Make It Yourself Monday- Recipes for (more) Relief

Hope you had a fantastic father's day, and nice weekend. This is Make it Yourself Monday, and here are some more recipes to provide relief!




With summer often comes hot, sweaty, sore, muscles, and sometimes even stinky feet. To provide some relief try one of these recipes.


Cooling and Deodorizing Mist


Get a 8 ounce spray bottle and fill it three fourths full of water. Then add 4 drops of peppermint, grapefruit, and lemon, and 3 drops of wintergreen essential oils. Then add a cap full of vodka. Twist lid on and shake well. You can use this now, or you can wait until it gets cold in the refrigerator for even more cooling, soothing and relief. This spray is great for achy leg muscles after an athletic event, a work out, or just a long day. It is also wonderful for those little piggies who just don't feel up to going to the market anymore! Leave this in the fridge so it will be ready for when you need it, and it will last you for several weeks. You can also give a squirt into those stinky sneakers too for a quick freshen up!




Cucumber Hand Wash


For a nice hand wash that will soothe irritated skin. Try peeling one small cucumber and put it in blender and blend it until it is liquefied. Add one tablespoon of witch hazel to the juice and wash your hands with the mixture. Pat dry and moisturize as normal. This formula helps heal abrasions and relieves puffiness, as well as soothing irritated skin.


Herbal Foot Soak


Herbal soaks are great for tired, achy feet, and they are easy to prepare. Plus, you can alter a herb or two and customize the blend or just give yourself variety! All you need to do is to steep 2 cups of fresh herbs, or 1 cup of dried herbs, in 2 gallons of water for 20 minutes. With the herbs in the pot, bring the water to boil, then reduce heat and simmer with the lid on, for 20 minutes.  Once the time is up, strain the liquid and throw away the plant material. Pour the liquid into foot basin. Once it has cooled enough to not harm you (use it as hot as you can handle it, your feet will love you!), soak your feet for 20 minutes, then pat dry and moisturize as normal. 
As for herbs, you can use many, but I suggest you try these; comfrey, elderberry, chamomile, lavender, pine, rosemary, sage, and/or horsetail

Make It Yourself Monday- Recipes for Relief

It is that time of year, the time when we spend hours outside, time at the beach or the lake, camping or hiking in woods, working in gardens, or just playing in the yard. So today's Make it Yourself Monday AND tomorrow's Teaching Tuesday will focus on recipes that soothe. Recipes that provide relief from over-exposure to the elements, from insect bites, and even some that  offer relief from dirt and heat. 


Today we will go through some bug bite remedies that are for AFTER you are bitten, not preventative treatments. Then tomorrow we will look at a few preventative recipes, as well as some recipes for relief from other annoyances. 

For those times when you are attacked by a whole pack of mosquitoes, try this recipe for relief! 
Take 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, mix in 10 drops of lavender essential oil, and   5 drops of thyme essential oil. Blend this well and then add it to a tub full of tepid bath water. Swish it around to get it mixed well before you get into the tub, or before you put a child into the tub. Once in the tub, soak a washcloth or a sponge in the water,  and use it to (liberally) wipe down the body areas with the bites. Make EXTRA sure to keep this bath water away from the eyes, you really don't want to experience vinegar and EO's in the eyes, even this diluted! Don't ask me how I know this! LOL

Don't want to get into the tub? Don't need an all-over treatment? Try this recipe as a "spot" treatment for any bug bite. Take 1/4 cup sweet oil (ask the pharmacist for this if you can't find it), and mix in 5 drops each of eucalyptus, thyme, chamomile, and oregano essential oils (you may substitute oregano extract if you'd prefer), This bug bite soother recipe will last about 6 months, so you can have a bottle on hand all summer long!


For stinging bites, take 1/4 cup of baking powder and add enough water (a little at a time) to make it into a paste, then stir in 3-4 drops of lavender and chamomile essential oils. Apply the paste to the affected area and leave it on for about 15-20 minutes. Then rinse it off with cool water, and allow the water to run over the skin for a few minutes. This recipe will help pull the stinging out and keep swelling down if you get it applied within a minute or two of getting stung. It will also help if you keep the affected area under a cold rag or cold running water until the paste can be applied. 

Recipes for problems

Sooth BEE STINGs with a simple home recipe. Mix 1/4 cup of baking powder with 3-4 drops of chamomile oil or extract. Then, run the powder through a sifter a few times. When mixed well, add enough water to make a paste. Stirring in a little at a time to ensure the proper consistency. When you have the paste made, apply to the affected area and toss out the left over, as there is no shelf life. With help for BUG BITES, mix 1/4 cup of sweet oil (sweet oil is the purest form of olive oil. Ask your pharmacist for it if you cannot find it), 5 drops of eucalyptus, oregano pure, and thyme essential oils (you may use oregano extract instead of EO if you want), and 6 drops of chamomile essential oil. Mix together well and store in a dark, glass bottle. It is best to keep in a cool, dark location also. There is a 5-6 month shelf life, so you can make a batch & use it all summer long! For SUNBURNS mix equal amounts of aloe vera gel, plain yogurt, and apple cider vinegar. Keep the mixture in the refrigerator and be sure to shake before you use. Apply once an hour for the first three hours, then as desired. This mixture will remain good for 1-2 weeks. For PROBLEM SPOTS on your FACE (pimples and acne), mix 1tsp. of tea-tree extract, 2 tsp. of witch hazel, and 1/4 tsp of wintergreen oil. Mix all together and shake well. You may store in a bottle for about 6 months. Dab a cotton ball into the solution and dab onto the problem area. This mixture has anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, antiseptic and analgesic properties. **Again, the basic recipes are from the Good Earth Bath, Beauty and Health Book written by Casey Kellar. Now see how good this book is? It is definitely worth the money to purchase it!