Easy Skinny Vanilla Chai Tea Latte Recipe

Enjoy a skinny vanilla chai tea latte at home in about 15 minutes.  This recipe is so easy and quick, and you'll save a lot of calories.

Fancy coffee house drinks are a bit of a weakness for me.  A few years ago, I would get a cup one or more times a week when I was out.  If I was out without kids, you could almost guarantee that I'd be stopping at the locally owned coffee shop in town before I headed to the store.

As much as I love my drinks, I couldn't keep buying them.  They are expensive, and they are full of calories and sugar.  I've been making my own skinny versions at home, and the taste is amazing.  

You guys loved the skinny pumpkin spice latte that I posted last month, so today I'm bringing you this skinny vanilla chai tea latte recipe.

I wanted a recipe that was fairly easy, quick, and didn't require any special equipment (like a milk frother).  After playing with the ingredients for a little bit, I think I've found just the right recipe.

Like most of my recipes, I'll give you a few options of ingredients to use.   You can use your favorite milk and sweetener.

Want a decaf drink to enjoy after the kids go to bed?  You can easily make this a decaf drink with a decaf tea so you won't be up all night.  

Trust me, you will never miss the calories or carbs in this skinny vanilla chai tea latte recipe!

Orange Cinnamon Solid Lotion Recipe For Dry Skin

This Halloween solid lotion recipe for dry skin are made with shea butter and coconut oil to moisturized and orange essential oil for scent.

Halloween is my favorite holiday.  I love the bright colors, the pumpkins, and just having fun.  I like that's it's a low key holiday that I get to spend time with my family, but I don't have to worry about anything stressful like a big meal or gifts.

This year, I made little pumpkin jack-o-lantern solid lotion recipe for dry skin as a fun Halloween craft.  I considered using pumpkin spice because, well, pumpkins.  But I wanted to use something new and different. 

Pumpkins are orange, so why not orange essential oil?  Cinnamon is a great fall scent, has skin loving benefits, and using real cinnamon powder made a cool effect on these solid lotion bars.

You don't have to make these for Halloween.  You can use any mold that you'd like to make these, so they can be for any holiday or for any time of the year.

If you have sensitive skin or plan to sell these, be sure to read my notes on cinnamon below.

Bath Melt Recipe With Emulsifier For Dry Skin With Chamomile, Lavender

This bath melt recipe with emulsifier won't make your bath tub slippery like other bath melts.  It's made with butters and essential oils to help relieve dry skin.

We're having a beautiful summer this fall.  I still have my air conditioning on in October.   Trust me, I am not complaining.

We have propane heat and use a fireplace for heat.  The fireplace really zaps the moisture from the air, which makes my skin crazy dry.

We set a pot of water on the woodstove to get moisture in the air, but it's not enough for my parched skin.

Although it was in the low 80s today, the cold weather is coming.  I'll be prepared this year with a homemade lotion for dry skin that will be coming in the next few weeks and recipes like this bath melt recipe with emulsifier for dry skin.  

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Lip Balm Recipe for Dry Lips With Essential Oils

This pumpkin spice lip balm recipe uses essential oils for a natural scent.  The beeswax and oils will help keep your lips soft, even in the dry air.

I may have a slight addiction to lip balms.  I have them in my desk at the office, in my purse, in my car, and one beside my bed.  I like to change the flavors with the seasons, and right now I'm all about pumpkin spice in case you didn't notice.  

For those of you who are not pumpkin spice obsessed or maybe just sick of it this year, I am going back to regular programming on Friday, so be sure to check back then.  Next week, I'll have some fall scents that aren't pumpkin, but I can't promise this is the absolute end of pumpkin spice this year.

Last year, I made a pumpkin spice latte lip balm that's been really popular.  This year, I realized that I'd never blogged a plain pumpkin spice lip balm.  Since I have the new essential oil blend, I figured i was the perfect time to make it to share with all of you.

HOMEMADE PUMPKIN SPICE LIP BALM RECIPE WITH ESSENTIAL OILS

To make the perfect lip balm, it needs to have ingredients that will soften your lips right away, ingredients that work for hours to soften your lips, and something to protect your lips.

In this recipe, jojoba works fairly quickly to soften and moisturize your lips.  The beeswax protects, and the vitamin E oil keeps working for hours to keep your lips moisturized.

If your lips are really dry or chapped, I highly recommend using a lip scrub first.  It will remove dead skin so your lips will look better instantly.  I like this vanilla mint lip scrub and use it about once a week.

JOJOBA OIL

Jojoba oil is actually a wax and not an oil, but it's commonly referred to as an oil.  It's thick, so it sits on top of the lips and forms a barrier to trap in moisture.  It's my favorite carrier oil for the lips because it works so well at keeping them moisturized and preventing chapped lips.

You can use another carrier oil if you'd like.  Avocado oil would be a great choice for dry lips.  If your lips aren't very dry or prone to getting chapped, then try sweet almond oil.  

To learn more about the different carrier oils and their benefits, check out my book Carrier Oils.  

BEESWAX

Beeswax is used as a thickener for this recipe, otherwise it would be a roll on lip gloss.  But beeswax is much more than just a thickener.  Beeswax also helps create a barrier to lock in moisture, which can help treat or prevent chapped lips.

Beeswax also has vitamin A, which can help protect your lips from future damage.

VITAMIN E OIL

Vitamin E oil is high in antioxidants to protect your lips.  It helps soften skin (and lips!), so it helps soften already dry lips.

Not all vitamin E oils are created equally.  I've used a few different brands, and the Crafty Bubbles version I linked to above is my favorite by far.  It's very thick and seems to give me better results in my lip balms and lip glosses.

I won't mention brand names, but I've used some that were very thin and just didn't offer many benefits for my skin or lips.  Although the ingredients don't say it, I think they were diluted or used inferior ingredients.

ESSENTIAL OILS

For this recipe, I used Crafty Bubbles Pumpkin Pie Spice essential oil blend.  You can make a pumpkin spice blend on your own, but I knew I wanted to use in several recipes this year.  I asked the owner of Crafty Bubbles to make a blend so it would be easier for me and for my readers.


Pumpkin Pie Spice is a blend of:

• Cassia
• Clove
• Vanilla
• Nutmeg
• Ginger

You can buy a three pack of 0.5 ounce bottles on Amazon or get it in a holiday four pack with Apple Pie Spice, Candy Cane, and Gingerbread.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons jojoba oil
• 1 tablespoon beeswax 
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vitamin E oil
• 5 drops Pumpkin Pie Spice Essential Oil blend

DIRECTIONS

STEP #1

Combine jojoba oil, beeswax, shea butter, and vitamin E oil in a double boiler.  Melt over medium heat until melted, stirring frequently.

I set my Pyrex measuring cup in a pan of water to make a double boiler.  I set the measuring cup on a canning jar lid to keep it off of the direct heat.

STEP #2

Once the beeswax is melted, carefully remove from heat.  Let cool until it's below 180 degrees.  If you add the essential oils when it's too hot, they will burn off.

I use a laser thermometer to test the temperature.  

Add the essential oils and stir well.

STEP #3

Carefully pour into lip balm tubes or small lip balm pots.  

Let sit until completely cooled.

This recipe should make about 10-12 lip balms tubes.

I use both lip balm tubes and the pots.  I prefer the tubes just because they are more sanitary.  If you don't like using plastic, there are paper lip balm tubes that are biodegradable and work really well.

I somehow ended up with 100s of the plastic ones, so I'll keep using them until they are gone and then order some paper ones.

Not ready to DIY?  Try a handmade pumpkin spice lip balm from Etsy like this one from Pure Palette.

Pumpkin Spice Lip Balm

Pumpkin Spice Latte Lip Balm

Roll On Lip Gloss Recipe

Peppermint Lip Balm Recipe

How to Make Single Use Soap Leaves for Fall

Learn how to make fall single use soap leaves for travel or the guest bath.

About four years ago, I suddenly developed eczema on my hand.  I couldn't figure out why, after more than 30 years, I would have eczema.  

After some trial and error, I discovered that most soaps in the big dispensers in the stores were what was causing it.  If I stopped using the soap, it would heal in a few weeks.  As soon as I would use the soap, it was back.

I can't not wash my hands in public, and I don't want a liquid soap spilling or a bar getting slimy in my purse.

So I started making soap petals like I shared here last year.    I change the scent each time I make them.  Now that it's fall, I wanted to use fall leaves and fall essential oil blends.  

These single use soaps are perfect for travel since they don't spill.  They are also really cute in a dish in a guest bath or for decoration.