In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, perfume became a means of seduction and a symbol of wealth and nobility.  Marie Antoinette was the beautifully charming queen of France who applied it to her clothes, body, hair and accessories, as well as bathing in perfumed waters. She inspired many fragrances and floral concoctions from her very own fragrant gardens when they were in bloom.

Along with the discovery of germs in the 1800s, the importance of bathing held much significance. In fact, she carried a elaborate travelling cases called nécessaires de voyage in which the numerous bottles and blends were kept and it is said that Marie-Antoinette carried three vials of her beloved Houbigant fragrance to her execution .

Marie Antoinette wore  customized gloves scented with a very personal fragrance; it was the fashion at this time for ladies to wear perfumed gloves. The scents were of blood-red carnations, hyacinths, violets and musk jonquils to create a natural fragrance for Marie Antoinette’s gloves; the gloves were made from kidskin and were treated with a mix of sweet almond oil, white wax and eau de rose. The gloves were laid on fresh roses and accented with nutmeg, to ensure the gloves would protect Marie Antoinette’s hands from her riding reins, in effect, a “natural restorative beauty treatment”. She had her own perfumer, an innovative expert named Jean-Louis Fargeon.  To keep her hands soft, the Queen slept wearing gloves infused with sweet almond oil, rose water, and wax.

Upon Marie Antoinette’s request, Jean-Louis Fargeon created a signature scent for her called Parfum du Trianon, meant to capture the fresh scent of favorite retreat, Petit Trianon, so that she could carry its essence with her wherever she went.

 

 

Essential oils have always been used for their benefits to the mind, body and soul.

In my book Awareness has Magic, I will teach you have to how to blend oils and natural scents where you can make body butters, lip balms, rose water, body butters, anti-aging facial creams, shampoo’s, detox baths, Vanilla grapefruit linen spray, Kombucha deodorant, toothpastes, non-toxic cleaning recipes and many, many other wonderful things.

Not to mention  YOU’LL ALSO LEARN ESSENTIAL OIL BLEND RECIPES.

 Awareness has Magic: Creating a Healthy Hypothyroidism Mind, body and Spirit Home life

Body butters are simply pure joy and nourishment for your skin!
The true art of creating body butters has to do with the ratio of butter to oil to wax. To create a chapped skin body butter that’s soft and easy to apply, a 6:1 ratio is ideal. Six parts of butters and oils, to one part beeswax.

It’s very gentle for even the most sensitive skins, and most nurturing for the skin that needs A LITTLE BIT OF  extra care.
I want to share a few hand cream recipes along with a few perfects of scents that will not only offer nourishment to hands and feet and has a history from royalty!
Hand Cream
1 oz (28 g) unscented natural skin cream
4 drops Neroli/Petitgrain co-distill
5 drops Frankincense
1 drop Patchouli
1 drop Ylang Ylang
Make this blend in a 1 oz (30 ml) jar. Put the natural skin cream into the jar, drop the essential oils in, and stir gently with a glass stirring rod or the handle of a stainless steel spoon. Use your hand cream as often as you like throughout the day.
You can use any natural, unscented cream that you like for this blend. I do suggest making a fresh jar every few weeks, because most natural skin cream is water-based, and is not made with a preservative.

When you have dry, cracked knuckles, it can feel like you’re constantly applying moisturizer but not experiencing much benefit from it.
Here is a recipe for a hand salve that can really help!
You can apply this hand salve as often as you need throughout the day. Some people even apply a thick layer on their hands and feet while they wear hand gloves along with footies while they sleep, so their dry, cracked skin can absorb as much of the healing components as possible.
This recipe makes 7 oz (196 gm) of hand salve. You can make it in an 8 oz (240 ml) glass jar or in two 4 oz (120 ml) jars.

Dry, Cracked Hands and Feet Butter
1 oz (28 gm) Beeswax
1 oz (28 gm) Shea butter
1.5 oz (42 gm) Kpangnan butter
1.5 oz (45 ml) Neroli-infused jojoba
2 oz (60 ml) Argan oil
Directions
Melt your beeswax in a Pyrex measuring cup over the stove. Put the Pyrex in a soup pot that’s a quarter full of water, so the boiling water will warm the Pyrex and melt the butters and oils gently. I like to let the handle of the Pyrex hang over the side of the pot. That way it doesn’t get too hot.
Add the jojoba wax. You can add this before the beeswax is entirely melted.
When the beeswax is melted, add your kpangnan butter. Remelt, stirring gently.
Add the argan oil.
Remove the blend from heat, then add the shea butter, stirring gently.
Once the shea butter is all melted, you can add your essential oils (if you’re going to add them). This blend is very healing even without essential oils, though.
Pour your melted blend carefully into your jar. Let it cool for a few hours (two or three hours should be long enough).
If you’d like to add essential oils, add them just before pouring your salve into the jar.

Here’s a blend that can add so much healing power to your hand and feet butter
30 drops Frankincense
17 drops Lavender
14 drops Helichrysum
7 drops Patchouli
2 drops Ylang Ylang
Give this hand salve a try for a few days and see how your knuckles feel. Cracked feet and nails can take a little longer to heal.
If you would like an all-over body butter that can help dry, chapped skin.

Chapped Skin Butter Blend

A perfect blend that will combine perfectly with any skin butter blend:
-35 drops Ylang Ylang
-60 drops Orange
-45 drops Patchouli
If you want to use Frankincense only, you would need about 140 drops of it – because the butter recipe is for 14 oz of butter. This would be 2% dilution.

This aromatic butter recipe makes a silky, easily-applied chapped skin body butter that moisturizes, soothes, and protects.

Ingredients
2 oz (60 ml) Calendula oil
1 oz (30 ml) Neroli infused jojoba
2 oz (56 gm) Palm Kernel oil
4 oz (112 gm) Coconut oil
2 oz (56 gm) Shea butter
1 oz (28 gm) Cocoa butter
2 oz (56 gm) Beeswax
Directions
Melt the beeswax and Neroli infused jojoba together in a glass Pyrex measuring cup. (Use the double boiler approach in picture above.)
Add the cocoa butter and gently stir until melted. (I use a glass stir rod.)
Add the coconut oil and palm kernel and gently stir until melted.
Add the shea butter, remove from the heat and stir until melted.
Add the calendula oil and stir until combined.
Pour into seven wide-mouth 2 oz (60 ml) glass jars, cover and allow to cool (makes about 14 oz, or almost .5 litres). I keep the ones I’m not using in the refrigerator for longer shelf life. The ones I’m using I leave at room temperature. The shelf life of this butter could be one year if all your ingredients are fresh.

Note: Always Ask your supplier when each butter/oil was produced.

Did you know that it takes 26 seconds for the chemicals to enter into your bloodstream?
The real reality is we are damaging our DNA and we are changing our genetic makeup for future generations. There was a study a few years back that said the umbilical cord of an average American baby has over 200 known chemicals in it. Eighty percent of the common chemicals that are used daily in this country, we know almost nothing about. Our children are being born toxic and we have no idea if these toxins are already doing some sort of damage their brains, their immune system, their reproductive system, and any other developing organs. Are we unknowingly setting ourselves up for failure in the womb, even before birth?
Scientists and researchers are concerned that many of these chemicals may be carcinogenic or wreak havoc with our hormones, our body’s regulating system.
Most products have a warning label that is typed in bold “Keep Out of Reach of Children”. As consumers, we believe that if our children don’t ingest these products they will not be harmed by them. This can be far from the truth. Think about other common methods of exposure are through the skin and our respiratory tract. WE are along with our children are often in contact with the chemical residues housecleaning products do leave behind, by crawling, lying and sitting on the freshly cleaned floor.

Scientists at Norway’s University of Bergen tracked 6,000 people, with an average age of 34 at the time of enrollment in the study, who used the cleaning products over a period of two decades, according to the research published in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

It’s not enough to be aware of all the outdoor chemicals that we are exposed to everyday but inside our homes we can have more power and control. We have to be more aware about using chemical cleaners, paints, glues, body lotions, toothpastes, underarm deodorants, hair products and pesticides. Instead start to begin to use products that don’t pollute our very own bodies. We must read labels, make our own products and do our own research. I can’t stress this enough. We must take a stand for our health. Stop using commercial products that are laced with unknown and harmful body damaging products.
you can reduce your exposure to them by eating organic foods, making your own cleaning chemicals and using alternative pest control methods.
You can also find many great recipes for alternative cleaning solutions in my book AWARENESS HAS MAGIC.

Here are a few more recipes that you will find in my book AWARENESS HAS MAGIC.

In most of my shampoo and soap recipes you will find that I like to use Castile Soap.
Castile soap is different than most soaps available today in that it’s made with vegetable oils and lye. Named after the medieval Spanish city of Castile, this kind of soap was  originally made with olive oil. Today, solid and liquid forms are made with vegetable oils like palm, coconut, hemp, jojoba, and olive.
Unlike commercial soaps that rely on SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) to create a soapy lather, castile soap’s bubbles come from saponins in the oils that are released from the reaction of lye and oil.
Castile Soap doesn’t Cause Irritation, its Anti-Bacterial , Promotes Healing, Great for Skin Sensitivities and its Non Toxic.

Homemade Natural Shampoo
Ingredients:
2/3 cup of Castile soap
Two teaspoons of almond or olive oil
10- 15 drops of ( lavender, lemon or grapefruit ) essential oil ( optional)
1/2 cup of full fat canned coconut milk
Method of preparation:
Its preparation is extremely easy. All you need to do is to mix all the ingredients in a bottle, and your natural, toxin- free shampoo is ready!
Use:
Remember to shake the bottle before you use the shampoo. Use it regularly and your hair will be incredibly healthy, shiny and gorgeous!

Homemade Natural Shampoo

Vanilla grapefruit linen spray
2-1/2 cups filtered water
3 drops pink grapefruit essential oil
2 drops vanilla essential oil
1/4 cup vodka
The vodka helps the water dry quickly after you spray it on your linens. Theses essential oils that are used create a beautifully fresh vanilla grapefruit scent that is perfect for a summer pick me up. This spray is very versatile. It can be used on clothing, fabric furniture, or even as a quick air freshener.
If the vodka smell is slightly strong just add another drop or two of essential oil.
Always shake the bottle be before spraying on your linen.

Tub & Tile Cleaner
1 /4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup lemon juice
Or 10 drops of lemon essential oil
3 Tablespoons Epsom salt
3 Tablespoons Sal Suds or Castile liquid soap
1/2 cup white vinegar
Pour the vinegar into the bottle, followed by the baking soda and Epsom salt. Shake the bottle to combine the ingredients. Add the Sal suds gently shaking the bottle to combine. Mix all ingredients in a bottle with a sealable lid.
Scrub and then rinse with water and wet clean rag.

 

Audrey Childers is an internationally  recognized published author, blogger, freelance journalist and an entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in research and editorial writing. She is also the creator and founder of the website the hypothyroidismchick.com. Where you can find great tips on everyday living with hypothyroidism. She enjoys raising her children and being a voice for optimal human health and wellness. She is the published author of : A survivors cookbook guide to kicking hypothyroidism booty, Reset your Thyroid, The Ultimate guide to healing hypothyroidism and A survivors cookbook guide to kicking hypothyroidism booty: the slow cooker way. You can find all these books on Amazon. This blog may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this copyright statement.

Disclaimer
The information and recipes contained in blog is based upon the research and the personal experiences of the author. It’s for entertainment purposes only. Every attempt has been made to provide accurate, up to date and reliable information. No warranties of any kind are expressed or implied. Readers acknowledge that the author is not engaging in the rendering of legal, financial, medical or professional advice. By reading this blog, the reader agrees that under no circumstance the author is not responsible for any loss, direct or indirect, which are incurred by using this information contained within this blog. Including but not limited to errors, omissions or inaccuracies. This blog is not intended as replacements from what your health care provider has suggested. The author is not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of any of the suggestions, preparations or procedures discussed in this blog. All matters pertaining to your health should be supervised by a health care professional. I am not a doctor, or a medical professional. This blog is designed for as an educational and entertainment tool only. Please always check with your health practitioner before taking any vitamins, supplements, or herbs, as they may have side-effects, especially when combined with medications, alcohol, or other vitamins or supplements. Knowledge is power, educate yourself and find the answer to your health care needs. Wisdom is a wonderful thing to seek. I hope this blog will teach and encourage you to take leaps in your life to educate yourself for a happier & healthier life. You have to take ownership of your health.

References:
J. Karovičová, Milan Drdák, Gabriel Greif, & Hybenová E (1999). The choice of strains of Lactobacillus species for the lactic acid fermentation of vegetable juices. European Food Research and Technology 210(1):53-56. DOI: 10.1007/s002170050532
Quigley L, et al. (2011). Molecular approaches to analysing the microbial composition of raw milk and raw milk cheese. International Journal of Food Microbiology 150(2-3):81-94. PMID 21868118
Donovan SM & Shamir R (2014). Introduction to the yogurt in nutrition initiative and the First Global Summit on the health effects of yogurt. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 99(5 Suppl):1209S-1211S. PMID 24646825
Beermann C & Hartung J (2013). Physiological properties of milk ingredients released by fermentation. Food & Function 4(2):185-199. PMID 23111492
Hennessy AA, et al. (2012). The production of conjugated alpha-linolenic, gamma-linolenic and stearidonic acids by strains of bifidobacteria and propionibacteria. Lipids 47(3):313-327. PMID 22160449
Parvez S, Malik KA, Ah Kang S, & Kim HY (2006). Probiotics and their fermented food products are beneficial for health. Journal of Applied Microbiology 100(6):1171-1185. PMID 16696665

Feydeau, Elisabeth de, 2007 A Scented Palace: The Secret History of Marie Antoinette’s Perfumer UK: I.B. Taurus & Co. Ltd