DIY Makeup Wipes

When it comes to washing my face at night I would love to tell you that I wash my face with my favorite facial soap, follow that up with a toner that makes my skin glow, and then finally follow that up with a moisturizer that makes my face dewy fresh. Also there's no trace of makeup left after all that. That's what I would like to tell you. However, I cannot tell you that in all honesty. Most nights I have to convince myself that I really, really need to at the very least wash my face. Sometimes I fail to convince because I also tell myself that it takes too much time, the bed is calling me, and who want's water running down your arms getting your sleeves wet as you blindly search for the towel. Come on, I can't be alone in this. However, I have found the solution! DIY makeup remover wipes! I use these nightly now even if I'm not wearing makeup. It's as easy as taking a wipe out, giving my face a quick wipe off, and then I apply my favorite moisturizer. So quick and easy and my face wonderful! Just in case you and I share face washing woes I'm going to tell you how I made these handy little face wipes. They're really useful in other ways too, not just your nightly routine. For example; put them in your gym bag for a quick face wipe after a work out, pack them when going camping, use it to take off your kiddos face paint.

The 3 essential oils I used are power houses when it comes to skin!
Lavender is great for any skin type, but especially sensitive skin like mine. It is soothing to minor skin irritations as well as reduces bacteria that causes acne.
Melaleuca is anti-bacterial, toning, and moisturizing.
Frankincense is rejuvenating to the skin and reduces the appearance of blemishes. My favorite way to use it though when it comes to skin is scars. I had a mole removed on my face when I was little and it left a decent sized scar. I've tried different things over the years to try and get the size to go down. Nothing has worked like essential oils, especially Frankincense. It keeps getting smaller and smaller along with my acne scars!

Here's what you need to put it all together:
-An airtight container (I use a small jar with a wide mouth)
-Cotton rounds
-2 tablespoons of water
-2 tablespoons of witch hazel
-2 tablespoons of fractionated coconut oil (using this instead of regular coconut oil keeps it from hardening in cooler temps)
-1 drop each of Lavender, Melalueca, and Frankincense.
Combine the liquids and shake to combine. Put as many cotton pads as will fit in the container and let them soak up the liquids. And that's it! They're ready to be used. I found cotton rounds that have a soft side and an exfoliating side. They work great, but you can use whatever is available to you.

Thanks for stopping by my blog guys! If you make them I hope you enjoy using them! I've loved using them!

The Practical Guide to Using Essential Oils With Toddlers

Using essential oils in your every day routine, like any other new thing, takes a little bit of practice to get the hang of. Once you get the hang of it though it's like second nature. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience here. And the benefits are so worth the little bit of effort put in to actually remember to use your sparkling new oils! Disclaimer: I only ever suggest using doTERRA essential oils because of their proven purity and safety. More on that at the end of this post.

What about when it comes to your kiddos though? There are so many ways to use essential oils on every member of the family that it can seem overwhelming. How are you supposed to learn all this new stuff?? Don't worry and please don't give up! As a mom of a toddler and another baby on board I completely understand your concerns. I'm going to give you simple and very practical (super important part) ways to get started right away using essential oils with your kiddos. Let's get started!

First let's talk about the easiest way to use your essential oils with your kiddos and that's diffusing. We have three in our house. One for our bedroom, David's room, and the living room. This saves me from having to move around a diffuser to wherever I'm wanting to use it. Therefore making it easier and more likely that I'll take the 30 seconds to get one going. All you gotta do is add water, drop some essential oils in, and let 'er run.
Based on the blend of oils you choose to diffuse (love how that rhymes haha) you're either supporting their immune system, calming, aiding in a better nights sleep, helping them focus, ect. I have a few favorite blends I'm going to share! Each is titled simply so you know what to use it for.

Next let's talk about how you can use the oils topically. Dilution is a good idea for any age, but especially when it comes to little ones and kids. Using roller bottles is a fantastic way to simplify this one. You're able to have a blend of oils diluted and ready right at your finger tips. I prefer the 5 mL size for the diaper bag or my purse and the 10 mL size for every day use, but this is definitely personal preference. Try both and see which you prefer.
Let's get really practical here. I'm strategic when it comes to where I keep the oils and roller bottles I use for our little man because I know if they're accessible I'm twice as likely to take advantage of their benefits and use them. I'll share with you the places in our home where I prefer to keep the oils that David uses.

I keep his most used oils in a drawer in his changing table. Once he is potty trained this will change, but for now this is the easiest place to access them. It's one of the only times he's still enough for me to use the roller bottles. Plus when he gets a diaper change before bed I can apply his "Sweet Dreams" blend and diaper rash spray (if needed) easily before putting on his PJ's.

I keep oils in our kitchen for easy access and so that I can put some on David while he's eating breakfast or lunch. This is a great time to use his immune boost roller bottle and if it's allergy season our roller bottle for that.

Last, but certainly not least, his backpack/diaper bag. I always keep oils in his backpack because I just never know when we might need them. This has come in handy more times than I can remember! I have a zipper pouch that I keep 5 mL rollers in and they include his roller for teething, another one for allergies, lavender for bug bites and scrapes, Deep Blue for growing pains or aches for mommy or daddy, DigestZen for upset stomach, Breathe for open airways, and Frankincense for just about anything else. I also keep Terra Shield bug spray and On Guard hand sanitizer in there. 


So there you have it! It really does become simple once you have a few helpful tools like glass roller and spray bottles. Trust me, they will make your life easier. I'm going to include my favorite recipes and blends so that you can have your own collection to use when needed! doTERRA also has this awesome line of roller bottles that are already diluted and ready to use on any age! How awesome is that? You can buy them all together is this kit! This is helpful for saving you some time, but also comes to the rescue for those of you who do not enjoy DIY-ing as much as I do. No problem, doTERRA has you covered. Now let's get to those recipes!

What I keep in his changing table:

Diaper Rash Spray (can also be used as an owie spray)
-2 oz spray bottle
-7 drops of melaluca
-7 drops of frankincense
-7 drops of lavender
Fill bottle he rest of the way with fractionated coconut oils. Shake well before each use. Use 2-3 times a day on any rash or owie.

Peace Touch. This is one we love to start our day with. The name says it all! Who couldn't use a little more peace? I roll some one David's feet them mine.

Eczema Roller
3 drops each of frankincense, lavender, and geranium. Top 5 mL roller with FCO.

Sweet Dreams

2 drops each Lavender (or Serenity if they respond better to that), Cedarwood, and Juniper Berry for 5 mL. Double for 10 mL.

What I keep in the kitchen:

Seasonal Allergy blend for kids
If under 5 use one drop of each. If over 5 use 3 drops each of lemon, lavender, and peppermint. Top 5 mL roller with FCO.

Immune Blend
3 drops each of On Guard and frankincense. Top 5 mL roller with FCO.

Cough Support
3 drops each of lavender and Breathe. Top 5 mL roller with FCO.

Growing Pains
5 (if over 5 years old, 3 if not) drops of Deep Blue. Top 5 mL roller with FCO.

Sniffles
3 drops each of lavender and lemon. Top 5 mL roller with FCO.

Grouchy Pants

2 drops each of Balance and Wild Orange. Top 5 mL roller with FCO.

Breathe Touch

Keeps airways open. Very handy to have during seasonal allergies, a cold, or for snoring.

What I keep in David's backpack:

Teething

1 drop of clove oil in 5 mL bottle topped with FCO. Can roll directly onto gums or onto your finger and apply.

Lavender, DigestZen, or Frankincense roller bottle

I use 3 drops of essential oil in a 5 mL roller and top with FCO.

Diffuser Blends

Calming

3 drops each of frankincense, vetiver, and lavender.

Rise and Shine

2 drops of lemon, wild orange, and peppermint.

Immune Boost

3 drops each of On Guard and lemon.

Out like a light

3 drops each of Serenity, vetiver, and cedarwood.

Seasonal Allergies

3 drops each of lemon, lavender, and peppermint. 

Liquid Calm (perfect for those rainy days stuck inside)

3 drops each of Serenity and Balance. 

There you go! I hope this has given you some ideas and hopefully taken away some of the confusion when it comes to knowing where to start. If this list still feels too long just pick one of two diffuser blends and start there. The biggest thing I want you to take away is that doTERRA's essential oils work and they are so beneficial to everyday life. However, they aren't going to do anyone any good if they stay in a box untouched. So get those little powerhouses to work! They will not disappoint. 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog! If this was a post you found helpful I would LOVE to know! And if there are questions you have about essential oils and how they can benefit you and your family, let's talk! I love meeting new people! If you'd like to know more about essential oils (or you just want to know what in the world they are) then click here! 

And finally my spill on why I choose doTERRA's essential oils and other products over other essential oil brands and companies. Well, there are actually multiple reason, but the main one is purity. When I was looking for essential oils I was pregnant with our first child. I was looking for a more natural way to take care of my family's health and that would soon include a newborn. I needed to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that these would be safe to use. Today doTERRA is the only essential oil company that makes sure their oils have a CPTG ( certified pure therapeutic grade) certification. That means that every bottle they sale is safe to use because it's 100% pure essential oil and nothing else. No filler, no sythetic fragrances, no chemicals. All of the things I was looking to move away from. Every batch of essential oil gets this certification by going through a very stringent, third party testing. Like I said there are multiple reasons for choosing doTERRA, but that was the big seller for us. If you have questions about my other reasons for loving doTERRA please feel free to ask me!