Tag: healthy habits

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General Wellness Skin Support Women

Homemade Lotion Recipes:

Recipe # 1: A Non-Greasy Moisturizer

Ingredients

  • 1 cup strong-brewed herbal tea or aloe vera gel (I used aloe vera gel)
  • ½ cup grated beeswax
  • 1 tsp cocoa butter or shea butter
  • ½ cup sweet almond, grapeseed, or jojoba oil
  • 1 tsp Vitamin E oil
  • 15 drops essential oil (where to find 100% pure essential oils) added after cooling and before final blending

Instructions

  1. In a medium-sized bowl combine aloe vera gel/tea, essential oils, and Vitamin E oil. Set aside for later, allowing it to come to room temp. (Sometimes it even helps to set this in a warm water bath to bring it closer to the temperature of the oil/wax mixture you’ll be adding it to. This helps it emulsify.)
  2. Add grated beeswax, butter and oil to a glass measuring cup. Place measuring cup in a small pot of water and bring water to a gentle boil. Heat, stirring occasionally until beeswax is completely melted then carefully remove measuring cup from the pot.  (I prefer this double boiler application to the microwave so the it gets hot enough, but not too hot. This will help reduce the cooling time)
  3. Pour beeswax/oil mixture into a blender and allow to cool. (Move on to step 4 when it has cooled down but is still soft.)
  4. Once cooled, turn the blender on LOW. Remove top of the blender and pour aloe vera mixture in a SLOW, continuous stream.
  5. Stop blender as often as needed to run a spatula around sides to incorporate ingredients. If some liquid is pooling at the top, stop frequently to push it around with a spatula. (This step may take as long as 10-15 minutes, and patience is key!) Continue blending until desired consistency is reached. (I use and highly recommend a Vitamix blender.)
  6. Transfer moisturizer to clean jars and refrigerate any portion that will not be used up within a few weeks.

Recipe # 2: Conditioning Lotion Recipe

Ingredients

  • ½ cup almond oil (or jojoba oil, or any other liquid oil)
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • ¼ cup beeswax
  • 1 tsp vitamin E oil (optional)
  • 2 TBSP shea butter (or cocoa butter, optional)
  • essential oils (the purest and most cost effective oils here)
  • vanilla extract 

Instructions

  • Combine the liquid oil, coconut oil, beeswax, and shea cocoa butter if using, in a double boiler or a glass bowl on top of a simmering pan of water.
  • Stir occasionally as the ingredients melt.
  • When all ingredients are completely melted, add the vitamin E oil if using and any essential oils or scents like vanilla.
  • Pour into a glass jar or tin for storage. Small mason jars work perfectly for this.

Notes

  • Use as you would regular lotion. This will not pump well in a lotion pump!
  • This lotion is ultra-moisturizing and more oily than water-based lotion option in Recipe #1, so you won’t need to use as much.
  • It also has a longer shelf life than some homemade lotion recipes since all ingredients are already shelf stable and no water is added.
  • Use within 6 months for best moisturizing benefits.

A little goes a long way! This lotion is incredibly nourishing and is also great for diaper rash on baby, for eczema, and for preventing stretch marks!

Author: Jennie Knourek – Open Road Essentials

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Diet and Excercise Emotional General Wellness Men Skin Support Weight Management Women

Healthy Habits Challenge

Healthy Habits are truly something we all know about but rarely make routine.

Whether traveling or enjoying your favorite past time (like riding your motorcycle), there are small things we can do to create Healthier Habits which ultimately will make us Healthy, Happy, and Strong.

But there are several things that can create an imbalance in our health. And we do them on a daily basis, they include…

  • Dehydration- not enough water! Drinking coffee, alcohol, juices, soda, vitamin waters or other commercial flavored waters aren’t replenishing enough (look at labels for sugars)
  • Irregular/non-healthy diet (fast food and restaurants are terrible for balanced nutrition) even too many salads can mess with your gut and most salad dressings are loaded with sugars.
  • Exposure. Sun brings life! And many are vitamin D deficient, especially following a long winter. However, too much of a good thing…is too much. Our skin is the largest organ of our body, protect it from too much sun and wind and extreme elements …
  • Over-the-counter and prescription symptom relievers… we all know someone who takes “something” for aches and pains, or blood sugar, or allergies, headaches, etc. All symptoms of imbalanced health, and commercially treated to mask the symptom not fix the cause. (another topic for impaired driving/riding…)
  • Physical restrictions. Sitting on the couch, recliner, office chair, or in a plane, car, train, or on a bike for too long. Our bodies were made and meant to move!
  • Solitude, self-doubt, procrastination, fear, anger, sadness, guilt (mental health): Anything and everything or anybody that keeps us from growing, learning, developing, laughing, etc. Things do happen and it is important to process and even mourn, but don’t build a house around it and live there… Fight hard to get back to your mental happy place! Sometimes people are toxic, seek out a healthy community, and support of a network that lifts your spirits, feeds your soul, and gives you purpose.

Daily Habits Challenge

Need some ideas of habits that will help you build a healthy lifestyle?

I’m always saying “we don’t know what we don’t know”, well knowing something doesn’t make it a habit.

We need to be mindful and practice new habits to make them a part of our routine. After all we weren’t always fat, or sore, or sad, or achey, or unhappy. That shit happened over time (we practiced).

We can do this!

Here is some help, Regional Healthy Habits Tours are happening now …