Healing the Natural Way with Gretchen's Apothecary! US 11/25 Review and #giveaway

~Written by jayedee at life in the lost world blog~  


Over the years, I have, with good cause, developed a healthy dislike/distrust of conventional medical practices and medications. Hippocrates' oath of "do no harm" seems to have fallen by the wayside in the shadow of man's quest for glory, no matter what the cost. I tend to believe that with conventional meds, you need a week to get over an ailment...but two weeks to recover from the medicine! I have come to believe that our Creator has placed everything we need upon this earth and most in forms that need little, if any alteration. Such is the case of essential oils. Recently, we were blessed to receive an assortment of wonderful products from Gretchen's Apothecary.

Gretchen’s Apothecary offers real aromatherapy products. By real, I mean that her essential oil formulas are all made from natural plant products and formulated to promote and support good health. She does not use synthetics. Whenever possible and not cost prohibitive, she uses organic essential oils and base oils. Her butters are made with an organic base. Everything she makes is made one bottle/jar at a time.

 My husband is a bit older than I and cannot quite accept the fact that his body needs more nurturing at his age. He seems bound and determined to keep up with the younger men at work and as a result suffers more aches and pains than he should. One particularly nagging pain is his shoulder. His doctor at the VA has diagnosed a rotator cuff injury and prescribed strong pain relievers for him. We've tried less hazardous remedies, resorting finally to the prescription, all to no avail. He seems to get some relief, but not much.


  One of the products we were sent was Gretchen's Joint Butter. My husband, at first, looked upon it with jaundiced eye (he's more of a traditional medicine guy) but my daughter soon convinced him to at least give it a try one night before bed. The next morning, we were all pleasantly surprised when he admitted that the Joint Butter had given him more relief than all the chemicals that his doctor had given him. Joint Butter has no medicinal smell, at all, but carries with it the lovely scents of lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, clary sage and rose absolute. Shhhhhhh! Don't tell him, but I truly believe it improved his cranky mood, too!

  With an entire houseful of littles running around, you can bet we have our share of cuts, scrapes and bug bites so we love love love Gretchen's Boo-Boo Spray. Suddenly, we don't have to do battle to dress the every day boo-boos around here....in fact, three year old Sophie often asks for the "magic" spray. Gretchen's proprietary blend of tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus and more is delightfully soothing to the senses and keeps nasty germs at bay, too.

  For me, there as nothing better at the end of a long day, than to lay my head on a lavender scented pillow, let the cares of the day dissolve and drift away into a deep restful sleep. With notes of lavender, sweet orange and ylang ylang, Gretchen's Peaceful Sleep spray does the trick for me.

 "Gretchen has been working with Essential Oils since she was in her mid 20's and has been inspired by a close friend and Master Aromatherapist to go to school for her own Aromatherapy Certification. She's studying for her certification through the Aromahead Institute. It requires 275 hours of study, 74 of which are on Anatomy and physiology... which is why she created her 'Remember When" spray..

Is Aromatherapy Safe? Yes, when used as directed by a Doctor or registered aromatherapist. Rather than bombarding our systems with synthetic chemicals that can sometimes have far reaching and unforeseen effects, the use of essential oils offers a natural, balanced choice.What precautions should be considered? Always test a small area on your Inner elbow or the area of intended use before generally applying and wait 12-24 hours. If you or your dog responds negatively to the smell or it causes irritation, you should discontinue use.

 Never spray any oils in or close to eyes, ears, nose, mouth, any exposed skin or sensitive areas. Some oils, like Lemon, Orange and Bergamot, are phototoxic and exposure to direct sunlight should be avoided for at least 4 hours after being applied. The use of oils when humans or dogs are or might be pregnant OR if you are going through Chemo is not recommended. While some oils can be used safely during this time, you should check with your Doctor, vet or a registered aromatherapist before using them. Gretchen has been working with Essential oils since she was 24 years old and always used them for herself. She's been a crafter and a business owner for about 20 years now and about 3 years ago decided to make her sprays available to others."

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