It’s summertime and the living’s easy, right? Well, that’s not always how it goes…along with the warmer weather and summer holidays comes a whole new set of challenges. There’s bugs, there’s burns, there’s bruises—and luckily, there’s essential oils!

Your DIY Summer First-Aid Pantry

• Aloe Vera gel – anti-inflammatory and analgesic
• Arnica oil – assists the healing of sprains, muscle pain and bruising
• Clove bud essential oil – insecticidal and anti-microbial
• Geranium rose essential oil – tick repelling and anti-fungal
• Helichrysum essential oil – anti-inflammatory and healing
• Helichrysum hydrosol – reduces swelling and heals trauma
• Lavender Highland essential oil – healing, anti-bacterial and calming
• Lemon eucalyptus essential oil – mosquito repelling and anti-microbial
• Peppermint essential oil – cooling and insecticidal
• Roman chamomile essential oil – soothing and anti-inflammatory
• Roman chamomile hydrosol – reduces redness and itchiness
• Witch hazel – a gentle, soothing plant astringent

Bugs

Plants often use their essential oil to keep away unwanted bugs and insects, so can you! Specific essential oils have been found to effectively repel particular bugs and insects. If you want to stay bug-free this summer without the use of toxic products, whip up these quick and easy DIY Natural Bug & Insect Sprays!

Mosquitoes

Whether you’re camping in the bush, chilling on the dock or gardening in your backyard; you’re bound to contend with some mosquitoes this summer!

DIY Outdoor Spray

• 30 drops lemon eucalyptus essential oil
• 100 ml glass spray bottle
• Distilled water or witch hazel
• Natural, unscented dish soap

1. Place your lemon eucalyptus, along with a small squirt of natural dish soap in the bottom of your empty spray bottle.
2. Fill the rest of your bottle with distilled water or witch hazel and shake well.
3. Apply onto clothes and around your body as needed. Use caution to avoid contact with the eyes.

Ticks

Ticks can be found across Canada, and they’re of particular concern when you’re hiking in shaded forests or walking through tall grass.

DIY Outdoor Spray

• 30 drops geranium rose essential oil
• 100 ml glass spray bottle
• Distilled water or witch hazel
• Natural, unscented dish soap

1. Place your geranium rose, along with a small squirt of natural dish soap in the bottom of your empty spray bottle.
2. Fill the rest of your bottle with distilled water or witch hazel and shake well.
3. Apply onto clothes (particularly socks, hats, shirt collars etc.) and around your body as needed. Use caution to avoid contact with the eyes.

*If you’re considering using this spray on your dog, we recommend allowing your pet to sniff a natural product or essential oil before you put it on their body. If they back away or turn their head, they may be giving you the signal that they don’t like it. If you do decide to apply an outdoor spray to your animal, do it in small quantities – their sense of smell is so much stronger than ours!

Flies, Wasps and Ants

Unfortunately, flies, wasps and ants sometimes may their way indoors, so you may be looking to protect your house. This recipe is can be sprayed on countertops, window sills, etc., but it is not for personal use—clove bud essential oil at this dilution would be irritating to the skin!

DIY Household Spray

• 10 drops clove bud essential oil
• 30 drops peppermint essential oil
• 100 ml glass spray bottle
• Distilled water
• Natural, unscented dish soap

1. Place your clove bud and peppermint along with a small squirt of natural dish soap at the bottom of your empty spray bottle.
2. Fill the rest of your bottle with distilled water and shake well.
3. Spray on areas where the insects seem to be entering your home.

Inflammation

Many causes of skin inflammation are at their peak during the summertime. Since these situations often arise when you least expect them, it’s a great idea to always be prepared with some of these quick, easy and effective DIY anti-inflammatory treatments!

Sunburns

If you or a loved one does end up suffering from a sunburn over the summer holidays, you’ll be thankful to have these after-sun treatments on hand! The combination of Lavender Highland and helichrysum essential oils will quickly relieve the redness and discomfort of a burn, assist in the healing process, and help reduce long term damage.

DIY Cooling After-Sun Treatment Spray

• 15 drops Lavender Highland essential oil
• 10 drops helichrysum essential oil
• 100 ml Roman chamomile hydrosol

1. Place your Lavender Highland and helichrysum directly into your 100 ml bottle of Roman chamomile hydrosol. Shake well.
2. Apply to sunburnt areas. Use caution to avoid contact with the eyes.

DIY Soothing After-Sun Treatment Gel

• 12 drops Lavender Highland essential oil
• 10 drops Roman chamomile essential oil
• 7 drops helichrysum essential oil
• 100 ml glass lotion bottle
• 100 ml Aloe Vera gel

1. Place your Lavender Highland, Roman chamomile and helichrysum in the bottom of your empty lotion bottle.
2. Fill the rest of your bottle with Aloe Vera gel and shake well.
3. Apply to sunburnt areas.

Itchy RashesThere are many plants and insects you and your family could encounter at this time of year that will leave the skin irritated and itchy. Roman chamomile is ‘nature’s cortisone’—both the essential oil and the hydrosol will quickly calm inflammation and reduce itchiness.

DIY Itchy Rash Treatment Gel

• 20 drops Lavender Highland essential oil
• 10 drops Roman chamomile essential oil
• 100 ml glass lotion bottle
• 100 ml Aloe Vera gel

1. Place your Lavender Highland and Roman chamomile in the bottom of your empty lotion bottle.
2. Fill the rest of your bottle with Aloe Vera gel and shake well.
3. Apply to affected areas, avoiding open or broken skin.

DIY Heat Rash Treatment Spray

• 20 drops Lavender Highland essential oil
• 5 drops peppermint essential oil
• 100 ml Roman chamomile hydrosol

1. Place your Lavender Highland and peppermint directly into your 100 ml bottle of Roman chamomile hydrosol. Shake well.
2. Apply the cooling spray to over heated skin.

DIY Diaper Rash Treatment Spray

• 2 drops Lavender Highland essential oil
• 100 ml Roman chamomile hydrosol

1. Place your Lavender Highland directly into your 100 ml bottle of Roman chamomile hydrosol. Shake well.
2. Apply to affected areas and leave uncovered to air dry.

Bumps and Bruises

These recipes are helpful to have on hand all year round, but especially given the outdoor sports and activities of summertime. Helichrysum essential oil and hydrosol are must-have ingredients for your first-aid-kit. Helichrysum is the ‘arnica’ of essential oils—it is healing, purifying and anti-inflammatory.

DIY Treatment Oil for Bruising & Swelling

• 10 drops helichrysum essential oil
• 10 drops Roman chamomile essential oil
• 10 drops Lavender Highland essential oil
• 100 ml glass lotion bottle
• 100 ml arnica oil

2. Place your Helichrysum, Roman chamomile, and Lavender Highland in the bottom of your empty lotion bottle.
3. Fill the rest of your bottle with arnica oil and shake well.
4. Apply to affected areas avoiding open or broken skin.

DIY First Aid Spray

• 20 drops Lavender Highland essential oil
• 100 ml helichrysum hydrosol

1. Place your Lavender Highland directly into your 100 ml bottle of helichrysum hydrosol. Shake well.
2. Apply to affected areas.

There you have it—now the summertime living can be easy!