Maybe you have some four-legged critters — or the two legged kind we call children — leaving lingering odors around the house. Perhaps you just want to relax and get a good night’s rest. So, you grab a can of air freshener or light a candle or two…and a few minutes later your sinuses are clogged or draining, you feel a headache coming on, or your skin or throat starts feeling itchy. It very well could be your air freshening/relaxation efforts working against your body and causing such irritations and negating the desired effect.

Immediate Dangers of Aerosol Sprays and Other Scented Deodorizers

Ingredients commonly found in traditional air freshening applications include VOC’s like benzene, formaldehyde and up to 300 tasty additives either proven or suspected to be harmful to humans and animals. Chances are, most fragranced products you use also contain phthalates, too – even candles. Phthalates are most obviously harmful to children, pregnant women, and those with respiratory issues or allergies; however, the long-term effects are still being recognized.

As reported by the National Research Defense Council concerning some of the known dangers of phthalates:

Di-ethyl Phthalate (DEP): Has been associated with changes in hormone levels and genital development in humans.
Di-n-butyl Phthalate (DBP): Is recognized as a reproductive toxicant by the National Toxicology Program that can lead to changes in genital development.
Di-isobutyl Phthalate: Associated with changes in male genital development.
Di-methyl Phthalate (DMP): In animal studies, birth abnormalities increase.
Di-isohexyl Phthalate(DIHP): Limited toxicity testing has shown that DIHP is probably a developmental and reproductive toxicant.

WARNING: Don’t be fooled by labels that read ‘All Natural’ because these corporations that hawk these products have found clever loopholes in regulations. In fact, the aforementioned study sampled dozens of ‘natural’ sprays only to discover that most of them contained numerous unnatural additives.

Natural Room Spray Recipes and Options

Most candles in the US are crafted of paraffin – a petroleum derivative – so consider burning only beeswax and soy-based candles with cotton wicks. Choose an all-natural incense or better yet, make your own with an herb, resin, wood stick and binding materials. Check out this amazing site with step by step instruction on How to Make Your Own Incense!

For a natural, scented spray for your home and linens, consider some of these recipe combinations.

THE BASICS: Begin with a spray bottle, preferably glass, but plastic will suffice. Add one cup of purified water, such as distilled. Add one to two teaspoons of an emulsifier for proper blending and even distribution of oils within the water. Add essential oils as directed or desired to these natural air freshener recipes.

Recipes for Air Purification / Odor Elimination

Odor Be Gone: 5 drops Purify, 2 drops Eucalyptus, 3 drops Lemon essence

Clean & Fresh: 4 drops Peppermint, 5 drops Lemon, 6 drops Rosemary

Lemon Delight: 10 drops Lemon, 4 drops Eucalyptus, 2 drops Peppermint

Therapeutic Recipes for Daytime Invigoration

Citrus Blast: 3 drops Wild Orange, 3 drops Lemon, 3 drops Lime, 3 drops Grapefruit

Joyful Day: 8 drops Peppermint, 6 drops Wold Orange, 2 drops Bergamot

Happiness Blend: 4 drops Wild Orange, 4 drops Lime, 4 drops Frankincense, 4 drops Peppermint

Sleepytime Dream Formulas for Air & Linens

Deep Sleep Blend: 3 drops Lavender, 2 drops Chamomile, 2 drops Geranium, 3 drops Clary Sage

Restful Dreams: 4 drops Geranium, 3 drops Ylang Ylang, 2 drops Sandalwood, 2 drops Clary Sage

Pillow Pal Formula: 8 drops Lavender, 4 drops Marjoram, 3 drops Chamomile

Bedtime Stress Buster: 5 drops Patchouli, 4 drops Bergamot, 4 drops Lavender

There’s no limit to the blends you create and we’d love for you to share some of your favorite blends and tips!

©Universal Copyright 2015 is authorized here. Please distribute freely as long as both the author Stephanie Lucas and www.QuantumStones.com are included as the resource and this information is distributed on a non-commercial no charge basis.

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