Family Wellness Works, LLC

When summer heat feels a little too intense, these essential oils are the ones I keep reaching for.

🌿 Peppermint & Spearmint
Instant cooling favorites for hot days. Try rolling onto the neck, shoulders, or feet for a refreshing sensation.

🌿 Lavender
Perfect after being out in the heat too long. Great for relaxing, calming the skin, and winding down after a sunny day.

🌿 Sandalwood
Cooling, grounding, and especially nice for sun-exposed or irritated skin.

🌿 Eucalyptus
Fresh, crisp, and incredibly refreshing during hot weather while also supporting the skin.

🌿 Basil
One of the most underrated summer oils. Fresh, cooling, and surprisingly energizing thanks to its naturally high linalool content.

Quick Tip: Add a few ice cubes to DIY cooling sprays and keep them in the fridge for an extra refreshing boost.

Need a quick cool-down by the pool? This refreshing spray feels amazing on hot summer days and is also a favorite during hot flashes.

Poolside Refresh Spray
What You’ll Need:
• 3/4 cup distilled water
• 2 tbsp witch hazel
• 5 drops Spearmint essential oil
• 5 drops Peppermint essential oil
• 8 oz spray bottle

How To Make:
Add everything to the spray bottle and shake well before each use. Spray onto skin for a cooling, minty refresh.

Quick Tip: If you ever accidentally get Peppermint oil near your eyes, avoid using water. Instead, use a carrier oil on a cotton ball or paper towel to gently wipe the area.

Calling all garden lovers!

Want to make your garden even more inviting for bees and butterflies this summer? Certain essential oils come from plants pollinators naturally love, making them a fun addition to your outdoor space.

🐝 Bee favorites:

Wild Orange, Lavender, Marjoram, Helichrysum, Basil, Rosemary

🦋 Butterfly favorites:

Lavender, Fennel, Helichrysum

Easy DIY Garden Spray:

Add 10 drops of your favorite oil to an 8 oz spray bottle and fill the rest with water. Lightly mist around flowers and garden areas.

Your garden might just become the new favorite neighborhood hangout for pollinators.

This diffuser blend smells like pure summer sunshine with a fresh citrusy scent and the perfect cool minty touch. ☀️

What You’ll Need:
• 4 drops Citrus Bloom®
• 2 drops Spanish Sage
• 1 drop Spearmint

Bright, uplifting, fresh, and one of my absolute favorite blends for warm summer days.
Let us know… what’s YOUR favorite summer diffuser blend?

Dry, rough hands after gardening, crafting, working in the garage, or constantly washing them?

This rich DIY salve is incredibly soothing for hardworking hands.
• 5 tbsp beeswax pellets
• 1 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup olive oil
• 10 drops Guaiacwood essential oil
• 10 drops Copaiba essential oil
• 5 vitamin E capsules
• 2 oz or 4 oz glass jars with lids

How To Make:
Melt the beeswax and oils together using a glass measuring cup placed in simmering water. Add essential oils to the jars while waiting.

Once melted, test the consistency by cooling a small spoonful in the freezer for a minute. Adjust with more beeswax for a firmer salve or more oil for a softer texture.

Let cool slightly, add the vitamin E oil from the capsules, stir well, and pour into jars.
Perfect for dry summer hands that need a little extra TLC.

Nothing ruins summer faster than bugs taking over your backyard, patio, garden, or evening walks. Thankfully, essential oils can help naturally support a more bug-free space.

Here are a few popular oils people use for different creepy crawlies:
🐜 Ants: Peppermint, Spearmint, Citronella, Wild Orange
🪰 Flies: Lavender, Peppermint, Rosemary, Citronella
🕷 Spiders: Peppermint, Lemon, Lime, Lavender, Citronella
🦟 Mosquitoes: Lavender, Lemongrass, Citronella, Blue Tansy
🐾 Fleas: Lavender, Cedarwood, Lemongrass, Peppermint
🪳 Roaches: Cedarwood, Eucalyptus, Cinnamon, Thyme
🐜 Ticks: Lemongrass, Tea Tree, Thyme, Citronella

You can add them to DIY sprays, diffuser blends for outdoor gatherings, cotton balls near entryways, or diluted outdoor rollers and sprays.

Which oil is your summer bug-fighting favorite?

Most grill cleaners are packed with harsh chemicals… but you can clean your grill naturally with a few simple ingredients instead.

What You’ll Need:
• 1 cup cleaning vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 10 drops Lime essential oil
• 5 drops Thyme essential oil

How To Make:
Add vinegar and water to a spray bottle, then slowly mix in the baking soda. Add the essential oils and shake well.
Spray onto grill grates, let sit for a few minutes, then scrub and rinse clean.

Cuts through grease, smells fresh, and skips all the unnecessary chemicals.

Not all citrus oils are automatically photosensitive… and the way an oil is extracted actually matters more than most people realize. ☀️

For example, distilled Lime essential oil is considered non-phototoxic, while cold-pressed Lime can increase the skin’s sensitivity to UV rays.

Some single oils that may cause photosensitive reactions include:
• Bergamot
• Grapefruit
• Lemon
• Lime
• Wild Orange
• Tangerine
• Kumquat
• Cumin

A few blends can also increase sun sensitivity because they contain citrus oils, including:
• Citrus Bliss®
• Citrus Bloom®
• On Guard®
• Purify®
• MetaPWR®
• Zendocrine®
…and several others.

The safest thing you can do? Always check the label directions before applying oils topically and spending extended time outdoors.

For a deeper dive into photosensitivity and essential oils, this video explains it really well:
YouTube video on photosensitivity & doTERRA oils

Have you ever heard that some essential oils and sunshine don’t mix well?

Certain oils can make the skin more sensitive to UV rays, a reaction known as phototoxicity or photosensitivity. This can happen when specific oils are applied to the skin before spending time in direct sunlight (yes, also tanning beds)

Possible reactions may include:

• Redness

• Burning

• Itching

• Blistering

• Skin discoloration

These reactions can sometimes show up within hours after sun exposure and may become fairly intense depending on the oil used, the amount applied, and how long you stay in the sun.

Quick errands outside usually aren’t a big concern, but long beach days, gardening, pool time, or outdoor sports are where extra caution matters most.

As a general rule, avoid prolonged sun exposure for at least 12–72 hours after applying phototoxic oils to the skin.

Next up: which essential oils you should be careful with in the sun.

Hot outside? This citrus cooler is one of my favorite backyard drinks during the summer.

Refreshing Citrus Cooler

What You’ll Need:
• 2 cups sparkling water
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Honey or agave syrup to taste
• 2 drops Lemon essential oil
• 1 drop Wild Orange essential oil
• Ice cubes
• Fresh mint leaves

How To Make:
Mix sparkling water, lemon juice, and sweetener in a pitcher. Add essential oils, stir well, and pour over ice. Top with fresh mint leaves.

Light, citrusy, and perfect after yard work, pool days, or summer BBQs.