How to Build Your Essential Oil Stash

June 3, 2013 by Krissa 3 Comments

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of essential oils. Specifically, doTERRA essential oils. I’ve been using them for over 2 years now and I continue to find new uses for them every day. I use my oils daily, and I love having them available for a variety of uses:

to make a lavender vanilla sugar scrub for a gift
to help build my kid’s immunity
to make my own “vapo-rub” when my kid’s are congested
to rub on a tummy that’s feeling upset
to bring down a fever
to keep ants out
to diffuse in my home
to treat blemishes

…and much, much more!

However, at first glance it can feel that essential oils are a big investment. An investment I personally think is well worth it, of course, because of how versatile essential oils are and how helpful they’ve been in my home. But for most of us, I doubt we can invest in all of the oils we might want all at once. At least, I couldn’t. Instead, I have slowly built my stash over the years.

Here’s how I did it:

1. I became a doTERRA consultant so I could get the wholesale price for my oils, making it much more affordable (25% off retail price.)*

2. I enrolled in doTERRA’s Loyalty Rewards Program. This is basically a monthly order that is automatically placed each month, which earns you points, which you can then redeem later for products. Each month, I change my order to what I want for the upcoming month. **This is important–if you don’t change it, you will automatically receive the same products from your order the month before.

There are some products you might want to get on a monthly basis, like the A2Z vitamins for children or the On Guard Natural Whitening Toothpaste, or you might just use it buy a few new oils each month until you have all you need.

And it’s that easy! There are some oils I go through quickly, and those ones I order more frequently. They are also the ones I would recommend to anyone first starting out with essential oils:

Lemon—>>read more about how I use lemon here.
Peppermint—>>read more about how I use peppermint here and here.
Lavender—>>read more about how I use lavender here.
Melalueca—>>see over 25 uses for melalueca here.
On Guard—>>see how I use On Guard in a roller bottle for my kids here.
Breathe—>>get my “vapo-rub” recipe here.

*To become a consultant, it’s a yearly fee of $35. As a consultant, not only can you purchase products at 25% off retail price, but you are also able to participate in the Loyalty Rewards Program and sell to others (which earns you a small commission as well).

The other option, if you’re not wanting to become a consultant but still want to get your oils at a discount, is the preferred membership. This $10 lifetime membership gives you 20% discount off of all products AND allows you to participate in the Loyalty Rewards Program!

Have questions? I’d love to answer them. Just leave a comment on this post or email me.

Ready to build your essential oil collection? Use the button below to sign up:

Once on the doTERRA site, just look at the bottom of the page under Quick Links and select the Sign up/Join link and follow the prompts from there. I can also help you with signing up, just contact me.

BundleoftheWeek.com, 5 eBooks for $7.40!

Filed Under: Essential Oils Tagged With: Essential Oils

Stocking Your Natural First Aid Kit for Summer

May 10, 2013 by Krissa 7 Comments

For Prevention:

Of course, it’s best to take precautions to avoid having to use any first aid remedies in the first place.

To prevent sunburn:

We know that the sun provides us with the valuable Vitamin D that we need and that many of us are lacking. However, it’s important to pay attention to the amount of time spent in the sun and to use a safe sunscreen or cover your skin if you’re going to be in the sun for an extended period of time. Make sure to educate yourself fully on the importance of Vitamin D, sun exposure, and safe sunscreens before summer begins. Here are some articles I’ve found helpful:

To prevent insect bites:

There are many essential oils that effectively repel insects, and are much safer to use than store bought insect repellent containing DEET. You can make your own insect repellent by combining several of these essential oils in a glass spray bottle with a base. You can use either a carrier oil such as grapeseed oil or olive oil or make a water based version using distilled water and witch hazel.

Insect Repelling Essential Oils include: basil, citronella, lemongrass, lavender, patchouli, peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary and thyme.

Directions: Choose your essential oils and combine them in an 4-8 oz. glass spray bottle with either a carrier oil or distilled water. If using distilled water, add an oz. of witch hazel to help the oils blend with the water. Shake, and spray skin before heading outdoors.

For Treatment:

For those times when you do end up getting a bite or spending a little too much time in the sun, and for those inevitable cuts and scrapes, it’s nice to have some easy, safe, home remedies ready to go to provide relief and healing.

For insect bites/stings:

Lavender essential oil is great for providing relief from itching and also contains antiseptic properties. You can apply it neat (without diluting) directly to the bite.

Oat bath: If you’re covered in bites an oat bath can provide some relief and soothing. Simply grind up a cup of oats in a blender and add it to a warm bath. Soak for 20 minutes.

For sunburn:

Both aloe vera (make sure it’s 100% aloe vera, not the green gunk you find at the drug store) and lavender essential oil are great for healing burns and providing relief. I combine the two to make a healing lavender aloe vera sunburn relief spray to soothe sunburned skin:

Directions: Fill a 4-8 oz. glass spray bottle with juice or if using gel, fill the bottle 1/2 way with distilled water and 1/2 way with gel, and add in 20-40 drops of lavender essential oil. Spray on sunburned skin to provide relief, help with healing, and prevent peeling.

If you don’t have aloe vera, you can also just add lavender essential oil to a bottle with distilled water and use that as a spray to relieve sunburned skin.

Another great remedy for sunburn is apple cider vinegar. Although it may not smell great, ACV helps draw the heat out of the burned area. There are a couple ways to apply ACV to a burn:

Add 1-2 TBSP to a cup of cool water. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to help with the smell (and because it’s great for burns!) Soak a washcloth in the mixture, wring it out and wrap it around the sunburned area. You will feel the washcloth heat up as it absorbs the heat from the burn. Repeat as needed.
Run a cool bath and add 2 cups of apple cider vinegar and several drops of lavender essential oil. Soak for up to 30 minutes.

I like to start with an apple cider vinegar treatment and then apply the lavender aloe vera spray.

For cuts and scrapes:

Raw Honey: This is an easy one that most people already have in their kitchen cabinet. Raw honey has antibacterial properties and provides pain relief while healing, making it perfect for cuts and scrapes and even bee stings. It also helps make removing bandages less painful.

Lavender Essential Oil: Again, lavender essential oil can be applied directly to the cut or scrape to help heal and soothe.

Melaleuca (tea tree) Essential Oil: Melaleuca essential oil is antibacterial and has been used for centuries to heal cuts, wounds and skin infections. It can be applied neat (without diluting) directly to the cut or scrape.

Multi-taskers:

Along with lavender essential oil, these are a couple of remedies to keep on hand for healing all kinds of things: burns, cuts, scrapes, bites, and stings!

Calendula Salve: Calendula is known for it’s skin-healing properties, it’s perfect for sensitive skin, and a great one to use on children. It’s super easy to mix up a jar of calendula salve to have on hand year-round. Use it to help heal:

~cuts and scrapes
~bee stings/insect bites
~minor burns
~dry, chapped skin or lips
~rashes

Redmond clay: Redmond clay is a bentonite clay that is useful for a variety of things and great to have on hand. It’s helpful for healing cuts and scrapes as well as for bee stings/insect bites, and for minor burns and sunburns. I like to keep the dry clay on hand and then just add a little water and apply to the skin. The clay draws out dirt and infection, reduces pain, and cleanses, which provides for faster healing. Redmond Trading also sells First Aid clay, which is already hydrated clay, so it’s ready to go when you need it.

You can find these ingredients at your local health food store or online at Mountain Rose Herbs. Not only are most of these ingredients helpful during the summertime, but they also have many additional uses year round and are great additions to building a natural home medicine cabinet.

What essentials are in your summer first aid kit?

**This post contains affiliate links which means if you make a purchase through one of my links, I’ll receive a small commission. Thanks for supporting More Than Mundane!

2 Simple Homemade Gifts to Pamper Mom this Mother’s Day

May 8, 2013 by Krissa 1 Comment

{Photo credit: Melissa Camara Wilkens}

With Mother’s Day just a few days away, I have two super quick and simple homemade gifts you can make your mom, so she can feel pampered morning and night. For the morning, an energizing grapefruit & mint sugar scrub. And for the evening, a relaxing lavender chamomile linen spray.

These both take literally minutes to make so once you have your ingredients, you can mix these up and have a homemade gift ready to go in no time!

And…as an added bonus, I’ve teamed up with a good blogging friend, Melissa, who has designed you some beautiful labels to use and has put together a gift wrap how-to over on her blog, so be sure to head on over there to get your free printable and gift wrap how-to.

{Photo credit: Melissa Camara Wilkens}

Here’s what you’ll need to make the sugar scrub and linen spray:

1 jar
1 glass spray bottle
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil
distilled water
grapefruit essential oil
peppermint essential oil
lavender essential oil
chamomile essential oil

Energizing Grapefruit & Mint Sugar Scrub

Grapefruit essential oil is balancing and uplifting and great for skin. Peppermint essential oil is purifying and invigorating. This grapefruit & mint sugar scrub is the perfect way to get your day off to a great start.

Directions:

In a small bowl add 1 cup sugar.

Gradually add 1/2 cup melted coconut oil (can also use sweet almond oil) until you reach your desired consistency.

Mix together until well blended.

Add 20 drops grapefruit essential oil.

Add 10 drops peppermint essential oil.

Mix well and scoop into jar.

To use: Scrub lightly on skin in shower and rinse off. This scrub will exfoliate and moisturize, leaving your skin soft and smooth.

Relaxing Lavender & Chamomile Linen Spray

Lavender essential oil is well known for its calming and relaxing properties. Chamomile is used to combat anxiety, insomnia and stress. This relaxing lavender & chamomile linen spray is the ideal way to calm the mind and promote rest at the end of the day.

Directions:

Fill a small 4 oz. glass spray bottle with distilled water.

Add 30 drops lavender essential oil.

Add 10 drops chamomile essential oil.

Shake and spray on pillow and linens before bed.

*If you are using a smaller or larger spray bottle, just adjust the amount of drops accordingly.

Additional uses:

Use as a room spray to freshen the air.
Spray on towels before showering.

Treat your mom this Mother’s Day, or make these for a friend, or yourself! And don’t forget to visit Melissa’s beautiful blog for free gift tag printables. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Essential Oils Tagged With: DIY, Essential Oils, lavender

Two-Ingredient Moisurizing Body Spray and Two Simple Steps to Get Summer Ready Skin

April 30, 2013 by Krissa 1 Comment

I have to confess that I tend to neglect my skin during the Winter months when it’s always covered up. Now that Summer is getting closer and the weather is warming up, I’m needing to get my dry Winter skin ready. These are my two easy steps to getting smooth, Summer-ready skin.

1. Exfoliate

I love making my own sugar body scrubs, and they are perfect for exfoliating and moisturizing. The sugar in the scrubs helps remove dry, dead skin cells and the oil helps smooth and moisturize.

My friend Stacy from A Delightful Home has an amazing eBook Simple Scrubs to Make and Give that’s filled with easy to make scrub recipes. One of my favorites is her Lavender Vanilla Sugar Scrub. I like to use a scrub 2-3 times a week to exfoliate and get my skin soft.

Note: Simple Scrubs to Make and Give is one of the 97 eBooks in the Ultimate Homemaking eBook Bundle available through May 4th!

2. Moisturize

On the days I don’t use a sugar body scrub to exfoliate and moisturize, I use this moisturizing body spray right after I get out of the shower. It’s easy to spray on, rub in, and go and doesn’t leave a greasy residue behind.

With only two ingredients, it couldn’t be quicker to make and it’s gotten my skin Summer ready in just a few days.

Instructions:

Fill a glass bottle with a spray top (I used 4 oz. size) 3/4 of the way with fractionated coconut oil, and then add 8-10 drops grapefruit essential oil (or essential oil of your choice).

About the Ingredients

Fractionated Coconut Oil:

Fractionated Coconut Oil is my carrier oil of choice for body oils because it has a long shelf life (2 years) and rubs into the skin more easily than other carrier oils, without leaving skin greasy. You could also use grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, or jojoba oil–all are lightweight and suitable for all skin types.

Grapefruit Essential Oil:

Grapefruit Essential Oil is great for the skin, and I love the scent! It’s a lymphatic stimulant, helpful for cellulite reduction and removing toxins from the body. Lemon, lime, and orange essential oil also have similar properties and could be used as well. Although when using lemon, lime, or orange avoid direct sunlight for 12 hrs. after application to avoid skin irritation.

I purchase my fractionated coconut oil and essential oils from doTERRA. I’ll be sharing here soon about how you can get doTERRA products for 20-25% off, or if you can’t wait, contact me for more information!

Don’t forget! Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Put together a pampering basket for your mom including this body spray and a scrub and some more of her favorites. You can tailor the scent to whatever your mom’s favorite is: try grapefruit + peppermint for an invigorating and refreshing blend. Or lavender for a relaxing, stress relieving scent.

More resources:

**This post contains affiliate links which means if you make a purchase through one of my links, I’ll receive a small commission. Thanks for supporting More Than Mundane!

Shared at Frugally Sustainable.

Filed Under: Essential Oils Tagged With: DIY, Essential Oils

Essential Oils Instead of Surgery

April 26, 2013 by Krissa 1 Comment

read more about positively real media here

Welcome back to the Raising Healthy Families series! Join us each week as we take a look at different ways to keep your family healthy and vibrant in a not-so-healthy world.

Today’s post is brought to you by Jennifer Lambert of Royal Little Lambs:

Learn about how I massaged my daughter out of a major leg surgery using essential oils and the power of prayer. After visiting several doctors, specialists, and physical therapists, we turned to natural methods – prayer, essential oils, massage, and yoga to heal my daughter’s legs and feet. Read our story at Royal Little Lambs.

Note: This series is designed as a fun and informative compilation to help you and your family thrive. Each post is the opinion of that particular blogger, not necessarily mine or Positively Real Media’s.

Filed Under: Essential Oils Tagged With: Essential Oils, Home Remedies

All about Lavender Essential Oil

March 27, 2013 by Krissa Leave a Comment

Lavender is one of my most frequently used essential oils. This week I’m over at Your Thriving Family sharing all about lavender and some of the many uses for it. Stop by and share your favorite use for lavender.

Filed Under: Essential Oils Tagged With: Essential Oils

Are All Essential Oils Created Equal? + The Essential Oils Handbook {Giveaway}

March 5, 2013 by Krissa 14 Comments

This is a guest post from Lea of Nourishing Treasures. You know I love my essential oils! Well, Lea’s currently working on an exciting project and giving away The Essential Oils Handbook. Read more about it and enter the giveaway below:

A month ago in my Essential Oils 101 post I told you I wanted to test the quality of essential oils companies to see if we really need to fork over lots of cash – or if the less-expensive brand at the health food store would do the trick. I will be sending the same oil, frankincense, from 5 different essential oil companies (Young Living, doTERRA, Mountain Rose Herbs, Aura Cacia, and Essential Vitality) to a chemist and have him run them through his GC/MS, reporting back to me the constituents in the oils. I will be sending them to him un-marked brand-wise (they will be marked #1 – #5) so he won’t even know which brands are which. We will discover if they are all basically the same, or if you really do get what you pay for.

In that same post I asked for your support in raising $1,000 to cover the $200 that the chemist charges per sample, and I have been overwhelmed by your generosity! Thank you so much to all who have sent donations! If you would like to donate, you may send PayPal funds (Personal, Gift, please, so no fees are removed) to nourishingtreasures@gmail.com. All donors are listed here and I will include your website if you add it to the “notes” section when you send your donation. A $25+ donation will get your website listed on the top of this page, and $40+ will get you bolded as well. Thank you so much!

This is the giveaway I promised the members of the Learning About Essential Oils Facebook group I would do when we reached the halfway point – a point we passed on Friday. Today all of you will have a chance to win The Essential Oils Handbook. I recently purchased this book, and it’s one of my favorites.

This giveaway is co-hosted by the following:

Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter the giveaway…

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Filed Under: Essential Oils Tagged With: Essential Oils, Giveaway

On Guard Against Cold and Flu

November 12, 2012 by Krissa 4 Comments

One of my favorite essential oil blends from doTERRA is their On Guard protective blend. It contains wild orange, clove bud, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus radiata, and rosemary and is formulated to support a healthy immune system.

During cold and flu season I use On Guard on a regular basis in a variety of ways to help boost our immune systems and protect against flu, colds, and viruses.

5 Simple Ways to Use On Guard to Combat Cold and Flu

Make Antibacterial Hand Soap

We know hand washing is an important step in minimizing the spread of germs. You can use On Guard essential oil to make your own antibacterial hand soap. I reuse foaming soap dispensers and make a foaming hand soap. Here’s how to do it:

Fill your foaming soap dispenser almost to the top with water.
Add 1-2 Tbsp. liquid castile soap
Add 10-15 drops On Guard essential oil

Apply On Guard Topically

To keep immunity up during cold and flu season, I apply On Guard to my kids feet each night before bed. It’s easy and has become a part of our nightly routine. If anyone’s getting sick I apply it more frequently throughout the day.

I dilute with a ratio of 3 drops On Guard to 1 tsp. carrier oil (fractionated coconut oil or olive oil) and store in a roll-on bottle so it’s ready to apply whenever I need it. For a sore throat, apply this diluted blend directly on your throat.

*You can find these roll-on bottles at Aroma Tools.

Room Spray

Making a room spray is a simple way to enjoy the aromatic benefits of essential oils. Fill a small glass spray bottle about 3/4 full with distilled water. Add 15-20 drops On Guard. Use when you need to freshen things up (i.e. after a diaper change,) or just when you want to enjoy a nice smelling home. **One thing I love about On Guard is that the smell reminds me of the holidays, so it’s perfect during the Fall and Winter.

Make a Disinfecting Cleaner

If you make your own all purpose cleaner using vinegar and water (mix vinegar and water together in a spray bottle using a 1:1 ratio), simply add in 10-15 drops of On Guard to give it some extra anti-bacterial cleaning power. This will also help if you’re not a huge fan of the smell of vinegar.

Sometimes I just add a couple drops of On Guard to my sponge to wipe down the counter if I’m just doing a quick counter top wipe-down.

Take Internally When Sick

Photo by boo_licious

When I do come down with something or know I’m starting to get sick, I will take On Guard internally to help speed my recovery time. I either add a drop or two to some hot tea or I add a few drops to a capsule and swallow it. **I have not tried giving my kids essential oils internally.

Please note: On Guard is a blend formulated by doTERRA, which is CPTG (Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade) and is safe to take internally. I would not recommend using other essential oils internally unless you have researched them thoroughly.

doTERRA also offers several other On Guard products including Cleaner Concentrate, Whitening Toothpaste, and Foaming Hand Soap (if you don’t want to make your own).

For more ideas on how to use essential oils, check out my Essential Oils Board on Pinterest.

Shared at Your Green Resource and Simply Natural Saturdays.

Filed Under: Essential Oils Tagged With: Essential Oils, Home Remedies

Top 10 Uses for Lavender Essential Oil

March 22, 2012 by Krissa 5 Comments

Along with lemon essential oil, lavender essential oil is one of my favorite and most used essential oils. Lavender is known for its calming and relaxing properties, but it is also useful for a variety of things. Here are my top 10 favorite uses for lavender:

1. Lavender Vanilla Sugar Scrub. This scrub is so easy to make and is quickly becoming my favorite scrub. The word that comes to mind when I use it is luxurious.

2. Lavender Linen/Room Spray. I keep a bottle of this by my bed to mist my sheets and pillows at night. It is so easy to make. Just fill a small glass spray bottle (I use ones that are 2 oz.) with distilled water and add your lavender essential oil. I use about 30 drops in my 2 oz. bottles, but you can start with less and adjust. **Tip: This same mixture can be sprayed on skin to relieve sunburn.

3. Homemade Deodorant. This recipe uses both lavender and tea tree essential oils.

4. Air Freshener. Fill a jar about 1/2 full of baking soda along with 10-15 drops of lavender essential oil. Using a hammer and nail, poke holes in the lid and place somewhere your air needs freshening. I keep mine in the bathroom and add dried lavender buds as well.

5. Mattress Cleaner. Add several drops of lavender essential oil to a cup of baking soda and sprinkle over mattress. Leave for an hour and then vacuum up.

6. Insect/Bug Bites and Bee Stings. Add 2-3 drops lavender essential oil to 1 TBSP carrier oil and apply to insect/bug bite to relieve itching.

7. Aromatherapy Dough. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to your homemade playdough. This will not only make the playdough smell great, but can also provide the kids with a calming dose of aromatherapy making it a perfect activity before nap time!

8. Lavender Salve. This is perfect for dry patches of skin and dry hands. Or rub it on the soles of your feet at bedtime and cover with socks to moisturize and promote restful sleep.

9. Lavender Massage Oil. Add 10-15 drops of lavender essential oil to 4 oz. of carrier oil (such as almond oil) and enjoy a stress reducing massage. You can also add 3-5 drops of lavender essential oil to a hot bath after a stressful day.

10. Soothing Lavender Foot Scrub. This scrub is perfect for tired feet. It exfoliates, moisturizes, relaxes and calms.

For more ideas on how to use essential oils, check out my Essential Oils Board on Pinterest.

Do you have a favorite use for lavender essential oil? Please share!

Shared at Your Green Resource and Nature’s Nurture.

Filed Under: Essential Oils Tagged With: Essential Oils