Sometimes, no matter how your day went, you just can’t fall asleep. Or maybe you have a little one who’s sick, stressed or scared. In both cases, lack of sleep can be incredibly hard and frustrating to deal with. And though sleeping pills or other sleep aids can be helpful, they often result in feelings of grogginess that last into the next day. So what do you do? Make your own, of course! With just a few simple ingredients you can make a gentle and effective sleep easy salve at home for use on yourself, or your little ones.
The base of this salve is Shea butter, and as the other ingredients help the body and nervous system to relax the Shea butter gently penetrates into the skin and offers all of it’s healing goodness. Because the Shea butter has a smooth texture that’s easy to spread onto the skin, it can easily be applied to just about anywhere- the chest, soles of the feet, wrists or the lower back. It also provides a thick enough base to ensure that the other ingredients, though safe, won’t irritate sensitive skin.
The other two ingredients are Lavender and Roman Chamomile essential oils. Both are very gentle and effective at the same time, with lovely floral smells that gently relax the nervous system and body for a good nights sleep- minus the grogginess that comes from other sleep aids. Both oils help to eliminate stress as well, so feel free to use this blend during the day when you are in need of some serious stress reduction.
Recipe:
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1/8 cup raw African Shea butter
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Lavender essential oil
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Roman Chamomile essential oil
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Small bowl for mixing
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Small jar or container or choice
For this recipe it is not necessary to melt your Shea butter, but if you would like to you can do so over a double boiler on low heat. Otherwise, just place your Shea butter in a warm place and allow it to soften (you can even place it in the bowl or jar in a sink of hot water for quick softening). Once it is soft and pliable, add ten drops of each essential oil and stir with a spoon until well mixed. If the aroma is not strong enough for you, add 2 more drops of oil at a time until it reaches the strength you desire. Then, simply cover and store in a cool dry place.