**REVIEW** Magnesium Oil Spray (UPDATED)

(UPDATE: I have to say that I now believe the claims about this helping the body work better with other vitamins and minerals. I say that only because I can feel the difference in how my daily vitamins - through food - boost me. Also, I am down 2 pounds in the 5 to 6 days that I have been using this. When I sleep, I rest better. When I eat nutritiously, I can tell in how I feel. I have an appointment coming up with my doctor and I can't wait to ask him what he thinks of this. As always, I will try to come back and update this post as things progress.)

Never even heard of this before, but I am so glad I got to try this:

That is Magnesium Oil Spray from Natural Products.

First off, let me say that not all of the products that I get via the "influenser" type programs are completely free. Sometimes, I'm just getting a discount. In the case of this product, I paid just under just half the price. Yeah, so for those folks who think that bloggers like me only give their rave reviews because of the freebies, that's not true. Not even for the products I get free. You guys should know by now that I try to be super honest when I review things. (In the case of a negative review, I will try to be nice, but I  never lie. Sometimes, I even have to get a little, er, blunt.)

Anyway.

Like I said, I'd never heard of magnesium spray. I barely remembered that magnesium was a mineral. (I've been out of school a loooong time!) This product is specifically a magnesium chloride hexahydrate and water solution. Those are the only 2 ingredients listed on the label. (If you care, at the end of this review, I'll share some more technical info - or I'll at least share what I tried to find out.)

From the Seller's description, these are the positives of their spray:

• All Natural
• Improves Sleep
• Relieves Joint Pain
• Aids with Muscle Recovery
• Fights Magnesium Deficiency

They also include this bit of info:

"Many people suffer from magnesium deficiency and Natural Products Pure Magnesium Oil is a great way to naturally improve the bodies magnesium intake. Natural Products Magnesium oil comes from the bottom of the Ancient Zechstein Sea in the Netherlands and can be used to nourish and moisturize skin among many other benefits such as: improve sleep, relieve joint pain, natural deodorant and aid with muscle recovery."

When I read this, all I saw was "can be used to nourish and moisturize skin". So I signed up to get the bottle for reviewing. While I was awaiting the deliver, I checked some more info out online. Mostly, I saw the following claims made about this oil:

• Hydrates n the skin
• Helps with hair loss
• Can dissolve calcium deposits in hair (from hard water)
• Is a natural deodorant
• Good for bone & tooth health
• Helps the immune system
• Helps boost energy levels
• Alleviates constipation
• Helps with stress and anxiety
• Helps with muscle cramping
• Soothes menstrual pains
• Lower blood pressure

And, the biggie - one that I saw almost everywhere I looked for the benefits - is that this encourages relaxation and better sleep. That, and the blood pressure claims, really won me.

So, what did I actually experience from about a week of regular use? I have a list:

1. Sleep was the first thing that I saw a change in. This really does induce a sense of calm. Not sure how that works, but I am careful not to use too much during the day. First night I used it, I slept so well! I didn't feel drugged or groggy. Mostly, I felt really loose and relaxed. When I dozed off, I didn't do the usual toss-turn-wake-up thing every few hours, I pretty much, nodded off and slept well throughout the whole night.
2. Energy. That probably came from just sleeping so well. Like I've mentioned, I have night time insomnia and daytime fatigue. That leads me into another benefit...
3. ... Anxiety relief. Again, not sure how or why this is, but I do get some soothing of my general nerves. I tend to be a constant worrier and I stress over every-thing. (I have lots to stress over!) With this, I noticed more relief after the second or third day. Not that I don't have stuff to stress over, but I just felt more generally relaxed. (Could that be a placebo effect? I don't know. Does it matter much? I don't know.)
4. I haven't noticed a change in my blood pressure. Matter of fact, I skipped a whole week of my regular meds (just because if I don't set up my weekly pill box, I get forgetful and lazy about it) and, when I went in for my infusion, the nurses were a bit alarmed. I will monitor this aspect again when I've gone a week with my meds.
5. As a deodorant, this is awesome! I initially tested this on days when I spent time at the gym and sweating like a criminal on their first day in lockup. Now, I like using this for everyday hygiene. I figure, if I'm going to be using it for all the other trans-dermal benefits, might as well spray it on the pits.
6. Skin benefits were tricky to monitor. I've not yet used this on my face so I can't say. When I put this on my body (chest area, legs, feet, arms and hands) I did like the way the spray felt. This is in no way oily. In NO WAY. That surprised me. This feels like water being sprayed onto the skin. When I rub it in, it still feels like water, but they hydration is longer lasting and more noticeable. (I'm working up the nerve to spray this on my face as I type this! I'll probably add a little bit of coconut or other oil to the mix when I do this.) One thing I'll warn you about: don't get this in your mouth unless you want to make the same face as when you get alum in your mouth. Ick! (By the way, another thing I noticed - before I actually tasted this - is that after spraying it on the first time, I got a metallic/alum-y taste in my mouth and throat. That was very weird. The sensation has not been as noticeable since that first day. 
7. I did spray this on my hair because... Well, I figured why not? I also saw somewhere that this helps keep the gray away. (I'm already using my blackstrap molasses daily and have less problems with graying. That, by the way, is made to ingest. LOL) What I noticed is that this hydrated my scalp but made my hair feel a little rougher once it dried. I'm going to keep using it on my hair and scalp but I've mixed some in a separate sprayer with a tiny bit of conditioner. I want to see if there is a change in my hair after a couple of weeks. 
8. As far as this oil helping the immune system, I can't say. Maybe it does, but that's going to be a tricky one to verify. I have immune system problems, so I'll be asking my doc about these claims when I go for my next checkup. Will update the post then.

So, yes, I do like this and will be getting more in the future. It's basically going to be a staple product for me. I will decide which brand/manufacturer to buy from once I get the information about the concentration levels. That's supposed to be important so that a user can determine how much to be applying daily. From what I've heard, it's difficult but not impossible to get too much of this stuff into your system. Isn't that true of everything? You can even get too much water, so why not?

One thing I couldn't find was a site for the Natural Products brand. I don't like that.

That's my review part of the post. If you're interested in questions I have and further info, keep reading...

Since I want to keep using magnesium now that I've tried it, I wondered if there was an easier or cheaper way to get hold of it. Apparently, you can make your own. (Of course. These are the days of Pinterest and YouTube tutorials. Pretty soon, I might be able to build my own car.)

My next question was: Is there a difference between magnesium and the labeled "magnesium chloride hexahydrate"?

The answer is... Not easy to figure out. I went down a bit of a rabbit hole trying to get the answer online. I'm saving articles to Pocket for later reading as I try to figure this out. Here is one article, here is another and then, of course, there's always Wikipedia.

Next question had to do with what concentration of the active ingredient was in this particular product? I have submitted that one to the Seller. Like I said a minute ago, that's something a user would want to know. (And did I just say "user" like I'm discussing narcotics?!)

If anyone else has used this oil, please let me in on your results or opinions. I will update this as I learn or experience more.

Peace
---Free




DISCLOSURE:
In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free or at a discount using AMZ Review Trader. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.

**REVIEW** Darjeeling Loose Leaf Masala Chai Tea

This product is a detox tea that is a chai

1. It smells SO good, and
2. It isn't like any chai I've ever had.

I don't guess I've ever had a "real" chai before, and I hadn't ever heard of "Masala chai" until now. Maybe that's the thing. I'm pretty sure that when Western commerce jumped on the chai wagon, they didn't stay true to the original version(s). The only chai I've had have been from Starbucks or from one of the shelf brands at the local grocery stores.

In my cultural ignorance, I wondered if Masala chai was different from the chai I've had previously. That's funny to me now that I realize just how ignorant I truly was on the subject. And just how ignorant was I?

"Chai" is simply the word for "tea" in India, and "masala" means spices. So masala tea or masala chai is tea that is made usually with milk, mint, cardamom and sometimes a couple of other spices. (source)

Um, Okay.

The other thing I learned when I first brewed this up was I can be such a guy. I never follow instructions. Instead of brewing a teaspoon of the tea in about 7 ounces of water, I had to go and use two teaspoons in about 10 ounces of water. I did follow the steeping time of the 3 to 5 minute range, but... the other instructions were more important. My first cup was so strong it could have moved mountains. My bad.

When made correctly, this is really good. Actually, it wasn't bad strong, but...

Like I said, I love the smell of this, but the taste did throw me. I've been whoring out my tastebuds to the sugary stuff that I get packaged and with a chain logo on it. I wasn't ready for the real thing. Also, I was trying to drink it "as is". When I added cream to the hot brew, the taste love went way up. Strangely enough, I can drink the cold brew without cream. I do need honey for drinking it hot or cold, but the cream really does something for the hot version.

Maybe because I drink most of my teas cold, I prefer this one cold. I like to put it in my carry-bottle, add some honey, then sip off of it for a few hours. Keep in mind how strong I tend to make it.

It's going to take me a few days (or more) before I can update you on how this makes me feel, but the ingredients are all things that I have been adding to my diet lately. It makes sense that if those ingredients are all good for you, the tea will be good for you. The best thing is, I can get the tea into my body on a regular basis. I do cook more lately with a variety of spices, but this way, I can get the clove and cinnamon in my system.

Here's the big surprise to me: there is black pepper in this. Only just recently have I been adding pepper to my diet. I've always been a weakling when it comes to "hot" food. I've been slowly adding cayenne and black pepper to my dishes. What threw me with this tea is that I couldn't even taste the pepper.

Second kind of surprising thing: this was more refreshing than the chai I've had in the past. Maybe because I can drink it cold and without a lot of heavy creams and other dairy products? It's got a cooling effect on warm days. I didn't expect that. Also, I just like drinking it cold.

Last of all, even though I got this bag for free, I was wondering if the price was a good one. Now that I find I like this, I realize that, because it doesn't take but a teaspoon (follow those directions!) to make a cup (or more, I guess, depending on how strong you like it), this is very reasonable as it's currently priced.

Peace
--Free



DISCLOSURE:
In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free or at a discount using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.

Summer Blues

The world and it's scars. People and their issues. Everything gets very heavy to carry around sometimes. Makes my heart very, very tired. Some days, the only way to express it is with music

Thank God it's summer. The sunlight is a healing thing.


Peace
--Free

Big Mama, Big Food, Big Love

I'm taking a couple days' break from reviews. I've received so many EOs for cleansing and moisturizing, I need to let my body (and skin, and hair) rest! I've washed my hair so much that I've rid myself of future dirt.

Today, I want to talk about memories. I've been in that mood. I was telling my niece the other night about the times I used to spend around Big Mama. My memory sucks so I probably tossed in memories that were handed down from my older brothers and sister.

We talked about how Big Mama would fix these huge and amazing breakfasts. When I say that breakfast at Big Mama's was an experience, I mean that even my mother (the Texan) was impressed. There were no simple, egg-and-bacon deals at Big Mama's. There's not a fast food chain around that could emulate these meals without adding a buffet line.

The first time I had a Big Mama breakfast, I thought I'd migrated in my sleep and woken up in the planet of No Freaking Way.

First there was the food: slices of ham, fried pork chops, pan-fried potatoes, thick slabs of bacon, grits  with salt and pepper, and biscuits that so huge and buttery-good that I think they are what the Israelites called manna. There were also eggs - scrambled eggs, sunny-side up, boiled and sliced - but who the heck could think about eggs with all that other food? One of my brothers used to joke that just two of those biscuits could feed half of a small continent.

When I say there was a lot of food, I mean, there wasn't just a dib of this and a dab of that. I mean, there was a lot of food. That was the first amazement.

Then there was the fact that there were so many people at the table. Family that lived two and three blocks away showed up for breakfast at Big Mama's. Talk about getting a start to the day, right? It was like a daily family reunion before folks went off to school or work or back to their own homes for the day.

The most impressive thing to me about those breakfasts - the thing that I never got over, even after I was used to all the food and family - was that they happened while dawn hadn't even thought about breaking. Seriously.

For a time, when my father moved our family there while he went overseas, we had to look for temporary housing. In the meantime, my mother, my siblings and I stayed in Big Mama's house. I'd feel like I'd just gone into REM sleep when I'd hear Big Mama walking around doing her morning wake-up calls.

"Rise and shine, everybody. The Lord has blessed us all to see another day!"

I'd just be wishing that the Lord would bless us to sleep another couple of hours. But, in Big Mama's house, no one was aloud to lay around in bed unless they were sick. Big Mama believed in that early-to-bed and early-to-rise thing. Super early. Crazy early. Early to bed like a narcoleptic wino, and early to rise like a rooster with anxiety issues.

Still, I loved being around my Big Mama. Miz Minnie Lee to a lot of people, but always Big Mama to me. She had her ways though...

Big Mama had in common with a lot of people of her generation when it came to how you raised and treated children. I always think of this image when I think of my Big Mama:

After she fed us all to stuffing before the crack of dawn, Big Mama made us face the day with prowess. During the school year, Big Mama could get 30 kids out of the house - on time, nourished, clean, looking good and feeling like there was nothing they couldn't do. She was like a fierce wind that pushed you out that door and into the world like all your dreams were just waiting for you to collect them. Even with all that freaking food in you.

Side note here about my aunties: I have the best aunties in this world. One of my aunties was a lunch lady at the elementary school. Who always got a fresh cinnamon roll for school breakfast? And who never had to worry that all the chocolate milk was gone? Me, that's who! (And I want to find that lost cinnamon roll recipe because I have never had one like those since childhood.)

One of my other aunties was our lioness. She'd run off bullies with a broom (true story), chaperon teen socials, carpool kids all over the neighborhood after the weekend get-togethers, and make sure that any stray kid was looked after. 

Big Mama raised those aunties of mine. No surprise that they are all women to be reckoned with.

I guess I'm just glad that I have so many good memories of my Big Mama. I wish that so many of the younger people I know could have experienced that kind of love.

Today, people like to call my Big Mama's kind of love "tough love". It wasn't tough, it was just love.

Peace
--Free

The Extended Fasting Plan

I've lost about 14 pounds in the past 3 months. Six of those pounds came back for a visit recently. I backslid in my gym and eating habits.

So.

I'm getting ready to double down on the 8 pound loss.  And I even have a plan. (Yes, another of my plans!)


(The photos you're seeing will make sense as you read the post...)

First off, I have to get back to the gym. That's going to be much easier now that warmer and sunnier is finally showing up around here. Finally. Second, I am going to have to eat better - and that doesn't mean skipping one of my many cups of daily coffee with extra creamer.

I'm going to be using a modified fasting plan to both lose some weight and up my prayer life. Just as much as I've been ignoring my health, I've been slacking on reading my daily Bible reading and meditations. They might even go hand in hand.

Whatever.

The other week, a friend and I were talking about an article she'd read about losing weight "while you sleep". Yeah. Ri-iiight. Of course, that part was just to get readers to pay attention to the whole eating plan. It's simple (like my friend and I) so it's something I can do with a little bit of discipline. All I have is a little discipline, so it's really perfect.

The basic idea is that we fast while we sleep (which is why the first meal of the day is a breaking of the fast, or breakfast), so we could extend that fasting period. Of course, what we do eat for meals is a big part of the weight loss. That's it. Simple.

My friend (I'll call her "Daisy") has been doing this extended daily fasting for about three weeks. She's lost over 12 pounds. She jokes that she thinks that initial weight loss is just from dumping toxins. Apparently, because of what she is eating during the day, her body is in total cleanse mode. Here's an outline of her plan:

• No food after 6:30pm. She drinks a few 4-ounce glasses of water (some infused with lemon or with honey added). She generally goes to bed by 9:30pm.
• She's generally up at 5:30am. She immediately drinks warm water with lemon first. When she is ready for breakfast, she has her coffee with cream & tries to limit it to an 8ounce coffee with around 2tbl of her Coffeemate plain liquid creamer/no sugar. For food, she eats a piece of toast or a bagel with cream cheese.
• Throughout the day, she avoids any heavy food. She eats several small "snack-sized" meals (she likes a handful of trail mix; a cup of yogurt; etc.). She tries to empty her 16-oz water bottle at least 3 times. This is a struggle for her.
• About an hour before her fasting starts, she has a 'real' meal. She usually does turkey meat or a chicken breast with veggies on the side. 
• Once a week, she allows herself to enjoy a handful of chips or a couple of small cookies. She has a sweet/salty tooth and doesn't want to deny herself.
• She is not a gym-goer, but tags along with friends sometimes. She is walking her neighborhood "a few times a week" in the evenings, parking further away from entrances when she is out, and taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

Daisy is only looking to lose around another 10 pounds or so. Like me, she isn't looking to be her 30-year old self, but she does want to be in better shape and get into the clothes at the back of her closet. She's almost there.

She had me almost laying on the floor in a fit of giggles when she talked about her first couple of days on this fasting thing. She said she was so gung-ho about the idea of something as simple of not eating after a certain point in the day that she got carried away. First day in, she said she went to at least 2 fast food places and oinked out like crazy. And was SO proud when she didn't "cheat" after 6:30. When she got serious about eating better, she overloaded on water (not her favorite thing) and lost at least 1 pound just running to the Ladies'. I'm really proud of her though.

My eating plan is a little different. For one thing, I realize that this is almost more about eating better than it is about eating less. I don't plan to eat much different than I already am, but that daily cut-off point is going to curb my worst habit: late-day/late-night eating. Also, the water thing. Ugh. (I'd gotten better about drinking water, but haven't really lived up to that gallon-a-day thing for a while now...)

Here's my plan:

• Start the fast at 6pm. I'll only drink water - plain, with cucumber slices, or infused with either vanilla extract and honey, lemon and honey, or orange oil and honey*. My sleep time varies from 9:30 to 11:30, depending on how well I am resting. Insomnia.
• I'm generally up by 6 or 9 (again, depending on how well I feel). I plan to not eat before 9am, no matter when I'm up. I'll start with water and, to break my fast, some raw veggies or a 4-ounce cup blackstrap and vanilla soy. I'm not a breakfast eater. Of course, I will have to have my coffee, but I'm going to be better and limit myself to 1 8-ounce morning serving (with 2tbls of my sweetened and flavored creamer). 
• At around 11, I will have veggies with chicken or turkey sauteed with olive oil or palm oil and non-salt seasonings**.
• Around 1pm, I will have soup (which is salted, but I love it and it's only 260 calories for the Teriyaki Chow Mein that I love or 290 calories for the Maruchan Chicken flavored Instant Lunch that okay but cheap.
• At around 3pm, I will have either a spinach/kale salad with some chicken or turkey meat or just skip it. Depends on how hungry I am.
• About an hour before my fast, I will have a serving of sauteed veggies on naan bread.
• I'm going to try really hard to empty at least half a gallon of water during the day, but I'm bad with water. Being hungry after I start the fast might help! 
• I'm going to attempt to make it to the gym at least 3 times a week. At the very least, I am going to copy Daisy and try to walk around the neighborhood. Just walking a couple of times from one end of our street the other is not a bad stretch. I will have to trip it on the pedometer and update this post.

I will try to keep you all in the loop. If I make it at least three weeks like Daisy, I'll be lucky. She claims that it gets much easier after the first week. I'll wait and see...

Peace

Free

P.S. I ** a couple of thing to remind myself to share my delicious and simple recipes.

The water infusions are my favorite. I do them all the time, no matter what the rest of my diet is like! You can use either plain or a seltzer type water. You know, of course, about adding slices of lemon or cucumber to water for flavor. Another think I like is to pick up a little bottle of flavored oil or extract (generally used for baking/cooking) and add just the tiniest drop to waters. You can jazz up lemon and cucumber water by adding a bit of honey. (NOTE: Here in Anchorage, I have to either order my flavored oils or buy them from local health food and specialty stores. New Sagaya and Natural Pantry are stores that carry them in town.)

My veggie dishes are what I came up with a long while ago. I get on these kicks where I just want lots of fresh and colorful food. I love to sautee veggies in olive oil or palm oil (or both) and add as many seasonings as I can without too much sodium. My fave combo includes sweet orange, yellow and red peppers, mushrooms (any kind!), garlic. I'll sometimes leave the spinach and kale uncooked so that I can serve the other veggies and oil over the greens. If I'm feeling really hungry, I'll add a little tomato and avocado to the top.Okay. I usually add tomato and avocado!And maybe some crumbled bits of leftover bacon...  LOL

A variation of this is to sautee all the veggies (greens included) and then serve them over some warmed Naan bread. I love that bread. 

You can freeze the bread and then warm it later. I like to get the small single-serve pieces, but can't always find those. If you get the large pieces, you can slice them up to use small pieces at a time. To warm them, I like to lay them in a pan and use low or medium heat for a few minutes. The bread can also be toasted, but I like to keep the inside really soft.

For seasonings, I like to use tumeric, onion powder, a little cayenne, basil or Italian seasoning. This is one dish that I actually can enjoy Mrs. Dash with.

What I like about this is that, even if I don't use bread, it's filling and so, so flavorful. The best thing about this "eating plan" is that it's fairly cheap. You can use whatever vegetables that you catch on sale. The thing is to vary the seasonings for the food and make sure to flavor up all that water!

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Roman Chamomile Essential Oil

I'd never tried this essential oil before now. I'd never even heard of it:

I mostly applied to get this EO from First Botany.at a discount (yes, in exchange for an Amazon review) because I hadn't heard of it, but found from researching that one of the main benefits is a "calming of the mind" (source). Lord knows, with the start of the year I've had, I need as much calming as I can get. Also, it's probably safer for anyone I have to be around!

It doesn't hurt that I read in more than one place that Roman Chamomile (R.C.) is also supposed to help support a healthy immune system. I'm all about that.

Apparently, there are 2 different types of chamomile: Roman and German. I found source for explaining the difference, but I''ll just let you check this link for some clarification and get on with the review of this particular brand of Roman Chamomile essential oil.

From reading the product info page on Amazon, in addition to general info I found online, I learned what really interested me about this EO;

Few drops of Roman chamomile Oil can be added to your favorite moisturizer or lotion to promote youthful looking skin or can be added to shampoo or conditioner for beautiful glowing hair. 

That's what I'm talking about!

The page also mentioned something about using the EO in a diffuser (or what I call my "humi-diffuser") for getting a restful sleep. I can get down with that too. But back to the skin and hair issue...

As you know, I have done another "big chop" on my hair. It's looking and feeling great because I have a bunch of new EOs and oils to baby it. Until I get another chance to do a wash or condition, I won't be able to tell you much about the hair part. Still, I couldn't' wait to see if this R.C. could do something special for my skin.

The R.C. EO has a very pleasant smell. I wasn't expecting that from the name. I could only expect it to smell like chamomile tea ~shrug~. The scent of the EO reminds me a little bit of Myrrh oil, but sweeter. It's woody and, well, sweet.

Instead of adding it to one of my other skin and hair oils (coconut, kukui, jojoba or emu) because I thought that would defeat the purpose of seeing how well this worked, I added it to some regular lotion.

I like my purse-sized tube of Jergen's hand lotion, but it can fade after a while and it sometimes feels a little tacky on the skin. When I added the R.C., I couldn't really tell anything at first. I noticed later that (and I hope this isn't just my imagination) my skin  hadn't lost any of the initial softening/moisturizing from about and hour and a half before. I'm sorry but I didn't pay a great deal of attention to the times.

Another thing I can tell you about this is that is really is soothing when I use it in the humi-diffuser. Of course, I was dog tired the night I tried it, but it seems like I fell off to sleep with less tossing and turning. I do know that I slept all through the night, which is unusual for me.

Next week, I'm going to be working at blending some of the various EOs I've collected. I can''t wait to try this in a blend (maybe with some Ginger or Ylang Ylang), and I'll have to get back to you guys on that. Also, I will let you know when I do the hair treatments using this one.

This particular EO is from First Botany. I think I've gotten 2 EOs from them recently. So far, I really like the quality. The price for this one is up there, but I think that it could be because of quality since I noticed the same range of pricing for the same EO from my preferred brands. This one is backed by a 100% refund guarantee.

Peace
--Free




DISCLOSURE:
In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free or at a discount using AMZ Review Trader. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.

**REVIEW** Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil (Majestic Pure)

Cinnamon essential oil was never on the top of my list of things to try. Then I heard about the benefits and I jumped at the chance to try this one from Majestic Pure. (Also, y'all know I have a thing for M.J. products, so...)

Here's the other thing: I had never paid attention to the fact that there is a cinnamon leaf oil vs cinnamon bark oil. Huh.

I had to get some clarification and this is what I came up with:

Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil - This one is steam distilled from the leaves of cinnamon. This is yellowish in color.

Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil - This is steam distilled from the bark of cinnamon. It is slightly reddish in color with a hint of brown.

Both of these essential oils have some differences in their chemical composition, obviously because they come from different parts of the same plant. However, their health benefits can be quite similar... (source: Oil Health Benefits)

Well, now I get it. From what I can tell, EO of the bark is generally more expensive**. Okay.

This one I have from Majestic Pure is Cinnamon Leaf EO. (I'll try later to try some from the cinnamon bark.) While I've heard of Ceylon Cinnamon ("true" cinnamon) and Cassia Cinnamon (common), this bottle is labeledC/O (country of origin) India. 

Majestic Pure pricing and service

I've got a history with this brand. I trust their products, quality and customer service. I've never had problems with M.J. but, if I ever do, they have a full refund policy in place.

This particular item is currently $18.50 with my Amazon Priime. The bottle is a 4 fluid ounce size, which is going to be a good value with the use I'll get from it.

What does the EO smell and feel like?

The fragrance is, of course, cinnamon, but it's not overly "hot" smelling the cinnamon-flavored candies are, if you know what I mean. Because the fragrance was so pleasantly "easy", I almost made the mistake of testing a drop of it (undiluted) on the back of my hand. I always like to know what an EO feels like on the skin. Good thing I followed the rules of diluting this one with a carrier oil. I used 2 drops of castor oil and the barest drop of the cinnamon. At first, there was nothing. Half a second later, I could feel the warmth.

This is some strong stuff! This leads me to the next part.

What are the uses and benefits supposed to be?

When I was young, I heard elders say that cinnamon was good for the circulation. I don't know if they meant the oil or not. I do know that it was common for people I knew to chew on pieces of cinnamon.

I couldn't really find anything science-based on just why cinnamon is supposed to improve circulation. I'll keep looking. For now, here are some of the benefits I see listed all over the Web:

• Improve the immune system
• Oral health and hygiene
• As a massage oil (diluted with other oils!)
• Mosquito repellant
• Air freshener
• Aromatherapy 
• Antibacterial and anti-fungal
• High in antioxidants

How I am personally using this.

I have grown to trust the Majestic Pure brand and I'm really enjoying this oil. I do have to take more care in using it because of its potency. (All EOs need to be treated with caution, but something like cinnamon definitely packs natural "heat".)

I added about 3 drops to some of my homemade toothpaste. I already had a batch made with coconut oil, rice powder and clove EO. I replaced the clove with the cinnamon in a new batch before I realized I could have just merged the two. Oh well.

Since cinnamon is supposed to be good for circulation, I decided to try some on my scalp. (I'm still regretting that last hair cut!) This is when I really found outjust how potent this EO is. I mixed up three types of oils - Kukui, Emu, and coconut - and added just ONE full drop of the cinnamon EO. I used an extra dropper I have to apply this blend to different parts of my scalp. Withing a few seconds, I felt that cinnamon warmth. Thank God I used so much carrier oil! The warmth lasted for a good half and hour before it abated to nothing (or I just got used to it), so that tells how little cinnamon oil it takes to get an effect.

I have not (and don't plan to ingest this) because I need to check with my doctors first. I do use it in the humi-diffuser (I should patent that term!) in the evening. It's got a nice scent when I add some grapefruit EO. Seems to aid alertness.

The last way I tried this the first night was for my shower. I put a couple drops in a glass and sat it off to the side while I showered. When I was getting ready to rinse off a body scrub I was using, I poured the EO on the floor of the tub (away from my feet). The fragrance was yummy.

There are a lot of sources online for you to start research on cinnamon benefits. Use your own common sense when you do your research, people. Here's a list to get you going:

• Authority Nutrition
• How Stuff Works
• Organic Facts
• Science Daily (this was very interesting)
• A discussion on benefits for hair (a forum)

UPDATE: I forgot to add my most useful application for this... Duh. Because of my weak immune system, I try to stay clear of both germy thing and  the things normally used to get rid of germs. You know, chemical sprays and cleansers. This EO is great for wiping down surfaces and sterilizing my items. Just be VERY careful to spot test for damage. Also, dilute, dilute, dilute with water first!!!

Peace

--Free

** I did a quick general search and found a variety of prices on Amazon Prime items labeled as "Ceylon" cinnamon bark EO. I didn't find the prices outrageous. The big thing is to find a brand/supplier that you personally trust.

DISCLOSURE:
In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free or at a discount using AMZ Review Trader. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.

**REVIEW** Kukui Nut Oil

Kukui Nut Oil is, obviously, from the Kukui nut. It's one of a few oils that I've been wanting to try but knew so little about. One of the first things I learned is that the Kukui nut and Candlenut are one and the same. Wha-???

This is what a kukui nut tree looks like:

And this is what a kukui nut looks like:

Those nuts are, of course, made into a necklace.

At any rate, I did have an idea that Kukui Nut Oil was from an Hawaiian tree. I got a bit of a discount to try this one in exchange for an Amazon review.

I'm trying to be more consistent in the way I present reviews, by the way, so let's get to it.

What is it commonly used for?

Because if its essential fatty acids and antioxidants, this has been used for a long time as a natural moisturizer. It protects that skin against salt and sand (in historical Hawaiian use, I guess) and it feels amazing.

Before I even did any research, I was immediately impressed with how this oil absorbed so fast. My niece and her friend also tried it with me and we all loved how "silky" it felt on the skin. Sure enough, that's one of the first things I read about the effects.

What's it like on the hair and skin?

Unlike argan or olive, this oil has almost no greasy feeling to it while applying. After about a minute of slathering some onto my face and hands, it was completely absorbed.

It's also a great hair moisturizer. The absorbency factor is one reason but, for me, the biggest thing was that it softened my hair. Love that.

If you check out that link I just used, you'll see that it's great for protecting the skin in lots of ways: sunburns, windburns, chapping, etc. My niece used some on her dry elbows and loved that it absorbed so fast and worked so well without staining her clothes. Her friend used some on her scalp in a spot where she has problems with dryness. (I will have to check back with her to see how long the effects lasted.)

I used it on my hair and face right off. This morning, I applied some after cleaning my face with castor oil and a baby wipe. No heaviness to it at all.

This reminds me a lot of Marula oil, but seems a bit more moisturizing.

I have to say that this is one oil that I am going to want to get more of. I really do like it.

Other positives

The oil naturally contains good stuff like:

• Vitamins A, C, and E, 
• Fatty acids -  Oleic (25.5%), Palmitic  (6.5%), Alpha-linolenic (25.1%),  and Linoleic  (40%)

5-Star Ratings:

5 of 5 for smell. There is none that I could detect once it was applied. Right out of the bottle, my niece said it had a slight "warm and nutty" odor.
5 of 5 for softening (I'd give it 10 stars!)
5 of 5 for moisturizing (because it can be worn under makeup without shine, stickiness or greasiness
5 of 5 for the pricing. (It's not a cheap oil, but it earns its keep.)
10 stars just for being such a really good oil.

This is so multi-use that I need to do more research on why it works so well. I can't rave enough about the softening effect it had on my skin and hair.

This is also the first time I've tried something from Renewalize, but I now want to try more. I like the way the packaged this so well and I think I can put the quality of this oil up there with some of my favorite brands.

I will update this review when I've gotten the chance to use this over time

Peace
--Free


DISCLOSURE:
In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free or at a discount using AMZ Review Trader. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.

**REVIEW** Essential Oil Pocket Doctor (Davina Oils)

The name of this one might throw you, so let's do the visual...

 A collection of 8 EOs (2ml size) on a keychain.

This is called the Essential Oil Pocket Doctor (love the name), and it from Davina Oils.

That is the best concept ever. For someone who loves essential oils as much as I do, it perfect. How perfect? Well, I'll put it this way: after using for the review, I was going to pass this along to a friend. That, uh, won't be happening! LOL (I'll wait til a birthday or other occasion to spread this joy.)

I appreciate that the company didn't use the "cheapest" oils in this set. I love something about most good quality EOs, regardless, but there are some that are so "common" that they sell for a lot less. I love every one of the oils in this collection except for one. I'm not especially crazy for anything with a Eucalyptus scent. However, there is a good use for it. I know this because of the little reference card included in this collection.

By the way, I try not to hang heavy items on my keychain because I once heard that you shouldn't stress your car ignition slot. ~shrug~ However, I do hang this on the inside of my purse. The clip will, of course, attach to just about anything. It would be great for clipping to your gym bag...

Here is what you get in this set:
(all the EOs are in 2ml bottles)

• Basil
• Bergamot
• Rosemary
• Grapefruit
• Clary Sage
• Eucalyptus
• Geranium
• Sage
• 15ml Fractionated Coconut Oil to use as carrier oil
• A card (also keychain friendly) of reference for oil use
• A padded & sturdy bag that holds the EOs (not the carrier)
• The 100% guarantee

This is a handy little collection. As mentioned before, this makes a perfect gift to someone who already loves EOs and for someone new to the game. For instance, I've been letting my friend sample some of my oils and she is really interested in everything about them. She is ready to start ordering her own, but this is a good way for her to try 8 different oils before she commits. (But, uh, I won't be parting with this little item for now! Hahaha!)

I mentioned in my Amazon review that I originally wondered if the price was too high. I backed off of that idea as soon as I priced other bottles of the same size. The cost would be higher for these bought separately, plus it wouldn't include the case and chain. I haven't looked yet at any other keychain type cases, but I will update this with a comparison when I do.

5-star summary:

5 of 5 for concept (I'd give this part 10 stars!)
4.5 of 5 for oils selection (because of Eucalyptus)
5 of 5 for quality and fragrance
5 of 5 for pricing and offered guarantee

Peace
--Free


DISCLOSURE:

In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free or at a discount using AMZ Review Trader. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.

Ups and Downs of Product Reviews

I really love my little hobby of doing product review. I get to use and experiment with different essential oils, natural skin creams and butters, makeup, etc. My favorite items are those used in natural skin and hair care. It's a fun experience that is helping me to learn more and more about things I love.

There's not a whole lot that I don't love about doing these reviews. But there are a few irritating things about it.

When the process is bogged down

For most of the stuff I review, I've used Tomoson in the past few years. I've pretty much given up on SheSpeaks and Bzz Agent (Twitter parties is just not my thing), and the few other places I occasionally use get too bogged down in what I call their own bureaucrazy  and suck all the interest out of the process. (I have not been to SheSpeaks or BzzAgent, or some of these sites, for a while, so things might have changed.)

Tomoson will always be a favorite, but it's getting tedious because the businesses don't seem to recognize the impact of Google Plus. They rely too heavily on Facebook. Plus, I hate having to "Like" a business page just to get my review verified. That just doesn't feel honest (and I'll talk more about that in a moment).

Of the various sites that make it possible for reviewers and businesses to hook up, some are better at doing that than others.

Tomoson is great about staying mostly out of the way of its users. I like that they are there mostly to referee any problems a business or reviewer might have. Lately, though, it's as if businesses have gotten very slow at responding to reviewers who apply for products. My irritation with that is, they sure don't want the reviewer to be late posting photos and reviews. And, once again, there's the whole forced 'Liking' of a business or product...

Influenster would be good if I could figure out how to gain more favor over there. I've done a couple of promotions with them, but ~shrug~ haven't been over in a while and am in no hurry to go over there.

I think I've already mentioned here on the blog how SheSpeaks and BzzAgent lost me a long time ago. I don't know how people find so much time to sit around and do Twitter parties. I sure don't, and I don't even have a full-time job or a spouse to spend time on. Plus, those 2 sites (and Influenster, now that I think of it) are more focused on PR for recognized brands. I like the idea of spreading the word about the new and underpromoted, healthier alternatives to big brand items.

Crowdtap... Well, this one is a little hard for me to grasp, let alone try explaining here. I've gotten a couple of samples from them and coupons for things like sweetener and pantyliners. It requires quite a bit of time to rack up notice there. You have to go over and click on activities and surveys, and look at off-site links... I guess it's a good way to kill some time if you have it.


When a site is almost perfect

My new favorite site (which is going to be replacing Tomoson, maybe) is AMZ Review Trader (ART).

What I like most about ART is that there is a huge variety of items. Reviewers can sort through items by highest or lowest price, expiration of promotion, and newest promos. There's also a pretty decent Search function.

I also like that my individual 'dashboard' of requests is available. I can easily see what I've applied for and, if I want, cancel the application. It's all tied to my Amazon profile, which means that I don't have to fill out a bunch information for each and every item I want to review. (Tomoson's application process can be tedious like this, because businesses have so many choices for what they want verified - video or each of the more popular social media sites.)

So far, the one thing I do wish ART would do is to make the reviewer 'dashboard' better by adding different colors. As of now, I have to scroll through the list of my reviews to see which ones I've ordered/redeemed the code for. To be fair, I get an email when I get accepted for a promotion, but I still have to scroll the screen to find it. The color never changes. On the other hand, once you verify your review, it disappears from the dashboard.

When YOU get bogged down

I've done some downright goofy things when juggling a bunch of product reviews. I've tried to use the wrong coupon code for a product. I have used a coupon code correctly but, for some reason, accidentally cancelled the order. That one is a real pain in the butt mistake. Most times, you can never get the coupon code reset. I've had to email businesses and apologize for dropping the ball. One time, I even paid out of my own pocket. No sense in the business getting screwed over because I did something idiotic.

Because I have to really use a product to get a good feel for how someone else might like it, I can get behind. Most businesses want a product reviewed within a certain time period, which can be anywhere from a  week to 30 days. That's great if you're reviewing something that takes one use to test it. Not so great if it's something like a weight-loss product or other items that require time for results.  That's one reason I try sticking to things that I can get a good feel for within, at most, a couple of weeks. Also, I'm famous for updating my Amazon reviews. Thankfully, I haven't had to do that a lot.

When people don't trust you

I hear/read so many people say that they want to read a review from someone who "actually bought the product".

This is a peeve of mine when I feel it's directed at me, but it's also something I can relate to after I read some reviews.

I hate lazy reviewers. Whenever I read a glowing review that doesn't give any good specifics, I do an eye-roll. The same goes for reviews that bash a product in one line, no real reasons given.

When I do a review, I have time before I apply for the product (or while I'm waiting for it to be delivered) to research what the benefits are supposed to be. First of all, most businesses spell that out in general anyway. Second of all, I only apply for products that I have an interest in. If apply for hair stuff that is labeled or reputed to strengthen, grow, or in some way beautify the hair, I write the review to people who want all that from the product. Does it work, or doesn't it?

Because I have an interest in EOs, other oils and butters, I write aim my reviews at people who probably want to know the same things about the product as I do.

When I write a review, I try to be fair to the readers and to the business. If I think a product is trash, I will say that outright. If, on the other hand, I think that a product just doesn't work for me, but might work fine for someone else, I'll say that. That's only fair. There is no need to rip a business that, say makes hair tonic for people with long and fine hair, just because their product didn't work on my short and nappy hair.

Finally, here's the big thing: if I do give a business a review they might not love, all the can do is not send me anything else of theirs to review. I haven't really run into a problem with that. Matter of fact, I not only gave a negative review of one product, I warned other users to avoid it because it caused some hair loss in myself and my niece. Amazon pulled the product after, I guess, other complaints. Guess what, though? That company has  still offered me chances to review other products.

I have nothing to gain, nor do I have anything to lose, by being honest about negative aspects of a product. Not one thing. What can a business do? Not send me any of their other products? Fine. That's cool. But I haven't run into that.

If you want in on reviewing

Someone on Instagram recently asked how to go about getting started with product reviews. Here is basically what I told her (and am expanding on):

• Remember that you are someone explaining the ups and downs of a product or service to another person just like you. Tell them what you think you'd want to know before putting down money for something.
• Unless you have a HUGE social media following, or are famous, or can find some other way to pump up your importance, know that you are not going to get rich doing this. You will get to try a lot of stuff free or at a discount. I suggest you pick stuff that you can have an informed opinion about.
• Most of the sites I use to find products are tied, in some way or another, to Amazon. If you want to use one of these sites, go and review things you have already used. This is one way to figure out what kind of stuff you want to review. Also, this beefs up your Amazon profile so that businesses can tell how good you are at doing reviews. It's great practice. I started out just reviewing the things I bought for myself on Amazon. I didn't even think about beefing up my profile. 
• Read what other reviewers are writing. Anything I buy (or consider buying something) - whether online or in-store - I go over and read a ton of reviews. I tend to skip those don't give me much information. I don't want to know that something is "wonderful" or "awful", I want to know why. Reading other reviews will make you better at describing your own experiences with purchases.
• Since there are so many places to apply to review products, first decide where your personal social media influence is. I'm great with Twitter (but don't like the parties); I barely register on YouTube, plus I don't just love doing videos; I have this blog (thought it doesn't get thousands of hits a day); I really like Google Plus and Instagram; and, while I'm not crazy about using Facebook (and don't have much of a following outside family), it's a biggie with businesses. All this can help you decide where you want to go for products. SheSpeaks, like I mentioned, is great if you like Twitter parties. ART is great if you have a nice Amazon profiles (but not a blog); Tomoson varies, depending, since some businesses definitely appreciate YouTube videos.  Tomoson does feature business that only want Amazon reviews - if you don't mind not getting paid as well as receiving a product. I prefer not receiving money. It can get bothersome and it's not worth it in my personal situation.
• When you do get selected to review something, really put some work into using the product. And, most important, get the review done within a decent time period. Businesses count on you to uphold your end of the deal. They need that feedback and word-of-mouth so that people hear about their product.
• Another important thing to remember is that you have to not only do a "fair and honest" review for readers/potential customers, but you need to be just as fair and honest with the business. In the case where you are having a problem with a product, give the business a chance to resolve it. This works out well because, no matter what happens, you can then add some words to your review about that brand's customer service. People probably care about that only second to price.

Most of all, you have to enjoy what you're doing. That's so important. I started doing reviews at a time when I was first "disabled' from my usual line of work. For a long time, I was unwell enough (mentally and physically) to even want to leave my house. When I got better and started the process of vocational rehab, I needed something to do to keep myself active.  Now that I am MUCH better (and about to be going back to work, praise God), I just love doing reviews.

By the way, this is what a delivery looks like about once each month:

That photo doesn't include the other box I got earlier in the day. Since I get some stuff completely free and pay at a huge discount for others, I can tell you that today's delivery cost me about $8.50.

So, yeah. I really do enjoy getting stuff for free or at a discount in exchange for doing a review. Besides, there are a lot of items I've reviewed that I've bought for myself. I just like sharing the info and trends.

That's it. I hope that this was informative. If anyone has any good tea on other sites or things that need to be mentioned, be sure to let me know.

Peace
--Free