This is such an easy recipe and so yummy that the entire family will gobble it up — I know mine does! Beware, I am one of those cooks that often seasons by taste and this is one of those cases. This is such a basic recipe and is good anytime you’re serving Mexican food. It’s also a yummy, yet healthy snack. This is the perfect compliment to your favorite Mexican dinner.
We are mostly grain free here, but we do allow small bits of gluten free foods. We have really missed our tortilla chips though. We’ve been using rice crackers to eat this with and it’s a pretty good substitute. We eat so much Mexican food that we’ve become accustomed to serving it with queso, salsa, and guacamole. It’s one of the ways that we spread the more expensive grass-fed ground beef that we try to use. But, since we’ve been mostly grain free, we hadn’t been making those items because we were accustomed to eating them with chips. The rice crackers really do work pretty well, as they are crisp, more like chips than crackers.
This guacamole has a very special ingredient…doTERRA Lemon Essential Oil! I have to say this was a wonderful addition to my family’s favorite guacamole. Normally, I would put in lime juice in this guacamole, but I didn’t have the limes, nor did I have lemon juice. I remembered that I had the Lemon Essential oil and decided to give that a try and I have to say that this was the BEST batch of guacamole I’ve ever made. The essential oil made a HUGE difference in the taste. I had made really big batch of guacamole and we ended up eating it for lunch, along with some strawberries and grapes. My youngest, who wasn’t a fan of guacamole, ate it like it was going out of style and asked me to fix it again sometime this week for lunch.
As I’ve mentioned on the blog before, I’ve been experimenting with essential oils for health and since most dōTERRA Essential Oils have be approved by the FDA for internal use, I’ve also been trying my hand at cooking with essential oils. This is my very first recipe that I’ve created using dōTERRA Essential Oilss, but expect more in the future! I decided to try something really simple and since I recently received several products from Mountain Rose Herb’s Epicurean Organics line to review, I decided to try my hand at a salad dressing.
Avocado Oil – Avocado oil is a new oil for me to use. I’ve never used it, but it sound like something we would like. We eat a lot of Mexican food around here and my husband LOVES my homemade guacamole. So, I thought I’d give it a try…and I sure glad that I did. It tastes absolutely fantastic and I’ve found a new addition to my kitchen oil collection!
Olive Oil – The Epicurean Organics line’s olive oil is some of the best I’ve ever tried. It has the most wonderful flavor. We’ve eaten it in this salad dressing recipe, but it really doesn’t need any seasoning. It’s really yummy just as it is to dip in homemade garlic bread. Yum!
Smoked Black Pepper – This black pepper is smoked over wood smoke and it has the most amazing flavor! My husband absolutely LOVES it sprinkled over steak from the grill. But he REALLY loves it on steaks cooked on the George Foreman grill because the pepper gives the meat a nice wood smoked taste. It also really smells wonderful!
Black Lava Salt – My youngest son, Riley, thinks the black lava salt it “totally cool!” because of it’s black color. The flavor is also really fantastic and it has the added advantage that it is infused with activated charcoal which assists the body in removing harmful impurities, and is exceptionally high in essential minerals to help maintain the body’s normal functions.
First let me say we are LOVING the Epicurean Organics line from Mountain Rose Herb. All of the products were top of the line and absolutely fantastic tasting. We’ve been using the smoked black pepper and black lava salt on everything and have been so pleased with the flavor. I am really impressed with Mountain Rose Herb’s Epicurean Organics line and I can see me purchasing more products from them in the future. The taste and quality of the items I’ve tried have been out of this world!
Okay…back to the recipe! As I was saying, I decided to try my hand at something simple to begin with. I had been dying to use some of the avocado oil in a recipe and thought now would be a perfect time. First of all, I added equal amounts of the olive oil and avocado oil. Then I added some of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar. I now had a really basic, unseasoned vinaigrette.
Next I added some raw local honey. This is my go to sweetener for salad dressings. What I generally do is add all the sweeteners and seasonings to taste. I generally start off with the amount a recipe calls for and then adjust to fit my tastes. Next I added the Black Lava Salt. This is a large grain salt, so you will want to let the salad dressing “sit” overnight to help dissolve the salt into the dressing. I would suggest you wait until the salt is dissolved before you try to adjust the salt level. Otherwise you may end up with REALLY salty vinaigrette…like I did with my first batch!
Now you can add some of that wonderful smoked black pepper. It gives the vinaigrette the most wonderful flavor! Add some minced garlic, you can use fresh or the kind in oil. I used the kind in oil because it is so much easier .
Now you can add some crushed red pepper flakes. This give the vinaigrette a bit of punch. Finally, add 2 drops of dōTERRA Oregano Essential Oils. This adds such a fantastic Italian sort of taste to the vinaigrette, as well as some healthy benefits! Oregano Essential Oil is antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiseptic to the respiratory system, antiviral, and is an immune stimulant. It helps to boost your immune and respiratory systems. My son loves Oregano oil…he calls it pizza oil because it smells like pizza to him!
Now, all you have to do is shake it up to combine and let rest overnight in the refrigerator. This will allow the flavors to blend. Shake and taste the next morning, and adjust the seasonings if you wish.
This is now one of my favorite salad toppings. Since we are eating grain free, I eat a LOT of salads and veggies and so I like to have several options when it comes to topping them for variety.
The Making Babies book is an informational pregnancy book unlike any I’ve ever seen. It’s not your Mama’s What to Expect When Your Expecting! It is colorful and fun; full of gorgeous photography and lots of helpful information and recipes. The book is 480 pages long and contains all the recipes contained on Volume 1-3 of the Making Babies DVDset. Also included, are additional recipes, information, home remedies, and even a baby diary. It covers topics from fertility, conception, pregnancy, birtha, and even postpartum. The Making Babies book is very thorough.
The Making Babies DVD follows Shoshanna through her pregnancy, birth, and 6 months postpartum. Each of the three DVDs runs for over 2 hours each. The Making Babies DVD series contains the recipes found in the book, but also contains interviews with professionals: Dr. Johan Dinkelmann DC, Dr. Nancy Armetta MD, Elaine Wakeland CNM, and Dr. Jay Gordon MD, FAAP. The Making Babies DVD series is a fun look into staying healthy and strong throughout pregnancy and beyond. Shoshanna is energetic and makes the series really fun to watch. Even my 9 year old son enjoyed them.
I got my inspiration for the Making Babies Series from the pregnancy and birth of my first child. I loved every stage of my pregnancy and birth! I enjoyed learning and researching when I had morning sickness and when I got indigestion. Every time I was faced with another bridge, I would research, study, learn, apply, and rise to new heights of excitement. I knew everything I did, and did not do, would make a difference with me and my growing baby. It is not always easy finding good food to eat, knowing what exercises to do, and asking the right questions to the right people, but I researched it step by step and enjoyed a healthy pregnancy and birth.
I grew up in an Amish community. Talk about making babies–whoa, they make a lot! No, I am not Amish, but I am a blood-bought child of God. Twenty-five years ago my parents were artists living in Memphis, Tennessee. They wanted to raise us five children in the country so we could learn the dying art of homemaking and the skills of country living. Hard work, herbal remedies, nutritional health, home births, and common sense were all part of the lifestyle in the Amish community. In November 2004, my husband James and I found out we were pregnant with our first child. I knew I wanted to have my baby in the soothing warmth of my own home, so I went to talk to a midwife. I had assisted in two births before I got married, and knew I wanted my children’s births to be better. With good food, the right exercises, and relaxation, the birth of Jeremiah James was WONDERFUL! The midwife that attended had been to over 350 births and said it was the best she had ever attended. Since my firstborn, I never stopped researching the wonderful world of making babies.
I have been asked many questions about healthy foods, recipes, exercises, and herbal remedies from family, friends, and customers at Bulk Herb Store. In November 2009, we got pregnant with our second child. I was so excited about my pregnancy journey. I was going to have another baby! I thought about all the horrible births I had heard about, and wanted to show women across the world how beautiful pregnancy and birth can be, so I started the Making Babies Series.
Making Babies Book and DVD Series is a fresh, organic look at the simplistic beauty of pregnancy and birth. From delectable recipes, superb remedies, must-have tips, birthing exercises, and resources, to relaxing techniques, this is a fun, energetic video and book series. Follow me through my pregnancy and the birth of Penelope Jane Easling.
-Shoshanna Easling
My Thoughts on the Making Babies Book & DVD Series
Even though I am past child bearing, I thoroughly enjoyed the Making Babies Book and DVD Series. I have a real interest in both healthy eating and natural medicine and Making Babies Book and DVD Series certainly fueled that interest. They are stocked full of great information, recipes, and home remedies. I think this will now become my most recommended set for expecting moms. Shoshanna was fun to watch–very entertaining. I was also thrilled to find information about gluten free living throughout pregnancy, birth, nursing, and beyond. We personally are gluten free and I know lots of other moms that are too, so this is a big plus!
The Making Babies Book and DVD Series Series really stands out from other pregnancy books out there. The book is beautifully photographed and very colorful and eye-catching. But, my favorite parts are all those natural home remedies. This book is perfect for the woman who wants to practice a natural lifestyle through pregnancy and child birth. I can’t recommend the Making Babies Book and DVD Series high enough.
Author Bio:
Shoshanna Easling is a fun and energetic mother of two. She is the owner of Bulk Herb Store and creator of Making Herbs Simple Volumes 1 and 2, and the Making Babies Book and DVD Series. She is also the author of many articles published world-wide. Her energy is contagious as she inspires you to go beyond what you know, research and take charge of your own nutrition. She is a fountain of information that keeps you laughing and learning.
Links
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Bulk Herb Store carries the finest organic teas, tinctures, spices, salves, and educational resources. Live and learn well with experienced herbalist, Shoshanna Easling’s free recipes, remedies, research aid, and educational DVDs at the Bulk Herb Store. At the Bulk Herb Store we want to teach you what we know and inspire you to learn and research beyond that with our homemade concoctions, our experiences, and the tested wisdom of others. It is fun, easy, and above all, a great way to keep your family healthy and happy.
NOTICE: Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this item free from the creator. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
This Homemade Lavender Rosemary Rash Ointment works great for all sorts of rashes, including heat rash and diaper rash. My husband uses it all summer long to treat the heat rash he gets from working in the heat welding. He works in an un-air-conditioned shop and with Texas summers, it gets really hot in there. This Homemade Lavender Rosemary Rash Ointment is cooling and soothing to the terrible heat rash he gets. I find that it really works well on all sorts of rashes, scrapes, and scratches that my fellas bring home. It is also very comforting for chafing. We find that we use this ointment all summer long and absolutely love it. It’s super easy to make and costs only pennies to make. It costs about $2.00 per batch and lasts a long time. It works and it’s frugal…gotta love that!
Lavender essential oil is widely used as an analgesic. It is known for it’s antibacterial attributes and it often used straight on burns, scrapes and cuts. Rosemary is also known for it’s analgesic properties and is also antibacterial. So these two essential oils pack quite a pain-killing/healing punch! Coconut oil is also extremely healing as well. It’s a natural antibiotic, as well as being antibacterial. It’s very soothing and feels so good going on. The arrowroot is drying, so it helps to keep the area affected dry–which is important to keeping the rash from returning.
Good evening everyone! Today is the forth week of the Natural Home Challenge! This week our challenge will focus on ridding our home of unnecessary commercial and chemical full health care items. We will focus on homemade and/or natural remedies. What are you doing to get rid of the chemicals in your health care?
How many of y’all are frustrated with modern medicine? I know I am! Medical care is expensive. First you go to your family doctor, he may want to run some tests, and then you leave the office with a prescription and you wallet a lot lighter. Sound familiar? Yeah, it does to me too. It’s like an awful merry-go-round. You take a prescription to help with this problem and then you have to take over-the-counter medicines to counter-act the side effects. I WANTED OFF! So, decided to take control of my family’s health care needs as much as I possibly could with essential oils, herbs, and natural remedies. You know what? I’m saving a bundle! Does that mean that we never go to the doctor? Nope! If the condition does not improve with natural sources then I won’t hesitate to see a doctor and if the situation warrants it, a trip to the ER. But no longer am I going to the doctor for every fever, cough, or sneeze.
Prescription and over-the-counter drugs are designed to treat symptoms and often just end up masking them. All drugs have side effects and if they are misused they can have devastating effects. Have you ever paid attention to the commercials on TV for the newest prescription medications? Some of the know side effects they mention are often scarier than the disease/symptoms they are suppose to treat!
I treat food as a medicine and have made changes in our diet to reflect that. What we eat is our first line of defense against illness. Truly! But, when illness comes on, I am finding that my main source of home health care centers around essential oils–even before herbal remedies. Why? Because essential oils are 50 to 70 times more effective. Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in plants. I find that essential oils work much more quickly than herbs do because they are so concentrated. They certainly work more quickly than conventional medicine because they enter the bloodstream within thirty seconds. Essential oils can be used safely without the harmful side effects. They kill bacteria and inhibit the growth of viruses, as well as being naturally antibiotic and have the ability to kill bacteria. What’s even more amazing is that essential oils can penetrate the outer membrane of cell walls which means that they can work against viruses.
Think about it. Where is the last place you want to take your children when there’s a flu epidemic, viral stomach bug, or virus going around? For me, that’s the doctor’s office or the hospital! The waiting room is filled with sick folks—a prime way to catch what you don’t want in the first place! To top it off, many times the doctor can’t really do anything but treat the symptoms or tell you to rest and drink plenty of fluids. You can do that at home! Unless an illness does not improve, or it’s a true emergency, most of your family’s health care can be done at home. Now don’t get me wrong, you should go to the doctor or hospital if it’s a true emergency or if an illness does not improve in a couple of days or gets worse. But, we should all be proactive about our family’s health.
Essential oils are also cheaper than going to the doctor, having tests run, and then going to the pharmacy to fill a prescription. The average American spends over $3,000 per year on medical care! That’s just for minor things like doctor visits, routine tests, and prescriptions. That doesn’t even begin to cover all the over-the-counter medications that we –that adds a minimum of nearly $200 additional dollars. That’s a LOT of money! Essential oils are MUCH cheaper than that. You can purchase a Family Physician Kit from doTerra for a fraction of that cost! It’s only $166.67 and contains ten of the most useful essential oils and essential oil blends that a parent needs on a daily basis to take care of their families. Also because you only have to use a tiny bit of the oil in most instances, a bottle can last a long time. Not to mention the shelf life of pure essential oils, which is FAR longer than any OTC or prescription drug.
Think about it. What are your top three health concerns for you and your family? How long have you been effected by these concerns? How would you rather treat those concerns? With conventional medicine–and it’s associated side effects or with a natural medicine? There are so many ways to learn how to treat and prevent illness using essential oils. Below are some books that I recommend to help get you started. These are some of my favorite go-to books for the use of essential oils.
Modern Essentials *4th Edition* a Contemporary Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Essential Oils – This is one of my FAVORITE essential oil books. It has quickly become my go-to guide for using essential oils. It’s a wonderful hardback book that has an A-Z listing of every disease, symptom, and illness that I can think of. It’s 282 pages long and is a very invaluable resource for anyone wanting to learn more about taking control of their family’s health using essential oils. One notice, this book is geared towards doTerra Essential Oils. When it mentions blends, it only refers to doTerra‘s proprietary blends, but CAN be used successfully for other brands when referring to the individual essential oils.
Modern Essential Usage Guide, A Quick Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Essential Oils (The Mini Edition) – This is the same book as above, only the pocket edition. It does not include all of the listings for the disease, symptom, and illness found in the full sized edition. This book, though is perfect for keeping with your oils for on the go. It’s smaller, and lighter so it can go everywhere and is perfect for travel.
The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy – This is my second favorite book on essential oils and has some really great information and recipes for making your own blends. I don’t use it quite as often as the Modern Essential books, but I do use it on a regular basis. It’s a great book to have in your natural healing library.
As for what brand of essential oils to purchase, well that’s a very personal choice. After much research, I have chosen to use doTerra Essential Oils. I was so impressed with them, that I also decided to become a distributor. I chose doTerra Essential Oils because it is 100% pure essential oil. Not all essential oils are equal. In the case of essential oils, the old adage is true–You get what you pay for. Many of the lower priced essential oils are full of toxic and harmful chemicals. To understand why this is, you have to learn about the different grades of essential oils.
The lowest grade essential oils are SYNTHETIC ESSENTIAL OILS and produced in labs. These are low quality and are often used in perfumes and for scenting products.
Then next are FOOD GRADE ESSENTIAL OILS. These are used to flavor foods, candy, and gums.
The next grade is THERAPEUTIC GRADE ESSENTIAL OILS. This is the industry standard for the last 3o years. These are the essential oils that you find in most health food stores and online. The problem with these essential oils is that there is no regulations enforcing quality, so you don’t really know what you are getting or what they may contain. Even if they say 100% pure they still may be diluted or could be contaminated by pesticides.
The final grade is CERTIFIED PURE THERAPUTIC GRADE ESSENTIAL OIL. In order to be certified pure, it has to come from the country or region where the plant indigenously growns. Each liter of oil goes through extensive testing by a third party. This ensures that each oils is free of impurities, pesticides, fillers, or any other contaminates. Certified Pure Theraputic Grade goes beyond organic. The only brand that I could find on the market that is Certified Pure Theraputic Grade essential oil is doTerra’s Essential Oils.
So, whatever essential oil brand you decide on, do you research first. Don’t just make a decision based on price.
What are YOUR reasons for using natural health care items?
Share all your natural cleaning tips, recipes, and ideas on your blog this week and then come by and link the post up!! I look forward to seeing what you share and hope to get some new ideas!! I’ll be sharing a few of the recipes that I use for cleaning later in the week!
The Rules are simple:
1. Link back to this post on your site.
2. Linked posts need to be related to the Natural Home Challenge theme of the week this week it’s LAUNDRY AIDS.
3. Please link the URL of the actual blog post, not just your blog’s home page.
4. Please leave a comment after linking up and check out some of the other links, you will learn a lot from others!
As I’ve mentioned on my blog before, I have been studying the use of Essential Oils. I really love using Essential oils because they are a natural alternative and they work really well! I prefer doTERRA oils over the other brands I have used. In the past, I’ve used less expensive essential oils and haven’t gotten the results from them that I do with doTERRA.
doTERRA(meaning “Gift of the Earth”) essential oils represent the safest, purest essential oils available in the world today. Each of doTERRA‘s CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essentials oils is carefully extracted by a global network of skilled growers, distillers, and chemists ensuring a consistently powerful user experience. They are 100% pure aromatic extracts and contain no artificial ingredients and are tested to be free of contaminants such as pesticides or other chemical residues.
I was so impressed with doTERRA essential oils that I decided to become an independent product consultant! I can’t recommend doTERRA essential oils high enough! I know that they are more expensive than a lot of the essential oils you buy at the health food store, but I’ve found that the quality of doTERRA essential oils are much better than many of the essential oils on the market. Quality is what’s really important when it comes to essential oils and as in most things, you will pay more for high quality. But, doTERRA essential oils are extremely frugal…even at the price…because they last such a long time. For most remedies you only need a few drops so they are economical in the long run. But whatever essential oil you use, please make sure you research the company well and don’t just go for the cheapest oils. Remember, you get what you pay for.
Whether you choose to use doTERRA essential oils, or another brand, I wanted to share some of what I’ve found through my studies with you. Since this week’s Natural Home Challenge focuses on natural hygiene and personal care items, I thought I’d share a few of the blends that use essential oils for skin care problems. Remember, I am no doctor, just a mom who loves using essential oils, so please read my disclaimer.
Acne
One of the most common skin care problems is acne. Acne is caused from blocked pores which trap the oil within the skin’s pores. The pores become inflamed and bacteria only makes the acne worse.
For the treatment of acne, I would recommend doTERRA‘s Clear Skin Topical Blend. Clear Skin Essential Oil Topical Blend is a blend of the essential oils rosewood, eucalyptus globulus, geranium, lemongrass, melaleuca, combined with black cumin seed oil. This non-drying blend dispenses easily from a 10ml roll on for easy application to troubled skin spots. You can simply apply the blend to the effected area.
If you don’t want to use the Clear Skin Topical Blend, you can make your own blend using individual essential oils. A simple homemade blend can be made using this recipe:
1 oz Fractionated Coconut Oil
10 drops melaluca
5 drops lavender1 drop geranium
1 drop sandalwood
Mix all the ingredients together and store in a small, dark glass bottle. To use, simply apply the blend to the effected area.
Aging
Let’s face it…we’re all going to age and very few us want or can afford plastic surgery. Your best bet to age gracefully is to take care of your skin properly. This means cleansing our face morning and evening. Keeping the skin moisturized and protected. Essential oils can help protect and slow down the aging of your facial skin.
To help slow the aging, I would recommend using doTERRA‘s Immortelle. Immortelle is a beautiful blend of powerful essential oils. It’s Anti-Aging Blend is formulated to protect and nourish skin while helping to reduce inflammation―a major contributor to the aging process. Supporting skin health at the cellular level, these essential oils sustain smoother, more radiant and youthful skin. The blend dispenses easily from a 10ml roll on for easy application to troubled skin spots. You can simply apply the blend to the effected area.
If you don’t want to use the Immortelle Blend, you can make your own blend using individual essential oils. A simple homemade blend can be made using this recipe:
Mix all the ingredients together and store in a small, dark glass bottle. To use, simply apply the blend to the effected area.
Rosacea
Rosacea is is a chronic condition characterized by facial redness and sometimes pimples. Doctors can prescribe medicines and other treatments for rosacea. But, it can also be treated with essential oils! doTERRA‘s Immortelle blend is a good choice for treating rosacea. If you don’t want to use the Immortelle Blend, you can make your own blend using individual essential oils. A simple homemade blend can be made using this recipe:
Recently I’ve been reading quite a bit about the oil cleaning method (OCM) of facial cleaning. It sounded interesting and I like the fact that it’s totally natural. So I decided to give it a try. I cleaned my face for the first time using it yesterday. It’s really simple and natural.
The first thing I did was do a little research, I’ll link what I found at the end of this post. To get started, you have to mix your oils. For that, I used a plastic bottle from a toiletry set that I had. I filled the bottle with 3 parts caster oil, 1 part extra virgin olive oil and about 6 drops of lavender essential oil. This is the suggested ration for oily skin, which is what I have. Caster oil is a very good cleanser. It removes dirt and dead skin cells from the pores without stripping your face of the natural balance of you skin. Extra virgin olive oil is a wonderful moisturizer is is full of all sorts of great-for-you-skin things such as antioxidants. It also has the same pH as our skin. Both of these oils are safe for acne and blemish prone skin. The lavender essential oil is not required, but I had some on hand and thought I’d give it a try. I love the scent of it and it’s soothing and calming to the skin. So, I mixed all the oils together in my little bottle and shook it well to mix the oils. I would suggest you shake it well before each use. Once you get you oil mixed, the only other thing you need is hot water and wash cloths. Now you’re ready to clean your face with the OCM! Below are the steps you should follow to clean:
Pour about a quarter size amount of the oil mixture into your hand and then rub between your hands to spread. Massage it on your face and neck for about 5-7 minutes, but you can do less if you’re in a hurry, but that’s the time suggested. The oil works as a great makeup remover.
Once you’ve massaged the oil on your face, you want to take a wash rag and wring it out in HOT water…the hottest you can stand, but not too hot where it burns your face. Place the rag over you face and let it steam until it’s room temperature. This opens up the pours and allows the good stuff from the oils to penetrate your skin. This will help to remove blackheads, clean pores and heal blemishes.
After the rag is room temperature, wipe off the oil with it.
Repeat steps 2 & 3 about 3 times until you feel the oil has been removed…be sure and pay close attention to the hairline, as this is a common place where the oil may not be fully removed, which could cause breakouts.
Splash your face with cold water to close the pores.
Your skin should feel clean and soft. If your face feels tight, you can moisturize with a TINY bit of olive oil or your favorite moisturizer (I’m actually thinking coconut oil might be nice).
For me, I was REALLY excited about the way my skin looked and felt after doing the OCM. It was SOOOO soft, but not a bit oily and I my pores were noticeably smaller. AND it GLOWED! After just one use, I loved it! I’m going to continue to use this method to clean my face for the next month and then I’ll make a decision whether or not I will continue using it. But if my face continues to look and feel this great, I’ll be a believer.
I don’t do the OCM every time I cleanse my face. I do it only in the evenings before bed.
In the morning, I just do the steaming with a hot wash rag a couple of times (no oil), wiping my face with the rag between “steams”. I end it with a splash of cold water to close my pores. You can do this however many times you want to during the day.
Be sure and wipe your hairline REALLY good when you do the OCM, If you don’t get the oil removed well it could lead to breakouts.
Don’t be surprised in for the first week or so, your face breaks out more often. This is just from your body releasing the toxins and impurities. This usually happens with ANY new skin care routine as you skin adjusts to the changes and as you skin is purified and deeply cleaned.
Be gentle when wiping your face with the wash cloth, if you wipe too roughly, your face can be irritated. Using the wash cloth does help to remove dead skin cells, but it should be used gently! TRUST ME! LOL!
Since first starting to use the OCM 3 days ago, I am still continuing to see vast improvements on my skin. My pores are smaller and the skin is MUCH smoother and softer. Oil production has started to decrease, my face is not turning into the oil slick I thought it would. My skin is radiant. The dry and flaky areas around my nose are gone. I’m extremely happy with this method of cleaning my face. I have had a couple of break outs, 4 small pimples (on different areas of my face) and 1 medium pimple at my hairline. But they are already clearing up.
I’ve been looking for a long time for a quality and frugal line of natural makeup. I’ve tried a variety of mineral makeup brands from the drug store and found them to be expensive and, quite honestly, they have not worked well for me at all. They have proven to be a waste of money, because they just end up sitting in a drawer or in the trash. The more expensive mineral makeup is just out of my reach price wise.
Because I really dislike putting chemicals, artificial colors, and the like on my face, I’ve virtually stopped wearing makeup except for church and special occasions. It’s a shame too, because I enjoy prettying myself up for my husband. Yup, I’m a bit of a girly-girl. It’s not really a vanity issue, but something I’ve always enjoyed. I also don’t really wear a lot of makeup, but go for a natural look.
So, I had pretty much given up on finding a natural makeup line that is good for your skin and actually works for me. Not to mention one that doesn’t break the bank. I refuse to spend a fortune on “window dressing” when what God designed is good enough.
Well, a while back, I discovered Redeeming Beauty. I was intrigued by the products because not only are they handmade, but they were also natural and safe for all skin types. The owner, Emily Robinson, hand makes all the products. They are completely chemical free and as such do not contain:
chemicals,
bismuth oxychloride,
talc,
fragrance oils,
parabens,
dyes,
petroleum,
allantoin, or
preservatives
This was really impressive–if they would work for me. One of my BIG problems with makeup is matching my casper-like skin tone. It is VERY rare to find a foundation that blends in with my skin. So, I contacted Emily and asked if I could sample her makeup line in exchange for a review. She was generous enough to provide me with a personalized eye shadow trio, eye primer, and even a sample of the foundation color I wanted to try.
I don’t think I’ve been this excited to try an makeup line before. I was practically stalking the postman! The package finally arrived and I must say that Emily takes care in her presentation. Each little pot was wrapped in a piece of fabric and then tied closed with a pretty fabric strip. I wish I had taken pictures of how pretty they looked, but I was so eager to open them that I forgot to pull out my camera.
Once opened, I was absolutely giddy over the beautiful colors. She sent me three eyeshadows: “Adoration”–a beautiful, rich plum color, “Peach Silk”–a soft, golden peach, and “Marshmallow”–a truly gorgeous, glittery white. The colors are beyond describing. They are absolutely gorgeous and rich. The eye primer promised to help the eyeshadow last all day and to intensify the color. Emily also sent me a sample of her mineral foundation in the color “Alabaster”.
Sugared Lime Green eyeshadow by Redeeming Beauty. See how gorgeous this eyeshadow is…they are all this beautiful!
I couldn’t wait to give the makeup a try. I first put on the foundation. I LOVED the coverage and the natural look. It blended beautifully into my jaw and hair line. No ugly darker line telling the world that my foundations didn’t match my skin tone. YAY! I next used the eye trio. I wasn’t sure how I wold like loose eyeshadow versus pressed eyeshadow. But, I already had the brushes, so I jumped right in. The eye primer is fantastic. It went on smoothly and it certainly did as promised. It proved to make the eyeshadow long lasting and did intensify the color. Now, I applied the eyeshadows and was so impressed with how well it applied and the colors were truly gorgeous.
Now that my “face” was on, it was time to test it. I wore it on a day which required me to be on the go from sunup to sundown. Redeeming Beauty’s makeup line stood the test! At the end of the day, the makeup was nearly as fresh looking as when I first applied it. I did have to touch up the T-Zone about halfway through the day–but I have extremely oily skin. I have to say that Redeeming Beauty Mineral Makeup is a quality, natural makeup line.
But, I haven’t even got to the best part–the price! I was completely blown away by the price because I had expected an all natural, handcrafted makeup to be expensive. But, it’s not! Check out these prices:
Face primer and setting powder – $11.99
Foundation – $15.99
Blush – $9.99
Eye primer – $4.99
Eyeshadows – $5.49
Lip primer – $2.99
Lipstick – $3.49
Can you believe it? She not only hand makes makeup, but also a variety of hair and body products and even nail polish. The nail polish is vegan and free of the harmful ingredients, formaldehyde, toluene, and DBP, which have been linked to birth defects.
Overall, I am wholly impressed with Redeeming Beauty Mineral Makeup and simply cannot recommend them highly enough. I will be purchasing from Emily again in the future. I’ve finally found a natural line of makeup that is both healthy for my skin AND my pocketbook!
Want to try Redeeming Beauty’s makeup line? Enter to win a personalized basic face palette, which includes foundation, finishing powder, and blush. This is an over $37 value! Entering is super easy, simply enter using the Giveaway Tools box below! The giveaway ends on Saturday, February 23rd and the winner will be announced on Sunday February 24th.
Good evening everyone! Today is the third week of the Natural Home Challenge! This week our challenge will focus on natural hygiene and personal care items. What are you doing to get rid of the chemicals in your beauty/hygiene routine?
This week I will be sharing some of my favorite personal care items, such as toothpaste, deodorant, and even a tutorial on making your own reusable sanitary pads. I will also be having a giveaway tomorrow for some really wonderful handmade natural cosmetics. Sounds like fun, huh?
Today though, I want to focus on tooth care. I have inherited really bad teeth. My dad has had all sorts of tooth problems for years and it seems that like Father like Daughter.
Tooth decay is caused by bacteria in our mouth, not by any natural process. There are several factors that contribute to tooth decay. They are bacteria, the availability of sugar for the bacteria to feed on, the vulnerability of tooth enamel, poor nutrition and poor oral hygiene. Symptoms of tooth decay don’t usually show up until the decay is advanced. Some symptoms of tooth decay are sensitivity to heat or cold, sensitivity to sugar consumption and tooth ache.
To help prevent tooth decay, you should eat more raw fruits and vegetables. Raw produce contains important minerals that keep your saliva from becoming too acidic. Acidic saliva increases our chances of tooth decay by weakening our tooth enamel. We need to keep our bodies at a slightly alkaline pH level. A pH level of 7.0 is neutral. Levels higher than pH 7.0 are alkaline and levels lower are acidic. Another contributor of tooth decay is phosphorus or phosphates. Carbonated drinks contain phosphates, which cause the loss of tooth enamel. Phosphorus hinders the absorption of calcium. Our bodies need calcium to build strong, healthy teeth. We also need to brush our teeth after eating and to floss daily. This removes plaque from our teeth. Avoid fluoride in toothpaste and water. Fluoride offers little protection against tooth decay and contributes to bone loss. Continual problems with your teeth are an outward sign of other health problems.
People who eat a more traditional diet consisting of raw vegetables and fruit, grass-fed meats and eggs, raw milk and dairy products and whole or fresh ground grains have less tooth decay. Also, including fresh seafood and fish in your diet provides your body with fat-soluble activators that help control tooth decay. You can also find them in cod liver oil. I highly suggest reading the book “Nourishing Traditions” by Sally Fallon or visiting www.westonaprice.org.
There are several nutrients that are important to tooth health. Calcium helps build strong, healthy teeth. Magnesium balances calcium for better absorption of calcium. Vitamin A has healing properties and helps in the formation of teeth. Vitamin C protects against infection and inflammation, although you should avoid taking a chewable form, as it erodes tooth enamel. Vitamin D is need for calcium absorption and heals gums. There are also several foods that are really good for tooth health. Cranberries are good for the prevention of tooth decay and gum disease. You should eat these fresh or in juice. Cherries block 89% of enzymes that cause tooth decay. Eating a few fresh everyday would make a difference in your tooth health. Raw milk from grass fed animals is also an important food to eat to improve the health of your teeth. Raw milk contains Lactoferrin, which is a good treatment for dental wounds.
You can also use herbs to help with the symptoms of tooth decay. If you’re experiencing inflammation, you might try calendula, chamomile (should not be used for long period of time as it may lead to ragweed allergy. Not to be used by those allergic to ragweed), peppermint (may interfere with iron absorption) and yarrow (may interfere with absorption of iron and other minerals). For pain relief try kava kava (may cause drowsiness), Saint John’s wort (may cause sensitivity to sunlight and interfere with absorption of iron and other minerals), white willow bark (may interfere with absorption of iron and other minerals) or wintergreen. Clove oil also helps control pain due to tooth decay. Apply 1-2 drops on a cotton swab to the tooth as needed.
It’s important for us to take care of our teeth. Tooth decay is a factor in and sign of other health problems. I think the most important things you can do for the health of your teeth is to eat a traditional diet, cut out as much sugar as possible (especially refined white sugar and corn syrup), cut all out white flour and replace it with freshly ground whole grain flour or sprouted grain flour and cut out all carbonated beverages. I have a history of bad teeth myself and have found by doing these few things have helped tremendously.
What are YOUR reasons for using natural hygiene and personal care items?
Share all your natural cleaning tips, recipes, and ideas on your blog this week and then come by and link the post up!! I look forward to seeing what you share and hope to get some new ideas!! I’ll be sharing a few of the recipes that I use for cleaning later in the week!
The Rules are simple:
1. Link back to this post on your site.
2. Linked posts need to be related to the Natural Home Challenge theme of the week this week it’s LAUNDRY AIDS.
3. Please link the URL of the actual blog post, not just your blog’s home page.
4. Please leave a comment after linking up and check out some of the other links, you will learn a lot from others!
It’s the time of year for colds and flu. My family has literally been walking around with stuffy noses for months. In general, most people go and use an over-the-counter treatment of decongestants and antihistamines. But I much prefer going for the natural method. Also, I have high blood pressure and decongestants and antihistamines really raises it higher, so I have to avoid them. Sometimes a stuffy nose is easy repaired by simply smelling essential oils such as peppermint or eucalyptus. So I started thinking that maybe I could create some sort of inhaler to use. I did a little research and found that in days gone by, that people would put these oils onto rock salt to create an inhalant that they could easily carry around with them. I thought that would be a great idea. So I put some into the bottom of a small glass jar (baby food jar). Now to figure out which essential oils to put in with the rock salt! Again, I did a little research and settled on Peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree, and rosemary.
Peppermint
Peppermint is used to treat inflammation which is the main problem associated with a stuffy nose. The tissues inside your nose are inflamed. So peppermint helps to relieve the inflammation, which opens the nasal passages so you can breathe easier.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is used to help treat sinusitis, which is an inflammation of the sinus passages. Eucalyptus helps to open up those sinuses so you can breathe easier. It’s good for treating all sorts of respiratory problems.
Tea Tree
Tea Tree also helps to treat inflammation and is great for treating colds and the flu, as well as viral infections.
Rosemary
Rosemary acts as a decongestant, and helps to start draining off any thing that is blocking your nasal passages up.
How to Make the Essential Oil Inhalant
Making this Essential Oil Inhalant is really easy. Here are the ingredients:
1/2 tsp. rock salt (I used Himalayan Pink Salt which is what I had, but you can use inexpensive rock salt used for making ice cream)
3 drops tea tree essential oil
3 drops rosemary essential oil
3 drops peppermint essential oil
3 drops eucalyptus essential oil
In the bottom of a small glass jar with a tight fitting lid (I used one of the small baby food jars), place the rock salt and the essential oils. Shake it up well to coat the rock salt with the essential oils well. Put in a dark place and let sit for 24-48 hours to help mingle the oils well. You can carry this in your purse or pocket and sniff whenever you need to unclog your nose.
This is a simple remedy that really works and it’s safe to “sniff” whenever you need to. No nasty chemicals!
This is such an easy recipe and so yummy that the entire family will gobble it up — I know mine does! Beware, I am one of those cooks that often seasons by taste and this is one of those cases. This is such a basic recipe and is good anytime you’re serving Mexican food. It’s also a yummy, yet healthy snack. This is the perfect compliment to your favorite Mexican dinner.
NOW LINK UP!
It’s the time of year for colds and flu. My family has literally been walking around with stuffy noses for months. In general, most people go and use an over-the-counter treatment of decongestants and antihistamines. But I much prefer going for the natural method. Also, I have high blood pressure and decongestants and antihistamines really raises it higher, so I have to avoid them. Sometimes a stuffy nose is easy repaired by simply smelling essential oils such as peppermint or eucalyptus. So I started thinking that maybe I could create some sort of inhaler to use. I did a little research and found that in days gone by, that people would put these oils onto rock salt to create an inhalant that they could easily carry around with them. I thought that would be a great idea. So I put some into the bottom of a small glass jar (baby food jar). Now to figure out which essential oils to put in with the rock salt! Again, I did a little research and settled on Peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree, and rosemary.
Essential Traditions/Real Food Real Frugal 