HOW I USE OILS WITH ART
This post is contributed by One Drop Member – Wendy Wong.
Many of us have different ways of releasing stress and expressing how we feel. Some exercise, others meditate. I use a combination of essential oils and art.
How do I do it?
My way of releasing stress and finding answers when I feel stuck is through drawing my way out. Literally.
By 1st using essential oils to activate my sense of smell, to have me in touch with how I am feeling at that point in time, and then I draw.
Through this process, I am able to express what has been internalised; when no words could describe. It has also provided me with the peace and serenity after each drawing and this process has helped me along the way whenever I needed to find answers to what I am seeking.
You may wonder how I combine these 2 modalities. I usually use one or a few oils.
Some of the oils I have used are: Stressaway, Present Time, Harmony and Forgiveness. Or sometimes I just reach into my oil bag and allow my hand to choose.
I inhale each of the scents, allowing my body to take in the benefits of each of the oils; breathing in deeply.
Then, whatever images, colours or shapes that comes to mind, I draw them out using my art materials.
After I complete my drawing/s, I give myself some time to make sense of it. This may be a few minutes of studying the drawing, or even setting the drawing aside for a few hours or days to reflect on it later. The key is to enjoy the artwork and the process of self-discovery.
Interestingly, for me, the words come easier after I draw, allowing me then to explore and express what emotions I am feeling at that point in time.
For any of you keen to try this process, you may start with your favourite singles or blends. Inhale your oils deeply. Allow your body to experience any images, visuals or emotions that you may feel.
Then you can express them using papers and colours. Oil pastels are a good choice to start with as you can play with each texture of the colours. Colour pencils, markers, water colour, etc are media you can use as well.
Most importantly, be gentle with yourself in the process and have fun!
For more info, please email Wendy at drawingwithinyou@gmail.com or visit her website at drawingwithinyou.com. Wendy is a member of OneDrop. If you like Wendy’s articles and would like to purchase the Young Living oils, please feel free to get in touch with Wendy or sign up directly here.
Orange Infused Choc Chip Cookies
This post is contributed by One Drop Business Manager – Kaye Ng.
With the festivities around the corner, its time to bake and indulge! hahaha 😝 At least, when the year end rolls by, I feel more like martha and feel inspired to get dirty in the kitchen. So off I went to bake some choc chip cookies with my little monster.
THEY WERE DIVINE and SUPER YUMMY! 😛
I took the recipe off this website. I’m super impressed by this young local NS boy from Singapore with a passion for baking. His recipes are well tested and easy to follow. Every time I bake using his recipes, I find my end results very delicious! Esp for an amateur baker like me, its rewarding to be able to follow a recipe blindly and get yummy goods at the end. 🙂
So, anyway, I baked his choc chip cookies 🍪 and added in a couple of drops of orange essential oil 🍊 to give it a tinge of a christmas-y edge. LOVE MAX. 😍
Here’s the recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Cup Lightly Packed Brown Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Granulated White Sugar
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter Softened at Room Temperature
- 1 Large Egg at Room Temperature
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 3/4 Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips or Chocolate Chunks
- 4 Drops of Young Living Orange Vitality Essential Oil
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C or 350F and line your trays with parchment paper.
2. Cream together the softened butter and the two sugars until light and fluffy.
3. Add in the egg and stir well until it is incorporated and there are no longer dark streaks from the egg yolk.
4. Add in the vanilla extract, salt and baking soda and stir until well mixed.
5. Stir in the flour and the chocolate chips until just combined. Stop when there are no more lumps of flour.
6. Drop in the orange vitality essential oil and stir until combined.
7. Drop by tablespoonfuls on the baking tray, leaving about 2.5 inches allowance for expansion during baking.
8. Bake for about 9-11 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.
9. Cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
2. Cream together the softened butter and the two sugars until light and fluffy.
3. Add in the egg and stir well until it is incorporated and there are no longer dark streaks from the egg yolk.
4. Add in the vanilla extract, salt and baking soda and stir until well mixed.
5. Stir in the flour and the chocolate chips until just combined. Stop when there are no more lumps of flour.
6. Drop in the orange vitality essential oil and stir until combined.
7. Drop by tablespoonfuls on the baking tray, leaving about 2.5 inches allowance for expansion during baking.
8. Bake for about 9-11 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.
9. Cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
DETAILS:
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 30 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 30 mins
I loved the taste of these cookies and they had a nice mild orangey smell to it. Go try and bake some for your friends this Christmas! 🎄
If you are interested in trying out the Young Living oils, or would like to find out more do drop me an email at kaye@onedrop.sg or sign up here to buy the products.
Solid Perfume
This post is contributed by One Drop Business Manager – Kaye Ng.
Commercial perfumes often give me a headache. Trust me, I have TONS. I have bought countless bottles of perfume only to spray them on, get into the car and get a massive headache AND a sneezing attack . It gets better the moment I get out of the car tho. BUT, its not because I sprayed half a bottle. I SWEAR – 3-5 spritz that’s all. Perhaps I’m just really sensitive to these scents.
Anyhow, so I decided to create my own solid perfume scents. These are like – balms with scents. So you just apply them as you go along and you can layer it as much as you want depending on how heavy you want the smell to be.
THE RECIPE:
- 3 Tbsp of Grapeseed Oil (or any carrier oil)
- 1 Tbsp of Jojoba Oil
- 1 Tbsp of Beeswax
- 20 Drops of Essential Oil
Directions:
- In a double boiler, melt the beeswax and the carrier oils together.
- Once melted, remove from heat and add essential oils, stirring well until combined.
- While HOT, pour your mixture into the container for your perfume.
Notes:
- Use a glass beaker with a lip to pour the melted solution into the containers or it will flow EVERYWHERE as the mixtures is thick.
- Work fast! Beeswax hardens very quickly and you might find yourself with a POT of harden beeswax which you cannot pour.
- Be careful of the type of scents you use. Some scents will not be strong esp as you pour them into a hot solution – effectively “cooking” the oils. However, the scent will get stronger after some time so don’t fret too much.
Here are some notes from this website on scents and how to create your own scent:
The Top Notes
Also sometimes referred to as the opening notes or head notes, the top notes of a fragrance are generally the lightest of all the notes. They are recognized immediately upon application of the perfume. The top notes are also the first to fade given their light molecular structure, but this does not mean they aren’t of utmost importance.
The top notes of a fragrance represent the first impression. How many times have you tested a fragrance only to be turned off right away? Why? Because the top notes didn’t make a lasting impression on you. It is hugely important that the top notes not only succeed at luring you in, but also smoothly transition into the heart of the fragrance.
Common fragrance top notes include citrus scents such as lemon, orange, bergamot, light fruits such as grapefruit and herbs like clary sage and lavender.
The Middle Notes
The middle notes, or the heart notes, make an appearance once the top notes evaporate. The middle notes are considered the heart of the fragrance. They last longer than the top notes and have a strong influence on the base notes to come. A perfume’s heart is generally pleasant and well-rounded. It is often a smooth combination of floral or fruit tones; sometimes infused with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom.
Common fragrance middle notes include geranium, rose, lemongrass, ylang ylang, lavender, coriander, nutmeg, neroli and jasmine.
The Base Notes
The base notes are the final fragrance notes that appear once the top notes are completely evaporated. The base notes mingle with the heart notes to create the full body of the fragrance, but are typically associated with the dry-down period. The job of the base notes is to provide the lasting impression. These often rich notes linger on the skin for hours after the top notes have dissipated.
Common fragrance base notes include cedarwood, sandalwood, patchouli etc.
Without the combination of the three levels of notes, a fragrance just wouldn’t be aromatically appealing. But together, they create beautiful scents.
So go try and make your own scent. If all else fails, just use a beautiful scent already created from Young Living like Joy!
If you are interested in trying out the Young Living oils, or would like to find out more do drop me an email at kaye@onedrop.sg or sign up here to buy the products.
Have Yourself a Very Ningxia Christmas
This post is contributed by One Drop Founder – Kai Tan
Are you planning for a Christmas party or an intimate gathering of close friends?
This collection of Ningxia shots and drinks recipes from Young Living Diamonds in USA will prove to be a hit with your guests for sure!
The Ningxia range includes the all-time favourite Ningxia Red, the mind-boosting Ningxia Nitro and the refreshingly light Ningxia Zyng.
NingXia Red
This a delicious superfruit beverage that combines whole NingXia wolfberry puree, a superfruit blend of blueberry, aronia, cherry, pomegrate, tart cherry, and plum juices; natural stevia extract; grape seed extract; pure vanilla extract; Orange, Yuzu, Lemon, and Tangerine essential oils. It’s a powerhouse nutrient infusion that everyone can enjoy. Made with exotic fruit extracts and the whole fruit of Young Living’s exclusive NingXia wolfberries, NingXia Red can help prevent against oxidative stress, supports eye health, and provide energy throughout the day
Ningxia Nitro
NingXia Nitro™ combines 100% pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils with naturally powerful ingredients to lift mental clarity and focus while also providing a surge of energy when needed. It is a go-to for mental fitness, cognitive alertness, and physical acuity
Ningxia Zyng
A hydrating splash of essential oil-infused goodness, NingXia Zyng™ uses the same whole-fruit wolfberry puree found in our popular superfruit supplement, NingXia Red®. Sparkling water, pear and blackberry juices are added with a hint of Lime and Black Pepper essential oils for a dynamic, unique taste.
All recipes posted here use the Vitality range of the Young Living oils from USA.
What is the Vitality range? This is a selected range from Young Living’s offering of essential oils that was repackaged specifically endorse the French aromatherapy’s wisdom in using essential oils for direct ingestion and adding to food. You may purchase these from Young Living USA
Save these tasty & healthy recipes for sure!
Kai Tan is one of the 4 original founders of One Drop – a Singapore grown YL team that is fast growing around the world with more than 10,000 members. She is a certified health coach with Institute of Integrative Health (NYC). Follow her on her blog, email her at kai@onedrop.sg or start your young living journey with her here.
A Box of 10 Perfect Gifts
This post is contributed by One Drop Founder – Kai Tan
Christmas dinner invites are pouring in.
The annual family gathering is set.
And the office gift exchange party is creeping around.
You are in need of good gifts. Some damn good gifts. Not an ornament that will get dusted on the shelves, nor another gift soap box. You need to get some purposeful and thoughtful gifts.
We have a plan. And we think it will cover your Christmas plans very well.
Let’s consider grabbing the EVERYDAY OILS KIT. This kit contains 10 x 5ml popular oils that you can gift individually! Prettily box it up or bag it with some curly paper strips. Ribbon on a little How-to-use card and you have a perfect present.
Who do you give what, you ask? Here are our suggestions:
1. Frankincense
– A VERY precious someone. C’mon, Baby Jesus was gifted this at birth.
– Someone who loves a deep grounded scent for quietening the mind
– The person who is looking to age-defy her looks
2. Lavender
– Someone who needs some deep slumber
– Anyone with babies and kids will adore this wonderful soother for the emotions and for tiny bumps
3. Lemon
– The person who needs the cognitive wake-up during sleepy afternoons
– EVERYONE will love the chirpy pleasing scent in a diffuser
– The DIY enthusiast who would love to life hack home cleaning products with their own make
4. Peppermint
– The man who loves a sprightly sharp scent that awakens the senses
– The one who loves his food and desires a post-meal happy belly
5. Tea Tree (Melaleuca Alternifolia)
– The teenager who wants to zap the teenage face pops
6. PanAway
– The grandparent who would love a spicy rub on those creeky joints
– The exercise fanatic who loves a speedy muscle recovery after their hardworking routines
– The stay-at-home mum who will love a winding-down with this awesome blend.
7. Purification
– The pet owner who would love to have their homes smell nice again
– Anyone who wants a non-toxic way to bust the smokey haze when they hit
8. Thieves
– Anyone with a family to care for and wants to stay away from the nasties
9. Stress Away
– Someone who faces tight work datelines
– The mum who needs to be able to unwind at the end of the day after picking up toys 583 times and repeating “NO” 1057 times in 1 single day
10. Joy
– Anyone who would love a floral sensuous scent
– The person who could do with a major emotional reconstruct
– It’s christmas! Everyone will love to put on some Joy and allow happiness to bubble up.
You know your peeps best. Get present and feel for their needs. We promise you there is a bottle of life you will find in this kit that you get to gift to them and make a phenomenal difference to!
Kai Tan is one of the 4 original founders of One Drop – a Singapore grown YL team that is fast growing around the world with more than 10,000 members. She is a certified health coach with Institute of Integrative Health (NYC). Follow her on her blog, email her at kai@onedrop.sg or start your young living journey with her here.
