This post is sponsored by Marama Naturals, however the opinions are my own.  I only produce content for brands I actually use and love.

Leyton turned 8 months a few weeks ago and I swear he’s been on the move ever since, crawling and trying to cover every square inch of this house.  And while he’s literally turning corners, I feel like we have figuratively turned them, and finally entered the “bath time is fun!” stage.  I don’t know about you other mamas out there but before now, I dreaded bath time because he was either too little and hated them, or liked them but still needed held upright and squirmed all over!  But now he not only loves them but he sits upright and still for them!  And we no longer dread the nighttime bath routine.

Something else I dreaded?  Trying to find quality, safe products that I could feel good about using on his brand new baby body.  In my pursuit to live as clean and natural a lifestyle as possible, I vowed to never bathe him in products with harmful chemicals or questionable ingredients as long as I could help it.  I may have spent years bathing in toxic products, but once I learned better, I was certainly going to do better, for him and myself.  Luckily, I’ve been able to find some brands on par with my vision, but I’m always on the hunt for more options for us both, so when I discovered Marama Naturals (and realized they have safe products for mom and baby), it was a match made in heaven.

Marama (pronounced Muh-rah-muh – rhymes with “mama” ) first stood out to me because they not only offer safe products for mom throughout pregnancy and after, but for baby too!  Then when I discovered their products are natural, organic, don’t contain sulfates, phthalates, or parabens, are vegan and cruelty free AND they donate 10% of profits to non-profit organizations, I was sold!  Any product that is safe and trustworthy gets my attention.  But safe and trustworthy for me and Leyton while giving back , gets “added to cart.”

So far we’ve tried the Baby Shampoo & Wash for Leyton and the Lavender Shortbread Cookie Scrub for myself.  First, lets talk the baby wash….

Friends, this face says it all!  If Leyton could convey my thoughts on these products, this would be it.  Prior to using this baby wash, I used some other safe, natural brands that I love so I was nervous how this would stack up, but you guys, it’s every bit as good!  It gets the job done and gets it done well and with an incredible light, clean scent.  Plus, it lathers so well, which can be hard to find in natural products.  Marama prides themselves on having products that pull double-duty and this one does just that!  He sits still for baths but let’s be clear, he’s still 8 months old so he doesn’t sit still for long, so I love that this is a wash and shampoo and gets the entire job done in minutes with just a pump or two.

And while I only started with their baby wash, they have so many other baby products to choose from including lotion, diaper balm, dusting powder, and baby oil that doubles as a belly oil for mama to be.  And expecting moms they don’t stop there.  They also have nipple butter, bath bombs, and cooling leg & foot lotion among other things.

Now, lets talk this Lavender Shortbread Cookie Scrub…..

If you are looking for a great exfoliater, this is it!  You guys, this scrub is appropriately named a shortbread cookie scrub because it looks and smells good enough to eat.  The texture is the perfect gritty consistency and the smell….ohhhh the smell!  If you know me, you know lavender is hands down my favorite scent of all time, but I am soooo picky with my lavender.  I can sniff out a fake, lavender imposter a mile away, and so so many brands get it wrong.  But Marama got it right!  It is exactly how lavender should smell.

The other thing that blows me away with this scrub is the way it not only exfoliates but also moisturizes my skin.  I’m a girl that has to apply lotion after getting out of the shower and have been for as long as I can remember.  But I kid you not, every time I use this, it leaves my skin so silky smooth that I don’t even need or want lotion.  Maybe it’s because it sloughed off all the dead skin down to the point of having skin as fresh as Leyton’s or maybe it’s some genius, magic potion, but either way it allows me to skip the lotion step.  And these days, I’m all about as few steps as possible.

So that’s the latest addition to my clean living arsenal.  These products have helped make my and Leyton’s bath times more enjoyable and I can’t recommend them enough. Click here to head to their site to check out all their products for yourself. Happy bathing!

xo, Jill

Hi friends!  It’s a dreary, wet day here in Ohio (thank you Florence) although I can’t complain because some people in the path of this hurricane definitely got much worse, so a little rain I can handle, and honestly, rainy days make it feel like fall and I’m all about that! Anyways, rainy days are a great time to stay indoors and whip up some more homemade recipes. I have a bunch I’m working on, but today I have to refill my homemade face serum because it’s low and I can.not.live.without.it!  So I thought I’d share.

Last week I shared my homemade body butter using just 3 ingredients and today’s recipe is just as easy and with only 4 ingredients.  This is often referred to as “glow serum” in the “oily” world and it’s made up of 3 essential oils (lavender, frankincense, and copaiba) and jojoba oil.  It helps reduce the signs of aging and for me has also really helped cut back on oil (I know it seems weird to apply an oil if you are oily, but trust me there is a science behind it, and it works!).

Before I get to the recipe below, lets touch on each ingredient and why they are great for skin, and what other uses they have!

First up, my tried and true, best friend (if oils can be your friend)….lavender!

Lavender is often referred to as the Swiss army knife of oils because it has soooo many uses!  It’s not only calming, balancing, and relaxing for you, and your emotions when diffused, but it essentially works the same way for your skin when used in lotions and serums.  I love it in my body butter, especially in the summer after being in the sun all day, but it’s also great in the winter when our skin gets dry and chapped.

Some other uses for lavender include:

• Sleep Support
• Calming/Emotional support
• Relaxation
• Respiratory relief
• Skin Support

Copaiba is one that often gets a weird reaction because it’s hard to say and it’s not one many have heard of so you immediately think, “what the heck is that for?”  At least, that’s how I was.  Copaiba is actually an oil that comes from resin in trees found in South America and Malaysia.  So, like the a sap from trees if you will.  Peruvian and Brazilian cultures use it as a natural pain remedy, as well as an anti-septic and anti-inflammatory.  In fact many will mix the resin with warm water and drink it or gargle it to soothe sore throats (Life Science, 2016).  Those anti-inflammatory properties are what make it great for skin.

Some other uses for Copaiba are:

• Pain
• Teething (use the Young Living vitality line, dilute 1:30 and rub on gums or jaw line)
• Bug Bites (helps with the inflammation)
• Skin Disorders

Most of you probably know Frankincense as one of the gifts given to Christ at his birth and yep friends, this baby is still around.  Frankincense has lots of uses including immune support, and emotional support, but it is also so amazing for skin!  It was a jack of all trades back in ancient times and still is today.  This also greatly helps reduce the signs of aging and fine lines which is why it’s a key component of this face serum.

Other uses for Frankincense:

• Sleep Support
• Immune Stimulant
• Emotional Support (use vitality line and place a drop under tongue for balance and focus)

Finally, Jojoba oil (the carrier oil in this serum) is also a key ingredient because of it’s many skin benefits.  It not only moisturizes our skin but it also removes buildup and excess oil, balances oil levels, prevents irritation, removes dirt and makeup and is safe, hypoallergenic, and natural.  Best yet, it doesn’t clog pores, it smooths fine lines and wrinkles, and contains iodine, which helps prevent breakouts due to its bacteria fighting properties.  I buy mine from Amazon.

Lastly, as I’ve mentioned before I only use Young Living essential oils because they are the only brand I know and trust to be 100% pure.  There are many oils out there that claim to be pure, but FDA regulations only require those sold in stores, spas, etc. to be 50% pure and the rest can be filled with harmful, synthetic ingredients, and the company can still claim to be safe, pure, and all natural.  Young Living has their Seed to Seal promise which guarantees their oils are of the highest quality with no questionable ingredients added.  Just pure essential oils.  They are involved in the entire process from planting the seed to sealing it up and shipping it out and therefore can regulate what does and doesn’t go into their products.  Read more about Seed to Seal here.

Okay, so now that you know about all the goodness in the oils that makeup this serum, lets get to the recipe.  It’s so easy…..

Using a 2 oz. dropper bottle (I buy mine from Amazon) add –

10 drops lavender

10 drops copaiba

10 drops Frankincense

Fill the rest of the way with jojoba oil

That’s it!  Obviously, if using a smaller bottle, cut the recipe down.  You could also make this in a roller bottle and roll on your face.  That makes it a little easier to put on and it’s more travel friendly that way.  All oils in this serum (except for the jojoba oil) come in the Premium Starter Kit.  To get a kit click here or email me (jillcomesclean@gmail.com) so I can get you started.  I hope you love this oil as much as I do!

xo, Jill

Hi friends!  I apologize that it has been a hot minute since I last posted.  This summer has been a whirlwind and I’m still navigating baby land (8 months later) and trying to prioritize and juggle mom-hood, wife-hood, and still have some sort of life-hood.  But I’m back and ready to hit the ground running. So with that said, I have been promising you guys my homemade body butter recipe since the start of summer, and since it’s almost fall I figured I should make good on that promise.

I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for any and all lotions and body butters. However, since learning of all the harmful ingredients in many store bought lotions I refuse to be a sucker that slathers toxins all over my body.  I have discovered safe, natural brands that I love and will continue to share those here and on Instagram, but I have also found that it’s actually pretty darn easy to make yourself too. Plus, given my love for essential oils, I like making my own from time to time to play around with scents and switch it up a bit.

I made this lavender one at the start of summer because of it’s fresh scent and because it has been soothing to my skin after being out in the hot sun all day.  I’m going to play around with some fall scent options, but this lasts so long that it will carry me well into the chilly months too, and that’s okay because lavender will also go great on my dry, chapped skin come winter.  So without further ado here is the recipe.  As always email me if you have questions or direct message me on Instagram: jillkoch620.

So, the best part about this body butter…..it only take 3 ingredients!

Pure, unrefined shea butter (I buy mine from Amazon), coconut oil, and essential oil of your choice.  Now, I only use YoungLiving essential oils because they are certified safe and natural, and with their Seed to Seal promise that you can read about here, I know there are no synthetic fragrances or questionable ingredients added, which is often the case for oils you can buy in stores.  You can shop YoungLiving oils here.

The first thing you’ll want to do is melt 1 cup of the shea butter and 1 cup of the coconut oil in a double boiler until it’s a liquid consistency.  I use a glass bowl on top of a pot with about 2 inches of water.

After that you will place it in the refrigerator to solidify either for a few hours or overnight.

Once solid (above pic) you will use a hand mixer to whip it…..whip it good.

It is going to be so creamy and smooth!  Next, add your oil of choice.  In this case it was lavender.  I start with 15-20 drops and then add more if I feel it needs it.  For this batch I added 25 drops.

Once the oil is added then either mix it again with the hand mixer or simply stir with a spatula.  Now, I have also seen some people add their oil at the liquid stage.  You could definitely do this too, but it’s easier to test scent strength if added to the whipped mixture because then you can apply some to your hand to see how it smells.

Once you’re done mixing simply transfer to a jar and you’re all set!  Just a few things to make note of….initially it may seem really runny when you transfer it to the jar, but don’t worry it gets thicker and more solid as it sits.  In fact, my first batch I ever made I put into a squeeze bottle because it was so runny.  That turned out to be a mistake because once it set it was then too thick to squeeze out of the tube.  So a jar is definitely the way to go.  You also want to use a glass jar because plastic will most likely absorb the smell of the oil permanently.  The picture below shows it in it’s more thickened state.

Lastly, when you first apply it, it may seem really greasy but don’t worry!  It blends into your skin quickly and doesn’t remain greasy like a lot of lotions.  That is the worst!! This will leave your skin silky soft and smelling divine!  And that’s all there is to it.  My next batch might have to be peppermint for winter.  You could also do lavender, copaiba and frankincense, which is the blend I use in the homemade face serum that I can’t live without.  Copaiba and frankincense are wonderful oils for your skin and help reduce the signs of aging. The options are endless!  Be sure to let me know if you try it!  Have a great rest of the week.

xo, Jill