Natural Insect Repellent 101

I often get asked for recommendations of what to use to keep mosquitoes away - especially in the warmer Summer months, where the days are long and warm, which make people want to be out and about even more than usual.

There are several natural scents that keep Mosquitoes away - and not just the mozzies! I've put together a simple Venn diagram showing what scents are useful as insect repellent for the main 3 insects we deal with in Malta - Mosquitoes, Fleas and Ticks.

Peppermint

Aroma family: Minty

Note: Top

Blends best with: Other Minty aromas, as well as  Citrusy, Camphoraceous, Herbaceous, and Woody/Earthy oils.

Lemon

Aroma family: Citrusy

Note: Top

Blends best with: Other Citrusy aromas, as well as Woody/Earthy, Floral, Camphoraceous, and Spicy oils.

Basil

Aroma family:  Herbaceous

Note: Top to Middle

Blends best with: Other Herbaceous aromas, Camphoraceous , Floral, and Woody/Earthy oils.

Clove

Aroma family: Spicy

Note: Base

Blends best with: Other Spicy aromas, Citrusy, Woody/Earthy, and Floral oils.

Geranium

Aroma family: Floral

Note: Middle

Blends best with: Other Floral aromas, Woody/Earthy, Spicy, and Citrusy oils.

Citronella

Aroma family: Citrusy

Note: Top

Blends best with: Other Citrusy aromas, Floral, Herbaceous, and Woody/Earthy oils.

Eucalyptus

Aroma family: Minty/Camphoraceous 

Note: Top

Blends best with: Other Minty & Camphoraceous aromas, as well as Floral, Herbaceous, Woody/Earthy, and Spicy oils.

Lavender

Aroma family: Floral

Note: Middle to Top

Blends best with:  Other Floral aromas, Resinous, Woody/Earthy, Spicy, and Citrusy oils.

Lemongrass

Aroma family: Citrusy

Note: Top to Middle

Blends best with: Other Citrusy aromas, Woody/Earthy, Camphoraceous, Spicy, and Floral oils.

Thyme

Aroma family: Herbaceous 

Note: Top to Middle

Blends best with: Other Herbaceous aromas, Camphoraceous, Floral, and Woody/Earthy oils.

Oregano

Aroma family: Herbaceous/ Spicy

Note:  Middle

Blends best with: Other Herbaceous aromas, Camphoraceous, Floral, and Woody/Earthy oils.

Rose Geranium

Aroma family: Floral

Note: Middle

Blends best with: Other Floral aromas, Resinous, Woody/Earthy, Spicy, and Citrusy oils.

Juniper

Aroma family: Woody/Earthy

Note: Middle

Blends best with: Other Woody/Earthy aromas, as well as Spicy, Floral, Citrusy, Camphoraceous, and Herbaceous oils.

Rosewood

Aroma family: Floral/Spicy

Note: Middle

Blends best with: Other Floral and Spicy aromas, as well as Resinous, Citrusy, and Herbaceous oils.

Grapefruit

Aroma family: Citrusy

Note: Top

Blends best with: Other Citrusy aromas, Woody/Earthy, Camphoraceous, Spicy, and Floral oils.

Cedarwood

Aroma family: Woody/Earthy

Note: Base

Blends best with: Other Woody/Earthy aromas, as well as Spicy, Floral, Citrusy, Camphoraceous, and Herbaceous oils.

Tea Tree

Aroma family: Minty/Camphoraceous

Note: Middle

Blends best with: Other Minty/Camphoraceous aromas, as well as Citrusy, Woody/Earthy, and Floral oils.

Orange

Aroma family: Citrusy

Note: Top

Blends best with: Other Citrusy aromas, Woody/Earthy, Camphoraceous, Minty, Spicy, and Floral oils.

Scots Pine

Aroma family: Woody/Earthy

Note: Top

Blends best with: Other Woody/Earthy aromas, as well as Spicy, Floral, Citrusy, Camphoraceous, and Herbaceous oils.

Patchouli

Aroma family: Spicy/Woody/Earthy

Note: Base

Blends best with:Other Spicy and Woody/Earthy aromas, as well as , Floral, Citrusy, Resinous, and Herbaceous oils.

Neem

Neem oil has a strong garlic/nutty aroma – unpleasant to some but loved by others.  A note of caution - Neem oil is not to be used by pregnant people. If you're in doubt or have underlying conditions, do your research first.

 

This is a guide for use by your average, healthy human being.

What if I don't like essential oils?

Have you ever noticed, whilst sitting around a fire, that you get bitten less? No? Well, mosquitos tend not to like smoke. Few people can realistically light up a fire on a daily basis - so a practical alternative would be incense.

Whilst all forms of incense will help due to the smoke they produce, if we go for the plants we covered above, that would be hitting two proverbial birds with one stone. We do, in fact, carry a variety of incense - in 4 forms: Incense Sticks, Incense Cones, Resin Incense & Backflow Incense Cones.

Ganesha Backflow Incense Burner - Stock Item

 Backflow incense is best used indoors to get the cascading smoke effect that is reminiscent of a waterfall seen from a distance. The effect is created thanks to a funnel like function and is truly mesmerising to watch. For the purpose of this post, I'd like to highlight the Lavender scented backflow incense cones. 

 

Lavender Backflow Incense Cones - Stock Item - Eur6 per can

 If you like to use Incense cones outdoors, the regular cones would be better suited. Below is a selection of Incense Cones that are fit for the purpose of this post. The 4 in a cylindrical packaging come with a chakra inspired wooden holder, whereas the 3 at the front have a little tin disc included which can be used as a cheap and cheerful holder.

   

  Selection of Incense Cones in Stock - Back row @ Eur8 each, Front row @ Eur2.10 each

 

Finally, for those who like good old Incense Sticks, the Insect Repellent scents in stock as of Mid-August 2020 are the below - The vertical cylinder packaging ones also include a Chakra inspired Incense Stick Holder.

Selection of Incense Sticks in Stock - Vertical ones @ Eur8 each, Horizontal ones @ Eur2.65 each

 

And so, as the sun sets on another day, and the mosquitoes make their presence felt once more, I'll bid you a good rest-of-your-day.

 

Until next time!

Ros

Essential Oils: The Basics

Essential Oils & Carrier Oils in Stock - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pvT-HlQWhyGLBw0wfdtJpycZj28G-uS8/view?usp=sharing

 

Essential oils are all the rage at the moment - some use them for aromatherapy, others just to have a nice smell in their home. Others still will use them for massage, or as complementary health treatments. 

One of the most common question I get is "What is a Carrier Oil?" - and so this is where we will start.

 

Carrier Oils

A Carrier oil, also known as a Base oil, is a vegetable/plant oil that is safe to use as is on the skin [with some health exceptions - for example Neem Oil should not be used by pregnant people, and Sweet Almond Oil isn't to be used by people with nut allergies]. Carrier Oils are used to dilute Essential Oils and Absolutes before they are applied to the skin in massage and aromatherapy. The term Carrier Oil comes from their purpose - which is, to 'carry' the essential oil onto the skin. Diluting essential oils is a critical safety practice when using essential oils. Examples of Carrier Oils include Grapeseed Oil, Hempseed Oil, Argan Oil, Jojoba Oil and so on.

Smells

 

Quite often, I get people asking me for recommendations - "I want something that smells nice" is the most frequent comment I get. 

There are several ways to categorise essential oils - personally, I find it the easiest to go with two methods - Scent family, and Notes. 

There are 8 types of scents that oils can be categorised in:

Wheel of Scent Families

Floral:

This one is quite self explanatory. Floral oils are oils that are made from flowers. Some practical examples are Lavender, Rose, Geranium, Chamomile, Rose Geranium and Jasmine. 

Minty:

This is another easy one to figure out - there are many types of mint plants, or minty plants out there, from which essential oils can be made. Some examples are Peppermint, Cornmint,  and Spearmint. Each Minty essential oil has its own note, with Spearmint being a Top note, Cornmint being a middle note, and Peppermint being a base note.

Citrusy:

Citrusy oils often have what can be described as a bright, fresh and clean smell - which makes them well loved in cleaning products and deodorising blends. They are also excellent to use when you need to improve concentration levels,  and boosting one's mood is necessary and they have an uplifting and energising effect.

Many citrus oils have a low to moderate odour intensity and are top notes, meaning their scent is mild and fades fairly quickly. Blending them with base note oils can help their scent to last longer.

Resinous:  

Resinous Essential oils are made from tree resin, and the best known out there are probably Frankincense and Myrrh. They are typically associated with spiritual practice, especially given that several religions and cultures have used them for such purposes over the aeons. Resinous Essential Oils are typically base notes, or middle to base. Their smell can be described as almost smoky, warm, calming and mellow.

Woody/Earthy:

Woody/Earthy Essential Oils are exactly what they sound like. Picture yourself walking through a grove of trees. The smell of the earth and trees instills a feeling of calm and groundedness. Essential Oils that belong to this category include Cedarwood, Cypress, Juniper Berry, Sweet Birch, Sandalwood, Scots Pine, Patchouli and Vetiver. They are typically middle to base notes, and blend well with the majority of aromas. 

Herbaceous:

This family of aromas is comprised of those plants that we commonly call Herbs - Thyme, Basil, Oregano, Clary Sage, Rosemary, Marjoram, Bay Leaves and so on. Each smell is unique, but is easy to picture for those of us who use a lot of herbs in the kitchen. Their notes tend to vary depending on the oil.

Spicy:

Think of the spices you cook with - and typically associate with the colder months. The warmth of these aromas, which includes Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Turmeric, Nutmeg, Ginger and Clove - is one reason why they are linked with Autumn and Winter months. They are typically base notes,  and are very often used topically [once diluted] to help with aches and pains especially linked to the back and joints.

Camphoraceous:

Camphoraceous Essential Oils can be described as having a strongly aromatic, almost medicinal scent. Because of their pungency, they are often used for aromatherapeutic purposes rather than for room fragrance reasons. They are very commonly used to help with respiratory issues such as blocked sinuses, and this family includes oils such as Cajaput, Camphor, and Ravensara.

Blending Oils

  

A Guide to Blending oils

When it comes to blending oils to create a unique aroma, there are many recipes out there. What you need to bear in mind is that when you have a number of oils, the amount of drops one uses of each will impact the final outcome of the smell one gets. So, for example, if you were to mix 5 drops of lavender essential oil, 10 drops of tangerine essential oil, and 5 drops of rosemary essential oil, the smell will be considerably different than if you were to mix 10 drops of lavender, 5 drops of tangerine and 10 drops of rosemary essential oils.

If you're new to blending oils, the best advice I can give you is this - start small. Always err on the side of caution and use the bare minimum amount of drops, then add more if you so wish as you build up your blend.

Essential Oil Notes Guide

Top Notes

Top Notes are sometimes also called opening notes or head notes. They are generally the lightest of all the notes, and will be the first aromas you smell, as well as the first to fade. We can call them the 'first impression' of scents.

Middle Notes

Middle notes, sometimes called the heart notes, can usually be smelled once the top notes evaporate. They are considered the very heart of blends. They will be the second layer of a blend that you smell, and will last longer than the top . They in turn hold a strong influence on the base notes.

Base Notes

Base notes are the final fragrance notes that appear once the top notes are completely evaporated, and middle notes start settling in and begin to evaporate. They will be the last you smell in a blend, and will last the longest. Base notes provide the lasting impression, and their scent will often linger on the skin for hours after the top notes have dissipated.

In Essence?

Whilst bearing the above information about Aroma Families, and Notes, in mind, you will often find that the familiar and note boundaries of quite a few essential oils are fuzzy. The Aroma Guide and the Notes Guide infographics serve to help you decide better what sort of scents to go with, should you come across an oil or three you're unfamiliar with. If in doubt, feel free to ask!

Should you wish to purchase any Essential Oils or Carrier oils, you can find the current up-to-date stock list here. 

 

Until next time, stay safe!

Ros

Blessed Lughnasadh!

Today is the first harvest festival, which some say is the first step towards Autumn. We reap the first fruits of our actions to date for the current cycle of the wheel of the year. 

Lughnasadh vs Lammas

Lughnasadh Book - Stock item. Palo Santo stick & yellow candle also in stock

Lughnasadh or Lughnasa (/ˈluːnəsə/ LOO-nə-sə) is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of the harvest season. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. In Modern Irish it is called Lúnasa, in Scottish Gaelic Lùnastal, and in Manx, Luanistyn.

Lughnasadh takes it name from Lugh, the Celtic God of light, and son of the Sun. In the mythological story of the Wheel of the Year, the Sun God transfers his power into the grain, and is sacrificed when the grain is harvested

Lammas Day (Anglo-Saxon hlaf-mas, "loaf-mass"), also known as Loaf Mass Day, is a Christian holiday celebrated in some English-speaking countries in the Northern Hemisphere. 

Excerpt from 'The Magical Year': Seasonal Celebrations to honour

Nature's ever-turning Wheel' by Danu Forest. Stock Item

I'm partial to calling this Sabbat Lughnasadh, but that boils down to personal preference. 

In Ancient Rome, today was also a festival dedicates to Spes and Victoria - hope and victory. This year, I feel it is quite befitting to honour these two Divine Ladies, in light of the pandemic the situation is going through.

I'm off to prepare for this evening's circle now. How do you intend to celebrate the Sabbat today?

Stay safe!

Ros