Oct 24, 2018 | All About Eucalyptus, Aromatherapy, Fitness Centers & Mind-Body Studios, Health & Wellness, Spas, Steam Rooms & Saunas
Winter is a wonderful time of year. The air feels crisp, the holiday season is around the corner, and (depending on where you live) you might even have a beautiful blanket of snow outside! One downside of the winter season, though, is that cold and flu viruses are being passed around like wildfire. As a spa owner/operator, you can be proactive against these germs by diffusing eucalyptus oil in your steam room or sauna. Not only will the refreshing scent be pleasing to your clients, but they’ll love the benefits too.
Here are just a few reasons why you should diffuse eucalyptus oil in your steam room this winter:
It is antiseptic, antibacterial, and antiviral
Cold and flu season is a great time to diffuse eucalyptus because of its healing properties. In a season where it feels like everyone is sick (or at least has the sniffles), eucalyptus can help prevent sickness as well as help those who have fallen under the weather.
It helps get rid of sinus inflammation
Congestion is a thing of the past when using eucalyptus! Combined with the moisture of the steam room, eucalyptus is a powerhouse when it comes to sinus congestion. It is proven to decongest and reduce inflammation. Try our Menthol-Infused Eucalyptus ShowerMist for a clean, crisp, and minty steam room experience, while also getting all the health benefits.
It is refreshing and energizing
The scent of eucalyptus is variously described as woody-sweet, cooling, refreshing, energizing, fresh, pleasing and revitalizing. In a time of year where many people feel cooped up and tend to have low energy, using a scent that feels refreshing can make your guests feel the same way!
Eucalyptus is a hardworking plant, that’s for certain. We especially love eucalyptus for its natural antibacterial, antiviral, antiseptic, exhilarating, decongestant, and expectorant properties. You can fall in love with eucalyptus, too! Try our aromatherapy diffuser set, our invigorating 100% Pure Eucalyptus Oil ShowerMist, or our 100% pure eucalyptus oil today!
Oct 17, 2018 | Aromatherapy, Health & Wellness
Lavender is one of the most popular essential oils for many reasons – it has a calming scent that makes it an excellent tonic for nerves and anxiety issues. Lavender has been shown to be helpful in treating migraines, headaches, depression, nervous tension, and emotional stress.
The refreshing aroma removes nervous exhaustion and restlessness while also increasing mental activity. It has a well-researched impact on the autonomic nervous system, which is why it is frequently used as a treatment for insomnia. It’s no wonder why so many people love lavender!
Some potential uses for lavender are an arthritis liniment, a balm for congestion and cough relief, bug spray, bath soak for aches and pains, or a chest rub for cold and flu relief.
One use that you may not have thought of is using lavender for healing dry skin. Lavender helps to balance the skin’s moisture barrier so it doesn’t get too oily or too dry. Now that it’s fall and the cold winds of winter are around the corner, having this wonderful essential oil ready in your back pocket will be helpful.
Grab a bottle of our Lavender-Infused Pure Eucalyptus ShowerMist and use it in your next shower to get all of lavender’s amazing benefits. Simply turn on the hot water in your shower and when it starts to get steamy, spritz a few sprays of the ShowerMist into the steam cloud. Step in, breathe deeply, and relax (and moisturize!).
After your shower, add some drops of lavender to some coconut oil and massage it into your skin to get it balanced. If you want to get even fancier (and have some more moisturizing benefits), you can also mix in some shea butter, jojoba oil, or vitamin E oil (or all three!).
What are your favorite benefits of lavender?
Let us know in the comments below!
Oct 3, 2018 | Health & Wellness
Earlier this year we sat down for a chat with Greg Lutzka, pro skateboarding, two-time X-Games Gold Medallist, and eucalyptus oil enthusiast, to find out about why he wanted his own ShowerMist scent and how he incorporates it into his healthy lifestyle routine.
In our blog post on Tea Tree Oil and Greg, Greg told us he uses our Tea Tree-Infused ShowerMist in his shower and sauna and in the steam room at the gym. Greg loves heat therapy for post-workout relaxation and mental clarity. In fact, he loves it so much that he got a sauna for his house, and uses it daily. “The sauna helped change my life to the point where I got one in my house now. The essential oils help in the sauna to clean it out and after the sauna, I feel the difference in my body, on my skin, the way I sleep. My mind feels clear, I let go of everything from the day, all the stress, and it just regenerates you.”
He also admitted that he loves our Lavender-Infused ShowerMist to help him sleep better at night. He sprays it all over his bedroom at bedtime to quickly help him get much-needed shut-eye.
Using our Pure Eucalyptus Oil ShowerMists is just one of the elements in Greg’s healthy lifestyle. Skateboarders usually aren’t known for their healthy living — Greg wants to change this and inspire the next generation of skateboarders to take care of themselves as top athletes do.
In our interview, he gave us the inside scoop on his daily routines and why he decided to make his health a priority in his life. “I just got up one day and was tired of feeling like crap. We’d party at night, we’d drink beers, and it’s not to say that I won’t go out and drink now, but I limit it now to very rarely. And when I do drink, I wake up the next morning feeling like crap.”
The party lifestyle starting hitting him hard at 28, and he quickly realized going out and drinking was affecting his skate performance. “I want to feel good and skate well and the only way to do that is to eat well and take care of my body. I also got into yoga, which I never thought I would do. Hot yoga is like stretching in a sauna, and stretching with heat helps tremendously with my skating. Plus I’m forced to drink more water and less soda. I firmly believe it’s so important to drink water, and I love drinking water so much that I partnered with AQUAhydrate and now I’m a part owner in the brand.” When he does drink soda, it’s only the all-natural stuff with no high-fructose corn syrup, like Zevia.
Greg starts the day by stretching, followed by a protein shake to build muscle and stay lean, or a Sambazon açaí bowl filled with fresh fruit (like berries and bananas) and hemp for fuel before a workout. Sometimes when he’s busy, he’ll grab a bowl from Banzai Bowls, who will make an açaí bowl or smoothie to-order. He then works out in his own home gym, which is conveniently located next to his infrared sauna. The gym he built for himself in his house includes a stationary bike, multi-exercise weight machine, and mats for stretching.
After the gym or at the end of the day, it’s a sauna or steam room time for a little sweat session, of course, for post-workout recovery and mental rejuvenation. “After the sauna, I feel the difference in my body, on my skin, the way I sleep. My mind feels clear, I let go of everything from the day, all the stress, and it just regenerates you.”
After Greg’s daily skate practice and filming session, he generally eats pretty clean but admits to indulging every once in a while to a very Californian In-N-Out burger because, “I’m like a normal person.” Instead of Taco Tuesdays that involves beer as well as tacos, he’ll opt for a ride on his mountain bike instead. He says, “I don’t really need to have tacos and a reason to drink beer.”
One of Greg’s favorite places to have lunch is Sessions West Coast Deli, which has three locations in Orange County. Greg is part owner in the restaurant, which will be opening another location in Newport Beach around Christmas. Sessions offers food that’s antibiotic-free, all-natural, vegetarian fed, animal by-product free, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, MSG-free and nitrite-free. Greg’s favorites are chicken or turkey sandwiches that have both high-quality antibiotic-free meat and organic veggies. Sessions sandwiches are served with salad as well, so Greg knows he’s getting his greens in for optimal nutrition.
For dinner, Greg admits he’s not the greatest cook but he still eats healthy to ensure maximum performance and to keep his head in the game during competition. When he eats at home, he’ll invite friends over for a barbeque, where he’ll grill steak, chicken, or turkey burgers with veggies like asparagus, potatoes, or corn. Other nights, he’ll steam broccoli and carrots and add it to pasta with non-dairy alfredo sauce from Mother’s Market, then throw in some chicken for lean protein. Greg’s current go-to home-cooked meal is a stir-fry with lots of veggies and chicken and jasmine rice.
When he doesn’t cook, he opts for quick and healthy meal services like Freshly, who offer chef-cooked meals delivered to your door so you can skip the meal-prepping, cooking and cleaning. Freshly uses only high-quality all-natural ingredients, without artificial preservatives, added sugars or gluten.
When we chatted with Greg back in April, we also talked about what it’s like to be an athlete, and an aging athlete to boot. Greg admitted recovery is harder once he hit 30 — he feels more pain and doesn’t bounce back as quickly from injury as he did before. His feet and ankles take a lot of abuse from skateboarding, so he’ll do other activities to switch things up, give his body a break, and be out in nature. He loves to go to the beach and surf, hit the trails and hills on his mountain bike or dirt bike, go for a ride on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and in the winter hit the slopes on his snowboard up in Mammoth or Big Bear. On Fridays he plays pick-up ice hockey, a sport he started as a kid in Wisconsin. “I take vacations from skateboarding because number one I can’t keep beating up my body every day and number two, I like to keep my mind fresh and clear and stoked on skateboarding.”
Greg recently discovered the benefits of using hemp oil and CBD to promote relaxation and help the body heal after a friend introduced him to it. “I started taking CBD oil drops for relaxation and recovery. I use the CBD creams for injuries from skateboarding.” Cannabidiol —CBD — is a natural part of the hemp plant that has been shown to have positive health benefits, without causing psychoactive effects. CBD is a cannabis compound that has significant medical benefits, but doesn’t make people feel “stoned” and can actually counteract the psychoactivity of THC.
Scientific and clinical research has shown CBD’s potential as a treatment for a wide range of conditions, including: arthritis, diabetes, alcoholism, MS, chronic pain, schizophrenia, PTSD, depression, antibiotic-resistant infections, epilepsy, and other neurological disorders. CBD is also extremely effective for alleviating pain and inflammation without any of the side-effects that you’d normally find in prescription pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter pain drugs.
Greg recently partnered with Crafted Extracts Co. for a line of CBD and THC products that include two pain relief balms, three strengths of CBD Herbal Drops, and four flavors of oil cartridges designed to ease anxiety and promote relaxation.
In case you hadn’t noticed, Greg likes to collaborate with brands for products he likes and can stand behind. “I have signature lines with companies who are passionate about things that I like to incorporate into my lifestyle. I like to promote brands that I believe in.”
If you’d like to try the Tea Tree-Infused Eucalyptus Oil ShowerMist that we developed with Greg, check it out in our store. For more information on how it can be part of your healthy lifestyle, check out our Tea Tree product page.
You can follow Greg Lutzka on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Sep 26, 2018 | All About Eucalyptus, Health & Wellness, House & Home, Seasonal
The health benefits of Eucalyptus Oil are incredible and varied. This oil can (and should!) be used all year round, but many of its properties are especially useful and necessary during the fall season when the kids are back in school, the weather starts to change, and the inevitable cold and flu season begins.
Today we’re sharing three reasons why fall is the best time to use Eucalyptus Oil.
Treating Seasonal Allergies
As soon as the seasons begin to change, many people deal with bouts of seasonal allergies that don’t seem to go away no matter what they try to do to beat them.
One of the worst parts of seasonal allergies is the sinus congestion. Taking a long, hot, steamy shower can help get some relief, but adding a spritz of our Eucalyptus ShowerMist will clear your inflamed airways and help you to breathe a little easier. You can also add a few drops of 100% Pure Eucalyptus Oil to your chest for all-day relief.
Preventing Cold & Flu
Cold and flu season is inevitable no matter where you live, but you can take steps to prevent you and your family from being downed by sickness.
Eucalyptus Oil is effective for treating a number of respiratory problems including cough, cold, runny nose, sore throat, nasal congestion, bronchitis, and sinusitis because it is antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and decongestant in nature. Not only will it help you if you already have a cold, but if you’re using our Eucalyptus ShowerMist regularly, you can better avoid sickness altogether.
Beating Back to School Germs
It may be exciting to have the kids back in school and therefore back in a regular routine, but it’s not exciting that they are exposed to more germs and carry those germs home with them. Not fun at all – especially in this season that is usually very busy for most families!
One easy and cost-effective way to keep your house clean during this germy time of year is to fill a spray bottle with distilled white vinegar and add a few drops of Eucalyptus Oil and use it for cleaning windows, sinks, toilets, you name it!
The vinegar cuts through grease and kills bacteria, yeast, and mold. The Eucalyptus Oil not only smells fresh and clean but is antibacterial and antifungal.
Do you have any ways you’ll be using eucalyptus this fall? Let us know in the comments!
Sep 12, 2018 | Health & Wellness, House & Home
Fall is just around the corner, which means that the kids are officially back to school! While many parents are rejoicing that they’re back to a regular routine, going back to school also means that our kids will be exposed to (and will bring home!) more germs. In this busy and full season, getting sick is the last thing a parent wants to happen to their family.
One amazing use for essential oils is that some of them are great for cleaning and disinfecting around the house! You could replace virtually every synthetic cleaner in your cabinet with an all-natural version that works just as well – if not better – using essential oils (here are some recipes that we shared in another post).
Here are some of our favorite ways to keep the house clean during the back-to-school season:
Make your own DIY all-purpose cleaner
One easy and cost-effective way to keep your house clean during this germy time of year is to fill a spray bottle with distilled white vinegar and add a few drops of Eucalyptus Oil and use it for cleaning windows, sinks, toilets, you name it!
The vinegar cuts through grease and kills bacteria, yeast, and mold. The Eucalyptus Oil not only smells fresh and clean but is antibacterial and antifungal.
Use our Eucalyptus Oil ShowerMist
Eucalyptus Oil is naturally antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory. Simply turn on the hot water in your shower and wait for the room to get steamy, then spritz a few sprays into the steam cloud away from your face. Breathe in all those wonderful germ-repelling properties!
Keep your workout space clean
Our Lavender-Infused Pure Eucalyptus Oil Yoga Mat Cleaner is a hard-working multitasker when it comes to keeping your workout space clean and disinfected. Not only can you use it on your yoga mat as the name implies, but also on other fitness equipment!
This cleaner uses plant-based oils and enzymatic action to remove makeup, perspiration, body oils, and dirt from your yoga mat and other fitness equipment. Simply spray it where you’d like to clean and pat dry with a towel.
Do you have any all-natural ways that you like to keep your home free of germs during the back-to-school season? Please share them in the comments below!
Sep 5, 2018 | Aromatherapy, Health & Wellness
Lavender is quite possibly the most well-known and popular essential oil in the world. It’s great for reducing pain and inflammation, an excellent addition to any skin-care routine, and is one of the most relaxing oils used in aromatherapy.
Today we’re going to show you how to sleep better by using this amazing oil, which can be found in our Lavender-Infused Eucalyptus ShowerMist!
Wind down for the evening with meditation
Pair deep breathing meditation exercises with gentle yoga poses to help calm your mind after a long day. Use a foam roller to stretch sore muscles. When you’re finished, make sure to clean your yoga mat so it’s free of bacteria. Our Eucalyptus + Lavender Yoga Mat cleaner is perfect for this! See this blog post for our favorite meditation tips.
Turn your shower into a steamy sauna
There’s nothing better than taking a long, hot shower at the end of a stressful day! While the water gets warm and begins to steam up the bathroom, remove your makeup or wash your face. Then spritz some of our Lavender-Infused Eucalyptus ShowerMist into your shower, step in, and relax.
Hydrate and prepare for bed
For a spa-like experience, put on a fluffy robe after your shower and fill up a glass with some iced cucumber water.
Turn off your electronic devices and put them away. The blue light from our phones, TVs, and tablets can delay the release of melatonin (the chemical that helps make us tired) in our bodies. Make sure to power down your devices at least half an hour before bedtime.
Dim the lights, turn up the air (the suggested bedroom temperature should be between 60-67 degrees for optimal sleep) and choose some soft pajamas to sleep in.
Get sleepy and wind down slowly
Lightly spray your sheets and pillows with some of our Lavender-Infused Eucalyptus ShowerMist for a relaxing scent. Lavender’s unique, sedative properties will help you gradually get sleepier as you breathe deeply. Not ready to fall asleep just yet? Pull out that book you’ve been meaning to finish and read a chapter or two, write in a gratitude journal, or spend some time talking to your partner about your day.
Do you love the scent of lavender?
How do you include it in your bedtime routines?
