Babes, maybe today is the day to visit the "someday when I have time" Pinterest folder that has been building up the past few years and start digging into some of those fun recipes you have been meaning to try. When I began using dōterra essential oils one thing I was super excited about was the feeling that I could create most products in our home with a handful of ingredients. When we ran out of something, no problem, I could easily whip up another bath and away we go. So that being said here are some of my personal top favs for your hands (and body) love mostly with products from around the house that might be fun to try.
Fabulous Skin Salve - recipe found HERE This salve is our multi purpose everything cream. It is thick and amazing, and totally ok if your kiddos lick it. Win Win.
Here is a list of the many ways we use it in our home:
-dry cracked hands/feet
-chapped lips
-as bum cream (amazing diaper cream)
-after shave relief
-after sun care
-cuticle cream
-irritated skin
-dry elbows + knees
-stretch marks
With 9 ingredients and most of them already in your home it's a great DIY that lasts a long time. I bought jars from the dollar store kitchen section but a mason jar or reusing one from the kitchen would work great too. Many of the ingredients can be found in any natural health store or online. For the essential oils bc you are putting it on your body I obviously only recommend dōterra. You can grab those here. While we are talking hands babe what happens when that fancy "winter walk musky bear" hand soap runs out on you? Want a quick simple recipe to add to your tools that will leave you feeling proud that "you made that" but also give you extra health benefits? Consider it a friend with benefits.
Hand Soap from the dōterra Blog
Super easy babe to whip up, gentle on the hands and yet super effective. I love adding citrus oils (think wild orange, bergamot, citrus bliss) for the spring/summer to keep it fresh and onguard/siberian fir in the cooler months to keep it cozy.
Nail Care. Perhaps you find yourself in a season where you have had to say goodbye to your bi-weekly manicure and find yourself with naked nails from your manicure growing out or potentially picked off.
*OUCH*
Shellac and I parted ways months ago. But man were my nails in sad shape when that day came. They were thin, brittle and super painful.
So a few tips for bringing those nails back to life. Gently give them a little buff to smooth them out. Then massage them with coconut oil or another fabulous carrier oil such as argon oils, vitamin E, castor oil, olive oil... don't forget the cuticles. Personally when I was doing this bi-weekly to get my own nails in better shape I liked to switch up adding various essential oils to it too. Some of my favourites include lemon, frankincense, rosemary, or lavender. I would apply it, rub it in and leave it for 10 minutes before gently washing my hands. If you find a yellow tinge discoloration underneath the polish add some tea tree to the mix too. For nails that are super thin, brittle and painful like mine were I would massage helichrysum frequently into my nail beds. It worked like a charm to help decrease the sensitivity. Do this as often as needed. And then let those babies breathe for a season. It's amazing how quickly it can feel freeing not scrambling to the nail salon every two weeks can be.. If it was "your time" still make space for a weekly manicure for yourself. Dōterra Spa Replenishing Body Butter Ok ok, this one isn't a DIY but I feel if we were talking hands and I didn't mention this one I would be doing you a dis-service. First it smells delicious, second it is infused with amazing enriching oils for the skin, thirdly it's super thick and coats the hands amazingly. I love it for dry sun kissed skin, wrinkly dish pan hands, dried out winter skin... everything! It is a great all over body cream but after applying the salve I also like to layer on the body butter for extra moisture. Read up about it here. However, since this is about DIY I will share a DIY Whipped Body Butter recipe for you too babe. Doesn't it look delicious, it smells and feels just as great. With 6 ingredients it's super easy to make and a great addition to your routine.
So there you have it love, a few quick recipes you can whip up in your home for those lovely hands of yours that also crosses into full on body plus self care. As I began to empower myself with learning about oils I also became super aware of all the products in our home including what we were putting on our bodies. I began to research what we were currently using and found it quite eye opening to just how many chemicals + fragrance we were applying simply from cleaning our hands and moisturizing. Curious about your products too? Check out the Environmental Working Group . I have the app on my phone and plug in products all the time to get a rating on how clean they actually are and any unknowns hiding in them. Not in anyway to come from a fear based approach but knowledge is power. You might just be surprised what is actually in that hand soap of yours my love. Why not create one for your home that is just as effective but so many side benefits thanks to the oils. Anyways love that's all for now. If you are excited to try some of these recipes I encourage you to dig in. If you haven't jumped into dōterra essential oils and are wanting to start growing a collection of amazing tools I created a page to get started with purchasing your oils, you can find that HERE. If you still have questions love feel free to connect with me here. I would be happy to help with any questions you might have. Happy creating babe! xo Meg