Facial Care Done Right - and Easy!

I talk a lot about the DIY products I use. I use several each day and have posted here about many of those. I had a friend recently who wanted to find a new regimen for her skin. She said it needed to be affordable and it needed to work. I got the idea to put my own skincare protocol into ONE post where you could find it all together. There are THREE different pieces to my skincare regimen. I use facial cleanser and toner, facial moisturizer, and a facial scrub. Below we will go through each one of these. Note along the way though, that you can customize these with different essential oils - or use no essential oils at all! If you need some other recommendations let me know. Let's get started!

Facial Cleanser and Toner: 
I have two different things that I use. One is a wipe that cleans quickly and removes makeup. I got this recipe from a friend, reworked it just a bit, and now use it daily! I make both of these cleansers into facial wipes. However, you CAN just mix up the liquids and use it without making wipes. If you do that, just store the liquid in a squirt bottle and squirt it onto clean cotton daily to use it.

Daily Facial Wipes & Makeup Remover

Try making this in a small jar – like a 4 oz mason jar or sealed plastic jar.

•   Approx. 30 cotton rounds
•  One tsp of baby shampoo OR Castile Soap
• One tsp of olive oil, OR another oil such as liquid coconut, jojoba, grapeseed, etc.
• 5 drops tea tree oil and 5 drops lavender oil
•  Filtered Water

Add the ingredients into the jar first. Then add water to fill the jar about ¾ way full. Put in your cotton rounds and press them down into this liquid. Add more cotton rounds until you’ve soaked up all the liquid. You can add more water if necessary.  Keep in a sealed container. Use to wash face, remove makeup, even eye makeup. If you’re too tired to wash your face before bed, at least give it a good wipe off with this. As an extra tip, using these essential oils makes this a very antibacterial blend. So you could also use this as a hand wipe!

Daily Facial Cleanser & Toner

• Witch Hazel
• 15 drops tea tree, 10 drops frankincense, and 10 drops lavender essential oil
• 1 tsp olive oil or liquid coconut oil (or any carrier oil you like)
• Cotton rounds

 Pour witch hazel into a seal-able container. Add in your essential oils and carrier oils. Stir this together well or just shake it up well. Put cotton rounds into this and press them down to soak up all liquid. Add more cotton rounds until you don’t have any free liquid left over. Wipe face 2- 3 times a day especially before bed and first thing in the morning. Change pillow cases every night if you have an issue with acne.

 

Facial Moisturizer

Now that we've discussed how to clean your face above, lets move onto moisturizing. I need something that I can use daily, that will provide moisture, not feel greasy or oily, and that is affordable of course. I have two recipes for that and they both start out the same - with the basic balm.

My recipe for Basic Balm is very simple. I'm posting it here again to get you started! Melt this together over low heat.

• 1/8 cup of beeswax (grated or pellets)
• 1/2 cup of solid coconut oil
• 1 tsp of olive oil, OR Vitamin E oil

To that you’ll want to add essential oils for your skin. Add these drops to EACH 4oz glass jar first. After you’ve put in your essential oils, you’ll simply pour in the melted mixture. No need to even stir it up. There are two different choices below for the types of essential oils. I use #1 below but the other one is great if you have acne prone skin.

Face Serum 1 - Add 5 drops of patchouli, 5 drops of frankincense, and 3 drops of sandalwood. This is great for the over 40 set as it has great properties to help with skin regeneration and wrinkles.

Face Serum 2 - Add 10 drops of lavender, and 5 drops of tea tree oil. Good if you need help with break-outs.

Full details about this balm, and the blog about the basic balm is located here: http://kygypsymama.blogspot.com/2014/09/customized-basic-balm.html

Facial Scrub

Next we have a recipe for a scrub that I use ONLY ONCE per week. I don't mix this up in advance, and so this recipe makes enough for ONE use.

 Note that my measurements are approximate. I don't think you need to be too specific with this product.  This one feels like microdermabrasion and I love it!

Facial Scrub Recipe

• Baking Soda - 1 tablespoon
• Honey - 1 teaspoon
• Lavender Oil - 5 drops
• Tea Tree Oil - 10 drops
• Vitamin E Oil - 1 teaspoon (+,-)

I mix the ingredients together in a small cup and added the Vitamin E oil last. This oil was mostly just to get it to the right consistency. It may take a bit more or less. You'll want this to be thick enough to pour in your hand or on a washcloth. In the shower I wet my face, poured it on a wet wash cloth and scrubbed my face, neck and chest in a circular motion. I then rinsed with warm water. If you find that the baking soda is too harsh for your face, you could use sugar instead. All of the details, plus why I used each one is on the original post. 

 To read the original blog post please check here: http://kygypsymama.blogspot.com/2014/07/new-face-scrub.html

 

So, that sums up my facial protocol. I've been using this for several months now with no tweaks or complaints. My skin never felt better! Let me know if you try any of these! If you need some substituted oil suggestions let me know as well. 

Blessings,

Kymber

Customized - Basic Balm

I've been talking for over a year now about Basic Balm. I make it almost weekly these days. The thing is there are SO many things you can do with this recipe! The possibilities are endless.

My recipe for Basic Balm is very simple. I'm posting it here again to get you started!

• 1/8 cup of beeswax (grated or pellets)
• 1/2 cup of solid coconut oil
• 1 tsp of olive oil, OR Vitamin E oil

Melt together over very low heat. Pour into glass jar. Let sit on counter until cool. Keep sealed in a cool, dark area. I mostly use 4oz baby food jars. You can always double or even triple this recipe if you need to make a larger batch. This Basic Balm (BB) can be used as is for great skin moisturizing. If you are sensitive to smells or essential oils, etc. just use this plain. BB can be used as a great balm for babies as well. Just make sure they don't have a sensitivity to coconut oil or beeswax. As with all skin lotions, etc. try a patch test to make sure that it works well for you. You can even use this as a nightly facial moisturizer. Coconut oil does not clog pores and is okay for either dry or oily skin! By the way, if you are still using Vaseline - throw it out! Use this instead!

Now, of course once you make this, you'll want to customize and use it for all sorts of things. I am providing a few ideas and recipes for customization below. But you can do all sorts of things with this BB.

IMPORTANT NOTE: THE RECIPES BELOW HAVE # OF DROPS OF EACH ESSENTIAL OIL, ETC. THESE ARE FOR EACH 4OZ JAR YOU MAKE. PUT THE ESSENTIAL OIL DROPS INTO THE JAR FIRST - BEFORE YOU EVEN MELT THE BB. THEN POUR THE MELTED BB INTO THE JAR. IT WILL MIX WITH THE ESSENTIAL OILS - NO NEED TO STIR.



Also - you can do your own research for different types of essential oils and make your own custom balms! Please ask for recommendations if you need a bit of advice. I often make these much stronger - i.e. use more essential oils. But to start with you will probably want to use a low amount. Remember less is more when it comes to essential oils.

Face Serum - Add 5 drops of patchouli, 5 drops of frankincense, and 3 drops of sandalwood. This is great for the over 40 set as it has great properties to help with skin regeneration and wrinkles.

Face Serum 2 - Add 10 drops of lavender, and 5 drops of tea tree oil. Good if you need help with break-outs.

Sleep balm - Add 10 drops of lavender, 5 drops of ylang ylang, 5 drops sweet orange, and 2 drops of marjoram. For snoring, also add 6 drops of thyme oil to this recipe.

Massage - Add 5 drops of Tea Tree,  5 drops of Ylang Ylang and 10 drops Lavender essential oils.

Decongestant Rub - 8 drops of Eucalyptus, 5 drops of Rosemary, 8 drops of Peppermint and 8 drops of Sweet Basil essential oils. (Peppermint should not be used on babies. Add lavender instead and rub on bottom of feet.) Adults and older children, use this on chest as you would any vapor rub.

Pain Rub - Add 5 drops Peppermint, 3 drops Wintergreen, 3 drops Marjoram, 3 drops Cinnamon, 3 drops of Black Pepper. Note please wash hands after use as this contains oils that can irritate eyes/nose/mouth.

Bug Repel -10 drops of citronella, 5 drops Eucalyptus, 8 drops Peppermint, 5 drops Patchouli, and 5 drops Thyme.

Daily Balm - Add 10 drops lavender, and 10 drops of tea tree to use as a daily body balm.

Psoriasis and Eczema balm - 6 drops lavender, 4 drops rose geranium, 5 drops cedarwood, 4 drops of frankincense, 5 drops tea tree.

Now if you want to add some EXTRA ingredients, you can even do more with the BB recipe. The recipes below are NOT for each jar!!! Take your melted BB and add these items directly to the entire batch. Stir/whisk well until all dissolved, and then pour into jars.

Sunblock -  Add one tablespoon of pure zinc oxide.

Diaper Cream - Add one tablespoon of pure zinc oxide, and 1/2 tablespoon of pure cornstarch.

Anti-Chafing balm - Add one tablespoon of cornstarch and one tablespoon of baking soda.

Obviously I could go on and on with this recipe! As you can see, you really can do all sorts of things with this BB recipe. If you have a favorite oil blend, just add it to the BB and customize it your own way!

Be sure and share with me how YOU use the BB recipe to customize!

~Kymber

My Essential Oil Fail

Most of you know that I am a bit crazy about my essential oils. I try to use them for everything! I always spread the word about the fantastic things I use these oils for. I also spread the news when I have success. But this time, I'm admitting failure.

Recently I have had an issue with our new puppy Piper. When we got her we were unable to really house-train her because we are all gone from the home all day. She has NOT done a good job of becoming house-trained. We have not done a good job of training her. Thus we clean up a LOT of dog poop in the house these days. One specific problem was my bookshelf in the living room. I found that she was getting on the bottom shelf and taking a poo. I was constantly finding poo on the bookshelf. I started thinking about how I could use my essential oils to keep Piper from going poo on the bookshelf. I came up with a genius idea. I found a small metal bucket that was meant for potpourri. I added some Epsom salts to this small bucket. Next I added some essential oils. I used oils that I thought would deter the dog. It ended up smelling roughly like Icy Hot. The bigger dog walked immediately over and sniffed the bucket. It was new, she had to check it out. It was obvious by the way she sneezed and snorted that she did not like it. She ran away quickly. I just knew this idea was a stroke of genius!

I tried my very best. We left the dogs in the house because it was supposed to storm all day. We prepared! I even covered the couch with a sheet to try and keep it clean. See below for an image of what the living room looked like when I got home from work.

As you can see, they were very bad dogs! The mess you see is mostly just a magazine chewed up and shredded all over the place. What you can't see is my essential oil failure.

After cleaning up this entire mess, I was still a bit happy because I hadn't found any poo in the house....until I checked my little salt bucket. Piper had pooped right INSIDE the bucket! Yes, somehow she got her rump on that bucket. I couldn't believe it! I guess she showed me what she thought of my genius idea!

If anyone else has an idea of how to keep her from pooping on the bookshelf, please be sure and share that with me. Short of keeping her in a kennel all day, I'm out of ideas. Note that I did try putting her in the kennel. She pooped all over it and threw up every time I tried. It was a bigger mess!

~Kymber

Fibromyalgia/Chronic Pain Protocol

Several folks have asked for help with Fibromyalgia and Arthritis lately. I have recommended a three step protocol for anyone who wants to try essential oils. This is, of course, not to take the place of any advice from a medical professional. But if you want to try essential oils, this is a good protocol that may help.

Calm Down Mama - Calming blend for anxiety, mood, stress, frustration. This blend has a very soothing and earthy aroma. Try applying to chest and wrists throughout the day. In moments of high stress, anxiety or panic try applying to hands and deeply inhaling for a few minutes. This blend contains Patchouli, Cedarwood, Sweet Orange, Vetiver, and Ylang Ylang. I make this in a glass roller bottle, with a carrier oil.

Sleep Quiet - Blend can help breathing at night, promotes restful sleep and may relieve snoring. This blend allows for easier breathing, can help relieve congestion, open airways and promote a quiet night of sleep. Try applying to bottoms of feet, on chest, and behind ears right at bedtime. For snoring, also apply to the big toe on the right foot. This blend contains Lemon, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Lavender and Thyme oils. I make this in a glass roller bottle with a carrier oil.

No Pain Plus – This blend helps alleviate aches and pains from headaches to muscle aches and joint/nerve pain. Roll some of this oil on painful areas and massage into the skin. Additionally, you can rub a drop on back of neck, and temples to alleviate headache pain. This blend contains Peppermint, Wintergreen, Cinnamon, Rosemary, Marjoram, Sweet Basil and Helichrysum. The added ingredients in this blend make it great for muscle cramps, restless legs, and deeper/chronic pain. Note: Care is necessary with this blend. Do not get into the eyes. Wash hands well after use. Do not digest as this does contain Wintergreen oil which can be toxic if taken orally. I make this in a small glass jar as a balm/rub.

Lastly, please note the fine print. I do not recommend orally taking essential oils. There are some companies out there who try to say "theirs" only are okay to ingest. After a great deal of research and several aromatherapy courses, I do not believe this to be true. Also, holistic protocols should not take the place of regular advisement of a medical professional. Never stop taking any medicines prescribed without speaking with your doctor. I do aromatherapy but I am NOT a licensed medical professional. Always do a skin test when applying new essential oils. I recommend always using a blend with carrier oil rather than applying pure oils straight to the skin.

If you would like to order from me, you can buy these products on my ETSY site:

KyGypsy Etsy Shop 

~ Kymber 

Smelly Salts

This week I decided to make Smelly Salts. I've been researching these for a few weeks. I wanted to make some out of salt, and others out of unscented aroma beads. I've ordered some beads but haven't made those yet. THESE salts are made out of a rock salt/sea salt mix, with added essential oils. I also added a bit of oil-soluble coloring but it's not necessary.These are pretty simple to make at home, and have some great uses. I put them into small organza bags and they seem to work great. I'll be interested to see how long they last before needing more oils. I really loved the one for sinuses! A friend came over and needed it so I sent it home with him! LOL I'll be making more this week.

When the smell runs out, I can add new oils to refresh them. You can also throw the salts into a hot bath when the smell is running out. This is a great way to get a therapeutic bath! To use, you simply hold the small bag in your hands and deeply inhale for about 3-5 minutes. These are very strong. Do not press them against your face – but hold in front of the nose/mouth and just breathe deeply.

Headache – Contains Peppermint, Rosemary and Tea Tree essential oils.

Sinus – Contains Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Clary Sage, and Sweet Basil essential oils.

Stress – Contains Lavender, Chamomile, Patchouli and Cedarwood essential oils.

Sleep – Contains Lavender, Ylang Ylang, Sweet Orange, and Sandalwood.

If you aren't up to making them yourself, many of these items are available on my ETSY site located at KYGypsyMama. If you are local, just order directly through me. The ETSY site does charge shipping which is necessary when I ship these to other areas. If you can pick-up locally, I do not charge shipping. The ETSY site does allow you to pay with PayPal.

Perhaps you've seen something like this at a drug store or online? You can buy a similar product called "inhalation beads" for headaches online through Amazon. I researched the ingredients thoroughly before making my all natural product.  Using the salts is a great alternative and keeps it all natural. Also, I kind of like that I could just empty these into the bath as well!

I'll post soon about the actual aroma beads once I make those! I'll also be posting about my all natural, therapeutic bath salts very soon. Stay tuned!

Blessings,

~Kymber

Vetiver - Oil of the Week

Vetiver is our Oil of the Week! I truly love talking about this oil and all it's wonderful uses. It comes from the roots of a grassy plant. The aroma of this oil is very earthy and it is known to be centering, calming and grounding. This oil is often a major ingredient in blends used for children with ADD, ADHD, Sensory Processing, Autism Spec, and also for general stress and anxiety. Actually, it is often called the "Oil of Tranquility". It is used across the world in many perfumes and skin care products.

It is also great for any type of muscle or joint pain and arthritis. This oils is often used for nerve issues, convulsions, frustration, anger, emotional issues, seizures and panic attacks, as well as general nervous disorders and restless legs!

It sedates nervous irritations, afflictions, convulsions and emotional outbursts such as anger, anxiety, epileptic and hysteric attacks, restlessness, and nervousness. 

Vetiver oil is anti-spasmodic, antiseptic, and a relaxant. It can be used for insomnia, anxiety, and depression.  It can be used for muscle and menstrual cramps, acne, and it has many skin car uses. As an anti-inflammatory oil it can be used to soothe and cool inflamed muscles, joints and nerves. It can be used on all types of cuts and scrapes as it is antiseptic. It helps with tissue regeneration and is used as a scar fading substance.

Now how can you use this wonderful oil? Below you will find a few useful ideas for Vetiver essential oil. A quick Google search will probably give you hundreds of ideas!

• You can blend this with a carrier oil at a 5-1 ratio and use it topically on your skin.
• Purchase or make an oil blend (using other oils such as Lavendar, Ylang Ylang, Benzoin, Cedarwood, or Sandalwood) to use for emotional issues, stress relief, ADD, ADHD, etc. There are blends on the market for just that. My blend sells on my Etsy site and you can find it HERE.
• Use it for headaches and body aches in a blended rub.
• Put two drops on a cotton ball. Carry it in your pocket. Deeply inhale from that at different times throughout the day for calming and anxiety relief.
•  Use blended with coconut oil for skin issues, bug bites, cuts and scrapes or acne.
• Blend in a 2-1 ratio with olive oil and use on scars.

Now you want to purchase Vetiver oil right? If so, I highly recommend that you look for it at  The Organic Witch. I buy most of my essential oils there. I do not sell for or represent their company in any way. However, they have quality oils, knowledgeable staff, and great prices. Additionally, they are a small KY based company and a Green Business Certified company!

Now the fine print: I do not recommend using essential oils straight (undiluted) on the skin or taking orally unless under the care of a qualified medical professional. Please do not take this information as a diagnosis or treatment plan! See your medical professional if you have any medical issues.

Clove - Oil of the Week

The Oil of the Week is Clove Oil. It has so many uses one could likely write a book. Many people know that clove oil is widely used to help relieve toothache pain. Clove oil is anti-infectious, antiseptic, antimicrobial, anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal. Clove oil has been shown to kill many strains of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and even Candida. Clove oil is one of the primary ingredients in Thieves/Protect oil blend which can kill 99% of bacteria in the air within less than 15 minutes. Clove is also the highest antioxidant of all essential oils.

Clove oil has many uses including: Numbing pain, dental pain, anti-aging, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, skin infections, flu, bacteria, viruses, fungus, hepatitis, parasites, digestive issues such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, ulcers, insomnia, memory loss, inflammation, lice, poison ivy/oak, skin acne, wound care, cuts/scrapes, bug bites, bee stings, skin cancer, warts, asthma, headaches, stress, and is very useful to help stop smoking! Clove oil has Eugenol which is a compound used in dentistry. You can use clove oil for many tooth, mouth and throat issues. You can gargle with it to relieve mouth/throat pain and inflammation. As an added bonus it also relieves bad breath! Clove oil is great for boosting the immune system as well. Lastly, clove oil is known as a powerful but natural aphrodisiac. I could go on and on, but I'll leave you to do a little research on your own!

Having said all that, how can you use clove oil? There are many, many ways to use it at home! Below you will find a few, but a quick search online will turn up a multitude of additional uses. Once you read this you'll want to run out and buy some clove oil, right? I've got you covered there too. I buy my oils from a small company based in Kentucky. Check them out here for a great quality organic clove oil. This oil comes from Sri Lanka, and they provide GCMS information on every oil they sell. I highly recommend trying their 100% organic essential oils if you are in the market! Additionally, if you want to try diffusing a Thieves type blend in your home, you can check out their Antibacterial Blend at great prices.

• Use it in Thieves/Protect blend to diffuse throughout your house. Used in this blend, it can kill airborne bacteria and help keep your air clean and your family healthy.
• Mix with water in a spray bottle. Spray air, doorknobs, light switches, etc. to kill germs and stop the spread of illness. Use as a spray on hands to sanitize and kill germs.
• Dilute properly with a carrier oil (olive oil, etc.) and roll on skin to alleviate skin issues mentioned above (acne, cuts, stings, etc.)
• Apply just on warts daily to rid your skin of them.
• Mix one drop of clove oil into a shot glass of water. Gargle with this twice daily during cold and flu season especially. Use this gargle for mouth, tooth, or throat pain and irritation
• Use clove oil in all of your DIY lotions, creams and soaps. It is great for your skin.
• Add to baby shampoo to help alleviate lice in child's hair.
• Put one drop on adult tooth to relieve ache.
• Diluted with carrier oil or mixed with salt - rub on forehead and back of neck to alleviate headaches.
• Diluted with carrier oil - rub on wrists and chest daily to relive stress symptoms, help with memory, and stimulate mind.
• Use diluted with carrier oil or add to lotions/creams to rub on sore, inflamed muscles.
• Diffuse in home/bedrooms to alleviate asthma, congestion, or other breathing issues - especially useful during flu season.
• Diluted with sesame oil it can help alleviate earaches.
• Diffuse and inhale to reduce nausea and morning sickness. Try adding a drop to a cotton ball and putting in your pillow.
• Use in creams and lotions to rub on skin helping blood circulation.
• Mix with water or witch hazel to spray on and repel bugs.
• Put a dab on your finger, and touch it to the roof of your mouth to help stop smoking.

Now, of course we need the FINE print! Clove oil - like all essential oils - is very strong and powerful. A little goes a long way. I suggest always diluting clove oil. Never use straight essential oils on your skin or orally without advice from a certified medical profession. Ask your doctor before ingesting any essential oils! Remember, clove oil contains Eugenol and some people have had allergic reactions to this when used in dentistry. Always start with very small amounts of an essential oil that you have not used before. Clove oil has been shown to lower blood sugar when used correctly under the advice of a medical profession. Be careful if you are diabetic as it could cause sugar to drop if you are not using it correctly. Nursing/pregnant women should not use clove oil as it may pass to breast milk. Always seek medical advice to diagnose any medical issue. As with any change to diet or nutritional supplement, it is best to consult a doctor before administering or adding to your daily or weekly regimen. Lastly - there are those who suggest taking oils orally and putting undiluted on the skin. Please ask your medical professional before using essential oils in this manner.


Blessings,

Kymber