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I was given an essential oils recipe box by Simply Earth in exchange for my honest thoughts on their service and products.  Spoiler Alert!  I loved it.  I loved it all!!!

I adore essential oils and have been using them since my friend, Katrina, introduced me to them years ago.  Today, I use essential oils to keep my anxiety at bay, to give me the energy to work out, a brain boost when I need to get work done, to give me confidence when I have a speaking gig, to get a good night's sleep, and more.

When it comes to essential oils for dogs, I mainly use essential oils for cleaning, freshening a room and the furniture fabric, and alleviate their anxiety.  I no longer apply essential oils directly to my dogs unless I have taken the time to understand what oils are right to use and in what amounts.  I don't want to make the mistake of harming myself or my dogs by following random recipes – so before you follow the recipes below (or any that you find online), do your homework.

A great place to start is The Animal Desk Reference II by Dr. Melissa Shelton DVM who often uses essential oils in her practice.  I recently received her book as a gift and I look forward to diving into it to learn more.  In her book, I hope to go beyond using essential oils as a flea repellent or creating natural shampoos.  I want to learn more about using essential oils for dogs with arthritis and dogs with itchy skin.

What is Simply Earth?

Simply Earth is a company that offers a monthly subscription box of everything you need to make 5 – 7 natural recipes using their 100% therapeutic grade essential oils.  The box I received came with EVERYTHING I needed, and I was blown away.  If you've delved into essential oils, you know that it can be spendy as you buy everything you need – carrier oils, beeswax, spray bottles, roller bottles, droppers, and more.  Now imagine if everything came in one box, for one price, with free shipping.

Yeah, I love that too.

What I love even more is that Simply Earth donates a percentage of their profits to stop human trafficking. This is a brand with a cause, and when you become a customer, you're helping to make this world a safer place through your subscription purchase.

What I Love About Simply Earth

If you have fallen head over heels into essentials oils like I have, then you may have noticed that this can be an expensive “hobby,” with all of the roller balls, spray bottles, carrier oils, tins, and more.  Over the years, I've saved my favorite Amazon stores so that I know how to get what I need.  I have my favorite recipe book too.  So it would seem that I wouldn't have a need for Simply Earth.

Wrong!

What I love about Simply Earth is that it is now my one-stop-shop for essential oils because they deliver everything to me – the essential oils, the items I need to make products, and the recipe cards and labels!  The folks of Simply Earth have taken all the guess work away and made this fun!  Which is so important for people, like me, who have limited time to delve into essential oils.

Essential Oil Recipes for Dogs

The subscription box came with recipes that I plan to use for myself, so I asked Simply Earth if they would share simple recipes that I could use for my dogs.  I have a growing collection of oils and other products, and I'm excited to take the time to make the following natural products for my dogs.  Just imagine the money I'll save by choosing DIY instead of going to the pet store!

Natural Paw Wipes for Dogs

If you walk your dogs off of your property, they may be exposed to chemicals used on or near public walkways, and you want to keep those paws clean.  I have a dog with environmental allergies; when Rodrigo plays in wet grass, he paws become irritated, and a natural paw wipe helps to ease the itch by cleaning his paws.

Ingredients:

• 1 ⅔ cups of distilled water
• 2 tbsp Aloe Vera
• 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 16 drops Geranium
• 1 tbsp Castile Soap
• 1 tbsp Jojoba Oil
• Plastic Container with a lid you can cut a hole into or an old wipes container
• 1 roll of heavy duty high-quality paper towels

Directions:

• Cut the paper towels in half and set aside.
• In your plastic container blend the water and aloe vera.
• Add the castile soap and aloe vera to your mixture.
• Next, add the jojoba oil and mix well.
• Add the geranium. Ensure all ingredients are completely blended.

At this time place one half of the paper towel in the plastic container.  Pour the liquid over the halved paper towel roll and rotate the container to ensure full coverage. Allow to fully soak in for about 5-8 minutes. Feel free to rotate the paper towel roll itself to ensure full coverage as well. Use as needed to wipe your pup's paws.

Clean and Fresh Carpet Refresher

Because our dogs are closer to the ground (they sleep there, play there, eat there), I'm careful about the products I use to clean our area rugs.  Here is a DIY recipe that is safer for pets.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup baking soda
• 36 drops Clean and Fresh Essential Oil Blend

Directions:

• Mix together.
• Sprinkle on carpet and allow to sit for 30 minutes.
• Vacuum as normal, leaving the room clean and fresh!

Calming Oil Blend for Dogs

This past weekend, the Pacific Northwest rains, which have been mysteriously gone for a month, returned with a vengeance and they brought a thunderstorm to play.  Three of my dogs (Sydney doesn't care about thunder) were experiencing various stages of stress, so I gave them all CBD oil and diffused an essential oil blend that promotes calm.

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce Carrier Oil (Hazelnut or Sweet Almond)
• 2 drops Mandarin
• 3 drops Neroli
• 2 drops Vetiver
• 2 drops Ylang Ylang

Directions:

Mix ingredients and shake well before each use. This recipe originally called for 2-4 drops on a dog collar during a thunderstorm. I'm not a fan of putting my dogs in a situation where they can't get away from a scent, so I prefer to make the blend and diffuse it in each room where the dogs are hanging out.  Many diffusers cover 300 square feet, so I add 2 drops to the living room and home office, and 4-5 drops to the family room to calm the dogs during thunderstorms, fireworks or other upsetting times.

Easy Bathroom Cleaner

Bathroom cleaners are pretty harsh, and although my dogs rarely go in the bathroom, I'd prefer to clean the bathroom with natural, non-abrasive cleaners because the fewer toxins we have in our home, the healthier it is for our dogs and cat.

Both Orange and Eucalyptus are antiviral and antibacterial. Eucalyptus is also anti-fungal and antimicrobial.  Together, this power-packed solution makes for an ideal bathroom cleaner.

Ingredients:

• 45 drops Orange
• 30 drops Eucalyptus
• 8 ounces of White Vinegar
• an 8-ounce Spray Bottle

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients in an 8-ounce spray bottle.
• Use liberally when cleaning bathrooms.

Dishwasher Tablets

Our dogs don't usually run the dishwasher either. However, the fewer toxins in the house, the better the environment is for our dogs and cat.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 25 drops Grapefruit Essential Oil
• 75 drops Clean and Fresh Essential Oil Blend 1 Tbsp. baking soda
• ½ cup sea salt (fine grain)
• ½ cup washing soda
• ½ cup borax

Directions:

Mix all dry ingredients. Make sure there are no clumps. Add the liquids and stir quickly as the mixture will start to activate and bubble.

Pack into molds and let dry overnight. We used a 1×1 inch mold but, ice cube trays will work perfectly.

Store in an airtight container and keep away from direct sunlight.

If the tablets do not fit in the compartment of your dishwasher, you can toss them into the bottom of the dishwasher. Depending on your water, you may need to use two tabs. I use two for heavy loads.

All-Purpose Cleaning Spray

I use this recipe for cleaning our floors (tile and wood), our countertops, and wiping other surfaces.  I thought using distilled white vinegar would leave the house smelling like we were dying Easter Eggs, but that isn't the case.  The smell of vinegar dissipates quickly.  And for even cleaner, add a little bit of hydrogen peroxide to the below blend.

Ingredients:

• 1 part distilled white vinegar
• 1 part water
• 10 to 15 drops Clean and Fresh Essential Oil Blend
• Spray bottle

Directions:

• Combine ingredients in the spray bottle.
• Shake well and use to clean kitchen counters, mirrors, bathroom counters, etc.

Essential Oil Resources

For more essential oil recipes that are safe to use on or around your dog, check out my post 13 Essential Oil Recipes for Dogs and Pet Safe Alternatives to Scented Candles and Plugins.  Other resources that I value include:

• The Animal Desk Reference II: Essential Oils for Animals
• Essential Oils Recipes: One Drop at a Time (this is great for yourself and for making household products)

More Essential Oils?

As I stated, I love essential oils and I want to write more about how to use essential oils because they provide a natural way to keep our homes free of toxins, but they can also support ourselves too.  Remember, self-care isn't selfish.  We can't be expected to care for the animals we love unless we care for ourselves too.

Read More About Essential Oils

• Books to Help Dog Owners Feed Their Dog Better
• Best Essential Oils to Diffuse in the Fall
• 10 of the Best Ways to Reuse Essential Oil Bottles
• 5 DIY Natural Cleaning Products that aren't Toxic to Dogs
• What Dog Lovers Need to Know About Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

This is a sponsored post.  I received a free box of Simply Earth products in exchange for my honest thoughts.  I only share my true thoughts and experiences on products.