Steering away from ‘super-sensitize me’ products

Steering away from ‘super-sensitize me’ products

What if you had a condition that made your lungs or skin very sensitive to all kinds of products? What if you also relied on your sense of smell, rather than sight, to help you determine the best products to use in your home? 

Chatting recently with someone who happens not only to be very sensitive to products and fragrances, and also who is unable to see reinforced for us at Koala Eco that for many people, natural products are not just a ‘nice to have,’ but an ‘essential to have.’ Put simply, their health depends on it.

And they have to trust that the ingredients listed really are hypoallergenic and non-toxic. Take Jess and Dee’s mum, for example, who suffers from contact dermatitis and can only use Koala Eco products. Anything else will cause her skin to break out in an unpleasant rash. 

The essential oils we use at Koala Eco are carefully balanced with the other ingredients, because even essential oils, in the wrong concentration, can trigger sensitivities.  People who live with ADHD or with Autism Spectrum Disorder, for example, can experience hyperosmia (a heightened sense of smell) to uncomfortable degrees. The impact of Koala Eco products on extra-sensitive people is always being considered by Jess, who has a Masters in Social Psychology, and by Dee, who holds licenses as a Professional Clinical Counsellor and a Marriage and Family Therapist in addition to her Masters.      

Everyone has their own favourites when it comes to essential oils. Mandarin is celebrated as the ‘happy’ oil, while Eucalyptus gives off a fabulous foresty incense. Peppermint is like a clean blade of fresh, while Rosalina is warmer and earthier with lavender tones.

Imagine that your sense of smell, rather than sight, is your way of ‘reading’ the world. You’re many times more sensitive to anything synthetic (artificial fragrances are often derived from petroleum) or ‘off.’ And perhaps your respiratory system is just a little bit more finely-tuned and thus easily upset. That’s why every product line we make is rigorously tested to ensure it contains absolutely the right balance, will perform correctly, and also will safely release the entirely natural fragrance of the oils from which it’s made.

And we’re fiercely protective of our certifications and credentials, which we’ve worked hard to obtain: Made Safe, Australian Certified Toxic-Free, Australian Allergy Certified, Vegan Australia Certified, and Australian-Made and Owned, and Made in USA with Australian Essential Oils.

← Older Post Newer Post →

A World That Can Hold Us

A World That Can Hold Us

“In wildness is the preservation of the world.”— Henry David Thoreau A major paper in Science Advances recently described mental health as an “ecosystem service”...

Read more
Milk's Leap

Milk's Leap

An Hour in Nature with Sam and Ellie Studd "Cheese is milk's leap toward immortality," wrote Clifton Fadiman. Sam and Ellie Studd grew up cheese...

Read more
How Trees Can Teach Us Self-Compassion

How Trees Can Teach Us Self-Compassion

Many of us are far more critical of ourselves than we would ever be of others. We move quickly from one task to the next,...

Read more
The Relief of Not Thinking About Everything

The Relief of Not Thinking About Everything

“I have done a terrible thing, I have postulated a source of boredom, namely awareness.”— Fernando Pessoa One of the quiet burdens of modern life...

Read more
Alone, But Not Lonely

Alone, But Not Lonely

What a Norwegian lake can teach us about the difference between solitude and loneliness “I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude,”...

Read more
What does nature smell like?

What does nature smell like?

"Nothing is more memorable than a smell." Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of the Senses What does nature smell like to you? The question is...

Read more