Tag: young living

DIY Bug Repel Spray

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One of the things I love about summer and early fall weather is being able to sit outside on my front porch after my morning workout.   I love to sit out there with a cup of coffee and read or do a little crochet or knitting.  One of the things I don’t like are the mosquitoes that also like to sit out there with me.

Since I have been using Young Living essential oils for the past nine months I have gotten quite a collection and decided to make my own DIY bug repel spray this year.  I tried it once before in the past with some other oils that were not Young Living and I didn’t think it worked all that well.  Well, this blend  I came up with seems to work pretty good.  I have used it daily for the past few months and do not get mosquito bites.  The mosquitoes do still come around me but they do not seem to bite me.  The other bonus with this blend is that it does not smell terrible like some of the other products you buy.  It is also free of harmful chemicals.

The blend is a combination of citronella essential oil, rosemary essential oil and peppermint essential oil with a tiny amount of optional witch hazel.  It is super easy to make up.  I keep mine in a 2 ounce glass spray bottle.  I think I ordered the bottles from Amazon but you can also find them at Whole Foods or Sprouts.

Bug Repel Recipe 15 drops citronella, 10 drops rosemary, 5 drops peppermint, 1/2 tsp. witch hazel then tops off with filtered water in 2 oz. glass bottle Kimberlees Korner

The main essential oil in this blend is the citronella oil which is known for keeping bugs away – especially mosquitoes.  I added in the other two oils to make the smell a little more pleasant and they were also listed in my Pocket Reference book as recommended for an insect repellent.    The citronella oil is pretty strong on its own but if you only have that one then you could probably try the blend with just it and leave the other two out.  I also read in my Essential Oils Pocket Reference book that blending the citronella oil with cedarwood enhances the insect repelling properties.  I have not tried that blend yet.  Two of the top oils to blend with citronella as listed in the book were palo santo, and idaho tansy but I do not have those oils.

Essential Oil Pocket Reference book

 

Citronella essential oil has powerful antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal medical properties as listed in the Pocket Reference book.  That in addition to being an insect repellent.  Other uses as listed in the book include:

  • respiratory infections
  • muscle-nerve pain
  • digestive problems
  • anxiety
  • skin problems (acne, oily skin, eczema)
  • skin penetration enhancer

Citronella Essential Oil from Young Living

 

In addition to using my DIY bug repel spray I have also been taking a gauze pad or cotton ball and placing 2 or 3 drops of the citronella oil on it and sitting it next to me when I am outside.  I have a friend that lives in Michigan that told me about using essential oils last summer to make a DIY bug spray and she said it also worked well to spray it around the perimeter of the area you are sitting in.  I am not sure what her blend was but I remember her telling me about spraying it around her deck so she could sit outside in the evening to read.

If you would like more information on Young Living essential oils please email me at kkg@kimberleeskorner.com.  You can also click on the highlighted Young Living to take you to a sign up page.

*Please note that this blend is my own creation and opinion, it may or may not work for everyone.  

Essential Oils from Young Living

Essential oils seem to be everywhere lately.  I first learned about essential oils over ten years ago.  I was learning how to make my own cleaning products and found that essential oils are used in many of the cleaning recipes in some books I purchased back in early 2000.  I still have and use the books and they are still available today.

Essentail Oils Books for cleaning recipes
Books for natural cleaning recipes 

Recently I have learned about Young Living essential oils.  I kept finding information about them on pinterest and I also read about them in my fitness group on facebook from someone who was using Thieves oil for illness with her kids.  Then, I remembered that a friend of mine was selling them so I contacted her to learn more and how to get them.

After talking to my friend I learned that Young Living is a company that only sells the oils to “members”.  You can buy at a “retail” level but you pay more money.  To get a better price you have to join and be considered a “distributor” to get the wholesale price.  Also, when you join at the distributor level you are required to buy a kit for your first purchase.

Well, after learning those facts I was kind of apprehensive about “joining” their company and being part of something I may or may not like.  I talked to my friend some more and she assured me I would love the oils, since I already knew so much about essential oils, and that the Young Living oils were very high quality.  She also told me there was not a catch to joining that if I bought a kit and decided I didn’t want anything else ever again I would not be obligated to order monthly or ever again for that matter.  The only way you are obligated to maintain a monthly order is if you join their ER – Essential Rewards – program that is optional on your part.

So, I did more research on Young Living – found even more great info on pinterest and decided back in November to join and ordered the Everyday Oils kit that also comes with a diffuser and a few samples.  The oils that come in that kit are the 5ml bottles and I have already used most of them up in the past six weeks.

Everyday Oils kit
Everyday Oils kit

I am in love with these oils and use at least two or more daily for the past six weeks.  I like the fact that so many of their oils are therapeutic grade and can be ingested.  The essential oils I have used in the past could only be used topically or in my cleaning recipes.  I also notice the Young Living oils smell much stronger and have a lot more staying power – the scent does not fade off quickly.  The Young Living oils have also helped me and my family with some recent health issues.  I think that when used properly essential oils can offer some alternative therapy for many common ailments.

In addition to making my own cleaning products, which I have done for years – I am now making my own face and body care with these oils.  Some of the things I have made are recipes I have found and tried from pinterest and others are a combination I have created using books I have and my own personal preferences.  I am trying to be more chemical free and use less toxic ingredients on my skin.  I am now making and using my own face wash, face toner, moisturizer, body butter and deodorant.  I will be sharing my recipes and more info on these in future posts on my blog.

Young-Living-Essential-Oils

 

If you are interested in joining Young Living you can click on the highlighted text to take you to the sign up page on the Young Living site.  You can also message me via email at kkg@kimberleeskorner.com for more info if you have any questions.

Have a great day!

– Kimberlee