Pumpkin Spice, and everything oily

Okay, let's start out with this: I don't sell essential oils. I've been using oils casually for a few years. I love diffusing them, I prefer them over store bought perfumes, and recently we started using them more seriously in our house hold cleaning. I use them a LOT more in the Fall, because there are so many great ways to use cinnamon and nutmeg other than just baking pies. (I have a post about pumpkin pie from last year though if you’re in need...) We usually go through a handful of wax melts and candles each year chasing that perfect Autumn scent, but nothing smells as authentic as real, pressed essential oils. I decided to sign up with Young Living last month, because seriously, I NEEDED that Aria diffuser. I don't want to push their products, or try to convince my friends to join the oily community (they'll come when they're ready). I just wanted the dang diffuser, and I wanted to try Ningxia. There, I said it.

                Well, I got both, and they did not disappoint. The Aria is just as magical as it looks in the videos, and the Ningxia with a little coconut water over ice was delightful, and gave me a serious energy boost. But here's the deal, this is a MLM, or Multi-level Marketing company, as in, a pyramid industry. There are levels of sales, and the more you convince others to buy and sell, the more you can make. 

That doesn't mean they're a scheme, by any means, it just means that products are priced higher to accommodate for the people profiting off them. The big difference between YL and other high end EO businesses is something other than price though. YL offers a lot of amazing products that you can't get anywhere else. There is no decent Aria rip off, and you can't get that sweet red berry juice from Costco. So the perks of joining their Essential Rewards program are pretty real, you get stuff you can't get anywhere else, at a discounted price, and access to limited releases and exclusive sales, making it a pretty sweet deal. I signed up with a really great girl boss I met on Instagram, and I'm really glad I chose her. Not only did I get my starter kit from YL, I got an incredible welcome package from Lacey, filled with info about the biz and oils, stickers, roller bottles filled with amazing blends, a diffuser bracelet, and even a totally badass coozie (y'all know how I feel about hard kombucha) . I've been dabbling for a while, but this was my big jump.

    We switched to earth friendly products a couple years back, but this is our official first week using Young Livings Thieves cleaner in place of our regular all natural cleaner. The verdict? It's pretty alright. It smells really nice, but its very spicy, so year round use might not work out around here. It does the job getting our counter tops clean, and for now that's good enough for us. Will we be switching all of our house hold items out for Thieves alternatives? No. But we're definitely adding it to our list of trusted brands. The hand sanitizer smells and works great, and the oil itself makes an amazing diffuser blend when mixed with a little lemon. I add 4 drops of Thieves and 2 drops lemon vitality, it smells so dang good.

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The Aria isn't my only diffuser. I got this awesome wicker one on Amazon, and it has quickly become my second favorite. It has the best boho look to it, and diffuses enough to fill a relatively large room within minutes. Small but mighty, you might say. 

I also have a gorgeous handmade ceramic diamond diffuser from Edens Garden, my first true love. It’s small, perfect for a bedroom or other smaller space. It has the exact same diffuser style as the wicker one, but doesn’t produce quite as much mist, meaning it lasts longer. Like the Aria, It was a little pricey, but worth it.  I’ve been buying oils from EG for years, well before I was really using them regularly. Their cedarwood cured my one-time eczema outbreak after weeks with a horrible rash on my hands, and when I first started making soaps back in 2013, they were my go to for natural scents, and skin healing blends. I use a concentrated blend of Tea Tree, Cedarwood and Cypress for acne, and have had so much success with it.I call it my Three Tree blend, and I make it in 10ml roller bottles like this:

15 Drops Tea Tree

10 Drops Cedarwood

10 Drops Cypress

Fill the rest of the bottle with your choice of carrier oil, I HIGHLY recommend therapeutic grade sesame oil if you have severe acne, its antibacterial properties are a perfect addition to the ones already in the three oils, and it has healed even the worst bacne breakouts for me, and others I've known, just do a patch test, some folks are allergic to sesame oil. If you don't want to use sesame, fractionated coconut oil is light, and super nourishing. I've had oily skin my whole life, and its my favorite to use over sweet almond and jojoba, although both of those are great bases for natural massage oils. I also make a lemon and frankincense roller for my melasma, mixing 10-20 drops lemon, and 5 drops Frank, then filling with carrier oil. I roll it over my forehead and cheeks to fight off those pesky brown spots that keep sneaking in as I inch my way into my thirties. The skin lightening properties in both oils help keep my skin looking younger, and the blend smells damn good to boot.

On a less medicinal note, I keep roller bottles filled with my natural perfume blends on hand at all times. The Golden State blend from EG is musky, and sweet, and mixes so well with their new C02 coconut oil. It reminds be of what Summer should smell like, and I unapologetically call the blend "California Girl". Valor from YL mixed with some Frank and lavender makes a really great daily scent, and for something spicy for Fall, Thieves can be worn directly, or you can mix it with a little nutmeg vitality and lemon, and have a full blown Autumn mega blend, that not only smells like October (you know what I mean), but it also boosts your immunity, and that's something we could all use this year.

No matter what you blend, they all look better in a pretty bottle. I use some beautiful ones I've bought from other small shops, and I've stocked up on a "few" extra. I started filling them with gemstones, and dried flowers, and it just adds even more to the good therapeutic feelings you already get from using oils in your daily life. I decided to curate a few of my favorite stones and flowers, I filled some simple glass bottles, and you can snag them HERE, if you're into boosting your magic.

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On top of using them in rollers and household diffusers, I also like to find little ways to keep my favorite oils close by. I made myself a car diffuser last month and I have been loving it. It works so well to keep my car smelling clean (no easy task in this California smoke), and it’s dang cute at that.  The simple unfinished wood beads soak up whatever oils you drop on them ( I recommend light colored oils, Valor and Peace and Calming will dye your beads green), and they slowly release the scent into the air. You can hang them in your car, tie them to your purse or diaper bag, or hang them directly from cabinet knobs and handles around the house. I love how the simple tassels look hanging from a diffuser, they add a really fun boho touch. I have all different kinds of them in the shop right now, click HERE to check a few out. If you're ready to get into all the Fall vibes, add a drop each of cinnamon leaf, nutmeg, and ginger to your diffuser beads, and you will not be disappointed. Even simpler? Just add a drop of Thieves, or Fighting Five from EG, and it'll do the trick. Who needs lousy pumpkin scented candles? Not me, not anymore. 

Aside from alllll mini diffusers I added, there are also some simple diffuser keychains, and a couple of small space wall hangings to keep your diffusing discreet while looking really cute at the same time. If you haven't noticed the theme yet, I'm all about tortoise shell right now. I found a small shop that sells all sorts of styles, and after snagging a handful of vintage ones for these Macrame Moon Diffusers, I was happy to find something comparable. You can see them featured on my Mountain&Moon wall hangings here.

So there you have it. There are so many ways to use essential oils in your daily life, whether it be aromatherapy or skin care, house hold cleaning or immunity boosting, you can't go wrong. With so many ways to accessorize your oily life, why not live it up a little? Diffusing your favorite blends can be pretty and functional at the same time. You don't have to give up your favorite skin care products or trade in your expensive perfume, but just know that there are alternatives to these things that can be beneficial to both you, and your surroundings. Make sure oils you're diffusing are safe for your pets (MANY aren't) and make sure to use proper dilution with topical use. Do your research, know your skin type, allergies and sensitivities, and try out a few different things until you find a natural balance for you and your family. There are a lot of great resources online for getting into the oily lifestyle, many can be found on Instagram and Pinterest. 

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Until next time folks, thanks for stopping by and checking out the blog, I hope you like the new stuff, and as always, thank you a hundred times for shopping small.

-Marie