Poison Oak Help

The other weekend was spent cleaning up a friend's water ditch in  Trinity County.  Of course, wading through the brush will always lead to some poison oak.

Poison oak doesn't bother me much, but I still get it.  I actually LOVE itching it, but....well, that's not good for it.  Plain old lemon juice from a lemon is highly effective, and very cheap.  The only downside is that citrus oils in sunlight are harmful to your skin.  So only if staying inside.

So here is a easy recipe for some soothing Poison Oak relief.

2 Tablespoons Distilled Water
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar - overall relief
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt - helps dry
3 drops Lavender - soothes the itch
3 drops Tea Tree - antiseptic

Combine and apply with a cotton ball on affected areas.

Enjoy! But stay out of that poison oak.

Before and after some ditch work

Before

 After

Seed To Seal

Seed To Seal

Click above to read all above Young Living's Seed To Seal Process. 

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Buck's Bees Lip Balm, Recipe and How To

Lip balm is by far my most popular item and, as a bonus, super easy to make.  I make it in tins mostly because I love getting my fingers into things, there's a lot more in the tins, and it looks cool.  You can choose to throw them into chap stick tubes if you want.  They are cheap on Amazon.

Let's get started!  Here is a list with links to items you will need.  This is a large recipe for lots of tins, about 1.5 oz each.  Normal chapstick tubes are .15 oz.  Half this recipe if its too much.  I just like to give away the stuff so I make lots!

• Tin containers, I use the 2 oz 24 Pack of Mighty Gadget (R) Screw Top Round Steel Tin Cans (2 oz)
• Double boiler (can improvise this for sure with a steel bowl) - LI-GELISI 18/8 Stainless Steel Universal Melting Pot, Double Boiler Insert, Double Spouts, Heat-resistant Handle, Flat Bottom, Melted Butter Chocolate Cheese Caramel Homemade Mask =500ML (Silvery)
• 4 TBsp Coconut Oil - This is going into your skin, get the good organic stuff. Carrington Farms Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 54 Ounce
• 4 TBsp Beeswax - Goes a LONG ways. 100% Organic Yellow Beeswax Pellets 1lb (16 oz) Premium Quality, Cosmetic Grade, Triple Filtered Bees Wax Pastilles Great for DIY Lip Balm Recipes Body Creams Lotions Deodorants By Mary Tylor Naturals
• 4 TBsp Shea Butter - I just love Shea butter, penetrates great without leaving a residue if you rub it on all by itself.  Used in LOTS of my recipes! Organic Shea Butter 1 lb (16 Oz) Raw Unrefined Ivory Grade A. Premium Quality Amazing Skin Nourishment, Great For DIY Body Butters Lip Balms Lotions Acne Eczema & Stretch Marks By Mary Tylor Naturals
• 4 TBsp Sweet Almond Oil w/ Vitamin E - Helps make things even softer! Aura Cacia Nurturing Sweet Almond Natural Skin Care Oil, 16-Ounce Bottle
• Essential Oils of choice - My favorite so far has been Thieves/Peppermint but the combinations are endless.  This particular batch I took pictures for was Thieves/Grapefruit
• Measuring devices and anything for personal touch

Once you have everything, put the coconut oil, Shea butter, and beeswax in your double boiler and on the stove.

Slowly boil, whisk once in awhile and gradually your mixture will clear.

Once nice and clear, you are done.  Take it off the stove and now add your Almond Oil w/E and whisk in, it will remain clear.  Also add your Essential Oils at this point, for this recipe about 40-50 total, and the scent increases with age in your balm.

Pour your final mixture into your tins, about 3/4 full.  Keep the lids off and allow to cool completely. 

That's it!! Your done! Screw the lids on and give as gifts after you've stashed enough for yourself.  This makes about 7 tins, or 30+ tubes if you go that route.  If you choose to personalize them, keep on reading and I'll show you what I do with a simple easy wax stamp.

I get my wax and stamp ready.  The stamp is a simple cursive B but I have a cool custom one coming soon so stay tuned!

Melt some wax into a puddle (notice placement in case adding other stuff).  Once you have a large enough puddle of wax, press your stamp into it and allow to set 10 seconds.  I add some olive oil to the stamp to make removal even easier. Then add any other labels and you are done!

Close up

Hope you enjoyed!  Look for more in the future.  Follow me from the right-hand links so you don't miss anything!

Oil Recipes

I've been having great luck with my recipes so far! Super excited and want to replace all of my body care products with DIY ones.  This list is for others who may want to create their own things, and for my records to come back to.

ENJOY!

All oils come from Young Living. All links are to Amazon...

Homemade Shampoo

• 1/4 cup Liquid Castille. I use Dr Bronner's unscented Dr. Bronner's Fair Trade & Organic Castile Liquid Soap - (Baby Unscented, 32 oz)
• 3 Large Tablespoons Aloe Vera Gel Fruit Of The Earth 100% Aloe Vera 24oz Gel Pump (2 Pack)
• 1 tsp Almond Oil w/ vitamin E Aura Cacia Nurturing Sweet Almond Natural Skin Care Oil, 16-Ounce Bottle
• Essential Oils of Choice
• I used: 20 drops Lavender
• 10 drops Lemongrass
• 18 drops Tea Tree
• 8 drops Eucalyptus
• Combine all ingredients in shampoo bottle 2 Pack Refillable 16 Ounce HDPE Squeeze Bottles With BOTH Press Disc Caps And Flip Up Spout Caps-Natural semi-translucent color, shake, and use.  VERY small amount goes a long ways.  I've never had a shampoo that goes so far.  Loving it!

Dry Toothpaste

I have never brushed with a powdered toothpaste but I am sold now!  My mouth and teeth have never felt fresher and cleaner after brushing!  No flouride, no sugar or sweetener, no bad stuff...PERIOD!

You can add more coconut oil and make more of a paste if the powder is too hard for you.

• 1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil;Carrington Farms Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 54 Ounce
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 4 TBsp bentonite clay 2 Pound Wyoclay Bentonite Clay
• 1 TBsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt Trader Joe's Himalayan Pink Salt Crystals with Built in Grinder Natural and Pure Use in Any Dish You Would Use Regular Salt - 4.5oz
• Essential Oils for taste/scent (I used Peppermint and sweet orange)
• Combine coconut oil and baking soda, it will be somewhat lumpy, the more you mix, the less lumpy. Once combined add your essential oils and place in a glass jar.  Wet your tootbrush with water, dip into powder, and brush!

Women's Perfume - in a roller bottle.  Haven't come up with a 'name' for this perfume yet

• 10 drops Grapefruit
• 6 drops Frankincense
• 4 drops Copaiba
• 3 droips Bergomot
• Top with FCO (Fractional Coconut Oil) Molivera Organics Fractionated Coconut Oil 16 oz. Premium Grade A, 100% Pure MCT Coconut Oil for Hair, Skin, Massage and Aromatherapy Carrier Oils - Great for DIY - UV Resistant BPA Free Bottle

Men's After Shave - in small 8oz pump bottle

• 1/2 cup Aloe Vera Gel (see link above)
• 1/2 cup Witch Hazel Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera - 12 oz.(2 pack)
• 2 TBsp jojoba oil NOW Foods Organic Jojoba Oil, 4 ounce
• 1 Tbsp Vitamin E oil (I used the above Almond w/ E oil)
• 10 drops sweet orange oil
• 10 drops Cedarwood
• Combine all ingredients, mix well, into pump bottle.  VERY small amount goes a long ways!

Thieves Spray

Used as a body spray, veggie cleaner, room deodorizer and lots of other uses.  Young Living sells this Thieves Spray but it is super easy and cheaper to make yourself. 

• 2 oz spray bottle
• 20 drops Thieves oil
• 3 oz witch hazel
• top with distilled water
• In spray bottle shake well before spraying
• Amber Spray Bottles 16oz with Reusable Chalk Labels (2 Pack), Heavy Duty Mist and Stream Sprayer
  

All Purpose Hand Balm  - Many more lotions will be coming on this page but this was my first.  Body butters, lotions, balms, they are all so wonderful for your skin, especially dry skin!

• 4 oz container
• 2 oz coconut oil
• 2 oz Shea butter Organic Shea Butter 1 lb (16 Oz) Raw Unrefined Ivory Grade A. Premium Quality Amazing Skin Nourishment, Great For DIY Body Butters Lip Balms Lotions Acne Eczema & Stretch Marks By Mary Tylor Naturals
• 10 drops Lavender
• 10 drops Tea Tree
• 10 drops Lemon
• The oils will change depending on if you are targeting something specific like eczema or dry skin, or spots or something
• in double boiler melt the coconut oil and shea butter, mix well then add your oils. Spoon into container(s)

More to come! I've made a wonderful lip balm, owie spray, and more. Stay tuned!

Other useful items needed:

• Bormioli Rocco Fido Clear Jar, 17.50 Oz. to put my toothpaste in
  
• 100% Organic Yellow Beeswax Pellets 1lb (16 oz) Premium Quality, Cosmetic Grade, Triple Filtered Bees Wax Pastilles Great for DIY Lip Balm Recipes Body Creams Lotions Deodorants By Mary Tylor Naturals - for my lip balm but I'm finding there are lots of recipes using beeswax
  
• 4oz Cobalt Glass Boston Round Pump Bottles (4 Pack) - pump bottles
  
• Destination Oils 4 oz Blue Glass Bottles for Essential Oil, Aromatherapy, Perfume- Pump Spray - Set of 4- Highest Quality- Bonus Dilution Card - spray bottles
  
• Vivaplex, 24, Amber, 10 ml Glass Roll-on Bottles with Stainless Steel Roller Balls. 3 - 3 ml Droppers included - roller bottles
  
• Coolrunner Stainless Steel Mini Funnel for Essential Oil Bottles / Flasks - Pack of 6 will save you from lots of messes
  
• Loving Essential Oils Cobalt Glass Jars with Lids, 2 oz (Set of 12) - Blue - great looking round containers for lotions, balms, and everything in between
  

CIAO Bella!

Breakfast

My Breakfast of Champions

This is pretty much a standard breakfast for me, and provides me healthy vitamins, minerals, and energy for my active lifestyle.  Types of fruits varies depending on the season, but otherwise the basics are there.  All veggies and fruit are organic or grown myself (in season)

All of this gets blended into a smoothie.

• Banana--hate that I can't find bananas as a local thing, but still keep them organic
• Couple cups of fruit, summer this comes locally from farmer's market, winter includes some organic frozen fruits
• Juice--I use Acai and currant juice currently, but any good fruit juice works (avoid any juices with sugar added)
• water enough to keep fluid
• Chia seed, couple tablespoons.  Chia is awesome, absorbs water and releases it back slowly, great for a distance runner
• handful of baby spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, good stuff, with the mother
• Local honey, a good squirt of it
• Udo's oil, 2 tablespoons Check out Udo's Here
• 2 Tbl Schulze's Superfood powder (assures I get my Bs) Superfood Powder link

Variations and additions:

• A peeled cucumber is great in a smoothie
• Fresh citrus juice.  In season I love to hand squeeze a few oranges or lemons into my smoothie
• A good greek yogurt, for high protein and probiotics
• Almond 'milk' in addition to the fruit juice
• My juice base varies considerably....sometimes I use all carrot juice
• A wheatgrass shot before a smoothie is a great start to the day

Use your imagination!!  Now put all that great energy and nutrition to good use and get outside and do something fun!  Walk, run, bike, yak, sup, yoga, hike....anything that gets the body moving!