5 Ways to Use Essential Oils at the BBQ Party!

It’s a beautiful summer, and you know what that means - time to get out on the patio for fun BBQs. Did you know you can use essential oils at a BBQ to help with everything from bugs to marinades. Read on to find out how!

Keep Air Fresh

Not a fan of the smell of smoke in your home? Put four drops of rosemary, tea tree and eucalyptus essential oils in a spray bottle with water and spritz it around. It’ll work better than the store-bought aerosol air freshener, trust us. And essential oils are way healthier than the chemicals in those cans.

Stay Cool All Day

Last summer, we listed all the essential oils that can help keep you cool all summer long. The short of it? Use peppermint, spearmint, eucalyptus or lemongrass to give you a bit of relief from the heat. Also, Wellness Mama has a great Essential Oil Cooling Spray for Summer. We really enjoy spritzing it around everywhere.

Prepare the Perfect Meal

We all know that essential oils can be consumed - adding a few to your BBQ feast will give your guests taste buds something to talk about. We found some delicious recipes on Essential Oils Digest - like this Jazzy BBQ Chicken.

Jazzy BBQ Chicken 4-5 lbs chicken pieces with bones and skin 2 cans lemon-lime soda 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 4 drops lemon essential oil 4 drops wild orange essential oil

Mix marinade ingredients and pour over chicken in a gallon ziploc bag. Marinade in the refrigerator at least an hour, 6 - 8 hours if possible. Grill chicken until meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees and let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Use marinade to brush chicken during first 10 minutes of cooking. Discard the remaining marinade.

Banish the Bugs

While we all love the smell of essential oils (ok, maybe not all essential oils), bugs definitely don’t. In fact, here are the best oils to diffuse for specific bugs.

• Mosquitoes: Peppermint, Lemon, Lavender, Eucalyptus, Thyme, Geranium, Clove, Sage, Cinnamon, Rosemary
• Flies/Gnats: Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Geranium, Cedarwood, Patchouli, Melaleuca, Rosemary
• Ticks: Peppermint, Geranium, Thyme, Melaleuca, Cedarwood

If you forgot the bug spray, put down the Afterbite and try our DIY Remedies for Itchy Bug Bites.

Soothe Skin after Sun

When tragedy strikes and your skin feels like you were roasting on the BBQ all day, use lavender, geranium, chamomile, peppermint or tea tree essential oils to rehydrate your skin (and take the sting off). You can make a paste/lotion to spread on your skin; soak in a bath with essential oils and bubbles; make a compress or mist it in your space. Learn more in “Essential Oils for Healing Sunburns” by Essential Oil Sanctuary.    

---

What are you up to this summer and how will you be using Essential Oils to keep you and your family healthy? Share with us on Facebook!