Product Blog

It’s no secret that the average American gains a lot of weight around the holiday season—anywhere from seven to ten pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, in fact.* But even if you’re not ready to give up all your holiday indulgences (pass the egg nog), there’s still plenty you can do to maintain a healthy eating routine during the coming season.

As you prepare for the upcoming holiday parties and special occasions, remember these tips and you’ll be in good shape come the New Year:

1. Don’t skip meals—It may be tempting to skip lunch in anticipation of a turkey feast, but cutting back during the day often leads to eating excess later. If you eat regularly during the day and focus on healthy snacks, you will be much less tempted to splurge as the day goes on.
2. Control your portions—As with any good diet, moderation is the key to maintaining your health. You can go ahead and enjoy your favorite dessert, just treat yourself to a reasonable serving.
3. Eat slowly—There’s no need to be in a rush! Concentrate on conversing with friends and family. Take small bites and chew completely. Then, once you are finished with your meal, leave the table to avoid further temptation.
4. Bring healthy alternatives—If you have a food assignment, replace high-calorie dishes with a healthier option. For example: In place of pumpkin or pecan pie, try Young Living’s Apple Wolfberry Pie (see recipe below).

Don’t forget that Young Living Therapeutic Grade™ essential oils are a great way to incorporate healthy habits into your holiday celebrations. Did you know that when you cook with essential oils, you get all the great taste of traditional herbs and spices without any unnecessary preservatives? And from November 14–20, you can get a special discount on some of our most popular cooking oils. Check the promotions section of www.youngliving.com for more information on the Holiday Cooking with Essential Oils promotion and remember to have a fun and healthy holiday season!

Apple Wolfberry Pie Filling

¾ c. Blue Agave
1 drop nutmeg essential oil
2 drops ocotea essential oil or cinnamon bark essential oil
4 c. organic apples, peeled and sliced (Granny Smith is preffered)
1 Tbsp. rice flour
½ c. dried wolfberries

Mix all ingredients (except rice flour) in a large skillet. Simmer until apples are soft and crisp. Add rice flour and mix until blended. Place in an unbaked pie shell and apply an egg wash around the edge of the shell. Add the pie top and pinch the edges together. Make at least four two-inch slits on top of the pie to release stem. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for ten minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional fifteen minutes, or until crust is lightly browned. Makes pie filling for one pie.

* http://www.betterhealthusa.com/public/273.cfm

It’s the time of year when all types of masks abound! Scary and spooky is definitely in the air. But when the festive mask and makeup comes off, so should the looks of fright. That means it’s also the perfect time of year to start incorporating a different kind of mask into your beauty routine. Taking a few minutes a week to give your face some special attention will be a treat for you and help keep your skin refreshed, rejuvenated, and in its best condition in any season!

There are several recipes for facial masks you can make at home utilizing the benefits of essential oils and green clay. Each mask listed below is designed for a specific skin type. Find the one that works best with your skin type and do a little pampering! A good mask usually isn’t needed more than once a week, but you can utilize certain formulations more as needed.

Green Clay Mask Base

Although clay masks are thought to be drying, they contain great benefits for the skin and can be used very successfully in your beauty regimen.

Green clay has become the talk of the beauty world. The absorbent properties of green clay work in beauty treatments by drawing out impurities and toxins from the skin, toning and firming while stimulating circulation. Estheticians use it to tighten pores, exfoliate dead skin, and reveal a smoother, fresher complexion. Green clay is readily available online and at natural beauty retailers. It makes an ideal base for any of the masks below.

Create your mask base by mixing green clay together with a little cornflower and a quarter teaspoon of powdered raw oats.

Mask for Normal Skin

For a normal skin, mix the clay, cornflower, and oats together with one beaten egg white and floral water. Add one drop geranium oil and one drop neroli oil. Mix well to form a paste and apply.

Mask for Dry Skin

For a dry skin, mix the clay, cornflower, and oats together with one beaten egg white and floral water. Add one teaspoon wheat germ oil or evening primrose oil, plus one drop chamomile (Roman or German) oil and two drops carrot seed oil. Mix well to form a paste and apply.

Mask for Oily Skin

For an oily skin, mix the clay, cornflower, and oats together with one beaten egg white and floral water. Add one drop lavender oil and one drop frankincense oil or juniper berry oil. Mix well to form a paste and apply.

Mask for Problem Skin

For a problem skin, mix the clay, cornflower, and oats together with one beaten egg white and floral water. Add one drop lavender oil, one drop tea tree oil, and one drop neroli oil. Mix well to form a paste and apply.

Rejuvenating Skin Mask

For a general skin boost, mix the clay, cornflower, and oats together with one beaten egg white and floral water. Add one teaspoon jojoba oil, one drop chamomile oil, one drop frankincense oil, and one drop myrrh oil. Mix well to form a paste and apply.

Before Application

Before applying the mask, make sure that the skin is cleansed properly and dried by patting it with a towel. A light exfoliating cleanser such as Satin Facial Scrub Mint will work well in prepping the skin for the best mask application.

After applying any of the masks, leave on for at least fifteen minutes and wash off with lukewarm water and pat the skin dry. Apply moisturizer. ART® Day or Night Activator is a good recommendation for effective and refining moisture with the benefits of frankincense.

Note: If you have never used essential oils or green clay and are prone to allergies, do a patch test on a small area to gage sensitivity before applying any of these masks.

Take a few minutes to work a mask in your beauty regimen this Halloween season and beyond. Your skin is sure to benefit and you will never be confused for a ghoul or goblin—unless of course you choose to wear it when opening the door for trick-or-treaters!

—Rebecca Jarvis
Product Manager, Essential Living

From Gary Young personally mixing shots to the NXR dancers, the NingXia Red® bar was one of the many exciting highlights from convention in Minneapolis. Check out this short video and enjoy a few of our favorite NingXia Red shot recipes!

“Who Let the Dogs Out?”
2 oz. chilled NingXia Red
1 drop lemon or orange essential oil
2 drops tangerine essential oil
1 drop frankincense essential oil
1 drop cinnamon bark essential oil (That is where the barking came from!)

“The Unnamed”
2 oz. chilled NingXia Red
2 drops of each:
Frankincense
Peppermint
Tangerine
Grapefruit
Ocotea

“The Nuclear Explosion”
2 oz. chilled NingXia Red
1 drop of each:
Peppermint
Lavender
Frankincense
Lemon
Tangerine
Orange

If you didn’t get a chance to visit the bar this year, you’ll have to make your way to convention 2010 in Salt Lake: We are already planning some amazing surprises!

Have you been waiting for Brain Power™ and Highest Potential™? The wait is now over! Young Living has again made these products available, along with Australian Blue™ and Essential Beauty Serum (Dry).

These Young Living Therapeutic Grade™ essential oil blends were temporarily unavailable while we worked with our Australian partner to build up a supply of blue cypress—one of the key ingredients in each of these blends. Blue cypress has a smoky, woodsy aroma and is similar to sandalwood, vetiver, and some cedarwood oils like Juniperus virginiana.

Did you know that blue cypress has been used by native Australian Aborigines for hundreds of years? Stories passed down through the generations tell about the natives’ belief that the bark and resins from Callitris intratropica could be used as a skin wash for sores and cuts, to help soothe stomach ailments and other body aches, and for repelling insects. From this tree is distilled the azure-hued essential oil blue cypress.

Blue cypress oil is gentle and has no indications of skin irritation. In fact, the constituent guaiol, found in blue cypress oil, has been registered with the FDA’s Food, Drug, and Cosmetics branch as a safe, natural color for two decades.

Blue cypress is very exclusive, and you are going to love what this essential oil adds to these four products. Gary Young harnessed the power of this Australian secret and created four incredible blends:

• Australian Blue

Australian Blue is a powerful, aromatic essence that unites ancient aboriginal wisdom with today’s scientific knowledge about essential oils to uplift and inspire the mind and heart. This exotic essential oil blend has sweet, earthy undertones responsible for its calming and stabilizing effects.

• Brain Power

Brain Power gives your brain a boost with essential oils that are high in sesquiterpenes. Use it to clarify thought and develop greater focus.

• Highest Potential

Highest Potential is an exotic blend designed to increase your capacity to achieve your highest potential. It combines the uplifting and inspirational qualities of Australian Blue with the power of Gathering™ to help bring greater unity of purpose. Jasmine is added to enhance self-confidence, while ylang ylang calms, soothes, and harmonizes.

• Essential Beauty Serum (Dry)

Essential Beauty Serums are specially formulated for dry, oily, or acne-prone skin. Young Living’s serums offer the skincare benefits of pure essential oils to protect, strengthen, and improve the appearance of the skin. The dry skin formula moisturizes and nourishes dehydrated skin.

Buy yours today and share with us how you use these amazing products!

—Toby Palmer
Product Marketing

Launched at this year’s Grand Convention, Young Living’s new Home Diffuser combines the latest in diffuser technology with ultrasonic innovations to quietly diffuse any essential oil into the air.

Take a moment to watch as Young Living Product Manager Toby Palmer shows how easy it is to operate the Home Diffuser and discover this amazing natural alternative to synthetic air fresheners!