Summer is in full swing already in Southern California and with it comes dreams of delicious cold brewed teas. I've been making a lot of my cooling summer tea to help get me through the heavy afternoon heat. It's moistening and refreshing making it perfect for hot weather! This year however, I have the opportunity...
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Soap Alternatives for Cleansing the Skin
You guys may already be aware that the soap found in your local store isn't the best for your skin. They typically contain chemical emulsifiers and surfactants, sodium laurel sulfate, and sugar tensides that strip our skin's natural lipid layer and disrupt its PH. Simply put, soap cleansers are too harsh for sensitive acne prone...
Stress Reducing Kava Kava Massage Oil
Who here deals with stress, tense muscles, and occasional insomnia? If you're like me, then this kava kava massage oil is just what you need to restore balance after a stressful day! A Little About Kava Kava If you've never heard of kava kava before, then you're in for a real treat! This herb comes...
Memory and Concentration Blend Recipe
The final months of school are upon us and that means lots of studying. Lots of studying means there's a need for retaining information better and that's where this memory and concentration blend comes in. Memory and Concentration Blend Recipe Not only is this blend great for those late night cramming sessions, it's also nice...
Herbal Healing Oil Recipe
This herbal healing oil contains a wonderful essential oil blend that cools, soothes, and heals minor to moderate injuries. You can put a dab on your throat, temples, between your brows, and on each cheekbone to help open congested sinuses and relieve pain. I have also used it this way for easing bronchitis and cough...
The Health Benefits of Turmeric- Plus 10 Amazing Recipes!
The health benefits of turmeric have been known for thousands of years. So well-loved is this spice, that it's the most widely researched and most commonly used Ayurvedic spice in the world, and for good reason! This golden powerhouse is often used in cooking (a good homemade curry is never without turmeric), beauty recipes, and...
Momentum Blend for Change and Confidence
I recently came across this recipe for creating momentum with essential oils and wanted to give it try! It's called the "Momentum Blend" and it's pretty amazing! At this time in my life, there is a lot of change happening! Over the past eight or so months I have been planning a wedding, got married...
How to Make Lip Balm
Today is cold, windy, and dry here in Southern California and learning how to make lip balm couldn't have come at a better time. I've slowly been working through wedding projects and one of them is making homemade lip balm for our wedding favors. The recipe is really simple and uses high quality ingredients that...
The Balm of Gilead
The coming of spring is always an exciting time of year for the herbal enthusiast. Here in Southern California, most herbs that tend to bed down for the winter are still flourishing, if not a bit closer to earth, nourishing their roots for spring's exuberant arrival. There is one herb, or rather a tree, that...
Power Ball Chocolate Herb Truffles
Power Ball Chocolate Herb Truffles Winter is a time for slowing down, digging deep, and taking time to reflect. It's also a time for renewed fortitude and nourishment. At the turn of the winter solstice, when most people are lamenting the keen bite of winter, I try my best to shoulder the cold and work...
Skin Whitening Face and Body Scrub
Skin Whitening Face and Body Scrub It's easy to splurge on fancy exfoliating face and body scrubs but it's just as easy to make your own. The nice thing about making your own is it works just as well, is all-natural, and you can make a lot of it for pennies on the dollar. This...
Cardamom Orange Cookies
Cardamom Orange Cookies Normally I try to make healthy versions of sweets this time of year to help keep things balanced but this Thanksgiving I decided to make tiny grandmother-style cookies. Because if they're smaller they're not as unhealthy right? Right! And anyway, the Sunset Magazine recipe was hanging on the fridge for months just...
Kitchen Medicine 101- How to Make an Immune Boosting Garlic Honey
Kitchen Medicine 101- How to Make an Immune Boosting Garlic Honey Some of the easiest and most effective cold and flu remedies come right from our kitchen. You may not think of the produce aisle or your spice rack to be full of immune boosting potential but I promise you, most everything you need to...
A Fun Way to Cheat Winter and Stay Well
By this time of year our gardens have long since been put to bed. The light begins to fade and the days get shorter and shorter. Winter brings an expanding and all-encompassing stillness that enfolds the world around us. Brightness and greenery wane and the dark time of the year takes its place. A lot...
How to Make a Warming Homemade Body Lotion
How to Make a Warming Homemade Body Lotion Lately I've been slathering on thick body butters and fluffy creams to help stave off dry winter skin. And while they work amazingly well these heavier solutions can be a bit of a pain to lug around when you need them which is why I enjoy the...
Blemish Remover Roll-on Recipe
Blemish Remover Roll-on Recipe This time of year always manages to get me to eat foods I would normally take a pass on. Let's face it, holiday treats are everywhere! As soon as September hits it's all about Halloween candy and then Halloween ends and it's suddenly Christmas. Sometimes it makes it hard to politely...
How to Make Rose Petal Honey
How to Make Rose Petal Honey The last roses of the season are blooming before the cold weather sets in. It's finally time for hot tea, homemade scones, and the final finishing touches on this year's natural medicine cabinet, which by the way include said roses. You may have heard me lavish my undying affection...
The Complete Guide to a Natural Medicine Cabinet
It's that time of year again when colds and flu begin their rounds so what better time than now to prepare for winter's ills? Better yet, this post won't just cover seasonal bugs, I will also give you the fundamentals you need for everyday life using natural remedies. Interested? Let's get into my guide on...
How to Reduce Dark Circles Naturally
How to Reduce Dark Circles Naturally Have you ever rolled out of bed, turned on the bathroom light, and stared back at yourself in the mirror utterly terrified? Where did those dark under eye circles come from!? And more importantly, how do I reduce dark circles naturally? It seems like 9 out of 10 people...
The Best Fruit Enzymes for Clogged Pores
In my last post, I talked about how you can banish redness and clear clogged pores for sensitive skin types using papaya. This time around I'm going to talk about a few other fruits that have a more powerful punch. These are no joke my friends, so if you have sensitive skin you may want...
Are Papaya Enzymes the Answer to Banishing Red, Splotchy, Uneven Skin Tone?
One of the most common questions I get asked is "How can I reduce redness", "How do I lighten the red marks left behind from acne?", and "My skin is so sensitive, what can I use that's gentle enough and won't turn my skin red?" It goes without saying that most acne sufferers have these...
How to Make a Salve
Salves, also known as ointments and unguents, are semi-solid healing mixtures that use herbs and essential oils for their healing properties. They soften when applied topically and provide an excellent barrier that heals, protects, and nourishes wounds, scrapes, abrasion, burns, and even itchy skin. They can be greasy, thin, thick, or hard in consistency depending...
Green Tea Tree Face Mask
Ever since I was a child I have never liked finishing a drink. My mom used to gripe about all the glasses sitting around the house with half an inch of water, juice, or tea that was left at the bottom. "Why don't you ever finish your drinks? It's wasteful" "Sorry. I don't like the...
The Best Vegan Pore Strips Recipe
After many attempts at making my own pore strips, I think I've finally found one that I can really stand behind! As you may already know, there are a few DIY pore strip recipes out there that claim to be best, and I'll be honest, many people like them. There's the egg white pore strip...
How to Make Sleepy Time Gelee
Getting to sleep in a timely fashion has been somewhat of a challenge for my fiancé and I. Ever since his job site moved to Los Angeles he's had to wake up at 4:30 am every morning to beat traffic on the way to work. He also happens to be a night owl which makes...
Homemade Drying Lotion for Acne
Drying lotion may sound a bit absurd considering one often thinks of lotion as moisturizing, not drying. The term was coined by Mario Badescu (a super popular skin care line) along with the idea behind drying lotion. I remember when I first saw it while perusing my local make-up boutique. It looked so fancy...
Essential Oils for Scars and a Scar Healing Serum Recipe
Who here doesn't have a scar they wish would disappear? Hardly anyone I know. Growing up we had an old past time where we showed off our scars, scabs, and other grotesque injuries we incurred roughhousing or playing outside. Nearly everyone I know has some interesting story about how they got this scar or that...
How to Make Four Thieves Vinegar
It was once said that four thieves vinegar had the power to cure the plague. Whether or not this was the case (which I'm sure it most certainly was not) we can however recognize the amazing and often potent remedies growing right in our gardens. Even though I live in an apartment complex I still...
Monday Monthly Mission #3- Getting Fit
On the first Monday of every month, we take on a mission of empowerment, self-love, and inspiration in order to better ourselves and shift old habits - together! This month it's all about fitness baby! So it's time to get moving and get motivated. Growing up I was always been pretty fit. I would go...
Oil Pulling- One Month Results
We did it! One month of oil pulling every morning for 20 minutes! How have you fared? Did you make it this far and if so have you seen any changes? What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them? All I can say is what a month! Despite having a few difficult...
Home Remedy for Ants
A "remedy" you say? Now that doesn't make sense! I want to get RID of them! Rest assured these remedies will help deter ants from entering your home naturally without the harsh chemicals. Ants are actually a very important part of our environment but can sometimes become a nuisance when they invade our kitchens looking...
5000 Volt Juice- A Savory Juice Recipe
When I bought my first juicer 4 years ago my fiancé and I juiced everything in sight for weeks. We went to Costco and filled our fridge with carrots, apples, beets, kale, oranges…you name it, we had a huge bag of it. Our fridge was bursting with produce. At first we had no idea what...
Monday Monthly Mission #2- Oil Pulling
It's time again for another Monday Monthly Mission; a time for empowerment, support, and discovery as we delve deeper into healthy living. After the month is up, we will reconvene and talk about our experiences, how we've overcome challenges, and share our tips for success! So without further ado, this month's mission is OIL PULLING....
The No-Poo Method- One Month Results
Wow. This has been an interesting 30 days to say the least! How have you fared? Did you get the luxurious locks you were hoping for? Or, are you still going through transition? As for me, it's definitely the latter. As of this moment, my hair is greasy, waxy, and frizzy. It feels pretty dirty...
How to Make Sole- Because Salt is Good For You
My journey to better health has led me to research some pretty interesting and sometimes pretty controversial topics. So many of us are led to believe things like avoiding fat, sugar, and salt are the ultimate answers to achieving the skinny waste-line and health you've always wanted, but what if I told you that this...
Tom Kha Gai and The Healing Power of Lemongrass
Thai food instills a profound weakness in me whether it be a perfect yellow curry or a delicious sweet and sour soup, I simply cannot for the life of me resist it. Years ago when I worked at a pet store near UCLA I would often go looking for new places to eat during my...
The Benefits of Sprouting + A How To
Sprouting in your kitchen is easy to do even if you don't have a knack for growing things. The jars of itty bitty greens is like having a mini garden and once you start, it's hard to stop though I can't see how anyone would want to stop sprouting considering the benefits. I've recently started...
The No-Poo Method and My Experience One Week In
This month's mission was to go no-poo and so far I have been asked all sorts of questions so I've decided to get a little deeper into this whole no-poo thing and describe the idea behind it and elaborate on its ingredients. What is The Point of The No-Poo Method? To put it simply, the...
Monday Monthly Mission #1- The No-Poo Method
Yay for alliteration! The Monday Monthly Mission is going to be our next adventure and the name pretty much says it all doesn't it? On the first Monday of every month, I'm going to assign a new source of inspiration, a goal, a habit, a shift in perspective - a new "mission" for all of...
How to Make a Reed Diffuser Using Essential Oils
The toxic candles in my home are gone! I still have candles yes, like pure beeswax and coconut oil candles, but the artificially scented ones have long since been chucked out. Ever since I really began getting into essential oils I've slowly begun to detest fake fragrances. Now when I smell a candle at my...
Egg-Free Coconut Paleo Oatmeal
This simple breakfast is one of my all-time favorite meals to have a cold morning. It's quick and really to make and it really hits the spot! This "oatmeal" isn't actually made with oats or any other grains, though you could add them if you wanted a non-paleo version. I like to make this oat...
The Benefits of Himalayan Salt Lamps
I've been known to buy wacky things in the name of health (like the diva cup and Ayurvedic Oil Pulling Rinse) so when I saw a giant Himalayan salt lamp at my local home goods store, I HAD to buy it. I didn't buy it just because it's beautiful; I bought it because of its...