Aromatherapy/Botanicals Tip of the Week

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Today is a cold and rainy day, mixed with some freezing rain and snow...ya know, just for fun. When I was looking for a recipe to share for this week's Tip, I wanted to find something that would help brighten a dreary day like this one and I think this solid perfume blend is just the ticket!

Uplifting Solid Perfume

(from Aromatics International)

10 drops grapefruit essential oil

10 drops sandalwood essential oil

1/2 ounce beeswax pellets (organic)

1 ounce jojoba oil (organic)

Place both the beeswax and the jojoba oil in a Pyrex glass measuring cup. Fill a soup pot 1/4 of the way with water and boil. Place the Pyrex in the pot of water and wait for the beeswax to melt into the jojoba. This takes about 5 minutes on a high heat. Be sure none of the water from the pot boils into the Pyrex.
When melted, mix quickly and pour into a 2 oz jar, add the essential oils, stir, and cover right away. Let it cool and you have your perfume!

Mother's Day Sale!

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In case you haven't peeked at your calendar lately, Mother's Day is coming up on May 13th. In an effort to help make your gift-giving a bit easier, I'm offering 15% off all items in my shop! Simply enter coupon code "IHEARTMOM" when checking out and the discount will be automatically applied.

I will also add a personalized note with any order so that you can express your love for Mom (or Grandma, Aunt, or any other beloved momma). Just specify your note when you check out!  ;)

Happy Shopping!

Aromatherapy/Botanicals Tip of the Week

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It's starting to get warmer and the days are getting longer which, for many of us, means more time spent outdoors. As much as we may love to get outside, the one drawback are those annoying mosquitoes that are always hovering around. Today I'm going to be sharing a recipe for a natural insect repellent, using essential oils. Enjoy!

Natural Insect Repellent
(from AromaWeb)

4-ounce clean spray bottle with a fine mist setting (do not use a bottle that previously contained cleaning products or hair products such as hair spray)
1.5 ounces distilled water and 1.5 ounces high-proof alcohol (or 3 ounces distilled water)
15 drops citronella essential oil
10 drops lavender essential oil
10 drops eucalyptus essential oil
5 drops lemongrass essential oil

Fill the spray bottle with the vodka/water mixture (or just water) and add the essential oils. Shake before each use. Spray on skin and clothing before going outside.

Aromatherapy/Botanicals Tip of the Week

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As you may already know, I've been practicing yoga for a few years now and I'm always interested in ways to improve my yoga sessions. So I was pleased to come across this great article from Aura Cacia entitled "Enhancing Yoga with Essential Oils". The article goes over the benefits of using aromatherapy during your yoga practice.

You can find the full article here, but I'll give you a little snippet for now:

Benefits of Essential Oils

Vetiver, ginger and patchouli will be grounding and earth-connecting while sandalwood and cedarwood are stabilizing, strengthening and centering–all of these essential oils will help with balance and stability in your yoga poses.

Myrrh, frankincense, eucalyptus and rosemary encourage the flow of energy, self-expression and help you achieve steady, deep inhalations and exhalations. (Mastering your breathing process is as important to successful yoga practice as the poses.)

Lavender, geranium and chamomile are calming and relaxing.

Bergamot, lemon and orange lend a sense of fulfillment and spiritual nourishment to your yoga quest.

Neroli, jasmine, ylang ylang and rose promote transcendence and spiritual expression.

Aromatherapy/Botanicals Tip of the Week

Being a candle maker, I typically burn candles at home to keep our rooms smelling fresh and clean. But sometimes you want something quicker that you can just spritz before leaving the room. In the past, I've used commercial room sprays but I always found them to be irritating. Then, when we got our cat I noticed she would wince and get all squinty whenever I used a room spray (even though I've always been careful not to spray it in her direction). I felt so bad about possibly irritating my kitty's eyes that I started looking for a recipe for a natural room spray and I cam across this super easy version. The original recipes called for only 10 drops of essential oils but it was such a slight aroma, it was practically invisible. So we bumped it up a bit. Play around with the amount of essential oils and figure out what works best for your personal preference. Enjoy!


Natural Room Spray
(Makes 8 ounces)

1/2 cup vodka (the cheap-o stuff will do)
1/2 cup water
20-30 drops of your favorite essential oils (I used 14 drops of rosemary and 14 drops of juniper)

Combine all ingredients in an 8-ounce spray bottle. Shake before each use.