My Go-To Summer Essential Oils

My main must-have essential oils for summer are:

1. Lavender

I like to carry a bottle of diluted lavender in my purse or beach bag. It is great for healing sunburns. I also use lavender on insect bites to stop the itching and allergic reactions. At home I have a mixture of coconut oil and lavender. We apply this on sunburns or dry skin.

2. Peppermint

I also carry a diluted bottle of peppermint. It is one oil I pull out whenever anyone is complaining that their tummy hurts. It is also a fever reducer, can help cool if suffering from heatstroke and can kill ticks. I also love to use peppermint in a foot bath after a long day on my feet.

3. Purification

I like to have a portable Purification option to help when I have to smell stinky feet or shoes. Seriously, with 7 kids there is only so much this nose can take! Drop a few drops in their shoes or apply to the bottom of their feet. Purification is also a wonderful natural bug repellent (I like to add peppermint and lemongrass too.) Mix with witch hazel or distilled water and spray to keep bugs away.

4. Thieves

I always try to have a bottle of Thieves with me no matter the season!  It is my go-to option for warding off the flu, colds, strep, infections and more.

5. Helichrysum

Wonderful for burns and preventing sunburn. It also helps stop bleeding if your child should get a cut.

6. Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree)

Melaleuca is great for combating athlete’s foot. Add to a foot bath or dilute and add to the infected area. You can also use it for treating insect bites, freshening stinky, mildewy clothes (I add a drop to a vinegar rinse instead of fabric softener.)

7. Citrus Fresh

I also like to diffuse citrus oils like Citrus Fresh during the summer. It has such a light, fresh scent! I also like to add a drop to my water each day.

8. Carrot Seed Oil

I know– what a weird oil to have on hand right? Well this oil has an SPF of 30, so we use it as part of a natural sunscreen! You can mix it with coconut oil, or we like to add it to LavaDerm Spray or Genesis hand and body lotion to make our sunscreen. Pour one bottle of carrot seed essential oil into Lavaderm  or Genesis Hand Lotion and also add 10 drops of Purification for an easy to use sunscreen.

9. LavaDerm

So this isn’t an oil, but a spray that has lavender and aloe vera. As I wrote above, you can use it for making homemade sunscreen. It is also great to have apply on burns and can also be used to make bug spray. For bug spray add 2 drops of peppermint, 5 drops of lemongrass, 10 drops of citronella, 20 drops of Purification.

10. Joy

I love to wear this oil as a perfume. It has a wonderful scent! We have also used it to help reduce inflammation with poison ivy rashes.

Remember if you apply citrus oils (lemon, grapefruit, Citrus Fresh) topically, you need to stay out of direct sunlight for several hours(Higley’s Reference Guide says 12 hours) as these photosensitive oils can increase your chance of burning. As a caution, apply on areas not exposed to direct sunlight.

What are your go-to summer essential oils?