DIY Hand Sanitizer

 We are right in the middle of cold and flu season.  We do our best to avoid getting sick. We get a flu shot. We wash our hands as often as possible.  When we're out and about we use hand sanitizer.

I wanted a to make a good hand sanitizer spray with the  added benefit of essential oils. Something that would  give  those nasty germs an extra kick in the you know what. 

I gathered together the items and  made up a spray in about 5 minutes. Honestly it takes longer to write about it than it does to make it.







Hand Sanitizer Spray
1/4 cup Witch Hazel (I use one with Aloe added)
1/4 cup of alcohol
 1tsp of vegetable glycerine  and
1tsp of vitamin E oil   for a little protection  for the skin
10 drops of Lemon essential oil   

10 drops of Clove bud essential oil  

 10 drops of Eucalyptus essential oil  

10 drops of Cinnamon  essential oil  

I put the ingredients into a spray bottle and gave it a shake. 
These oils combined have great antiseptic and antibacterial properties. Use the links to see for yourself what they can be used for.

As well you can add these oils to a spray bottle with alcohol and water and you have a great spray to use around the house to kill germs in the air as well.  I add a little Tea Tree Oil in my spray as well.
Using this spray around the house should help during those times when everyone in your house seems to have some kind of a bug. Here's hoping we can all stay healthy this year.

Bye for now... and have a great day.

Diaper Rash Salve

Extremely cold weather like we're having plays havoc with your skin. Spending so much time with my kidlets means I wash my hands about a million times a day and that creates even more damage.  Usually by  the first of the year I have dry cracked knuckles that are actually bleeding and sore.
I have tried all sorts of creams and salves and get a bit of relief but nothing really prevented it completely. 
This year my hands are healthy.

I made a wonderful Calendula oil salve for using on the baby's bums when I change their diapers.  It is really amazing as a preventative for diaper irritations and I've used in an the tiny patches of eczema a few of my kidlets get in the dry cold weather with great success.  I love it the most for what it does for my dry hands.  They look just as good now as they did in the middle of summer. No dry patches, no cracked knuckles, just healthy.





Here is the recipe I use with links to earlier posts for making the ingredients.

2 parts Calendula  Infused oils
1 part Dandelion infused oil
1 part Coconut oil
1 part grated beeswax
1 tsp of vitamin E oil
5 drops of Lavender essential oil
3 drops of Tea Tree essential oil

Add the infused oils , coconut oil and beeswax together in a bowl (I use a small mason jar) and warm in a pot of hot water until the wax is melted.
Remove from the heat and add the Vit. E and essential oils

Stir until it is well blended and pour into small sterilized jars.  Stir in the jars a few times while it is cooling to keep it a bit on the creamy side. This goes a long way so you just need to use a tiny bit.




disclaimer:  I am not a medical expert in any way.  As with any product always try a tiny bit first to check for reactions. and always do your own research before making and using your own products.
This is my go to site for information about essential oils.


Bye for now ..... and have a great day

No-Poo Shampoo

This post has no pics or separate recipe because quite frankly its so simple I'm almost embarrassed to post it.

I haven't used regular shampoo for quite some time now.  Like most people I have used a lot of different brands over the years and found most of them did what they claimed to do.  It is a completely personal decision on my part to stop using things  containing chemicals that can pollute my personal space. Because most things can be absorbed through the skin, shampoo is on the list of things I'm not using any more.  Read the ingredients  on any bottle  and you'll know why. Although I expect you will have to do a little research just to find out what those ingredients are.

There are a lot of natural  alternatives out there. I tried a few different ones and to my delight, the easiest one to use worked just as well as any of the other ones.  I simply dissolve a tablespoon of baking  soda in a cup of water  and pour it over my hair  in the shower.  Work it through my hair making sure I get all  the hair from  scalp to ends and then rinse it out.  The baking soda grabs all  the daily dirt and just takes it down the drain.  See...Too Simple.

This method alone wouldn't be successful without the Apple Cinder Rinse I posted yesterday.  When I first  used this I didn't like the way my hair felt when it was still wet,  and it seemed a bit more tangly to brush out, but I quickly realized that it leaves my hair really clean, soft, and shiny.  And the longer I use it the better it gets. 

So I get to save the money I'd be spending on product. I'm not using any new packaging to end up in the landfill.  I have no nasty chemicals on my hair or scalp, and I like the end result. 
I'm giving "No-Poo and Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse" combo a definite  A+

Bye for now and have a great day everyone.

Hair Rinse alternative

I'm replacing (or trying to) all of the personal products I use so this next while I will be sharing the changes and how they have been working for me.  This change is really important to me because I have asthma and my ultimate goal is not having to use steroid inhalers all the time.  I'm hoping by removing as many irritants from my environment as I can it will help create a healthier me.


The first and easiest of these products to replace for me was my hair conditioner.  I tried a few different things and my favorite recipe was this one found here at Camp Wander.

This rinse contains:
 Rosemary essential oil - used because of it amazing properties that promote a healthy scalp and hair.  It's supposed to improve memory too, what a bonus.
Lavender essential oil - used because it enhances the benefits of the rosemary and its good for dandruff as well  as being antibacterial.
Apple Cider Vinegar - it cuts through shampoo and hard water buildup, and balances the pH of your scalp and hair.
Borax - because its an amazing softener.  It's a salt/mineral and will not hurt you, but it is optional so I recommend you do your research before deciding to use it or not. This works well without it its just better with. Check here to see Borax.

Recipe:
4 cups of filtered water
8 drops of Rosemary essential oil
8 drops of Lavender essential oil
1 tsp. of borax - optional
3 Tbsp. of apple cider vinegar

Mix and store in a glass jar in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  I put about 1 cup in my empty conditioner bottle to use for my shower.

Simply rinse this through your hair  and enjoy nice shiny soft hair with lots of body.  Don't worry the vinegar smell goes away when your hair is dry.

If you have another DIY rinse that works for you or you've tried this one please leave a comment to let me know what you think.

Bye for now and have a good day everyone.

Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint

It's late.  It's almost midnight and I have to write this post before I can go to bed.

I should have taken some pics for this but to tell the truth there really wouldn't have been much to see.  I had a headache and couldn't sleep.  Like everything else in life I read a million home remedies for headache and now that I have one do you  think  I can remember what they were. Heck no. 

So I headed to a few of my favorite blog sites to find something to help, and well one thing led to another and this is what happened.

I went to One good thing by Jillee and found this post on using Lavender lemon and Peppermint essential oils to help allergies.  I really suggest you go read it because I'm tired and may have misunderstood something.  I have a ton of allergies and to tell the truth I think that is what causes a lot of my headaches at this time of the year.  Jillee's post linked to one by her sister that has awesome information about using these essentiaal oils and I knew I was going to try it..

I went to my stash drawer where I keep my oils and got the three I needed.
Measured out 1/4 tsp of each and  put them into a little shot glass. 
Added 1/2 tsp of olive oil. It's what I had on hand and I use it for almost everything I make.
Added about 1/4 teaspoon of grated beeswax to this , I didn't really measure,   just took a pinch that looked like it was about 1/4 teaspoon and dumped it in. I mixed it all together with a chopstick and put it in the microwave.  I gave it little bursts of 10 seconds and stirred between each go.   It only took a few rounds to melt everything.  I poured it into a 1 ounce lip balm container and cooled it . 

Wow.  I am amazed. This stuff is awesome.  I could have used the oils but I wanted to put it on and have it stay.  I put it on my temples, Just a tiny bit and rubbed it in.  I put some on the back of my neck and gave it a rub and rubbed a tiny bit into my wrists.

Usually you have to use a new product for a while to know whether or not you are getting some benefit from it.  This stuff made me feel better so fast I could feel my head clearing before I was done rubbing it in.  Absolutely amazing relief.

I highly recommend you go and read these posts for yourself to get  the real low down.  I'm feeling far to tired and lazy right now to do that here.  My headache is going so I'm off the bed for a good sleep.  Thank you Jillee  and Rebecca for the wonderful information. 

Have a good night everyone . Bye for now.

Herbal infused Oils.

In keeping with the theme lately I thought I'd share a few of the things I decided to make into infused oil.  I have been using the warm water infusion method on my stove top because the weather has been a bit cooler and not too much sun lately. 


I am really lucky because my dad has a huge patch of comfrey at the back of his yard and when I went there to harvest some I found a whole treasure trove of plants I will  be getting a little later in the season.  I also picked a bit of his peppermint while I was there and found a few really nice mullein plants as well.  I love his yard.



So in my little pan I have some comfrey, mullein, peppermint, and plantain that I wildcrafted. I have some cayenne pepper from my pantry and I purchased a small bag of dried calendula flowers and dried  thyme from the local health store to get me started.  I have them all in a good quality extra virgin olive oil.  

I have had them going for a few days now and they will be ready this week.  This method calls for heating the oils slightly for at least eight hours a day for four days. I can't wait to strain off all the plants and bottle my special oils in preparation for a variety of salves and balms for healing, moisturizing and even one for pain. 

I started the dandelions and violet flowers in oil before any of  the others and they are already done.  I  am using the violet oil with a few drops of lavender essential oil for a nice massage oil.  It is very soothing on my tired legs and feet at the end of the day and helps me to relax and get a better night sleep. And the dandelion salve I made last week is doing a wonderful job of healing my cracked knuckles and dry elbows.  I've never had them look this good.
 
Here is a good instructible for infusing herbs for medicinal oils.

Have a great day everyone.

Dandelion Salve

Dandelion season is almost over and it's making me kind of sad this year.  I always thought of these annoying plants like most people as a weed that needed to go so we could see our nice green grass.  Well now I am looking at green in a whole new way and I'm seeing the pretty yellow blooms as a wonderful additive to my bathroom medicine cabinet.  An amazing cure for my always dry chapped hands. 

A little over a  month ago I found this site Annie's Aromatherapy   and it has become my herbal go to place for just about everything I would like to make on my own.  There is so much information here about herbs and plants that I am really hooked.

After studying Annie's instructions I decided to make my own infused oils so they could be later made into salves and ointments for a number of different uses.  With all those dandelions staring at me that seemed like the logical place to start. So I went out and picked as many as I could get from my yard.  I knew they hadn't been sprayed with any chemicals so they were safe.

After letting them dry on a screen for a couple of days to remove some of the moisture I chopped them into small pieces and put them in a mason jar and them covered them with extra virgin olive oil.  Any good oil from the grocery store is fine.

Then I put the jar in a sunny window to be warmed every day and allow the wonderful properties of the dandelions to be drawn into the oil.  Only the sun didn't shine. It's been overcast and drizzly here for ages and I  thought I might have to wait forever if my oil was to have any redeeming qualities at all. 

I decided to hurry things along so I put my lovely oils into a warm bath. I put a rack in the bottom of the pan so the jars wouldn't sit directly on the heat.  I kept the water warm, but not to hot (I didn't want to cook anything. I let everything steep for about 3 days.

 

 

I put a mason jar in a pot of warm water as a makeshift double boiler. Place a dish cloth in the pot to keep the jar from getting too hot.

 

To make my salve I added  the dandelion infused oil and grated beeswax to the jar. Once the wax was melted I removed it from the heat and dried off the outside of the jar. I didn't want water dripping  into my salve. 

Then I added a few drops of lavender essential oil to my mixture and poured it into a smaller jar, and stirred it with a wooden skewer to make sure it was well mixed. 

The finished product goes on really well.  It's smooth and silky and absorbs way better than I could have imagined.  And... It gives me a sense of accomplishment knowing I made something from scratch that is beneficial to my well being. 

My recipe:

100 ml Dandelion infused oil.
25 ml of grated beeswax
5 drops of lavender essential oil.

I'd love to hear your comments on this or any other home recipe for salves or oils and what you use them for . 

Liquid Hand soap

My poor little kidlets seem to have had runny noses forever.  Winter was so long and now we have had another damp cold spell.  We wash our hands about a million times every day and I ran out of hand soap in my foam dispenser this week.  I usually have a huge refill bottle on hand, but in keeping with the chemical free theme, I knew I was going to make my own from now on. 

Just  a few ingredients. Some distilled water, castile soap and a few drops of essential oils.  I removed the label and cleaned the bottle well.  Then I added everything to the bottle and gave it a little stir.  I used 1 part  castile soap to 4 parts water and added some tea tree oil and lavender essential oil because if their antibacterial properties.  I think I'll add a few glass pebbles to the bottom of the bottle for some pretty colour and to add some weight. This bottle tips too easy. 

 

 

I love that the tea tree oil will do its job on those nasty germs. It would be nice if runny nose season would come to an end though. 

As an added bonus the tea tree oil will help with all the itchy bug bites my poor kidlets got before we started using my home made bug repellent as well. I'm happy to say it works pretty good to keep the black flies and mosquitoes away.  And the lavender has a nice soothing quality.

Natural Insect Repellent Wipes

Today I thought I'd share my recipe for a natural insect repellent.  For some reason the mosquitoes and blackflies this season seem to be even more horrible than usual. It may be due to all the standing waters as the recent floods subside, but whatever the reason I am finding them really bad. 

I've always used  whatever commercial bug spray that was recommended safe for children, but as I have been educating myself to the harmful effects of chemicals I have been horrified at some of the things I have found. As well, my 3 year old grandson is  allergic to DEET. We found this out his first bug season.  All I did was spray a tiny bit of the child strength popular brand on his clothing to deter some bites and within minutes he was being rushed to  the emergency where he spent the next few hours being treated for a very severe reaction. The child strength version I had used contains very minimal amounts of deet.  This means family members can't use it either for fear of touching him and transferring some of this toxic stuff inadvertently.

This isn't really a bad thing.  We shouldn't be putting poisons on our skin anyway.  So this is what I came up with this season.  There are a ton of places you can find homemade insect repellent recipes. I especially liked this one from Wellness Mama .  She gives you options and you can choose what you want to use. I looked for the ingredients that were common plants locally and this is what I came up with. 

First I picked some Mullein leaves in my yard because of its soothing effects on your skin, and using the heat infused method I infused  a combination of grape seed oil and sunflower oil with the mullein leaves. 

Once it was ready, I strained it really well through several layers of cheese cloth and made my repellent.  For this I added essential oils of   citronella , cedar wood, and lavender.  All for their natural abilities to repel those nasty little critters.

The next step was finding a way to apply.  I don't like spray because its too easy to get into the eyes and on your clothes if you don't want it there.  So my daughter in law gave me the idea of using it like the homemade baby wipes. 

I took a good quality strong paper towel , I used Sponge Towels, and remove the core of  the roll.  A hint here, don't start the roll but keep that first sheet glued, it makes it easier later on.  I cut one third of the roll off, this was my measurement so it would fit easily into a used wipes container.

 



 

Next I put the paper towel into the container and poured 4 ounces of the insect repellent mixture over it and let it soak in.

 

 

 

Then just feed the center of the roll up through the opening and you have a perfect way to apply.  I used the paper towels that have the choose a size option so I could use just a small sheet. It's all you need. 

You could even put a few of these sheets into a sealable sandwich bag to take with you, to share with friends or just to reapply when you need it. 


My Bug Repellent Recipe.

4 oz of infused oil (I infused mine with mullein but you could use any plain carrier oil. Grape seed oil on its own would be nice.)
Blend In:
20 drops of citronella essential oil
20 drops of  cedar wood essential oil
20 drops of lavender essential oil.

I choose these ones in particular because of their specific deterent qualities. The bonus is it doesn't smell too bad either.