Sunday, January 26, 2014

Forget the flu shot!



I talked about Shield a little bit HERE when I told you guys how I cure Munchkin's colds and keep us all protected. I just really wanted to go more in depth about it because I had LOTS of people asking me questions so here goes.

What is Shield? 

Shield is a blend from Spark Naturals that is comprised of clove, cinnamon bark, lemon, eucalyptus, and rosemary. The legend has its roots in 15th century England during the time of the great plague. Grave robbers or “thieves” developed their own blend of essential oils to protect themselves while they were robbing plague victims. 

There are many versions of this blend on the market.
Spark Naturals: Shield ( $28.08 for 15ml...Plus 10% off with coupon code "Bubble")
Young Living: Thieves ( $44.41 for 15ml)
doTerra: OnGuard ( $42.67 for 15ml)

Now, let's look a little at WHY we use these oils: 

1. Clove 
Analgesic, Anti-Infectious, Disinfectant, Stimulant and Antiseptic. Clove also has extremely high antioxidant levels ( see picture)

2. Cinnamon Bark
Antibacterial, Antispasmodic, Aphrodisiac, Antiseptic and Astringent.

3. Lemon
Anti Anemic, Anti-Bacterial, Anti-Microbial, Anti-Rheumatic, Antiseptic, Carminative, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Insecticidal.

4. Eucalyptus 
Antiseptic, Astringent, Deodorant, Diuretic, Sedative and Vasoconstrictor.

5. Rosemary 
Analgesic, Antidepressant, Anti-Stringent, Carminative, Cephalic, Diuretic, Stimulant, Hypertensive.

Ok, but do they really work? 

YES. I could give you countless testimonies about the power of these awesome oils, but nothing really works as well as showing you: 

This is a one week experiment on how well certain things fight off staph.   
Notice how there is almost NO growth in the Thieves ( Shield/OnGuard) side.
Need a little more convincing?

" The Manchester study was triggered when complementary medicine specialists at Christie Cancer Hospital asked university researchers to test essential oils....Dr Peter Warn, who carried out the research, said: "When I tested the oils in the lab, absolutely nothing grew. Rather than stimulating bacteria and fungi, the oils killed them off."...The team then tested 40 essential oils against 10 of the most infectious agents found in hospitals, including MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus). Two of the oils were found to kill MRSA and E.coli almost instantly, while a third was found to act over a longer period of time.." - BBC News (source)


"  Thieves essential oil blend combines the power of cinnamon, clove, and rosemary essential oils along with eucalyptus and lemon oils, and has been shown to deliver a powerful punch against a variety of pathogens.  With thousands of natural plant chemicals, Thieves oil has been shown to kill 99.996% of airborne bacteria in a study at Weber State University.  A study at the University of Manchester found that Thieves oil killed 100% of MRSA.   Truly, when essential oils are blended together, they can have a synergistic effect and accomplish more together than they could separately. " - Essential Survival (source)

How do I use it? 
Alright, so now you've got the facts and you're ready to use it...but how?

1. Add it to a roll on bottle and rub the blend onto the bottoms of your feet every morning to protect against germs. Do the same for little ones, but make sure to mix a few drops with a carrier oil before you apply it to their feet. 

2. Diffuse it in a diffuser or just add 2-4 drops of it into a pot of water on the stove ( keep it on LOW heat ) to disperse the oils into the air and kill airborne germs. --- a MUST for when the house gets sick. 

3. Sanitize door handles, bathrooms, counters, desk tops, offices and more by filling a spray bottle with witch hazel and 1-3 drops of shield. 

4. Use the roll on bottle method as we described on the first tip as a preemptive measure to fight off bacteria and germs in a communal bathroom such as a dorm or storm shelter. 

4. Fill up one of these 1oz spray bottles with water and add 1-3 drops of shield. Keep it in the car and spray on the air vents when traveling ( or all the time you get in the car..like me) to fight off airborne germs AND fill your car with a "fall smell" 

5. Add 1-2 drops of shield into your mop water to effectively sanitize your floors. When I do this I also add lemon. 

6. Put 1/2 cup of baking soda into a container and add 1-2 drops of shield, mix it in, and then sprinkle on carpets in rooms where someone was sick. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes ( I usually wait 20-25 minutes) then vacuum it up. Not only will it kill germs, but it will also make the room smell wonderfully like fall. 

7. Use the spray mixture from tip 3 and spray down the linens and door handles in hotel rooms. It may not kill bed bugs or....other things...( cringing yet?) but it will fight off germs and bacteria.

8. Put 1-2 drops of shield in veggie capsules and take every three hours when symptoms begin to appear.

9. Little ones sick? Put waterproof (and heat proof) toys in the automatic dishwasher with a cup of distilled vinegar and 3-4 drops of shield, along with 2-3 drops of lemon and run them through to sanitize them safely.

10. Make a pendant diffuser and add a drop of shield to it to keep yourself shielded all day long.




ps - I totally wanted to title this as "how I wield my shield" but Hubby talked me out of it.  I think I missed a great opportunity.


This blend is currently on SALE at Spark Naturals until 10/5 
you can also use coupon code "Bubble" to save an additional 
10% off your order on top of this amazing sale price!!



2 comments:

  1. Great post! I think I will start wielding some shield!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! I think we should get Spark Naturals to make a tshirt with that slogan!

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