Best Natural Bug Repellents, DIY Recipe, & Giveaway

We are giving away a Miessence Buzz Free Personal Zone Spray (bug spray) on our facebook page! Be sure and enter!

Okay, so this is my last post in the summer essentials series and it is going to be over bug repellents.

Where, I live bugs are a huge problem during the summer. We have tons of mosquitoes and other flying biting insects as well as ticks and other nasties. I don’t want to put toxic chemicals all over myself and my children to keep them away, so what options are out there?

Lafes Organic Baby Insect Repellent– Ingredients:   Aqua (Water), Essential oils of: *Pelargonium graveolens (Geranium), *Cedrus atlantica (Cedarwood), *Eucalptus globulus (Eucalyptus), *Citrus medica limonum (Lemon), *Lavandula officinalis (Lavender), Prunus amygdalus dulcis (essential oildispersant from Sweet Almond Oil) * Certified Organic

 

Loving Naturals Insect Repellent Spray– Ingredients: Organic Witch Hazel Extract, Organic Citronella Oil, Organic Neem Seed Oil, Organic Lemongrass Oil, Organic Cedarwood Oil, Catnip Oil, Organic Geranium Oil, Organic Rosemary Oil, Organic Aloe Vera Gel, Organic Soy Lecithin, Water, Sea Salt

 

Badger Anti-Bug Shake & Spray- Active Ingredients: 23% *Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, 10% *Ricinus Communis (Castor) Oil, and Essential Oils of 4% *Cymbopogon Nardus (Citronella), 2% *Cedrus Atlantica (Cedar), 2% *Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass), 1.5% *Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary), 1% *Pelagonium Graveolens (Geranium), and 1% *Mentha Piperita (Peppermint). Inactive Ingredients: Water and 0.5% *Gaultheria Procumbens (Wintergreen). * = Certified Organic

Buzz Free Zone Personal Spray- Ingredients: Certified organic aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf juice, aqua (purified water), certified organic cymbopogon nardus (citronella) essential oil, leptospermum liversidgei (olive tea tree) essential oil, certified organic melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) essential oil, certified organic leptospermum petersonii (lemon scented tea tree) essential oil, azadirachta indica (neem) extract , citrus aurantium amara (bitter orange) fruit extract, sclerotium rolfsii gum   Now for my DIY recipe.

Ingredients:

32 oz Witch Hazel

1 oz Neem Oil (optional this stuff stinks but works very well)

15 drops Lavender EO

15 drops Citronella EO

15 Drops Lemongrass EO

15 Drops Peppermint EO

15 Drops Geranium EO

10 Drops Cedar EO

Dump all these contents in a spray bottle. I get amber glass ones from here and you can get  amber PET ones from here.

Shake well before each use and lightly mist over skin. Reapply every two hours outside or if you go into water.

 

Safe Summer Fun in the Sun For Kids

So I had started another blog focusing on children but have found that one of my blogs always gets ignored so I will be slowly combining the two and expanding the content area of this blog. I always have a million ideas for posts and they are not always skin care centered, but they are always naturally focused. I will still be posting tons of skin care tips, tricks, and DIY’s but there is just so much more that I am passionate about and want to share with ya’ll!

It is time for summer fun and you know what that means; outdoors, fresh air, water, and sun, lots and lots of sun! But choosing what products to use on your little ones skin can be difficult.

So many products out there nowadays are packed with harmful chemicals. So here is a list of products that are safe and natural for your little ones.

Badger Sunscreens are my absolute favorite. They have daily sunscreens with minimal whitening effect and thick sunscreens for swimming or working/being outside all day. They use non-nano, uncoated zinc oxide as theif SPF.

Miessence, now this a product you can feel good about putting on your kids. They are an Australian based company with food grade certified organic skin care products. That is some seriously riggorus testing to be certified organic. This is a lower SPF though at 15 (others tested it at 29.5) 2 Moms Natural Skin Care is now carrying Miessence products!

Green Beaver– This is another ceritified organic sunscreen and it is spray on! SPF 32

Loving Naturals Clear Sunscreen– This is a great sunscreen that goes on clear so no ghost look. It is made with all natural ingredients and non-nano zinc oxide. SPF 30+

 

So how about those days playing in the park, hiking and camping in the woods? You’ll want something to repell all those nasty bugs like mosquitos and ticks but without all those harsh bug repelling chemicals. Here’s what I would recommend.

Warning: Many of these products contain essential oils, certain essential oils can interefere with some medicine and medical conditions please consult with a qualified person before using.

Lafes Organic Baby Insect Repellent– I use this all the time and love it. It is USDA certified organic so you can feel safe putting it on you kids.

Loving Naturals Insect Repellent Spray– This is great just like their sunscreen it is also Vegan!

Badger Anti-Bug Shake & Spray- This is another one of my favorites, it lasts for a while and is super safe.

Buzz Free Zone Personal Spray- This is another Miessence product that I absolutely love and have no qualms about using it on my babies!

 

Another great thing for the sun is a baby bonnet or hats. I absolutely love UB2 Urban Baby Bonnets. They have styles for both boys and girls and some are even organic.

 

 

You also might want to invest in a washable swim diaper. I love the ones from Apple Cheecks Cloth Diapers. Sweet Bottoms Baby has a great selection of cloth swim diapers to choose from.

 

DIY Sunburn Spray

 

 

What You Need

• 1/2 boiling cup water
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (you can really use any type but this is my favorite)
• 4 tablespoons pure aloe vera gel
• 1 bag peppermint tea (or 15 drops peppermint essential oil)
• 1 bag green tea
• 15 drops lavender essential oil

 

Directions

Put the tea bags in the boiling water and let them steep until the water has cooled down. Then add the water and the remaining ingredients together in a spray bottle and shake to combine.

I usually put mine in the fridge so it gets nice and cool then spritz it over the burned areas. This is great too if you have been tanning to heal any sun damage and hydrate and refresh your skin.

I also use this spray when I come in from working outside and am really it hot, it helps me cool down much faster.

 

 

Why these ingredients?

Apple Cider Vinegar: It relieves pain, cools skin, and balances pH to promote healing.

Aloe Vera Gel: has anti-inflammatory properties and helps skin cells regenerate faster.

Peppermint Tea/EO: Soothes and cools skin.

Green Tea: Has anti-inflammatory properties and other ingredients that help protect skin from UV radiation damage.

Lavender EO: Contains ingredients that local analgesic and aesthetic effects. It has anti-bacterial properties. It also helps increase new cell growth.

 

You can pick and choose which ingredients to use to match what you have on hand as long as you keep the base of water and vinegar.

I hope ya’ll like this spray! Do you have any favorite DIY sunburn remedies?

Summer Essentials- Sun Protection

Protecting your skin from the sun is very important. The sun can damage and prematurely age your skin as well as cause cancer. It is important to not only wear suncreen but protective clothing and gear like hats and glasses.

Picking a sunscreen can be hard, especially since so many of them are full of harsh chemicals. So what are the best and most natural options available?

Badger Balm– This is one of my all time favorites. They use non-nano particle zinc oxide and have SPF’s ranging from 15 to 35. They even have a bug repellent sun screen!

Miessence– This is a great sunscreen with a lower SPF at 15 (third parties rated it at 29.5 though). It uses at least 70% certified organic ingredients and the rest are naturally produced minerals it contains no synthetic chemicals or GMO’s.

Green Beaver- Here is another certified organic sunscreen. They have a face, and spray version available!

Be sure and get a good pair of sunglasses, here is what the EWG’s Sun Safety Campaign has to say about how to pick the best sunglasses.

1. Buy a good pair of general-purpose medium to dark sunglasses with large lenses and wraparound design (Health Canada 2010). UV can enter the eyes from the side. As well, light shining from a source behind the head can be reflected off the inner surface of sunglasses and into the eyes, making the shape of the curved sunglasses particularly important (Behar-Cohen 2014). Daily-use outdoor sunglasses should block 60 to 92 percent of visible light and UVA rays and 95 to 99 percent of UVB rays.
2. Wear sunglasses from morning to night.
3. Wear a wide-brimmed hat or visor and avoid bright midday sunlight.
4. Don’t wear lightly-tinted “cosmetic” sunglasses when outdoors. They do not protect the eyes sufficiently.
5. Don’t wear sunglasses made for prolonged sun exposure for driving because they are deeply tinted and can block up to 97 percent of visible light, 98.5 percent of UVA rays and at least 99 percent of UVB rays. Overly dark lenses interfere with the driver’s view of traffic signs and signals.

 

Have fun and be safe in the sun!

 

Look out for the next part of our Summer Essentials Series “DIY Sunburn Spray”.

New Certified Organic Product Line!

2 Moms Natural Skin Care is so excited to be selling a new product line Miessence. This line is certified organic. Many of it’s products are certified food grade organic which means you could technically eat them! They use the freshest ingredients possible and none of the ingredients are exposed to synthetic chemicals. They do not use water in their products instead they use aloe vera so that their products are not tainted with any of the chemicals in tap water.

All of their products are made fresh every month then delivered straight to your door. They do not use any fillers so the products are muchmore potent than others on the market. They may be a little on the pricey side but in my mind it is totally worth it for the quality of ingredients and the openess of their company.

I will be putting up a whole section about the company and the products soon, until then if you have any questions just ask me and I will be glad to answer.

Products 101 from Miessence on Vimeo.

https://www.miessence.com/2momsnaturalskincare/en/

DIY Pineapple Face Mask and Exfoliator

This is a great recipe for those with acne prone or dry peeling skin. Pineapple is high in salicylic acid and other enzymes that help exfoliate your skin and break down dead skin cells. It almost acts as a light skin peel and moisturizes your skin too. I use this mask once a week and it has helped my skin so much, it has almost completely stopped my breakouts!

Here is what you’ll need.

1/2 Pineapple cubed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until it forms a runny paste. Apply to clean damp skin and let it sit for ten to fifteen minutes and then rinse off.

Your skin will feel so soft after this.

DIY At Home Spa Day

  So we had a bunch of snow here a few weeks ago and I was stuck in the house for the week with my husband and babies. I decided that since he was going to be home, I could take a day and treat myself while he watched the kids.

I started off with a nice hot oil hair treatment.

After that I did a great facial steam using essential oils.

Cutie Patootie Booty Balm

So we have another new product out. Our Booty Balm! I love this stuff and have been using on my twins since they were born, it has taken me six months to perfect this recipe. Lots of small batches and quality control checks on first myself then the twins. We have have finally come up with a product that we are proud to call ours and love to use on our own children. Because why sell something if you won’t use it yourself?’

So what is so great about this Booty Balm you ask?

Well first off we have included some wonderful healing herbs!

• Chamomile- Soothes rashes and reduces inflammation and has some anti-bacterial properties.
• Calendula-This herb helps disinfect the skin it also has soothing and immuno-stimulant properties.
• Comfrey-High in calcium and vitamin C. It is anti-inflammatory and speeds healing due to high levels of allantoin present in the herb.

We have also put in some great antibacterial butters and oils:

• Cocoa Butter- Full of antioxidants in vitamins, it is gentle on skin and a great moisturizer.
• Coconut Oil- This is anti-bacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal, and has even been shown to kill yeast. It is also a great deep moisturizer for skin.
• Shea Butter-Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-bacterial properties. Strengthens skin and stimulates collagen production
• Sweet Almond Oil- Full of vitamins A,B, and E.
• Olive Oil- Has anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial properties
• Lavender Essential Oil- Lavender essential oil helps stimulate skin cell growth as well as being anti-bacterial.

We also have three optional ingredients that you can request be added at checkout:

• Zinc Oxide-Provides a thicker water barrier. We use non-nano particle  zinc oxide so that it is not absorbed by your babies skin.

Or

• Arrowroot Powder-Absorbs moisture.
• Neem Oil- Anti-bacterial. This stuff is great if baby has a yeast infection. It does smell rather strongly of garlic/grass though.

This product is also great for other skin conditions:

• Eczema
• Psoriasis
• Sensitive Skin
• Minor rashes and burns
• Bugbites

You can get Cutie Patootie Booty Balm here.

 

Disclaimer: Statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat and cure or prevent disease.

DIY Healing Herb Infused Coconut Oil

So yesterday I told ya’ll all about my horrible experience with anti-bacterial soap now I am going to tell you about how I made a nice soothing, healing oil to help heal my hands.

What You Need:

• 1/2 cup Coconut Oil
• 1 tablespoon Chamomile
• 1 Tablespoon Calendual
• 1/2 Tablespoon Comfrey

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a double boiler and turn it on low. Let it steep for at least an hour or as long as 24 hours so that the coconut oil now smells like the herbs. You could also do a larger batch of this in a crock pot. Use a mesh strainer and drain the oil from the herbs into a jar or your container of choice.

 

To use you can apply this directly to your skin. You can also mix this infused oil with many things like lotions, creams, hot oil hair treatments, etc.

For my burns I took a bit of the coconut oil and mixed in some honey then applied the mixture to my hands.

Chemical Burn From Soap

How many of ya’ll remember The Oregon Trail game? Well for those of you that do…Leigh has dysentery (not using the persons first name for privacy reasons)! I have been cracking Oregon Trail jokes for the last few days. Leigh isn’t very amused but I totally am.

Anyways dysentery is caused by a nasty little bacteria called Shigella and it can be spread from person to person if proper sanitary measures are not taken. We were told to use and anti-bacterial soap to help keep it from spreading. Usually I am very against anti-bacterial soaps, but with 2 six month olds in the house, I wanted to make sure I was doing everything I could to keep them safe and healthy.

So I start using the soap. The first time I used it my hands felt like they were on fire. I rinsed it off as soon as I could and was left with these awful, painful, red patches on the tops of both my hands. At first I though it was just an allergic reaction. The pain just kept getting worse though, finally I went to get it checked out. It turned out the soap had given me a chemical burn.

It has taken a few days and many experimental creams and herbal blends to finally get my hands to feel better. I finally settled on an herbal infused coconut oil that I applied directly to the skin and that I mixed into a salve and applied. I will share the recipe for the infused oil tomorrow and will hopefully have the salve up for sale soon.