10 Botanical Oils-how to use them and what they do!

This is just a short list of different plant and flower oils and what they do. There are countless uses for botanical oils and so many more than what are listed here. These are some favorite ones, with a short blurb of what they do and how to use them. You may know many of their uses already, but there might be some that surprise you. Whatever the case may be, you may get inspired to start using some of them on your skin and fall in love with using the most natural skin care items on the planet.

1. Jojoba Oil- It is made from the seeds of the jojoba plant. (simmondsia chinesis) Jojoba oil is similar to the properties of human skin (sebum). Do you think it will make your skin oilier? You would be incorrect! Jojoba Oil can actually trick your skin into producing less oil! It can be used to cleanse your pores and even remove makeup. There are literally countless uses for this magical oil. Here are just a few:

·         Eye makeup remover when mixed with water

·         Cuticle oil

·         Face and body moisturizer

·         Hot oil treatment for your hair

·         Smooth split ends and frizz

·         Mix in scrubs or add to lotions to intensify moisture and add antioxidants.

          
A great brand for jojoba oil is Desert Essence. It is 100% pure and cold-pressed.

2. Coconut Oil- This oil has an intoxicating scent and it is very rich in essential fatty acids like lauric acid. Lauric acid is found in mother’s milk and helps aid in digestion. Fatty acids are important for many other functions of our body as well, including healthy skin. Coconut oil has also been found to have anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial properties. This is why an ancient technique called oil pulling is effective. Oil pulling is swishing around the oil in your mouth and ‘pulling’ it through your teeth until it becomes a thin, white, milky substance. Some people do this for detoxing purposes, but it has been shown to be effective in keeping your gums healthy and cleaning your teeth! Coconut Oil is easily absorbed through your skin and not only repairs and rejuvenates it; it also prevents free-radical formation which can break our skin down. Another way it has been used is in treating people with Alzheimer’s disease as it stimulates different areas of the brain. Look for Virgin Coconut Oil that is cold-pressed and organic.

2. Sweet Almond Oil- This is a very popular oil that has fatty acids like linoleic and oleic and also is rich in antioxidants such as Vitamins A, E, and D. This oil is miraculous at curing dry skin and also is used for those who suffer from having black circles under the eyes. (Arnica is good for this too, but more on that another time) Just dab it on wherever you have extra dry patches or pat it under your eyes for those dark circles. Another way to use this oil is add it to your evening moisturizer to make your regular moisturizer last longer and wake up extra soft and smooth!

3. Grape Seed Oil- This oil is made from the seeds of grapes and is a great source of polyphenols (antioxidant molecule found in plants).Grape Seed Oil also has anti-allergen and anti-inflammatory properties so it is highly effective at diminishing sun spots and minimizing damage from sunburns. It can be used to reduce the appearance of stretch marks as it encourages strong, healthy skin by enhancing the production of collagen and elastin.

5. Pumpkin Seed Oil- It has a high absorption rate and can moisturize the skin very quickly. Pumpkin Seed Oil is rich with Vitamin E, fatty acids, and phytosterols (phytochemical emollient naturally occurring in plants). It has a relaxing, earthy scent and can be used in aromatherapy as a calming agent. This divine oil has been found to slow hair loss! It is a natural dihydrotestosterone (DHT) blocker and this is the hormone that can be responsible for hair loss.

6. Flaxseed Oil- This oil comes from a blue flowering plant and is also sometimes called linseed. It is high in Omega 3 fatty acids and provides plenty of protein for our hungry skin. Those who are vegetarian or vegan would want to consider taking flaxseed oil orally instead of fish oil caps. You can also apply flaxseed oil directly to your skin as it helps repair skin cells and helps wrinkles to smooth out. Flaxseed oil tastes delicious mixed with lemon or vinegar for salad dressing. Or if you are really hard core, you can just put flaxseed oil on your salads all by itself! Buy it organic and cold-pressed.

7. Evening Primrose Oil- This gem of an oil comes from a wildflower and is mega rich in essential fatty acids such as gamma-linolenic acid and linoleic acid. It also contains lipids which really lock moisture in. It is used for medicinal purposes for issues such as eczema, rheumatoid arthritis, and even pms! It also works great on dry feet, elbows, and hands and can also be used by mixing it in your cleanser to keep skin dewy. Dr. Jeanette Graf, M.D. is a renowned dermatologist who actually created a cleanser with evening primrose oil in it. You can find it here: Hydrating cleanser with evening primrose oil.

8. Vitamin E Oil- Vitamin E oil is the go to cure for healing scars, but did you know that it is used to actually treat skin conditions such as psoriasis? It is a powerful antioxidant that fights the free radicals that can damage our skin. Vitamin E is versatile and can do many other things as well. You can take a bottle of Vitamin E and warm it in hot water and use it as a scalp conditioner, split end healer, or mix it with brown sugar for a D.I.Y lip scrub!

9. Orange Oil- this is an essential oil produced from the rind of an orange. It has a very uplifting and energizing scent. Since it is very potent, you would only need a few drops and can use it in your other products for its cleansing properties. Oil for cleansing really does work. It cleans off excess sebum from your face and also draws out impurities from your pores. Burt’s Bees has a fantastic cleanser they make with orange oil in it and it smells happy and leaves your skin super clean, but not or tight or dry.

10. Lavender Oil- This oil smells fresh and clean and it mixes well with other oils. It has been widely used in aromatherapy for its calming and soothing aroma. Lavender Oil balances and clarifies the skin while relaxing your mind! It also is an antiseptic so it works well for acne and other inflammations. It is recommended for insomnia and anxiety as well. When you make a D.I.Y body scrub, you can always add a couple drops to get the benefits of this essential oil or place a little on a handkerchief and tuck it under your pillow to help you have a good night’s rest. A little bit under your nose can clear nasal passages when you are feeling stuffed up or suffering from allergies.

Have fun discovering which oils make you feel and look beautiful!

Love,

Rae 

5 Ways To Be Refreshed (and look it)

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Do you want look refreshed and feel great by Monday? 

Here are 5 things you can do to maximize your awesomeness. (they are easy!)

1. Exfoliate, Exfoliate, Exfoliate (this keeps your skin young!)
2. Drink lots of water with lemon or lime (makes your pH alkaline)
3. Have a day with no makeup and jojoba oil on your skin (jojoba oil is closely matched to our own natural sebum)
4. Do one thing that makes you happy, even if nobody else 'get's it' (you gotta smile!)
5. Unplug, lay down and meditate (relax) for 5 minutes (soothe your central nervous system)

Have a wonderful weekend and next week there will be some outstanding tips on plant oils and how to use them!

Purifoid Meals and Snacks

I promised to write about some sample meals and snacks that would be easy to make and simple to include into your daily meals. Eating mindfully, moderately, healthfully, and regularly can be implemented with ease when you plan out your meals and snacks. You can do this by planning for just the meal, the day or even the week.

One way is to figure out what time you normally like to eat and make sure that you have always have something you can either fix quickly or have with you. Another way is have a schedule of eating and stick to it as often as you possibly can. For instance: breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. Mix it up how best suits you, your hunger, and lifestyle.

Juicy fruits like melons, pineapple, and berries are best for first thing in the morning. They are so light on your system and enable your body to expel all the toxins that have been in your system since the night before. The book Fitfor Life goes into detail about our bodies natural elimination cycle and how best to support it. After a high water content fruit you can move on to fruits like apples and then even dried fruit as you get hungrier. Fruit is highly portable and easy to take with you anywhere. Most fruit even comes in their very own package!

Lunch time is a great time for salad. It is still light on the digestive system, but can be tossed with some more filling additions. Once you have the basic washed lettuce in your bowl or on your plate, you can add things like sunflower or sesame seeds, lentils, almonds, tofu, wild rice, and lean beef or chicken if you are not vegetarian. Most veggies go excellently with all these additions-but some easy and filling ones are carrots, chopped zucchini or yellow squash, colorful bell peppers, and cauliflower or broccoli to add some mega- fiber.  If you have washed some veggies the night before, you just have to throw them in some containers, toss them with your lettuce, add your favorite toppings and low-fat dressing and you are set to go! You have a fiber-packed, vitamin containing, and protein filled salad!

Most people seem to get hungry a couple hours after lunch. This may just be a slump in the day, a sign that you are tired or bored or something else…but who cares? Have something to eat! This is a great time for something like a protein shake, protein bar, nuts or some soy or Greek yogurt. If you are exercising regularly, a snack would be important so that you have enough energy for a good workout.

Dinner time can be baffling for anyone. Busy people have even less time to do something healthful. You may find yourself exclaiming ‘what do I make?’ ‘It is too hot to cook!’  ‘I don’t have the time!’ There are solutions for this. It may not always be possible to be home at dinner time or even have the time or energy to prepare anything at all. That is ok! The point is to do your best when you can and try to fix something. 

Here are some simple ideas: Grab some black beans and drain them so that you do not have the extra sodium from the can. You can put those over whole-grain chips, add some hot sauce, avocado, and light dairy cheese or soy cheese. Beans also mix splendidly with different kinds of rice and you can always add avocado with or without some tomatoes and onions and you have a fresh and light, yet filling meal.

Below is the recipe for the greatest pita sandwiches. They have the whole package as far as nutrients and fiber go and will satisfy you for hours. Even though they taste yummy, there is no guilt whatsoever attached to these bad boys! See the recipe and if there are some ingredients that you do not like, just mix it up with ones you do!

Rae’s Pita and Hummus sandwiches:

Pita bread

2 tbsp. Hummus

4 chopped Greek olives

3 sliced Red Grape Tomatoes

1 tbsp. Sprouted or Regular Lentils

¼ of a Whole Avocado-cubed

Put your pita on a plate and spread the hummus evenly in the pita. Sprinkle the olives and lentils on top of the hummus so they can stick to something. Add the tomatoes and avocado and enjoy!

No cooking, no sweat, no guilt.

Four Ways to Eat:

1. Eat Mindfully

2. Eat Moderately

3. Eat Healthfully

4. Eat Regularly

These are the four ways you can check yourself and your eating habits! These are all effective ways to manage your body weight and cravings, without 'dieting'. These are things you can do to make eating well a way of life, instead of a temporary plan.

Eating mindfully can be done by taking 30 seconds out before you eat to slow down and think about what you are putting into your mouth and thereby your body. Mindfully enjoy the food and the taste of it. Mindfully doesn't even sound like a real word, but it is! It means to do something with awareness and be conscious in the moment. Sounds pretty tough, especially in this fast paced world. However, 30 seconds will not make you late anywhere and it will help you to not only enjoy your food more, but to digest it better. When you are digesting food properly, your body uses the nutrients as efficient fuel instead of turning into hard-to-lose fat.

When you are eating moderately, you are eating enough to satisfy and sustain your body, but not to the point of being too full or slowing down your energy level. Most people eat more than they really need, because they do not stop until they feel full. Stopping before you feel full is a very easy and surprising way to be moderate in your portions. Also, when you are practicing being mindful at meal times, you will naturally be able to listen to your body and stop at the right time.

Healthful eating simply means to be the make the best choices that you possibly can in the moment. When presented with the choice of water or soda, you would want to choose water as often as you can. Donuts or fruit? I think we know the answer to that one. Eating healthfully could also include planning ahead to make sure that no unhealthy choices would even get in the way of a good one. Maybe shopping on the weekend and packing lunches for the week would do the trick or even making extra at dinner so that you could have leftovers the next day at lunch. Try it out and see what ways would work for YOU personally. Practicing eating healthfully and it will become just another good habit you create on your way to Purifoication.

Eating regularly is so vital for keeping your energy level up, increasing your metabolism, and making sure your body is functioning at the highest possible point. Skipping meals can cause headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and a host of other issues. Of course there might be times when this will happen due to an unforeseen occurrence and that is just life. What we want to be focused on is doing our best so that it doesn't happen often. Healthy snacks stashed around work and home are important, (like bags of nuts or wasabi peas) but so is making sure that you honor yourself by the taking the time out of your day to see that you are fed with nutrient dense food. Like, brightly colored fruit, dark leafy greens, sesame seeds (high in calcium!), beans, and nuts. You deserve to have the best food that nature has to offer and by a little planning ahead and spending some time doing this, you are taking care of yourself and treating yourself well. Regular eating greatly reduces cravings for sweets and salt and it also trains your body to expect food at certain times, so that the rest of the day it is burning up your food as fuel instead of storing as fat.

Do it for yourself and see how you feel...

Next time there will be some sample meals and snacks that will keep you satisfied during the day and will train your body to be a fuel burning machine!

Purifoid Skin + a D.I.Y. Scrub

Most people know that our skin is the largest organ of our body, but did you know that it is also the most absorbent and most exposed? How do we take care of it? We know the basics of cleansing, exfoliating, moisturizing, what else can we do? The best products to use for all these different methods of care comes from our planet. 

D.I.Y scrubs are easily made at home with simple plant based ingredients such as walnuts, almonds, and luxurious natural oils. With these homemade scrubs, you will see the difference in your skin immediately. 

The best moisturizers in the world have been provided for us by the earth. You will love how soothing they feel and your skin will love you for it.

Now let’s say you start using these natural oils provided for us by our amazing planet and you see the difference in your skin. You love it and you start using them all the time. Are you going to keep it up? Of course! What happens if one day is so crazy busy and you barely had time to shower, let alone moisturize. What is going to happen? Will you be struck ugly? Is your skin going to immediately dry up and crack? No!

You just begin again the next day and enjoy being Purifoid.

Here is a sample D.I.Y scrub that is easy to make and easy to use and will inspire you take the time for self-care.

                                       Rae’s Walnut and Coconut Oil Scrub:

                                                    ½ c. raw walnuts

                                                    ¼ c. raw almonds

                                                    ¼ c. organic brown sugar 
                                                   (both Whole Foods and Trader Joes    
                                                    have excellent store brands)

                                                    ½ c. Organic Virgin Coconut Oil  
                                                   (you can use more oil for a wetter scrub 
                                                   and less oil for a drier  scrub. 
                                                   Go with what you prefer more; play around with it a little bit)

Optional: 3 drops of lavender oil for calming properties or 1 tsp. turmeric for anti-inflammatory properties.

Blend the almonds, walnuts, and brown sugar in a blender, Vita Mix or mini food processor. Blend them fine for a soft scrub and blend them less fine for a slightly harsher -grain scrub. Pour the dry ingredients in a bowl and slowly stir in the coconut oil with a spoon and mash up all the ingredients together. Here is where you can decide if you want more oil or less oil.

Once all the ingredients are mixed, go ahead and scrub your whole body in the shower for approx. 5-10 minutes and then rinse off! 

Have fun! 

The 3 Principles of Purifoid

  

 1.    act           2. feel           3. look

                               

This just means that we consistently take the right actions toward being pure. These actions would change how we feel about ourselves.

For instance one great action we can take is to switch our regular milk for Almond milk. A great brand is Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk. It is low in fat, high in calcium, and has no antibiotics or hormones like most regular milk. It mixes wonderfully for green and fruit smoothies as well! 

The better we feel about ourselves, the more right actions we take and this has the power to change our entire countenance and image. Not to mention actually training our mental muscles to make healthy food choices. It will become second nature to us. Doing this would also empower us to use our self-discipline to not let doubt, fear or guilt subtract from all of our great efforts.

When we are acting and feeling great, guess what? We start looking great as well. Our outer countenance starts to reflect that happiness and confidence. Our skin starts to become more radiant and glowy. (A little tinted moisturizer doesn’t hurt either. Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer is fab) Happy and confident people smile a lot more. That makes everyone look better!

Next time, we will learn a little more about our skin and how we can care for it, naturally. I will also include an awesome D.I.Y. scrub!