When my two youngest kids started to cough in the midst of my daugher’s illness I diffused frankincense in their bedroom a few nights.  Thankfully the frankincense was enough to stop the spread of germs, their coughs disappeared and really didn’t turn into anything.

Frankincense has been used for hundreds of years, historically it was first given as a gift to the Christ Child.  It is one of the most valued essential oils and in Ancient Times it was worth more than gold.  It’s most common uses have been as a cough medicine and for asthma, and most recently it’s been included in the Journal of Royal Society Medicine (1991).  It has also been researched for it’s benefits in rejuvenating the skin.  Frankincense is gentle enough for babies, but only if it is the highest Therapeutic Grade like Young Living’s food grade Frankincense (Boswellia Carterri)  and Sacred Frankincense (Boswellia Sacra). Research is finding that the boswellic acid in frankincense is highly anti-inflammatory and blocks  the biosynthesis of leukotriene acids. Boswellic acid can have a positive affect on the body whether it is inhaled for respiratory issues, or applied topically to rejuvenate the skin and soothe arthritic joints.  Not all frankincense, however, contains boswellic acid.  Buyers should beware when shopping for frankincense as there is a great tendency to add fillers and additives to extend the volume of frankincense essential oil.  Boswellia frereana for example, is a species of frankincense that contains no boswellic acid and is only useful for perfumes or fragrance and has no therapeutic benefit.

Young Living offers 2 species of Frankincense, Boswellia Carteri and Boswellia Sacra: Sacred Frankincense.  Boswellia Sacra has higher levels of incensole acetate, found to have anti-anxiety effects.  The Sacra species also has higher levels of Alpha-pinene.  Young Living exclusively distills Boswellia Sacra frankincense from Oman, a region known in the essential oil industry to produce this superior species of frankincense.  Boswellia carteri contains higher levels of limonene, a component found effective against cancer cells.  Both species of frankincense support a healthy immune system and may even repair damaged DNA cells.

Frankincense (Boswellia carteri)            15ml   whsl  $69.75     retail $91.78

Sacred Frankincense (Boswellia sacra) 15ml whls    $89.75     retail $118.09

You can order Young Living oils at wholesale (select Independent Distributor and order a $40 Start Living Kit for lifetime wholesale pricing, and no monthly minimums, enter sponsor #1003003)  or retail (select customer).

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.  I am not a medical doctor, and I’m not prescribing treatment, I’m just a mom trying to keep her kids healthy.  This information is for educational purposes only and is not meant as a substitute for medical advise. If you need medical attention seek the counsel of your doctor.

Farid A. Badria, Eman A. Mohammad, Mohammed K. El-Badrawy, et al (2004). Natural Leukotriene Inhibitor from Boswellia: A Potential New Alternative for Treating Bronchial Asthma. Altern & Comp Therapies. 10 (5) 257-265.

Houssen M, Ragab A, Mesbah A, El-Samanoudy A, Othman G, Moustafa A, Badria F. (2010). Natural anti-inflammatory products and leukotriene inhibitors as complementary therapy for bronchial asthma. Clin Biochem 43 (10-11) 887-890.

Safayhi H, Rail B, Sailer E, Ammon H. (1997). Inhibition by Boswellic acids of Human Leukocyte Elastase. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 281 (1). 460-463.

Ziment I, Tashkin D. (2000). Alternative medicine for allergy and asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 106: 603-614.

The most important steps include frequent hand washings ( Thieves foaming hand sanitizer), washing bed lines and towels (I add a drop of Thieves or Purification essential oil to my laundry soap for extra disinfecting), cleaning my bathrooms with Thieves wipes (you can make your own wipes with Thieves household cleaner and tough paper towels, store them in an old baby wipes container for convenience) and diffusing highly anti-bacterial blends like Thieves, Purification, Christmas Spirit and Frankincense to kill airborne bacteria.    Young Living essential oils are also the most important items in our medicine cabinet.  In fact, we really don’t have anything else in our medicine chest – no ibuprofen, acetaminophen,  or over the counter cough syrups with artificial flavors & colors.  This is what  we use for colds & flu symptoms:

1st onset:  For adults, make up a  capsule of Thieves:  2 drops of Thieves essential oil plus 3-6 drops of lemon in gel cap.  For kids  under 6, a spoonful of agave nectar with 1 drop of lemon essential oil added and 1-2 drops of R.C applied to the bottoms of feet.  Use Thieves hand sanitizer to keep germs from spreading.  Keep mouth clean where germs multiply with Thieves mouthwash.

Cough medicine -  1 tsp agave nectar with 1 drop of lemon essential oil.  For adults add 1 drop Thieves for extra boost. Suck on Thieves lozenges.

Fever – Adults, 3-5 drops peppermint essential oil on each foot.   Repeat as needed until fever is gone.  Children under 7 – Lavender & Frankincense on bottoms of feet or along spine – repeat as needed until the fever is gone.

Sore Throat – 1 tsp agave nectar with 1 drop of lemon essential oil (Lemon essential oil contains many more nutrients and antioxidants than just lemon juice as the essential oil is distilled from the rind – use only food grade lemon essential oil for ingesting) .  For adults and children over 6 add 1 drop of  Thieves oil to the spoonful of lemon/agave nectar.  Thieves lozenges are also helpful.   Gargle with Thieves mouthwash.

Sinus & Chest congestion – R.C. applied to the bottoms of feet, rubbed on the chest or inhaled.  Add a  few drops to bath water and breath deeply.  Frankincense supports the respiratory tract and viruses.  Apply to the chest and throat area on lymph glands.  Place a drop of frankincense on the tongue to fight viruses.  Raven is a Young Living blend made of Ravensara, wintergreen, eucalyptus radiata, lemon and peppermint.   It is especially effective when layered with the R.C blend.  Breathe Again Roll-on is a convenient blend to apply directly to the chest or Vita-Flex points for breathing relief due to cold and asthma.

Cold/Canker Sores – suck on a Thieves lozenge or apply a drop of Thieves essential oil directly to the spot to alleviate pain and speed healing.  Peppermint oil also may help when applied directly.

Headache /body aches – Raindrop Technique, apply peppermint or Panaway on the forehead and temples or  lemon essential oil on the big toe.  Soak in a mineral bath like Ancient Minerals with 3-4 drops of lavender essential oils added.

Vomiting/diarrhea - peppermint essential oil applied to bottoms of feet, on the belly and 1 drop in water to sip.  Children under 6 should not use peppermint oil, instead use Frankincense or ginger essential oil on the feet and belly.  After 1 hour of no vomiting, gradually introduce liquids. Dilute 1 oz. Ningxia Red with 4-5 ounces of water is a gentle way to start adding nutrients.

Inner Defense is a supplement that contains 4 different types of Oregano.  This is highly antibacterial, research shows this blend is as powerful as some antibiotics.  When using Inner Defense, 10-12 hours later take a probiotic likeLife 5.   For example, Inner Defense in the morning, Life 5 at bedtime to replenish healthy intestinal flora.

In addition to some of these suggestion make sure to add some homemade chicken soup, drinking plenty of  high quality fluids, rest and some common sense to ensure a quick recovery.  Always seek the advice of your doctor for serious illness.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are meant for educational purposes only, they are not a substitute for medical care.

Therapeutic Grade Melissa essential oil comes from the melissa officinalis plant, in the mint family. It’s commonly called “lemon balm” and   it is steam distilled from the aerial parts before flowering.  Historically it has been used for nervous disorders, to promote fertility and in Munich, Dr. Dietrich Wabner, a professor at the Technical University in Munich found it effective against the Herpes Simplex virus.  It may be helpful for depression, viral infections, anxiety and insomnia.  Diffuse 1-2 hours up to 3 times a day, apply to the skin or Vita Flex points to support the immune system.

Melissa essential oil is found in the Young Living blends of Awaken, Brain Power, Forgiveness, Hope, White Angelica and in the supplement Multi-Greens.

Our family has personally received the benefits of  melissa essential oil in the Thieves mouthwash blend and Multi-greens.  Awaken is one of my favorite Young Living blends, a combination of 5 different blends including 27 different essential oils including melissa essential oil.   It’s an exquisite blend that  I wear  as a “healthy” perfume.    When you use the essential oil blends or personal care items with melissa in it, you are getting a powerful oil in an economical way.

Select Research:

Kucera LS, et al. Antiviral activities of extracts of the lemon balm plant. Ann NY Acad Sci. 1965 Jul 30;130(1):474-82.

Sadraei H, Ghannadi A, Malekshahi K. Relaxant effect of essential oil of Melissa officinalis.  Fitoterapia. 2003 Jul;74(5);445-52.

• Idaho balsam fir- anti-inflammatory, grounding and relaxing to the body.  Effective against respiratory infections, fatigue and sciatica.
• Lavender – calming, relaxant physically and emotionally.  Supports skin health, speeds wound healing in cuts, scrapes and 1st degree burns.
• Wintergreen – naturally warming, muscle relaxant, highly anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic.
• Basil – anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, also anti-bacterial and anti-viral.
• Copaiba - powerful anti-inflammatory oil, antiseptic with almost imperceptible odor.
• Marjoram – relieves muscle spasms, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, promotes intestinal peristalsis, mucolytic, expectorant.
• Peppermint – cooling, anti-inflammatory, stimulating (don’t use before bed!) Synergistic and increases penetration when applied after other oils.
• PanAway - an essential oil blend of helichrysum (heals tissue & nerve damage, anti-inflammatory), wintergreen, peppermint and clove
• Deep Relief Roll-On is a convenient oil blend in an applicator bottle that you can roll on directly to sore muscles.

Joint Pain – is often caused by systemic issues.  Essential oils can bring some temporary relief, but an honest assessment should also be taken of environment, diet and lifestyle.  You can get a Healthy Home Checklist when you subscribe to the Pure Home and Body Newsletter as a starting point.  MSM can be helpful in decreasing systemic inflammation, as well as looking at your diet.  Ningxia Red is a powerful anti-oxidant that works to give your body added nutrition with whole foods rather than synthetic vitamins.  Consult an Essential Oil Desk Reference, Prescription for Nutritional Healing and your holistic practitioner for management of chronic joint pain and autoimmune disorders.

For serious back injuries, essential oils can help bring relief until medical intervention is needed.   Many individuals have prolonged or even avoided the need for surgery when they used essential oils with integrated care by a chiropractor, physical therapist and gentle exercise like yoga with an experienced instructor.  The Raindrop Technique contains many anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic essential oils that are helpful for chronic back pain and even for individuals with scoliosis.

Name That Product:  Here’s a challenge for you, a product labeled with “Natural Herbal Ingredients”.  Used by chiropractors, acupunturists, massage therapists and nurses in clinical settings to relieve muscle pain.  One of my biggest concerns is the use of menthol (made as a synthetic or watered down peppermint ),  camphor (inexpensive filler that “smells strong”, may be derived from terpentine, used as insect or moth repellant and in embalming)  and lavender “oil” (not even listed as essential oil, this is probably hormone disrupting synthetic oil) and artificial colors, and chemicals that release formaldehyde (also used in embalming):

menthol 5%, camphor 3%, water, aloe vera gel, isopropyl alcohol, lavender oil, triethanolamine, carbomer, ginseng extract, angelica extract, polysorbate 60, DMDM hydantion, imidazolidinyl urea, blue 1, yellow 5

The first person who guesses this product correctly will get a 5-pack of Ningxia Red singles to help fight inflammation from the inside out!

Most chemicals are absorbed through your skin and circulate into your bloodstream, almost as if you ate it.  Drug companies know this, and now you can find more drugs “delivered” through the skin via patches with nicotine, pain medications and hormone treatments.   What you put on your skin matters!  When you make choices in body care, it’s important to keep in mind the long term results.  Your body will absorb chemicals  not identified by the body as a natural substance.  They circulate them through your body systems like the endocrine system and store those chemicals in your major organs and fatty tissue.  If you are trying to lose weight, you need to get the toxins out of the cellulite before you can really lose weight for the long term.    Antiperspirants contain aluminum, so every time you apply that underarm protection, your lymphatic system is drawing in the aluminum.  Doctors already know this, before a mammography you’ll be instructed to avoid using anti-antiperspirants or deodorants a couple of days before an exam since the metal particles will show up as “landmarks” on scans.  Short term, you probably won’t see any difference, but fast forward 20 or 30 years of daily application and you might see a profound affect.  The bottom line is many of these long term effects are still unknown, so an ounce of prevention where you know it might matter can help.

Multiple applications equal more exposure Let’s look at hand sanitizer for example.  My focus in health is very much on my children’s exposure to chemicals.  Kid’s bodies are more vulnerable to toxin overload simply because of their size and developing bodies.  Hand sanitizer is one product I have chosen to convert to a healthier option.  Most hand sanitizers have alcohol as their main ingredient.  Hand sanitizer dispensers are everywhere: bathrooms, stores, libraries, churches.  Everywhere you turn, your child can fill her hands with foaming hand sanitizer.  It looks like fun until you think about the dose of alcohol absorbed into her skin every use.  Alcohol baths had once been used in hospitals to lower fevers.  This practice has since been discontinued because the medical community realized patients were absorbing the alcohol through their skin and getting very ill.   There are plenty of safer options in hand sanitation including a few that rely on naturally anti-bacterial essential oils like Young Living’s Thieves Hand Sanitizer that utilizes cinnamon, rosemary, clove and lemon essential oils to clean hands.

Look at your daily routine   Body lotions,  shampoos and shower gels are also other potential points of chemical absorption.  Most products contain artificial fragrance (a.k.a “parfum”), just a combination of secret chemicals, many linked with endocrine disruption.  Your endocrine system regulates your hormones, thyroid, metabolism, pituitary gland and more.  Avoid any products with the ingredient “fragrance” as the manufacturer can use a combination of unknown chemicals under this term.   Parabens have most recently been found to disrupt hormones,  and the FDA has banned the use of them in children’s bath and body products.  Paraben ingredients are allowed in other products, though.   As adults, we still rely on properly functioning hormones don’t we?  How many of you know someone in their 50′s, 40′s, even 30′s on thyroid medication?

Name That Product   I was surprised when I read on the product samples in my husbands “goodie bag” that one product contained Parabens!  This sample was a gift to athletes, training for months on end to get their bodies into top shape for an event.  I’m pretty conservative when it comes to what I use in my family, I realize this is new information to some of you, but would you use this product knowing that it contains ingredients banned for use with children?  Here are the ingredients:

menthol, carbomer, FD&C blue #1, FD&C yellow #5, glycerine, herbal extract (flex paraguariensis), isopropyl alcohol USP, methylparaben, natural camphor USP, propylene glycol, silicon dioxide, triethanolamine, purified water.

I’m going to have a little fun with this, and see if anyone can guess this product. Whoever can comment back first with the correct answer will get a 3-pack of  Young Living Thieve’s Hand Sanitizer, an $18 value!

I’d love to get your input on this, would you use products with these ingredients?  Treat your body products like food for your skin, read your labels and know what you are putting into and on your body!

Congratulations to Cindy G. for guessing this product, BIOFREEZE, used by massage therapists, chiropractors and bodyworkers to release muscle tension, aches and pains from aging and active lifestyles.  If you want truly natural muscle and pain relief,  Therapeutic Grade essential oils are the best choice.  You’ve got many options including:

• Peppermint  (anti-inflammatory & cooling)
• Idaho Balsam Fir (anti-inflammatory  and muscle relaxant)
• Basil (anti-spasmodic and muscle relaxant)
• PanAway is a Young Living blend that eases joint & muscle aches and pains
• Raindrop Technique oils (helpful for back pain, using many anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic oils like peppermint, basil, marjoram and cypress)

Give yourself the best and reduce the chemicals you are exposed to.  Chemical laden products work for the short term, with effects on your future health unknown.  For most issues, there are essential oil options that work to bring your body into balance and support your health.  Check an Essential Oil Desk Reference for more issue specific uses of essential oils.

Therapeutic Grade essential oils have been researched for decades on their antimicrobial effects against many bacteria including E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. Oregano,   Clove, cinnamon and Thyme have shown the most powerful effects against these bacteria, with research proving their effectiveness against at least 23 different bacteria including Streptococcous and Staphylococcus.  Even Pharmaceutical manufacturers are seeing the potential of essential oils and are combining them with traditional antibiotics to improve the effectiveness of their products.  Natural essential oils are not patentable, but a pharmaceutical antibiotic combined with a natural essential oil is. One company is experimenting with an edible, apple-based produce cover that  includes cinnamon, allspice and clove essential oils.

Here are ways you can incorporate essential oil use into your food preparation routines:

1. Always wash hands thoroughly with friction and warm water, making sure to completely rinse hands.  For more effectiveness, soaps with essential oils of clove, cinnamon and rosemary are naturally antibacterial.   Avoid hand soap with hormone disrupting Triclosan.
2. Wash produce thoroughly with castille soap and 2-3 drops of essential oils of clove or thyme, or add the essential oils to your produce wash.
3. Wash produce with Thieves Household cleaner or Thieves handsoap.  Work up a lather onto the outside of the produce, allow to sit a few minutes then rinse thoroughly.
4. Only put clean produce on your cutting boards and counters.  Keep unwashed produce in grocery bags until you can wash it thoroughly and avoid contaminating counters.

Thieves essential oil is a Young Living blend of essential oils of clove, cinnamon, rosemary and lemon.  This powerful combination of essential oils has been researched to kill many bacteria including airborne mold spores (Aspergillus) within 12 minutes of diffusing.  Bacteria can mutate easily against man-made antibiotics and chemical antibacterial products, they are less hardy against essential oils that vary slightly from season to season.  When you choose products for your hand sanitizing and food purity, select food-grade essential oils that are safe for skin contact and potent enough to kill harmful bacteria.

In addition, here is a handout on 100 uses of Thieves.

Class attendees can get Thieves products for wholesale (24% off retail) or retail.

For wholesale pricing, they just need to purchase a Start Living Kit (see flier)

One of the options is Start Living with Thieves for $150 and includes the $40 Starter Kit

Recently, I’ve found some great directions on making your own lotions at WabiSabi Baby.com.  I’ve had the how-to  information for years but never ventured out to try it until I read the clear directions from WabiSabi Baby.  Packaged lotions are convenient and you don’t have to worry about shelf life, but if you’d like to try making your own lotion, I recommend this recipe.  When you add your pure essential oils from Young Living you’ll have the purest lotion customized to your skin’s needs.  I mixed together this batch of simple ingredients and had a very emollient lotion in 15 minutes.  I used Young Living’s V-6 oil one time and coconut oil the 2^nd.  The coconut oil version was amazingly emollient.  I have used Young Living’s lavender lip balm (made with coconut oil) for dry patches and the coconut oil  version was very similar.   If you can heat up a can of soup, you can make this recipe.  The first time I did this, the water separated a little.  I reheated the mixture in the double boiler and it turned out much better.  I look forward to trying this recipe with glycerin (making sure it’s vegetable glycerin) for even more moisture.   Mountain Rose Herbs carries a large selection of lotion making supplies including beeswax pastilles and glycerin.   Let me know if you’ve made your own lotions and what has or has not worked for you!

I mixed up ½ this amount the first couple times just to get comfortable with the technique:

¼ C vegetable oil (Young Living’s V-6 oil blend, coconut, jojoba)

¼ C emulsifying wax (I used local, organic beeswax. You can also get an emulsifying wax specifically for cosmetics)

1 ¼ C hot water (almost boiling)

Melt vegetable oil and emulsifying wax in a small sauce pan.   Pour in hot water (this step is critical to avoiding a mess!) and stir until well incorporated, the consistency should be like milk.  Pour the entire mixture into a glass canning jar or other glass bottle with a tight lid.   Make sure you temper the glass first by running  it under hot water to warm the glass slightly.  I found it convenient to sterilize the bottle first, filling it with lotion once it has cooled a little, taking care to use hot pads for hot surfaces.  Pour the lotion mixture in slowly as a dramatic temperature change will break the glass.  Gently shake the bottle about every 10 minutes until the mixture sets.

Add 8-10 drops of essential oils when the lotion cools to customize to your needs:

Calming lotion: Roman chamomile, lavender & frankincense

Acne prone: Melaleuca alternifolia

Eczema: Myrrh

Cooling Foot Lotion: Peppermint

Sunscreen: Add 1 T non-nano zinc oxide plus lavender to protect and support skin health (I ordered mine from WabiSabi baby.com)

Insect Repelling Lotion: Purification, Peppermint, Cedarwood, Thieves, Citronella (make sure it is not a chemical citronella oil, but pure plant extract).  Add non-nano zinc oxide to make a bug repellent sunscreen

I made half this version for a couple days use and keep it in the fridge since there are no preservatives.  You could also add some Vitamin E oil or essential oils that would act as natural preservatives.  Make sure you don’t use citrus oils in lotion you will be putting on before sun exposure.

Watch for an upcoming post on (making your own facials at home) with pure ingredients and essential oils customized for your skin type.

The first step in battling mosquitos is to lessen your exposure: Remove standing water from your yard where they will lay their eggs.  If you have small ponds or bird baths keep the water treated or empty containers and clean weekly to keep larvae from hatching.  Check out some natural insect control products from an organic garden supply for your yard.  Wear light colored clothing, long sleeves and pants in particular after dusk or when walking in wooded areas.  Check your window and door screens for holes or spots mosquitos could invade your home.  Consider replacing outdoor lights with a yellow bug light that does not attract mosquitos like traditional lighting.

Essential Oils are some of the most powerful mosquito deterrants available.  Fragranced oils will not be any help against pests like mosquitos so make sure you are using a Therapeutic Grade Oil that will offer the best defense.  Essential oils are pure plant extracts that protect the plants and trees from natural pests.  These same plant extracts can offer protection to people as well.  For the best results use a combination of oils to create a powerful blend.  Here is a list of the most powerful oils mosquitos hate, followed by recipes I’ve used as natural mosquito repellent.  Many of these oils are safe for use on everyone, including children and pets. 

• Lavender - safe for everyone, young and old including infants. Simply apply therapeutic grade lavender (I only recommend Young Living food grade lavender) directly to exposed skin (Neat).
• Peppermint – safe for children over 4 diluted with a carrier oil.  Peppermint is stimulating so avoid using right before going to bed.  Also has a cooling effect on the skin, good for hot days.
• Lemongrass – powerful oil that should be diluted before applying to the skin.  Effective when applied to clothing from a spray bottle. Do not apply to the face.
• Citronella – make sure you use pure therapeutic grade citronella oil, not just a fragranced oil which will not repel mosquitos.  Dilute before applying to skin. 
• Cedarwood- adds a woodsy fragrance to a mosquito repellent, helps repel other insects in addition to mosquitos such as sand flies.
• Thyme – anti-parasitic oil, has a very strong aroma that may be softened when blended with other oils.
• Purification Essential Oil blend – Young Living exclusive blend of citronella, lemongrass, lavandin, rosemary, melaleuca & myrtleessential oils.  This is a powerful blend that mosquitos and other flying insects dislike.  We mix 8-10 drops of  purification blend with a teaspoon of vegetable oil and apply to exposed skin.  This blend is also excellent for bringing relief to any insect bites and stings.  Apply undiluted 1-2 drops directly to the location as soon as possible after a bite or sting to lessen itching & swelling. (test first on a small area for sensitive skin).
• Thieves  Essential Oil blend - Young Living’s exclusive blend of clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus radiata & rosemary essential oils.  Helpful when mixed in a spray bottle and misted on the skin.  Also a good option for treating an insect bite when applied topically.  Dilute Thieves 1:1 with a carrier oil or witch hazel and apply on location as needed.
• Melrose Essential Oil blend – Young Living’s exclusive blend of melaleuca alternifolia and rosemary essential oils.  Apply neat or diluted 1:1 onto location to relieve pain and itching from stings and mosquito bites.  Mix in a spray bottle and apply to clothing or exposed areas of skin.

Here are a couple of mosquito blends we’ve used in our family.  You can mix up your own combination of essential oils to have on hand.  Add the essential oils to a glass spray bottle, the same method as making your own air freshener.   You can also add the essential oil blend to a vegetable oil and apply to the skin before exposure to mosquitos.   Making your own mosquito repellent makes sense if you want to live a life with less toxins.  These combinations are quick and easy to mix and you’ll know what ingredients you are putting on your body.

Mosquito Blend #1, mix together in a 4 ounce spray bottle and shake before each use, or add 1 drop castille soap or bath gel base to emulsify the oil

• 15 drops Purification essential oil blend
• 8 drops peppermint essential oil
• 8 drops lavender essential oil
• 8 drops cedarwood essential oil
• enough purified water to fill the bottle

Mosquito blend #2, mix in a 4 ounce spray bottle, shaking before each use, or adding 1 drop of catille soap or bath gel base to emulsify oil:

• 10 drops lavender essential oil
• 10 drops peppermint essential oil
• 10 drops lemongrass essential oil
• 10 drops melaleuca essential oil
• enough water to fill bottle

Alternatively, apply lavender or purification oil directly to exposed skin, mixing with a vegetable oil if desired to extend the time between applications.  The oils in these blends may also be used for pets. 

This information has not been evaluated by the FDA and Pure Home and Body LLC does not intend to diagnose, treat or cure any diseases.

My recipe?  A combination of peppermint essential oil and Young Living’s Purification oil blend.  I added 2 drops of peppermint and 2 drops of the Purification blend to 2 teaspoons of olive oil.  You could use any vegetable oil, I just happened to have olive oil on hand.  Blend the mixture well, then simply apply the oil along the floor and baseboard of any potential ant entry.  I did this once and this application worked for at least 3 weeks.  A couple of ants started to return, I repeated this and they are still gone.  Peppermint oil is a strong pest deterrant, the Purification blend contains some other oils little critters dislike, like citronella and lemon.  I’m glad I found this natural combination to repel these ants and have once again avoided the use of a harmful chemical in my home.