Homemade Lip Balm: Lavender Vanilla and Vanilla Rose

This recipe makes a LOT, and can be easily halved.  It made a total of seven lip balm tubes, seven small lip balm containers, and one full 1 oz jar.  We have all sorts of empty containers available at the store for doing DIY health and beauty.

Ingredients:

1 1oz. bar of beeswax
4 tbs. coconut oil
4 tbs. cocoa butter  
Essential oils 

Directions:

Prepare your ingredients and open all lip balm containers so the liquid beeswax mixture can be quickly poured and easily filled.

Melt beeswax in a double boiler.  If you don’t have a double boiler (like me!) you can use a small bowl in a pot of water.  Once the beeswax is melted, add the coconut oil and cocoa butter.

Pure cocoa butter is hard, so I found it easiest to scrape the cocoa butter with a spoon in its jar and then pouring the shavings it into my measuring spoon.

Stir ingredients with a metal spoon until melted.

Once all the ingredients were melted, I separated the recipe in two halves so I could try two different flavors.  This isn’t necessary, though I’m happy I did.  I would advise using a pyrex or something with a spout.  I tried using pipettes, but found that just pouring the beeswax mixture into the lip balm tubes was the easiest, since the mixture started solidifying in the pipette before I could fill all the containers.

For each recipe half I used the following amounts of oil:

I don't like very strongly flavored/scented lip balms, so if you do you may want to increase the amount of essential oils by a few drops each.

Vanilla Lavender
15 drops NOW vanilla blend
10 drops NOW lavender

Vanilla Rose
15 drops NOW vanilla blend
25 drops NOW rose blend

I wanted to make unique flavors that weren’t commercially available.  I really love them both!

Next time I will try adding lemongrass or bergamot oils, though I would reduce the amount of total drops since the NOW vanilla and rose blends are mixed with a carrier oil, so they isn’t as strong as a pure essential oil.  

I will absolutely be making this recipe again.  I am a lip balm fiend, and go through lip balm very quickly (partially since I’m always forgetting them in my pockets before I put them through the washer/dryer.  I would very much recommend trying it!

Simplers Botanicals Organic Essential Oil Blends

We’ve started carrying new organic essential oil blends by Simplers Organics.  I’ve been really impressed with the quality of these essential oils and how clean and beautiful they smell.  

All of the essential oil blends featured below are on sale this June for 20% off.

Blissful and Bright

Blissful and Bright is one of my favorite blends.  It’s cheery and uplifting and is great for a quick mood boost.

Ingredients: Citrus bergamia (Bergamot) Oil*, Citrus x paradisii (Grapefruit) Oil*, Citrus sinensis (Sweet Orange) Oil*, Salvia sclarea (Clary Sage) Oil*, Citrus aurantium (Neroli) Oil*, Boswellia carterii (Frankincense) Oil*, Elettaria cardamomum (Cardamom) Oil*.
 

Calm Within

Calm Within is a fantastic blend for stress and nervousness.  It’s a very soothing and grounding oil.

Ingredients: Lavendula angustifolia (Lavender) Oil*, Citrus sinensis (Sweet Orange) Oil*, Citrus aurantium (Neroli) Oil*, Vetiveria zizanoides (Vetiver) OIl*, Pelargonium x asperum (Rose Geranium) Oil*, Cananga odorata (Ylang Ylang) Oil*. 
 

Deep Restful Sleep

This is a wonderfully relaxing sleep blend that can help soothe the body and quiet the mind.

Ingredients: Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) Oil*, Citrus reticulata (Mandarin) Oil*, Chamaemelum nobile (Roman Chamomile) Oil*, Origanum majorana (Sweet Marjoram) Oil*, Boswellia carterii (Frankincense) Oil*. 
 

Focused and Aware

This is a very effective blend for mental exhaustion, and can help to reduce feelings of stress and fatigue.

Ingredients: Citrus limon (Lemon) Oil*, Abies balsamea (Balsam Fir) Oil*, Elettaria cardamomum (Cardamom) Oil*, Ocimum basilicum (Sweet Basil) Oil*, Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) Oil*, Mentha x piperita (Peppermint) Oil*.
 

Fortify and Protect

Fortify and Protect is a great wellness blend, and is useful for cleansing and detoxifying the environment.

Ingredients: Citrus x paradisii (Grapefruit) Oil*, Origanum majorana (Sweet Marjoram) Oil*, Eucalyptus radiata (Eucalyptus) Oil*, Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) Oil*, Citrus sinensis (Sweet Orange) Oil*, Melaleuca alternifola (Tea Tree) Oil*, Ocimum sanctum (Holy Basil) Oil*, Syzygium aromaticum (Clove) Bud Oil*.
 

Simplers Botanicals also have organic essential oil blends made specifically for topical use:

Sinus Oil 

This blend is formulated for respiratory issues and can open and soothe the sinuses.

Ingredients: Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Eucalyptus globulus (Eucalyptus) Oil*, Rosmarinus officinalis cineol (Rosemary) Oil*, Inula graveolens (Inula) Oil*. *Certified Organic

Yeast Aid

This blend helps to soothe itching from yeast overgrowth.

Ingredients: Olea europaea (Olive Fruit) Oil*, Calendula officinalis (Calendula flowers)*, Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) Oil*, Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) Oil*, Tanacetum annuum (Moroccan Blue Chamomile) Oil*, Thymus vulgaris linalol (Thyme) Oil*, Helichrysum italicum (Helichrysum) Oil*.
 

Scar Oil

This topical blend is formulated to help in reducing the appearance of scars.

Ingredients: Olea europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Calendula officinalis (Calendula flowers)*. Rosa canina or rubiginosa (Rose Hip) Seed Oil*, Argania spinosa (Argan) Seed Oil*, Calophyllum inophyllum (Tamanu) Oil*, Helichrysum italicum (Helichrysum) Oil*, Artemisia herba alba (Mugwort) Oil, Salvia officinalis (Sage) Oil*, Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) Oil*. *Certified Organic
 

New Blank Essential Oil Inhalers

We are now selling blank essential oil inhalers which essential oils can be added to.  They’re great to carry with you since unlike essential oil bottles, there’s no risk of spillage.
Each inhaler has a cotton center which essential oils are applied to (15 drops is a general recommendation).  It’s an amazing way to use essential oils on the go, and is particularly wonderful since they are completely customizable.

Some ideas are:

Eucalyptus oil for sinus congestion
Lavender oil for relaxation and stress
Bergamot oil for anxiety
Peppermint oil for concentration
Orange oil for a mood boost
Rose oil for reducing blood pressure

For more ideas, here is a list of essential oil studies and benefits for variety of different uses.
 

Carrier Oil & DIY Beauty Availability List

We have started carrying a large selection of carrier oils, jars, bottles, and other things to help make your own beauty products to go with out extensive collection of essential oils.  

10 ml clear glass rollerbottles
10 ml frosted cobalt blue rollerbottles
1 oz. amber glass dropper bottles
2 oz. amber glass fine mist atomizers

empty essential oil inhalers
pipettes
empty lip balm tubes
5 gram plastic jars
1 oz. plastic jars
3 oz. glass jars

empty deoderant containers

cosmetic grade, triple filtered beeswax
shea butter
cocoa butter
lanolin
aloe vera jelly
zinc oxide powder

sweet almond oil
apricot oil
avocado oil
castor oil
coconut oil
grapeseed oil
jojoba oil
hemp seed oil

liquid lanolin
vegetable glycerine
rosewater

Here is our essential oil availability list

Disinfecting the Air with Essential Oils

There are a variety of essential oils that have antibacterial and antiviral properties, though most of the research that has been done on essential oils is on direct contact with bacteria or viruses, which doesn’t necessarily translate into true benefits for essential oil users.

In our research at the store, we have come across several essential oils which have been documented in scientific studies to reduce and kill airborne bacteria and viruses when diffused into the air.

Here is a study which found that tea tree and eucalyptus essential oils killed airborne influenza viruses when diffused into the air.

Here is a study which tested essential oils against 6 common respiratory pathogens. The findings reported that cinnamon bark oil and lemongrass oil significantly disinfected the air when diffused into the air. It’s a long article, so there’s a good table here which summarizes the results.

This is an impressive study on antibiotic resistant bacteria including MRSA and the results of diffusing essential oils of geranium and lemongrass into the air.

This is a study on the benefits of eucalyptus oil inhalation against airborne tuberculosis bacteria.

This is another study on eucalyptus oil which reports on its broad spectrum antimicrobial action, as well as its benefits for inhalation on respiratory problems like bronchitis, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 
 

Summary
So let me break it down. This isn’t to say that all the oils listed below don’t have both antibacterial and antiviral properties, but rather is a summary of the scientific research available on the disinfectant action of essential oils when used in a diffuser.

Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil: Antibacterial
Eucalyptus Essential Oil: Antiviral and Antibacterial
Geranium Essential Oil: Antibacterial
Lemongrass Essential Oil: Antibacterial
Tea tree Essential Oil: Antiviral

We carry several full lines of 100% pure essential oils, and testers of each so you can test what each of the different essential oils smells like. We also carry a large selection of different essential oil diffusers at the store. Our diffusers use nothing but tap water and essential oils and turn off automatically when all the water is used up. I can’t recommend them enough, they're a perfect way to use essential oils in the home in a way that lasts for many hours (most of our diffusers are able to run continuously for seven to eight hours without being refilled).

Suggested blends
Lemongrass is wonderful and fresh smelling and blends well with other oils. Tea tree is a potent medicinal aromatherapy oil, but I’m not in love with the scent (it’s not terrible, just not my favorite). Its scent mixes well with other oils which mask its medicinal odor, so it can be added to any of the blends below. I use the blends below in my home on a regular basis:

Lemongrass + Cinnamon Bark
Lemongrass + Eucalyptus + Tea Tree (this is the strongest antimicrobial combination)
Lemongrass + Geranium
Eucalyptus + Geranium
Eucalyptus + Tea Tree
Eucalyptus + Lavender (this is a fantastic blend for sleep)

In particular, we recommend the NOW brand of essential oils. NOW Foods is a local company in Illinois that has very reasonably priced essential oils while remaining of extremely high quality. Here is an article from our blog on the extensive research NOW conducts on its oils to ensure quality and potency.

Here are some other articles from our health blog on essential oils which you may find beneficial:

Essential Oil Research Studies and Benefits

Nature's Shield: Our "Thieves Oil" Blend

Medicinal Essential Oil Recipes for Cold and Flu Season

Essential Oil Research Studies and Benefits

I am a big fan of essential oils and using a diffuser, but in the past my love for them was pretty much because they make such nice, natural room scents.  It’s a wonderful thing to have a great smelling house just using essential oils, without that horrible artificial air freshener scent.

In my research however, I’ve found a large body of clinical research on the scientifically verified benefits of essential oils.

I’ll copy a few of the studies from Pub Med below:

Lavender oil improves sleep quality

 

Bergamot reduces anxiety

 

Orange oil reduces anxiety in children

 

Lavender, chamomile, and neroli essential oil reduces anxiety and improves sleep quality

 

Alzheimer’s patients were found to have improved cognitive function using aromatherapy: lemon and rosemary oils in the morning and lavender and orange oils in the evening.

 

Rose oil causes significant decreases in systolic blood pressure and made subjects more calm and relaxed when compared with the placebo group.

 

Peppermint, basil, and helichrysum essential oils reduce mental fatigue and burnout

 

Lavender oil reduces anxiety in patients before surgery

 

Bergamot oil reduces stress, heart rate, and lowers blood pressure

 

Lavender and rosemary essential oils reduce test taking stress

 

Many essential oils can kill airborne bacteria when diffused into the air, particularly cinnamon bark, cinnamon cassia, thyme, clove, peru balsam, and tea tree oil.

 

Eucalyptus oil inhalation reduces tuberculosis

 

Eucalyptus oil has antibacterial effects against many bacteria including tuberculosis and MRSA

All of the studies referenced above use aromatherapy with essential oils by breathing them in- diffusers are great for that.  We sell two different great ones at the store by NOW Foods.

All the oils we sell state that they are for external use only on the bottles.  The essential oils we have are 100% pure, with no additives, but are sold for external use only as a precautionary measure since there are a number of oils which are toxic, some extremely so.  Wintergreen oil, for example, is extremely poisonous and one teaspoon of such oil could kill a child.

I don’t mean to sound alarmist or be an essential oil fear monger, but it is vitally important to treat essential oils with care.  Many people equate them as the same thing when used for internal use as drinking a cup of herbal tea, when they are emphatically not the same thing.  For example, one drop of peppermint oil in water would be the equivalent of 28 cups of peppermint tea, and one drop of lemon oil is equal to an entire pound of lemons.  They are very potent plant compounds.  That being said, they can be very effective.  

Aromatherapy is particularly wonderful since diffused essential oils impart benefits without interacting with medications.

Oils for winter health:

There are also a number of essential oils which can be helpful during the winter for illness.  Most of the information below is from the book The A to Z of Essential Oils by E. Jay Bowles.  All of the uses below are for inhalation through a diffuser.

• Anise can help with reducing bronchial constriction.
• Cedarwood can help with reducing coughing.
• Eucalyptus can help to aid in breathing and reducing lung congestion by working to expel excess mucus.  It also has antibacterial properties.
• Frankincense can help to break down mucus and is beneficial for a congested respiratory system. 
• Lemon has energizing properties and is also an antibacterial and antifungal properties.
• Tea tree oil has potent antibacterial properties and can help with respiratory infections.

Oils beneficial for skin (when mixed with a carrier oil- jojoba is the one we’d recommend):

• Frankincense for dry skin and wrinkles
• Grapefruit oil for reducing the appearance of cellulite.
• Juniper for oily skin
• Lime for shaving rashes and acne
• Sweet orange for reducing the appearance of cellulite- massage from ankle to thigh which will help the lymphatic system
• Tea tree oil for acne

We are continuing our december essential oil sale, so During the month of January all our essential oil diffusers and NOW Foods essential oils will be on sale for 20% off.

 

Also on our health blog:

OUR STORE'S ESSENTIAL OIL AVAILABILITY LIST AND INFORMATION ON DIFFUSERS

ESSENTIAL OIL SAFETY AND BENEFITS

HOLIDAY ESSENTIAL OIL RECIPES AND DIY GIFTS USING ESSENTIAL OILS

 

Holiday Essential Oil Recipes and DIY Gift Recipes using Essential Oils

We carry two ultrasonic essential oil diffusers by NOW Foods (here’s one, here’s the other) at the store and I love them.  We do sell some premade oil blends at the store, but my favorite thing to do is to mix essential oil blends to make a great room scent.

Here are some favorites (you can add more or less oil depending on your preference and how strong you want the scent to be).  Each can be used in a diffuser or a bath.

Gingerbread:
3 drops cinnamon bark  
2 drops clove  
2 drops ginger
2 drops vanilla
1 drop nutmeg oil

Holiday Cookies:
6 drops vanilla 
1 drop tangerine

Candy Cane:
3 drops peppermint
4 drops vanilla

Comfort and Relaxation:
4 drops vanilla 
4 drops lavender

Pomander:
4 drops orange
4 drops clove
2 drops vanilla

Peace and Harmony:
4 drops patchouli
4 drops vanilla
3 drops orange

Yuletide:
4 drops balsam fir needle
4 drops tangerine
2 drops pine
1 drops anise

Peace on Earth:
4 drops vanilla
3 drops sandalwood
3 drops frankincense
2 drops cedarwood

Holiday Spice:
4 drops cinnamon bark
3 drops clove
3 drops orange
1 drop lemongrass

Under the Mistletoe:
4 drops vanilla
3 drops balsam fir
2 drops juniper berry

Holiday Spirit:
4 drops anise
3 drops lemon
3 drops frankincense

Christmas Eve:
3 drops lavender
3 drops vanilla
3 drops balsam fir
1 drop spearmint

Christmas Tree 
This one is also great mixed in a spray bottle with water and sprayed on an artificial Christmas tree.
5 drops balsam fir
3 drops pine
2 drops cedarwood
2 drops juniper berry

I think of the above recipes my favorites are Peace on Earth, Pomander, Comfort and Relaxation, and Peace and Harmony.  I really can't recommend diffusing oils in your home enough!  

I also came across a webpage* with a DIY "Thieves Oil" Recipe (Antibacterial Oil Blend):
80 drops clove bud oil
70 drops lemon oil
40 drops cinnamon oil
30 drops eucalyptus oil  
20 drops rosemary oil
20 – 40 drops total other oils of choice, including melaleuca (tea tree), frankincense, lavender, etc. (optional)

The above recipe makes enough for an entire bottle, but could be put in a diffuser at the amounts below:

5 drops clove bud oil
4 drops lemon oil
3 drops cinnamon oil
2 drops eucalyptus oil  
1 drops rosemary oil

*In the webpage linked above, the author recommends drinking the above blend, which Pass Health Foods absolutely does not recommend.  No essential oils should be taken internally.  More more information on essential oil safety, read our blog post here.
 

Essential oil blends can make a variety of amazing homemade gifts; here are a few great ones:

Peppermint Citrus Sugar Scrub
 

Bath Fizzies
 

Homemade Bath Salts
 

Cinnamon Vanilla Sugar Scrub
 

Homemade Body Butter
 

DIY Hand Sanitizer
 

Also on our health blog:

Our Store's Essential Oil Availability List and Information on Diffusers

Essential Oil Safety and Benefits

Product Spotlight: Essential Oils

Aromatherapy is incredibly popular right now, which is a wonderful thing.  Essential oils have been used therapeutically for over 6,000 years.  Our sense of smell if very powerful, and is can even be used to influence the parts of the brain that control emotion and memory.

With essential oils it is very important to be careful with their use.  Even though they are a natural product, they are very concentrated plant oils.  They should never be ingested, since there are a number of essential oils which are toxic if taken internally; in fact, the International Federation of Aromatherapists states that “No Aromatherapist shall use essential oils for internal ingestion or internal application, nor shall any Aromatherapist advocate or promote such use of essential oils”.

There are many people who are selling essential oils lately, who are not certified Aromatherapists, that recommend drinking various essential oils.  Even if an essential oil says it’s “food grade” or “therapeutic grade” on the bottle, it should not be taken internally.  There is actually no such official grading system for essential oils, and those terms actually mean nothing beyond being used as an marketing technique.  Either an oil is 100% essential oil or it isn’t, and just because something says its 100% essential oil does not mean its safe to consume.

I do love essential oils however, as a room scent. to inhale, use as massage oils, or to add to lotions or other topical products and preparations.  Most, if not all, essential oils should be diluted with a carrier oil (jojoba, grapeseed or almond oil are a few examples) before applying to the skin, since many essential oils are too strong to be put on directly and can cause burning or irritation if put on undiluted.  Essential oils are also wonderful to use as room scents in a diffuser.  We just started carrying ultrasonic essential oil diffusers  and I love them.  They use just water and a few drops of essential oils to scent a room for several hours (plus they turn off automatically).

At Pass Health Foods, we carry essential oils from the companies Aura Cacia and NOW Foods, both of which are high quality products.

I’ll list a few of my favorite oils below and some of their uses:

Lavender Oil

Lavender is wonderfully relaxing and makes a great oil to use for sleep.  Using in a diffuser at bedtime is a great idea, or even sprinkling a few drops on a pillowcase or tissue next to your bed.  We also have lavender essential oil sprays at the store as well, which can be spritzed on the skin or used as a room spray.  I also use vinegar mixed with lavender for cleaning (I’m not a huge fan of the smell of vinegar, but the lavender makes it smell better and is great for deodorizing the dishwasher or sinks).

Peppermint Oil

Peppermint is another oil that everyone should have.  It has been researched with positive results for helping with memory (on students studying for a test for example), as well as concentration and for reducing fatigue.  Inhaling peppermint oil can also help with nausea.  Mice are also said to detest peppermint oil, and we have a number of customers who have had luck with putting drops of peppermint oil on cotton balls and placing it around the house or garage to repel rodents naturally.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is naturally antibacterial and antifungal.  It’s great for making your own cleaning products or natural disinfectants (the highlighted links have recipes).   Tea tree is also great for nail fungus and can be put (diluted) on the skin to help with acne (we also have a number of prepared beauty products available with tea tree oil).   NOW Foods also has an oil blend of tea tree and lavender oil at the store.

Orange Oil

Orange Oil is wonderfully cheering.  Sprinkling a few drops in the shower is a great way to start the day in a good mood.

There are tons more essential oils, but I’ve only listed a few of my favorites.  Stop by the store since we have testers available of all our essential oils, so you can see what each smells like.

We also have started carrying small, empty roller bottles to make your own essential oil blends.