Poison Ivy

Dear AromaGoddess,

While cleaning up my yard this week after a big wind storm, I managed to get poison ivy ALL OVER my face and hands. Do you have a recommendation for something to help the itch and dry this stuff up? ~ Itchy in Ohio

Dear Itchy,

Try a drop of Chamomile and a couple of drops of Tea Tree essential oils in a teaspoon of Grapeseed oil. Just put a couple of pumps of the grapeseed oil in the palm of your hand and mix it right there in your hands. The chamomile will help with inflamation and itch and the tea tree is very healing for all kinds of skin conditions, but should really help to dry the blisters. This is a great overall moisturizer, too, so if you have some left over, just rub it into your arms or legs. Good luck and let me know how it goes! ~ AromaGoddess, Jen

Disinfect your entire home

Disinfect everything with essential oils! We know that essential oils have wonderful properties such as antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal, just to name a few. So when you decide to use chemicals in your home, like room spray, or upholtstry freshener, or anti-"germ" sprays, ok, yes, Im referring to Lysol, Febreze, etc...why not use essential oils instead? Get the chemicals and toxins out of your home!! Use something pure that actually smells great, naturally!Here is a neat recipe for a disinfecting spray that I got from my dental hygienist. Oh, and be sure to try it on your cutting boards to disinfect. No need to rinse.

In a large spray bottle, gently swirl to mix:

8 drops Lavender essential oil

4 drops Bergamotessential oil

4 drops Clove essential oil

2 drops Peppermint essential oil

1/2 c. vodka (you can use the cheap grocery store stuff for this, don't dip into your Grey Goose!)

1/2c. distilled water