 Enhance
Summer Activities Naturally
(ARA) - To most people, summer
means fun in the sun, outdoor activities and vacations. But the
flip side of summer is sunburn, overworked muscles and travel-related
stress. Prepare for an active summer with a simple kit of natural
aromatherapy solutions that can help protect you from summer's
hidden hazards and recover if you've overdone it.
Whether gardening, sporting,
entertaining or vacationing, key summertime essential oils such
as lavender, citronella and tea tree, can keep you healthy and
on track.
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The experts at Aura Cacia offer
some ideas on how to use essential oils to naturally enhance
summer activities:
Skin TLC
Spending time in the garden or
at the beach involves exposure to sun and wind. Outdoor activities
and the increased day length make skin care all the more important.
Two ways to soothe your skin -- and your emotions -- are with
lavender and other essential oils.
Lavender Skin-Soother Calming
Body Mist
1 teaspoon plain vinegar or herb-infused
vinegar (lavender, rose, peppermint, etc.)
18 drops lavender
6 drops geranium
3 drops rose otto or rose absolute
4 ounces water (or a water-based liquid, such as green tea, hydrosol
or aloe juice)
Place vinegar in a spray mister
bottle. Add the essential oils and shake. Add water, cap and
mist the skin. Always shake well before use. Avoid eyes and sensitive
areas. |
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Relaxing Lavender Spa Bath
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon Epsom salt
1 tablespoon ground oatmeal
27 drops lavender
Mix ingredients and add to hot
bath.
Dealing with Pests
Biting insects are a normal occurrence
during the outdoor season. Aromatherapy offers a natural, pleasantly
aromatic solution to discourage the critters without resorting
to toxic chemicals and violent (and messy) swatting.
Lemon eucalyptus and citronella
essential oils both contain the natural constituent citronellol,
which has been shown to be effective at repelling insects such
as mosquitoes and gnats. The earthy, citrusy scent of these oils
can be enhanced with other essential oils to create very pleasing,
yet effective, aromas in applications like the two below.
Outdoor Lotion
3/4 ounce (or about 22 grams)
beeswax
1 cup carrier oil, such as sweet almond or apricot kernel oil
1 cup lukewarm water (or a water-based liquid, like green tea,
hydrosol or aloe juice)
14 drops lemon eucalyptus
14 drops citronella
6 drops lavender
4 drops grapefruit
2 drops geranium
Add beeswax to carrier oil in
a tempered glass cup or bowl. Place in a hot water bath. Heat
until melted. Place the water in a blender. Allow the oil/wax
mixture to cool. When the temperatures of the oil and water are
comparable, turn on the blender and add the oil in a thin stream.
Blend until a cream develops. Blend in the essential oils and
store in a jar in the refrigerator.
Patio Spray
1 teaspoon grain alcohol, rubbing
alcohol or high-proof vodka
10 drops lemon eucalyptus
7 drops citronella
5 drops grapefruit
5 drops cedarwood (choose from Atlas, Texas or red varieties)
4 ounces distilled water
Place alcohol in a spray mister
bottle. Add the essential oils and shake. Add water, cap and
mist the atmosphere around your outdoor activities. Always shake
well before use. Avoid spraying the skin, clothing or garden
plants.
Travel Protection
Summertime is vacation time.
Traveling disrupts our normal routines and often exposes us to
more and different illness-inducing microbes. We can help that
situation with a universally purifying and protecting essential
oil like tea tree. This oil comes from Australia and has a fragrant,
spicy-medicinal aroma. It provides an effective and safe alternative
to harsh synthetic sanitizers.
The simplest way to take advantage
of tea tree's purifying nature is to carry a bottle of the oil
in a zip-lock plastic bag, along with a handful of cotton balls.
Place a few drops on the cotton and use it to clean surfaces
and equipment handles. Most people can comfortably use tea tree
directly on their skin, so two to three drops can be used as
a hand-purifying agent. Here's a cleansing and energizing tea
tree travel mist you can take along for protection on summertime
trips:
Tea Tree Travel Mist
1 teaspoon grain alcohol, rubbing
alcohol or high-proof vodka
10 drops tea tree
7 drops peppermint
10 drops tangerine
4 ounces distilled water
Place alcohol in a spray mister
bottle. Add the essential oils and shake. Add water, cap and
mist the atmosphere around your outdoor activities. Always shake
well before use. Avoid spraying eyes and sensitive areas. |
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