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Moisturizing Hazelnut Body Polish-from leftover Nut Milk pulp

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Ingredients:

  • 2 cups raw unsalted organic hazelnuts
  • 2 tbsp local raw honey or manuka honey
  • 1 vanilla bean or 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil

Directions:

  • This body polish is from leftover ingredients from my post on how to make your own Nut Milk.
  • After draining the ingredients with your Nut Milk bag, add coconut oil to finish off the scrub.

Benefits for skin:

  • Hazelnut benefits:
    • Contains 86% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin E. Vitamin E: protects skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation, such as skin cancer and premature aging. Keeps this skin hydrated.
    • Essential fatty acids also keep skin hydrated.
  • Honey benefits
    • Moisturizing
    • Anti-bacterial
    • Heals wounds

I use Ellie’s Best Nut Milk Bags to make this recipe. Use code Deanna10 at checkout to get 10% off your order!

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Hormone Balancing Body Scrub

What we put onto our body is just as important as what we put into our body. The epidermis, or skin, is the largest organ in the human body and everything we put on topically gets absorbed into our body. In today’s western society, many people have hormonal imbalance due to toxic environmental factors and the food we eat. There are many skin products on the market which also have ingredients that can disrupt your hormones.  Also, artificial hormones are given to beef and dairy cattle to make them grow faster. When we eat the meat or dairy from an animal, we are consuming vitamins as hormones or steroids that were fed to the animals, disrupting our endocrine system in our own body. This causes many health problems and disease when ingested over extended periods of time. Some (more intuitive) symptoms from hormonal disturbances include PMS, period cramps, breast tenderness, irregular periods (for women) hormonal acne and more.

This scrub is made with Ylang Ylang essential oil and Primrose Oil. Both help regulate the hormone balance in one’s body. Below I listed all of the ingredients. I also went into further depth of the benefits of Primrose Oil and Ylang Ylang.

Ingredients

  • Coconut Oil- 1 cup
  • Avocado Oil- 3 tbsp
  • Sea Salt- 1 cup (or until desired scrub texture)
  • Primrose Oil – 3 tbsp
  • Ylang Ylang Essential Oil- 10 drops
  • Citris Bliss Blend Essential Oil – 10 drops

Ylang Ylang:

  • Helps balance hormones
  • Promotes healthy skin and hair
  • lifts mood while having a calming effect

Primrose Oil:

Primrose oil, obtained from the seed of the evening primrose plant. This oil is best known to help balance out hormonal levels.

Hormonal Health: This helps with hormonal related problems including PMS symptoms like menstrual cramps, breast pain, acne, depression, irritability, unclear thinking or menopause disorder. Primrose could also help with Polycystic ovarian syndrom (PCOS) which is an endocrine disorder that could occur in women who are of reproductive age. This can impact a women’s fertility and could lead to ovary cysts, irregular menstrual cycles, acne and other irregular symptoms.

Evening primrose is a rich source of Omega-6 fatty acids, which is one of the main reasons it helps with hormonal function in the body. This includes gamma linolenic acid (GLA) which is essential for the proper functioning of the body. In particular, those who have lower levels of GLA are alcoholics and diabetes patients. This deficiency can cause rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and cardiovascular disease. Taking primrose can help with alcohol withdrawl. The human brain is prompted by GLA, which makes prostaglandin (a type of hormone). This helps in managing alcohol withdrawal symptoms like seizures and depression. It indirectly protects the nervous system and liver.

Skin Health: Evening primrose oil is considered the best remedy to cure eczema and many other skin-related problems. GLA, mentioned in the previous paragraph, a fatty acid content in this oil is essential for skin health. The oil is safe to apply to sensitive skin to help with skin hydration.  Primrose can also boost blood circulation, which prevents and treats tired looking skin and under the eyes when applied topically 2x a day. This oil also helps to nourish hair, scalp and nails.

For more, check my Instagram at @nychamptonshealth


References

“Evening Primrose Oil Treats PMS Pain & Infertility.” Dr. Axe, draxe.com/evening-primrose-oil/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2017.

“Essential Oil Usage Guide A-Z.” Essential Oil Usage Guide A-Z, doterra-oil.blogspot.com/p/essential-oil-usage-guide-z.html. Accessed 27 Feb. 2017.

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Organic Homemade Body Butter

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Ingredients:
  • 1c Shea Butter
  • 1/2c Coconut Oil
  • 1/3c Olive Oil
  • 5 drops Tea Tree
  • 30 drops Eucalyptus essential oil

Directions: Mix oil and heat in double oil until melted. Put in fridge for about an hour to solidify. Storing in glass instead of plastic is essential when it comes to oils. Phthalates, a group of chemicals found in plastics to make them softer. They are Endocrine (hormone) disruptors & are oil soluble.

I realized I’m not a fan of olive oil on my skin (some people like it.) Next time I will try another base oil (sesame, jojoba, almond etc.)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Essential Oil Breakdown: You can trade out Tea Tree and Eucalyptus for different essential oil of your choice. Eucalyptus is an antiseptic and can help with skin infections, bug or mosquito bites and cuts. It helps relieve muscle pain. It is also cooling and refreshing. It is a stimulant and can remove exhaustion and mental sluggishness. It can be effective for helping with stress. Rubbing this all over your body in the morning and breathing it in all day sounds good to me! Tea tree is well known for its antiseptic and anti-fungal properties. It can be effective with toenail fungus and athletes foot, so this could be a great hydrating foot cream. Tea tree has also been shown to fight against MRSA, a type of staph infection which is resistant to many antibiotics. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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Dry Skin Brushing-Lymphatic Drainage

Why you should Dry Skin Brush

Dry skin brushing is a process of dry brushing skin with a natural brush to stimulate lymphatic flow, improve circulation, and exfoliate skin. The largest organ in the body is the skin. It is responsible for 1/4 of the bodies detoxification

. It is important to eliminate through the skin.

The lymphatic system consists of various sizes of lymph vessels and nodes. The system is part of the immune system, as the lymphatic fluid carries cells that fight off viruses, bacteria, and other harmful substances. The lymphatic system does not have a pump of its own, like the blood vessels which have the heart. It depends on supplementary help to move the fluid around the body. Exercise is a great way to assist the lymphatic system as well as dry skin brushing.

The lymphatic system mobilizes waste and fluid back into the body’s drainage system so that the waste and fluid can be more effectively eliminated. As well, it increases immunity, promotes healing, and balances fluid metabolism in body.

This massage is especially useful for those individuals that feel that their system is sluggish, or those who seem to get regular colds and flu. It is also recommended for people who lead sedentary lifestyles, or those who want to reduce puffiness or swelling.

Manual stimulation directly applied to our epidermis to maintain overall health and wellness has been practiced by many since ancient times. From the Ayurvedic practices of India (which are still active today) to the Greek athletes using skin scrapers for circulation to various Native American tribes who used the sand from riverbeds for both strengthening the skin as well as beautification. These ancient societies were aware that the pores of the skin that need our focus as well as the lymph glands, just beneath o

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ur skin, that become sluggish with toxic waste.

How to Skin Brush 

1. Purchase a natural (not synthetic) bristle brush with a long handle so can reach all areas of your body.

2. Stand in a bathtub or tiled surface to catch any dead skin with no clothes on.

3. Begin brushing by starting at your feet and moving in long sweeping motions toward your heart.

4. Brush several times in each area, overlapping as you go.

5. Take care as you brush over more sensitive areas, like breasts. Your skin will become less sensitive the more you dry brush.

6. It is best to dry skin brush before exercise or before showering.

7. After getting out of the shower, pat dry skin and apply a oil (ex: coconut oil).

8. Dry skin brush everyday for best results. Clean your brush with soap and water once a week. Leave to dry in a clean, sunny spot to avoid any mildew accumulation on your brush.

Benefits of Skin Brushing

Cleanses the lymphatic system
Removes dead skin layers
Stimulates the hormone and oil-producing glands
Tightens the skin preventing premature aging
Increased energy and blood flow
Tones the skin
Strengthens the immune system

For more check my instagram at @dshamptonorganics


References

Lymphatic Skin Brushing for Breast And Body Health.” Lymphatic Skin Brushing for Breast And Body Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2017.

“Start Dry Brushing to Reduce Cellulite + Toxins.” Dr. Axe. N.p., 04 Jan. 2016. Web. 01 Feb. 2017.