Grapefruit Body Butter Recipe and Free Printable Spa Labels

       Did you know that there is a clinical study that shows grapefruit essential oil 

breaks down body fat? 

Hello?!? 

Seriously? I read this and had to read it three more times. 

BREAKS. DOWN. BODY. FAT! 

I immediately went and read the study because, you know, I like my facts. 

All I could think is, if this is true 

why aren't there jars of grapefruit body butter flying off the shelves everywhere? 

The only answer I could come up with is, 

there is just too much bogus stuff floating around out there. 

Things that sound so fancy and exotic. Surely they must think that exotic works better. 

I mean, something that sounds so ordinary couldn't possibly work, right? 

Well this is what I know. Research in essential oils is only just starting to take off.. There is so much about them we don't even begin to understand. 

Don't even get me started on the dangers of essential oils. I will cover that topic later. 

I know this much though, I have a very healthy respect for them and I don't play around with them. 

I am working hard to learn everything I can about what really works. 

What has been proven in clinical trials not word of mouth "oh my neighbor said so" kind of proof.

This one is the real deal. 

You want to know something else wonderful about Grapefruit Essential Oil? 

Even just smelling the oil can help you lose weight. 

That's right...smelling it! 

So make yourself a big ole tub of body butter if you need it and pour some of that in your diffuser while you are at it! Your body will thank you :)

So this is a nice simple formula I whipped up to give it a try because I don't know about you but this old body can use all the help it can get in the extra layers department, if you know what I mean ;)

This one works up quick and only uses 5 ingredients:

Grapefruit Body Butter

4 ounces cocoa butter

4 ounces coconut oil

80 drops of grapefruit essential oil

10 drops of lavender essential oil

3 drops of cypress essential oil

1, Add the cocoa butter and coconut oil into a double boiler and melt. 

2. Remove from heat and add your essential oils. 

3. Let cool. You can put it in the refrigerator if you want to speed things up. 

4. When it looks solid take it out and whip it with a blender till light and fluffy.

Now the fourth step is optional. You don't have to whip it. You can just pour the mix straight into your container after adding the oils. Either way works it just depends on your preference!

I also made up these labels while I was at it. I wanted something bright and fresh to put on some of my spa formulas and thought while I was at it I would make up a printable PDF for my wonderful readers! I hope you enjoy this great body recipe and the labels to go with it!

Just click HERE to save your copy of the free editable and printable labels.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my latest recipe. I have to tell you, when I was making this is made the whole house just smell heavenly. Now I have a big jar full of heaven to enjoy and hopefully a thinner waist soon!

Have a great week!

Clinical studies...if you are into that kinda thing like me. :)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17615482

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15862904

Rosehip Facial Serum

     I am not such a spring chicken these days and so I find my skin requires a lot more care than before but, oh, how I wish I would have shown it a bit more when I was younger. I was more of a wash my face and go kinda girl and had a devil-may-care attitude about any kind of skin care. These days I like to pamper myself and I am starting to see results. Maybe with a little forethought I wouldn't have to be battling the signs of ageing so much. Haha!

     So last night I ran out of my 'cant do without' facial serum and thought this would be a perfect time to share with you my recipe and why I use the ingredients I do use, since they seem to be working so well!

     I first discovered the amazing effects of rose hip oil after purchasing a similar serum. I immediately started noticing that my skin wasn't so dry, that the redness was receding ( I am a long time sufferer of rosacea) and that, low and behold, my wrinkles were not as noticeable! I went through a few of these store bought bottles before I had to delve into the science behind this marvelous oil. Now my formula isn't the same as the one I started out with but I think this one suits me even better for my particular problems. There are many wonderful oils that you can use on your face and essential oils that boost them with great affect.

    My first ingredient, as the title states, is Rose Hip Oil. It has amazing properties and is especially suited to older skin but will also benefit younger. It is a very lightweight, non-greasy oil that promotes the healing of damaged skin. It has a high concentration of natural vitamin A and it is full of nourishing fatty acids. Rose hip oil has the great ability to smooth wrinkles and to lighten age spots. It stimulates the growth of new cells and increases collagen production. It also improves elasticity, texture and the appearance of your skin and it helps treat chronic dryness. It calms the redness and irritation of your skin with it's anti-inflammatory properties and can be a great help to those suffering from rosacea and acne. Who wouldn't want to use this oil on their face?

 Vitamin E oil is the second ingredient and is a super antioxidant that helps reduce wrinkle formation. That's right. it helps stop them in their tracks! It also boosts collagen production, aiding in keeping the skin elastic. It encourages new skin cell growth and speeds up cell regeneration. It also helps protect skin from UV rays and pollution. And it is one of the best remedies for scars. I had a friend use this on a scar every day with great results. I will never forget how we watched it fade away.

     I use these two together as the base oil then I also add 5 essential oils to my formula. All of them have wonderful skin healing properties also:

Frankincense is a wonderful skin regeneration oil that helps reduce scarring, smooths wrinkles and reduces fine lines. It is a great skin tightener, reducing sagging, and it evens your skin tone and balances the skins pH.

Geranium is a wonderful anti-inflammatory that also helps with age spots and evens skin tone. It improves circulation under the skin's surface aiding in cell regeneration and also aids in reducing scarring, smoothing wrinkles and improving the texture of your skin.

Carrot Seed Oil is full of antioxidant caretenoids which help to prevent sun damage. They also stimulate the rejuvenation of skin cells and help detoxify your skin. This oil often helps with chronic skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.

    Cypress helps reduce broken capillaries under  the skin, improves 

circulation and strengthens the skin.

And last but not least, Jasmine Oil. I add this oil because I love it's scent but it is also known for its benefits for your skin. It is helpful for fading scars and treating dry brittle skin. I would advise against the use of this oil by pregnant women though for its emmenagogue effects.

     Rose Hip Facial Serum

4 Tbs of Rose Hip Oil

2 Tbs Vitamin E Oil

5 drops Frankincense Oil

5 drops Geranium Oil

5 drops Carrot Seed Oil

5 drops of Cypress oil

20 drops Jasmine 10% oil*

Combine ingredients and gently stir before pouring into bottle.Store in a cool, dry place. 

*I use such a large amount of this oil because it is not pure Jasmine but diluted in a carrier oil. IF I had pure jasmine I would probably only use 3 drops.

I hope this recipe is helpful to you. It is never to early to start pampering your skin. It will thank you by giving you a fresh young glow!

Have a wonderful week ~ Diane

Orange Cuticle Cream Recipe

I am a long time sufferer of extremely dry skin. Since I am hypothyroid it comes with the territory. I decided to give some cuticle cream a try and whipped up this lovely batch of Orange cuticle cream. It's quite simple, requiring only 3 ingredients and smells heavenly!



Orange Cuticle Cream

Ingredients:

 5 parts castor oil
 3 parts shea butter
 orange essential oil

Heat the first two ingredients on low heat until melted. You can use a water bath for this if you prefer but I don't.
Remove from heat.
Add essential oil.
Pour into a clean container and let cool.

*if using tablespoons as a measurement I add 25-30 drops of EO. This makes 3 small pots of cream.

This keeps my cuticles soft and supple, No more snagged silk when I am working on my projects! I would advise you to only use this on your cuticles as it is a bit too sticky to be used as a hand cream. I find it soaks in quickly though and is already repairing my rough cuticles.

Don't be afraid to try other oils instead of orange.
Here are a few suggestions:
Myrrh is a wonderful oil for wounds. If you have sore and bleeding cuticles this might be the perfect oil for you
Lavender is a very soothing and healing oil. this could also be a good choice.

Hope you enjoy my first body care recipe. Try it, your hands will thank you!

Diane