Too HOT to function? Keep your body and mind cool with Life and Lavender!
Note: Apologies for the delay in posting, I have been under the weather due to a flare up of my chronic illness brought on by the heat! To my lovely UK/European based readers, I hope you are all taking care of yourselves during this heatwave – Emily x
Hi everyone! How are you all coping with the heat? Are you too hot to function? I know I am! Keep your body and mind cool with my summery Eco Made Easy recipes, and calming, positive nature news below.
Want to help spread positivity, hope, (and summery recipes!) to others? Feel free to share this blog on social media by copying the link above!
Positive news you might have missed:
Breaking News: It’s Official! Renewable Energy has Finally Overtaken Fossil Fuels!
I almost couldn’t believe this when I saw this! Global energy usage is FINALLY made up of more renewable energy than fossil fuels! I honestly thought I’d be an old lady before I saw this change happen. I am ecstatic that so many people are waking up to the truth about how terrible fossil fuels are for us, animals and the planet!
Over the last 10 years, wind and solar energy have risen by just over 10%, from 23% to 33.8%. At the same time, coal use has reduced from 38.7% to 33%. (Source: Ember)
According to think tank Ember’s data analysis, if clean energy growth continues at its current pace, fossil fuel use will plateau in 2030 before starting to decline consistently. Electric vehicles (EVs) have also risen to a quarter of all global car sales, which has reduced the oil demand by 1.8 million barrels of oil per day!
How You Can Help
Even doing small things can help tip the balance towards using sustainable energy vs fossil fuels! For example, buying locally grown veg in supermarkets can help reduce air miles, leading to less fossil fuel use overall. Or changing how you go to school or work every so often, like walking, cycling, public transport or carpooling instead of driving.
For others like me who are disabled and/or neurodivergent, or for other reasons such as getting to rural locations, sometimes transport changes aren’t feasible. And that is 100% okay!
At Life and Lavender, I advocate for manageable, small, and consistent changes towards becoming more eco-friendly over time. Not being able to do everything perfectly is ok. One small, consistent change done for months is better than becoming burnt out after one week of trying to be perfect!
Mangrove Trees: Their Resilience is Reversing Mangrove Deforestation!
Mangrove trees have proven themselves much stronger than scientists first thought. Mangrove trees have an amazing natural ability to self-propagate. This skill, combined with conservation efforts, have allowed mangrove forests to regrow, protecting nearby animals and communities from storms and rising waters. (Source: NASA)
Mangrove trees are also able to store an enormous amount of CO2, 5 times more than land-based forests! Also, most of these remaining mangrove forests are now protected natural areas, allowing the forests to not just survive, but thrive. Several local communities that live close to the mangroves are working to make sure these forests stay protected, vibrant, and safe, for many years to come. (Source: VitalSigns)
☀️Eco Made Easy: Summer Edition☀️
🌿Keep cool, calm, and collected with my collection of 100% natural summer wellness recipes, designed with nature in mind🌿
Even though I adore summer, it can be tricky to keep cool in the heat, especially with the recent heatwave here in Europe! It can be doubly hard for neurodivergent, disabled, and chronically ill people, as lots of us who live with these conditions find it tough to regulate temperature.
Without further ado, I will share my Eco Made Easy recipes below! They will help to keep you and your family cool, calm, and collected this summer, plus how to freshen your home with a beautiful summery scent!
🌊Natural Cooling Spray🌊
This natural cooling spray is amazing! It always keeps me cool and moisturises my skin, even in the blazing heat. It is also great for soothing a sunburn.
Always do a small patch test before applying this spray. Also, since this recipe is 100% natural and contains water, the shelf life is 1-2 weeks.
Keep refrigerated to increase the cooling effect and maximise shelf life!
You can still take the spray out with you in the day but refrigerate when home. Keep the spray out of direct sunlight and shake before use.
☀️Remember to always use SPF, stay safe in the sun!☀️
Ingredients:
- Small spray bottle
- Funnel
- Measuring spoons/jug
- 180ml or ¾ cup distilled or filtered water (safe to drink tap water works in a pinch! However, using distilled/RO water will increase the shelf life
- 60ml or ¼ cup Witch Hazel
- 1 tsp Aloe Vera Gel or 2tsp Aloe Vera Juice
- 10 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
Optional Add-ons:
These aren’t essential, but they will help to moisturise the skin, soothe inflammation, and will add a calming fragrance.
- 10 drops Lavender Essential Oil
- 5 drops Vitamin E Oil
- Rose Water (you can replace the plain water fully with rose water)
- 10 drops Rose Essential Oil
Method:
1. Using a funnel, pour 180ml of plain water or rosewater into the spray bottle.
2. Add the witch hazel and aloe vera juice/gel to the water, shake to combine.
3. Add essential oils, shake to combine.
4. Your cooling spray is now complete! Store in the fridge and shake before each use.
5. Keep cool in the sun and remember to note down the date you made it, so you can calculate the shelf life.
🐚Beachy Coarse Salt Oil Diffuser🐚
This is THE easiest DIY oil diffuser you could possibly make! All you need is a bowl, an essential oil blend, and coarse sea salt/Himalayan pink salt. You can also choose to decorate with shells and rocks like I did in the picture for an extra coastal touch.
Just make sure that the decorations aren’t completely covering the salt, as this would hinder the diffusion of the lovely oils you have selected.
I went with the pink salt as that’s what I had in the pantry; any salt will work as long as it’s coarse.
Note: Keep out of reach of pets and small children.
Ingredients:
- Small/medium bowl
- Coarse salt or Himalayan pink salt
- Essential oil blend (my Just Beachy essential oil blend recipe is listed below!)
Optional Add-ons to decorate the diffuser:
- Seashells
- Stones
- Pearls
Method:
1. Fill up the bowl with the coarse salt, about halfway.
2. If adding in decorations like seashells and stones, place them in the desired position now.
3. Pour your essential oil blend into the bowl evenly.
4. Make sure the essential oil blend has a carrier oil in it, as pure essential oil will dissolve the salt much quicker.
5. The diffuser is now complete! The salt will passively diffuse the essential oil blend throughout the room, and make it smell wonderful.
Note: You can top the diffuser up with some fresh salt, and a fresh oil blend every so often if the smell becomes too weak.
I hope you enjoy! How will you decorate yours? Feel free to share to social media and tag me so I can see everyone’s beautiful coastal creations!
☀️Just Beachy Essential Oil Blend☀️
I am obsessed with this essential oil blend I just created! It has summery, light floral notes, a hint of citrus, and a nice base of caramel and neroli. It is the perfect summer blend to diffuse in your home. Why not try it with my DIY Salt Diffuser recipe listed above?
Ingredients:
- 10ml carrier oil. I used sweet almond oil, but any light, neutral oil such as jojoba or coconut will also work.
- 5 drops Lemon Essential Oil
- 5 drops Cypress Essential Oil
- 5 drops Rose Geranium Essential Oil
- 5 drops Juniper Berry Essential Oil
- 5 drops Benzoin Essential Oil
- 5 drops Neroli Essential Oil
- Small container
- Funnel and small amber glass bottle if not using straight away.
Method:
1. Combine all oils together in a small container, use a funnel to pour into a small amber glass bottle if you aren’t using the full blend straight away.
2. If using in the DIY Salt Diffuser, pour the entire blend into the salt, it will diffuse around the room over time. You can top it up every so often if the smell becomes weak.
🧊Instant Spa Water Cubes🧊
I don’t know about you, but I really cannot be bothered to chop up fresh fruit and herbs every single time I want flavoured water, especially when it’s so hot.
Making these spa water cubes has saved me from dehydration so many times! The fruit and herbs included in the cubes are great sources of electrolytes. The flavours also encourage me to hydrate more often too, as plain water is nowhere near as tasty.
Method:
Combine the ingredients of the desired Spa Water (listed below) in a jug. Pour into an ice cube tray, freeze, and voila! Instant spa water cubes.
Spa Water Cube Combinations:
Lemon Spa Water:
Water, lemon juice, lemon zest, and tiny lemon slice in each cube.
Mint and Lemon Spa Water:
Water, lemon juice, lemon zest, diced fresh mint, mint leaf and/or tiny lemon slice in each cube.
Lemon, Ginger and Honey Spa Water:
Water, lemon juice, grated ginger, lemon zest, honey, tiny lemon slice in each cube.
Cucumber and Mint Spa Water:
Water, diced cucumber, diced fresh mint. Mint leaf in each cube.
I hope you have enjoyed this summery edition of Life and Lavender! If you make any of these wonderful recipes, feel free to share on social media and tag @thelavenderloom on Instagram/TikTok!
Keep cool and remember to stay hydrated! Love from Emily at Life and Lavender x