I strained a batch of Juniper + Hazelnut oil today. Perfect timing because we just ran out of our personal bottle and my stock was all gone. So I needed a refill, and so did the site 😆
But something else came together in addition to the body oil that I’m so happy with!
I’ve been in my head a bit about tick season. The snow is melting fast and after my son had lyme last year I know Im going to be extra diligent. Honestly, we are outside alll summer long. In the woods, in the garden, in the yard, at the beach. It’s non stop and I don’t always just stop and get everyone sprayed down for ticks as often as I should. I wanted something else to include that is already part of my daily routine that could help keep ticks down. Lotion! I put lotion or body butter on every single day. In the summer I need something a little thinner then a body butter. Something that will hydrate but soak in quickly and feel good and light all day long. 
My mind started turning and a little voice in my head kept pushing me to Juniper. Juniper and ticks. Turns out, Juniper berries (especially from the eastern red cedar) are incredible tick repellents. From extracting compounds from the berries, needles and bark to even planting the trees in your yard. There’s an overwhelming amount of studies done actually. 
So I used some of my Juniper Hazelnut oil (which this batch came out so fantastic and aromatic!!) and tallow and whipped together an incredibly light silky lotion with all of junipers beautiful aromatics. 
I’ll be wearing this everyday this summer to love on my sun kissed skin, as well as act as a first defense repellent- on top of taking rock rose. All my kids will be to.
This Juniper lotion comes in an 8oz amber round with a pump top 🤍
So a little recap
I absolutely adore hazelnut oil. It quickly became my go to. If you read my previous post about sourcing closer to home and fully embracing the trees and plants that grow in our region, that’s how I came to explore hazelnut oil and it did not disappoint. Topically, I’ve never used an oil that my skin absorbed SO well. It’s so silky soft and my skin eats it up! I love how my skin feels after I apply it. I extracted one of my absolute favorite Wildcrafted herbs in the hazelnut oil and it’s a match made in heaven. Double plus, studies show its efficacy in being a strong filter and even offering some SPF! 
So let’s dive into it! 
Let’s begin with the oil base. Hazelnut isn’t something you often see in skincare and Im not sure why! As I mentioned, it absorbs beautifully and feels incredible. It’s a mild oil and great for sensitive skin and all ages and stages. This skin food is suitable to utilize all over the body, the face, as well as the scalp and hair. I’ve found it balances our bodies oil production so well (it’s actually scientifically proven to be a sebum regulator). Hazelnut oil is a great source of oleic acid and is an amazing emollient. It’s so silky and moisturizes and conditions so well keeping you so soft and supple. It aids with collagen production, helps to fight free radicals and yes it is a MUFA 🥰 it has wonderful anti inflammatory actions making it useful for a variety of topical inflammatory conditions (such as eczema for example). It’s also a pretty potent anti microbial. It’s rich in antioxidants, phytosterols, carotenoids, and vitamins E and K which work together to protect the skin as well as encourage regeneration and healing and elasticity.  On the scalp, it’s a wonderful ally for dandruff and just an unbalanced scalp in general. It adds a natural gloss to dry hair and conditions thoroughly. 
Now, if Hazelnut wasn’t enough on its own, I then extracted Juniper berries into the oil. Now, Juniper berries arent actually berries. They’re cones and therefore should go through the extraction process as you would cones, not berries. The hazelnut oil captured the aromatics and volatile oils so well. It even seems to have extracted the resinous compounds in the Juniper berries. Juniper is such a wonderful ally to the skin. It’s popular for treating irritation and inflammatory conditions, everything from acne to eczema and dermatitis and psoriasis. It’s been shown to help strengthen the skin, pull impurities, promote circulation, soften scar tissue, aid with an even complexion and so much more! 
And then you have the insect repellent qualities. Studies showing efficacy comparable to deet. In this lotion Ive pulled both water soluble constituents from the juniper, as well as fat/oil soluble constituents.
As you can see, this remedy may be simple, but it’s powerful, gentle, versatile and effective and I am so grateful for it. I’ve been utilizing the Juniper + Hazelnut body oil on my face, my scars, as a massage oil- I even applied it to my little guys diaper area when we woke up with some redness and it worked like a charm 🤍 I am over the moon for the lotion. Heaven in a bottle 🌲🤍
I hope you all enjoy this bottle of love!