Migraine Makes Scents

Everyone who knows me knows that I have Chronic Daily Migraines. I am very sensitive to lights, sounds, smells and various chemicals. I also have Mast Cell Disease so as a rule I use as few chemicals as possible; most chemicals I  use are  odorless.  I make many cleaners and moisturizers myself. I do, however, love trusted scents. I believe in the therapeutic power of a great smell.  Unfortunately, my reaction to even my safe scents is sometimes unpredictable, My love for scents can be like the One Republic song, Counting Stars.   Having 3 people with chronic migraines and 4 people with Mast Cell in our house, I know there is no one size fits all solution avoiding migraines, not having a Mast Cell reaction or soothing oneself.   Here are some ways I use essential oils.

• Diffuser- Instead of air freshener, we have diffusers in our cars and in our home.  They are simple devices that usually use electricity to warm essential oils and fill the air with fragrance. Our home diffuser mixes the essential oils with water so that the scent lasts longer.  Some of my favorite oils are peppermint, winter mint,   different citrus, and  lemon grass.
• Odor absorber-  I like to leave baking soda all over my house to absorb odors.  I buy a huge container of it because it can be used for so many things. (I will post an entry about that soon) I like to pour the baking soda into a small dish or a large sea shell and drop a few drops of essential oil into the baking soda and shake it.  Every few days, I shake the dish to release the smell. Replace  10-20 days.
• Hand wash- I buy a large bottle of unscented hand wash for the house.  I save hand soap bottles from that really popular bath and body store, I remove the stickers  and I  put the unscented soap in those containers.  (I have  other  uses for those bottles. I'll post about that soon.)  I add essential oils to the bottles as desired.  I fill the bottle with soap about half way, then add the oils, and repeat.
• Hair  oil-   I use equal parts; olive oil, coconut oil and black castor oil. Then I add about 15 drops of tea tree oil and  15 drops of an essential oil  of my choice for smell (because tea tree oil is very strong but necessary). This can also be used on your body as a moisturizer.
• All purpose disinfectant-   I  have a large, glass container  of cleaner that I use to replenish my spray bottles, I mix 4  cups of water, 5 drops of lavender oil, 10 drops of lemon oil, 15 drops of tea tree oil, 15 drops of rosemary.(these have cleaning and disinfectant  properties)
• All purpose cleaner-  I  have a large, glass container  of cleaner that I use to replenish my spray bottles, I mix   3 cups of distilled water, 1 cup of vinegar,  2 table spoons of olive oil, 10 drops of lemon essential oil, and 10 drops of rosemary essential oil.(these have cleaning properties)

• fabric softener-  I use this in each load of laundry; use it however you use fabric softener in the wash. I use a large jar and i fill it about 1/2 way with epsom salt  then  drop in about 15 drops of any essential oil, then repeat. After the container is full, I shake it.  Use whichever essential oil you'd like (the purpose is fragrance not utility).
• laundry detergent (liquid)- Before finding this formula, I used the laundry detergents for sensitive skin.  This works great for me.   This mixture can get very foamy   so you have to be careful.  In a large container you'll mix 1/2 cup of Borax, 1/2 cup of Washing Soda,  1/2 cup of Dawn dish soap, 4  cups or more of water,  10 drops of whichever essential oil you'd like   (the purpose is fragrance not utility).   The dry ingredients need to thoroughly   dissolve or they will settle at the bottom of the container so I recommend mixing those   with about a cup of  boiling water and shake in a container or stir. Then mix the very hot water with about 1 cup of water , then stir in the Dawn.(do not shake). After that, mis in the remaining water to dilute.
• dryer sheets- I found this great post about reusable dryer sheets.  I mix the following in a container and I put  sponges in it.  With each drying cycle, I throw the sponge in. (you can also use cloths) I mix 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1/2 cup of distilled water, and 4 drops of whichever essential oil you'd like (the purpose is fragrance not utility).

I hope some of these suggestions are useful for you and I hope you find new uses for essential oils.