Have you been following along with me in Instagram? Testing out all of these gorgeous – 100% Natural – autumn smells? If so, awesome! If you haven’t, it’s not too late, don’t you worry. Swing on over, give me a follow and each day screenshot the daily diffuser blend so you can give it a try yourself. At the end of the month, let me know which one was your favorite and there might be a little prize in it for you!

So, why all these blends? Why diffusers in the first place? Why not just go grab a scented candle or some wax melts? Or a few plugins? Those have been around forever, what’s so wrong with them now? Why is everything suddenly bad for me?

(I heard you asking all of those questions, you know) And I see your scowling hesitation. I’m not here to shame, mock or put anyone down. Ever. I am here to share my experiences and educate on the natural world.

Here’s a quick version of my story so far: I used to love/adore/almost obsess over all things scented. I had candles in every room and when the kids came along, plug-ins instead of open flames. I loved scented lotions, shampoos, etc. You get it. Fast forward to me continuously gaining weight (even though I was a half marathon runner), joint pain, fatigue, brain fog, excessive periods, severe hair loss, cold intolerance, gastrointestinal issues. severely dry skin (coming from an always oily/acne prone skin history), panic attacks, severe heart palpitations and then waking up to a large lump on my thyroid. Following that was a breast biopsy and then a skin biopsy. After results came back ensuring each time that it wasn’t cancer, I truly dug into researching what was happening to me. Repeatedly, chemical toxicity popped up in everything. And the majority of that came from chemically scented products.

Just of few of those items:

• Parabens in shampoos, conditioners, lotions, body wash, and exfoliants contain chemicals (can impair the endocrine system)
• PABA in sunscreen (can cause thyroid problems and disrupt the endocrine system)
• Petrolatum in lotions (often contaminated by chemicals that have carcinogenic properties)
• Phenoxyethanol in perfumes and soaps (can cause eczema, extreme allergic reactions, and impair the nervous system)
• Polyacrylamide in anti-aging products and facial moisturizers (can enter the body and be a carcinogen)
• Teflon in makeup foundation, pressed and loose powder, bronzer, blush, eyeshadow, and mascara (can causes delays in menstruation and breast cancer)
• Phthalates in body wash, hair care products, nail polish, and fragranced lotions (can disrupt the endocrine system, cause developmental and reproductive toxicity, and cancer)

And that is a teensy, tiny list. So, I listened to my body and turned back to what I knew when I was young: ditch the chemicals and look to what God gave us naturally – Plants. Herbs. Essential Oils. Clean foods. Clean vitamins.

It’s taken almost 3 years friends to get back my life. And it’s still a process. If you’ve been suffering and no one is listening to what you are going through, I’ve been there. I get it.

Answer yes to 3 or more of these questions?

• You’re gaining weight? Can’t seem to lose weight no matter the diet or exercise?
• Joint pain or fibromyalgia? Body aches daily without added stressors?
• Constant fatigue?
• Brain fog? Can’t seem to think as clearly anymore?
• Panic Attacks? Anxiety on a daily basis?
• Extreme menstrual cycles? Excessively heavy? Extremely painful?
• Hair thinning or loss?
• Eyebrow thinning or loss?
• Cold intolerance? (you can’t ever seem to get warm)
• GI issues? Daily stomach problems?
• Severely dry skin?
• Difficulty swallowing or feels like you have a lump in your throat?

3 or more of those with a YES answer? Chemical toxicity. Your body is trying to tell you something, please listen my friend.

So, to start, follow along with these 30 days of diffuser recipes to ease into swapping stuff out. Have fun, play around and find the ones you like! Snag a diffuser and a handful of oils to get you started here!