The Essential OIls
The oils used in My Habitat products are all 100% pure essential oils
- organic where possible. Below is a list of essential oils
used in our products, together with some of
the properties traditionally ascribed to them.
- Eucalyptus
- antiseptic, decongestant, deodorant, analgesic, insecticide,
antiviral, stimulant
- Lavender
- antiseptic, analgesic, deodorant, antifungal, muscle relaxant, insect
repellant, soothing bites and stings
- Lemon
Myrtle -
australian native tree, antimicrobial, antifungal, uplifting, insect
repellant
- Lemon
- antibacterial, deodoriser, degreaser, insect repellant, mood
enhancer, relaxant
- Clove
- antiseptic, analgesic, warming, insect repellant
- Peppermint -
antispasmodic, antiseptic, repels insects, rats and mice.
- Basil
- analgesic, antiseptic, digestive, insecticide, bites &
stings,
uplifting, mood enhancing
- Rosemary
- antioxidant, antiseptic, antifungal, antiparasitic,
anti-aging,
traditionally used for hair and circulation
- Sweet
Orange
- antidepressant, antiseptic, stimulant
- Cinnamon
- antimicrobial, antifungal, warming, stimulant, astringent,
irritant to mucous membranes
- Origanum
- antifungal, antiseptic, restorative, stimulates digestion and
circulation
- Ti-Tree
-antimicrobial, antiseptic, fungicide, insecticide, immune system
stimulant
- Citronella
- insecticide, antiseptic, antibacterial, deodorant
- Rose
Geranium
- antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, relaxant, antiseptic, controls
bleeding
- Rose
- soothing, harmonising, skin repair, antiseptic, toning
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The
Vinegar Story
The
use of vinegar as a cleaning agent has been known for thousands of
years. The earliest recorded use is in the time of the
ancient
Sumerians, about 7,000 years ago, and since then it has been
used
in this way for centuries by most cultures around the world .
In
medieval Europe, with poor sanitation, plagues and diseases rampant,
vinegar was used to clean and fumigate sickrooms in order to
prevent infection.
A
preparation known as Four Thieves Vinegar - a mixture of vinegar and
herbs - was reportedly used in protective masks by a gang of
enterprising thieves to allow them to rob the plague victims without
becoming infected.
Many
of our grandmothers may have used vinegar for cleaning and
healing. Now vinegar is making a comeback because we are
beginning to realise the harm that the chemicals in cleaning products
have been doing to our health and that of our planet.
Here
are a couple of links to find out more
www.vinegartips.com
www.vinegarbook.net
www.coateshomecentre.com.au/tips_tricks/tip_vinegar.htm
The
Surfactant Question Coco
Betain:
This is a surfactant (SURface ACTive AgeNT)
made
from coconut oil. Surfactants enable oils and water molecules
to
form a bond (mix), and are normally found in detergents, shampoos and
cleaning products. Many of the commonly used surfactants can
have
negative health effects and some are very dangerous. Sodium Laureth
Sulphate is possibly the most widely used of these.
I have tried to steer clear of such ingredients because there are not
many that are effective and at the same time safe and /or beneficial to
health or
environment. I have chosen Coco Betain as
the gentlest, most natural and least harmful, being made from natural
coconut oil.
They serve two purposes in these products. They help to disperse the
essential oils throughout the liquid, and they create a foaming and
cleansing action that assists in surface cleaning. The product is
slightly "soapy".
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