DIY

DIY: OnGuard Hand Cleansing Spray

I feel like I was just picking my kids up for their last day of school, and now their first day of school is quickly approaching. We were getting my oldest son’s back to school supplies this past weekend, and do you know what was on the list? Hand gels. Yikes. Most traditional hand cleaning gels have ingredients like alcohols, synthetic fragrances, and other chemicals I’d like my young kiddos to avoid.

We have stopped using conventional hand gels the past couple of years, and now we just make our our hand cleansing sprays using doTERRA essential oils. So I’m here today to share how you can make this easy and economical hand cleansing spray. The great thing is, this spray also doubles as a throat soothing spray if you have some throat discomfort.

*For the record, I bought the hand gels because his classroom shares community supplies, but I’ll be sending a hand cleansing spray for him in his lunchbox so he can use it before lunch. Sometimes, the situation isn’t perfect, but we do what we can.*

doTERRA OnGuard Hand Cleansing Spray

 

Ingredients:

1 (2 ounce) glass or stainless steel spray bottle

10 drops of doTERRA OnGuard essential oil

Water

Directions:

1. Place the drops of OnGuard in the spray bottle.

2. Top with water.

3. Put on the spray cap, and give it a good shake before each use.

4. Enjoy! Use this to cleanse your hands, the shopping cart, tables at restaurants, airport bathrooms, and any other surface that seems a little sketchy.

Notes:

1. If you are currently out of OnGuard (this has happened to me before), you can use Melaleuca in a pinch, but OnGuard is definitely my first choice for this spray.

2. If you’re feeling fancy, you can add a squirt of witch hazel to the mix, but I normally do without unless I happen to have witch hazel on hand.

3. You can now find all your essential oil supply needs on mydoterra.com/amandagerber

Here are some great ways to use doTERRA OnGuard essential oil blend. What is your favorite way to use this oil?

Essential Oils for Gardening: Pest Control

Confession Time: I had neglected my garden for a week, y’all. I didn’t water it, didn’t go out and give it any love for a week. When I came back to check on the progress, I found a few disappointing (but inevitable) issues. My cucumbers were not doing well. It looked totally dead, and it was covered in ants. My zucchinis were turning yellow and there were a LOT of squash bugs covering the plants. Surprisingly my tomatoes and bell peppers still looked vibrant. So, if you want to plant something hardy that doesn’t need a lot of attention, plant tomatoes and bell peppers. I knew I had to do something to address all these problems. The first thing I did was water the garden to bring some life back to it. Then I started doing some research on a natural alternative to pest control.

So, I did a quick Google search. “Essential oils for gardening pests.” Lots of results popped up. I scanned different searches and came up with a concoction based on what I had in my case. I grabbed an empty 8 ounce spray bottle and started filling it up with various doTERRA essential oils.

I went out and sprayed my garden, I used the whole bottle on my entire garden. I came back the next day pleasantly surprised. The squash bugs were completely gone and the ants in my cucumber bed had decreased. Ants are a pretty constant problem here in South Texas, so this wasn’t too surprising that they weren’t totally gone.

I’ve gone out this week and continued to lightly spray our plants every few days, and I am so pleased to have found a natural solution to my garden pest problem. Bonus: I’ve still seen ladybugs and bees happily flying about, so it still allows for the good bugs in your garden to do their thing. Are you ready for my recipe?

doTERRA Gardening Pest Control Spray

7 drops doTERRA Basil

7 drops doTERRA Eucalyptus

7 drops doTERRA Peppermint

Fill the remainder of your bottle with water.

Feel free to adjust this recipe based on your needs. If you’re seeing a lot of pests, you may want to add a few more drops of essential oil, or spray more often. You can also take additional measures of pest control, like planting marigolds or various herbs around your garden to deter pests.

I’d love to hear from you! How do you naturally provide your garden with pest control?

After Sun Spray with doTERRA Essential Oils

I hope everyone had a Happy Easter! He is risen! We had a blast at our house, and our weekend was filled with Easter festivities. It was also filled with sunshine. We went to an outdoor Easter egg hunt with lots of fun things for the kids to do like a petting zoo, train ride, and bounce house. My boys wanted to make sure they participated in every single activity there was, and by the end of the day I ended up looking like a lobster.

With summer months approaching, I wanted to make sure I made an “After Sun Spray” and kept it handy for times like this. This spray will help to soothe and cool your skin that was exposed too long to the sun. It uses oils like Lavender, Melaleuca (tea tree), and Frankincense which are wonderful at soothing skin irritations, and help to purify the skin. I’ve also added Peppermint essential oil to the mix because it really works to cool your skin.

I’ve mentioned this before, but I use doTERRA essential oils. It’s a brand I love and trust enough to use on my entire family. I highly encourage everyone to do their research and choose a brand with high standards and purity you can feel confident using on your family.

This spray can be used for all sorts of skin irritations; like overexposure to the sun, bug bites, minor burns and scrapes, and rashes. We use some version of this spray almost daily in my home. It’s so simple to make, and easy to use!

*Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. I am a mom of 4 kids who is passionate about holistic health, and I am simply sharing a recipe your family can enjoy as well. This is not meant to treat, cure, or diagnose a disease.*

After Sun Spray with doTERRA Essential Oils

Ingredients:

2 oz spray bottle

10 drops Lavender essential oil

10 drops Melaleuca essential oil

10 drops Frankincense essential oil

10 drops Peppermint essential oil

Water

Aloe vera juice (optional)

Directions:

  1. Fill up spray bottle about 3/4 of the way with purified water.
  2. Add essential oils. (And Aloe vera juice to top off the bottle, if desired).
  3. Twist the top on the spray bottle and shake all ingredients together.
  4. Spray over irritated skin and enjoy the soothing effect of the After Sun Spray.

I hope you enjoyed this awesome recipe! What are some of your favorite natural ways to soothe your skin in the summer months?

Homemade All Natural Deodorant

So I took the plunge and made my own deodorant. I hate spending grocery money on toiletry items. This is how my mind works when I have to do that: shampoo+conditioner around $6 = A pineapple, kale, and bananas. Deodorant around $3 = Organic potatoes. Not to mention all the chemicals in those products! So I decided to make my own deodorant. I got the recipe from wellnessmama.com and did my own tinkering to it. I’ve been using this deodorant for a few days and really like it. I think what I like most is that I know exactly the ingredients in it, and not to mention it works!

deo

Ingredients:
• ¼ cup of cocoa butter
• ¼ cup beeswax
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• ¼ cup arrowroot powder (or cornstarch will work here too)
• 1 tablespoon of baking soda
• 5 drops of melaleuca (tea tree) essential oil
• 5 drops other essential oils for scent (optional)

Directions:
1. Melt cocoa butter, beeswax, and coconut oils together in a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water.
2. Once melted, take the bowl off of the heat and add the arrowroot powder and baking soda. Mix well.
3. Add the essential oils and mix well.
4. Pour into an empty and clean deodorant container. This recipe makes one bar of deodorant and a little extra. Pour the extra in a baking cup, or soap mold and use it as a travel deodorant.
5. Let it cool and set overnight before using.
6. Use the next day with the joy of knowing you know exactly what you are putting on your body: pure goodness.

Notes:
• This recipe is a deodorant, not an anti-perspirant. So this will help with the stink, but you will still sweat. That’s okay, sweating is good for your body!
• I have used this recipe this week while working VBS all morning and working out in the afternoon, and I have had great results.
• You can replace the cocoa butter with other body butters, such as shea or mango butter.
• You can usually find arrowroot powder in any whole foods type of store.
• Melaleuca is great to use because of its cleansing and purifying properties, so I wouldn’t omit this oil. While citrus oils do have similar properties, they are photosensitive, so if you want to add citrus oils I recommend waiting until winter time when you’re not in tank tops anymore.

Have you made your own deodorant before? What’s your reason you would like to make the switch from store bought to homemade deodorant?

DIY Bath Salts

Who has put off getting their mother a gift for Mother’s Day until the very last minute? I know some of you have! Well, tonight I am going to give you an idea for a Mother’s Day gift that is friendly on your wallet, but sure to please any mom. Today, we’re making bath salts! A gift that will force your mom to relax and enjoy a long, luxurious bath.

I have made my own bath salts for quite some time now, almost a year now. I actually started making bath salts shortly after having Isaac, our 10 month old, because I was in constant discomfort after delivering him. My body was healing very slowly and it hurt to stand, it hurt to lay down, it hurt to walk; you get the idea, it was a really rough first month! A friend of mine suggested bathing in Epsom salts with essential oils that were known for assisting the body in healing after childbirth: helichrysum (known for its restorative properties), lavender (known for its soothing properties), and frankincense (known for its many healing properties). That was the first time I found relief, and after a week of adding this to my routine I was feeling great. I fell in love with the combination of Epsom salts and essential oils and use them together regularly, for much more than postpartum healing.  You can use them for relaxation (Lavender), aiding with sore muscles (Peppermint), or clearing up congestion (Peppermint and/or Eucalyptus). For more information on how to provide your family with quality essential oils, feel free to email me at info@amandagerber.com.

bath salts

So, here we go. You only need a few things to get started.

Ingredients:
– 2 cups Epsom salts
– 10 drops essential oils, your choice
– Glass jar for storage
– Label, ribbon, or any embellishment you want to add

Directions:
– Mix to Epsom salts and essential oils together in a glass bowl
– Transfer to your glass jar and seal tightly
– Label and decorate to your creative abilities
– I like to add dried lavender or dried citrus peels for a pop of color.
– Use ½ cup-1 cup per bath

Ta-da! The perfect gift made out of love. If you want to add a little more glam, consider adding an all natural lotion, lip balm or soap for the perfect pampering present. Have fun y’all!

Have you made your own bath salts before?  What are your favorite oils to add?