I thought I should tell you a little about my daughter's hay fever history so that you can understand how well this is working for us. Obviously I cannot speak for how it will work for anybody else and I do not intend this to be advice, but rather me sharing what is working for her. Before we started eating LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) Lucy's hay fever was a constant problem for 5 or 6 months of the year. She was using a nasal spray preventer daily , lubricating drops for dry eyes, anti-histamine drops and tablets (we were needing those more often every year, probably several times a week in the end). When we changed to eating LCHF her symptoms reduced by 90% the next hayfever season (it is an anti-inflammatory way of eating so it makes sense as hayfever is all about inflammation). This October when we headed off on our first caravan adventure on the mainland, Lucy started having hayfever again, quite badly (red, swollen, sore and itchy eyes, sneezing, runny nose) and we had to go and stock up on all old medication she hadn't used for two years. It must have been due to all of the grasses and pollens her body wasn't used to. In the last few days of our trip it was so bad (despite the medication) that we went to a pharmacy and were told she was on almost everything they could give us apart from using Phenergan which would likely make her sleep (really fun when you're on holidays!!!) The only other advice the pharmacist gave (he also suffered from hayfever) was to wash her face and hands in water every time we stopped driving to wash all the pollens off her face and hands (which she would then rub in her eyes). That was great advice, and we still do that now.
We were only going to be home for three weeks (just long enough to pack the November order) before we were heading off to the mainland again to drive to Adelaide for my Grandpa's 100th birthday. I was desperate to find some alternative to all the drug I had to give her the last time. I researched for hours on whether there were any essential oils that could help with hay fever symptoms. Everywhere I read talked about Lavender and Peppermint essential oils (which I already had) being great for hay fever and many times German Chamomile was also mentioned. I ordered some German Chamomile while we were home and mixed her up a bottle to take with us. I took her medication as well, feeling a bit sceptical about how successful it would be. The best I had hoped for was that I would need to use the medication less often. While we were away I applied several drops of the mixture using my fingers (as described below the recipe). We managed the whole ten day trip without any medication, and we went plenty of places there were allergens (including hay being baled). More details below of our routine and what we did when she had a reaction. The oils themselves will cost a little bit to get started, but you will find there are endless other uses for them as well. We would have spent that much money in a year or two on hay fever medication and been pumping her body full of all that medication! Since we have been home (the last three weeks) everyone has been baling hay and with her body already on high alert from our trip away things haven't settled down completely. We aren't using the oils every day now, just whenever she experiences symptoms. I've been taking it with me everywhere we go in a little cooler bag so that it doesn't get hot. We've found lots of other uses for this mix while we've been using it. It works as a fly and mosquito repellent, we've also found it clears up the eczema on Lucy's arms (plus any other rashes we have occasionally) and it helps clear your nose when you have a cold (you can also rub it on your chest and the back of your neck for a cough. Peppermint can also help with headaches and Lavender can help you go to sleep (or your kids!)
**** Update - The above info was written in December 2016 and Lucy's hayfever symptoms have reduced further over the last year and a half. We never use medication anymore, in fact, we don't even own any. Lucy can manage it all herself using the steps below. We are finding that she is having fewer reactions and less severe as time goes on. This is in contrast to when we were using normal medication her hayfever got worse every year. Not sure if that is a coincidence but that's certainly what has happened.
Recipe
10 drops organic pure Lavender essential oil
10 drops organic pure Peppermint essential oil
3 drops organic pure German Chamomile essential oil (I read that small number of people with allergies can have a hay fever reaction to Chamomile, so I would suggest mixing up a small batch first just to test it out before mixing up a whole bottle or substitute it for Basil, Eucalyptus or Tea Tree which are also reported to be effective for hay fever.
Almond Oil or other carrier oil such as Avocado oil, Jojoba oil, Rose Hip oil, Fractionated Coconut oil
Essential Oil Bottle 25ml with dripolator cap for easy dispensing
Method
Drop essential oils straight into bottle, carefully almost fill the rest of the bottle with almond oil (or other carrier oil) making sure you leave room to shake the bottle to mix. Replace the cap and shake.
How we use it
We rub this on her nose and across her cheeks (avoiding the eye area) and under her nose as well as getting her to breathe in with the open bottle under her nose if we know we are going to be somewhere that she is likely to have a reaction and have found it actually works for her. If she is having a reaction (puffy, red, sore, itchy eyes) we first get her to wash her face with water (to get rid of the pollens on her face and hands). We then rub the oil in as described above and also on her forehead, as well as breathing in the scent from the bottle. A couple of times she had a really bad reaction where she obviously had an allergen in her eye and we used an eye bath from the chemist ($1.50) to wash her eyes out as well. We have managed to get through the hay fever season since starting this treatment without any hayfever medication (having previously been using antihistamine drops and tablets regularly).
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