Live Well with Leonie

Not one of my faves but I know others loved these so here you go!

And we're now sharing it with you!
More info via the link in comments 👇

Investigating a post this morning, I came across this study. Thought y’all might find it equally as interesting.

Such an amazing oil is Copaiba!

Investigation of Copaifera genus as a new source of antimycobaterial agents This paper reports on the antimycobacterial activity of the oleoresins and extracts obtained from Copaifera spp. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and fractional inhibitory concentration index techniques helped to evaluate the effect of ...

When you’re a tad achey from the week’s excitement and fun.

A blissful bath with magnesium salt and AromaTouch. Perfect.

Have you seen the new Thermomix recipe collection on Cookidoo?

If your Varoma steamer attachment languishes in a cupboard somewhere, you are SO missing out on a fantastic way of cooking.

I use my Varoma most days to steam cook or reheat foods. I don’t have a microwave so reheat my food in my Varoma! The TM7’s huge Varoma makes my life so easy!

Do check out the new collection!

https://cookidoo.com.au/collection/en-AU/p/col502584

This is one of the charities dōTERRA’s Healing Hands Foundation supports. The work they do to help people of all ages and sexes who have been trapped in sexual slavery is just incredible.

At our dōTERRA Convention held on Friday and Saturday on the Gold Coast, together through donations and purchasing special products created by dōTERRA that support their Healing Hands Foundation, we raised $15,000 which was then matched by Healing Hands resulting in a total donation of $30,000.

This is the heart of dōTERRA - helping others.

Breaking news: 16-year-old girl rescued from forced “marriage.”

Earlier this year, someone tricked Phuong into leaving the safety of her community with false promises of steady work. They then trafficked her out of Vietnam and sold her to a man looking for a wife.

After two months in slavery, Phuong found a phone and bravely reached out to the Vietnamese authorities. We then worked with the police to bring her safely home.

Now that Phuong is back with her family, she can rely on Blue Dragon for everything she needs to heal and thrive.

I was talking recently to some friends about how dangerous w**d killers like RoundUp are to our health.

We discussed alternatives and one I suggested was this recipe from my friend Krissy Ballinger.

Natural solutions! They work and they’re not going to poison the waterways, your pets, or us!

Thanks Krissy!

💦

Here’s a little nudge to put down the commercial w**d spray and give this natural alternative a whirl. Keep watching to see the results after 24 hours 👀 👌 Recipe below.

1. Add 1 cup of vinegar and 2 tbsp of salt to a saucepan and heat on low until the salt has dissolved.

2. Allow to cool, add 1 tbsp of castile soap and 10 drops of an essential oil like lemon, orange or lime, and mix until combined.

3. Transfer into a spray bottle and get cracking 🌱☠️

To use: Shake well and spray liberally on w**ds, coating stems and leaves (being mindful not to spray on grass or other plants you want to keep!). Apply on a sunny day for best results.

Tips 💡 The highest strength vinegar you can source, the better. Boiling water and flame-w**ding are great options for concrete paths and driveways.

Full recipe (free online): https://krissyballinger.com.au/recipes/natural-w**d-spray/

Recipe also in my book Naturally Inspired: https://krissyballinger.com.au/naturally-inspired-diy-recipe-book/ Grab your copy for $49.95 💚

Naturally Inspired DIY Recipe Book | Krissy Ballinger - Naturally Inspired Discover 130+ simple recipes and guides for a natural home and body in this new and improved 3rd edition. Make natural DIY easy and fun!

I’d love to know what’s in it!

As someone who now makes their own natural perfumes using pure essential oils, I’m thinking this probably is much the same - pure essential oils, perhaps a distilled hydrosol or two.

Isn’t it lovely and so fascinating!

Would you like me make an essential oil blend that might be something like what the ancient Romans would have made (in my mind anyway)?

The Only Intact Roman Perfume Still Exists—and It's Kept in Turin

One of the most extraordinary survivals from the Roman world: a perfume that has remained sealed for nearly 2,000 years.

This elegant dove-shaped vessel, about 20 centimeters (8 inches) long, is the only known Roman perfume container that has reached us still sealed with its original liquid inside.

It was discovered during excavations at Rovasenda, in northern Italy, and dates to the middle of the 1st century AD.

The vessel was made using free-blown glass, a technique developed in the Syro-Palestinian region during the 1st century BC before spreading rapidly across the Roman Empire.

It was designed to hold precious perfumes or scented oils. To use its contents, the owner would have had to snap off the long, pointed tail—much like opening a modern single-use glass ampoule.

But that never happened.

The tail remained intact, leaving the vessel sealed for almost two millennia.

Inside is a clear liquid, filling about half the container, along with a faint pinkish sediment resting on the bottom and partly inside the bird's head.

Exactly what the liquid originally contained remains uncertain. Over the centuries its chemical composition has changed, making it impossible to know its original fragrance with complete certainty.

Today, this tiny glass dove is preserved at the Museum of Antiquities in Turin, where it remains one of the rarest and most remarkable survivals of Roman craftsmanship—and perhaps the closest thing we have to a perfume bottle left unopened since the time of the Roman Empire.

Thanks for sharing this Santoshi, it’s great info!

I’m an eachway bet on these. I do love Peppermint for fresh breath, and particularly keeping my airways open. Spearmint is great in homemade scents tho and reminds me of those delish spearmint leaves from childhood.

At first glance, they seem almost identical.
Same mint family. Same fresh aroma. Both wonderful oils.
So... are they basically interchangeable?
Not quite.

I decided to find out for myself.
I popped a drop of each in my mouth, one after the other.
And do you know what? They actually felt quite different.

❄️ Peppermint gave me a real lift. Bright, fresh and instantly cooling.
🌿 Spearmint was softer. Sweeter. Gentler. It felt calmer somehow.

That got me curious, so I started digging into the science...
It all comes down to their natural chemistry.

❄️ Peppermint (Mentha piperita) is naturally high in menthol (around 30–50%), which gives that unmistakable cooling sensation and refreshing aroma. It's the one I reach for on a hot day or after exercise.
🌿 Spearmint (Mentha spicata) is much higher in carvone (around 60–70%) with only a little menthol. That's why it feels softer, sweeter and gentler.

But the differences don't stop there...
In Australia, both oils have TGA-approved traditional uses, yet each has its own strengths.

❄️ Peppermint is traditionally used in aromatherapy to:

Help reduce the symptoms of mild tension headaches.
Support cognitive function.

And in Western herbal medicine to:
Relieve digestive discomfort and abdominal spasms.
Relieve nausea.
Relieve the symptoms of a sore throat.

🌿 Spearmint is traditionally used in aromatherapy to:
Soothe and calm the nerves.
Help relieve the symptoms of stress.
Relieve digestive discomfort.

And in Western herbal medicine to:
Reduce excess intestinal gas.
Relieve abdominal spasms.
Relieve nausea.

Here's something else I found fascinating...
In emotional aromatherapy, Spearmint is often called the Oil of Confident Speech. If you tend to hold back, feel timid, or go quiet when it's your turn to speak up, this may just be the oil for you. 💚

So they're not quite the twins they appear to be.
Two plants from the same family... each with its own unique gifts.

How about you?
Are you Team Peppermint or Team Spearmint? 😊

Now isn't this fascinating!

Which way do you walk?

Next time you walk, watch which way you turn Scientists observed a surprising directional bias across dozens of walking experiments. Credit: Ryutaro Tsukata/Pexels