It seems that there is always something in life, however, that needs the "confident" part of you to come out. Whether it be an upcoming social event causing you anxiety, or a public speaking engagement that you just can't escape, we all have moments of "terror" when life throws us a curve ball. Times when worry, stress, and anxiety get the better of us in this fast-paced society we live in. Some just struggle with timidity and nervousness more than others.

​This is when its time to pull out your diffuser and add some Valor essential oil to your life! This essential oil blend is for those introverts who wish at some moments that they were a bit more extroverted, and to inspire your adventurous side. 

​Valor Essential Oil Blend contains the ingredients:
Picea mariana† (Black Spruce) leaf oil, Cinnamomum camphor† (Camphor Wood) wood oil, Pelargonium graveolens† (Geranium), Tanacetum annuum†(Blue Tansy) ower oil, Boswellia carterii† (Frankincense) oil
(†100% pure, therapeutic-grade essential oil)
Each of these oils being especially chosen for their unique characteristics: Frankincense for its uplifting, earthy aroma and skin-smoothing properties; Black Spruce for its grounded, woodsy fragrance; BlueTansy for its inspiring aromatic profile; Geranium for its sweet, oral fragrance; and Camphor Wood for its skin­ benefiting properties and strong, herbaceous scent. This powerful, synergistic blend has a transformative aroma that is uplifting and invigorating.
​
What do I use it for?

• Its vivacious scent is a favourite companion to an intrepid spirit.
• Features a spicy, sweet, positive aroma that inspires confidence and courage.
• Helps freshen the air when diffused and improves the appearance of skin when applied topically.
• Creates a grounded environment for a gentle workout or peaceful meditation.
• Enhances massage for a rejuvenating experience.

To use: 

• Apply in the morning to jump-start a busy day with an uplifting, affirming scent.
• Combine with V-6 Enhanced Vegetable Oil Complex (or carrier oil) to unwind before bed with a grounding neck or back massage.
• Refresh throughout the day by directly inhaling or massaging onto your neck, chest, or hands and wrists.
• Wear as a bold, inspiring cologne or use as a top note for personalised scents.
• Topical: Apply 2 - 4 drops directly to desired area. Dilution not required except for sensitive skin. Use as needed. ​​

Valor Essential Oil blend is available in both a 5ml bottle & 10ml roll-on sizes, and also in a bar of soap for that easy early morning pick-me-up.

Even so called "natural" products, or "organic" products are labelled as such sometimes just as a marketing ploy. So how can we know the difference? Check the ingredients, make it yourself, or find a natural community online who can steer you in the right direction. ​There are a lot of essential oils that I use for cleaning. Some are used for their fresh scent, some used to deter pests, and some used for their actual cleaning properties, and some do all three!  Fancy that!

Here is a list of my favourite essential oils for cleaning purposes to add to your DIY cleaning collection. I cannot list their powerful actions, (see my About Oils page for why) but a bit of online research will tell you all you need to know about their multi-purpose benefits.They can all be switched up and changed around, in window wash or dishes, it doesn't really matter too much, get creative and have some 'fun' with it! Thats the benefit of essential oils really, they can be used for a variety of uses!

EUCALYPTUS: Brilliant for removing sticky residues, such as sticky tape "leftovers",  using around bins or other "stinky" areas. Good in a hard floor cleaning recipe. Wonderful in the shower and bathroom, as the scent invigorates with the steam of your shower. Bonus!

THIEVES: A unique Cloves and Cinnamon blend, this is great diluted for spray and wipe cleaning of wet area ceilings, vents, and wherever mould might occur. Diluted CLOVES, ROSEMARY, or CINNAMON OIL will work for this purpose on their own if you don't have the blend. This Thieves blend is part of our core range of essential oil cleaning products. Find THIEVES Essential Oil Blend in our store.

LEMON: Lovely in DIY dish soap, mop bucket recipes, or DIY laundry powder, Lemon is one of our cheaper "under $25" range, so is a perfect starter bottle if you're new to essential oils. Find LEMON Essential Oil here.

PEPPERMINT: Fresh scent and cleaning properties, gives a boost of positivity as you clean! Again a great essential oil for DIY hand soap recipes, mop bucket additive, great for adding to your cobweb broom to deter spiders. 
SPEARMINT is a wonderful substitute.

CEDARWOOD: Wonderful warm-scented Cedarwood is good for putting in cupboards to deter "eaters". Make fabric pouches for your pantry or clothing drawers with Cedarwood essential oil. DIY "how to" to come in another post.

PURIFICATION: A great oil blend if you have pets. Dilute and use to clean up messes, or messy areas around food bowls or kitty litter. Wonderful if mixed with bicarb and sprinkled on carpets for a carpet deodoriser, let sit, then vacuum away.

​LIME: Lime is a favourite for dish soaps, spray and wipes, and hand soaps for its fresh scent, and bargain price at under $25. Diffuse after all your cleaning is done to let you know that you're a success, with its positive and clearing aroma.

If DIY cleaning is your jam, then this is the blog for you! I will be posting more on DIY cleaning recipes soon. You can also check out our other DIY posts to get you started. There's an easy DIY Foaming Hand Soap, DIY cleaning recipes with Thieves Household Cleaner, and a DIY Linen Spray.  See our Essential Oils List for more oils you might like to start making cleaning recipes with, and do some DIY creations of your own. Put on your favourite tunes and get creative!

If making your own DIY cleaning products is your worst nightmare, that's ok. The mess I make does seem a bit counter productive sometimes, so I get it. It's just easier to have the beautiful packaged product ready to go. Switching to a natural way of cleaning is still possible! Find our ready made, essential oil infused cleaning products with our Thieves Cleaning Range here. You can purchase all these essential oils for your DIY cleaning here at The Oil House. What tunes are you rocking out to as the vacuum cleaner hums? Do you make your own cleaning products? Have a favourite DIY cleaning recipe to share?

We all know that scent can evoke strong feelings and memories. I have definitely been transported to a different time and place with the wafting smell of my Grandmother's perfume or my best friend's favourite body wash. Think baking bread and freshly brewed coffee... you can smell it now, can't you! These smells can uplift us, and awakening our senses. ​

​Here are some of my favourites essential oils for that "fresh clean home smell" that will appeal to home buyers looking for their new home. 

1. Lemon. Great for the kitchen area. Wipe benchtops with diluted lemon oil for a fresh citrus scent.

2. Vanilla. You can find Vanilla in our blend Stress Away, which also contains Cedarwood and Lime. Diffuse before your open house, for calming yourself and your visitors.

3. Rosemary. Can be paired well with lemon. Good for around pet spaces, just ensure you dilute well.

4. Pine. Known for its refreshing aroma, it is great added to your mop bucket for fresh floors.

5. Basil. Great for a DIY surface spray for a chemical-free alternative.

6. Cedarwood. Nice for linen closets or hanging in clothes cupboards.

7. THIEVES Essential Oil Blend containing rosemary, lemon, cinnamon and cloves, this is perfect for masking stronger smells, fighting mould and mildew scents in bathroom and laundry areas.

8. Orange, which pairs well with cinnamon and cloves. Lovely diluted with oil for polishing wood finishes.

9. Eucalyptus or Tea Tree for their super crisp scent. Great for wet areas where musty smells may linger.

10. Lime, which pairs well with Thyme. Spritz away in smelly corners of your place.

To use these essential oils for home staging:

You may like to diffuse essential oils before your open house, for a lovely soft lingering scent in the air. Please don't leave them running during an open house, as some people have an aversion to strong scents, and may just as likely be turned off. What you are going for is the smell of everything being sparkling clean, with just a subtle, light and fresh scent.  

When cleaning, think about the walls, the carpets, the floors, the cupboards, the linen, and the curtains as you clean. Infuse scent into the cleaning solutions as you go. Create your own essential oil wall wash, a carpet deodoriser, a scented floor cleaner, some linen sachets for the cupboards, a linen spray for the sheets, and wash the curtains in a scent like Thieves to remove unwanted smells. Find our Essential Oils Range here.

All the best for your staging, open house and here's hoping you get the perfect buyer! Take your nose for a walk around your home.... what can you smell? Are there any scents you'd rather hide?

Do you love Cinnamon chewing gum? Cinnamon toast? Chai Tea? Mmm... must get me one of those. Cinnamon is a spice that has been used traditionally for thousands of years. It helps maintain a healthy lifestyle regime, as it includes the naturally occurring constituent cinnamaldehyde. It reminds me of the delicious smell of baking, wafting from the kitchen in the holidays.

With its sweet, spicy and warm aroma, you'll love the scent that this Cinnamon Bark essential oil brings to your home- without turning on the oven! I use it regularly in my mist diffuser. The cinnamon scent comes through rather strongly in the the Thieves blend... which is rather an invigorating scent. This blend contains cinnamon, cloves, rosemary and lemon. You just have to try it! THE SMELL IS INCREDIBLE.




Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil is also found in a number of our range, as you can see below, including the oil blends: Thieves, and Abundance, and the capsules called Inner Defense. Quality essential oils are a highly concentrated form of this spice, so please ensure you dilute (with vegetable oil or other carrier oil) this potent oil if you purchase it in concentrated form. This also means that a small amount goes a long way though!

An example of a little going a long way, is our range of natural cleaning products based on the Thieves blend. These green cleaning products are a cleaning powerhouse with cinnamon oil included in this spicy scented range. Thieves cleaning products have become very popular as a natural, plant based and chemical free cleaning option for those who may be sensitive to cleaning products. Green cleaning is the new black! 

​Do you love Cinnamon? What do you use Cinnamon for at your house?