Unboxing Beauty

BUGS!!  This month is about BUGS and how to avoid them and soothe your boo-boos if you cannot avoid those stinging stingers.  What is Herb Stop?

Herb Stop is located in Pine, AZ and has been recognized by the community and the state of Arizona  with a variety of awards.  They only use ingredients from  reliable and ethical sources and all of their essential oils are 100% pure, with the exception of their precious oils ~ such as Jasmine, Rose, Neroli, Sandalwood ~ and those will be blended with jojoba oil.    You will receive a box of 4 bottles, either 1/6 oz or 1/3 oz)  that can be essential oils, essential oil blends and/or roll-on essential oil blends.  You will also receive information about your oils and how to use them, including safety information.   Each box is $19.99 which includes shipping, USA only and Herb Stop will start mailing them out during the 10th thru 17th of every month.   Herb Stop has over 200 varieties essential oils alone, which means the boxes will be very different each month ~ as there are also custom-made blends as well.   You can auto subscribe here.   Use Promo Code BFFM15  and receive 15% off your first box!

What’s In Your Aroma Box?

This month’s theme is “Things That Poke, Bite & Sting”, which opens up a lot of dirty jokes now that I have typed that line out.  haha.  No, this won’t help you in the bedroom, but will repel bugs and insects, without harmful chemicals or nasty scents.  And it is July, not June 2016 box.   

All of the essential oils, unless otherwise noted, have a screw top lid and there is a plastic lid inside that has a tube, so that you don’t spill out all of your oil if you drop the bottle (and it doesn’t break).  I also like that the oils are in dark cobalt blue glass bottles to help protect them from UV rays and light.

 

Candian Catnip (Nepeta cataria) Pure Essential Oil in Jojoba Oil    I didn’t know that catnip was better at repelling bugs than DEET.  All I know is that when I opened this bottle up to sniff at its dark, dank catnip-y scent, the cat-signal went off in my home and both of my cats were peering at me holding their bottle of joy-juice.  I may not use this for bug spray, but spritz this on their kit-kat toys as they went NUTZ over this bottle of oil.  Since this is non-toxic and it has been cut with jojoba oil,  I feel pretty safe in diluting this and doing that.  Gotta keep my babes happy.  Oh and I didn’t know that catnip’s botanical name was nepeta cataria – pretty cool. I might have to name one of my future cats that!   This is 100% natural and vegan.  Unless I note otherwise, all oils are bottled in the USA.   5mL  Since this is diluted with jojoba oil, this is a bit different from the pure essential oil.  I would say this is probably retailing at $15.00

Description:  Catnip essential oil is reputed to be about ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET, the compound used in most commercial insect repellents, according to researchers at Iowa State University. Catnip essential oil may also repel cockroaches! A common recipe to keep your summer bug free is to add 25 drops of catnip essential oil to 4 oz of water, spray it in your home, especially the crucial areas, where insects live or where they like to enter your home. You can also add catnip essential oil to your lotions, body mists, shampoo, conditioner, or bathwater. This oil is known to be totally non-toxic, and completely safe, for children too.

• Origin: Canada (eh?)
  
• Parts Used: Flowering Tops
  
• Extraction Method: Steam Distilled
  

 

Citronella Essential Pure Essential Oil   This oil is certified organic and is also 100% natural and vegan. I love the scent of citronella ~ I think it is has a nice lemony-bitter scent.  Maybe I got used to it as a child, when we used to have all of those outdoor citronella candles in our backyard ~ I grew up right next to the Michigan wetlands (or back then, called swamps) and we had TONS of bugs in the summer.   This can also be used for cleaning as it is antiseptic and I am going to use this to do that ~ as I think this will make my bathroom smell nice.  Don’t use outside if you have bears around! Citronella to bears is like catnip is to cats.  10mL RV $8.40

Description: Traditionally used as an insect repellent and as a slight disinfectant. Its uplifting fragrance is cooling and may help relieve mental fatigue.

• Origin: India
  
• Parts Used: Grass
  
• Extraction Method: Steam Distilled

 

Sting Stop Roll Oil Blend  This is so new, it isn’t even on HerbStop’s online site yet! We all get bit ~ sooner or later, bug bites will happen and this oil blend will help soothe and give relief, while helping fight off infection.  This is quite “aromatic” to say the least!! Thankfully, I love stinky herbal scents and this has a strong tea tree and eucalyptus scent to it.  This is a pale blue shade and that is due to azuline, which is  German Chamomile.  I am familiar with this ingredient as I have had it soothing gels for sun-burnt skin ~ it is an anti-inflammatory and helps calms your skin.  This blend is not in  base of jojoba oil but with soothing and cooling aloe vera and witch hazel.  RV $16.95

Ingredients: Essential oils of Lavender, Tea Tree, Niaouli, Eucalyptus radiata, Summer Savory, German Chamomile in a base of Aloe Vera and Witch Hazel.  

Niaouli  (melaleuca quinquenervia) Pure Essential Oil  Niaouli is the kissin’ cousin to Tea Tree and it does smell a bit like it, with a bit of minty sweetness to it.  Niaouli is a great pain reliever as it is a natural analgesic, so it helps numb the area where it is applied.  I think this will also be good for aches and pains, not just for bug bites.  It also is an antiseptic and anti-bacterial oil, so it will help with fighting infections and keeping wounds clean. If you want to blend this oil, it will work nicely with peppermint, pines, lavender and fennel oils.  This oil is 100% vegan and natural.  10mL  RV $7.33

Description: Traditionally used as a great substitute for tea tree as it is softer and sweeter scented and has the same strong anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. Commonly used for colds, flu, cold sores, bronchitis, coughs, as an analgesic for sore muscles and joints, relieves congestion and clears the mind, eases allergic conditions and in the healing of burns, cuts and insect bites.

Ingredients: 100% Pure Melaleuca quinquenervia (Niaouli) Essential Oil

• Origin: Madagascar
  
• Parts Used:  Leaf
  
• Extraction Method: Steam Distilled

Herb Stop also included an “Bugs Be Gone Spray” recipe which uses some of the oils in this month’s box, plus a past oil and another we all should have on hand!  Use 10 drops of catnip, 10 drops of citronella, 5 drops of geranium, 3 drops of peppermint and add to 4 oz of distilled water or witch hazel in a glass bottle.  Shake well and spritz around to get rid of them bugs without killing them ~ bugs, as pesky as they are, are essential to the eco-chain.  They also have included a promo code to save 15% off any of their full sized oils and roll-on’s in their shop  ~ use ABJU16.

Well, even though I didn’t expect it, this month’s box contained an oil for my kitties!!  haha  ~ I tell you, they smelled that stuff from two rooms away.   I do love the tips for using these oils, so you don’t have to just use them for bugs and such, but for cleaning or helping with muscle pains and aches.   The roll on blend to help give immediate relief to bug bites is really handy ~ this is something that I will carry on me during this summertime (and when I go back to Michigan this year ~ bugs, bugs and more bugs ~ the lake district is nothin’ but bugs!)  I paid $19.99 for this and received a value of almost $47.00, which included a custom blend recipe roll on.  Please note, essentials oils are not to replace seeing a doctor if you have serious ailments or issues.  However, aromatherapy, scents and herbal tinctures/oils have been used for centuries with great success.   I would never state that this should replace seeing your doctor, but if you know your body and you have discussed this with your doctor, you should be able to use essential oils for minor treatments.  If you are interested in subscribing, you can do so here and use promo code BFFM15  to receive 15% off your first box!

It looks like they will be doing sneak peeks on their Instagram  account for upcoming months and I really appreciate the teasers.   Have you signed up for Herb Stop’s essential oil box?  Are you interested in doing so?  Seriously needed to purchase an oil box for all of these oils. I said it last month and I will say it again ~ maybe a B-day present to myself this year.

[ all descriptions in italics from Herb Stop. Blog post contains affiliate link ]