Archive for the 'Essential Oil' Category
I am a single parent who is trying to get her daughter through college. My daughter is in her second year of college, studying bio chemistry. Since the cost of tuition keeps going up at amazing rates every year, I have to pinch pennies, literally. I am making my own hair rinses, body scrubs and facial scrubs now. This step not only helps me to save money; these homemade skin products really work! My skin, hair and complexion is brighter, smoother and healthier. I am saving quite a bit of money making my own products,(which goes toward my daughter’s tuition), so I want to share them with all of my readers – YOU!
Below is a do it yourself recipe for a minty hair rinse, which will boost your hair’s body. I don’t know about you, but my hair gets limp from time to time. In fact, I need to use body builders. Sometimes my scalp gets itchy and dandruff appears. According to Janice Cox, the writer of the book, “Eco Beauty,” this is a perfect pick-me-up. The mint tea and the vinegar, mixed together, gets your scalp tingly and fresh-feeling, and your hair will be residue-free and full of body.”
To make your own hair rinse, this is what you’ll need:
- 2 mint tea bags (organic, if possible)
- one-half cup boiling water
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Steep the tea in boiling water for 2 to 4 minutes. Remove tea bags and cool. Stir in the vinegar and pour into a resealable bottle. Shampoo, condition and rinse your hair as usual, pour the mint 
rinse into hair and scalp. Massage in and style as usual without re-rinsing. This recipe yields one application.
When I get invited to attend exercise Boot Camps, I feel insecure and wonder if I will be able to keep up with the rest of the group. I get embarrassed if I lag behind during those military runs and rapid sprinting exercises. I can never keep up with those military push ups. Also, when I am called upon to do some public speaking, I worry and I yearn for more self-confidence. I use bergamot essential oil to help me feel more confident and less worried; and it works!
So, the next time your friends drag you to a boot camp or to a new class at the fitness center or gym, shrug off your worries with a whiff of fruity perfume. Most cirus-based fragrances contain a note of bergamot, a bitter Italian citrus fruit. Researchers at Italy’s University of Milan report that the aroma stimulates the brain’s emotion-governing limbic lobe and soothes the sympathetic nervous system to quell anxiety and promote a cheerful mood.
Note: Scents and fragranc ein the form of essential oils are stronger and will last longer. Bergamot
also comes in teas. In fact many breakfast teas and black teas are already infused with this delicious citrus fruit, which is what gives those teas the wonderful, exotic essence, which smells so good!
Be Aware – Use Laundry Fresheners with Care! Choose Lavender & Essential Oils Instead
Before you use air fresheners, please read this article. Scented home-care products emit a variety of dangerous compounds, according to a University of Washington study. Environmentalist engineer Anne C. Steinemann, Ph.D., reviewed 25 popular air fresheners, laundry detergents and other scented products and found that each emits an average of 17 chemicals; 25 per cent of which have been determined to be toxic or hazardous under federal law.
Dr. Steinemann has announced that “none of the chemicals were listed on product labels.” And, since these products (unlike personal care products) aren’t required to list ingredients, Steinemann analyzed them herself. “Be careful if you buy products with fragrance because there’s no way to know what’s in them,” she warns.
A good alternative is to use essential oils. To scent the air, refresh a potpourri with your favorite aroma or use a small diffuser. For laundry, dampen a washcloth, add a few drops of essential oil and toss into the dryer. I use incense to freshen my house. Oil diffusers are good too, and safer, because you don’t have to use a flame for fear of fire. For my laundry, in my dryer, I have been using lavender
and bergamot essential oils and my clothes come out of the dryer smelling fresh and clean. Thank you Dr. Steinemann. It’s what we don’t know that can harm us.
To alleviate arthritis pain naturally, consider trying Boswellia serrata, an ancient Indian resin derived from frankincense 
tress. A recent study from the journal “Arthritis Research and Therapy” found that taking 100 milligrams or 250 milligrams of boswellia extract daily markedly reduced pain and enhanced physical functioning in people with osteoarthritis, possibly by slowing down or reducing cartillage breakdown. What’s interesting is that the 25 members in the research study on the 250-mg. dosage showed significant improvement in a mere seven days.
The traditional Indian medicine system known as Ayurveda typically uses boswellia, otherwise known as frankincense, to treat degenerative disorders, says San Francisco-based Ayurvedic clinician Reenita Malhotra. Boswellia is considered safe for long-term use, notes Malhotra, who advises taking 200 milligrams twice daily to relieve osteoarthritis symptoms.
Frankincense is expensive and it comes in the form of incense and essential oil. It has a deep, rich woody scent and it is aromatic, possessing a sense of the regal. It is a n extremely royal herb.
Massaging chamomile essential oil into your temples can shut down a tension headache in only ten minutes, assures James F. Balch, M.D., coauthor of the book Prescription for Natural Cures (Wiley). He continues on to explain, “Chamomile is rich in salicylic acid, azulene and other plant compounds that reduce pain and stop muscle spasms.”
To use, mix 25 drops of chamomile essential oil and two ounces of corn, sunflower or canola oil. Then massage into your temples for five to ten minutes. Or you can stir 10 drops of chamomile oil into 16 ounces of water and massage into your scalp during your shower.
If you have sore muscles, eucalyptus essential oil quickly soothes them. This is due to the eucalyptus plant’s rich supply of phytochemicals, which work to relax muscles, improve blood flow and reduce painful swelling and inflammation. Just mix 25 drops of eucalyptus essential oil with two ounces of corn, sunflower or canola oil, then massage into sore tissues for two minutes once or twice daily.
James F. Balch, M.D., coauthor of Prescription for Natural Cures (Wiley), believes that clary sage essential oil is helpful to fight depression. This is because, he says, clary sage essential oil locks onto the same brain receptors that prescription antidepressants do, increasing the body’s output of the mood-boosting neurotransmitter serotonin by as much as 50 percent, according to researchers at Duke University.
Clary sage is also calming, explains Dr. Balch, so it quickly dials down the chronic stress that often goes hand in hand with dysphoric moods. Just keep a vial of clary sage essential oil on your kitchen counter or desk. Take three slow deep sniffs four times daily or whenever you need a boost.
If you have a chronic and persistent cough, pine essential oil is a great option for a cough that just won’t go away. This is a common problem when the end of cold season collides with the onset of spring allergies, reports Dr. Balch. He continues to say that pine is a powerful antiseptic and anti-inflammatory, so it kick-starts the healing of irritated tissues.
To use, add three drops of pine essential oil to 2 two cups of hot, but not boiling water. This creates a steaming effect. Then lean over the pot, drape a towel over your head and inhale the steam for 10 minutes each day. The scent of pine also allays depression and lifts our spirits.
To Relieve Cabin Fever Inhale Some Rose and Feel as it Goes – Away
It is nearing the end of autumn and that means that it is already getting dark around 4:30 – 5:00 p.m. every evening. Some people are prone to SAD; Seasonal Affective Disorder. As I drive home from work every evening, and it grows dark, it is the lights of the city that cheer me up. Holiday lights also warm my heart and spark a spirit of joy. If it weren’t for the bright and colorful lights, I would probably feel down in the dumps. I am always happy to see daylight savings time return in the spring though.
Inhaling this floral aroma quickly soothes the edginess and anxiety of being trapped indoors, according to British researchers. This is because rose oil revs up the beta brain wave activity that makes you feel relaxed and calm. This positive effect gets stronger and stronger the more you use it since it becomes a conditioned response in the brain.
To use, just mix six drops of rose 
essential oil and two ounces of unscented lotion, then rub into your arms, shoulders and neck. Use a few times each day. You will feel the cabin fever lift and relaxation will be yours. A rose by any other name will smell as sweet. I use rose oil directly on my face everyday and every night and, besides smelling so pleasant, it helps my skin stay youthful looking and soft. It makes my wrinkles less noticeable too.
Oregano essential oil helps nearly 100 % of people bounce back from colds, sore throats and sinus infections, often in just 48 hours, reports Fred Pescatore, M.D., medical director of Partners in Integrative Medicine in New York City. He goes on to explain that “oregano oil is rich in thymol and carvacrol, potent compounds which fight infections.”
To battle a cold or infection just add three drops of oregano 
oil to to water or juice and drink one time daily for five days. It is better to drink this oil because oregano essential oil works best when it’s absorbed through the gastro intestinal tract.
Remember that oregano is one of the best healing agents on earth. It is better than prescription meds. Be careful not to overuse this herb. Always check with your doctor first before beginning any new herb for purposes of healing.
It is true that if you are feeling down and tired, that herbs such as mint or citrus are energizing, but they are also invigorating as well as being energizing. However, if you want to feel more relaxed and positive, without being energized, try taking a bath infused with lemon balm.
Lemon balm and the essential oil of lemon balm relaxes and uplifts your body and mind without being invigorating. The following ingredients are the recipe you need to make your own bath soak. I have been using powdered milk alot because the price of milk is so high. Powdered milk is totally fat free, so I use it for cooking. I don’t use that much powdered milk because I try to drink almond milk or rice milk for health reasons. I try to stay away from cow’s milk as much as possible. The powdered milk contains lactic acid, which is a gentle exfoliant that leaves your skin glowing and smooth.
Whip some home made lemon balm bath salts with the following ingredients:
- one cup Epsom salts
- one-half cup powdered milk
- one to two drops lemon balm essential oil
Combine these ingredients and place in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Before bedtime, scoop up a handful of salts and sprinkle into a warm bath. Soak in the water for 10-15 minutes, or for as long as you like, pat dry and head for bed! You will feel happy and uplifted in no time and better able to to sleep immediately. This mixture keeps indefinitely if stored in a dry, cool storage place. You can also make a relaxing tea from the dry leaves of the lemon balm plant.
Yes, you can brighten your complexion with roses. Rose oil is a natural source of tissue-regenerating retinoic acid and it is rich in vitamin C (an anti oxidant which fades pigmentation). Rose oil is also full of linolenic acid, which helps to halt blotchiness. Rose is just an all around anti-aging oil, according to botanist Peter Gail, Ph.D. Rub a rose
oil infused product into your skin everyday to get that glowing, attractive complexion.
To stop flaking and redness from appearing on your skin, try using primrose oil. This is great for people with eczema and/or psoriasis. Research studies confirm that primrose oil reduces itching, redness and swelling. Th is is due to the gamma linoleic acid found in primrose. Gamma linoleic acid is a polyunsaturated fat that boosts production of inflammation-regulating prostaglandins.
It comes in the form of a supplement. Always check with your doctor first before you take this oil. Evening primrose oil is not recommended for people who take blood-thinning medications or who have certain medical conditions.