5 Everyday Uses for Essential Oils

I’ve been using Young Living Essential Oils for just over a year now. I have a pretty good stash going and though I’m still learning how and what to use them for, there are a few things for which they are my consistent go-to item.

1. Baby and Disinfectant Wipes

For something as sensitive as a baby’s bottom, you definitely want to consider making your own baby wipes! My original recipe came from a friend, and I’ve since tweaked it a bit to my liking. It’s very simple and easy to make!

Bounty paper towel roll (Costco has the best price on these, but they come in double size packages, so depending on your container size, you may need to buy a different one)
plastic or glass container (I found one that fit a Bounty single roll PERFECTLY at our Dollar store ages ago, but they don’t carry them any longer. You can use an old wipes container, a wide mouth mason jar, or a glass lock container)
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1-2 teaspoons baby lotion (the lowest hazard rating possible, I like Weleda)
1-2 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
1 teaspoon castile soap (or baby shampoo – optional)
1-2 drops essential oil (for baby wipes I like to use Lavender, for disinfectant wipes use Thieves)

Cut the paper towel roll in half. Place the ingredients in your container and submerge the paper towel roll. Allow it to soak up all the liquid, then remove the cardboard roll.

It’s better to not store these in a plastic bag as they can easily go moldy, but a sealed container should be just fun.

2. Hand Soap

I noticed in the winter time how dry my hands got – especially after using my favourite B&BW soaps! And I realized the scents and chemicals in the soaps were drying my hands out even further. When I made my own hand soap, I found my hands greatly improved!

filtered, distilled water (85% ratio)
Dr. Bronner’s castile soap (15% ratio)
2-3 drops per of lavender or peppermint essential oil

Mix together and store in a glass container. Works best in foaming hand pumps (but make sure you rinse any old ones out THOROUGHLY before you use them!).

3. Lemon Water

10 Reasons Why You Should Drink Lemon Water in the Morning

Enough said. 1 drop lemon essential oil in an 8 oz GLASS of water, every morning. Done!

4. Skin Irritations

Lavender essential oil has helped with so many different skin irritations! It’s mild enough that you can apply it without mixing it, but if you want to, you can do a 1-1 ratio with a carrier oil (such as olive oil).

We’ve used it to soothe mosquito bites, sunburns, contact burns, and diaper rash. Just this past weekend I had a strange burning sensation on my arm for a couple of days. I finally put some lavender on it, and within an hour the stinging was gone.

5. Bug Spray

I know it is currently the dead of winter, but it’s never to early to be prepared! And there is no end to my concern with bug spray and the chemicals it contains. Especially considering we live in Ontario and in the summer, the bugs are RIDICULOUS! I myself would much rather layer up in the late afternoon heat and suffer from sweating than put on bug spray. But I’ll STILL get eaten alive!

Last summer my sister-in-law and I experimented with making our own bug spray. We each came up with our own concoction, but hers seemed to better (for swarms, you’re probably better off staying inside though!)

Keep in mind that they don’t last as long as a normal bug spray, so it will have to be reapplied regularly.

Simple Bug Spray 1 – also great for cooling down on a hot day!