Lavender:	Promotes healing of burns, wounds, bites, etc.; fights infection; eases muscle pain; eases headaches; calms; promotes sleep; reduces inflammation; repels insects. Helps promote sleep, stabilize moodiness and ease grieving.
Rosemary:	Stimulates; eases muscle pain; eases the symptoms of colds. Also boosts concentration and focus efforts. (Use with caution, the EO is approximately 99% salicylate, the main ingredient in aspirin ...)
Tea Tree Oil:	Fights infection; boosts immune function; good for cuts and scrapes; antifungal. Also used to aid with concentration.
Eucalyptus:	Fights infection; clears sinuses and chest congestion; eases muscle aches; repels insects.

 

Essential Oil and Aromatherapy Recipes

The "big four" medicinal essential oils ("EO"s) that you should have in your cabinet:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Never use Essential Oils without carrier oil, such as grapeseed, olive, almond or even plain vegetable oil. Essential oils are highly concentrated and can cause chemical burns to the skin!

For Babies:

Calendula-Comfrey Diaper Ointment (also works for any itchy skin!)

1 lb. coconut oil or cocoa butter (in the oil aisle; do try to buy the organic kind)
10-12 drops of Lavender EO
5 drops of Tea Tree EO
2 good handfuls calendula petals (health food section; don't let the per pound price put you off; the petals are not heavy)
Comfrey leaves (don't use on a pregnant woman)

Melt the coconut oil in a stainless steel pan. Add the herbs. Cook the herbs on low heat for about 30 minutes; the petals should be crispy, not burnt. Filter the ointment into jars. Use as needed.

**I keep a jar in my camping kit. Tea tree oil repels insects and is great against itchy poison ivy rashes and bites. Comfrey and Calendula help bumps and bruises heal faster. Arnica EO is also a great addition to this recipe if you are only going to use it for boo-boos, not for baby bottoms.

Natural wipes solutions:

You can make your own baby wipes and save a fortune. A wet cloth is basic -- almost too easy, huh? Here are a few recipes for wipes you can try:

Wipies One:

3 cups of water
1/8 cup olive oil
4-6 drops tea tree oil
6-8 drops lavender oil

Combine these in a sealable container and shake vigorously; add 1 tablespoon of your favorite baby wash or soap, and mix with a spoon until combined.

Baby Wipes Solution:

Add 2 drops of tea tree essential oil or lavender essential oil to 1-2 cups of distilled water.

Anti-Fungal Baby Wipes:

1/2 cup distilled water
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup aloe vera gel
1 Tablespoon calendula oil (Remember the coconut oil recipe a few paragraphs back? That would work here.)
1 drop lavender essential oil
1 drop tea tree essential oil

Use a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Pour in all the ingredients, cover the jar and shake to blend. Place your wipes in a container, and pour on enough solution to moisten them. Store any extra solution in the fridge. It should stay fresh for a long time, especially if you use distilled water. The vinegar and essential oils discourage yeast growth, which means you shouldn't have too much trouble with these wipes getting moldy. If your baby has a really red, raw diaper rash, you might not want to use these wipes because the vinegar may cause a burning sensation

The Wipes Themselves:

Once you have your solution mixed up, choose your wipes. A roll of paper towels (recycled is very cool) cut in half with a bread knife gives you a lot of wipes. I haven't personally had much success with the bread knife part, but tearing them in half as needed works, too. Or you can cut up a towel and finish the edges or use flannel or other cotton fabric. And what about those blue shop towels? Or inexpensive wash cloths?

As for storage, use a zipper baggie for travel or a small plastic storage container with a lid for home. Shoot -- be subversive and recycle a commercial baby wipes container for your homemade wipes!

Around the House:

Here are two recipes for making your own cleaner.

(*Do not use on hard wood or laminate floors!)

Mix 2 teaspoons of borax and 5 cups of hot water. Add 1/2 cup of dishwashing soap and 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oil.( I use lemon EO) Mix well. Great for general clean-up.

Clean with vinegar on its own or diluted with water. Add essential oils to the mix to mask the strong odor of vinegar. I use tea tree or lavender with marjoram.

To freshen your clothing, sprinkle a few drops of EO on your dryer softener sheets.

Great Room Spray:

"Summer in a bottle"

10 oz distilled water
10 drops EO of rose
10 drops of lavender EO
12 drops of lime EO

Shake together and put in a spray bottle. Use it to spray couches, pet beds, curtains, anything that collects odors.

For Pampering Yourself:

Rose Oatmeal Scrub
3 oz honey
1 oz oatmeal (not the quickoats)
3-4 drops EO Rosewater

Mix together and use as to exfoliate the face and neck.

Special thanks to Kelly Grounds at The Healing Grounds for these aromatherapy recipes