In honor of earth day I thought I would share one of my newer blends, “I am Grounded”. It is an anointing oil for use on the bottom of the feet to support feeling stable, secure, and well grounded. For energy work, I make most of my blends between a 1-2% dilution, subtle is the way to go! Blending into a roller bottle makes application quick and easy. I like to apply this oil and visualize a tall tree with its roots spreading deep down into the Earth below and branches reaching high up into the sky above.

Frankincense is a well-respected and wonderfully grounding essential oil often used in meditation and spiritual practices.

Palo Santo is very earthy and my go to for emotional cleansing and clearing negative energy, making it a excellent choice for meditation.

Xanthoxylum adds a great deal of liveliness to the blend aromatically, but it is most admired for its ability to calm and quiet the nervous system. **If you do not have Xanthoxylum you may substitute Juniper Berry or Grapefruit in this recipe for an equally nice blend.

Build in a 10 ml roller bottle:
2 drops Boswellia carteri [frankincense]
1 drop Bursera graveolens [palo santo]
1 drop Zanthoxylum armatum [xanthoxylum]
Fill with jojoba or carrier oil of choice.

I was recently tasked with making a lip balm for my nephew quick while he was here one afternoon.  And I mean quick…from the moment he asked until they were cooling in the tubes was literally only five minutes! 
 
Using my standard nourishing lip balm recipe was a given, but I did give him the choice of something minty or something fruity and he chose the latter. 
 
What I ended up with something I truly found to be amazing?  It’s light, fruity, and silky smooth.  I just love playing around with lip balms, I could write a whole book full of lip balm recipes...but for now, just sharing my recipes will do! 

​INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Tbsp. mango butter
• 1 Tbsp. beeswax
• 1 Tbsp. jojoba oil
• 1 Tbsp. sweet almond oil
• 15 drops tangerine essential oil

​​DIRECTIONS:

1. Using a glass jar in simmering water (or double boiler if you have it), gently heat the mango butter, beeswax, jojoba and sweet almond oil just until melted.
2. Remove from heat and cool slightly before adding the tangerine essential oil.
3. Pour into lip balm tubes, cap, and cool completely.

Sweet orange [Citrus sinensis] essential oil is expressed from the peel of an orange. Well…many oranges to be precise!  The essential oil is typically pale yellow-orange in color with a bright, juicy, citrus aroma.  It is rich in monoterpenes, particularly d-limonene. 
 
This high monoterpene content makes sweet orange essential oil highly susceptible to oxidation, so proper storage is a must.  CAUTION: oxidized oils can cause skin irritation and an increased risk of sensitization.  It should be stored in a cool, dark place-refrigeration is best.  If stored properly, it can have a shelf life of 1-3 years. 
 
Otherwise, orange essential oil is rather gentle, with little to no safety concerns.  It is safe for most including children, the elderly, and use during pregnancy/nursing.  It is also one of the few citrus essential oils that is NOT phototoxic!
 
When orange isn’t just orange…

You often won’t find a bottled labeled simply “orange” as there are several many varieties of orange essential oil, each with their own unique aromas and characteristics.  Sweet orange, blood orange, and wild orange [all Citrus sinensis] are often used interchangeably.  Clementine [Citrus clementina], mandarin or tangerine [both Citrus reticulata] are often used as an alternative to sweet orange; while their properties are similar in comparison to sweet orange, they do have their differences as well so please read up on these ones before using them interchangeably.
 
Sweet orange really is all that and a bag of chips!  It is a hard-worker, a team-player, and a jack-of-all-trades!

It can calm you down when paired with essential oils high in esters such as lavender (a really great and simple combo) or it can lift you up when paired with some of its other citrus friends or refreshing essential oils such as spearmint (some of my favorites).  <See recipe cards below!>
 
Therapeutically, sweet orange essential oil has an affinity with the digestive system, immune system, respiratory system, and nervous system.  It is also a popular ingredient in household cleaning blends as well. It is a must have for removing yucky odors and sticky residues, in my opinion! 
 
Just for fun, and to demonstrate what I mean when I say it’s “all that”, I am giving you two of my favorite blends featuring orange, one calming and one uplifting to try out! 
 
As always, enjoy!