Epsom Bath Treats ~ 3 Ways

4 Comments

Posted on December 21, 2016

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Here’s another extremely simple way to treat yourself or others. Epsom salts with your favorite essential oils. Put them in cute jars or bags, make some tags and tie them with ribbon.

I have always loved taking baths. Hot water has some kind of soul quenching relaxing benefits for me that I can’t quite explain. Give me a good book and a bathtub every night and I’m happy. In fact, after making 4 types of cookies doughs and a big batch of pie dough last night, I crawled into an epsom bath with a book at midnight! It just washes all the stress away.

I didn’t really embrace additions to my tub water until I started dealing with chronic illness. I found that epsom baths were a big help with pain and sleeplessness. Later, when I tested positive for Lyme and started doing research, I realized the true benefits and why it’s so helpful for me.

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Epsom salt relaxes the nervous system, can cure skin problems, soothes joint pain, eases muscle strain, heals cuts, treats colds and congestion, and draws toxins from the body. Plus, it just feels really good to soak in a nice tub and relax. That alone is good for the soul.

I think this would be a great kid project too because it involves measuring, counting drops, and doesn’t involve a hot stove. I would highly recommend gloves for the little ones though because essential oils are very, very potent. If your children make these for gifts, I think a recipe card cut out from your child’s hand print would be a special and cute touch. Someday I’ll have grandchildren and we’ll do all kinds of fantastic projects together!

For now, it’s just me and the pups. They can’t make bath products but they are definitely always eager to “help” me in the kitchen and to cuddle when I take a break.

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Sore Muscle Soak

2 Cups of Epsom Salt

1/2 Cup of Baking Soda

1 Tablespoon of Sea Salt

10 Drops of Eucalyptus Globulous

10 Drops of Peppermint

5 Drops of Stress Away

1-2 drops of Natural Green Food Coloring

Measure the epsom salts, baking soda, and sea salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the essential oils and whisk until fully incorporated. Pour 1 Cup into a hot bath and soak for 40 minutes. Rinse when finished.

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Peaceful & Happy ~ 2 Ways

2 Cups of Epsom Salt

1/2 Cup of Baking Soda

1 Tablespoon of Sea Salt

Recipe #1 :

10 Drops of Lavender

15 Drops of Joy

Recipe #2

10 Drops of Lavender

10 Drops of Ylang Ylang

5 Drops of Stress Away

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Cold & Flu Soak

3 Cups of Epsom Salts

1/2 Cup of Baking Soda

1 Tablespoon of Sea Salt

8 Drops of Thyme

20 Drops of Lemon

15 Drops of Eucalyptus Globulous

This recipe has an additional cup of epsom salts because of the strength of the thyme essential oil. Measure the epsom salts, baking soda, and sea salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the essential oils and whisk until fully incorporated. Pour 1 Cup into a hot bath and soak for 40 minutes. Rinse when finished.

Barkin’ Dogs Foot Rub

2 Comments

Posted on December 20, 2016

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A couple posts ago I talked about having some issues with the paint on one of my projects. I’m not sure why they didn’t cooperate, but if you’re going to spray paint your lids, I would suggest spraying them with a primer first.

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Our temperatures dropped dramatically so I couldn’t repaint the two lids with issues. Instead, I covered them with fabric and ribbon. I preferred the painted sleek look but because I was pressured for time, I had to go with the fabric for a last minute gift.

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Of course the recipient didn’t know the difference so it was no big deal. You can see the fabric covered jars in the photo below.

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If you’d like more home made body product ideas and recipes, I’ve created a category for Homemade Body Products on the right hand side of my main blog page. There you’ll find all kinds of fun things to make for you and your family or gifts for friends.

Barkin’ Dogs Foot Rub

*This recipe filled four 8 oz jars

1 Cup of Cocoa Butter

Cup of Coconut Oil

1 Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

15 Drops of Lavender

1 Drops of Frankincense

10 Drops of Eucalyptus Globulous

8 Drops of Peppermint

In a medium saucepan melt the cocoa butter and coconut oil on medium low. Pour into a bowl and place somewhere cool until it is almost completely solidified. This will take a couple of hours. Don’t let it solidify too much though so keep checking!

Scrape the oils into a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and whip until smooth. Add the olive oil and whip until fully incorporated. Add the essential oil drops and whip until light and fluffy.

Spoon into decorated jars.

Nourish & Calm Body Butter

3 Comments

Posted on December 16, 2016

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You may not realize it, but making many of your own body products is really, really, simple.

Our skin is our largest organ and it’s important to really know what it is absorbing day in and day out. Many of the ingredients in store purchased body products are hormone disruptors and are extremely toxic. If you’re like the average person, years and years of using products like that build up in your system and begin to cause issues with sensitivity, hormone imbalance, and allergies.

The only way I’ve figured out how to control that since my skin leans more on the dry side and I cannot stand having dry skin, is to make my own body lotions and creams.

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I can make it with minimal ingredients that are easy to find, wonderful smelling, healthy…and it’s a lot of fun!

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Nourish & Calm Body Butter

*This recipe makes about 8 cups and will fill four 16 oz mason jars.

2 Cups of Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil (Costco)

2 Cups of Organic Shea Butter (Amazon)

1 Cup of Organic Cocoa Butter (Amazon)

2 Tablespoons of Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Trader Joe’s)

30 Drops of Ylang Ylang

6 Drops of Lavender

6 Drops of Frankincense

6 Drops of Stress Away

10 Drops of Joy

In a medium saucepan melt the coconut oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter on medium low. Pour into a bowl and place somewhere cool until it is almost completely solidified. This will take a couple of hours. Don’t let it solidify too much though so keep checking!

Scrape the oils into a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and whip until smooth. Add the olive oil one Tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated. Add the essential oil drops and whip until light and fluffy.

Spoon into decorated jars.

Help For Arthritic Hands

6 Comments

Posted on December 3, 2016

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Over the last few years during the holidays I’ve been making body care gifts for friends and family. Last year I made a sleep potion with several types of essential oils. My mom has very arthritic knuckles and her hands are often in pain. She found that when she used the sleep potion on her hands that it relieved pain and with consistent use, reduced inflammation in her knuckles.

This isn’t surprising considering the benefits of each of the individual oils but I was very happy to hear that it gave her some relief. This year I’ve made a more concentrated batch for her in roller bottles rather than a dropper bottle that make it easier to use and easy to toss in a purse or in a pocket.

To purchase the essential oils up front is a bit of an investment but only a few drops of each are needed because they are so pure and concentrated. Well worth the investment as you can use them for many other things.

Here’s the recipe:

10ml Roller Bottles (I buy them on Amazon)

Avocado Oil

Lavender (6 drops in each roller bottle)

Frankincense (4 drops in each bottle)

German Chamomile (3 drops in each bottle)

Valor (4 drops in each bottle)

Cedarwood (3 drops in each bottle)

Copaiba (3 drops in each bottle)

Eucalyptus Globulous ( 2 drops in each bottle)

Remove the rollers from each bottle. Measure essential oils into bottles first, then fill with avocado oil. Replace the roller and the lid and shake well. Rub on each knuckle (or area that is sore). These are concentrated so a little will go a long way.

Essential Oil Benefits:

Lavender ~ Calms nerves, mood balancing, restful sleep, eases dry irritated skin, allergy relief, aids in burn healing, anti-inflammatory, eases sunburn pain.

Frankincense ~ Eases nervous tension, eases anxiety and depression, anti inflammatory, stimulates immune system, eases restless leg, disinfects cuts & wounds, eases arthritis, eases allergies, promotes healthy skin

German Chamomile ~ Eases nervous tension, eases upset stomach, antibacterial, anti inflammatory, promotes sleep, eases muscle tension, promotes skin health.

Valor ~ Calming, eases anxiety, eases joint pain, eases tension headaches, eases snoring, eases sciatic pain and joint pain.

Cedarwood ~ Supports the lymph system, eases anxiety, eases insomnia, antibacterial, eases respiratory issues, aids sleep.

Copaiba ~ Relieves pain, anti inflammatory, aids in digestion, eases joint stiffness, eases aches, antibacterial, aids circulation.

Eucalyptus Globulous ~ Eases muscle aches, cough suppressant, boosts the immune system, anti inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, decongestant.

Headache & Migraine Relief Roller

1 Comment

Posted on December 16, 2015

You may be one of the lucky few who never suffer from an occasional headache or migraine. If that’s so, you can also use this essential oil combination for sore, tense muscles, and nausea.

But, for those of us who do have those dreadful headaches, we’re always happy to have something we can either take or put on to help us get through it. I like to rotate hot and cold packs, take a shower with a few drops of essential oils, and rub a little of my Headache & Migraine Relief on the back of my neck, temples, and forehead.

I find the scent amazingly calming and it’s full of oils that help with pain, inflammation, and nausea.

And although these rollers are very small, just a tiny bit goes a long way. High quality essential oils are extremely concentrated and if you choose to use any of my oil recipes on your children, do so with caution and dilute even further.

Essential oils have some really amazing benefits. I’m always excited to research them on my phone app or in one of the huge manuals I purchased. There’s an oil for everything! And why wouldn’t we want to try something pure and natural before we head to the doctor just to be given medications with a laundry list of unsettling side effects? Another huge benefit is that you can make your own remedies using the oils that most suit you and your family.

People are very particular about the oils they use. When you make your own combination remedies, you don’t have to worry about wasting money on oil mixtures you may not like. There are many oils that I don’t like! It’s nice to have a stock of my own favorites to get creative with.

I use essential oils in lotion, body oils, lip balm, in our humidifier, in my plants when I water, when I clean, in my vacuum cleaner, on wounds, on acne, for body aches, in the shower to ease brain fog, for nausea, for headaches, for mouth bacteria, for colds, for disinfecting, for air purifying, when I change the bed sheets, in the laundry….you name it!

Here’s a list of the oil benefits in my Headache & Migraine Relief Roller:

German Chamomile is said to easy nervous tension, ease upset stomach, eases muscle tension, is anti inflammatory, and promotes rest.

Vetiver is said to help calm the body, reduce stress, reduce nervousness, improve circulation, and is anti inflammatory.

Eucalyptus Globulous is said to ease muscle aches and pains, boost the immune system and is anti inflammatory.

Lemon is said to reduce stress, improve circulation, reduce anxiety, it’s anti inflammatory, promotes rest, and is detoxifying.

Peppermint is said to give a cooling effect, is calming, relieves pain, is an anti inflammatory, helps with nausea and muscle tension.

Frankincense is said to ease nervous tension, ease anxiety and depression, it’s anti inflammatory, and stimulates the immune system

Headache & Migraine Relief Roller

**The essential oils are drops per bottle & I use high quality Young Living Oils**

6 – 1/8 oz Clear Mini Glass Roll On Bottles

1 Drop of German Chamomile Essential Oil

3 Drops of Vetiver Essential Oil

15 Drops of Eucalyptus Globulous Essential Oil

4 Drops of Lemon Essential Oil

15 Drops of Peppermint Essential Oil

2 Drops of Frankincense Essential Oil

Organic Jojoba Oil

Add the drops to each bottle and fill the remainder with organic jojoba oil. Shake well.

Instructions: Roll a small amount onto back of neck, temples & forehead (avoiding eyes!). Roll a small amount into palm, rub hands together, and cup in front of nose. Breathe in for 30 seconds.

Slumber Bedtime Potion

4 Comments

Posted on December 14, 2015

I’m happy to say I survived four days of granola and nuts. I don’t get along with nuts and grains very well.

We have a love hate relationship.

I love them, and they hate me.

I tied and labeled the last of it a couple days ago and after snacking on them two days in a row, by bed time I had grandma ankles and had to pry my rings off my fingers with lotion.

But I have to admit, old lady ankles and swollen fingers were worth a few handfuls of candied almonds and caramelized walnuts and pecans.

I’m thankful they’re tied up now though because I’m not sure I could keep my hands off of them otherwise.

With the granola wrapped and ready to go, I’m moving on to a relaxing bed time oil you can make for your feet and hands. There’s nothing better after a quieting tub than slipping into your favorite nightwear, crawling into a cozy bed, and giving yourself a little foot and hand massage.

It works the parts we use most during the day, and it prepares your body for rest.

You could use anything for the massage of course, but I’ve created something extra special for you.

A combination of soothing, wonderful smelling, stress reducing, pain relieving, sleep enhancing, essential oils.

Rest well!

High quality essential oils are extremely concentrated and if you choose to use any of my oil recipes on your children, they should be diluted even further with a carrier oil. For children under 12, I would simply do a 1/4 teaspoon of carrier oil (jojoba, olive, coconut) to 1 drop of the mixed oils.

Slumber Bedtime Potion

**The essential oils are drops per bottle & I use high quality Young Living Oils**

6 Glass Bottles with Droppers (1 oz)

6 Drops of Lavender Essential Oil

4 Drops of Frankincense Essential Oil

3 Drops of German Chamomile Essential Oil

4 Drops of Valor Essential Oil

3 Drops of Cedarwood Essential Oil

4 Drops of Copaiba Essential Oil

2 Drops of Eucalyptus Globulous Essential Oil

Organic Jojoba Oil

Add the drops to each bottle and fill remainder with organic jojoba oil. Shake Well.

Instructions: Massage a few drops (only a few are needed!) of oil into hands and feet at bedtime.

Scroll down for the benefits of all the oils used in my Slumber Bedtime Potion.

Essential Oil Benefits:

Lavender ~ Calms nerves, mood balancing, restful sleep, eases dry irritated skin, allergy relief, aids in burn healing, eases sunburn pain.

German Chamomile ~ Eases nervous tension, eases upset stomach, antibacterial, anti inflammatory, promotes sleep, eases muscle tension, promotes skin health.

Valor ~ Calming, eases anxiety, eases joint pain, eases tension headaches, eases snoring, eases sciatic pain and joint pain.

Cedarwood ~ Supports the lymph system, eases anxiety, eases insomnia, antibacterial, eases respiratory issues, aids sleep.

Copaiba ~ Relieves pain, anti inflammatory, aids in digestion, eases joint stiffness, eases aches, antibacterial, aids circulation.

Eucalyptus Globulous ~ Eases muscle aches, cough suppressant, boosts the immune system, anti inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, decongestant.

Homemade Intensive Organic Night Cream for Face & Neck

11 Comments

Posted on December 8, 2015

I have a lot of people tell me they aren’t creative or crafty in or out of the kitchen.

I don’t believe that’s true.

I believe that all of us, no matter who we are, have a little bit of art inside us of us.

The definition of an artist is: a person skilled at a particular task or occupation, a person whose work shows creative ability or skill, a person who displays in his work qualities required in art, such as sensibility and imagination.

That’s all an “artist” is and we all have those skills and abilities in one way or another.

I can’t free hand draw, or paint beautiful water colors, or sew well, or sing well, play a sport, or even play an instrument.

But I can create. And I think creation is art.

I love to create a beautiful garden, a comfortable home, I love to create recipes, little craft projects, and I also enjoy making healthy face and body products.

Trust me, if any of it was difficult drudgery, I wouldn’t do it.

Art is something you LOVE to do that comes naturally to YOU.

Yesterday I focused on making an organic anti-aging night cream.

It’s simple to make, it’s luxurious, and it’s a special treat for yourself and your loved ones.

~ Quench ~

Intensive Organic Night Cream for Face & Neck

By Gluten Free Zen

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*Makes about 3 Cups

(Click on each ingredient for brand)

1 1/2 Cups of Organic Unrefined Virgin Coconut Oil

1/2 Cup of Organic African Shea Butter

2 Tablespoons of Organic Unfiltered Extra Virgin Olive Oil

12 Drops of Frankincense Essential Oil

6 Drops of Lavender Essential Oil

4 Drops of Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

6 Drops of Lemon Essential Oil

Measure the coconut oil into a stand mixer and whip the the whisk attachment until light and fluffy. Add the shea butter and continue whipping until full incorporated and airy. Slowly drizzle the olive into the mixture while the mixer is running. Continue to whip until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer to low and add the essential oils. Whip until fully incorporated.

Spoon cream carefully into containers of choice. Tap container after each spoonful to compact and level the cream. Keep away from heat and extreme cold.

Apply a small amount to freshly cleansed face and neck at bed time.

(Scroll down for more of my body product recipes!)

Here are links to more of my Healthy Homemade Body Products!

Homemade Body Butter

Lip Balm, Sleep Salve, Night Cream, Shower Bomb, Body Lotion, & Hand and Elbow Scrub

Essential Oil Body Cream

Toner & Face Cream

gluten free zen

Taking The Stress Out Of Gluten-Free Grain-Free & Dairy-Free Living

Category Archives: Home Made Body Products

Epsom Bath Treats ~ 3 Ways

Barkin’ Dogs Foot Rub

Nourish & Calm Body Butter

Help For Arthritic Hands

Headache & Migraine Relief Roller

Slumber Bedtime Potion

Homemade Intensive Organic Night Cream for Face & Neck

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