Did You Know Basil Could Be Used For …

89. Repelling mosquitoes? Place a handful of fresh basil leaves into a glass measuring cup. Pour four ounces of boiling water over the basil. Let the leaves steep for two to four hours. The water will have a pleasant basil smell. Squeeze the basil leaves to get out as much of the liquid as possible. Pour the liquid into a spray bottle. Add four ounces of vodka to the spray bottle. Shake gently to mix the contents. Apply this all-natural insect repellent by spraying it on your skin. Be sure to spray it where you’d like to repel mosquitoes … they may end up biting on skin that’s not covered in the basil mixture.

(By the way, my family’s been using this mosquito repellent all summer long and I LOVE it. There’s a funky scent when you add the vodka to the steeped basil water, but it quickly disappears. When it’s cool enough to spray on your skin, there’s virtually no scent at all. And there’s absolutely no sticky residue like typical mosquito sprays. Check out other mosquito deterrents here.)

90. Relieving headaches? Essential basil oil is known to have an anti-inflammatory effect, making it ideal for headache relief. Simply add a drop or two of essential basil oil to a vaporizer and inhale the natural headache relief.

91. Easing cramps? If you’re experiencing soreness due to muscular or menstrual cramps, try taking a warm bath with essential basil oil added to the bathwater.

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