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Essential Oil Skin Care Recipes to Promote Skin Health

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January 4, 2018 By Rebecca D. Dillon

Get started using essential oils in your own homemade skin care products with a classic essential oil kit from Mountain Rose Herbs. Mountain Rose Herbs offers high quality, organic essential oils that you can trust in all of your natural essential oil skin care recipes.

Essential oils offer a variety of benefits when used in essential oil skin care recipes. From tackling dandruff or acne to their aromatherapeutic benefits, choosing the right essential oils can help promote skin health as well as work as in tandem with other natural ingredients to create the perfect home remedies.

Essential oils however can be expensive. And, as there are unfortunately a lot of fake essential oils on the market, you’ll find that not all essential oils are created equal. So where do you start?

Choosing Trusted Essential Oils

When I first starting making my own homemade soaps more than fifteen years ago, Mountain Rose Herbs was one of the first places I discovered to shop for natural, organic ingredients. To this day, it continues to be one of my favorite online shops for purchasing organic ingredients and products when quality is of the utmost importance.

Since 1987, Mountain Rose Herbs has been known for its uncompromising commitment to organic agriculture, sustainable business practices, and a steadfast focus on the pure aesthetics and freshness of botanical products. Their wide range of certified organic product offerings includes not only organic essential oils, but also bulk herbs and spices, loose leaf teas, and natural health and body care products.

Additionally, every aspect of product creation is carried out in accordance with strict quality control and organic handling procedures by employees who care. From fragrant and beyond-fresh organic herbs and spices, to soothing essential oils and delicious herbal teas, the quality and integrity of Mountain Rose Herbs is unparalleled.

Keep reading to learn more about the profile for each essential oil included in their classic essential oil kit. Plus discover four basic essential oil skin care recipes that are perfect for beginners!

Classic Essential Oil Kit

Mountain Rose Herbs’ Classic Essential Oil Kit is perfect for beginners and features the world’s most renowned and popularly used essential oils in one convenient sampler. It is beautifully packaged with usage guidelines on the back of the liner tray and contains an extra bottle with a glass dropper for experimentation.

The Classic Essential Oil Kit from Mountain Rose Herbs contains one dram of each of the following eight certified organic essential oils:

Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) Essential Oil: Cool, clear, and exceptionally refreshing. Effective vapor rub and air disinfectant for colds and flu. Dilates nasal and bronchial passages. Mild stimulant and antiseptic. Beneficial analgesic for sore muscles. Blends will with peppermint, lemon, and lavender.

Organic Atlas Cedarwood(Cedrus atlantica) Essential Oil: Cedarwood has a long history as an incense and perfume. The wood was burned by the Greeks and Romans to fragrant the air. It’s aroma is woody and balsamic with rich dry overtones. Commonly used to scent men’s essential oil skin care recipes, this essential oil is also wonderful at repelling biting insects and moths.

Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) Essential Oil: Highly refreshing and relaxing oil that is clear to light green. Helps the body restore balance and harmony. Mildly sweet, fresh, and warm. Works well with the nervous system. Mild analgesic, sedative, astringent, and skin tonic. Blends well with Rose, Citrus, Rosemary, Lavender, and Basil.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) Essential Oil: Fresh, floral aroma. Classic ingredient in soaps and perfumes. Helps alleviate stress, induce sleep, and overcome anxiety. Antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, spasmodic, anti-depressant, and stimulates new cell growth. Excellent preventative against infections. Mild enough to use by the drop on cuts, scrapes, bruises, sprains, and insect bites. Blends well with many oils adding a smooth, sweet top note.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita) Essential Oil: Stimulating, refreshing, and bright. Anti-inflammatory and antiseptic. Used for indigestion and nausea. Excellent for some headaches, fever, colds, and flu. Soothing in steams or massage oils. Classic breath freshener. Blends well with Lavender, Rosemary, Citrus, and Rose.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Essential Oil: Physical and mental stimulant. Blend with carrier oil for a soothing hair conditioner, invigorating massage oil, or bath oil. Effective preservative. Stimulates memory and mental faculties. Good for muscular sprains, arthritis, and rheumatism. Do not use if you have high blood pressure.

Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) Essential Oil: Impressive and powerful oil with anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. Used for infections, sunburn, acne, athlete’s foot, and many other applications. Do not use on inflamed, broken, or sensitive skin.

Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis) Essential Oil: Known as an uplifting oil. Orange oil is often found in household cleaners. Sweet orange oil contains about 90% limonene, which is in many household cleaners. Because of this sweet orange oil is used as a earth friendly alternative to many common household cleaners. It blends well with most other essential oils.

There are a great number of essential oil skin care recipes that you can make with this classic essential oil sampler. From shower steamers and melt and pour soaps to bath salts and lip balms, this essential oil kit will introduce you to an exciting new hobby that will enrich your life.

Essential Oil Skin Care Recipes

Following are several essential oil skin care recipes that utilize essential oils from this classic kit.

Basic Bath Salt Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups coarse sea salt
1 Tablespoon olive oil (or other carrier oil)
1/2 teaspoon essential oil of choice

Instructions:

Measure out and combine all ingredients in a large glass bowl, then mix well. To use, simply add to warm running bath water as desired and enjoy. {Explore more homemade bath salt recipes here.}

Basic Solid Lotion Bar Recipe

Ingredients:

2 oz. refined shea butter
2 oz. beeswax pastilles
2 oz. sweet almond oil (or other carrier oil)
.1 oz. lavender essential oil (or .03 oz. other essential oil of choice)

Instructions:

Using a digital scale, weigh out the shea butter, beeswax and sweet almond oil. Combine in a double boiler and gently heat until melted.

Remove from heat then weigh out the essential oil and stir into the liquified ingredients. Mix well.

Next, pour the solid lotion bar mixture into a silicone cupcake mold or similar and allow the lotion bar(s) to solidify.

Once your lotion bar(s) harden, remove from the mold and apply to skin as desired. {Explore more homemade lotion recipes here.}

Basic Body Butter Recipe

Ingredients:

6 oz. refined shea butter
.5 oz. cocoa butter
.25 oz. carrier oil of choice
.03 oz. essential oil of choice

Instructions:

Using a digital scale, weigh out the shea butter, cocoa butter and carrier oil. Combine in a double boiler then heat until melted. Remove from heat, then weigh out and stir in the essential oil.

Pour into a sterilized container of your choice and allow to solidify completely prior to use. {Explore more homemade body butter recipes here.}

Basic Lip Balm Recipe

Ingredients:

.5 oz. refined shea butter
.5 oz. beeswax pastilles
.5 oz. carrier oil of choice
18 drops essential oil of choice

Instructions:

Weigh out the shea butter, beeswax and carrier oil and combine in a double boiler. Heat until melted, then remove from heat.

Next, weigh out the essential oil and stir into the melted ingredients. Then pour the lip balm into tins or pots of your choice. {Explore more homemade lip balm recipes here.}

You can discover even more essential oil skin care recipes right here on Soap Deli News blog or by following my boards on Pinterest.

Additionally you can also find and follow me via your favorite social media platforms including G+, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin’, and Instagram. Or subscribe to Soap Deli News via email for future updates, DIY projects and recipes.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle Tagged With: bath and body, bath tutorial, beauty, crafts, diy, easy, essential oil recipes, essential oils, natural, organic, skin care

The Spa Deck – Rediscovering a Treasure of Spa Recipes

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March 29, 2017 By Rebecca D. Dillon

The Spa Deck

I moved at the beginning of the year. However, I still had a lease on my old apartment until the end of February so not everything made it’s way over until recently. (We saved the furniture for last.) Anyhow, I rediscovered this deck of spa recipe cards with 50 spa recipes during the move.

The Spa Deck by by Barbara Close (Author) and Susie Cushner (Photographer) is a treasure filled collection of both simple and all natural spa recipes that you can make at home. It’s no longer in print, however, it is still possible to find used decks online and in bookstores.

Homemade Spa Recipes

Some of my favorite spa recipes that stood out while shuffling back through the cards included this super useful recipe for making a lavender & tea tree blemish remover. This simple oil acne treatment uses a blend of antibacterial essential oils proven to help fight acne including tea tree, lemon, lavender and rosemary essential oils.

Another favorite, especially for those with dry and/or aging skin, is this recipe for a neroli complexion serum. Neroli essential oil is commonly used to increase circulation and stimulates new cell growth and is suitable for all skin types.

Especially beneficial for dry, irritated or sensitive skin, neroli essential oil regulates oiliness and minimizes enlarged pores. It can also help to clear up acne especially in dry skin. While pricy, a little bit of this amazing essential oil goes a long way!

And let’s not forget those cuticles! My cuticles are the worst! And because I have a bad habit of biting my nails when I’m especially stressed, my cuticles tend to rip and tear. This calendula cuticle oil recipe is made with calendula essential oil, but you can also purchase certified organic calendula oil that’s made from infusing organically grown calendula flowers in organic cold pressed olive oil.

The Spa Deck contains 50 spa recipes in all with everything from face masks to papaya body butter. So if you can get your hands on a used deck, I highly recommend it!

Alternatively, you may also love the book, Hello Glow, by Stephanie Gerber (author of Hello Glow blog.) This recently released book contains over 150 recipes for creating your own fresh, organic, and effective spa, skin care, hair-maintenance, and cosmetics recipes at home.

This book includes recipes for fun skincare products like warming chai body oil, solid shimmering perfume, creamy marsala lip gloss and an anti-aging mocha mud mask. You can buy Hello Glow online here.

For more great homemade spa recipes and recommended beauty recipe books, be sure to follow my boards on Pinterest. You can also find and follow me on G+, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin’, and Instagram for behind the scene sneak peeks. Or sign up to receive new posts to your email via FeedBurner so you never miss a post.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Books & Reading, Shopping Tagged With: beauty book, beauty recipes, books, diy, natural, organic, shopping, skin care, spa recipes

Create Your Own Custom DIY Salves the Easy Way!

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

March 24, 2017 By Rebecca D. Dillon

About Spark Naturals Essential Oils.

I recently discovered the company, Spark Naturals. Spark Naturals sells 100% pure essential oils, essential oil blends and related natural aromatherapy products. Their goal is to to help people bring balance into people’s lives through the use of essential oil extracts and other high quality health related products that combat the world’s cocoon of toxins, pollutants, and hazardous chemicals.

Unlike some essential oils companies, Spark Naturals is not an MLM company. However, they do offer the same products along with better pricing and availability as other similar essential oil companies.

Easily create custom DIY salves with Spark Naturals!

I was especially excited by Spark Naturals’ base Foundation Salve. This salve is fantastic for those of us who want to create our own custom DIY salves, but prefer not to have to start out by buying a ton of ingredients in bulk. Spark Naturals’ base Foundation Salve is a great way to make and mix your own products. All you need to do is heat the base and then add your own essential oils!

To get you started, I recommend 12 drops of essential oil to 1 oz. of base. You can try ginger essential oil with this base for a warming sore muscle salve! Or mix 12 drops of ginger essential oil with 1 oz. of one of their carrier oils for a simple sore muscle massage oil.

And Spark Naturals’ base Foundation Salve is 100% natural. It’s made from 100% Pure Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Beeswax, Extra Virgin Organic Olive Oil and Vitamin E. That’s it! You can buy Spark Naturals’ base Foundation Salve online here. Or shop from their full line of pre-made salves here.

In addition to the salves offered at Spark Naturals, they also sell essential oil kits for making your own DIY cleaning products, cold & flu relief products and more!

And, they also make it easy to get started with aromatherapy! Start shopping now and save up to 20% off their current sale products. You can also use coupon code: share15 for 15% off.

If you’re interested in homemade salve recipes that are a little more complex, you can find all of my salve recipes here. Make your own from scratch or use them as a springboard for inspiration for making your own custom DIY salves.

For more even more natural health and wellness tips and recipes, be sure to visit and follow my boards on Pinterest. You can also find and follow me on G+, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin’, and Instagram for behind the scene sneak peeks. Or sign up to receive new posts to your email via FeedBurner so you never miss a post.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Shopping Tagged With: aromatherapy, coupon code, diy, easy, essential oil blend, essential oils, health, natural, organic, salve recipe, shopping

DIY Beauty Kits from Oleum Vera® + An Almond & Oats Exfoliant Recipe

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

November 8, 2016 By Rebecca D. Dillon

On November 1st, Oleum Vera® launched their new line of DIY beauty kits, with each kit focusing on the natural, the fresh and the edible. I was the lucky recipient of their “Off to a Good Start” beauty kit which arrived beautifully packaged last week.

Not only was this DIY beauty kit filled with wonderful organic ingredients, but the ingredients also came in very sturdy, quality containers that allow them to be re-used again and again. I was honestly floored by the quality and truly impressed with this new beauty brand.

Who is Oleum Vera®?

Based in Montreal, Canada, Oleum Vera® takes inspiration from nature in order to create natural beauty products that empower consumers to reclaim their beauty regimen, using fresh ingredients from their pantry and fridge along with natural clays, organic butters and oils.

This new beauty brand is anti-GMO, pro-customization, pro-organic and pro-sustainability. Their philosophy is to provide women and men with the ingredients and the knowledge needed to re-appropriate their body care routine and tailor it to meet their own unique skin and hair needs.

In opposition of the mainstream beauty industry which has long relied using on harmful chemicals, one-size-fits all mass production, and unsustainable sourcing, Oleum Vera® hopes to be a breath of fresh air for increasingly knowledgeable consumers.

Each of Oleum Vera®’s DIY beauty kits includes an assortment of plant-based oils and essential oils, and in some cases, powdered clays, algae, and dried flower petals. All of the ingredients are handpicked for their numerous benefits to the skin, hair and senses, always with sustainability in mind.

These DIY beauty kits are certified 100% organic, and each one comes with a booklet filled with customizable recipes and illustrated how-to’s. Each kit retails at $74.95. You can find their full line of DIY beauty kits now available here.

The “Off to a Good Start” kit, available here, is a Do-it-Yourself Organic Face Cleansing Kit. It comes with three organic plant based carrier oils (moringa, avocado, castor, and sweet almond), four essential oils (lemongrass, tea tree, peppermint and oregano), white kaolin and bentonite clay, rose petals, and lavender buds. It also includes a glass bottle for mixing your custom face cleansing oil, a jar with a lid and spoon for creating exfoliating grains, and a tiny funnel and dropper.

These ingredients, combined with a few fresh ingredients from your pantry, allow you to create three cleansing oils, three facial scrubs and three deep-cleansing masks. Each natural skin care recipe is designed to adapt to your skin’s changing needs. Also included, is a booklet filled with not only skin care recipes, but also information on each of the ingredients included in the DIY beauty kit.

Using a recipe from the informational booklet inside my kit, I created their almond and oats exfoliant for normal or combination skin.

DIY Exfoliating Grains Face Scrub

To make your own DIY Exfoliating Facial Grains with almonds and oats for normal or combination skin, you’ll need:

4 Tablespoons (60 mL) organic oats, finely ground
2 Tablespoons (30 mL) organic almond meal
1 sachet (.7 oz.) kaolin clay
half a sachet (.17 oz.) bentonite clay
half a sachet (.05 oz.) organic rose petals or lavender buds

Crumble the petals or buds between your fingers, then combine all the ingredients.

To use your exfoliating grains:

To use your exfoliating facial grains, place a small amount of the scrub into a small dish or the palm of your hand. Add a bit of your favorite cleansing oil – also from a recipe in the kit! – and mix with your fingers.

Allow the oil to soak into the scrub for 30 seconds or so, then massage the scrub onto your face using a circular upward motion.

All the the scrub to rest on your face like a mask, or simply rinse off right away and pat dry.

A milk & honey exfoliant for dry or sensitive skin (pictured above) was yet another beauty recipe included with the “Off to a Good Start” DIY beauty kit.

If you’d like to discover all of the beauty recipes that Oleum Vera® has to offer in their new DIY beauty kits, you can visit their website here.

There you’ll find an array of DIY beauty recipes for body, face and hair care like this beauty recipe (pictured above) for making your own mocha scrub bar to reduce visible cellulite. There are also beauty recipes for body butters, solid lotion bars, face masks, massage oils, toners, facial serums, hair masks and more.

For even more information on this amazing new company, you can read their blog as well as follow Oleum Vera® on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

For more of my favorite bath and beauty products be sure to visit my Bath + Beauty board on Pinterest here. Or check out my DIY Bath and Body Pinterest board here for more natural skin care and beauty recipes you can make at home.

You can also find me on G+, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin’, and Instagram. Or sign up to receive new posts to your email via FeedBurner so you never miss a post.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Shopping Tagged With: beauty box, beauty diy, beauty kit, beauty products, diy, gift idea, natural, non-GMO, non-toxic, organic, skin care, sustainable

Natural Skin Care Products for Him & Her

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

July 4, 2016 By Rebecca D. Dillon

Natural skin care products for him and her.

Stuck in a boring skin care routine? Spice it up with something new! This wonderful collection of fantastic natural and handmade beauty and skin care products are a must to try!

1. Bear Man Pure Organic Beard Oil // For him. This leave in beard conditioner is made with a proprietary blend of of organic oils that help to maintain a healthy looking beard with shine and manageability. Plus it’s unscented so it’s great for even sensitive skin!

2. FieldWorks Another Close Shave Shaving Gel // For him. This all-natural men’s shaving gel is made with bentonite clay and hydrating aloe and shea butter along with healing calendula. Great for sensitive skin and all skin types.

3. FIG+YARROW Organic Cardamom + Coffee Body Scrub // For him or her. This body scrub is a deliciously invigorating blend of firming, exfoliating and antioxidizing ingredients for smooth and supple skin. It includes Caffe Vita’s Theo Blend Coffee – a perfectly roasted marriage of organic fair trade Peruvian and Indonesian beans with enticing aromas of vanilla bean, black pepper and chocolate – and cardamom.

4. baebody Coconut Milk Body Scrub // For her. This body scrub is a unique blend of organic and natural ingredients that softens skin and helps relieve dryness and flaking. The addition of coconut milk and safflower oil help to reduce the appearance of age spots and aging, while Dead Sea salt helps to gently exfoliate skin.

5. Soapbox Fox Sexy Lumberjack Soap // For him. This skin soothing powerhouse of a soap was specifically formulated for the outdoorsy manly men of the world. It contains burdock root, nettle leaf, dandelion leaf, spirulina, and comfrey leaf to facilitate skin healing. It’s perfect for those suffering from dry itchy skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. This super moisturizing formula can help soften even the most hardened and callused skin.

6. Herbivore Botanicals Pink Clay Gentle Cleansing Soap Bar // For her. This handmade soap bar contains ingredients that draw out impurities and toxins in skin while also nourishing, hydrating and replinishing your face and body. Has an invigorating citrus and floral scent.

7. French Girl Organics Henri & Claude Organic Absinthe Lip Balm // For him or her. This lip balm contains an essential oil blends based on traditional flavors of liqueurs & aperitifs from the South of France where they travel every year leading their Cuisine & Wine tours. You’ll love the licorice-spice flavor derived from organic anise seed oil and the infused oils of warm spices and vanilla.

8. FIG+YARROW Organic Mustard Soak // For him or her. This traditional sore muscle soak contains mustard to help facilitate body detoxification and stimulate circulation. Magnesium salts aid detoxification and promote mental and physical relaxation while Dead Sea salt offers vital minerals.

9. Sort of Coal Shampoo // For him. Created by a pioneering Danish company, this paraben and sulfate free shampoo contains white charcoal. White charcoal is 90 percent pure carbon and has a powerful ability to absorb due to its extremely porous surface. It is at the heart of centuries old Asian traditions surrounding well-being and purification.

10. Drop Dead Gorgeous Dry Shampoo // For him or her. Formulated for brunettes, this handcrafted dry shampoo contains activated charcoal to naturally deodorize hair and kaolin clay to absorb oil. Scented with peppermint and eucalyptus, this dry shampoo is all natural, vegan and cruelty free.

11. Mr. Cherrywood Handcrafted Shampoo & Conditioner // For him or her. Made in small batches, this natural shampoo and conditioner is designed specifically for athletes and adventurers that may need to shower more than once a day. It’s crafted with an Aloe Vera Juice base that’s packed with vitamins and amino acids to help keep your hair pleasantly satisfied.

12. French Girl Organics Mineral Lip Tint // For her. This amber noir mineral lip tint is a super lustrous, emollient lip balm and mineral color all in one! The color is a beautiful medium bronze amber that is both earthy and delicious with a hint of glint. It’s perfect for most all skin tones.

Which one is your favorite?

For more natural skin care products be sure to follow my Bath + Beauty board on Pinterest here. You can also find and follow me on Blog Lovin’,Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, G+ and Instagram for more product suggestions as well as homemade skin care recipes.

Filed Under: Shopping Tagged With: beauty, beauty products, handmade, natural, organic, shopping, skin care