Episode 257: Enjoying Natural Skincare

Your skin absorbs so much of what it comes in contact with. So, you want to make sure that you know exactly what you're putting on your skin.

Welcome back to Essential Oil Solutions with doTERRA^®, the podcast where you'll hear exciting, useful and simple everyday uses for essential oils from experts in the field.

Right now, as a podcast exclusive, if you buy a bottle of Lavender and enter the promo code: "NATURAL" at checkout, we'll send you an exclusive audiobook, "Internal Use of Essential Oils."

This audiobook will help you learn how to safely use essential oils, as well as tips and ideas for the best ways to use essential oils internally. Check out the link in our episode description or visit doterra.com/podcastoffer to learn more. Open to US orders only.

Today, we're excited to talk to Hillary LaMay about the benefits of natural skincare and how you can work doTERRA products into your natural skincare routine.

doTERRA: Hillary, thank you so much for sitting down with us today.

Hillary LaMay: Thank you for having me.

doTERRA: I am so excited to talk about this topic because I think it is one that is so important for our everyday lives. So, I want to jump right in with the question of why is it that natural skincare is important? Why should we be making that switch over to natural skincare?

Hillary: That is such a great question and we certainly can't control everything in our environment, though we would like to. And you know, being a conscious consumer and really being intentional with the products that we purchase and that we put on our skin really is something that we can control.

Since I started using doTERRA nine years ago in 2014, I created the catchphrase label reading, "Gangster," and the idea of kicking chemicals to the curb with my doTERRA community. And it's just a fun and empowering way to just amplify the message and importance of learning day by day that, you know, not only to read, but also to take the time to understand the ingredients and the product labels and that it's an ongoing conversation we can all share together.

So, it really makes you feel strong and gives you this sense of confidence to keep going and keep glowing, really, systematically to making those natural skincare swaps, knowing that you're saving yourself and your house from potentially harmful effects.

doTERRA: Yes, and I love that. And that ability to be conscious of what you're putting on your skin, I think is so powerful.

Now, you mentioned you've been using doTERRA for nine years, so you have quite a bit of experience. What essential oils are the ones that you see as skin care heroes?

Hillary: It is so hard to choose, but I would definitely have to say Yarrow|Pom comes to mind first. It really changed the game for my skin because it has got such a thick, rich texture like honey and it moisturizes your skin so beautifully just by itself. It definitely deserves hero status. Maybe a little blue cape, you know, waving in the wind. You know, our listeners may not know that it actually activates skin protecting proteins. So that alone makes it a superhero and it promotes collagen production, which this mama over 40 years old, absolutely needs. Thank you very much, doTERRA.

And I also like to use it as a carrier oil when I make my own serums. I like to add Spikenard, Lavender, Myrrh and Blue Tansy, and it gives it this deep, rich blue color that your skin just soaks up like a sponge. And because I'm a nerd for value, I made a 100 mL bottle of this and I tracked the value and I tracked the mileage I could get out of it. And it lasted me 193 days, which ended up being $0.64 a day.

And I documented all of this on Instagram because I love sharing this with people. I love learning about it and I love sharing it so others can really see the value of that.

I also love the versatility of Tea Tree, Siberian Fir and Cedarwood. I find those to be, really, heroes for our family. We have those in my husband, George's, beard oil. He uses it every single day. And getting your spouse involved is a hero right there because it's one of his favorite doTERRA DIYs. And it's so cute. He'll leave his empty bottle on the counter for me when he wants me to refill it.

And that also is an empowering feeling that, you know, we have the tools in our toolbox without interruption for our routine and these things that we each find to be our own personal heroes. And he uses it every single day. It keeps his beard really nice and soft and it doesn't get any itchy or flakiness as the seasons go through. And, you know, whether he's using it on areas of his beard that he's trimming or whether he's clean shaven, he uses it to help that razor glide without irritating his skin.

And it moisturizes a full beard if you have that look--you know, anyone in your family, and it's just a must have combo. It smells really fresh. And we like to use our loyalty reward points to get it for free. You know, all those oils—the Tea Tree, Siberian Fir, Cedarwood. It smells fresh and woodsy and clean. And I hope you'll try it out.

doTERRA: Absolutely. And you have to love affordable skincare that not only smells good, but is so powerful.

Hillary: Definitely.

doTERRA: Now, what are some of the doTERRA skincare products that you and your family use that you would recommend to others?

Hillary: Well, as soon as the MetaPWR^® System came out, I started using the MetaPWR Advantage with collagen every single day. And I'm always my favorite guinea pig, right? Because we have to go there first. And, you know, if I'm going to recommend something, I need to experience it for myself.

And the Collagen was really the only change I had made to my skincare routine. So, that's an absolute must-have. And people might not really think about that as a skincare product. It's great, internally, but you also get the benefits externally. And when you're using that in combination with the Yarrow|Pom serum moisturizer, like I mentioned earlier, it is just a powerhouse.

In our house we also cannot live without the dōTERRA^® spa Replenishing Body Butter a little bit goes a long way and it is for so much more than just your face. You know, people think skincare is just about your face, but you can use it on all of those large surface areas like your arms, your legs after the shower. And we are constantly washing our hands between cooking meals, washing dishes, doing projects around the house, playing outside, you know, gardening, the pool, the beach, all of those things.

And we like to keep a tub of the doTERRA spa Replenishing Body Butter under the sink. So, after we're doing dishes and our hands are dry, we can rehydrate and it's just accessible and ready to go. It also has a really nice, thick texture and that is something amazing all year round. So, you know, from summer months and after swimming in the pool or lake to the wintertime, being on the slopes or snow tubing or even just shoveling.

It has Douglas Fir, Frankincense and Wild Orange, so it's got that fresh citrus aroma, but it's also very grounding. And it reminds me of brands that I used to use from the mall, back in the day, in my teenage years.

doTERRA: Yes. And I love that. The doTERRA spa Replenishing Body Butter is incredible. It's definitely one that I keep all the time.

Now, we've talked about products that you can add to your routine, but of course, a lot of the things that we're doing every single day are having an effect on our skin. So, what are some of the lifestyle changes that we can make to better support our skin?

Hillary: Deodorant. Natural Deodorant is a small, palm-sized, pocket-sized, you know, inexpensive swap that makes a huge impact. Everyone knows how to use deodorant. It doesn't require any extra education or demonstration. It's really a seamless one-to-one swap.

My daughter Olivia is just getting ready to start middle school. And it was recommended on their school supply list that they have two deodorants. And this just cracked me up because we never had that kind of information when we were going through middle school. But, you know, they want one for their gym locker and one for their regular locker.

And it made me feel really proud that when she asked me just to add an extra Natural Deodorant to my next order, I was able to open up my cabinet and actually, just right then give her two brand new Natural Deodorants I had ready to go. So, those are two things off of her school supply list.

It brought back a little bit of a rush of memories for me from middle school-- all the teen angst and spraying ourselves from head to toe in perfumes and body splashes and all the coordinating fragrances. You know you had them. And just paying it forward makes sure that there are no harmful synthetic ingredients or fragrances on her precious pits and I can feel good about that as a mom.

I certainly can't turn back the hands of time. And, you know, like I said earlier, I certainly can't control everything in our environment, but this is something I can pass along to her and amplify those healthier habits so that we don't have to right the wrongs of yesterday and didn't have those options at her age.

doTERRA: Absolutely. And that's so powerful. Especially, like you said, we can't go back and right the wrongs, but it's so powerful to help the people that haven't made those decisions yet to start off in a good place, to go forward with natural products.

Hillary: It is. And you know, this might surprise our listeners, too, but laundry soap! Laundry soap. Laundry soap. Laundry soap. If you really only have bandwidth to make one change in your lifestyle routine, let laundry soap be one.

Because if you think about it, laundry soap is touching your sheets, the pillow touching your face that you're sleeping on every night. It touches the towels when you get out of the shower, when your kids get out of the tub. It touches your undergarments and your clothing and it touches the sweat towel and the gym clothes. Just thinking about all the chemical exposure you can prevent.

And one of the cool things I love about doTERRA is that there are so many ready-made options. You can use the laundry pods, you can use liquid detergent. And if you like to tinker around with recipes and DIYs, you can make your own laundry detergent powder, your own laundry fabric softener. You can use wool dryer balls with a drop of your favorite oils instead of dryer sheets. So, these are some really simple ways that you can just easily replicate those clean and fresh smells, but without any of the harsh effects to your skin.

doTERRA: Absolutely. You don't have to feel like you're sacrificing anything.

Hillary: Right.

doTERRA: Now, before we end, Hillary, I just want to know what your final tips or thoughts are for people who are starting on their natural skincare journey and wanting to make sure that it works for them. Definitely include your entire household if you can. So, roommates, your spouse, your children, your grandchildren.

Since our daughter Olivia was in elementary school, she would see me doing my skincare routine and she asked if she could try my creams and potions and if she could have some products to use. And my heart practically melted right there. That was music to my mama ears. Of course, the answer is yes.

And as our children become old enough to shower independently, you can start a routine for them. I wish I started a skincare routine at that age. And we can bloom where we're planted and thrive right here and now. So, things like face wash and toner and using moisturizer is a great place to start, and that includes everyone.

This is a gender neutral conversation, so I documented all of this on Instagram, too, and it makes it easy for me to share when people ask me, you know, about what we use and why--I can give them that historical perspective of these are the things that I use. These are the things that my family uses. For years we've been finding these valuable. And it just makes me feel proud that doTERRA has empowered me with these safe and gentle options for everyone, the next generation, even our family--even our parents and our grandparents. It's never too late to elevate your health.

And especially when we think about the younger generations, this is decades earlier than we were able to do for ourselves. So, the key is just really making any new habit or lifestyle change sustainable. That's consistency. So, setting yourself up for success.

My daughter Olivia has all of her products in her shower, on her bathroom counter. She saw me doing this every day, and anyone with kids can appreciate that. Our kids may not remember everything we say, but they will see everything we do. And that is something that I can really feel proud of.

And so, you know, just giving yourself flexibility. Try new products, maybe make it a fun new goal for the next few months to cash in your customer reward points. And you can try a new skincare product for free that you might have overlooked until now, or maybe something we talked about today. And it can be a little fun scavenger hunt through the product line to maybe curate your own or revamp your own current skincare routine. And who knows, you might discover a new favorite.

And you can always find me on Instagram and I'd be happy to help make some recommendations.

doTERRA: I absolutely love all of that advice.

Hillary, thank you so much for joining us today, for teaching us more about how we can prioritize natural skincare and all of the incredible benefits that we can see from that.

Hillary: Thank you for having me.

Thanks for joining us and congratulations on living a healthier lifestyle with essential oils. If you want to try any of the products you learned about, click on the link in the episode description or find a Wellness Advocate near you to place an order today.

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