Tag: summer

  • Vetiver: The Earthy Root That Cooled and Scented India’s Summers

    Vetiver: The Earthy Root That Cooled and Scented India’s Summers

    Most fragrant plants give us their scent through flowers or leaves. Vetiver is different. Its treasure is underground, in a dense mass of fine roots that smell earthy, woody and faintly smoky, like damp soil after rain. For centuries that scent has been tied to summer in South Asia, and the story of how it was used is one of the most charming chapters in the history of keeping cool.

    A grass with deep roots

    Vetiver is a tall, clumping grass native to India. Above ground it looks like a large ornamental grass. Below ground, its roots grow straight down to remarkable depths, forming a fibrous curtain that holds soil in place. That trait has made vetiver valuable far beyond perfumery. It has been planted in many tropical countries to stabilize hillsides and slow soil erosion, and international development programs promoted it for that purpose in the late twentieth century.

    Khus: the summer screens of northern India

    In Hindi and Urdu, vetiver is known as khus. Before electric cooling, households in the hot plains of northern India wove the dried roots into thick mats, often called khus tattis, and hung them in doorways and windows during the hottest months. The mats were sprinkled or soaked with water. As hot, dry wind passed through, evaporation cooled the air, and the roots released their fragrance into the room.

    The result was a breeze that was both cooler and scented, a natural version of what we now do with fans and diffusers. Khus also found its way into summer refreshments, including a bright green khus syrup mixed with cold water or milk. For many people, the scent simply became the smell of a summer afternoon.

    From the root to the perfume bottle

    Vetiver essential oil is distilled from the roots, and it is one of the thickest, darkest and slowest-evaporating oils in perfumery. It is valued as a base note, the part of a fragrance that lingers longest, and it appears in many classic colognes and perfumes. Today much of the world’s vetiver oil comes from Haiti, along with Indonesia, India and the island of Réunion, each with its own character.

    Because the roots must be dug up to be distilled, it is worth buying vetiver from suppliers who are open about where and how it is grown.

    Enjoying vetiver in a Georgia summer

    Vetiver’s earthiness pairs beautifully with brighter scents. A drop blended with lime or grapefruit, or with lavender, gives a summer blend depth without heaviness. Its thickness can make it tricky in some diffusers, so many people enjoy it on a passive diffuser, such as a terracotta disc or a cotton pad, or well diluted in a body oil for the evening.

    As with any essential oil, dilute carefully, try a small patch first and stop if you notice irritation. Keep oils away from children and pets, and talk with your doctor before using them if you are pregnant or have a health concern.

    You do not need to hang a woven mat in the doorway to borrow the idea. A cool shower in the evening, windows opened to the night air and a faint, earthy scent in the room can feel like a small echo of those old summer screens and the art of making the heat a little more graceful.

  • Summer Stargazing for Beginners: The Summer Triangle, the Milky Way and a Quiet Mind

    Summer Stargazing for Beginners: The Summer Triangle, the Milky Way and a Quiet Mind

    There is something about lying on your back under a summer sky that puts the rest of life in perspective. The stars do not hurry. They ask nothing. And you do not need a telescope, an app or any special knowledge to enjoy them, only a dark spot, a little patience and a willingness to stay up a bit late.

    When and where to look

    Around the solstice, the sky in Middle Georgia does not get fully dark until after ten o’clock, so summer stargazing is a late-evening affair. Moonless nights are best, since a bright moon washes out fainter stars. Summer humidity and haze can also soften the view, so the clearer, drier nights after a front passes through are especially good.

    Light pollution matters most of all. In town, you will see the brightest stars. Away from city lights, the sky fills in dramatically. Georgia has some genuinely dark places, including Stephen C. Foster State Park near the Okefenokee Swamp, which has been recognized as an International Dark Sky Park. If you plan a trip, check the park’s official website for hours and rules about night visits.

    Finding the Summer Triangle

    The easiest summer pattern for beginners is not a constellation but an asterism, a shape made from bright stars in different constellations. The Summer Triangle is formed by three of them:

    • Vega, a brilliant blue-white star in the small constellation Lyra. On June evenings it climbs in the east and is often the first bright star you notice there.
    • Deneb, the tail of Cygnus, the Swan, lower and to the left of Vega.
    • Altair, in Aquila, the Eagle, lower down and to the right, completing a large, lopsided triangle.

    Once you find it, the triangle becomes a familiar friend that rides higher each week as summer goes on.

    The Milky Way and other sights

    On a truly dark night, a soft, cloudy band stretches across the sky, running right through the Summer Triangle. That is the Milky Way, our own galaxy seen edge-on from within. Its brightest, densest region lies low in the south in summer, toward the constellations Sagittarius and Scorpius. Look for Antares, a reddish star in Scorpius, low over the southern horizon.

    While you watch, you may see satellites gliding steadily across the sky and the occasional meteor streaking past. If you enjoy those, the Perseid meteor shower peaks each August and is worth marking on the calendar.

    Making it a restful ritual

    Bring a blanket or a reclining chair, insect repellent and a light layer, since even summer nights can feel damp after a while. Give your eyes at least twenty minutes to adjust to the dark, and avoid looking at your phone, which resets that adjustment. If you need light, a flashlight covered with red cellophane is gentler on night vision.

    Then simply lie back and look. Let your breathing slow. Notice how more stars appear the longer you wait, as if the sky were slowly opening. You do not need to name a single one. Being still beneath them is the whole point, and on a warm June night it is one of the most peaceful things you can do.

  • Petrichor: Why Rain on Dry Ground Smells So Good

    Petrichor: Why Rain on Dry Ground Smells So Good

    After a run of hot, dry days in a Georgia summer, the first fat raindrops on the driveway release a smell almost everyone recognizes. It is earthy, clean and a little sweet, and it seems to rise from the ground itself. For centuries people simply called it the smell of rain. Since the 1960s, it has had a proper name: petrichor.

    A word invented in 1964

    Two Australian scientists, Isabel Joy Bear and Richard Thomas, coined the term in a paper published in the journal Nature in 1964. They built it from two Greek words: petra, meaning stone, and ichor, the ethereal fluid said to flow in the veins of the gods in Greek mythology. The name suits a scent that seems to be drawn out of rock and soil.

    Their research found that during dry periods, oils given off by plants collect on rocks and in soil. When rain finally arrives, those oils are released into the air along with other compounds, creating the familiar smell.

    The earthy note: geosmin

    A large part of the scent comes from a compound called geosmin, whose name means earth smell. It is produced by microbes that live in soil, including bacteria in the group known as Streptomyces. Human noses are remarkably sensitive to geosmin and can detect astonishingly small amounts of it, which helps explain why the smell of rain on dry ground can feel so strong and so sudden.

    There is also a sharper, cleaner smell that sometimes arrives just before a thunderstorm. That one is often ozone, a form of oxygen created when lightning splits molecules in the air, which storm winds can carry ahead of the rain.

    How the scent reaches us

    In 2015, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology used high-speed cameras to watch raindrops land on porous surfaces such as soil. They found that a drop can trap tiny bubbles of air that rise and burst, flinging a fine mist of particles upward, a little like the fizz from a glass of soda. Those particles carry scent with them. Light and moderate rain released more of them than heavy downpours, which may be why a gentle first shower often smells strongest.

    Bottling the smell of earth

    In the town of Kannauj in northern India, long known for its traditional perfumes, artisans make a fragrance called mitti attar, or earth attar. Clay is baked and then distilled, and its scent is captured in sandalwood oil, creating a perfume that smells like the first monsoon rain on parched ground. It is a lovely example of people cherishing this smell enough to preserve it.

    The next time a summer shower begins, step to an open door or a covered porch and take a slow breath. If there is thunder, enjoy the moment from inside, since lightning can strike well away from the storm itself. Notice the earthiness, the sweetness, the sudden cool. It is one of the oldest smells there is, and one of the few that seems to make everyone stop and breathe a little deeper.

  • A Calm Travel Kit: Small Comforts Worth Packing for the Road or the Air

    A Calm Travel Kit: Small Comforts Worth Packing for the Road or the Air

    Travel asks a lot of the senses. Bright airports, rumbling highways, dry cabin air and unfamiliar rooms all add up, even on a trip you have been looking forward to. A small kit of familiar comforts will not change any of that, but it can make each part of the journey a little softer. Many frequent travelers keep one packed all summer so it is ready to grab.

    For resting anywhere

    • An eye mask. Useful on planes, in the back seat and in hotel rooms where the curtains never quite close.
    • Earplugs or headphones. Foam earplugs weigh almost nothing. Noise-canceling headphones cost more, and many travelers find them worth it.
    • A light scarf or wrap. Planes, restaurants and hotel lobbies are often chilly in summer. A wrap doubles as a pillow or a blanket.
    • A neck pillow, if you sleep sitting up. Try it at home first to be sure it suits you.

    For staying comfortable

    • A refillable water bottle. On a flight, carry it empty through security and fill it at a fountain on the other side.
    • Lip balm with SPF and a small moisturizer, since cabin air can feel very dry.
    • Travel-size sunscreen for the moments between car and destination.
    • Tissues, hand wipes and a small bottle of hand sanitizer.
    • A few snacks you know you like, so a delayed meal is not a crisis.

    Liquid limits for carry-on bags can change, so check the current rules at tsa.gov before you pack toiletries for a flight.

    For calm moments in between

    • A paperback, or an e-reader loaded before you leave home.
    • Downloaded music, podcasts or a guided relaxation recording, in case there is no signal.
    • A small notebook for lists, thoughts and the details you want to remember from the trip.
    • A familiar scent just for you, such as a lavender sachet tucked into your bag. Skip anything strong in shared spaces like planes and buses, where others may be sensitive.

    For the road trip

    Driving brings its own list. A windshield sunshade keeps the car cooler during stops, and a small cooler with water and cold snacks means fewer detours. Plan regular breaks to get out, stretch and walk around for a few minutes. Remember that a parked car in a Georgia summer gets very hot very fast. Do not leave sunscreen, essential oils, medications or electronics sitting in it, and never leave a child or a pet in a parked car, even briefly.

    Keep any medications with you, in your carry-on or the front of the car rather than in checked luggage or the trunk, and talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions about traveling with them.

    Once your kit is assembled, keep it stocked. Replace what you use when you get home, and it will be waiting for the next trip, one less thing to think about on the morning you leave.

  • When School Lets Out: Building a Daily Quiet Hour Into Long Summer Days

    When School Lets Out: Building a Daily Quiet Hour Into Long Summer Days

    In much of Georgia, the school year wraps up in May, and with it goes the structure that shaped every weekday. The first few days of summer feel like freedom. By the second week, many households are discovering that long, unscheduled days can also be loud, scattered and tiring for everyone. One of the simplest fixes is an old one: a daily quiet hour.

    What a quiet hour is, and what it is not

    A quiet hour is a set time each day when everyone in the house does something calm on their own. It is not a punishment, a nap requirement or a screen marathon. Younger children might look at books or build with blocks in their rooms. Older kids might read, draw or listen to an audiobook. Adults get a pause, too, which is the part people most often forget.

    Many families find that early afternoon works well. Lunch is over, the heat outside is building toward its peak and energy tends to dip anyway. Coming inside for an hour of stillness fits the shape of a summer day in the South.

    Setting it up so it sticks

    • Keep it at the same time each day. Predictability makes it a routine rather than a negotiation.
    • Start small. For little ones, twenty minutes may be plenty at first. Add five minutes at a time as everyone adjusts.
    • Use a timer. A visible timer or a soft chime answers the question of how much longer without your involvement.
    • Give each person a spot. A bedroom, a reading corner, a blanket fort or the porch swing all work, as long as everyone has a little space.
    • Stock a quiet basket. Library books, coloring supplies, puzzles, a notebook, a small building set. Refresh it every week or two so it stays interesting.

    Deciding about screens

    Every family makes its own decisions about screens, and there is no single right answer. Many parents find quiet time feels more restful when it is screen-free, because it gives eyes and attention a different kind of break. Audiobooks and calm music can be a middle ground. Whatever you choose, keeping the rule the same each day avoids a daily debate.

    Protecting your own hour

    It is tempting for parents to use quiet time to fold laundry, answer email or clean the kitchen, and some days that is necessary. But try to claim at least part of the hour for actual rest. Sit on the porch with a glass of something cold. Read a chapter of a novel. Lie down with your eyes closed for fifteen minutes. A rested grown-up sets the tone for the rest of the afternoon far more than a clean counter does.

    Expect some resistance in the first week, especially from children who are used to constant company. Stay calm and consistent, praise the effort and let quiet time be pleasant rather than strict. Within a few weeks, many children start to look forward to it. Summer is long. A daily pocket of calm makes it feel more like a season to enjoy and less like one to get through.

  • Keeping Cool Naturally: Shade, Airflow and Lessons From the Old Southern Porch

    Keeping Cool Naturally: Shade, Airflow and Lessons From the Old Southern Porch

    Walk through an older neighborhood in Macon and you can read the history of staying cool in the houses themselves. Deep porches, tall windows, high ceilings, shade trees planted decades ago. None of it was decoration. These were the tools that made a Georgia summer livable before air conditioning, and they still work. Even with a thermostat on the wall, borrowing a few of those habits can make a home feel calmer and more comfortable.

    Shade is the first defense

    Sunlight that never reaches a wall or window never has to be cooled. Old Southern houses used wide roof overhangs, porches on the sunny sides, shutters and awnings to keep direct sun off the building. Trees did the rest, especially deciduous ones that shade in summer and let light through in winter.

    Today that translates to closing blinds or curtains on the east side in the morning and the west side in the afternoon, using exterior shades or awnings where you can and valuing the trees you have. A sunny window with the blinds open can heat a room faster than any appliance.

    Moving air is cool air

    A breeze across the skin feels several degrees cooler than still air at the same temperature, because it helps sweat evaporate. Old houses were built for cross-ventilation: windows on opposite walls, transoms above doors and central hallways that let air pass straight through. Early mornings and evenings were for opening everything up; the hot afternoon was for closing it down.

    A ceiling fan does the same job quietly. Set to turn counterclockwise in summer, it pushes air down onto the people in the room. Fans cool people rather than rooms, so turn them off when you leave. On mild nights in May, a box fan in a window pulling in cool air can make the whole house pleasant by morning.

    The porch as a room

    The porch was the original summer living room: shaded, open to any breeze, a few steps from the kitchen and far from the heat that cooking put into the house. People ate there, shelled peas there, visited there and slept there on the hottest nights.

    If you have a porch, use it as a room. A couple of comfortable chairs, a small table, a fan and a lamp turn it into the best seat in the house from May through early fall, at least in the morning and evening hours.

    Work with the day

    The older rhythm of Southern life followed the heat. Hard work happened early. The middle of the day was for slower tasks, shade and rest. Evenings were for cooking lightly, sitting outside and letting the house cool.

    • Cook early or late, and use the grill or a cold supper on the hottest days
    • Run the dryer and dishwasher in the evening rather than at noon
    • Save errands and yard work for morning
    • Give the afternoon permission to be slow

    Air conditioning changed the South profoundly, and few of us would give it up. But the porch, the breeze, the shade tree and the slow afternoon were never only about temperature. They were about living in a rhythm that matched the place, and that is a kind of rest worth keeping.

  • A Cooling Foot Soak for Hot Evenings

    A Cooling Foot Soak for Hot Evenings

    Feet take the brunt of a hot day. They spend hours in shoes, carry you across hot parking lots and swell a little in the heat like everyone’s do. A cool foot soak at the end of a warm evening is a small ritual that asks almost nothing of you and feels far better than it has any right to. It is also pleasantly old-fashioned, the kind of thing people did on porches long before spas existed.

    What you need

    • A basin or dishpan wide enough for both feet, or a large pot in a pinch
    • Cool water, not icy; cool enough to feel refreshing without making you flinch
    • A towel, folded on the floor beneath the basin and another for drying
    • A chair you can sit back in, and something to drink

    That is the whole list. Everything else is optional.

    Pleasant additions, used thoughtfully

    A handful of Epsom salt dissolves easily and gives the water a soft, silky feel. A few slices of cucumber or lemon look lovely and add a faint scent. A sprig of fresh mint or lemon balm from the garden, crushed lightly, does the same.

    If you like essential oils, remember that they do not mix with water on their own and can float on the surface in concentrated drops. Mix one or two drops of a skin-friendly oil into a tablespoon of carrier oil or unscented liquid soap first, then stir that into the basin. Peppermint is a popular choice for a cooling sensation; use very little, and skip it entirely if you are pregnant, have sensitive skin or are soaking a child’s feet. We describe these as pleasant experiences, not treatments, and if you have any concerns about your feet or skin, talk to your doctor before trying additions.

    Making it a ritual

    The soak works best as a marker between the day and the evening. Set it up on the porch or in a cool room as the sun goes down. Sit back, put your feet in and stay for ten or fifteen minutes. Read, listen to the neighborhood, talk to whoever is nearby or do nothing at all.

    When you are done, pat your feet dry, paying attention between the toes, and apply a light lotion while the skin is still slightly damp. Many people find this a good time to look at their feet honestly: a rough heel that could use attention, a nail that needs trimming, a spot that has been bothering them.

    A few sensible cautions

    Keep the water comfortable rather than extreme. Very cold water can be a shock, and there is no prize for endurance. If you have diabetes, circulation concerns, numbness in your feet or open cuts, ask your doctor before soaking, since advice for your situation may differ. Rinse the basin after each use and let it dry.

    Why something this simple works

    Part of the pleasure is physical: cool water on warm skin is simply nice. The rest is the pause. For a quarter of an hour you are sitting still with your feet in a basin, and there is almost nothing you can do but rest. In a Georgia summer, that is worth more than any elaborate routine.

  • Why Fresh-Cut Grass Smells So Good: The Science of a Green Summer Scent

    Why Fresh-Cut Grass Smells So Good: The Science of a Green Summer Scent

    Few smells are as instantly recognizable as a freshly mowed lawn. On a Saturday morning in May, the scent drifts across whole neighborhoods in Middle Georgia, sharp and sweet and green. Many people name it among their favorite smells of the year. What we are enjoying, it turns out, is the grass reacting to being cut.

    What is happening inside the grass

    When a mower slices through grass blades, it breaks open plant cells. Within seconds, the damaged tissue releases a burst of small, fast-evaporating molecules that scientists call green leaf volatiles. They include compounds such as cis-3-hexenal and cis-3-hexenol, the latter sometimes nicknamed leaf alcohol. These are what give cut grass, crushed leaves and torn stems their sharp, fresh scent.

    Researchers who study plants have found that these compounds play roles in how plants respond to damage. They can act as signals, for example by attracting insects that prey on leaf-eating pests, and neighboring plants may respond to them, too. The smell we find so pleasant is, in a sense, part of the plant’s communication system.

    Why the smell feels like summer

    Part of the pleasure is chemistry, and part of it is memory. Our sense of smell is closely linked to the parts of the brain involved in memory and emotion, so a scent we meet again and again in a particular season tends to carry that season with it. For many people, cut grass means school letting out, ballfields, long evenings and the sound of a mower down the street.

    The same green note turns up in many other places once you start noticing it: a tomato leaf brushed in the garden, a snapped green bean, a handful of crushed basil, the stem end of a cut flower.

    Green notes in the perfume bottle

    Perfumers call this family of scents green, and they have been building it into fragrances for a long time. Cis-3-hexenol is a common ingredient for adding a fresh, leafy lift to a blend. Natural materials with a green character include galbanum, a resin with a sharp, leafy smell, and violet leaf, whose scent is more like cucumber and wet greenery than like the flower. If you love the smell of a mowed lawn, these are the notes to look for on a fragrance or candle description.

    Noticing it on purpose

    The next time the scent drifts over the fence, stop for a few seconds. Close your eyes and take a slow breath. Notice whether the smell seems sweet, sharp or watery, and what it brings to mind. It is a small, free mindfulness practice that the season hands you every week.

    If you are the one mowing, try doing the first and last passes with full attention to the sound, the smell and the stripes appearing behind you. Wear sturdy closed shoes and hearing protection, work in the cooler morning hours and take water breaks. If grass pollen bothers you, you may prefer to enjoy this scent through an open window, and your doctor can help with seasonal allergy questions.

  • Swimming Season Skin and Hair Care: Simple Habits for Before and After the Pool

    Swimming Season Skin and Hair Care: Simple Habits for Before and After the Pool

    Around Memorial Day, pools across Georgia fill with the sound of cannonballs and the smell of sunscreen. A long afternoon in the water is one of summer’s great pleasures, but sun, pool water and hours of getting wet and drying off can leave skin feeling tight and hair feeling like straw. A few simple habits before and after a swim keep the experience comfortable.

    What that pool smell really is

    The strong chlorine smell many of us associate with pools is not actually the smell of clean water. According to the CDC, the nation’s public health agency, it comes mostly from chloramines, compounds that form when the chlorine in the water combines with sweat, body oils and other things swimmers bring in. A well-maintained pool with good circulation usually smells much less. That is one reason pools ask swimmers to shower before getting in: rinsing off keeps the water cleaner and the air more pleasant for everyone.

    Before you swim

    • Rinse off first. A quick shower is courteous, and hair that is already saturated with clean water tends to soak up less pool water.
    • Apply sunscreen ahead of time. Use a broad-spectrum, water-resistant formula and put it on before you head out so it has time to settle on the skin.
    • Consider a swim cap for long swims or laps, especially if your hair is colored or tends to be dry.
    • Smooth a little conditioner through the lengths of your hair before swimming, a common habit among regular swimmers.

    After you swim

    Rinse your skin and hair with fresh water as soon as you can, then wash with a mild cleanser and shampoo. Pat dry and apply moisturizer while your skin is still slightly damp. Follow shampoo with conditioner, and if you swim several times a week, a clarifying shampoo used now and then can help hair feel less coated.

    You may have heard that chlorine turns light hair green. The tint usually comes from copper compounds in the water, which can come from pipes or some pool products, rather than from chlorine itself. Rinsing promptly and wearing a cap both help, and a pool professional can check copper levels if it keeps happening.

    Sun care at the pool

    Water reflects sunlight back toward you, and long hours outdoors add up quickly. Water-resistant sunscreen is not waterproof. Follow the label, which will tell you to reapply after a set number of minutes of swimming or sweating, immediately after towel drying and at least every two hours. Claim a shady spot for breaks, wear a hat and sunglasses out of the water and keep a water bottle within reach.

    Keeping pool time restful and safe

    A pool can be a wonderfully calming place: floating on your back with your ears just under the water, swimming slow laps and counting strokes or simply sitting on the steps with your feet in. Safety makes that calm possible. Never swim alone, keep young children within arm’s reach and choose a grown-up water watcher who stays off the phone. If your skin or eyes react to pool water in a way that concerns you, talk to your doctor.

  • Lemongrass and Citronella: The Grassy Cousins Behind Familiar Summer Scents

    Lemongrass and Citronella: The Grassy Cousins Behind Familiar Summer Scents

    Few scents say summer evening on the patio quite like citronella. Few say summer kitchen quite like lemongrass. The two smell related because they are: both come from tall tropical grasses in the genus Cymbopogon, close cousins that have traveled the world from South and Southeast Asia.

    Lemongrass in the kitchen and the garden

    Lemongrass, Cymbopogon citratus, is the one you find in the produce aisle, with its pale, firm stalks and long, blade-like leaves. It is central to Thai, Vietnamese and many other Southeast Asian cuisines, where the bruised stalks perfume soups, curries and marinades. Its bright lemony scent comes largely from a compound called citral, which is also found in lemon peel.

    Lemongrass grows beautifully in a Georgia summer. Plant a few market stalks that still have roots attached, or buy a small plant, and set it in a large pot in full sun. By August it can form a fountain of leaves several feet tall. It is a tropical plant, though, and Middle Georgia winters can be hard on it. Many gardeners grow it as a summer annual, or divide a clump in fall and keep a piece indoors in a bright window until spring.

    To harvest, cut a stalk near the base and use the tender lower portion in cooking. The leaves are too fibrous to eat but make a pleasant tisane steeped in hot water, or a few blades can be tied in a knot and dropped into a pitcher of cold water.

    Citronella and the scent of summer evenings

    Citronella oil comes from two related grasses, one long associated with Sri Lanka and the other with Java. The oil was traded widely by the nineteenth century and became familiar in soaps and, eventually, in the candles and torches that scent so many American backyards. Its aroma is grassier and woodier than lemongrass, with less sweetness.

    The potted plant sold as a citronella plant in garden centers is usually not the grass at all but a lemon-scented geranium. It smells pleasant when you rub a leaf, which is the best way to enjoy it.

    A citronella candle adds a familiar summer atmosphere. For dependable protection from mosquito bites, especially when traveling or anywhere mosquito-borne illness is a concern, choose a repellent registered with the Environmental Protection Agency and follow its label. The EPA offers a tool for finding one at epa.gov, and your doctor can answer questions about what is right for your family.

    Handling both oils with care

    Lemongrass and citronella essential oils are potent, and both can irritate the skin, lemongrass in particular. A few guidelines:

    • Never apply either oil undiluted. Use a low dilution in a carrier oil and try a small patch first.
    • Keep them away from the eyes and wash your hands after handling.
    • Use them sparingly in a diffuser. A drop or two blended with a softer oil, such as lavender or sweet orange, goes a long way.
    • Keep oils out of reach of children and pets, and ask your veterinarian before diffusing around animals.
    • Talk with your doctor before using them if you are pregnant, nursing or have a health concern.

    Used thoughtfully, these two grasses offer a little bit of the tropics on a Georgia summer evening: a stalk simmering in a pot of soup, a candle flickering on the table and that bright, green scent drifting across the yard.