All natural Bug Repellent Balm

As summer in the White Mountains of NH starts to bloom, so to do the bugs and bitey things come back to plague our outside activities. 

So I did some digging and found a great recipe for an all natural bug repellent balm and thought I'd give it a try.

You Will Need:

8 Oz of oil- Jojoba, coconut, sweet almond, sesame-

1-2 Oz beeswax (grated or broken into small chunks)

.4 Oz Citronella Essential Oil

.2 Oz Eucalyptus Essential Oil

.2 Oz Lemongrass Essential Oil

.2 Oz Cedarwood Essential Oil

Small jars, tins, or tubes to hold your salve

Start by gathering all of the ingredients. Possibly the longest (and most demanding) part of the whole project is grating the beeswax. You want to get it as small and loose as possible..the theory there being the more surface area, the easier to melt.

A quick note on your oil of choice...

Choose a good carrier oil like jojoba, coconut, grape seed, sweet almond, or sesame. 

Combine the Oil and the Beeswax in a double boiler or small sauce pan over LOW HEAT. Patience is needed for this so make it low and slow.

 Now that your wax is melting into your oil, be sure to stir gently often. Should take no longer than 15 minutes depending on how small your beeswax is broken up. I like to use a glass swizzle stick because its easy to clean.

 

Once completely transparent and smooth, remove oil from heat and allow to cool slightly before adding the essential oils. 

Before the mixture begins to turn opaque again, add the essential oils to the pot and give it another good stir.

Pour the warm liquid into containers for cooling and storage. I used a large metal tin and a small mason jar. Im a re-user as much as possible. The tin originally was a martini rim sugar container...so upcycle as much as you can!!

Now time for clean up. The easiest way Ive always found to clean up salve making messes is to boil a pot of water. The soft wax is easiest to clean when warm. Most of my utensils that got used got a good thorough dowsing with boiling hot water, then a thorough soaping and a final rinse. You can always feel the equipment your cleaning to make sure all oily residue is removed before putting it back in the cupboard.

Spring Detox

Well it has certainly been a harsh winter here in the North Country. Not just bad weather but since my last updates I've walked a long and hard path. There were many difficult decisions that needed to be made and a few difficult situations to survive, but I've come out the other side into the sunlight of spring and I think I'm a better person for it. And as it is the season for spring cleaning, I thought what a better way to start than with myself. I started a Spring Detox that I've heard great things about, and I wanted to share the recipe with all of you.

This Detox is pretty simple, and has just a handful of ingredients. Water, Lemons, Ginger, Cayenne, Turmeric and sweetener (I used maple syrup but honey or stevia work well also)

 Lets start by looking at the amazing Lemon. Like members of the allium family (onions and garlic) the lemon can do just about anything. Antibiotic, antiseptic and styptic, immune boosting, and a blood purifier among countless other traits. Full of vitamin C, B, phosphorous, proteins and carbohydrates, lemons are marvelous fruits. They have been used medicinally and nutritiously (as well as deliciously) in all indigenous cultures where they grow and their history can be traced back through the centuries.

Cayenne (powder) has wonderful attributes. It is a nervine stimulant, heart tonic, and has long been used to treat poor circulation. The heat that cayenne brings helps "warm and move" the blood around the body and has been used to aid in digestion and sluggish bowels. Its absolutely a must for a detox as it gets everything moving so that the toxins can move right out.

Ginger, one of my personal favorite herbs, has a history as old as mankind according to experts. It works fantastically for battling nausea, bloating, and morning sickness. It has antispasmodic qualities that help soothe and tone muscles, especially in the digestive tract. The herb helps reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and helps prevent blood clots, making it useful in preventing heart disease and stroke. And all this not to mention it has a wonderfully sweet and hot flavor.

The last herb I want to share some information about is Turmeric. Only recently gaining popularity in American spice cupboards, it is a staple in most eastern cultures, both medicinally and in cooking. Its an incredible immune system stimulant and has been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia, ulcers, colitis, arthritis, cataracts, scabies, liver damage, food poisoning, and IBS. AND its a key ingredient in curry, and you really can never have too much curry.


INGREDIENTS:
4 cups of water
1 Tbsp Turmeric
1 Tbsp Ginger (I used grated because of my obsession with ginger, but powder is preferable)
1/2 tsp Cayenne powder
2 lemons (1/3 cup lemon juice fresh squeezed...it took me 2 lemons)
OPTIONAL:
Maple Syrup, Honey, or Stevia as a sweetener

 Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. I used my electric tea kettle because it was fastest and it turns itself off, just in case my hands were busy when it was ready. Remove from heat and let cool a bit. You don't want to use really hot water as it breaks down some of the properties of the lemon juice, but you do want the water very warm.

Have fun juicing your lemons. You need a total of 1/3 cup of lemon juice so it may take you one, it took me two. Either way, its a good stress reliever to grind a lemon to pulp, really got me into the mood to rid myself of toxins.

Its probably preferable to use powdered ginger instead of the grated ginger that I used, but I was limited by availability (I happened to have left over ginger root in my fridge but no jar of powdered ginger on hand so I cut my losses and decided I didn't mind a little chunky in my drink.) either way, a TBSP will work just fine.

 Grab a pitcher big enough for about 36 OZ of liquid and put all the ingredients except for your cooling water and your sweetener inside.

When the water is cool enough pour it over the ingredients and give it a stir or a shake.

I take this detox for no more than 7 days. I sip on it through the day and drink total between 4-6 glasses. In between I stick with water and I eat only light meals at regular intervals. After just 2 days I feel lighter and more energetic. I find it has an amazing debloating power to it which makes it such a great annual spring cleanser.

Enjoy!

Sources:

http://soulfoodliving.com/?p=894

http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/health-benefits-of-lemon.html

Rosemary Gladstar-  Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health

Michael Castleman- The New Healing Herbs Guide 3rd Edition



Note: not an alternative to seeking medical assistance. Always consult your physician before taking any alternative/herbal treatments for any conditions. Dosage may vary based on preference, taste, and size of person. Recipes call for 1tbsp per dose up to 3 times per day but again dosage varies person to person. I am not a physician, I just prefer to care for my own health and the health of my family in the most natural ways possible.