I remember as a kid being excited to see my friends after summer break but also being super scared I would fail this new grade. And now I get to relive ALL of these anxieties through my own children.

Luckily, I feel super well-equipped to deal with this time of year thanks to the plant-based tools we always have on hand in our household – and you can too!

There are definitely lots more essential oil options… but here are my top 10 faves for back-to-school:

Cheer

I hate to admit this but we are MUCH more lenient with bed time during the summer months. That means, when September rolls around and the alarm clocks are set, the morning grumpiness meter tends to skyrocket.

Cheer, a pre-mixed essential oil blend, is one of my favourite oils to diffuse in the morning to enhance our moods (2-3 drops). You will want to ideally get this running 30 minutes before everyone wakes up.

Add a couple of drops of peppermint essential oil with your Cheer blend to also boost energy and wakefulness.

On Guard

Do your kids, like ours, also come home with all of the germs and sniffles at the beginning of the school year?

We fight that by diffusing 5-6 drops of On Guard, a pre-mixed essential oil blend, in the evenings. The chemical make-up of this blend provides powerful germ-fighting activity by helping to cleanse the air.

If you love the smell of cinnamon, orange and cloves, you will absolutely LOVE diffusing this blend! It is both comforting and festive.

Tea Tree

Ok, you might be like a lot of people and not particularly enjoy this smell. It can seem medicinal or remind you too much of cleaning products.

But tea tree essential oil is a great anti-microbial and support to the immune system. I disperse 2-3 drops in my son’s evening bath as a preventative measure.

I honestly believe EVERYONE should always have a bottle of tea tree essential oil in their home.

In Tune

This is actually one of the first essential oils I ever bought when I started introducing essential oils into my non-toxic lifestyle.

We got feedback from my son’s teacher that he was having a hard time focusing in class… so, like I always do, I asked myself what essential oil could support him through this and did some research.

To this day, I roll this blend on the back of my son’s neck on school days and especially before we do homework.

Kids Collection

These last six oils are pre-mixed essential oil blends conveniently packaged in roller bottles and specifically designed for children.

These are a lifesaver for any parent. They cover the big items kids deal with:

• Stronger – to help prevent illness (the kid’s version of On Guard).

• Calmer – to help unwind at the end of the day or manage difficult emotions.

• Steady – to help stay grounded and keep balanced.

• Rescuer – for playground + gym class “ouchies” and tension.

• Brave – to reduce anxiety and promote courage + confidence.

• Thinker – to remain on task + focused and promote clarity + alertness.

Roll these oils along the spine or under the feet daily, picking the blend best-suited to the situation.

You don’t have to “tough it out” or just “hope for the best” this back-to-school season. You CAN empower yourself and be that “annoying” parent whose kid just flows through childhood challenges like a champ.

Trust me, it’s fun

Get the oils you need for your family here, and join the Rustik Health community to save 25% on all your purchases by clicking “Become a Member” then “Wholesale Customer”.

M.

The post Top 10 back-to-school essential oils appeared first on Rustik Health.

I started this side hustle about a year ago, stemming from my passion for health. At the time, I had NO IDEA how important it would become.

See, I would consider myself quite good with money. My father bought me the book “The Wealthy Barber” when I was about 16 years old and I’ve pretty much followed that advice since then. But the one thing I was NOT GOOD at was building an emergency fund…

It seemed that, as soon as I would put money aside for this purpose, something would break down or a big unexpected expense would come up. And there went the fund…

So when I got laid off from my corporate job, it should have been a huge financial shock. Don’t get me wrong – it was still a kick in the shin. But I had been building myself an income-generating safety net on the side.

I’m not going to sugar-coat it, though. I finished my 9 – 5 job and worked late evenings and weekends on this (amazing) gig. But I’m eternally grateful to have pushed through it.

As I get back up onto my feet, I’m proud to know that I’ve got my own back and I promise never to complain about the extra work ever again!!

(PS – I also got to live a dream… you know those annoying people who seem to be able to work from the beach? I got to do this while I was in Mexico! The magic of an online business…)

M.

The post My side hustle story appeared first on Rustik Health.

I remember dying my hair for the first time when I was 16 years old. I got blond highlights.

From there on, I continued to dye my hair various colours until I had my son and started reducing my chemical exposure. I’ll provide more detail on my transition out of commercial hair-dying in a separate blog post but I wanted to share this henna-tinted hair mask I am doing today.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHN2gi6u0RM]

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Please note this is for natural brunettes – if your hair is dyed blond, I don’t recommend trying it. Also, if you plan on dying your hair with commercial dyes in the near future, do not try this. It is a commitment.

Now that the cold weather is upon us, I noticed my scalp is getting very dry. Plus, since I do not use commercial shampoos, it’s important for me to moisturize regularly. And, since those pesky grey hairs keep showing through increasingly with each passing birthday, I find myself needing to dye my hair more often. So sometimes I combine the two!

Ingredients

1. Aloe vera gel
2. 2 – 3 tbsp of henna
3. 2 – 3 tbsp of indigo*
4. Essential oil of your choice** (lavender, peppermint, rosemary, clary sage and geranium are good ones for hair)
5. A dash of salt
6. A squeeze of lemon
7. A non-metal stirring utensil
8. Glass bowl
9. Water

*I add equal parts indigo to get a medium brown hair colour.

**optional

Instructions

Mix henna and indigo each with water to make a paste with a ratio of about 1:1 (adjust as necessary). Add a squeeze of lemon to the henna mix and a dash of salt to the indigo mix. Let henna and indigo sit for about an hour to release dye. (You would normally let henna sit much longer if using for the main purpose of dying your hair. I find even letting it sit for a bit gives colour back to my greys.) After an hour, mix all ingredients together in a glass bowl using a non-metal stirring utensil. It is important not to use metals to mix the ingredients as they will interact!

In the picture above, I had just mixed the henna and indigo so you will notice they are green. The henna will eventually turn brown and the henna will turn a metallic purple/blue colour.

I normally use lavender in my mixture but today I am trying geranium. You can also adjust all quantities based on your hair length. Mine is very long – more than halfway down my back – so I tend to use a lot.

Enjoy!

M.

The post Henna-tinted hair mask appeared first on Rustik Health.

The first step I took as I transitioned towards a natural, chemical-free lifestyle was to stop using store-bought deodorant and start making my own. I’ve been using this recipe for so long now, I honestly don’t even remember how I found it!

It’s only three ingredients and you can customize the scent by using your favorite pure, high quality essential oil* – or a combination!

 Ingredients

1. Baking soda
2. Essential oil* (I’ve used lavender, chamomile, geranium and ylang ylang)
3. Water
4. Glass or stainless steel container

 *optional

 Instructions

Pour a small quantity of baking soda in your palm, about the size of a dime (or more, if necessary). Place one drop of essential oil (or combo) and mix with a sprinkle of water. Rub palms together to make a paste and then rub over armpit area.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36QmpBAzVqA&w=560&h=315]

(Shameless plug: subscribe to my YouTube channel for more videos like this)

As this is not pre-mixed, you don’t have to worry about shelf life. It is good for as long as your baking soda and essential oils are good! I like to put baking soda in a small stainless steel container normally used for spices. This makes it easier to pour in my hand and store with my other self-care products.

Some people might experience irritation from the baking soda. Always test on a small patch of skin before using. I only experience irritation if I shave my armpits right before applying the deodorant. To avoid this, I normally rub a pea-sized amount of coconut oil on my armpits prior to application.

I love this recipe because I never have to “make” or buy pre-made deodorant. I just always make sure to have my favorite essentials oils and some baking soda on hand.

 Enjoy!

 M.

The post Quick and easy natural deodorant appeared first on Rustik Health.