Introduction to Frankincense & Feels


Welcome to my blog!

It took me long enough, but I made the decision to start Frankincense & Feels because I love writing, and I finally have something worth writing about. I'm taking after my mother and diving into the world of essential oils.

Like many people, when I first heard of essential oils, I denounced their powers and called them "witch oils," but now I'm in. And there's no going back.

Here's my story.

I moved to Cincinnati last June and for months on end my face was a wreck! No matter what products I used to cover up and then clean off, I always ended up breaking out. At one point I stopped wearing foundation altogether, in hopes it would solve my problem. But I hated going to work with a splotchy, bumpy red face. I already looked like the youngest person in the office... the acne definitely didn't help!

One weekend in March, my mom came to visit me. She had been selling Young Living essential oils since November, but couldn't figure out a way to turn me. Until she showed me the Think Dirty app.

On the app, you can scan your personal care, beauty, and household products and it will show you how those products rate on a scale from 1 to 10 based on carcinogenicity, developmental & reproductive toxicity, and allergies & immunotoxicities. The first thing I did was scan my most used face products: Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser and Neutrogena Skin Clearing Oil-Free Liquid makeup. Below you can see both products, how they rate, and why they received that rating.

  

You can imagine the look on my face when every product in my bathroom had similar ratings. It wasn't pretty.

Luckily, my mom was there to save the day, per usual. She began teaching me how to replace these products with essential oils and other natural products. And she continued reminding me that I didn't need to replace everything all at once, but that it was a gradual process.

So while we're on the topic of big brands, I'd like to put some important stats out there:
I could get into a whole rant about the FDA and chemical use in personal care products, but I will stay off my soap box for now. I'll finish by saying it's important to know what we use on our skin. These chemicals bioaccumulate over time, so the more we use them, the worse the outcome. We wonder why we feel tired, why we feel unlike our usual selves, why we're prone to more and more diseases - this could be the reason.

All of that was enough for me to be D O N E.

So, since March, I've been working hard on a daily routine. Now when I wake up, I wash my face with water and a wash cloth first. Then I follow up with witch hazel, cover all my "spots" with Tea Tree essential oil, and smooth in my Frankincense moisturizer - all before applying foundation (but not necessarily before drowning myself in coffee).


I hope my story has sparked a little fire in you. If you want to know more about the products that I use, I'm always up for a good chat! 

Thanks for checking out my blog and joining me on this journey. Until next time...




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