Essential Oils: Quick and Easy Ways To Add Them To Your Daily Routine

My daily routine and the daily products I use have to be a quick process, with most of my day spent on the go. As I am sure many of you can relate. A great product I wanted to share because of the wide varieties of uses with great impact are essential oils. I use various types of oils that vary in the countless ways they can be used, from helping me to focus on a project that might be a little tedious (like writing ha), to helping me gain ease when feeling some anxiety creeping up, or if my allergies are kicking my ass, again essential oils come into use. I know some of you reading this you might be familiar with essential oils, but if your like me I love to hear from people about their techniques in using products, specifically if their processes are simple yet beneficial, like the applications I wanted to share with you are.

Essential Oils can be utilized for in home cleaning sprays, in baths to help with sore muscles or stuffy noses, hand sanitizers, flavoring in soups (lemongrass my favorite) and skincare. So the fact that essential oils are extracted from plants, herbs, flowers and fruits their oils offer us powerful and amazingly potent plant power. This concentration of plant power has so many various benefits and their effectiveness are backed by science (https://draxe.com/essential-oil-uses-benefits/) and centuries worth of techniques from a wide tradition of medical modalities and religious practices. 

My appreciation has grown for essential oils as I have learned new uses for them and how easy they are to incorporate into my everyday routine. This appreciation goes a bit further then just their use but also their ability to trigger bodily responses even by just simply smelling. Take an oil like Lavender which increases inclinations to slow down and  triggers a response to your nervous system to relax and just taking a few deep breaths no matter what I am doing makes me feel more at ease. Yet Lavender is also high in antioxidants so topical use on skin is known to soothe skin especially skin that might be suffering from bug bites, minor burns, and acne. I will link all the Oils I use at the end.

Here are some of the ways I use essential oils on the daily:

Meditation

I practice meditation daily in the mornings. Some days I am sure you can relate either I have a full to do list, or my mind is extra busy and all over the place. I use essential oils to help trigger myself to be more present. I love to use lavender or a mental clarity blend which also has lavender in it. I dab it on the base of my palms and rub my hands together to warm and activate the oil further, then cup my eyes making the base of my palms at nose level and taking a few deep breaths. This practice lets me sink into meditation more immediately and deeper. And if my son makes an appearance he also likes to take a few whiffs of the oil. This method of using essential oils for calming is also great before bed.

Skin

So yes winter did find us here in California, and boy has my skin been having a tantrum over it. One way I like to help soothe my skin is a skin mist.  I make it with 10 drops of Chamomile Oil and only around 5 drops or so of Lavender. I keep my reused bottle in the fridge which adds another layer of comfort to my skin with the cooler temp. In the summer time I will switch up the mixture by adding Lemongrass Oil instead of Lavender. Lemongrass oil I love the refreshing vibrant scent but it is potent add around 3 drop of it and your set its that powerful in how potent the scent is.

Facial Mist

1 Cup of Purified Water

2 Organic Green Tea Bags

10 Drops of Chamomile essential oil

Direction: Brew the two tea bags in 1 cup of water let cool, remove tea bags, then add essential oil than add all liquid to preferably a glass bottle.

Schedule

Home  

Essential Oils have such an instant impact to your senses and are a way to change the mood feeling of a room/home. To our diffuser in the morning time a more vibrant scent like citrus based scents add an uplifting boost I often add lemon, orange, lemon grass or even tea tree. The citrus scented oils make especially early mornings more doable in the way the scents  help to naturally offer your senses a kick of zest that are nice especially on early winters morning when it is chilly and dark out. The essential oils to me also just make the house feel cleaner by having a fresh scent filling the room. I like a little warmer scents in my bedroom such as Jasmine, Ylang Ylang and switching up the oil at night time with a more calming scent. I use diffusers around the house I find diffuser easy to use and maintain.

Another way I create with the oils to make beautiful scents is by diluting the oil with water to make a room spray. Again super easy to make but I can change the scent quickly depending on what I am liking at the time. These sprays are just another way I like to make our house feel fresh especially during the winter when you are likely to be more enclosed in your house or if you have pets for roommates. One other tip I have only done only a couple of times is spray our bed and pillows with a more relaxing scented spray before bed. I know bedtime pillow sprays are totally in right now but by  the time I am finally able to get to bed I just pass out, or don’t have the capacity to even think about any spray haha. However I will turn on the diffuser and add additional relaxing sleep time oils in it. However I do have a simple pillow/sheet spray that you can use like I said I always forget about the spray when it does come down to me going to bed but those handful of times I did remember I found the scent to be very relaxing.

Pillow Mist

1/4 cup distilled water

3 tablespoons witch hazel

20 drops lavender essential oil

15 drops frankincense essential oil

Room Spray

• 1/2 cup water 

• 2 tablespoons Vanilla Extract

• 10 drops Lavender essential oil

• 5 drops Chamomile essential oil

Cleaning

So another way essential oils keep our house fresh is by helping me clean it. And I must say that one way I pick cleaners is by their smell and yes it takes me awhile to shop because I do have to smell everything thankfully my son is totally a professional smeller like his mom. My husband however….. I digress. So I like to make a couple of my own concoctions that work really well and I can simply change the scent whenever. 

Cleaning Scrub

2 cups of Baking Soda

10 Tea Tree essential oil

10 of your Favorite essential oil

Cleaning Spray

1 cup of Water

1/2 cup of White Vinegar

15 drops of Tea Tree Oil

20 drops of Eucalyptus Oil or your favorite oil

I am continually adding oils to my collection, as I learn about new uses. For example last week while our family was battling a cold, so I used Tea Tree oil with water as hand sanitizer. I get most of my oils from my naturopathic doctor, and the oils she uses are of such high quality and I love them and will be linking them below. I found a wonderful essential oil blend on my last visit to her office ( I get B-12 shots) that is made to clear your sinuses and had a few ways to use it ie q-tip up your nostrils, rub on the chest and for my son I added several drops to his bath. 

So here are some of my oils that I have on hand:

Chamolmile (http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/chamomile-german/)

Eucalyptus Globulus (http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/eucalyptus-globulus/

Lavender (I dont know what they do but this is the best ever lavender scent I have ever smelled)  http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/lavender-angustifolia/

Frankincense http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/frankincense/

Orange, Sweet http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/orange-sweet/

Lemon Verbena http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/lemon-verbena/

Lemongrass http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/lemongrass/

Tea Tree http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/tea-tree/

Ylang Ylang Complete http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/ylang-ylang/

Thyme ct Linalol http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/thyme-linalol/

Peppermint http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/peppermint/

Lemon http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/lemon/

Geranium, Rose http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/geranium-rose/

Mental Clarity http://pranarom.us/products/wellness-blends/mental-clarity/

Stress Recovery http://pranarom.us/products/wellness-blends/stress-recovery/

Sinus Formula http://pranarom.us/products/wellness-blends/sinus-formula/ 

So these essential oils are all the same brand this is not sponsored like I said previously I just buy the oils from my naturopathic doctor who sells this brand but I must say I do like the brand for their quality and easy use. Please comment below and leave some of your favorite essential oils and your favorite concoctions! And would love to hear feedback on if you tried any of these recipes.

Epsom Salts: A Favorite Remedy For Anxiety, Inflammation & Insomnia

Epsom salts have been a popular natural remedy for centuries, used to help with anything from healing wounds to relieving constipation. But did you know that Epsom salts are really just magnesium sulfate salts? It's true. Epsom salts are just one of the many ways we can use magnesium—also known as nature's relaxation mineral—to better our health.

As the health editor at mindbodygreen and the author of the upcoming book Magnesium: A Lifestyle Guide to Epsom Salts, Magnesium Oil, and Nature's Relaxation Mineral, I've spent my fair share of time both soaking in Epsom salt baths and at my desk researching the history of Epsom salts, their benefits, and how we might be able to use them to treat various health woes.

Over these years of research and personal experimentation, Epsom salts have become one of my absolute favorite "alternative" remedies. Although I'm not sure we should even use the word "alternative," seeing as magnesium-based therapies have actually now been approved by the FDA as laxatives and you can find Epsom salts in pretty much any pharmacy or grocery store in America. They're a great remedy whenever you're amped at the end of the day, sore from a workout, or just in need of a little extra self-care.

Epsom salt baths: What they are and where they come from.

The history of Epsom salts is pretty fascinating. They were discovered as early as the 1700s in a town called Epsom (big surprise there), which is about 15 miles from London. People would travel from all over Europe to bathe in the healing water at the bitter saline spring in the town, which would help with anything from skin issues to wound healing and decreasing infections to digestive problems. Eventually, they discovered that boiling down the water produced magnesium sulfate salts, later named Epsom salts, which were then able to be transported and sold everywhere. Epsom salts—much like witch hazel—have withstood the test of time and are still a popular remedy today that has been embraced by both Eastern and Western medicine practitioners.

The health benefits of Epsom salts.

Magnesium is an incredibly important mineral and acts as a cofactor in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body. These reactions control things like protein synthesis, muscle contraction, blood pressure regulation, and blood sugar balance. In other words: It's really important.

Unfortunately, it's suspected that a large portion of the population isn't getting enough magnesium through their diet. This is in part because of how our soil has changed over the years—aka, the mineral content has decreased drastically—and also because processing foods leaches them of their magnesium content, leaving them virtually devoid of the mineral. Magnesium-rich foods include leafy greens, fatty fish like salmon, and nuts and seeds.

Since Epsom salts are technically a form of magnesium therapy, the benefits you get from bathing in a magnesium-rich bath are thought to be similar to those you get from taking oral magnesium. Integrative medicine doctor Bindiya Gandhi, M.D. is a fan of Epsom salts for more reasons than one, explaining that "I recommend Epsom salt for muscle aches, anxiety, and to help patients relax and sleep better. I also have postpartum patients and with those with hemorrhoids soak in Epsom salt to help with recovery. I personally soaked in Epsom salt prior to labor to help have a smooth and easy vaginal delivery. Many people are deficient in magnesium and using epsom salt soaks instead of a supplement can be therapeutic."

Here are some of the most common reasons why people are using Epsom salts baths on the reg:

Epsom salts as a natural laxative.

One of the first benefits of Epsom salts that was discovered was its ability to act as an all-natural laxative. Today, however, it's not recommended to use Epsom salts internally as a laxative. Instead, there are other forms of magnesium that can help keep things moving along your digestive tract in a way that's a lot more gentle. Magnesium citrate, which is available in a supplement capsule or as a powdered drink, is one of the top doctor-recommended forms of magnesium for constipation, along with magnesium oxide.

Epsom salt as a stress- and anxiety-reducer.

One of the best benefits of magnesium and Epsom salts is their ability to help wash away the stress from the day and soothe occasional anxiety. Magnesium is often praised as one of the best natural approaches to anxiety, stress can be a risk factor for magnesium deficiency, and ironically, a deficiency in magnesium can magnify our unhealthy responses to stress. Top integrative medicine doctors think we need more magnesium in times of stress, explaining that it interacts with GABA in the brain.

Epsom salts to help with sleep.

Knowing magnesium's ability to soothe tense muscles and relieve anxiety, it probably comes as no surprise that it is also praised for helping with sleep. One study showed that elderly people taking a magnesium glycinate supplement had improved insomnia.

Epsom salts for pain relief.

Magnesium is frequently used as a remedy to relieve pain from things like muscle cramps and menstrual cramps, and low levels of magnesium in the blood have been linked to migraine headaches. 

Epsom salts to soothe damaged or dry skin.

People have been using Epsom salts to heal the skin for as long as they've been around. A study published in 2005 suggests that Epsom salts can be helpful if you have dry skin and can decrease inflammation and promote hydration.

Epsom salts for detoxification

Epsom salts are also a great way to help your body detox and suppor the liver. Will Cole, D.C., IFMCP functional medicine expert and mindbodygreen Collective member is a big fan of Epsom salts, "I seriously love Epsom salt baths. Most people today are magnesium deficient and Epsom salt baths are one great way to increase magnesium levels. Magnesium is essential for hundreds of important pathways in our body, one of which are detoxification pathways. In addition to being nature's chill pill, magnesium is extremely important for sulfonation, glucuronidation, and glutathione conjugation reactions which are all part of phase II liver detox pathways." He frequently recommends Epsom salts to patients at his functional medicine clinic.

How to use Epsom salts: dosing, safety, and where to buy them.

You can buy Epsom salts at pretty much any grocery store or pharmacy in the United States, including these next-level Epsom salts at CVS. Bonus: They're also very reasonably priced (you'll usually pay somewhere between $5 and $10), and there are plenty of options to choose from—some even have added ingredients like activated charcoal or lavender.

To dose Epsom salts, just follow the directions on the package of whatever brand you're using. Don't be surprised when they ask you to pour half the bag (or the entire bag!) into the bath—you need a lot to get the desired effects! Dissolve the salts in the water while the bath is running, and soak 15 to 30 minutes. 

If you want to bring your bath to the next level, try adding a few drops of lavender or chamomile essential oil or one of these PureSoma soaks that feature different herbs, clays, and minerals that can also help with recovery, sleep, or detox.

Transdermal magnesium: The truth about absorbing magnesium through the skin.

Clearly, Epsom salts have quite a few benefits. And while there's still no final consensus on whether or not magnesium in the form of an Epsom salt bath has all of the same benefits of taking magnesium as a supplement by mouth, they're still a great way to take advantage of this ancient mineral that our bodies rely on so much. There's also still some debate over how well magnesium can be absorbed through the skin since the skin is technically designed to keep things from entering the body, and it does a great job at it. That said, so many people swear by Epsom salt baths as a helpful remedy for sleep, pain, and anxiety, and integrative and functional medicine doctors often recommend them to their patients, that it remains a staple in my medicine cabinet and medicine cabinets all over the world. In addition, getting a daily dose of magnesium by way of a bath eliminates the risk of the most common negative side effect of oral magnesium supplementation: diarrhea.

One note: Excess magnesium is excreted through your urine, and magnesium balance in the body is controlled by the kidneys, so if you have a kidney issue, you'll want to talk to your doctor before supplementing. In fact, it's always best to mention to your doctor when you're thinking of taking a new supplement and to make sure it's on your chart if you're already taking it.

Epsom salts: Why they should be your new favorite natural remedy.

The best thing about this natural remedy is the fact that they are cheap and easy, especially compared to other lifestyle remedies like dietary changes and supplements—which can be expensive and require a lot of time and energy. Bathing in magnesium also doubles as a form of self-care, which means you're killing two birds with one stone. They encourage you to take a little bit of time out of the day to dedicate to just you and your health. 

Want one last Epsom salt tip? Leave the phone out of the bathroom while you soak—you're taking away some of the benefits when you're reading the news or scrolling through social media. Instead, sit in silence, listen to some calming music, or try a guided meditation.

Gretchen Lidickermbg Health Editor

Gretchen Lidicker is mindbodygreen’s health editor and has worked on the academic and clinical side of integrative medicine for many years.

Meditating For Clear, Acne-Free Skin Actually Worked For Me — & It Can Help You, Too

Jessica Defino

Go Follow and Show Her Some Love On IG https://www.instagram.com/jessica_defino/

Anyone who’s dealt with chronic, cystic acne knows the ache of desperation that usually accompanies yet another failed acne treatment. It’s the full-body feeling that you’d do anything to clear your skin (I mean, “urine therapy” is a thing for a reason); the strain of racking your brain (or scrolling through Google) for a new miracle cure. After years of attempting to rid my skin of both acne and dermatitis with dermatologist-prescribed antibiotics, steroids, and topical creams — not to mention an entire Sephora’s worth of skincare products — in a flash of desperation-turned-inspiration, I decided to meditate my way to clear, acne-free skin.

Granted, this idea didn’t come out of nowhere. At the time, I was a dedicated student of both meditation and manifestation, and subscribed to the new-age-y Law of Attraction; which states that you can create the life you want by focusing your thoughts on the desired outcome. I fully believed I manifested my apartment, my boyfriend, and a salary bump in this way — so why couldn’t I manifest glowing skin, too?

For my soul-care as skincare experiment, I adapted a handful of meditation and mindfulness techniques to fit my mission, including breathing patterns, mantras, and visualization; all of which I still use today... because they actually work.

In the morning, I queue up a 10 or 20 minute track of soothing meditation music on YouTube or Spotify, depending on how much time I have. Then, I lay down (I find it more calming than the traditional lotus position), close my eyes, and start breathing deeply — in through my nose and out through my mouth. After a few breaths, I begin to repeat a mantra in my head: “I am beautiful on the inside, and it shines through the outside.” (Cheesy? Yes. Powerful? Also yes.) 

Next, I add a layer of visualization. I picture a brilliant white light filling my body from my toes to the top of my head, then I imagine light beams literally bursting through my pores; all the while repeating my mantra. By the time the music track has ended, I’m tingling with positivity; and instead of feeling down about a “bad” skin day, I see myself in a loving light. It’s an instant pick-me-up — but more than that, it actually changes my skin on a physical level.

During that initial meditation experiment years ago, I noticed a difference in my acne in a matter of days. And even though I don’t meditate on my skin every single morning anymore (hey, I’ve gotta switch it up with health- and happiness-based mantras, too), I always come back to this practice whenever my breakouts are begging for it. Last time, I even took pictures to prove my theory — and the before-and-afters don’t lie.

If you’re raising an eyebrow in suspicion, I don’t blame you. But before you knock it, get familiar with some of the scientifically studied ways in which breathing and meditation can help heal the skin.

How It Works

The first piece of the puzzle is deep breathing. “Proper breathing can substantially increase oxygen flow to the cells, helping achieve that coveted glow,” Kristy Katzmann, a holistic health expert, tells The Zoe Report. Most people don’t breathe as deeply as they should (seriously, just notice how shallow your breathing is as you read this), so 10 to 20 minutes of deep belly breathing per day can add a significant amount of oxygen to your system. “Interestingly, according to acupuncture theory, the lungs and lung channel are associated with the skin,” Katzman adds. “If there are imbalances in this channel, skin problems arise.” Clearing out the lungs with a few deep sighs can help right any imbalances and thus, give skin a boost.

Additionally, the pairing of breath and meditation has been proven to reduce stress— and less stress leads to better skin. “We do have some data that mindfulness-based therapies, such as mediation, can help improve skin conditions,” Dr. Sejal Shah of SmarterSkin Dermatology tells The Zoe Report. She says that regular meditation reduces the body’s cortisol levels; and since excess cortisol can stimulate excess oil production, this reduces acne, as well. “When the levels of these hormones are lower, there is improved blood flow to the skin,” she adds. “This brings more nutrients to the skin and whisks away toxins and waste, resulting in a healthier, more radiant complexion.”