There IS a Cure for the Summertime Blues

Along with the joys of summer, unfortunately, comes the stifling heat and painful sunburns and pesky mosquitoes. Tom Havran, product developer for Aura Cacia, offers some ingenious aromatherapeutic tips to make your summer a little sweeter:

Beat the heat even when there’s nary an electrical outlet for an air conditioner in sight. The effectiveness of a hand-held fan can be greatly enhanced by applying a few drops of refreshing peppermint oil. And, to ward off mosquitoes, apply a few drops of insect-repelling citronella oil to the fan as well.

Speaking of mosquitoes–you can put the residual heat of your grill to work when the hot dogs and burgers are done by simmering a pan of water to which you’ve added a blend of insect-repelling essential oils such as citronella, palmarossa, lemongrass, geranium and lavender. Enhance the brew with some aromatic botanicals such as peppermint leaves, lemon and sprigs of herbs such as rosemary and thyme for added enjoyment.

For sunburn concerns–although it is no substitute for a proven product with a high SPF–natural shea butter can be used as a fine, natural base prior to outdoor activity and application of a commercial sun block. To make your own before-sun shea body butter, melt together 3 ounces of shea butter and 1 ounce of grapeseed or jojoba oil until liquefied. Remove the mixture from heat and let it partially cool until it takes on a hazy color. Then mix in 18 drops of lavender essential oil and pour the mixture into a small jar. Smooth your homemade body butter on your skin prior to applying commercial sunscreen.

Too late to prevent the sunburn? Soothing, cooling lavender essential oil is often included in therapeutic skin care products for good reason! To make your own lavender skin mist, mix 4 ounces of purified water or chilled peppermint tea, 1 tablespoon of aloe juice or extract, 21 drops of lavender essential oil and six drops of peppermint essential oil in a spray-mister bottle. Shake and lightly mist your stressed skin after exposure to sun. For added relief, chill the bottle and its contents before application.