Spring is coming! We've had a glorious burst of warm and sunny weather here in Northern Virginia, and it's inspired me to tackle some clean-up in my gardens, both the raised vegetable bed and our “secret garden” at the back of the house under the deck.
Jump to my seasonal remedies!
Here's what I'm doing now to support my immune system and keep things shipshape for the spring:
1. Taking Lemon, Lavender, and Peppermint internally daily
- Lemon is cleansing and a natural decongestant; it also supports healthy detoxification in the intestinal tract, which helps with everything!
- Lavender is calming and naturally tames an overreactive immune response;
- Peppermint helps clear out mucous and cool overheated tissues.
Together these three work synergistically to pack a punch of seasonal support for your immune system!
Here are a few ways to use them internally:
- To an 8-oz glass of water, add 1 drop of each essential oil (Lemon, Lavender, Peppermint) and drink. You can repeat once or twice throughout the day as needed if/when you're in the thick of it and struggling.
- Alternatively, add 1 drop of each of the above essential oils to a veggie capsule.
- This is a great option if you're not a fan of drinking the oils in water.
- FYI--ingesting Peppermint oil can leave your tummy feeling a little tingly. To minimize that effect, top off your veggie capsule with olive oil, avocado oil, or MCT oil. This dilutes the essential oil and can reduce the tingliness.
- Take 1 TriEase softgel daily.
- These softgels are a convenient pre-made solution, formulated by dōTERRA with proportional amounts of Lemon, Lavender, and Peppermint. You get the benefit of the synergistic blend in the convenience of a softgel.
- Perfect for those who aren't fans of the first two options and/or who prefer the ease of taking a ready-to-go softgel.
Personally, this is the time of the year when I start taking 1 TriEase softgel daily, in addition to drinking Lemon (or Lime) in my water. Sometimes when I'm doing a lot of outdoor activities and know pollen counts are high, I'll take an additional 1-2 softgels throughout the day.
Keep in mind, it's best to take a small amount a few times a day, rather than a bigger amount in one sitting. For example, it's more effective to take 1 softgel at breakfast, then another at lunch, rather than taking 2 softgels at breakfast and none the rest of the day. With essential oils, the rule of thumb is to use less essential oil, more often.
2. Swiping Lavender under the nose
This is a trick I picked up from my friend Kathleen (natural living mentor/homesteader/blogger over at rootsandboots.com)---the idea is that you apply diluted Lavender to the area just inside and under your nose. This does two important things for you: first, it creates an oily barrier on your skin that traps pollen and dust and prevents it from entering your nasal passage; second, it delivers the calming, soothing benefits of Lavender aromatically to your airways. Kathleen recommends using a cotton swab (e.g., Q-tips) to apply (check out her YouTube tutorial for doing that here).
This method has proven extremely helpful to me, and I've made it a habit to do this before I head outside, especially if I aim to work in the backyard and garden where I'm directly interacting with and stirring up the dust, and pollen.
Another option--because frankly I'm not always great at keeping the Q-tips handy--is to drop this diluted Lavender on your finger and swipe onto the same location at the base of your nose.
Either way you go, it's helpful to have a small bottle of Lavender and fractionated coconut oil ("FCO" or your preferred carrier oil) mixed up and ready to use. I emptied a 5-mL bottle of Lavender into a 1/2 ounce glass bottle and topped it off with FCO. Then add a dropper top for ease of transfer. (You can dilute more or less according to your personal preference. )
Another easy way to dilute your Lavender essential oil is by repurposing an empty 15mL Lavender bottle: add 25-30 drops Lavender essential oil to the empty bottle, then top off with FCO.
If you opt to use the cotton swab Q-tip method, make sure to keep a stash of Q-tips nearby as well. When you're ready to use, simply remove the top, dip your Q-tip into the bottle of diluted Lavender, and lightly coat the cotton swab.
3. Applying the seasonal blend topically
One last thing I'm getting back into the habit of doing daily is applying the seasonal blend (Lemon/Lavender/Peppermint) topically at least once a day, more often as needed. The most convenient, economical way to do this is to prepare a roller blend with each of those oils. Here's how to make your own in 60 seconds or less:
Spring Relief Roller
Ingredients and Supplies:
10-mL glass roller bottle
20 drops Lemon essential oil
20 drops Lavender essential oil
20 drops Peppermint essential oil
Fractionated coconut oil (or preferred liquid carrier oil)
Instructions:
- Add essential oils to empty glass roller bottle.
- Top off with fractionated coconut oil to fill. (Fill to neck of the roller bottle.)
How to Use:
- Swipe as needed under your nose, on the back of your neck, along your spine; apply to pulse points on your wrists and/or to the bottoms of your feet.
- Roll onto the palm of hands and apply to your hair as a natural diffuser.
- Use routinely first thing in the morning and in the evening before bedtime; and/or before venturing out into the pollen clouds!
- Use every 30 minutes to 1 hr when sneezy, itchy, watery, etc.
Which of these natural options are you most interested in trying for spring relief? Would you like to sample these essential oils? Request your free sample here or email me directly with questions. I'd love to help you find relief, thrive, and enjoy the beauties of spring!