Homemade Cold Remedy Drink for Natural Relief of Colds and Flu

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December 2, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 5 Comments

Support your immune system with this homemade cold remedy drink. Ginger, honey, lemon and optional whiskey combine for a natural cold remedy tea that will help you feel better quickly and help shorten the duration of a cold or the flu.

Life doesn’t stop when you wake up with a sore throat or a stuffy nose. I still have to get up, take Jasper on a walk and keep on working. When I don’t feel good, I prefer to use natural home remedies at my first line of defense. While I’m a huge believe in fire cider vinegar, sometimes my throat isn’t always up for the task of drinking a garlic, horseradish and pepper infused apple cider vinegar tonic. This homemade cold remedy drink is easy on my throat for the days I want something warm and soothing to drink.

At the first sign of a cold, I make this homemade cold remedy drink to give my immune system natural support. It only has three ingredients plus whiskey if you want to add it, so it’s easy to make, even if you don’t feel good. For really bad colds – or even the flu – I alternate taking this natural cold remedy tea with fire cider vinegar – assuming I don’t have a sore throat. Alternately, you can also add a tablespoon of fire cider to my homemade cold remedy drink. As always, however, it is important to seek medical advice or assistance if your cold gets worse or doesn’t improve within seven days.

Homemade Cold Remedy Drink

This homemade cold and flu tea isn’t just for cold symptoms like a sore throat or runny nose; it’s also great for an upset stomach. When you were a kid, your mom probably gave you ginger ale to sip on if you weren’t feeling well.

While drinking soda probably isn’t the best thing to drink when you’re sick due to the sugars, there is some truth in that old home remedy. Ginger, in the right quantities, can help relieve an upset stomach by increasing bile production and kill some microbes so you feel better quicker. This makes it suitable for not just colds, but also the flu. (You can also learn how to make your own custom herbal tea blends for common ailments here.)

Benefits of Natural Cold Remedy Tea Ingredients

The Benefits of Raw Honey

Raw honey is added to this homemade cold remedy drink both for taste and for it’s natural benefits. While some people like drinking lemon water, a ginger and lemon drink is very sour drink and not very palatable for many people.

You could use white sugar to sweeten this drink, but white sugar has a lot of empty calories and little nutritional value. Raw honey, however, is full of enzymes and nutrients that help support a healthy immune system. Therefore it makes a much better alternative over sugar as a sweetener for a natural cold remedy tea.

I only use local raw honey in my homemade cold remedy drink. Most honey on the grocery store shelf can barely pass as honey. It’s been process and pasteurized. By the time it hits the shelf, most of the nutrients and enzymes have been killed by the processing it.

Raw honey isn’t pasteurized or processed. Sometimes it’s filtered to remove debris, but it keeps the nutrients and enzymes to promote better health.

Raw honey is naturally antibacterial and can even kill some types of fungi. When you eat or drink raw honey, it can help kill germs inside your body.

Honey is also high in antioxidants. Antioxidants protect healthy cells in the body by reducing free radicals. This helps support your immune system over time.

For immediate relief, honey can help reduce mucus and reduce coughing. It also coats the throat, which can soothe a sore throat for almost immediate relief. In fact, I eat raw honey by the spoonful at night if I’m coughing and can’t get to sleep. It really works incredibly well at soothing irritation in my throat.

I always recommend buying local honey. This helps support your local economy, and there is some evidence that eating local raw honey can help reduce allergies by exposing your body to pollen from your area.

Don’t forget that children under one-year-old should not eat any honey either alone or in a drink like this one.

The Benefits of Ginger

I add ginger to my homemade cold and flu tea because it can help relieve a stomach ache and reduce nausea.

Two compounds in ginger, gingerols and shaogals, are anti-inflammatories. They can help reduce inflammation from a sore throat so you feel better quickly.

Ginger is also naturally antimicrobial. It can kill bacteria and some viruses, including the rhinovirus that causes colds.

Over the counter cold medication can relieve your symptoms, but it can’t kill the virus that caused your cold. However, ginger may be able to kill the virus naturally. This can help shorten the duration of your cold. (Source.)

Although ginger is most known for relieving a stomach ache, it can cause an upset stomach if you take too much. If you get an upset stomach, limit this natural cold remedy tea to once a day.

The Benefits of Lemon

Lemon, like all citrus fruits, is high in vitamin C. Boosting vitamin C can help reduce the duration of a cold and help you feel better. Several studies have mixed results about the benefits of vitamin C for colds, but many people swear that taking extra vitamin C helps them feel better.

Lemon juice can also help reduce phlegm so you feel better right away. Drinking this homemade cold remedy drink before bed can help you sleep better by reducing phlegm help stop coughing temporarily.

For long term benefits, lemons are high in antioxidants that can help reduce free radicals in the body.

Like honey and ginger, lemons are also antimicrobial. They can help kill both bacteria and viruses in the body. This can also help shorten the duration of colds.

The Benefits of Warm Water

It’s important to drink this homemade cold remedy drink warm because the warm water also has benefits for your body.

The warmth can help open nasal passages, which helps reduce a stuffy nose and helps you sleep. It also helps lubricate your throat to make your sore throat feel better.

It’s important to stay hydrated when you are sick. Drinking plenty of water will help you feel better.

The Benefits of Whiskey

Adding whiskey to this natural cold remedy tea is optional. Alcohol can help dilate blood vessels in your body. This helps thin mucus, which can help you breathe better. However, you need to make sure you increase your water intake so your body stays hydrated. Otherwise, including alcohol in your homemade cold remedy drink can actually have opposite the intended effect.

Also, if you do add whiskey to your homemade cold remedy drink, be responsible. Don’t add it if you may be driving.

Homemade Cold Remedy Drink Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup boiling water
1 inch fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon raw honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 ounce whiskey (optional)

Directions:

To make my homemade cold remedy drink, grate the ginger or slice into thin slices and then mince. (For best results, you want the ginger to be in very small pieces.)

Then place the grated or minced ginger inside a teapot or medium sized bowl.

Pour the boiling water over the grated or minced ginger. Let this steep for three minutes.

While the ginger is steeping, place the lemon juice and raw honey in a mug.

Strain the ginger out of the water and pour over the lemon juice and honey. Then stir well until the honey is dissolved.

You can add more honey to taste, if desired.

Next, add whiskey if you’re using it.

How to Use My Homemade Cold Remedy Drink

You can drink this homemade cold and flu tea three or four times a day to relieve your cold symptoms naturally. If your stomach gets upset from the ginger, just use ginger tea once a day and drink warm water, honey, and lemon the rest of the day.

Tips for Reusing Your Ginger

You can reuse the grated or minced ginger you used for your first cup of homemade cold and flu tea. I reuse mine two or three more times before I discard it. Just steep the ginger for a few extra minutes for the second and third steep to get more ginger out of it.

More Natural Cold and Flu Remedies

If you like my recipe for making a homemade cold remedy drink, then you may also enjoy some of my other natural cold and flu remedies.

Fire Cider Vinegar Recipe for Natural Cold Relief
Breathe Easy Essential Oil Blend (And Homemade Vapor Rub)
How to Make Custom Herbal Tea Blends for Colds & Flu
Homemade Elderberry Syrup Recipe for Immune Support
DIY Shower Steamers with Menthol Crystals
Sickness Support Bath Soak Recipe with Essential Oils

For more natural ways to care for your body throughout cold and flu season, be sure to visit my Home Remedies Pinterest board. You can also find and follow me on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my newsletter.

This article is not intended to provide diagnosis, treatment or medical advice and is provided for informational purposes only. Information on products mentioned are based on my own personal experience or research and have not been evaluated by the FDA. Please consult a physician prior to making any changes that may impact your health.

Filed Under: Health & Wellness, Lifestyle Tagged With: cold relief, colds, flu, ginger, health, health and wellness, healthy, healthy living, herbal remedies, herbal remedy, home remedies, home remedy, honey, immunity, lemon, natural remedy

Simply Earth Essential Oils: A Review of Their Essential Oil Recipe Box

October 28, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 2 Comments

Curious about Simply Earth essential oils? If you’ve not tried them yet, here’s a breakdown of what to expect. Plus natural essential oil recipes and essential oil diffuser blends you can make using the Simply Earth essential oils in the Simply Earth essential oil recipe box.

Eucalyptus Essential Oil Is the Bomb

The November Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box couldn’t have arrived at a better time. Caught in the throes of either a) seasonal allergies gone array or b) a nasty cold virus that latched on during a night out, I’d been sniffling for a few days. I’d finally resolved with myself that I needed to do something other than take medication that simply masked my symptoms. And quite quickly scolded myself for not drinking apple cider vinegar shots sooner.

The second day on an ACV regimen and the crud that had been dripping down my throat simply stopped. While Umcka Cold + Flu helped relieve my other symptoms. It was the eucalyptus essential oil from the new Simply Earth box, however, that was my saving grace. Having run out of eucalyptus essential oil the last time I made DIY shower steamers, and my menthol crystals in hiding since another recent move, it made the perfect addition to my cold fighting arsenal.

Admittedly, I STILL do not have an essential oil diffuser. It’s on my list of things to buy. The problem, I get overwhelmed by reviews and I’m never certain I’m going to purchase the best one. Or at the very least the one that works and doesn’t break in the first week. So rather than add eucalyptus essential oil to a diffuser, I added a few drops to my morning shower each day. It really worked wonders at clearing out all the gunk that accumulated overnight in my nasal passages. And truly it was a godsend once I got a nosebleed. Saline spray, by the way, burns like hell in an open wound.

Simply Earth Essential Oils: The Breakdown

Luckily, Simply Earth sells a top rated contemporary and elegantly designed diffuser that’s on my must buy list. It combines the benefits of aromatherapy, aqua therapy and light therapy and it has a built in time as well. Not to mention, if you order their November essential oil box, you’ll not only get a free bonus box with all kinds of goodies you can use with your essential oils, but you also get a $40 off coupon for your next order. No restrictions. So you can literally turn right around and buy their diffuser at $40 off! (Just use coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE.) Or, if you’re way ahead of the game, you can use it on anything else you like. Maybe the December box? Or ingredients for recipes? You can even use it to purchase those must have essential oils that are missing from your collection.

November Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box: What’s Inside

The November Simply Earth Essential Oils Recipe Box arrived with four essential oils: Eucalyptus essential oil, Cinnamon (Leaf) essential oil, Lime essential oil and a Tranquility essential oil blend. In addition to the four essential oils, the November box also contained a muslin bag, lavender buds, powdered whole milk and a sticker sheet to label your finished products. Six essential oil recipes are also included. There are recipes for making the following:

Oatmeal & Milk Bath Recipe
Tranquility & Lime Essential Oil Diffuser Blend Recipe
Chai Tea Bath Salts Recipe
Lavender Buds & Tranquility Milk Bath Recipe
Lime & Eucalyptus Roller Ball Essential Oil Blend Recipe
Eucalyptus Shower Steamers Recipe

My favorite essential oil in November’s Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box – aside from the eucalyptus – is definitely the Tranquility essential oil blend. This natural essential oil blend helps to calm and relieve anxiety. It’s made using a blend of lemon, patchouli, orange, amyris and ylang ylang essential oils. (You can explore the essential oil recipes for the Simply Earth Essential Oils November Box further down.)

$Simply Earth Essential Oils Bonus Box: What's Inside? Get a free Simply Earth Essential Oils Bonus Box with your first essential oil recipe box. Valued at $40, this box contains white cosmetic beeswax pellets, coconut oil, fractionated coconut oil, almond oil, 6-10mL rollerball bottles and six amber essential oil bottles for mixing your own unique essential oil blends.$

The Simply Earth Bonus Box

If you’re brand new to Simply Earth, you’ll receive a free Simply Earth Essential Oils Bonus Box with your first essential oil recipe box. Valued at $40, this box contains white cosmetic beeswax pellets, coconut oil, fractionated coconut oil, almond oil, 6-10mL rollerball bottles and six amber essential oil bottles for mixing your own unique essential oil blends. In addition, you’ll also receive a $40 off coupon with your first essential oil recipe box and the free Simply Earth bonus box! (Just use coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE when you check out. Order yours now!)

Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipes

Once you receive the Simply Earth Essential Oils Recipe Box your all set to start making your own homemade skin care products and essential oil diffuser blends. While some boxes contain everything you need to make most of the recipes, others do require you purchase a few additional ingredients. To make all of the recipes found in the November essential oil recipe box, you will need to provide the following: baking soda, ground (or colloidal) oatmeal, Epsom salt, clove & anise spices and a cinnamon stick. Now let’s get crafty!

Lavender Buds & Tranquility Milk Bath Recipe

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons powdered whole milk
1 cup Epsom salt
1 tablespoon lavender buds
5 drops Simply Earth Tranquility essential oil blend

Instructions:

Grind the powdered milk, lavender buds and Epsom salt together in either a blender or coffee grinder.

Then pour the milk bath mixture into a sealable container.

Add the essential oils and mix together.

To use, simply pour the milk bath into a warm bath as it’s filling with water.

Oatmeal & Milk Bath Recipe

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons powdered whole milk
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 tablespoons ground oatmeal
1 drop Simply Earth Eucalyptus essential oil
1 drop Simply Earth Cinnamon (Leaf) essential oil

Instructions:

Mix the powdered milk, baking soda and oatmeal together in a blender or coffee grinder.

Next, add the Simply Earth essential oils. Then mix the ingredients together again. (For gifting, simply combine the mixture in an empty tea bag.)

To use, pour the mixture into warm bath water as the tub is filling. Then relax and enjoy.

Chai Tea Bath Salts Recipe

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Epsom salt
1/4 cup ground oatmeal
1 teaspoon Clove spice
1 tablespoon Anise star spice
1 Cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
1 teaspoon almond oil
2 drops Simply Earth Cinnamon (Leaf) essential oil
1 muslin tea bag

Instructions:

Mix the Epsom salt, oatmeal and spices together in a small glass bowl. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the cinnamon essential oil in with the almond oil.

Now add the dry mixture to the carrier and essential oil blend, mixing well to ensure all the ingredients are evenly incorporated throughout.

Pour the bath salts into a muslin tea bag, then tie closed.

To use the chai tea bath salts, place the bag to steep in the bathtub as it’s filling with water. Then sink in, relax and enjoy the aroma!

Lime & Eucalyptus Rollerball Bottle Essential Oil Blend Recipe

Ingredients:

3 drops Simply Earth Lime essential oil
3 drops Simply Earth Eucalyptus essential oil
10 mL fractionated coconut oil

Instructions:

Add the Simply Earth essential oils to a 10 mL rollerball bottle. Swirl to mix.

Then fill the bottle the rest of the way with the fractionated coconut oil.

Now firmly insert the rollerball top into the bottle and screw on the cap.

To use simply apply the essential oil blend to pulse points for energy, congestion relief and an uplifting aroma.

Eucalyptus Shower Steamers Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup baking soda
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon lavender buds
5 drops Simply Earth Eucalyptus essential oil
5 drops Simply Earth Lime essential oil

Instructions:

In a glass bowl, heat the coconut oil just until melted. You can either use a double boiler or a microwave. (To heat in the microwave, heat in 10 second increments.)

Once melted, add the Simply Earth essential oils to the melted coconut oil and stir to combine.

Now add the baking soda and lavender buds to the melted coconut oil. Mix until crumbly.

Next, press the shower steamers mixture into an ice cube tray or a ice cube silicone mold.

Finally, allow the shower steamers to dry for 24 hours. Then release from the mold and store in a sealed container.

To use the eucalyptus shower steamers, simply place one shower steamer in the bottom of your shower. Then shower as normal.

Want a more advance shower steamers recipe? Then check out my DIY shower steamers with menthol & eucalyptus essential oil here.

Tranquility & Lime Essential Oil Diffuser Blend Recipe

Ingredients:

3 drops Simply Earth Tranquility essential oil blend
3 drops Simply Earth Lime essential oil

Instructions:

Add the Simply Earth essential oils to an essential oil diffuser.

Then diffuse in an open room for an energizing and refreshing aroma.

To create a master blend with these Simply Earth essential oils, add 50 drops of each essential oil to a 5 mL blend bottle (from the Simply Earth bonus box.)

Then add several drops to your diffuser as desired.

For a full break down on all the benefits of purchasing Simply Earth Essential Oils Recipe Box, be sure to check out my very first review of Simply Earth here. You can also explore past essential oil recipes from prior boxes including the pet care essential oil recipe, essential oil cleaning recipes and these essential oil health and wellness recipes. And don’t forget to pin this post for later to refer back to the recipes for Simply Earth essential oils! (Also don’t forget to order your Simply Earth Essential Oils Recipe Box now here using coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE.)

For more essential oil recipes and information on using essential oils, be sure to follow my Pinterest board: Essential Oils & Herbs for Health, Lifestyle and Beauty. You can also find and follow me on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my newsletter.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle Tagged With: aromatherapy, bath and body, bath salt recipe, bath salts, bath tutorial, diffuser blends, essential oil blend, essential oil recipes, essential oils, eucalyptus, healthy living, milk bath recipe, natural skin care, review, shower steamers, simply earth

Facebook Dating App: What Fresh New Hell Is This? (Here’s the Skinny on What to Expect)

October 24, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 2 Comments

Single? Debating giving the new Facebook dating app a try? I did, and I’ve got the skinny on the pros and the cons of this new addition to the Facebook “empire.”

Why Can’t I Just Meet Someone Organically?

There is one character flaw that makes someone completely undateable. Unfortunately, my second husband lacked this particular flaw or I never would have ended up in a disastrous six month marriage. But lessons were most definitely learned in that scenario. And as a result, I was able to tackle some of my own issues so I didn’t repeat the mistakes I made that landed me there in the first place.

Of course, the end of a relationship generally means there’s eventually the beginning of another one. And I dated, quite exclusively, someone else over the course of a year and a half. That (now ex) boyfriend also lacked this fatal character flaw. Though near the end he’d harp that I liked to talk to hear myself talk. As we were living together at the time and had zero in common – how does that happen anyway? – I spent the second half of that relationship quite depressed. By the end of it I felt like my whole life was on hold.

So I moved out and moved on. And I tried online dating again. The typical go to’s. Bumble and OKCupid as they tend to be less scary than some of the other dating apps out there. But I actually met someone in person less than a week in. And for a blissful few weeks I truly thought he was the perfect person for me.

It began as a whirlwind of an affair that lasted five short weeks. Then we took a break. And okay. So maybe we did move really fast. At this point however, he thought what I feel is my greatest strength was my own character flaw.

I ALWAYS stand up for the underdog. Sometimes to a fault I suppose. And admittedly it can get me in trouble. But standing up for others is the right thing to do. Right?

Some months back I actually found myself flat on my ass bleeding on the pavement. I had demanded some guy apologize for making inappropriate slurs to a transgender woman on the street. But this guy reallllllllly didn’t want to apologize. So he shoved me instead. Hard. I went down immediately and actually slid backwards. Two inches of skin from my elbow down my arm came off in the process.

So, of course, you know if I’m going to defend someone I just met at a punk show, I’m going to defend the guy I’m dating when he’s being bullied by his family. Granted, it’s his family and it likely wasn’t my place. But that’s who I am. I’m the person who’s going to call you out for being mean to someone for no particular reason. And I’m the person that’s going after an active shooter if there are lives on the line.

The kicker though, is that I actually had a discussion with this guy about that very topic. Wanna know what he’d do?

Hide behind everyone else.

Still, that wasn’t the be all to end all character flaw that nipped things to a quick halt. Nor was the fact he kept introducing himself to my friends as a lead singer in a rock and roll band. (It’s a fricking cover band, dude. No one cares.)

As it turned out, he’s actually a racist. And no matter how you try to defend using the N word, it doesn’t change facts. Nor does it discount that you’re hoping a nice white family will move in down the street instead of more people of color. It’s not okay. It’s never been okay. And for me, it’s completely unforgivable.

And that is how I ended up on a test run of the new Facebook dating app.

Enter The Facebook Dating App

Truth be told, I’ve long believed that Facebook should definitely NOT be used as a dating app. Having had my share of stalkers over the years, it’s always creepy when some random friend of a friend hits you up at 1am drunk AF. So I’ve spent ages actually slicing and dicing my friends list into absentia. With under 50 friends left on my list, I was finally able to nip that in the bud.

But then Facebook decides to actually develop a dating app. WTF. Accessible only through the mobile Facebook app, the biggest advantage is that it’s 100% completely free. (At least for now.) I’m sure, like all other things that start out free, they’ll find a way to monetize it down the line.

By no means am I an unattractive person. Except maybe when I’m angry. Because it takes a lot to get me angry. So when I finally get pissed off there’s zero question as to whether I’m mad or not. That aside, if I use a dating app, I am actually getting likes and what not. Therefore I feel like I have a clear understanding of whether it’s a decent app or one that’s quickly going to be circling the drain.

Of course, there’s more to consider than just the dating app itself. Obviously dating outside your area can vary drastically from dating in it.

It’s All About Who You Know (Not Who You Don’t)

Having lived in Southwestern Virginia my entire life, I have a very clear picture of what our area is and isn’t. Virginia did, after all, have a sterilization program in place at one point (which I’m told Hitler used for inspiration and may or may not be true.) Final restitution to the remaining survivors of that atrocity, however, were only paid out in the past decade. While my own hometown specifically, also has a rather sordid history with racism (from the official Roanoke.gov website) even into the early 2000’s. One in which those in positions of power worked to devalue property from black owned businesses and drive down property values. There’s also a lot of civil war history here in Virginia. So I have to mentally prepare myself going in to practice those hard swipes left.

The people I saw on the Facebook dating app were a mix of men I’ve seen on every other dating app out there. However they were randomly mixed in among a slew of new faces. The majority of whom did not look particularly “put together.” I guess if it’s free you have to expect to scrape the bottom of the barrel at some point. (Choose your profile photo wisely!) There were also photos of a lot of dudes with confederate flags in their profile pics. And while around here they say they are simply celebrating their Southern heritage, it’s more apt to say they’re “in the closet.” I mean, seriously dude. You’re celebrating a history of slavery. And, like the guy I wasted five weeks on, it’s racism no matter how you slice it or try to defend it.

What was most troubling however (judging by the fact that facebook is a social sharing platform first and a dating app second) was that many if not all of these men are friends of a friend or a friend of a friend of a friend. (I can’t even.) Flags aside, this may make it seem safer to dip your toes into the dating pool because it tells you who each person is friends with. However, this can also make it hard to find someone new if you’re trying to escape a friend circle that was once comprised of both you and an ex.

If, like me, you’ve taken a hatchet to your friends list, or simply don’t have many friends on social media to speak of, you’ll likely find yourself with fewer matches than you’d hope.

Finding More Matches Using the Facebook Dating App

Agree to expand the range out from 20 miles from your location (or whatever your go to max mileage is) and the Facebook dating app will start showing you potential matches up to 245 miles away. (Or at least that was the experience in my case.) And no matter whether you adjust that mileage cap back or not, you’re stuck with an influx of people who live hours away (that realistically you’re never going to meet) for the next 24 hours.

Additionally, the largest demographic of facebook users are men between the ages of 25 and 34, according to the most recent statistics. Therefore, depending on your age and sex, the facebook dating app may or may not work in your favor. But then again, it also depends who’s actually signing up and using the facebook dating app.

Unlike some dating apps, the Facebook dating app doesn’t allow you to send photos to someone you’ve matched with. Which is both good and bad. Having the ability to send photos allows you to vet people more thoroughly. Or at least in my case. For example, the guy who sent me a photo of himself fresh out of the shower. Hard pass. Block. Delete. OMG. F no.

Let’s Talk About It (And Other Things That Suck)

On the other hand, you can send gifs and there’s also the option to use an “icebreaker.” Basically random questions (are these always lame?) to send to start a conversation. Examples of actual icebreaker questions from the Facebook dating app are:

What was the worst job you ever had?
Have you ever been told you look like someone famous? Who was it?
What was the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
What’s your favorite quote from any movie?
If you could be any animal for a day, what would it be?

I mean, seriously?

(This is where I’m reminded of a meme that states: Dating after 40 is like trying to find the least damaged thing in a thrift store that doesn’t smell.)

Another con – and this is a big one – is that no one using the app seems to be very intent on following up on matches. If you match with someone, you’d expect some sort of communication. But for the most part, there seemed to be crickets. Personally, if you can’t engage me, or at least start a meaningful (or hilarious) conversation, then you’re just wasting my time. This lack of contact may be due to new users who aren’t sure how to navigate the app or they may have simply abandoned it after the fact. Either way, I also found that the notifications don’t work unless you have notifications for Facebook on as a whole. And as much as I’m on social media for the blog, there’s no way I’m immersing myself even further into day to day Facebook drama.

In addition, I found the settings for describing your ideal match particularly limiting. No, you cannot specifically ban all rednecks. (Someone could totally market that.) Your only options for the basics are distance, gender identity (limited by men, women or everyone), age range, height range, children and religious beliefs. The Facebook dating app is also only accessible through the Facebook mobile app.

The Pros to the Facebook Dating App

So, there are quite a few cons I found with the Facebook dating app. That’s not to say the kinks won’t be worked out as these issues are by far minor compared to some of the other disastrous dating sites I’ve tried. (Enter Coffee Meets Bagel.) However, there are actually quite a few pluses.

One, the Facebook dating app, as previously mentioned, is completely free (for now) with zero restrictions.

There’s no swiping left or right so there’s no confusion for new users. Simply tap the X if you’re not interested or tap the heart to like a person.

You can see everyone who likes you on the Facebook dating app. You then have the option of liking them back and matching or sending them off into oblivion.

And of course, the conversations are free as well. While you can only start a conversation with someone you match with, I actually find that’s a plus. Otherwise, and girls you know, men will bombard and hound you to the end of cyberland. Additionally, you can also report a conversation or block a user (from the conversations tab.)

If suggestions from friends isn’t working for you, the Facebook app does offer a unique feature in which you can get match suggestions from your events. You can also get suggestions from groups you are in. Or add someone you’re interested in as a secret crush. (A little grade school, but okay. Still, it’s totally unique and kind of cute.)

Overall I thought, compared to other dating apps, that the Facebook dating app was rather lacking. I’m looking for more features and a better pool of people to choose from. On the other hand, Facebook does a pretty decent job at deleting fake profiles and preventing bots. So you’re less likely (as a man) to end up with matches who are looking for a pay for sex kind of deal. Or worse a porn site. While I didn’t have luck with the Facebook dating app this time, I do plan to reevaluate it down the road once it’s become more popular.

After Thoughts

It is important to note, that unlike the disastrous attempt at online dating after my second (ever so brief) marriage, I went wading into this adventure like a champ. I have my shit together, the perimenopause is properly supplemented, and more importantly, I don’t get freaked out meeting someone stone cold sober. #forthewin

For more lifestyle posts from Soap Deli News, be sure to follow me via social media. You can follow me on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my newsletter.

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: advice, dating, dating app, life, lifestyle, relationships, review

Breathe Easy Essential Oil Blend: Make A Homemade Vapor Rub Cold Remedy

October 12, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 8 Comments

Try this natural breathe easy essential oil blend recipe to make your own homemade vapor rub cold remedy for symptom relief from nasal and chest congestion. A simple and effective home remedy for fast cold relief when you’re fighting a cold or the flu.

How to Use An Aromatherapeutic Breathe Easy Essential Oil Blend

When I get a cold, there’s nothing worse than not being able to breathe through my nose. While shower steams with menthol work wonders in the morning, taking a shower every time my nose gets stuffy isn’t a realistic option. Especially not at night when I’m trying to sleep. That’s when a breathe easy essential oil blend comes in handy. Whether you make your own breathe easy essential oil recipe or use a ready made breathe easy essential oil blend, you’ll be set for all the congestion challenges seasonal colds throw your way.

There are three easy ways to use the breathe easy essential oil blend. You can use your breathe easy essential oil blend in an essential oil diffuser at night or include it in an essential oil shower steamers recipe. Alternately, you can also use it in a simple remedy for homemade vapor rub. Keep reading to learn how to make a breathe easy essential oil recipe as well as where to buy a premade essential oil blend. Then try out your breathe easy essential oil blend in my simple (super easy!) homemade vapor rub cold remedy.

Breathe Easy Essential Oil Blend Recipe

Support respiratory function and promote a healthy immune response with this natural breathe easy essential oil blend recipe. This natural plant-based blend can be used in your diffuser as well as in my homemade vapor rub recipe. Use it to support easy breathing, revitalization and clear airways throughout winter.

Combine in an amber glass jar with a reducer or glass dropper and shake to combine.

Alternately, if you prefer, you can buy this specific blend premade in order to avoid buying multiple essential oils from Edens Garden. Or try the Respire blend from Spark Naturals, which also contains tea tree and clove essential oils. Formulated with a combination of peppermint, melaleuca (tea tree), eucalyptus, rosemary, lemon and clove, this blends aids in relief of congestion and other respiratory symptoms caused by colds and flu.

Once you’ve made an essential oil blend to use for aromatherapy, you can use your formulation to create your own homemade vapor rub recipe as a natural cold relief remedy.

Homemade Vapor Rub Recipe for Nasal & Chest Congestion

Ingredients:

2 oz. beeswax pastilles or cera bellina wax (recommended)
4 oz. carrier oil, such as sweet almond oil or fractionated coconut oil
3 mL Respire or Breathe Easy essential oil blend (or .1 oz.)
.05 oz. menthol crystals

Instructions:

Using a digital scale, weigh out the beeswax. Place the beeswax in a double boiler and gently heat until melted. (Alternately, you may use cera bellina wax to give this homemade vapor rub recipe a gel-like texture! It’s such a seriously fun wax to play with.)

While the beeswax melts, weigh out the carrier oil into a separate container.

Next weigh out the menthol crystals. Add the menthol crystals to the container with the carrier oil. Stir until the menthol crystals dissolve.

Once dissolved, measure or weigh out the breathe easy essential oil blend. Then combine with the carrier oil and menthol mixture.

Once the beeswax has melted, remove from heat. Then stir in the carrier oil mixture with the menthol crystals and essential oils.

Now pour the homemade vapor rub into a 6 oz. glass jar or three 2 oz. glass jars. You can also use metal tins.

Allow the homemade vapor rub to cool completely, then screw on the lids and label as desired for personal use.

To use your homemade vapor rub as a natural remedy for fast cold relief, rub a thin layer on your chest or upper back at nighttime. It will help to soothe coughs and may also offer relief from nasal and chest congestion as well as sinus pressure and headaches.

Yield: 2 - 6 oz. jars.

Homemade Vapor Rub Recipe

Materials

2 oz. beeswax pastilles
4 oz. carrier oil, such as sweet almond oil or fractionated coconut oil
3 mL Respire or Breathe Easy essential oil blend (or .1 oz.)
.05 oz. menthol crystals

Instructions

Using a digital scale, weigh out the beeswax. Place the beeswax in a double boiler and gently heat until melted.

While the beeswax melts, weigh out the carrier oil into a separate container.

Next weigh out the menthol crystals. Add the menthol crystals to the container with the carrier oil. Stir until the menthol crystals dissolve.

Once dissolved, measure or weigh out the breathe easy essential oil blend. Then combine with the carrier oil and menthol mixture.

Once the beeswax has melted, remove from heat. Then stir in the carrier oil mixture with the menthol crystals and essential oils.

Now pour the homemade vapor rub into a 6 oz. glass jar or three 2 oz. glass jars. You can also use metal tins.

Allow the homemade vapor rub to cool completely, then screw on the lids and label as desired for personal use.

Breathe easy diffuser blend for colds. Try this natural breathe easy essential oil diffuser blend recipe in your essential oil diffuser to support respiratory function and promote a healthy immune response with this natural breathe easy essential oil blend recipe. This natural plant-based blend can be used in your diffuser as well as in my homemade vapor rub recipe. Use it to support easy breathing, revitalization and clear airways throughout winter.

Like this recipe? Then you’ll also want to try my recipes for DIY shower steamers with menthol crystals and a sickness support bath soak! As well as check out my post on other natural ways to fight colds and flu including how to make an elderberry syrup to support your body’s natural immunity. Plus don’t forget to pin this post for reference later!

Where can I buy homemade vapor rub?

Not ready to make your own homemade vapor rub from scratch? Try one of these artisan made, petroleum free cold and flu salves instead.

You can also explore more herbal home remedies here. Also be sure to check out my eucalyptus & orange essential oil blend recipe. It’s one of my favorite aromatherapeutic essential oil blends and has a number of uses for health, home and beauty. Or discover more DIY ideas by visiting my Essential Oils & Herbs board on Pinterest as well as my Home Remedies board.

Want more great ideas? Then be sure to follow Soap Deli News across your favorite social media channels. You can find and follow me on Blog Lovin‘, pinterest, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my semi-weekly newsletter.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle Tagged With: aromatherapy, cold relief, colds, diffuser blends, essential oil blend, essential oil recipes, essential oils, fall, flu, health and wellness, healthy living, home remedies, home remedy, self care, vapor rub, winter

Botanical Skin Care Course Review (Plus A Vanilla Whipped Body Butter Recipe)

September 18, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 4 Comments

This post is sponsored by The Herbal Academy. All opinions are my own.

Expand your knowledge of herbal skin care and discover the relation between nutrition and your skin with the Botanical Skin Care Course from The Herbal Academy. Keep reading to learn why I recommend this in depth course, plus how to make a vanilla whipped body butter recipe for dry skin.

When we think of back to school, our thoughts instantly go to school buses, packed lunches and hopefully a little bit of peace and quiet. That’s not always the case however. I have several acquaintances, also in their forties, who have gone back to school recently in order to start new careers. While my sister-in-law recently finished her teaching degree and just started teaching pre-k students in low income areas – something she’s always wanted to do.

Unfortunately, not all of us have the luxury or the means to head back to college later in life. That doesn’t mean we don’t want to further our education. In fact, I love learning! It’s one of the reasons I became a blogger. Being a blogger encourages me to research new ingredients on a regular basis and explore new techniques in my field. While the internet offers a wealth of information online through an unguided quest, not everything is readily available with a keystroke. So how do I gather further insight and the knowledge I need to go further my craft? The answer is an easy one. It’s The Herbal Academy.

Botanical Skin Care Course Review

I didn’t realize how much more there was to learn about natural skin care and whole body wellness until I enrolled in The Herbal Academy’s Botanical Skin Care Course. This online course offered so much more than I expected. I can honestly say that I learned way more than I’d expected. As it was thoughtfully and well presented, I found myself wanting to learn even more after I completed the course. The Botanical Skin Care Course not only offered in depth information on the natural ingredients used in skin care, it also taught me the biology behind our skin and how its makeup relates to herbal skin care.

Why I Love (& Recommend) The Botanical Skin Care Course

There are number of things I really loved about this course.

For those new to The Herbal Academy, a video tutorial was available to make the process of navigating the course even easier.
There were notable facts about the history of cosmetics and skin care that were especially intriguing and found throughout the course lessons.
As this course offered in depth information on skin biology and whole body health, I felt this was definitely a college level course.
The information was broken up into different lessons and sections, so it was easy to stop at any time and pick it back up later.
There was no endless reading. The informational sections of each lesson were broken up with instructional videos and recipes, as well as graphics and herbal knowledge.
All of the information provided can be printed or viewed as a PDF. So everything is printable including the lessons, graphics and charts.
The Herbal Academy also provides printable pdf transcripts of video lessons to refer back to later.
The course is much more affordable than taking a college course and can be completed at your own pace.
Once you start the course, you have full access to that course for a full year from the day you begin.
There’s a private facebook group for additional help as well as to share tips and recipes. (I checked it out and signed up. It’s pretty awesome – plus zero drama.)
The course offers a brief overview of terminology on how to share the benefits of herbal skin care products without making medical claims.
If you want to further expand your knowledge on a topic covered in the Botanical Skin Care Course, there are additional resources provided at the end of each lesson.

Some of My Favorite Information from The Course

There’s so much information to soak up through the Botanical Skin Care Course. Therefore, it’s really hard to share a full overview of everything it entails. However, some of my favorite things were learning how to use herbal allies to care for skin – as well as how skin care connects to whole body wellness. (ie. Gut-Brain-Skin Axis.) I also like that this course covers herbs that address acute and chronic skin ailments with special consideration for anti-aging skin care. And there aren’t just skin care recipes to accompany the lessons. There are also herbal remedies AND food recipes that offer nutritional support for skin. You’ll also love their chart on skin-friendly dietary guidelines!

I loved learning about the basic energetic categories of Western herbalism—hot, cold, damp, and dry—to provide a more nuanced view of skin health. It was highly enlightening as were the sections on Ayurveda skin care and skin care in Chinese medicine. One of the more important lessons, however, covered the commercial ingredients we should be avoiding and why they are harmful. I was most surprised to learn that retinol, which is practically a staple in anti-aging skin care products, should be avoided due to its numerous negative side effects.

In contrast, the Botanical Skin Care Course from The Herbal Academy, also educates you on the carrier oils and butters that you SHOULD be using in your natural skin care products. Fatty acid content, comedogenic ratings, properties, shelf life and absorption rate are covered for each ingredient. There’s also a printable chart so you can keep this information handy when referring back to it later. Additionally there is information on salts, waxes and emulsifiers, clays and natural skin safe pigments, humectants, natural preservatives and essential oils.

For those of you just getting started with essential oils, you’ll find the chart for essential oil dilution guidelines especially helpful along with the properties and aroma of common essential oils used in skin care. I also learned the right way to make herbal vinegars, while expanding my knowledge on hydrosols, salves and oil infusions. There are a number of great recipes in the lesson on making botanical body care products. This section also offers video tutorials, troubleshooting information, additional graphics and printable charts as well as information on storing your products.

Botanical Body Care Recipes Within the Course

In fact, you’ll discover video instruction, printable property charts, troubleshooting tips, preservatives needed and recipes for making a number of botanical skin care products. These herbal skin care recipes include:

Natural bath care product recipes.
Recipes for creams, lotions & body butters.
Instructions for crafting herbal gels.
How to make herbal soaps with recipes.
Hair care recipes.
Cosmetic recipes.
Recipes for herbal vinegars.
Information on making herbal hydrosols.
Herbal salves and balm recipes.
How to make oil infusions & recipes.

The sheer volume of information provided throughout this course is priceless. I know that I will personally be referring back to this course throughout the year.

Botanical Skin Care Recipe Book

You also have the option to add on the Botanical Skin Care Recipe Book with this course. It’s filled with 194 favorite tried and true herbal skin care recipes. Inside are recipes for pretty much everything you can imagine – eye shadows, toners, face masks, deodorant, foot scrubs and baths, body butters, facial serums, homemade soaps and more. (You can also purchase this book separately here.) I really love this book and would definitely recommend it as an addition to your collection.

Now that you’ve decided to sign up for the Botanical Skin Care Course, be sure to also check out the recipe for making a daily moisturizer for acne prone skin. You can find this natural skin care recipe both within unit 4 of the course (for support for chronic conditions) as well as inside the Botanical Skin Care Recipe Book.

Vanilla Whipped Body Butter Recipe

The great thing about body butters is that they don’t contain any water-based ingredients. This means there’s less potential for microbial contamination (such as bacteria) which gives body butters a longer shelf life than lotions and creams. Because the ingredients used can be damaged by exposure to air, light or excess heat – causing the oils to go rancid, vitamin E or rosemary extract can be used to help prevent oxidation.

This vanilla whipped body butter recipe is adapted from Plant-Powered Beauty by Amy Galper and Christina Daigneault. The finished whipped body butter is both fluffy and decadent with a fragrance reminiscent of an orange creamsicle.

Ingredients:

¼ cup (2 fl oz) coconut oil
¼ cup shea butter
¼ cup cocoa butter
¼ cup (2 fl oz) jojoba oil infused with vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) bean
35 drops sweet orange (Citrus x sinensis) essential oil and 5 drops ylang ylang (Cananga odorata) essential oil (optional)

Instructions:

Make the vanilla-infused jojoba oil using the instructions in the herb-infused oil tutorial (found in the Botanical Skin Care Course) using ¼ vanilla bean and ¼ cup jojoba oil. Note that ¼ cup is the amount of finished herbal oil to include in the recipe—you may need to start with more oil when making the herb-infused oil, as the herbs will soak up some of the oil (if you forget to do this, just top off with some plain oil as needed for this recipe).

Gently heat coconut oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter in a double boiler over low heat (or a glass or ceramic bowl or canning jar over a small saucepan of simmering water) until melted.

Add the vanilla-infused jojoba oil, stir until mixture is melted and consistent, and turn off the heat.

Let cool for approximately 10 minutes, and once it is still warm, but not hot to the touch, cover and transfer to the refrigerator for approximately 1 hour, or until there is no longer a semi-liquid center.

Using an immersion blender or electric mixer, whip the mixture on high for 5 minutes or until it changes color and looks fluffy. You may need to periodically scrape the mixture from the sides of the bowl.

Add essential oil, if desired, and mix.

Label, and store in a cool, dark place. This vanilla whipped body butter recipe will keep for up to 1 year.

Not quite ready to commit to the Botanical Skin Care Course? Then be sure to pin this post for later! Otherwise, you can sign up for the Botanical Skin Care Course here.

For more botanical skin care recipes like the vanilla whipped body butter recipe from the Botanical Skin Care Course, be sure to follow my boards on pinterest. You can also find and follow me on your favorite social media platforms, including Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up to receive my newsletter to stay in the loop.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle Tagged With: bath and beauty, bath and body, body butter, body butter recipe, botanicals, health and wellness, herbal infusion, herbal skin care, herbalism, herbs, homemade soap, natural beauty, natural living, natural remedy, natural skin care, non-toxic, online course, review, salves, skin care recipes, whipped body butter