Empty bottle tip!

If you are anything like me, you'll order lavender every month because you'll use it for EVERYTHING! Lavender essential oil really is the swiss army knife of EOs! So, this morning I happened to end up with an empty lavender bottle. Did I thoss it before opening my new bottle? NO! There's a reason Young Living picked these containers for their oils- they're durable, glass, portable, and protected from UV light with their amber color! Instead of tossing an empty bottle, you can use it for your own oil creation!

I started by carefully peeling the label off of the lavender bottle. If there's any sticky residue you can put a drop of lemon essential oil and rub the gunk off with a paper towel easily.

After removing the top, seal, and inner plastic part I was ready to add my oils! I chose to add cedarwood, lavender, and stress away for a custom calming blend. I had a roller ball and top from Young Living handy- these tops fit perfectly in the bottles and click shut for a secure fit. You'll hear the snap when it is fully inserted.

I used fractionated coconut oil as my carrier for dilution. I added 10 drops of cedarwood, 12 drops lavender, 8 drops stress away, and filled with my carrier oil. I snapped the top on and used a gold glass paint marker to label my bottle. Voila! I now have a perfectly portable custom blend without needing to purchase another glass roller bottle!

I happened to use lavender in my blend so I did not need to empty the bottle fully, but if you happen to want to ensure the oil from the bottle is completely out you can clean the bottle with alcohol or boil the empty bottle. Now you'll never feel like you're wasting these awesome bottles!

Enjoy the Outdoors Pest Free!

Warm weather, sunshine, and long daylight hours equates to more time spent outdoors- not only for ourselves but also our families and pets! There’s nothing like taking a workout outside to nourish body and mind with fresh air and beautiful scenery. Recreating outdoors is not all rainbows and butterflies, however, as there are many disease-carrying pests that may be interested in making you a meal! 

Skin is the largest organ in the human body and absorbs what is placed on it directly into the bloodstream, whether it be medication in patch form or simple body products. Therefore, harsh chemical bug sprays are not a healthy option to be spraying on your skin, as well as often times accidentally inhaling! That’s why we love to make our own all-natural bug repellant!

Ashley and I ran a trail race at Fontainebleau State Park. We were outside for hours running miles through deep woods including in and around stagnant water! We applied this bug spray liberally before the race and were not bothered by any pests. It was so nice to be able to spend hours in nature without constantly swatting at bugs or smelling like the awful chemical concoctions that are commercial bug sprays! As you'll notice in the picture, I even applied this blend to my neck/face area which I would NEVER do with chemical bug spray for fear of inhaling too much of it or getting it in my eyes/mouth. Our DIY Pest Repellant is a very safe option for adults, children, and even pets!

Citronella Essential Oil is a versatile oil that can be used in many ways other than as an effective insect repellant. Here are a few other ways to use the oil: 

• With a cotton ball apply mixture to face: 
• a few drops of citronella oil and water to reduce oil buildup 
• a few drops of citronella oil and witch hazel to combat acne
• Apply a mixture of carrier oil (coconut oil, jojoba oil, olive oil) and a few drops of citronella oil to body to 
• assist in decreasing a fever 
• help relieve sore joints, muscles, and tissue
• Take a bath with citronella oil and epsom salt to reduce body swelling and soreness

There are many other fun DIY projects that can be found online featuring citronella oil including candles, beauty products, freshening sprays, and even flea collars. So many great uses makes citronella oil a great addition to any household oil collection!

Kristina's Oil Journey

Here is a video I made for a class Ashley and I hosted on Facebook- this video gives an overview of what essential oils are, the Young Living difference, and my personal oil journey!

Holistic Living with Essential Oils

Ashley and Kristina

Welcome to our blog! DUOils is run by Kristina Saravia and Ashley Tamboli, two gals living the oily life in Louisiana. This blog will focus on essential oils and how they can positively impact your life from fitness to daily living! This first post will give an overview of essential oils, why Young Living is the brand we trust, and why we choose to incorporate essential oils into our daily lives! 

What are essential oils?

Essential oils are a completely natural alternative to today’s chemical laden products for home, wellness, balance, and beauty. Essential oils are extracted through steam distillation and cold pressing botanicals which makes a highly concentrated, pure, potent form of the botanical. To sum it up, essential oils are all of the goodness of botanicals compacted into a portable, convenient to use medium. 

Why Young Living?

We only trust Young Living oils because of their purity and unique Seed to Seal® process that ensures you are receiving the highest quality, authentic essential oils possible: 100% pure and therapeutic grade. There are no other byproducts or carrier oils added to dilute the potency of these oils, and we have found that 3 or 4 drops of Young Living oils may be as, if not more, potent than 15-20 drops of off-brand oils. Young Living oils are the only oils safe to ingest because of their purity- each batch is quality tested 7-8 times and if it does not meet the highest standards, it is thrown out. Also, we love to support Young Living as the company devotes time and resources to improve the lives of impoverished families in Ecuador, Croatia, Uganda, and elsewhere through their non-profit organization, Young Living Foundation