Essential Oils & CBD - Page 5 of 5

Getting Started With 4 Basic Essential Oils: 20 Proven Ways to Use the Oils You Love

October 23, 2017 Gaye Levy 3 Comments

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.

Kick Things Up a Notch with an Awesome Miracle Healing Salve

October 6, 2017 Gaye Levy 22 Comments

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 “Gaye’s Awesome Healing Salve”.

Make Your Own DIY Dusting Spray

August 15, 2017 Gaye Levy 4 Comments

One of the woes of undergoing a home renovation is the constant mess. It is not that the workers, myself included, are sloppy, but rather there is so much going on. Projects seem to take forever and tools and materials tend to clutter and create a mess. As tough as it is to deal with, the absolute worst thing is the dust that accumulates everywhere.

For years I have used this DIY dusting spray and believe me, it has been getting a good workout. Today I share the recipe but be forewarned, this formula is going to revolutionize your daily cleaning chores.

How to Make a Super Simple Whipped Body Butter

July 25, 2017 Gaye Levy 9 Comments

Everyone who has experienced dry skin will attest to how difficult it is to get rid of rough, dry patches on your hands, arms, feet, elbows and just about everywhere else. Not only is dry, scaly skin itchy, but looking like a sun-baked alligator is not the prettiest picture on the planet. I am not just talking about the ladies here, either. Guys get cracked hands, knees, and elbows too, and it drives them crazy.

There are many ways to combat dry skin but my favorite solution is with an ultra-creamy, whipped body butter that I make myself. This has not always been the case. My first foray into the world of body butters was over ten years ago with commercial products that had a sticky, yucky, texture that sat on top of the skin. It wasn’t until years later that I was brave enough to try again, this time with my own DIY version.

Making a body butter is insanely easy and requires just two ingredients (or three if you choose to include essential oils). Here is how I do it, and it never fails.

Make Your Own Insect Repellent Using Essential Oils

June 27, 2017 Gaye Levy 8 Comments

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be eaten up by mosquitos. All these years I thought I was one of those lucky individuals that had sour blood or something. Mosquitos only rarely bit and when then did, it was no big deal. I don’t know if the mosquitos here in Arizona are super tough or whether I have just been lucky. Whatever the reason, my arms and legs become a checkerboard of scabs reflecting where I scratched a little and them some more to relieve the itch. Ouch.

Not wanting to apply chemicals to my skin, I took to my essential oil laboratory, okay my kitchen, to see if I could come up with a blend to repel those nasty little blood suckers. After a bit of trial and error, today I share my “Bye Bye Bites” essential oil blend that so far, seems to be working.