Lavender and Honey , oh my!!

With spring allergies in full swing this past month I have been challenging myself to gain knowledge and experiment with more natural approaches to clearing up those runny noses and itchy watery eyes that I so miserably dread. Don't get me wrong, I love hiking in the mornings and picking beautiful bouquets of flowers for the kitchen table, but if you are an allergy sufferer like me, you know that spring can often be an unbearable time. I kept thinking how easy it was, each spring, to run to the medicine cabinet and take an OTC allergy pill day in and day out. But then I looked at the ingredients list. Trying to decode that ingredient list on the back of that allergy pill bottle was not only overwhelming but honestly, I just didn't have the patience. One of the first ingredients was artificial color, which is scary, so that was enough for me!

Fast forward - I have been topically applying Lavender essential oil (one to two drops on a q-tip ) on the inside of each nostril each morning, for the past month. I also take a teaspoon of local raw honey with my tea each morning. I follow this regimen religiously, which I feel is an important factor not to be overlooked. Stick with it! Plus, their is a plethora of added benefits that comes from taking LOCAL raw honey, not honey from another state, LOCAL. I'm picky when it comes to honey and I only take honey who's origins are from the city I currently live in. If I'm in a pinch, for example, travelling, I will give in, but try to stick to LOCAL raw honey. I buy mine at the farmer's market and it is surprisingly not expensive - plus you receive the added advantage of feeling good about yourself by giving back to your local community through purchasing from a local company/vendor.

I may have a slight drip of the nose here and there but any miserable symptoms have subsided.

A side note ------ I do NOT orally take essential oils, mainly because I just don't know that much about them, but if interested, I suggest first reading up about the different therapeutic grade brands of essential oils. Plain and simple - some can just not be ingested so educate yourself! I've found that applying essential oils topically gets the job done, but I will sometimes use a carrier oil, such as coconut or vegetable oil, mixed with an essential oil for even better absorbtion and a lower risk of skin irritation. ( I personally don't use a carrier oil when applying Lavender to my nostrils  because I'm not allergic to Lavender and have applied topically many times without irritation). Enjoy!