Bath Salts

Bath Salts may be the most simple DIY out there and a staple for every beginner Essential Oil user. They are great to help you unwind from the day.  Literally, all you need is epsom salts and your favorite EO.  Epsom salts are a magnesium base which is very soothing for you physically and helps ease tension. Essential oils can have such great effects on your body and on your skin. Some are soothing, invigorating, and/or cleansing, and adding them to salts helps the oil disperse into the bath well, helping them get to you and keeping them from sitting on top of the water. Bath salts can be spiced up to cater to different needs, or to be pretty for a gift, but those are the basics.  I love mason jars for these. They are the perfect, inexpensive, large, glass vessel to house them.

For Adults:
Combine 1/2-1 cup epsom salts with 4-20 drops Essential Oil (I like 1-3 drops per ounce of salt) for a large, full bath

For Children:
Combine 1/4 cup epsom salts with 1-3 drops Essential Oil for a small bath

There are lots of variations and additives you can use to embellish your bath and lots of EO's to choose from. You could even use magnesium flakes instead of epsom salts! Both are a magnesium base.

Add up to equal parts baking soda to the epsom salts for a detox bath
Add 1-2 tsp carrier oil per 1/2 cup epsom salts for a silky, moisturizing bath
Add 1-2 tsp dried herbs per 1/2 cup epsom salts for aroma (and they are pretty in the jar!)
Add 1-2 tbsp citric acid per 1/2 cup epsom salts for fizz
Mix and match from the above, or use them all!

As for Essential Oils... there are so many to choose from it's hard to know where to start! The choice is yours and really depends on your goals. Are you looking to de-stress and unwind? Had a tough work out and looking to soothe tired muscles? Are you trying to get your kids ready for bed?  Feeling a little under the weather? A nice bath could be just what you need!

A few words of caution when choosing oils for your bath: Some oils are hot and can cause discomfort when used topically. Always use a carrier oil if you experience topical discomfort! Oil and water don't mix and rinsing with water will do you no good! In addition, peppermint has a remarkable cooling sensation that may not be enjoyable all over you in the bath! Finally, citrus oils can cause skin sensitivity in the sun when used topically. Use caution if you bathe in a citrus oil before going in the sun and cover up!

So go find a magazine or a good book, and get that tub filling! Get your oils (here!) and salts out for a good soak!

Air Freshener Pouch

It's Demo Day! This recipe is so quick and so simple I decided to just show you instead! Learn how to get Purification essential oil blend HERE!

KidCare Cream

Melrose is one of my favorite Young Living Essential Oil blends. It is made of 2 varieties of melaleuca (alternifolia, aka, tea tree, and quinquenervia), rosemary, and clove. The scent is a little spicy in my opinion. The ingredients make it very cleansing which is excellent for your skin and scalp. It's a great addition to a facewash or shampoo; I've used it for both! It's also a good choice to support your respiratory system in a chest rub or in your diffuser.

One way Melrose is part of my everyday life is in my KidCare Cream. My little girl, bless her heart, is not the kid who wants a band aid for every little thing. My girl wants oil! And this balm, specifically. It includes lavender and frankincense, 2 of the most versatile oils out there, so with all these ingredients, it really is good for everything, physical and otherwise! These all have such great cleansing and soothing properties. Plus, making a small balm makes it convenient to keep on hand all the time. Any oily person will tell you, acting fast is key when using oils. They will also tell you to use what you have on hand to the best of your ability, so I thought is best to keep the most versatile oils with me all the time! Here's what I do: 

• Melt 1/2 teaspoon each of coconut oil and other liquid carrier oil of your choice with 1/4 teaspoon beeswax in a double boiler (I have a glass measuring cup with a handle that works nicely as a mini-double boiler)
• Remove from the heat and cool slightly
• Stir in 7 drops each Melrose and lavender, plus 5 drops frankincense
• Pour in to a 5mL lip balm tin
• Chill in the refrigerator to set (you should end up with a creamy balm, about the consistency of an ointment)

Just use a little dab, as needed, and rub it in on the wrists, temples, tummy, or directly where you feel you need it! This same combo of oils would make and nice spray for hands-off application, but I like the balm to use for emotional support. And I find the balm more convenient in my bag. My tin lives in my diaper bag and we have it on hand, literally, ALL the time! It's equally effective on nerves or a cranky mood as it is at comforting everyday little bumps. If you don't have Melrose, tea tree on its own is a nice substitution, but I really like the extra boost from the rosemary and clove.

Infused Water

Warm weather us upon us! At least, I hope it is warm where you live by now! Vitality essential oils are a great way to give you water a boost. You can create all kinds of interesting flavor combinations while letting top notch essential oils work their magic on your body, keeping it happy and healthy all summer long! I like to use a combination of essential oils and fruits. This is a healthy way to have something interesting and refreshing to drink! Essential oils are super concentrated, relative to their source material. 1-2 drops in a tall glass is plenty to get the taste and benefits in a more convenient way. They can be used to support the health of over system in the body and support overall wellness. The shelf life is way better too!

Please remember that not all essential oils are safe for internal use! Please follow labeling instructions and DO NOT ingest oils that don't say it's ok! Young Living makes it easy with their line of Vitality oils! These are their same great essential oils, labeled for internal use. You can learn more about them here!

Check out my video with a couple of recipes I like, and a few tips for creating delicious infused water with essential oils!

Here are some of my other favorite flavor combos!

DIY Vent Clip Diffuser

DEMO day! I just had to show you how easy this is! I love this little thing in my car. Now you can have aromatherapy with you, even on the go!

I was right, she wanted the orange feather! The feather actually makes for a really cool affect. It flutters in the vent air :)

Baby Powder

I know what you are thinking… We are not supposed to use baby powder! It’s true that in light of recent headlines, most of us are reluctant to use baby powder as adults, let alone expose our kids to it. You’d be hard pressed to find a pediatrician recommend commercial baby powder for babies anymore too. That’s because of talc. Talc or talcum powder has taken over the baby powder aisle. It has a silicon component and it is often not recommended for use around babies because of the likelihood of inhalation.

I don’t know a lot of other moms who use baby powder, but I’m a big advocate! With one caveat. I don't use talc! When my daughter was a baby, I found a number of recommendations supporting the use of cornstarch for diapering. Applying cornstarch, after using wet wipes, helps to ensure the area is completely dry before applying any creams (check out my recipe for Head-to-Toe Baby Salve!) or covering up with a diaper. You don't want any moisture trapped against the skin and creams and diapers can do this, and the creams certainly can. That is their job! They are moisture barriers! I had to look very carefully at the baby powders on the shelf to find the cornstarch one, but there is one. ONE per brand, if that!  I found it so much easier to use, just sprinkle a little on at each change, I nearly quit using creams altogether! The goal here it to keep the skin clean, dry, and healthy!

Fast forward a couple of years to baby number 2. I’ve started making a lot of products myself and thought this would be an easy one to undertake. And I was right! Now, if you are concerned about the likelihood of GMOs in cornstarch, arrowroot powder is a nice substitute (and another great argument to make it yourself!) I use it at every diaper change and my little guy has had a pretty healthy little booty ;-)

I like to add essential oils to my baby powder, but that is optional. I specifically recommend Young Living essential oils, especially for use with children, for their top quality and purity. You can learn more about getting started with Young Living HERE. For children, the smaller they are the more dilute you want the oil to be. They are very powerful! You also want to start with gentle oils that are great for skin care, like lavender, frankincense, or Gentle BabyTM blend.

So let’s get started…

I use a glass salt shaker from my local superstore. It holds about ¼ cup, or 2 ounces. For my 1 ½ year old son, I use about 1-2 drops of lavender per tablespoon of powder in this recipe. If you are just introducing your little one to oils, or your child is smaller, you can start with even less.  I like to layer in the oil with the powder, filling my jar with a ¼ teaspoon (it fits nicely inside the jar and helps make less of a mess!) A funnel would help too. I fill about a quarter of the way with your powder of choice, then add a drop of oil, then up to about half way, then another drop, and so on. Once the bottle is nearly full, I cover with a piece of masking tape, or just my hand, and give it a shake to spread the oil around. 


Finally, I add my secret weapon! I learned this trick on a cooking show. It’s popcorn kernels! I toss several in on top and they work to break up clumps and help shake the powder out. They are also too big to clog up the tiny shaker holes on the top.

So, there ya have it. Simple, safe, DIY baby powder!

PS, this is nice for adults too!
I use it after the shower on my upper thighs for the same reason I use it on my baby!
Use it in your hair roots to help matte any oily-ness in between washes. Add a little cocoa powder if you are a brunette, and a make-up brush for precise application! Tea Tree oil makes a nice addition for scalp applications.
It will also help knock off sand from your feet after the beach, no essential oil required!

See, there really is a place in your life for baby powder!