Lavender & Honey Body Cream

I just made a new batch of Lavender & Honey Body Cream. Love it!!! The cream came out smooth and leaves your skin moisturized and silky soft with no oily residue.

Here are the ingredients:

Fats
5 g Hempseed Oil
20 g Apricot Oil
16 g Almond Oil
14 g Borage Seed Oil
3 g Vitamin E

Liquids
25 ml Lavender Florasol
95 ml Water

Thickeners/Emulsifiers
12 g Emulsifying Wax
3 g Beeswax
1/8 tsp Stearic Acid
1/8 tsp Xanthan Gum
1/2 tsp Borax

In a water bath, I heated the fats and the liquids in separate pyrex containers until the waxes were melted. The borax was added to the liquids. After the waxes were melted, I mixed (with a hand mixer) in the Xanthan Gum until it dissolved. Then, I poured the liquids slowly into the fats while mixing both together on slow speed with the hand mixer. I continued to mix for approximately 8 minutes. Last, I mixed in the essential oils and filled the cream into sterilized jars and containers.

Read more...

Spring Cleaning with Essential Oils

Now that the weather is finally improving, it is time for some serious spring cleaning. For the first time, I used THIEVES YLEO cleaner and was not expecting much from a natural cleaner but I thought to give it a shot. I mean, I do want to contribute to greener living so why not use essential oils as cleaning agents. So I went to my oven which had the oldest and toughest stain - spilled tomato sauce that somebody left burning into the oven. Ouch... I already saw myself spending an hour scrubbing on this stain. I poured a little of the THIEVES YLEO cleaner over the stain, waited and then though, maybe I should put some water on it to let it sink in for a while. So I used a wet sponge to distribute the stain but to my surprise, the stain came right off. Clean without scrubbing or extra fuss for an hour or so. I couldn't believe it. I thought maybe the stain wasn't so tough afterall. Then I went to clean the entire oven, oily residue came off in a second. WOW. I am cleaning my entire kitchen with THIEVES, my bathroom and my wooden floors too. Not only does the dirt come off gently and easily, but the apartment smells lovely.

Here is some info about THIEVES Antiseptic Household Cleaner:

it is nontoxic and biodegradable. This cleansing solution uses therapeutic-grade essential oils as emulsifiers and germ-killers, killing over 99.96% of bacteria.

Ingredients:

Soy Lecithin as a natural emulsifier; Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Radiata, and Rosemary Essential Oils

With THIEVES Antiseptic Household Cleaner you can clean just about anything. Floors, Glass, Tiles, Upholstery, Walls, Pots and Pans, your hands...

Read more...

Peppermint Essential Oil

Peppermint Essential Oil (EO) is a true multi-tasker! Its many uses are stimulating and to help you study for an exam, for headaches, tension, tired muscles, back problems, arthritis, respiratory infections, digestive problems, travel sickness, morning sickness, just to mention a few.

I love to add it to my base cream and use it for tired feet. I gave it to my marathon-running friends to soothe their over-exhausted legs and muscles. It is stimulating after standing up on your feet all day long. The cream feels invigorating to your feet and since the soles of your feet are gateways to your entire body, guess what?! Your entire body benefits from your foot cream!

❀ If you need to stay awake to study for an exam or if you have trouble breathing due to a cold, put 2-3 drops of Peppermint EO into a diffuser.

❀ Suffer from bad breath? No problem. Place 1 drop of Peppermint Oil on a piece of bread and eat it. You can also use sugar or sometimes I drop it onto an apple slice.

❀ Like flavored coffee? 1 drop of Peppermint EO will give you a nice minty flavor.

❀ Massage 1 drop of Peppermint EO onto your temples and/or the back of your neck to relief headaches. NOTE: the EO will give you a burning yet cooling feeling. Stay away from sensitive areas such as your eyes.

❀ For nausea, rub several drops of Peppermint EO onto your abdomen.

❀ Peppermint EO can also bring down a fever or relieve hot flashes. Massage a few drops into the soles of your feet.

❀ Inhaling Peppermint EO can also curb your appetite. So if you want to loose weight or if you have a craving for sweet, inhale some Peppermint EO.

The uses are endless and there is a great site that lists even more... read testimonials of Peppermint EOs

Read more...

Stomach Bug

You may be wondering why BodyCream4u is posting about issues such as a stomach bug or essential oils. Well, essential oils are an essential part of cream making. However, not only will essential oils enhance your creams, lotions, or scrubs, but they also enhance your overall well-being. They are even supportive in fighting the flu, colds, or stomach bugs.

For that matter, it seems that there is a stomach bug going around; at least here in the NY area. If you are unfortunate enough and caught this nasty bug, keep yourself warm and drink lots of fluids to keep your body well hydrated. Drinks such as Gatorade are great and if possible, try to avoid carbonated drinks as these will dehydrate your body even more. In any case, consult a physician or if need be, go to your nearest emergency room.

Essential Oils can support you through this time:
❀ Lavender Essential Oil is soothing and calming.
❀ Ginger is a wonderful aid for many ailments. Its anti-inflammatory properties make it such a powerful tool to fight infections. Use either fresh ginger and boil it in tea or use essential oils to rub into your stomach / belly area.
❀ Clove has long been a staple herb in herbal medicine. Its uses are known to fight cholera, intestinal parasites and infections. It helps promote digestion and fosters metabolism. It is also good for muscular cramps, something that is often accompanied when fighting against a stomach bug. Rub the essential oil into your feet as the soles of your feet are the gateways to your internal organs.
❀ Lemon is another wonderful oil to fight infections. Put one or two drops in your drinking water. Lemon has antiseptic properties.
❀ Fennel is good for digestive problems and gas. It is antiseptic and antispasmodic (relieves cramps).
❀ Oregano has been a staple in many kitchens to spice up savory dishes. But did you know that it is also great for digestive problems? Rub 1 or 2 drops into the soles of your feet.
❀ Di-Gize is an oil blend from Young Living. It is good to relieve digestive problems and its ingredients are a combination of powerful essential oils such as Tarragon, Ginger, Peppermint, Juniper, Fennel, Lemongrass, Anise, and Patchouli. It helps very well if 2-3 drops are rubbed around your belly area or into your feet.

Be well!

Read more...

Get through Tax Crunch Time

I realized, I haven't blogged in a while. Time has been flying by too fast and now it's tax crunch time. For that reason, today's blog is in the color "green" as it represents nature, life, new beginnings, and renewal. Green has calming attributes. Incorporate green into your life or at least visualize the color "green" (or just fresh grass, palm trees or whatever you wish that is green). Breathe in slowly, hold your breath for a moment and then breathe out. Repeat at least 3 times to get a better effect.

If you have done your taxes already - congratulations!!!

If you are like me, you do them in the last possible moment. Procrastination! Maybe you could use some "Grounding" Essential Oils to get your gears going. Making decisions instead of postponing them. This essential oil is wonderful as it serves as an "anchor" in our busy and hectic lives and especially when we do not want to deal with reality. The scent of White Fir, spruce, Ylang Ylang, pine, cedarwood, angelica, and Juniper give a great boost to our idle minds.

"Peace & Calming" can help you to get through crunch time when you want to pull your hair because you are looking for all your statements and receipts. This essential oil takes the stress off and you get a sense of relaxation in the midst of chaos. It is wonderful!!! It signals your nervous system to take a step back and calm down a notch or two. The citrus smells of tangerine and orange are deeply soothing, patchouli gives you a sense of security (yes, you can do it!), and idaho tansy and ylang ylang give this blend the right note.

So, good luck and get these papers filled out!

Read more...