Friday, October 11, 2019

DIY Candles and Lip Balms, Oh My!: Simply Earth October Essential Oil Recipe Box

The past few months, I have done something I never really saw myself doing before: delving into the world of essential oils! Sure, I've picked up a couple years ago for a random craft project, but I wasn't sure what all I could do with them, not to mention they were expensive enough to mostly avoid. A few months ago, I was introduced to a new essential oil concept that caught my attention, and ever since, have blown me away! Let's jump on in!

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I am definitely a craft person, and generally if you come to my house, you'll see a few projects I have completed out on display or in use, while at least one more is in progress and hiding out in the closet. When I heard about the Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box, my interest was piqued. Each month, Simply Earth designs a series of do-it-yourself projects based on a particular theme. A box of four essential oils plus any necessary extra items is then curated along with the recipes for these projects and shipped out to subscribers. Crafting with essential oils cannot be any easier than this!


October's Essential Oil Recipe Box is about candles and lip balms; the included essential oils get double duty use with included recipes to help with joint and muscle pain as well! I was excited about this box when I first knew I would be making candles and lip balm, but my shoulder and knee are extremely pleased with these other recipes!


This month's Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box comes with the following essential oils:

Balsam Fir
Cassia
Sweet Orange
Focus (blend of Cardamom, Frankincense, Eucalyptus and Sweet Orange Essential Oils)

There is also a sticker sheet so you can label your products as you make them.


The extra items that will arrive in the October box include

Soy Wax
Lip Balm Tubes
Candle Wick


The Essential Oil Recipe Box is completed with six recipe cards to get you well on your way to a fall scented, natural home! I wanted to try out these recipes to see just how easy there were to use. When you first sign up for a subscription, you also are sent a "Big Bonus Box" that includes the multiple tubes, carrier oils, and other things to suit your crafting needs with the monthly recipe boxes. Between the original Big Bonus Box (check out the details on mine here) and the monthly box, there is little you would have to provide yourself to make the recipes. Let's check out what you'll be making this month!

Fall Diffuser Blend

Every month comes with a recipe for a diffusing blend, and this one smells so inviting and warm! Fall is arguably my favorite season as these types of smells are my favorite; I am currently typing away as my diffuser is filling my house with this blend! I've already made a master blend using this combination in a 5mL bottle so I can enjoy this scent in my house even sooner.

Cassia and Orange Candle

This was my first time making a candle, and I was impressed with how easy Simply Earth made it for me! Simply Earth made sure I had all the items I needed to make a candle between this monthly box and the Bog Bonus Box with one exception- you do have to provide your own jar. The recipe calls out for enough wax to make a votive-sized candle, so keep that in mind when following this recipe. I had saved a couple of these cute ramekin dishes from crème brûlée minis I had bought at Costco, and they were the perfect size! I also appreciate the wider opening to help prevent burning my fingertips when I cannot find my long lighter. This spiced orange combination is heavenly!

Focus Lip Balm

Technically you don't have to provide anything extra when it comes to making this recipe, but the standard recipe makes a fair bit of extra product. I have made my own lip balms before in the past, and I still had two additional tubes available to pour the extra mix. In the end, I ended up with 3 and 3/4 tubes of lip balm. I recommend holding onto those empty chapstick containers for excess melt. If you're a tin lip balm fan, this recipe will not work well as written as the final product dries very firm. I triple checked the amounts I was using, and I think the beeswax to oils ratio is too high for my preference. I personally prefer the recipe I used to follow, but I do like the Focus Essential Oil blend in the lip balm.

Joint Pain Roll On

Getting older is great for some things- you can rent a car, you don't have to pull out your ID while at a restaurant to get a cocktail, you're (hopefully) making more money with your career, and you really stop caring about what other people that don't matter think. The down side: your joints sometimes ache. I badly hurt one of my knees a couple years ago, and it's just never been the same ever since. It's definitely doing better, but after a lot of walking or an intense workout, it can start to bother me again. This Joint Pain Roll On is the perfect solution to help with those aches, and the roller bottle makes it convenient to toss in my bag before going to the gym or on a hike. I actually made two of these- one for myself and one for my mother in law.

DIY Aromatherapy Rice Bag

Now that your joints are covered, you can move on to helping sore muscles! Many year ago, I had made myself a heating bag by filling a knee-high sock with beans and popping it into the microwave to heat. My hubby used to think it was weird, but man did that feel good putting it on the back on my neck! In this month's Simply Earth version, you fill a sock with rice that has been mixed with essential oils. As I always found myself placing my original bean bag on a few specific small spots, I decided to make this rice aromatherapy bag with one of my kids' stray socks whose partner had disappeared long ago. Holding a cup of rice, this baby heats up nicely in my microwave in about 20 seconds. I actually used this earlier today on one of my shoulders (side sleeper, checking in) and then asked the hubby to massage my shoulder. The heat soothes the muscles quickly so he could get at the knot that was bothering me almost immediately. While my rice bag isn't fancy, you can opt to use a fun pattern or solid coloured socks and made a really awesome gift. Alternately, you can sew a fabric tube or go the simpler route of using sleeves from a long sleeve shirt. I always have random fabric extras around the house so I'm probably going to make myself a bigger version to place at the foot of my bed to prewarm the area when the nights are chilly. The Focus Essential Oil Blend is too uplifting for bedtime, but you can easily use different calming essential oils like lavender, chamomile, and/or bergamot.

Cassia and Balsam Fir Candle
(not pictured)

If you're wanted to get a jump start into the holiday season, this candle combination may be the one that appeals the most to you. Because my Essential Oil Recipe Box only came with one candle wick, I opted to skip this one in favor of the citrus option. I'm not sure if the October subscription boxes come with only a single wick, or if mine did because it is a demo box. There was plenty of wax to make two candles, so if your box only comes with one wick, you may need to pick up more at the craft store. Alternately, you can melt your waxes and mix with oils and pour into small silicone molds to create wax melts. A lot of my friends are more into wax melts than candles, so this is a great gift option. I even found my long-missing wax warmer during my move back to Arizona at the end of last year so I can even enjoy melting wax again!


The Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box is a subscription service with two subscription options:

The MONTHLY BOX is $39 per month, and you will receive a box every month.

The QUARTERLY BOX is $45 every three months, and you will receive one box every three months.

There is no additional membership fee for subscribing, and you can skip boxes if a particular monthly theme doesn't suit your needs.

If you decide to subscribe for the Essential Oils Recipe Box, feel free to use the code LAUGHLOVECONTOURFREE . This code will get you a $40 gift card with your first purchased subscription box and a free Big Bonus Box. Please note that this code is not a discount off your first box but an incentive for first time subscribers. The value can be applied to your next monthly box or towards individual items offered by Simply Earth. These boxes are fantastic for yourself, and the monthly themes makes these a fun gift for friends and family. The holidays will be here soon, and what better way to show you care than giving a handmade gift!

If you decide you're not in the market for an essential oils box but still want to pick up a few assorted essential oils, please consider using my referral link. I don't have any special discount codes to share for this type of purchase, but using my referral link helps to support my blog so I can keep bringing you the great content you enjoy!

As always, 13% of every purchase at Simply Earth is donated to help stop human trafficking. This month, donations are going to 5 Stones. This Wisconsin-based nonprofit organization works to raise awareness of sex trafficking as well as prevent victimization and working with other organizations to fight against human trafficking. I love knowing when money generated from my purchases is also doing good; this is just one of so many great things about Simply Earth!

November Essential Oil Recipe Box Sneak Peek

While you are enjoying the October Essential Oil Recipe Box, you can be looking forward to next month's box too! The theme for November is.... Bath & Shower! In addition to your monthly diffuser recipe, you can look forward to recipes for 2 milk baths, chai tea bath, shower steamers, and a roll-on. The spicy aroma of chai tea is one of my favorites, and who doesn't enjoy a good soak in the tub? I've never used shower steamers although I have wanted to try them, especially with cold and flu season coming up! I'm really curious if the roll-on is going to have a therapeutic use or more for the aromatherapy benefits. I guess I'll have to wait to find out!

Are you a DIY crafter? Do you enjoy incorporating essential oils into your every day life? Would you be interested in the Essential Oil Recipe Box, either for yourself or as a gift? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!


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15 comments

  1. This is amazing. I'll certainly be looking into this. I've actually been looking for an essential oil kit :)

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  2. Excellent box and so perfect for you. I used to craft all the time but haven't in years. This could get me back into it.

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  3. I have been using a variety of essential oils at home. I would definitely be interested in that Essential Oil Recipe Box for myself! :D

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  4. A set as a real witch, one who loves nature and wants to treat her skin at its best!

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  5. Some lovely products up there that's worth checking out..

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  6. Oh wow, you got a lot of really cool products. I just love essential oils!

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  7. Such an essential oil kit would be a wonderful gift for my mum! She would love to get all of these goodies. :)

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  8. I have several essential oils, I'm going to make a rice bag. Great idea

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  9. I love that everything thing you need comes in just one box. Good to know about the wonders of essential oils!

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  10. I'm a crafts person myself and I am totally up for those DIY projects. I've used essential oils in the past and it was nice. I'd love to make that Joint Pain Roll On.

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  11. I like essential oils. Mostly use them during autumn/winter time. I would love to try that box :)

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  12. I’ve been getting more into essential oils and really enjoying diffusing it in my home!

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  13. Ohhhh I love this... I love essential oils! I don't have balsam fir yet. I wanna try that. :)

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  14. I'm not a huge DIYer but I do love making my own bath and body products. I've never tried to make a candle, though I've always wanted to try.

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