Christine

Product Review: Primal Pit Paste

Published on March 10, 2015March 17, 2015 by Christine12 Comments

A few months ago, I posted about some great natural deodorant options I had found and it’s been one of the most-read posts lately. So, apparently, I’m not the only one who has struggled to find something that works. Since initially hearing about how harmful the chemical ingredients in regular antiperspirant deodorant, I’ve been committed to not putting myself at risk for those health effects (learn more here). But, I have had such a hard time finding something that truly lasts all day (for me, at least) and that also helps with sweat. While not the worst inconvenience, I still had to reapply most products at least once during the day. So, when I heard about a local company (with an awesome name!) producing a new product, I had to try it out!

I have seen plenty of DIY natural deodorant recipes online that I’ve been meaning to make, but I decided I would go the lazy route and buy it first to see how it works. The ingredients are simple and contain no artificial preservatives or parabens: shea butter, arrowroot powder (similar to cornstarch), coconut oil, non-aluminum baking soda, beeswax (in some versions) and essential oil. The kind I use comes in a small glass jar and you just swoop a pea-size amount out with your finger to apply under your arms. They also have a stick version if you prefer to apply that way (though it’s a little tougher for guys with underarm hair to apply). The consistency is really smooth with the shea butter and coconut oil and melts as soon as it hits your skin, plus it’s super moisturizing.

The best part about this product is that the arrowroot powder absorbs any moisture and leaves you dry, while still allowing you to sweat. This is essential to your body being able to naturally sweat out toxins (and very unlike regular antiperspirant deodorant which uses aluminum to block your glands). Primal Pit Paste does not inhibit this function, which keeps you healthy while still preventing any embarrassment when you raise your arms.

The baking soda in this product does a super effective job at deodorizing. I got the strong version and the regular version to try; the strong certainly lasts longer for me but the regular lasts all day still. Everyone’s body chemistry is different so they have sample sizes to try if you’d like to see what works best. While I haven’t experienced any issues personally, I know that baking soda can be irritating to those with really sensitive skin – their Happy Stick is an option made with clay instead.

Of course, I am a big fan of essential oils and love the different scents this company offers. Plus, it’s natural way to add a scent without chemical fragrances. So far, I’ve tried the lavender and lemonade, but the Jasmine one is next on my list. Lavender & Lemon essential oils both have freshening properties as well and are great for the skin, so I know they can only adds to this product’s effectiveness.

If this is your first time trying a natural deodorant, I want to note that you may experience some detox effects depending on your diet and overall health. Primal Pit Paste has a whole protocol on their website that explains exactly what that means and how to get through it.

If you are still looking for a natural deodorant option that will convince you it’s possible they can work, you should definitely give this one a try. Buy Primal Pit Paste here!

Lavender Essential Oil

Published on March 4, 2015June 8, 2015 by Christine6 Comments

One of the first essential oils I ever got was Lavender. Besides being one of my favorite scents, it’s been my go-to in many different ways for a few years now. It’s known to be the most versatile of all essential oils with many healing and restorative properties. Lavender oil is extremely concentrated; it takes 27 square feet of lavender plants to make one 15ml bottle. And it’s fairly inexpensive at $30 retail for a bottle of around 240 drops – plus, it’s easy to make one drop go really far and still be effective.

Each night, I use a mixture of coconut oil and lavender as my face moisturizer. I keep a glass cosmetic container of it in my makeup drawer all ready to go. One jar will easily last me a couple of months as a little goes a very long way. I simply warm coconut oil to bring it to a liquid state and then add a few drops of lavender oil – I use about a 1 Tablespoon coconut oil to 1 drop lavender ratio. Once you put it in the jar, it will harden back up (this also helps it from going rancid) and the warmth of your skin will re-liquefy it as you apply.

Since I implemented this moisturizer into my routine, I have noticed my complexion improve a great deal. Lavender’s many properties make it really effective towards any type of skin irritations, so I have found that it both helps prevent acne (by fighting the bacteria that causes blemishes) and helps promote healing. There’s been many a morning that I woke up to discover my face blemish-free after not being so the night before. It is also extremely moisturizing and is quite helpful at relieving dry skin.

The other great benefit to applying lavender to my face each night is that it promotes sleep. It calms and relaxes – diffusing it by my bed also helps me fall asleep quickly on those nights that my mind can’t seem to settle down and give into the tiredness of my body. The calming effect is also helpful with reducing anxiety or stress after work and has helped relieve headaches that I’ve had caused by that tension.

Lavender is also a staple in my medicine cabinet. I keep it handy for minor cuts and burns as it promotes healing and provides relief. There is simply nothing more soothing than applying coconut oil + aloe + lavender to a sunburn. And it is fantastic for those annoying, little paper cuts… with all the use our hands get, I always find those take so long to heal, but with lavender, I often find they close up in just a few hours! It’s also helpful at relieving the pain and inflammation for a bug bite or sting or can altogether help prevent – apply lavender to your exposed skin to repel mosquitoes.

Most recently, I discovered how much lavender could help act as an anti-histamine during allergy season. Usually cedar season really gets me down, but it was so much more manageable this time. I was applying and diffusing lavender constantly to reduce my inflammatory response. Lavender is also really effective with respiratory issues; when I had a sinus infection over Christmas, I noticed how much it helped with my congestion. The stimulating nature of the oil makes it help loosen things up in the respiratory system.

One last note to leave you with is from a bit of personal experience – after great success with my first bottle of lavender, I went to go buy more at the grocery store. Started using it again and much to my surprise, it didn’t work at all anymore. I was baffled. A couple years later, I began researching more about essential oils and realized that not all essential oils are made equally. Many (usually cheap ones at the grocery store, unfortunately) are not pure and/or have fragrances added, so they will not be beneficial beyond just smelling good. After a lot of research, I’ve decided to purchase my oils from only a couple of brands, one being Young Living. Learn more about essential oils and how to purchase here.

Have you used lavender before? What has it helped you with? I love hearing personal success stories!

Note: The above testimony is purely from personal experience. I am not a doctor and none of these statements have been evaluated by the FDA.

Lemon Essential Oil

Published on February 23, 2015June 8, 2015 by Christine8 Comments

In my last post, I included a reader poll on future blog topics and the majority has spoken….you want to learn more about essential oils. So, I’ve decided to start a series on oils, focusing on different ones and how I use them. Today, I’m going to start with one of my favorites – LEMON

Lemon essential oil is highly concentrated – cold-pressed from the rind, it takes 75 lemons to make one 15ml bottle. If you have heard about the benefits of drinking lemon water each morning, lemon oil is an easier alternative to stocking up on lemons each week, and the lack of citric acid can be easier on your stomach and teeth. Just a drop of lemon essential oil in a glass of water can have a lot of benefits first thing in the morning:

Rehydrates your body after 8 or so hours of no water, reinvigorating your body and brain
Helps flush your digestive system & promotes stomach acid production to aid in digestion throughout the day
Boosts metabolism
Calms the body, reducing stress and helping your adrenals prepare to tackle the day
Gets vitamin C into your body first thing, boosting your immune system
It’s a powerful antioxidant, which combats free radicals in the body – learn more about that here
Suffering from post-nasal drip? Lemon in hot water with raw honey can soothe a sore throat.
Note: I only ingest the Young Living brand of essential oils as not all brands are safe internally

My husband and I love citrus scents, so it’s one of my favorite oils to diffuse and fill our home with a lovely energizing aroma. It’s a great air freshener to get rid of odors… I have been really thankful for it when we’ve left trash in the house during a weekend away, returning to that awful permeating smell; a few minutes in the diffuser does wonders. On that same note, (although I must be the only one who does this) if you accidentally leave your laundry in the wash for a few minutes too long before moving it to the dryer or the dryer doesn’t fully dry your bulky load of towels, you know that your clothes will smell terribly musty/mildewy. Instead of rewashing, rub some lemon oil on a dryer sheet and throw it in the dryer to make your laundry fresh and clean again – it’s amazing!

In addition to the two ways above, there are many other ways that you can use lemon oil around the house. I mix my own totally safe & cheap all-purpose cleaner & disinfectant to use all over – the kitchen, bathroom and windows/mirrors (streak-free!). It’s a simple mixture of one part white vinegar, one part water and 10-20 (depending on your “part” size) drops of lemon oil in a spray bottle. The lemon helps a lot with the vinegar smell, but if you still can’t stand it, there are plenty of other recipes on Pinterest. You can also make your own easy furniture polish by replacing the water with olive oil in the mixture above, adjusting ratios as needed depending on your wood varnish and how well it absorbs. Polish with a microfiber cloth to protect and clean your wood furniture. Depending on how much you want make at a time, you may want to use a glass spray bottle as citrus oils can eat through plastic. And one last cleaning tip – lemon oil can help remove anything sticky, including gum from hair.

Beyond being a staple in my medicine cabinet & under-the-sink, lemon oil is also a go-to in my cosmetic drawer. I mix it with coconut oil to use as a face moisturizer each morning; it helps balance my oily skin and helps heal any blemishes. Lemon oil is known to improve circulation so is great for making cellulite disappear (hello, nearing swimsuit season) and I’ve heard it helps with varicose veins as well.

I literally use lemon oil every day and don’t know what I would do without it. Interested in giving it a try? Learn more about purchasing essential oils here.

How do you use lemon oil? I’m always wanting to hear more ways essential oils help people!

Unwinding

Published on February 3, 2015February 3, 2015 by Christine2 Comments

I am currently sitting in a coffee shop on this cold, rainy day, drinking an almond milk latte and writing in the middle of the afternoon. I am thankful for days like this… for days to relax, to do what I love and for being myself again. I finally obeyed doctor’s orders and left my job; I have a few more days off before I start a new adventure on Monday! These two weeks have been wonderful; I have been tackling house projects, reading, traveling & finally getting a chance to completely unwind.

I’m hopeful for 2015. Even though it’s only one month into the year, I’m keeping up with my goals and excited for what is to come. I am loving how my new Jawbone Up24 is holding me accountable… I have kept a daily food diary since Jan 2 and I am taking my pup for a walk or run nearly every day. In just the past week, I’ve lost 5 pounds – I’m sure the drop in stress levels helped quite a bit. I’m also feeling the improvement in my health. I’ve been on my new health protocol to bring balance to my hormones, vitamin D, iron & electrolyte levels for 4 months and really noticing how my body is healing itself.

During my free time, I’m hoping to write a few more blogs to share over the next couple of months. While I have some topics in mind, I want to know what you want to hear about. Help me out…

7 Ways to Control Your Allergies Naturally

Published on January 19, 2015October 10, 2015 by Christine10 Comments

There’s nothing better than waking up, checking the forecast & seeing this:

But then, I check the other forecast. The one that tells me if I can actually go outside and enjoy the beautiful weather…

This time of year is awful for my allergies. The cedar gets me the worst… can anyone else relate?

I used to reach for allergy medicine or anti-histamines to get me through, but after many years rotating through, they eventually stopped working. And I don’t know about you, but anti-histamines make me feel sleepy and sluggish so it’s hard to get up and go to work. Plus, the purpose of those is to dry you up, so they are dehydrating. In search for something that would help provide some relief, I’ve discovered a few ways that have really helped me control my allergies:

1. Use a nasal rinse. This will clear your sinuses of allergens & bacteria. Plus, it moisturizes your system, thinning the mucous to keep it moving through the system and reducing post-nasal drip. The saline mixture added to warm, distilled water works wonders for clearing my nasal passages and keeping me from getting too stuffy. I use this kind – you can find it at nearly any drugstore.

2. Essential oils have worked miracles for me with my allergies. In particular, I use a combination of Lemon, Lavender & Peppermint (aka the LLP bomb). I put them in my diffuser, put 3 drops of each in a capsule to swallow or put them in a spoonful of local, raw honey. There are also a few other oils that can be super helpful with symptoms of congestion – RC & Breathe Again – or sinus headache – Copaiba. Read more about how essential oils can improve your health here.

3. Nothing relieves my itchy eyes better than Can-C Carnosine Eye Drops. It is the best eye drop out there; even though it’s not specifically for allergies, it is a great moisturizer and completely safe. On a side note, I’ve read stories that it has even helped people improve their vision or cataracts.

4. I recently discovered a homeopathic tincture called Allergena. They have blends for specific regions (Texas is Zone 5), or for allergies to pets, mold, dust, and several others. You put a few drops under your tongue every 10 minutes as long as you feel symptomatic until you don’t. It works super fast to provide relief for sneezing, runny nose & itchy eyes.

5. A couple of times a day, I take Natural D-Hist. My doctor recommended it originally for my stress hives last year, but it also helps with seasonal allergies. The blend of healthy ingredients helps relieve irritation from increased histamine response. Although it doesn’t provide fast relief, I have seen a lot of benefit by taking it consistently every day.

6. While it’s not realistic to always stay inside, it helps to keep your indoors an allergy-free environment to give your system some reprieve. Take a shower each night and wash your hair to get the pollen out. Put your clothes in a hamper when you get home for the day. Leave your shoes at the door. Wash your sheets and vacuum often. Close your doors and windows. Run an air purifier to remove those particles from the air – this is the one I use.

7. Eating a healthy diet is a crucial way to reduce inflammation & mucous production. Organic fruits and vegetables will help provide vitamins and antioxidants. Avoiding dairy and sugar will help lower your body’s inflammatory response and keep your immune system functioning properly. Staying hydrated is also important; water helps control levels of histamines in the body.

Do you have any other ways that help you control your allergies naturally? Thinking about trying any of these out? I would love to hear feedback on how these work for you!

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