Understanding Aroma Notes for Essential Oil Blending: Base Notes

The art of essential oil blending is a delicate and thoughtful process that I often compare to the individual layers added to a painting. Just as each brush stroke on a canvas gradually builds on the layer of paint underneath to create a harmonious result, crafting essential oil blends applies the same principle. In the world of perfumery and essential oil blending, the three commonly recognized “paint” layers are known as fragrance notes, which encompass top notes, middle notes, and base notes. At the foundation of these blended layers, you will find base notes.

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Posted by Hailey

Brightening Berry and Honey Face Mask & Exfoliant


This year, I set out to create a natural skin care treatment for my dull and dry winter skin. So I took to my crafting space to work on a mask and scrub that was brightening and cleansing. After several iterations, I created one that I’m quite excited about, and I think you all are going to enjoy it, too.

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Posted by Jessicka

DIY Dry Shampoo Recipes for Dark & Light Hair

There has been a lot of buzz lately around DIY and natural hair care. In the previous weeks, we've shared no-poo recipes, DIY hair rinses, and fermented rice water treatments. A perfect pairing to all those homemade hair care products is having a dry shampoo to get you in between "washes."

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Posted by Jessicka

DIY Detangler & Anti-Frizz Spray Recipe with Marshmallow Root

Whether your unique mane coils into bouncy ringlets, twists into wild waves, or cascades down as straight as a pin, you’ve undoubtably experienced bad hair days. On too many occasions to count in my life, I’ve stumbled out of bed in the morning and glanced into the mirror to find a sight only explainable by a bird crafting a nest out of my frazzled locks overnight. After reaching for every fancy spritz and spray buried in my cabinets, I’d more often than not be left with relatively tamed frizz, greasy roots, and a wafting heavy perfume fragrance that was less than desirable. Inevitably, I would succumb to the classic slicked-back ponytail or throwing my mop of hair under a big hat on days such as these.

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Posted by Hailey

How to Go "No Poo" with Easy Herbal Hair Rinses

Have you heard of "no 'poo" and scratched your head in wonder about what this means? While the term is definitely not my favorite, the philosophy behind it is worth exploring. It refers to moving away from using expensive commercial shampoos and conditioners, which often contain harsh synthetic fragrances, sodium laureth sulfate, propylene glycol, and other creepy ingredients from mystery labs around the world. Because we trust that such products will make our hair gorgeous, we drench ourselves in weird chemicals without knowing how they affect our overall health. Plus, think of the millions of plastic bottles from all the hair care products we use that end up in recycling bins or landfills.

But we HAVE to use shampoo, right?—Wrong!

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Posted by Jessicka

Fermented Rice Water Hair Treatment with Herbs

Fermented rice water has a long history of use in Asia as a hair rinse. When we soak or cook rice, we capture the natural inositol from the grain in the water. Inositol is a form of sugar that our bodies naturally produce to provide structure to our cells, and is also found in some foods, including grains and legumes like rice. Inositol-rich rice water, especially when fermented, also carries proteins, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids believed to support a healthy scalp, hair strength, and shine. Want to take it up another notch? Infuse rice water with hair-loving herbs! 

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Posted by Heidi

Fire Zodiac Perfume Recipe with Essential Oils



Over the past few months, I have been working on an elemental perfume series. I first tapped deep into the soil to find inspiration for an Earth Goddess blend. From there, I dove into the sea to create a whimsical Mermaid Blend made with “juicy” ylang ylang and brisk bay laurel. Then I soared amongst the clouds to create a blend with “go-with-the-flow” vibes that was crafted with ravensara and coriander. The last stop on this aromatic journeywas to be fire, and I had been waiting patiently for inspiration to strike me. Boy did it ever! My community was hit with a bad ice storm that resulted in hundreds of fallen trees and dangerous conditions. I was stuck at home without electricity or internet for several days and was fully reliant on my wood-burning stove for heat, cooking, and entertainment. During this time, I became deeply reacquainted with fire. 

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Posted by Jessicka

10 Zero-Waste Swaps for a Sustainable New Year

Welcome to a new year! What are you calling in and saying yes to? What are you letting go of and saying no to? The beginning of the year is always a great time to take stock of what’s working for you (and not working) individually and collectively. As I look back on 2023, I think about the choices I made throughout the year and the impact that resulted from my actions. I understand that every decision—no matter how small—truly matters, and our actions create a ripple effect in our interconnected world.

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Posted by Ashley

Chai Spice Whipped Body Scrub

 

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.

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Posted by Jessicka

2023 DIY Gift Guide + Free Herb-Inspired Gift Tag Template

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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.

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Posted by Jessicka

Homemade Hot Cocoa Lip Balm Recipe

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.”

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Posted by Jessicka

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Understanding Aroma Notes for Essential Oil Blending: Base Notes

Learn how to craft well-balanced and long-lasting aroma blends by understanding the foundation of essential oil blending: base notes!
WRITTEN BY Hailey

March 18, 2024

Brightening Berry and Honey Face Mask & Exfoliant

If you're looking for a natural skin care treatment to brighten dull and dry winter skin, this face mask may be for you!
WRITTEN BY Jessicka

March 15, 2024

DIY Dry Shampoo Recipes for Dark & Light Hair

Learn how easy it is to make and use natural dry shampoo to freshen up oily hair with no single-use cans required! Our shampoo powder recipes are just a stir and a shake away.
WRITTEN BY Jessicka

March 8, 2024

DIY Detangler & Anti-Frizz Spray Recipe with Marshmallow Root

Smooth and detangle your locks with this easy-to-make herbal hair care spray, and discover the endlessly customizable potential of DIY hair care!
WRITTEN BY Hailey

February 25, 2024

How to Go "No Poo" with Easy Herbal Hair Rinses

Trying to ditch the shampoo as part of a healthier hair care routine? Try these three easy herbal hair rinse recipes!
WRITTEN BY Jessicka

February 15, 2024

Fermented Rice Water Hair Treatment with Herbs

Infusing rice water with hair-loving herbs adds herbal goodness to an age-old hair rinse recipe. Here’s how to make a fermented rice water hair rinse!
WRITTEN BY Heidi

February 2, 2024

Fire Zodiac Perfume Recipe with Essential Oils

Fire is about warmth, strength, creativity, and transformation. This essential oil perfume blend celebrates the strength and passion of zodiac fire signs.
WRITTEN BY Jessicka

January 25, 2024

10 Zero-Waste Swaps for a Sustainable New Year

Try these ten alternatives for a greener and cleaner new year ahead.
WRITTEN BY Ashley

January 10, 2024

Chai Spice Whipped Body Scrub

This warming skin care recipe turns winter spices, skin-loving oils, luscious body butters, and an exfoliant into a dreamy and easily spreadable body scrub.
WRITTEN BY Jessicka

December 19, 2023

2023 DIY Gift Guide + Free Herb-Inspired Gift Tag Template

Find DIY gift inspiration with this 2022 DIY gift guide, complete with a FREE gift tag template. Choose from over 50 homemade gift ideas for foodies, herbalists, essential oil lovers, and natural product enthusiasts.
WRITTEN BY Jessicka

December 9, 2023

Homemade Hot Cocoa Lip Balm Recipe

Looking for a fun and hydrating lip balm recipe to make for DIY gifts? This adorable hot cocoa lip balm with marshmallows is sure to delight!
WRITTEN BY Jessicka

December 6, 2023