Essential Oil Recipes for Changing Seasons Spring/Autumn 2018

Hello natural beauties I hope all is well in your world. Time keeps rolling on and we will soon find ourselves walking into a new season, unless you live in a tropical climate where its delicious all year round. Some of us love the winters, some of us love the summer, and some love the in-betweens. I’m a summer lover so anytime it’s getting warmer I’m happy. Here are a few recipes for your new season …

 

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Flowering rosemary in Sydney this week

 

Moving Into Spring – The Southern Hemisphere

Ah yes the promise of spring is in the air! And my skin is looking dry and scaly from covering up all winter, having hot showers and being in heated environments. Here are a few recipes to bring yourself back to life:

**** Spring Body Oil

.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”

After a good skin scrub with a body puff or your favourite scrub, lather yourself in this “Spring Has Sprung” blend:

 

Orange          4 drops

Rosemary      2 drops

Peru Balsam   3 drops


 

**** Spring Clay Face Mask

I Usually add 1 or 2 drops of oil to 2 teaspoons of clay, and add water, floral water or hydrosol. Keep the mask on for 5 minutes then rinse off with cool water. Mist with a hydrosol or floral water and moisturise.

Neroli 3% in jojoba  5 drops in yellow or pink clay    * see my article for more info on 3% blends in jojoba

add

Orange blossom water and blend to a smooth paste

 

Magnolia in Sydney

 

**** Easy Spring Perfume

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!

Jasmine 3% in jojoba   4 drops    * see my article for more info on 3% blends in jojoba

Petitgrain                     2 drops


 

More beautiful roses from my recent trip to New Zealand

 

Moving Into Autumn – The Northern Hemisphere

Moving into Autumn you may still be quite warm with late summer lingering on. Time to hydrate and moisturise your skin after the sun.

**** Autumn Body Oil

.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”

Try a long soak in a warm bath then lavish this blend all over yourself:

Lavender      2 drops

Geranium     2 drops

Mandarin     4 drops


 

**** Autumn Face Hydration

Facial Oil Treatment

Mix one or two drops of essential oil in one teaspoon of carrier oil. You can warm the oil slightly first if desired – it will be very relaxing! Massage your face and rest for 10 minutes. You can also place a cool or warm wet facecloth on your face as a compress over the oil mask. Remove excess oil with a tissue or cloth if necessary.

Rose 3% in jojoba   4 drops

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

 

lavender loving bee at my friend’s house

 

**** Easy Autumn Perfume

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!

Atlas cedarwood   1 drop

Ylang Ylang           1 drop

May chang               1 drop


bliss with roses

 

 

Get blending my friends and let me know how you go!

 

 

 

Rose and Rosehip – A Winning Combination for Youthful Skin

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Rose and Rosehip – A Winning Combination for Youthful Skin

Stunning rosehips - pic via the-grazer.blogspot.com

Stunning rosehips – pic via the-grazer.blogspot.com

I declare the best facial moisturiser in the entire world to be essential oil of rose with rosehip oil. Some may disagree but I don’t care because I love it. And here’s why ……

Rosehip Oil

the orange colour of reosehip oil

the orange colour of rosehip oil

Rosehips are the little buds left on a rose bush after the flowers have gone. They are high in Vitamin C and are now being used in supplements for immune strength and as an anti-inflammatory agent in joint formulas too. We have been drinking delightfully pink rosehip tea for years too, which is high in anti-oxidants and can help with colds and flu. It is the fruit of the rose bush and is also used in jams and jellies.

Delicious rosehip tea - pic via www.therosehipcompany.com

Delicious rosehip tea – pic via http://www.therosehipcompany.com

The oil can be extracted by cold pressing the buds or by using CO2 extraction process. This sounds a bit technical but it is actually a good way to extract oils as not much energy is needed, and the products are very near to their natural state.

It is obvious that all these amazing properties are present in the oil which is a dark orange colour, quite viscous with a distinct scent. It is luxurious to say the least and I find it funny when I read the back of the labels of some retail products that say to use “a few drops”. I use way more than that everyday. I use a decent pump’s worth. It is hydrating. soothing, and the Vitamin C really keeps your skin looking and feeling youthful!

Sometimes the scent is what puts some people off but I use it straight and love it. This is where mixing some rose essential oil into it will turn it into a stunning serum.

Rose Essential Oil

Rosa damascena - the most used rose for oil production

Rosa damascena – the most used rose for oil production

As a skin oil rose is amazing because it treats heat and redness in the skin. It is a complex oil revered through the ages for its use in beauty and femininity. Great for any skin condition from eczema and psoriasis through to scars and sunburn.

It is called the “Queen of Oils” and will make you feel just that. It is an oil of inner strength and wisdom.

Who wouldn’t want to have it everyday? I’d take a drop of rose oil over any perfume or any scented skin cream, any day.

Quantities for mixing – assuming you have rose 3% in jojoba:

5 mls rosehip oil          add           4 drops

10 mls rosehip oil        add           7 drops

15 mls rosehip oil        add          11 drops

20 mls rosehip oil        add          15 drops

25 mls rosehip oil        add          19 drops

30 mls rosehip oil        add          22 drops

These are my own ratios for any oil in 3% jojoba for the face. It will be a higher concentration for the body. They are also rounded up and down to get a whole drop – unless you can get 1/2 a drop or 3/4’s of a drop, but I cant seem to do that very well!

See my article for more info on 3% blends in jojoba

Or just pump some rosehip onto your fingers and add a few drops of rose oil. Sometimes we just need to simplify things.

create your own natural skincare

create your own natural skin care

Enjoy this skincare regime, and for extra hydration spritz your face with a rose hydrosl or floral water before you oil up. There is a difference between them so check out my article “Hydrosols vs Floral Waters – What’s the Diff?”.

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

copryright SR Banks 2014

 

 

My Top 3 Oily and Easy Skincare Tips!

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My Top 3 Oily and Easy Skincare Tips!

 

 

sneakily borrowed from botani.com

oilve & oil – sneakily borrowed from botani.com

1. The Best Makeup Remover in the World

Oil. Olive oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, almond oil, camelia oil, safflower oil, macadamia oil. You get the picture. Any medium or heavy oil will do the job perfectly. Nothing takes off waterproof mascara like good ol’ cold pressed oil. My system is to wet a makeup remover pad with some water, add a squirt of oil, remove makeup. Clean face with warm, wet washcloth. The end.

sneakily borrowed from wellnesswa.com.au

rosehips – sneakily borrowed from wellnesswa.com.au

2. The Best Face Moisturiser in the World

Rosehip oil. You can also try borage oil and apricot oil but I find rosehip is the best. It is dark and slightly scented, but once you start using it it’s hard to give up. I rarely even make creams for my face anymore because rosehip oil is so good. I put makeup on straight away after moisturising with rosehip and don’t encounter any problems. Rosehips are high in Vitamin C and also have anti-inflammatory properties. Rosehip extracts are now being used in herbal medicine for both the above properties – in joint formulas as well as immune stimulating formulas. It works best if you smooth the oil on a damp face, this also helps trap some extra moisture in too. I use a floral water in a mist bottle to make the process even more stunning.

You can definitely add essential oils to your rosehip and the best for the face are:

Geranium

Lavender

Rose

Neroli

Frankincense

Refer to my blog for the correct quantities to use –

articles “Ratios for Blending Essential Oils – A Reminder of the Basics” and “Aromatherapy – It’s Easy as 1 2 3”

This lists essential oil ratios for making a body oil – for the face use half the quantity. For example if you use 1 teaspoon of oil for your body add 3 drops of essential oil. For the face use 1 drop of essential oil.

jojoba - it look a lot like an olive doesn't it?

jojoba – it looks a lot like an olive doesn’t it?

3. The Best Body Moisturiser in the World

Oil. Jojoba oil, almond oil, sesame oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, macadamia oil, olive oil, camelia oil, sunflower oil ……….

Add a few drops of essential oil and you have a natural, preservative free, paraben free, beautifully scented, quick aromatherapy treatment.

Use any essential oils for the body but it’s best to stay away from the following in large quantities

All the spice oils – use them but be conservative

Thyme

Peppermint

and any other strongly scented oil you can think of. Refer to my article Aromatherapy It’s Easy As 1 2 3 for the correct quantities to use.

Go for it. Using cold pressed oils is a start to simplifying your life by cutting out chemicals and toxic ingredients in personal care products. It does take a bit longer but if you value yourself and the world around you, it’s easy to make the effort.

Look after yourself first. Treat yourself first and everyone will benefit.

copryright SR Banks

10 Essential Oil Recipes to Make You Better Looking

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

Amazon USA      Amazon AU      Amazon UK


10 Essential Oil Recipes to Make You Better Looking

 

I love this pic of the legendary Ursula Andres

I love this pic of the legendary Ursula Andres

 

Gotcha! Can essential oils make you better looking?

Short answer YES!

Long answer …………

Sort-of but not really. Depends on the way you look at it, and beauty IS in the eye of the beholder.

Tyson Beckford being ridiculously good looking

Tyson Beckford being ridiculously good-looking

When you use essential oils

* they can help change your focus from negative to more positive

* they are beautiful and carry coded information carrying the secrets of the universe

* they allow you to be more kind and compassionate

* they can have a positive change on your moods and emotions

* they help relieve stress

* they can make your body feel less pain and discomfort

* they can make your mind more alert

* they can give you more physical energy too

So if you are less stressed, kind and compassionate, feeling happy, pain-free, awake and alert with more energy are you better looking? Yes! Of course!

I love Elle! pic via www.tvrage.com

I love Elle! pic via http://www.tvrage.com

And now some recipes –

1. Nourishing Body Oil

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”

“Love Your Body, Become Even More Beautiful if That’s Possible”

Ylang Ylang      3 drops

Geranium         2 drops

Patchouli          2 drops

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“Oh the Aches and Pains”

Release muscular tension –

Lavender        3 drops

Marjoram        3 drops

Clove              1 drop

Peppermint     1 drop

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“My Nerves are on Edge”

Release nervous tension in your body –

Neroli 3%                         12 drops  * see my article for more info on 3% blends in jojoba

Peru Balsam                       2 drops

German Chamomile 3%     6 drops  * see my article for more info on 3% blends in jojoba

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“Need Some Love Today”

When you’re a bit down –

Lemon            3 drops

Rose 3%        12 drops  * see my article for more info on 3% blends in jojoba

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“I Am a Supermodel!”

Juniper                         3 drops

Orange                         3 drops

Cedarwood Himalayan  2 drops

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Wowsa!

Wowsa!

2. Facial Oil Treatment

Mix one or two drops of essential oil in one teaspoon of carrier oil. You can warm the oil slightly first if desired – it will be very relaxing! Massage your face and rest for 10 minutes. You can also place a cool or warm wet face cloth on your face as a compress over the oil mask. Remove excess oil with a tissue or cloth.

“Hydration Now!”

Frankincense     1 drop

Palmarosa         1 drop

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“Youthful Glow”

Bergamot        1 drop

Everlasting       1 drop

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Miranda Kerr

Miranda Kerr

3. Scent Your Space

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

“Kindness and Compassion for all Living Beings”

Petitgrain            10 drops

Rosewood            7 drops

Rose geranium     4 drops

Black Spruce        4 drops

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“Stress-Less”

Lavender       8 drops

Mandarin       8 drops

May Chang   8 drops

Vetiver          1 drop

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Rob Evans just can't stop being beautiful - he must use essential oils - pic via thatgrapejuice.net

Rob Evans just can’t stop being beautiful – he must use essential oils – pic via thatgrapejuice.net

4. Put A few Drops Of Oil into the bottom of the Shower

This works in a similar way to just taking a whiff straight from the bottle, but if you’ve got an extra minute, it will give you a completely different experience. Your whole body will be immersed in an essential oil steam. Just cover the drain with a cloth or your foot for a couple of minutes and breathe in the medicinal goodness.

Sandalwood Indian – allow your spirit to rise

Fennel – love yourself and unwind

Lime – get happy

Pine – feel the abundance all around you

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Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

copryright SR Banks

Ratios for Blending Essential Oils – A Reminder of the Basics

Hello natural beauties and scent lovers everywhere! I’ve written this article just to remind you about general ratios when blending essential oil. Always err on the side of caution and use your intuition too.

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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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I love glass measuring equipment but you don't need anything like this to make a blend

I love glass measuring equipment but you don’t need anything like this to make a blend

I have written about this before but I think we need a reminder of the correct ratios to employ when making aromatherapy skin care, baths, face masks, hair masks and anything else you can think of. I’ll also include the amounts to use in vapourisers and oil burners.

It is important to be exact and err on the side of caution when using essential oils on your skin.

It is not important to be exact when you are using essential oils in a vapouriser to scent a space.

Officially it is not recommended you use essential oils on your skin directly from the bottle!

 

Body oils make lovely legs

Body oils make lovely legs

 

1. Nourishing Body Oil Blend

For a coat of your body use 3 teaspoons of carrier oil (approx 15 mls) in a little dish and, add 7 – 8 drops of essential oil. This is a standard ratio of 2.5% essential oils to carrier oil.

20 mls        10 drops

25 mls        12 drops

30 mls        15 drops

35 mls        17 drops

40 mls        20 drops

45 mls        22 drops

50 mls        25 drops

***** 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.

(Also see my article “Aromatherapy – It’s Easy as 1 2 3” for more info)

 

Any mist bottle will do - although the heavier the plastic in the pump the longer it will last

Any mist bottle will do – although the heavier the plastic in the pump the longer it will last

 

2. Mist – For a Room or as a Personal Aura Mist

The same quantities as above. You can add more if you like but remember not to spray near your eyes.

50 mls     25 drops

100 mls  50 drops

150 mls  75 drops

200 mls 100 drops

 

Almost fill the bottle with water then add your oils. Shake before you mist. I don’t use emulsifying agents as I like to keep it simple. You can even just buy a mist bottle from a supermarket but once a plastic atomiser top and bottle have been used for essential oils you can’t re-use them (depending on the packaging you have, you may need to use a little alcohol -like vodka- at the bottom of your bottle first, so the oils disperse into smaller drops to prevent clogging the atomiser top. I’ve found sometimes it works just with water, and sometimes it doesn’t – very annoying!)

Don’t fill up the bottle with water and mist your plants as the residue may kill them.

 

Any carrier oil will be a good base for an oil mask

Any carrier oil will be a good base for an oil mask

 

3. An Oil Blend (or mask) for Your Face, Children and In Pregnancy

Use half the above ratio – 1.25% ratio of essential oils to carrier oil.

20 mls        5 drops

25 mls        6 drops

30 mls       7 drops

35 mls        8 drops

40 mls        10 drops

45 mls       11 drops

50 mls        12 drops

***** 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.

Pregnancy – Some oils are not recommended in pregnancy so it’s best to do some research if you are treating yourself, or ask the advice of an Aromatherapist.  I have treated many women through multiple pregnancies and have had great results. The truth is that there are probably many more toxic chemicals in their home environments than essential oils but always use caution!

Children – Same for kids. They respond really well to essential oils but only use oils they like the smell of otherwise you may create a negative experience. You will have more positive results if you create a room/personal mist and gently mist around your child so they treatment is more fun and likely to work quickly. See my articles for more info on babies and kids – Essential Oils and Babies – Do They Go Together?  and Essential Oils and Children – Do They Go Together?

 

Be careful when adding essential oils to your bath

Be careful when adding essential oils to your bath

4. In Baths

I would only use up to 6 drops of oil in a bath. I have tried many natural emulsification agents but none work 100%. I like to put the oils into mediums, then add them to the bath. Try adding your oils into –

Dead Sea Salt

Celtic Sea Salt

Coconut milk

Magnesium Salt (Epsom salts)

Bi-Carb Soda

A Natural Bodywash/liquid soap like Castille Soap

 

** I don’t recommend using essential oils in the bath with kids as it can sting their legs. The oils combined with the heat of the water can be too strong for their beautiful skin. (See me article “Aunty, something is biting my legs” – 10 things NOT to do when using Essential Oils”  for more info).

Enjoy the process!

copyright suzannerbanks 2013