
And I reply, “Thank you.”
]]>Summer is the perfect season to relax and enjoy spending time with family and friends. Nurturing ourselves and our relationships is an important part of living a Wellnessed Life.
Making a deliberate choice and taking action to spend time with the people you love. Being present and enjoying their company.
Wellnessed Life [wel-nis-st] 1. being blessed with wellness 2. the quality or state of being healthy in body and mind, especially as the result of deliberate effort. |
Sometimes we need to remind ourselves to live our own Wellnessed philosophy, so we decided to take a break from our work lives and try a new adventure together. In my last article about the Shed 5 Flea at Eastern Market, I discussed how exciting it is that Detroit is making a comeback, especially with the recent announcement of Ford Motor Company investing in the old Michigan Central Station. We decided to celebrate Lori's birthday in the Motor City supporting the local businesses and getting to know Detroit on two wheels instead of four.
We attended The Collective at True North’s Yoga, Bike and Brunch Event. It rained lightly on and off during our bike adventure, but that only added to the uniqueness of the experience. The morning started with a yoga warm up session. There is no better way to start your day then with yoga practice! I usually spray my yoga mat with my Energy Refresher from our Star Essence Collection to get my morning started. The yoga guides at The Collective are amazing. I highly recommend checking out one of their yoga sessions if you live near Detroit or if you are in the area for while.
After getting centered and warming up our bodies and minds, we hopped on our bikes and had a guided tour through Corktown. (This is the area of Detroit that the train station is located, so it will be interesting to see how it evolves over the next few years.)
As we biked through the neighborhood we could see a lot of Detroit’s history and it’s future. We saw blocks vacant and overgrown. Many houses had been torn down over the years. We also saw construction of new homes in progress and homes that were in the process of being rehabilitated and brought back to life.
The area near the train station was bustling as it was the highly anticipated re-opening after being purchased by Ford. The station was originally opened in 1913 and was modeled after New York’s Grand Central Station. It closed in 1988 and became a towering symbol of Detroit’s demise. So wonderful to see so many people out, even in the rain, to be a part of it’s comeback! As we biked over the cobblestone streets near the station we could see our destination for brunch, Takoi!
We ended with a delicious brunch at Takoi. A small Thai inspired restaurant on Michigan Ave. This restaurant began as a food truck, opened as a restaurant in 2016, was a victim of arson in 2017, but rebuilt and reopened six months later. That is Detroit spirit! Our food was amazing.
We started with cold brew coffees from Detroit’s Bikes and Coffee! They were our guides on our bike tour and their cold brew coffee was wonderful!! Located in Detroit's Woodbridge neighborhood, Bikes & Coffee provides full service and repair for all types of bicycles. And their coffee is all small batch, single origin and fairly sourced.
After our coffee, we enjoyed homemade yogurt and fresh fruit with granola. I’ll be honest the only food I recognized after that was the roasted sweet potatoes (excellent) and a delicious dish that reminded us of grits or porridge, served with a soft boiled egg, cilantro, and roasted peppers. I may not know what it was called, but I know it tasted good!! One of the peppers was very spicy! (Thanks Anita for taking the first bite and letting us know:)
We enjoyed our time together and trying a new experience so much, that we decided to make it a more regular event. It is so easy to get stuck in our same old routines and although I love my routine, it does feel good to get out and try new places and adventures.
We hope you find time to nurture yourself and your relationships with new adventures together. I think you will find it time well spent.
]]>If you live in Michigan, which is where we were born and raised and continue to live, then you probably have heard about Ford Motor Company purchasing the Michigan Central Station in Detroit.
It is a big deal.
There is a lot of hope for a city that has been beaten down. We didn’t grow up in the city, but we all spent many days and nights in Detroit. At the Fox Theatre, Tiger Stadium and now Comerica Park, Joe Louis Arena, Hart Plaza. We all have a tender place in our hearts for that city. We all want to see that city come back. And with its comeback, we hope that the people who have stayed, either from choice or lack of choice, will have their lives improved along the way. They deserve a comeback too.
Part of Wellnessed Living philosophy is providing a healthy and safe environment for all people. We believe in making thoughtful and deliberate choices in the way we live. That includes standing up for those who may not have the resources to do it for themselves. We hope that Ford and other developers will remember the true Detroiters as they work to revitalize this city. We hope for a thriving community for artists, crafters and small business owners and we plan to participate (in a small way) in bringing back this great city.
We are excited to be a part of the Eastern Market Shed 5 Flea this year. The Eastern Market in Detroit is another historic landmark and part of the cultural fabric of Detroit. If you enjoy open air markets, this one needs to be on your bucket list. It does not disappoint.
The Shed 5 Flea is a juried market bringing you a variety of architectural salvage, vintage and craft goods (this is where we fit in!). It is held on the second Sunday of June, July and August. We will be there on July 8 and August 12.
Shed 5 @ Detroit’s Eastern Market
2934 Russell St, Detroit MI 48207
10 am-4 pm
Look for us! We would love to meet you. And if you want to know where else you can find us in the flesh, so you can test and smell and touch all the wonderful aromatherapy and sensory goods we have for you. Then check back at our Where to Find Us page often.
We hope to see you soon!
]]>We teamed up with the Love Andrew Autism Foundation in May for a special giveaway. A Super-Sized Sensory Kit filled with an assortment of products from Star Essence Collection. A value of $350! We asked for nominations of teachers or parents of special needs children.
The giveaway was announced on both Wellnessed Boutique's Facebook Page and Instagram Account in early May.
The Love Andrew Autism Foundation got in on the fun and posted about the giveaway on their Facebook Page too.
There were many nominations of hard working and inspiring teachers and of dedicated moms and dads. We at Wellnessed Boutique were grateful and humbled by the response. We would have loved to give this kit to each deserving person nominated, but only one could win.
And the winner was (drum roll please!) Special Education Teacher, Molly Shear of Glenwood Middle School!
Andrew (inspiration for the Love Andrew Autism Foundation) and his best friend, Deonte delivered the Super-Size Sensory Kit to Mrs. Shear's classroom.
It was exciting for both of them as she was their teacher when they were in Middle School! As we walked through the halls of their old school, I could feel their pride and sense of accomplishment. They both just completed their Freshman year in High School. It was fun to watch as they kept stopping in at different classrooms to say hello to former teachers.
It is because of incredible teachers like Mrs. Shear and the countless others who were nominated that Andrew and Deonte both have such an amazing attitude of hard work and positivity when it comes to school.
Here is the video of Andrew and Deonte delivering the Autism Awareness Giveaway Prize. Enjoy!
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We introduced our new facial skin care line to a select group of women (mom, sister, niece and other close friends) at a hosted Wellnessed Spa Party in March. These group of ladies and young girls were the first to try our complete line of Wellnessed Skin Care.
We had both teenagers and more mature women at the spa night, so the Acne-Prone and Oily Skin line and the Anti-Aging Line could be sampled.
It was a night of relaxation, which started with snacks, visiting, and then guided meditation.
The ladies (and a couple of gentlemen) were walked through the Wellnessed Skin Care steps and learned about the benefits and detoxification ingredients in each step.
A gift is included for all Spa Party hostesses and can include unique diffuser jewelry, designed and created by local Michigan artists. Interested in hosting your own Wellnessed Spa Party? Contact us at sales@wellnessedboutique.com
We are officially more than one full month into 2018!! Not sure how your New Year started but mine was definitely with a resounding "meh?". January 1st found me lying on the couch congested, running a fever and slipping in and out of consciousness. On January 2nd my fever was gone, but I was still feeling awful. I spent the entire day on the couch binge watching Stranger Things on Netflix (highly recommend!). By January 3rd, I was feeling much better but had really gotten comfortable with my spot on the couch and I still needed to finish Stranger Things Season 2 so... what was I supposed to do? Get up? Not yet. And so the days of January started slipping by and I wasn't feeling sick anymore, but also wasn't feeling particularly motivated either.
For much of the first half of January I felt pretty "meh". As I scrolled through Facebook and Instagram and would see other people's motivational and inspirational posts about their resolutions, my gut reaction was "oh f*ck off!". So there I sat for the first few weeks of 2018. In fact, I kind of relished my "meh" mood. I didn't judge myself for feeling unmotivated. I thoroughly enjoyed slowing down and giving myself a break.
Until one day I decided I had had enough. I started making plans and getting excited for all the adventures that 2018 will bring. I'm excited for the new products that we are making this year. I'm excited for the new shows we plan to participate in. I'm excited to find new ways to introduce more people to Wellnessed and our mission to bring our Wellnessed Community health and beauty products that will bless you and your families with wellness. And I'm excited for the personal goals I have set for myself which include to lose weight and take more control of my own health and well-being.
However your New Year is starting out, with a "meh" or a bang, we have some aromatherapy blends to match it! Or to help you change it, if that is what you choose.
Feel like seizing the day? And still have fun? Choose our aromatherapy blend Carpe F#cking Diem. This blend is available with a journal, so here is a suggestion on how to use to create some mindfulness in your day while you create some new year goals:
You have set your intentions or goals for the new year. Maybe one was to be more positive in your day-to-day life? To increase feelings of happiness and joy reach for our Bliss blend of essential oils.
Bliss was created with the intention of promoting feelings of relaxation and happiness. For more information on what ingredients and essential oils make up the Bliss Body Collection, please see this article: Bliss Body Collection - Created to Make Us Happy.
Diffusing the Bliss Blend is one way to infuse your day with Lavender, Wild Orange, and Frankincense essential oils. But you can also take your aromatherapy with you with the Bliss Rollerball. Simply roll the blend of essential oils blended with fractionated coconut oil onto your wrists, back of your neck and behind your ears. You will resonate feelings of relaxation and happiness wherever your life takes you that day.
After setting your intentions or overarching goals for the new year, you will need to break those down into weekly and/or daily actions you can take to reach them. So drop some Getting Shit Done blend in your diffuser and use the handy notebook included in the gift set. The note book is created specifically for you to list out your daily action items.
The Getting Shit Done blend is made with Eucalyptus essential oil, which creates a cooling and refreshing effect, is a stimulant so it helps lift tiredness or mental sluggishness and is rejuvenating. So you can tackle your to-do list.
Happy New Year from all of us here at Wellnessed! And happy goal setting while you refresh and energize with the benefits of Aromatherapy!
]]>Wellnessed Boutique is thrilled to introduce the power of aromatherapy and guided meditation in the classroom! We recently visited Andrew's classroom and gave each student a container of the Star Essence Focus Star Putty with some help from the Love Andrew Autism Foundation.
Each student will be able to use their personal star putty in the classroom when they feel they need a little extra help focusing whether it is a test, homework assignment, or a group project.
We also took the class through a guided meditation called Focus Star Putty Meditation.
Meditation has so many benefits for the classroom including:
A study published in the Harvard Gazette called, Eight Weeks to a Better Brain, reports that after an 8-week meditation study in which participants meditated for 27 minutes each day, MRI’s (Magnetic Resonance Images) showed an increase in grey matter in the hippocampus region of the brain that is responsible for learning and memory. That's pretty amazing!
Meditation can be an empowering method of increasing a person's well-being and quality of life. When you add the benefits of aromatherapy with meditation the results are phenomenal. Aromatherapy is so powerful because our olfactory system (our nose and sense of smell) is so closely related to the limbic system of our brain. The limbic system is the area of the brain that controls emotions. So when we inhale and take in the scent we are stimulating and sending messages to our brain to help guide our emotions in that moment.
Our goal is to bring tools and education into the classroom so our children can learn ways to help themselves feel better and reduce their stress and anxiety on their own. If we can help our children learn at an early age they have real mastery and control over their thoughts and emotions. That their feelings and thoughts are within their control, what an incredible gift that would be.
In the near future, Wellnessed Boutique plans to bring the Relax Star Putty into the classroom. We are also working with a Yoga Instructor to educate the children on simple yoga poses they can do to add to their self-help routines! By the end of the year every child in Andrew's class will have a full set of Star Putties and other self-help tools to use both at home and in the classroom.
If you would like a copy of the Focus Star Putty Guided Meditation and a discount code for any Star Essence Focus Collection item, please Join the Wellnessed Community today by completing the form below:
Thanksgiving is a time when we gather with the people we love. For most of us, the day reminds us of happy memories and we look forward to creating new ones with family and friends.
When we walk through the door of Mom's or Grandma's house on Thursday, we feel the warmth of a busy kitchen and hear the buzz of family talking while the football game plays in the background. We smell the medley which is Thanksgiving, the turkey roasting, the spice and cinnamon of pumpkin pie, or the fragrance of wood burning in the fireplace.
Our sense of smell is so powerful, it can create strong emotional responses in our bodies. The cells in our nose that give us the ability to smell are linked to our limbic system (the part of our brain that deals with emotions) and exerts control over our emotions, behavior and long term memory.
When we created our essential oil blend for our seasonal limited edition collection, Pumpkin Chai, we knew we wanted to tap into those feelings or emotions that are created from our experiences around the fall holiday, Thanksgiving.
Comfort. Warmth. Cozy.
All of these emotions are triggered by the smells of cinnamon, ginger, spice, citrus in our collective experience of Thanksgiving. So those oils are what we blended to create our Pumpkin Chai Aromatherapy Blend Fall Collection.
We hope this blend will bring you these feelings even after Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!
]]>My two sons have moved to Chicago to pursue their dreams and start their own adventures. They are both incredibly creative and talented (if I do say so myself) and are pursuing careers in the Arts.
My oldest, Jake, is pursuing a career in Special Effects Makeup. And my youngest, Noah, is a musician. They are so excited to be living on their own in a new city and going after what they want for themselves. I am excited for them and at the same time I'm sad that a chapter in my family story has come to an end.
As all of this was happening for me and my family I had the chance to help my friend Andrew with a big change that he was facing this Fall. He was starting High School! If you've read some of the past blogs that I've written, you are already familiar with Andrew. He is a 16 year old young man that I have been working with, as a therapist for children with autism, since he was 3 years old.
I traveled to Andrew's house the morning he started High School on a hot end of August day. My plan was to help him get ready for the day, he would then ride the bus and I would meet him at the school and support him throughout the day. I thought he might be anxious about going to a new, much bigger school than he was used to.
Much to my surprise, he was simply excited! He had prepared for the day the night before and was ready to go. As I watched him navigate that first day of High School, I noticed there were moments when he wasn't sure where he was going, or what was coming next. Yet the entire day he was smiling. He had been working toward this day for so long and it had finally arrived, and he was going to enjoy every minute.
At the end of the day, I reflected on watching Andrew face a new beginning and a new experience with so much joy and I came to the realization that I have so often entered new experiences with my family with a lot of resistance! As Jake and Noah have entered different stages of their lives I have tried so hard to slow down time. "Hit the brakes! I'm not ready for this!" But no matter how hard I hit the brakes, the changes happened and eventually I loved the new place our family ended up!
So this Fall I'm going to be like Andrew! I don't know for sure what's coming, it will be different than before, and I am going to believe that it's going to be wonderful. And when I feel like hitting the brakes, I'm going to picture Andrew on that first day of High School. My friend with autism who LOVES repetition and predictability, heading into the unknown with joy and positivity.
So instead of hitting the brakes, I'm throwing my arms in the air and enjoying the ride!
]]>Oftentimes, I create these games or tools specific to a child's interests and needs. I had one little girl who loved Harry Potter, which I happily share in her enthusiasm, so it was a joyful process for me to come up with a variety games based on the characters, plots, and settings of these books. Putting a focus on what interested this child, even if repeated many times, helped to draw her out and encourage interaction.
Throughout my years working with these special needs children, I have incorporated essential oils that have been proven to be beneficial for those with autism spectrum disorder. I have also created tactile tools or games that each child can manipulate. These sensory tools have been created with the awareness that children with autism often have multiple sensory sensitivities - food allergies, hyper-sensitivity to smells, sounds, and visual stimuli. This has forced me to be extremely selective in the materials I choose when creating this playroom tools and games.
A sensory tool I developed and now have made available on the Wellnessed Boutique website is called Star Putty! This is part of our Star Essence Collection, which is specifically created for children with sensory challenges.
I have researched the raw materials used to create each Star Putty to ensure it is safe, non-toxic and does not cause a negative reaction. These ingredients include Certified Organic White Rice Flour, Certified Organic Cornstarch, Kosher Salt, Cream of Tartar, and a blend of carefully chosen and researched essential oil blends. Each blend combines specific essential oils to assist each child for a specific purpose.
Your child can pinch, pull, squeeze and soothe nervous energy or anxiety while they absorb the 100% pure essential oils through their skin or through their sense of smell.
Star Essence Energy Blend contains Citrus Oils for their uplifting and energizing qualities. Along with Frankincense Essential Oil for its mood balancing properties. (Just one of the AMAZING benefits of Frankincense Oil)
Star Essence Awesome Blend contains a blend of Spearmint, Lemongrass, Geranium, Cypress and Frankincense Essential Oils. These oils work together to provide a grounding and balancing effect on the mind and body. This is an excellent blend for those who are having trouble sitting still and feeling focused.
Star Essence Focus Blend is a combination of Peppermint, which helps to maintain focus and concentration, Rosemary, which has been shown to improve memory, and Clary Sage which is a great mood balancer!
Star Essence Relax Blend combines Wild Orange, Bergamot, Ylang Ylang, and Frankincense Essential Oils. This combination is so good for helping to calm an anxious mind!
]]>Alive Naturally only offers products that promote wellness and non toxic living, so we are honored to offer our body butters, which promote soft and nourished skin with the added benefits of essential oils.
Bliss Body Butter is my favorite! It smells amazing with a combination of Wild Orange and Lavender that just makes me feel like smiling. The Wild Orange is uplifting and promotes feelings of euphoria, while the Lavender is soothing to the skin. Not to mention the Frankincense Essential Oil, which rejuvenates the skin and helps to reduce the appearance of imperfections. All of these wonderful essential oils are mixed into a base of Organic Shea and coconut oil for a truly soothing and blissful experience for your skin!
Luminous Body Butter is a warm and sensual blend of several organic and non toxic ingredients.
Beginning with Certified Organic Cocoa butter, which is expeller pressed from wild harvested cocoa beans. It has been minimally processed to bring you the most of what cocoa butter has to offer your skin and still holds its full natural 'chocolate' scent.
Second we include Certified Organic Mango butter, which is rich in skin beneficial fatty acids and especially great for overly dry, wind chapped or sun burned skin.
Also included in our exclusive Luminous Body Butter is Certified Organic Coconut Oil along with a warm and fragrant blend of 100% Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils including Sandalwood, Vetiver, and Patchouli combined with Mayan Gold Mica Powder for luminous, glowing skin.
Tropical Dreams Body Butter is a custom blend of 100% pure therapeutic grade citrus essential oils, which includes lime, to give your skin an uplifting and moisturizing experience. The handpicked oil blend is energizing and uplifting and a perfect start to your day. Simply apply the Body Butter after your morning shower or bath to nourish your skin and invigorate your senses. We use a balanced combination of Coconut Oil, Cocoa Butter, and Mango Butter, which has been tested and refined to give your skin the natural nourishment it needs.
Our April Showers Body Butter will help get your skin spring and summer ready, made with a combination of Certified Organic Coconut, Cocoa, and Shea butters, to moisturize and rejuvenate your skin. Invigorating and refreshing scents of Lavender, Rosemary, and Peppermint combine in this creamy body butter. The addition of all natural beeswax and cornstarch helps this butter soak into your skin right away, delivering all of the benefits without the "greasy" feeling of some butters.
We are excited to be able to be onsite at Alive Naturally on the first Friday of every month, from 11 am until 4 pm, this summer to answer any questions you may have about our fabulous body butters and using essential oils daily. We will also have a number of other products there for you to try including our line of Star Essence Sensory Tools!
Please stop in and say hello. We would love to talk to you!
]]>I first met Andrew when he was just 3 years old and his parents were starting a home based, child centered, play therapy program for him. I was brought in as a play therapist to assist with his program. He was one of the most encapsulated children I had ever worked with. Therapists and myself would rotate in and out of his playroom taking turns joining him in his world and he seemed to barely notice.
I spent hours joining him in the activities he preferred to engage in, looking at himself in the mirror, drawing pictures, and chanting while drawing in the air around himself. After a while he started to notice me and the other therapists more and more and even started engaging in things we introduced to him. Gradually he was ready to leave his playroom and engage fully in the world outside!
He is now a young man getting ready to enter high school in the fall. Like all incoming freshman he is looking forward to the new experiences high school will bring with anticipation and a little nervousness.
His mom, Nicole, and I started introducing aromatherapy to help Andrew deal with anxiety and self-regulation during school. We found it to be so helpful to him that we decided to develop more products that other kids could easily use in a school environment to take care of their sensory needs. And the Star Essence line of products was born!
Nicole and her family had already started the Love Andrew Autism Foundation which helps create The Star Room™ . The Star Room is a scientifically proven, calming, therapeutic environment in the school created for children with autism, and includes those students with behavior disorders and physical disabilities.
Students with sensory processing challenges experience high levels of anxiety and stress, which can interrupt learning and lead to disruptive behavior. When students are feeling overwhelmed, they can check into the supervised Star Room, choose an appropriate tool or technique to help “de-escalate,” spend some time winding down, and then return to the classroom ready to learn.
Find out more about the incredible work being done by the Love Andrew Autism Foundation by visiting their website at http://loveandrew.org
Every item sold in our Star Essence line has been carefully researched using all natural non-toxic materials. You can feel good about giving these tools to your child, knowing you are helping them learn effective ways to help themselves deal with sensory issues or anxiety. We have created four specific essential blends for the Star Essence Collections, which are the Relax Collection, the Focus Collection, the Awesome Collection and the Energy Collection.
In addition, a portion of proceeds from every Star Essence item sold goes directly to the Love Andrew Autism Foundation and helps children with autism.
]]>Supreme happiness is the sensation we have attempted to create through the power of aromatherapy with the Wellnessed Boutique's Bliss Collection.
In fact, before Lori, Anita and I even decided we wanted to start a business, we put together the Bliss Blend. We wanted a scent that we could relax to after a stressful day of teaching for Anita, or a long day of driving for myself, since I travel extensively in my business as child facilitator for autistic children. Lori often diffuses the Bliss Diffuser Blend in her home office as she spends a lot of time talking with parents who are going through an intense and stressful time when researching how to provide help for their young children. For the many and various reasons life can sometimes cause stress in your life, we created Bliss to help with unwinding and calming our minds.
In short, we created the Bliss Line of Beauty Products because we wanted a scent that promoted feelings of relaxation and happiness. We use a custom blend of Lavender, Wild Orange and Frankincense. Lavender promotes relaxation and contentment. Wild Orange promotes feelings of euphoria and happiness. Frankincense is called the King of Essential Oils because it promotes feelings of peace and wellness.
We did extensive research to find the cleanest raw materials for the all the products in our Bliss Collection. We use certified organic whenever possible because we wanted to create products that we are certain to be free of toxins and provide the most benefits.
We even choose to package our products in glass bottles because we didn't want the toxins from plastics contaminating the pure ingredients in each of products.
The Bliss Body Butter contains Certified Organic Shea Butter which is good for eczema, dry skin, stretch marks.
Shea butter is obtained from the natural fat of the fruit of the karite tree. It is widely used as a moisturizer and makes a wonderful choice for use in just about any formulation that comes to mind. This is one of the "softer" textured butters -- so it melts easily upon skin contact. This shea butter has not undergone any refining techniques, which means it stills holds 100% of its natural, skin-healing benefits. It has a wonderful creamy-smooth texture with a beautiful olive-yellow hue.
We source this butter from a "fair trade" organization which means the small-time farmers are paid a fair price for the time they put into making their products. The making of shea butter is quite a labor intensive process. First, the nuts are hand pressed, then the oils are cooked over a fire, being stirred constantly. It is eventually poured and allowed to cool.
Because this butter has not been refined, it does hold its natural "woodfire scent" which some find displeasing, and others (like me!) love it. During the refining process the color and scent are removed, creating a white, scent free butter. But what goes out with the scent and color, is also a lot of skin loving nutrients. Unrefined shea butter is used as a mild sunscreen aide, whereas refined shea butter no longer holds those benefits.
Try using this product directly on your skin ... it works great for stretch marks, extremely dry skin, eczema, and oh the list just goes on and on!
Bliss is one of our favorite essential oils blends and when we use any of the products that contain it, soap, body butter, rollerball blend, etc., it makes us feel happy.
*This statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose and treat, cure or prevent any diseases.
]]>The gracious host, Nicole, not only opened her home and turned her dining room into our pop up boutique, but also brought in a licensed massage therapist and aesthetician to provide relaxing massages and facials using our unique diffuser and rollerball blends and facial scrubs to bring harmony, energy and relaxation to Nicole's guests.
The ladies were able to experience the products of their choice in an intimate and relaxed setting while having all their questions answered about the benefits of each product and why certain essentials oils were purposefully chosen for the specific product in question.
This Wellnessed Boutique Spa Night also included the introduction of some new Sensory Tools called The Star Essence Sensory Goods. These products were created with Teachers and Parents in mind and include all natural, non toxic Sensory Tools that can be utilized in a playroom or classroom to allow a child to quickly and naturally take care of their own sensory needs.
The products include a line of Aroma Doughs, Hand Sanitizers, Sensory Stars, Stones, and Clouds, each infused with a specific blend of essential oils.
If you are interested in hosting your own Spa Night with the Wellnessed Boutique, please contact Lori, Susan or Anita. We would be happy to schedule a day and time that is convenient for you and your friends and family.
Please either email us at sales@wellnessedboutique.com or Message us via our Facebook Page.
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