RSS Healing Butter & RSS Zinc Butter Recipes

In honor of Independence Day, today I'll share a recipe with you that we used along the road to gaining independence from topical steroids for my son's eczema! 

As you know, he went through the brutal process of topical steroid withdrawal. After using topical steroids (over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream) on his eczema as directed by his doctor, he developed a worse condition known as Red Skin Syndrome. You can see my posts about it here, but today what I want to share is the natural body butter recipe I formulated to help him through TSW. 

The Organic Bug Killer

Today's post is the result of my finding a scorpion... In my closet! 

And then two more in the hall, one in our school room closet, one in the kitchen, one more on the front door, and another in the garage. NOT. COOL. And did I mention that we had multiple run-ins with brown recluse and black widow spiders as well? NO MORE! 

Day ONE after finding the first scorpion I did some online research and concluded that I needed two things: diatomaceous earth (which I'd never heard of before) and lavender (which apparently spiders and scorpions hate). 

Day two I had no less than 14 new lavender plants in my garden, 10 lbs of DE (diatomaceous earth) on its way, along with this book telling me how to use it. 

Fast forward ONE YEAR...  We are scorpion free! *knock on wood* And we've only seen a few house spiders when we're long over-due for a re-application outside.

DIY Natural Body Sprays

Besides smelling good, essential oils are chock full of healing properties. So, when you make a body spray using therapeutic-grade essential oils, then besides smelling good you get the added bonus of those oils' healing and aroma-therapeutic qualities. It's a win-win! 

Today I'm sharing the recipes for a couple body sprays I tried at a Make-n-Take party. They both smell scrumptious.

Here's the base recipe (found here)...

• 8 oz distilled water in a spray bottle
• 1 TBSP witch hazel
• 20-30 drops essential oils (see examples below!)

To make it, just combine ingredients, seal the bottle tightly and give it a good shake. Remember to shake it before each use.

Panaway Butter

Have I mentioned how much I love PanAway Oil for pain relief? It's an amazing custom-blend of essential oils that's great for tired or sore muscles, headaches, inflammation, bruising, arthritis and sciatica. If you're using it very often it's nice to have it already mixed with a carrier oil or herbal base of some sort so it's ready to grab and go. I mixed mine with my Mango Whipped Body Butter (because I love it) but even plain coconut oil would work fine. I add at least 5-6 drops PanAway to every ounce of herbal base (the body butter or coconut oil). The more you add, the stronger it will be, so just give it a try and then customize it to your own needs.

During the last few weeks of my pregnancy I used my Panaway Butter most days and was thankful for the relief it gave me! My mom uses it when she wakes up in the night with a sore knee (she mixed hers with Shea Butter Balm), and a friend of ours rubs it on his hand for relief from arthritis (he mixes his with plain coconut oil). Horray for Panaway! 

Lavender-Melrose for Eczema and More!

Today I'm sharing two recipes (one in cream form and the other in an oil roll-on form) that serve multiple purposes, but I originally made them for my son's eczema. They are made using the Lavender and Melrose essential oils, which are good not only for eczema, but also cradle cap, contact dermatitis, and ring worm.  This blend was also effective on a pesky spot on his arm that we believe was a irritation to wearing a watch.

Lavender-Melrose Cream For Eczema and More!

• 1 oz whipped coconut oil*
• 10 drops Lavender essential oil**
• 10 drops Melrose essential oil blend**

Whip to combine. Apply to skin for eczema, contact dermatitis or ringworm. For cradle cap, rub it into the scalp and then after a while gently use a soft baby brush or fine-tooth baby comb to work it through and gently slough off dead skin. Then rub baby's head with a warm wash cloth (and/or wash with a mild soap like Dr. Bronner's) to remove excess oil.

Calming Cream for Cranky Monsters

Do you ever have cranky kids? Or how about a crying baby?

Do you OR your kids ever need a little help unwinding to go to sleep at night?

If so, then today's post is for you. Here is my recipe for our calming cream. We use it especially at bedtime, but also for crying or crankiness.

Calming Cream for Cranky Monsters

• 1 oz coconut oil* OR your favorite herbal base
• 5 drops Peace & Calming essential oil blend**
• 5 drops Lavender essential oil

This calming cream can be used all over the body, but it's especially helpful when applied to the big toe (vita flex point for the brain), feet, back of the neck and wrists. It's great to work into a massage before bed time.

*When shopping for your coconut oil, the key words you need to see on the packaging are: organic, cold-pressed or expeller expressed, and unprocessed. Also on the shea butter, it should NOT be bleached. 

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**All essential oils are NOT the same... please read this before buying any! 

 

Gentle Baby Diaper Rash Cream Recipe

Today's recipe comes from the book Gentle Babies" by Debra Raybern. It's an excellent diaper-rash cream, and completely organic! And did I mention that it WORKS?!

Gentle Baby Diaper Rash Cream

• 2 oz herbal base of your choice
• 4 drops Gentle Baby essential oil blend
• 2 drops Lavender
• 2 drops German Chamomile
• 1 drop Melrose
• 1 drop Cypress (I omitted this because I didn't have it.) 

Mango Whipped Body Butter Recipe

If you read my post "What Are You Putting On Your Skin?" then you already know why you'd want to consider making your own body butter to use in place of commercial lotions. I already shared a simple recipe for Shea Butter Balm & Shea Butter Cream which requires no heat and very little prep time. Today I'm sharing the my current favorite body butter recipe, which is the result of testing a lot of different concoctions over the past few months. It takes a little longer to make, but it's my favorite finished butter so far for both face and body. I really like the consistency of it and what it does for our skin. I like to whip up a big batch and keep the extra on hand for later. Ready?

Make Your Own Shea Butter Balm & Shea Butter Cream

Today I'll share my two quickest, easiest recipes for both face and body moisturizers. They are organic, toxin-free, and made with only two ingredients: shea butter and coconut oil. (If you missed my post "What Are You Putting On Your Skin?" then click here!!)

Shea butter is a natural fat extracted from the nut of the karate tree. It naturally carries high amounts of both Vitamins A & E, which are great for the skin, so many studies site shea butter for its ability to fight wrinkles. Although it's not absorbed super-quickly, it provides great protection and moisture. 

Coconut oil is super-versatile, as its anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties make it great for a variety of skin irritations from rashes and yeast infections to eczema and psoriasis. It makes a very gentle and effective skin conditioner, increasing the moisture and lipid content of the skin and even providing a very light level of sun protection. It can easily be used on the skin alone as well.

Recipe for Shea Butter Balm:

• 4 parts Shea Butter*
• 1 part Coconut Oil*
• Optionally, add essential oils of choice

Combine using an emulsion blender or electric mixer with whip attachment. 

Make Your Own Non-Toxic Tub & Toilet Bowl Cleaner!

In the process of going completely non-toxic in our household products, I've switched to using vinegar and baking soda for a great deal of our cleaning. They're cheap, effective, and totally safe so I don't have to lock them away from the kids. But I wasn't 100% happy with using them to clean the toilet. Now I've found a simple recipe I really like for a non-toxic toilet bowl cleaner, and I've been using it for the last few months.  I found that it also works well in the tub! Here it is...

 

Non-Toxic Tub & Toilet Bowl Cleaner

• 1/4 cup Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap (try Lavender or Peppermint!)
• 1 3/4 cup water
• 20 drops essential oils (I used 5 drops each of: Lemon, Melaleuca/Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, & Thieves... this blend smells wonderful and each of the oils have powerful cleaning properties!)

Mix all ingredients in a 16 oz or larger squeeze bottle. Give it a good shake each time before using. For the container, I started out using a spray bottle but it eventually got clogged because of the baking soda. What I ended up finding that worked best was squeeze bottles from Sally's Beauty Supply that are made for applying hair color. You could also use an old dish soap container or obviously a toilet cleaner bottle if you have one. I put the recipe right on the bottle so it's quick & easy to refill the bottles.

The original recipe included 2 TBSP baking soda, but I found that it eventually caused it to clog the squirter.

NOdor Spray Recipe

If you ever find yourself in need of a powerful odor-eliminating spray, you'll be glad to have this one! I got the recipe from Crow River Animal Hospital, HERE, along with their assortment of natural cleaning recipes. It's a heavy duty odor eliminator that they originally formulated as a natural alternative to "Tom Cat Urine Odor".  It's some powerful stuff! Here's the recipe:

It's How I Roll!

Most of the essential oil recipes I'll share with you are either in spray form or some sort of a cream using an herbal base (I'll be sharing those next month). Another handy, simple way to use your favorite oils or blends is in roller bottles. Here are my favorites...

Each of the following Roller Bottle Recipes was made by first adding my essential oil(s) of choice to a 5ml roller bottle (I got mine here), then filling the rest of the bottle up with a carrier oil of choice. Some examples of carrier oils include olive oil, sunflower seed oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, etc. Just be sure your carrier oil is organic, cold-pressed or expeller-expressed, and unprocessed.

Antihistamine Roller: 5-10 drops each Lemon, Lavender and Peppermint oils. (Read more about this powerful, natural antihistamine blend here!) It's a great blend for runny noses and allergy sufferers. I only used 5 drops of each oil since I use it on my kids. We  use it mainly on the base of the toes, so there's no chance of irritating the skin. I've read that other people use it on the base of their neck or the thymus.

Eczema (and more!) Roll-On Relief: 5 drops Lavender + 3 drops Melrose. This is a great blend for irritated skin! 

Peppermint: 15-20 drops Peppermint essential oil. I loved having a handy roller of Peppermint oil when I was pregnant because I had a lot of heartburn and this would knock it out. I kept it in my purse and by my bedside. (For heartburn I applied it over my thymus or on the vita flex point on my upper foot.)  It's also great for digestive concerns we've used it instead of Tum's. It's been a life-saver more than once for tummy aches and upset stomachs, so I still carry it in my diaper bag as well as keeping it in both bathrooms. (Apply directly to stomach or to the arch of the foot.) It can also be used for allergies by applying it to the base of the neck or to the thymus.

Peace & Calming: 15-25 drops Peace & Calming essential oil blend. Use this on the big toe (vita flex point for the brain), feet, back of neck and wrists for overactive kids, fussy babies, and anyone who could use a little calming down. This is great to use right before going to sleep at night! 

RC: 15-30 drops RC essential oil blend. This is an amazing blend for Respiratory Congestion (hence the name... R..C..). I used 30 drops so it's nice and strong. Apply it to the throat, sinuses, chest, back, and feet.

Make Your Own Dust Mite Spray!!

In yesterday's post, KILL Those Dust Mites!!! I told you about the grody little creatures invading your bedding, carpet, and crawling all over your kids' stuffed animals. Today I'm going to share with you the dust mite spray that I came up with to kill those pesky creatures. After reading how effective Eucalyptus essential oil is at killing dust mites, I made this spray to use on mattresses and stuffed animals between washings. You can also use some of this spray on your dusting cloth to actually kill the dust mites as you dust. Besides killing dust mites, this spray is also great to neutralize odors and repel bugs, making it a good choice to use in closets and shoes.

 Here's my recipe for a 4oz spray bottle:

• 15 drops Young Living Eucalyptus Essential Oil
• 10 Young Living Purification Essential Oil Blend
• Fill the rest with distilled water & shake to mix.

Spray on stuffed animals, mattresses, and other bedding to kill dust mites. You'll still want to vacuum afterwards to remove their feeces, which is what actually affects your health and allergies. 

TIPS:

• As I mentioned in Monday's post, you can stick stuffed animals and other bedding in the freezer to kill dust mites, but if your little ones can't stand to be without their lovies for 2 days while they freeze and another day while you wash them, this is a nice alternative. Spray the dust mite spray on the stuffed animals to kill the dust mites, and then vacuum or cold-wash it afterwards to remove residue. Then they can still have their teddy bear back before bedtime.
• Remember to bring this spray along with you next time you stay in a hotel to cleanse the room and bedding!! 
• To read my full post about dust mites and the other measures you should take to get rid of them, read my post "Kill those Dust Mites!" 

ABOUT THE OILS USED:

• Eucalyptus Essential Oil* is antibacterial, anti-infectious, antiseptic, and antiviral. 
• Purification Oil Blend* purifies and cleanses bacteria, kills odors and their bacteria, mold, and fungus. 
• Between these two oils, this is a great spray for keeping your sleeping area clean and de-yuck-ifying kids stuffed animals!

Make Your Own Natural Air Freshener!

Here's a quick, easy recipe for non-toxic air freshener. It smells wonderfully fresh and lemony, and is perfect for keeping in bathrooms.

Natural Air Freshener Recipe

4 oz water

2 or 3 drops Purification essential oil blend (I use 3)

2 or 3 drops Lemon essential oil (I use 2)

You can make this spray in what ever size you'd like. Just add approximately one drop of essential oil per ounce of water. So for a 32 oz spray bottle, you'd want around 32 total drops of oil. If you want to change it up a bit, some different essential oils that are great for air freshener are Peppermint or Thieves.

Make Your Own "Bug Off" Spray!

You know how OFF bug spray has a warning label to only spray it on your clothes, not your skin? I don't know about you, but my clothes don't get bug bites, my skin does.  Now I have a home-made bug spray with no toxins in it, that is so gentle that even babies can use it! Not only is it SAFE for  skin, but it doesn't leave it feeling or smelling disgusting, like all store-bought bug sprays do. Best of all it only takes about a minute to whip up.

Bug Off Spray Recipe

2 oz water

pinch of sea salt (an emulsifier)

15 drops Purification Essential Oil*

5 drops Peppermint Essential Oil*

I've seen several essential oil bug spray recipes online, but this is the one I use and like. Of course you want to use a good quality plastic bottle, which I found at my health food store. An empty Thieves spray bottle also works well, just half the recipe because it's only a 1 oz bottle. For an 8 oz spray bottle, use 60 drops Purification and 20 drops Peppermint.

If you want to change up which oils you use, some other combinations I've seen recommended include Lemongrass with Citronella and Basil, or Lavender with Geranium and Peppermint. Just use about 10 drops essential oils per ounce of water. My spray recipe includes the essential oil blend "Purification,"  which gives me the benefit of an optimum blend of ingredients without having to purchase them all individually. Besides preventing bug bites, Purification is also great for treating them too... just apply one drop of the full-strength Purification oil to the bite. It works wonders. One night my two-year-old got bit up with a cluster of huge bites all over his back, so I applied Purification. The next morning you couldn't even see the bites any more!

DIY: Organic, Non-Toxic Multi-Purpose Sanitizing Spray

Did you know you can make your own non-toxic disinfectant & sanitizing spray that WORKS? Today I'm sharing with you a SIMPLE recipe for a DIY antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-infectious spray to use on any surface that needs cleansing. I carry it in my diaper bag and use it for cleansing hands and surfaces when we're out and about. Ready for the recipe? It's a whopping two ingredients...

Organic, Non-Toxic, Multi-Purpose Sanitizing Spray Recipe

• 6-12 drops Thieves Essential Oil Blend*
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 oz distilled water

First put the salt into your spray bottle, then add the Thieves. Cover the top and shake it well to mix the Thieves oil well into the salt. Then add water to fill the rest of the bottle and shake again to mix. The purpose of the salt is to help mix the water and oil together.

That's it! Now you can send the germs running. I had a two ounce bottle and added 20 drops of oil. If you're refilling an empty Thieves Spray bottle once you've used it up, then half this recipe.

Dr. Mom's First Aid Spray Recipe

Today starts a series of posts I have scheduled for June and July that feature the various essential oil recipes I've been testing and using for the last 8 months or so. I have a good handful of recipes that I've enjoyed using in that time, so I'll be sharing them with you over the summer. 

Today I'll share with you a super-simple recipe for a First Aid Spray you won't want to be without. It takes all of about a minute or two to whip up, and is excellent to spray on minor cuts and wounds. 

Dr. Mom's First Aid Spray Recipe: 

Make Your Own Natural, Powerful Antihistamine!

Did you know you can make your own antihistamine? It's natural, it's powerful, and it works! It consists of equal parts lemon, lavender, and peppermint essential oils, and is referred to as LLP.  You can use it in a variety of ways...

ROLL-ON... This combination (equal parts of Lemon, Lavender and Peppermint) may be used topically. Here are the LLP roll-ons I made. Since they're for my kids I diluted it by using 5 drops each of Lemon, Lavender & Peppermint essential oils, then filling the rest of the 5mL roller bottle up with olive oil. I made this particularly for my 3-year-old with allergies to use when his nose is running and he's sniffling. I roll it on the base of his toes, but you could also put it on the base of the neck, the thymus, or under the nose. If you have sensitive skin, you may need to dilute it more or only use it on your toes.

Luxury Baths in a Bottle!

I've never been a big "bath person", but one of the perks of our new house is a nice big bath tub. Since it seemed like a pity to let it sit there unused, I thought I'd give the bath thing a go. After doing some intense research (you know, Pinterest style) I found all sorts of recipes for bath salts and bath soaks. Although it seems nice to make all that, I've got plenty of projects on my plate right now and wanted something simpler, and this is what I came up with...

Luxury Baths in a Bottle!

If you want to take a relaxing, skin-nourishing bath without lots of chemicals (which are pretty much every store-bought bath product), you need to look no further than the following basic ingredients: baking soda, milk, salt, and oatmeal. If you really want a treat then add in some essential oils too.

You can find lots of recipes for specialized bath salts and other concoctions on Pinterest, but for the most part, the good ones all utilize some combination of those ingredients. So I decided to just make some Bath Bottles instead. Here they are:

As pretty as they were in glass, I later opted for plastic containers because they're easier and safer to use with wet, slippery hands. (If you decide to make these, I share my free, printable labels at the end of this post!) Here they are:

To use them, simply grab what you need. Here's what each one is good for...