​These two were stray kittens living on the street with upper respiratory infections, a poor coat and were so scrawny when we took them in years ago. Now, of course, they are so sleek and happy! But sometimes those respiratory issues will hit them and so ... guess who is getting treated with lavender and diffusing the house with Breathe, On Guard and lavender?? It's a tough life!

With cats, of course, these types of problems just need supportive care. Often just like with humans, however,  this can lead to other complications. So I have avoided a trip to the vet and the need for injections and oral meds. Lavender has properties that act as an antiviral and anti-histamine. On Guard of course helps to clean the air and Breathe keeps their respiratory tract clear and open. Ricky has already recovered and Lucy is almost well!

​Learn more about joining our wholesale price club here.
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What are you waiting on?  Enroll in LIFE today!  Learn how to buy dōTERRA and get your own wholesale shopping portal and password for 25% off --> click here.

Check out this month's specials here.

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​Look for me over on Facebook -- Hope Bennett Reese -- for daily tips and current specials.

You can also ask to join my private "discover doTERRA Facebook group.  No obligation -- just a place for you to learn more and ask questions.

***
Do you want to know what the BEST and SMARTEST way is to start with essential oils?  Here it is ... with me and my awesome team!  We will give you tools to get started, plus on-going support through classes, *private* on-line support groups, team-only emails and more. A trusted, guiding hand is so important when you're just getting started learning how to take control of your health.

Thanks to the wonder of the internet, it really doesn't matter where you live -- our help is right at hand! You'll become an essential oil expert with our assistance.

And please, please remember -- One of the most vital things you must know about essential oils is not all essential oils are created equally. Many - if not most - brands should not be ingested as they are not tested for purity.  In fact, most of them are worthless to your health and often synthetic.

Hey, y'all -- Please show my blog a little love and share the health by liking and sharing using the buttons below!  I really appreciate it!! 

​Okay, this is a little (or a lot?) weird. But totally true.  Maybe I'll start a new Category for "Freaky Weird but Cool Uses for Essential Oils".  Well, maybe later.

Anyway, we made this Soap-Free Cleanser as part of one of my fun make-and-take classes.  It contains aloe vera gel, a carrier oil and Frankincense.  I love this stuff and use it mostly as an eye make-up remover, but also occasionally as an all-over face cleanser.  It leaves my face super smooth!  If you have dry skin or live in a dry environment, I highly recommend this!

So ... what's the weird dog-angle?
I have two French Bulldogs with very sensitive skin -- Chloe and Rosemarie.  Rosemarie is worse than Chloe (she is also deaf -- my Special Needs pup) and will break out in welts when she is exposed to one flea bite (more about that in another post).  

A couple of weeks ago, Rosemarie suddenly broke out in two hotspots.  I gave her a bath and then searched around my bathroom for something to put on the hotspots and spied my Soap-free Cleanser.  My original recipe was mostly aloe and a little Frankincense -- I figured this stuff might help.  I poured about a tablespoon out into a little bowl, added one drop Lavender and used a Q-tip to apply it to her hotspots.  Then I scooped up the remainder left in the bowl and just rubbed it all over her tummy (where she had raw, red, irritated skin) and back (where she is very itchy).

I did this once or twice a day -- I really should have been more consistent and used it two or three times daily -- and it healed up her hotspot and those raw, irritated places on her tummy.  After just a couple of days I could tell it was helping.  They were healed up in less than a week. I was thrilled. She was thrilled. I guess.  Hard to tell. (See above picture.)

​(I should address this ---> Is Aloe Vera Gel safe for pets?  Read this.)

I'm sharing a new and improved recipe.  Still great for your skin.  And for your dog's!  :-) 

Soap-free face wash (and dog treatment!)
This soap-free face wash cleanses, moisturizes, and heals. 

Depending on the size of your bottle, your rough ratios should be about 3/4 aloe vera gel, 1/4 avocado oil (or fractionated coconut oil) and a few drops of the other oils.

For a 2 oz (60 ml) PET plastic flip-top bottle (you can find these on Amazon), here is the recipe:

• Add 1.5 oz aloe vera gel to the bottle.
• Add ½ oz  avocado oil (or Fractionated Coconut Oil)
• Add 4 drops Frankincense essential oil
• Add 4 drops Lavender essential oil
• Add 4 drops of Vitamin E oil
• Close the bottle and shake gently.  Shake well before each use.

 
To use as face wash:  Dampen face with warm water, apply a little of the face wash and massage in. Remove with a warm, damp wash cloth. Makes a great eye make-up remover, too.

To use on pets:  Apply a small amount to irritated areas two or three times daily.

Shelf life is about a month.

​​​***
If you are wondering how to buy dōTERRA and get your own wholesale shopping portal and password for 25% off, click here.

***
​Look for me over on Facebook -- Hope Bennett Reese -- for daily tips and current specials.

***
Do you want to know what the BEST and SMARTEST way is to start with essential oils?  Here it is ... with me and my awesome team!  We will give you tools to get started, plus on-going support through classes, *private* on-line support groups, team-only emails and more. A trusted, guiding hand is so important when you're just getting started learning how to take control of your health.

Thanks to the wonder of the internet, it really doesn't matter where you live -- our help is right at hand! You'll become an essential oil expert with our assistance.

And please, please remember -- One of the most vital things you must know about essential oils is not all essential oils are created equally. Many - if not most - brands should not be ingested as they are not tested for purity.  In fact, most of them are worthless to your health and often synthetic.

Show my blog a little love and share the health by liking and sharing using the buttons below!  I really appreciate it!!  

Stinky yucky stuff.  Sooner or later, you have something in your home you need to deal with.  I will give you a break by not listing the obvious.  For me, lately, it's involved my move to my little 1946-era house and stressed cats.  

Quick fix #1 -- stinky closets

The house I bought was built in 1946 and was nicely renovated in 2007. But it had two stinky closets. For some reason these two closets -- a pantry and a linen closet -- had that stinky old-house smell. In the old days I would have doused them with chemicals and they still would smell bad. 

So here's what I did: I dripped about 6 drops of Cleansing Blend around the bottom of each closet three days ago. The next day I did Peppermint. The next day I did Rosemary. Guess what? They smell great now! No "old musty house" smell at all!  

I will refresh at times as needed with Lavender in the linen closet and Peppermint in the pantry.

Note:  The bottoms of the closets are painted plywood which I wasn't worried about the oils messing up.  In fact, I wanted the oils to soak in if they would. If you are concerned about the finish, you could place oils into a glass bowl and set inside the closet or onto cotton balls.

Another great idea -- leave your empty essential oil bottles in drawers and cabinets.  Enough of the scent will be left to leave a nice aroma in these confined places.

#31 drops of oil – October 30

Halloween is tomorrow and your kids are excited, but the dogs, maybe not so much.
Did you know that many doTERRA essential oils can be effectively and safely used on pets? One of my favorite uses is to drop 1 – 2 drops of lavender into the palm of my hand and then add 4 - 6 drops of FCO.  Mix and apply this mixture to the ear flaps and pads of your pet’s paws when he needs calming.

Monsters knocking at your door or thunderstorms … sometimes we all need a bit of calming comfort that lavender brings.

Tip #30 – Apply Lavender to your pet’s ears and paw pads when anxious.  Learn how to use essential oils on your pets by reading this blog post!

Get caught up here on 31 drops of oil! 

​***
If you are wondering how to buy dōTERRA and get your own wholesale shopping portal and password for 25% off, click here.

***
​Look for me over on Facebook -- Hope Bennett Reese -- for daily tips and current specials.

***
Do you want to know what the BEST and SMARTEST way is to start with essential oils?  Here it is ... with me and my awesome team!  We will give you tools to get started, plus on-going support through classes, *private* on-line support groups, team-only emails and more. A trusted, guiding hand is so important when you're just getting started learning how to take control of your health.

Thanks to the wonder of the internet, it really doesn't matter where you live -- our help is right at hand! You'll become an essential oil expert with our assistance.

And please, please remember -- One of the most vital things you must know about essential oils is not all essential oils are created equally. Many - if not most - brands should not be ingested as they are not tested for purity.  In fact, most of them are worthless to your health and often synthetic.

Show my blog a little love and share the health by liking and sharing using the buttons below!  I really appreciate it!!  

Essential oils are not a substitute for proper veterinary care, but can be used at home for many common “mini-emergencies” for your pet until you can have your pet seen by your vet or as supportive after-care after a diagnosis or surgery.

Our pure essential oils can be used aromatically, topically and can be taken internally by some pets.

I've used essential oils oils on my dogs:

• in their shampoo (lavender and melaleuca), 
• as an ear cleaner and application (apple cider vinegar, FCO, witch hazel, vitamin E, melaleuca, lavender), 
• for better/clearer breathing for my Frenchies (Breathe Respiratory Blend), 
• for digestive problems (DigestZen),
• and for deodorizing (lavender).  

Simple, effective, inexpensive and safe solutions are great to have on hand for these problems!

Note:  There's some controversy about using melaleuca on pets.  It should not be used on cats, but I use it, diluted, on my dogs. Some people don't, but I've had no problems with our melaleuca on my dogs.  It's such a great oil for skin issues.

Essential oils are natural, but must be used with caution and diluted properly for use on pets.

Guidelines for all pets: 

• Keep out of eyes, ears & nose
• Apply small, frequent amounts – no more than 4 (diluted usually) drops at a time
• Dilute with Fractionated Coconut Oil (FCO)
• Discontinue if pet stresses, drools, pants or whines after applying oil
• You can apply oils to your pet with the “petting technique” -- place 2 – 4 drops of diluted oil in your hands and rub them together, then pet your pet.  For cats, allow the oils to absorb some into your hands first.  This will be absorbed into their skin.
• Good places to apply oil: tips of ears and rear paw pads and between toes.
• HOT oils (heavily dilute and avoid use on cats except as an emergency): clove, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, cassia, melaleuca
• Do not brush your pet’s teeth with our OnGuard toothpaste, as it contains Xylitol.

 
Guidelines for dogs:

Diluting ratios:

• Dogs 20 lbs. of less – 1 drop to 1 t FCO
• Medium to large dogs – most oils can be applied undiluted
• Young, old, sick or pregnant – 2 drops per 1 T FCO
• “hot” oils – 1 drop per 2 – 4 T FCO
• Can give oils to dogs in a capsule, in their food or in drinking water (if you don’t have cats sharing bowls!)
• Use w caution: Melaleuca, Cinnamon, Cassia, Oregano, Thyme, Wintergreen, Deep Blue, Purify & Breathe

Guidelines for cats:

• More sensitive than dogs
• Kittens and elderly cats and ALL hot oils: 1 drop in 4 T FCO
• Most cats: Dilute 1 drop per 2 T FCO
• Application:  Aromatically, Topically, Petting technique and Litter box powder (not orally)
• Diffusing: use 2 – 3 drops and allow an escape route
• AVOID: Citrus oils, Melaleuca, Purify and Peppermint
• Use caution (heavily dilute): Cinnamon, OnGuard, Clove, White Fir, Rosemary, Vetiver, Oregano, Thyme, Wintergreen

Specific oils

• Lavender:  Gentle, calming, deodorizing.  Good for anything skin-related.
• Lemon:  Deodorizing, repels fleas.  Immune boosting.
• Peppermint:  Digestive aid, stimulates circulation, can aid healing, calming to skin, repellent to pests, and for respiratory support.

Resources:
SpOIL Your Pet: A Practical Guide for Using Essential Oils in Dogs and Cats by Mia K. Frezzo, DVM (available on Amazon)

***
If you are wondering how to buy dōTERRA and get your own wholesale shopping portal and password for 25% off, click here.

***
​Look for me over on Facebook -- Hope Bennett Reese -- for daily tips and current specials.

***
Do you want to know what the BEST and SMARTEST way is to start with essential oils?  Here it is ... with me and my awesome team!  We will give you tools to get started, plus on-going support through classes, *private* on-line support groups, team-only emails and more. A trusted, guiding hand is so important when you're just getting started learning how to take control of your health.

Thanks to the wonder of the internet, it really doesn't matter where you live -- our help is right at hand! You'll become an essential oil expert with our assistance.

And please, please remember -- One of the most vital things you must know about essential oils is not all essential oils are created equally. Many - if not most - brands should not be ingested as they are not tested for purity.  In fact, most of them are worthless to your health and often synthetic.