Shower time is sacred to me. These precious moments wash away the physical grime of the day and offer an emotional reprieve from just about anything that is going on in my life. The act of bathing has long been known as a ritualistic expression of self-care. It is a time to slow down, to inspect your skin, and to give it the attention it needs. It’s a time with little to no distraction and where you can envelop yourself in the warmth and comfort of flowing water. It’s truly a meditative practice and is a key reason that DIY skin care is one of my favorite things.

Many of us associate certain smells with the holiday season—from the sweet smells of spiced cookies to minty diffuser blends, to the most characteristic winter aroma: evergreens! Even for those who don’t celebrate Christmas, the bright woodland scents are welcomed by many this time of year. One of the questions most often asked of Mountain Rose Herbs this time of year is the difference between evergreen essential oils. We pride ourselves on our wide selection of organic essential oils, but so many options can make it harder to choose.

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Each year, when I make my holiday gift list, I aim to meet a set of criteria. Offerings that are thoughtful, personal, and useful are amongst the most important to me. I have generally found that homemade gifts are more appreciated than things I can find in mass quantities at any big box store. Small-batch DIY gifts also allow customization, making them personalized for your beloved recipient. It can also help to keep waste out of landfills.

If you’ve been perusing the Mountain Rose Herbs blog for awhile, you’ll know that you can expect a new lip balm recipe from me this time of year. It’s my annual tradition as we approach the holidays to create a fun new lip balm recipe to add to my DIY gift list, and I of course share it with my Mountain Rose Herbs “fam.” It’s one of my favorite traditions and my friends and family are always excited to see what blend I come up with to celebrate the year. This holiday season, my household is all about hot cocoa, so I was inspired to craft a hot chocolate recipe with “marshmallows.”

We all love a temperate and cozy home, but turning the heater on or lighting up the wood stove can be drying to our skin. Enter lotion bars! These delightful little skin-supporters add moisture and act as an emollient to protect the skin from the seasonal drying that happens this time of year.

This time of year, scent is an important part of my home. Seasonal aromas make autumn feel more alive and more celebrated. It makes coming home all the more enjoyable and brings added seasonal awareness to the two teens in my household. To achieve this, many of us DIY folks craft up our favorite diffuser blends, wax melts, and DIY candle recipes. While I like to make all of those things, I have recently added simmer pots to my repertoire. I have really enjoyed this new avenue of bringing fresh and fragrant smells to my home, so I thought I would share some of my family’s favorite combinations.

Herbal beverages are among the easiest ways to enjoy the power of plants. The combinations of herbs are virtually limitless, and you have the flexibility of adding a pinch of this or a dash of that depending on your flavor and wellness goals. I love that they aren’t a big-time commitment like other herbal preparations and when you pair them with a menstruum like apple cider vinegar, you get the added benefit of gut support.

I’m a sucker for seasonal scents. As soon as fall arrives, I begin making homemade wax melts, diffuser blends, roll-on perfumes, and natural skincare recipes to match the seasonal shift. I was recently inspired by my dear colleague Heidi’s autumn spice lotion recipe and I thought a foaming hand soap would make a great compliment.

On August 30, 2023, we will experience a super blue moon. Astronomers say it will be the closest, biggest, brightest full moon of the year. To me, this super full moon holds the potential to illuminate stagnant thoughts and emotions, both of which are good self-work for me right now. I am planning to spend the evening seeking clarity from these “peripheral” thoughts so I can move into them or on from them healthily and productively.

Welcome to part three of my Elemental Perfume Blend series. What started as a journey to create fun DIY party favors for my upcoming wedding has turned into a rabbit hole of perfume recipe development. So far, I have shared an Earth Goddess perfume, an Aquatic Mermaid perfume, and now this wind-themed blend for my air sign friends.

With just three essential oils, this blend is made of top and middle notes to keep it as light as air.

Since its inception, Mountain Rose Herbs has put plants, people, and planet before profit. Led by these values, we’ve been a longtime leader on the list of green companies, helping to positively shape the herbal industry with environmentally focused initiatives. Our core values revolve around sustainability and as such, we’ve implemented innovative programs in energy efficiency, zero waste, and alternative commuting incentives.