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Finding the right work-life balance is by no means a new issue in our society.
Want to make soap but worried about working with lye? Here's how to make soap without lye! (aka melt and pour soap)
YAY! If you are here, you have expressed interest in essential oils and that alone makes me so excited for you! I have never sold anything like this in my life but recently started selling oils because of how greatly my life and health have been affected. I have used many essential oils and many […]
Essential oils are not "essential" for anything. In fact, essential oils are the exact opposite of essential. Essential oils are inessential for your health and inessential in your skincare. Essential oils are downright bad for your skin. Essential oils may smell nice but they wreak havoc on your skin. If essenti
Essential oils have exploded in popularity over the last couple of years. But when it comes to using essential oils with my dog, I did a bit (ok, I did A LOT) of research into oils because I wanted to make sure that anything I might potentially introduce into my home would be safe for ... Read more
Essential oils are celebrated for their healing properties, but their effect on acne can be anything but positive and can result in exacerbated breakouts and allergic reactions.
Knowing where to buy essential oils isn’t as simple as it may seem. Like choosing your doctor, you should be careful not to settle for anything but the best. I have done my best to help you navigate these often muddy waters, and I strongly recommend that you bookmark this page because it will serve to answer most of your questions about how to choose the best essential oils brands for you and your family!
If you know anything about Organic formulations you know that Essential oils and Carrier oils are used all the time. They provide amazing benefits for your skin and hair making them an important formulation ingredient. So if you've ever wondered what's the difference between the two, you can read about them here with the examples:
“All who know the pure product and use it with understanding come to respect the essential oils. One cannot but admire their ability to operate effectively not only on the cellular, physical level, but in the emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and aesthetic areas of our lives also. If anything in this world is holistic, it is...Read More »
Tiny Apothecary Essentials A few years ago, natural remedies were anything but simple in my home. With cupboards full of herbs, essential oils and raw ingredients, large totes full of supplies in the garage and a drawer full of accessories, my apothecary was out of control. Since then, I’ve simplified and can create multiple natural […]
I am beyond excited about essential oils (duh) and I have collected quite a few of them in my years of natural living. When you start one oil at a time a single big way to store the oils seems insane (it's not) so I've been using these smaller methods: 5 Essential Oil Storage Solutions. But then I had a moment. My brain exploded when I saw my friend's visual essential oil display. GORGEOUS. After all, I love essential oils so YES! I WANT ONE! I honestly tried to resist the desire to get this beauty (you probably will too), but then I finally caved when I rationalized that it is an artistic expression of myself. After all, essential oils are important to me so shouldn't they take center stage at my home? First Impressions Obviously, it's amazing. This essential oil storage display has been exactly what I needed! I keep looking at it and smiling which makes Clint laugh at me... in pure adoration, I am sure. I have had a few people come over since I got it and everyone compliments it, and enjoys sniffing the oils and asking questions-- even if they aren't oily yet! I am thrilled to be able to share my love for natural living more easily using this display as a conversation starter! I also love that it has a nature theme and it goes perfectly with the idea of essential oils! Puuur-fect. Where Is This Available At? Lucky for you they are on Amazon. There are two options for sizes so there is really something for everyone! I got the larger one which is a 6-Tier Wall Art Display Rack. It holds approximately 200 essential oils or you can mix and match with various other supplies. Each shelf is pretty wide so it is possible to actually add a second row of 5 ml essential oils behind the first row of essential oils if you are completely oily obsessed (like me). I Don't Have That Many Essential Oils... If you are worried that the 6 tier wall display will be too big, then check out the 5 Tier Wall Art Display. Not only is it smaller, but the price tag is significantly reduced as well! And consider storing other items like small books, smaller diffusers (USB, Travel), diffuser supplies, DIY bottles or carrier oils on the rack as well. I honestly wish I got this from the start because I think being creative with what you display allows you to grow into the display rack rather than spending money on multiple little storage solutions which made me unsure of where anything actually was located. To give you a different idea on how this can work let me tell you about how my friends and I organized this display. I put all of my essential oils in line alphabetically, but a few of my friends, Robin and Jennifer, also have this display and they organize theirs a little differently. Robin has also added many other items to really show off the entire idea of DIYing while Jennifer organizes her essential oils by collections or types (aka emotional oils, pet oils). But there is no wrong way! Be creative and I'm sure it will look amazing! Final Thoughts and Other Options If you are a bit mechanically challenged, then you should know that this is also very easy to set up and it is very light weight, but also durable. I had no trouble picking it up with one hand and holding it in place while I marked the location on the wall for the screws and anchors. It was very easy for even a very non-mechanical person like me! Other options for a wall display would be to go thrifting and see if you can find something to recycle and renew! I've seen a lot of great DIYs made from old drawers, cabinets and other unusual items. If you are more of the "I Do It Myself" DIY type and want to make your display case, then check out this post from my friend Kara: Make Your Own DIY Wall Shelf I am seriously just so thrilled about this essential oil display! It received such a positive reception both in my Facebook Group and by my own friends and family that I had to share it with you guys! I hope you like it, too!
Homemade Sprays for Your Sacred Space Essential oil based sprays are useful for clearing the energy of your space, refreshing your energy body, or simply providing a sensory link to whatever mood you're trying to create. With the huge range of essential oil options available on today's market thanks to the popularity of aromatherapy, your options are endless! While it may sound intimidating, it's actually quite easy to create your own room and aura sprays. Making your own sprays helps to focus your intentions and add a touch of sensory magic to your sacred space – and it's a wonderful way to get started exploring the properties of essential oils! In this blog post, we'll describe each of the elements you'll need to create a homemade room spray and provide some examples for inspiration. What You'll Need to Get Started: A spray bottle. An indigo glass bottle looks pretty and will shield contents from light exposure (to help keep bacteria and fungus from growing in your spray), but just about any small spray bottle will do. Water. Spring water or distilled water is best. (Tap water works, but be aware it can leave mineral deposits in your bottle and may contain unwanted additives.) For an extra special spray you can even use rainwater, snowmelt, or water charged with moonlight! Disinfectant: We use a small amount of witch hazel to keep our sprays fresh over time, but you can also use vodka or vegetable glycerine. (For this purpose, cheap alcohol is fine) Essential oil or oils: Be sure to use pure essential oils rather than perfume oils, since anything containing lipids will separate from the water instead of mixing. It's fun to experiment with blends of two or three oils, but single-scent sprays are great too! Crystal chips: While totally optional, a few small small crystals can boost the energy and/or the intention of the spray. Try to match the intention of your spray with the crystal you add. Mixing Your Spray For every 2 oz (about ¼ cup or 60 ml) of finished spray, you'll use 1 tsp. disinfectant and about 4-8 drops of essential oil, filling the rest of the bottle with water. Make sure to focus mentally on your intentions as you work. You may even want to speak your purpose as a verbal affirmation while creating your spray. If you choose to add a small crystal, save this step for the end, as a way to "seal" your intention into the spray. Sample spray recipes to inspire you: Lavender Spray for Relaxation Floral & herbaceous 2 oz. distilled water 1 tsp. witch hazel or vodka 8 drops Lavender essential oil Amazonite or Rose Quartz crystal chip Citrus Blend Spray for Energizing Refreshing & bright 2 oz. distilled water 1 tsp. witch hazel or vodka 4 drops Grapefruit essential oil 4 drops Lemongrass essential oil Red Jasper or Rutilated Quartz crystal chip Vetiver & Patchouli Spray for Meditation Deep & earthy 2 oz. distilled water 1 tsp. witch hazel or vodka 4 drops Vetiver essential oil 4 drops Patchouli essential oil Orange Aventurine or Amethyst crystal chip
We keep Lavender essential oil well stocked in our home. I go through more of this oil than any other and I love it. You might be surprised when you smell therapeutic grade lavender essential oil because of it’s potency and plant-like scent. It is amazing. Lavender is known as the “swiss army knife” of essential oils because of the wide variety of amazing uses and benefits. Moms, you don’t want to run out of lavender! Put it on your Essential Rewards box each month – you’ll be glad you did! 10 Amazing Uses for Lavender Essential Oil 1. Lavender essential oil is commonly called the “Swiss Army knife” of essential oils because it can be used for just about anything. I keep a bottle in my purse because I never know when I’m going to need it. 2. Add 2-3 drops to a diffuser to invoke a beautiful night’s rest. 3. Inhale deeply to help calm emotions or feel balanced. I let my children do this too! 4. Diffuse for a fresh, clean scent and to eliminate odors. 5. Add to a roller bottle along with Cedarwood and a carrier oil. Roll down you or your child’s spine each night for a restful […]
So you want some essential oils? Go you. Essential oils have changed my life. I know it sounds cliche and silly, but it is the truth. Got time for a story? When I was 30, I woke up and had trouble moving one side of my body. Doctors thought I had a stroke. Thankfully, I didn't, but I was told that my life would never be the same. After 6 months of testing-- I still had no answers and no options except a bucket full of pills. NO THANK YOU. I consulted "Dr. Google" and he told me that I was likely in "Toxic Overload". I spent weeks researching chemicals, nutrition, leaky gut and everything that goes along with it. Once I decided to detox my body, my diet, and home-- my life changed. In 3 months, I was improving. In 6 months, the doctors said I was a miracle. 12 months later, I was back to normal. But I know the TRUTH and that truth set me free. Chemicals are killing us. Why Essential Oils? I used to buy store bought essential oils because I'm CHEAP. Who wants to spend $23 on a bottle of lavender? Not this girl! I'd rather buy important stuff. Like shoes. I also used to get skin rashes and headaches when I used them. I thought this was normal or allergies or just my body being weird because it does that. I didn't know that many companies use synthetic or add chemicals to their essential oils to make them more affordable. What the heck is the point if we want to decrease chemicals to buy more chemicals?! It makes me so mad that there are so many products that we think are good for us, but they are just junk. How on earth are we supposed to detox our homes if we can't trust most companies to not mislead us? Let's get this straight: not all essential oils are created equally-- neither are the results! So, why not be awesome and join the best essential oil company on the planet, like I did? It's easy and BONUS: you get to join a super awesome team of people. Also, me. You also get me. How To Start With The Best and Oldest Essential Oil Company Step 1: Start with a Premium Starter Kit to gain a membership and 24% off all future products OR buy retail to get a taste and see if you like it. Get one by clicking HERE As a wholesale member, there are four Premium Starter Kits to choose from so let's talk about which is right for YOU. "Original" Premium Starter Kit: This is the classic kit and it tends to be the most popular option. It comes with essential oils, a diffuser, samples and a lot more. This is great for people who want to DIY and have a lot of options on how they use their products. Thieves Premium Starter Kit: A Non-Toxic Cleaning Kit in a Box. This is a GREAT way to start if you want to detox your home using pre-made products and a simple, concentrated cleaner-- just add water and off you go! Savvy Mineral Makeup Premium Starter Kit: It's a non-toxic Makeup Kit that allows you to ditch your most toxic makeup products in one swoop! I love them all, but most people get started with the original (essential oil goals) then Thieves Premium Starter Kits (cleaning goals) and the Savvy Mineral kits (beauty goals) so let's chat about those! There is no wrong choice. It's all about your goals and what you want to do. If you need any help deciding, just ask and I can help point you in the right direction. Membership Perks 24% off ALL future purchases $50 for referring friends and family to a premium starter kit Member exclusive freebies and promotions No obligation to ever sell anything or buy anything. Optional loyalty program called Essential Rewards where you can earn free products and discounted shipping! Here's how you get started: Get yourself a Premium Starter Kit! They are the best way to start your journey into the world of natural living because they have everything you need in one box to get started on your goals. The "Original" Premium Starter Kit I want to focus for a second on the original Premium Starter Kit because it is the most popular. Here’s what you get from Young Living's Premium Starter Kit, (aka the "Original" Premium Starter Kit): Ten 5ml bottles of essential oils: Lavender, Peppermint, Lemon, Valor, Peace & Calming, Frankincense, Thieves, Citrus Fresh, Raven, DiGize, PanAway A bonus bottle of the popular StressAway blend. A full-size home diffuser of your choice Aroma Glide roller fitment (to turn any oil into a roll-on) Waterless hand purifier + thieves spray Two NingXia Red 2oz samples (an antioxidant drink concentrate that’s a great supplement for supporting health and wellbeing) You can do all kinds of things with this kit so it's a great fit for just about anyone! You can use these essential oils for emotional goals, DIY cleaning/beauty, health, wellness, children, pets, food, and a lot more! Total value: $300 You pay: $160 – that’s almost 50% off! Ready to go?! You can Get Your Essential Oil Premium Starter Kit by Clicking Here Not quite ready? Got Questions? Click here to see the Essential Oils 101 Class. Essential Oils 101 With healthcare clinics on every corner and almost 6,000 registered hospitals in the US, we are armed and ready to be sick. But what if we as a society made a shift, and were better at heal… Go to this Sway The Thieves Premium Starter Kit If you want to detox your home quickly this is the best deal by far! It's easy to use and you don't need a big learning curve especially since a lot of the products are already premade! A 15-ml bottle of essential oils of Thieves A bonus 5-ml bottle of the popular StressAway blend 2 bottles of Thieves Household Cleaner An Aromabright Toothpaste 2 Hand Purifiers A Fresh Essence Mouthwash 2 Foaming Hand Soaps 2 Thieves Sprays 2 sample packets for you to share with your friends or to use on yourself-- I don't judge. 2 NingXia Red 2oz samples (an antioxidant drink concentrate that’s a great supplement for supporting health and wellbeing) What makes this kit so special is the Thieves Household Cleaner. It is a concentrated cleaner that can replace up to 95% of cleaning products just by diluting a little bit of the cleaner. It smells great (like gingerbread) and it cleans like a boss!! Just check out this graphic below for a sample of what it can do! Total value: $300 You pay: $160 – that’s almost 50% off! Ready to go?! You can Get Your Thieves Premium Starter Kit by Clicking Here *The prices are already adjusted to reflect the sale! The Savvy Mineral Premium Starter Kit This is a great way to start if your primary goal has to do with skincare and getting rid of chemicals in your beauty routine. Foundation Blush Lipgloss 3 Eyeshadows Misting Spray Foundation Brush 5-ml Bottle of Lavender 2 sample packets each of Lavender, Peppermint, Peace and Calming, Lemon, and Thieves (for you to share with your friends or to use on yourself-- I don't judge.) 2 NingXia Red 2oz samples (an antioxidant drink concentrate that’s a great supplement for supporting health and wellbeing) Total Value: $261 You Pay: $150-- that's over $110 in savings! Ready to go? You can Get Your Savvy Mineral Makeup Kit By Clicking Here Or check out these links if you want more information about the Savvy Mineral Makeup Kit or How to Pick the Right Foundation. Questions about Signing Up for Young Living? from Young Living on Vimeo. Remember-- start small! There is no need to rush because with every change you make-- you are moving forward towards a bigger picture. Work on tossing the stuff with fragrance-- candles, air fresheners, dryer sheets, dish soap, plug-ins, cleaning supplies. It's that easy! Just take it one month at a time. I always recommend getting on Essential Rewards (the auto-ship program) because you can make each month a different kind of chemical-free box to work on your goals. Spend $50 a month on new products like the Thieves Laundry Soap, some Savvy Mineral Makeup, or a new essential oil! These small steps will help your family stay healthier and happier for years to come! You matter. Your family matters. And you have the power to take control of your own home. Kick those chemicals to the curb! Find out more about Essential Rewards here: https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/opportunity/essential-rewards Let Me Help You I want to help you create a non-toxic oasis for your family. You won't do this alone. When you join my essential oil team, I provide you with resources to help you succeed. Online Classes Facebook Support Groups Text Classes to your cell phone 1:1 Consults with me as needed Additional team members to offer support and encouragement Team Giveaways Resources And more! After you join my team, I’ll be sending you a welcome text with a 101 Essential Oil course so be sure to include your CELL PHONE NUMBER when you enroll! From there, you will have options to sign up for my Tips and Tricks series, other essential oil classes and the option to text me to get 1:1 help. Want more ideas on how to use the Premium Starter Kit? Check out this blog post about 50+ ways to use these essential oils! And you gotta watch my video about how to use your Premium Starter Kit once you get it!! SERIOUSLY! WATCH IT! Interested in Sharing Essential Oils? If you decide that you do want to share your YL oils as a business or just a little bit of extra money, then please let me know! Many people build their business with friends and family with the goal of having their oils paid for every month. We have resources such as FREE classes and mentorships to help those who are interested in building. I would love for you to join my essential oils team! WebRep currentVote noRating noWeight
If you’re like me, you love reading anything you can get your hands on about aromatherapy and essential oils. Books about being an entrepreneur, building a business, and social media also excite…
Homestead Blog Hop will take place every Wednesday and is for all things homesteading: real food recipes, farm animals, crafts, DIY, how-to's, gardening, anything from-scratch, natural home/health, self-sufficiency, self-reliance, natural remedies, essential oils, & more! Basically anything related to homesteading.
OMG! Everyone wants to know about carrier oils!! One of the most popular questions I get is "Which carrier oil should I use?" Oh, Lordy! That's a heavy question. {sigh} The answers really range from "Anyone you want!!!" to "You probably should use coconut oil for that". There are so many factors, but I've dedicated my WEEK to writing this post to answer your most pressing questions. Lucky you!! YAY! In my mind, there are really two completely different rules to using carrier oils when it comes to beauty {aka your face} vs simple dilution for essential oils, so we're going to talk about both today! What is a Carrier Oil? The term is half misleading. It's doesn't even have to be an oil, but it does carrier extra ingredients to a larger surface area. Example: One drop of lavender essential oils doesn't cover much of your skin, but 1 drop of lavender and 1 drop of almond oil will cover at least double the surface area. A carrier oil has two purposes (in my mind anyways): you use to either dilute an essential oil or something that you use to get a specific use or consistency from (example: coconut oil makes great salves). So many things can be used as a carrier oils. I'll try to list them for you {clears throat}.... Almond oil, jojoba oil, mango butter, beeswax, coconut oil, olive oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, aloe vera, rosewater, castile soap, grapeseed oil, hemp seed oil, hazelnut oil, rosehips oil, argan oil, aloe vera gel, salt, V6, sugar.... omg. I'm tried. There is more, but I give up. P.S. Mineral oil is NOT a carrier oil. Gross. It's derived from petroleum! Yuck. Carrier Oils for Beauty When you are looking for a carrier oil to use for beauty you may be looking for something to dilute your essential oils with or you might be looking for something more specific like the Oil Cleansing Method or to help support aging (::cough cough:: use ROSEHIPS). There are a lot of options! Annnnnd... that's probably why it's so confusing, right? First, you have to identify your skin type (take this quiz if you aren't sure). Once you figure out your skin type, then it's a lot easier to narrow down your selection for oils. Normal Skin: Any light carrier oil such as Hempseed, Coconut oil, Grapeseed, Sunflower, Sweet Almond Oily Skin: Grapeseed, Sweet Almond, Apricot Oil, Jojoba, Sunflower, Hempseed, Tung oil Dry Skin: Avocado Oil, Sweet Almond, Olive Oil, Rosehips Sensitive Skin: Jojoba Oil, Sesame seed, Sweet Almond, Apricot, Mature Skin: Jojoba, Avocado, Apricot, Sesame seed, Rosehips *Note that if you have a food allergy or sensitivity to a the food product listed in the oil, then do not use that oil on your body or face It's important to note that being on this list doesn't promise that it will work for your skin type. Our skin will decide which oil it likes the most and remember that skin takes two weeks to turn over so anything that pops up between week 1-2 was probably already going to happen. You'll know which carrier works for your skin type because your skin will readily absorb the oil and you shouldn't feel oily or sticky afterwards AND you don't get any comedogenic acne. (Pssst. don't worry-- we will talk about that!) Some of my favorite skin care recipes using these carrier oils are.... DIY Facewash Lavender Rosehips Moisturizer Eye Serum Blending Carrier Oils Some people chose to use two or three carrier oils at a time to maximize the benefits. Feel free to mix one or more of these oils together, but be careful not to over do it because if you have a reaction to one-- then it will be harder to narrow down which one cause a problem! You can read more about how to blend oils on my post Troubleshooting the Oil Cleansing Method. Comedogenic Rating One of the biggest problems with using carrier oils for skin care is comedogenic issues. This is NOT regular pimples! These are teeny hard white bumps that pop up usually around 2 weeks from when you start using carrier oils on your skin. The most popular areas for comedogenic blemishes seem to be on the chin and forehead, but they can show up just about anywhere. Each carrier oil has a Comedogenic Rating. My friend Kara from LifeSanity was kind enough to make this amazing graphic to demonstrate the comedogenic rating of several popular carrier oils. Just because something has a high Comedogenic rating doesn't mean you shouldn't use it! A lot of people use oils like Coconut oil with a lot of success, but it does mean that if you have a reaction then you may want to remove the oil with the highest comedogenic rating first. Carrier Oils for the Body The body isn't nearly as sensitive as the human face! THANK GOD! So we don't have to worry as much about the comedogenic ratings even with people who have super sensitive skin (like me!). There are a TON of carrier oils for the body including all the ones listed above for skin care, plus you can use shea butter, cocoa butter, beeswax, aloe vera, rose water, mango butter, castile soap... etc, but for the sake of this article we are going to focus on those that actually have OIL. Here are some of my favorite body recipes: Lavender Rose Hand Cream Chocolate Cinnamon Peppermint Body Butter Summer Time Lotion and Spray Aloe Vera Moisturizer (I use this on my face and my body! I love it!) How To Pick A Carrier Oil for Body Care When we are applying carrier oils to the body, I think it's more important to realize we need to pick an oil based on what we want. Do we need to achieve a purpose (wrinkles, blemishes, dry skin, etc) Are we looking to achieve a consistency (salve, body butter, balm, serum) What about scent? Do we just want to dilute an essential oil? If we are looking to achieve a purpose, then we can definitely use the chart above to find a carrier oil for our skin type. You may also want to add essential oils to your carrier oils to amplify it's purpose. I found that once I started adding quality essential oils to my carrier oils my results were seen quicker and more pronounced than before. I recommend this brand. If we are looking for consistency, then we want to pay attention to how the oils behave. If we want something that is going to stay a liquid, then we want a liquid carrier oil. Duh, right? But some carrier oils, namely coconut oil, will turn a solid when it gets cool, but it's a liquid when it's warm. If we make a coconut oil serum in the summer, we won't be able to use it very well in the winter! (The exception is fractionated coconut oil-- it's always a liquid). Likewise, that beautiful winter coconut oil salve you made this winter is going to change consistency in the summer. Adding beeswax and butter will help it retain it's shape. MAGIC FORMULA: 1/3 coconut oil, 1/3 beeswax, 1/3 butter = basic lotion, balms, body butters. You can change the consistency buy putting it in the fridge for 30 - 60 minutes then beating it with a blender or hand mixture. Another thing to consider is smell-- do you want it to smell nutty (hazelnut, almond) or fruity (coconut, apricot) or maybe sweet (cocoa butter)? Carrier oils can add to the depth of scent in your DIY recipe, but sometimes they can get in the way. For an unscented carrier oil, I loooooove jojoba oil. Using Carrier Oils with Essential Oils Alright, alright, now let's make this EASY for once, for God's sake! Everyone tries to make this soooooo complicated, but it's not. I PROMISE!! You can use ANY carrier oil to dilute essential oils! See-- easy. END OF BLOG POST. Oh, no? You want more? Okkkaayyy.... If you happen to use an essential oil brand that actually has dilution instructions on the bottles, then life is easy for you! Follow those instructions! But you can always dilute MORE if you want to stretch the oils (and your cash). If you don't use a high quality brand (store bought brands are NOT high quality FYI) then you may need to contact the company to find out instructions. They are often made with synthetics and need a heavier dilution OR are already heavily diluted with carrier oil. I recommend this brand I'm cheap so I dilute my essential oil by at least 50% every time, but I'm also a big fan of heavier dilutions too when I make a lot of my DIY products. I really recommend coconut oil for essential oils because it can be a base to so many of the different DIYs that you can make with it AND it's kind of amazing for skin care. You can watch this video for more information on how to safely dilute your essential oils and how to read labels. Reader Questions: If you are unsure if an essential oil requires dilution, dilute at least 50% with ANY carrier oil. That means for every 1 drop of essential oil use 1 drop of carrier oil. If it has a mild burning sensation, tingles, or just feels a little funny: Dilute it more heavily or stop using it! If I held you down and tormented you with chocolate, would you tell me which 3 carrier oils you'd recommend? Yes, but all you really needed was the chocolate. I do like your level of commitment though. 1. Coconut oil because it's so versatile 2. Jojoba because it's unscented 3. Rosehips oil (or Argan) because I'm obsessed with using it for face care. If you're putting essential oil on children: As a generality ALWAYS dilute essential oils when using them with children, but remember some essential oils are to be used with caution in children so I always recommend educating yourself. I like the Gentle Babies Book as a reference guide. Essential Oils and Pets: I recommend seeing a holistic vet in most cases just to be safe as so much depends on the metabolism, size, and health of your pet. Be very careful with cats in particular as they have very sensitive livers and some essential oils can cause damage if improperly used. Dogs are much more robust and can tolerate many essential oils easily. You can read this article for more ideas on how to use essential oils for your dog: 6 DIY's for Your Dog How about Cleaning? You can dilute with castile soap, vinegar, alcohol, or any of the regular DIY household products. What about DIY Wellness recipes? I always suggest buying a guide book similar to this one so that you can use your essential oils safely and effectively for your goal. Remember to dilute to the instructions on the back of the bottle, but you can dilute more to stretch the essential oil. Which carrier oils do you use and where do you buy them? I buy most of mine on Amazon because they have such a wide selection and it's easier to buy organic or non-GMO. Sweet Almond Oil Organic Pure Cold Pressed Nutiva Certified Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Jojoba Oil, Organic Organic Rosehip Oil I can't find the right blend or oil for my skin, what should I do? Be Patient. Skin turns over every 2 weeks so if you see something pop up right away-- it may have been coming anyways. I encourage most people to wait 2-4 weeks before changing their routine. Look at the chart at the top of this posts and see if you are using the right oils for your skin type. Adjust if you need to. Next look at the chart that has comedogenic ratings, remove or replace any oil that is high on the comedogenic rating list. Be MORE patient. Most people take 2-4 adjustments before they find their right carrier oil for skin care. What do I do if I need MORE help? You can join my Natural Living and Essential Oil Facebook Group. You can also read these for more information about how to use essential oils Essential Oils 101 (this one has the very basics of carrier oils) 50+ ideas on how to use the essential oils
Over the years I've gotten hundreds (if not thousands) of emails about DIY beauty and almost everyone has the same questions. Where do I even start? How long do I try a product before I switch? Should I keep my store bought products? How do I find my routine? Why does my skin look like this?! What's your beauty routine? So I'm going to be smart and answer all of those questions now. In one place. YAY for being smart! It just took me three years.... and my friend Natasha telling me to write this.... DETAILS! You should know that I'm not a doctor or a dermatologist. I'm just a really crunchy girl who happens to really like looking beauuuuutiful. I also may have done a lot of research (and experimentation) with DIY beauty. So let me tell you what I figured out... Where Do We Even Start?! Anywhere. I know. I know. That's not what you wanted to hear, but honestly starting anywhere is better than no where, am I right?! YES! Of course, I am! So pick your #1 concern. Is it spot for blemishes? A DIY face wash? Wrinkles around the eyes? Dry Skin? Go with your primary concern FIRST. You can find a list of DIY beauty products here to give you some ideas: DIY Beauty or Essential Oil Recipes IMPORTANT: Don't try to overhaul everything at once. WHY? Because you will have no clue which products work and which don't if you switch out your entire routine at the same time. Think about this: What if you overhaul your whole routine and you break out! What do you change? I have no clue. Do you have a clue? I'm going to guess... NO. So start with ONE new product. At. A. Time. PERIOD. No questions ask. ONE. That's all. ONE. Got that? ONE. Don't email me "Sherri, I started these 20 products two weeks ago and my skin is horrible. What do I do!?!" {head bangs against desk} Seriously, it hurts my heart every time I get an email like that. Don't hurt my heart. Puh-lease. Keep Store Bought Products or Toss? You may get better results if you stop all your store bought products and actually just wash your face with water and use your one new awesome DIY product. Scared? Most people freak out when I say that, but listen--- this is WHY. The chemicals and the oil stripping properties in the store bought products will fight against the natural DIY products because they have different goals. The store bought products want to strip oil while DIY products want to help the skin produce the right amount of oil. You can see the dilemma. However, if you want to use your fancy stuff and your DIY stuff at the same time-- you can. Just don't email me asking about why your skin is bipolar. It's literally fighting, confused and in a state of shock. It's not impossible to transition this way. It's just harder. What To Use Oils. Lots of oils. I KNOW! It's so weird!! But it's totally awesome! We think slathering our faces in oils will cause pimples, but let me tell you that we've been LIED to! Oils actually makes our skin look better and behave better! {mind blown}. You can also use aloe vera, avocado, bananas, honey, castile soap and other natural items for skin care. I find that using a mixture of carrier oils, essential oil and natural products works amazingly well for my skin and most of my readers, too! You do have a lot of choices about which products you use, but I ALWAYS suggest using unrefined, cold pressed carrier oils that are organic. A lot of times it's the pesticides and chemicals that our skin reacts to-- not the oils! Also, puh-lease also use essential oils that are grown beyond organic standards because due to poor labeling laws-- I don't trust what most essential oils say on the bottle! I always recommend getting the purest and most natural products possible because chemicals, pesticides, processing methods and other manufacturing tricks can cause our skin to become worse! And that leads a lot of people to believe that natural skin care isn't right for their bodies. For example, when I first started with DIY beauty, I used store bought essential oils and I broke out and I even developed a nasty eczema like rash. I thought all essential oils were created equal, but they aren't! I stayed away from all essential oils for DIY beauty until a friend told me about true difference in quality. Only when I found high quality therapeutic essential oils did I see the amazing difference that they made in my skin care routine. Read more about Carrier Oils Read more about Essential Oils Read more about Natural Ingredients You can also watch this video for a more detailed "class" on DIY Beauty and what ingredients/recipes you may like to use How Long To Test Out a New DIY? A minimum of 2 weeks is absolutely required. It takes 2 weeks for our skin cells to turn over so if you get a pimple while testing out products in the beginning-- it very well could have been developing BEFORE you switched products. The exception is Comedogenic Acne. That means something (almost always a carrier oil) is clogging your pores-- it's not going to change. If you see this, then you should switch your carrier oils ASAP and there is no need to wait two weeks. Click her to read more about comedogenic acne and blending carrier oils. No need to switch essential oils for comedogenic acne-- it's the carrier oils that are clogging pores! After two weeks you should start to see results, but I like to give my skin 2 more weeks on a regiment to give my skin the ability to completely turn over all the cells. This lets me know exactly what the product is doing for me. Sometimes I don't need 4 weeks-- I know after 2 weeks the tremendous difference, but occasionally giving your skin a little extra time is best. If after 2 weeks, I've seen an improvement in my skin, then I know I can add in a new product and repeat the cycle until I've replaced all my store bought products. If I've seen something I don't like with a product, then I know I need to change that particular DIY recipe. Now what to change, right?! Well, I have a theory about this! Let me tell you about it... My DIY Theory When you buy a store bought product and it makes your skin go crazy, then you throw it away and call it hopeless right? Well, since we control all aspects of a DIY we don't need to do that. We just tweak. Let me give you an example... For instance, let's say that my goal is to help my dry winter skin and I've decided to start a DIY moisturizer. If after two weeks I notice that my skin isn't absorbing the moisturizer very well or that I'm getting some big ole nasty bumps, then I know something in the DIY moisturizer isn't quite right for my skin. I need to tweak! A great starting point for tweaking is to check the ratings for comedogenic acne to see which rank the highest-- that's what I change first! EXAMPLE: I will switch the coconut oil for almond oil to see if that makes a difference. OR I'll just use the base ingredient (let's say it's aloe vera) and slowly add the rest of the ingredients back in until I see the negative change happen again. The beauty of this last method is that once I see the negative outcome, then I know I will need to avoid that ingredient in ALL DIY recipes. For me, that's olive oil! I can't go near the stuff or my skin goes crazy. You can also tweak routines to get better results. If my winter skin moisturizer isn't giving me the results I want, then I can change the carrier oil to something more heavy duty-- like avocado oil which is great for dry skin. Read more about troubleshooting carrier oils What's Your Routine?! Everyone wants to know my routine and copy it. Meh. I don't really recommend this because what my skin likes isn't going to be what everyone's skin likes. This is why we are, you know, INDIVIDUALS. But as an example, this is my skin care routine. You definitely don't need to follow my routine and I actually hope that you don't. My dream for you is that you will listen to your skin and develop your own routine! Trust me-- if you start paying attention, you'll learn that your skin will talk to you and tell you exactly what it wants. Daily: Face Wash Toner Wrinkle Blasting Moisturizer or my Mighty Manuka Moisturizer Eye Serum Weekly: African Black Soap OCM (if my skin is dry) Every Two Weeks: Exfoliate Bentonite Face Mask Puh-lease do not exfoliate more than every two weeks unless you have been advised to do this by a doctor. Awesome Tips and Tricks You may want to avoid creams and butters at first. They are more likely to clog your pores. Your skin will go through a transition-- this is normal. It has to figure out how to produce oils at the right pace. Expect a little learning curve. You may see results quickly. Some times our skin is beyond thrilled to be able to do it's own thing. Other people's skin can go into a little bit of shock because it's become co-dependent and lazy since it hasn't had to actually DO anything for, like, 30 years. It's important to remember everyone is different so your experience may not be the exact same as your friend's. You WILL need to switch out ingredients at some point. This is not a one stop shop. If you expect it to be super easy, you will probably be disappointed. If you expect to play around, you'll be really happy with the process. It's really fun to get to know your own skin! Don't give up! I have never met someone who says they regret switching to a DIY routine. Not only do they say they have better skin, but they are also saving money! YAY! You can find a list of DIY beauty products here: DIY Beauty FAQ How Do I Know It's Working? Remember to listen to your skin. If something feels wrong-- stop using it. There should never be a burning sensation or a rash when using natural products. If you have an allergy to a food, then please do not use that food or a product derived from that food in your skin care routine. How Long Should I Wait To Try Changing My DIY? At least 2 weeks! That's because it takes the skin 2 weeks to turn over so you may not see the true results until after 2 weeks. Will my skin get worse before it gets better? Depends. Some people will notice a "purge" and have more acne and white heads during the transition from chemical products to more natural ones. This is because the skin needs to figure out how to work and regulate it's own oil production. Be patient!
Wooden boxes are a great way to store your jewelry, special notes, beloved trinkets, art supplies, small tools, herbs and medicines, coins, and so much more. The essential oil storage boxes are meant for 25 oils, up to 15 mL size, but the dividers are removable so the boxes can be used for anything! Contact…
