Pampering Bath Soak

Because I don't do enough bath soaks? This one is very relaxing, but also great for soothing itchy & irritated skin. Because of that I'm calling this a pampering soak: soothe & treat your skin, while enjoying some nice relaxation. This is also great just for keeping your skin smooth & soft--it doesn't have to be irritated to reap the benefits.

I was actually inspired by one of the Dr. Teal's blends. Their Calming & Balance blend with matcha, citrus, and chamomile was really lovely. I decided to make my own copycat version, and then boosted it up a bit because it's mosquito season and my legs could use some extra relief.

Pampering Bath Salts

1 c epsom salts
1/2 c oats, ground
(not quick oats, trust me)
1 tsp chamomile
1 tsp matcha
1 tsp trauma oil
10 drops ylang ylang, optional
(brightens it up a bit)

Dilute your ylang ylang oil, if using it, in your trauma oil first. This really is an optional ingredient, but the ylang ylang works well with the other scents and really brightens things up. Who doesn't want a small mood boost while pampering themselves?

Then mix into your salts. As I usually recommend, follow withe dried herbs, and add your oat flour last. This helps keep the oat flour from getting goop, as it wants to absorb all your liquid. I also highly advise against using quick oats, if you are grinding your own, because they want to absorb the oil even more!

Feel free to make a larger batch. Store in an airtight glass or non-reactive container.

To Use: Add 1/2 c of salts to your bath. You could also add 1 c milk (of choice; recommended cow, goat, or almond) and 1 Tbsp honey. These are extra soothing for your skin and really step it up. Both are purported to be great moisturizers and help fight off acne (in fact, I use an aspirin/honey mask to help clear away pimples).

Essential Oil Self-Care Kit

I put together a gift set for a dear family member who has been suffering from mental illness. Her group therapy brought up the idea of essential oils and she reached out asking for my guidance. Now, I'm no expert, but I did some digging and hit up reputable aromatherapists (such as Andrea Butje from Aromahead Institute), and came up with a  small gift set for her.

I sent over 4 stock blends, a rollerball, room spray, lotion, and bath salts. I also put together a mini booklet so she had the tools to replenish or get creative with new blends. I decided to share that information with all of you too!

Essential Oils for Mental Health
Even though I was making stock blends and toiletries, I wanted to provide a list of oils that could be used and mixed as desired. Most, if not all, of these are mentioned in the recipes that follow, but you can always play around with your own blends in order to find an aroma that is pleasing and has the desired result.

• lavender
• frankincense
• orange
• neroli
• vetiver
• mandarin
• black spruce
• Roman chamomile
• cedar wood
• sandalwood
• peppermint
• geranium
• ylang ylang
• bergamot

Stock Blends
Stock blends are a great way to use your oils in a variety of ways. My recommendation was to diffuse them in some way or another, but you could add to a bath with epsom salt, mix into a plain lotion or massage oil, and more. I put together some safe ratios for different use types:

• Inhaler: 10-15 drops
• Diffuser Jewelry: 1-3 drops
• Car Diffuser: 1-3 drops
• Room Diffuser: 3-5 drops per 100 ml
• Rollerball: 10 drops per 10 ml
• Spray: 8-10 drops per 1 oz

The following stock blends all make approximately 1 dram (which is also equivalent to 4ml or 1/8 oz). Feel free to multiply and make larger batches if needed. Store your blends in glass bottles and keep out of direct sunlight (tinted glass in a cool place is even better).

Anxiety Blend
32 drops lavender
32 drops frankincense
8 drops mandarin

Depression Blend
30 drops geranium
26 drops Roman chamomile
6 drops peppermint

Stress Blend #1
30 drops lavender
30 drops frankincense
15 drops black spruce

Stress Blend #2
25 drops orange
25 drops frankincense
25 drops cedar wood

Relaxation Blend
30 drops mandarin
30 drops bergamot
15 drops lavender

Relaxing Bath Salts
Baths are a great way to chill out and relax. Light some candles, let your body relax along with your mind, and just take some time to get away from it all. These bath salts will help you calm down and fight those dark feelings, while also pampering your body.

1 1/2 cup epsom salt
3 Tbsp baking soda
1 Tbsp dried chamomile
1 Tbsp dried lavender
6 Tbsp liquid castille
18 drops frankincense
6 drops neroli
6 drops orange

The soap is necessary to dilute the essential oils. I like to mix all my dry ingredients together in a large bowl, then combine my soap and oils in a smaller bowl. Don't stir the soap and oils too much or you will get suds, but mix enough to make sure the oils have dispersed. Gently mix the soap and oils into your dry ingredients. Your salts will remain somewhat wet, but won't cake together.

Alternately, you could use a carrier oil in place of the castille soap. Jojoba is a great choice as it nourishes the skin. I opt for castille soap because the carrier oils still just kind of chill on the water's surface, whereas I feel the soap mixes in better. The amount of soap won't give you a crazy, sudsy bath (but you can add more if bubble baths are your thing!).

To use, mix 1/4 - 1/2 cup into your bath water. This recipe is good for 4-8 uses. Store in an airtight container, preferably glass or PET plastic.

Restful Sleep Room/Linen Spray
I planned for this to function mainly as a linen spray, but there's no reason you can't use it to freshen up a room or your space. Spray gently on pillows, blankets, sheets, sleeping masks, and any other bedding before sleep to help you drift off calmly. Apply to towels or your robe to continue a soothing bath experience. Spray in your bedroom before going to sleep, or in your car before travel. The scent will dissipate more in a room that on your linens, but it's also a great alternative if you can't burn incense in your space.

4oz witch hazel
10 drops vetiver
10 drops lavender
6 drops orange

Combine all ingredients in a 4 oz glass spray bottle. You can also use PET plastic, but the essential oils will slowly erode other plastics. The plastic sprayers that come with bottles tend to hold up, so no need to worry there. Store out of direct sunlight and/or use a tinted bottle to extend shelf life.

You can also use water or hydrosols in place of the witch hazel. I tend to like witch hazel because it usually comes in a partially alcoholic solution which helps with evaporation. Witch hazel is also fairly neutral in scent, versus hydrosols which will also cost you a pretty penny.

Because water & oil don't mix, make sure to shake up your bottle before spraying. The oils are fairly diluted, so there isn't a hard cap as to how much you should use at a time, but 4 oz will likely last quite a while and the scent will still be fairly strong with just a few pumps.

Calming Lotion
This recipe is for a small 1 oz batch of lotion. It's actually more of a body butter, and a little goes a long way. Also, you can tuck that 1 oz jar into your bag and take it with you. Use when you need a little me time but are out and about, or enjoy at home after a relaxing bath or before bed.

1 1/2 Tbsp shea butter
1/2 Tbsp coconut oil
5 drops vetiver
4 drops neroli
3 drops lavender

Melt the shea butter and coconut oil (in a double boiler, or you microwave). Allow to cool but not harden, then stir in your essential oils. While still viscous, pour into a 1 oz container. I like to use small class jars with screw caps, but you could also use a tin or PET plastic.

This lotion will get soft in higher temps, so store in a cool place when not in use (or in your fridge! which is a great idea if you make a larger batch).

Emergency Rollerball Perfume 
Also called "Liquid Xanax," this is a great on-the-go solution. Apply when the feelings of stress, anxiety, and/or depression overwhelm you. Or wear to keep those feelings away before they begin (it smells lovely!).

4 drops ylang ylang
4 drops lavender
2 drops chamomile
2 drops sandalwood
2 drops frankincense
10 ml (1/3 oz) carrier oil of choice

When making a roller ball, I always recommend adding your essential oils first, then just topping off with your carrier oil. If you do it the other way around, you risk not leaving enough room for your essential oils. I also find this way everything mixes up a little more evenly.

My usual carrier oil of choice is fractionated coconut oil because it is fairly neutral. However jojoba is another popular carrier that is good for your skin. But don't feel limited; you can use stuff in your kitchen like palm kernel or olive oil ;)

This is for a 10 ml rollerball, which is probably the most popular size (if you were to buy a rollerball blend commercially, it would be this size). However, you can easily cut this in half or make larger batches if you want a smaller travel bottle or to stock up.

Skin Soothing Bath Salts

Following suit with last week's anti-itch cream, let's continue to focus on how we can relieve our dry, itchy, or bug-bitten skin. I had ankle surgery about 3 months ago now, and my scar can certainly act up and cause me all sorts of grief. And as you learned last week, mosquitoes apparently find me delicious!

Now that I can actually enjoy a good soak (you can't soak your surgery site for quite some time!), I am taking advantage. I've used my sore muscle soak as a lovely way to rest & recover from physical therapy, but sometimes you just want to soothe and treat your skin. This bath salt recipe has done wonders for my dry & shedding skin, swollen and tight skin, and itchy scar (the joys of surgery recovery!). It's also helped out wonderfully when my legs were assaulted by mosquitoes my first day by the pool! Ah, the irony...

Anyway, here is my very soothing salt recipe for when you are itchy or your skin just needs a little extra TLC.

Skin Soothing Bath Salts
1 cup epsom salt
2 Tbsp baking soda
1/4 c ground oats (or oat flour)
10-20 drops essential oils of choice*
1/4 tsp trauma oil
1 Tbsp castille soap
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried lavender
1 tsp dried rosemary

Dilute your essential oils in the trauma oil & castille soap. Don't stir too much, or it will get foamy! Pour your oil mix into your salts and stir until evenly distributed. Add your baking soda, and stir again until evenly distributed. For this salt mix, I like to grind my herbs before adding them. You can do this with a spice grinder, coffee grinder, or good old mortar & pestle (which is what I use!). This is both because it helps get rid of plant parts creating a ring in your tub (if you don't use a sachet, which I usually don't), and because I worried the ground oats would get funky if they absorbed anything so I like to use the ground herbs as a buffer to soak up anything first. If dried herbs aren't your thing, you can leave them out but might want to add the same plants to your oil selection. Add your ground oats (or oat flour) LAST! Oats tend to soak up any liquid they come in contact with, so I like to add them last, especially if making a large batch, to allow all the other ingredients to absorb the oils first.

Use 1/2-1 cup for a foot bath, or 1-2 cups for a full bath. Let everything dissolve well before hopping in (I personally like to wait 10-15 minutes to give the herbs time to "steep").

The recipe as listed above is for 1-3 uses. I like to make a large batch in advance, typically tripling the amounts above (resulting in about 4.5 cups of soak). If you decide to make a large batch, make sure to store your soak in an airtight glass container.

*I tend to favor lavender, camphor, chamomile, and sandalwood in equal parts. Another lovely combination would be frankincense, myrrh, and sandalwood, although I would probably switch up the herbs (possibly to something like lavender, chamomile, and thyme?) or leave them out.

Some other beneficial plants/oils which are technically included via the trauma oil & dried herbs include calendula, arnica, st. john's wort, basil, and rosemary. And there are even more oils purported for their skin care properties such as thyme, tea tree, eucalyptus, melissa, lemongrass...the list really does go on based on your needs! I've put together a small chart to help you identify which herbs/oils you may want to use in your skin soothing bath salts (citruses were discluded because they can be too strong or cause photo sensitivity):

Anti-Itch Cream

It's summer, the bugs are out, and my legs are apparently delicious! My family also generally reacts strongly to mosquito bites, with my brother & sister actually having allergic reactions that tend to result in silver dollar sized welts. I'm not that bad, but these bites itch something fierce, look red and angry, and will leave bruise-like marks weeks after they are gone. It's time for some relief, and what better place to get it than from my kitchen?

I created this "cream" as a sort of frankenstein recipe from other methods & creams I have found online. In reality, it is a bit more like a paste, and it won't rub in completely (I don't think that's possible with baking soda...). Also, just a heads up, but as this sits, the ground oats absorb some of the moisture and it gets a goopy texture. Still works a dream, but definitely a bit odd.

Anti-Itch Cream
2 Tbsp ground oats (or oat flour)
2 Tbsp baking soda
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp aloe vera gel
1 tsp witch hazel
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
5 drops essential oil*

Combine all ingredients together, stirring until a smooth paste is formed, and store in an air-tight container. This cream should keep for about 30 days. You may be able to extend that by keeping it in the refrigerator (plus, the cool cream will feel even better on your bites & itchy skin).

To use, rub a small amount of the paste onto bites or itchy areas. If you don't like the pasty feeling/residue, wipe off with a cool damp cloth after a few minutes (just water is fine, but you could also soak in witch hazel, aloe vera juice, or apple cider vinegar). Reapply as often as needed. Alternately, you can dissolve a tablespoon or 2 of this paste into your bathe water for some relief.

*Lavender essential oil is a great choice, but there are other oils that will help with itching as well: eucalyptus, peppermint, basil, thyme, lemon balm (melissa), chamomile, tea tree; single drop of grapefruit, citronella, lemongrass. Even onion & garlic are helpful, if you are brave enough! 

My personal choice was a 5 oil cocktail (using 1 drop of each): lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint, chamomile, and basil. And you really only need 1 drop of each, any more is WAY too much. Keep your oils to 5 drops or less or this recipe.

Make Your Own Puppy Paw Balm

I found a great recipe over at Simple. Honest. Essential for puppy paw balm. I filed it away when I saw it, as we were about 2 months dog-less when that post was made. But now, we have a new puppy and she is experiencing her first winter. It has been pretty mild in the midwest with just 2 short snows that left a small dusting the first time, and only 1-2 inches that melted within a day the second time. However, Christmas Eve we got about 4 inches, and Christmas Day we were below freezing (Boxing Day we were sub-zero!).

So now, our little almost-5-month puppy has to go potty in sub-zero temps. She is not a fan, let me tell you. While this means she goes fast, it also means she does not want to be outside. In fact, the first sub-zero excursion had her trying to keep her little paws out of the snow, not wanting to squat, and eventually toppling over because she couldn't figure out how to balance herself to do her business and keep her feet up. Don't worry--she is fine, we were only outside a couple minutes and she got promptly picked up and carried back inside.

However, between the cold and salt I knew her little puppy paws were in for a shock. So I dug through my bookmarks to find this recipe and whip up some paw protection and soothing relief for her. It was super easy to make, and I had most of the ingredients on hand! Because I was feeling lazy, I opted to melt everything in a small glass dish in the microwave--it worked just fine but took a bit to cool down, so I waited until the dish was room temp to add the essential oils. Instead of chapstick tubes, which would probably make application easier, I just opted for a small 2 oz jar. As a bonus, this works well for your hands and smells great, so if you have to use a jar as well it's not a big deal making a little mess ;)


Luckily for me, Braxton seems completely unphased by the balm. I used 5 drops of each oil because essential oils are not new to my home and I figured the smell would not bother her. I was correct. She let me put it on, does not go after her paws after application, and frankly doesn't even seem to notice. I noticed though, as she was moving around a little better outside and whining less when we came back in. I've also noticed some rougher/chapped patches of her pads returning to normal. She doesn't really fight us playing with her paws, but I think she knows this is good stuff as she just sits there calmly any time I want to apply it.

Homemade Bug Bite Soother

Even though summer is almost over, we are still going to have mosquitoes around for a while in the Midwest. We are on the brink of prime bonfire weather, and I always find I get the most bits while sitting around a fire with my friends.

Roll-On Bug Bite Soother

10 drops lavender essential oil

10 drops thyme essential oil

10 drops tea tree essential oil

10 drops eucalyptus essential oil

10 drops peppermint essential oil

10 drops chamomile essential oil

10 drops basil essential oil

1 1/2 tsp fractionated coconut oil (or other carrier)

First add your essential oils to a 10 ml roller ball bottle. It should be about 1/4 full. Top off your bottle with the fractionated coconut oil. This will be about 1 1/2 tsp. Shake well to mix and keep on hand for immediate relief!

This is a fairly strong dilution, and those of you familiar with essential oils will be aware that normally recommended dilutions range from 0.25%-3%. However, it is typically considered acceptable to use neat oils in a few instances, bug bites & stings being some of those. I've also personally found that I rarely need to reapply this soother at the 25% dilution (accepting for washing, etc). If you are wanting a more diluted blend, here are some general guidelines:

**Please note, this table shows the total amount of essential oils to use per 10 ml roller ball bottle.**