PXL_20201006_060159577.PORTRAIT-01.COVER.jpg

Heya beautiful hive souls. I hope you are all ok during these strange times. Though Cambodia is one of the few countries where corona doesn’t seem to spread like wildfire, I am sensing a lot of negativity in the rest of the world.

Something has gone seriously wrong in 2020, that’s for sure. Though we might not have active cases in the country, we are battling a different enemy right now…. In the past 2 weeks, the country has been tormented by heavy rainfall and floods.

Thousands of people have lost their homes (or are severely damaged) and income. At least 39 people died in the floods. While it stopped raining 2 days ago, another storm is heading our way. Luckily the coastal areas where we live are spared from the disaster.

We are getting a lot of rain, but no floodings so far. Let’s hope all the misery that comes with 2020 will end soon.

Let’s all stay positive, right? And let’s tackle one problem at a time.

For us, it’s the invasion of mosquitos. A lot of my friends came down with dengue, a malaria-like disease transmitted by mosquitos, lately. That’s why I decided to make a few jars of mosquito repelling body lotion.

ALOE VERA CUCUMBER BODY LOTION THAT REPELS MOSQUITOS

It’s hydrating, good for your skin, smells wonderful, and keeps nasty bugs at bay. Plus it is super easy to make.

INGREDIENTS (Makes 2 small jars)

¼ cup fresh aloe vera gel (if you don’t have aloe vera plants, storebought gel will do)
¼ cup cucumber, blended
¼ cup coconut oil
¼ cup oil of your choice (I used an equal mix of avocado and moringa oil)
¼ tsp vitamin E oil
¼ tsp vegetable glycerin
30 drops lemongrass essential oil
30 drops eucalyptus essential oil

Instructions

To obtain the aloe vera gel from your plant, cut some of the bigger base leaves from your plant. Make sure your hands, the tools, and the surfaces you use are clean to avoid contamination.

Carefully cut open the thick leaves with a knife and scrape out the gel-like substance with a knife or spoon.

PXL_20201019_085241704.PORTRAIT-01.COVER.jpg

PXL_20201019_085514319.PORTRAIT-01.COVER.jpg

PXL_20201019_085849761.PORTRAIT-01.COVER.jpg

Blend the cucumber.

PXL_20201006_054640100.PORTRAIT-01.COVER.jpg

Add the aloe vera gel and mix well.

PXL_20201006_055128034.PORTRAIT-01.COVER.jpg

If you live in a tropical climate, just like me, you can skip the next step.

Optional: If you live in a colder climate where coconut oil is in a solid state at room temperature, heat the coconut oil with the other oil(s) on a stove until liquefied. Let the mixture cool down.

Pour the cooled oil mixture into a mixing bowl or blender. Little by little add the Aloe Vera and cucumber mixture. Make sure both mixtures are at the same temperature to avoid separation.

PXL_20201006_055327913.PORTRAIT.jpg

PXL_20201006_055516563.PORTRAIT-01.COVER.jpg

Stir thoroughly or blend well until you’ve got a smooth looking mixture. Then gently mix in the essential oils.

PXL_20201006_054804187.PORTRAIT-01.COVER.jpg

Pour into a clean jar and let set in the fridge. You might want to go check after 10-15 minutes. If you see any separation, shake well and put back into the fridge.

PXL_20201006_055945691.PORTRAIT-01.COVER.jpg