Thursday, March 31, 2011

Come See Me in April!!

Wow! March has sure been a busy month making product to sell at my three upcoming shows in April! I hope you can come! I'd love to see you and to get your feedback on which new products you would like to see as well as feedback on the Simply Jen products you've used! All three shows are going to be lots of fun, so bring your friends and plan for a memorable time! I look forward to seeing you and pampering your hands! :)
* FREE tickets to the What a Woman Wants Show can be requested via Facebook at: www.facebook.com/simplyjennaturals - while supplies last!

Friday, February 4, 2011

Jen's Wonder Lemonade!

Many of my friends, family, and customers from all over the world are announcing that they are sick! I myself have not been following my own advice or using my own Immunity of Thieves oil to stay well, and I woke up with some stuff going on in my sinuses. So, since I have been receiving requests for my "Wonder Lemonade" I decided to post it here for all to use and benefit from! This recipe is a keeper for many reasons - especially during times of sickness.

SINGLE SERVING RECIPE
2 Lemons Juiced/Squeezed
2 tsp REAL Maple Syrup (Artificial maple syrup will not work)
1 Cup Filtered Water
2-3 Drops Liquid Cayenne (Optional, but recommended)

GALLON RECIPE (16 Servings)
3 Cups Lemon Juice (About 20 lemons)
1½ Cup REAL Maple Syrup
12 Cups Filtered Water
32+ drops Liquid Cayenne (Optional, but recommended)

Why it's great:

1) REAL maple syrup provides vitamins, minerals, and sweetness while also altering the body's pH to a more alkaline state. Disease and illness have a hard time surviving in an alkaline state. The average American diet puts most bodies in a very acidic state - leaving them more susceptible to illness. Maple syrup contains: potassium, calcium, magnesium, and manganese. These minerals maintain cell integrity, regulate heartbeat, strengthen bones, regulate critical enzymes, release of energy, relax muscles, and promote resistance to tooth decay by holding calcium in tooth enamel.

The vitamins present in pure maple syrup are PP (Niacin), B5 (Pantothenic Acid), B2 (Riboflavin), Folic Acid, B6 (Pyridoxine), Biotin, and Vitamin A. Vitamins are essential, organic nutrients that serve as as helpers in cell functions. .

2) FRESH lemon juice has a blood cleansing effect and also provides a more alkaline state. FRESH lemon juice flushes out toxins and is high in vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin B1. Lemon juice regulates the digestive tract, boosts liver function, helps the body's immune system to fight off infection and the common cold, and helps rid the body of harmful bacteria and toxins. The vitamin C found in lemon juice also helps the body to maintain an adequate level of calcium which leads to strong teeth and bones.

3) Liquid Cayenne Pepper is a natural antibiotic, powerful disinfectant, fights infection, breaks up mucous and provides relief from sore throats.

Here is another rendition of my lemonade recipe taken as a "shot". Great if you want something quick and potent and can handle some spice. Also great if you want to use cayenne but only have the powder.

3 ounces warm water
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tablespoon real maple syrup
1/8 tsp. cayenne powder

I hope this helps bring you all relief at the tail end of this winter and all year long! I'd love to hear from you about how you like the recipe or how you've changed it to make it better!


More info on lemons:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/237993-nutritional-benefits-of-drinking-lemon-juice/#ixzz1D1Yyn7RV
http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_lemon.htm

More info on REAL Maple Syrup:
http://www.peertrainer.com/loungecommunitythread.aspx?forumid=1&threadid=24775

More on Cayenne: http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/23/20.cfm

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Simply Jen in Southern Idaho Living Magazine!

This is so exciting! My first appearance in the media! Take a look!

So, what do you think?
xo,
Jen


Thursday, August 26, 2010

My #1 Back-To-School MUST-HAVE!

It's back-to-school time, and many parents are bracing themselves for cold and flu season. All it takes is one sick child attending school to infect an entire slew of children with a cold or the flu. And everyone knows that when a child brings a bug home from school, the entire family pays. Furthermore, days missed at school can effect funding of public schools, and missed days at work can effect family finances.

My family has enjoyed many healthy days when others have been forced into bed to ride out a lengthy recovery from a cold or flu. Our secret? Essential oils! Along with all my other healthy, and toxin-free bath and body care products, I've created a special blend of 5 different essential oils called "Immunity of Thieves".

The skin absorbs about 60% of what we apply to it - right into the bloodstream. With essential oils, this percentage is even greater. The molecules of essential oils are so tiny that they absorb more rapidly than substances with a larger molecular size. When applied to the body by massaging into the soles of the feet, essential oils travel through the body and affect every cell within just 20 minutes! When carefully blended together, the essential oils of Clove, Cinnamon, Lemon, Eucalyptus, and Rosemary - a synergistic effect takes place making the oils much more powerful together than they are apart. This blend of oils is highly anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal. When they enter the bloodstream, they have a powerful effect on our health. Essential oils have the ability to penetrate the cell wall and transport oxygen and nutrients inside the cell. This increases the amount of oxygen within the cell, which in turn gives more support to the immune system. Research has shown that people using essential oils recover 70% faster! I have personally found this to be very true!

So, during the school-year, our kids know the drill. At bedtime, right before we tuck them in for the night, they each put up their little feet, and we massage about 5 drops of this pre-diluted blend into the bottom of each foot. That's it! If we ever become lax with our routine and a child starts to come down with something, we use the same method on the feet as well as on the back and chest three times a day. If we catch it quickly, the symptoms usually go right away (within a few hours). If we delay treatment, it still only takes a couple of days for perfect health to resume! And of course, this blend works just as well with adults as it does with children.

Essential oils are simply amazing! I like to call them "Nature's Antibiotics" because, in my family, they have truly taken the place of prescription antibiotics - yet they are much gentler, very effective, and our bodies don't build up a resistance to them. So if I had to choose one "must-have" for back-to-school...it would most definitely be my Immunity of Thieves Oil!!

Wishing you all a school-year filled with lots of learning, plenty of fun, and good health!

xo,
Jen

To order your own bottle of my Immunity of Thieves Essential Oil blend, visit my online store!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

SJ Products Travel to COLORADO!

Congratulations to Kadi S.!

Kadi is my first customer to order from Colorado and received FREE SHIPPING! Thanks Kadi for adding yet another beautiful pin to my virtual SJ travel map!

xo,
Jen

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Naughty Ingredient 101: Mineral Oil

So you want to be a savvy (personal care product) label reader, huh? Good for you! Not only will you want to know which ingredients to avoid, but which healthy and beneficial ingredients to look for! Let's start things off with a common "naughty" ingredient that can be found in 98% of commercial personal care and baby care products...

Mineral Oil

Mineral oil is a petrochemical and very common ingredient found in personal care products. It is produced as a byproduct of the distillation of gasoline from crude oil and contains neurotoxins which are toxic to the nervous system. Mineral oil is leftover liquid, and because it is abundant, it is very inexpensive. In fact, it is more expensive to dispose of mineral oil, than to purchase it.

Mineral oil has no nutritional value and is a known carcinogen (cancer causing agent) and yet the cosmetic industry still uses it in lip gloss, lotions, creams, ointments and shampoos. In fact, it is a key ingredient in many personal care products formulated for babies! Baby oil is simply mineral oil that has been scented (even worse)! Pick up any personal care products for babies or adults and you're likely find mineral oil as a main ingredient.

Problems with mineral oil are two-fold. Externally, it forms a thin layer over the skin which acts as a barrier, clogging the pores, thus slowing or preventing the skin from being able to eliminate toxins, and aging the skin (it is the number two cause of aging, next to the sun). When applied externally, Mineral oil also causes internal problems. Remember, the skin absorbs (right into the bloodstream), 60% of everything applied to it. Once a product is absorbed, it is broken down by the liver and passes through the intestinal tract. When mineral oil passes through the intestinal tract, it absorbs all of the fat-soluble vitamins found there. The mineral oil basically steals all the essential vitamins from the body, which the body will not be able to replace. You can see how this could eventually lead to nutritional deficiencies.

Unfortunately, 98% of personal care products contain mineral oil and are often listed under hundreds of other names, which can make it hard to identify. A few aliases are: deobase, liquid paraffin, liquid petrolatum, paraffin oil, paraffinum liquidum, paraffin wax, prolatum oil, petroleum, mineral spirits, petroleum spirits, Uvasol.

An unbiased study released by the Cancer Prevention Coalition in June 2002, contained the following: ‘Cancer and health experts just concluded reviews that indicate mainstream cosmetics and personal hygiene products including lotions, soaps and shampoos, pose the highest risk exposures to the general public. This risk is higher than smoking.”

All-in-all, mineral oil is an ingredient to avoid. Look for products that use vegetable, seed, and nut oils instead, such as olive oil, apricot kernel oil, or grape seed oil, to name a few. These oils are rich in nutrition and highly beneficial to the skin and body!

Simply Jen Naturals are NEVER formulated with petrochemicals! Try an Olive Oil Lotion today! You won't find any mineral oil in that ingredient list!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Sunburn Rescue!


Today is the official first day of Summer (yay!!!), and already I've heard of several cases of sunburn, on Facebook alone! I myself was caught off-guard by unexpected sunshine last weekend and have a bit of a sunburned shoulder. Luckily, I didn't suffer long! And neither will you, if you follow my tips for sunburn rescue!

My preferred method of sunburn prevention is to avoid being in the sun during peak hours (10am-4pm), and to wear protective clothing, hats, and sunglasses. When I do need to wear sunscreen, I prefer physical sunscreens to the toxic, chemical-laden variety. ;)

So, while prevention is always the best cure, things don't always work out perfectly. And when they don't, you've gotta keep a smile on your face and go with plan B!

Lavender Essential Oil - a Summer Staple!

Lavender essential oil really is amazing for any kind of burn! It will ease the pain, heal the skin faster, and prevent scarring. It also helps unhealthy skin cells die off instead of mutating into cancer cells (healthy cell renewal). Good stuff!

Lavender EO can be applied neat (undiluted) for most individuals. The simplest way to use Lavender is to apply it directly to the burn using a cotton ball. Continue reading for more ways to use this summer staple!

Lavender Mist
Fill a spray bottle with about 10-20 drops of Lavender essential oil and 1/2 cup of water ( I like distilled, but tap water will do). Shake well before each use and spray the affected area. This is very soothing and cooling. You can substitute the water for Aloe Vera juice, but be sure to keep it refrigerated.

Lavender & Oatmeal Bath
Oatmeal is very healing and soothing. It holds moisture and has a high silica content, making it an ideal skin soother. A lavender and oatmeal bath soothes dry, itchy or irritated skin. Lavender and oatmeal baths are perfect for children with mild sunburn.

Grind 2-4 cups of dry oats into a fine powder using a blender. Add to lukewarm bath water along with 10 drops of lavender essential oil. Soak for 15-30 minutes. Gently pat dry. The oatmeal will form a thin, protective layer on the skin. (Don't wash off).

Lavender & Oatmeal Paste
If your sunburn is only on a small area of your body, you can use a lavender & oatmeal paste instead of a bath. Add 5 drops of lavender essential oil to 1 cup of finely ground oats. Add enough water or aloe juice to create a paste. Apply to sunburn and leave for 15 minutes. Remove gently with a wet washcloth, or rinse off over a sink and pat dry. Afterward, apply a layer of lavender essential oil using a cotton ball.

Peppermint Compress
Peppermint essential oil is known for it's cooling properties and is also anti-inflammatory (as well as anti-carcinogenic). Fill a sink or basin with cool water. Add 5 drops of peppermint essential oil to the water. The essential oil will float on top of the water. Place a clean washcloth on top of the water and let it soak up the infusion. Wring out and apply to the burn. Repeat several times (without adding additional essential oil).

Apple Cider Vinegar
To prevent blistering and peeling, apply apple cider vinegar to the burn with a cotton ball. I prefer Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar with the mother, which can be found inexpensively at your local health food store.

Sunburn-healing Supplements You can speed the healing of a sunburn internally as well! Take the following supplements for a few days following a sunburn:

1,000 mg of vitamin C
400 I.U. of vitamin E
15 mg of beta carotene
1-2 tablespoons of flaxseed oil (an essential fatty acid)

So, the next time outdoor activities result in an unwelcome sunburn, you can smile and say..."I have a cure for that!!" Have a GREAT summer!!!

xo,
Jen

PS - My Lavender Olive Oil Lotion, or Lavender Baby Lotion are both wonderful for sunburns, as is my First-Aid Stick which contains Lavender Essential Oil! The oils in the lotions are high in Omega Fatty Acids which help heal and regenerate skin cells, and protect from aging and sun damage. My First-Aid Stick does all of those things and then some! It has extreme benefits for severe burns, and is wonderful for bug bites - another "gift" of summer!
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