Natural Must-Have Products For Summer
By Hyacynth Worth
If the ingredients list contains words no one can pronounce, the most important rule of food club is it doesn't come through the front door.
We don't just abide by this rule concerning food, though; we typically try to adhere to it with most all products we use, including those found in our medicine cabinet.
Here's a list of products you could likely find in your own backyard (if you grew and harvested them) that are must-haves for kiddos who are intent on enjoying their summers.
Lemon of Eucalyptus Oil
Considering much of Chicago was built on swamplands and many of the surrounding areas are thick with marshy prairie, it's no mystery as to why our mosquito population seems to outnumber all other living and breathing forms of life. We wait a long six months to enjoy the warmth of summer in Chicago, and those little vampires needn't keep families bound indoors. Recommended for mosquito protection by the Center for Disease Control, Lemon of Eucalyptus oil is the only essential oil that's been found to actually repel mosquitoes instead of just deterring them from making your blood their dinner. Don't be suckered into buying expensive botanical blends; instead spend your greens on a quality, high-grade bottle of lemon of Eucalyptus Oil and make your own bug spray by mixing one teaspoon of Lemon of Eucalyptus with one ounce of jojoba oil and spraying on the skin every one to two hours.
Extra Virgin Unrefined Coconut Oil
A powerful antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral, coconut oil is not only our cooking and baking oil of choice, but it's also a common skin-care ointment, too. We use coconut oil to rehydrate dry skin and lips and also apply it to minor cuts and cracked skin to protect against infections. Because it's a powerful antifungal that kills yeast, it can also be used to treat some skin infections like athlete's foot, jock itch and even yeast infections, all of which are exacerbated in summertime warmth.
Thieves Oil
Summertime messes are seemingly endless: blueberry fingerprints spread across cabinets, mud tracked through the kitchen, frogs taking up residence in bathtubs as the new family pet (please tell me that's not just my house!). We use Thieves Oil cleaner from Young Living to clean most every mess two little boys could possibly create. This cleaning concoction is made up of five oils that are naturally antiseptic, antibacterial and antiviral. From bathroom toilets to kitchens sinks to hand-printed walls, Thieves cleans messes while naturally protecting the family from gnarly summer viruses and bacteria because who wants to spend summer vacation sick on the couch?
Lavender Essential Oil
Mostly associated with stress relief, lavender essential oil is useful for so much more than trying to relax after a particularly stressful week. Therapeutic-grade lavender actually nourishes the skin; it cleanses and soothes cuts, bug bites and even burns and bruises, all of which are common summer-time ailments when bicycle riding, skate boarding and other sports are every-day occurrences.
Aloe Vera
I'm not talking the icky gooey kind that's dyed green and comes in a plastic bottle; rather, I'm talking about the kind that comes from a nursery {or seed, if you're adventurous} and stays rooted in a pot inside your home year-round to serve as an immediate burn relief agent. The inside of the aloe vera plant is perfect for sunburns or skin that has come a little too close to the camp fire while roasting {organic, of course} hotdogs.
