Vegan Cupcakes, Tea and Essential Oils

Posted on July 8, 2015 by suzannerbanks

I met with two amazing women the other day to talk about natural perfumery, essential oils, healing, consciousness and chocolate. We drank tea and ate fabulous vegan food including these gorgeous vegan cupcakes by my friend That Vegan Lady.

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Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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Cups of tea, vegan cupckaes and natural perfume

We haven’t saved the world yet but I think we’re on the way!

I don’t like to seem repetitive but my choice of essential oil to sum up the day is lavender. Do you think it matches this pic?

I do.

If we all used a drop of lavender everyday we could reach a critical mass and spontaneously evolve.

Let’s do it!

Lavender at my local market

Thanks to Julie Nelson of Aromatique for a beautiful day in the Blue Mountains of NSW, Australia. xoxo

Juniper Essential oil for the June Solstice, Jupiter and Venus 2015

Posted on June 24, 2015 by suzannerbanks

Yes it’s the June solstice and while many of you are in the height of summer, don’t forget us on the other side of the equator. It’s cold. Dead of winter cold. Game of Thrones Winterfell cold. Well maybe not that cold, but you get my drift ……

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Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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Great diagram by earthsky.org

As I was wondering what to write about this week, and I noticed the bright stars and planets in the sky with a gorgeous crescent moon, I found out about the special connection Venus and Jupiter are having at the moment. But in my mind I kept stumbling on the word “Jupiter”, and using “juniper” instead. I have been known to accidentally ask for a juniper and tonic once or twice before in bars too!

So I’m going to tell you how incorporating juniper essential into your life will give you an extra push, at this very auspicious time, wherever you live.

“On any night in June, 2015, look for the queen and king of planets – dazzling Venus and bold Jupiter – as these two worlds appear in your western sky first thing every nightfall. They’ll appear in your evening sky throughout June 2015, and they’ll be drawing closer together each evening!

Venus will pass Jupiter in late June/early July, 2015. At that time – especially on the nights of June 30 and July 1 – you can witness the closest Venus-Jupiter conjunction until August 27, 2016.”

earthsky.org

Moon, Venus, Jupiter on June 18, 2015 by Daniel McVey in Silverthorne, Colorad0 – via earthsky.org – danielmcvey.com – facebook.photographybydanielmcvey

So whether you live north or south of the equator, or in equatorial countries, this planetary alignment is the same and its giving extra special powers to the Winter or Summer Solstice.

“The second major event in June is Venus meeting Jupiter in the sign of Leo, aligning to Prometheus in another fire sign, Aries, promising a romantic, sexy and creative summer, especially for fire signs (Leo, Sagittarius, Aries).”

neilspencer.com

I suppose it can be applied to us in winter too, and I did have a very social weekend – normally I’m by the heater for 3 months.

Juniper berries - pic via www.thedrinksbusiness.com

Juniper berries – pic via http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com

So now I’m giving you juniper for Jupiter (the King) and here’s why:

* Juniper is a great essential oil to help release extra fluid in the body including watery emotions. Maybe this means you need to shed any worries, sadness or concerns to take up the creative energy of the planetary alignment.

* It’s an energetic cleanser for you and your space, to help you make room for the experiences you really want – maybe love?

* It’s a light, bright sparkly scent, oozing sophistication. Use it around you to move your thought patterns from dark to light.

* For those in the height of summer, it’s gin and tonics, fun in the sun, laughter and love, and reaping the rewards from seeds you planted last winter. You are able to enjoy the prosperous summer knowing winter is a long way off.

* For those in the calm of winter, using juniper essential oil is a way to shed “stuff’ so you can be exact about what you’d like to come to fruition this summer. You are now on a steady rise to longer days, so commit to your desires NOW!

* For those in places very close to the equator, juniper oil can be a fresh addition to your routine, helping you gain better insight into your dreams for the future.

young unripe juniper berries

Wherever you are, enjoy Jupiter and Venus, the solstice and the gorgeous oil of juniper.

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Check out my YouTube channel too, thanks.

Dry Brushing for Your Face?

Posted on June 17, 2015 by suzannerbanks

Dry Brushing for Your Face? Is it a Thing? The Soft Supple Skin Series continues with Part 4 …

There are many motorised facial brushes on the market but what about dry brushing for your face? Just as dry brushing for your body is wonderful, dry brushing for your face has the same benefits!

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Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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Dry brushing for your face - pic via www.skin-brushing.com

Dry brushing for your face – pic via http://www.skin-brushing.com

The advantages of dry brushing are exfoliation and lymphatic drainage. See my previous article To Dry Brush or Not? Yep … Another Question!.

As you can see by this diagram, your lymphatic drainage points for your face are behind your ears. Brush towards your ears so the excess fluid can be taken away by your lymphatic system.

It’s pretty simple really and easy to do. The most important thing to note is not to scrub too hard, just use soft gentle strokes, for two reasons:

1. Classic lymphatic drainage ALWAYS uses superficial strokes. Light sweeping strokes are the only way to move fluid to the nodes.

2. The skin on your face is more sensitive and you need to be more gentle while exfoliating.

Motorised brush- pic via www.beautylish.com

Motorised brush – pic via http://www.beautylish.com

There are many motorised brushes on the market but they often come as a cleaning system, with facial soaps and washes and various lotions. I’ve always wondered why some people need to clean their faces so rigourously? Surely your face can’t be so dirty you need to scrub it clean, every day? I realise if you wear makeup everyday, that can build up…… but do the same people scrub their bodies with brushes daily too? Maybe. I don’t.

Look this one is cute – from sephora.com

Dry brush your face once or twice a week, just as you would your body, and if that’s too much for you make it once a week. Always moisturise afterwards – and try a light mist of a hydrosol or floral water after brushing and before moisturising.

And for the all natural person here’s a cute soft natural jute brush by bodecare.com

Now I’m totally psyched into dry brushing my entire body. The little face brush above is easily cleaned with any plain soap as the bristles are synthetic and slightly more gentle than natural bristles. The natural bristle body brushes are a bit harder to clean as it’s best not to get them too wet. You could use a comb with soap and water to pull through the bristles, and shake it out every time you use it.

I wonder if this cute little brush will help reduce the circles under my eyes? I’m going to try, and I’ll get back to you in a while. Stay tuned x

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Check out my YouTube channel too, thanks.

A Walk Down Pine Hill Path

Posted on June 10, 2015 by suzannerbanks

What would you feel if you took a walk down Pine Hill Path?

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Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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Pine Hill Path in the Wellington Botanic Gardens

You would feel ** Inspiration ** Abundance ** Refreshed

Use pine oil when you want to cleanse your aura and space, acknowledge abundance flowing to you through other people, and be creatively inspired.

This post is dedicated to Portia Turbo of Australian Perfume Junkies x

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Check out my YouTube channel too, thanks.

To Loofah or To Body Puff? That is The Next Question!

Posted on May 27, 2015 by suzannerbanks

The Soft, Supple Skin Series Part 2 – Loofah’s, Body Puffs and Body Gloves

The series continues with question of how hygienic and effective these body scrubbers really are, and should we be using them?

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Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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1. Loofah or Luffa

Loofah with soap. The grainy texture of the loofah is why people use it for skin scrubbing

The “loofah” is the fruit of a plant which is part of the cucumber family (Cucurbitaceae). The botanical genus name is Luffa and the fruit is harvested from either/or Luffa aegyptiaca and the Luffa acutangulaIt species. It is very fibrous and when matured and dried forms the slightly strange looking sponge we call a loofah. I remember having these in the 80’s but can never remember loving it. I seem to recall always throwing it out after a while.

According to some articles on the net from dermatologists and health websites, when you use the loofah to polish or scrub your skin, your dried skin cells stay trapped within the structure. Add a moist shower or bathroom, and the fact that it rarely dries out, and you have a hive of bacterial activity!

And then you keep using it.

And then it gets more unhygienic.

So perhaps it’s better if you wash it and sanitise it with essential oils, for example, every time you use it. This will definitely keep the loofah slightly healthier, but the fact is, you’ll never get all the way into the maze of fibres, to release all the dead skin and to make it a completely santised sponge.

Verdict

Good: It comes from a natural source and works well

Bad: You can never really get it clean and need to discard it after a month (my personal view).

Can start to smell after the first few uses

It starts to breakdown as soon as it gets wet, it is natural after all

Recommendation: Create a skin scrub that can only be used once. See To Scrub or Not To Scrub? That is the Question!

2. Body Puff or Body Exfoliating Gloves

Body exfoliating gloves – pic via aliexpress.com

Both the puff and the gloves are made from a synthetic mesh. While the same issues exist with santising after each use, like the loofah, it’s so much easier to do. They wash out easily and dry quite quickly.

Verdict

Good: Easy to use

Wash and dry quickly

Cute and colourful

Long lasting

Bad: Man-made fibre

Recommendation: Wash and sanitise after each use with a few drops of essential oils in the rinse cycle.

These are better to use than the loofah.

50 ml bespoke body oil made by me for a treatment

So perhaps reconsider using the loofah and opt for the hardier synthetic puff or gloves, and always moisturise afterwards.

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Check out my YouTube channel too, thanks.

Australian Eucalyptus Oil WINNER!!!!!

Posted on May 20, 2015 by suzannerbanks

Thanks to all the lovely people that read the article and commented for their chance to win a bottle of Certified Organic Australian eucalyptus oil from Banalasta in NSW.

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Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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and the winner is ….

♥

Heather Roques

♥

Congratulations I’ll be in touch to get your postal address.

The winner was chosen by using random.org.

10ml bottle Eucalyptus radiata from Banalasta

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Check out my YouTube channel too, thanks.

To Scrub or Not To Scrub? That is the Question!

Posted on May 13, 2015 by suzannerbanks

The Soft, Supple Skin Series Part 1 – Skin Scrubs

Natural skin scrubs are easy to make, and thanks to the internet it’s easy to find recipes – but are they good for your skin?

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Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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Salt scrub – pic via themethuselahcenter.com

Skin scrubs can make your skin feel soft and new, providing you don’t use them too often.

The skin is called the Integumentary system. It is the largest organ of the body – and yes it’s actually classified as an organ, just like your liver and heart are organs. The skin has its own intelligence and it separates us from our environment and gives us our unique quality. It is also the most exposed organ in the body and needs some care and attention.

The skin on our faces is finer than in other parts of our body, but generally speaking it works in a particular way. It is estimated we could be losing about 30,000 skin cells per hour. Yes, per hour! New cells are formed from within, and push up to the external layer of the epidermis. This means our skin is already taking care of itself in a complicated and intelligent fashion, so is it ok to use a scrub?

Salt makes a great base for a scrub but use fine salt or grind up coarse salt

I think using a scrub once every week to 10 days is good for your skin, just be careful when actually scrubbing your skin so as not to give yourself scratches. Also the scrub you make to use on your body, could be a little too rough for your face so plan ahead and do your recipe research first.

* Winter skin tends to need a scrub more frequently as hot showers and layers of clothing can interfere with the natural release of skin, and we can get that dry crocodile looking effect.

* Basically you will be washing dead skin down the drain rather than letting it pile up around the house.

* Ideally soak in a bath for 5 minutes. Use your scrub on all parts of your body, then soak for at least another 5 minutes for a real spa treatment feeling. Some of us only have a shower so make the best of what you have.

* Always moisturise after your scrub, and of course I recommend you use a body oil and face oil or serum which will give your skin a velvety smooth finish.

Sea salt – pic via cooks.ndtv.com

Bases for Your Body

* Fine sea salt is the best. Don’t use coarse as you will scratch yourself.

* I see recipes all the time using sugar but I just don’t understand why you would use sugar when you have salt?

* Oil and/or moisturising cream to make a slurry

* Green or pink clay

* a little water

Bases for Your Face

* moisturising cream on its own or with some white or yellow clay

* almond meal – I love this gentle scrub base for the face

Use a mortar and pestle to grind up anything you want to use in your scrub

Additives to Your Bases

* a few drops of essential oil (1 drop for face – 5 drops for body – or a few more) – don’t go overboard you don’t want to burn or irritate your skin, especially if you are adding other botanicals to it

* coffee grains

* almond meal

* fresh rind of lemon/orange/grapefruit/lime

* dried citrus peel

* ground cacao nibs

* ground rose petals

* ground pumice

* dried or fresh herbs

Use your imagination but also your intuition as to what might be good for your face and what is best left for your body.

lovely legs!

A basic body scrub could look like this:

2 cups fine sea salt

grated lemon rind

3 – 5 drops lavender essential oil

a tablespoon of oil

a tablespoon of clay

a little water or cream to make a gooey paste

A face scrub:

3 teaspoons almond meal

1 teaspoon white clay

a little water to make a paste

1 drop bergamot essential oil

The only issue for me using these types of scrubs is that we are washing the gooey paste down the drain. I think that’s fine for the salt on it’s own but what about the oil and botanicals too?

Stay tuned for more in my Soft, Supple Skin Series and check out my YouTube channel too, thanks.

10 Recipes with Lime Essential Oil – Citrus aurantifolia

Posted on May 6, 2015 by suzannerbanks

Beautiful lime oil is an interesting citrus oil with depth and even a little spice. What is lime’s secret?

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Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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Lime oil has more depth than the other citrus oils

“Lime (Citrus aurantifolia)

counteracts negative thinking

Lime is better used in diffuser and mists rather than on the body. Lime is one of the heavier citrus oils and I feel it hides a deep, magical secret, but I’m not quite sure what that secret is. It has less classical uses than lemon but when I use this oil on my clients I can see its ability to influence and counter-act negative thinking. Don’t give away your energy to negative thoughts, feelings or situations otherwise you wont have anything left for your own happiness. Use lime instead.”

Suzanne R Banks “Revelation! Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils”

Beer and lime!

So while beer with a wedge of lime is lovely, what can lime oil be used for?

* According to Salvatore Battaglia (who has written a great text-book on essential oils “The Complete guide to Aromatherapy), lime is great for sore throats due to its anti-microbial nature. However, all oils have anti bacterial qualities as they are the protectors of each plant they come from.

* Lime is used to help with depression – as with all the citrus oils. They are oils of happiness.

* It could be used in a body oil blend as a digestive tonic

* In a mild dilution it can help oily skin and hair as it acts as an astringent.

Refreshing zesty lime

Let’s check out some recipes:

1. Scent Your Space

In a traditional oil burner with a candle or a diffuser add 25 drops of oil

“Cocktails!”

Get in the spirit! Get it?

Lime 12 drops

Orange 8 drops

Cinnamon 5 drops

“Life is Good”

When you need a bit of help to see the good things –

Lime 10 drops

Lavender 10 drops

Fennel 5 drops

“Summer Summer Summer”

Lime 8 drops

Palmarosa 8 drops

Lemon Myrtle 5 drops

Nutmeg 4 drops

“Fun with Kids”

Lime 7 drops

Mandarin 6 drops

Spearmint 6 drops

Marjoram 6 drops

“From Negative to Positive”

Start feeling good now –

Lime 6 drops

Indian Rosewood 10 drops

Lemongrass 6 drops

Clove 8 drops

Anoint yourself with pure essential oil blends

2. Pure Pulse Point Perfume

In a little dish mix these oils and anoint your pulse points or chakras – 3 drops of essential oils and dilute with a few drops of carrier oil – always patch test first!

“Feelin Good”

Lime 2 drops

Australian Sandalwood 1 drop

“I Feel Pretty, Oh SO Pretty”

Lime 1 drop

Neroli 3% 3 drops * see my article for more info on 3% blends in jojoba

“Don’t Hesitate”

Lime 1 drop

Lemon 1 drop

Basil 1 drop

nourish your skin with oil blends

3. Nourishing Body Oil Blend

For a coat of your body use 3 teaspoons of carrier oil in a little dish and, add 7 – 8 drops of essential oil. It’s always best to patch test first, before you apply all over.

***** Always put the drops of essential oil into the bottle or dish first, then add the carrier oil. It gives the scents time to create a synergistic fusion.

For a 50ml bottle of oil add 25 drops and see my articles “Ratios for Blending Essential Oils – A Reminder of the Basics” and “Aromatherapy – It’s Easy as 1 2 3”

“Energy NOW!”

Lime 2 drops

Rosemary 2 drops

Cypress 4 drops

“Life is Sweet”

Lime 3 drops

Peru Balsam 3 drops

Geranium 2 drops

lime is a happy colour too!

Happy blending and remember to use your intention when you are creating your formulas. See my article about intention.

Check out my YouTube channel too, thanks.

20 Good Reasons Lavender is the Superhero of Essential Oils

Posted on April 29, 2015 by suzannerbanks

Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as a Kindle and Paperback

20 Good Reasons Lavender is the Superhero of Essential Oils

Lavender at my local market

The following is an excerpt from my book:

“Lavender – Singularly Spectacular for General Health”

If it all gets a bit too confusing, lavender is here to save the day. It’s the super hero of essential oils and here are 20 good reasons why:

1. It is a herb that has been used for perfumery and healing for centuries and is still thriving.

2. Lavender’s purple colour is related to the upper chakras, mainly the crown chakra which connects us with the universe and all the knowledge contained within its structure.

3. The perfect oil for use in first aid as it has properties of cell regeneration, anti-bacterial and anti-septic constituents. Perfect for cuts, grazes, falls and anytime first aid is required. Even rushing to someone’s aid with a little bottle of lavender can help shock and fright.

4. A great after sun oil and THE one indicated oil to use for any kind of burn.

lovely lavender

5. Great for relaxing and inducing sleep.

6. It is calming and can be used for headaches and as an antidote for sadness and depression.

7. A wonderful tonic for the heart both physically and meta-physically.

8. It has warming and cooling properties and could be considered a balancing oil – an oil of evening things out. I call it the oil of solidarity.

Lavender backpackers in Akeroa NZ

9. Treats insect bites by immediately stopping the itching.

10. It’s easy to find and relatively inexpensive.

11. It’s grown and produced all over the world, each region giving its scent and quality to the oil.

12. Lavender oil can be inhaled as a steam for colds, coughs and sinus infections to relieve the symptoms.

wild lavender with butterfly

13. It counteracts most kinds of pain – physical an emotional.

14. The herbaceous scent blends well with all other oils and can be used as the main part of a potion to provide a platform for all the other scents to project from.

15. The herb can be used in baking, in jams, in teas and in body products.

16. Children seem to like it – it tends to provide a sense of calm and security. It is also a powerful oil to use with the elderly to instill a sense of safety.

more gorgeous lavender

17. The essential oil is perfect for grounding and centering, using in spells and to help stimulate creativity.

18. It is wonderful to use if you need support and encouragement, and either don’t have anyone around to give that to you, or you’ve temporarily exhausted your own supply. Helps you to find the strength to carry on when times are tough.

19. Connects us to the great feminine power of Gaia.

20. One drop is enough to change your perspective from weak to strong.

lavender!

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Check out my YouTube channel too, thanks.

Australian Eucalyptus Oil – A Review and Giveaway

Posted on April 22, 2015 by suzannerbanks

Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as a Kindle and Paperback

Australian Eucalyptus Oil – A Review and Giveaway

The picturesque road to Banalasta – it was stinking hot and there was a bushfire in the distance

At the end of last year I visited a friend in Armidale which is about 5 hours drive from Sydney (or about an hour flying). On our way to see friends in Tamworth – the Country Music Capital of Australia – we saw signs to a Eucalyptus farm. A few kilometres up a bumpy dirt road we found the gorgeous little shop and cafe, selling eucalyptus oil from the property “Banalasta” (the land of healthy waterholes). They are growing quickly and increasing their wholesale business to the USA, as well as supplying the Australian public through online sales and sale on the property. They are a certified organic farming business.

The lovely people gave me a quick look around out the back, where they actually store the leaves and distill the oil. Here are a few pics:

Here you can see fresh eucalyptus leaves (Eucalyptus radiata) harvested off the property, from living trees (that continue to live). The scent was absolutely divine!

Fresh eucalyptus leaves awaiting distillation

The massive vats used for distilling the oil:

Distilling vats

The receptacle that collects the essential oil:

The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow – where the essential oil is collected

Glass measuring and testing equipment to assess each batch:

At Banalasta they also grow and distill lavender (Lavandula Intermedia grosso):

Lavender just about to flower outside the shop

The Oil: Eucalyptus radiata certified organic

The Scent: A sweet and soft eucalyptus, almost like you are eating a eucalyptus candy. Within the scent I can detect mild camphorous tones and the poetic sense of the Australian bush.

The Verdict: A must have for all scent enthusiasts

To Win:

10ml bottle Eucalyptus radiata

Please comment via the little thought bubble at the top of the blog and tell my why you’d LOVE this little bottle of Aussie goodness. The winner will be chosen through random.org on the 20th May 2015.

Thanks so much! You can support local organic farmers by buying direct from Banalasta here: http://www.banalasta.com.au/Essential-Oils-p-1-c-252.html

Check out my YouTube channel too, thanks.

suzannerbanks

scent . intention . consciousness . essential oils

Tag Archives: beauty

Vegan Cupcakes, Tea and Essential Oils

Juniper Essential oil for the June Solstice, Jupiter and Venus 2015

Dry Brushing for Your Face?

A Walk Down Pine Hill Path

To Loofah or To Body Puff? That is The Next Question!

Australian Eucalyptus Oil WINNER!!!!!

To Scrub or Not To Scrub? That is the Question!

10 Recipes with Lime Essential Oil – Citrus aurantifolia

20 Good Reasons Lavender is the Superhero of Essential Oils

Australian Eucalyptus Oil – A Review and Giveaway

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