School has started and things are…CRAZY! Getting into a daily routine again is hard, but knowing the Survival Secrets Using Essential Oils is the ace up the sleeve you need to survive.
There are many things that concern you as a parent of a child going back to school. One of the things high on the list is germs! Germs because you have no control of who or what they will come into contact with at the school, other kids, etc. In fact the Center for Disease control lists these suggestions on their website as suggestions to help against the germ cloud your kids will encounter at school a few of which are:
- If sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol based hand rub.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu.
Although these are great suggestions, the fact is many of the soaps, disinfectant, or waterless hand purification products on the market are filled with chemicals and toxins that you don’t want anywhere near your home, much less your kids. We explore that more in our Toxin Free Family series.
A quick recipe we will give here though is a safe, toxin free hand soap made with the power of Thieves Essential Oil blend that will give you the confidence that your kids are getting all of those pesky germs eliminated as much as possible from their hands!
- 10 drops of Thieves Essential Oil blend
- 1/4 cup unscented Castile Soap
- 1/2 tsp Carrier Oil (Grapeseed, Fractionated Coconut Oil, etc)
- Distilled Water
Combine /14 cup of unscented castile soap, carrier oil, and Thieves Essential Oil blend into a foaming soap dispenser. Fill rest of the bottle with distilled water. Seal with soap pump and shake gently.
After we have dealt with the germs, another area that back to school brings is sweaty stinky kids! Could be the walk home from school, after-school sports activities, or even the outside play before dinner that envelops our kids in sweat and stink.
All we know is that it makes us hold our nose and just point to the bathroom for them to shower/wash up when they come in, or shudder when we think of opening the hamper when it is time to do laundry. Today’s Parent had an article worth the read about body odor and kids which showed sometimes stinky sweat is actually an indication of the beginning of puberty.
Fortunately we have a great friend in surviving the Stinky Kid syndrome with a unique essential oil blend called Purification. It contains Citronella, Lemongrass, Lavandin, Rosemary, Tea Tree, and Myrtle essential oils which help freshen the air and eliminate odors.
We would be remiss if we didn’t give you another DIY recipe using Purification Essential Oil blend to help with stinky kids so we present to you Stinky Kid Spray!
- 15 drops Purification Essential Oil blend
- 4 oz Distilled Water
- 4 oz Spray bottle
Add 15 drops of Purification Essential Oil blend to empty spray bottle. Top off with distilled water. Spray smelly clothing thoroughly before washing. Shake well before use.
Can also be used as an air freshener or on cloth furniture to eliminate odors.
When the day is done, dinner has been eaten, family time over, and baths are done, it is time for bed and for many the battle of getting the kids to actually sleep also known as the Bedtime Routine!
The National Sleep Foundation published an article on how to improve your child’s school performance with a good night’s sleep. In the article it linked necessary skills needed for good school performance with the family’s sleep habits and the need to have habits that encourage healthy, consistent sleep.
When it is time to wind down, there are some tools in your essential oil survival toolbox that can assist with relaxation and supporting of your child get to sleep and stay asleep. The two recipes we share next use two of the most common methods of using essential oils – inhalation and topical – which we plan to cover in a future post!
- 8 oz Spray Bottle
- 20 drops of Lavender Essential Oil
- 1 TBSP of Witchhazel
- Distilled Water
Add ingredients to bottle and fill with distilled water. Shake well before each use. Mist linens before bedtime.
- 1 cup Shea Butter
- 1/2 cup Coconut Oil
- 1/2 cup Almond Oil
- 8 drops of Lavender, Peace & Calming II, Valor II, & Cedarwood
Melt shea butter and coconut oil. Allow to cool until its cooled but still melted. Add almond oil and essential oils and freeze until fairly solid. Whip the solid mixture with a mixer until it reaches a butter consistency.
You can also use the Tranquil, Peace & Calming II or Lavender topically on the feet or back of the neck topically to promote peace and relaxation at bedtime.
So we have completed the second of our series on Back To School: Survival Secrets Using Essential Oils. What have you learned about so far that has been helpful? Let us know in the comments and come back next week for part 3!