This is one of my absolute favourite DIY recipes to make. Not only is it absolutely amazing for your skin, but it’s also so so cost-effective, under $8 for this recipe and would easily last 2 months using this both morning and night!

You also know exactly what’s in it, all without nasty synthetic chemicals such as Propylene Glycol that is commonly used as anti-freeze ingredient in both food and personal care products, or Parabens which are used as preservatives but mimic the action of female hormones - say WHAT?! 

These chemicals play havoc with your endocrine system, and this system produces hormones that regulate metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sexual function, reproduction, sleep, and mood, among other things. If you want to learn more check out this 8 minute video about the Story of Cosmetics.

So when I first realised how EASY it was to make my own, and how much more EFFECTIVE they were (and SAVED me money!), I never looked back. Each of these essential oils are highly regarded for healthy looking skin, and also have a number of other uses, one of them being to support you emotionally.

All of this while just applying your face serum day and night.

Essential oils

• Lavender essential oil: Restores skin complexion, reduces acne, and slows ageing with powerful antioxidants.

• Frankincense essential oil: nourishing for the skin, anti-aging and reduces blemishes.

• Copaiba essential oil: moisturise, tone and rejuvenate sagging and tired looking skin to make it firmer and more elastic. Also contains beta-caryophyllene.

As you get comfortable using essential oils you might want to explore and add in some others. I like doing this not only for the smell, but also to get all the amazing properties from the different constituents from each botanical. Some others I love using are:

• Valor essential oil blend: Northern Lights Black Spruce, Camphor, Blue Tansy, Frankincense, Geranium. This blend is renowned for its grounding aroma and for its ability to promote emotional balance and give you courage and strength.

• Geranium

• Patchouli

• Cedarwood

• Ylang Ylang

• Palmarosa

• Rose

Carrier oils

Here are my favourite carrier oils, and I like to rotate them each season according to how my skin feels. For example, in winter I like using the heavier oils like Avocado oil to give some extra nourishment.

• Sweet almond: High in essential fatty acids and antioxidants to nourish your skin.

• Jojoba: Beautiful nourishing and will moisturize your skin instantly.

• Coconut: Contain potent fatty acids to replenish your skin. It’s naturally antibacterial, which can help prevent the spread of bacteria over your skin that contribute to skin conditions.

• Avocado: Contains antioxidants and Vitamin E to boost your overall skin health and promote anti-aging.

• Evening primrose: High in Vitamin E and beneficial for psoriasis and eczema.

• Rosehip: The antioxidants found in rosehip oil combat free radicals that cause sun damage, and the oil's essential fatty acids, can help improve skin tone, texture and pigmentation.

Ingredients

• 10 drops of Lavender Essential Oil

• 10 drops of Frankincense Essential Oil

• 10 drops of Copaiba Essential Oil

• Carrier oil

• 15ml glass bottle (reuse old essential oils or carrier oil bottles)

Directions

1. Add all the essential oils into the glass bottle.

2. Add the desired carrier oils and gently shake to mix all the oils together.

To find out more about essential oils check out how to use them here.

Healthy skin - a holistic approach

There are also several factors which contribute to having healthy skin. What we put ONTO our bodies is one we can easily control and choose to apply only ingredients that are safe for our skin. Being our largest organ, everything that is applied topically is absorbed into our body and within our bloodstream within 30 seconds.

The other is what we put INTO our bodies. The food we eat, the water we drink. All the cells within our body are constantly turning over, so when we can provide it with good quality materials, it knows what to do.

In addition to trying to eat a whole-food, organic/spray-free diet, we also choose to supplement with a few high quality products to keep us functioning at an optimal level. Our bodies are constantly being exposed to environmental factors (often that we can’t control), like air pollution, EMFs, water quality which create free-radicals in our bodies. These are highly inflammatory and can lead to all sorts of dis-eases within the body - allergies, skin and behaviour issues, auto-immune diseases, obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer to name a few .

Antioxidants

Adding some potent antioxidants is one way to keep these free-radicals in check, and me and my family do this with a daily 30ml shot of NingXia Red, a superjuice based on the highly prized Ningxia Wolfberry (goji berry). Even the kids have it, it tastes great and gives us the energy to last the day and stay well especially during those seasonal changes!

It’s infused with 4 citrus essential oils which contain naturally occurring constituents limonene and alpha-pinene (please research these to see WHY that’s so exciting!), and these also carry all the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients directly into your cells.

Being in a liquid it means it’s able to be absorbed super quickly, so it’s great for anyone with digestive issues who have trouble breaking down foods and being able to assimilate all the goodness.

We’ve tried a lot of supplements over the last decade, and this is one that’s lasted. Most supplements out there are mainly synthetic so it makes for very expensive…pee! So finding one that the whole family can take, is effective and budget friendly - it’s a win for us.

For more info check out this page about health support in my online class where it has some cool comparisons to the amount of fruits/veggies 1 shot is equivalent to!