Cooling Muscle Salve - Visual Recipe

Sore, hot muscles are inevitable as the days get warmer and activity increases. This recipe is intended to help soothe just those aches and pains. Think of it like a cooling version of tiger balm.

This recipe is simple, but does require quite a few essential oils. Having tested it on my own sore knees after a long day, I can say that it feels utterly refreshing and smells uplifting too!

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TOOLS
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Candle warming plate
Small ceramic mug
Measuring spoons
Stirring stick
Measuring cup
Empty 2oz jar with lid
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INGREDIENTS
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1 oz Jojoba Oil
1 oz Sweet Almond Oil
1 1/2 t Beeswax
30 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
20 drops Camphor Essential Oil
15 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil
10 drops Lavender Essential Oil
3-5 drops Lemongrass Essential Oil (optional)

Note: The lemongrass can be overpowering. It smells fresh and citrusy, but if you prefer a cool mint smell I would encourage you to not include it in the salve.

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INSTRUCTIONS
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Turn on the candle warmer
Place mug on the warmer
Add jojoba and sweet almond oil to the mug

Add the beeswax and stir
Allow the beeswax to melt completely into the oil

Cover with foil to speed the process

When fully melted, add in the essential oils
Stir to evenly distribute

Pour the salve mix into a jar
Allow to cool at room temperature until hard
Store in the refrigerator for extra cooling action!

Yarrow Healing Salve - Visual Recipe

Today's recipe is for a simple Yarrow Salve. Yarrow, a.k.a. Achillea Millefolium, has been praised for centuries in western culture as a great healing herb. Traditionally Yarrow was used to treat wounds due to it's styptic properties. It's colloquial nickname of "nosebleed" reflects one of it's common uses.

Here I will cover step by step a method for making a Yarrow Salve. The nice thing about this recipe is that it does not take much in the way of supplies and can be prepared in a small space.

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TOOLS
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Candle warming plate
Small ceramic mug
Measuring spoons
Stirring stick
Measuring cup
Cheesecloth
Small mesh strainer
Empty 2oz jar with lid
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INGREDIENTS
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1 oz Jojoba Oil
1 oz Olive Oil
3-4 Yarrow Leaves
3-4 T Yarrow Flowers
1 1/2 t Beeswax
5 drops Vitamin E Oil

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INSTRUCTIONS
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Turn on the candle warmer
Place mug on the warmer
Add jojoba and olive oil to the mug

Add yarrow leaves into mug
Break apart if needed

Add yarrow flowers to mug
(Fresh, white flowers are best, but dry will do)
Make sure the yarrow is mixed well
The oil should just cover the yarrow

Allow yarrow bits to sit in the warm oil for up to 2 hours

Strain through cheese cloth into a cup

Bundle up excess the cheesecloth around the yarrow and press the bundle against a mesh strainer to squeeze out the last of the oil.

Be VERY CAREFUL, the oil is HOT.
Hot oil hurts, a lot.

Transfer the oil back into the ceramic mug

Warm the oil up again

Shave off the beeswax needed for the next step

Add in the beeswax and stir

Allow the beeswax to melt completely into the oil
This is your salve mix

Warm up a glass jar under water of increasing temperature
Wipe the jar dry
Transfer the warm salve mix into the jar
Allow to cool at room temperature

Voila! Yarrow Salve!

Peppermint Lip Balm - Visual Recipe

I've been wanting to post this for a while, but my personal life has been a big distraction lately. Not that I mind, but it also feels good to get another recipe up. This one is very simple and requires only little bits of ingredients. It will make just about one tube of lip balm.

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TOOLS
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Set of measuring spoons
Stirring stick
Candle warmer
Ceramic mug
Empty lip balm tube

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INGREDIENTS
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1/2 tsp White Beeswax
1/2 tsp Cocoa Butter
1/2 tsp Sweet Almond Oil
3 drops Peppermint EO

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DIRECTIONS
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Heat up the candle warming plate.
Place beeswax into little ceramic mug.

Add sweet almond oil to little mug.

Place mug atop the candle warming plate.
Melt the wax and oil.

Shave cocoa butter into the mug.
Stir to distribute.

Add in 3 drops of peppermint essential oil.
Stir.
It should smell beautifully minty now!

Continue to melt into a uniform liquid.

Make sure the pusher is at the bottom of the tube.
Pour the warm liquid into the empty lip balm tube.
Set aside to cool.
Refrigeration speeds the cooling process.

TA-DA... some super cheap, very fab lip balm.

Stress Less Rosemary Mint Scrub - Visual Recipe

I really am loving these visual recipes! They are attracting visitors from all over the world too. The pictures make every step of my processes easier to convey. Today I will be covering a divine rosemary mint salt scrub. The scent is amazing, absolutely one of my favorites. It's ridiculously simple to make, exfoliates skin well and leaves you feeling silky smooth. This scrub is intended to be rubbed onto the skin immediately before rinsing off in a warm shower. A commercial scrub is nowhere near as pleasant as this one.

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TOOLS
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Measuring cup
Wooden stirring stick
Plastic container

Note: Since this is a product that you would want to keep in the shower, I would highly advise against storing it in a glass container. Although it may look sleek in glass, glass is dangerous to have in a bathroom.

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INGREDIENTS
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1 c Epsom Salt
1/2 c Sweet Almond Oil
10 drops Rosemary Essential Oil
10 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
1 heaping T of Dried Peppermint Leaf

Measure out 1 cup of Epsom salt.
Transfer to plastic container.

Measure out 1/2 cup of Sweet Almond Oil.
Add to Epsom salt.

Mix until oil is evenly distributed.

Add in essential oils and stir again.

Your scrub will now look like this.
It will also smell AMAZING!

Add in 1 heaping tablespoon of dried peppermint.
Stir so that the leaf is evenly distributed.

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DIRECTIONS FOR USE
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1. Rub the salt scrub onto your skin immediately before you shower. Move in circular motions while rubbing to exfoliate well.
2. Rinse the scrub away with warm water. The salt will rinse away and the oil will remain to moisturize the skin.
3. Breath in deep. This essential oil combination used in this recipe is a great aromatherapy stress reducer. The warmth of the water on the oils really activates the scent.

Alternatively, this can also be used as a foot scrub or added to a hot foot bath after a long day of walking or standing on your feet during work.

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CAUTIONS
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Salt on cuts, scrapes and wounds hurts. A lot. Don't use this scrub if you've just nicked yourself shaving or if your skin is otherwise sensitive.

Lavender Mint Facial Masque - Visual Recipe

Today I will be covering my recipe for a soothing lavender and mint clay facial masque. This recipe is easy to make, takes about 15 minutes and requires minimal work space. Enjoy!

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TOOLS
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Two small mixing bowls
A small mixing spoon
A set of measuring spoons
A mortar and pestle set
A glass apothecary jar

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INGREDIENTS
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2 T French Green Clay
1 T Dried Lavender Buds
2-3 drops Peppermint Essential Oil

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DIRECTIONS
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Scoop 2 tablespoons of french green clay into a bowl, set aside.

Scoop out 1 tablespoon of dried lavender buds.
Transfer to mortar.

Add 2-3 drops of peppermint essential oil to lavender buds.

Grind buds for about 5 minutes using mortar and pestle.
This mix should feel mostly powdery with a little grit.
Rub it between your fingers to make sure.

Transfer powdered buds to the bowl with the french green clay.

Mix together until buds are evenly distributed.

Transfer into an apothecary jar for storage.

Ooo, pretty!

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TO USE AS A MASQUE:
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Mix 1 heaping teaspoon powder with 2 teaspoons of lukewarm water.
Rub the paste onto your face in circular motions.
Avoid your eyes and lips just to be safe.
Allow to dry.
Rinse off with warm water.