Essential Oils Blog

The secret to the perfect foaming hand soap is not actually the recipe itself. Sourcing a reusable "foam-forming" pump bottle is the secret to making your own wonderful foaming soap. I was able to get reusable foam-forming pump bottles easily enough from a local storage supply shop. Foam-forming pumps are THE best for getting the perfect foam with very little ingredients. It has a little spring mechanism it the top of the bottle, to make the soap into foam. This is what you should look for. The thick/wide neck on the pump bottle is usually easy to spot....this type of pump helps get the perfect foam without the "perfect" recipe. The best bit? Reusable, refillable, over and over again! If you can't find the foam forming ones, I was also able to find basic amber hand pump bottles from Target. The amber colour helps protect the ingredients and the amber and black colour combination is so "in" right now. They look super sophisticated for their budget price tag.

You'll need:
Liquid castile soap
Essential Oils of choice
Water to dilute
Pyrex
Spoon
Funnel (if desired)
Reusable foaming pump bottle or 'recycled' hand soap bottle

If you're wanting to make your own liquid soap products, the main thing you need to start with is liquid castile soap. (You can find this easily online in Australia or from your local health food store.) This forms the base for your "soapy" products. It is very versatile, and can be bought in a whopping 20L bottle if you so desire! For most of us though, the 1L will be plenty enough. Place your desired amount, usually I use enough to half fill my container, of liquid soap into a pyrex. Add a few drops of essential oils of your choice. Stir slowly, then sniff... gently.... we dont want bubbles out our nose!  Can you smell your essential oil? If not, you may need to add another drop or two. Now add enough water to the purex to fill the rest of your container.  This is due to the special foaming soap pump bottle, straight liquid castile soap can be a bit thick, so we dilute with water, or even if you'd just like to make it go further. If you like a thicker liquid soap, or if you are not using a foaming pump bottle, use more castile and less water. Stir gently. When your happy with your creation pour or funnel into your container.

I find I can dilute my bottle with half water to liquid castile soap and still get a great foam. You just need to experiment. While you're at it you could also make up a bulk amount and store away from direct sunlight to use throughout the house over a couple of months. This is good if you have multiple bathrooms and sinks. 

As far as essential oil scents go for hand soaps, this too is up to your experimentation and creativity, but I would happily use the Thieves essential oil blend every time in my liquid hand soap! Thieves is perfect for clean hands due to the powerful essential oils in this blend. Citrus scents are also good, as is Lavender.

If you can’t be bothered with all that fuss, here’s some we made earlier! I love this foaming hand soap infused with Thieves essential oil. The cloves and cinnamon really come through, and as a cinnamon lover, this is perfect. Reminds me of the holidays and baking. Mmm, baking. Must put something delicious in the oven! This little foaming bottle is perfect for reusing and refilling, and has the foaming mechanism in-built, so you'll get a great foam every time. Then simply refill with the bulk buy natural hand wash that you can keep on hand under the sink. 
Click the photos below to see more of how you can clean your hands using chemical-free hand wash.

Do you make your own hand wash? What's your favourite hand soap recipe?

This essential oil blend is called Digize. To be honest, it's not a lovely, sweet smelling oil, so if you're looking for perfume, I'd choose something else! The scent is quite strong in Aniseed/Fennel flavour, with notes of Patchouli, but this means it does a fantastic job. The essential oils Fennel, Peppermint, Anise, Patchouli, Tarragon, and Ginger, form part of this unique and powerful blend. With these essential oils blended, it very much becomes its name. 



​
To use this essential oil you can diffuse, directly inhale from the bottle, or dilute with a carrier oil to apply topically. My favourite method of application is a small topical massage on affected areas, or inhaling directly from the bottle for a quick pick-me-up. Due to its potent effect and popularity, it is a part of many of our starter kits. It really is a must-have for your essential oil collection.

• Apply it topically after meals to enjoy the crisp, comforting aroma.
• Add it to carrier oil for a soothing abdominal massage.
• Apply a few drops to your hands and inhale for a refreshing, calming aroma
• Dilute this stimulating and uplifting blend and apply to ears, wrists, neck, forehead, temples, or abdomen.

Available in a 15ml bottle, it's perfect to keep aside for when calming is needed. Perfect for long car trips or other travel. It's available from our online store, in 5ml and 15ml bottles sizes. If you join as a Member, the 24% discount applies, and brings this oil down to bargain prices. Find your Dig-ize today!

 I will never forget my first whiff of Lemon Myrtle. It was in a handmade soap, directly from the farmer who grew the Lemon Myrtle alongside his macadamia trees. The smell will knock your socks off! It's powerful lemon-y scent is even stronger than Lemon itself. Due to this powerful scent, it is very uplifting and refreshing to both body and mind. I find it refreshes like a splash of cold water to the face, or a deep plunge into a cool pool of water.



​
Similar to Lemongrass, in scent and purpose, the crisp, clean citrus scent may help clear your mind. Great for after studying or time at the computer screen. This aroma is the best "good morning to you too" scent! Perfect for those soap-makers out there, Lemon Myrtle is a wonderful addition to handmade soap products. I also love to diffuse it after I've cleaned my house for deliciously fresh scented air that invites happy feelings of success from my task. It's my go-to scent for diffusing to "freshen up" the house before guests arrive.  As a scent it says to me "I'm clean, come in!"

It is a fantastic essential oil for adding to cleaning products that you make yourself too, due to it's Lemongrass-like action. With it's powerful scent, it seems to linger in the air and on surfaces longer than some other oils. You could use it to make your own hard floor cleaner to add to the mop bucket, room spray, or surface spritzer. A couple of drops goes a long way with this little beauty! Lemon Myrtle is kind of a jack-of-all-trades essential oil. 

I really encourage you to do some research on the amazing benefits of Lemon Myrtle, as I am unable to list them all here...or just buy a bottle and see for yourself! 
Do you have a "after I clean the house" reward? Is there anything that you are doing in your life that you find refreshing?

I don't know about you, but salt scrubs are a favourite of mine...and if I can make it myself, all the better! This recipe is quite straight forward, so collect your ingredients and let's get started. This scrub is great for scrubbing off those dead skin cells, with the firming and toning taken care of with the addition of Grapefruit essential oil. You could substitute another essential oil favourite if you like. Just make sure to test it on your skin first. I've also included subtitutes, so you can change it up as you like. The basic recipe for Salt Scrubs are: High Quality Salt, Carrier Oil, and Essential Oil for Scent/Skin Treatment. So get your natural creative on!

YOU'LL NEED:
​1/2 cup Pink Salt
1/2 cup Dead Sea Salt (could substitute for Epsom Salts or Pink Salt)
Juice of One Lemon
1/3 cup Mango Kernel Oil (could substitute another carrier oil)
10-15 drops of Grapefruit Essential Oil 
Mixing Bowl
Jar and lid

TO MAKE:
Stir all ingredients together well, and place in a clean jar. Simple!

PS. If you don't like elevator music, you may wish to watch this one with sound off!

Massage onto skin using circular motions, focusing on areas that need firming. Scrub away the old skin layer for lovely fresh skin. This scrub would make a lovely gift for someone too! Find Grapefruit Essential Oil here.
Have you ever made a salt scrub? How did it go? What is your favourite DIY salt scrub recipe?

If you're anything like me, sometimes you just want to be pointed in the right direction. On occasion, there are just too many overwhelming choices, and I just want a peek in everyone elses shopping cart to see what other people are buying so I can know that what I'm getting is going to be good. Well, we've done the hard yards for you, and here it is, the best seller oil blends list. I've put them in order of my personal favourites.

1. Stress Away. Yes, it is as good as it sounds. A sweet tropical blend with lime and vanilla. Words cannot do it justice. 
​

See more essential oils for women by following the link below. Do you find yourself pushing through the discomfort at this time? What do you do to support your monthly cycle? ​