Fall Scented Natural Skin Care

I love the smell of everything Fall. Cedar, pine, cloves, cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, and cardamom are all fragrances that I can’t get enough of when the seasons start to change. I usually stock up on some essential oils and make my own skin care products inspired by all things Fall. But isn’t it so appealing when you can just buy exactly what you’re looking for without the fuss. Enter Pantry Products, an all-natural, small-batch apothecary based in Brooklyn, NY and Reno, NV. No doubt aromatherapy is good for the soul, and when Fall rolls around, Pantry Products’ Fall Essential Goodies really serves up some warm fragrances to protect us against that crisp, drying air. Here are some of my favorites!

Autumn Spice Sugar Scrub

Autumn Spice Sugar Scrub is a 100% natural blend of organic coconut oil, fractionated coconut oil, raw sugar, vitamin e, ground orange peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and cardamom.

Spiced Chai Lip Balm ingredients include organic coconut oil, raw shea butter, pure beeswax, therapeutic-grade essential oils, castor oil for shine, and carrot seed oil for sun protection. These Lip Balms come in other yummy Fall flavors like orange-vanilla and earl grey.

 Lemon + Vanilla and Coconut +Chai Hand Lotions are a blend of organic lotion, aloe gel, vitamin e, and pure essential oils.

Vanilla + Spice and Cardamom + Clove Air & Linen Sprays will round out your spa days at home by adding a lovely blend of essential oils to the air, or even your bath towels!

Pumpkin Seed Rosewater Face Mask

We all know how incredibly detoxifying a good clay mask can be. They pull out toxins, reduce oil, help get out blackheads, and even minimize the appearance of pores. With so many types of clay to choose from, I’ve even taken up the art of multi-masking to reap the variety of benefits in one application. The only drawback of clay-based face masks is that they can be incredibly drying. Not so bueno for cold weather skin care.

Autumn is in the air, and with it comes that familiar wind chill that sucks the moisture right out of our faces. Don’t despair. Imagine a clay mask that is as hydrating as it is detoxifying. This pumpkin seed rosewater face mask delivers just that. It has all the detox power of your favorite clay mask, but will leave your skin feeling moisturized. Honey is a natural humectant, while pumpkin seeds are chock full of skin friendly vitamins and minerals like zinc, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C.

Pumpkin Seed Rosewater Face Mask

Ingredients

  • 1/4 c pumpkin seeds
  • 1/3 cup rosewater
  • 1 tablespoon clay
  • 1 tablespoon honey

Directions

  • Combine the pumpkin seeds and rosewater in a lidded container and place in the fridge to soak overnight.
  • The next morning, add the soaked pumpkin seeds and rosewater to a high speed blender along with the honey. Blend until smooth.
  • Transfer to a non-metal dish and stir in the clay using a non-metal utensil.
  • To use, simply smooth the mask over your face in a generous layer, avoiding your eye area.
  • Allow the mask to dry (this mask takes a little bit longer to dry out than others- about 30 minutes)
  • Wash off with warm water and enjoy your new glow!

***this mask must be stored in the fridge and will last over a week there in an airtight container.

Source: Catching Seeds

All Natural Medicine Cabinet Essentials

I was taking stock of my medicine cabinet in preparation for my annual flu season overhaul. Every year, in fact, twice a year I replace the products in my medicine cabinet to keep them as fresh and effective as possible. I try my best to stick to natural, organic products that contain at least one or two of my five favorite essential oils: peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender, cinnamon, and orange. Fortunately, Mother Nature has us covered. Swap out your OTC medicines for these all natural, plant-based medicine cabinet essentials.

  1. Instead of Pain / Headache medication try Past Tense
  2. Instead of Nasal Decongestant, cold and flu medication or allergy relief medication try Breathe 
  3. Instead of cough suppressant try Rosemary
  4. Instead of anti-itch lotion, sleeping aids, burn cream or cuts and scrapes disinfectant try Lavender
  5. Instead of mouthwash, add Peppermint to your homemade mouthwash recipe
  6. Instead of Immune system boost or sore throat medicine, try On Guard Blend. The Throat Drops are very handy for on the go 
  7. Instead of upset stomach medication or heartburn medication try Digest Zen
  8. Instead of a sterilizing agent, try Purify. It also works great as a room freshener.
  9. Instead of whitening flouride toothpaste try On Guard toothpaste
  10. Instead of wart removal cream try Oregano
  11. Instead of athlete’s foot cream try Tea Tree Oil

Natural Tonic for Improved Mental Health

This brain-boosting tonic with adaptogenic herbs will aid in improving your overall mental health by balancing your neurotransmitters to keep you happy, stress-free, focused, and energized.

Mental Health Natural Tonic Ingredient Breakdown

Lemon

Citrus fruits are high in vitamins, and a healthy dose of vitamin C can fight infection, reduce kidney stones, relieve indigestion, decrease headache pain, and help detoxify the body.

Cucumber

Cucumbers help maintain water balance in the body.

Fresh Turmeric Root

Turmeric is known to improve mood and feelings of depression.

Fresh Ginger Root

Ginger fights inflammation and is great for healing and protecting the gut.

Beets

Beets support heart health and liver function by helping our bodies maintain healthy blood sugar levels. While the antioxidant power of beets improves nerve function.

Pears

Pears are a low-sugar fruit. They are excellent for anxiety as they soothe the nervous system with vitamin C, which triggers the production of norepinephrine and serotonin, the happy neurotransmitters. They are also a great source of potassium, an essential electrolyte for the proper function of nerves, muscles, joints, and the heart.

Adaptogens

During cold and flu season, the addition of adaptogens like goldenseal and elderberry extract have both been shown to support a health immune system and are available as herbal tinctures (liqud form) that you can easily add to your tonic just before drinking it. To help alleviate stress, add ashwagandha and astralagus, which are both adaptogens known for their calming effects on our bodies.

Mental Health Natural Tonic

Ingredients

  • One whole lemon with peel cut off
  • One whole cucumber with peel
  • One 2-inch root of ginger (if you’re not a fan of ginger, cut this amount in half)
  • Two 3- to 4-inch roots of turmeric
  • One whole pear
  • One yellow or red beet

adaptogens such as

  • extract of ashwagandha
  • extract of astragalus
  • extract of goldenseal
  • extract of elderberry

Directions

  1. Place all ingredients in a juicer, and add extracts of ashwaghandha and astragalus (for further adaptogenic support) or goldenseal and elderberry during flu season.
  2. Serve immediately.

Cleansing Grains Facial- A Step by Step Guide

Before you invest in putting a mini-fridge in your bathroom to house all of your DIY beauty goodies, maybe you should give this cleansing grains skin care routine a try. Cleansing grains are a gentle powdered mixture of all natural ingredients such as oats, clays, nuts, and adaptogenic herbs. Much like the just-add-water facial masks I told you about, cleansing grains are a powdered no-fuss version that are the building blocks of this gentle skin care routine.

The Good Hippie, a small batch natural skin care company, offers a comprehensive beauty routine with specialized blends that target the concerns of the 3 major skin types: Balance for normal/combination, Repair for oily/acne prone, and Thrive for dry/mature. Each blend consists of the products necessary to achieve the best results in this 5 step beauty ritual.

Cleansing Grains Skin Care Ritual

STEP 1: CLEANSE

Begin with cleansing grains (Balance, Repair, and Thrive), a gentle, soap-free facial wash. Use daily, morning + night for beautifully balanced, clean, and clear skin. Twice a month, indulge in a facial steam (Balance, Repair, and Thrive); a medley of vibrant botanicals that provides a deep cleansing, leaving your skin with a healthy glow.

sTEP 2: Exfoliate

Exfoliate, twice a week with a scrub (Balance, Repair, and Thrive). Gentle exfoliators + aromatic herbs assist in cell rejuvenation, revealing a fresh, vibrant complexion.

sTEP 3: purIFY

Twice a week, treat your skin to a mask treatment (Balance, Repair, and Thrive). Natural clays + healing botanicals provide a deep cleansing while leaving your skin beautifully toned, detoxed, and revitalized. You may also use regularly as a spot treatment on blemishes as needed.

sTEP 4: HYDRATE

Toners and facial mists (Repair and Thrive) should be used daily, morning and night or as needed to re-hydrate and refresh throughout the day. Aloe water, essential oils, and purifying witch hazel remove dirt and impurities that may have been missed during the cleansing process, closes pores, and prepares your skin for optimal hydration and moisture.

sTEP 5: NOURISH

Moisturizing facial oils (Balance, Repair, and Thrive) are a blend of pure botanical oils and healing essential oils that feed your skin vitamins and nutrients, deliver concentrated moisture, and form a protective barrier, shielding your skin from the harsh effects of the environment. Used twice a day, morning + night, these readily-absorbing serums lend a smoothness, and a hydrating glow to your complexion. For your delicate eye area, use the deeply nourishing Thrive eye serum morning + night.