Natural Remedies for Summer Bumps and Bites

7/31/2009

(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.

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.

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