Bubbling Bath Salts

Homemade bath and body products are my absolute favorite!! They are so  much fun and also inexpensive to make. Depending on the season, holiday, or occasion you can mix and match colors and scents as needed. These products also make great gifts. They are so simple to make, just about anyone can do it. My 6 year old made the salts pictured for his teacher on her birthday. He had a blast making them and really felt like he was doing something special for her. As expected, she loved receiving a homemade gift from her student!

Soaking in the bath, in general, provides many health benefits. It promotes healthy circulation, perspiration, and relaxation. Taking baths also aids in the removal of dead skin cells that can block pores and lead to unsightly bumps and blemishes on your body. Through the process of dermal absorption, or absorbing nutrients through the skin, your body is able to absorb minerals more effectively than consuming the minerals orally.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Epsom salt
• 1/2 cup Himalayan sea salt
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 3 tablespoons Body Wash (I used Dr. Bronners Baby Wash)
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• Optional: Food Coloring (I used a few drops of gel food coloring)

Essential Oils:

• 20 drops essential oil of your choice (I used Lavender for this batch)

I only use therapeutic grade essential oils that are safe for consumption.

For more information on how to purchase these oils, please feel free to contact me.)

Instructions:

Combine body wash, coconut oil, essential oils, and food coloring (if using) in a large mixing bowl.

Add Epsom salt, Himalayan sea salt, and baking soda to mixture.

Mix until well combined.

Spread mixture out to dry on a large baking sheet.

Allow mixture to dry for about 24 hours.

Add mixture to container of your choice. We used a glass jar and attached a spoon for scooping out the bath salts.

Add desired amount to warm bath, and enjoy!

Mixture keeps for about 3 months. 

Nerdy Extras:
Epsom salt is not actually a salt, but a mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate. To see the health benefits I listed in a previous post, click here. Sulfates help to improve absorption rates of nutrients, while flushing out toxins. Sulfates are also know to ease pain associated with headaches and migraines.

Himalayan sea salt benefits include supporting healthy weight loss, easing muscle pain, detoxifying, and hormone balancing.

Baking soda, aka sodium bicarbonate, provides alkalinity and aids in removing toxins from the body. It also helps to make bathwater feel silky.

FDA Disclaimer: "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease."

Natural Brow & Lash Enhancement

Once upon a time I would over-pluck my eyebrows. I have fairly thick eyebrows naturally, and of course always wanted them thinner. The grass is always greener, right? Anyway, I have been trying to grow my eyebrows back out for years. I had been penciling in little bald spots in my eyebrows to give them good shape. Then I stumbled upon a little beauty secret; castor oil. Castor oil not only helps regrow eyebrows, but it also helps lengthen your eyelashes as well. It is very inexpensive, all natural, and extremely effective. Some people are turned off by it because it tends to be a little thick and sticky. I don't mind, because it actually works!!! I've been using it for a few months now, and I no longer have to pencil in my eyebrows! I was in shock after I got my eyebrows waxed last time. There was no lecture on letting them grow out. They looked perfect! My lashes are even starting to get longer. Woo-hoo!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 teaspoon Castor Oil
• 1/4 teaspoon Vitamin E (or approximately 5 capsules)

Essential Oils:

• 4 drops Lavender Essential Oil
• 4 drops Rosemary Essential Oil

(You could also omit the essential oils, and still get excellent results with the Castor Oil.

I only use therapeutic grade essential oils that are safe for consumption.

For more information on how to purchase these oils, please feel free to contact me.)

Instructions:

Acquire some clear empty mascara containers. You could always just up-cycle your old mascara tubes and wash them out really well. Another option is you could use an empty jar and a disposable mascara wand. If you choose to go that route, make sure you store the wand somewhere sanitary. In my opinion, it was just so much easier and much more sanitary to buy the containers.

Add the castor oil and vitamin E oil to the empty mascara container and stir gently. Depending on the size of the container you are using, the measurements I listed are to be used loosely. The container should not be more than half full, otherwise it will overflow.

Put in the essential oils, if you have them, and stir gently.

Remember, consistency is the key! Apply once daily for optimum results. I apply the serum at the end of my night-time beauty routine on clean dry lashes. I brush the serum on like I would mascara, and apply to the top and bottom lashes. Then I use the same wand and brush my eyebrows with it. Making sure to remove any excess product, as the eyebrows need less product than eyelashes.

And you're done! You now have your own homemade eyelash and eyebrow growth serum!

Nerdy Extras:

Castor Oil is a natural source of vitamins (including vitamin E), minerals, proteins, and fatty acids that help lengthen and thicken hair. It also helps, soften, moisturize, and seal hair. It is high in ricinoleic acid, which has natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. This helps keep fungus or bacteria from inhibiting hair growth. It is also able to penetrate the pores and follicles that produce hair.

Vitamin E provides additional fatty acids and antioxidants to help speed hair growth. It also acts as a natural preservative by extending the shelf life of homemade products.

Lavender Essential Oil is helpful in minimizing hair breakage and promoting hair growth.

Rosemary Essential Oil supports healthy hair growth and strength by stimulating the hair follicles. 

FDA Disclaimer: "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease."

Instant Sunburn Relief

I know summer is winding down, but the warm season is still upon us. The temperatures have been at an all time high in so many areas this summer. Here in Scottsdale, the UV index is very high, & sunburns can occur quickly if you are not careful. 

Here is a super simple tip most of us already know: Aloe Vera is a great treatment for sunburn!

Try these simple frozen Aloe Vera cubes to help relieve those painful sunburns. The cold cubes help pull heat from the damaged skin, while the aloe soothes your sensitive sunburn.

Ingredients:

• Aloe Vera Gel

Essential Oils:

• Lavender 

Using the Lavender essential oil is completely optional. I omitted it in this recipe to save time. 
I only use therapeutic grade essential oils that are safe for consumption.

For more information on how to purchase these oils, please feel free to contact me.)

Instructions:
Using Aloe Vera in gel form, gently squeeze from bottle into ice cube trays.

A little bit of Aloe goes a long way, so use smaller silicone trays, if possible.

If you don't have any, just fill a traditional ice cube tray up about 1/4 of the way.

Place trays in freezer and leave in for a few hours, preferably overnight.

That's it, super simple!

Once frozen, you can store them in a plastic freezer bag and keep them frozen until needed.

When removing the cubes from the freezer, try and move fast. The Aloe melts pretty quickly.

You'll now have some soothing Aloe Vera gel ice cubes in the freezer waiting for you the next time you need instant relief from a sunburn.

If you want to add lavender essential oil to the gel you can add two drops of lavender to about a cup of Aloe Vera gel (in a glass or metal bowl), mix ingredients together, then spoon into the tray.

Nerdy Extras:

Aloe Vera Gel is an herbal remedy that naturally uses the plants moisturizing properties to soften the skin.

Using Lavender Essential Oil for sunburn can help ease the pain and assist your skin in the healing process.

A sunburn can be a nuisance, but in most cases it can be easily soothed with cold compress and aloe. However, even the most minor of sunburns can cause serious long-term damage to your skin. Your chances for Melanoma (the most serious form of skin cancer) increase by 80%  if you sustain five or more sunburns in the same area, especially during youth. The best way to avoid sunburn is to wear sunblock and reapply as often as the manufacturer recommends, if not sooner. You can also protect your body from the sun with hats and protective clothing.

If not careful, sunburns can be severe. If your skin is blistered, accompanied by a fever, or does not seem to improve within a few days, you may need to seek medical attention. Your doctor may want to you start treating the sunburn with a corticosteroid cream, or possibly prednisone. 

FDA Disclaimer: "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease."

Homemade Puppy Shampoo

Happy National Dog Day! I recently got a Boston Terrier puppy. Her name is Lucy. She is so sweet and makes my life so much more joyful (potty training aside, haha). It's crazy how one tiny little puppy can literally transform the mood in my home for the better. After making the move out to the gorgeous Sonoran Desert, things got a little complicated. Everyone in my home was homesick in just about every way. Then little Ms. Lucy came along and turned things around. She has been a total Godsend. I had been wanting to test out my essential oils and homemade products on pets, so I thought making a DIY puppy shampoo would be the perfect way to jump start my new interest.

The shampoo worked so much better than I expected!

Her coat was so soft and shiny and she smelled great! 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup oatmeal
• 1 tablespoon Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon of vitamin E (or approximately 5 capsules)

Essential Oils:

• 3 drops Peppermint
• 2 drops Lavender
• 2 drops Cleansing Blend
• 1 drop Cedarwood

(You could potentially omit the essential oils.
Although, in my opinion, it is what makes this recipe so amazing.

I only use therapeutic grade essential oils that are safe for consumption.

For more information on how to purchase these oils, please feel free to contact me.)

Instructions:

Add the oatmeal to a blender and mix until it becomes a powder consistency.

Heat the water up until it is very warm. Add the hot water to the oat powder inside the blender. Mix until well combined. Let it sit for a few minutes, until it thickens.

Add castile soap, apple cider vinegar, and vitamin E to the blender. Mix until combined.

Put the essential oils in the mix, again, blending until combined.

Pour finished shampoo into a glass jar to store.

Apply a quarter sized drop over dog and massage into coat, leaving on your pup for as long as they will tolerate it, or about five minutes. Be sure to rinse well.

Nerdy Extras:

Oatmeal is great for your dogs coat. It has many vitamins and minerals that helps their skin heal faster. It can help soothe skin irritations and itchiness, making it an excellent choice for dogs battling hot spots, eczema, and psoriasis. Living in the desert, the humidity is generally pretty low, so dogs around here can get pretty dry and flaky. Oatmeal helps battle that by moisturizing, cleansing, and softening your dogs coat.

Castile Soap has so many uses, but as a dog shampoo it helps to remove dirt, oil, and even pests. It is very gentle on sensitive skin and great for dogs who have itching issues.

Apple Cider Vinegar helps to clean your dogs coat/skin. Bonus - It is also a natural flea repellent!

Vitamin E can help support the skin of your dog by reducing flakiness. It also promotes a healthy, glossy looking coat.

Peppermint Essential Oil is excellent at repelling insects and supporting healthy circulation.

Lavender Essential Oil is a very safe and gentle oil to use on your dog. Our veterinarian even diffuses it in her office for the dogs in there.

Cleansing Blend Essential Oil Blend is great at neutralizing odors and soothing skin irritations.

Cedarwood Essential Oil is a natural antiseptic and flea repellent. It helps with circulation and is a powerful coat conditioner. 

FDA Disclaimer: "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease."