Beach Bag Essentials - Oils that is!

Ahhh, Summer - its officially here!

Despite the debate as to whether the Summer Solstice (the unofficial mark of Summer's start) is the 20th or 21st of June, I know its here because the kids are finally done with school and my thoughts are turning to lazy days and fun times.

If you live in the proximity of the beach then another unofficial mark to the start of summer is the packing of the beach bag.

My beach bag has expanded to more than one bag over these last few years, heck, just needing 6 beach towels will do that! But for the most part my beach bag still includes the basics with a few extras for the little ones. Gotta keep 'em happy!

Here are some suggestions for a well packed beach bag. Some are no-brainers but there are a few "essential" additions that just might make that trip to the shore a bit more enjoyable:

• Beach Bag - of course, can't pack a beach bag without a bag



• Sunscreen - I know you don't need to be reminded of this however, I did want to point you to a report of the best and worst sunscreens with regard to the amount of chemicals they possess and their effectivness. Take a look at the Enviornmental Working Group's Report they released last year and choose wisely. I think you'll be surprised, like me, to find that 85% of 1,074 sunscreen products they tested had inadequate protection from the sun, or contain ingredients with significant safety concerns.



• Water - goes without saying. Try spiking your water with a couple of drops of Lemon Essential Oil or Peppermint Essential Oil. Both are very refreshing and envigorating. Read how great Lemon water is for you here.



• Snacks - Add some non-perishable high energy snacks in your beach bag and even when the cooler is empty there will be snacks available. I like to keep pouches of NingXia Red, trail mix, or granola bars. I'm going to order the new Manna Bars and add them to my bag. They'd be a good addition as they are loaded with great whole food nutrition and they sound super yummy!



• A Good Read - The beach is a great time to catch up on your reading, so grab something new from the Bestseller List or that book that you've been meaning to read for years. I'm starting my summer reading with Quantum Wellness by Kathy Freston.



• Disposable Camera - capture those precious moments without the worry of having your good camera getting ruined.



• Peppermint Essential Oil - great for helping you cool down! Add a couple of drops to your water, rub on your feet, or you can put a few drops on a bandana to wear around the head for summer cooling. Mixing Peppermint and Lavender oil with water makes a very simple and pleasant Cooling Spritz (see recipe below).



• Lavender Essential Oil - Make a Cooling Spritz and Sunburn soother in portable spray bottles and add to your bag (see recipes below). Feeling a little stinky? Apply a couple of drops of Lavender under your arms to use as a portable deodorant. Lavender will not only cover any unpleasant odor, it also prevents the occurrence of odor-causing bacteria.



• Lavaderm Cooling Mist - if you don't want to make your own Sunburn Soother than you can purchase this pre-made skin soother. It includes Lavender Essential Oil and Aloe Vera. Its great as a first aid spray and for soothing bug bites!




If you purchase an Essential 7 Kit you'd have 3 essential oils mentioned in this post.....




• Horsefly Repellent - to me, nothing can ruin my day at the beach more then when those pesky, biting, flies arrive to nibble on our toes, and legs, and arms and well, you get the picture. You can repell them by making a floral water with Idaho Tansy essential oil (see the recipe below). Bathing on the dock of the bay? Then mosquitos may be your problem. Check out my Mosquitoes Bugging You? post for an insect repelling recipe.



• Cornstarch - easliy removes sand from your feet. If you'd like to make it more refreshing add some essential oils (see the recipe below). Please don't use babypowder. Inhaling baby powder has been linked with respiratory illnesses.



• Garbage Bag - please bring an extra bag with you to stash your trash! While you're at it, do what my family does and get each one in your beach party to pick up their trash and one extra piece of trash. The beach critters and us loyal beach goers would greatly appreciate it!

Order Young Living Essential Oils here.......

Recipes:

Lavender and Peppermint Cooling Spritz

Add 5 drops Lavender and 1 drop Peppermint to 1 cup distilled water. Spritz on arms and legs to help you cool down. Do not spray near face; if you wish to use this mixture near the face, dampen a cloth and lightly apply to the face.

Sunburn Soother

Add 20 drops Lavender to 1 ounce water and 1 ounce Aloe vera. Spray on affected areas as needed.

Horsefly Repellent

Add 10-20 drops of Idaho Tansy Essential Oil to a spray bottle filled with distilled water. Spray generously on exposed skin being careful to avoid the eyes.

Foot Powder
Measure the cornstarch and pour it into a widemouthed glass jar or a spice powder container. Then add the essential oils. Tighten the cap, and let the foot powder sit for a day. Shake before using.

Chamomile: 20 drops
Clove: 5 drops
Cinnamon: 5 drops
Cornstarch: 2 Tbsp

Foot Powder Recipe from 500 Formulas for Aromatherapy: Mixing Essential Oils for Every Use by Carol & David Schiller, ©1994.

Happy Summer! I hope you enjoy it and that you create many special memories with your family and friends!

If you have any questions or need help placing an order please contact me. I'd be more than happy to assist!

Yours in Scentsible Wellness,
Elizabeth

The Lighter Side of Lemon

In my previous post Alkalize with Lemon I spoke about the many health benefits of Lemon Essential Oil . But you should know there is a lighter, more practical side to Lemon and if you have children you will find that Lemon Essential Oil is a must have in your bag of tricks!

Did you know that Lemon Essential Oil is great for getting sticky stuff off of things?

It works great for getting stickers off of purchased items, gum out of hair, and sticky stuff from hands like tree sap from playing with pine cones. Simply drip a drop or two on the area, gently spread around and wipe clean.

In the case of gum in hair, drip a drop or two of the oil on the hair and work in and around the gum. You will see it loosen and you can remove it - scissor free!

How about those annoying "temporary tattoos"? You know the ones I am talking about; the ones that really aren't temporary but instead hang around for a week or so as they slowly fade away. Drip a drop or two of Lemon Essential Oil onto the tattoo, spread it around and then see how quickly it wipes off.


Get Young Living Essential Oils here...

Oh, and don't you love that food coloring that surrounds your child's mouth from the ice cream man's ice pops or those wonderful juices the kids love so much? No amount of scrubbing seems to rid those little mouths of the evidence. Lemon Essential Oil does! Put some on your finger, rub onto the affected area and gently wipe off the evidence.

Here's a good one for you, Lemon Essential Oil removes marker from your child's skin - in our case my son's face.

My son attended a "Pirate" birthday party and he proudly came home with a mustache drawn on his face. It wasn't until later in the evening (he wouldn't let me remove it a moment earlier) that I received a phone call from a mother whose child attended the party and she exclaimed "can you believe the mother used marker on their faces?". She went on to inform me how she had her son in the tub and had been scrubbing his face to no avail. She wanted to know if I was able to get the mustache off of my child. I giggled, pulled out my Lemon Essential Oil and was again amazed at the ease of removal. No scrubbing, no screaming, just the beautiful scent of oil.

How about the inevitable trips to the port-o-john? They're fun huh? I think they are for sure a mother's true nightmare!! If you happen to have a bottle of lemon essential oil with you (because you had it for your water ) take advantage of the antiseptic properties of the lemon and use it to clean your little darling's hands. Just a drop or two rubbed on the hands will be sure to kill any germs they picked up!

"When life gives you lemons make lemonade" couldn't be more true for Lemon Essential Oil!!!

If you have any questions or need help placing an order, please contact me. I would be happy to help!

Yours in Scentsible Wellness,
Elizabeth

Natural Insect-Repelling String Ties

WOW!! How timely is this? I was researching information for another post when I ran across this really cool project to make Natural Insect Repelling String Ties. This is from one of my favorite sites Abundant Health and their project is a perfect follow up for this morning's Mosquito post.

Looks like another great way to rid the house of those skeeters!

Natural Insect-Repelling String Ties

These insect-repelling string ties are really easy to make, and are great for keeping insects away from camping areas, picnic tables, and other outdoor events! The compact case/dispenser this string is stored in is small enough that it can easily be taken backpacking, hiking, biking, or on any other outdoor excursion.

Ingredients Needed:

1. Cotton yarn or thick string: This can be found at most any fabric or craft store. Yarn or string made from other absorbent materials may work as well, but cotton seems to work really well for this project.


2. 1 oz. plastic salve container: This is used as a container/dispenser for the yarn or string.


3. 15 ml amber glass spray bottle: This is used to mix the essential oil blend and jojoba together in. Other small glass bottles or containers can be used as well, but the 15 ml spray bottle has the added benefit that when you are done using it, you can add some distilled water to the bottle to create your own insect-repelling spray!


4. Jojoba oil: This can be found in many health or soap-making supply stores. Other unscented vegetable oils can also be used as carrier oils for this project, but they may go rancid if unused for a long time. Jojoba oil, which is technically a liquid wax rather than a true oil, tends to be more stable than regular vegetable oils.


5. Essential oils: This recipe calls for lavender, lemongrass, peppermint, and thyme essential oils. If desired, however, you can substitute other insect-repelling essential oils (like citronella) or other oil blends.

Get Young Living Essential Oils here...

Instructions:

Wind cotton yarn into a ball or coil until it is approximately 1.5" in diameter (if you coil the yarn, it may be easiest to wind it around a small 1" long wood dowel).

1. Place the ball/coil into the 1 oz. plastic salve container.


2. In the 15 ml glass bottle, blend 50 drops lavender, 50 drops lemongrass, 30 drops peppermint, and 10 drops thyme essential oils (or you can substitute 100-150 drops of your own desired essential oil or blend).


3. Add jojoba oil to the essential oils until the 15 ml glass bottle is nearly full. Cap or cover the bottle opening and shake the bottle for a few seconds to help mix the oils. Allow the oil mixture to sit for a few minutes to allow it to meld together.


4. Slowly pour about 1/2 of the oil mixture onto the yarn ball/coil inside the plastic container, allowing the oil to soak into the yarn before pouring more. Turn the ball/coil over, and pour the remaining 1/2 of the oil mixture onto the other side of the ball/coil. (If you want to make an insect-repelling spray in the 15 ml bottle, leave a small amount of the oil mixture remaining in the glass bottle, then add distilled water to the oil mixture until the bottle is nearly full. Screw the spray top on the bottle. To use the spray, shake the bottle vigorously for a few seconds to mix the oil and water, then spray in the desired location as needed).


5. Screw the lid onto the 1 oz. plastic salve container, and let the container sit for 2-3 hours to allow the oil mixture to soak thoroughly into the yarn.

To use the insect-repelling string ties, remove the desired length of string from the container and tie it onto tree branches, fences, tents, poles, or other objects around the desired area (if you tie them onto tree branches, be sure to remove them when finished, or the string may end up causing damage as the branch tries to grow wider).

Extra Ideas:

Convert the 1 oz. salve container into a great dispenser for your string with a few easy steps. Drill a small hole (approximately the same diameter as the yarn or string you used) through the lid of the container. Thread a small amount of the yarn/string through the bottom of the hole in the lid. Screw the lid back onto the container, being certain to hold onto the yarn/string that has been threaded through the hole so it doesn't slip back down through the hole. Apply a small label or sticker over the top of the hole and yarn to help seal the container until needed. To dispense from this container, simply pull the desired length of yarn/string through the hole, then carefully cut the yarn/string approximately 1" above the hole.

For a more formal event, create insect-repelling strings from two or more complimentary colors. Hang the different colors in attractive patterns, braid the colors together, or twist the colors together to create a decorative element with the strings.

Please contact me if you have any questions or need help ordering any of the oils.

Yours in Scentsible Wellness,
Elizabeth