Easy Homemade Bug Repellent

Heather — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 14:50:51 +0000

Jack Frost Skipped Us This Winter . . .

And you can guess what that means! Oh yes, instead of dying off the mosquitoes from last season are establishing rotary clubs, swimming pool kiddie programs, and regular appearances at the state fair. Plump, hungry mamas are scuttling their babies to the juiciest joints in search of a quick meal. Commando-inspired teens are planning ambushes just outside your back porch. Wise, energy conserving grandmosquitos are retiring to local parks where the living is easy.

It would almost be sweet if they weren’t planning to dine on YOU. No worries, though! I have a few suggestions for keeping the skeeters (and other bugs) at bay this year.

Recipe #1:

My cousin Jen gave me this recipe, and it is by far my favorite. According to researchers, “nepetalactone, the essential oil in catnip that gives the plant its characteristic odor, is about ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET — the compound used in most commercial insect repellents.”¹ Problem is, catnip and a few other oil listed here are not recommended for pregnant or nursing mamas. For pregnant/nursing friendly options see recipe #2.

4 oz purified water
15 drops lemongrass essential oil (buy it here and you can also use it to open up sinus and breathing passages, soothe torn or strained ligaments/tendons, heal ringworm, add shine and lustre to damaged hair, and as calming massage oil)
15 drops eucalyptus essential oil (buy it here or get it for less by buying it with lemongrass, peppermint, orange, lavendar, tea tree here)
15 drops lemon essential oil (find it here and use as a replacement to hand sanitize or mix with water in a spray bottle for bathroom air freshener. I’ve even heard you can add a couple drops to your dishwasher for spot free dishes!)
15 drops citronella essential oil (buy it here)
15 drops catnip essential oils (“The active constituent in catnip, nepetalactone, has been found to be more effective than the insect repellent diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET)”¹ – Find it here)

Recipe #2:

4 oz purified water
60 drops lemon essential oil (avoid during first three months of pregnancy, fine after that. Also safe for breastfeeding)

Recipe #3:

4 oz purified water
45 drops of peppermint oil – It’s supposed to be very effective and smell fabulous (note: avoid if you have epilepsy or are pregnant)
15 drops lemon oil

Method:

Mix ingredients in a spray bottle and apply liberally

Do you a natural bug repellant recipe or tip? Please share it below!

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Coconut Oil For Radiant Skin, A Supercharged Metabolism And – um- A Stretchier You!

Coconut Oil For Radiant Skin, A Supercharged Metabolism And – um- A Stretchier You!

Heather — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:05:48 +0000

Miranda Kerr Has A Secret

And it’s not Victoria’s. If you’re not familiar with her, the – ahem – runway “angel” is also the natural birthing wife of Orlando Bloom. Earlier this year she raised a ruckus by releasing a nursing photo with her newborn son that is more discreet than anything I’ve seen in a VS catalog – **sigh** - and controversy is knocking at her door again.

Cosmopolitan magazine recently quoted the Australian supermodel as saying that coconut oil was the key to her clear skin, lustrous hair and svelte figure.

“I’ve been drinking it since I was 14 and it’s the one thing I can’t live without,” quotes Cosmo. “I will not go a day without coconut oil. I personally take four tablespoons per day, either on my salads, in my cooking or in my cups of green tea.”

“Experts” emerged from all corners of the earth to denounce her endorsement of “unhealthy” saturated fats (oh please, does no one bother to actually pay attention to what the research shows??), and in the end Miranda released a statement saying she was misquoted. Her blog currently states that her intake is 4 tsp, not tablespoons.

Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if she released that “correction” simply to silence the angry mob- no one knows except her. Either way, she’s right. Coconut oil is my favorite beauty product because it’s so versatile!

Glowing Skin

Extra virgin coconut oil happens to be very rich in antioxidants that prevent free radical formation (free radicals cause skin to lose elasticity). It’s antibacterial and antifungal, too, which is beneficial for maintaining clear skin. And because it’s molecular structure is relatively small, these benefits penetrate deep into underlying tissues that most moisturizers can’t reach. Of course, it smells really good too!

All healthy fats aid in hormone function, but coconut oil is special. Bob the liver reaaaaally likes coconut oil because – well, because Bob gets to sit back and do NOTHING! You see, coconut oil contains rare medium chain fatty acids (MCFT’s) that break down almost immediately when they come in contact with saliva and gastric juices. So rather than convert to lipoproteins (fat & protein), coconut oil converts directly into energy. So we have a fat that isn’t stored as fat in our bodies, moisturizes from within, and gives Bob a break so he can focus on clear, healthy skin. Win win WIN!

Psst! Did you know that WHERE acne erupts can tell you a lot about what’s going on in your body? Certain areas of your face are linked to specific organs in your body. If you have acne, matching the areas you most often break out with the corresponding organ can tell you how to focus your efforts nutritionally. For more on this (including a facial reflexology chart), check out this article from Mail Online.

About That “Fat Not Stored As Fat” Thing . . .

Coconut oil has been proven to increase metabolism AND slow down digestion – which means you burn food faster while feeling full on less! As a bonus it also kills the one-eyed green monster behind those raging carb/sugar cravings (which, if you were wondering, is candida).

Lots of people like to add a spoonful to their morning tea. If you’d like to give this a try, start small! Begin with 1-2 teaspoons and work up to 3-6 tablespoons per day.

Don’t want to lose weight? I take a few tablespoons to increase the lauric acid levels in my breastmilk even though I need to keep a little fluff on. The body is a wise – it’ll figure things out!

Coconut Oil & Essential Fatty Acids To Prevent Stretch Marks

So, um, when my mom discovered that I was going through “the change” in a Dillard’s dressing room we had the talk.

Right then, with everyone listening.

But aside from the normal embarrassment, puberty had other complications for me. My new body came with scars. Stretch marks, to be exact, all across my hips like I’d been attacked by a bengal tiger.

Fast forward through two pregnancies. Despite the fact that I neared planetary proportions both times (see exhibit A →) I didn’t get a single stretch mark. They say genetics plays a role, and that may be. But unless someone did some very tricky stuff with my DNA while I was sleeping the only thing that changed was my diet.

I’m not saying coconut oil was the only factor – in my opinion it was the inclusion of all healthy fats. I took at least four tablespoons on most days (That’s no typo, Miranda! I’m with you girl!) in addition to lots of butter and tallow. Not only did this nearly double my body’s ability to utilize that expensive fish oil I was taking while also delivering a powerful dose of antioxidants, it moisturized from the inside out. I rubbed it on my belly, too.

How To Select Coconut Oil

In a nutshell, here’s what you need to know: centrifuged virgin oil retains the most antioxidants, cold-pressed virgin is next best, then there’s expeller-pressed and refined oils. The last category isn’t very useful for beauty purposes, but you can still cook with it and get lots of good MCFT’s! And then there is coconut oil extracted using neurotoxic solvent like hexane. Avoid.

Here are some brands that I Wholeheartedly Endorse ♥

Thanks Alexandra, Abbey, Morgan and Carrie for suggesting a beauty post. This was fun!

P. S. Did you know you can reverse wrinkles and cellulite, too? I’m not kidding you. Check it out here.

Photo credit: Hugo971, Chiot’s Run