 MB Botanicals has a new product, and I think you are going to love it. Aromatherapy Pendants! Now you can enjoy the benefits of aromatherapy wherever you are. Just add your favorite essential oils. If you are stuck in traffic on your daily commutes, try adding lavender to a pendant and hanging it in your car. Lavender will also work wonders hung near your bed at night to help ease you into sleep. This works exceptionally well if you are staying in a hotel or anywhere that is not your bed. Need some energy and focus while at work? Add peppermint and rosemary oil to a pendant hung near your desk. Are you trying to quit tobacco products? Add some drops of black pepper essential oil and wear the pendant to reduce cravings. Go ahead and get creative with the pendants. Add your own oil blends, and have fun with it. Place the pendants wherever they will be beneficial to you. How are you using your pendants? Send me pictures and comments here on the blog or my Instagram or Facebook pages.
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 Our lives are exceedingly busy, and it seems like it gets harder to get things done as the years pass. One excuse we should never use when it comes to our skincare routine is “I’m too busy”. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars or spend more than two minutes to have magnificent skin all day long.
Let’s take a look at what a 2-minute morning skin routine looks like. Step 1: Cleanser A good cleanser is the start of it all. You want one that removes dirt and makeup but doesn't strip your skin of natural oils or moisture. With that said a good cleanser doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. I moved away from fancy cleansers a few years ago and started using a natural bar soap. Bar soap on your face, what! Yes, not all bar soaps are created equal. A good bar soap with nourishing oils and minimal ingredients is key. You want it to clean and not dry out your skin. One of the many reasons I started making my own and now offer them to you. My favorites for the face are the Chamomile Tea and the Calendula Facial Soap. Step 2: Toner Using a toner after washing your face benefits your skin in many ways. Add a bit of toner to a cotton ball or reusable cloth and apply to your face, paying particular attention to your problem areas. The toner removes any dirt or oil that your facial soap may have missed. However, is it necessary? Not always, especially if you have a good cleanser. Depending on your skin type a toner can do wonders but try to limit to once a day or every other day. Many toners contain alcohol that can dry out your skin. So look for one with a limited amount of alcohol. One of the great things about toners are that if used consistently, you will see a drastic reduction to blackheads and overall acne breakouts. Step 3: Serum/Moisturizer It is essential to look for a high-quality serum or moisturizer that contains the right ingredients for your skin type. Serums/moisturizers have a big job. They soak deep into the skin to moisturize, condition, clean, as well as tighten the skin to make it look firmer and younger. It is even said to reduce and prevent wrinkles. It is a definite must in your daily routine. There are many options out on the market and they can be expensive. Remember just because it's expensive, doesn't mean it's the best for your skin. Read the ingredient labels. More ingredients on the label doesn't mean it's actually better. Look for items by skin type. Oily, sensitive, dry skin all have different needs. I usually change up my serum in the winter since my skin gets a little dryer. With my combination, acne prone skin I use Face Potion #9 during the summer and switch over to FP9 Advance the rest of the year. Step 4: Sunscreen Don't forget the sunscreen. Sun damage is one of the best ways to age yourself prematurely. Protect against UV rays and wear sunscreen – even in the winter. There are many ways to get sunscreen in these days. One of my favorites is in foundation or tinted moisturizers. Also make sure it has at least and SPF 15. SPF 30 is even better, especially if you are going to be out in the sun all day. It doesn’t take much to have gorgeous skin, but you must be consistent. A skincare routine can take fewer than 5-minutes out of your morning, and your skin will look radiant, reduce/prevent wrinkles, and have fewer acne breakouts. The benefits of treating your skin nicely in the morning far outweighs the time it takes.  Summer is nearly over, and we have been cruising around in our sandals all season. We tend to take more care of our feet during the seasons when they are exposed, but I believe a year-long foot routine is necessary for proper foot health. I have some tips to keep your feet looking summer-fresh all winter long.
Epsom salt soaks Soaking your feet in Epsom salts helps in numerous ways. The magnesium in Epsom salts is absorbed into your skin and reduces inflammation, assists in healing irritation and skin conditions, and controls foot odor. Remember to use lukewarm water for your foot soaks to prevent drying out your skin. Exfoliation If you suffer from dry, cracked skin on your feet, you will benefit from exfoliating your feet at least twice a month. There are many ways to exfoliate: you can use a loofah, pumice stone, salt scrub, one of those wild grinding devices that spread dead skin everywhere, a washcloth or just use Alluvium Scrub (a soap and scrub in one). Exfoliation removes dead skin from the feet and prevents more damage from occurring in the form of calluses and painful cracks. You can also use Epsom salt as a scrub to exfoliate dead skin from your feet. Do not exfoliate more than once a week, or you risk further irritation. Moisturize One of the most important ways to keep your feet looking beautiful is to moisturize often. Your feet will profit from a daily moisturizing routine right after a shower. The skin is warm; pores are open and receptive to moisturizer. You can use lotion or body oil to moisten and nourish your peds. If your feet are especially dry, you may benefit more from a thick shea based cream, or body oil. Protect Our shoes are the main culprit (along with age and genetics) that cause dry, irritated skin. There are ways to protect yourself from this shoe damage. Along with all of the methods mentioned above, using a salve on your feet, like MB Soothing Foot Balm, before putting on your socks or dress shoes will keep your feet safe from blisters and calluses. With a little extra attention to our feet through these dark and dismal days of fall and winter, they should be in tip-top shape for the next sandal season.  There are times in all of our lives when we lack the motivation to get things done. I’ve been dealing with this myself lately. One thing that always helps me to find my focus and sit down to accomplish something is diffusing essential oil blends.
There are plenty of oils that help you find the motivation to do those heavy tasks or to get out of bed with energy and enthusiasm instead of gloom and pessimism. Here you will find a list of essential oils that will help either calm your stress or energize you. Following the list is a few essential oils blends for you to diffuse or wear. Peppermint There have been many studies on peppermint and its effects. Peppermint is known to bring focus to the brain. Many schools provide peppermint candies to test-takers to help calm and stimulate the mind at the same time. If you need to focus or a spark of creativity, reach for peppermint oil. Black Spruce What is better than motivation from the forest? Black Spruce assists in better self-image and strength. Imagine you are taking your strength from the mighty spruce tree while you are tackling those big detailed projects. Citrus Citrus oils such as grapefruit, lime, and sweet orange are uplifting and energizing. The fresh and crisp aroma of citrus oils will help you feel motivated in whatever you are doing. It is the perfect oil to use when you need a soul lifter. Black Pepper If you feel the need for a kick in the motivation pants, diffuse black pepper. Black pepper oil can be helpful when your mind is fatigued, and you need some positive stimulation. Lavender Lavender is calming so you can get your head in order. Using lavender oil is also a great way to motivate you into sleep. If you are having a difficult time sleeping, try rubbing a lavender body oil or lotion on your feet and chest before bed. You can add diffused lavender oil to your room at nighttime as well to help you wind down. We all know that without proper rest we aren’t as productive as we should be. Chamomile Chamomile also produces a feeling of calm. Chamomile enables peace and tranquility, which can lead to better productivity and feelings of accomplishment. Frankincense Frankincense oil is a great stress reliever. If you are feeling overly anxious over a difficult task you need to finish, frankincense is the perfect solution. It can ease your negative thoughts as it surrounds you with its encouraging scent. Motivation Essential Oil Blends You can either drop these blends into a diffuser or mix them with a carrier oil and apply them to your wrists, or on an aromatherapy necklace. Positivity Blend 5 drops Orange (or preferred citrus oil) 3 drops Lime 3 drops Frankincense 2 drops Peppermint 2 drops Ylang Ylang Wake Up & Work Blend 3 drops Chamomile 3 drops Bergamot 2 drop Wintergreen 1 drop Cedarwood Focus on it Blend 3 drops Orange (or preferred Grapefruit) 3 drops Peppermint (or Wintergreen) 3 drops Lime 3 drops Frankincense Get it Done Blend 4 drops Black Spruce 3 drops Chamomile 3 drops Lavender 2 drops Ylang Ylang Create it Blend 3 drops Black Pepper 3 drops Orange (or Grapefruit) 3 drops Frankincense 3 drops Lime You don’t have to diffuse the oil or wear it around your neck to get these powerful benefits. You can also use lotions or body oils that contain some of these amazing essential oils. As always, take care when using essential oils when pregnant or breastfeeding, and around your pets. I hope you find these tips to boost motivation and drive helpful. If you use a different blend to motivate yourself, I would love to hear it.  Perhaps you’ve heard of bergamot, and perhaps you haven’t. Bergamot comes from the rinds of the bergamot orange tree. It is used in Earl Grey tea, many perfumes, as well as skin care products. It has a spicy citrus scent and is a great option for beautiful skin and hair.
While bergamot has many healing properties which include reducing depression symptoms and increasing digestive functions, this article will focus more on the skin care aspects of bergamot. Like so many other herbs and essential oils, bergamot contains antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that can benefit skin irritations and acne. Bergamot is a great skin cleanser. You can find beauty products that contain bergamot or add some oil drops to the products you already own. It is best to use at night as bergamot can increase your skin’s photosensitivity. If you suffer from oily skin and clogged pores, bergamot can help. It will remove the icky buildup in your pores and even out the oils in your skin. Due to cicatrizant (a property that encourages healing) in bergamot, it is a natural scar healer. It can reduce the appearance of scars and works well to even out skin tone. If you have acne scars or dark spots on your skin, using the bergamot oil can make your skin tone even and youthful looking. Bergamot is also an excellent oil for taming wild curls or frizzy hair. The oil will soften the hair and leave a gentle scent behind. Add a few drops of bergamot oil to your shampoo and wash and condition as normal. Always dilute bergamot oil with a carrier oil. Never apply directly to the skin. Some people can have a sensitivity or an allergic reaction to the oil. It is always a good idea to spot check a small area on your arm before applying to the face to ensure you do not have a bad reaction to the oil. Spot treatment for Acne Mix bergamot oil with a carrier oil of your choice. I recommend Jojoba oil as it is great for Acne prone skin. Apply bergamot mix directly to the pimple or blackhead. Leave this on your skin overnight. *Using it during the day can have ill effects if you expose your skin to sunlight. |
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