Aromatherapy » Lavender

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.

Holiday Scents Boost Holiday Spirits

Jennifer — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:28:37 +0000

Tip: Add a festive scent to the fireplace by putting one or two drops of essential oils on the log.

What pops into your head when you think about holidays? Sugarplums? Or do you see yourself trying to balance work and family with gifts, baking and parties?

You’re not alone. But there is a way to both enhance the holidays and comfort yourself during a hectic holiday season — aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy uses pure essential oils to relax, balance and rejuvenate. And some scents can do the double duty of creating a festive holiday atmosphere at the same time.

Surround Yourself With Seasonal Scents
Start with some scents to fill your rooms. Certain essential oils are ideal — clove, cinnamon, pine, fir needle, Texas cedarwood, cypress and juniper berry all lend cheer. Leading aromatherapy brand Aura Cacia even offers a special holiday blend, Orange Pomander, just for the season.

There are numerous options for diffusing the scents into the atmosphere of a room, such as simmering a blend of holiday cheer right on your stove top. Try filling a saucepan full of water and adding 10 drops cassia bark, 5 drops clove, 20 drops sweet orange, and 5 drops of vanilla.

Add a festive scent to the fireplace by putting one or two drops of essential oils on the log. Apply a drop and let it sit for a few minutes before putting the log into the fire. Some oils to try: frankincense, cypress, pine, fir, juniper berry and Texas cedarwood. Diffusing refreshing oils like peppermint and citrus may be just the thing to re-energize your family and guests after a big holiday meal.

And the tree — it’s the original source of holiday aromatherapy! Adding essential oils to the water in your tree stand is a quick way to diffuse holiday scents. Or spray an oil and water blend directly onto both natural and artificial trees for a fresh-cut aroma. Try 20 drops of pine, fir or juniper essential oil in a spritzer with 1 ounce of water.

Give Yourself a Break
You may find yourself on your feet for long periods during the holidays — shopping, cleaning or attending gatherings. To ease your fatigue, add a few drops of essential oil to your bath or try this foot soak:

Revitalizing Foot Soak
2 Tbsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. Epsom salts
1 Tbsp. sodium bicarbonate or baking soda
1 Tbsp. French white clay powder
12 drops lavender oil
2 drops peppermint oil
1 drop spearmint oil

When you get the chance to sleep or do some serous relaxing, treat yourself to jasmine or vanilla essential oils or a pre-blended nocturnal formula like Aura Cacia’s Pillow Potion.

Share the Gift of Aromatherapy
You can also enhance the holidays by treating your gift recipients to the power of aromatherapy. It’s a thoughtful and creative way to make your gifts truly personal. Offer a festive container filled with coarse sea salt and your favorite essential oil blend. It can be used in the bath, or displayed to scent the air. Try 20 drops of rose, 20 drops of lavender and 10 drops of neroli to about 2 cups of salt. A small pinch of baking soda makes the blend very softening to the skin. To make a bath salt fizz, add a bit of vitamin C powder.

Spritzers are fun gifts. Buy a glass or aluminum spray bottle, blend your favorite oils and add water. To create one with the holiday scent of an orange pomander, use these essential oils: 40 drops orange, 40 drops vanilla, 15 drops clove.

If you want to introduce friends to aromatherapy, give them an Aura Cacia Aromatherapy Deck — it’s filled with enough aromatherapy information and recipes to keep them busy until next Christmas.

For more ideas and recipes, check out www.auracacia.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Want to Relax? Try Pure Lavender Essential Oil

Jennifer — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 18:47:17 +0000

It seems that lavender, or the scent of it, is everywhere – candles, hand lotions, shampoo, bath gel, air freshener, even laundry detergent. It’s the most widely used and best-selling essential oil. Why is lavender so popular?

According to Tim Blakley, aromatherapy author and educator, pure lavender essential oils offer benefits for the body, mind and spirit. “Lavender provides a calming and soothing effect that can help relax the user. It’s also emotionally uplifting and stimulating if one is feeling overwhelmed, irritable or distracted,” he explains.

To benefit from lavender, make sure you’re using pure essential oil and not a synthetic fragrance. Check the product label and look for the words “Lavendula angustifolia.” There are other types of lavender essential oil, but they come from inferior hybrids that don’t produce the optimum benefits of pure Lavendula angustifolia.

Blakley says it’s important to know the difference between synthetic fragrances and pure essential oils. “Synthetic, petroleum-based lavender fragrances do not provide the same effect as essential oils. They simply imitate the scent,” he says. “Fragrances are extracted from petrochemicals, while essential oils are distilled from plants, which are sustainable and renewable. Because the imitation scents are more apt to trigger adverse reactions such as irritation, headaches and toxicity, they aren’t appropriate for use in aromatherapy. Unlike the synthetics, pure essential oils are both therapeutic and smell great. I recommend Aura Cacia essential oils because they are 100 percent pure.”

It’s easy to purchase pure lavender essential oil and use it for yourself and around the house. Most natural products and health food stores carry essential oils, such as Aura Cacia, which also offers a full line of lavender aromatherapy products, including massage, bath, body care and more. Here are a few simple ways to take advantage of the aromatherapy benefits of lavender.

For yourself:

* Touch a drop of lavender oil behind your ears to alleviate motion sickness.
* Rub a few drops of lavender oil on your pillow case to help you sleep.
* A drop of lavender oil on a bug bite helps take away the swelling and itch.
* Apply diluted lavender oil to chapped or damaged skin to protect and soothe it. Massage the oil around scar tissue to reduce the appearance of scars.
* Diluted lavender oil applied under the arms acts as an effective natural deodorant.
* To relax and soak away tension, add six to eight drops of lavender oil to bath water.
* If you’ve spent too many hours in the sun, help cool sunburn by mixing several drops of lavender oil into cool water then spritzing onto skin.
* To help relax, light a candle and allow to burn for a few minutes, then add several drops of lavender oil to the melted wax.
* When you’re feeling irritable or mentally distracted, place a couple of drops of lavender oil on a tissue and inhale the scent to regain mental balance.

For your home:

* Add a few drops of lavender oil to your laundry rinse cycle for great-smelling clothes or linens.
* To freshen bed linens between washings, add a few drops to a spray bottle filled with water and lightly mist pillows and sheets before climbing in.
* Add 10 drops of lavender oil to a box of baking soda, mix well and let sit for one to two days. Sprinkle on rugs and carpets, wait one hour and then vacuum. The carpets will be clean and the whole house will smell fantastic.
* Eliminate smelly shoes by adding a few drops of lavender oil to the inner soles.
* Moths and flies don’t like lavender oil. Sprinkle it on the outside of your window frames to create a virtual insect barrier.
* Lavender has antiseptic and antimicrobial properties that make it a great household cleaner. To clean tubs, sinks and toilets, sprinkle baking soda and four to six drops of lavender oil onto a sponge and scrub, rinsing the area well.

An excellent educational video with practical uses is available at www.auracacia.com. You can also purchase 100 percent pure lavender essential oil while you’re visiting the Web site.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Spring Cleaning — Keep it Pure and Simple

Jennifer — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 15:34:22 +0000

The best part of spring cleaning is opening the doors and windows to welcome fresh air and sunshine. Why not add to that spring freshness with natural cleaners?

Taken from the flowers, bark, leaves, and other parts of plants, essential oils are as natural as fresh air and sunshine. Many have their own properties as disinfectants, grease cutters and deterrents to pests — and they impart fresh and pleasing aromas that linger long after your chores are finished.

Natural cleaning products are increasingly available in stores, but you can also easily and economically make your own mixtures with just a few basic ingredients. Chances are some of these ingredients, such as baking soda, white vinegar and borax, are already in your cupboards. One hundred percent pure essential oils can be found at natural products stores or online at www.auracacia.com.

Homemade natural cleaning products are versatile; many can be used for a variety of tasks. Because essential oils are in a highly concentrated form, often only a few drops are needed for a solution that can take you through several cleaning cycles. Not only do you save money — your homemade cleansers will work just as well as commercially produced cleaners without harming the environment.

“Choices abound,” says Tom Havran, aromatherapy product developer. “From pine or lemon oil, whose essences suggest more traditional cleaning aromas, to tea tree and grapefruit, which people might not think of as cleaning ingredients.”

Not sure which oil to start with? Here are some of Havran’s suggestions:

* Pine is inexpensive and clean smelling. It is effective as both a disinfectant and deodorizer.

* Lavender has a pleasing scent, is anti-bacterial and deters insects such as moths.

* Tea tree oil has a sharp, spicy scent and is a good disinfectant and deodorizer.

* Lemon is fresh and clean smelling. It’s also acidic, providing antibacterial and antiseptic cleaning properties.

* Grapefruit has a clean and uplifting aroma that eliminates odors — even strong pet odors.

Making your own cleaning products with essential oils can be as simple as mixing 15 to 20 drops of any essential oil into a cup of baking soda, letting the mixture stand overnight so the oil can be absorbed, and then sprinkling the powder on carpet before you vacuum.

You can also make a quick and easy disinfecting toilet bowl cleanser by combining one cup of water, one-quarter cup of liquid castile soap and 20 drops of white thyme, lavender or lemon essential oil in a 22-oz. spray bottle.

Spring is a time of renewal that offers a perfect opportunity to replace chemical cleansers with pure and natural essential oils. Your whole family, including your pets, will benefit.

For more spring-cleaning formulas you can make yourself with essential oils visit www.auracacia.com/springcleaning. While you’re there, be sure to get more information about Aura Cacia’s live web chats with host Tim Blakley, and download previous chats to learn more about using essential oils that benefit you and your family, naturally.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

The Many Benefits of Organic Lavender Essential Oil

Author — Fri, 02 May 2008 10:28:13 +0000

Organic lavender essential oil is definitely different from other lavender essential oil without the “organic” label. It all boils down to the farmers and their growing practices of lavender and whether or not they adhere to the regulated agricultural organic practices of not using chemical pesticides and other non-natural ingredients in the growth of the herbs.

While regular lavender can be washed and treated to create perfectly fine essential oils, there is still the chance of trace contaminants. However, with strict organic practices, you do not have to worry about whether your organic lavender essential oil will have these chemical traces.

The Greatness of Lavender

One of the best things about lavender is its scent and versatility in its use in a number of products from shampoos to lotions. In addition, while other essential oils need to be blended with a carrier oil to be used safely, this is not the case with organic lavender essential oil. It is quite safe and definitely gentle enough to use undiluted because it will not harm the skin or cause any irritation.

Organic lavender essential oil is also best when you are treating skin conditions and digestive problems. While using regular lavender may be perfectly safe, why risk it when you know that organic lavender essential oil was created from herbs without harmful chemical pesticides? Because lavender has antiseptic properties in addition to being a minor analgesic and digestive aid, you want only the purest ingredients going on and into your body.

Children always end up with scrapes, bug bites and such and they tend to shy away from traditional treatments because they burn or smell bad. However, organic lavender essential oil is always a delight for them and they are much more likely to come to you for treatment of their occasional cuts, bites and even rashes. The lavender is soothing, smells good and actually works wonders with minor childhood problems whether it is ant bites or rash from poison ivy.

How to Use the Organic Form

Organic lavender essential oil is easy to use and there is usually no problem in its application whether internally or externally. For external applications such as cuts, bites or rashes, simply apply a few drops of the organic lavender essential oil onto a sterile cotton ball or pad and apply directly to the affected area. For internal issues such as flatulence, upset stomach or even minor diarrhea, add just a few drops into a glass of water or mild juice like apple and drink.

Of course, it goes without saying that you should always adhere to the instructions listed on the container of organic lavender essential oil. Your well being is important and while lavender is touted as safe for all ages, there is always a small chance of a reaction. Overall however, you can trust in organic lavender essential oil for many applications in your life from beauty to household to health uses.

Stress Reducing Aromatherapy Scents

Author — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 08:08:21 +0000

Aromatherapy has been practiced in different parts of the world for thousands of years. Ever since making it’s way to the Western world, it has been steadily gaining in popularity. As more people have been introduced to the positive effects of aromatherapy, the number of different aromatherapy scents available has increased as well. This ancient art has many tangible benefits for the body and mind, but here we will concern ourselves with the effects it can have on stress. Specifically, we’ll look at some of the best aromatherapy scents for relieving stress.

Lavender

This is most likely one of the first things that comes to mind when people think about aromatherapy scents. This widely popular scent comes from a plant that originated in France. In aromatherapy, the list of the benefits of lavender is quite long. It has long been used in many different forms as a calming agent. The flowery scent of lavender is believed to have the ability to soothe not only the mind and body, but also the spirit. Some have even claimed success using lavender as a remedy for insomnia.

Chamomile

Chamomile is another very popular aromatherapy scent. It’s calming properties are very well documented. It comes to us from Italy, and not only calms and relaxes, it has also been known to relieve various types of pain. Most people have probably heard of this herb in the form of tea. Many enjoy the relaxing effects of a cup of chamomile tea.

Ylang Ylang

This aromatherapy scent comes from a plant in Madagascar, and some say it reminds them of jasmine, which is also used for aromatherapy. Ylang ylang has a floral scent that is sweet and exotic. This scent has been known to reduce anger and relieve stress. In fact, it has been used in various parts of the world as an antidepressant. It can also be used to treat various conditions that may be the source of your stress in the first place, including acne, PMS, high blood pressure, and muscle spasms.

There are other aromatherapy scents that have become quite popular over the last few decades. Jasmine, bergamot, vanilla, sandalwood and rose are just a few examples of these. All of these fragrances are thought to have the ability to bring calm to the mind and spirit. Most of them have been proven to at least improve the mood of the user and relieve some of the stress they are feeling. Many times, these aromatherapy scents are used during various types of massage sessions for this very purpose. They are used to bring the recipient to the most relaxing state of mind possible. This way they can get the most out of their massage session.

Love Potions: How Essential Oils Can Improve Your Love Life

Jennifer — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 21:01:26 +0000

Whether you’re in a brand new relationship or a marriage that has lasted for decades, you can use aromatherapy to enhance the romance for your Valentine. A selection of fragrant essential oils can help create a passionate connection between you and your partner.

How do the aromas of essential oils impact romance? The olfactory lobe – the part of the brain that processes scent – is part of the limbic system, which is associated with emotion and the formation of memory. Tom Havran, aromatherapy specialist at Aura Cacia, says essential oils can be used to facilitate a wide range of moods — including romantic ones.

“There are a number of oils that lovers and aspiring lovers might find useful,” Havran says. “Depending on the situation, you might want to create a relaxing atmosphere, or a stimulating or sensual one — and essential oils are the perfect starting point.”

Essential oils have the potential to elicit romance on four different levels. Some oils offer calming effects that reduce anxiety and self-consciousness, thereby opening the path to intimacy. Other oils are known for their stimulating and inspiring properties and can impact the hormonal system directly, increasing sexual desire. Some oils have been used throughout history as sexual attractants — it’s said that Cleopatra, one of the most well known seductresses in history, used a variety of scents and essential oils to create an atmosphere of passion for her relationship with Marc Antony.

Here is Havran’s rundown of the most popular essential oils in each of these romantic categories:

Calming: geranium, clary sage, lavender, sweet marjoram
Stimulating: cardamom, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon bark
Arousing: neroli, rose otto, ylang ylang, rose absolute
Attracting: sandalwood, patchouli, jasmine, cedarwood

A good candidate for the “ultimate love oil” is vanilla essential oil — especially in combination with cocoa butter. “The vanilla and cocoa combination has a tradition as an irresistibly arousing scent that goes back at least to the Aztecs,” Havran says. “And, it has a strong appeal for both men and women.”

Whichever essential oils you choose, they will work best if you create an environment where emotional and sensual closeness can thrive. If you have children, for example, make arrangements with friends or grandparents to take them for the evening, so that you’ll have uninterrupted time to focus on one another. Draw a hot bath for your partner, adding a few drops of essential oil to the water, and light some candles around the tub. Pour a couple of glasses of wine, give your partner a heartfelt Valentine’s Day card, and your evening of romance will be under way.

Preserve the romantic feelings with essential oils as the night progresses. Keep the scents fresh by using an essential oil diffuser or placing a few drops on your pillows, your bed clothes, or on top of the light bulbs in your bedroom lamps. Or create your own special massage oil by combining a seductive essential oil like jasmine with a carrier oil such as almond oil.

Because essential oils are very concentrated, it takes only a few drops per tablespoon of carrier oil to derive their benefits. However, you should never apply essential oils directly to the skin – always dilute them first in water or a carrier oil such as almond, grapeseed, or jojoba. Some oils such as cinnamon bark and clove have the potential to be irritants and should not be used on the skin at all.

For more on creating your own love potions and how to inspire or rekindle the spirit of love with essential oils, join Aura Cacia’s online chat on February 6 at 7 p.m. CST. To join the chat or access information in advance, visit www.auracacia.com/chat. For more information on aromatherapy and a complete selection of pure, high-quality essential oils, visit www.auracacia.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

How to Make Lavender Essential Oil At Home

Jennifer — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 03:14:32 +0000

Learning how to make lavender essential oil at home can be a benefit to any household. Lavender essential oil has a plethora of uses. It has been used throughout history to protect the skin from infection, calm nerves, soothe headaches, decrease muscle pains, soothe light burns like sunburns, dull menstrual pain, and ease the symptoms of rheumatism. It is even gentle enough to be used on the tender skin of babies.

How To Grow Plants To Make Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender can be grown in many different climates as long it gets full sun and is well drained. Common lavender such as Lavendula angustifolia, Lavendula Vera, or Lavendula officinalis should be grown instead of the Lavendula stoechas, which does not have the right qualities for making lavender essential oil. The stems of the flower should be gathered right away after the flower has opened for maximum potency.

How To Use Plants To Make Lavender Essential Oil

Steaming the stems of the lavender flowers makes lavender essential oil. The vapor that is released from this steaming is stored in tanks and left to cool. The vapor becomes the essential oil during the cooling stage. So, to make lavender essential oil at home you will need an oil still of some kind. You can buy an essential oil still or you can make your own.

To make your own small oil still you will need:

An open flame, such as on a gas stove, or a campfire
A pot with a grate on top, such as a vegetable steamer to put the stems on
A condenser to collect the steam and cool it. This can be made of a coffee can, which covers the pot and stems, with a copper pipe connected to it. The pipe should be immersed in cold water to aid in the cooling of the vapor
A separator to separate the essential oil from the water vapor. You can buy essential oil separators to go on homemade stills at many essential oil stores.

Put enough filtered water in your still to last during the entire process. With a small homemade still, like the one above, the process will take around half and hour. With a larger still it can take up to six hours. Make sure the water doesn’t touch the lavender stems in the grate. Heat the water slowly on a low fire.

The stems can be stacked on top of one another as long as they do not touch the top part of the condenser. Also, make sure that the stems do not touch the edges of your water container.

Once the process is complete, collect the oil in clean bottles and store in a cool dry place.

Now you know how to make lavender essential oil.

Blame Aromatherapy On Lavender Essential Oil

Jennifer — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 03:17:33 +0000

In 1920’s France, the chemist Dr. Rene’ Gattefosse’ was burned in a cosmetics laboratory explosion. Since it was lavender essential oil he was studying, he plunged his burnt hand into it. The rest is aromatherapy history. His hand not only healed, but did not have the heavy scarring common from burn injuries. Curious as to what he’d stumbled onto, Dr. Gattefosse’ experimented more with essential oils derived from herbs, plants, resins, fruits and spices. He eventually wrote a book in 1928 about his findings. He titled it after the name he gave to this new kind of healing – Aromatherapy.

What’s Old Is New Again

The good French doctor was by no means the first person who used herbs, plants and essential oils to help minor ailments and alter moods. For millennia, shamans and healers had only nature to turn to for their drugstore. One Native American legend says it was by observing bears that man learned medicine. We owe a big debt to whatever bear showed whatever person the medicinal uses of lavender essential oil. What Dr. Gattefosse’ did was reintroduce an ancient healing art to the modern Western world.

Not Just Any Old Lavender

There are many species in the lavender family and not all of them are best for medicinal lavender essential oil. If the label does not give a Latin name for what lavender species are used or says “For oil burning lamps only,” put them back. The species you are looking for is Lavendula augustifolia, Lavendula spica and Lavendula stoechas. They cost more, but they are worth it. Besides, a little goes a long way.

Lavender essential oil can be used in many ways, and it is generally safe enough to use pure from the bottle, instead of blended into other oils. Just to be safe, do a patch test first. Put a drop on your arm or leg and see if anything happens to it in twenty four hours. If nothing happens, you are ready to rock.

Lavender essential oil soothes, cleans and helps with fever, itchiness and sleeplessness. It can be used by sniffing straight from the bottle, on a tissue, or in an oil burner. No more than six drops can be added to your bath. One milliliter (about 15 drops) can be added to ten milliliters of a base oil like olive or jojoba for a soothing massage. It can be added to rinse water for your hair or your laundry. It can be added to non-scented plain body lotions or cold creams. It’s already in a lot of cleaning and cosmetic products. Remember your grandmother keeping little pillow of dried lavender in her linen drawers? That’s because lavender also keeps most pests away.

Using Lavender Essential Oil For Rosacea

Jennifer — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 03:19:05 +0000

Using lavender essential oil for rosacea is a very popular and all-natural treatment. All over the web you can find advertisements proclaiming the benefits of using lavender essential oil for rosacea, but are the claims true? And is it safe? Here is what you need to know about lavender essential oil for rosacea treatments.

What is Rosacea?

Rosacea is a somewhat common skin disorder that is usually found in people starting at the age of thirty. It is a flushing or redness on the cheeks, nose, chin or forehead that looks somewhat like severe sunburn. It goes away and comes back and if left untreated, rosacea can get worse over time.

What Is Lavender Essential Oil?

Lavender is an herb that has been used for centuries as a healing agent. The sent sooths and calms, it is a natural antiseptic, antibiotic, and detoxifying agent. Lavender essential oil is made by steaming the stems of the lavender flower to extract the essence of the plant. Then, the vapor released from the steaming is stored in tanks and left to cool. The vapor becomes the essential oil during the cooling stage.

How To Use Lavender Essential Oil On Skin For Rosacea

Strong beauty products full of harsh chemicals are said to weaken the skin, making it venerable to bacteria and environmental stresses. Some say this is the cause of rosacea. Lavender can sooth the skin and regenerate damaged skin cells and broken capillary veins. The best way to apply lavender is through lavender essential oil. It is important to make sure that the oil is pure, with no additives. Additives can make the condition worse.

You can apply the oil directly to the skin like lotion. Use gentle, even strokes with the tips of your fingers, making sure not to irritate the skin. A word of caution: Geraniol which can be found in lavender essential oil, rose oil, geranium oil, palmarosa oil, jasmine oil, citronella oil, and other essential oils can be irritants for rosacea in some people. So you should test lavender oil in a small area of your face, first, before trying all over your face. If any redness occurs in the test spot, do not use the oil on the rest of your face. Lavender essential oil for rosacea should be used after consulting a doctor and shouldn’t be used if you are allergic to lavender.

When used properly, and with caution, using lavender essential oil for rosacea can work miracles.