All Natural Essential Skin Care

Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in your body? Like anything else it needs love and attention, all natural preferably. Organic, natural living doesn't stop in the kitchen. When we decided to rid our home / bodies from chemicals it included our skin care regimen. Did you know that anything your skin absorbs goes directly into your blood stream? What difference does it make watching what were eating if we put poison on our face? Not only do I want to be able to pronounce all the ingredients in my food, but I'd like to be be able to understand everything I put on my skin as well.

I get a lot of questions about all natural skin care tips, so I decided to put together a list of all of the "products" I use / make for my face. We all know I love a reason to make homemade ANYTHING!

Tip #1: Utilize Nature's Gift!

Seriously, I use coconut oil for EVERYTHING! Coconut oil is not only healthy for cooking, its possibilities are endless. You can use it in your hair as a conditioning treatment (I do it overnight), it's great for oral health (oil pulling), skin care is no exception. I start with coconut oil as my all natural make-up remover (yup, even eye make-up). A teaspoon will usually do the trick. I rub it all over my face and concentrate on the eyes, then wipe with a warm wash cloth and watch in amazement. Eyes are clean and most importantly hydrated! I also use this as my night time moisturizer with a drop of Frankincense essential oil. Frankincense has long been known as a healing oil, I add this as a scar / wrinkle reducer. My skin looks refreshed, and I'm glowing in the morning.

Tip #2: Exfoliation is Key

Baking soda is so versatile, I use it in my homemade air freshener and mattress cleaner as well as an all natural face scrub. I create a paste using only baking soda and water until its the perfect consistency for exfoliating my skin. Then I add a drop of Geranium essential oil, but only one drop as geranium is very strong. This is great at absorbing any oils. Rub in circular motions until you've covered your entire face and rinse thoroughly with warm water. For problematic skin that may need a deeper scrub you can make the Himalayan salt scrub. Mix together grated Pink Himalayan salt with equal parts coconut oil with a few drops of geranium essential oil. Use the same application process.

Tip #3: Pores are not your Friend

Astringent's are known for being filled with harsh chemicals that can strip your face of natural oils it may need. Witch Hazel is an excellent natural alternative to astringent, you can find some at your local whole foods. You can also make your own astringent using equal parts Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and water, then spray onto a cotton ball and wipe thoroughly. I also add Lavender essential oil to for its soothing effects and to hide the smell of the vinegar (it works). Follow up with moisturizer.

These three steps can help keep your skin looking fresh and clean as naturally as possible.

Share your favorite homemade skin care remedy!


Essentially Yours,


Erika

Essential Oils: Ah, Ah, Ah....Allergies???

Gesundheit!

I hear it day and night, allergies are in an uproar this whole season and it seems its worse for everyone!
Either everyone I know who have always had allergies has it worse this year, or people who have never had this problem suddenly develop it well into adulthood. Is it a coincidence that allergies are strongest now more than ever and as a society we are riddled with chemicals now more than ever? Don't get me started

As always I like to find a natural alternative to deal with these kinds of issues and cut them off at the pass if at all possible.

Soooo... Here are some allergy fighting alternatives to over the counter antihistamines:

Purify, definitely one of my favorite oil blends! It's anti-bacterial pathogen killing properties make it perfect for fighting off all sorts of things. I use it in my homemade lysol spray (if sprayed on baseboards in your home can also be used as a natural pesticide, great for picnics!), in my homemade laundry detergent, I even pour a couple of drops on our a/c filters at home for cleaner air.

By applying a few drops of Purify topically, not only will you keep the bugs away but it can also help to protect you from unwanted reaction associated with seasonal allergies!


Wait! There's more...

Another popular line of defense in the oil community is what I like to call the "trifecta". A blend of three powerful go-to oils: Lemon, Lavender & Peppermint. Combining these three oils can help to bring down inflammation from your's body's allergic response, they are great for airborne allergies. There are a few ways you could use this oil blend, I've broken them down into three different methods:

Ingredients:

2-4 drops Lavender
2-4 drops Lemon
2-4 drops Peppermint

Method #1: Place all the oils in a glass with water or juice. Gargle, then drink.

Method #2: Place all the oils in a veggie capsule and swallow.

Method #3: Place all the oils in a spoonful of raw honey and swallow. (Excellent way to administer to children, especially since local honey is great for seasonal allergies)

For really young children and toddlers, you can blend all three oils and rub on the bottom of their feet and along their spine.

Breathe is another one of DoTerra's awesome blends that is wonderful to diffuse at night for added respiratory relief.

Side Note: DoTerra's oils are Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade, which is labeled as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) by the Food and Drug Administration. The same cannot be said for all oils. There are different grade oils and I only trust DoTerra for this reason.

These three oils together and separate are so powerful they are even offered in an "Intro Kit" by Doterra, you can find out more about this kit and all of their oils at: www.mydoterra.com/erikasessentials.

The new Tri-Ease Seasonal Blend Softgels are also a wonderful way to fend of seasonal allergies, this can also be found at the above mentioned website. The blending work has pretty much been done for you with equal parts distributed in each softgel if your looking for a shortcut.

As always, if you have any questions feel free to e-mail me at: EssentiallyErika@gmail.com!


Essentially Yours,


Erika

Essential Oils: Cry, Cry Baby!!!

Mascara!

Some of us like it, some of us NEED it. Or we look like the crypt keeper.. (I'm not pointing fingers..)

In my personal experience, my mascara dries out really quickly and if I dare to keep using it I'm in tears the entire day/night. I'm positive this cannot be good for the eyeballs! I walk around feeling like I have a lash stuck in my eye constantly. 

If you're anything like me and love all the flashy and gimmicky $40 mascara that promises to give you "Bette Davis Eyes", then this can get pretty pricey! Even the vegan brand mascara I've recently switched over to is on the up side at $28 a pop.

Being the essential oil freak that I am I knew there had to be a remedy to my lash woes.

Voila! 

Enter Lavender...

Lavender is one of those multifaceted oils that I use for EVERYTHING!

Add just one drop of pure lavender essential oil to your tube of mascara and no more tears! 

Lavender has antiseptic properties and nourishes your eyelashes, plus it smells amazing!

It extends the life of your mascara and keeps it from drying out so quickly, plus it promotes healthy lash growth. Bonus!

You can check out Lavender and all the other essential oils and blends DoTerra has to offer at www.mydoterra.com/erikasessentials.

Essentially Yours,

Erika

It's Time To Sleep, My Love...

I've been getting a lot of questions about our bedtime "oil routine". 

So here it is!

After baths, while dressing my boys I rub some OnGuard on their thymus for immune support if they've been around other kids or public places (which is pretty much everyday).

I put all of these oil mixtures in roll on bottles for easy application on tired wiggly boys. This allows me to keep a stash of oils in their medicine cabinet, it's all about location, location, location! 

Then, I rub some Balance on the back of their necks for a grounding effect. (This helps calm all the "sillies".

I massage some diluted Lavender on their feet to help ease them into a peaceful sleep-mode.

Lately, I've added a new magical oil to the diffuser and the results are amazing! I already would diffuse Lavender each night, but I've also been adding a few drops of Vetiver and it is snooze central in my home! It helps to cut the bedtime shenanigans by half the time and my almost four year old's (waaaaahh!) old 5am wake up calls are now at 7am! (Hey, it's progress people!)

After applying our oils it's bedtime stories with some cuddles, then off to dreamland! 

You can learn more about the oils I've mentioned at www.mydoterra.com/erikasessentials

If you'd like to learn more about giving your medicine cabinet an "essential" makeover, feel free to email me with questions about an upcoming webinar at EssentiallyErika@gmail.com.

Essentially Yours,

Erika

Essential Oils: Summertime Stash

Summer is here and in full effect!

Here at #CampMom, we are keeping very busy on our hunt for all natural playscapes that offer up an opportunity for "true play". (Imagination included)You can read about some of these adventures at www.ModernBocaMom.com.

During this process we have hit a few bumps in the road, i.e. bug bites, sunburns, bumps & bruises, even a sniffle or two. (Onguard withdrawals, more on that later)

I've been busy nursing two sneezy toddlers this week and concocting all my blends to last through the rest of the summer, as always I'm sharing them with you!

Bug Spray Recipe:

2oz glass spray bottle
10-15 drops doTerra's TerraShield Blend
Fill the rest of the glass bottle with water, shake and spray!

This has helped tons and smells way better than a lot of my favorite all natural over the counter brands (most of the all natural kinds smell really strong).

Homemade Lysol Disinfectant Spray

1oz glass spray bottle
5-6 drops doTerra's Purify Blend (I also use this blend in my homemade deodorant)
Fill the rest of the glass bottle with water, shake and spray!

This came in handy this week when a close friend of mine was visiting with her three gorgeous babes. I had been nursing two sniffly toddlers earlier in the week, so I made sure to spray everything before they came over. #germsarenotforsharing

Homemade Sunburn Spray:

10 drops Lavender
10 drops Frankincense
10 drops Melaleuca
10 drops Peppermint
Fill the rest of a 15ml glass bottle with Fractionated Coconut Oil

This is a miracle worker for the hubby, I cant seem to get him to wear enough protection and his poor skin always pays the price. This sunburn spray will not only soothe and protect, but it also shortens the duration of what I like to call the "Lobster Face".

Owie Spray:

20 drops Melaleuca
20 drops Lavender
10 drops Frankincense
40 drops of Fractionated Coconut Oil
(I like to add a few drops of the miracle oil Helichrysum)

This is a Mommy Must Have!!!

Having two boys so close in age has proven to test not only my blood pressure, but also my cat-like reflexes. I'm able to reach for this spray in an instant and it has everything I need to help my little guys.
It not only disinfects and soothes, but the Lavender and Helichrysum also aid in speeding up the healing process and keeping any germs from getting in. (Annnnnnnnnnd resume playing!)

Plus, this will not sting or burn like some of those "tried and true" chemical ridden over the counter remedies.

With the over-exposure of chemicals in today's society, it feels good to have some sort of control or say-so in the process of helping to heal and soothe our children of the sometimes uncomfortable experiences in every day life. Let's hear it for #DrMom!

More info on chemical exposure in our everyday lives and how it effects our children can be found at: www.unacceptablelevels.com

If you would like more information or would like to purchase any of the oils mentioned you can find them at www.mydoterra.com/erikasessentials

Happy Fourth Everyone!


Essentially Yours,

Erika

Essential Oils: Burns!!

It's days like today I'm so grateful to have essential oils to count on and take matters back into my own hands. My little guy decided he would climb onto a high countertop and grab the burning incense... Ouch!!!

I reached straight for my emergency pack and instinctively put a few drops of Peppermint on the burn site to cool it off, then added some Lavender to aid in pain relief and healing. 

He stopped screaming as soon as the peppermint touched his skin, success!! 

He then proceeded to ask for the "Lamender" and added it on himself. (Clearly NOT their first rodeo!)

Just another case in the life of #DrMom!

Essentially Yours,

Erika

Essential Oils: Ouchies!

It's inevitable, my two year old is constantly tripping and falling all over the place. I blame myself, I was the clumsiest kid!! Now it seems I have passed that wonderful trait along to my little guy. His legs look like those of a cheetah with all the bruising. 

This week, he took a tumble. He scraped his tiny knee on concrete, and it was the worst he's had in his tiny two years of life. (Insert Mommy guilt here) 

All the moms of older rambunctious boys, feel free to laugh at me now. I am aware these will get worse as they get older and more daring. For right now though, this is tough for me to see. Especially when he is usually so resilient and does not cry most of the time, this time was different. I digress! 

I raced over and cracked open my bible: 

I immediately applied Lavender to soothe the pain and burning. I then applied a few drops of Melaleuca essential oil to assist in the disinfecting and healing of it all. Essential oils are created inside aromatic plants that are both volatile and oil soluble. They're natures magic healing oils as far as I'm concerned! Their healing properties seem endless!

(Please excuse the chubby toddler fingers, it seems like every picture I take has teeny fingers creeping into the shot.)

 I'm so glad in times like these I don't have to rush to the medicine cabinet and grab some chemical ridden product from my local pharmacy, all the while insecure and wondering "what is actually in this and what long term effects can this have on my child"? I love having natural options to offer my family, as well as modeling for my children that they don't always have to reach for "drugs" every time they have an issue. We have everything we need right here in nature.

Essentially Yours,

Erika