Episode 286: All Natural Cleaning Plus the History of Lemon

Welcome back to Essential Oil Solutions with doTERRA. The podcast, where you'll hear exciting, useful and simple everyday uses for essential oils from experts in the field.

This episode is brought to you by the doTERRA 2023 Impact Report. Are you interested in learning how doTERRA is making an impact around the world? Head over to pursuit.doterra.com or click on the link in the episode description to find out more.

Today, we're excited to talk to Lauren Busch, Director of Product Education at doTERRA, about natural cleaning. Plus, we'll take a look at the history of Lemon.

doTERRA: Lauren, thank you so much for joining us today.

Lauren Busch: Yeah, excited to be here.

doTERRA: We are so excited to talk to you because you are just a wealth of knowledge and you always bring the best tips.

So, I want to start off by asking you, why is it that the cleaning products I'm using in my home or my car or wherever, why do they matter?

Lauren: Yeah, I think sometimes when we think about cleaning products we think of, "It doesn't really matter because I'm not putting it on or in my body." But reality is, if it's going and getting sprayed, that smell, that clean smell that we all love, we're breathing it in. And if it makes it into your lungs, it's making it into your bloodstream. So, it is getting into your body. That's just one way.

Then we go and we spray it on our counters and we go to wipe. And how many of us are actually wearing gloves when we're cleaning our house? So, it's going in, it's getting absorbed through our skin. And then if you have little ones, you know that they put everything in their mouth, including--they'll lick, the counters and the table, and like all the random places. You're like, "I don't even know why my child just made that decision. But they did."

So, the cleaning products that we use every single day—they're one of our largest exposures, meaning they're things that we use. We don't think about them being a problem for us because we think it's not, again, getting applied to the body. So, what's the fear? What's the risk? And we just want things clean. And we think that that sanitary aspect of cleaners is going to make them priority over what our exposures could possibly be.

So, definitely, it's one of those easy ways to start making swaps in your home to reduce your toxic load, your toxic exposure. And you can still get the same cleaning power and beautiful, clean-smelling home with things that are much more safe and natural.

doTERRA: Yes, and I think that puts it in perspective a little bit more, especially with the kids. Everything ends up in their mouth and usually in your mouth as well.

Lauren: Absolutely. And those fur babies too, right? Because they're walking around, they're licking the floors. Their paws are on things. So, if you don't have little ones, if you have fur babies, instead they're getting exposed just the same way we are.

doTERRA: Right. So then how can I go to the products that I'm using or the products I'm considering—how do I tell if they are natural, if they're going to be something that I want to bring into my home?

Lauren: Well, so one of my favorite tips is there are a ton of apps that are free that you can get on your phone, that you can download and actually scan the barcode of any product. And I would suggest doing it in your home.

But also, if you're heading to the store and you're getting ready to pick something up because it's on sale. And this just seems so easy—"I'm right here. Might as well grab it." Now, whip out your phone, scan the barcode, and decide: am I willing to take the downside impact that these products are going to cause in my health just because it's on sale and it's in front of me right now?

So, first is getting more aware of the products you're using. What are they rated? So, most of the apps will rate them on a scale of 1 to 10. One being like “great job.” This is really clean or a ten like super toxic. And then they'll even go into the details and they'll tell you, okay, it's a respiratory irritant or it's a known carcinogen, or it's an endocrine disruptor. And here's the specific ingredients in it.

There's a website from the EWG you can go on, and you can actually list out any ingredient from any product, and it will rate it right in front of you, if you don't like to use any of those apps.

So, definitely become more aware of the products that you're using--the ingredients, and don't just trust the label. Because there's something called greenwashing, which means if they make it look organic or they use certain color schemes then you're automatically going to think, "This is obviously a clean green cleaning product, right?" And it's not—it was just really good marketing. So, turn it around, read the label, learn to scan and become really aware of what each of those ingredients' impacts are down the road.

doTERRA: Absolutely. That greenwashing is something that I've noticed a lot more in the last few years. A lot of companies are noticing that people don't want these toxic chemicals in their homes, so they're trying to sneak themselves in there as a good option.

Lauren: Right. "If it's aesthetically pleasing, it must be safe." And that just isn't the case.

doTERRA: Lauren, I know one fear that people have when we talk about reducing the toxicity in your home or getting these toxic products out of your home, they worry that they're going to have to then DIY all of their cleaning products, all of their options. What do you tell those people?

Lauren: Okay, so, I personally really like to DIY. I think it's a lot of fun. It's something that I've done with my kids for a long time because I like customizing my recipes. But I find that fun.

And like you said, not everybody else might find that quite as fun. So, there are clean products out there. I really love doTERRA products. I love the abode line, it's amazing. Again, that same EWG website that I mentioned previously—you can go there and you can type in the ingredients in any of the abode products, and it will rate it and it will tell you all about them.

So again, trust in safety, with everything that doTERRA does. We pursue what's pure, and that includes the products that we tell you to bring into your home and the ingredients that they consist of. But yeah, so DIY is really like how do I customize?

For example, I like taking the abode Cleaner Concentrate . . . and we don't have anything that's like a soft scrub. And I grew up on a soft scrub in every room of the house. It was just the way we cleaned counters and bathrooms and all the things, right? So, I take that abode Cleaner, Concentrate, and I can just mix in a little bit of baking soda, and I have my soft scrub. I have one that's safer my kids can use. And that's a big thing at my house.

Like, I don't know anybody else, but I like having my kids involved in the care of our home. So, I definitely want to make sure that anything that I'm asking my kids to use or do around the house, I also feel really safe and really good about. And there's no excuse for the little ones not to be involved in the cleaning process.

doTERRA: Absolutely. I love that. And the customization I think is, like you said, it's really cool if you're wanting to put in that effort, but otherwise those products, you know, like the abode line, the doTERRA On Guard line—they already exist. They're there. And then you can do more if you want to.

Lauren: Absolutely. And even if you want to like, change the way it smells. If you try adding Rosemary and Peppermint in with our abode, like the All-Purpose Cleaner for the counter spray, it's stunning. So, if you're like, "Well, I miss this scent, or this pine lemon scent that I grew up with." Great. We have pine oils, we have tree oils, and we have Lemon. Add them into the bottle. You get to customize your scent, even. So, for abode, if you're wanting to switch up the scent, you still have all the cleaning power that abode provides, and then: new smell.

doTERRA: Absolutely. Now, before we end, I want to know a little bit more about some of the essential oils I can use to clean my home, some of the doTERRA products I can pair them with. What are some of your favorites?

Lauren: So, I love citrus oils. I use them for absolutely everything. Currently we don't have a glass cleaning product, right? So I like using water, white vinegar, and Lemon oil, but you could swap that out for any citrus oil.

I have little ones who manage to get a hold of things like, I don't know, permanent markers and stickers and put them random places. So citrus oils, they're very cleansing, but they're also really good for those sticky residues, for cleaning things off.

Anything that we say has cleansing properties to it, grab it. So, our Tea Tree oil is a wonderful one I love. Any of our herb oils are really great to add into your cleaners. But citrus is definitely the go-to when it comes to cleaning. I think we have this connection, as well of seeing things that are clean, is smelling things, and we recognize them as being clean. So those citrus oils, they pack a punch when it comes to cleaning.

But additionally, like you come into your house or space that's been cleaned with anything with the citrus essential oil and you're like, "Yes, home, is clean. It's sanitary, it's safe to be in."

doTERRA: Yes. And usually everyone else notices too, which is an added bonus.

Lauren: Yeah. And then, you know, you can customize even for seasons. In the fall time, I love our Harvest Spice, I love Cinnamon, I love Cassia. Those are all ones that I add in to my cleaners coming in fall time, just because, again, I get to customize the way it smells and each of those oils pack their own punch with different properties that I want to be using around my home.

doTERRA: Those are fantastic recommendations. Lauren, thank you so much for joining us today and sharing a little bit of your knowledge with us.

Lauren: Thanks for letting me hang out.

doTERRA: The lemon is a frequent part of life. You see it at the grocery store. It's used to flavor food, beautify landscapes, and provide wellness benefits. It's easy to take something you might see every day for granted. But the lemon has a long and influential history.

Today, we're going to talk about some internal historical uses for these plants. Any internal benefits discussed are not applicable to aromatic or topical use. Also, various plant parts such as the leaves, bark, flower,, stem, fruit peel, bud, resin, etc. were often used for many different practices and benefits.

These historical uses are mentioned here to offer insight as we explore the history of oils and plants. As such, these ancient uses are solely for informational purposes and are not being advocated or recommended by doTERRA. Proceed at your own risk with such uses.

Like many other types of citrus fruits, lemons are believed to have originated in Southeast Asia. They've been connected to China, Burma, and a region of India known as Assam. However, it's unknown which of these regions was the original habitat of the lemon tree. Archaeological evidence suspects that lemons have been cultivated for over 4000 years, but have probably existed in the wild, in some form, for millions of years.

Lemons were brought out of Asia around 200 B.C., when they are said to have been used in Israel as part of Jewish rituals. By 200 A.D., traders had brought lemons to northern Italy. This is where they became popular among the Roman elite. They were later introduced to Persia and then to Iraq and Egypt around 700 A.D..

The lemon was first recorded in literature in a 10th century Arabic treatise on farming, and was also used as an ornamental plant in early Islamic gardens. Lemons spread through the Arab world and the Mediterranean region between 1000 and 1150 A.D.. The first substantial cultivation of lemons in Europe, however, began in Genoa in the middle of the 15th century.

The lemon was later introduced to the Americas in 1493, when Christopher Columbus brought lemon seeds to Hispaniola on his voyages. Spanish conquest throughout the New World helped spread lemon seeds. It was mainly used as an ornamental plant and for its wellness properties. But in the 19th century, lemons were increasingly planted in Florida and California.

Speaking of wellness properties, the lemon has long been sought out for its benefits. In ancient Rome and Egypt, lemon juice and oil would both be used in wellness practices. Ancient Egyptians would ingest the juice of a lemon regularly for its benefits, and the Greeks also believed the juice had beneficial properties.

Up to the present day, the lemon's sacred properties can be seen in Chinese wellness practices and in the Europeans' use of its oil and natural wellness practices. Lemons are also widely used in Ayurveda, and lemons and lemon essential oil are known in Ayurveda for their ability to stimulate four of our five senses.

In literature, lemons are a symbol of cleansing, freshness, and healing. In the Catholic tradition, the lemon tree is often associated with the Virgin Mary because it is a symbol of fidelity of love. However, the lemon is also symbolic of bitterness and disappointment because its fruit is sour.

In dreams, a lemon is said to represent bitterness or indicate a state of perpetual troubles, while lemonade suggests acceptance. The lemon has come to symbolize many, sometimes opposing ideas, depending on the culture. Sometimes it is considered a symbol of longevity, purification, love and friendship, and other times it is seen to be symbolic of bitterness and disappointment. And because it was imported at great expense to some countries, it also has become a symbol of wealth.

Looking at art, bitter oranges and lemons have been found in portraits since the 15th century. Various meanings are tied up with the fruits and art. Often a citrus fruit represented the social or moral status of the portrait subjects.

But citrus fruits could also point to personal botanical preference and to dream destinations in southern climates. With the lemon's extensive and storied history, it has come to mean so many things to so many people. It is definitely one of our favorites, and we know that you and your family will love it as well.

Thanks for joining us and congratulations on living a healthier lifestyle with essential oils. If you want to try any of the products you learned about, click on the link in the episode description or find a Wellness Advocate near you to place an order today.

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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.