This article was in collaboration with a partner, the recipe is one of my own creation.
My first blog ever was Rebel Crunch Mama.
I started it on the advice of the talk therapist who was helping me through some pretty dark times due to postpartum depression.
Why Rebel Crunch Mama?
Well, because I’m kinda crunchy, but not really. There are things I’m cool with being crunchy about, and then things I’m cool with embracing science for. For instance, I’ve used essential oils , teas, and tinctures since Styles was born in 2001, I cloth diapered Madilyn and Grady, I’m a breastfeeding advocate, and I’m all about using the most natural skin and body care products, like Tom’s of Maine , as often as possible.
On the other hand, my kids are vaccinated, I use plastic water bottles, I medicate myself and my son for ADHD, and I drive an SUV. A fuel-efficient SUV, but an SUV nonetheless.
My tagline for that old blog was, “Crunchy as I Wanna Be”, and that basically still reigns supreme in my life.
I can’t hang with the über crunchy moms because they might squirt breast milk in my eye for vaccinating or using fluoride in my toothpaste.
Then there are the moms who shake their chemical-laden weight loss shakes in my face when I tell them how awesome essential oils and organic food are.
I have to carefully align myself among the parents who celebrate Earth Day with their kids by driving their SUVs to the EO Biophilia center in Freeport, FL to allow their kids to do fun Earth Day crafts and learn about the importance of carbon footprint awareness.
For the most part, I have tried to eliminate chemicals from our lives as much as possible. We don’t eat anything with artificial sweeteners in them, I use naturally-derived products to clean our home, we eat organic and grass-fed where possible, and we use natural hygiene products like Tom’s of Maine deodorant and toothpaste.
I think it’s important to teach your children from a young age the importance of living green. I want my children to live effortlessly green. If they make wise choices from the beginning without having to think about it, I’ve done my job.
We often reuse things around the house (some people call this hoarding, I call it reusing). The littering talk happens quite often here.
We now live in Florida’s panhandle in a thriving ecosystem. We have the pleasure of sharing sand with nesting sea turtles, the water with shy sharks, and the waves with playful dolphins. The Gulf of Mexico is teeming with sea life that provides us abundantly with food.
It is important to me that I teach my children how one little action, like leaving a plastic bag lying on the beach, can affect an entire ecosystem. We are lucky to live in one of two places in the world – THE WORLD – where coastal dune lakes exist. The other place is in Australia. I am proud of the ecology in this area and I want my children to grow up respecting it the way I was taught to respect Alaskan ecology .
I love Tom’s of Maine and have been a loyal customer for years. I like that I can choose to use fluoride-free toothpaste without having to sacrifice the whitening aspect, ‘cuz Lord knows, mama likes to drink coffee! I love that my kids love the Tom’s of Maine Silly Strawberry™ toothpaste and that I don’t have to beg them to brush their teeth twice a day.
Having a gorgeous smile goes beyond having healthy, white teeth. You have to go to the dentist regularly (let’s please not talk about the fact that I just went for the first time in 8 years), you have to stay hydrated, and you have to take care of your lips too. Nobody likes a dry lip.
My nutrition change means I can’t use the sugar scrubs I’ve always used on my lips. The sugar gets into my mouth, and while a granule here or there might not hurt me, it leaves me wanting like a desperate housewife reading 50 Shades of Toothpaste.
I’ve been wanting to create a new lip scrub made out of leftover coffee grounds and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. The coarse coffee grounds that we use in our coffee press are perfect for scrubbing dead skin off of my lips, coconut oil naturally moisturizes them, and a hint of peppermint essential oil leaves my lips feeling fuller and tingly. Talk about having a kissable kisser! I mixed the three ingredients up in a 3:1 ratio with just a few drops of peppermint EO, and put it all in an old eye cream pot (see? Reusing, not hoarding!).
So what are the steps you need to take for a gorgeous smile?
Follow these simple tricks below, then make your own lip scrub with the recipe at the bottom of the post. Happy kissing!
Now my lips match my teeth and are ready for my pouty red lip look.
To make your own caffeinated, tingly, pepperminty lip scrub, follow this super simple recipe:
Peppermint Cafe au Lait Lip Scrub
Ingredients
- Coconut Oil
- Coffee Grounds
- Peppermint Essential Oil
Steps
- Mix together 1 part Coconut oil to 3 parts Coffee Grounds. I used 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil and 1-1/2 coffee grounds for a small pot. Stir together until well combined. Warm coconut oil will make this easier to mix.
- Drop in 2-3 drops of high quality peppermint essential oil and stir to combine. Amount needed will depend on size of batch.
- Place in air-tight pot. Keep in your refrigerator and use as needed for plump, moist lips.
Lora says
I’ve never thought to exfoliate my lips before! Great idea–thanks for sharing!
Carrie @huppiemama says
I love that you teach your children so much about the ecology of Florida. We are fortunate to live in a place that is unique – we are able to play outdoors in our short sleeves and flip-flops year-round, watch the lizards scurry around, discover beautiful flowers, etc. Most kids don’t get to experience that!
Oh, and the lip scrub? Pure genius!