Eucalyptus

I won’t lie, I will use eucalyptus essential oil in my diffuser even if I’m NOT congested at times. Too much can be too much for me sometimes, but even a little bit smells heavenly.

Eucalyptus is commonly known for congestion of the sinuses and chest. In Ayurvedic practices, it is considered a cooling and moist herb.

Congestion

The volatile oils found in eucalyptus aid in congestion by relaxing airways and actually thinning mucus. Most people are pretty familiar with using it in steam, or as an essential oil in a diffuser. Interestingly enough, this herb can be helpful as a tea. This is a very potent herb though, so use with caution as it can be overwhelming. A safe start would be 1/2 a teaspoon of dried eucalyptus per cup of water. If you grow this herb, you can also use one torn fresh leaf per cup of water. It is not recommended to take more than 3 cups a day. When steeping, do not exceed 15 minutes due to its potency.

Diaphoretic

Eucalyptus is a herb that is diaphoretic and can mildly induce sweating. As much as most of us hate the idea of sweating, it is our body’s natural response to avoid overheating. When we’re sick and we have a fever, that’s our body’s immune system killing whatever is foreign in our bodies. When we finally break into a sweat, our fever will break and we’ll feel a little bit better.

Expectorant

This herbal action promotes the dispelling of sputum (spit and mucus). This is very helpful for coughs and chest congestion. Even just inhaling steam that’s been infused with eucalyptus has the potential to be a huge help.

Antimicrobial

Eucalyptus has a pretty major component called eucalyptol. This is the component of eucalyptus that is antimicrobial. Eucalyptol can have the potential to effect many bacteria. The list of bacteria it effects consists of, but is not limited to:

Mycobacterium tuberculosis
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
various viruses
various fungi (even candida)

This herb is a fantastic addition for inflamed tissue in the respiratory tract and even for fever.

Young children should not be exposed to eucalyptus. Eucalyptol can actually have severe effects on young children and babies.

Avoid eucalyptus oil if pregnant or breastfeeding. Using it in food amounts when pregnant or breastfeeding should be fine. If you worry about consuming too much, just avoid it altogether. Always better safe than sorry.

Looking to buy eucalyptus essential oil? My favorite brand is here, with an organic option here.

Want to see what herbs we have in our garden? Take a look here.

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Bath Bombs

Bath Bombs! I LOVE THESE THINGS! They’re so easy to make, too! I have my kids help me make them often. It’s also a very fast process, minus the waiting part. A lot of people get pretty creative on their molds. I did cave and purchase spherical molds for this process. This recipe will make two 2.5 inch (diameter) bath bombs. What you’ll need:

Bath bomb molds
1/2 cup baking soda
1/4 cup cornstarch (I substitute arrowroot powder)
1/4 cup epsom salt
- More on epsom salts below
1/4 cup citric acid
2 tablespoons coconut oil OR 1 tablespoon coconut oil and 1 tablespoon argan oil
- More on oils below
1-2 teaspoons of water
1-2 teaspoons of essential oil
- More on essential oils below

First thing you’re going to do is combine all of the dry ingredients into a bowl. Very gradually add the wet ingredients. Whisk together until thoroughly mixed. When the mixture is wet enough to stick together in clumps, press firmly into the molds, removing excess from the sides. Let the mixture sit in the mold for an hour. I’ve read online that people let them sit for 5 minutes. I like how they turn out better sitting for at least 20 minutes, but I still generally wait the hour. More time is less than harmful than less time. Carefully remove the bath bombs from their molds and let them sit to dry for 24 hours. After drying, I wrap mine in wax paper and store in a bowl I have in the bathroom. When I’m ready to take a bath, I add a bath bomb in after the tub is filled. Epsom Salt There are a lot of different epsom salts and epsom salt blends out there. Generally, you want to use plain. There are some amazing blends out there that smell phenomenal. These blends are normally already mixed with essential oils. If you do choose to use a blend tread on the side of caution when adding more essential oils. You might not need to add any. Moisturizing Oil You need to kind of play with this one based on personal preference. The very first time I made these, I used 4 tablespoons of coconut oil. That was unnecessary for me. My tub was very oily and I just didn’t need that much oil for my skin. I love coconut oil, but I also love argan oil, so I end up using both. There are many options out there based on personal need though.

Essential Oil I put using 1-2 teaspoons. 2 will more than likely be too much in many scenarios. You have to research potency and recommended uses of the essential oils you plan to use. Also take into consideration who will be using these bath bombs. Young children cannot tolerate eucalyptus like an adult, and everybody’s skin is different. If you’re making these for friends, go with essential oils that are also safe for children to avoid possible irritations. My husband enjoys mint. Mint makes my skin crawl. So always think about who will be using these bath bombs. Materials I Use and Recommend

Do you have a favorite bath bomb recipe? What do you like to use? Follow our blog to stay updated. We’re also on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Come check us out. Affiliate Disclosure

Homemade Toothpaste

This recipe is ridiculously easy. If you’re looking for a more natural toothpaste, it makes much more sense to make it than to buy it. Not many ingredients are needed and it takes about five minutes to make. It’s very easy.

The ingredients you need are:

20 drops of spearmint essential oil (more on essential oils below).

SONY DSC — *Photographed by Amanda Harman*

2 teaspoons of activated charcoal.

4 tablespoons of bentonite clay.

And 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 6 tablespoons of coconut oil. Sorry, no pictures there.

All you do is mix all of the ingredients together and store in a glass container (I use old mason jars). It is that easy!

A quick word on the essential oils. You don’t have to use spearmint. I do often because of personal preference. I’m not swallowing the toothpaste and I rinse very well, but any hesitation in adding any essential oil is understandable. You’re not to ingest essential oil and it is not necessary to make the toothpaste.

Another good choice would be thieves oil or anything geared towards killing unwanted bacteria. Bacteria causes bad breath, so killing it makes sense. Anything that is reputable for squashing bad breath is an option as well (think your mints, even ginger!).

I have been using this toothpaste for a few months and I’m pretty sure some of the staining on my teeth has been lifted because of the activated charcoal. My teeth stain very easily (thank you, tea), so this was a huge plus for me. Check below for the abridged version of ingredients and instructions as well as product recommendations of mine.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon baking soda
6 tablespoons coconut oil
4 tablespoons bentonite clay
2 teaspoons activated charcoal
20 drops of essential oil or essential oil combo of your choice (look at comment above).

instructions

Mix all ingredients together and store at room temperature.

If you want to use my favorite supplies and ingredients, check out the links below.

Bentonite Clay
Activated Charcoal–and this stuff lasts forever!
Spearmint Essential Oil

Let us know what you think.

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