Aloe Vera Gel is one of the very best ingredients for burns; it offers immediate relief, shortens recovery times, and hydrates the skin. It can be used alone, but is even more powerful when combined with medicinal calendula, cooling peppermint, and anti-oxidant rich vitamin E oil.
Ingredients:
2 ounces aloe vera gel
1 ounce calendula
2 1/2 ounces distilled water
5 drops chamomile essential oil
2-5 drops peppermint essential oil
10 drops vitamin E oil
Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add calendula, remove from heat. Allow to steep for 20 minutes before straining out flower petals to be discarded. Allow the hydrosol to cool.
Mix 2 ounces of the hydrosol with the remaining ingredients and pour into a 4 oz spray bottle, and mist onto the skin as often as desired. Store in refrigerator to increase the cooling effect.
Showing posts with label outdoors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label outdoors. Show all posts
10/7/13
6/1/13
Bug Spray Formula I
I have two recipes for personal use bug spray that have been given to me. This one is the less likely to get you pulled over bug spray (the other uses vodka as a base).
Ingredients
4 ounces fresh catnip tincture (95 percent alcohol)
4 ounces witch hazel extract
80 drops organic citronella essential oil
80 drops organic eucalyptus essential oil
40 drops organic lavender essential oil
20 drops organic rosemary essential oil
10 drops organic lemongrass essential oil
10 drops organic lemon essential oil
Mix all ingredients in an 8 oz spray bottle and shake well before using. Re-apply as often as needed.
Ingredients
4 ounces fresh catnip tincture (95 percent alcohol)
4 ounces witch hazel extract
80 drops organic citronella essential oil
80 drops organic eucalyptus essential oil
40 drops organic lavender essential oil
20 drops organic rosemary essential oil
10 drops organic lemongrass essential oil
10 drops organic lemon essential oil
Mix all ingredients in an 8 oz spray bottle and shake well before using. Re-apply as often as needed.
5/31/13
Yogurt Sunburn Relief
Yogurt contains enzymes and acids that sooth, cool, and reduce irritation. Adding Aloe Vera Gel and Lavender essential oil further increases the healing and soothing properties.
Ingredients
4 oz plain yogurt
1 oz aloe vera gel
15 drops organic lavender essential oil
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until combined. Apply directly to sunburned areas and allow to dry. Once finished, rinse off with cool water. This process may be repeated as often as desired.
Ingredients
4 oz plain yogurt
1 oz aloe vera gel
15 drops organic lavender essential oil
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until combined. Apply directly to sunburned areas and allow to dry. Once finished, rinse off with cool water. This process may be repeated as often as desired.
5/30/13
Tick Spray for Pets and their People
Before this year I had never seen a tick in Florida. Now they're popping up left and right and they're gross little bugs! I've heard all kinds of ways to remove a tick from you, but I'd rather not have them attach in the first place. Ticks are attracted to butyric acid, which is found in sweat among other things.
Ingredients
grapeseed oil
cedar or citrus essential oil
Use a ratio of three tablespoons grapeseed oil to 15-20 essential oil and rub on yourself and your pet.
Ingredients
grapeseed oil
cedar or citrus essential oil
Use a ratio of three tablespoons grapeseed oil to 15-20 essential oil and rub on yourself and your pet.
4/7/13
Bug Off Bar Soap
I spend a lot of time in my little garden. Here in Florida the mosquitoes are like little B-52 airplanes swarming you most of the year. This is a good lotion bar soap recipe for keeping them off of you while you're out. Thank you Mountain Rose Herbs for the recipe.
Ingredients:
1 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup shea butter, cocoa butter or mango butter (or a mix of all three equal to 1 part)
1/2 cup beeswax + 2 tablespoons
1/4 cup fresh or dried rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon dried whole cloves
2 tablespoons dried or fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/4 cup dried catnip leaf
1 (or more) tablespoons of mint leaf
1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil to preserve.
10+ drops lavendar essential oil
10+ drops lemon essential oil
Using a double boiler or glass bowl on top of a small saucepan, heat about 1 inch of water (in bottom pan) until starting to boil. Place the dried rosemary, cloves, thyme, cinnamon, catnip and mint in the top part of the double boiler and add the coconut oil (can also use almond, olive or other oil but you will need to add more beeswax later on to get the bars to firm.
Cover the bowl or top part of the double boiler and keep the water at medium/high temperature for at least 30 minutes or until oil has adopted a darker color and smells strongly of rosemary. Alternately, you can fill a crock pot about half full with water, put the coconut oil and herbs in a glass mason jar with a tight lid, cover and keep on lowest setting for several days to make an even stronger infused oil.
Then, strain the dried herbs out of the oil using a small mesh strainer or cheesecloth and pour the oil back into the double boiler. The oil will probably be reduced by almost half and you should have about 1/2 cup of the infused oil. If you have more, save it for next time!
Add the butter(s) and beeswax to the double boiler and stir until all have melted. Remove from heat, add the Vitamin E oil and any other essential oils and pour into molds. These are the molds I used but I also love these Sunflower ones and these heart ones, which would both be great for gifts. There are also simple flower molds and actual bar shaped ones.
Leave in the molds until completely set (overnight is best) or you can speed up the process by placing in the fridge.
To use, rub the bars on exposed areas of DRY skin to protect against mosquitoes. Note: If you are pregnant, check to make sure any herbs you use are safe for pregnancy and omit the ones that aren’t.
Ingredients:
1 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup shea butter, cocoa butter or mango butter (or a mix of all three equal to 1 part)
1/2 cup beeswax + 2 tablespoons
1/4 cup fresh or dried rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon dried whole cloves
2 tablespoons dried or fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/4 cup dried catnip leaf
1 (or more) tablespoons of mint leaf
1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil to preserve.
10+ drops lavendar essential oil
10+ drops lemon essential oil
Using a double boiler or glass bowl on top of a small saucepan, heat about 1 inch of water (in bottom pan) until starting to boil. Place the dried rosemary, cloves, thyme, cinnamon, catnip and mint in the top part of the double boiler and add the coconut oil (can also use almond, olive or other oil but you will need to add more beeswax later on to get the bars to firm.
Cover the bowl or top part of the double boiler and keep the water at medium/high temperature for at least 30 minutes or until oil has adopted a darker color and smells strongly of rosemary. Alternately, you can fill a crock pot about half full with water, put the coconut oil and herbs in a glass mason jar with a tight lid, cover and keep on lowest setting for several days to make an even stronger infused oil.
Then, strain the dried herbs out of the oil using a small mesh strainer or cheesecloth and pour the oil back into the double boiler. The oil will probably be reduced by almost half and you should have about 1/2 cup of the infused oil. If you have more, save it for next time!
Add the butter(s) and beeswax to the double boiler and stir until all have melted. Remove from heat, add the Vitamin E oil and any other essential oils and pour into molds. These are the molds I used but I also love these Sunflower ones and these heart ones, which would both be great for gifts. There are also simple flower molds and actual bar shaped ones.
Leave in the molds until completely set (overnight is best) or you can speed up the process by placing in the fridge.
To use, rub the bars on exposed areas of DRY skin to protect against mosquitoes. Note: If you are pregnant, check to make sure any herbs you use are safe for pregnancy and omit the ones that aren’t.
4/6/13
Weed Killer
Why pollute your house with poisons when you can kill weeds with things that are normally (at least here) in your kitchen? This recipe comes to us from Homestead Survival.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Tablespoons Table Salt
1–2 Cup of white Vinegar
1 Tablespoon of Dr. Bronner Liquid Castile Soap
Pour the table salt into the spray bottle. Pour Dr Bronner Liquid Castile Soap to the spray bottle.
Next fill the spray bottle an inch from the top with white vinegar. Put the nozzle spray cap back on. Gently shake the spray bottle until mixed.
Spray directly onto the weeds thoroughly covering them. Beware that it may affect the grass around it so try to be careful with about over spray. Do not use in your garden or flower beds. The weeds should be dead within 24 – 72 hours. If your weeds are in rock, gravel or in between sidewalk cracks…. boiling hot water poured over them with kill them within 24 hours.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Tablespoons Table Salt
1–2 Cup of white Vinegar
1 Tablespoon of Dr. Bronner Liquid Castile Soap
Pour the table salt into the spray bottle. Pour Dr Bronner Liquid Castile Soap to the spray bottle.
Next fill the spray bottle an inch from the top with white vinegar. Put the nozzle spray cap back on. Gently shake the spray bottle until mixed.
Spray directly onto the weeds thoroughly covering them. Beware that it may affect the grass around it so try to be careful with about over spray. Do not use in your garden or flower beds. The weeds should be dead within 24 – 72 hours. If your weeds are in rock, gravel or in between sidewalk cracks…. boiling hot water poured over them with kill them within 24 hours.
Personal Insect Repellant
Remember when using any type of essential oil to do a test spot on your skin first to see if you have a reaction. This is an outdoors spray for picnics and such. It is not water repellant and will need to be reapplied if sweating heavily or after 30 minutes.
Ingredients
1 cup vodka
2 T. aloe vera juice
2 tsp. favorite conditioning liquid oil (soybean, olive, castor, etc.)
1 1/2 tsp. essential oil blend
Mix well in a spray bottle. Reapply often.
Ants: peppermint oil, tea tree oil
Chiggers: lavender oil, lemongrass oil
Flies:geranium oil, lavender oil, lemongrass oil
Fleas: lavender oil, lemongrass oil, rose geranium oil (not for use on cats), rosemary oil
Gnats: patchouli oil
Lice: cedarwood oil, peppermint oil, tea tree oil
Mosquitoes: catnip oil, citronella oil, clove oil, eucalyptus oil, geranium oil, lavender oil, tea tree oil
Moths: cedarwood oil
Ticks: lavender oil, lemongrass oil, patchouli oil, peppermint oil, rosemary oil
***Cheap vodka works well. Since it's used in so many DIY recipes, it's handy to keep a big jug of the swill around. Don't waste the good stuff. If you're leery about using vodka, you can substitute rubbing alchohol, but it needs to be applied more frequently and needs special care taken around the eyes.
Ingredients
1 cup vodka
2 T. aloe vera juice
2 tsp. favorite conditioning liquid oil (soybean, olive, castor, etc.)
1 1/2 tsp. essential oil blend
Mix well in a spray bottle. Reapply often.
Ants: peppermint oil, tea tree oil
Chiggers: lavender oil, lemongrass oil
Flies:geranium oil, lavender oil, lemongrass oil
Fleas: lavender oil, lemongrass oil, rose geranium oil (not for use on cats), rosemary oil
Gnats: patchouli oil
Lice: cedarwood oil, peppermint oil, tea tree oil
Mosquitoes: catnip oil, citronella oil, clove oil, eucalyptus oil, geranium oil, lavender oil, tea tree oil
Moths: cedarwood oil
Ticks: lavender oil, lemongrass oil, patchouli oil, peppermint oil, rosemary oil
***Cheap vodka works well. Since it's used in so many DIY recipes, it's handy to keep a big jug of the swill around. Don't waste the good stuff. If you're leery about using vodka, you can substitute rubbing alchohol, but it needs to be applied more frequently and needs special care taken around the eyes.
Sunblock
I have a desperate allergy to most sunblock. Even the so called hypoallergenic stuff breaks me out in hives. This particular mixtures does really well and can be altered to reflect what level of protection that you want. Thank you Frisky of COCW for this recipe.
Ingredients
1 ounce oil blend (use any combination of the oils listed below)
1 ounce beeswax (adds waterproof properties)
1 ounce butter blend (shea butter, mango butter, or cocoa butter)
1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
0.36 ounces zinc oxide powder
30 drops essential oils, optional
In a double boiler, over low heat, melt the oils, beeswax, and butters.
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly prior to adding the vitamin E oil, zinc oxide powder, and essential oils. Note: Wear a mask when working with zinc oxide. Although it has not been proven harmful when used topically, inhaling the substance can be dangerous. Stir until zinc oxide is dissolved.
Pour into a push-up or roll-up dispenser. This recipe will produce a product similar to a lotion bar or sunscreen stick. You could easily clean out and re-purpose a used deodorant or lip balm container. But, if you want to buy a new one…I love these containers.
Allow to cool and harden on the counter overnight and then you’re good to go! During times of heavy sun and swim exposure be sure to reapply often for the best coverage.
Oils by SPF Ratings:
30 - 50: raspberry seed oil
30: carrot
20: wheat germ
6-10: shea butter.
4-10: sesame oil, coconut oil, hemp oil, avocado oil, soybean, and peanut oil.
Ingredients
1 ounce oil blend (use any combination of the oils listed below)
1 ounce beeswax (adds waterproof properties)
1 ounce butter blend (shea butter, mango butter, or cocoa butter)
1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
0.36 ounces zinc oxide powder
30 drops essential oils, optional
In a double boiler, over low heat, melt the oils, beeswax, and butters.
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly prior to adding the vitamin E oil, zinc oxide powder, and essential oils. Note: Wear a mask when working with zinc oxide. Although it has not been proven harmful when used topically, inhaling the substance can be dangerous. Stir until zinc oxide is dissolved.
Pour into a push-up or roll-up dispenser. This recipe will produce a product similar to a lotion bar or sunscreen stick. You could easily clean out and re-purpose a used deodorant or lip balm container. But, if you want to buy a new one…I love these containers.
Allow to cool and harden on the counter overnight and then you’re good to go! During times of heavy sun and swim exposure be sure to reapply often for the best coverage.
Oils by SPF Ratings:
30 - 50: raspberry seed oil
30: carrot
20: wheat germ
6-10: shea butter.
4-10: sesame oil, coconut oil, hemp oil, avocado oil, soybean, and peanut oil.
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