tinc botanica

Herbal Skin Care

The Magnificence that is Magnesium Body Butter
When I was pregnant with my first daughter, I used to wake up literally screaming in pain because of crazy intense pain in my calves that would come from out of nowhere. Having never experienced anything like this at all, I quickly did some research and found out that these muscle spasms were a common occurrence in pregnant women and that taking magnesium could quickly resolve the issue. Fortunately for me, a supplement did the trick. However, I was left with lingering questions about magnesium, and being the holistically-minded gal that I am, I felt compelled to learn more.

As it turns out, magnesium is a super important (and cool!) mineral to know about and I’ve officially become slightly obsessed with it. And since I know my husband is tired of hearing me rant about it all the time, I decided it was time for me to write this article and share with everyone a) what I’ve learned and b) what to do about it.

So first, please consider this list of health conditions and see if anything here applies to you [1]:
- Fatigue
- Aches and pains
- Mood problems
- Muscle cramps
- Migraines
- PMS
- Irregular sleep patterns and insomnia^[2]
- Heart irregularities^[3]
- Muscle twitches and spasms
- Anxiety^[4]
- Digestive trouble
- Lack of appetite
- Constipation
- Brain fog
- Memory problems
- Depression^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]
- ADHD^[9]^[10]
I’m guessing that most of us can relate to at least one item on this list. And what’s astounding to me is that not getting enough magnesium could potentially cause each and every one of these conditions. Crazy, right?

According to WebMD [11], “Magnesium is a mineral found in the earth’s crust, and in your body. It’s needed for healthy bones, heart, muscles, and nerves. It helps your body control energy, blood sugar, blood pressure, and many other processes.” According to MindBodyGreen [12], “Magnesium is responsible for over 300 biochemical reactions that contribute to healthy metabolic and immune functioning.”

So, if magnesium is this fundamental to our overall health, I am stumped as to why understanding its importance isn’t made clearer to the general public. But since the goal of this article is to share with you all about the “magnificence that is magnesium body butter,” then I will steer away from hypothesizing about public health policy (something I am certainly not even remotely expert in, though definitely a curious human) and focus.

Okay, so before we can get to the body butter, let’s quickly address why so many of us are not getting enough magnesium. As it turns out, “[l]ow dietary intake coupled with over-farmed soil chock-full of pesticides, lack of sleep, constant stress, and too much alcohol, caffeine, and sugar consumption” [12] are all reasons for the lack of magnesium in our bodies. I for one get super caught up in this part about our SOIL being responsible for a big part of the problem. But I again digress…

Have I mentioned that I’m slightly obsessed, by the way? 😉

OKAY. So now you’re probably wondering the best ways to get this missing magnesium back into your body, right? I mean, who doesn’t want to improve sleep, improve focus, and potentially the plethora of symptoms listed above??

There are indeed a handful of great ways to do this, and I recommend this article [13] to read about those. But for now, I can FINALLY discuss “The Magnificence that is Magnesium Body Butter”! This is the part where I get extra excited.

Apparently, one of the best ways to raise our magnesium levels is topically. And one of the best varieties of magnesium for topical absorption is magnesium chloride oil (which is a misnomer because it’s not really an oil, it’s more of a brine because it’s water-based). Check out this fascinating fact: when you apply this “oil” for the first time, a stinging reaction is normal…and the stinging indicates that you are deficient! So after you’ve applied the oil regularly for awhile (depending on how deficient you are), the stinging will go away — which indicates you have raised your magnesium levels! I just think it’s SO cool that our bodies can be such clear barometers in this way 🙂

So this body butter I am making is…well, MAGNIFICENT, if I do say so myself 😉 I am currently experimenting with a basic recipe that uses these ingredients:

• raw cocoa butter

• organic coconut oil

• magnesium chloride oil

• essential oils

I’ve been using this special butter in the following ways:
1. sleep: before bed, I rub a small amount on the bottoms of my feet and on the back of my neck
2. headaches/stress relief: rub a small amount on back of neck, forehead, and temples (be sure not to get any in your eyes!)
3. muscle cramps: rub a small amount wherever the cramping is occurring
Please be mindful:
1. As I mentioned before, magnesium oil can cause some stinging (depending on how deficient you are!). Please only use a very small amount until your body adjusts.
2. Don’t use on broken skin, open wounds, or freshly shaven skin.
3. Coconut oil melts at 76 degrees fahrenheit. Please keep in fridge if your home is warmer than that. It will get hard in the fridge, but will melt quickly once you’ve scooped out a small amount on your skin.
I sure hope I’ve piqued your interest in magnesium even a teeny tiny bit today, and I’d love to hear from you too! Please comment to tell me your (helpful and positive, please) thoughts/suggestions.

Hope you’re having a great day!

Love,

Amanda

Resources

[1] https://blog.bulletproof.com/magnesium-deficiency-supplements-causes/

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23853635

[3] http://science.sciencemag.org/content/208/4440/198

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28445426

[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19780403

[6] https://www.jabfm.org/content/28/2/249.long

[7] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306987709007300

[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9368236

[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4960558/

[10] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8274363

[11] https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/magnesium-test#1

[12] https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/magnesium-oil-benefits-how-to-make

[13] https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5534/6-Powerful-Ways-to-Boost-Your-Magnesium-Levels.html
Top, Middle, and Base Notes
Hi guys! Today I want to talk a bit about top, middle, and base notes in essential oil blends.

I’ve found that blending oils is both a science and an art: I’m a scientist when looking for “just the right” combination of oils to blend together. And I put on my artistic hat when determining what that “just right” combination is in the first place. After all, smell is so very personal. What one person calls the “perfect” aroma, is overpowering or too weak or simply “not right” to someone else.

When I was only blending for myself and my family, it was far simpler to find the blends that made us all smile. I just used my intuition and previous experience to guide the way. If my husband thought a blend needed a touch more or less of this or that, I could quickly customize. BUT. When creating blends for the public, as I am now endeavoring to do, I’m finding that it’s far more effective to think more critically about the top, middle, and base notes in a blend.

According to The American College of Healthcare Sciences website, these notes are defined as:
- Top Note: This is the first noticeable impression in a blend, and is often the characteristic feature of the oil. It springs swiftly from the aroma, has a sharp tone, and does not last long.
- Body or Middle Note: An essential oil that is a middle note will last for longer (about one to two hours) on a perfume testing strip. The middle note of a blend can also be referred to as the “heart” or “bouquet” of the aroma.
- Base Note or Fixative: The base note within a blend appears much later than the first two notes. This is the note that gives a blend staying power. The base note can appear a few hours or even a whole day after the perfume testing strip is dry. Also called the dry out note, this note helps you discern the lasting ability of your essential oil blend. Effective blends with powerful base notes help soaps maintain their fragrance. (Reminder: don’t confuse base note with base oil. A base oil is a fixed oil used to dilute essential oils.)
Knowing this, I am mindful to include oils from all three of these categories when designing my tinc botanica blends.

According to Eden Botanicals’ website, top notes should comprise approximately 10-30% of your blend. Examples include:

Basil, Bergamot, Eucalyptus, Fir, Grapefruit, Juniper, Laurel Leaf, Lemon, Lime, Mandarin, Neroli, Orange, Peppermint, Pine, Rosewood, Sage, Spearmint, Tangerine, Verbena, Yuzu

According to the same source, middle notes should be 30-60% of your blend. Examples include:

Angelica, Black Pepper, Cardamom, Carnation, Cassie, Clary Sage, Chamomile, Cinnamon, Coffee, Cypress, Fir Balsam, Geranium, Ginger, Helichrysum, Jasmine, Lavender, Lemongrass, Lotus, Orange Blossom, Rose, Rosemary, Ylang Ylang

Finally, the base notes should be 15-30% of your blend. Examples include:

Agarwood, Amber Oil (Fossilized), Ambrette, Amyris, Cedarwood, Clove, Frankincense, Myrrh, Oakmoss, Orris Root, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Tobacco, Vanilla, Vetiver, Violet Leaf

Pretty exciting stuff, huh? Call me an oils nerd, but this scientific approach to blending makes me super happy. I find the entire process absolutely fascinating. And as I mentioned above, the process is also artistic…after all, I don’t just haphazardly choose from all three notes categories and call it a quality blend! No, determining which oil pairs best with which oil — and for which purpose — is very much a creative endeavor.

And I’ll tell you what: the more I learn and the more refined my blends become therefore, the more passionate about oils I become in return. I can only hope my joy translates well enough to each of you 💗

Stay tuned for more oil joy from yours truly soon!

Love,

Amanda

Resources:

http://info.achs.edu/blog/blending-101-the-art-of-pairing-essential-oils-drop-by-drop

https://www.edenbotanicals.com/natural-perfumery-basics.html

Photo Source:

https://goo.gl/images/zU1LRS
My Love Affair with Essential Oils

Okay so “love affair” sounds dramatic, but seriously, ever since I started experimenting with essential oils, I’ve become totally hooked. In a super amazing and life-changing way!

When I think back, it’s hard to even remember a time I wasn’t using one oil or another for some kind of healthy purpose. It’s as if oils have been a part of my life forever! The main point of my story is this: falling down the rabbit-hole of essential oils has been one of the most empowering and wellness-enhancing experiences I’ve ever had! I am legitimately always thinking about oils in some capacity, whether it’s the uses and/or benefits of a specific oil, an amazing blend I’d like to try creating, a new product I’d like to experiment making…and the list goes on.

So here I am, raising a toddler and 35 weeks pregnant with baby number two, and I guess it’s a testimony to my inner entrepreneurial spirit that I decide now is the time to start my essential oils business 😉 And on paper, sure, it sounds like crazy timing. But here’s the thing: there’s ALWAYS going to be a reason not to start the thing you’re interested in pursuing. The timing will never be totally perfect. So really, I think it’s all about how much you want something.

For me, I simply get endless joy from oils. I find so much goodness in thinking of ways to reduce yucky synthetic chemicals in the daily lives of my family and go increasingly green with every new blend I make! The possibilities are so fun to explore and I smile every time I think about the benefits I get to provide my family — and now my customers 🙏– with all my handcrafted creations.

So for me, opening a little shop happened totally organically. One day it was like “duh,” of course I should pursue a project like this! And sure, there’s a lot of details and work involved, but it’s seriously SO fun that it doesn’t feel like work. It feels like unadulterated joy ❤️

For the record, I have tons of fun plans for this platform. I’m going to showcase my products, share what I’ve learned so far, keep everyone tuned into my ongoing education as it evolves, and other fun surprises as well 😉 I also want to give a shout out to all my friends and family who have supported me in my endeavors and also to each and every one of you ❤️ I know there’s a million places to buy and learn about oils and so your attention is very humbly appreciated.

Have a great day and hope to see you soon 😘

Love,

Amanda
What are Essential Oils?

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are highly concentrated liquids containing powerful aroma compounds from plants. There are multiple ways to extract oils from plants, including steam distillation and cold press extraction. These processes leave behind the essence of the plant, which includes both its aromatic and therapeutic qualities.

The Magnificence that is Magnesium Body Butter

Top, Middle, and Base Notes

My Love Affair with Essential Oils

What are Essential Oils?