Using Essential Oils as Insect Repellents

Instead of bringing out the harmful pesticides and chemical ointments here's some natural earth friendly options for dealing with those pesky insects.

Insect Repellent Essential Oils:

Single Essential Oils: Peppermint, Spearmint, Eucalyptus radiata, Lemon, Lavender, Tea Tree, Cedarwood, Idaho Tansy, Rosemary, Patchouli, Citronella, Lemongrass, Thyme, Sage

Essential Oil Blends:

Purification (contains: Citronella (Cymbopogon nardus), lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Melaleuca (Melaleuca alternifolia) lavandin (Lavandula x hybrida), and myrtle (Myrtus communis)

Thieves(contains: Clove (Syzygium aromaticum), lemon (Citrus limon), cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), Eucalyptus radiata and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis CT 1,8 cineol)

Melrose (contains: Melaleuca (Melaleuca alternifolia), naouli (Melaleuca quinquenervia), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), and clove (Syzygium aromaticum).

Insect Repellent Blend:
6 drops Peppermint
6 drops Tea Tree
9 drops Eucalyptus radiata

Application:

Topical: DILUTE 20/80 using a base oil such as almond or jojoba or V6 and apply to exposed skin as needed or mix with 8 ounces of water in a spray bottle, shake well and spray directly on exposed skin areas.

To repel insects, essential oils can also be diffused or put on cotton balls or cedar chips(for use in closets or drawers)

Specific Oils for Specific Insects

Mosquitoes: Lemon, Peppermint, Eucalyptus radiata, Lemongrass.

Moths: Patchouli, Cedarwood, Hyssop, Lavender, Peppermint, Spearmint

Horse-flies: Idaho Tansy floral water, Purification Oil

Aphids: Mix 10 drops Spearmint and 15 drops Orange essential oil in 2 quarts salt water, shake well and spray on plants.

Cockroaches: Mix 10 drops Peppermint and 5 drops Cypress in 1/2 cup salt water. Shake well and spray where cockroaches live.

Silverfish: Eucalyptus radiata, Citriadora

Ants: You can smear a line of Peppermint or Spearmint across your kitchen counter or floor and the ants won't cross it. If you already have a line of ants invading your house, just draw a line of oil across them and they will turn back.

Beetles: Peppermint, Thyme

Caterpillars: Spearmint, Peppermint

Chiggars: Lavender, Lemongrass, Peppermint

Cutworms: Sage, Thyme

Fleas: Peppermint, Lemongrass, Spearmint

Gnats: Patchouli, Spearmint

Spiders: Peppermint, Spearmint

Ticks: Lavender, Lemongrass, Sage, Thyme

Weevils: Cedarwood, Patchouli, Sandalwood

For Pets: Put 10 drops each of Citronella, Eucalyptus radiata, and Peppermint in an 8 ounce spray bottle with water. Alternate formula: Put 2 drops pine, 2 drops Eucalyptus radiata, and 5-10 drops Citronella in a spray bottle of water. OR Mix 5- 10 drops Idaho Tansy or Peppermint Oil in a spray bottle full of water, shake vigorously and spray.

PLEASE NOTE: The information in this article is based solely on the use of 100% Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils due to their high quality and tested purity.

The use of a brand of uncertain quality and/or purity will provide you with potentially dangerous, if not lethal, results. The author assumes no responsibility for your improper use of this information.

The statements about these oils have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These oils are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/using-essential-oils-as-insect-repellents-447615.html

About the Author:
Rebecca Noel is the author of The Essential Oils and Aromatherapy Info Blog where you can find out everything you want to know about essential oils and their uses with topics ranging from treating insect bites to making an awesome pesto to which oils to use for colds and the flu to making your own scented aromatherapy cards to aromatherapy accessories and much more. Visit: Essential Oils and Aromatherapy Info Blog



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Healing With Essential Oils

Pain: Essential oils are especially effective when treating pain. Massaging oils and lotions are some of the very best ways to apply it to the body. Some oils to consider include, clove bun, chamomile, lemongrass and lavender. These are all great for numbing and subsequently reducing pain. To decrease the swelling often associated with pain, it is best to use chamomile, juniper, lavender and rose. These oils help to reduce both pain and swelling. Other essential oils work to reduce pain by blocking the brain’s pain signals. These oils include lemongrass, frankincense and ginger.

Sleep Trouble: Essential oils which are good for inducing sleep, include mandarin, orange blossom, frankincense, tangerine, clary sage, chamomile and sandalwood. These work well when used in bath water or directly on the skin using massage oils or lotions

Headaches: Lavender, peppermint, lemongrass and basil are just a few of the essential oils that work well in alleviating various types of headaches.

Stress: The essential oils bergamot, lavender, marjoram, rose and chamomile, amongst others, help to alleviate feelings of stress.

Depression: Essential oils such as bergamot, cardamom, clove, clary sage, orange and lemon Melissa have antidepressant properties. They work well to help remedy mild levels of depression and the blahs.

Stimulation: If you are having trouble staying alert, you may want to grab these essential oils; basil, cinnamon, black pepper, clove, peppermint, ginger, rosemary or angelica. They help to stimulate the mind and the body.

High Blood Pressure: Most people aren’t aware that essential oils have medicinal qualities. Neroli, tangerine, orange, ylang ylang, Melissa and geranium are known to help lower blood pressure. Of course, this does not mean that one is to ditch their high blood pressure medicine, but these oils are great to take in concert with medication that is already being prescribed.

Bacterial Infections: Some essential oils have very strong antibacterial properties. Some good ones to consider include cinnamon, garlic, savory, clove bud, bay laurel, thyme, bay rum, pine rose, tea tree, myrtle, lemongrass and lavender. The above oils can help treat bladder, gum, skin, sinus, throat and bowel infections. They can either be ingested through the skin or inhaled. The right essential oils can also aid in helping to treat urinary tract infections. Sitzbaths and massages using oils with niaouli or sandlewood rubbed on the belly and around the kidney portion of the lower back can be very effective.

Viral Infections: Many essential oils have strong antiviral elements. Bay, black pepper, garlic, cinnamon bark myrrh, melissa, oregano and rose are some of the standouts. You will also find, if you look closely, that some cough drops and cold medications have some of these same oils.

Essential oils not only smell great, but they also have very strong healing properties. Their use can curtail many common ailments of the skin and the mind. They work well to lift the spirits. If one is interested in using alternative methods to heal sickness or to lift their mood, essential oils and aromatherapy are a fantastic place to begin.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/healing-with-essential-oils-322365.html

About the Author:
George Key is the publisher of AromatherapyPoint.com, a comprehensive Aromatherapy Resource. If you are interested in using Essential Oils, Base Oils
and Hydrosols in your life visit his site and learn how to blend them and their uses.



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Essential Oils And Memory - How To Enhance Your Memory By Using Essential Oils

Essential oils to improve memory? It depends on the oil, because some are much better for memory than others. Which oils are best and how does one use them optimally?

Which oils?

1. Rosemary
In ancient Greece, students are said to weave garlands of rosemary into their hair. Why? Because they believed that it (a) strengthened the brain and (b) enhanced memory. Modern research has confirmed that rosemary essential oil contains compounds which benefit the brain.

2. Cedarwood
This is my new favorite! When I've finished using a bottle of cedarwood for other purposes, I keep the empty one at my desk or my reading chair. Out of all the essential oils in the world, cedarwood contains the highest percentage of sesquiterpenes. These are the compounds in the oil that support clear thinking by carrying more oxygen to the brain.

3. Sage
In a 2003 study, young adults were given capsules containing either sage essential oil or a placebo. The one receiving the sage oil performed significantly better on recall tests!

4. Four More Single Oils
The essential oils of lemon, jasmine, peppermint, and lavender have also been studied for the memory-enhancing qualities. In studies, diffusing the essential oil of lemon resulted in a 54% improvement; jasmine, 33%, peppermint, 28%; and lavender, 28%.

5. Two of My Favorite Blends
I keep two memory-enhancing essential oil blends at my desk. When I want sheer brain power, I inhale a combination of cedarwood, sandalwood, frankincense, blue cypress, helichrysum, lavender, and melissa. When I suspect that my need for greater brain clarity is due in part to emotional issues, I inhale a blend of basil, bergamot, cardamom, geranium, jasmine, lemon, palmarosa, peeppermint, Roman chamomille, rosemary, rosewood, and ylang ylang.
Some people even make their own blends.

Three Ways to Use Brain-Building Oils

1. Inhale
The easiest way is to inhale from the bottle. Diffusing is also fun, and if you don't have a cold-air diffuser, you can put 4-8 drops of the oil on a cotton ball and place on the vents. Another way is to put a drop on a corner of a handkerchief.

2. Apply Topically
Some people prefer to put the memory-enhancing oils on the edge of their ears, on the back of the neck, on the forehead, on the wrists, or on the big toe. Why the big toe? Because in reflexology, this corresponds to the brain! The Essential Oils Desk Reference recommends diluting with a high-quality vegetable oil. Some people follow this guidance and others don't.

3. Ingest
Some people prefer to put a drop of a memory-enhancing oil in a glass of water at their desk, and others enjoy boiling some water, adding a drop of the oil, and having a cup of tea.
The bottom line?

For memory enhancement, which oil to use and how to use it is often a matter of personal choice. My only caution is to be sure to use therapeutic grade essential oils, because I doubt that you want the chemicals of synthetic oils going to your brain. For optimizing the efficacy of your chosen oils or oils, I recommend consulting with the Essential Oils Desk Reference.
For more tips and tools on using essential oils at work, at home, while traveling, or while just out and about, I invite you to visit http://www.Essential-Oils-Information-Center.com If you would like to receive my free bi-weekly essential oils newsletter, simply click on the CONTACT navigation button and put NEWSLETTER in the text box that crops up.
Please note that this article is written with the assumption that you are using only therapeutic grade essential oils and that you are using them in accordance with the Essential Oils Desk Reference.

If you're ready to shop for some of these essential oils, I invite you to visit http://www.EssentialOilsProducts.com and click on ESSENTIAL OILS.
If you have questions, feel free to email me at either site above.
People of all ages - children, parents, grandparents - are using essential oil for memory benefits. If you are considering this idea for an elderly person in your life, you might consider getting a timer to go with the diffuser.
Here's to optimizing our memory!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathryn_Caywood



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Natural Remedies For Your Baby’s Cough

Your baby coughing and you don’t know what to do to stop that irritating cough –this is often a distressful picture at almost every home. a way is definitely making your baby take medication but you are reluctant to go for it since you want your baby to avoid its side effects and chemicals. Moreover researches made recently have proved that the cough syrups are of no good and the sugar in them may actually make the illness last longer!

However, there a handful of natural remedies to recover our babies from coughing. Take your baby in the bathroom and run a hot shower if he appears to be congested. The shower must be hot since the steams from the shower loosen the congestion in the lungs of your baby.

You can also bathe your baby with warm water as it is as effective as running hot shower. You can also improve the effectiveness of the bath by pouring some droplets of thyme, sage or eucalyptus oil into the water. These oils can work wonders by letting their vapors aid in opening up the airways of your baby to make him breathe easy. Moreover, these vapors are a great healer of sore throats.
In case the cough is because of croup, the most effective way is wrapping your baby comfortably and taking him outside under the night sky. The cold night air soothes the upper airways inflammation.

The other effective natural remedy for babies’ cough is herbal rub. How to do it? Take ¾ tablespoons of olive oil. Mix it 2 drops of essential oils. These essential oils can be rosemary, sage, peppermint or eucalyptus oils. A blend of rosemary and eucalyptus oils is marvelous - eucalyptus oil calms the cough allowing your baby to breathe easily whereas the oil of rosemary calms your tiny one and makes him doze off.

Put the mixture of olive and essential oils and rub it on your baby’s back and chest. Wrap your baby with a warm blanket or put on him a warm tight fitting shirt to develop body hit. This body heat will make the essential oils to vaporize. The baby will now find easier to breathe since he breathes in the fumes.

It is also believed that the best drink to soothe a worrying cough is mother’s milk. When ill, never stop your coughing baby feeding on your breasts. A dairy product is never comparable to breast feedings as far as quality is concerned.

So now, you, a mother of a new-born child know how to handle initially your baby’s cough. But this article is not the final thing; never hesitate to consult doctor to know more about the problem.

About The Author
Michelle Winters is a mother and home owner. See more of her articles at http://www.monitoryourbaby.info



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Essential Oils for Treating Common Ailments

This article discusses three commonly used essential oils along with their healing properties. Read this article to treat your common ailments and improve your overall health naturally.

1. Peppermint

The peppermint oil is obtained from the leaves and flowers by steam distillation and varies in quality depending on climatic and soil conditions. It is very therapeutic oil which has a cooling effect on the skin and lessens pain. Peppermint is excellent for digestive problems. It also makes a great foot bath for hot, aching feet. It is not advisable to use this oil during pregnancy.

Peppermint essential oil is helpful for

1. Bad breath: Add five drops to 300 ml of water and use as a mouthwash.
2. Heartburn and indigestion: Mix into carrier oil and massage the stomach and rib cage.
3. Hot, aching feet: Add ten drops to a large bowl of lukewarm water. Soak feet for at least fifteen minutes.
4. Migraine: Use it neat on the temples.
5. Sinus, catarrh: Inhale, or use to massage the face.
6. Travel sickness: Inhale, or blend in carrier oil and massage the stomach and temples.

2. Rosemary

The rosemary essential oils are distilled from the flowers and leaves. It is known as the herb for remembrance and clears the mind and stimulates the memory. It is an excellent hair tonic, improving circulation to the scalp and is helpful for dandruff.

Rosemary essential oil is helpful for:

1. Circulation: Use in the bath, or in carrier oil. Rosemary has a warming, comforting effect.
2. Dandruff, hair in poor condition: Use in carrier oil for scalp massage. Leave for thirty minutes before shampooing.
3. Fainting: Inhale neat, like smelling salts.
4. Mental fatigue, poor memory: Inhale neat.
5. Stomach pain, wind: Mix in carrier oil and gently massage the affected area.

3. Sage

The sage oil is made from the sun dried leaves by distillation. The essential oil is toxic in high doses, so use with care.

Sage essential oil is helpful for:

1. Aching joints, rheumatism: Add to your bath or use in carrier oil to massage the affected areas.
2. Nervous exhaustion: A good tonic. Add to your bath, and soak for at least 15 minutes.
3. Fluid retention: Add to your bath or use in carrier oil.
4. Excess perspiration: Dilute five drops in a glass of water. Soak cotton wool in the solution and use it under the arms and on the feet several times daily.
5. Sore, bleeding gums: Dilute five drops in a glass of water and use as a mouthwash.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

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By: Nick Mutt



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