Like an epidemic, it seems as though everyone I know has issues with sleep.  For some, it is insomnia from a too active mind, while for others, the problem comes from aches and pains or to nature calling multiple times in the middle of the night.  And for others with a seemingly normal life, the reason is elusive. Whatever the reason, sleeplessness has become an epidemic and something I have been dealing with for years.

For the past three months, I have been religious in using essential oil sleep aids in the form of salves, massage oils, and diffuser blends.  Take your pick, each method seems to work and for that I am grateful. 

Today I share the blend I use along with tips for using it in a salve, as a massage oil, and in your diffuser.  Oh, and just so you know, this is not just a girl thing.  This blend works on men, too!

No one likes a stinky, smelly home, least of all me.  So imagine my surprise when I walked in the door after being outdoors in the fresh air and went Ewwww.  What was that smell?  It was not that it was foul, per se, but more of a stuffed up closed-in smell.  That, plus the smell of cooked food.  How did I not notice that before?

My first response to open all of the windows and turn the fans up to high speed so I could get the air moving.  Next, I fired up my diffusers, using one of my favorite blends.  It is now five hours later and things are smelling a lot better.

Over the years I have done many things to get rid of odors in the home.  Many are common sense but that said, sometimes we all need to be reminded that the simplest of solutions are often the best.

As much as I write about essential oils, I tend to forget how easy it is to become overwhelmed, especially if you are just getting started.  Couple that with the fact that EOs have been a part of my life since the early 90’s, it is easy to become complacent and assume everyone knows how to use them day to day.

My goal today is to change that.  Here are twenty uses for the four basic essential oils that I believe should be in everyone’s home and health care toolbox:  Lavender, Peppermint, Rosemary, and Melaleuca (also known as Tea Tree).  The twenty uses are tried and true and represent how I use these four oils myself.

These days you will find my formula for “Miracle Healing Salve” all over the internet, including on YouTube and in Etsy shops.  Many provide attribution to both myself and the Backdoor Survival website where it was first posted.  It is thrilling to me to see that this formula has reached the mainstream and has helped so many people resolve common skin care and first aid woes. Learn how to make this DIY healing salve yourself with just a few, easy to find ingredients.

That being said, a few months ago I felt it was time to kick things up a notch by increasing the dilution of oils in the original salve recipe from just under 2% to 5%, thus making a stronger product.  My goal was to be able to use less salve yet achieve the same beneficial results.  I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome and share with you both the recipe and some common uses for this newly updated formulation with I have fondly named “Auntie Gaye’s Awesome Healing Salve”.