Aches and pains are part of so many of our lives; growing pains, stress on our bodies from exercising, menopausal aching joints, medical conditions that bring joint pain as a side effect or just simply too much time spent gardening. A huge number of people however find themselves having to cope daily with arthritis, the pain can be debilitating and restrict everyday life.
The word arthritis literally means ‘joint inflammation’ and can come on slowly or rapidly causing joint pain, swelling, stiffness and warmth in the joints. Though there are over 100 types of arthritis the two most common forms are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis however conditions such as gout, lupus and fibromyalgia fall into the arthritis category.
Studies have shown that physical exercise of the affected joint can noticeably improve long-term pain relief. Furthermore, exercise of the arthritic joint is encouraged to maintain the health of that joint. All well and good but if the joint is sore and movement causes pain the thought of exercising can be a long way from our minds.
I have suffered for years from a very sore neck – way before I started The Oil Hut – not arthritic to start with but becoming so as I get older. It is probably the result of an old whiplash injury from my teens. I worked on a natural blend to reduce the pain and inflammation while avoiding chemical drugs. Black Pepper, Ginger, Peppermint, Eucalyptus and Juniper are all known for their ability to reduce both inflammation and pain. The solution to my neck problem was simple; a spicy diet whilst eating ginger biscuits, drinking peppermint and eucalyptus tea and a lot of gin and tonic – that would sort me out!
As I am not that keen on either gin or ginger I set about blending different mixes to create an oil that would ‘take the edge off’. When I founded The Oil Hut five years ago this was the first oil I registered and Ease It oil became an official product, it has consistently been our bestselling therapeutic oil helping thousands of people (and even the odd dog and horse along the way) with not only joint pain and inflammation caused by arthritis but also for general aches and pains caused by worn out joints or just tired bones. With a hypoallergenic Sweet Almond oil base it is gentle enough for sensitive skin types and packed with Vitamin E which is great at keeping skin cells healthy. As with all our products the smell is so important and Ease It smells fantastic.
I have received endless messages of not only thanks from people who have found huge relief for their arthritis but also from people who actually find using this oil life changing in their mobility. Managing pain without popping pills is really important to so many people and helps with overall health.
Last month Davina who suffers with Rheumatoid Arthritis contacted us to say she had discovered our Ease It Oil and told us that it had helped her so much and given her back the use of her hand without pain. It was great to see these amazing photos which she was happy enough to share with everyone within The Oil Hut community.
Davina’s Photos
Easy to apply with a pump top, Ease It oil can be massaged directly onto swollen and painful joints for a couple of minutes as It takes about 2-3 minutes for an essential oil to reach the bloodstream. You can also add a few drops to a bath to relieve those aches and pains.
Click on the following links to see two more great videos from last weeks show at Harrogate where Terry and Sue were astonished at the immediate results of only one application of Ease It Oil.
Living in Southern Spain for 10 years being plagued by mosquitoes and flies was a common occurrence at certain times of the year. Throughout my life I have done all I can to avoid chemical products and combining that with the bug problems I had living in Spain, ignited me to search for the best DEET and chemical free way to keep the bugs away. When you consider some of the horrendous side effects of using DEET, not only melting your flip flops but allergic reactions, seizures and brain malfunction, chronic headaches and fatigue to name a few.
The modern market place now
demands natural products that work. Our award-winning Bugs Away range has
now filled that void in the market place as our reviews and happy customers
will testify.
Why find an alternative?
Research has proven that natural solutions can be even more powerful. Several studies have found that lemon eucalyptus essential oil (PMD) can be equally or even more effective at warding off mosquitoes than DEET. This form of mosquito repellent is now endorsed by Public Health England which is basically the NHS. The fact that GP’s and practice nurses still guide people to 50% DEET is out of date.
The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in America whose last two years of research has shown that PMD (oil of lemon eucalyptus) has proven to be as effective as DEET on the human body. This is something that the big pharmaceutical companies tend not to shout about.
Putting it to the test
With my desire to find a non-chemical and DEET free solution I came to the conclusion that a blend of essentials would prove most successful and set about creating one. I tested myself (and my horse) over time and very quickly came to recognise the combinations of essential oils that worked best. Step two was to blend these essential oils with carriers that could be used on humans and animals as well as around the home to ensure the best results.
Mosquitoes are attracted to our odour. Our Bugs Away Body Oil should be applied to any exposed areas of skin lasting roughly around 4 hours on our skin, it is a light easily absorbed oil and our water-based Bugs Away Body Spray with Vitamin E is the ideal convenient top up for later on in the evening and is also great for the face and hair line due to its light misting.
Our Simply Green diffusers
for use in the home and dining al fresco will deter flies
and other bugs from entering a space. We have this in a 100ml Diffuser
which will last around 6-8 months and 400ml Diffuser which will comfortably see
you the year round. This is a lemony fresh fragrance and continues to be
our best-selling diffuser.
Our 500ml Big Bug
Spray that can be used around the house for flies, moths and insects
and is also safe for use on and around animals. Take
our Bugs Away Spray with you for camping, spray your entry points at home to
deter flies, use on carpets and clothes for moths, or just use as a
natural air freshener.
Those of you that know me will
know my favourite saying is ‘walk the middle road’ – glass of wine in one
hand and lavender oil in the other! It is all about
the life balance especially when you are blending essential oil
products.
How does it work ?
Our blend which includes Lemon eucalyptus oil works because it’s main active ingredient, p-menthane-3,8-diol or PMD, blocks mosquitoes from sensing human presence, masking signals like carbon dioxide and lactic acid. Lavender is also detested by the mosquito and Lemongrass is a natural repellent thanks to it’s high geraniol and citral content. It not only repels mosquitoes but various insects such as ants as well.
So, it’s all about
the smell, or should I say our smell. People are always
telling me that they get bitten more than their partner – we all smell
differently as far as the humble mosquito is
concerned, some of us smell tastier than others.
In the five years since I began
the The Oil Hut, we have sold over 15,000 sets of Anti Mosquito Bugs
Away Body Oil and Body Spray. Our customers continue to return over and
over again and referring friends and leaving positive reviews across all our
social media sites.
On Tuesday 12th February Nick and I headed to Birmingham to join the #SBSCrew and receive our Small Business Sunday winners certificate from Theo Paphitis.
Small Business Sunday is a Twitter campaign run by Theo Paphitis that sees him choosing small businesses to promote every week. It was great to meet many of the other winners and Theo as well.
