2021 Holiday Gift Guide
with Basil Bandwagon Natural Market
Happy Holidays! We have gifts for everyone on your list this holiday season – kids, parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, pets – you name it!
Category: Health and Beauty
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Give the Gift of Aromatherapy with Pranarom
Give the gift of aromatherapy – but with a personal touch ✨🎁 The thought of taking time to make something with your hands makes the idea of gift giving so much more special. Check out fun, simple DIY recipes featuring Pranarom organic aromatherapy products ❤️
Stock up on their products in any of our locations while they’re 20% off all December long!
DIY AROMATHERAPY CANDLE
Ingredients:
• 6 oz Glass Jar
• 7.5 oz. Beeswax
• 40-50 Drops of Essential Oils
• 1 WickInstructions:
1. Stick the wick to the bottom of jar using a little melted wax.
2. Hold wick up using two sticks tied together at each end, with your wick in the middle
3. Place beeswax in a double broiler on stovetop
4. Melt beeswax until completely dissolved
5. Remove from stove
6. Let cool slightly
7. Stir in essential oils
8. Pour into jar
9. Let cool*If layering the two waxes, follow the steps above but use half the amount of wax for each color. Pour the first color and let sit until set and then follow with the next color.
One thing to keep in mind when making candles with essential oils is that the fragrance is subtle. If you are looking for a stronger scent, you may want to diffuse your oils. Or better yet, a combination of the two. Who doesn’t love the beautiful scent of diffused oils while enjoying the flicker of a candle? A powerful relaxing combo indeed!Feel free to make it your own combinations and make sure to have some fun!
DIY Honey Bath
Ingredients:
• 1 Tablespoon Honey
• 3 Drops of Pranarom Essential Oil
• ¼-1 Cup of Pranarom HydrosolInstructions:
1. Add honey to a jar, add the essential oil and mix well. Then add hydrosol and mix until the honey has dissolved. Pour directly into your bath water.
Honey is a humectant, giving this combination a moisturizing effect. It also works as a dispersant for the essential oils (which is furthered by mixing with the hydrosol) so that it seamlessly integrates with the bath water.
This will make your skin feel SO soft and luxurious!
DIY Essential Oil Clay Diffuser
Ingredients:
• Airdry clay (they used Terracotta for an organic feel)
• Hemp Cording
• Wooden Beads (wide hole)
• Essential Oil (like Pranarom Zen diffusion blend)
• Rubber Stamp (or household items to make patterns)
• Circle Cutter
• Drinking Straw or Large Skewer (to make hole)
• Rolling Pin
Instructions:1. Roll out clay into a slab about ¼” thick. Stamp design into clay.
2. Cut out clay into circles and make hole at the top using a straw or skewer.
3. Set aside to dry for 24-48 hours, until fully hardened. Flip pieces occasionally to dry both sides.
4. Once dry, cut a piece of hemp cord approximately 18 inches and thread through hole.
5. Add beads and tie a knot at the top of your last bead.
6. Add an additional knot at the end of the two pieces of cord.
7. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil and enjoy the beautiful aroma.
You can make these as elaborate as you want. Add some metal embellishments, join a couple shapes together, etc. This diffuser can be hung in a car, closet, or anywhere you want to aromatize your space.
DIY Valencia Bath Salts
Ingredients:
• 1 Cup Epsom Salts
• ¼ Cup Coarse Sea Salt
• 7 Drops of Valencia Diffusion Blend
• Zest of 1 OrangeInstructions:
1. In a medium-sized glass mixing bowl, add sea salt and Epsom salt. Do not use plastic (the essential oils will absorb into the bowl).
2. Mix the salts until well combined.
3. Add essential oils and mix again.
4. Store in an airtight glass container until ready to use.
5. When ready, add to bath and enjoy!
DIY Oh So Luxurious Skincare Roller
Ingredients:
10 Drops of Pranarom Frankincense Essential Oil
10 Drops of Lavender Essential Oil
5 Drops of Helichrysum Essential Oil
Pranarom Rosehip Extra Virgin Plant Oil (to fill)
Roller Bottle
Instructions:1. Add essential oils to a roller bottle. Fill the remainder of the bottle with Rosehip oil and voila!
2. Apply to directly to dry skin or mix with your favorite moisturizer for some extra hydration.These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any diseases.
Resources:
http://veriditasblog.blogspot.com/2021/11/handmade-for-holidays.html
http://veriditasblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/aromatherapy-candle-diy.html
http://veriditasblog.blogspot.com/2021/01/new-destination-diffusion-blends-diy.html
https://www.instagram.com/p/CW_IO1uMgPX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://basilbandwagon.com/2020/12/08/peace-love-joy-with-pranarom/
https://basilbandwagon.com/2021/04/06/plant-beautiful-skincare-thanks-to-pranarom/
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DIY Headquarters with Wyndmere Naturals!
Whether you’re looking to revamp your skincare routine (maybe a new, glowing face mask), mix up your natural cleaning products (you can never go wrong with hand sanitizer) or are shopping early for holiday gifts, Wyndmere Naturals is here to help! Keep scrolling for new DIY recipes – featuring products you can find at Basil Bandwagon Natural Market today.
Have you ever wondered why they package their essential oils in cobalt blue bottles? It’s because the colored bottles help keep out deteriorating sunlight which helps allow each product to stay fresh longer!
ALL Wyndmere Naturals products are 20% off!
Sale ends November 30th, 2021.
References:
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Don’t Let Flu Season SCARE You!
Don’t Let Flu Season SCARE You
Boiron is here to help!
‘Tis the season to keep your medicine cabinet stocked with products that help you and your family feel well and stay healthy. Thankfully, Boiron’s homeopathic medicines do just the trick! Made with natural, non-drowsy ingredients, you will feel the relief day and night with multi-symptom and targeted solutions for the whole family. Want to know more information about some of their cold and flu relief products? Keep reading – and who knows, you might just find additional tips from Boiron themself!
Wherever You Go, Take Oscillo!
Oscillococcinum® (also known as Oscillo) works best when taken at the first sign of flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue, headache, body aches, chills and fever.
For everyone ages 2 & up, non-drowsy Oscillococcinum® has been shown in clinical studies to help reduce both the duration and the severity of flu-like symptoms.
They Have Kid-Friendly Options Too!
Multi-symptom formulas help target more than just your runny nose or cough! Their Chestal® line is available in easy on-the-go meltaway pellets and sweet-tasting syrups.
Medicine Cabinet Must Haves
Their ThroatCalm®, ColdCalm® and SinusCalm® products are specifically designed to help relieve specific symptoms at the onset, established and resolution stages of the common cold.
BOO!
Don’t be scared, you found Boiron’s additional tips to help keep you healthy this cold & flu season.
Photo Courtesy of Boiron’s Instagram 
Photo Courtesy of Boiron’s Instagram For more information about Boiron and their products, please visit: https://www.boironusa.com/
*Claims based on traditional homeopathic practice, not accepted medical evidence. Not FDA evaluated.
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“Spring” into a Better Skincare Routine with evanhealy
Meet evanhealy
evanhealy is a holistic skin care line created and formulated to work with the rhythms and physiology of the body, and to support long-term skin health and radiance.
Holistic skin + body + cosmetics that go beyond organic
Whole plant oils, waters and butters, as well as earthen clays, are our tools and allies. They source them directly from small family farms, women’s co-operatives and co-operative villages around the world.
Inspired by ancient beauty practices, nature and its cycles, ayurveda, homeopathy and traditional western herbalism, their approach is a fusion of modalities centered around the goal of realigning skin with its highest potential and awakening its innate resilient, adaptable nature.
The act of engaging in truly holistic beauty is an intimate one and through it we are working to transform, evolve, and reshape the modern perception of beauty, as well as our individual relationships with our skin and ourselves.
Daily Spring Skin Ritual
Cleanse
- Begin by moistening your skin with three to four splashes of warm water.
- Mix one pump of cleanser with a couple dribbles of warm water to dilute. Blend in your palms and then massage all over the skin, working in upward circular motions.
- Rinse with cool water and pat dry.
Hydrate & Nourish
- After cleansing, saturate your face with Rose Geranium HydroSoul.
- In the palm of your hand, combine one to three pumps of Neem Immortelle Purifying Infusion with a couple of sprays of the HydroSoul. Blend the two together, then gently and slowly press the warmed emulsion into your skin.
- Mist face with HydroSol and press in again
Are you a visual person? Check out their YouTube page for how-to’s, product reviews, and more! https://www.youtube.com/c/evanhealyskin/videos
Interested? Purchase any of their products for 20% OFF before this sale expires May 31st, 2021! Available in-store or online!
Resources:
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Plant Beautiful Skincare Thanks To Pranarom
Plant Beautiful Skincare – A Holistic Experience for Mind & Body
Essential oils and beauty go together like peanut butter and jelly, grilled cheese and tomato soup, April showers and May flowers… well you get the point. According to Pranarom’s National Educator, Amy Galper, B.A. MA. Certified Aromatherapist, “a great clean beauty facial care product needs to nourish us in 3 ways: physically, emotionally and psycho-spiritually. Applying product to our faces is a deeply personal experience, and can help us be more present, foster self-reflection and confidence, and just make us feel really good.” And we all could use more of that!
Simple. Effective. 100% Organic.
Your skincare routine just got easier! Here are a few tips and suggestions for using Pranarom’s Plant Beautiful skincare and creating your own beauty ritual to nourish your skin and soul:
- Try cleansing your face with oil, rather than soap, and take note of how gently this lifts away dirt and grime without stripping your skin. The Pure Facial Cleansing Oil is perfect for this, as it’s easy to use and leaves a non-greasy feeling after rinsing.
- Use floral waters to tone and soothe sensitivity. After cleansing and patting your face dry, try misting with one of Pranarom’s Facial Mists – beautiful blends of a few different hydrosols and soothing aloe vera. They feel light and clean while imparting nuanced aromas that immediately calm both mind and skin.
- After cleansing and toning, feed the skin with one of the deeply nutritive Treatment Moisture Oils, massaging gently for best results.
- Pay attention to the scent of the essential oils and how well they partner and align with the plant oils, and how the scent makes you feel.
Stock up on your favorite products before their 20% off sale ends 4/30/2021!
Looking for more unique products to add to your every day routines?
Check out these great DIY recipes below!
DIY Calming Meditation Spray
Set the perfect atmosphere to get yourself ready for your daily skincare routine! This simple DIY room spray is a relaxing blend for de-stressing and calming the mind.
Ingredients
– 1 oz. spray bottle
– 10 drops of Pranarom Bergamot essential oil
– 6 drops of Pranarom Lavender essential oil
– 4 teaspoons witch hazel
– 4 teaspoons distilled water
Method
1. Mix witch hazel and distilled water in a glass pourable container. Add essential oils. Mix until oils are well incorporated. Pour into spray bottle. Voila! Relax into your day.
Luxurious DIY Roller
Apply directly to dry skin or mix with your favorite moisturizer for some extra hydration – the perfect addition all year-round!
Ingredients
– 8 ml. roller bottle
– 10 drops of Pranarom Frankincense essential oil
– 10 drops of Pranarom Lavender essential oil
– 5 drops of Pranarom Helichrysum essential oil
– Pranarom Rosehip Extra Virgin Plant Oil (to fill)
Method
1. Add essential oils to a roller bottle. Fill the remainder of the bottle with Rosehip oil and voila!
DIY Immune Boosting Foot Roller
Does your immune system need a little boost? Made with their immune boosting wellness formula of Lavender, Eucalyptus radiata, and tea tree, this kid friendly recipe is great to keep on hand (or foot!)
Ingredients
– 8 ml. roller bottle
– 30 drops of Pranarom Immunity Boost essential oil blend
– Jojoba Oil (to fill)
Method
1. Add essential oil to a roller bottle. Fill the remainder of the bottle with Jojoba oil. Rub on bottoms of feet or pulse points for an extra Immunity Boost!
Resources:
http://veriditasblog.blogspot.com/2020/01/1.html
https://pranarom.us/products/plant-beautiful-skincare/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNAr8hxgK65/
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Peace, Love & Joy with Pranarom
Who Are They?
As experts in Scientific Aromatherapy, Pranarom safely harnesses the active properties of plants for vibrant health and wellness.
“Some see small amber bottles, we see a world of plants.” – Pranarom
Pranarom products can be found in many scents, sizes, & forms – and 100% of their products are sustainable and certified organic by ECOCERT ICO.
Think about this:
• 2,000 pounds of lavender flowers = one gallon of lavender oil
• 2,000 pounds of oranges = 10 gallons of orange oil
• 5.5 million roses = 1 liter of rose oil (that’s 30 rosebuds in EACH DROP)
Now that’s a lot of farming needed! Thankfully, Pranarom practices organic farming in order to keep plant life in its most natural state, from the farm to your home.
“Essential oils, when harvested and produced organically, have the ability to play a vital role in our physical well being.” – Pranarom
Check out the plant-tastic variety of products we carry from Pranarom below!
Single Note Essential Oils
Interested in organic essential oils but unsure of where to start? Look no further! You can incorporate these oils into your everyday routine – with a diffuser, enjoy them aromatically, apply topically, and you can even add them into your home cleaning & do-it-yourself recipes.
Wellness Formula Essential Oils
Their wellness blend essential oils have the perfect blend of single note essential oils to help meet the needs of you and your family. With multiple ways to use them, they’re the perfect addition to you essential oil collection.
Aromatic Hydrosols
Looking to improve your beauty care routine for your unique skin type? These gentle hydrosols provide botanical hydration and toning with healing benefits for face, skin and hair. The pure plant essences they contain are suspended in water from the steam distillation of essential oils.
Virgin Plant Oils
Cold pressed and unrefined from organically grown plants, these beauty oils can be used to moisturize skin, deeply condition hair, soften cuticles, remove makeup, and more! Use them on their own, or infuse with essential oils for additional, targeted benefits.
Organic Perfumes
Smell like fresh florals, balancing woods, or sparkling citrus with the finest aromatic botanicals – in roll-on form!
Diffusion Essential Oil Blends
These custom artisanal essential oil blends feature 3 note scales – top notes, heart notes and base notes to help soothe, energize or lift your emotions!
Stock up on their products in any of our locations while they’re 20% off all December long!
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any diseases.
References:
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Shop Local This Holiday Season with Third Child Wellness Boutique!
Their story begins with two strong-willed, creative women…
☑ Women-Owned
☑ Small Business
☑ Locally Made in Somerville, NJ
☑ Made in Small Batches
☑ 100% Natural Skin Care
You don’t often see a mother in-law/daughter in-law team of entrepreneurs like this one. Theresa was a stay-at-home mom with a background in health and nutrition. Shirley was newly retired and looking for something meaningful to do with her extra time. After years of working for the man, Shirley decided it would be more fun to work for herself. Together, in 2018, this mother/daughter in-law duo decided to take on the world of natural skin care products.
Now, about making the world a better place. Theresa and Shirley care deeply about their community. They’ve decided to pay it forward by donating 5% of all profits to the following organizations: Steps Together, the ACLU and The Trevor Project.
Shirley and Theresa Bonner love their planet and their community. They are proud to have their on-line and wholesale business based in Somerville, NJ and have taken every opportunity to help make Somerville and the world, a better place to live.
‘Nothing Hidden. Just pure love for your skin.’
All of Third Child Wellness Boutique products are free of parabens, perfumes, phthalates, SLS and petrolatum.
Check out some of their NATURAL skin care products below ↴
Dry Skin?
All of their skin repair butters can be used on lips, hands, feet, elbows arms, legs, knees, necks, tummies, shoulders, backs and any other body part you can think of. People with thick, curly hair can use it to add shine and control! It is, however, for external use only.
Available: Dude, Relax; Lumberjacked; Nagmasté; Sageing Grace; Sunny G
Achy Joints?
This massage oil blend is amazing for easing every day aches and pains. They, of course, use organic avocado oil as a base for their spicy warming massage blend.
Available: Ooo, Spicy
Itchy Beard?
Their handmade, small batch beard oils are a one-of-a-kind experience for the facial hair wearing humans out there. All of their beard oils are made with organic avocado oil that is cold-infused with organic, fair-trade coffee grounds. It is nourishing, smooth and smells so good on those course beards, side burns and mustaches! Take care of itchy skin and ingrown hair while looking and smelling amazing all day long.
Available: Lumberjacked; Americano
Seeing Spots?
Espress Yo inner beauty on the outside! Their handmade coffee oil is truly amazing for evening out skin tone as well as reducing the appearance of fine lines and age spots. Their use organic avocado oil to infuse their coffee oil skin treatment, and add a grapefruit or lavender essential oil for a light, lovely scent.
Available: Espress Yo-Self (Grapefruit); Espress Yo-Self (Lavender)
Funky Smell?
Big sniff… hold it… ahhh… their aromatherapy room and body sprays freshen your home or office space anytime you need it. Because their sprays are pure and natural, you can spray them directly onto your skin to refresh yourself anytime, anyplace.
Available: Chill-Ax; Get Yo Zeez; Lumberjacked; Sageing Grace; Yowee Zowee
Enjoy Long Showers?
Love a great bath bomb, but don’t have a tub? No time for candles and bubbles? Treat yourself to an aromatherapy sauna session in your own shower. Simply place one of their beautifully scented steamers on the floor of your shower and let the water do the rest.
Available: Chill-Ax; Sageing Grace; Yowee Zowee
Sensitive Pits?
Their soft, spreadable natural deodorant won’t irritate your delicate underarm skin or clog pores. They use only gently, pure ingredients to keep you smelling fresh and spicy all day long.
Available: New Spice
While you’re out getting your holiday shopping done this season, remember to #ShopSmall & #ShopLocal! By shopping at your favorite local natural market (like us!), you are supporting families who started a small business to help make the world a little bit better & brighter!
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Easy Homemade Face Mask for Glowing Skin
Easy Homemade Face Mask for Glowing Skin
with Christine Waltermyer
Christine Waltermyer is a local Wellness Chef, private chef to celebrities, published cookbook author and founder of the Natural Kitchen Cooking School, which offers an online Plant-Based Cooking Program. She also loves shopping at Basil Bandwagon! Visit naturalkitchenschool.com to get your FREE copy of her cookbook, “7 Days of Deliciousness.”
Mango Avocado Face Mask
Makes enough for 4 applications
Ingredients
2 teaspoons fresh aloe vera pulp or store-bought aloe vera gel intended for topical use
2 teaspoons unrefined coconut oil
1 tablespoon fresh avocado
1 tablespoon fresh mango
Optional: 2 drops Roman Chamomile Essential Oil (I used Wyndmere brand)
Method
1. Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mash everything together into as smooth consistency as possible. Apply 1 tablespoon all over your face and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse off with cool water.
Thank you to Christine Waltermyer and the Natural Kitchen Cooking School for working with us to help promote healthy, nutritious meals and products that are affordable, full of nutrients, and simple to make at home!
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DIY Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas with Christine Waltermyer
DIY Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas
with Christine Waltermyer
Christine Waltermyer is a local Wellness Chef, private chef to celebrities, published cookbook author and founder of the Natural Kitchen Cooking School, which offers an online Plant-Based Cooking Program. She also loves shopping at Basil Bandwagon! Visit naturalkitchenschool.com to get your FREE copy of her cookbook, “7 Days of Deliciousness.”
Vegan White Chocolate Bark
with dried cranberries
Makes 16 Hearts
Ingredients
6 oz Sunfood organic cacao butter, melted
⅓ cup vegan vanilla protein powder
2 tablespoons dried cranberries (sugar free if possible)
2 tablespoons hemp hearts
2 tablespoons chopped goji berries
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
A few drops – ½ teaspoon SweetLeaf Sweet Drops Vanilla Creme Sweetener
Equipment: Silicone heart-shaped molds (or you can just make bark in an 8 x 8-inch pan lined with parchment paper), pretty boxes for packaging
Method
1. Heat an inch of water in a saucepan. Place a metal bowl over it. Add the cacao and heat until melted.
2. Add the protein powder, vanilla, sea salt, and stevia drops. Whisk to blend.
3. Working quickly, use an immersion blender to blend smooth.
4. Pour into silicone molds or an 8 x 8-inch dish lined with parchment paper.
5. Sprinkle the hemp hearts, dried cranberries and chopped goji berries across the tops.
6. Place in the refrigerator to set for 2 to 4 hours.
7. Carefully release the chilled hearts from the mold (or break the bark into random pieces). Place the chocolate in gift box of choice. The white chocolate will keep at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Or you can store in the refrigerator for a firmer texture.
Homemade Natural Bath Bombs
with Essential Oils
Makes 2 Medium Size Bath Bombs
Ingredients
½ cup baking soda
¼ cup organic cornstarch
¼ cup epsom salts
¼ teaspoon Decorative Food Colors from Nature (color of choice) or other natural powdered food coloring
2 ½ teaspoons jojoba oil (or castor oil, almond oil or melted coconut oil)
½ teaspoon water
½ teaspoon essential oil of your choice (lemon, grapefruit, lavender, etc.)
¼ cup citric acid
Equipment: Bath bomb mold
Method
1. In a medium size bowl, combine the baking soda, cornstarch, epsom salts, and food coloring. Whisk to blend.
2. In a small glass jar, combine the jojoba oil, water, and essential oil. Place the lid on the jar and shake well. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients in the bowl. It should be the consistency of slightly wet, crumbly beach sand. It should stick together and you should be able to form a small ball with it. If it seems too dry, you can add a few drops more of the jojoba oil, just enough to achieve the right consistency.
3. Add the citric acid, working it in quickly.
4. Using a bath bomb mold, scoop up a generous amount of the bath bomb mixture and press the two halves of the mold together. Press the two halves together firmly, then lightly tap the mold to release it. Place the finished bath bomb on a plastic tray lined with parchment paper.
Herb-Infused Massage Oil
Ingredients
4 or 5 sprigs of your favorite dried herb such as rosemary or lavender
Enough almond oil combined with a neutral oil like avocado oil to fill a medium size glass jar
6 drops essential oil such as clary sage, rosemary or lavender
Equipment: A pretty gift bottle and ribbon
Method
1. Fill a medium size glass jar with the oil. Place the dried herbs in the oil. Cover the jar and place in a cool, dark place for 2 to 4 weeks. Strain out the oil, removing the herbs, and pour the oil into the gift bottle, adding 1-2 new sprigs of the dried herb. At this point you can add a few drops of essential oil such as clary sage. Place the lid on the bottle and add some ribbon for the perfect Valentine’s gift!
Thank you to Christine Waltermyer and the Natural Kitchen Cooking School for working with us to help promote healthy, nutritious meals and products that are affordable, full of nutrients, and simple to make at home!
