Are You In Or Out?

There are lots of questions surrounding the use of essential oils.  There have been many books written, seminars given, and classes taught on all the ins and outs, the benefits and the dangers of oils.  I don't want to go into depth right now about what all the oils are for, which are better for what etc.  But I do want to give a couple rules of thumbs that will make it easier when navigating the world of essential oils.  Now we all know rules are meant to be broken, and what I am going to say today is no exception.  There are always going to be oils that bend the rules, people that bend the rules, and situations that bend the rules.  But none the less I hope these will help you as you start out using oils.

The first rule of thumb I have is in answer to the question "In or out" regarding which essential oils can be used internally and which ones should be used only externally.  First, of course make sure you have a high quality oil, one that is not diluted in other oils, has  not been distilled with solvents, or has perfumes or chemicals added to enhance it.  Once you determine your oil is indeed safe, follow this rule of thumb: If I would eat it in real life, I can probably eat the oil.  So, if the oil is from a plant or fruit you would consume the oil is most likely safe to ingest.  A few examples of such oils would be: lemon, lime, tangerine, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, oregano, spearmint, peppermint etc.  Now, like I said there are exceptions, some oils that you wouldn't usually go chomping down on can be very effective when used internally.  But I usually suggest you wait until you have a broader knowledge of oils before you begin branching into those oils.  And a word of caution here, don't just ingest a essential oil because someone else says you can.  Weather it is in a class, a book, or suggested to you face to face, if it is not a plant you would usually think of ingesting, take a step back and do a little research.  With the internet and the availability of multiple opinions that it brings to our finger tips, there is rarely a situation where you can't at least get several points of views on any oil and it's uses.  And of course the internet is not the most reliable source, but if the common opinion is that an oil should not be consumed, probably better to be on the safe side.

The second rule of thumb I have is in answer to the question "straight or diluted?"  Which oils are safe to apply directly to your skin or take straight internally, and which oils must be diluted.  And my rule of thumb is always dilute, unless you are sure.  Better safe than sorry on this one.  Essential oils are extremely concentrated, and even what is absolutely fine on one person could burn another person's skin.  Be very careful about recommending another person use an oil straight just because you did and had no issues with it.
When taking oils internally, diluting is a good rule too, even if it is just a little water or milk.  Oils can burn the sensitive skin inside your mouth, so diluting them, or putting them in a capsule and swallowing them is always the safest.  There are some oils that typically don't have to be diluted, but depending on where you are applying them, could cause an issue.  For example, you might not put tea tree oil straight on your face around your eyes, but you could apply it straight to a cut or scrape on your knee.  In the same way a lot of  oils that usually should be diluted, can be applied straight to the bottom of your feet.  But if in doubt, always dilute.  A few drops of a carrier oil like sweet almond, or olive oil won't hurt a thing and will help insure any sensitive skin has a protective barrier.  As you get more comfortable using oils, and more aware of how your skin and the skin of those in your family responds to oils you may be able to start using many more oils straight on your skin, but take it slow.   Being a red head, you'd think that my skin would be very sensitive, but actually my skin is like a rock most of the time!  I apply oil straight that a lot of people wouldn't dream of using without a carrier oil, but even oils that I use all the time burn my husbands skin, so just be careful.   And some oils may surprise you.  You might think lemon and orange are every day fruits and think you can apply them straight to your skin as much as desired, but they create photosensitivity in your skin, and can cause sunburns if applied before going outside.  And there are many other oils with hidden "side effects" (if you want to call them that)  so, read up on individual oils and study their properties.  Try to read books published by authors writing about the actual properties of the plants and oils, not just what the essential oil companies put out.  Books written by those who have studied and used essential oils for years, and are devoted to ancient cultures and learning the properties of each individual herb and it's corresponding essential oils usually tend to offer a more balanced perspective on the actual properties of the herbs and oils than the information put out by essential oil companies.  Not that the information essential oil companies put out is not helpful, it can be very educational, but sometimes can lean only towards all of the wonderful benefits of the oils, and not also the accompanying dangers and potential hazards of each plant and oil.  Again, essential oils are extremely concentrated, so you need to know the pros and cons of each oils not just all the pros.

Knowing the potential dangers or "side effects" will not make you more afraid of using the oils, but will free you up to use them with confidence!

And YES, in case you are wondering, I will be writing soon about individual oils that I love and use all the time, why I think they are so fabulous, and I'll be giving you recipes for things I've created over the years that I can't imagine living without, such as ear drops that will stop an infant screams from the pain of an ear infection in it's tracks and a butt salve that had mom's swearing by it long before I had my little one.  But I feel like I would be remiss if I didn't lay a bit of foundation work for essential oils first.  Educated users are always the safest and the best!  But the fun stuff is coming soon and all my blog posts won't just bee about the mundane details!
If you've found my blog posts interesting or helpful and are looking forward to what is coming next I always appreciate your comments, or likes and shares on Facebook!

Visit me on Facebook at:  https://www.facebook.com/realessentialoilseducation

Essential Oils: What To Look For

I've had a lot of questions recently about essential oils, prices, which oils I use, what oils I have tried, why I use what I do, and what oils I will be selling and or recommend.
I've been using and studying essential oils for over 15 Years now, and have tried many MANY different brands.  If you look in my cupboard you will see probably close to 100 different oils, different, brands, and strengths that I use, or have tried.  Some I love, and some I would NEVER reccomend to anyone!  Some I use and recommend for skin care, others I use and recommend for internal use, and sometimes those two overlap.  If you are using them for fragrance, aromatherapy etc. one grade or company might be perfect, but if you are ingesting them or using them for their medicinal qualities you might want a different strength, and/or go with organic oils.

In my previous blog, I mentioned that the US has practically NO standards for essential oils.  While companies have made up titles that sound grand, and they may brag their oils are superior because of the titles they have given themselves, these titles can sadly mean little to nothing.
As I mentioned before, looking for honesty in a company is really important to me, and a good place to start.  If a company leaves out information such as how they distill their oils, when they mix them with carrier oils, what region their oils are grown in etc. that can be a real red flag.

Many companies use solvents during the distillation process to speed the extraction time.  After the oils are distilled there are still traces of the solvent left that can be harmful when put on your skin or ingested.  It can also inhibit the good properties you were hoping to achieve by using the oils in the first place.  If a company is unwilling or unable to share with you their EXACT distillation process, or they mask their process by using words like "proprietary" or "patented" be wary.  They should be proud of the process they use and be willing to share it with customers.  Also, sometimes people smell the oils, and because they smell so wonderful they think that means the oil is good.  However, the best smelling oils come from the 3rd distillation.  First distillation oils most often have a bit of a dirty or earth smell along with the wonderful aroma.  This is from the good medicinal qualities that are more present in the first distillation.  Some oils just smell really nice, like peppermint.  But if your peppermint oil smells just like peppermint candy, it is most likely a lower quality oil.  I could go on and on about ways to determine the quality of the oils you have.  Many if not most essential oil companies are contaminating, diluting, and or cutting their oils with chemicals.  Because of the lack of regulation in the US they can get away with murder while still bragging their oils are pure.  That is why it is so important you buy from a company that can be honest about their plants, their method, their claims, etc.

So if you are just starting out with essential oils, I would recommend looking for a company that is upfront and honest.  Even if the oils they sell are on the lower price range, you can be confident you are at least getting a pure oil with no chemical additives or solvents.  What these oils may not have is the highest medicinal value possible.  To really be confident about the exact medicinal value of oils, they need to be grown in ideal conditions, they need to be certain varieties of the mother species, not just any variety, and they need to be tested for key components, every year in EVERY location.  So for the most potent, best oils, you will need to look further.  However, as long as you are getting a pure oil with no additives, you can notice many many benefits to your skin and your overall health.  I have had great success with "NOW" brand essential oils.  They are pure, honest about their distillation process, and when their oils are diluted, give you exact information on every bottle as to what the exact species of Lavender, or any other plant you are getting, and I have used their oils both internally and externally with great success.  They are also offering quite a few organic oils, so you can be assured that those standards in the us are being met.  Are they the BEST oils you can buy?  No.  Do they use the best plants in the best regions?  Probably Not.  But they do offer truly pure oils that have not been distilled with solvents, have not been cut with chemicals, at great prices, their openness and honesty is very reassuring, and they are great starter oils.

However, if you have been using essential oils for a while, or are really interested in the health benefits of essential oils and would like some more assurance of the medicinal values of the oils you are using let me make a suggestion.  Buy your oils from Europe.  I know that sounds crazy, but the lack of standards in the US is really a problem.  Even companies that brag about how superior their oils are have no one looking over their shoulder making sure their oils are actually what they say, or that the standards don't slip over time.  And lets face it, we know most large companies will claim anything to make more money if they know there is no accountability required.  I don't want to be cynical, but the truth is money talks.  If you don't want to mess with ordering oils from the UK, you can order from a company that follows the E.O.B.B.D standards.  (this is the standard used in Europe, and is quite strict) Europe is one of the countries that actually uses essential oils for medicinal purposes rather than the US which only recognizes them for perfume purposes.  So, because they actually use them widely for medicinal use, they actually have standards and testing that is regulated and enforced.   Like I said, I have had great success with other brands from here in the US, but if you are going for purity and medicinal properties I suggest you look for E.O.B.B.D standard.  The only company I am aware of in the US (there may be others this is just the only one I know about) that follows these standards is Be Young Essential Oils.  (not the same company as Young Living)  Their oils are much more expensive but the assurance and quality they offer is wonderful.  And it's not just a claim that they are "better" or "the best".  They give you information.  They tell you about the plant, where it is grown, if it is harvested wild or cultivated what it's active components are, etc.  And not just what the properties of the oil should be, but what actual testing shows.

I am not planning on carrying E.O.B.B.D oils in the store right now because I cater more towards skin care, and the benefits oils can bring to that, and in my experience the oil brands I use still do a fantastic job for skin care and the small health issues most consumers are dealing with, such as toothaches, upset stomach, back pain, digestion problems, and others.  That's not to say that if the demand is there I wouldn't consider carrying some higher end oils.  But for now, I am happy to just refer people to individual companies like Be Young and have you look there if you would like a few top quality oils to have in your medical kits.

But the wonderful world of essential oils is not limited to those with deep pockets that can afford the highest quality oils available.  I think you will find that even the reasonably priced truly pure oils can have huge impacts on your health!  I am very passionate about essential oils, and am so excited that they are growing in their use and popularity here in the US.  They are truly amazing.  I don't know how I would have survived raising a little sister, and now Hudsen without them.  Colic, Ear infections, and so many other things would have been so much more stressful without them.  Stopping a screaming infant with an ear infection would only take a few minutes when I would drop in a few drops of olive oils mixed with clove and lavender.  It numbs it so fast which has saved me from a lot of misery when dealing with ear infections myself.  Even using oils for teething, diaper rashes, boo boos etc. has been a life saver.  I frankly can't imagine life without them.

As I continue writing, I will be posting more information on individual oils, uses, recipes etc.  Using essential oils can seem a bit intimidating when you are first starting out, but you will be so pleasantly surprised how easy it can be and how many uses there are for them.  The lovely smell is the least wonderful thing about these oils, although it is a great added bonus!  If you have more questions about oils, or different brands please feel free to ask.  I don't want to take up time writing about each specific brand of oils I have tried and what was good or bad about them, but I am happy to answer specific questions if anyone has more.

Below is a link to another article that goes into more depth about the US standards for oils, you might find it very interesting.  And if you are looking into essential oils I would recommend you read it.  She goes a bit farther than I would about how awful essential oils in the US are, but keep in mind she is writing from a preparedness point of view, and talking about using these oils for your sole medical care in the event where there is no ability to receive outside medical care.  So you can understand how in that type of situation you would want the absolute best oils that contain the highest amounts of the medicinal compounds.  So while her view is a little more extreme than I think is necessary, it is good to have information as you get started on this road.  Or, if you have been using essential oils for a long time and aren't getting the effects you hoped from them, this might explain why.  Happy Reading!  And I hope you will lean to love oils like I do!

http://www.preparednesspro.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-essential-oils-part-2/

Where Do I Start?

So in this blog post I am going to offer my two cents on where to start if you want to begin making your own skin care products, or even if you just want to make something handmade for gifts for Christmas.

The absolute easiest possible is bath salts.  Simply combine one or more of these ingredients: Epsom Salts, Sea Salt, and or Baking Soda.  And then add some essential oils and fragrance oils, and bam you are done!  Get a cut jar, some neat tags, and you have a great relaxing soak for yourself, or a cute gift for the holidays.  If you want to start getting a little more fancy, you can add some vitamin E oil, or mix the essential oils you add for certain effects.  Here are a few ideas of essential oil combinations:

Relaxing Blend: Lavender, Rose, Ylang Ylang

Sore Muscles:  Peppermint, Lavender, Ginger, Juniper

Energizing:  Orange, Tangerine, Lemon, and Coriander


Finding mixtures of oils is easy enough to find on the internet too.  Just google what effect you want (i.e.. relaxing, soothing, etc.) and type in essential oil recipe and tons of sites will come up.


If you are not a huge bath salt fan, (which I am not, primarily because I don't have a bathtub in my house!) one of the second easiest things to start with is lip balm.  Making your own lip balm is easy, and best of all does not require precise ingredients.  What I mean by this is you can use a basic ratio, and tweak it to your personal likings.
There are four basic components to pretty much any lip balm recipe you will find:
Oil
Wax
Butter
Fragrance (essential oils)
Deciding what oils, what butters, what essential oils and what waxes to use is entirely up to you.  Different oils, butters and waxes will give your lip balm different textures, but a good rule of thumb is: put more oil if you like it to go on more like a gloss, more wax if you like a heavier coat on your lips or more butter if you want a creamier texture.
There are lots of recipes online that you can try, just remember what each ingredient does, and adjust the recipe to suit your exact taste.
As you get more experienced with your skin care ingredients, you can then adjust the type of oil, butter and wax you used based on the individual properties, thickness, and moisturizing qualities each type of ingredient possesses.  For example, for a light lip balm you might start with grape seed or apricot seed oil, both of which are very light.  For a thick heavier lip balm for very dry or cracked lips, you might use olive, wheat germ, and castor oil.

It's no secret that making your own bath salts and lip balms as well as other skin care products can save a lot of money, but with both lip balm and bath salts you can also not waste a lot of time.  Both of these projects go very fast, and it's so fun to be able to customize what you like, instead of just settling for what is on the shelf of your local health food store.

So... where to you find ingredients?  Well I can tell you where NOT to go, and that is your local health food store... at least usually.  I would be lying if I told you I NEVER bought ingredients from health food stores.  There have been several occasions where right in the middle of a batch of something I realized I was out of ONE ingredient, and went flying down to the health food store to get it, but usually I try to avoid this.  The ingredients like oils, butters, and waxes are usually in very small containers, and are meant to be used themselves, not intended for you to mix up into something else.  What I mean is the sweet almond oil that you will find at the health food store is usually meant to be used as massage oil, or just a moisturizing oil used alone.  And when used as massage oil, at $8 for 4 oz, that's not a bad price!  But when you are making a big batch of lip balm or salve and looking for 48 oz, that gets really expensive, really fast!  The oils are the same, there is no difference (other than brand) on many of the oils you can buy at a local health food store, or those you order wholesale, or purchase from a distributor that is catering to those making their own skin care products.  But the prices are usually much more reasonable.
As far as other places to find ingredients, there are so many good places online that I won't even try listing them here, and I am selling a wide selection of containers and ingredients down at Harebrained And Happy too!  Since I order in large quantities anyway and can offer better deals that many places offering small quantities it's been a section I've been wanting to have since I opened the store, but now It's a reality!  If you haven't stopped by and checked out this new section that is in progress I hope you will soon!
One thing I will say is this:  when first starting out, don't buy a gallon of oil, or pounds of butter.  Start small.  While buying in bulk will save you some money, you also don't know if you are going to like doing your own skin care, or if you are going to like the products that you create!  Buy what you need, make a batch, see how it goes.  Trust me, this is the voice of experience speaking here!  There will be plenty of time later for ordering cases of containers, or gallons of coconut oil.  Test the waters.  You may find it exhilarating, and in that case it was money well spent to order smaller quantities and find out you loved it!  Or you may find it exhausting and frustrating, and leaving you more on the harebrained side of things than the happy one, and if that is the case you will be happy that you don't have 5 gallons of coconut oil staring at you from the pantry laughing at your failure and reminding you of your over zealous illusions of changing the world with your skin care products!  So stick your toe in, don't try too many things at once.  Master one thing before you move on to the next.

So that's all for now.  Go forth and be bathed and balmed!

Don't be deceived, things aren't always as they seem!

There are so many tips, pointers, and tricks of the trade that can be extremely helpful when starting to delve into the world of making your own skin care products.  While I'm very excited about writing about many of the tips and tricks I've discovered over the past many years, I'm going to focus on one simple aspect today.  And that is this, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.  This goes for many things.  If a headline reads "make your own soap in 15 min!" it's a very good assumption that you are not actually going to be "making" anything, but most likely morphing something someone else made into another form.  Like the ever popular "liquid soap" where you simply grate up bar soap and dissolve it in water.  I hope I don't need to tell you that this results in a very stringy, goopy, downright nasty form of liquid soap, that leaves most people wishing they just had their bar of soap (and their hour of life) back.  So don't be fooled.  If you really want quality, natural homemade skin care products, you are going to have to put in the elbow grease to make it happen.  It takes research, work, experimentation, and most of all MISTAKES!  Don't be afraid to make a few (or quite a few) because it may take a few batches for you to get the hang of that "easy" recipe.  If a recipe clams to be "easy lotion" and then only has coconut oil as the ingredient in it, (while you may like coconut oil rubbed on your skin) it will probably feel like just that... oil rubbed on your skin.  Don't expect great things with no elbow grease.
It's also the same with container shopping.  You may go online and find the perfect lotion jar to fill with your latest batch of body butter, and they are in gorgeous colors and at half the price you can find them anywhere else!  Then once you get all the way through the checkout, you realize you have to buy 20,000 of them and the shipping from China is double what your actual order would be anyway!  Now I am all for getting super deals, and while sometimes you can find a once in a lifetime deal on containers or ingredients, more likely that not, if the going rate for something is $2.00, there is a good reason no one else is selling it for .25 cents.  Used is where the deals usually come in, but sadly "used" is not something that fits into natural skin care very well.

The other side of my "too good to be true" coin has to do less with how to, and more with ingredients.  Be wary of companies who claim greatness from their ingredients.  Or mark their products up two, three, or four times what other companies do claiming that their products are so superior that the mark up is worth it.  No I'm not discounting all expensive ingredients, and some natural ingredients are just expensive, and there is no way to get around it.  For example, pure rose oil is about $1,000.00 (yes thats a THOUSAND) an oz.  But that is an exception, not the rule.  The thing you have to always keep in mind, is there are few, if any regulations put on most natural ingredients, and supplements.  Organic, is one of the few "absolute" standards in the natural world.  The FDA has approved (and thus regulated) very few truly "natural" substances.  Thus many of the claims and "standards" claimed by natural companies are self titles given.  Again, I'm a HUGE proponent of natural products, and like to purchase and use high quality ingredients in my skin care lines, but I feel I would be doing a mis service not to offer a word of warning on this.  Titles such as "100% pure", "All Natural", "Therapeutic Grade", "Better than Organic", and other such labels should be a warning.  Not a warning that the product is inferior, just that it is very likely claims are being made and prices are being jacked up based on those claims, which would be fine if there were some sort of regulations, inspections, and accountability  to verify the claims being made.  While grand sounding, these titles have little to no meaning except to raise expectations and prices.  Yes, there are definitions that go along with these titles, but no organization that monitors companies claiming these titles.  According to the FDA, any natural products, such as oils and butters can claim to be "100% pure" if there is 5% of the ingredient in the product.  Not very comforting huh?  So how DO you go about deciding what ingredients to use and from what companies?  Here are a few pointers I like to recommend to people who ask me.
First, look for "labels" that DO mean something and ARE regulated.  Here are a few titles to look for:  Certified Organic, Cold Pressed, Un-refined, First Distill (on essential oils), and Extra Virgin (for olive oil).  The second thing is to look for companies that are honest about the corners they cut.  Let's face it, all companies cut corners in one way or another.  Whether it's about packaging, or dilution, or whatever it is, any major company is always looking to save money for themselves and the customers.  What is important to look for is honesty.  If an essential oil company will tell you which oils are first, second, third or "whole" distilled, and when working with the crazy expensive oils will tell you when they are diluted and in what, that is a good sign.  If a company can be honest, and say that their rose oil is diluted with jojoba oil, then you can have the peace of mind that they are being honest with you and this oil is still all natural (not diluted with chemicals like many companies do to cut costs), and something you would want to put on your skin.  It is very reasonable for companies to dilute oils that are hundreds or thousands of dollars per oz. to make them accessible to common folks like us.  If a company can tell you that the reason their oil is cheaper is because it is diluted in a plant oil, is the second distill, or the third press, then you can decide if you are ok with a little less quality for a lower price.  If a company does not differentiate between un-refined, refined, and ultra refined shea butter, but just tells you that theirs is the greatest and the best, it makes you wonder what they are trying to hide and which grade you are actually getting.  It would seem that going with the company that claims everything is the greatest and the best and the most pure would be the best choice right?  But the problem is everything can't be the best and the greatest and the purest.  And when a company admits to no flaws, no diluting, but only gives out information on why their products are so much better than all the others on the market, that is a red flag.  Proceed with caution.  I'm not saying their products will be bad (although they very well could be) but that there might be a much higher price tag attached without any real added benefits to you.
And if a company is being honest about little things when they don't have to (because the FDA says 5% can be claimed as "pure") then it is a good sign of faith that they will be honest about other stuff too.
And there are times to cut corners and not use the super high quality products in skin care.  For example, when making soap, using the top of the line ingredients and oils is not nearly as important as when making lotions or balms.  The reason being of course that you are rinsing the soap right off your skin.  You of course don't want harmful ingredients, but using a second distill peppermint oil for a soap, just for the scent and the warm tingly affect is perfectly reasonable, whereas for a balm where you are using the peppermint for muscle relief, you might want to use a low pressure first distilled oil so that more of the healing properties will be present.

So to sum it all up, don't be enamored with a company just because they claim to be the greatest and the best, but at the same time don't throw them out just because their prices are higher, there could be reasons for that.
And just because a company tells you they dilute an oil in another oil, or press something twice don't think they are cutting corners and offering you inferior products across the line.  They may just be honest where other companies hide these details because they can.

So back to my original statement, both in the making, and in the ingredients themselves, if it sounds too good to be true... it probably is.  Very few (if any) skin care products will take you 5 minutes to make, and very few oils or butters will take away all your wrinkles or age spots, or erase all scars.
But with that being said, the wonderful world of natural products is fantastic and wonderful!  I hope you are excited and ready to jump into making your own natural skin care products!  (even if it does take you more than 5 min.  :-)

DIY is all the rage... and I hope to fuel the fire!

Most of you know that I have sold my own line of skin care products about 14 years now.  It started out as just a few lip balms and creams for my mother when she had cancer and wanted to use completely natural skin care products.  From there in morphed into diaper balms, herbal salves, muscle cream, and various other potions that I sold online as well as locally at farmers markets and local health food stores.  In 2008 I was blessed to be asked to work for a doctor in Colorado, (Dr. Peter Eckhart) who needed a full line of skin care products developed especially for his patients who were unable to use any skin care products currently on the market (even natural skin care lines) as they were sensitive to many natural ingredients, essential oils, etc.  It was a lot of work, but very rewarding as I was able to develop a line including hand cream, lip balms, shampoo, conditioner, bar soaps, liquid soaps, facial creams, bath salts, and a full mineral makeup line, among other things.
You may be wondering why my store isn't brimming with my skin care products, and the simple answer is I can't keep up with the demand right now.  I don't advertise, or promote my products at all, I just fill orders by word of mouth, and for the loyal customers that I have.  I have a stash of several of my products in the back of the store that I keep for those who know about them and come in (makes me giggle like it's some underground smuggling ring) but most of my stuff is not on the shelves.  Eventually I hope to to slowly start putting my products out in the store for everyone, but until then, if you'd like to try out some of my products feel free to ask me about them.
But with that said, with the introduction of websites like Pinterest, recently (and not so recently) making your own skin care products is becoming quite the fad.  When I started I was the geeky mad scientist in my kitchen formulating all my products from complete scratch without cool tutorials, or nice little books sporting easy recipes, and got weird looks from people when I said I didn't just "make" them but developed them all from scratch.   But now all that has changed as DIY is what all the "cool kids" are doing.  People are getting more and more interested in making their own products they can feel good about putting on their skin cause they know everything they put into them.
And since I have been immersed into this world for over a decade now, I am working on bringing not just my skin care products to the store, but bringing in the raw ingredients to help you make your own!
Oils, butters, waxes, essential oils, containers, etc.  All of these things I already order on a regular basis, and in very large quantities, so it is a perfect fit for the store.  Also because this is a world I've been in for over a decade now, my blood boils at the VAST array of horrible recipes that are floating about, and the doomed to failure "do it yourself" posts that abound on Pinterest.  So I'd like to help people start of on a good foot, knowing basics, and poised for success,  ending up with a product that they love to use, not just a glob of goo they are forced to use up because they don't want to waste the ingredients.

When I first opened the store, the "make it yourself" cosmetics weren't trendy enough yet to have the broad appeal needed for me to add this element to the store.  But I feel now, with the growing interest and boundless questions I receive it will be a great new addition.  Also, there just aren't many places in our area that offer raw materials for skin care at great prices.  The Co op in Moscow has some great products, but they can be expensive when you are just experimenting and learning (and quite frankly even if you aren't just learning!).  I've been working and planning this section for over a year and a half now, and this summer is finally the launch!

When people find out that I've worked with skin care and developing lines of products for all different types of customers, I get bombarded with questions about classes, and recipes, and online tutorials.  I'm not going to lie, I wish I was super woman and could wiggle my nose and have all those things to offer right now.  But what I can say is this is something I am very passionate about, and I am delighted to offer my experience and help guide you to the right ingredients for your skin type, the type of product you wish to make etc., but classes or tutorials won't be in the near future.  Pointing you in the right direction, and helping you know if a recipe you would like to try will most likely work or not and why is something I will be happy to do!


So that's just a little heads up for whats in store for the store this Summer.
Feel free to post questions, or things you would like to see me cary, or just your thoughts on the whole idea.

Results I've noticed from the tanning and light bed

Several of you have been asking me for updates on any changes with my skin, or effects health wise I notice from spending time in the new vitality tanning and light bed I have down at the store, so here is a quick update on a few things I've noticed.

My skin:
Everyone is asking me how long it takes to start noticing you are actually getting tan.  Pretty much all the literature and even info for regular tanning beds say it takes about 16 tanning sessions before you really start noticing a tan.  I think I've probably done 8-10 sessions over the past two and a half weeks, and I'm starting to see the color change in my skin.  I'm only doing 8 minutes at a time, so if you are doing more I'm sure you'll see progress faster.  A few days ago I was trying on some clothes, and when I looked in the mirror I noticed my legs weren't scary white!  I'm not tan by any stretch, but noticing some good color for sure.  So don't get discouraged!  It takes a little while, but all of a sudden you'll start noticing changes pretty fast!
Other than tanning, I have noticed some other changes in my skin too.  One of the main things I have noticed is acne.  Now for general purposes tanning is really good for reducing acne, and the blue light kills bacteria, and the red light improves skin tone and collagen production.  BUT  the infrared light is a pretty powerful form of detox, and my body seems to be ridding toxins through acne.  As many of you know I'm on a protocol for lyme disease right now, and my body is flushing out a lot of crap.  So while having a little extra acne is a bit annoying, the fact that it's helping my body get rid of toxins is pretty exciting!  About 1-4 hours after I tan, I notice I have a little break out.  It clears up within a day, so it's not long lasting.  I've asked several other gals that are tanning if they have noticed the same thing, and the only one who has is a friend who has very similar health issues to me and has been VERY sick lately.  So that leads me to the detox conclusion yet again.

My Body:
As far as other effects, I've noticed it drastically helping my headaches.  I have pretty bad migraines, and figured being in the bed would make them worse, since light usually does.  But after about 7 minutes in the bed, my headache was almost gone.  This has happened several times, so I'm kind of excited about it!
Also, laying in the bed I notice just my general back and leg pain being significantly eased.  Of course it is too soon to tell about long term benefits, but short term are pretty clear to me.  The first several times I noticed no difference because I could only be in the bed for a few minutes.  You have to work up to more time, so don't expect results right away.  Once I got up to 8-10 minutes is when I started noticing the pleasant effects.  The infrared is supposed to be excellent for pain relief, and in my experience thus far it's working!
For those of you who don't know, I've struggled with severe pain for years now.  I try to hide it, so most people wouldn't know.  I am on a muscle relaxer, meds for my leg pain, nerve pain meds, and just regular pain meds when it gets too bad.  I've been in several accidents, that left me with a broken tail bone, ruptured disks in my back, among other things.  As well as multiple heath issues that cause some extensive pain.   I just mention this so you know I'm not just a happy healthy 27 year old who noticed my "little bit of achy back" is a bit better.  I've dealt with some severe pain for the past while, so I'm tickled at the results I'm seeing!

My Mood:
I have a really hard time in the winters.  I'd love to say I glide through them, but that would be lying.  Ever since we moved to Idaho from Texas about 15 years ago I've struggled.  It's hard cause I hate when people blame their bad attitudes and foul moods on the weather, but SOMETHING sure changes for me in the winter.  I cry for no apparent reason, struggle to just keep putting two feet in front of the other.  Summer and sunshine come and I feel like a different person.  Soooo... with that said, I was really hoping to notice a difference with this light bed.  For the first week and a half or so I noticed nothing at all.  No improvement.  But now that I'm up to 8-10 minutes every two or three days I am starting to noticed changes.  Little things like I can stop myself when I start to cry, whereas before the tears just came.  I'm not noticing the dark weather NEARLY as much.  When its sunny it's nice, but I don't feel like a crazy lunatic starving for light!  I don't know how to describe it other than to say I'm feeling more "settled."  Those of you that struggle in the winter know what I'm talking about.  I just feel like there is a light at the end of the tunnel..(or perhaps at the back of my store) and like I can survive until summer, where usually I tell Jesse Idaho has 1 month of summer and 11 months of who cares... it's not summer.

Anyway, that's all I've noticed so far.  Too soon to see any long term effects, but that's my experience with the short term.
So, for those of you using my light bed, I'd just like to say don't get discouraged until you get up to spending more minutes in the bed.  Like I said, I didn't notice any difference at all until I got up to about 8 minutes per session.  And no, for those of you wondering, no, I don't lay in it every day.  I don't even lay in it every other day.  I'm trying to do 3 sessions a week, cause that is the recommendation for people starting out, or struggling with  health issues or seasonal issues.  So don't think it will take you twice as long as me to see any results because you can't come in all the time.

I'm super excited to hear any benefits you guys might be feeling too.  Please post your comments on the page so we can all hear what you are experiencing!  It encourages us all, and also helps me with my recommendations to people asking for info about the bed.

Hope you all have a great day!  Happy tanning!

It's A Wonderful Life.... or is it?

It's seem like no matter how many movies come out with the same story line as "It's A Wonderful Life", I always feel that somehow my life must the the exception.   Surely the bad things that I work so hard on, and the past that I wish could be erased, or the prayers that go for years unanswered are the things that keep my life from being what it is supposed to be, not in fact the cornerstones that hold up everything that is good in my life today.  I know, I know, all the movies say it's not true.  If all the "bad" things were suddenly gone, it would somehow upset the "balance" of life and some colossal chain of events would alter my thinking forever and I would end up completely bewildered with what I wished my life could be, and be left in a miserable heap begging for my "old life" back.
But the reality of day in day out life is never that sudden revelation that all is well, or that life altering visit from ghosts of Christmas past.
For me it is my health.  I can't remember a time when I actually felt good and didn't hurt.  It seems normal to have to plan everything day to day because of the uncertainty of how I will feel.  To one day feel fine and the next not be able to walk up a few stairs, or even dress myself.
I look at my life now, and I think how amazing life would be if only I felt better.  If my whole life didn't revolve around not getting too tired so my body collapses, or constantly having to limit even the fun stuff so as not to "overload the system."  Looking at it from my perspective, there seems no downside to feeling good.  No horrible loss from having a healthy body.  I can't see any way my ill health has affected anyone else in any good  way, that me being healthy couldn't have accomplished.  I'm certain I would have just as much compassion, and empathy, or whatever other good things are supposed to come from hard times, if I didn't have to actually live through it.  I see it robbing me, robbing the people I love, and being a constant drain on those that mean the most to me.  I feel like I'm missing out on life.  Missing out on living.  Missing out on what it means to be young.  Missing out on "normal".... whatever that means.  Missing out on being able to answer honestly to "how are you doing?" without sounding like a grumpy old grinch.

Today Hudsen and I were sitting on the couch.  I wasn't feeling good again, so we sat and danced to music while sharing headphones, cause he though that was cool.  We sang and watched Daniel Tiger.  I listened to my ipod, gave him apples, explained to him what things were, watched his eyes light up when he found some candy in a drawer, and told him for the millionth time today "daddy is at work."
I felt sad, defeated, alone, and worthless.  I hadn't really accomplished anything important today.  A million things that "should" be done were racing through my head and leaving me feeling dark, despite the fact that sunshine was pouring through my windows.
But then I looked at Hudsen, all smiles and giggles, and I saw how happy he was that mom was there.  Right next to him.  Not doing some amazing important adult thing, just there.  Not chiding him when he spilled water all over the floor.  Not grumbling that all the toys were out, and telling him I was too busy to listen to his chatter.  And even though I didn't have a sudden rush of happiness that my life is full of pain and lots of couch time right now, I also know I won't ever get do do this over.  My little baby will never be 18 months again.  There is no way my life could be arranged better for spending time with my baby.  There is no project so amazing, no house so clean, no store so wonderful, or business so successful that would make a little boy smile like he did today.

I don't know what the meaning is behind the crappy things in life.  I still think things would be so much easier and better if I felt good.  But I do know that all the sucky things life throws our way doesn't change love.  The love we give to those around us, the love we give our family, and friends, and even complete strangers.  And feeling good, or not being in debt, or owning a home, or "living our dream", could never make us feel more loved, or be more able to give love than we are right now.
Tomorrow may never come, or tomorrow may be worse than today.  I'm not trying to be a downer, that's just the way life is.  So don't wait for it.  Love today.  Live today.  It's all we have.  It's all we need.