Aromatherapy » Almond

Essential Oils Recipes

Jennifer — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:48:28 +0000

Recipe to Make Your Own Essential Oil

Essential oils are the oils obtained from plants by various methods, such as distillation. They are called essential oils because it carries a distinctive scent, or essence, of the plant. The use of essential oils has a history dating back at least a thousand years and has been used for medicinal uses, skin care and aromatherapy.

If you are fortunate enough to have an herb and/or flower garden, or have access to fresh cut herbs and flowers, you can make your own essential oils quite easily. Sweet almond oil with Vitamin E will be the base of all your essential oils. Vitamin E will act as a natural preservative. You essential oils will last 6 to 12 months if kept in a dark, dry, and cool place. Remember to sterilize your containers and start with clean utensils.

Ingredients: Day 1, Repeat for days 2 through 4

1/2 Cup Sweet Almond Oil
couple of drops of vitamin E
1 Cup packed fresh herbs OR 1/4 cup chopped fruit peel, such as orange, grapefruit, lime, lemon, etc. or 1cup freshly cut flowers. Rinse herbs, fruit or flower petals thoroughly.

Day 1
Every day for four days place 1 cup of flowers or 1/4 cup herbs or chopped fruit peel in the plastic bag.

Close the bag securely and lightly tap the materials in the bag. Do not beat them to a pulp, as this is a gentle process.

Add the sweet almond oil and the flowers, herbs or citrus peel into one wide mouth glass jar. Close and shake gently to distribute the almond oil thoroughly. Place bottle in warm place.

Day 2:
Transfer the materials in the jar into a cheesecloth or gauze and strain the oil into the second glass jar. Squeeze as much as possible to extract all the oils. Discard material.

Day 3, Repeat Day 1

Day 4, Repeat Day 2

On the 4th day, when all oils have been extracted into jar 2, strain the oil one last time. Pour into pretty bottle

Below are some fun recipes.

Scented Rocks (A Nice Alternative to Potpourri)

1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup salt
1/4 tsp. essential oil in your favorite scent
2/3 cups boiling water
Food coloring, if desired

In bowl, mix dry ingredients well. Add essential oil and boiling water to dry ingredients. (Scent will be strong, but will fade slightly when dry.) For colored stones, blend in food coloring, one drop at a time, until desired shade is reached. Blend ingredients and form balls. Allow stones to dry. Place rocks in a bowl or dish to scent a room.

Oriental Nights Perfume

4 drops sandalwood
4 drops musk
3 drops frankincense
2 tsp. jojoba oil

Mix all the ingredients together and shake well. Allow perfume to settle for at least 12 hours. Store in a cool dry place.

Luscious Body Polisher

2 C. plain yogurt
1 T. wheat germ
1 T. honey
1 T. almond oil

Omit almond oil if skin is acne-prone. Mix all ingredients. Dampen skin in shower and massage mixture all over. Rinse with warm water. Rinse immediately with cold water to boost circulation.

Lemony Lavender Toner

3 drops lemon oil
3 drops lavender oil
3 teaspoons of distilled water

Use a soft cotton ball to massage mixture into the skin after cleansing. Follow with a moisturizer if desired.

Carol Belanger, author of 300+ Skin Care Recipes.

For wonderful homemade skin care recipes, including body scrubs, facial peels and masks, etc., visit Complete Skin Care Therapy

Essential Oils – A Holy Anointing Recipe For Christmas

What’s in a holy anointing recipe? Essential oils and hopefully therapeutic grade essential oils are the ONLY ingredients. I have thought about this in regards to a “spiritual” recipe for aiding you in your holiday celebrations particularly spiritual celebrations honoring the birth of the Christ child. Let’s first look in the Bible. There are only a few oils that the biblical writers deemed holy enough to call them “holy.” They are frankincense, myrrh, spikenard, galbanum and onycha. There are actually 35 different plants named by name in the scriptures but only these five got the special designation of holy. Of these five, only frankincense and myrrh have traditionally been used by churches in their incense.

A Recipe for Anointing

Frankincense will lend a particularly holy fragrance to your recipe and the myrrh will give a musky tinge to the body of the blend. Galbanum is actually a wonderfully earthy oil and will add a bit of grounding to the recipe. Onycha is styrax benzoin and can render a sweet vanilla-bean like fragrance to the recipe. Should you choose to add the spikenard, I would do so very sparingly since it is in the valerian family of plants and will give a “dirty socks” kind of aroma to your blend.

So here is the recipe:

12 drops of frankincense

6 drops of myrrh

2 drop of galbanum

1 drop of onycha (optional)

1 drop of spikenard (optional)

To use this blend for anointing in a spiritual service, I would add it to 1 teaspoon of virgin olive oil. Better yet, I would add it to a clear vegetable oil since olive oil tends to be greasy. You can use jojoba oil or fractionated coconut oil or almond oil. This will make about a 50% dilution. If you want to diffuse this blend rather than use it as an anointing oil, then don’t add the vegetable oil since it will clog up your diffuser. Just diffuse the frankincense/myrrh/galbanum mixture. The fragrance will give an “old world” kind of churchy aroma.

Essential Oils – Creating Another Festive Anointing Recipe For Christmas

Christmas is a beautiful season to celebrate with healing fragrances such as those described in the Bible. There are several references to anointing with “myrrh, aloes, and cassia.” Psalm 45:8 and “I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.” Proverbs 7:17

These are actually quite exotic fragrances and when put together in a blend can be very powerful physically and spiritually. At Christmas the fragrance of spices fill our homes, why not our churches as well?

First let’s examine the healing properties of these single oils.

Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha) was mentioned between 14-16 times depending on your Bible translation. This was the midwives oil in the Old Testament since it was used in childbirth to prevent infection. There are several references to its use for skin conditions, oral hygiene and embalming. Women believed it preserved a youthful look and is found today in some of the more expensive face creams. It is anti-infectious, antiviral, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, hormone-like and it supports the immune system. Myrrh is used for emotional releasing since it has a gentle calming effect and can instill deep tranquility, inner stillness and peace.

Aloes is actually the ancient name for Sandalwood (Santalum album). The sandalwood tree is actually a parasitic tree that grows off the roots of other trees. It was Nicodemus in the New Testament who came bringing a “mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds” to embalm the body of Jesus. John 19:39 Sandalwood proved to be a great assistance in meditation and was considered an aphrodisiac. This is one of the oldest oils known for its spiritual qualities. It too is excellent for skin care and it enhances deep sleep. For the mind and spirit it can be clarifying and stilling.

Cassia (Cinnomomum cassia) is related to cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) but is much sweater in its fragrance. Traditionally the ancient world used both cassia and cinnamon as ingredients in the holy anointing oil given to Moses and considered cassia and cinnamon as “oils of gladness” and “oils of joy” since they both have mood elevating effects. Cinnamon is the stronger of the two oils and tends to be harsh by comparison. Both are highly antibacterial, antiviral, anti-fungal and immune system builders.

Creating the Recipe

To create an anointing oil, be sure to use only therapeutic grade oils. Perfume oils can have alcohols, extenders and artificial fragrance. Myrrh and sandalwood are very gentle and can be used on the body without diluting. This is not true for either cassia or cinnamon which are both high in aldehydes and can burn the skin when used alone and not diluted. Since we will be adding enough myrrh and sandalwood to our blend recipe, it is not necessary to dilute with a vegetable oil unless you are creating an anointing oil for a healing service or Christmas service. In that case you can add the oils to a teaspoon of carrier oil like almond, jojoba or other vegetable oil.

12 drops of myrrh
10 drops of sandalwood
2-3 drops of cassia

Want to learn more about anointing with healing oils? I’d like you to claim your free instant access to a Special Report on Five Biblical Oils when you subscribe to my free short ezine newsletter on energy healing and aromatherapy at http://www.ISHAhealing.com

This Free Report includes descriptions of myrrh and sandalwood. Look for the subscriber box on the left-hand side of the page.

The Institute of Spiritual Healing and Aromatherapy teaches classes throughout the United States on both aromatherapy and energy (spiritual) healing. I’d like to invite you to explore our educational offerings.

From Linda L. Smith, Director of the Institute of Spiritual Healing & Aromatherapy, a national program in Christian healing.

The Effects of Almond Essential Oil

Author — Sun, 18 May 2008 20:31:30 +0000

There are literally hundreds of different essential oils that you can choose from, but by far the effects of the almond essential oil are some of the greatest. Almond essential oil is extracted from the bitter almond and is most commonly used in the practice of aromatherapy. Almond oil is actually known as being a carrier essential oil, which is one of the oils that help to carry the essential oil into the skin.

Almond oil application is the best therapy for conditioning the skin and reviving its natural glow, and as well it helps by improving the complexion and taking years off of your appearance.

General Information

Almond essential oil is an excellent emollient because it helps to soften and smooth the skin, and as well it helps to relieve irritation, inflammation and itching. It is also a great lubricant and helps the skin to balance water loss and absorption of moisture, meaning that it will not make the skin too dry or too oily.

Almond essential oil is fantastic for protecting the surface of the skin, even in summer from the harmful UV rays of the sun. It is also suitable for all skin types, even sensitive and allergen prone skin, and can even be used on children.

Uses

There are a few different ways that you can use almond essential oil, with the most popular choice being to apply it directly onto the skin. This is not something that can be done with all essential and carrier essential oils, as most are too strong and potent and would have an undesirable effect on the skin if applied on its own.

Benefits

The benefits of almond oil are truly incredulous, and this includes the fact that it is all natural, that it helps to soften and soothe the skin without clogging the pores, helps to boost the vitality of the skin, and how it nourishes the skin and works great as a massage medium.

There are various other essential oils that you can use as well and it is important that you determine what type of effects you are looking for and which scents you prefer, as this will help you to decide on the particular oil that is going to be most suitable. You may also want to speak to an aromatherapy professional who is specially trained and knowledgeable in the practice of aromatherapy and can help you choose the right products.

Dangers Associated with Bitter Almond Essential Oil

Author — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:40:17 +0000

Use bitter almond essential oil with care; it is a powerful essential oil. These days, many people are familiar with the features and benefits of essential oil therapy. Whether used in aromatherapy or applied directly to the skin via an essential oil body spray or during a massage, essential oils can promote relaxation, cooling, stress relief, and harmonic balance of the mind, body, and spirit.

Problems with Bitter Almond Essential Oil

Bitter almond essential oil, however, brings a note of controversy to the essential oil industry. Many reputable manuals on how to use essential oils, and many massage practitioners; believe that bitter almond essential oil should not be used under any circumstances because it is toxic in its undiluted or under-diluted form.

Bitter almond essential oil contains cyanide, which is a deadly substance when it is released in gaseous form. Since aromatherapy works when we inhale the aerosol or gaseous form of essential plant oils, it comes as no surprise that inhaling cyanide is not recommended to promote harmonic balance and healthy.

Other essential oils that should never be used for aromatherapy include wormwood oil, pennyroyal oil, onion oil, camphor oil, horseradish oil, wintergreen oil, rue oil, and sassafras oil. Some extremely skilled and well trained aromatherapy practitioners may elect to use bitter almond essential oil for therapeutic uses under some limited circumstances, but, as the saying goes, “Kids, don’t try this at home.”

Bitter almond essential oil contains prussic acid, whose active components are benzaldehyde and hydrocanic acid. Ingestion of just 7.5 ml of bitter almond extract has resulted in human death. This is nothing to play around with.

Synthetic Oil

In spite of the dangers associated with bitter almond essential oil, consumers continue to demand the scent of almonds in their essential oils. Therefore, oil distillers have responded to their requests and provided “bitter almond” essential oil marketed under the bitter oil name but being derived instead from cherry pits.

Some of the procedures used to produce synthetic oils for soap, candles, and perfumes involve high technology methods like gas chromatography, mass spectroscopy, and rotary vapor extraction methods.

Bitter almond oil is also marketed under a term known as “Nature Identical,” meaning that the natural aroma of the oil has been synthetically or naturally reproduced without the toxic element – prussic acid, in the case of bitter almond essential oil.

Consumers who want the soothing, refreshing aroma of almonds in their homes, their soaps, their candles, or their essential oil body sprays are going to have to settle for artificial bitter almond oil scent. Anything else is poison.

The Effects of Almond Essential Oil

Author — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 08:14:57 +0000

General Information

Uses

Benefits