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Natural Alternatives for Symptom Relief of Fibromyalgia & Perimenopause

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July 9, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 2 Comments

Learn about the best vitamins and herbal supplements you can take for emotional & physical symptom relief of fibromyalgia & perimenopause for women over 40.

I sometimes like to refer to it as the “Princess and the Pea Complex.” Because there are days when a wrinkle on a sheet feels like a rock that’s dug into my skin and left a bruise behind. Days a tickle feels like a punch. Sometimes I even feel like I’ve pulled the muscles in my shoulders from simply pulling a shirt off over my head. And that pain lasts for days to weeks. When perimenopause rolled around, it all got worse. Pain and emotion become even more intertwined. I felt miserable all the time. And it wore on me.

Whether you have fibromyalgia or perimenopause – or even both! – there are natural remedies that offer significant relief. Keep reading to learn how more about how one affects the other. As well as the best supplements you can take to put you back on top and in charge of your physical and emotional health.

Finding Symptom Relief from Fibro & Perimenopause

I’ve been meaning to write this post for a while now. However, I was always afraid I’d leave something out. And considering how well these products work for me personally, I wanted to cover how beneficial they are in case they can help you as well. Juggling both fibromyalgia AND perimenopause in my forties has proven to be a challenge. However, as many of the natural supplements that reduce symptoms of perimenopause also help with my fibromyalgia, I decided to share them in a post together.

If suffer with chronic pain from fibromyalgia, you’ve likely found that stress and hormones are the two biggest contributing factors to fibro flare ups. And that’s why the same treatment I use for fibro works so well for both the symptom relief of fibromyalgia and perimenopause.

You may recall my post from last year in which I covered the supplements I using then to manage my fibromyalgia. However, this is a revised list of vitamins and supplements that not only work better at providing symptom relief of fibromyalgia pain, fatigue and fibro fog, but also help with perimenopausal symptoms.

Why You Shouldn’t Take Painkillers for Fibromyalgia

There is no cure for fibromyalgia. However, from personal experience, I quickly realized that opioid (and synthetic opioid) painkillers are one of the worst treatments. Not only do they worsen fibro pain over time, they also lead to addiction. With that, in addition to the pain caused by fibromyalgia, you’ll also quickly start to experience withdrawal symptoms as the time for your next dose nears.

Unfortunately, my experience has shown me that doctors just do not know how to treat fibromyalgia symptoms. Aside from recommending SSRI drugs or drugs used to treat nerve pain such as gabapentin – both of which can cause considerable unhealthy weight gain – as well as painkillers and muscle relaxers, there really are no other prescription treatment options.

The Cost of Natural Remedies Vs. Prescription Drugs

It’s also unfortunate that herbal supplements are nowhere near as cheap as generic prescription drugs. However, when those drugs do more harm than good over time, you really have to consider your priorities. Do you find a way to give your body what it needs to be healthy? Or do you spend less to mask the symptoms of your illness?

Therefore, I made the choice to put my health first. I work my butt off – and go without things – to afford my vitamin and herbal supplement regimen. Without them, I can’t function normally. Which in turn means I’m unable to work. While I still have days that challenge me, I now feel better overall. And my focus is sharper than it has been in the past.

Working to discover an affordable supplement regimen to ease the symptoms of fibromyalgia has been a challenge. However, I have learned a lot throughout the process. You really need to try natural supplements for at least three to four months before giving up on them. I found this especially true for (THC free) CBD oil. (For fibromyalgia I recommend medical grade CBD oil if your state offers medical marijuana which is more powerful and more cost effective.) While other supplements, like those I take for perimenopausal hot flashes and mood, require a 90-day minimum before they start working.

An investment of time and money is required to find the right solution to help ease your symptoms. So some patience is required before throwing in the towel.

The Emotional Monkey Wrench: Perimenopause

Treating my fibromyalgia symptoms has become more trying since I developed perimenopause. The symptoms of fibro, when combined with my body’s changes from perimenopause, has been an incredible challenge.

I’ve been struggling with perimenopause for several years now. Much of that time, I really didn’t know that I had perimenopause. (No one talks about it!) When coupled with the fibromyalgia, the symptoms of perimenopause left my body in a whirlwood. I’d have weeks where I felt okay. Then other times I felt like the world just dropped out from under me.

Not knowing I was going through perimenopause, I didn’t really understand why I was having mood swings. Or that my hot flashes were hot flashes. Why I couldn’t sleep or why I was having night sweats. No one ever talked to me about it.

I finally gained some insight into the mystery toward the end of last year. My 44th birthday was just around the corner, and an understanding (finally!) of why my body (and brain) were acting the way they were, gave me the insight I needed to take control of body – and mental health – back.

Natural Support for Symptom Relief of Fibromyalgia & Perimenopause

I’ve since taken a second look at my health and the supplements I take to stay healthy and support emotional wellness. The cost of vitamins and supplements, however, was and continues to be a factor. So, for a time, I was constantly tweaking strategies and looking for the best natural alternative that worked for both the perimenopause AND the fibromyalgia – at a price I could manage. After many many months, I think I finally found it.

Everyday Tips for Better Mental Health & Pain Relief

Before I share my vitamin and herbal supplement regimen with you, however, I first want to share a few tips to give you days a positive boost.

Exercise. Whether walking for heart health or doing yoga to build muscle strength, both of these activities naturally boost serotonin in the brain, increase energy and help to reduce pain caused by fibromyalgia.
Nutrition. Cutting processed foods, sugar and other foods from your diet that cause inflammation will help your body feel better and can also reduce bloating.
Meditation. Meditation or mindful breathing exercises are an easy, cost free way to reduce stress that triggers and worsens symptoms.
Nutritional and herbal supplements. As we age, our bodies lose vital vitamins and minerals. Supplements are an easy way to replenish things like D3, B-vitamins and magnesium. While GLA and herbs can support perimenopause relief, reduce inflammation and boost mood.

For more ways on dealing with chronic pain, I also recommend these tips from the American Psychological Association. They include managing stress, constructive positive thinking, staying actively engaged socially and seeking out additional support. I also like these easy ideas for “exercise snacks” throughout the day.

Turning to Herbal Supplements for Symptom Relief of Fibromyalgia & Perimenopause

It’s important to remember that herbal remedies can take up to 3 months to start working and see benefits. Therefore, starting and stopping prior to that is a disservice to both your health and your pocketbook. So be sure you’re ready to commit to the time and cost of discovering the best solutions for symptom relief of fibromyalgia and/or perimenopause. It’s also important to note that herbal supplements may interact with medications you may be taking. Therefore, as with all herbal supplements, it’s important to talk to your doctor before starting any new supplements so you are aware of possible interactions and symptoms.

Following is a list of the herbal supplements and vitamins that I take daily, why I take them and how they help.

SAM-E Complete

S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) is a naturally occuring compound in our bodies that helps produce and regulate hormones as well as maintain cell membranes. As we age, the amount of SAMe our body produce decreases. Fortunately, we can replenish those lower levels in the same way we replenish low levels of other vitamins and minerals.

While there is no naturally occuring form of SAMe outside of our own bodies, thanks to modern science there is a synthetic version available that works the very same way. A clinically researched supplement, SAMe supports a healthy mood and offers joint comfort. Studies have shown that SAMe can help with depression, is beneficial for people with liver disease and helps with symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Here’s why SAMe is my #1 recommendation for symptom relief of fibromyalgia and perimenopause.

As women we are more prone to developing osteoarthritis as we age. SAMe offers similar pain relief and improvement in joint function as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. This can also help with fibromyalgia pain.
When I was taking celexa – an SSRI drug that reduces anxiety and boosts mood – my fibromyalgia pain was significantly reduced. However, I did experience a number of side effects. These included simply not giving a shit, lack of judgment and poor impulse control, and weight gain. SAMe has tackled my anxiety and in turn helped with stress levels and pain without any of those side effects. This reduction of anxiety and stress has in turn has also relieved my tension headaches, conquered my recurrent TMJ and helped with depression and better stress management.
As you experience spikes and sharp drops in serotonin as hormone levels change throughout perimenopause, you also experience drastic shifts in mood. These include those “crazy mood swings” as well as depression. To treat this, my gynecologist actually recommended I take an SSRI drug for symptom relief. Since I’ve been there and done that, I decided to try SAMe instead. It does everything an SSRI drug does and more.
While SAMe boosts serotonin in your brain and acts like an SSRI drug, there are none of the unwanted side effects that come with taking a prescription SSRI medication.

Unfortunately, if you have ever had serotonin syndrome, you can’t take SAMe. Otherwise, I recommend 800mg of Nature Made SAM-e Complete daily for symptom relief of fibromyalgia. If you don’t have fibromyalgia, and simply need emotional support for perimenopause, I recommend starting at 200mg per day then increasing your dose to 400mg (on up to 800mg if needed or to treat fibro symptoms) after two weeks at the initial dose.

New Chapter Every Woman’s 40+ One Daily Multi

As many of tend to be deficient in necessary vitamins and minerals as we age, a multivitamin is a must. New Chapter Every Woman’s 40+ One Daily Multi is my by far my favorite vitamin. (This from the girl who used to take two chewable Flintstones +Iron a day.) Specially formulated for women in their 40s, this multivitamin not only offers necessary vitamins and minerals, it also offer bone, energy, stress and hormone support.

This #1-selling fermented multivitamin brand, this clean, whole-food fermented multivitamin delivers superfoods like ginger, organic turmeric & fenugreek and is made with certified organic vegetables and herbs. Many of the key ingredients I find especially beneficial not just for nutritional support but also for symptom relief of fibromyalgia and perimenopause.

Because this vitamin contains D3, it not only helps support bone health, but it also can help with pain. Low levels of D3 are linked to higher levels of pain. When I was first diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I had extremely low levels of vitamin D. In turn, my mother’s arthritis had grown increasingly worse about two years back. She too, had low levels of vitamin D as well as low bone density that can lead to osteoporosis.

This multivitamin also contains B6. The mineral B6 offers a number of health benefits that are backed by science. It can help to improve mood, promote brain health, aid in hemoglobin production to reduce symptoms of anemia, minimize the risk of heart disease, promote eye health and decrease inflammation caused by arthritis.

When combined with magnesium, B6 can help reduce symptoms of PMS including mood swings, irritability and anxiety. It’s also been show that low levels of B6 in older women can double our risk of depression. Therefore, by maintaining healthy B6 levels, it’s possible it can improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression associated with both perimenopause and fibromyalgia. (You can learn more about vitamin B6 here.)

This multivitamin also contains schizandra berry, maca root and chamomile for energy and stress support. While a natural herbal blend with chaste tree berry, red clover flower and raspberry leaf offers hormone support that I found help ease hot flashes and night sweats.

If you aren’t yet 40, you can try New Chapter Every Woman’s One Daily Multi. Or they also offer a women’s multivitamin for 55+.

Estroven

When I finally figured out I was going through “the change” (and WTF do you mean perimenopause can last up to 7 years?!) I knew I did not want to take hormone supplements. My mom actually got cervical cancer from taking hormone pills that were over prescribed for a period of 15 years. And I have a friend who developed breast cancer when she turned 40. As it turned out my gynecologist actually suggested I try herbal remedies for perimenopause relief before I even considered hormone treatment.

Estroven is common, over-the-counter product for natural menopause relief. It contains clinically proven soy isoflavones for hot flash relief and increased energy as well as twice as much as black cohosh as other leading brands. In addition, it also contains magnolia bark which helps you manage stress, offers relief from menopausal anxiety and aids with digestion. However, you do have to take this product for three months to notice a difference.

I FINALLY passed that 3-month mark of taking Estroven for it to work. And while my daily New Chapter multivitamin helped with hot flashes and night sweats, this product significantly reduced hormone fueled food cravings, reduced bloating, helped with irritability and mood swings and provided additional support for hot flashes and night sweats. As I take Estroven Maximum Strength + Energy, this product also helps with fatigue caused by both the perimenopause and the fibromyalgia.

While I don’t recommend this product if you aren’t going through perimenopause, it does help with the hormone changes that often cause fibro flare ups. (Just as a side note I did take the New Chapter Every Woman’s 40+ One Daily Multi for several months prior to starting this product. I did not start them at the same time.)

Evening Primrose with 10% GLA

Evening primrose oil is a fatty acid that also offers hormone support. This cold pressed oil is comprised of Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA), an essential omega-6 fatty acid that our bodies use to to produce eicosanoids, known as “local hormones.” Additionally, evening primrose also supports skin health and offers immune support. It’s taken for a variety of health concerns including eczema and psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis, diabetic nerve damage and chronic fatigue, acne, PMS, breast pain, endometriosis and hot flashes and hot flushes cause by perimenopause.

Studies show that the GLA found in evening primrose oil not only reduces hot flashes, it can also improve heart health and reduce blood pressure. Additionally, older research has indicated that the linolenic acid in evening primrose can also ease symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, such as tingling and weakness caused by diabetes. In turn it’s possible it can also help with the pain symptoms and weakness you experience with fibromyalgia.

I am one of those unlucky people that experiences not hot flashes, but hot flushes. Similar to a hot flash in that there’s a sudden feeling of heat that spreads throughout the body, with hot flushes you also experience sweating, palpitations and flushing of the face. It’s not fun. Evening primrose really helped with my own hot flushes when I first started taking it prior to my use of Estroven. I recommend taking Nature’s Way EfaGold Evening Primrose with 10% GLA twice daily in addition to your daily multivitamin for additional hormone support if you are allergic to the soy Estroven. You can learn more about hot flushes here.

Irwin Naturals Sunny Mood

Anxiety, tension and pain are my jam where fibromyalgia is concerned. However, Irwin Naturals Sunny Mood helps to further reduce my anxiety even in those uncomfortable social situations. This unique blend contains D3 and magnesium along with fish oil (DHA), rhodiola extract, L-Theanine, lemon balm and passionflower. Brought together, this combination of adaptogenic botanicals, soothing nerve relaxants and harmonizing nutrients help to maintain mental balance during times of heightened emotional stress. This supplement if perfect for anyone with temporary depressed mood, occasional anxiety, emotional reactivity, temporary stress-related exhaustion and mental fatigue. ie. All the symptoms of fibromyalgia and perimenopause.

Sunny Mood can be taken either as needed or for daily maintenance depending on your emotional health needs.

While I already covered the benefits of D3 and magnesium, here’s a brief overview of the other ingredients, which were actually recommended by my licensed holistic therapist for symptom relief of fibromyalgia.

An omega-3 fatty acid, DHA is linked to improved heart health, better vision, and reduced inflammatory response. Studies also show that it can help with ADHD symptoms, improve focus and help protect against depression.
Like CBD oil, Rhodiola Rosea is an adaptogenic herb. In short, adaptogens are herbal supplements that have to the ability to help stabilize physiological processes and promote homeostasis. As such, Rhodiola extract specifically promotes overall physical and emotional wellbeing by reducing stress, combating fatigue, increase mental performance and improving physical and mental fitness.
L-Theanine is an amino acid that is naturally found in both green and black tea that naturally improves mental focus and cognitive performance as well as contribute to relaxation and improve sleep quality. It’s believed that L-theanine affects the levels of certain chemicals in the brain including serotonin and dopamine. Both of which influence mood, sleep and emotion. Additionally, it also affects cortisol which helps the body deal with stress.
Lemon balm is common culinary herb that’s often used in traditional medicine to treat both anxiety and insomnia. Also popular as an essential oil, lemon balm essential oil is used in aromatherapy to promote calmness and ease stress.
Like lemon balm, passionflower is another herb traditionally used to relieve symptoms of anxiety and insomnia in addition to certain forms of pain. While there are several types of passionflower, only the variety known as Passiflora incarnata, is used medicinally. This strain in particular increases levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (or GABA) in the brain – a chemical the brain makes to help regulate mood. As GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter, it counters the neurotransmitters that cause excitement, which in turn can provide a calming effect.

Sleep Supplements

As both fibromyalgia and perimenopause can result in trouble sleeping, I often have to take something to help me rest. Otherwise I not only have trouble falling asleep, I literally wake up every two hours. While melatonin does help to an extent, I’ve found it works best when used in conjunction with an herbal supplement.

Currently I’m taking a store brand herbal supplement from Earth Fare. It combines 6 mg of melatonin with a blend of valerian root, hops strobiles, skullcap, passionflower and California poppy. I simply take two capsules about a half hour before I’m ready to go to bed to help promote rest and relaxation. If you don’t have an Earth Fare near you, you can easily find a similar herbal supplement across other health and wellness brands.

Otherwise, an essential oil blend comprised of 3 drops vetiver essential oil, 2 drops lavender essential oil and 2 drops ylang ylang essential oil in an essential oil diffuser at bedtime helps with insomnia and other general sleep issues. (If you’d like to learn how to get started using essential oils, be sure to check out my article on essential oils for home, health and beauty.)

Do you struggle with fibromyalgia, perimenopause – or even both as I do? I’d love to hear your thoughts on natural supplements you use for symptom relief of fibromyalgia and perimenopause that have worked for you! After all. Everyone is unique in their own body chemistry. And helping one another find solutions to live our best lives through the exchange of information is what it’s all about.

For more natural health and wellness alternatives to incorporate into every aspect of your life, be sure to visit my natural health and wellness Pinterest board.

You can also find 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.

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 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: adaptogens, emotional health, fibromyalgia, health and wellness, healthy, healthy living, herbal supplements, natural alternative, pain relief, perimenopause, vitamins

Eucalyptus and Orange Essential Oil Blend for Health, Home & Beauty

I may receive compensation from links on this site. See my disclosure policy.

June 11, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 1 Comment

This natural aromatherapeutic eucalyptus & orange essential oil blend recipe doesn’t just smell wonderful. It actually can be used in a number of ways for health, home and beauty. Learn how to make a simple eco-friendly linen spray & deodorizer, surface sanitizer, smoothing hair shine spray & diffuser blend for stuffy noses. As well as how to add this essential oil blend to your homemade soap & natural skin care recipes. Keep reading to learn more!

Aromatherapeutic Essential Oil Blend

This is the same essential oil blend I used in my latest natural skin care recipe for a homemade coffee body scrub. And, because I love it SO much, I wanted to share a few other ways that you can use this natural essential oil blend recipe.

Whether you’re looking for new naturally scented skin care recipes to try or want an eco-friendly way to freshen your home, you’ll find this eucalyptus and orange essential oil blend has uses for all aspects of health, skin care and homemaking.

Eucalyptus and Orange Essential Oil Blend

To make, simply combine 3 parts eucalyptus essential oil with 2 parts peppermint essential oils, 2 parts orange essential oil, 1 part rosemary essential oil and 1 part tea tree essential oil in an amber glass bottle. Then shake to combine.

Here’s an easy breakdown to make a batch of this essential oil blend to use throughout the year, broken down into ounces and grams.

Eucalyptus and Orange Essential Oil Blend Recipe

.15 oz. / 4.25 g eucalyptus essential oil
.1 oz. / 2.8 g peppermint essential oil
.1 oz. / 2.8 g wild orange essential oil
.05 oz. / 1.41 g rosemary essential oil
.05 oz. /1.41 g tea tree essential oil

Ways to use Your Eucalyptus and Orange Essential Oil Blend

For Homemade Beauty Recipes

You can then use this essential oil blend in you homemade beauty recipes such as melt and pour soaps, body butters and scrubs – even natural homemade deodorant for summer! I recommend .05% for leave on products and up to 2% for wash off products such as homemade soap recipes and body scrubs.

Or try swapping out this eucalyptus and orange essential oil blend in one of these natural beauty recipes.

For Natural Hair Care

I also love using this blend for natural hair care. Combine 12 drops of this essential oil blend with 1 oz. fractionated coconut oil. Then simply mist or smooth a few drops over hair for a healthy looking shine.

For Seasonal Allergies & Colds

As this natural essential oil blend contains eucalyptus essential oil, I also found it worked wonders at opening up my nasal passages caused by seasonal allergies. Simply use this blend in an essential oil diffuser. Or, combine 24 drops of essential oil with 2 oz. of witch hazel in a spray bottle to mist onto your pillow before bed. (You can also use this as a spray deodorant!)

For Home Scents & Sanitizers

Alternately, I also found that this essential oil blend works beautifully as an odor neutralizing spray, sanitizer and air freshener in my home. Simply combine this blend in a spray bottle with either vodka or 99% isopropyl alcohol to deodorize and sanitize surfaces. It can also be used as a linen spray to freshen laundry. (Shake before each use.)

For Laundry Care

You can also add this essential oil blend directly to your wool dryer balls for freshly scented laundry that’s also eco-friendly.

How Much Essential Oil Should I Use?

Confused about how much essential oil to add to your recipes? Check out Mountain Rose Herbs’ new essential oil dilution calculator here. Or try their easy essential oil conversion calculator when you’re not sure how to make conversions from drops to larger units of measure. Plus get pro tips for using essential oils for home, health and beauty.

An Easy Way to Learn About Essential Oils

Ready to start your essential oil collection but aren’t sure where to start? Simply Earth offers a monthly essential oil recipe box that’s perfect for you! Each monthly box comes with four essential oils as well as additional ingredients and recipe cards. Use the essential oil recipe cards to craft simple essential oil recipes for health, home and beauty. Then store the index sized cards in a recipe box for future reference or to duplicate your favorite recipes.

There’s no monthly commitment to try Simply Earth. Buy a single box or individual essential oils when it fits your budget. Discover all the benefits of Simply Earth’s essential oil recipe boxes here. Or check out my reviews of past boxes from Simply Earth here.

Ready to explore new essential oils? Order this month’s box with right away! (Use coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE to receive a FREE bonus box worth $40 with your first order. You’ll also get an e-coupon for $40 off your next box. Get yours now!)

Interested in learning even more? Explore more ways to use essential oils in your home as well as for health and beauty applications by visiting my essential oils & herbs board on Pinterest. And, of course, don’t forget to pin this post with my eucalyptus and orange essential oil blend recipe for later!

For more ideas for using essential oils as well as my own original bath and beauty recipes, be sure to follow me across your favorite social media platforms. You can find and follow me on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up to receive my semi-weekly newsletter to stay in the loop.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Handmade Home, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle Tagged With: allergy relief, bath and beauty, bath and body, essential oil blend, essential oils, essential oils recipes, eucalyptus, handmade home, health and wellness, healthy homemaking, lifestyle, natural alternative, natural beauty, natural skin care, non-toxic, orange, summer skin care

Summer Safety Tips to Protect Against Tick-Borne Illnesses & Skin Cancer

I may receive compensation from links on this site. See my disclosure policy.

May 9, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 2 Comments

Learn important outdoor summer safety tips to protect your body from tick-borne illnesses and sunburns that can lead to skin cancer.

Outdoor Summer Safety Tips

Which is your biggest concern? Getting skin cancer or contracting Lyme disease? You may be surprised to learn that equal numbers of people fall victim to both each year. As these numbers have increased considerably to around 300,000 cases of each per year, it makes sense that summer skin care should be a priority. By carrying out a few essential summer safety tips, you can help prevent you and your family from getting sick. Keep reading to discover these essential summer safety tips that target potential summertime threats.

Why Is Summer Skin Care Important?

Summer skin care involves more than just protecting your skin from the sun. Ticks, which can potentially infect their host with Lyme disease or even a red meat allergy, are also becoming increasingly common. This makes not just skin cancer, but the possibility of a lifelong illness from chronic lyme disease, an equal concern. Learn important summer safety tips to protect your body from tick-borne illnesses and sunburns that can lead to skin cancer below.

Concern Over Potentially Toxic Ingredients In Sunscreen

You may have heard that are new concerns regarding sunscreens. A recent medical study by JAMA showed that certain chemicals used in sunscreen – specifically avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene and ecamsule – are actually absorbed into the users bloodstream during use. Unfortunately for us, these levels are much higher than approved by the FDA.

However, as sunscreens have not been subjected to the same standards as drug safety testing, there have been no safety inspections on sunscreens thus far. This means that the chemicals in many of the sunscreens on the market are potentially poisoning our bodies. What we don’t know, is if these chemicals are putting us at risk for future illnesses or cancer.

What I found especially scary is how long three of the aforementioned chemicals stay in the bloodstream. Not only do levels of all of these chemicals exceed the maximum safety levels set by the FDA after the first use, three are still detectable after a seven day period. Especially troubling are the results of study on oxybenzone. A chemical banned from sunscreens in Hawaii as it’s toxic to coral reefs, oxybenzone also shows up in womens breast milk.

Unfortunately, no one knows the long term effects of using sunscreen with these ingredients. As of yet, more testing needs to be done to ensure consumer safety. There simply is no concrete answer as to if these ingredients cause cancer over time with continued use. Kind of scary right?

Outdoor Summer Sun Protection Safety Tips

In order to keep your skin safe from cancer, wearing clothing that covers exposed skin and applying sunscreen are two very important summer safety tips. However, with new insight on the potential dangers of chemicals found in sunscreens, it begs the question, what kind of sunscreen should you use?

What Types of Sunscreen Should I Use?

Barrier sunscreens, or mineral based sunscreens that contain zinc oxide, and are free of the previously mentioned chemicals are considered to be safe and effective at protecting skin from sunburns. (Some brands to consider are Waxhead, Bare Republic and Australian Gold.)

It is recommended that you opt out of making your own sunscreen unless you can test its effectiveness. There are numerous reports across the internet in which homemade sunscreens did not offer the protection thought. Thus resulting in bad sunburns. (So DIY at your own risk.)

One only needs to refer back to the debacle with The Honest Company sunscreen during 2015 to fully realize the challenge in make a safe and effective product. There were multiple reports after the original sunscreen was reformulated to reduce the amount of zinc oxide. Extensive sunburns were reported after this change, that while more aesthetically pleasing (bye bye white marks!) it missed the mark on sun protection. (You can read more on this issue here.)

The risk of skin cancer, unfortunately, seems to keep rising. In 2018 the World Cancer Research Fund reported 300,000 new cases of melanoma. This marks melanoma as the 19th most commonly occurring cancer among men and women.

Why Protecting Yourself From Tick Bites Is Important

While the thought of skin cancer is certainly scary, contracting Lyme disease – or even an allergy to red meat – from a tick bite is becoming increasingly common. And quite honestly, just as terrifying. Like melanoma, the CDC reports that 300,000 Americans contract tick-borne diseases each year. While there were 30,000 cases reported to the CDC in 2013, they believe that the actual number of cases is ten times this amount.

The month of May typically marks the start of tick season. This means starting now you should already be taking precautions to protect yourself – and your furry friends – from tick bites. In addition, as we had a mild winter across much of the United States, tick season is expected to be considerably worse this year over previous years when winter temperatures were much colder. It is important to keep in mind, however, that just because tick season starts in May, that doesn’t mean there’s not a year round risk.

Common Disease Carrying Ticks to Watch Out For

Black Legged Tick (Deer Tick)

Not all ticks carry Lyme disease. However, the black legged tick, also known as a deer tick, does. It’s prevalent across much of the Northeastern, mid-Atlantic and north-central part of the United States as well as Illinois. Cases of lyme disease have been reported from Virginia to Northern Maine. This disease causes fever, headache and fatigue as well as characteristic skin rash. If left untreated, the infection may spread to the joints, heart and the nervous system. This in turn can lead to chronic pain, similar to that of fibromyalgia. (Learn more about Lyme disease here.)

A few years back my neighbor contracted Lyme disease from a tick bite. He had headaches so intense he was unable to work for six months coupled with crippling pain. After which he was only able to go back to work part time. If you suspect you may have been bitten by a deer tick, immediate antibiotic treatment can reduce or prevent the symptoms of Lyme disease. However, the best course of action is still prevention.

Deer ticks must be attached to their host – whether pet or human – for 36 to 48 hours in order to transmit the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi that causes lyme disease. Therefore, checking yourself and your animals for ticks once you’ve been outside in wooded and high grass areas can help prevent transmission of the disease. While wearing protective clothing and using a tick repellent can prevent tick bites entirely.

American Dog Tick

The American dog tick, on the other hand, is also one of the most common ticks in the US. However, it is often misidentified. While dog ticks do not carry Lyme disease, they can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia and possibly ehrlichiosis to humans. Ehrlichiosis is an emerging concern for areas where this tick is found, East of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ehrlichiosis causes a variety of symptoms that include fever, headache, chills, malaise, muscle pain, gastrointestinal distress, confusion, red eyes and a rash. Approximately one third of adults and half of all children who contract ehrlichiosis experience systems. As with Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis can be fatal in some cases. However, early treatment with antibiotics is often effective.

Lone Star Tick

Finally, the lone star tick – which is also common in my home state of Virginia – can pass along what is called alpha-gal. Alpha-gal is a sugar molecule that the lone star tick can transmit from mammals to humans. When this happens, our bodies develop antibodies against alpha-gal. This in turn results to a life threatening allergy to red meat.

The allergy causes symptoms in humans ranging from hives to violent vomiting and diarrhea – or worse death from anaphylaxis shock. People who have this allergy, like those allergic to bee stings or even peanuts – must carry an EpiPen with them in case of accidental exposure. Additionally, UVA has also conducted research linking those sensitive to the alpha-gal gene with a much higher risk of heart disease.

The lone star tick is especially dangerous as it will actually hunt its next meal. Research has shown that this tick can sense mammals and humans from 60 to 100 feet away. The tick then gravitates towards mammals, rather than patiently waiting for someone to walk by. A recent news story in our area reported that doctors in Richmond are seeing approximately 100 cases per week of people who have been infected with alpha-gal from tick bites.

Outdoor Summer Safety Tips to Prevent Tick Bites

If you live in areas that are prone to ticks, or you are visit high grassy or wooded areas, you should be taking precautions to prevent tick bites. Here’s how to keep you and your family safe from tick-borne illnesses.

- Wear light protective clothing that covers your arms and legs. (Ticks are easier to see on light colored clothes.) A head covering is also recommended. Tuck or tape your cuffs into your shoes to prevent ticks from crawling inside underneath your clothes.
- It’s recommended that you spray an insect repellant that contains picaridin, rather than DEET, onto your clothing and hands. (Avoid spraying insect repellent onto your face. Apply with your hands instead, avoiding mucous membranes.) Be sure to wash skin and clothes once you return indoors. Other DEET alternatives include natural tick repellents containing lemon eucalyptus oil.
- When hiking, walk inside the center of the trail to avoid being brushed by foliage that may contain ticks. If camping, avoid sitting in areas with leaf litter.
- Check yourself, as well as pets and children, for ticks every two to three hours. Most ticks are unable to transmit a disease until after the four hour mark. While removing ticks within 36 hours makes transmission of the bacteria that causes Lyme disease unlikely.
- If you find a tick on your clothing, it can be easily removed with masking or cellophane tape. To remove ticks on skin, grasp it firmly with tweezers as close to the skin as possible. Then firmly and gently pull the tick straight out. Alternately, you can also use a cloth or tissue to form barrier between your fingers and the tick prior to removal. Always wash the infected area with soap and water following tick removal, followed by an antiseptic.
- If you’re worried about infection, you can save the tick in a small vial of alcohol. This way the tick can be identified if you do get sick or want to take preventative antibiotics to protect against Lyme disease. Or if you experience an unexplained illness accompanied by a fever after visiting a tick prone area.

Alternatives to DEET

According to UpToDate, insect repellents containing the active ingredients DEET, IR3535, or picaridin are the most effective at preventing tick bites. However, these products must be reapplied frequently. Further, DEET products are not safe for use on small children under two months of age. Nor are they safe for adults at concentrations of higher than 30%. This chemical repellent can cause adverse neurologic reactions, such as seizures, as a result of overexposure. In addition it can also cause hives and blister-like lesions.

Due to the potential toxicity of DEET, picaridin is now recommended by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a safe alternative to DEET. It should be applied every two hours. Picaridin is non-greasy and odorless. And it won’t irritate skin or stain fabrics. While there has been no indication of toxicity reported from use on humans, picaridin has caused liver toxicity in rats.

Should you choose to use an insect repellent with picaridin, I recommend Sawyer Products Premium Insect Repellent or Natrapel 8 Hour. Both of these insect repellents contain 20% picaridin.

While potentially less effective, natural alternatives are considered safer than chemical tick repellents. WebMD states that the application of Citriodiol (which contains 30% lemon eucalyptus oil extract) three times daily significantly decreases the risk of tick attachment if you live in tick-infested area. You can purchase REPEL Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent on Amazon. Like Citriodiol, it also contains 30% oil of lemon eucalyptus. And it doesn’t smell like bug spray.

You can also make a natural insect repellent at home. I have an insect repellent body butter recipe made with a blend of essential oils, including lemon eucalyptus to help repel mosquitoes and deer ticks. You find that recipe here.

What Is Your Biggest Outdoor Summer Skin Care Threat?

While it’s important to be diligent at preventing both sunburns and tick bites with the above summer safety tips, I’m curious which you find the greater concern? I posed this same question to my boyfriend, Greg. He stated that after watching me struggling with chronic pain from fibromyalgia, he’d definitely go the skin cancer route. Neither, however, would be his preference. I’ve seen photos of the damage caused by skin cancer and the radiation used to treat it. It’s not pretty. And I imagine it’s also quite painful.

The point is, however, both of these threats are scary and potentially life threatening. I’d love to hear you thoughts on these two health topics as well as your own summer safety tips you take to keep your and your family well. So be sure to share your thoughts in the comments.

Discover more ways to keep your family well by exploring some of the ideas on my Natural Health and Wellness Pinterest board. You can also follow me across your favorite social media platforms. You can find and follow me on Pinterest, Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my semi-weekly newsletter to stay in the loop.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle Tagged With: health and wellness, healthy living, life tips and tricks, lifestyle, natural alternative, outdoors, skin care, summer, summer skin care

Essential Oils for Pets (Recipes for Dog Fleas, Itchy Skin & More!)

I may receive compensation from links on this site. See my disclosure policy.

April 29, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 2 Comments

Your pets are your best friends. So taking care of them is naturally at the top of your list. Learn how to use essential oils for pets with six easy essential oil recipes for your furry friends. Learn how to use essential oils for dog fleas and itchy skin. Plus quick, simple recipes for a pet paw balm, a fur and skin conditioner, a DIY pet odor eliminator spray and an anti-anxiety essential oil diffuser blend.

My dog, Jasper, is who I like to call my “little old man.” He’s 9 1/2 years old and a complete and total flirt. He’s also incredibly stubborn. And, because he’s too cute for words, completely spoiled as well. Jasper’s also very lucky that I love him. His vet bills have already topped $1000 this year. The culprit? Allergies. Not only did switching his food to a senior (diet) dog food lead to a food allergy, he has seasonal spring and fall allergies as well. This in turn has led to itchy skin and recurring ear infections no matter what preventative measures I take.

I recommend you always consult your vet as a first step in your pet’s care – especially before introducing essential oil into their routine. Misuse of essential oils can actually make illnesses worse, or lead to new problems. So always treat your dog (or cat’s) health with due diligence, the same as you would for a human child. Luckily for me, Jasper sees the best vets our city has to offer. They’re highly knowledgeable and open to alternative treatments. They also treat my dog like the little person he is. And while I’m open to natural remedies as needed, there are always exceptions that require modern medicine to minimize suffering and speed up the healing process.

Sadly, Jasper is now on a steroid treatment for skin allergies. He doesn’t seem to mind though. There’s no more itching or scratching. Plus he gets his daily dose of Apoquel hidden inside a piece of cheese every morning. However, there were natural treatments my vet recommended for Jasper for his allergy prone skin. These include Epsom salt baths (with zero fragrances as they may be irritating) as well as wiping off his paws and face with aloe wipes after he’s been outside. Additionally, using an ear rinse with salicylic acid was recommended for his back hind legs. They had a fungal growth that has since cleared up.

If you’ve spoken to your vet about introducing essential oils into your pet’s health and wellness routine, then I have some great ideas for using essential oils for pets. Keep reading to discover six homemade essential oil recipes for your pets – including essential oils for dog fleas. Plus a super simple recipe for using essential oils for itchy skin.

The new essential oil recipe box from Simply Earth is an affordable to learn about essential oils for pets. It also makes it easy to create simple recipes to address your pets’ health concerns. The May Simple Earth recipe box for pets contains four essential oils that you can incorporate into your dog’s daily routine. These essential oils for pets are ginger, juniper berry and citronella. It also includes a peace & quiet essential oil blend that’s great for tackling your dog’s anxiety.

Essential Oils for Pets

Ginger Essential Oil

This natural essential oil for pets creates a natural warming sensation. It’s great for eliminating odors and can also ease an upset stomach or nausea. A sweet & spicy essential oil, ginger oil blends well with bergamot, cedarwood atlas, clove leaf, coriander, geranium, rosewood, orange and sandalwood essential oils.

Juniper Berry Essential Oil

Juniper berry essential oil is another pet friendly essential oil. It’s commonly used in essential oil recipes to ease muscle pain, repel insects and tackle oily or acne prone skin. Different from juniper leaf essential oil, which is not pet safe, this oil is distilled from juniper berries (my favorite as fan of gin cocktails!) and a sweet woody pine scent.

Citronella Essential Oil

One of the most commonly used essential oils, citronella oil has gained popularity for its ability to deterring biting insects like mosquitoes. Not only is it pet safe, there are so many ways to use it! Rather you’re making a blend of essential oils for dog fleas, deter mosquitoes or neutralize odors this natural essential oil has a number of everyday uses. With summer on the way, add citronella essential oil to a bowl of water with a floating candle for a pretty outdoor summertime insect repellent.

Peace & Quiet Essential Oil Blend

Made from a combination of sweet orange, frankincense, cedarwood & lime essential oils, this unique uplifting, synergy aromatherapy blend promotes calm and relaxation. (Use caution with this blend around cats. They aren’t always a fan of citrus oils.)

As with past Simply Earth recipe boxes, you’ll also find six recipe cards for using these essential oils for pets. Along with containers for mixing your recipes, this box also has a super cute dog bandana. Other ingredients you’ll need, such as sweet almond oil, coconut oil & beeswax, are included in the bonus box. The bonus box also includes bottles for custom essential oil diffuser blends and rollerball bottles. (If you’re a first time Simply Earth customer, you’ll receive a free bonus box with your first essential oil recipe box along with a gift card for $40 off your next order. Simply enter coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE at checkout.)

Tips for Using Essential Oils for Pets

Before I share the collection of pet care recipes with essential oils, here are few tips for introducing your pet to essential oils for the first time.

Allow your pet to smell the essential oil recipe you’ve chosen for pet care prior to application. Should your pet react in a negative manner, applying the oil could cause your fur baby emotional distress. Should they react negatively, don’t force your pet to follow through. I’ve found it’s easy to discover other ways to use recipes your pets may not enjoy.

Always leave and escape for your pet when using essential oils. You don’t want your own little man to be stuck in a room with a diffuser that he (or she) really can’t stand. Animals are a lot like men in this way. Small things that make them feel uncomfortable can feel like bit things to them. (Sort of like that man flu, ahem, common cold men don’t tolerate well.)

Introduce your pets to essential oils slowly and in small quantities over time. By taking the time to put your pets needs first, your pets will have the best experience at having essential oils introduced into their pet care routine.

Essential Oil Recipes for Pets

Ready to start using essential oils with your pets? Following are the six simple essential oil recipes for pet care included in the May Simply Earth essential oil recipe box.

DIY Tick & Mosquito Collar

Ingredients:

20 drops juniper berry essential oil
10 drops citronella essential oil
2 Tbsp sweet almond oil
1 Cup distilled water

Instructions:

This simple essential oil recipe for repelling ticks and mosquitoes is applied directly to your dog’s collar or a bandana (such as the one included in May’s Simply Earth essential oil recipe box for pets.)

Simply mix the ingredients together in a medium glass bowl for 30 seconds. Then soak the collar in the mixture. (Take care to keep any plastic or metal parts out of the mixture.)

Remove the collar or bandana from the mixture. Then allow to dry completely prior to use.

Store the remaining portion of the recipe in a sealable container for future use.

Anti-Anxiety Essential Oil Diffuser Blend for Pets

Ingredients:

2 drops peace & quiet Essential oil blend
1 drop juniper berry essential oil

Instructions:

Add the essential oils to a diffuser. Then diffuse in an open room. Leave the door open when in use in case your dog is sensitive to the essential oils.

Should you pet react positively to this essential oil blend, you can make a master essential oil blend for your pet’s anxiety. Simply fill a 5 mL bottle (from the Simply Earth bonus box) with 60 drops of the peace & quiet essential oil blend and 30 drops of the juniper berry essential oil. To use, simply add 1-3 drops to your diffuser as needed.

Fur & Skin Conditioner Recipe

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp sweet almond oil
10 drops juniper berry essential oil
6 drops ginger essential oil
6 drops citronella essential oil

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a 1 oz. container. Then shake to combine.

To use, simply massage a small amount onto your pet’s coat to help balance and lock in your pet’s natural oils. This recipe also works on dry patches of skin.

Pet Odor Eliminator Spray Recipe

Ingredients:

10 drops ginger essential oil
20 drops peace & quiet essential oil blend
2 oz. distilled water

Instructions:

Add the essential oils to a 2 oz. spray bottle. Fill the remainder of the bottle with distilled water. Then shake the bottle to incorporate the essential oils for pets throughout the water.

Shake the bottle before each use, then spray as desired into the air or onto surfaces. This recipe helps eliminate odors in the air, on pet beds and other stinky surfaces.

As cats may not like the peace & quiet essential oil blend (due to the citrus oils) be cautious when using this product around them. If desire, you may substitute the peace & quiet essential oil blend with juniper berry or citronella essential oils.

Itchy Skin Essential Oil Roll On Recipe

Ingredients:

2 drops ginger essential oil
2 drops juniper berry essential oil
10 mL sweet almond oil

Instructions:

Add the essential oils to a 10 mL rollerball bottle. Swirl to mix. Then fill the bottle the remainder of the way with sweet almond oil. Replace the roller top and shake well to combine.

To use, simply apply this essential oil recipe for your pet’s itchy skin directly to the affected area.

Essential Oil Pet Paw Balm Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 Tbsp beeswax
2 Tsp refined coconut oil
1/2 Tsp sweet almond oil
2 drops ginger essential oil
3 drops juniper berry essential oil

Instructions:

You can make this essential oil pet paw balm in either a double boiler or the microwave.

Combine the coconut oil, sweet almond oil and beeswax in either a double boiler or a small glass Pyrex measuring cup.

Gently heat in the double boiler until melted (or in the microwave at the lowest setting in 30 second increments) until melted.

Remove from heat, then add the essential oils. Stir to combine.

Then immediately pour the pet paw balm into two lip balm tubes. (Alternately you may also use an aluminium salve tin or lip balm pot.)

To use, simply apply the pet paw balm to your pet’s paws to promote healing for cracked or painful paws. This homemade essential oil balm recipe may also be used to help sore muscles recover.

You can also find an alternate version of my own DIY pet paw balm here. While my recipe does not contain essential oils, feel free to add the above essential oil blend for pets to my recipe.

Start Your Essential Oil Journey!

Ready to get started on your journey with these essential oils for pets? You can purchase the Simply Earth Pet Care Essential Oil Recipe Box here while supplies last. (These boxes always sell out before the month is up so don’t miss out!) Be sure to use coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE to receive your free bonus box plus a $40 discount on your next order. Get yours now!

More Essential Oil Recipes for Dogs

If you’re interested in making more essential oil pet care recipes for your dog, then be sure to check out my own dog care recipes from Soap Deli News. It includes my own dry shampoo recipe with essential oils for dog fleas.

If you’d like to save this information on using essential oils for pets, then be sure to repin this post for later!

Discover more uses and benefits of essential oils along with homemade soap, bath and beauty recipes by following me across your favorite social media platforms. You can find and follow me on Pinterest. Or check me out on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. You can also sign up for my semi-weekly newsletter to stay updated on new bath and beauty recipes.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness, Pet DIY Tagged With: aromatherapy, diffuser blends, diy, dog, easy, essential oil blend, essential oils, essential oils recipes, green living, health and wellness, natural skin care, pet care, pet diy, pets, simply earth

Magnesium Body Butter Recipe (A Natural Moisturizer & Home Remedy)

I may receive compensation from links on this site. See my disclosure policy.

April 27, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 3 Comments

My homemade magnesium body butter recipe is perfect for those wanting to make more advanced beauty and skin care recipes at home. A more professional recipe for dabblers wanting to take that next step up or artisans looking for products to make and sell, this natural magnesium body butter recipe is a must for your to do list! Learn about the benefits of magnesium along with how magnesium body butter can offer relief from restless leg syndrome, nerve pain, sore muscles and more.

Now that spring is here I’ve been trying to get active again. While the fibromyalgia does present some challenge in the exercise arena, walking on our local greenway is an activity that’s easy for me tackle. I also find it rather enjoyable. Right now honeysuckle is in bloom. So much of my trip is quite fragrant. It’s also filled with lots of activity. From bees gathering pollen to families and children fishing, there’s so much to keep my mind occupied while I work on getting my body back in shape.

After those walks however, my leg muscles are incredibly tight. Because of the fibromyalgia, I feel that muscle tightness more so than someone without fibromyalgia. So I use magnesium body butter as a natural way to relax those muscles and ease pain. It’s also great at relieving tightness and pain across my back from the tension that builds up from being at a desk all day. And it works wonders on my wrists when I’ve pushed myself too hard and done nothing but type for days on end.

The natural benefits of this body butter aside, I also love the way my homemade magnesium body butter recipe smells. I made with with roasted cocoa butter for a rich chocolate like fragrance and then added essential oils to compliment that scent. It’s always a plus when pain relief doesn’t smell medicinal! In addition, this product is naturally hydrating. So it’s perfect for dry skin or simply as an after sun moisturizer.

Why Do Our Bodies Need Magnesium?

According to Medical News Today, magnesium offers a number of health benefits to our bodies. As it plays a role in over 300 enzymatic reactions within the body, it’s a vital mineral that we can’t live without. One of seven natural macrominerals, magnesium is necessary for bone formation, calcium absorption, carbohydrate and glucose metabolism and heart health. Additionally, magnesium can help reduce the symptoms of PMS as well as relieve anxiety.

Not getting enough magnesium in your diet can have a variety of negative consequences on the human body. Side effects resulting from a magnesium deficiency include fatigue and weakness, nausea or vomiting and a loss of appetite. For more extreme cases, magnesium deficiency can lead to muscle cramps, numbness or tingling, seizures, personality changes and spasms or changes in heart rhythm.

Unfortunately, experts contend that many of do not get enough of this valuable mineral in our daily diet. Therefore magnesium supplements are recommended especially as we age. One easy way to increase your magnesium intake is to use a topical skin care product or bath soak that contains magnesium. Epsom salt baths as well as magnesium oil and magnesium body butter are several easy ways to topically increase magnesium intake without swallowing a pill.

(As magnesium can affect certain medications, always check with your doctor before taking any supplements.)

What is Magnesium Body Butter Used For?

Magnesium body butter offers a number of natural health benefits. Not only does this luxurious body butter moisturize skin, it also aids in relaxation and can promote a restful night’s sleep. Additionally, this mineral enhanced body butter also helps relieve muscle cramps, backaches, growing pains and restless leg syndrome. As someone living with fibromyalgia, I use magnesium body butter to naturally soothe nerve pain and to aid in relaxing muscles after a workout.

Formulating A Magnesium Body Butter

I’ve seen a lot of duplicate magnesium body butter recipes on the internet. This homemade magnesium body butter recipe, however, is different. It’s specifically formulated to be optimal for both massage and natural skin care. Not only does it easily glide onto skin, it’s also a safer option. Because magnesium body butters require water for magnesium flakes (or magnesium chloride) to dissolve, it needs a preservative to prevent creepy crawlies from growing in your body butter. While the magnesium oil you purchase – or even make yourself – doesn’t need a preservative, it does when incorporated into a body butter formulation.

Case in point is this recent article from Fast Company. It outlines a recall that was issued for Herbivore Botanicals recently at Sephora due to mold contamination. Herbivore Botanicals, who prides itself on not using chemicals or synthetic preservatives, unfortunately found out the hard way, that yes, you do need preservatives in skin care products containing water. So please, even if your product is for personal use, I recommend you play it safe. Even in the refrigerator mold and bacteria can grow in your homemade products. While the temperature of a refrigerator slows this growth, it doesn’t prevent it.

If you aren’t sure what products need preservatives and which ones don’t, there are several reputable websites that can help you make sense of them. Brambleberry has an informational article about preservatives here as well as a preservatives quick guide. While Wholesale Supplies Plus also offers an informative guide to choosing a preservative. I recommend using Germall Plus for my magnesium body butter recipe. However, there are other alternatives you could try as well.

The preservative, of course, is just a small part of my magnesium body butter recipe. In place of the water to dissolve the magnesium flakes, I actually used rosewater. (I did try just dissolving the magnesium flakes in oil first. Unfortunately, that does NOT work.) I also included several moisturizing body butters, a blend of essential oils, two waxes and arnica herbal oil.

Arnica oil specifically, has traditionally been used topically to relieve muscular aches, joint pain and arthritis. While the addition of ginger essential oil warms skin to naturally relax muscles. Finally I used a combination of two waxes, each serving a unique purpose. I added an emulsifying wax to bind the oils, butters and water together. While cera bellina wax gives the final formulation additional slip for massage purposes.

If you’d like to craft a natural magnesium body butter recipe but aren’t comfortable with using preservatives, there is an alternate option. My arnica & magnesium body butter recipe, which can be found here, is made with magnesium hydroxide rather than magnesium flakes. As the magnesium hydroxide powder does not need water to dissolve, this recipe does not need a preservative. Scented with a delightful lavender and orange fragrance, derived from natural essential oils, this magnesium body butter recipe is also great for everyday aches, pains and bruises. You can find this alternate recipe here.

Magnesium Body Butter Recipe

Ingredients:

2 oz. cupuacu butter
1 oz. refined (high melt point) shea butter
1 oz. roasted cocoa butter
1.5 oz. babassu oil
.5 oz. emulsifying wax
.5 oz. arnica herbal oil
.2 oz. cera bellina wax
1 oz. magnesium flakes
.5 oz. rosewater
5-10 drops vitamin E oil
30 drops ginger essential oil
40 drops blood orange essential oil
6 drops amyris essential oil (Learn more.)
broad spectrum preservative, of choice

Instructions:

You will need a digital scale to weigh out the ingredients for my magnesium body butter recipe along with an immersion blender. A thermometer is also highly recommended.

Begin by weighing out the butters, babassu oil and waxes. Combine in a heat safe container and gently melt using the double boiler method. Once melted, remove from heat.

Weigh out the arnica herbal oil and stir into the magnesium body butter mixture. Then add the vitamin E oil and essential oils. Mix well to combine.

In a separate heat safe container, weigh out the rosewater and magnesium flakes. Gently heat the mixture until the magnesium flakes have completely dissolved. Remove from heat once the temperature of the rose water is the same as that of the melted butters, oils and waxes.

Now combine the magnesium oil you just made with the melted butter, oil and wax mixture. Mix using an immersion blender for about two minutes. Then add a preservative of your choice according to manufacturer guidelines. (Typically this is both a percentage of your total recipe in addition to a set temperature. Most preservatives must be added below a certain temperature to maintain effectiveness.)

Mix the preservative into the magnesium body butter using the immersion blender for another minute.

Now pour your body butter into a container (or containers) of your choice. (I used an 8 oz. thick walled PET amber jar.) Allow the magnesium body butter to cool completely, then screw on the lid and label as desired for personal use or gifting.

Alternately, if you plan to sell the body butter you produce from my magnesium body butter recipe, you’ll need to follow FDA guidelines for labeling your product. If you’re unsure about the rules and regulations regarding labeling cosmetics, I highly recommend the book, Soap and Cosmetic Labeling: How to Follow the Rules and Regs Explained in Plain English, by Marie Gale. I’d also encourage you to check out her other book, Good Manufacturing Practices for Soap and Cosmetic Handcrafters.

More Home Remedies for Pain Relief

If you’re looking for more natural skin care recipes that are suitable for massage, then be sure to check out my post for quick and easy massage melts. There are two scent options – one with essential oils and one with fragrance oils – as well as 11 natural pain relief recipes for homemade salves, sprays and body butters. You can find them all here. Or learn how to make a natural CBD oil salve recipe here.

Love my homemade magnesium body butter recipe? Then don’t forget to pin it for later! You can repin it here.

Discover more of my natural skin care recipes by following me across your favorite social media platforms. You can find and follow me on Pinterest. Or check me out on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. You can also sign up for my semi-weekly newsletter to stay updated on new bath and beauty recipes.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle Tagged With: bath and body, body butter, body butter recipe, diy, health and wellness, healthy living, home remedies, home remedy, magnesium, natural alternative, natural remedy, natural skin care, pain relief, pain remedy, self care, skin care products