DIY Nighttime Bug Repellent Cream

I love being outside at night, but mosquitoes do too. We have natural bug spray that works, but I don't like smelling like bug spray before bed. I'm kind of sensitive to certain smells, and the smell of citronella or lemongrass bothers me when I'm trying to go to sleep. I made this cream that is easy to use and simple to make. I really think it does help, plus it smells nice!

Ingredients:

25 drops lavender oil

25 drops geranium oil

10 drops cedarwood

Lotion (unscented is best)

2 oz plastic bottle*

*We have empty two-ounce plastic bottles with lids at the store, which is what I use to make this.

Lotion: I used the Everyone lotion in a pump, which was easy to pump into the little container.

First, I filled the bottle about halfway with lotion and then added the oils. I put the top on and shook it really well so it was all mixed together, then I filled it the rest of the way with lotion. Put the top back on and shake it well and then try it out! It's nice because it's not greasy and it absorbs well. It seems to work great (and it smells good)!

Lavender, geranium, and cedarwood have each been shown to help repel mosquitoes.

The amounts above are a 5% dilution, which are safe to use regularly. I would avoid the face and for children I would slightly reduce the amount of essential oils.

I also made a stronger version using 30 drops each of the lavender and geranium and 15 drops of the cedarwood, which probably equals about a 7% essential oil dilution. That's the one I prefer since I have a ton of mosquitoes in my yard at night.

Give it a try and see what you think!

Natural Home Cleaning with Essential Oils

Warmer weather and the sight of daffodil and tulip tips peeking out from our gardens is a great time for spring cleaning! If you haven't already, I'd urge you to switch to natural household cleansers. It really makes a difference, even just in what you're breathing in. We have some great ones at the store -Seventh Generation's glass cleaner is my absolute favorite, but it's also very easy to make your own cleaning solutions.

The easiest thing to use is Dr. Bronner's soap, all you need is a little squirt of their castille soap in a bucket along with a few drops of essential oils (lemon and tangerine are my favorites for cleaning) with a reusable rag. You don't need 100 different cleaning products, something simple like this along with natural glass cleaner is all you need to clean your whole house. It's economical too, I've had the same bottle of Dr. Bronner's soap under my kitchen sink for ages.

Vinegar mixed with a few drops in a spray bottle is also great for cleaning naturally around the house, and a baking soda and water paste works great for cleaning off hard to remove goop - adding a few drops of lemon oil to the mixture helps it to work even better.

We also have a great selection of ready-made natural household cleaners at the store of all-purpose cleansers, floor cleaners, glass cleaners, and more that are healthy for you and for the environment.

Detox Foot Bath

A foot bath is an easy way to help to relax after a long day, and is especially wonderful if you’ve been on your feet all day!  

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup Life Flo pure magnesium flakes

• 1/2 cup sea salt

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup bentonite clay (optional)

• 1 tbs. carrier oil (grapseed or liquid coconut oil work great)

• 10 drops essential oils (we recommend a combination of lavender, peppermint, and/or eucalyptus)
  
  DIRECTIONS:
  
  Combine essential oils with the carrier oil before adding to a basin to use as a foot bath (you can do it in the palm of your hand if its easier).
  
  Begin adding warm water to the footbath, adding the magnesium flakes (and bentonite clay powder if using) and stirring to dissolve. Add apple cider vinegar last. With a detox bath, it should be very warm (without burning yourself obviously).
  
  Soak your feet for 20 to 30 minutes. After drying the feet, apply a thick layer of lotion on the bottoms of feet and heels, taking time to massage it in, then put on cotton socks to help to moisturize the feet.

Sea Moss Gel - Benefits + How to Make It

Irish sea moss is a superfood that's naturally high in minerals and antioxidants. It's available in pills and powder, but the best way to use it (either to ingest or to use topically) is by making the raw, dried sea moss into a gel.

We have bags of raw, dried sea moss at the store, which can be made into a gel to make it easier to use. See the full instructions below, but basically you just rinse it, soak it overnight, and then blend it with some of the soaking liquid to make a gel.

Sea moss is often used for thyroid health since it's a great source of iodine. It's also used to help with digestion, reducing inflammation, and it said to be helpful for the immune system and for balancing blood sugar.

Sea moss is also great for the skin and can be used topically as a face mask to help reduce inflammation, deeply moisturize skin, and also tp help to balance the skin, enhancing its microbiome barrier. Some people also use it on their hair, since it can be beneficial for a variety of scalp conditions and to encourage hair growth.

How to Make Sea Moss Gel from Raw Dried Seamoss

Turn your raw dried sea moss into a gel and add 1-2 tablespoons a day to your smoothies, protein shakes and food. Or have it on its own.

Directions:

Rinse: Rinse the sea moss and remove any sea debris or particles.

Soak: Place the sea moss in a large bowl and cover with filtered, alkaline, or spring water. Make sure all the sea moss is submerged. Cover the bowl and allow it to soak for at least 12-24 hours. Your sea moss will greatly expand- up to three times its size.

Strain: Once it is done soaking, strain and rinse sea moss again (while preserving the soaking water). It is now ready to use. You can leave the sea moss in this state and use as needed or prepare a sea moss gel with the next step.

Blend: To make a gel, add the sea moss to a high-powered blender along with the 2-3 cups of the soaking water (which now contains tons of nutrients!). Blend until it is smooth, about 1-3 minutes.

Store: Transfer the sea moss to an airtight container and refrigerate. The sea moss gel will thicken in the fridge after 2 hours.

Scented Pine Cones with Essential Oils

I love the scented pinecones you can buy during the holiday season, but did you know you can easily make your own, with essential oils, for practically free?

To make scented pinecones, you’ll need:

PINECONES, collect them from pine trees or purchase them from a craft store (I’d really recommend collecting them!)

ESSENTIAL OILS- cinnamon, clove, orange, or your favorite warm scent combination (we also have some great pre-made holiday blends at the store)

parchment paper or heavy-duty foil

sheet pan

plastic bag (gallon size)

a pretty basket or container for your pinecones

See the entire recipe and directions at the Stone Gable Blog.

Peppermint Oil to Repel Mice and Spiders

Early September can be warm, but the weather often cools off as the month goes on. Cooler weather can encourage mice and spiders to seek the warmth of our homes. Peppermint oil can help with that, repelling both spiders and mice.

It makes sense to me that peppermint oil could repel mice since mice have a strong sense of smell. I'm not sure that spiders have noses, however, so I was a little skeptical of how it was going to repel them. There was a clinical study done in 2017, however, that showed that peppermint oil stopped spiders from entering an area 75% of the time, especially when compared to the control group. It didn't appear to get rid of spiders once they had already entered an area though, so I feel like September is a great time to start using some peppermint oil around the house, particularly around doors and windows to help prevent spiders from entering.

The easiest way to use peppermint oil as a repellent is to combine it with water or rubbing alcohol and spray around doors and windows, reapplying periodically.

Peppermint oil can also be used to repel mice since they don't like the smell and their sensitive notices are often overwhelmed by it, causing them to avoid an area. When using peppermint oil as a repellent, people often put several drops on a cotton ball to leave in garages or areas where mice are seen.

The nice thing about using peppermint oil for spiders or mice is that it's non-toxic and safe to use around the house. A little goes a long way, and a bottle lasts a long time.

Peppermint oil is also commonly used as a headache remedy when rubbed on the temples. It's recommended to mix it with a carrier oil first before applying since straight peppermint oil may be too strong for your skin. A roller bottle is a convenient way to do that, and we have plenty of DIY essential oil supplies at the store including rollerbottles, empty spray bottles, atomizers, and more.

Interestingly, peppermint oil may also help with memory and alertness. One placebo-controlled study had participants wear a patch infused with lavender oil and had the participants go about their day. When compared to the placebo group, participants reported feeling more alert and subsequent assessments showed the peppermint group experienced enhanced memory and attention.

Essential Oil Spotlight: Lemon Oil

For this month's essential oil feature, I wanted to write about lemon essential oil, which is an incredibly useful oil to have around.

First of all, it smells great with its nice, fresh scent. It’s also been shown in two different research studies to help with boosting mood and reducing anxiety.

 It’s nice to use by itself in a diffuser, but also mixes well with rosemary and/or cedarwood. I also like combining it with anise (just one drop of anise since it’s so strong), clove, and patchouli. Lemon oil also combined well with bergamot as a nice, springy blend. Lemon works really well to get rid of odors in the home.

Beyond aromatherapy, lemon oil works fantastic for cleaning, especially for removing stuck on goop and adhesive. I recently had to remove a bunch of stickers from the top of a laptop, which left lots of adhesive behind. Since it was so bad I thought I would have to use Goo Gone (which I don’t love because it has such a chemical smell), but the Goo Gone didn’t really work. I decided to try lemon oil (which in retrospect I should have tried first) and it worked amazingly, cutting through the adhesive and residue almost instantly. I cleaned it again with a vinegar cleanser since if you leave lemon oil on some surfaces or plastic it can damage the finish. I also use it for cleaning around the store anytime there’s something that can’t be cleaned by our regular natural all purpose cleaners.

It’s also inexpensive, at $6.49 for a 1 oz. bottle of pure lemon oil, so I’d definitely recommend picking up a bottle if you don’t have one!

Essential Oil Spotlight: Orange Oil

I wanted to begin a series on some of our favorite oils, so check back each month to read about a one of our favorite essential oils and its benefits!

This month I wanted to write about orange oil, since it’s cheery, which is helpful as winter wears on- the scent of orange oil can definitely help to brighten up a dreary day. Interestingly, smelling orange oil has also shown benefit in several scientific studies to help people with anxiety, including acute anxiety- there’s even a study that found that orange oil helped children’s anxiety during dental procedures, and has even shown to help with the perception of pain in people with injuries. It also just smells great.

Orange is perfect to use in a diffuser by itself, but it also blends really well with other oils, especially spice oils. I love mixing orange with clove, cinnamon, and/or patchouli (I know patchouli can be a divisive scent, but I absolutely love it, and it smells amazing combined with orange).

Beyond aromatherapy, orange oil is great to have on hand for cleaning. A few drops added to a bucket of soapy water helps not only to add scent to your home, but it also helps to cut through grease and grime. Orange oil also works great to remove adhesive residue. Best of all is that it’s extremely inexpensive- a 1oz bottle of 100% pure orange oil (which for me lasts for ages) is only $4.99 at the store, so stop by and see us and start smelling some orange oil!

We’re at 7228 W. College Drive in Palos Heights

Rosemary Oil for Hair Loss and Scalp Health

Rosemary oil is known to promote scalp health and is often used for hair loss. Rosemary oil is said to help to revitalize hair follicles and encourage hair growth, and has even been shown in a small research study to be effective in blocking DHT (the hormone associated with hair loss and pattern baldness).

Hair loss can be a tricky thing, and can have a variety of causes- I certainly don't want to promote rosemary oil as a miracle cure, but it's inexpensive and smells nice, so it doesn't hurt to try. Rosemary may also help with reducing dandruff and itchy scalp.

Rosemary oil (and all essential oils) must be diluted before using topically. Essential oils are very potent oils from plants and when used directly on the skin they may cause irritation. Essential oils should be mixed with a carrier oil or other diluting agent like shampoo or lotion before using on the skin. Also, some people are more sensitive to essential oils than others so I would recommend starting with a small amount to see how your skin reacts.

To use rosemary oil on the scalp, you can use it diluted with shampoo when washing your hair, using roughly 5 drops in the palm of hand combined with shampoo, and then massaged into the scalp.

For a rosemary oil treatment, it can be mixed with a carrier oil like coconut oil and applied to the scalp 30 minutes before shampooing (coconut oil is great for the hair and scalp).

Just remember, use a smaller amount to begin with to make sure your skin doesn't have any problems or reactions. Let us know how it works for you!

Stop by and see us at 7228 W. College Drive in Palos Heights, we have a great selection of 100% pure essential oils for reasonable prices, and have a kind, knowledgeable staff.

Aromatherapy Day Recipe Preview

We’re having an event at the store on Saturday, October 8th where everyone can make rollerbottles and room sprays at the store using our essential oils and ingredients. The recipes below are what we will be making that day, using your choice of roughly 60 different essential oils we will have available to use.

These are the bottles in the kit to make two rollerbottles and two room sprays in blue glass bottles. Each kit is $10 each and includes all of the ingredients needed.

Room Spray Recipe

Ingredients:

2 oz. Spray Bottle

1 tsp. Glycerin

1 tsp. Witch Hazel

20-30 drops any combination of essential oils

Directions:

Fill the essential oil bottle with witch hazel and glycerin, then add your essential oils and fill the rest of the way with water

NOTE: Be sure not to overfill the bottle with water so the atomizer top can still be put on without it overflowing. 

Rollerbottle Recipe

Ingredients:

10ml Rollerbottle

4-10 Drops Essential Oil

Carrier Oil (Grapeseed)

Directions:

Put 4-10 drops of essential oils in a rollerbottle and then fill the rest of the way with a carrier oil. Only fill to the shoulder of the bottle so rollerbottle top can be put on without it overflowing.

10ml Roller Bottle Dilution Chart:

.5% Dilution: 1 drops of essential oils per roller bottle
1% Dilution: 2 drops of essential oils per roller bottle
2% Dilution: 4 drops of essential oils per roller bottle
5% Dilution: 10 drops of essential oils per roller bottle
10% Dilution: 20 drops of essential oils per roller bottle

The Natural Institute for Holistic Aromatherapy recommends using the following dilution ratios:

A .5-1% dilution is recommended for topical use on young children or for sensitive adults. For general adult use, a 2-10% dilution ratio is the general recommendation for topical use.

We look forward to seeing you! We’re located at 7228 W. College Drive in Palos Heights.

Registration for the event is not necessary, though if you wanted to RSVP on our Facebook event we’d appreciate it (here’s the link)!  We’ll also have a variety of organic wines on hand to sample. It should be a fun time, so be sure to stop by!

Essential Oil Rollerbottles for Stress and Focus [Recipe]

With school starting and our hectic lives, I thought it would be helpful to write about essential oil blends for stress and focus. I’ll list some of the recommended oils for stress, anxiety, and concentration below, and guidelines on how to craft your blends. The best oil blends are those you like the smell of, and everyone’s preferences are different. Even if there’s an oil that people say is the best for one thing or another, if you hate how it smells, it’s not for you.

 Recommended oils:

Stress/Relaxation:

Lavender

Cedarwood

Vetiver

Rose

Bergamot

Sandalwood

Oils for focus:

Peppermint

Rosemary

Basil

Grapefruit

Oils for mood:

Orange

Lemon

Lemongrass

Ylang Ylang

Now don’t feel like you need to make a blend with all of these oils, they’re just to give you some ideas for your blends. Any can be used to make a rollerbottle with a carrier oil, but I’d recommend trying them in a diffuser first to make sure you like how the blend goes together.

A few of our favorites to try are:

Lemon and Rosemary

Lavender and Bergamot

Peppermint and Rosemary

Rose and Orange

Peppermint and Lemon

Cedarwood, Lavender, and Orange

The above oils can also go well on their own if you don’t like them blended. To make a rollerbottle, we’d recommend using a total of 4-10 drops of essential oil in a 10ml rollerbottle, with the remainder being filled with a carrier oil like grapeseed oil.

See our full article on essential oil dilutions and rollerbottles on our website here:

Essential Oil Dilutions for Rollerbottles

We have all the supplies needed at Pass Health Foods to make your blends including rollerbottles, essential oils, and carrier oils. Stop by the store at 7228 W. College Drive in Palos Heights.

Peppermint Oil Spray for Spiders and Ants

I like bugs in general but have always had a fear of spiders, it’s gotten a little better over the years, but we’re still not friends. I know spiders are beneficial, and eat mosquitoes, but there's something about them that I just do not like, I think it's the legs...

I wish they would stay away from me of their own accord, but they don't seem to understand that I don't want them around.

I don't love the idea of spraying poison around, however, so, peppermint oil to the rescue!

Peppermint oil is safe to use around the house, and I think it smells good, but for whatever reason, spiders (and ants!) don't like it. See below for a simple recipe to help to encourage spiders to stay away and do their spider business elsewhere.

This recipe is stronger than recipes to use on skin and is meant to be used around the house as a spider and ant repellent. See our article on essential oil dilutions on our website here for topical use.

Spray around doors, windows, baseboards, and wherever you see them to get them to go away and hopefully not come back!

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz bottle*

1 teaspoon peppermint oil

2 tbs witch hazel (optional)

Water (purified or distilled)

* We have both glass and plastic 8 oz bottles of the store. I know everyone used to say that you should really only use glass bottles with essential oils, but Zum, a brand we carry and love, makes essential oil sprays and puts them in plastic bottles, so I'm starting to think maybe glass versus plastic doesn't matter as much in regards to essential oils. If you were going to store a mixture with essential oils for years and years it's probably better to have it in glass, but for things being used in a regular amount of time, I don't think that using plastic is the worst (other than just avoiding plastic use in general for environmental reasons, but I feel like if you're reusing a plastic bottle it's fine).

DIRECTIONS:

Combine peppermint oil and witch hazel (if using) in an 8oz bottle and then carefully fill with water. I like to use witch hazel since it acts as a natural preservative and helps to keep the mixture blended better.

Shake well before using and spray liberally on places spiders and ants hide as well as around doorways and baseboards to help keep them away.

Favorite Essential Oil Recipes and Uses

Since we love essential oils, I wanted to post some of our favorite essential oil recipes below. We also have additional supplies for making DIY essential oil recipes like empty glass rollerbottles, jars, spray bottles, and more, as well as beeswax, coconut oil, witch hazel, and glycerin, which are used in many DIY beauty products.

Diffusers and Why We Love Them

Essential Oil Room Spray Recipe

DIY Shea Butter & Vitamin E Lip Balm

Natural Odor Eliminator with Essential Oils

Essential Oil Roll On for Headache and Migraine

Essential Oil Flea and Tick Recipes for Dogs and Cats

Using Essential Oils in the Laundry

Moisturizing Foot Treatment

Detox Bath Soak

DIY "Poo-Pourri" with Essential Oils

Natural Beard Oil Recipe

Warming Muscle Rub with Essential Oils

DIY Hair Serum for Split Ends

Easy Shoe Deodorizer Recipe

Eucalyptus Oil: A Staff Favorite

Natural Spring Cleaning

To clean your entire house, truly all you need is some Dr. Bronner’s Castille Soap, essential oils, a bucket, and a microfiber towel.

All you need to do is squirt a small amount of Dr. Bronner’s into a bucket of warm water (I like to use the tea tree since it’s disinfecting), add a few drops of essential oils for a bit of extra scent and cleaning power (lemon smells amazing and helps to cut through grime and grease).

Microfiber cloths are available at any hardware store, and they’re much more environmentally friendly to use than paper towels. Also, microfiber cloths are able to trap bacteria and viruses in their microscopic fibers, without using chemicals- the EPA found when only using water, microfiber removes up to 98% of bacteria and 93% of viruses.

Using castile soap and essential oils when cleaning is non-toxic to people and pets and also doesn’t pollute waterways when using it to clean the shower, bath, or toilets.

The only thing I don’t use the Dr. Bronner’s essential oil mixture to clean is windows and mirrors- I’d recommend our fragrance free Seventh Generation natural glass cleaner for that.

This month is Earth Day, so stopping the use of chemical laden cleansers is something that’s good for our health and the health of the environment. Happy Spring Cleaning!

Our Dr. Bronner’s Castille Liquid Soaps are on sale at Pass Health Foods during the month of April!

We love essential oil diffusers

This month I wanted to write about essential oil diffusers and how great they are. I’ve had a diffuser for years, but hadn’t used it in a while, but several weeks ago I noticed it in a cabinet and dug it out, and it’s been so nice using it!

Our essential oil diffusers just use tap water and a few drops of essential oils. They’re simple to use- just fill to the inner line with water and then drop in your essential oils. They turn off automatically when they’ve used up all the water so they’re really hassle-free. It’s a really nice way to scent your home naturally, plus it helps to add a bit of moisture to the air. I’ve been using the Now blend Woodland Walk most days and I really love it, since it’s a nice, fresh, outdoorsy scent that makes me think of spring in the forest.

Stop by the store this month to see our diffusers and maybe pick out a new essential oil blend to try. Some other nice spring oils are bergamot, lemongrass, lime, and tangerine. Essential oils can really make your home feel more pleasant, without adding chemicals to the air. 

A Staff Favorite: Eucalyptus Oil

I wanted to write about Eucalyptus, since it’s so fantastic for using during the winter. Smelling eucalyptus helps to open the sinuses, but research has also found that when sprayed or diffused into the air it actually helps to kill bacteria and microbes in the air. It’s fantastic in a diffuser, but if you don’t have one, adding several drops to a pot of simmering water on the stove is a great idea to get eucalyptus oil into the air and also to add a bit more moisture to the air. It’s also very refreshing when used in the shower and can be really invigorating. Be sure to stop by this month to pick some up, a bottle of eucalyptus oil is inexpensive and lasts a long time!

We’re at 7228 W. College Drive in Palos Heights and have a great selection of 100% pure (and reasonably priced!) essential oils.

Top 5 Simple Ways to Use Essential Oils

Essential oils are wonderful, but many people wonder how to use them on a daily basis. Here are our top five (simple) ways to use essential oils every day!

In a diffuser

If you don’t have a diffuser, it’s an idea to look into. It’s a way to enjoy the scent of essential oils in your home all day. The diffusers we have at the store turn off automatically at the end of their cycle, so there’s no worry about turning it off. Essential oils are a great way to scent your home naturally!

In a pot of simmering water

If you don’t have a diffuser, adding a few drops to a small pot of simmering water over the stove can help to disperse the scent of essential oils throughout your home, and it’s also a way to add a bit more moisture to the air, which can be beneficial in the winter months.

In a bath

Essential oils are wonderful in a bath, but it’s important to mix them with a carrier oil or other unscented oil like grapeseed or almond oil before pouring them in the bath so they don’t irritate the skin. A bath with lavender oil before bed is extremely relaxing

In room sprays

Room sprays with essential oils are extremely easy to make, and we have all the necessary ingredients at the store. You can use them as a quick pick-me-up, as a linen spray, or even to freshen up clothing. You can see our room spray recipe on our website here: Room Spray Recipe

In an unscented lotion

An easy way to enjoy essential oils topically is to mix them with an unscented lotion (we love the Everyone unscented lotion at the store since it comes in a pump). Of course, you can make your own lotions from scratch, but mixing a drop or two of your favorite essential oil with a generous dollop of lotion in the palm of your hand before applying is an easy way to enjoy the scents of essential oils. Here is a post from our website on how to mix essential oils into an entire container of lotion: DIY Essential Oil Lotion

Also check out our article: DIY Holiday Gifts with Essential Oils

Using Essential Oils in the Laundry

This is a great recipe for using essential oils when you do laundry. Combining essential oils with vinegar makes it so there’s no oil transfer on the laundry and also further deodorizes clothes (at the end of the cycle they won’t smell like vinegar)- it even works like a natural fabric softener.  This recipe can be used with white squares of cloth or even old white socks!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup white vinegar

• 20-30 drops of essential oils (lavender or bergamot are my favorites)

• Cotton cloths

See the entire recipe and directions at Our Oily House.

Wake Up Like Marie Kondo - DIY Recipe

Most people are familiar with Marie Kondo (she’s written a couple books on decluttering home and life and has two Netflix shows). I like her, though I don’t necessarily go along with everything she says, still, she has some good ideas on clearing stuff out of your house and only keeping the things you really love.

An article came up on my phone’s newsfeed a couple weeks ago about her morning routine that said:

Kondo begins her workday by spritzing the air with an aromatherapy spray to clear her mind. “I read somewhere that of our five senses, our sense of smell is very important and affects the brain and relaxes our mind,” Kondo says. This ritual makes her feel as if she’s “shifting gears into a work mode.”

I thought it was such a clever idea since I do think scent makes such a difference, and certain essential oils have actual scientific research behind them demonstrating specific benefits. I did some research and made a recipe blend that combines oils that are said to help with boosting mood or to energize the body and mind, plus I think it smells good, which is important too- even if an oil is supposed to have a ton of benefits, if you hate the smell, it doesn’t seem like a great idea to use (unless it helped you win the lottery or something!).

The recipe below can be switched out for oils you have on hand or oils you prefer. Other oils not in this blend that help with energy, focus, and/or mood are ginger, eucalyptus, and peppermint, so feel free to experiment with your own blends. Room spray recipes work well with 20-40 drops of essential oils depending on their strength and how strong you want it to smell. They can also be used only with water, but in my experience, using a 50/50 mixture of water and witch hazel keeps the oils from separating in the mixture and also acts like a natural preservative. If you make a room spray with only water, be sure to shake it before each use.

Essential Oil Morning Room Spray

15 drops lemon essential oil
5 drops bergamot essential oil
5 drops cedarwood essential oil
5 drops rosemary essential oil
5 orange essential oil

Water

Witch Hazel

2oz Amber Spray Bottle (available at the store)

Directions:

Fill a 2oz amber spray bottle halfway with witch hazel. Add desired essential oils and then fill the rest of the way with water. Be sure to not overfill, only fill to the bottom of the neck of the bottle or a little under since putting the spray top back on will use up some of the room in the bottle and you don’t want to overfill it.

Spray generously into the air in the mornings. I do really think it helps you to wake up a bit easier. My daughter has joined band in Jr. High so now we have to wake up before 6, which for us is EARLY- I feel like using this blend helps a little (plus it smells good, which is always nice)!

Be sure to stop by the store and see us, we’re located at 7228 W. College Drive in Palos Heights and have a great selection of 100% pure essential oils as well as lots of DIY supplies!

Natural Tick Repellent with Essential Oils [Recipe]

Ticks really do not like essential oils. They search out people or “hosts” by scent, so essential oils can help not only by masking your scent, but some essential oils actually repel them. Geranium (study link) is on the top of the list for repelling ticks, along with lemon eucalyptus (study link), and lavender (study link). Lavender oil has even been shown in studies to prevent tick eggs from hatching.

This tick blend can be mixed with water in a spray bottle. Essential oils can be too strong to be put directly on the skin without causing irritation, so diluting in a spray bottle or lets essential oils be used on the skin without irritation (and makes them easier to apply).

Tick Prevention Spray:

Ingredients:

2 oz. amber spray bottle

2 tbs. witch hazel (optional, see note below)

2 tbs. water

15 drops Geranium Oil*

10 drops Lemon Eucalyptus Oil*

10 drops Lavender Oil*

*If using on young children or people with sensitive skin, slightly reduce the amounts of essential oils.

Directions:

Fill a 2 oz. bottle a little less than half of the way with witch hazel, then fill to roughly 80% with water before adding your essential oils. Top off with a bit of water to fill if desired, though take care to make sure that the top of the liquid mixture is slightly lower than the neck so it doesn’t overflow when the top is put on. 

Note: Essential oils can be mixed with straight water in a spray bottle, but in our experience mixing with half unscented witch hazel and half water yields a better result that lasts longer. Witch hazel also helps the oils to stay combined so the oil doesn't just sit on the top of the water.

To Use: Spray on skin as needed, especially on lower legs and feet if wearing sandals. Do not use near the face. 

Tick Notes:

Tick bites are painless, so there’s really no way to know if you’ve been bitten than to look for them.

Ticks can range in size and some can be extremely small.

Ticks are all around, not just in wooded areas, so get in the habit of doing a quick “tick check” after coming in from outside, even if you’ve just been in your backyard. Most ticks are picked up on the legs and they crawl up the body from there, so using repellents on shoes and legs is an especially good idea.

What to do if you get bitten by a tick:

Use tweezers to remove the tick, grasping it firmly with the tweezers as close to the skin as possible, pulling upward with a slow, steady, even pressure. Twisting or jerking can cause parts of the tick to remain in the skin.

Don’t be afraid, ticks are very common and most tick bites are harmless, but do be on the lookout for a rash or fever and contact your physician if you have any of the following symptoms: rash, fever, muscle or joint pain or weakness.