Fresh-Picked Beauty

My recipe is based on a very popular face mask that is sold in a little black plastic pot at a very popular boutique in the mall that sells fresh face masks (Do you know which place I am talking about?).  This is a wonderful and gentle exfoliating formula that breaks up impurities while helping wash away dead skin cells and other pore clogging yuck-ness.  My formula contains chlorophyll, local honey, almond oil, two different types of clay, finely ground almonds and some scrub-a-licious ground apricot kernels.  To top it off, it has some lavender essential oil to help balance oily skin and soothe any sensitive areas.

I like to use a generous amount on clean dry skin to start off with. After massaging it over my face to exfoliate, I then mist a bit of warm water over my face to form a creamy paste and leave it on for 5 to 10 minutes. I then simply rinse it off with warm water. Avoid eye area!!!  Store in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks.

Balancing & Exfoliating Mask for All Skin Types
1 1/2 tablespoons distilled water
1/2 tablespoon liquid chlorophyll
1 teaspoon glucomannan (konjac root) powder
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon almond oil
1 tablespoon Kaolin clay (purchase the best brand here)
2 1/2 teaspoons Fuller's Earth clay (purchase the best brand here)
2 1/2 tablespoons finely ground almond flour
3 teaspoons ground apricot kernel meal
30 drops lavender essential oil (purchase the best brand here)

 You can find the glucomannan at the health food store. It helps thicken up the water and chlorophyll.

Measure out the water and chlorophyll into a small bowl.

Sprinkle the glucomannan powder over the top of the liquids and allow to thicken up.


Whisk the honey and the almond oil into the chlorophyll mixture.

You can get the clays at Mountain Rose Herbs.  If you have sensitive skin, you may wish to use all Kaolin Clay. If you have super oily skin, you may wish to use all Fuller's Earth clay.


Add the clay to the mixture in the bowl........


Whisk together on low speed until completely blended.

You can get the ground almonds at Whole Foods or PCC Natural Market.  Ground apricot kernels can be purchased at Mountain Rose Herbs.

Blend in the ground almonds and apricot kernels.

Mix in 30 drops of Lavender essential oil. You can purchase Certified Organic Lavender Essential Oil from Mountain Rose Herbs. Click HERE!!


And there you have it!! A beautiful and balancing exfoliating mask made right in your own kitchen!! Enjoy!!!

-Shannon

Namaste! Chakra balancing products are becoming very popular. Body sprays, essential oil roll-ons, perfume mists, bath salts and even healing stone jewelry are being used by a lot of folks in this hectic world we live in to balance their spirits, minds and energy fields.  I would like to contribute my seven recipes for Chakra Balancing Body Sprays. Once you create your base (essentially just distilled water and a dash of vodka) you can add in some specific essential oils to create balancing mists for each of the seven chakras.

Make your body spray base first.

There are a couple of ways to make the body spray base. You can use simple distilled water with a little bit of vodka or you can use hydrosols.  If you choose hydrosols (aka floral waters) I suggest the following for each chakra.....

Root Chakra: Lemon Balm Hydrosol (buy it here)

Sacral Chakra: Clary Sage Hydrosol (buy it here)

Solar Plexus Chakra: Blood Orange or Neroli Hydrosol (buy it here)

Heart Chakra: Rose or Lemon Verbena Hydrosol (buy it here)

Throat Chakra: Chamomile Hydrosol (buy it here)

Third Eye Chakra: Lavender or Rosemary Hydrosol (buy it here)

Crown Chakra: Neroli or Lavender Hydrosol (buy it here)


If you choose to use the water/vodka blend, mix three parts distilled water and one part vodka together to make the body spray base. For example, if you want to make a four ounce bottle, use three ounces of distilled water and one ounce of vodka. You will need to shake the bottle very well before each use because the essential oils will float to the top as they are hydrophobic and don't play well with water.

Use before yoga, meditation or anytime you need to bring a sense of balance and peace to your world.

I have a hydrating all-purpose beauty balm recipe that contains a potent blend of plant oils that will soothe and nourish every inch of you!!!

Use it as a cuticle treatment, lip balm, heel softener, cheek highlighter, elbow moisturizer, beard smoother, or even smooth your split ends.

Magical Beauty Balm

1 tablespoon Sunflower Seed Oil (Buy HERE)
1 tablespoon Olive Oil (Buy HERE)
4 tablespoons grated Beeswax (Buy HERE)
1 teaspoon Coconut Oil (Buy HERE)
1 teaspoon Shea Butter (Buy HERE)
1 teaspoon Argan oil (Buy HERE)
1 teaspoon Jojoba oil (Buy HERE)
1 teaspoon Calendula Oil (Buy HERE)
1/2 teaspoon Vitamin E oil (Buy HERE)
15 drops Roman Chamomile essential oil (Buy HERE)
15 drops Tamanu seed oil (Buy HERE)

Measure out the sunflower seed oil, olive oil, grated beeswax, coconut oil, shea butter, argan oil, jojoba oil, and calendula oil into a small glass measuring cup and place in a saucepan containing a few inches of simmering water until the butters, oils and beeswax have fully melted. Remove from the heat.

Add in the Vitamin E oil, Roman chamomile oil and Tamanu seed oil. Stir to combine. Carefully pour the mixture into a heat-proof glass or metal container. Allow to harden and cool to room temperature.

Avoid using internally or near eyes.

This information is for educational purposes only, it is not intended to treat, cure, prevent or, diagnose any disease or condition. Nor is it intended to prescribe in any way. This information is for educational purposes only and may not be complete, nor may its data be accurate. As with all herbs, . Do not take internally unless working with a qualified and expert practitioner. Keep away from children.  I am an affiliate with Mountain Rose Herbs,please review my disclosure page for details.. Avoid use  unless discussed with your physician. This information is for educational purposes only.  This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition or disease. Green Blessings!!!

Get silky smooth skin with my Whipped Lavender-Kissed Shea Butter Mousse

It is almost the start of "Leg Shaving Season"! If you participate in this event, you surely know how dry and itchy your skin can get if you don't properly moisturize immediately after shaving.  Here is a wonderful recipe for Whipped Lavender-Kissed Shea Butter Mousse that instantly melts into your skin to moisturize and soothe your sexy legs.


Whipped Lavender -Kissed Shea Butter Mousse

1/2 cup Calendula Infused Sweet Almond Oil (See here for tutorial)
1/2 cup Shea Butter
2 tablespoons Argan Oil
2 tablespoons Coconut Oil
60 drops Lavender Essential Oil
1/2 tablespoon Vitamin E Oil

Place the Calendula infused sweet almond oil, Shea butter, and coconut oil into a double boiler and heat until all ingredients are just melted.  Remove from the heat. Stir in the Argan oil. Place the ingredients in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to cool.  Using a hand-held mixer, begin whipping the mixture on medium-high for about 10 minutes or until the consistency of whipped cream forms. Return to the fridge for another 15 minutes if necessary.    Add in the essential oil and vitamin E oil and whip for another few minutes to fully incorporate.  Transfer to an air-tight container or containers such as the ones below from Mountain Rose Herbs.  Store away from heat or the product will melt and you will have to re-whip it!!! *You can order ready-made Calendula infused oil from Mountain Rose Herbs. I like to keep a container in the fridge and massage it all over during the warmer months.  It is so cooling and refreshing after swimming.

Pantry Jars from Mountain Rose Herbs

This information is for educational purposes only, it is not intended to treat, cure, prevent or, diagnose any disease or condition. Nor is it intended to prescribe in any way. This information is for educational purposes only and may not be complete, nor may its data be accurate. As with all herbs, . Do not take internally unless working with a qualified and expert practitioner. Keep away from children.  I am an affiliate with Mountain Rose Herbs,please review my disclosure page for details.. Avoid use  unless discussed with your physician. This information is for educational purposes only.  This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition or disease. Green Blessings!!!

Part of my first aid kit for Summer is a batch of my handcrafted Camper's Salve.  This salve contains organic extra virgin olive oil that has been infused with Burdock Root, Calendula Flowers, Chamomile, Chickweed, Goldenseal, Nettle, Oregon Grape Root, Plantain, Thyme and Yarrow.  I then thicken it with a bit of beeswax and add in Lavender, Tea Tree and Myrrh essential oils.  My family and I love to camp in the Olympic Peninsula and we usually get some type of bump, bite or boo-boo. A little bit of this soothing salve helps immediately!!  I don't leave home without this salve! I hope you enjoy making it as much as I do.

I buy all my herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs. You can learn more HERE.

Here are the ten herbs we will use to infuse the olive oil. Some of the qualities of these herbs are antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, anti-microbial, anti-toxic and general skin relieving and soothing properties.  You will need 1 teaspoon of each.

Grind the herbs in a spice grinder to form a powder.

Pour them into a small glass measuring cup.

Cover with 60 grams of Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Stir well to saturate the herbs.


I like to place the cup of oil and herbs on a Mr. Coffee mug warmer and heat the oil to just about 110 degrees for at least 4 to 5 hours.  I sometimes break it into two days of 3 hours each.  Make sure you stir the mixture several times per hour.

Between 100 and 110 degrees is perfect for infusing the medicinal qualities from the herbs into the oil.

After the oil is completely infused, strain the oil from the herb.  You need to put some muscle into this task and get as much oil as possible.

As you can see, I ALMOST squeezed out all 60 grams of oil, but just a little remained in the herb and cloth.  Oh well, you can always top off with a little bit of olive oil.

Heat the herbal oil along with 25 grams of beeswax in a double boil until completely melted. Add in 10 drops of Lavender essential oil, 10 drops of Tea Tree essential oil and 10 drops of Myrrh essential oil, stir well.  Carefully pour the hot mixture into your chosen container (either tin or amber colored glass is best).  Cap and allow to cool.




Are you ready to start making salve? Head over to Mountain Rose Herbs for the dried herbs and the rest of the ingredients. 

Seven of my favorite floral-type essential oils are Rose Geranium, Rose, Chamomile, Ylang Ylang, Jasmine (actually an absolute, but more on that later), Lavender and Neroli.

If you are looking for one of the best places to buy genuine, authentic and organic essential oils, I suggest Mountain Rose Herbs.  They offer the largest selection of 100% pure, certified organic and high-quality essential oils from farm to bottle.  Their essential oils are perfect for aromatherapy, skincare, hair care, natural cleaning, soap making and DIY beauty recipes.  You can visit them online at www.MountainRoseHerbs.com or click HERE.

Here is a little bit of important information about each one from the Mountain Rose Herbs Aromatherapy Web page.



Lavender: Botanial name is Lavandula angustifolia. It is steam distilled from the flowing tops. It is considered a middle note. It has a sweet, floral and herbaceous aroma.  It is known for its skin healing properties and its use as a sedative.  It blends well with bergamot, black pepper, cedar wood, chamomile, clary sage, clove, cypress, eucalyptus, geranium, grapefruit, juniper, patchouli, rose, rosemary and vetiver.  You can buy a 1/2 ounce bottle from Mountain Rose Herbs for just $12.75 (current as of April 2017)...did I mention it is Certified Organic? Check it out HERE.

Lavender: Botanial name is Lavandula angustifolia. It is steam distilled from the flowing tops. It is considered a middle note. It has a sweet, floral and herbaceous aroma.  It is known for its skin healing properties and its use as a sedative.  It blends well with bergamot, black pepper, cedar wood, chamomile, clary sage, clove, cypress, eucalyptus, geranium, grapefruit, juniper, patchouli, rose, rosemary and vetiver.  You can buy a 1/2 ounce bottle from Mountain Rose Herbs for just $12.75 (current as of April 2017)...did I mention it is Certified Organic? Check it out HERE. Try mixing in a few drops of lavender essential oil to a tablespoon of your favorite unscented lotion and applying it to your shoulders and neck before bed to help you unwind and enjoy peaceful sleep!


Neroli: Botanical name is Citrus aurantium. It is steam distilled from the flowers.  It is considered a middle note. It has a light, sweet-floral aroma and is often used in perfumes where it can be a base note and a top note.  It has calming effects. Neroli blends well with benzoin, chamomile, clary sage, coriander, frankincense, geranium, ginger, grapefruit, jasmine, juniper, lavender, lemon, mandarin, myrrh, orange, petitgrain, rose, sandalwood and ylang ylang. Did you know that it takes about 100 pounds of orange blossoms to produce just a single pound of the neroli essential oil? It is one of the most expensive essential oils at about $360 per ounce.  Mountain Rose Herbs has premium certified organic neroli in a 1/8 ounce size for just $68.75.  If you would like to learn more about neroli, head over the the Mountain Rose Herbs website HERE.


Rose: Botanical name is Rosa damascena.  It is steam distilled from the flower petals that are picked by hand early in the morning before the sun comes out.  It is considered a middle note and has a very rich, deep, sweet-floral aroma that is also slightly spicy. It is used mainly in the perfume industry and is believed to have sedative and aphrodisiac effects. Rose essential oil blends very well with benzoin, bergamot, chamomile, clary sage, fennel, geranium, ginger, helichrysum, jasmine, lavender, lemon, mandarin, neroli, patchouli, petitgrain, sandalwood, ylang ylang and vetiver.  Did you know it takes about 10,000 POUNDS of rose petals to distill a single pound of the essential oil? This is another essential oil that comes with a hefty price tag.  An ounce of certified organic from Bulgaria will set you back about $950 dollars.  Mountain Rose Herbs does offer a fantastic certified organic rose essential oil from Bulgaria for $179.50 for 1/8 ounce.  You can shop for it HERE. **You get what you pay for....if you happen to find a product labeled as Rose Oil that costs considerably less than the current market rase of between $700 to $1100 per ounce, chances are it is a synthetic or highly adulterated product and you should walk away from it!!! Rose is one of the most commonly adulterated and faked product on the market.

Ylang Ylang: Botanical name is Cananga odorata. It is steam distilled from the flowers and is considered a base note in perfumery.  Ylang Ylang has a very intoxicating, rich and sweet floral aroma.  It blends well with bergamot, chamomile, clary sage, clove, eucalyptus, ginger, grapefruit, jasmine, mandarin, neroli, opopanax, orange, palmarosa, patchouli, peru balsam, petitgrain, rose, rosewood, sandalwood, tuberose and vetiver.  The price point is not too expensive at all! Mountain Rose Herbs offers a certified organic complete distillation type for just $14.25 for a 1/2 ounce bottle.  You can learn more or shop at the Mountain Rose Herbs website HERE.

photo credit: Mountain Rose Herbs

Jasmine Absolute: Botanical name is Jasminum grandiflorum. Jasmine flowers are solvent extracted with Ethyl alcohol which is why is not not called an essential oil but rather an absolute. It is a middle note with a warm, rich, deeply floral aroma.  It has been used in perfumery for a very long time.  It blends very well with bergamot, clary sage, clove, coriander, ginger, grapefruit, lemon, mandarin, neroli, orange, patchouli, petitgrain, rose, sandalwood and ylang ylang.  It takes about 2,000 pounds of jasmine flowers to produce a single pound of oil.  Jasmine absolute is an expensive oil that costs about $430 for a single ounce.  Mountain Rose Herbs does offer a 1/8 ounce bottle for just $82.00.  I you would like to order or learn more, visit Mountain Rose Herbs HERE.


Rose Geranium: Botanical name is Pelargonium graveolens. It is steam distilled from the flowers and leaves.  It is considered a middle note with a heavy, sweet, floral aroma.  It is used in the perfume industry as well as the skincare industry. It blends well with bergamot, chamomile, clary sage, clove, cypress, ginger, grapefruit, jasmine, juniper, lemon, mandarin, neroli, palmarosa, patchouli, peppermint, rose, rosemary, sandalwood and ylang ylang.  You can purchase a 1/2 ounce bottle of Certified Organic essential oil from Mountain Rose Herbs for just $19.50.  Visit Mountain Rose Herbs HERE.

photo credit: Mountain Rose Herbs

Moroccan Chamomile: The botanical name of this particular essential oil is Ormenis mixta. It is different than Blue Chamomile and Roman Chamomile in that it does not have as many therapeutic properties and is not used as much in skincare products.  Moroccan Chamomile is mostly used in the perfume industry and is steam distilled from the flowers. It has a fresh, herbaceous, balsamic aroma and makes a wonderful perfume when blended with other oils.  The funny thing is that this particular plant is not even a true chamomile. It grows easily in the Mediterranean and Middle East. It is fairly new to the perfume materials market and has been well accepted and enjoyed by many perfumers. It blends well with cedar wood, cypress, frankincense, lavender, oakmoss and vetiver. Mountain Rose Herbs has a 1/2 ounce bottle for $42.00. You can learn more HERE.

IMPORTANT: As with all essential oils, never use them undiluted, in eyes or mucus membranes. Do not take internally unless working with a qualified and expert practitioner. Keep away from children. If applying an essential oil to your skin always perform a small patch test to an insensitive part of the body (after you have properly diluted the oil in an appropriate carrier. 

For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

I found a teeny-tiny bottle of expensive adzuki buffing facial grains at a well-known beauty counter that costs a whopping $44.00 for 0.99 ounce.  This particular brand-name product is meant to be sprinkled over your favorite facial cleanser to create a gentle exfoliator for your skin.  The name-brand's ingredients include mostly hydrogenated jojoba oil, sodium laurel sulfaocetate, hydrogenated soybean oil and very finely ground Adzuki beans.  There is also some polyethylene tossed in for good measure. The true magical scrubbiness is made from the adorable Adzuki beans.

Adzuki beans naturally contain saponin which gently cleanses the skin and increases circulation due to its natural foaming soap-like action. The finely ground bean powder also gently and effectively exfoliates your skin so that fresh skin can grow.

I honestly spent under $2.00 to make an ounce of this awesome handcrafted beauty goodness. Organic Adzuki beans sell for about $6.00 per pound. Add in the glass container that I used to store the product in,  and  the project totaled a whopping $1.98.

Adzuki Beans are easy to grind up in a blender to form a mico-fine powder

Since this recipe only uses Adzuki beans, feel free to use as much or as little as you like. Do a Google search and you will find plenty of Asian recipes that call for this cute little bean.

Simply grind up the Adzuki beans in a blender, coffee grinder or a mortar and pestle (good workout for your arms!!)

After you grind them up, shake them through a fine mesh sieve to separate the larger scratchy bits. Never put large particles of exfoliating stuff on your face because you risk irritation and cuts!!!

You want a super fine powder that is gentle enough to use on your face. Always avoid your delicate eye area with any exfoliating product. You DO NOT need to exfoliate your eye area!!!

You want to store the ground powder in an airtight jar or glass pot with a tight fitting lid. I like to use a bottle so I can simply pour out the amount I need when I wash my face.

I like to moisten my face with warm water, add about a teaspoon of my facial cleanser to the palm of my hand and sprinkle about a 1/2 teaspoon amount of the awesome Adzuki buffing grains to the cleanser.  I massage and cleanse my face for a few minutes and then rinse my face with warm water.  My face always feels smooth and soft.

I love face scrubs!!! I use them several times per week. Stay tuned for more recipes!! Enjoy!! Please drop me a line to tell me how well you like this handcrafted all-natural beauty recipe.



This information is for educational purposes only, it is not intended to treat, cure, prevent or, diagnose any disease or condition. Nor is it intended to prescribe in any way. This information is for educational purposes only and may not be complete, nor may its data be accurate. As with all herbs,  Do not take internally unless working with a qualified and expert practitioner. Keep away from children.  I am an affiliate with Mountain Rose Herbs,please review my disclosure page for details.. Avoid use  unless discussed with your physician. This information is for educational purposes only.  This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition or disease. Green Blessings!!!