Who wouldn’t want to be happier? Between social media, the internet and television, we’re constantly bombarded with negativity that makes it hard to stay joyful. We also push ourselves so hard that there never seems to be any time to take a break. Whatever the reason, many people wish they were happier. While there are many lifestyle changes you can make, there are also essential oils that can be very beneficial. Let’s take a closer look at essential oil blends for happiness.

Improve your mood. Create your own blend from these oils:

Orange

It is almost impossible to not smile when you smell orange oil. It’s an invigorating scent that lifts the spirits and energy levels. You can also use grapefruit and lime oils – citrus oils are a mood booster.

Caraway

With a spicy slightly sweet scent, caraway promotes happiness by soothing the nerves and encouraging positive thoughts. The scent also gives you a boost of energy.

Lavender

Those dealing with depression can greatly benefit from the calming effects of lavender oil. Lavender calms while also lifting the spirits.

Lemon

Is another great oil that energizes the mind and promotes positivity. (You can find it in our body wash.)

Bergamot

There are times when anger, resentment, and other ill feelings can prevent us from being happy. Bergamot oil allows us to let go of those negative feelings.

Rosemary

Not only is the scent of rosemary essential oil absolutely amazing but it has anti-depressant properties. Combining rosemary with lemon oil would be a wonderful blend.

Geranium

With a fragrance similar to rose, geranium oil provides a host of benefits. Not only does it calm, but it also uplifts and strengthens. If you happen to be suffering from mood swings due to menopause, geranium oil is very beneficial. (You can find it in our rollerball perfume, Soar.) You can create your own blend of oils. The important thing is to find a scent you enjoy. Blend the oils so that you can create a blend with beneficial properties. Essential oil blends can be used with a diffuser, in beauty products, or simply with a carrier oil. If you’re using essential oils with a carrier oil on the skin, remember to always do a spot check. You want to make sure you don’t have a reaction to any of the oils before using on a regular basis. We all go through moments of unhappiness. However, if you are dealing with depression on a regular basis, you should consult a professional who can help. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Or check out our natural bath and body line!

Did you know that there is power in color? It’s true. Look at fast food chains and you’ll see the color red used frequently. The reason is that this color is said to stimulate the appetite. But what about other moods and feelings? Can colors relax you? Go to the spa and you'll noticed a muted color scheme. There are a number of colors that can ease anxiety and make us feel calmer. If you're looking to redecorate to promote a sense of well-being, we've gathered up some relaxing color schemes to help you decide which would best suit you.

Which Colors Promote Relaxation?

You can use any of the colors from this list to create a relaxing color scheme. One tip to keep in mind is the 60/30/10 rule. This rule creates balance in your room. Sixty-percent of the color scheme will be the main color (wall color). Thirty-percent is the secondary color (curtains, bedding, etc.). The last is the accent color which should make up 10% of the room (accessories).

Relaxing Room Colors:

Blue

Just like the ocean encourages relaxation, so does the color blue. Looking at the color can reduce heart rate, lower blood pressure, and calm anxiety. You want to choose a soft shade of blue.

Green

Nature calms many of us. That’s why the color is great in a relaxing color scheme. Opt for soft shades, although this green color scheme above is also very calming.

 

Pink

Soft pinks can work in any room and offer a sense of tranquility, especially among other muted colors. 

Violet

This color makes a wonderful accent color. Violet makes us feel a sense of peace and boosts inner strength.

Grey

Grey is such a wonderful color in a relaxing color scheme. This makes a wonderful main color for your walls. The color is soothing and is wonderful paired with blue as a secondary color. You can add other secondary or accent colors to your room. The key is to create a room that makes you feel relaxed.

How to Create a Relaxing Space:

Now that you have your color scheme in mind. You want to think about how you can turn your space in a relaxing space. Here are some tips to create a zen experience.

1. Remove the clutter. You want to make sure your space is free of clutter. Clutter creates feelings of stress. Go through and purge everything you don’t need.

2. Add a plant. Even if the plant is plastic, having a piece of greenery in your space can make you feel a sense of peace.

3. Bring a water fixture into the room. The sound of running water is so relaxing. You can find indoor fountains for as little as $5 in some discount stores.

4. Create a place for everything. When you have a spot for everything, it’s much easier to keep your room organized. When your room is organized, it’s more relaxing.

5. Use a diffuser. An ultrasonic diffuser allows you to enjoy the fragrance and properties of essential oils. Avoid heated diffusers as these can alter the chemical composition of the oils. Lavender is an awesome option for relaxing.

Colors have such an impact in our lives. Harness that power and create a relaxing color scheme so that you can naturally reduce stress levels. 

Millions of Americans are walking around with at least some level of stress. While stress has become more and more common in today’s lifestyle, one thing remains the same. Stress can negatively affect your health. High blood pressure, headaches, sleep changes, muscle pain and tension, and digestive issues can all be caused by stress. Chances are you’re reading this post because you’re currently dealing with stress. You’re not alone. Many people find stress hard to handle. One thing you may not have considered is the power of essential oil blends for stress relief. Let’s take a closer look.

Essential Oils to Use for Stress Relief

You can blend any of these oils to create your own blend. The important thing is to find a blend that you enjoy the fragrance of so that you can reap the benefits of the oils without hating the scent. Lavender – Lavender is one of the most recommended oils when it comes to stress relief. The scent is soothing, but the properties of the oil actually help support the nervous system. This can help reduce the feelings of anxiety that come with stress. If stress causes you to lose sleep, consider using lavender oil before bedtime. You can even create a lavender spray using equal parts rubbing alcohol and water along with lavender oil. Spray your pillow 15 to 20 minutes before bed to allow your pillow to dry before laying down. Ylang Ylang – Ylang ylang works to calm the nervous system and reduce cortisol levels. Not only that, but the oil also replaces the feelings of anxiety with feelings of optimism and positivity. Ylang ylang is popping up more and more in body washes, lotions, and other skin products to make it easier to reap the benefits. Bergamot – Bergamot oil can also help reduce stress. It is recommended to blend the oil with lavender oil to create a stress relief blend. One thing to keep in mind is that exposure to the sun when using bergamot can cause a reaction. It is best to use the oil in the evening and not be in the sun for 12 hours after. Chamomile – Chamomile is well known for it’s sleep inducing properties. The oil helps remove feelings of stress and replaces them with feelings of peace. Do not use this essential oil if you are allergic to ragweed. Vetiver – Vetiver should be considered in a stress relief blend for serious stress. The oil is often used to help trauma patients. It also helps with panic attacks, jitters, and hypersensitivity. You will feel a sense of tranquility when using this oil. Rose – Rose oil is, to many, hands down the most effective essential oil for dealing with stress. It is recommended to use it in aromatherapy situations. An equal blend of rose, lavender, and bergamot oil will greatly increase the stress reducing effects of the rose oil. Smell each essential oil and create a blend that smells good to you. You can use skin products that have essential oils. You can use a diffuser. You can even apply the oils to the skin once mixed with a carrier oil. Always test oils on your skin before applying heavily. There can be allergic reactions. Also be careful of essential oil use around pets who may be sensitive to the scents. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Or check out our natural bath and body line!

We have all experienced the infamous afternoon slump. Your eyelids are barely able to stay open, and you have been eyeing that next cup of coffee for easily an hour. At this point, you would even consider one of those energy drinks to give you a little pick-me-up to get you through the day. While I am all for a delicious cup of coffee, sugar or caffeine will not help you get your energy back to make it through the rest of the day. Whether you have been in a slump for days, weeks, or just during the afternoon, here are some simple tips to help you get your energy back:

Healthy Snacks = Energy

If you work in an office, avoid the vending machine at all costs. That chocolate bar may be calling your name, but it's pure trickery I tell you. Refined or high fructose sugar-laden snacks may give you an initial boost, but that energy runs out faster, making that energy dive feel even worse. Fruit's mixture of natural sugars work at an even keel helping you to avoid the ups and downs energy. Eating a protein-packed lunch will also help you to avoid that afternoon crash as protein takes longer to break down in the body.  Check out post regarding lowering your A1c, which is chock full of info on the right way to eat.

Beauty Sleep is Essential

OK, this is a no-brainer. If you don't get enough sleep, you will just be plain tired. Maybe you are a creative like I am, and your brain is running full speed late into the night preventing you from slumber. I've had to learn that less sleep will mean my creative brain will work sluggishly the next day and less than 7 hours of rest also packs on the pounds. It's just not worth that extra hour or two of staying awake. Put down the phone, stay away from your computer, turn down the lights in your living room and get cozy on the couch. I guarantee you'll relax a lot faster and thank yourself in the morning. (Follow these sleep tips, too.)

Get a Move On

If you work at a sedentary job, make sure you are getting up and moving around regularly throughout the day. Park further away in the lot to add more steps to your walk. Walk the parking lot at lunch. Use a standing desk (they make kits that fit right on your regular desk without any installation needed.) You don’t have to do a full-blown Jillian Michaels Style workout each day, but you need to get up and get your circulation going.

Light It Up

Ditch the blinds in your home and opt for black out curtains that you can slide open each morning, allowing for more natural light to come through. Sunlight naturally energizes you. If you work in an office, try to take breaks and lunch outdoors or in an area of the building with more windows. This is even more important during the Fall and Winter when Season Affective Disorder occurs due to the reduced amount of daylight.

Elevate with Music

Pop in your earbuds or, if you work from your home office, put Alexa on full blast. Create a playlist full of heart pumping songs that is sure to get you tapping your feet and lights that fire back up in your mind. So you don't need energy drinks or candy to give yourself an afternoon boost, instead try to make some adjustments with a little planning and healthy eating and you'll feel immediate results. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Or check out our natural bath and body line!

There are so many stressors in our daily lives. From work, life at home, to even daily life, we are constantly bombarded with stress. Over time, all these little stressors can start to add up!

10 little habits to help relieve stress:

Read a book

Sometimes it can be nice to step outside of all the things going on in our lives and get lost in a good book. When choosing a book, look for something that is fiction or a book you can envelop your entire attention.

Get moving

Exercising at least 30 minutes every day can not only help reduce stress, but help release endorphins to boost your mood. Take a fitness class or go for a run, if you don’t have time to leave the house, look on YouTube for a good workout you can do from home. (I personally love Rebecca Louise.) Another great way to move your body, but also reduce stress is with yoga. I attend a Yin Yoga class once a week and this has made such a difference in my life. (It also helped with reducing pain.)

Write it down

If you have a lot on your mind that is causing you stress, write it down. Sometimes journaling can help to see all your thoughts or starting a to-do list on paper can help you start prioritizing and get better organized.

Eat a healthier diet

Sometimes the reason we feel so bad is because of what we’re putting in our bodies. Junk food or unhealthy food can affect our overall mood and make us feel less than stellar. Fruits and veggies will do the trick to getting you back on track. Read: Recipes with Vitamin C and Zinc

Do some deep breathing

If you are stressed out, take a moment to do some deep breathing. Simple breathing cannot only help you relax and calm down but also help you refocus. A great app to do this with is Calm. I also personally use Insight Timer (there is both a free and paid version) to help me fall into a more restful, deep sleep at night. This small change for me, made a big difference.

Do a quick declutter

If you are stressed or feeling stressed in your home, it might be that you have too much stuff. Sometimes the best thing you can do is remove the clutter and sort through it, and better still, donate what you no longer need.

Learn to say no

Having too much on your plate can cause stress, and not everything requires our attention. Learning to say no can help you not only have more free time, but keep you from having a full to-do list all the time. Amen to that!

Unplug every now and then

You don’t have to completely power down your phone, but you do need to put it down from time to time. Let the outside world wait for a little while and unplug when you can. Aim for an hour of unplugged time per day, usually leading up before bed is a good time. (Which gives you the opportunity to incorporate tip #1.)

Go for a walk

Even if it’s just around the block, getting out for a walk can be a great way to reduce stress and help you feel better. If you can, try and incorporate a daily walk into your daily schedule. Nature is good for the soul. Read: Why Nature is Good for Your Mental Health

Learn to let things go

There are so many things out of our control. You can’t change everything, and there will be plenty of things that don’t go your way. Learn to let go of those things and don’t let them consume you. Instead focus on the things you can change - like your mindset. These little habits will have a big impact on how stressed you are and help you be able to manage your stress better in the future.

Words are powerful and have the ability to shape our thoughts, change our perception, connect with others, and provide comfort in our daily lives. Every year I have a word or phrase I focus on the entire year and try to keep everything I say and do in alignment with what my mantra is for those 12 months. This year it is bold abundance. I'm becoming increasingly more mindful about how my thoughts and the words I speak convert to actions (good or not so much.) By nature I am a pessimistic person and I struggle with anxiety. So I've been experimenting with different forms of meditation lately to help me shift my mindset, and repeating mantras is one that My Pocket Mantras has made easy for me. I don't know about you, but I have a difficult time coming up with phrases on my own. What I like about My Pocket Mantras is that it contains 150 simple phrases that are broken down into 8 categories - Starting Your Day, Stress Relief and Anxiety, Self-Love, Healing, Success, Abundance, Transformation and Bedtime. It's super easy to find a phrase to inspire and uplift you without fumbling for the right words on your own. With short, rhythmic phrases that are easy to recite and repeat, each mantra includes insights into how to direct your thoughts and experience its benefits. Each page has the mantra at the top in large letters, then details on how and when to repeat it, and an explanation on how it will help you. They aren't time consuming, and even if you are a beginner, you'll find it very easy to follow along. I keep this book on my office desk within reach and when I'm traveling for a few days, it's small enough to toss into my handbag to take along with me. I try to say at least 3 mantras per day because I'm one who tends to over-fill my plate with to-do's, which can make for a chaotic mindset. Forcing myself to stop and take 3 minutes to perseverate on something positive has helped to re-center me when I feel like my brain is taking me in a hundred different directions. And it's actually helped me to be more productive. Tanaaz Chubb is the author of My Pocket Mantras and is the founder of ForeverConscious.com, a website dedicated to spiritual well-being, mindfulness, and healing. She is also the author of The Power of Positive Energy, and regularly contributes to Huffpost. I like books that get straight to the point without all of the fluff and filler, and Ms. Chubb does just that with My Pocket Mantras making it an easy book to simply pick up, choose and repeat your mantra, and go on with your day.  I definitely recommend it. What is your favorite mantra? Leave a comment and let me know. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Or check out our natural bath and body line!

This post is a Sponsored Post written on behalf of The Stimulati Experience: 9 Skills for Getting Past Pain, Setbacks, and Trauma to Ignite Health and Happiness by Jim Curtis. Opinions are my own.

Connection + worthiness leads to contribution. Contribution leads to Purpose. Purpose leads to Significance. Significance leads to Healing." - Jim Curtis

Ever since I made the decision last Fall to begin the process of becoming a Living Kidney Donor, I have been on a transformative journey. While being a wife, mother and girl boss have always been fulfilling, I just hit a season of "more."

More in every way your mind can dream it - a positive impact on the lives around me, both known and unknown; learning new skills that will make me an asset as a freelancer and in my bath and body business; making the time to elevate my mind by reading and/or listening to more books; becoming more mindful and self-aware; making wellness a priority, discovering ways to make the transition to a healthier lifestyle and so on.

There have been so many things that have been holding me back for so long though. The main culprit? Myself.

I seemed to have created this story of who I am, was and who I will be. I put limitations on what I can do, am capable of and what I'd achieve in life all without even realizing it.

In other words, I settled on basic without realizing that life is limitless. It's all in your mindset - but training your brain to reframe everything takes skill. The Stimulati Experience: 9 Skills for Getting Past Pain, Setbacks, and Trauma to Ignite Health and Happiness by Jim Curtis is a must read if you are ready to heighten your awareness, become more mindful of your negative thoughts that are setting you back and transform them into positive ones and just begin leading a healthier lifestyle.

By healthy, I mean of both mind and body. First, a little about the author, Jim Curtis.  For over 20 years he has battled a mysterious chronic illness. He grew accustomed to living in pain, denial, and despair. But when traditional medical therapies didn’t help, he sought answers elsewhere.

He traveled the world and met a group of extraordinary people he calls The Stimulati―and what he learned from them ultimately changed his life. While his illness didn't just up and disappear due to this new enlightenment, nor did it prevent set-backs, it's how he's reframed everything about his life that has helped him to live pain-free and go on to be incredibly successful in all aspects of his life.

The 9 skills and how to conduct them aren't overnight miracles, but they are great tools to set you, and keep you, on a better path to living your life in happy abundance. Happiess, living abundantly, pushing through pain, trauma and set-backs - isn't that something we all desire? I know I do.

After reading this powerful book, I realized that Jim and I have much in common. In fact, I’ve used many of the same skills he teaches to overcome my own challenges. These skills have helped me find my passion, which resulted in building a digital platform that has positively impacted the health of millions. Follow THE STIMULATI EXPERIENCE and you will be sparked!" - Chris Downie, founder and CEO SparkPeople.com, and author of the New York Times bestseller, THE SPARK

I identified with Chris' review about this book because I, too, have been implementing some of the skills Jim lays out prior to reading the book without even realizing that I was on the right track to improving my life.

To be honest, I was just winging it as I went along hoping I was creating a habit of transformative change in my life. I was honestly so happy when I read Jim's stories about how these skills changed his life for the better (and I learned a few new ones along the way.)

The 9 skills are covered in 9 chapters complete with strategies on how to implement them: Discovering the story you have on repeat
Realizing the truth
Reprogramming your shame, anger and resentment
Getting from lovesick to love
Surrounding yourself with awesome stories that heal and inspire
Manifesting your purpose with a new story and some bold goals
Finding the formula for healing and health
Living a meaningful life
Pushing fear aside and boldly taking action

(My favorite spot to think about what I am grateful for and what I will let go of.)

The book ends with a 21 day strategy to implementing his teachings so that they become habit. Each day includes being more mindful of what you are grateful for, telling yourself what you will let go of, daily affirmations (my favorite is "I can manifest anything"), setting your intention daily (this really helps set the focus for the day), writing out a 90 day Road Map for your mental and physical health, your relationships and contribution of giving back.

There's a lot more, but it's not overwhelming and really helps with presence of mind. I will say this, I feel grateful for having been given the opportunity to read this book prior to its release.

Jim Curtis is a master story teller and explains the pains and triumphs in his life in a way that you can see it in yours. And his enthusiasm for the experiences from which he has learned from those he's deemed Stimulati and his passion to share it with others struggling for "more" is contagious.

For me, The Stimulati Experience is a book I will surely be encouraging others to read. The Stimulati Experience is available on Amazon on August 8th, but you can pre-order today (and I hope you will, you won't regret it.)

Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. We all know that healthy food prep is the key to staying on track, but in the busy world we live in and the hectic lives we lead, the idea of spending a Sunday in the kitchen preparing for the week, chopping celery and boiling quinoa makes some of us want to crawl up the wall. (Or is that just me?) Thankfully, Pollen + Grace have taken the headache out of meal planning. Providing a wide range of delicious dairy, gluten, refined sugar and meat free options, each meal is packed with nutritious, fresh ingredients. Each meal is beautifully presented and made daily using only 100% natural ingredients so you can be assured that there are no hidden nasties as you munch away. Pollen + Grace believe that food should make you feel beautiful from the inside out. From personal experience, when my diary is packed and I feel like a rat on the wheel, it can be tough to prepare nutritious nibbles. With Pollen + Grace you can choose healthy meals to be delivered to your door to ensure that you start and finish the day on the right track. What I love about Pollen + Grace is that they don't believe in dieting, but rather in long term, sustainable healthy eating ensuring that our bodies are nurtured and nourished for longer than all the fast fix "12 week bikini body" programs out there suggest. Factory-free, fresh fast food like you have never seen before! My Pollen + Grace package of goodness included breakfast, dinner and a snack - each of which were incredibly innovative, tasty, well presented and carefully prepared. Snack: Sweet potato + peanut butter flapjack This was an absolute liver saver! I was stuck in a waiting room for over an hour over lunch time and with no healthy food options around me - I thought I would either faint or have to eat my shoe to survive. Luckily, I remembered I had this little hunger buster in my handbag. It was absolutely delicious and filling and the best part was that it was packed with energy boosting ingredients like sweet potato, pumpkin seeds, sulphur free dried apricots, honey, sunflower seeds, raw extra virgin coconut oil (yay, yay, yay) and peanut butter. Breakfast: Acai + chia detox pot This is the perfect 'breakfast-on-the go'. A little pudding pot with acai, blueberry, creamy coconut milk yoghurt, almond and buckwheat granola. I'm such a fan of chia seeds so this was an absolute treat! Dinner: The immunity box - vegan This was my favourite meal. Grilled portobello mushrooms that were juicy and full of flavour, black rice and massaged kale all topped with a turmeric dressing (known for its immunity boosting and anti inflammatory properties) and vegan Parmesan cheese. Three words: I. Want. More. Ordering meals from Pollen + Grace is the perfect way to ensure that you are having even a few completely nutritious meals every week or as a way to get you back on track after a holiday or indulgent weekend. There are many other options too, so something for everyone. Pollen + Grace deliver London-wide, Monday-Friday between 8am-7pm. They require 24hrs notice on all orders and 48hrs notice on all deliveries for 10 people or more (weekend catering sorted!) Happy eating! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!

*This post is sponsored by Exzo. Opinions are my own.*

January – the month that starts off with you dragging yourself back to work, the realisation that you’ve eaten your weight in turkey and mince pies over the festive season and the mild onset of depression when you realise that it’s finally time to sort yourself out like you kept telling yourself you would as you were throwing back the mulled wine and pouring on the brandy sauce throughout December. The start of the year can, however, also bring with it a renewed sense of motivation to introduce healthy habits into your lifestyle and a detox is an ideal way to jump-start the process. The benefits of detoxing include increased energy, a stronger immune system, and improved skin as the body releases toxins, clearer thinking and improved sleep. I recently tried a 7 day Exzo detox teatox cleanse in December as a way to avoid the pre-Christmas bloat that is often brought on by the excessive amount of festive dinners and drinks in the lead up to Christmas. I wanted to see whether Exzo’s Clenzo Herbal Blend Tea would actually make me feel different during the busiest and most indulgent month of the year (you know, since most detox teas require you to eat nothing but kale and claim that the tea is the reason you’re feeling on top of the world after 7 days.) I also tried not to read up too much about how I ‘should’ feel when I take the tea, because I didn’t want to unintentionally be influenced about how the tea made me feel. Yes, this may seem like an unconventional approach but I wanted to really test the tea and I’m happy to say that I was seriously impressed with the way I felt! Usually at the end of December I feel worn out, bloated and generally unhealthy. And with a trip to Mauritius at the end of the month, I wanted to see whether using Exzo would make the idea of wearing a bikini in just a couple of weeks’ time, feel a bit less daunting. I did however try to avoid alcohol and refined sugar, but in all honesty the tea banished cravings and helped keep me on track. The first thing I noticed about the Clenzo blend was the taste – it was delicious! Unlike some herbal blends it didn’t taste like grass, but instead had a refreshing, lemongrass flavour with a hint of goji berry and ginger. I genuinely looked forward to my next cup (recommended 3 times a day during a 7 day cleanse.) The second thing I noticed was how calm I became, I felt so relaxed. This surprised me because I remember when I tried a different detox tea years ago I began feeling a bit dizzy and anxious. After the teatox when I researched the ingredients, I learned that this was due to the high GABA content, which is a neurotransmitter that naturally calms the body and helps reduce stress. I felt alert – even though December was packed with late nights, during the week that I tried Exzo tea I noticed that I concentrated more on tasks I was doing and was not as easily distracted. Exzo banished all cravings for sweet or unhealthy food and stabilised my blood sugar. It made me feel lighter and full of energy and the thought of a fatty meal or junk food was the last thing I felt like. I noticed that my usual 3pm trip to the office pantry was replaced with a trip to the kettle – the tea is not designed to be a meal replacement, but I noticed that I began snacking less. Clenzo is also not a laxative, meaning that you are guaranteed no damage to the digestive system and any weight loss you notice is real instead of the dehydrating and mineral eliminating laxative effects that come with other detox teas (which can contain harmful ingredients, such as Senna.) The great thing about Exzo is it can be used whenever you like and alongside any diet – you don’t have to use it purely for a 7, 14 or 21 day cleanse. Whether you want to avoid packing on the kilos in December or start the year off a bit lighter, Exzo is the perfect solution. It is packed with energy boosting and bloat busting ingredients making it the perfect addition to any healthy lifestyle. These natural ingredients include Oolong, dried ginger root, nettle leaf, goji berries, liquorice root, fennel seeds, lemongrass, ginseng and garcinia cambogia. Exzo herbal tea is also eco-friendly (yay!) and contains no harmful ingredients. I would highly recommend Exzo and I personally can’t wait to start another 7 day cleanse to kick start 2017 with a healthy bang…and to make up for all the curries and noodles I had whilst on holiday… Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!

Whatever time of the year you are reading this - now is the time to get healthy. And it can start off small, easing into one thing at a time to make it a positive, healthy habit. I'm a big fan of coconut everything - from coconut oil, to coconut scented beauty products, to eating the fruit and drinking it. Coconut is a go-to for its many health and beauty benefits. Coconut water is something I like to sip on, and recently had the opportunity to try cold-crafted, INVO coconut water. INVO uses high pressure processing to keep the nutrients from the coconut as pure and intact as possible. (Drinking an INVO is like sipping direct from the coconut itself!) I'm sure you are aware of the many health benefits of coconut water. If you're not, it's known to boost hydration, reduce blood pressure, facilitate digestion and aids in weight loss. Coconut water is rich in nutrients such as potassium, calcium and magnesium. In addition to the great health benefits, coconut water also has some pretty amazing beauty benefits when it comes to your skin. Thanks to its anti-microbial properties it helps to fight blemishes (much like drinking lemon water - but this is much more tasty!) It also contains a protein called cytokines that is responsible for encouraging cell growth and cell activation. Each bottle of INVO coconut water is packed with 5 essential electrolytes, which promotes rapid hydration.  It is low in sugar, 99% fat free and has as much potassium as a whole banana. You may notice that each bottle pictured seems to be a different color. I tested INVO's Pure Coconut flavor (they also have Tropical and Sencha Green Tea), and despite the color ranging from clear to a deeper pink, they all tasted the same and were completely refreshing (chilled is my preferred way to drink it.) The pink color comes from enzymes working to change the color of some of the beneficial polyphenolics found naturally in coconut water and do not affect the quality or taste. Do you drink coconut water? What are the benefits you've seen from it? Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!