Essential Oil DIY Recipe: Love Your Feet Again Foot Powder

Spring is all about fresh flowers, beautiful weather and … wearing sneakers without socks. Just us? Ok. Even if you’re not on the sneakers-without-socks train, warming temperatures mean (among many wonderful things) smellier feet.

But we’ve got one more DIY essential oil-infused recipe for you, and this one will help you love your feet again, no matter the weather. And as with all our DIY recipes, it’s quick, easy and takes just a couple household staples and your favorite oils.

Let’s get started!

Say goodbye to smelly feet with our DIY Foot Powder. 

Say goodbye to smelly feet with our DIY Foot Powder. 

Supplies & Ingredients

Supplies

  • Measuring Spoon
  • Mixing Spoon
  • Small Mason Jar

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons Arrowroot powder
  • 3 tablespoons Baking Soda
  • 15 Drops Tea Tree Essential Oil  
  • 15 Drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil
  • 10 Drops Lavender Essential Oil

OR mix things up and go with 25 drops Purification Essential Oil. The amount of essential oil is a personal preference. Add less or more - it's up to you!

How It’s Done

Just mix up ingredients in your mason jar. #YesReally

Use Today

This part is easy, too. You can either sprinkle the powder in your shoes or rub some on the bottom of your feet before putting on shoes. Experiment with the method, either way, your feet should be lovable again soon! And please, don’t hesitate trying this on your kiddos’ (cute but stinky) feet as well.

Confession time: On a scale from 1-10, how much do you need this powder in your life?

Essential Oil DIY Recipe: Baby Powder

Ready for another naturally great DIY Essential Oil recipe? This one is mom-approved, baby-approved and cloth diapering safe! This week we give you essential oil-infused Baby Powder! As always, you can throw our recipes together with household staples and your favorite essential oils.

Keep baby's skin soft AND your peace of mind? That's a win-win with this DIY Baby Powder. 

Keep baby's skin soft AND your peace of mind? That's a win-win with this DIY Baby Powder. 

Supplies & Ingredients

Supplies

  • Glass Mixing Bowl
  • Measuring Cups
  • Mixing Spoon
  • Storage Container (Mason Jar or glass shaker)*

*Store in a dark, dry place.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Arrowroot powder**
  • 5-10 drops of (pick one):
  • Lavender
  • Roman Chamomile
  • Ylang Ylang
  • Melrose
  • Gentle Baby

**You can also use ¼ cup cornstarch and ¼ cup Arrowroot, but again, we prefer Arrowroot. It’s best for sensitive skin and does not promote yeast growth like cornstarch can.

How It’s Done

Another “why haven’t I tried this before” two-step process!

  1. Combine all ingredients in your glass mixing bowl.
  2. Store in your chosen container.

Use Today

Baby powder helps absorb extra moisture to keep your baby’s skin soft and smooth. Add your favorite soothing oil to keep your baby smelling fresh and a smile on your face, even during diaper changes. Plus, giving your baby a signature scent will give you an instant connection to sweet baby days whenever you happen to smell the oil you use in your powder recipe, even years later!

For baby,

  1. Shake powder out onto your hand (avoiding baby’s face).
  2. Apply with every diaper change and after every bath.

For You,

Don’t let baby have all the fun! This recipe is also great for parents (and non-parents). Apply in the morning and throughout the day to keep your skin sweat-free and soft.

Do you DIY? What’s your can’t-live-without-it homemade beauty product?

Switch & Ditch Quick Fix: Thieves Fruit & Veggie Spray

In honor of our 2017 Switch & Ditch resolution, we wanted to highlight one of the goodies from the March promo: Thieves Fruit & Veggie Spray. Learn how to banish herbicides from your life with just a few spritzes.

Why?

Small but mighty, Thieves Fruit & Veggie Spray is one of our favorite Switch & Ditch solutions! Easy, quick and effective (woo hoo!). 

Small but mighty, Thieves Fruit & Veggie Spray is one of our favorite Switch & Ditch solutions! Easy, quick and effective (woo hoo!). 

You make sure your family eats fruits and veggies (check).

You even buy organic when it makes sense (check again).

But … (you knew a ‘but’ was coming, right?) ...

Did you know that even organic produce still has herbicides you don’t want in your bodies?

Enter Thieves Fruit & Veggie Spray.  

How Does it Work?

Powered by Thieves and Lime essential oil, this spray safely and effectively cleanses produce.

How-To:

  1. Spray to cover produce.
  2. Rub for 30 seconds.
  3. Rinse under running water.

Where?

Here’s one of our favorite parts! The 2-oz. bottle is perfect for on-the-go, which means you can have clean produce wherever your day takes youacross town or around the globe.  

More Ideas:

Here are a few ways Tree of Life team members have used the Fruit & Veggie spray beyond cleaning their favorite fruits and veggies:

  • Cleaning coolers
  • Cleansing pacifiers (just like with produce, make sure to rinse with water before handing back to baby)
  • Taking grease stains out of clothes
  • Repelling picnic pests

We may have to award it a MVP for most versatile product!

One More Spotlight

We loved taking the time to highlight one of our favorite Ditch and Switch items today. We hope it inspired you to continue ditching harmful chemicals in your family’s daily life. What’s even better? You can earn the Thieves Fruit & Veggie spray for free this month! Check out this post to find out how. And check out our Essential Rewards 101 page to learn everything you need to know about how to earn more of your favorite Young Living products for free.

What’s your favorite Switch and Ditch you’ve made in 2017?

Young Living March Promo: Fresh & Free!

What's not to love about Fresh and Free? This promo is full of refreshing freebies for spring, including one of our most beloved essential oils: Frankincense. Seriously, we use it for everything from skin support to mediation focus. Love. It. Other goodies include lovely Lavender, Thieves Fruit & Veggie Spray, woodsy Blue Cypress and zesty Lime Vitality. Check out the full details below!

Order your favorite products to earn your favorite products? Sounds like a good way to kick off spring. 

Order your favorite products to earn your favorite products? Sounds like a good way to kick off spring. 

300 PV (Retail Value: $184.22)

Essential Rewards exclusive:

250 PV (Retail Value: $87.51)

Essential Rewards exclusive:

190 PV (Retail Value: $56.59)

Essential Rewards exclusive:

100 PV (Retail Value: $7.57)

Essential Rewards exclusive:

Essential Rewards 101

Don't miss out on exclusive essential rewards freebies! Find out everything you need to enroll here.

Poll Time: What's your favorite oil to diffuse for Spring? 

Essential DIY Recipes: Deodorant Powder

We’re back with another essential oil-infused DIY recipe: Deodorant Powder. While ditching commercial hand soaps or toothpastes is often no sweat (hello there, Thieves line), finding a natural deodorant you love can be tough.

We get it. We don’t like to mess with BO or skin sensitivity, either. But we also don’t like to mess with applying harsh chemicals on our bodies, especially so close to lymph nodes and breast tissue. Making your own deodorant helps you ditch no-no ingredients like aluminum and Fragrance and switch to essential oil-powered freshness you can feel great about.

Simple instructions, common supplies, power to personalize...what are you waiting for? This DIY deodorant power is amazing! 

Simple instructions, common supplies, power to personalize...what are you waiting for? This DIY deodorant power is amazing! 

Supplies & Ingredients

Supplies

  • Glass Mixing Bowl
  • Measuring Spoons and Cups
  • Mixing Spoon
  • Storage Container (like a salt shaker or baby powder bottle)

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup baking soda
  • 1/4 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch*
  • 10 drops of your favorite Essential Oil

Tree of Life Fresh Favorites: Our team loves adding Purification, Stress Away, Lavender, Cedarwood and Shutran to this natural deodorant recipe. Mix, match and experiment to find your signature scent.

*Pro Tip: We usually prefer arrowroot over cornstarch. Cornstarch can cause skin sensitivity and yeast growth. Test both and find what works for you!

How It’s Done

  1. Combine all ingredients in your glass mixing bowl.
  2. Store in your chosen container.

Use Today

Apply under arms as needed.

Need Extra Protection? You’ve Got it!

If you feel like you need even more BO warding power, you have a few options:

  1. Layer: Apply a few more drops of your favorite scent on top of powder.
  2. Spray:  Or, make a water and purification spray in a glass spray bottle to spray on top. This method is another Tree of Life favorite!

Share!

Are you planning to make your own Deodorant Powder? Share which signature Essential Oil scent you’ll add to your DIY recipe in the comments!

 

Essential Oil DIY Recipes: Dry Shampoo

How is your ditching and switching going? To support your quest to banish parabens, dyes and fragrances from your personal care routine, we are kicking off a new series: Essential Oil DIY.

We’ve rounded up several recipes that you can whip up with common household ingredients and your favorite essential oils. Tune in each week to make Ditch and Switch even easier.

Today, we are inspired by the Young Living blog and we’re sharing their Dry Shampoo recipe with a few tips of our own.

Essential Oil-Infused DIY Dry Shampoo

Keep your locks luscious by only shampooing once or twice a week … yes, really. If your hair starts to get greasy between shampoos, then it’s dry shampoo to the rescue! It will absorb oil and leave your hair smelling great!

We love this recipe because it’s fast, easy and full of things you already have around your house.

Getting Started: Supplies & Ingredients

Supplies

Quick - Gather a few supplies around your house and let’s get started!

  • Glass Mixing Bowl
  • Measuring Spoons and Cups
  • Mixing Spoon
  • Storage Container (like a salt shaker or baby powder bottle)
  • Old Blush Brush

Ingredients

Delicious Detail: If you have dark hair, add 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder. Consider adding scents that go well with chocolate like a drop or two of Peppermint essential oil, yum!

Play with Personalization: Here are a few more oils that are great for hair and scalp support: Lavender, Patchouli, Clary Sage. Swap out an oil above for one of these for a new way to love your locks.  

How It’s Done

See? Quick and easy!

Use Today!

  1. Sprinkle on roots of hair, start with your natural part and continue to re-part your hair for full coverage.
  2. Blend shampoo into hair with your makeup brush and massage into scalp for a deep clean.
  3. Leave for 2–3 minutes to absorb hair’s natural oils.
  4. Brush through your hair.

There’s More

Tune in next week for another quick and easy DIY recipe! If you’re interested in growing your scalp-supporting oil collection, consider joining the Essential Rewards program. You can order new oils each month, while earning free stuff and points toward even more oils. It’s pretty amazing and we encourage all fellow oil-lovers to give it a try!

Top 3 Reasons to LOVE Palo Santo (Holy Wood)

Have you checked out the February Promo? There’s a lot to love about each of these awesome freebies. And while you might already adore Lemongrass for its digestive support or swoon for PanAway’s head-soothing power, you might not be familiar with Palo Santo.

The Tree of Life team is already head-over-heels for this versatile oil, so today we share our top 3 ways to use Palo Santo.  

It’s time to get acquainted with Palo Santo … or Holy Wood … or the Frankincense of South America … or your new favorite uplifting aroma.

It’s time to get acquainted with Palo Santo … or Holy Wood … or the Frankincense of South America … or your new favorite uplifting aroma.

1. Meditation Muse

Palo Santo earns the nickname Holy Wood because its woodsy aroma is perfect for grounding during meditation. Try diffusing while practicing mindfulness or applying a few drops directly to the forehead. Much like Frankincense it should inspire spiritual connectedness.

2. Mmmmmmh … Calming

Whether you are cleansing the air of ‘Eau de trashcan’ or your mind from stress, diffusing Santa Palo helps create a calming environment for your mood and a refreshing aroma for your nose.

3. Massage Must-Have  

Treat tired muscles to a post-workout massage with Palo Santo. A 1:1 dilution with your favorite carrier oil applied directed to desired area should deliver the pampering you crave (and deserve!).

This oil takes a lot of work! It is only distilled from Palo Santo trees after they have been dead and lying on the ground for 5 (yes, really) years.

This oil takes a lot of work! It is only distilled from Palo Santo trees after they have been dead and lying on the ground for 5 (yes, really) years.

Must Have!

Don’t miss out! This month you can earn Palo Santo for free, plus other goodies through Young Living’s monthly promo. We suggest checking out the Essential Rewards program to get the best bang out of your buck (like earning more freebies and points toward your favorite oils).

ER-Normous News!

Happy Friday! After all the Fun February Freebies, we hope you can handle even more good news: Young Living has streamlined it's Essential Rewards enrollment for new members! New members can now customize their first ER order woo hoo! 

Need more details? Check out (and share!) our breakdown of this exciting announcement below. 

Awesome Update: New Members can order their Premium Starter Kit AND enroll in ER with a custom order. AND earn points toward that month's promo. AND save on shipping. Hello, streamlined process. 

Awesome Update: New Members can order their Premium Starter Kit AND enroll in ER with a custom order. AND earn points toward that month's promo. AND save on shipping. Hello, streamlined process. 

Join Now! 

Not a member? Find out how to join the Tree of Life Team today. If you have questions, please leave them in the comments or contact us

Young Living February Promo: Fun Freebies for Someone Special (You!)

While you're showering others with love this month, Young Living's thoughtful February promo focuses on Y-O-U. Discover a new signature scent (Lemongrass) or an invigorating midday pick-me-up (Eucalyptus Radiata) in this month's promo that's all about giving yourself some love. With favorites like PanAway and Palo Santo up for grabs (more on these versatile oils next week), what's not to love? 

Read on for all the goodies you can treat yo'self to this month with your qualifying order. 

Check out the Fun February Freebies. Treat yo'self! 

Check out the Fun February Freebies. Treat yo'self! 

300 PV (Retail Value: $187.59) 

Bonus Essential Rewards exclusive: 

250 PV (Retail Value: $121.31)

Bonus Essential Rewards exclusive: 

190 PV (Retail Value: $55.92)

Bonus Essential Rewards exclusive: 

100 PV (Retail Value: $8.22)

Bonus Essential Rewards exclusive: 5-ml Lemongrass

Share the Love!

Excited about this promo? Shout it from the rooftops (or your favorite social media outlet:) with our super-convenient share button below. 

Switch & Ditch: Personal Care Edition

Did anyone already switch to all-natural cleaning products (like this one!) and ditch your chemical-heavy cleaning cohorts? Let us know! A clean sweep never felt or smelled so good.

This week, we are continuing our switch and ditch theme, but now: it’s getting personal. Personal care products, that is.

As far as personal wellness goals go, treating your skin to natural products should be right there on your resolution list along with healthy diet and exercise. And Young Living has plenty of all-natural, essential-oil infused goodies. Ready for some switch and ditch tips? We thought so.  

Switch & Ditch: Personal Care Edition

Make your 2017 resolution a reality with a few of our favorites like the ART skincare system, Young Living's super popular face cream, foaming face wash and toner. 

Make your 2017 resolution a reality with a few of our favorites like the ART skincare system, Young Living's super popular face cream, foaming face wash and toner. 

Oral Care

Let’s start with something you do everyday: brush your teeth. Time to ditch toothpaste with artificial sweeteners and toxic chemicals and switch to natural toothpaste that will freshen your breath and gently wash away staining.

The Thieves lines makes this easy. Try one of three Thieves lines toothpastes along with Thieves Dental Floss and Thieves Fresh Essence Mouthwash.

Hand Care

Make sure washing or cleaning your hands actually washes and cleanses without artificial fragrances or toxins.

I’m in love with the Thieves Foaming hand soap. It smells wonderful and is a great way to introduce guests to Thieves goodness. For on-the-go cleansing, Thieves Waterless Hand Cleanser is on my must-travel list.

Face Care

Whether you are focusing on cleansing, restoring, moisturizing or refining, Young Living has products and oils to try. Some of my favorite anti-aging oils include:

  • Rose - high-frequency oil great for moisturizing and refining skin
  • Patchouli - favorite oil for daily moisturizing
  • Lavender - skin MVP, a must for cleansing, moisturizing and refining
  • Frankincense - sacred oil that restores and moisturizes skin  
  • Myrrh - another must-have for moisturizing  

Start slow and experiment. We suggest adding a beauty oil to your order each month. Everyone is different, so everyone will have different favorites. Once you find your favorites, here are a few tips to get the most out of your beauty regime (and save some money).

Make a Homemade Cream

Make your own body and face cream and infuse with your favorite essential oils. That way you get a daily dose of oils, while stretching your supply.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup shea butter
  • ½ cup coconut oil
  • ½ cup liquid oil (like almond, grapeseed, jojoba or avocado oil)
  • 5-10 drops of essential oils of choice

Directions:

  1. Melt shea butter and coconut oil on stovetop
  2. Let cool completely
  3. Add liquid oil and essential oils for choice
  4. Whip to decadent texture

Homemade Serums

Another way to stretch your beauty oils and save time in your routine: create your own serums. Add your favorite oils and apply after your cream morning and night. To make, you will need to gather a few supplies like 1-oz glass bottles, roller ball fitments and funnels.

Ingredients:

  • 1-oz. favorite carrier oil (again: think liquid food oils like almond, grapeseed or avocado)
  • 1-2 drops each of your favorite anti-aging oils

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a small, amber glass bottle. Yup, it’s that easy!

Hair Care

Tame your locks with natural care products. This one is especially important, considering when you rinse off shampoo it flows down the rest of your body. Young Living has some great daily shampoos (like yummy Lavender Mint) to nourish and cleanse hair.

You can also add oils to your hair care routine. When styling, I add a drop of Ylang Ylang to my hair for a gorgeous floral scent and curl-boosting moisture. Other great hair oils include:

  • Geranium - rehydrates hair, try adding to your conditioner
  • Lavender - nourishes and may thicken hair
  • Rosemary - allows nutrients to penetrate hair and scalp
  • Tea Tree - soothes your scalp

Body Care

Body Wash

Like hair care products, body wash is exposed to large parts of your body. Making your own body wash was never easier with Young Living’s bath and shower gel base. Just add 5-10 drops of your favorite oil. Any of our favorite hair and skin oils would work, or you can try an uplifting blend like Joy.

Deodorants

And finally, we’ll end with another daily personal care product: Deodorant. Young Living offers great aluminum-free options that smell great! (Like this one). You can also experiment using an oil as a deodorant. Purification is a great, cleansing and aromatically fresh option to try!

Switch, Ditch & Save

Ready to ditch commercially produced personal care products? Easy. Switch to buying your natural shampoo, hand soap and floss with Young Living’s autoship program, Essential Rewards. We love it because we get to buy the products we love while earning freebies and points toward even more products we love. We think you will, too!

Any questions? Ask away in the comments.

Peace & Calming Freebie Alert!

Beloved blog readers, listen up. If you are on the fence about starting your essential oil journey this year, here's a little extra incentive: order the Premium Starter Kit before January 31, 2017 and earn Peace & Calming for free. 

Haven't met this little bottle of wonderful? You need to. A Young Living favorite, Peace & Calming is great for diffusing before bed (especially if you have a restless kiddo or 2!). And, due to popularity, it's usually out of stock.

A $34.75 value for free with your purchase!

A $34.75 value for free with your purchase!

Members, you know what to do. Share and don't let friends and family miss this deal! 

Switch & Ditch in 2017: Clean House Edition

It’s resolution season, so we’ll take the last two weeks of January to give you tips on a couple of naturally awesome goals. Week 1 Objective: Clean House in your Cleaning Closet.

That’s right. Make 2017 the year you ditch chemical-laden, toxic cleaners and switch to the good stuff. By good stuff we mean cleaners that you don’t have to worry about coming in contact with you or your family’s skin or lungs. And bonus cleaners that do just as good a job (or better!) cleaning every surface of your house.

Read on for practical tips, quick fixes and tried-and-true recipes. Happy Switching and Ditching!

Ditch toxic cleaning products and switch to all-natural, essential oil-powered clean. 

Ditch toxic cleaning products and switch to all-natural, essential oil-powered clean. 

The All-Important All-Purpose Cleaner

Ditching your old cleaners has another bonus: you can replace all those bottles with just one. Yup. I bought a 14.4 oz. bottle of Thieves Household cleaner 3+ years ago and I am still using it one capful at a time.

I spray this versatile mix on kitchen and bathroom countertops, glass and mirrors. Basically everywhere.*

All-Purpose/Glass Cleaner Recipe

  • 3 cups water
  • 1 capful (approx. 1 tsp) Thieves Household Cleaner
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • 3-5 drops your choice oil (I usually use Lemon, but Citrus Fresh or Tea Tree, would be other fresh ideas)

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in your favorite glass spray bottle, spray, wipe away, SMILE.

*When in doubt, try the all-purpose cleaner in a conspicuous spot first. Especially on surfaces like granite or sandstone, where a higher dilution may be in order.     

Kitchen

Thieves Line Quick Fixes*: Thieves Dish Soap, Thieves Automatic Dishwasher Powder

*If you love Thieves Household cleaner, check out the whole line! We’ve included links to some of our favorite products by room to make things (you guessed it) EASY.

Recipe for Clean Tile Floors:

  • ⅛ Cup Thieves Dish Soap
  • ⅛ Cup White Vinegar
  • 1 Gallon Warm Water

Instructions:

Mix and Mop!

Trashcan Tip:

Keep your trash can fresher in two steps!

  1. Put 2-3 drops Citrus Fresh (or preferred Essential Oil, Purification would be a great choice) on a cotton ball.
  2. Place cotton ball in trash can before you insert liner.

Laundry

Thieves Line Quick Fixes: Thieves Laundry Soap

Laundry Soap Tip: Like the household cleaner, this soap is super concentrated. 32-oz. should give you at least 64 loads of clean clothes!

Dryer Sheet Replacement

You know you’re an adult when you get dryer balls for Christmas. But I did this year, and I embraced my adulthood by being totally excited. The wool dryer balls not only help laundry dry faster with less static and wrinkles, they also provide the perfect opportunity to ditch toxic dryer sheets in favor of therapeutic grade essential oils.

I have 4 balls and I add a couple drops of oil to each for a refreshing scent. My favorites are Lavender and Citrus Fresh. Others to try: Stress Away and Joy

Bathrooms

Thieves Line Quick Fixes: Thieves Wipes

Toilet Tips:

I’ve gotten natural toilet cleaning down to 4 steps:

  1. Spray toilet bowl with all-purpose Thieves cleaner (recipe above).
  2. Sprinkle bowl with about ¼ cup baking soda.
  3. Let mixture sit while you wipe down the rest of the toilet with a rag and all-purpose cleaner.
  4. Scrub bowl.

Tub Tips:

Most cleaning sessions, I simply wipe tubs and showers with my all-purpose cleaner, but if deeper cleaning is in order I have a couple of options:

  1. Sprinkle half a lemon with baking soda to tackle stubborn stains.
  2. Create a paste with 1 capful Thieves Household Cleaner and 2-3 TB baking soda.
  3. For a refreshing clean, spray tub with vinegar. Adding a few drops of Lavender or Tea Tree oil will help amp up cleaning power and tune out the intense vinegar aroma.

Last Sweep: Miscellaneous Tips

Carpet

Ditch musty carpet smell with this carpet freshener recipe we shared in our Oil of the Week series:  

Recipe:

  • 1 cup baking soda
  • 5 drops of Thieves Essential Oil Blend

Instructions:

  1. Combine ingredients in shaker, mix well and let sit overnight.
  2. Sprinkle over carpets and vacuum.

General Stain Remover

Reach for Lemon for any weird, sticky, stubborn stains. It’s a natural at getting gunk out of your life.

Wood Cleaner

This recipe works wonders on wooden cabinets and furniture:

  • 1 capful Thieves Household Cleaner
  • 1 cup Olive Oil
  • 2-3 Drops Lemon  

Making the Switch Made Easy

If you’re ready to make the switch, the Young Living Essential Rewards program makes it super easy (and affordable). You just:

  1. Ditch the toxic cleaners in your home.
  2. Ditch the toxic cleaners on your shopping list.
  3. Switch to Essential Rewards for all your natural cleaning needs.

Your grocery list will get shorter and your house will become naturally clean. Just add a cleaning product to your order each month to help you keep this 2017 resolution! You’ll even earn points toward free products while you’re at it.

Have a cleaning quandary? Ask us in the comments!

Hello, Helichrysum: Rejuvenating Essential Oil, You

Today, we spotlight Helichrysum. This rare flower is a vital ingredient in 16 Young Living products. Before we share a few quick tips and facts, here’s a spoiler of some amazing benefits: Dried Helichrysum flowers keep their fragrance, shape and color for years, earning the nickname Everlasting Flower.

If your curiosity is piqued, keep reading, because this month … drumroll … you can earn Helichrysum for free! (Find out how here!). Ok, time to introduce the wheres, whys and hows of Helichrysum. Hello, new friend.  

Fast Fact: Helichrysum has a high frequency making it perfect to diffuse for grounding during study or mediation.

Fast Fact: Helichrysum has a high frequency making it perfect to diffuse for grounding during study or mediation.

Where?

Young Living grows its Helichrysum in Croatia. This hearty plant prefers rocky soil to keep it warm day and night. Instead of harvesting the entire plant, Young Living takes just the top 10-12 inches. The stalk will grow back within a week!

Why?

As you can see, Helichrysum has wonderful rejuvenating and restorative properties. We love it for:

  • Improving appearance of tender skin
  • Supporting mood, even during conflict
  • Easing minor muscle tension or bone discomfort
  • Maintaining healthy circulation
  • Supporting the respiratory system
  • General cleansing properties  

How?  

1. Diffuse:

The uplifting aroma can help soothe moods and stimulate focus. You can diffuse up to 1 hour 3 times a day.  

2. Apply Topically

Try applying 2-4 drops to the feet or directly to area of choice. Dilution is not typically required.

Now What?

We hope you enjoyed getting to know a rare oil today. If you want more information, leave us a question in the comments. We’d also love to hear how you plan to use it first.

And again, find out how you can add its grounding, restorative properties to your oily tool kit for free this month.

Young Living January Promo: New Year, Fresh Favorites

There's something inspiring about a New Year, and we feel that this month's promo captures that feeling perfectly with 6 (yes, 6!) amazing oils: Citrus Fresh Vitality, Eucalyptus Globulus, Basil Vitality, Joy, Helichrysum and Peace and Calming. Each one can help you tackle a resolution with natural zest.

Want to drink more water? Add some Citrus Fresh Vitality for a tasty treat. Trying to work in more work outs? Motivate yourself with the promise of a Eucalyptus-infused massage. Moving up your bedtime? Introduce Peace & Calming into your nighttime routine. 

Ready to find out more? Read on for details. 

Happy New Year to you! Earn these 6 oils with your qualifying purchase. Bonus Resolution Tip: Try cooking more at home with Basil Vitality! 

Happy New Year to you! Earn these 6 oils with your qualifying purchase. 

Bonus Resolution Tip: Try cooking more at home with Basil Vitality! 

300 PV (Retail Value $255.25)

Bonus Essential Rewards exclusives:

250 PV (Retail Value $97.69)

Bonus Essential Rewards exclusives:

190 PV (Retail Value $42.76)

Bonus Essential Rewards exclusives:

  100 PV (Retail Value $9.54)

Bonus Essential Rewards exclusive:

5-ml Citrus Fresh Vitality™

One More Resolution

Resolve to never miss free oils in 2017 with Young Living's awesome autoship program, Essential Rewards. Find out everything you need to know on our Essential Rewards 101 page. 

We Wish You a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

We wanted to take a moment to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Tree of Life Family to yours. To celebrate this special time, we've collected a few of our favorite festive diffuser recipes. It's just a small gift to let you know how much we appreciate you visiting the blog and joining the conversation.

MerryChristmas

 Enjoy the holiday! See you soon, we are looking forward to a wonderful 2017! 

Young Living Fall Favs: NingXia Red

As temperatures drop and winter officially approaches, it’s more important than ever to give our immune systems a little encouragement. To help you do just that, we’re talking about NingXia Red, a great way to support and maintain a healthy body. Mix this liquid supplement in your favorite hot tea, and it’s like giving your an immune system a nice, warm hug. If that’s not encouraging (and cozy!), we don’t know what is. Read on to find out what makes it so great and creative ways you can treat yourself to the antioxidant goodness, too.

Behind on our series? Check out the rest of our Young Living Fall Favs here: Christmas Spirit, Release, Inner Defense, and R.C., Raven and Breathe Again. Don’t be without them this winter!  

What Makes NingXia Red So Great?

NingXia Red earns a spot on our Fall Favs list by encouraging healthy bodies, even as temperatures drop. 

NingXia Red earns a spot on our Fall Favs list by encouraging healthy bodies, even as temperatures drop. 

The wolfberry (lycium barbarum) is a key ingredient to Young Living’s liquid supplement, NingXia Red. It is a macro nutrient rich fruit, maximizing the full potential of the most vital of antioxidant foods. Young Living chose to use the whole fruit for this purpose. Each bottle contains the pulp of the whole berry, not just the juice, so shake it up before you pour yourself some! The sediment in your beautiful bottle is so important.

Along with the wolfberry, NingXia Red contains blueberries, cherries, pomegranates, and aronia (choke berry), all high in antioxidant power, but, again, none can match that of the wolfberry. The wolfberry ranks highest on the ORAC scale at 1500 units per ounce. Don’t believe me? Go compare it to other whole foods.

Not only does the wolfberry make it great but so do the therapeutic grade essential oils that enhance the flavor and vitality of this supplement. NingXia Red contains Orange, Yuzu, Lemon, and Tangerine essential oil. These four oils provide each of their own unique properties, but all four are known for d-limonene, an amazing compound that supports many body systems from skin to digestion.

NingXia Red is packed full of antioxidants, immune stimulating polysaccharides, carotenoids, and has 15.6g of protein per 100g of fruit. This is just a snippet of the great properties of the NingXia wolfberry that make NingXia Red so amazing.

Great for the Whole Body!

NingXia Red aids in health functions of the whole body. It supports normal blood sugar, promotes regularity in digestion, supports circulation, helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels, aids in bone joint and ligament support, combats premature ageing, improves energy levels, supports vision, helps maintain healthy blood pressure, (whew!) … and so much more.

15 Ways to Drink Your NingXia Red

NingXia Red packets make it even easier to get your daily shot in. Pro-Tip: Bottles of NingXia Red may freeze during shipping in the winter, so packets are the way to go for the next few months. 

NingXia Red packets make it even easier to get your daily shot in. Pro-Tip: Bottles of NingXia Red may freeze during shipping in the winter, so packets are the way to go for the next few months. 

I drink NingXia Red every day. Sometimes I need a change from the same old way I drink my Red. There are many different recipes and creative little tricks to change up your NingXia routine. Let’s start with my new favorite. I just discovered it this week!

  • A shot of NingXia Red to my herbal tea in the morning, or at night. I have cut out coffee, which is a process, of course, but I look forward to my cup of NingXia tea in the morning now.
  • NingXia in seltzer water makes a great refreshing and revitalizing treat.
  • A frozen packet of NingXia Red to make a NingXia popsicle.
  • A shot of NingXia Red in your orange juice or other juice.
  • NingXia Red in your smoothie.
  • NingXia Red in your Balance Complete Shake.
  • NingXia Red blended with ice.
  • NingXia Red in your ice water. This is my standby. I like to add a different combination of essential oils every few days to change up the flavor.

Shoot it straight or dress it up with essential oils. Here are some tried and true recipes. Though, the combinations are limitless.

Atomic Fire Ball

  • 1oz NingXia Red
  • 2 drops Cinnamon Bark
  • 1 drop Ocotea

Mind Blaster

  • 1oz. NingXia Red
  • 1 drop Lime
  • 1 drop Peppermint
  • 1 drop Lemon
  • 1 drop Copaiba
  • 1 drop Cinnamon Bark

Hot Flash

  • 1 oz. NingXia Red
  • 2 drops Cinnamon Bark
  • 2 drops Peppermint

Dreamsicle

  • 1 oz. NingXia Red
  • 1 drop Orange
  • 1 drop Lime
  • 1 drop Tangerine
  • 1 drop Copaiba
  • 1 drop Grapefruit
  • 1 drop Lemon

Cimply Smooth

  • 1 oz. NingXia Red
  • 2 drops Tangerine
  • 2 drops Lime
  • 1 drop StressAway

Jump Start

  • 2 oz. NingXia Red
  • 3 drops Lime
  • 3 drops Orange
  • 2 drops Frankincense
  • 1 drop Black Pepper

Morning Glory

  • 2 oz. NingXia Red
  • 3 drops Citrus Fresh
  • 1 drop Black Pepper
  • 1 drop Bergamot

Note: Always drink 8-12 oz. of water with your NingXia Red to help your body absorb all of its nutrients.

Have you had your NingXia Red today? Share your favorite recipe in the comments!

Young Living Fall Favs: R.C., Raven & Breathe Again (What's the Difference?)

Sometimes this much-quoted Top Gun line comes to mind: “I feel the need, the need for SPEED!” Except, living in Houston, I find myself looking at my oil choices thinking, “I feel the need, the need to BREATHE!”

Fortunately, Young Living offers access to some really great oils to fill that need. While I sincerely appreciate the plants God created and YL’s ability to distill them into little bottles of oily awesomeness, TOO MANY CHOICES MAKE MY LITTLE BRAIN CONFUSED! Which one? How do I choose? What’s the difference?

Let’s focus on three of my favorite “breathing” oils! (See what I did there?!)

What’s the Difference? R.C., Raven & Breathe Again

R.C., Raven and Breathe Again all help support your respiratory system, but when should you use each? Good question! We're here with some helpful tips. 

R.C., Raven and Breathe Again all help support your respiratory system, but when should you use each? Good question! We're here with some helpful tips. 

First up: R.C.

R.C. is a blend of Eucalyptus (E. globulus), myrtle, pine, marjoram, eucalyptus radiata, eucalyptus citriodora, lavender, cypress, tsuga, and peppermint. What? Three different eucalyptus plants? Eucalyptus has great soothing properties, and RC delivers eucalyptus times 3! WOW! Add in myrtle, marjoram, peppermint and a few others, and you have powerful respiratory support.

I think everyone who breathes needs R.C., so let’s explore how to use it:

  • Massage on chest, back and/or feet
  • Use as compress on sinuses and nasal passages
  • Rub around ears, neck and throat
  • Use in diffuser
  • Add to steaming water; put towel over your head and inhale

At this point, I’ll make a confession. Having been through nursing school, I understand the intricacies of the respiratory system. Lean in now because I’m about to whisper … at night when the lights are out in the bedroom my diffuser runs with R.C. and lavender. Why, you ask? My husband had a really bad habit of making excessive noises while he slept! With R.C. in the diffuser, I have a MUCH more peaceful night’s rest! A little extra R.C. on his throat and chest and – what’s that? – sweet silence! Shhhhhh.

Next up: Raven, an excellent companion oil to R.C.

Raven is a blend of Ravensara, lemon, wintergreen, peppermint, and Eucalyptus radiata. Although it has fewer oils, it goes “beyond R.C.” for your respiratory system. Ravensara is a heavy hitter. As a cross between clove and nutmeg, it also supports the endocrine system. The added wintergreen contains 99% methyl salicylate, which gives it an extra punch. Another great benefit of Raven is skin support, but use caution and/or add V-6 oil (carrier oil) to avoid skin sensitivity. How would I use Raven?

  • Apply to lungs and throat
  • Put on pillow at night
  • Use in retention suppository with V-6 throughout the night to give lung support through the night
  • Use in diffuser
  • Add to steaming water; put towel over your head and inhale

Before I go further, it should be mentioned that alternating oils can be quite effective. R.C. and Raven can be exchanged and alternated effectively. For example, I might apply Raven on my feet and R.C. on my throat and chest, alternating morning and night.

Last up: Breathe Again Roll-On

If you like eucalyptus and you think R.C. is action packed, Breathe Again is your new best friend! This baby contains four (yep, count ‘em) FOUR single eucalyptus oils: eucalyptus staigeriana, eucalyptus globulus, laurel, rose hip, peppermint, eucalyptus radiata, copaiba, myrtle, manuka and eucalyptus blue.

Since it is a roll-on, it contains coconut oil as a carrier oil to help with the functionality of the roller filament. Typically, a one inch “roll” on the skin delivers about one drop of oil.  

Several of the single oils in this blend are noteworthy. Copaiba is extremely high in beta-caryophyllene. Manuka has a stabilizing and calming aroma. Eucalyptus blue’s invigorating scent offers a sense of peace and balance.

Even with the coconut oil added, be aware that this blend can cause skin sensitivity and is cautioned for use during pregnancy. How and/or when would I apply Breathe Again?

  • Across the bridge of my nose
  • On my sinus areas
  • Under the nose
  • Over the chest area

So, Which is Best?

You may still be wondering, ”Which one of the three is best?” Actually, it depends on your preference. In my family, one of my daughters prefers Raven and the other prefers R.C. I use both and carry Breathe Again in my purse.  

As I mentioned earlier, R.C. goes in my diffuser every night, but when I’m looking for serious respiratory support, I reach for Raven. If you want a particular result from an oil and aren’t getting the result you want, try switching oils. R.C., Raven and Breathe Again are only three of many YL oils you can choose. You might also consider adding Thieves and/or Frankincense to your respiratory support arsenal.  

If I had to make a comparison based on single oils in each blend, I would rate Raven as more powerful than R.C., and Breathe Again as a “convenience” oil due to the roller filament. I love the travel convenience of the roller aspect of Breathe Again, but when I am at home, I prefer inhaling oils from my hands, using them topically and in my diffuser. Try them all! Choose your favorite or alternate them! There is not a loser in the group!   

Join Our Team

Connect with us on FB on our Tree of Life page! You'll never miss a blog or update. Also, find me on FB and I’ll add you to my personal group, Oil Together Now and/or check out my website www.OilTogetherNow.net. If you have questions, you can drop me a note at OilTogethNow@gmail.com. I’d love to have you as part of my YL family where we live and learn with wellness, purpose and abundance!

Young Living December Promotion: Rewards to Celebrate!

We hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving! We're back this week to unveil some free holiday goodies. The December promotion includes yummy seasonal favorites like nutmeg, orange vitality and NingXia Nitro as well as a new blend, Excite. Excited? We are, too. We totally won't tell if you crack these gifts open before December 25. 

The Ho-Ho-Holiday Promotion

It's not hard to get in the spirit with rewards like these! 

It's not hard to get in the spirit with rewards like these! 

300 PV (Retail Value: $207.89)

  • 5-ml Excite: This promo-exclusive blend of Ocotea, Nutmeg, and more was created by D. Gary Young to encourage both energy for the holidays and inspiration for the new year. 
  • 15-ml Abundance™: In ancient cultures, Orange, Frankincense, Patchouli, and Ginger essential oils were used to bring an abundance of prosperity, joy and peace. 
  • NingXia Nitro®: NingXia Nitro is a Tree of Life holiday favorite. It supports alertness, as well as cognitive and physical fitness. Each box contains 14 20-ml tubes. 
  • 5-ml Orange Vitality™: Orange Vitality + Baked Goods. Enough said, right? 

Bonus Essential Rewards exclusives:

  • 5-ml Nutmeg: We love to diffuse this spice as we welcome guests. Try it with Orange for a zesty twist.  
  • 5-ml Tea Tree: Tea Tree is a must-have in your winter skin tool box. Its cleansing properties keep your skin smooth, no matter the weather.  

250 PV (Retail Value: $90.79)

  • NingXia Nitro, 14-count box 
  • 5-ml Orange Vitality 

Bonus Essential Rewards exclusives: 

  • 5-ml Nutmeg
  • 5-ml Tea Tree

190 PV (Retail Value: $39.80)

  • 5-ml Orange Vitality 

Bonus Essential Rewards exclusives: 

  • 5-ml Nutmeg
  • 5-ml Tea Tree 

100 PV (Retail Value: $14.80)

Bonus Essential Rewards exclusives: 

  • 5-ml Tea Tree 

See you Soon!

Next week, we'll continue to share our Young Living seasonal favorites, stay tuned! As always, if you have any questions about our post our how to join our Young Living community, don't hesitate to leave a comment or get in touch

Young Living Fall Favs: Inner Defense

Give me a “D”!  Give me an “E”!  Give me an “F”!  Give me an “E”!  Give me an “N”!  Give me an “S”!  Give me an “E”!  

What does it spell?  “DEFENSE!”  

What does it spell?  “DEFENSE!”  

What does it spell?  “DEFENSE!”  

We’ve all heard that cheer at some point in our lives, and we most likely think of football. But how about thinking outside the box and applying the principles of good defense to health?

A Good Offense is a Good Defense

When life throws us curveballs, we reach for Inner Defense. 

When life throws us curveballs, we reach for Inner Defense. 

Everyone has also heard the saying that “A good offense is a good defense.”  Well, in the case of my family’s health, I have chosen to use Young Living essential oils and supplements for both the offense and defense this Fall (and year round).  

My Family’s Offensive Line

In football, you need a good offensive line to support the quarterback. To support our health, we take some things daily for support: Ningxia Red, Digest and Cleanse and Thieves. It’s just plain smart to be on the offensive to maintain your health!

My Family’s Defense

But, you also need a good defense for the best chance to win. For instance, we use Thieves Vitality to support a healthy immune system, which is our body’s defense.

Inner Defense

Well, as you can see, a good offense is a good defense. But, I want to take this to another level – a good Inner Defense.  So, time for another analogy:

For those of us who are Christians, a good foundation in the Bible and a close relationship with God is a good defense for a life not overcome by Satan. Choosing to go to church and keeping some close Christian friends is a good offense for supporting our walk with God. Choosing to not put unwholesome things into our mind and heart is a good spiritual Inner Defense.

Well, in health, we need a good Inner Defense as well. What we eat, if we exercise, and so on affects whether or not we have a good Inner Defense. (Sorry, but yes, you really do need to eat those carrots! Lol!)

When We Need Inner Defense

Sometimes, life throws us a few curveballs. Like not enough sleep because our kids have too much homework or because someone called right before you were going to bed and you talked for a couple hours! Or maybe the curveball is being surrounded by people at work who should have stayed home. Or maybe it’s that you have been overwhelmed for days, if not weeks or months, trying to figure out how to pay for your child’s braces you’re losing sleep, and in general, are not yourself under all the stress.  

Our Answer to Curveballs: Young Living Inner Defense

In cases like these, we need a strong Inner Defense to help maintain our health. Well, my family loves a Young Living product called Inner Defense. We love to use it to promote, maintain, and support our inner well-being, a healthy immune system (our defense).    

Young Living's Inner Defense liquid soft gels reinforce systemic defenses, promote healthy respiratory function, and are rich in immune-supporting ingredients. WooHoo! Who doesn’t need that? It has Thieves essential oil in it (which contains clove, lemon, eucalyptus radiata, rosemary, and cinnamon bark oils). We all know what a great oil Thieves is! Inner Defense also includes oregano, thyme, and lemongrass all amazing oils. It is such an awesome capsule; full of power for your immune system!

A Few Tips: When We Use Inner Defense

If my kids have been losing sleep for a few nights, guess what? They are going to take Inner Defense for a few days. My kids are runners. If they have a big race coming up and they seem to be getting run down (pardon the pun – I couldn’t resist!), I have them take Inner Defense for a few days prior to their race to help maintain their health. If my husband and I are surrounded at work by people who should have stayed home, we will take Inner Defense for a few days. Hmmmm, maybe since I’m up late typing this, I should go take an Inner Defense!

Our Fall Defensive Game Plan

Now, to return to my sports analogy, you need a strong defense to have a winning offense. To have a strong defense in sports, you practice daily! Likewise, we can take daily measures to support our health, such as drinking Ningxia Red daily, exercising, getting plenty of sleep, etc. But, you can also take an Inner Defense capsule daily instead of just when you feel like you might need to promote a better body defense. The instructions on the bottle even say to take 1 capsule daily in a.m. or take 1 capsule 3-5 times daily when stressed. That will surely help promote a strong Inner Defense!

So a good offense is a good defense is a good Inner Defense! So who’s with me? Give me a “D” … or better yet, make Inner Defense part of your healthy lifestyle!

Contact Beth, this week’s contributor, at oildroplets@gmail.com for any questions about your family’s Fall Defense plan.