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Preparation: Put 2 ounces of witch hazel into a lotion or spray bottle. Add 60 drops of citronella essential oil. Label properly. Shake well before each use. This is approximately a 5 % dilution. For a 10 % dilution add 120 drops of citronella. Witch hazel extract is non-drying and medicinally soothing to insect bites. You may use olive oil, rubbing alcohol, vodka, or prepare a lotion in place of the witch hazel.
A lotion is an emulsification of water and oil. To prepare: Put water into a deep mixing bowl. Begin to drizzle in the oil slowly and beat vigorously with a wire whisk. By the time all the oil is added you should have a nice creamy white lotion. Stir in the citronella oil. Pour into a lotion bottle and label.
Pick your fresh herbs. Manually remove any dirt then set them in a sunny place until the herbs are wilted. Using 1/4 cup as your part, measure 1/4 cup of pennyroyal and thyme, and 1/8 cup basil and neem leaf into a crock pot. Pour in enough olive oil to cover the herbs plus another inch of oil (approximately 1 cup). Turn the crock pot on low temperature and heat the herbs for about 3 hours. An alternative way to prepare your oil extraction is to place the herbs in a clear glass jar and set it in the sun for about five days. Shake it once or twice a day. When you have finished heating your oil, strain your oil through a cheesecloth lined strainer. Squeeze out as much oil as possible. Measure out how much oil you now have. For each ounce of oil add 10 drops of citronella essential oil and 5 drops of tea tree oil. Pour into lotion bottle and label. VARIATIONS You can use this herbal oil in place of the olive oil in the CITRONELLA LOTION recipe.
Blend the herbs together then package in muslin bags. You may add essential oils such as cedarwood to strengthen the aroma. Hang the bags in your closet and place in your chest of drawers. Variations: You can choose any assortment of the moth repellent herbs to formulate your own sachet blends. Orris root is used in this recipe as a fixative. It helps to hold the scent in the sachet. Among the good reasons for preparing your own repellents, protecting yourself from toxic chemicals is the most important. Fifty to sixty percent of what is applied to the skin is absorbed internally. Because our body-care products often contain chemicals that are inadequately researched or known to produce a variety of ill effects, it has become important for us to look for ways to minimize our use of them. PRECAUTION If you find that you need to apply repellents several times throughout the day, and you are doing this everyday, I recommend that you make several different repellents and use them in alternation.
Insect Repelling Plants ANT REPELLENTS TANSY
FLEAS BREWERS YEAST GARLIC FENNEL PENNYROYAL PYRETHRUM DAISY GARLIC - Garlic combined with brewers yeast protects your pets against fleas. They usually love this sprinkled on their food each day. PENNYROYAL - Place a drop of pennyroyal on your pets collar to repel fleas. You can also add a few drops of pennyroyal oil to water and spray around areas where your pets sleeps.
FLY REPELLENTS BASIL BAY LEAF CLOVES TANSY
MICE MINTS
MOTHS BASIL BAY LEAF CEDAR CLOVES EUCALYPTUS LAVENDER MINTS, EXCEPT PEPPERMINT PATCHOULI PENNYROYAL PEPPER, BLACK PYRETHRUM DAISY ROSEMARY RUE SOUTHERNWOOD SANTOLINA TANSY THYME WORMWOOD
FOR PEOPLE BASIL BAY LEAF CITRONELLA OIL CLOVE GARLIC NEEM LEAF PENNYROYAL ROSEMARY RUE TEA TREE OIL THYME WITCH HAZEL WEEVILS BAY LEAF - Place whole leaf in grain and flour packages.
ESSENTIAL OILS Essential oils are steam distilled concentrates of the natural oils present in plants, flowers, roots, and trees. They are 100 % pure and must be carefully used by the drop. Patch test for skin irritations using the diluted oil before general use. CEDARWOOD (Juniperus mexicana) - Apply a few drops inside your chest of drawers to repel moths and other cloth eating insects. CITRONELLA (Cymbopagon nardus) - Effective insect repellent. May be used full strength or diluted. Patch test before using on your skin. Keep out of mucus membranes. LEMONGRASS (Cymbopogon citratus) - Insect repellent. Pleasant lemon fragrance. Patch test before using on your skin. PENNYROYAL (Mentha puleglum) - Use to repel fleas from your pets and home. Also used as a general insect repellent at safe dilution's. WARNING: Abortive. Keep away from pregnant women. TEA TREE OIL ( Melaleuca alternifolia) - Repels ticks, leeches, and lice.
REFERENCES CONSUMER'S DICTIONARY OF COSMETIC INGREDIENTS. Ruth Winter. New York. Crown Publishers.1989. ECO-HERBALISM: ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS FACING HERBALIST TODAY. Rosemary Gladstar. Written for the North East Herb Association Newsletter. HERB BOOK. John Lust. New York. Bantam Books. 1974. HERBAL HEALING FOR WOMEN, Rosemary Gladstar. New York. Simon & Schuster.1993 INDIAN HERBOLOGY OF NORTH AMERICA, Alma R. Hutchens. Boston. Shambhala. 1973. NATURAL HEALTH: THE GUIDE TO WELL-BEING. Jan/ Feb. 1995. Vol. 25. # 1. How to Use Gentle Herbs to Clean, Soothe, and Refresh Your Skin.. p. 72-77. A TREASURY OF NATURAL FIRST AID REMEDIES FROM A TO Z, James Kusick. New York. Parker Publishing Co. 1995 THE WAY OF HERBS, Michael Tierra C.A.,N.D. New York, Washington Square Press.1983. |
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