Hand Sanitizer

Germs are a part of life – they are everywhere. No matter how careful you are, you cannot escape them. Stopping the spread of germs requires killing them before they can spread to someone else. There is absolutely no substitute for washing your hands with soap and warm water, but we can’t always do that.

Many people think that hand sanitizer is the answer to “germ warfare” when they are away from home. However, purchasing name-brand sanitizers can be costly, and most of them contain alcohol and anti-bacterial products that also kill the “good” germs on the skin. Continued use of these alcohol-based hand sanitizers has been shown to produce bacteria resistant to the alcohol and chemicals they contain. This makes you more susceptible to disease in the long run. Another issue with these alcohol-based hand sanitizers is how they dry the skin. Natural products do not have this effect on the skin. In fact, these products are actually nourishing to the skin

This hand sanitizer is a natural hand sanitizer sold by Butterfly Express. The essential oils and witch hazel will kill both bacteria and viruses, and the essential oils will actually boost your immune system while leaving your body’s natural balance of good bacteria alone. You can use this kind of hand sanitizer guilt free!

Let’s talk about the ingredients for a few minutes and get to know this amazing product a bit better.

Ingredients: 

Aloe Vera Gel, Witch Hazel, Vegetable Glycerin, ^LeDeliverance Essential Oil, Lemon Essential Oil, Optiphen

^LeDeliverance Essential Oil: One of the most potent antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal combinations available. Frequent and consistent use of ^LeDeliverance also strengthens the immune system.
Lemon Essential Oil: Used as a disinfectant. It has antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, and antibiotic properties. It is also an immune stimulant.
Witch Hazel: Works as an antiseptic, cleansing the skin of germs and bacteria.
Aloe Vera Gel: Has its own antibacterial and antifungal properties, and is also a good moisturizer, keeping your hands soft and safe from getting dried out.
Vegetable Glycerin: Hydrates the skin and boosts absorption.
Optiphen: A formaldehyde and paraben-free preservative.

Featured Blessed Waters

Blessed Waters and Homeopathics are very wonderful remedies that are a blessing to those who take the time to learn about and understand these gems.  There are two that come to mind when I think about learning and concentration.  Both of these have been used by parents of children with ADHD with awesome results.

Acherontia atropos is a very interesting remedy. It is one of the “butterfly remedies”. This is because it was made from the energy of a moth. (Death’s Head Hawkmoth)

There are some outstanding similarities between this moth’s life cycle and the symptoms shown in the provings and the symptoms that were ameliorated by this remedy during the prooving period.  For example, provers of this remedy mentioned that their dreams were filled with pirates and pirate themes. Children who responded well to this remedy had a marked love of pirates, particularly dressing up in pirate costumes. This is very interesting because there are distinguishable skull markings visible both on the caterpillar and on the moth. (Bees and Honey) This large moth loves honey and will raid beehives to get it. This remedy has proven useful for allergic reactions to bee stings. Read more about this remedy here.

Downy Avens is a range of light remedy. These are very low-potency remedies that address issues of emotional well-being, the development of character and spirituality, and mind/body health. The removal of emotional responses to certain triggers, the recognition that some ways of responding to certain situations are more appropriate and healthier than others, and the changing of negative attitudes such as fear to faith and anxiety to peace, can have profound effects on both mental and physical health.

POSITIVE QUALITIES: Balance and communication between head intelligence and heart intelligence. Wisdom derived from learning “line-upon-line”, “precept-upon-precept”. patience with the learning process. Steady, progressive intellectual, emotional, and spiritual growth.

PATTERNS OF IMBALANCE: Slow physical development with advanced and precocious intellectual capacities. Easily bored or distracted. Lack of heart connection to others. Lack of imagination. ADHD. Autism.

^LeAutumn is a wonderful oil to diffuse when meditating or relaxing.  This blend smells like fall to me and I love diffusing it, especially in the fall time of the year.   It brings out our inner confidence and makes us feel loved and protected while reminding us of all we have been blessed with. Diffusing ^LeAutumn can help lift us out of a depressed state. It is particularly effective when the depression is triggered by low self-esteem and a feeling that we cannot measure up. This is an amazing oil after an argument, trauma, or painful loss.

^LeAutumn may be beneficial to help manage ADHD. People who have ADHD have low levels of dopamine. It contains the single essential oil Coffee, which increases dopamine levels. Coffee increases focus, and attention span, and can help moderate impulsive behaviors.  However, some people with ADHD may feel a paradoxical effect and feel sleepier after applying or diffusing Coffee or  ^LeAutumn essential oils.

^LeStimulate is amazing for stimulating our minds and is helpful for overcoming exhaustion, depression, apathy, and listlessness. This blend can create and sustain a positive outlook and attitude.  Wonderful for nourishing the nervous system and may be helpful to the vagus nerve by gently stimulating it. Gentle stimulation of the vagus nerve results in greater detoxification, which benefits all aspects of the body.

^LeStimulate improves memory and alleviates mental and physical exhaustion. This is a good oil to diffuse when studying. It is helpful when you are feeling run down, depressed, or just need a boost of vitality.

During times of transition, we pause and take stock of our goals, wants, and desires and the oils in ^LeTransition will support us through tough periods in our life. Stress can have a very negative effect on our body and mind and all the body systems suffer. ^LeTransition can reset our minds, allowing us to see clarity in the direction we need to go. It has been blended with oils that will ground us in the present, clear our minds and allow us to see the present in its truth, and gently open our eyes to the possibilities of the future.

This would be a great blend for children who are not excited to start school or for whom school is not what they expected. ^LeTransition should be used anytime we want to nourish our body systems, such as on stressful days, illnesses, shocks, traumatic experiences, or when feeling run down.

An invigorating fragrance that is emotionally and mentally uplifting. Coffee oil is said to be highly effective for dealing with numerous disorders related to the nervous system like stress, anxiety, and depression. It also helps improve concentration and the ability to focus. Coffee essential oil is beneficial for improving immunity and neutralizing free radicals.

Coffee oil can be used to aid respiratory function, helping to clear stuffy noses and chest congestion and to unclog the ear canal. It has also been used to reduce fevers.

A few studies have indicated that its antioxidants help enhance liver function. It has been used as an effective hair treatment to promote strong and healthy hair. Avoid if pregnant.

Peppermint oil stimulates the mind, increasing the ability to focus. When inhaled, it restores the sense of taste by stimulating the trigeminal nerve. Oddly, inhaling peppermint oil can also curb the appetite. Peppermint is like a rush of fresh energy into the system. It allows us to relax instead of letting anxiety build up in our bodies and minds.

Peppermint is specific for people who move between highs and lows sadness and happiness, until the ever-widening mood swings settle into lethargy, intolerance, and frustration. It is renowned for its action on the digestive system and for use in bowel disorders.  Peppermint strengthens the digestion system and aids the absorption of nutrients on a physical level, it enhances our ability to “digest” new ideas and impressions.

Rosemary diffused, stimulates memory function, and helps to organize the thought process.  In emotional work using essential oils, often the influence of the oil is to create a haven of safety from which the person can relearn how to relate to their world. This is not the case with Rosemary. Rosemary fosters an inquisitive spirit. It sends us out in all directions, looking for light and understanding.

Rosemary balances heart function and energizes the solar plexus. Rosemary is specific for people who are usually vibrant, organized, industrious, and sensitive. They have become apathetic due to dwelling on perceived hurts or injustices. Rosemary is an excellent oil for exhaustion and general debility, overindulgence in food or drink.

The Butterfly bookshelf contains five books to help you further your education of essential oils, herbal remedies, and homeopathic remedies.

ESSENTIAL OILS Learn about all things essential oil. From schools of thought to the history of Essential oils. Learn about essential oil plant families, single oils as well as blended oils and how best to use them every day.

HERBAL REMEDIES Study nutrition and your body. Vitamin absorption and using herbs as nutrition. Learn to make your own remedies including tinctures, poultices, and salves. This book even includes a recipe section.

HOMEOPATHICS I Take a look at the basic principles of homeopathy and the types of remedies including cell salts. Learn to create a symptom picture. Learn about the dilution and potency of these amazing energetic remedies.

HOMEOPATHICS II This book covers using these remedies in everyday family life. There is an emphasis on women’s health, infant care, pregnancy, and postpartum as well as headaches, chronic fatigue, and glandular support.

The fifth book EDUCATING is a memoir-a memoir that for several years now, I have known I would one day write. But let’s set the record straight right here. Part, but only part, of the impetus for writing my memoir at this time, is the publishing of our daughter’s book, Educated. I want to tell the story of my life as I really lived it and not in the dramatically fictionalized way others, based on my daughter’s book, are telling it for me. I want my grandchildren to know who their grandmother is and was, and I want to be a force for good in their lives. Also, I feel a compelling desire to shine a light on homeschooling, herbal medicine, and the living of a conservative and Christian way of life.

butterflyexpress.shop/collections/books

Diffusers

Diffusing essential oils means to get the volatile molecules into the air. This is not difficult. A cotton ball pinned to a fan
or heat vent or a piece of paper, accordian folded, and placed in the vent of your car, works very well.

Diffusers need not be expensive and with a little creativity, you can avoid buying one but they are very convenient and in my opinion worth the investment.  One major reason to buy and use a diffuser is to help spread the oils through large groups of people.  They are perfect for classrooms.

Butterfly currently stocks 4 diffusers and they are very nice.  The metamorphosis holds the most water and will run the longest without attention.  The snowflake is glass and has a very classy look to it.

I especially like to run mine with ^LeDeliverance this time of year to keep the flu at bay.

^LeVictory is especially useful for those with ADHD, OCD, autism, or neurological disorders. Each step forward when working with learning disabilities or any type of neurological malfunction is a victory and a celebration. The ingredients of ^LeVictory are so well-balanced and synergistically combined that they act as catalysts for the re-building of nerve tissues, and yet are soothing to the nervous system and the emotions at the same time.

It is an excellent oil for children who have a difficult time moving from the left (logical) side of the brain to the right (creative) side of the brain. It helps connect thought patterns and electrical activity across the corpus callosum. ^LeVictory is a perfect choice for the child who sometimes has a hard time separating fantasy and reality. For adults, this blend is very calming and can bring each of us to a place where we can accept what is and who we are without fear of failure or rejection.

^LeAcknowledge nourishes and strengthens the nervous system, helping to quiet feelings of fear and discouragement. Another benefit of this blend is in enables us to see the “reality” of life or health situations. Accepting what will be or will not be in our lives can allow us to move forward with healing and peace instead of discouragement and despair. Recognizing what it is that we are feeling, and knowing that it is acceptable to feel that way for the moment, often allows us to move through that feeling and move on with our lives.

^LeAcknowledge may also give us increased confidence in social situations and enhanced creativity in our attitudes and skills. One aspect of this blend concerns a better balance in attitudes and desires in sexual matters. It is also one of the great oils for depression.

Because it balances the heart and sacral chakras, ^LeAcknowledge can help us recognize and accept the love and sympathy that people around us are trying to express. For those of us with very independent natures, it may help us with the ability to let others be of service to us. Increased balance in the throat chakra allows us to express our own feelings and needs and to express feelings of appreciation and gratitude for the services we receive.

Chamomile is one of the great calming sedative oils. Butterfly currently sells two varieties of chamomile. German and Roman. The German and Roman are different plant species with similar healing properties although they both have areas they shine in. These steam-distilled oils are very concentrated and complex essential oils. It comes down to preference. I love both of them.  Chamomile is well known for helping improve sleep patterns.  Learning is such earlier with a well-rested mind.

Chamomile, German

One of the most important actions of Chamomile German is on the solar plexus. The solar plexus is the major nerve center that lies midway between the gut instinct area of the abdomen and the empathetic region of the heart. The solar plexus also lies at the crossroads between the left and right sides of our energetic bodies. This location puts the solar plexus in charge of balancing our need to be in control with our need to gently nurture. A buildup of energy and tension in the solar plexus intensifies our emotional needs. If we feel that our needs are not being met, we can become frustrated and irritable. We may react by trying harder to control the people around us, manipulating them into meeting our perceived needs. The aroma of Chamomile German can release the tension that is building up in the solar plexus area.

Chamomile, Roman

Chamomile Roman smooths the flow of the chi energy throughout the body. It is this regulation of vital energy that makes Chamomile Roman so powerfully soothing to both physical and emotional conditions. In fact, so powerfully does this oil unravel the negative emotions behind physical ailments, that it is sometimes hard to tell if it is working at an emotional or a physical level. It is of great benefit in the treatment of chronic headaches, insomnia, nervous indigestion and nausea, and irritable bowel syndrome—to name just a few.  The aroma of Chamomile Roman, in my opinion, is the most relaxing scent in the entire essential oil world.

Carrier Oil

Carrier or base oils are often applied in conjunction with an essential oil. The standard industry term for carrier oils is fixed oils. These oils are made from vegetables, nuts, seeds, and flowers. They are considered by many to have therapeutic properties of their own

We all have our favorite carriers and I even use different ones for different things but most of the time it is whatever I can find first.  I believe all carrier oils have unique properties and reasons to use them.  If we are wise we will learn as much about them as we do essential oils.  In the meantime, this is a great choice because it contains  8 different carrier oils (grapeseed, almond, olive, jojoba, avocado, apricot, rosehip, and sunflower.)   These are all very popular carrier oils.

As with essential oil blends, carrier oil blends are a wonderful way to utilize the properties of the different carrier oils. This carrier oil blend is very versatile and a good choice for any skin type. It is great for those of us who cannot decide which carrier oil they would like to use. This is a nice medium-weight oil that absorbs into the skin well.

DreamCatcher Kit

^LeCrystal Clear diffused or inhaled clears and energizes the mind and increases mental alertness. Effective when studying or needing to remember difficult or complicated data. It helps to organize the thought processes, allowing more accurate recall later. Brings relief from headaches that are associated with hormone imbalances. ^LeCrystal Clear is one of the best essential oil blends for the treatment of impending shock.

^LeFocus is great for times of study or when you need to be extra alert. Useful for long periods on the computer when you are having difficulty concentrating. ^LeFocus is useful in overcoming negative thought patterns and self-defeating behaviors. These patterns of behavior get in the way of our ability to take responsibility for ourselves. It can also keep us from accomplishing our goals. ^LeFocus helps us become aware of and change these patterns.

^LeIQ alleviates mental fatigue and increases mental alertness, aids in concentration, and memory. It is useful when one is over-tired but must continue on until a project is completed. ^LeIQ contains frankincense, sandalwood, and helichrysum. These oils are high in sesquiterpenes and cross the blood/brain barrier to cleanse, nourish, and carry oxygen to the brain. Stimulating and helpful when feeling faint, shock, and jet lag.

List of Topics

Tip: Use the “find on page” or ctrl+F to quickly find where these topics are covered in this blog.
ADHD,
alertness,
analytical,
anxiety,
apathy,
argument,
attention span,
attitude,
autism,
boost memory,
brain health,
clarity,
concentration,
confidence
corpus callosum,
courage,
depression,
despair,
direction,
discouragement,
emotions,
energy crashes,
enthusiasm,
exhaustion
fantasy,
fear,
focus,
headaches,
hysteria,
impulsive behaviors,
insomnia,
jet lag,
learn,
learning,
learning disabilities,
listlessness,
logical,
love,
meditating,
memory,
mental clarity,
meticulous,
migraines,
nerve,
nervous tension,
OCD,
orderly,
organized,
painful loss,
panic attacks,
physical exhaustion,
possibilities,
procrastination,
rejection,
reluctance,
sedative,
self-esteem
sleep disruptions,
social situations,
stress,
sympathy,
tension,
tension headaches,
thought patterns,
trauma,
trigeminal nerve,
uplifting,
victory