Recently, I have become obsessed with my new essential oil diffuser. I use it every night before I go to bed and have definitely noticed myself feeling more calm and sleepy and I’m falling into deeper sleeps. I buy about two new oils per week so my collection is slowly growing and let’s just say I’m a little bit hooked.

So, to celebrate my new obsession I thought I would throw together a quick list of some of my favorite combinations of oils that I’ve been using during the winter.

For after a stressful day at the office…Patchouli, lavender and pine

For when you have a cold/flu…Lavender and eucalyptus

For when you’re feeling a little down and ‘blah’…Bergamot and lime (or other citrus oil)

For when you’re feeling sad…Orange and sandalwood

For when you’re studying or need to focus…Eucalyptus, peppermint and lemongrass

For when you want to feel inspired…Sandalwood and ylang ylang

For during meditation…Ylang ylang and/or lavender

Obviously these can be switched out for oils that provide equivalent effects but this is just what I’ve used so far.

Some things to make note of before purchasing essential oils:

• Make sure you are buying an essential oil NOT a fragrance oil.
• Make sure your oil is not close to or past its expiry date. Avoid discounted oils for this reason.
• Read online a little bit about the best oil brands. Some do bend the truth about the true quality of their oils.
• Keep in mind, if the price of the oil seems cheap, then the quality probably is. Some oils can sell for anything up to $200 so you have to educate yourself.
• Your best bet is to talk with a smaller/boutique health food store who stock the E.O’s. They’re usually clued up about their products and the companies they stock.

Happy sniffing!

So, in the past few days being stuck inside due to the cold and rain, I got to work on some perfume after finding a guide online. Since it didn’t turn out to be a disaster, I thought I would should you lovely ladies how I did it. Perfumery is an amazing art form that, with practice, you will get better at. This was the first time I have ever tried doing it and I found it very enjoyable.

Image via MyGreatestGiftIdea.com

The main contents of a fragrance are a base oil, alcohol, distilled water and your chosen essential oils. The quantity of each ingredient can be adjusted as you become more aware of how you like to build your fragrance. Experimenting is always important!

What you’ll need:

• 25 drops Essential oil mix
• 15ml Jojoba oil
• Dark glass vial/bottle (I just used an empty E.O. bottle)
• 60ml Vodka (the highest proof you can find within your means)
• 2Tbs Distilled water

Instructions:

1. Firstly, begin by mixing your essential oil mix. For the quantity we’re making today, you’ll want to add about 7 drops of each note (base, middle, top) with 3-4 drops of bridge notes (like vanilla) (so approximately 25 drops in total). Add your base notes first, then middle, top and finally your bridge notes.

Below are some of the more popular essential oils that are easy to come across:

Base Notes: Balsam, Bay, Benzoin, Beeswax, Cassia, Cedarwood, Cinnamon, Clove, Frankincense, Geranium, Ginger, Jasmine, Moss, Myrrh, Neroli, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Rose, Tonkabean, Vanilla

Middle Notes: Anise, Basil, Bay, Caraway, Cardamom, Carnation, Carrot, Chamomile, Clove, Coriander, Cumin, Cypress, Fennel, Geranium, Ginger, Hyacinth, Jasmine, Juniper, Lavender, Lemongrass, Mandarin, Marjoram, Myrtle, Nutmeg, Orchid, Oregano, Oriental rose, Pepper (black), Peppermint, Pine, Pine needle, Rose, Rosemary, Sage, Tarragon, Tea tree, Tobacco leaf, Thyme, Violet flower, Yarrow, Ylang-ylang

Top Notes: Anise, Basil, Bergamot, Cardamom, Chamomile, Cinnamon, Coriander, Cumin, Eucalyptus, Grapefruit, Juniper, Lavender, Lemon, Lemon Orange, Lime, Lotus (Blue), Mandarin, Marigold, Orange, Orange Blossom, Peppermint, Sage, Spearmint, Tangerine

I’d advise to start simple first. My starting mixture was a base of vanilla and sandalwood, a middle of mandarin and top notes of bergamot and I let it sit for 48 hours. It turned out OK but I definitely need to have more of a play around.

2. Into a dark glass vial, add your essential oil mix to 15ml of jojoba oil and shake. Let this mixture sit from 48 hours to 6 weeks, depending on how the scent develops. If you don’t like something about the mix, adjust the mixture slightly.

3. Once your scent is to your liking, add to 60ml of your vodka plus 2Tbs of distilled water. Shake.

4. Filter your mixture through a coffee filter and put it back into it’s dark bottle to avoid sun exposure. Store this in a cool, dark place to increase it’s shelf life.

And that’s all there is to it. It’s a pretty simple process but it’s playing with the science and timing of the whole thing that ends up getting tedious.

Let us know your favorite perfume concoctions!

For Part 2 of our Greenify Your Life series, I’ll be giving you guidance on how to find yourself a safer foundation. I have listed ingredients found in both powder and liquid foundation so we can kill two birds with one stone.

Alexami's Mineral Foundation Powder

What ingredients should I be looking to avoid in my foundation?

Fragrance (6-methylcoumarin, parfum) – Now, fragrance is a hard one because it is the one product that gets a free pass in the ingredients list. The manufacturer is not required to list the actual ingredients in the perfume, rather, they are allowed to simply clump it all into the one ingredient: ‘Parfum’ (or other such word). This means that you have no clue if this is a safe product for your skin which is worrying as some fragrance ingredients are proven to cause photosensitivity but you’d never know what was the causal ingredient! Best to keep an eye out for products that list essential oils as their fragrance or are up front about what goes into their fragrance.

Silicone Emollients – These are found in approximately 80% of all concealers, primers and foundations. The silicone allows for smoother application but it also creates a layer on top of the skin, causing the skin to be suffocated of oxygen. Over time, this can cause certain skin reactions, breakouts and a duller complexion.

Petroleum based products (Paraffin, mineral oil, petrolatum) - These petroleum products are also found in the majority of skin products and, too, suffocate the skin and clogs the pores causing the same issues as silicone. This goes for your ‘timeless’ Vaseline too (We recommend using paw paw ointment instead!). These products have also been under heavy scrutiny due to the fact they are the cause of many serious health ailments.

Parabens (Propyl, Butyl, Methyl, Isobutyl, Ethyl etc) - Parabens are used to stop fungus and bacteria from growing in your makeup. They are found in almost every beauty product for both males and females. There is research done to suggest they may be linked to the cause of breast cancer due to the fact that they mimic estrogen within the body. The jury is still out on whether these man-made chemicals are bad for the body but have a read of both sides of the argument to form your own opinion. To be safe, I would say opt for products that have parabens near the bottom of the ingredient list rather than the top.

There are a million other ingredients that we could also list here, but we’ll start with these common ingredients for now.

So, how do you Greenify?

Phase 1.) Read the ingredients label of your foundations. Any foundations with the aforementioned near the top of the list, get rid of them ASAP.

Phase 2.) Research online or in stores for highly reviewed foundations that do not contain huge amounts of the above products. They do not have to be from an organic brand, necessarily, just slightly more safe on the skin. Naturally, we would guide you towards Alexami’s Mineral Foundation Powder, which is free of these ingredients.

During this product transition, if you have been using products with heavy amounts of silicone etc, your skin may go through phases of drying or over-oiling. This is a natural occurrence as your skin begins to normalize to your new product.

Phase 3.) Once your new safer product is empty, try your best to convert to a completely natural and/or certified organic product free of all the nasty ingredients. Or better yet, perhaps your skin will heal itself and you’ll be able to go out with barely any foundation at all!

As an afterword, please know that some people get iffy about whether certain ingredients are actual harmful or not. I have gone off personal experience and research but please understand people react differently to different products. For example, I know people who prefer silicone in their foundation routine, and don’t believe there’s any harm in using it. Remember, there is no firmer knowledge than through your own personal experience and broad research so I suggest that you use this as a starting guide and go from there.