Supporting your skin with sea-buckthorn oil

I put orange oil on my face every night. It looks like a bad spray tan while I wait for it to sink in and can stain light colored fabrics, but I do it anyway. Why? Because sea-buckthorn oil is AMAZING for your skin!

Even Barbie uses it apparently.

When shopping for face oils, I kept coming across this weird sounding one and it had two varieties – seed and fruit. I read that sea-buckthorn fruit oil contained more omega 7’s, in addition to Omega’s 3, 6, and 9, than the seed oil. It also contains vitamins A, C, and E, in addition to enzymes that prevent damage from free radicals! So I purchased that one, neglecting to skim the warnings about how orange this stuff is!

Why is it so orange? Sea-buckthorn fruit oil, (aka berry oil) contains beta-carotene! The same reason that carrots and carrot juice are so orange. Don’t worry though, while it can stain fabrics, it shouldn’t stain your skin! Though I do not recommend applying undiluted in the morning…just in case 😉

The beauty industry hasn’t forgotten about this amazing oil, and big name retailers sell watered down sea-buckthorn oil that also contains artificial added fragrances…ew. You can make your own with oils that you find work best for YOUR unique skin! I use argan oil, borage seed, and sea-buckthorn oil, along with skin nourishing frankincense and ylang-ylang essential oils! Follow the recipe below to make your own, or come up with your own concoction! I recommend keeping the sea-buckthorn oil at 10% though!

You’ll Need:

• a dropper bottle
• a kitchen scale
• pipettes
• sea-buckthorn berry oil
• other oils of your choice (argan and borage used here!)
• and essential oils

The Blend (for a 15 ml bottle)

In order to get the proper blend, add the essential oils first, then swirl your container. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Also, these are not fluid ounces to be measured with a measuring utensil. I highly recommend getting a kitchen scale for DIY beauty recipes!

• 10% sea-buckthorn berry oil (0.05 oz)
• 5% essential oil blend (0.025 oz)
• 45% borage seed oil (0.225 oz)
• 40% argan oil (0.2 oz)

For tiny measurements like these, the pipettes come in super handy for adding just the right amount! Other great oils for this blend would be sunflower seed or grapeseed! When purchasing oils, I always ALWAYS look for an “ingredients” list. If an argan oil, for example, has anything other than argan oil listed as an ingredient, its a diluted blend. Companies use Tocopheryl Acetate (aka vitamin E oil) in oils to prolong shelf life and prevent the oils from going rancid before you can use them, so I’m usually okay with that, but watch out for other ingredients and added fragrances!

Would you try this orange face oil?

If you want to learn more about how you can join Young Living, or the benefits of essential oils in natural health and wellness, please contact me!

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I have a confession

I am insecure. I totally believe that each and every one of us is beautiful but yet I am still wrangling with my own flaws.

I was born with a genetic condition that required me to have intense, reconstructive surgery on my face. I’m so thankful for my amazing parents and surgeons. But I still feel ugly a lot of the time. I was also born with the right half of my face paralyzed. I regained about 80% function but that asymmetry I see staring back at me in the mirror makes me feel ugly.

Left text: diminished nerve function resulting in facial weakness seen here in the mouth and the eye. Right text: normal functioning facial nerve

My parents, friends, and wonderful husband encourage and love me into wholeness yet I still feel the desire to “fix” everything about myself that I can to try and feel beautiful.

So I apply glaucoma medication to my lashline every night. It’s a generic form of the drug Latisse that makes lashes grow longer and fuller and I’m not even going to lie… it helps me feel a little better about myself. Like, maybe if they’re mesmerized by my lashes they won’t notice that half of my face moves awkwardly and that I kind of blink like a chameleon.

In my pursuit of a natural lifestyle I’m having a really hard time giving up this one thing. What do you do? Just keep doing it and call it “balance” or stop at the detriment of my self image?

Here, I’m going to share a recipe for lash/brow serum that I used prior to this lash serum addiction. I do believe it works, just not the way that my beloved Latisse does. However, it’s also free of chemicals so…there’s that.

You can buy tubes for lash serum on Amazon or you can keep it in a little jar or bottle and apply with an eyeliner brush along your lashline, as if you were applying liquid liner. Either way, here’s the good stuff!

Eyelash/Eyebrow Serum

• Castor oil: .25 oz
• Lavender EO: 1 drop (optional)
• Cedarwood EO: 1 drop (optional)

If using the mascara tube add the drops of EO and shake to combine. Then fill the rest of the way with castor oil, screw on lid, and roll between palms to mix.

If using a bottle or jar, follow the same as above, just whip out your handy dandy liner brush to apply!

Apply nightly just before bedtime!

Why does this combo benefit your lashes and brows? Castor oil contains vitamin E, protein, minerals, and fatty acids that can benefit growth and thickening of hair, in addition to being antibacterial! Lavender essential oil is antiseptic and antifungal. Cedarwood enhances circulation to the follicle, supporting healthy hair!

Let me know if you decide to give this recipe a try and comment below your number one holdout product that you can’t seem to let go of.

Incredibly Easy Beard Oil Recipe PLUS an Exciting Offer

My husband can grow a beard. He can grow a beard FAST. I think he could probably win the world record for the fastest growing beard. That thing is so full and lush and manly. What could make it any better?

How about a homemade beard oil? Beard oils can range from affordable to expensive and every man is looking for something different in his beard oil. Making it yourself is a great way to save money and customize the oil to his liking. Not only that but this makes a great gift for any occasion. Ready to learn how? Read on to find out!

You will need:

• Amber dropper bottles (these work out to less than $1 per bottle! Great for gift making!)
• Carrier oil of your choosing (keep it simple with straight jojoba oil which mimics the natural oils produced by our bodies or mix it up with some sunflower oil or grapeseed oil)
• Essential Oils
• Labels

(Some of the above links to Amazon Products that you can purchase for this DIY – these are affiliate links that support With Love, From Nature to provide you with blog content! If you do not feel comfortable purchasing from affiliate links, that’s totally fine!)

featuring my mom’s beautiful little seedlings

The recipe (for a 2 oz bottle):

• add 10 drops of each essential oil to the bottle and swirl to combine
  • if using just one essential oil use 20-30 drops
  • try Young Living Sacred Mountain for a great pre-mixed scent
  • for an early morning energizing oil, mix 5 drops peppermint, 15 drops spruce, and 10 drops cedarwood
  • for a relaxing night time oil, mix 15 drops lavender and 15 drops cedarwood
  • why cedarwood? It stimulates hair follicles by increasing circulation to the skin, thus supporting hair growth and retention.
• Add 1 oz jojoba oil
• Add 1/2 oz sunflower seed oil
• Add 1/2 oz grapeseed oil
• Place lid on bottle and shake to combine
• Label for ease of identification
• Store in a cool dark place to prolong shelf life!

What about that exciting offer I mentioned? This month, from October 7-31, Young Living is offering first time essential reward subscribers who place an essential rewards order over 100 PV 3 (THREE!!!) oils, a 5 ml bottle of Thieves, a 5 ml bottle of Lemon, and a 5 ml bottle of DiGize. These oils are all included in the Premium Starter Kit and they are some of the most versatile oils that I have come across – especially Thieves!

To add to that already amazing incentive, this month Young Living also added a new tier to their monthly promotional offer. Previously the tiers were: 190 PV, 250 PV, and 300 PV, each with increasing rewards that change monthly. NOW you can be a part of the monthly promo by placing a 100 PV order!

Dustin is my husband’s name and that is what’s on our account in case you were wondering why my graphic says Dustin 🙂

This means that if you are subscribing to essential rewards for the first time AND your essential rewards order is over 100 PV you are going to get 5ml Thieves, 5ml Lemon, 5ml DiGize AND 5ml Vitality just for placing an order this month. PLUS with essential rewards you earn a percentage of your order back each month to put towards future purchases! For example, in your first three months the percent that you earn is 10% – placing a 100 PV order will get you 10 PV back to spend in the future!

What does a 100 PV order look like? Don’t worry – I’ve got some sample orders for the family, for the gals, and for the guys that I laid out to make this super simple! Feel free to change these up – these are just examples!

Couple’s ER order

• 15 ml bottle of Thieves essential oil – 33.75 PV
• 2 750 ml bottle of Ningxia Red – 71 PV
  • Total PV: 104.75 PV
  • 10.47 PV back!

 

For the Ladies

• 15 ml bottle of Joy essential oil – 41.75 PV
• Progessence Plus Serum – 37.50 PV
• Thieves Household Cleaner (14.4 oz) – 22 PV
  • Total PV: 101.25 PV
  • 10.12 PV back!

Now the Fellas

• OrthoSport Massage Oil – 34.75 PV
• 15 ml bottle of Sacred Mountain Essential Oil (for your beard oil 😉 ) – 35.75 PV
• Organic Dried Wolfberries (16 oz) – 19.75 PV
• 3 pack of Thieves Spray – 23.75 PV
  • Total PV: 114 PV
  • 11.4 PV back!

Hopefully you can see how amazing of a value this is! What can you redeem your points for? Just as an example, the next month you could use those points to get a 15 ml bottle of Orange essential oil for nearly nothing out of pocket, with a PV of 10.75!

Click here to join Young Living!

To learn more about Young Living or Essential Rewards, feel free to contact me!

 

 

Dragon Time makes “That Time” easier

If you have a hormonal imbalance or a painful menstrual cycle please read on!

I was a late bloomer. Make no mistake about that. I was 16 years old before I experienced my first menstrual cycle. It was definitely not my favorite thing ever, but they were pretty sporadic so I figured I could deal. Until a few months later when they started happening every month. My mom never really had painful cycles, so I figured I wouldn’t either…except I was wrong. The more regular my cycles became, the more painful they got. On top of that, I was growing BLACK facial hair and suffering through blinding bursts of pelvic pain throughout the month.

I went to the gynecologist, who did not believe that I was actually experiencing all these symptoms and begrudgingly ordered an ultrasound…that came up clear. So she ordered one of those super fun (not) intravaginal ultrasounds….and it was clear too. Then she suggested I have a laparoscopy. I couldn’t…I have had so many surgeries in my life and while I am all for the glory of modern medicine when it is needed, I just wasn’t convinced that it would even reveal anything. And I was scared. So she put me on the pill. The random pelvic pains stopped but during my cycle I was still in serious pain. Ibuprofen and a heating pad didn’t cut it.

Yet, I suffered through this for YEARS with 3 different doctors telling me nothing was wrong and I needed to have the d*mn laparoscopy already. But I wasn’t going for it. I was not convinced that anything was ever going to ease my pain, until my boyfriend bought me an essential oil blend called “Dragon Time.” “Aren’t you kinda offended that he got that for you as part of your Valentine’s Day present?” Not in the least. I thought, it’s not going to work but at least he cares enough to try. So later that month when I started experiencing pain, I decided to try it. It couldn’t hurt me, plus it smelled like licorice which is a comfort smell for me, despite the fact that I hate licorice candy, so I rubbed some on my abdomen.

On I went, about my merry little way, until I realized something…I wasn’t in pain anymore. This is when I actually started believing in natural wellness and the power of essential oils. I still don’t have a diagnosis for my issues but my current doctor thinks it’s either endometriosis or PCOS, both of which I would have to have a laparoscopy to confirm or deny. All I know is that I don’t have the pelvic pain and I only have to shave my face every three days now instead of every single day. Why did this combination of Progessence Plus and Dragon Time work for me when nothing else did? When not even the Tria laser put a dent in my facial hair? I don’t know, honestly. All I know is that after using Progessence Plus daily for the past three weeks and Dragon Time monthly for the last two years, my endocrine system is no longer retaliating against me.

If you are interested in learning more about Young Living products feel free to contact me using this form! If you are ready to join Young Living, click here to get your Premium Starter Kit, which includes ten oils PLUS my favorite, Stress Away!!

What else can you do to help relieve your symptoms?

This site states that excess estrogen throughout the body binds to the fiber in RAW carrots! You should be eating the raw vegetable, as the juice is missing the fiber and cooking vegetables also affects the fiber content. That excess estrogen is then excreted with…your regular excretions!

This site suggests an epsom salt bath (they’re amazing!) for soothing and relaxing your body and muscles. Try making your own epsom salts by adding epsom salts to a mason jar, then adding 10 drops each of whatever combo of the following you like: Dragon Time, Lavender, Clary Sage, and Stress Away (Lavender and Stress Away come in the Premium Starter Kit!!) Plus, do you really need an excuse to take a relaxing bath? Blame me, I’m okay with it!

Getting to know me

I’m 25 years old, in my second year of a two year graduate program, and for the first time in my life, I have stretch marks. I know…how tragic. But really, the morning of my 24th birthday I woke up and noticed two purple-ish lines on the inside of my right thigh. I hurriedly examined my left to discover three more. After waking up my mother with my “emergency” I learned that this is what a mystical entity called “stretch marks” appears as. What. the. heck.

My entire life, I have eaten nothing but chips, cookies, and carbs. I’ve been a picky eater since I was a child and to put it kindly, I was strong willed. My parents, exhausted from fighting with me over my dietary preferences, backed off. Trust me y’all, I know me, I know how I was, I don’t blame them one bit. For the rest of my life up until that fateful day, heretofore known as “strechmarkaggedon,” I ate CRAP EVERY DAY and did not gain any weight. Picture me blissfully skipping along a path towards weight gain, unaware that someday my metabolism would slow down and someday I might weigh more than 105 pounds. *gasp*

Looking back, there were indicators that perhaps I was not choosing the correct fuel for my body…like maybe people my age aren’t supposed to have chronic fatigue… aren’t supposed to be out of breath after jogging (using the term loosely) to the stop sign at the end of the block… aren’t supposed to have debilitating emotional issues. I don’t know, maybe those things should have clued me in but somehow I still didn’t get the memo.

Now I know better. If I am being totally honest, I’ve known better for some time. However, my vanity about my weight and the tragic loss (RIP) of my formerly strech-mark-less body  (stretch marks are actually not the end of the world I’ve learned…and are pretty normal) was the true game changer for me. I know, this is kind of ridiculous. But, I am human and I am lucky that this has changed my perspective.

So now you know, or at least have an idea, about where I am starting from. And don’t worry, I’ve made a little progress. 17 year old me would have literally vomited at the idea of eating grilled asparagus or sweet potatoes or *shudder* carrots. Now I know how I can try to make veggies work for my taste buds so I can work better for my body…or at least I have some kind of general idea of where to start. Maybe. We’ll find out anyway.

So, glad you’re here and I hope we can learn together how to make empowering choices for our health. If you can get past my stretch marks. (Kidding.)