Lavender & Patchouli Body Wash

I love coming up with new essential oil creations, especially for a body wash! It is way cheaper than store bought plus I know what is going into my body wash. 

No harsh chemicals for me =) 

I LOVE the smell of patchouli, maybe it's the inner hippie in me ;) So I knew I could easily add this essential oil to my body wash plus adding the lavender essential oil in made for a great combo!

I used the same ingredients from my wake me up body wash post as the base, just subbing out the essential oils.

(Patchouli has a very strong smell so I definitely needed less drops to get a good result.)

Lavender & Patchouli Body Wash:

• 1/2 Cup Castile Soap (I used baby mild this time since I was out of Lavender)
• 1 tsp Vegetable Glycerin 
• 5 drops Patchouli Essential Oil
• 10 drops Lavender Essential Oil
• Distilled / Purified Water
• Foaming pump (Still reusing my old Method pump)

Add the Castile soap, Vegetable Glycerin, & essential oils into the foaming pump bottle and slowly add in the water, making sure to leave enough room for the pump to fit in. Give the blend a good swirl & you are ready to smell like Patchouli =)

This blend smells so wonderful to me, you can of course change the amounts of essential oils used to get your own desired scent. I find, after I shower, this leaves a subtle aroma of the blend on me throughout the day.

Get your essential oils through SPARK Naturals & as always receive an extra 10% off your order with code: Nature 

DIY Facial Cleanser & Toner in 1, PLUS a Spark Naturals Spot Treatment blend

Finding an all natural face cleaner that worked proved to be harder than I thought. Creating one, not so much. Melaleuca is a natural antiseptic for the face best known for treating acne so of course this was the first thing I thought of to add to my blend. Lavender is a very soothing oil that is known to help settle inflammation. Geranium also helps to soothe inflammation & irritated skin, plus helps to balance sebum production, making it a great oil for either oily or dry skin. Frankincense is known to help with many skin conditions from acne to wrinkles. And lastly, using an alcohol-free witch hazel (a natural toner/astringent) helps to cleanse & tighten skin.

Facial Cleanser & Toner in 1:

2oz glass spray bottle 
10 drops Melaleuca essential oil
6 drops Lavender essential oil
4 drops Geranium essential oil 
3 drops Frankincense essential oil
Thayer's Alcohol-free witch hazel
Cotton Rounds

Drip the EOs into the spray bottle and fill the rest with Thayer's witch hazel. Put the spray top on and gently shake to blend everything together. I again do a gentle shake the next time I use the spray.

I use this blend daily. Just spray it a few times onto the round and wipe across face. I usually turn the round over spray again and wipe across another time. You will most likely want to do that too when you see the dirt it removes from your face!

After I clean my face I use Extra Virgin Coconut Oil on my face for a moisturizer. Coconut oil is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal & doesn't clog pores. Keep in mind a small amount goes a long way. ;)

My favorite coconut oil!

A new blend I'm excited to try out as a spot treatment for blemishes:
(found on the Spark Naturals Facebook page):
1/4 cup aloe vera gel
12 drops Spark Naturals Geranium Essential Oil
10 drops Spark Naturals Lavender Essential Oil
7 drops Spark Naturals Melaleuca Essential Oil
Directions:
Blend all the oils and gel together thoroughly and apply to blemish areas twice daily after cleaning the skin.
**Do not use around the eyes.

Get all these oils & the bottles/Jars you need to hold them from Spark Naturals, plus get an extra 10% off with code: Nature 

Oregano Vs. Amoxicillin

I just wanted to share this awesome video that proves oregano essential oil is more powerful at killing bacteria than amoxicillin. It is truly amazing what these pure oils can do in our lives.

I use oregano essential oil in part of my cold/flu blend to knock out a nasty cold! It has worked wonderfully for my family and we don't have to use any prescription or over the counter drugs! Here is my post on this blend:

http://nurturingwithnature.blogspot.com/2013/09/cold-season-is-comin.html

Wake Me Up Body Wash

Looking to make a nice natural body wash that not only smells divine & leaves your skin soft but also gives you a little energy boost? Try out this blend I've created:

WAKE ME UP BODY WASH:

• 1/2 Cup Lavender Castile Soap 
• 1 tsp Vegetable Glycerin 
• 12 drops Wild Orange Essential Oil
• 12 drops Lavender Essential Oil
• Distilled / Purified Water
• Foaming pump (I've been reusing an old Method pump)

I added the first four ingredients to the foaming pump bottle and slowly added in the water, making sure to leave enough room for the pump to fit in. Give the blend a good swirl and take this body wash into the shower with you for a great pick me up!

As always get your Spark Naturals essential oils with an extra 10% your order, 

Just use code: Nature at checkout

Dental Rub Testimony

I have been no stranger to dental visits this year. In the time span of a little over a month I found out I had to get 3 old fillings replaced and on top of that I managed to break a filling, taking half of my tooth with it. After that emergency visit, I found out I needed to get my first crown. Now I like to think I have a pretty high pain tolerance but there is just something about mouth (and throat) pain that I just can not bear.
After my first appointment to get my crown fitting and a temporary cap put on I left the office in little pain, drooling from the anesthetic, but little pain. I remember the dental assistant saying it's going to feel like your out in the snow without a coat. I just smiled and nodded not really understanding what she meant. After the lidocaine wore off I wanted to cry I was in so much pain. The whole right side of my face was throbbing and I could feel my tooth pulsating. I was using ice packs and took a pain pill to try to manage my pain, unfortunately it barely helped. I looked over at my box of essential oils and thought something here has to help with this pain. Getting my laptop out I searched for dental pain blends when I came across a magical healing rub created by Patti over at Patti's Place.

The essential oil blend she came up with is as follows:

• One teaspoon of a carrier oil such as Fractionated Coconut Oil (FCO), Grapeseed Oil or Olive Oil.
• 10 drops Melaleuca Essential Oil - to kill bacteria
• 6 drops Myrrh Essential Oil - to heal
• 3 drops Clove Oil - to numb
• 1 drop Peppermint Essential Oil - to soothe

I stored this blend in one of my empty 5ml peppermint bottles. (If you don't have an empty bottle you can purchase one here: http://www.sparknaturals.com/shop/5ml-bottle/?affiliates=45 
I applied this blend several times to my tooth and surrounding gums. This rub was the only thing that helped me sleep that night. The next morning I was still in pain but it was much more tolerable. I still applied the rub every couple hours to keep the pain at bay. I can't thank Patti enough for sharing her dental rub blend!! I hope this testimony can help anyone else out who may be dealing with with tooth/gum pain.

All the essential oils, the FCO or Grapeseed oil found in this blend are available through Spark Naturals and receive an extra 10% off your order with code: Nature

Original posting on the dental rub: FOUND HERE

Simple Disinfecting/All Purpose Cleaning Spray

Did you know you can use non toxic ingredients to clean & disinfect your surfaces?

The following blend has the ability to sanitize, kill bacteria, it is anti-septic, anti-fungal, and anti-viral.

All Purpose & Disinfecting Spray:
1/2 cup distilled Water
3 cups Vinegar
8 drops Melaleuca
8 drops Lemon

I got a cheap dollar store spray bottle, kept the sprayer and recycled the bottle, then used an old glass brandy bottle to put my mix in. The sprayer fit the brandy bottle perfectly. It is a little heavier but I love the way it looks. Just spray surface and wipe away.

(I prefer to use less water to vinegar than other blends. I find it is less streaky this way.)

**This blend is not recommended for natural stone surfaces.**

Get your high quality essential oils @ SPARK Naturals and save 10% off your total order with coupon code: Nature

2 Ingredient DIY Carpet Fresh

Artificial fragrances are no good for our bodies or the environment so here's one more thing you can eliminate from your chemical filled cleaning supplies by easily creating yourself: Carpet Fresh. 

All you need to deodorize & freshen your carpet are two natural ingredients:

* Baking Soda

* Essential Oil of your choice

STEP 1: Add 1 1/2 Cups of baking soda into a food processor or blender, then drop in your essential oils. For this batch I used Lavender. You can use whichever oils you'd like or even make a blend. I found 20 drops was a good amount, you can adjust to your liking.

STEP 2: Put the lid on and pulsate the baking soda & essential oils to thoroughly blend and break up the mix into a fine powder.

STEP 3: Pour your mix into your container of choice. I found a 1 pint mason jar worked perfectly for this. I easily made holes in the top with a small nail and a hammer.

STEP 4: Sprinkle on carpet and wait about an hour for the mixture to work its magic.

STEP 5: Vacuum!

I always prefer to use Spark Naturals Essential oils for their high quality and purity. If you would like to give them a try, get an extra 10% off your entire order with code: Nature