Monday, January 18, 2016

DIY Deep Cleaning Mouth Retainers!

Happy Monday Folks!


OK, I know I CANT be the only one that still wears a retainer. It helps my teeth not move after having braces *cough cough - twice* & the real reason I still do, I grind & clench my teeth SO bad at night. Wearing the retainer saves me headaches & from further damaging my teeth anymore than I already have from prior grinding without a retainer. But no matter how many times I brush that little sucker I never felt like it was clean enough. Welp, guess what? There's an oil for that.


Here is what I did. I filled a small bowl with COLD water. WARNING: DO NOT use warm or hot water because it can soften the material & may mess up the shape. Trust me, it will get clean enough just in the cold water you wont even need to use warm water! I then poured in some Hydrogen Peroxide & sprinkled some Baking Soda into my bowl. Lastly, I took one drop of Peppermint Oil. Mixed it all up & let it sit for about 10-15 minutes. Took it out & rinsed it. & HOLY COW! I was blown away at the results! its CLEAR again!

You could also do this for wrestler/sport mouth pieces! I will definitely continue to do this as it blows just brushing it out of the water! I know not everyone will need to use this BUT for those that do, TRY IT! you wont be disappointed!

peace & oily love.
ash.






Tuesday, January 12, 2016

DIY Thieves Hand Soap & Thieves Hand Sanitizer

Back with another easy DIY today!


Thieves hand soap & Thieves hand sanitizer! Thieves is a staple oil for me. Not only does it smell amazing but its a powerhouse! Its a very popular blend Young Living has that comes in the Premium Starter kit. That's how I got hooked on it. Thieves is a blend of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Radiata & Rosemary Cineol. The highly antiviral & antiseptic properties of the single oils contained in this blend help protect the body from the onset of flu & colds. It can also help with bronchitis, coughs, strep, sore throats, teething, cold sores, infection & cuts. Just to name a few. So naturally it just makes sense to use this oil when washing your hands or wanting to get rid of public germs with a hand sanitizer.


Before we get to instructions on making them lets talk cost. For the hand soap I used Pure Castile soap, there are many variations but I get the Gentle formula. I found it at Meijer for $11.99 for 32 ounces. I used 3 tbsp. equaling a whopping 55 cents. I got my vegetable glycerin at the local health food store for $5.99 for 4 ounces. I used 1/2 tsp equaling 13 cents. I used 5 drops of Thieves essential oil which is 15 cents per drop equaling 75 cents. The rest was water. So to make this soap I spent $1.43. WHAT! Of course, what makes this even better is its completely natural & chemical free. I got my foaming soap dispenser from www.discoverlsp.com But you can also reuse the foaming hand soap containers from Bath & Body Works or other brands. Now, lets talk hand sanitizer. I used 5 tbsp. of Aloe Vera gel, math is subject to change here since I used a 3 ounce tube the cost is going to appear higher. Cost for 5 tbsp.  is $1.65. I have a 16 oz container of Grapeseed oil costing around $8.00 I used 1/4 tsp of the Grapeseed oil costing 2 cents. I used 8 drops of Thieves oil totaling $1.20 & 4 tbsp. water = free! Total spent to make a 3 ounce container of Thieves hand sanitizer is $2.87. Oils for the win!


Here come the actual ingredients & instructions! Be prepared.. it sure is tricky.. haha gotcha!



Thieves Hand Soap
3 Tbsp Liquid Castile Soap
1/2 Tsp Vegetable Gylcerin
5 drops of Thieves essential oil
Water

Instructions: Mix Castile soap, Vegetable Glycerin & Thieves oil together in your soap dispenser. Slowly fill the rest of your dispenser with water.
Gently shake to combine all ingredients.



Thieves Hand Sanitizer
5 Tbsp. Aloe Vera Gel
4 Tbsp.Water
1/4 Tsp. Grapeseed oil ( can also use Vitamin E oil)
8 drops of Thieves essential oil

Instructions: Combine all ingredients into your container. Give a little shake. YUP, that's it.

Its sick season. Why not give yourself some extra protection from all the yuck that's flying around?! I know I will be carrying this hand sanitizer around with me EVERYWHERE. Ain't nobody got time to be sick & I am no exception! I hope you enjoy these recipes & give them a go for yourself!

peace & oily love.
ash.

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Young Living Essential Beauty Serum - Hidden Gem!

Super STOKED for todays post!


I was searching through Young Living's list of skin care products when I stumbled across this little hidden gem! I was completely oblivious that we even made such a thing! I am still mind blown by all the different products Young Living has to offer aside from essential oils! I'm constantly finding new, always all natural products that I want to give a go! Especially, anything beauty related. Just take my money now! So here it is - Essential Beauty Serum!



This blend has Cedarwood, Coconut oil, Avocado oil, Blue Cypress, Rosehip, Jojoba oil, Lavender, Myrrh, Clove, Wolfberry & Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood.

*Cedarwood is great for its purifying properties & is helpful for acne.
*Blue Cypress helps restore the skins natural moisture balance.
*Lavender helps with acne, dry skin, itching, burns, sunburn, wrinkles, sensitive skin & is soothing to the skin.
*Myrrh helps with chapped or cracked skin, wrinkle & inflammation.
*Clove helps with chronic skin diseases.
*Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood helps with wrinkles, acne & skin infections.

Obviously, all GREAT for skin no matter what you struggle with or just to keep your skin looking its best!

I have been using this for going on 2 months now. I use it daily combined with my moisturizer. I have tried it alone after my moisturizer but I found that I prefer mixing it with & applying all at once. How to use is totally up to you! I usually do 2-3 drops on top of my moisturizer & rub together with my CLEAN finger tips & apply to my skin. I have found my redness has improved, my breakouts have minimized & my skin looks more luminous. Now, if you look at the packaging it says "dry skin" DO NOT let that scare you away! I have combo/oily & I have no worries using this. Side note for skin: Even if you are an oily skin chick, if you use a beauty oil it will not cause you to break out from excess oil! Typically when someone has oily skin & uses something like this you will notice a reduction in breakouts & oil production. Your skin is getting the moisture it needs & finds itself not needing to produce the extra oil to moisturize itself. When oily skin peeps stay away from anything moisturizing thinking it will cause them extra oil, that's not the case. Instead they are stripping the skin of its natural oils to the point the skin will overproduce to compensate. Don't be afraid to moisturize oily skin! Just a little somethin' somethin' I picked up working at Clinique for 2 years once upon a very long time ago!

I thought this product was too cool when I found it & am going to continue to repurchase! I cant wait to have my mom & grandma try it out! I think they will enjoy it just as much as I do!

I hope you give it a go for yourself! Any questions, feel free to comment below!

peace & oily love.
ash.

Monday, January 4, 2016

Essential Oils & Your Hair!

Happy Monday Ladies & Gents!


Today we are going to talk hair. I recently started taking some extra steps in my hair care. I knew Cedarwood & Lavender are both GREAT for your hair. So I decided to really jump into their benefits!


Cedarwood. I cannot say enough good things about this essential oil. Fun little fact about Cedarwood- at night the animals in the wild lie down under the tree for the protection, recharging & rejuvenation the trees bring them. Not only is it great for calming (this is a total sleep favorite amongst oilers!), nervous tension, anxiety & skin issues. But its great for its purifying properties & hair loss!


Now, I don't struggle with hair loss, other than I have thick hair & I shed.. A LOT. But, I figured hey lets give it a go! I added 15 drops to each bottle. 15 drops in my shampoo & 15 drops in my conditioner. Side note: I shake the bottles before each use. This along with the little gem I'm going to talk about in a minute are a GAME CHANGER. I fell in love the first time I used them.



I used my shampoo & conditioner in conjunction with this magical hair potion. Drum rollllllllll- I present to you, my own version of a conditioning spray! I did 10 drops Cedarwood, 10 drops Lavender, 1/4 of the spray bottle filled with liquid Coconut Oil & filled the rest of the bottle with water! I sprayed all over my damp hair (focusing mostly on ends & less towards the actual root) & used my blow dryer as normal. HOLY COW! I couldn't stop touching my hair. It was SO soft, SO shiny that my grandma even commented on the shine! I even felt like it was more manageable. Before making my own oil concoction I was using some conditioning spray before blow drying that was supposed to do 12 wonderful things to my hair.. hands down, it doesn't come close to this stuff. I do shake before each use. Just to make sure I'm getting the goodness of every ingredient. You are probably wondering & the answer is NO, my hair wasn't oily & wasn't greasy!

Now, for us ladies. Lets not forget those eye lashes! Also, you will learn some of the benefits to why I use Lavender for my hair!


thin eyelashes? short eyelashes? I've got your solution! 

In a full new tube of mascara put 2 drops Young Living Lavender essential oil.. in a half tube put 1 drop. that's it! no fancy expensive mascara.. no expensive extensions.. & I haven't even told you the best part. While it will make your lashes grow longer & thicker, the scent in the mornings will be calming. Lets face it, when you have multiple little humans AND yourself to get ready & out the door things can get crazy! But here is one of the BEST reasons to do this.. My mascara is less likely to grow the horrid stuff than yours will.. why?! its no secret that makeup is a breeding ground for those nasty little bacterias that can cause pink eye or styes. Lavender is a natural antiseptic & anti-fungal! bye bye bacteria! I fully trust Young Living & am confident in using these essential oils on my lashes! 

**keep in mind NOT all essential oils are created the same & NOT all are safe to use so close to this delicate area. Oils that have been adulterated are NOT safe to use internally or topically. Don't forget, your skin is your largest organ! I obviously ONLY recommend trying this with Young Living. That seed to seal guarantee is on point let me tell ya!** 

 
I would love to see before & afters! If you try this come back in two weeks & show those lashes off! proof is in the pictures so don't be afraid to snap those selfies!

Peace & Oily Love.
ash.
 











Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Ningxia on the Go!

Quick post today folks!

I wanted to show you two of the "On the Go" options for Ningxia & how I like to use them!

First up, Ningxia Red packets! These packages have 2 ounces inside. In my previous post I said how I take these to ALL of my races. This is how I do that! Obviously, it is much easier than taking the full on glass bottle with me. I will stick these pouches in my arm band phone holder until I am ready to drink it. I usually drink it about 15 minutes prior to my race starting. It's CLEAN energy & fuel to help my endurance during running. Another way I enjoy these pouches is by making smoothies. Of course you can pour straight out of the bottle but sometimes I just find myself reaching for these pouches instead! This specific morning I did a combo of: 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1 pouch Ningxia Red, some blueberries, some raspberries, a little unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk & ice! Sidenote: I am LOVING this Oster MyBlend too. Its perfect to whip up my smoothies & out the door! If you aren't completely sure what Ningxia is I did an entire post on it Monday! (scroll down & all the info on Ningxia's goodness is there!)

 
Next up, Ningxia Nitro! Now, the difference between Ningxia Red & Ningxia Nitro is that Nitro is geared towards fitness. I prefer Nitro before a work out/lifting heavy vs. a run. It combines 100% pure, therapeutic grade essential oils with naturally powerful ingredients to clear the mind and enhance mental fitness, while providing a boost of energy & daily pick me up when needed. You can take it directly out of the tube, my preference, or you can mix it with 1 oz of Ningxia Red. I don't taste much of a difference between the two, both are delicious, and both are staples in my fitness routine. Best part? No jittery feeling, no racing heart, no crash, no chemicals & funky ingredients you cant pronounce that were made in some lab. The perk of ALL natural ingredients is that your body recognizes it. Your body can break it down & USE it. Putting synthetic & lab made ingredients into your body causes chaos! It takes longer to break down. Its not aware of what you are giving it because our bodies aren't made to effectively use the bad junk. You get ONE body. Why not take care of it & use it to its full potential?! NO BRAINER PEOPLE!
 
 
As always, any questions feel free to comment below!
 
Peace & Oily Love.
ash.
 
 

Monday, December 28, 2015

Ningxia Red Gummies!

two words. Ningxia Red.

While Young Living is most known for their purity & quality of therapeutic grade essential oils, this company has SO much more to offer! Exhibit A. Ningxia Red in all its glory! If you have never heard about this wonderous slice of liquid heaven in a bottle, or pouch, then you are about to be mind blown! This week I am going to be doing multiple posts about Ningxia in all of its versions.. versions?! I've got you curious now ehhh??


First, we will start with the basics. Ningxia Red is formulated from the Wolfberry super fruit! Research on the Wolfberry is continuously taking place & revealing more & more beneficial properties. Accompanied by blueberry, aronia, cherry, pomegranate & plum juices AND Orange, Yuzu, Lemon & Tangerine essential oils making this the HIGHEST antioxidant product available on the market. It was created to help sustain energy, help prevent oxidative stress & balance nutrients for full body health & wellness support. When taken daily it will energize, fortify & revitalize the body. I personally also take 2 ounces of Ningxia Red about 15 minutes before I run my 5k races. I completed 20 - 5k races in 2015 & Ningxia was with me for EVERY single one of those 20 timed runs.

Check this out. Are you reading those numbers?! 100 oranges? 59 broccoli florets? in ONE OUNCE of Ningxia Red. In TWO ounces of Ningxia Red you are getting 100g of Wolfberries & in that 100g of Wolfberries you get 300% Vitamin C, 19 amino acids, 22 trace minerals, 180% Vitamin A, 90% Vitamin E, & 100% Vitamin B2 amongst several other vitamins. Oh and did I mention yet that it's completely all natural, chemical free & nothing artificial? Its a pattern with ALL of Young Livings products & I am NOT mad about it. So, those impressive numbers got me thinking about an all natural alternative to drug store gummy vitamins and...

I give you Ningxia Gummies!

These couldn't be any easier to make & they can be given to the kiddos as a HEALTHY no sugar added fruit snack replacement, daily vitamin or for us adults just because they are healthy & delish! I had my mom taste them & then my husband taste them & they both approved!
What You'll need:
2 ounces (1/4 cup) Ningxia Red
1.25 plain Gelatin Packets
2 ounces (1/4 cup) 100% no sugar added juice - I chose mixed berry
3-6 drops Orange Essential Oil - I did 6 drops
1.5 TBSP Pure Honey

Directions:
1. In a saucepan combine your juice & gelatin
2. Wisk on low heat until gelatin is dissolved
3. Remove saucepan from heat
4. Add in your Ningxia, Honey & drops of Orange essential oil
5. Wisk together
6. Pour into desired molds
7. Let stand in refrigerator until firm
8. Store in refrigerator

Yup, its that easy! As you can see in the picture posted above I chose to put mine in a little glass jar I had & I will be storing these in the refrigerator. They can get a little sticky if you leave them out for longer than 10 minutes. These gummies only took me about 5 minutes or less  to whip up & I just let them chill over night in the fridge.

Now, lets talk what I used for molds.
I got both of these molds at Hobby Lobby in the cake & candy making aisle. If I'm being 100% honest go for the silicone molds (such as the flower mold pictured here). I thought the white plastic mold would make cute little gummies & don't get me wrong it totally did BUT I think filling the flower molds a quarter of the way full will be the way I got next time. Just personal preference. Of course you can make yours in whatever way you wish!

I hope you & your littles enjoy these healthy & yummy gummies jam packed with all of those benefits from Ningxia Red! If you have any questions please feel free to comment below! Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss a future post! Especially this week with more posts about the amazing Ningxia coming your way!

Peace & Oily Love.
ash.
















Thursday, December 24, 2015

Christmas Diffuser Combos!


Merry Christmas Eve!

It's the time of the year to curl up by the fire with hot chocolate, the Christmas tree lit, a Christmas movie playing in the background & a Christmas scented candle burning.. or is it? I say a big YES to all of the above EXCEPT the Christmas candle!

I know I'm not the only one that has lit up one of those ever so popular candles & gotten a good dose of nauseous with a side of headache to accompany it. The smells are so strong & over powering to me. I literally can NOT stand the smell of super sweet fake pine anything from my mother burning those candles in my child hood. It wasn't until after a few times of burning her Pine scented candle that we put 2 & 2 together that it was the culprit. While I LOVE the smell of vanilla, those sugar cookie candles make me never want to eat another cookie. EVER. Parents with small children, I can almost bet most of your candle burning days are over with the possibility of those little hands & an open flame. Rest easy, I have your solution.. Diffusing Young Living essential oils! Not only do you have ZERO flame & it automatically will shut off when it runs out of water BUT you also have zero chemicals or toxins being distributed into your home.

First up, Sweet Candy Christmas. I was skeptical of this combo at first. It didn't take long for it to sell me. Call it peppermint patty, call it candy cane.. whatever it is will knock your socks off. This has been on repeat in my diffuser the past week! I do 3 drops of Ylang Ylang & 3 drops of Peppermint.

Next up, Festive Fireside. This combo is warm, spicy & calming with that hint of citrus. Not to mention that Thieves will help keep those germs away! For this combo I suggest 2 drops Cedarwood, 3 drops Orange & 4 drops Thieves.

Lets be real, it wouldn't be a Christmas diffuser post without a Christmas Tree combo! For this recipe I like to do 3 drops Christmas Spirit, 2 drops Orange & 2 drops Idaho Balsam Fir. It smells like Christmas is living right inside your diffuser.

Lastly, I couldn't forget Frankincense. This oil was worth more than gold back in ancient times & is one of the oldest known oils. Yes, oils are nothing new people! They have been around FAR before we were around. For this combo I suggest 3 drops Frankincense & 2 drops Cinnamon Bark.

The suggested drops are just what I have found that I prefer. You can always change them according to your preference. Want more Citrus? Add more Orange. You want more spice? Add more Cinnamon Bark! Tree scents up your alley? Add more Balsam Fir! The strength of the scent is completely at your discretion & they actually have benefits other than smelling nice. That's definitely one of the many perks to diffusing. Customizing is at your finger tips! I want to see you try to do that with a candle.. oh wait..

I'm wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! Enjoy your loved ones & all the Eggnog you can handle!

Peace & Oily Love.
ash.