Essential oils for travel

Many of us will be traveling over the festive season - if we aren't caught up in the UK airport debacle.

Obviously, it's not practical to take your whole aromatherapy kit along with you, and I broadly agree with the suggestions by Glen Swatman in his blog post http://glenswatman.blogspot.com/2010/12/4-aromatherapy-oils-i-would-not-travel.html

Clove oil is usually recommended strictly for professional use, but if you restrict its use to the ones mentioned in Glen's article you will be fine.

Herbal Medicine from Your Garden magazine issue 2 out now

If you're interested in natural healing, then you should find the second issue of Herbal Medicine from Your Garden magazine worth a look. This one covers store cupboard herbs like parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme and the rest. You'll find it here: http://www.magcloud.com/browse/Issue/134835

If you missed issue 1, which covered how to make all the different types of remedy from standard infusion to poultice, you can get that on the same page. Just scroll down to "other issues" to find it.

Normally priced at $4.95 each, issue 2 is currently on offer for just $3.95 and issue 1 for $4.15 in MagCloud's Holiday Sale.

Too late for delivery in time for Christmas

If you live in Scotland (and likely other places as well), the recent bad weather has screwed up the postal service, along with other carriers, so royally that the local radio station has warned that if you don't order today, you won't get your order in time for the big day - whether that's Christmas for you or one of the other festivals held around this time of year. Given that usually, you can order right up to the 22nd and still expect delivery in most cases, this is bad news.

However, with some basic aromatherapy supplies that you may already have to hand, you can make a decent present in good time, that will impress the socks off many friends and relatives. No need to confess that the only reason you did it was because you didn't order in time!

Go to http://guidetoaromatherapy.org/make-an-aromatherapy-gift-bath-and-body-oil/ to find out more.

Vitamin C earns its spurs

This has nothing to do with aromatherapy, but everything to do with health.

I came across an article which is talking about how a man was saved from death AND leukemia by vitamin C!

Sounds incredible? Take a read: http://www.healthypages.co.uk/newsitem.php?news=6412

Aromatherapy to help you relax

"The health benefits of essential natural oils were known to mankind since historic times and the beauty and composure of many queens and royals were attributed to the amazing properties of these natural oils" from an article by Kelly Price on Articlesbase.

The most well known use for aromatherapy is as a relaxation aid, but it has many more uses. In a diffuser, as well as improving the atmosphere, many essential oils are helpful for asthma, COPD and other respiratory disorders, including colds and flu. You can get similar results by adding a few drops to the bath water just before getting in.

Adding certain essential oils to a carrier oil makes a product that is as good for skin care as many proprietary products, but almost certainly cheaper. Other oil blends are used for treating circulatory disorders, rheumatic pain and many other problems.

All in all, aromatherapy is much more than just a way to relax.

Rosacea? Aromatherapy and other natural methods help

If you've been swallowing quantities of antibiotics to solve a problem with rosacea, it might be time to think about trying a natural remedy. Antibiotics can cause health problems, especially with the gut, and taking them frequently also reduces their effectiveness when you really need them, so it's best to avoid them if you can.

This article from Natural News discusses various treatments in the natural pharmacopea, and essential oils are right up there at the top of the list. Why not give them a try.

Lemons

"Lemon tree very pretty
And the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon
Is impossible to eat"

Every time I think about lemons, this song from my childhood pops back into my memory, so I thought I would just share that with you!

Of course, the lyrics are totally wrong. I know tequila fans used to (may still do) eat lemons with salt when drinking their favorite tipple. So that's that, then. And, of course, you can make a quite delicious home made lemonade (totally different, much better than the see through sugary stuff you get in stores labeled "lemonade") by boiling some lemons with a couple of tablespoons (that's 25 grams if you've gone metric) of sugar and half a pint (225ml - I'm using UK pints here, so the US equivalent of that would be 1.25 US cups) of water per lemon. You need to use the zest and flesh of the lemons, throw away the white pith in between or it spoils the taste.

The essential oil of lemon is very safe. Visit this page to find out what you can use lemon oil for. And if you're interested in other things to do with lemons or lemon juice, this page should be interesting.

A little knowledge...

Proving the old adage that "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" is a supposedly scientific study of the efficacy of aromatherapy carried out by Ohio State University.

Researchers taped cotton balls of lemon essential oil or lavender essential oil underneath human guinea pig's noses! and were surprised that this had no effect on their immune systems. It's almost as ludicrous as wearing an aspirin around your neck to combat headaches, but even so, it's been reported with a straight face as "proving" that aromatherapy doesn't work.

It's obvious from the design of the experiment that the researchers involved didn't bother to find out how aromatherapy works. Instead, they leapt to the conclusion (as many lay people do at first) that the term aromatherapy means that smelling something pretty makes you well.

In fact, as you'll know if you're a regular reader, it is the complex mixture of volatile components which carry scent along with them - not the scent itself - that is therapeutic. These elements are absorbed into the body mostly through the skin (or in the case of certain symptoms they may indeed be breathed in, but significantly these weren't tested for).

It's almost as if the people who set the study up were deliberately trying to find a way to bring aromatherapy into disrepute. They didn't test for effectiveness in emotional, mood and respiratory complaints, where their methodology might have had some chance of working, but for a boost to the immune system, which requires absorption.

Hmm. Big Pharma anybody?

History of Aromatherapy

Just found this really interesting page about the history of aromatherapy. Although the term ArolmaTherapy was only coined in the 20th century, the practice of using fragrances goes back at least to ancient Egypt, and perhaps as far back as ancient China.

Hope you enjoy it: http://www.aromaweb.com/articles/history.asp

How to use up old essential oils

There are times when we all get a bit over-enthusiastic about something new. I remember many years ago when I subscribed to an aromatherapy publication that offered a free bottle of (low quality, diluted) essential oil with every issue. I ended up with dozens of bottles of the stuff, many with fragrances I didn't like and purposes I had no need for.

Many of them, of course, ended up being binned (though now I look back, it would probably have been better to have at least recycled the bottles, which were good quality brown glass).

I've also bought individual bottles of essential oil - this time the real 100% pure essential oil that you need if you're serious about aromaTherapy - not used them up before they were past their best, and then not really known what to do with them.

Now I know.

The more pleasant smelling ones can just be used as an ambient fragrance in an oil diffuser (this much I worked out for myself). Though they may not have much in the way of therapeutic value, they can raise your mood just by making the place smell nice. But some oils don't smell nice enough to be used in this way, unless you LIKE your home to smell like a hospital or a church.

When I was researching some detail for my article on the uses of tea tree oil recently, I came across a mention of a treatment to remove that musty smell you sometimes get on fabrics that have been stored in a damp place: Add 2 teaspoons of tea tree oil (old oil is fine) to 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. Use to spray the smelly item, and leave it to air for 2-3 days. When you come back, you should find the smell is gone for good - at least unless you put it back in the same damp cupboard.

You can use a similar mixture as a general disinfectant, only this time use 25 ml of tea tree oil to each 2 cups of water. This is approximately a 5% dilution, and is strong enough to tackle even MRSA! Lavender aromatherapy oil can also be used in a similar way, though I've seen no research on its effectiveness with this particular bug.

If you're interested in other home made cleaners, you might find this article interesting: Avoid Toxic Household Cleaners by Making Your Own for Pennies

Aromatherapy Product Recall

In case this hasn't reached you yet, there is an active product recall for the following item, which is apparently sold as a toy: JAKKS Pacific(r) Spa Factory(tm) Spa Fantasy Aromatherapy Fountain & Bath Benefits Kits which were sold at Sam’s Club, Walmart, Target and other stores nationwide from August 2008 for between $13 and $50 and still available in some stores.

The kits have jars that may explode due to buildup of pressure. Full details here: http://brusimm.com/2010/10/16/consumer-alert-product-recall-of-childrens-toy-...

Personally, I think that selling a kit targeted at children is a bad idea in any case, but if this is done, it should at least be safe. This just underlines my opinion that aromatherapy should be used with care.

Look after your health and Say No to GMO

This is just such a great rap about the dangers of genetically modified food that I had to share it with you:

What to do now:

1. Pass this video on to your friends on Twitter, Facebook, Buzz, whatever and ask them to pass it on to their friends, and their friends...
2. Read labels whenever you buy food to check it's safe for you and your family

Watercress - the amazing new anti-cancer "drug"

I have to admit that watercress has never been a favorite of mine. I blame it on my childhood. My dad was a chef, and watercress only ever appeared as a garnish on the side of the plate. You weren't supposed to eat it, and the only time I tried, I wasn't at all impressed.

But it turns out I should have left the creamy sauces on the plate and munched on the garnish instead - according to an article published today. Apparently watercress has the amazing ability to "turn off" breast cancer - most likely it will work for other cancers as well, but the study was only focused on cancer of the breast.

Coincidentally, I recently did a post on my herb site about watercress, including some useful information you need to know before using it medicinally. For example, did you know that there are 3 types of watercress, and only one of them is worth eating from a health point of view? Shops might sell another kind, a hybrid plant (grows fast, which makes it cheap, but doesn't have the same constituents that make it do the job). To be sure of getting the type that will help fight cancer, you really need to grow your own - which isn't hard. See my article Watercress health benefits.

Natural anti-aging

I know lots of us are interested in fighting aging - who wants to get old, right? And today I've been reading a couple of articles about natural ways to achieve this - one from China and one from chiropractic care.

The first one is Chinese mushroom found to have powerful anti-aging benefits and the chiropractic article is Reverse Aging with Chiropractic Care

Juniper and Rose essential oils are often used to treat mature skin, and Neroli essential oil for broken veins, but the information in these articles seems to be on a whole other level.

Use aromatherapy from head to toe

Most people are familiar with the use of aromatherapy oils for hair treatments. But it's true to say that aromatherapy can be used from head to toe - and an article I came across about aromatherapy for the feet illustrates that perfectly.

Please bear in mind that although it's one of the safer treatments you should also take into account the points in my guide to aromatherapy safety

Having said that, here's the link to the article: caring for your feet is essential

Aromatherapy books

I'm always on the lookout for new aromatherapy books - well, not necessarily new, but new to me at least.

Having said that, it's easy enough for some clown to pull together a load of uninformed nonsense, add a few images and release it as a new guide to aromatherapy. I don't want to waste my hard-earned cash on trash.

So I was pleased to find a page on Healthy Pages where members have contributed their suggestions for the best aromatherapy books on the market. You can't get much better in this area than a recommendation by an aromatherapist, after all.

If you'd like to check it out, you'll find it here.

If you're in New York in November...

Take the opportunity to book The Art of Aromatherapy, more details:

Aroma Therapy - what exactly is it?

In a way it's a real pity that aromatherapy uses fragrant extracts.

Over the last few months I've been spending quite a lot of time trying to source good quality essential oils. For therapeutic purposes, it's important to use 100% pure essential oils, and though this might not seem too difficult the problem is that there are so many companies who seem to be under the illusion that it's the fragrance that's important, and not the purity. This couldn't be further from the truth.

And this is the problem. A large proportion of the oils sold as "aromatherapy oils" or "essential oils" are really nothing of the sort. They are fragrances which are oil based, and that's about as far as it goes.

But AromaTherapy is not just pleasant smells that make you feel good. It's not woowoo. It's a healing therapy that happens to use oils which are naturally fragrant.

Essential oils - real essential oils, I mean, which are extracted correctly and 100% pure, not adulterated with other things to make them smell nice, cheaply - are plant extracts. Yes, many of them smell absolutely delicious, but their properties aren't contained in the scent, as such. Those healing properties are in the components which make up the oil, which come from the plant, and may or may not be directly involved in producing the scent.

If you're using essential oils for aroma therapy, you should regard the scent as more of a mnemonic than anything else. Just as ancient herbalists used to associate the look of plants with their properties (and ignorant modern day doctors assume that they decided the properties by the look, rather than vice versa), just as Every Good Boy Deserves Fun doesn't mean that only obedient children should practise their scales, the scent is an incidental property (which can serve to remind us of the purposes to which a particular oil can be put) not the whole thing.

Candles and tarts (flameless candles), reed diffusers and joss sticks cannot be relied on to provide healing. They may smell nice, but they are unlikely to do more than scare away a few insects, make your bathroom smell more savory or lift your mood. They are not therapeutic items.

Aromatherapy has become a bit of a minefield because of profiteers and plain ignorance. If you're serious about using essential oils for healing, you need to bear this in mind.

OK. Rant over. You can go back to what you were doing now.  :-)

Citrus Essential Oils in the Home

Citrus essential oils have a natural antiseptic property, which explains why cleaning materials based on orange, for example, started to come onto the market a decade or so ago. They smell a lot nicer than some of the things used in other cleaning products, as well, and it's very unlikely that you will come to any harm using them (unless you're allergic, of course), which can't be said about certain chemicals commonly used around the home.

I came across this article which contains 3 recipes for household use of citrus essential oils, and I thought I would pass it on. You'll find it here: http://www.aromahead.com/blog/2010/09/21/citrus-essential-oils-three-great-recipes-for-fall/

So far as using citrus oils on the body goes, it's worth pointing out that they often cause photosensitivity - so it's best to avoid spending much time in strong sunlight - or to cover the area you've treated if you intend to do so. Of course, the sun is becoming weaker now in the Northern hemisphere, unless you live quite close to the equator, but it's something to bear in mind for the summer time.

Even more ways to benefit from aromatherapy

I only recently found out about a new type of diffuser for essential oils called a reed diffuser (or a stick diffuser, as the Gold Canyon rep calls them in this video). These are easy to find online from quite a number of suppliers, and in general come with a particular fragrance which you choose at the time of purchase to provide permanent room fragrance, rather than for therapeutic use. You can also buy refills.

Once you've set them up they will release fragrance continually for up to a year so they would be ideal for making sure your bathroom or other rooms about the house stay fresh smelling. As they are being used purely for ambience it's not so essential to ensure that you are buying 100% pure essential oil, as I usually advise.

Lavender for academic excellence?

According to research at Muhammadiyah University in Indonesia "Lavender’s scent has proved to stimulate students' cognitive senses, therefore improve their ability to concentrate". Yet another use for this amazing plant, though the method suggested doesn't use the essential oil, but lavender plants in pots placed strategically. Still there's no reason why you couldn't use a few drops of lavender essential oil in a diffuser to similar effect, as 100% pure essential oil will have exactly the same properties.

Here's the link to the full article: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/09/11/lavender-aromatherapy-can-improve-academic-performance-research.html

Essential Oils aren't just for medicine

Wow! This article in Australian magazine Electronics News is amazing!

It talks about how researchers in the electronics field are experimenting with using essential oils to make upcoming consumer products like "roll out screens" for e-readers using essential oils as an "essential" component. Who'd have thought it?

One thing that's disturbing about it is that the oil that seems to work best so far is Tea Tree oil which can only be sourced from Australia, as so far as I know the tree concerned won't grow anywhere else. Supplies are already a bit limited, and if they start using it on products that are sold to millions of people, this can only get worse.

Let's hope they find another essential oil that is more easily sustainable.

Buying 100% pure essential oil

You already know how important it is that you always buy 100% pure essential oil - because other oils are adulterated with chemicals, and others may be too dilute and therefore not therapeutically useful. It's a problem that so many people advocate "essential oils" for purely aromatic purposes - a room scent or even a perfume. Because of this, many suppliers have appeared who sell what I wouldn't class as real essential oil - but they are labelled as such. In stores, it's not unusual to find these substandard products on sale.

So how do you get the good stuff? I recommend Starwest Botanicals (click on Essential Oils in the left hand sidebar). They have a great range of oils in sizes from 1/3 ounce up to a gallon.

Home made insect repellent

A very quick video about making your own insect repellent.

How to use Lavender Aromatherapy Oils on the skin

Lavender Aromatherapy Oils are so useful, I've already written 2 posts about them, and I'm not done yet. I keep thinking "one more post will do it" but then I realize I've gone on for about as long as anybody can stand, and there's still more to say,..

Anyway, for the latest instalment, head on over to: http://guidetoaromatherapy.org/essential-oils-guide-lavender-aromatherapy-oils-2/

Storing your Essential Oils

It's important to store your essential oils properly. These oils are not cheap, and if you don't look after them correctly, they will lose their efficacy far more quickly than otherwise. So I was pleased to find this post: http://essentialoilguide.info/storing-essential-oils/ which gives a good general explanation of the how and why.

The same post also mentions safety, and if you have any concerns about that, please refer back to my post about this: http://guidetoaromatherapy.org/guide-to-aromatherapy-safety/

Aromatherapy Blend to Lift your Spirits (Video)

Here's a quick video showing how to make a nice-smelling blend as a general mood enhancer for use as you go about your day. You'll see that the recipe uses 1 drop of essential oil to 1 teaspoon of carrier oil.

Making blends is very easy, as you can see, The main thing is that you choose the right oils to produce the desired effect, and that you ensure that oils you use together won't produce a jarring scent which might detract from their value.

YouTube - Videos from this email

Essential Oils Guide: Lavender Aromatherapy Oils 1

I've just posted the first of a series of articles about lavender aromatherapy oils.

You may not realize that there are several different types of lavender used in aromatherapy - not including cotton lavender, usually called Santolina in aromatherapy, which is completely unrelated. So this first piece is just about the differences between true lavender, spike lavender and another lavender oil called lavandin.

You'll find the post here: Essential Oils Guide: Lavender Aromatherapy Oils 1

Make your own bug repellent with essential oils

Here's a link to an interesting article on making bug repellent. There are quite a few essential oils mentioned, and different ways to use them.

As I say, it's interesting but there are a couple of things I need to point out:

-- clove essential oil is only suitable for use by professionals (except in toothache tincture which you buy ready made)
-- if you choose to use olive oil as your carrier, get the lightest you can get, or you will end up smelling like an olive
-- if you're making a big batch, remember it won't store for much longer than 6 months max. Put the mixture into a colored glass bottle and store it somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight, or it will last even less time

Having said that, here's the link:

http://www.azdailysun.com/news/local/article_cbb6b367-4a28-5480-ae19-f62299fd...

Make your own Aromatherapy Bath Salts

A nice clear demonstration of the subject. And another way to use your essential oils which isn't counted in the 15 different ways I outlined in Guide to Aromatherapy Methods

What is an Essential Oil?

I came across this video on YouTube. It's quite brief but it does explain the difference between a genuine essential oil and a perfume.



It's worth pointing out that there are perfume oils, which don't contain alcohol as a rule (they might make use of other preservatives like orris root). And there are essential oils which have no use in aromatherapy, but make good perfume.
Also, of course, it's assumed in the video that the essential oils are 100% pure - which may not be the case unless you buy from a reputable supplier. So it's important always to check the label (or published description online) to make sure it says that the contents are 100% pure. This point, and more, is covered in the overview on Guide to Aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy massage oil for stress

One of the most popular uses for aromatherapy is in massage oils. These have many uses, from muscle strain to stress relief. I found this video on YouTube explaining how to make a nice blend for stress using lavender, petitgrain and ylang ylang:

Of course, there are lots of different methods you can use, and massage is just one of them. I found no less than 15 different ways to use essential oils! They're listed in my Guide to Aromatherapy Methods. Hope you find it interesting.

Aromatherapy Methods

There are so many ways to use aromatherapy, from oil burners to baths, massages, compresses... Read all about them in the latest post on Guide to Aromatherapy.