Hi Friends! Sorry to be MIA for over a week! With the Soul Shred getting started and the little turning 18 months and running around like a track star…I am just lucky enough to get in a shower everyday. More posting to come soon!

Today, I wanted to share a beautiful post about essential oils from my dear friend Gretchen Robards, who I met at the Refresh Summit this fall. I have used oils for over 10 years and now and still feel like there is so much to learn and even more now that they are getting so popular!  I don’t plan on selling them anytime soon, but I have many friends who do and they are all super trustworthy and I can’t wait to try new ones!

Hope you enjoy this article as much as I do…

5 Ways to Add Essential Oils into Your Beauty Regimen

Essential oils are everywhere. You probably know at least five people who post daily about how essential oils have changed their life. Whether your an oils enthusiast or simply curious, there are small changes you can make in your daily routine to improve yourself and your wellness. I am an oils enthusiast and love discovering how natural products can be used in place of highly processed, heavy chemical creams, concealers, etc. Knowledge is power and I enjoy learning what my beauty products are composed of and how to find more natural alternatives and how to make my own. Plus, it’s fun to experiment and make your own lotions and face scrubs! I’ve been experimenting with some recipes to share in the near future of DIY facials scrubs and lotions, but I haven’t gotten it *just* right so keep your eyes peeled for that goodness!

As for today, I want to share five simple ways to incorporate essential oils into your beauty regimen. It can be overwhelming when you are thinking about or just beginning to learn about essential oils because there are so many oils with so many possible uses but the great thing about oils is they vary in their abilities for wellness. One oil can have many purposes! Today we are looking at 5 ways to implement essential oils into your beauty regimen.

1. Perfume

Most of us use perfume and as much as I love my big name perfume, I also realize it is not the nicest product for my skin. I’m not saying you should go through and toss all your perfumes, but maybe switch it up and try some essential oils. A dab of essential oil on your wrist and collar bone not only smell divine but there are added benefits! The great thing about it is you can mix and blend until you find a smell that is best for you. My favorite single blends for perfume are: Lavender: Lavender is great for skin care, disinfect living areas, promotes calmness and stress relief. Grapefruit: Grapefruit is a flavorful and refreshing oil that aids the immune system, lymphatic systems, and is very powerful as an antidepressant. It will also freshen breath, heal inflamed gums. Clary Sage: This is very effective as an antidepressant, mood balancer, stimulant and aphrodisiac. Geranium: Geraniumpromotes calmness and stress relief, can disinfect living areas, great for skin care. Wild Orange: This helps during cold and flu season, as well as for depression and muscle aches. Rose: Rose oil is great for skin issues but also promotes calmness and stress relief.

2. Face lotion

Single blend oils like lavender and maleluca are great for calming the skin. Winter is tough on the skin but pairing oils with organic, pure fractionated coconut oil will help you to have radiant, nourished skin! (And remember, a little coconut oil goes a long way.) 1-2 drops of essential oil with a drop of fractionated coconut oil will do the trick! Do this at night or after you wash your face in the morning. The coconut oil may make your skin feel greasy but your skin will adjust and you’ll be able to figure out how much you need!

3. Dry lips

Adding lavender to your chapstick routine is amazing for dry lips. I have known people who had open sores on the corners of their mouth and after four days of vaseline+lavender, the cracked, sore lips were healed. Lavender is incredibly calming so besides smelling great it soothes dry skin.

4. Acne

I thought I’d left my middle school years behind me but occasionally acne flares up so I have been on the hunt for the best ways to treat my adult acne. Adding essential oils has been great for my skin because they are not a harsh or chemically-filled. Without sounding like a broken record, lavender can help so much. In addition to lavender, maleluca and lemon have both been effective in treating those pesky zits!

5. Acne scars

Teen years man, they are ROUGH on the body. I know my face shows some evidence of acne scars. That’s what I put fractionated coconut oil with frankincense on my face before I go to bed. I have noticed improvements with my skin after doing this. And the great thing about frankincense is the wellness solutions seem to be endless!

to read more head over to VEVA Health for the full article…

Question: Do you use essential oils? Which ones are your go-to?!