Congratulations. you have found the most extensive recommendation page on the entire internet.
In the spirit of honesty and integrity, I just want to let you know that some of these are affiliate links, which means I can earn a commission if you click the link and purchase. HOWEVER, I will never recommend a product/media that I have not or do not personally use or love without specifically saying so :)
For ease of use, here is the order in which things are listed on this page so you can just scroll to it: health stuff on amazon, miscellaneous on amazon, what to look for when buying essential oils, where I buy essential oils (with pros and cons of each), what to look for when buying herbs, where I buy herbs, book recommendations, Bibles, reference books, podcasts, websites and videos, apps (health, prayer, and workout apps too), random stuff that doesn’t go in any of these categories, and then all of the resources that I created myself.
AMAZON
HEALTH STUFF
Solubilizer. Essential oils are hydrophobic, meaning they don’t mix with water, so I use this solubilizer to mix them with water.
Pink Spray Bottles. I use these for DIY room sprays.
Perfume Bottles. I use these for DIY body sprays. Note: These are not big enough to be able to spray thick oils or solubilizer, so it can only have water and essential oils. I had to learn that the hard way when one of mine stopped squirting because the consistency was too thick. But still love them!
Reusable cotton rounds. I use these to dry my face and with my toner. Sometimes as makeup wipes.
Olipop drinks. Loooovvee these. They’re like soda, but much healthier for you. No sugar, lots of fiber, really good for your gut. I sometimes make mocktails with them too.
Zevia. Another healthier alternative to regular soda and still love the taste.
Magnesium oil. I use magnesium spray to help with anxiety and to help me sleep, and I’ve found it works really well for me. I also use magnesium oil as a carrier oil for some of my essential oil rollers.
Castile soap. Okay, it’s not often that I stand on a soap box for products, but PLEASE, I BEG OF YOU, do NOT buy Dr. Bronner’s castile soap that you can get at Walmart and stuff. If you look on the bottle label on Dr. Bronner’s, it literally says such demonic stuff. On the label itself, it PREACHES all other religions, universalism, and puts down Jesus and the Word of God. Please don’t buy it. It just does not sit right with me buying that product, having that crap in my home, or supporting that company. This castile soap that I have linked is a different brand, so it doesn’t have all of that crap. You don’t even have to buy the soap I have linked, just don’t buy Dr. Bronner’s!
Waterpik. I feel like this one needs no explanation….
Air purifier. I live in an RV with two cats and a dog, and this really really helps.
Aromatherapy inhalers. Did you know your sense of smell is directly tied to your emotions? I like to make different inhalers that I can breathe in throughout my day to support different emotions.
Menstrual cup and steamer. It can also come as a little pack. I really like this company. It’s a Christian company, has good values, and for every menstrual cup you buy, they give one to a girl in need. Really big fan. Have never had any issues with mine.
TruLabs Hydrate. Okay, I really love these hydration packs for a couple different reasons. 1. They’re a Christian company, and at their events where they’re telling people about their products, they actually have conversations with people, pray for them, and share the Gospel when they can. LOVE THAT! 2. They have really great vitamins and minerals, and no sugar.
Acupressure Mat. This mat is a great alternative and good quality for its price instead of much more expensive ones. I have found it to reeeaaalllyyy help soothe sore muscles and calm anxiety. I like to lay on it while I’m watching TV or reading a book.
Under Desk Treadmill. Really love this thing. When I was in college, I would walk and write papers or read textbooks or watch lectures, and it REALLY helped me stay focused, stay active when I didn’t have time to workout, and boost endorphins when life just sucked. Now I like to walk on it when I’m working at my desk, reading a book, or watching TV.
Jojoba Oil. This is the only carrier oil I use for my essential oil rollers. It just has really great benefits and is one of the only oils that won’t cause any issue if applied to the face.
Essential Oil Rollers. Really like these, and they have lasted me for years (except one time when I dropped one on concrete, but I mean, that makes sense.)
Glass bottles. I use these for my nontoxic cleaners, serums, and just general essential oil DIY recipes. They also have lasted me many years.
Strainer - really really like this strainer and funnel for herbal remedies
Jars - nice, glass airtight jars
Tea Infuser - Maybe it’s because I’m from Texas, but I prefer iced sweet tea, so I throw some herbs in this thing, stick in the fridge, and it tastes so good.
Sunrise Alarm Clock - This thing really helps me wake up in the morning, and it’s a really great price, compared to other ones out there. I tried 2 other sunrise alarm clocks and hated them, but I love this one. The only issue I have with it is you can only snooze it once, so if you hit snooze the second time, well, it’s not gonna wake you up again.
MISCELLANEOUS
MeeBook Ereader. GUYS I LOVE THIS THING. Soo I wanted to buy a kindle for myself as a “Congratulations, you finished college. Here’s a from me, to me gift.” BUT kindles only let you read through the kindle database, and likewise with the Nook. I like to read from multiple apps like Kindle, Libby, Everand, iBooks, my Bible app, commentaries that I have through Logos, etc. This ereader lets you read from multiple apps. You can pretty much download any app you want on it, actually. And it has the screen that makes it look like real paper and doesn’t hurt your eyes. Very happy with my purchase.
Gold clips. I use these things all the time.
Litterbox hider. I live in an RV, and I did NOT want to see the litter box in my living room. I absolutely love this thing. It hides the litter box, it’s super cute, and it’s surprisingly sturdy. Plus, it was pretty simple to build, maybe took one hour.
LitterGenie. Please, if you have a cat, get one of these things, especially if you’re in an apartment. I wish I knew about them sooner. Also, just a hack: you don’t have to rebuy the bags that come with it. Just keep the “holder” for the bags, and then you can use a normal trash bag with it. It will save you a ton of money.
Standing Desk. I used this as a desk when I was in college, and now that I’m at my RV, it works as my desk and dinner table. I really like it. It’s really pretty, sturdy, and does everything I want it to. The only thing is that there’s a little hook on the side where you can hang stuff, and I accidentally broke mine because I hung something too heavy on it. So, just as a note, you can only hang really light stuff on it.
Rotating Bookshelf - LOVE this thing
NATURAL REMEDIES
what to look for when buying essential oils
Okay, so here’s the lowdown on what to look for to make sure the essential oil you’re buying is safe + high quality (and why that matters) from a certified aromatherapist.
First, well, if you don’t buy a high quality, pure essential oil, two things can happen: the essential oil won’t work for what you need it to do, and/or the essential oil can actually have adverse effects on your health and cause more harm than good.
With that said, here’s what to AVOID:
Please please please PLEASE don’t buy essential oils from your local grocery store or even health store. The odds of it being high quality and safe are super, super slim (every now and then, I guess you can hit a jackpot, but I rather doubt it). Really. Please don’t.
Other ingredients besides the essential oil. If it says anything about vegetable oils, carrier oils, preservatives, “natural ingredients,” fragrance, etc. If it lists anything other than the essential oil, it’s a no go. Soooooo many bad things can be hidden in those ingredients, so just avoid it.
If the back label of ingredients doesn’t match what it says on the front label, AVOID. What does that mean? Some companies will substitute cheaper alternatives (for example lavadin for lavender) and falsely label.
Cheap or same-priced oils. The fact is that high quality oils should be a bit more expensive because it takes A LOT to produce them and keep them high quality. And a bottle of lemon oil shouldn’t be the same price as rose oil because it takes around 10,000 pounds of rose petals to produce just one pound of rose essential oil. You get me?
What to look FOR:
+Botanical name = genus x species (For example, lavendula angustifolia (Lavender).
+Safety information
+Common name and scientific name
+How it is grown
+Chemotypes (if applicable). The same plant from different regions can have a different chemical composition.
+dark bottle
WHERE I BUY ESSENTIAL OILS
I have yet to find a place to buy essential oils that is both a Christian company and has high quality essential oils, so I do purchase from secular companies. However, the two companies that I mention below – I have not noticed them to be too new-agey or blatant with those types of ideas. There is some new-agey language on their sites, and I’m more than happy to help you discern what is true and scientific vs. what is wrong and new-agey, but for the most part, I think it’s kept pretty straightforward and clinical. A bunch of people have differing ideas on this topic, so do whatever you feel most comfortable with, but as of right now, I feel pretty comfortable purchasing from these companies.
Young Living
Pros:
high quality oils
lots of variety
really great reward and points system
you get placed in a team and can sign up with someone you trust and have the same morals/ethics with
has free zoom classes and courses in your team community
your money directly helps your leaders above you (me!) because it’s a multilevel marketing system
pretty good customer support
offers products for almost every area of life (skin care, hair care, dental care, etc.)
you can go visit the farms and factories and tour a bunch
offers a business side of things with great rewards if you want to do that with me
has a fantastic affiliate option
you get ME to help you:)
Cons:
individual products are more expensive
does not sell hydrosols
typically does not do well (and some Brand Partners teach not-so-great safety info simply because they don’t know better) on educating about oils or teaching safety around essential oils (but you’ll also have me to help you with that, a certified aromatherapist)
They have tiers on how you earn free gifts, and each month they offer different free products for each tier. You get a free gift when you spend 100pv, 190pv, and 250pv. For instance, last month (as of me writing this), I really liked and had been wanting the free products that they were giving out for buying a certain amount. So I bought about $250 worth of products (250pv). I got those products at wholesale price (24% off), got 25% back of that $250 in points (1 point = $1 for the most part, so I got about $62 back from that purchase that I can use on future purchases), AND I got about $300 worth of free product by hitting that $250 tier.
All that to say, yes, Young Living is more expensive, and I don’t really recommend it if you’re not consistently buying essential oils or other nontoxic products (because they also sell clean, nontoxic cleaners, skincare, hair care, dental care, baby supplies, vitamins, supplements, etc. that counts towards that monthly PV goal). HOWEVER, if you ARE wanting to purchase products monthly and are able to spend at least $50 per month, I think the expense is well worth it because of what you get back and what you get as a reward. Just my thoughts. Obviously, pray about it, and see which direction the Lord wants you to go.
To unlock the 24% wholesale discount, you just have to make a 100pv purchase once per year. If you would like to be on my team and order from here, use this link for my referral number (#19886073), put 100pv worth of product in your cart, click yes for Loyalty Rewards, and you’re all set! PLEASE don’t purchase without using a Brand Partner’s unique referral number (even if it’s not me); you will be placed in a random person’s team who might not share your morals/ethics.
What I Would Get: This list has everything that I would personally get if I was first starting on my Young Living journey. These are products that I LOVE, have found the most use out of, or would recommend for people to save money with!
Emotional Support Favs: This list has the products that have personally helped me the most when dealing with depression, anxiety, blehness, etc. Everyone is different, but these are my personal favorites!
Home + Body Care Favs: Stuff like skincare, lotion, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, nontoxic cleaning supplies, etc. that I have used or are currently using and really love.
Aromatics International
Use my link to get $10 off your first order of over $30!
Pros:
high quality oils
sells hydrosols
has lots of education on recipes and safety
a lot cheaper for individual products
This might be weird, but I also really like the way they package stuff
Cons:
has a small rewards system and affiliate option but honestly not a great one
doesn’t have a community to help you learn
doesn’t have many products besides essential oils and hydrosols
Love this place, too. I mostly get hydrosols from them, but also get some essential oils from them at times, too, depending on what they have on sale.
what to look for when buying herbs
First of all, you want to make sure you’re buying from reputable sources with good ethics
cheap, grocery store herbs are often oxidized or adulterated
Make sure the herbs are organic and haven’t been grown with herbicides or pesticides (since you’re using them medicinally)
The herbs are tested for toxins or heavy metals that they may have “absorbed” through the soil and environment (this is called a “COA”)
The herbs should have a strong smell and color
You should have some assurance that the herbs are at least somewhat fresh, or that older batches have been rotated out
WHERE I BUY HERBS:
Mountain Rose Herbs
Starwest Botanicals
Frontier Co-Op
If you have a local herb shop or farmer, that would probably be even better!
BOOKS (from a certified book dragon!)
Just to be clear, I rated all of these books 4 and 5 stars. They’re in the order of when I read them.
You can also see what I’m reading or have read on StoryGraph! (It’s like GoodReads, but I like it better because it has content warnings.)
Nonfiction
Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook. Really fantastic resource for learning what natural remedies or alternative medicines are, their history, how they’re used, the evidence behind them, and if or how Christians should approach them (or stay away altogether). Highly recommend.
Body Into Balance - one of the best holistic health books I have ever read
Science of Essentials: The Essential Guide for Using Aromatherapy for Health and Healing. Really just a fantastic resource for learning about essential oils and learning how to use them safely, and it comes with so many recipes. I wish I had this when I first started using oils.
Creation to Completion: A Guide to Life's Journey from the Five Books of Moses. This is one of my favorite devotionals ever. It has the perfect balance of reflection, historical context, and information.
Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely.
One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are
You Are the Girl for the Job: Daring to Believe the God Who Calls You
Hinds' Feet on High Places. This is technically a fiction book, but it’s an allegory for the Christian life. I cannot even describe good and impactful this book is. I personally think every Christian should read it and keep it on hand.
God's Smuggler. Autobiography of a missionary who smuggled Bibles into the Iron Curtain. So good, guys.
The Christian Herb Gardener's Handbook: A Beginner's Guide. Okay, so this book is technically for herb gardener’s BUUUUTTT, it is also a fantastic resource for learning about how to navigate the natural health and holistic health sphere as a Christian and knowing what is New Age and what should be avoided. I recommend it even if you’re not interested in herbalism, because a good 1/3 to 1/2 of the book is solely on principles to help a Christian discern what is Biblical in the health sphere.
Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn. Okay, it is technically a history book, but hear me out. It is incredibly well-written and reads more like a story.
Restoring the Jewishness of the Gospel: A Message for Christians. Oh, PLEASE read this. It is SO GOOD.
Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions
Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology. This book is great because each chapter is a certain theological topic, such as women in ministry leadership or baptism, and it gives both sides of the theological argument.
The Mosaic of Christian Belief: Twenty Centuries of Unity & Diversity. The best theological book I have ever read, hands down.
The God I Never Knew: How Real Friendship with the Holy Spirit Can Change Your Life
The Bondage Breaker: Overcoming Negative Thoughts, Irrational Feelings, Habitual Sins
God, Where Are You?!: Finding Strength and Purpose in Your Wilderness
Truly Free: Breaking the Snares That So Easily Entangle. I think every Christian should read this one.
The Blessed Woman: Learning about Grace from the Women of the Bible
Mere Christianity. Great book for if you’re questioning if Christianity is true or know someone who is.
Grasping God's Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible. I think this is the best book for learning how to study the Bible. It’s technically a textbook, but it’s easy to read.
With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God. Every Christian needs to read this. It’s life-changing.
Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds
GUIDED PRAYER BOOKS
Pray for Our Nation: Scriptural Prayers to Revive Our Country
65 Promises From God for Your Child: Powerful Prayers for Supernatural Results
The Power of Praying® for Your Adult Children Book of Prayers (haven’t used this one yet but would very much like to!)
The Power of Praying® Through Fear Book of Prayers (haven’t used this one yet but would very much like to!)
The Power of Praying® Through the Bible Book of Prayers (haven’t used this one yet but would very much like to!)
30 Days to Becoming a Woman of Prayer Book of Prayers (haven’t used this one yet but would very much like to!)
Prayers for Emotional Wholeness: 365 Prayers for Living in Freedom (haven’t used this one yet but would very much like to!)
BIBLES
Immerse: Messiah (Immerse: The Reading Bible) - this Bible doesn’t have the chapter or verse markings (which were added later as a help for Christians), so you read it as it was originally written — as a letter. You can glean a lot of great things from reading the Bible this way!
Spirit-Formed Life Bible - my favorite study Bible!
She Reads Truth Bible - this is my favorite Bible for digging deep into the Word and journaling out what I’m learning. I personally have the blue leather version, but they have a variety of insanely beautiful covers to choose from. It’s really beautiful, has wide margins for notes/art, and has a lot of great contextual info through it. Fun fact, the last journaling Bible I had, one of my family’s cats peed on it! Yes, PEED on it! Anyway, I was searching for another journaling Bible and had picked one that I really liked but was waiting to order it for a few days to make sure it’s the one I wanted. Well, the night before I was going to buy it, the Lord literally woke me up in the middle of the night from having a dream about this She Reads Truth Bible. I had only ever seen it once on a passing instagram post, so I didn’t know what it was called or even what it looked like exactly. Anyway, I spent the next hour scrolling through my phone in the middle of the night trying to find it. Ended up ordering it, and have loved it ever since!
Tree of Life Bible - this is my favorite reading Bible that I use all the time. And here’s why. Jesus is a Jew. The disciples were Jewish (yes, even after becoming Christian…they became what is known as Messianic Jews, Jews who believe in and follow Christ while keeping their culture, customs, and God-appointed Jewish destiny!). What I believe the Church has missed is understanding the Bible as it was originally written and understood — from a Jewish perspective! Anyway, this Bible sticks to the Messianic Jewish understanding of the Scriptures and the Gospel, which is exactly how the early church and early disciples would have understood the Bible. It does NOT change Scripture, meaning this translation is no different than other more common ones that you’re used to reading. It simply keeps some of the Hebrew words, organizes the books of the Bible according to the order that Jews would have had them in Jesus’ time, and gives insight into the connotation of certain words and concepts that can be missed if we don’t understand Jewish culture. Love it and highly recommend it.
REFERENCE BOOKS
Jesus in the World's Faiths: Leading Thinkers from Five Religions Reflect on His Meaning - this book is technically not Christian but it is a valuable resource because it shares about what people of other religions believe about Jesus
Evangelical Commentary on the Bible - this is my favorite commentary. And fun fact: I loved this commentary and used it throughout high school in my own personal time with the Lord. I got to college and was in a class called Biblical Background and Interpretation, and my professor was Dr. Boyd Luter. When he said that he had written part of this commentary, I completely geeked out. It was embarassing. Anywayyyyy, one of my favorite professors helped write this book, so you should buy it.
WEBSITES + MEDIA + other
As far as media, I obviously can’t control what they post, but as of me making this page, I have never really seen anything bad or unethical or suuuper out of Christian principles (there will obviously be some non-Christian principles as not all of these are Christian recommendations).
PODCASTS
Conversations with John and Lisa Bevere
Encounters Podcast
Gateway Church
Girls Night with Stephanie May Wilson
Mercy Culture Church
Pray News — 15 minute episodes that objectively go over news then pray over each item
SHE with Jordan Lee Dooley
The Jewish Road
The Pursuit NW
websites + VIDEOS
EWG Skin Deep - I love to use this app to find clean, nontoxic products or to check products to see what they rate on a toxicity scale.
GotQuestions.Org - really fantastic resource if you have theological or biblical questions. I don’t always agree with their answers or theology, though, because they don’t really believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
BibleProject. Need I say more?
Blue Letter Bible. Really great for looking up the Hebrew and Greek words in the Bible and for free commentaries.
WordHippo. The ELITE thesaurus that I used for so many papers.
Young Living. My go-to for pretty much all of my nontoxic cleaners, skin care, hair care, body care, oral care, essential oils, and some supplements. Look at this page to see all of the benefits of signing up with me (you get TONS of discounts and perks!).
Aromatics International. Really love their essential oils, hydrosols, and educational material.
Barbara O’Neill health videos - she’s a Christian who knows so much about natural health; these 10 videos are fantastic.
Free Indeed Sermon Series - out of all the sermons and lectures I’ve ever heard, these were the most impactful and the ones that have stuck with me to this day
The Healing Harvest Homestead - I took a course on herbalism from Heidi, and I really liked it. She’s a Christian and has a lot of great info on herbs, essential oils, and natural remedies.
WebMd - I use this to check if any of my herbs affect my medications
John Hopkins Medicine - also a good drug/herb interactions checker
APPS
Movement With Julie - this is one of my favorite workout programs. Only $20/mo, and she provides you with 5 dumbbell workouts per week that can be done at home or at the gym. Her content isn’t explicitly Christian, but she is a Christian, so I like supporting her! She also does not do the whole workout to look different crap, which I appreciate.
LindyWell Pilates - I’ve been starting to do pilates workouts because I’ve noticed other more intense workouts have been making me feel anxious throughout the day. I’ve been loving this one. Though the content isn’t explicitly Christian, she is a Christian, so there’s no new age stuff that you can sometimes get in other pilates programs. AND, if you use my link, you get $20 off, and I get $20 off.
YouVersion Bible
PrayerMate
Pray As You Go - really beautiful guided prayers and reflections, including imaginative/contemplative prayers where you imagine yourself in Bible stories speaking to Jesus. They have a really well-diversified approach of guiding people to connect with God through more modern methods and traditional ways that have been used for centuries. Highly recommend. I think every Christian, no matter what background or denomination, should try connecting with God in different ways that are not familiar to them, because at the end of the day, God is in every church that loves Him and seeks to follow Him with humble hearts, no matter the expression in which they do so.
Lectio 365
ThriftBooks - my favorite place to buy books. If you spend over $30 using my link, we both get a free book credit!
Libby - check out ebooks and audiobooks in an app with your library card.
Everand - this is my favorite alternative to kindle unlimited and audible. It has such a great selection of audiobooks and ebooks that you can read whenever you want. Enjoy 60 days FREE using my link!!!
Waterllama
TreeCard - they plant real life trees for every 10k steps you take and give you discounts on stuff
Splitwise
Acorns - Say you pay $4.85 at Walmart or something, it will invest $0.15 for you. Get $5 invested for free when you sign up with my link.
MISCELLANEOUS
Discover It Credit Card. Okay, this one is a little bit weird, I know. But I grew up being taught that you should never get a credit card, and it ended up really hurting me because I didn’t get a credit card until I was 21, so I wasn’t able to build my credit and I couldn’t buy a home or vehicle because of it. Obviously, pray about it and make sure you are financially responsible and that it’s actually something the Lord says you’re ready for, but I do think that getting a credit card ASAP and using it wisely is a smart financial decision. This was my first credit card, and I really loved it. I still use it at times, but I’ve moved on to different credit cards now. If you apply through my link and are approved, you get $100 statement credit right off the bat, and so do I.
Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card. This is my second credit card, and it is my favorite, by far. I use it for pretty much everything.
MY RESOURCES
I have a free mini-course on how to study the Bible
I have a few ebooks covering a range of topics
I created a whole ecourse called Captivated By The Word: The Everyday Woman’s Guide To Unlocking Scripture + Spending Time With Jesus that walks you through how to spend time with the Lord in a way that works for YOU and how to dig deep into studying the Bible.
You can also get essential oils and nontoxic home and body care products with me
What I Would Get: This list has everything that I would personally get if I was first starting on my Young Living journey. These are products that I LOVE, have found the most use out of, or would recommend for people to save money with!
Emotional Support Favs: This list has the products that have personally helped me the most when dealing with depression, anxiety, blehness, etc. Everyone is different, but these are my personal favorites!
Home + Body Care Favs: Stuff like skincare, lotion, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, nontoxic cleaning supplies, etc. that I have used or are currently using and really love.
Okay, wow, you’re a legend if you made it this far. Thanks for sticking with me. If you’re interested in any of these recommendations I mentioned, I would really appreciate it if you purchased through my link (even if you save the page and use the link to buy at another time), as it helps support my small little biznistry :)