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April Showers Bring May...

Natural Insect Repellents

Welcome and thank you for joining me! 

  As the old saying goes 'April Showers Bring May Flowers'.  It's a beautiful time of the year.  A wonderful time to enjoy the outdoors and all its beauty.  It's also that time of year when most of us are dealing with pesky insects such as mosquitoes, no-see-ums, and sand flies.  UGH! My husband and I live in a beach town in Florida where no-see-ums and sand flies are out. (Yes, I'm writing about insects, not pretty flowers, but I'd rather look at a picture of flowers, wouldn't you?)  These tiny biting flies are common in mountain and beach areas.  Thankfully, there are effective, safe, natural solutions.  Reach for our Lemongrass Essential Oil.  Topically, you can mix our Lemongrass Essential Oil with a carrier oil (I like to use fractionated coconut oil) and apply it to your skin.  And here's a simple natural DIY spray.  Mix ¼ cup witch hazel, ¼ cup distilled water and 20-25 drops of Lemongrass Essential Oil in a spray bottle and spritz on exposed skin.  Lemongrass is closely related to citronella and can keep bugs away in your yard, too.  Try burning lemongrass oil in oil lamps to keep outdoor areas bug-free.  You can also try our Citronella essential oil in your lamps. 

About those Mosquitoes!  Basil, mint and lemon eucalyptus are good choices.  Studies show that basil essential oil is ideal for pest control, especially if you live in a wet region with lots of mosquito-breeding lakes and ponds. Here's a quick DIY spray.  Mix 20-30 drops of basil essential oil with a ½ cup of distilled water and 2 tablespoons vodka or witch hazel in a spray bottle and spritz on exposed skin. Peppermint works as well as many DEET-based mosquito repellents. Blended with lemon eucalyptus oil, another potent mosquito repellent, they provide protection from many types of mosquitoes.   A quick DIY: Add 10 drops each of a mint oil and lemon eucalyptus oil to 3 tablespoons of a carrier oil then smooth on your skin for hydration and protection.

 doTERRA also offers a very effective blend, TerraShield Outdoor Blend.  My husband and I as well as many of my customers can vouch for its effectiveness.  Just a small amount of super-concentrated TerraShield provides powerful outdoor protection.  You can apply it topically, diffuse it during outdoor events and add it to your oil lamps. 

These are just a few suggestions for safe, effective, natural insect repellents.  Remember that our skin is our largest organ, so we want to be mindful of what products we are using topically.  And of course, we want to be mindful of what we are breathing.

Let's remember, Self Care is the best care!