Educate your Senses

Recipes for Winter Stress

Last week on my radio show, Aromatherapist On-Call, I talked about essential oils that had
great calming qualities. I will list the oils that were discussed and I encourage you to research these oils more. Botanical is a good source for more facts.

Calming Essential Oils
- Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
- Clary sage (Salvia sclarea)
- Frankincense (Boswellia carterii)
- Jasmine (Jasminum officinale)
- Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
- Marjoram (Origanum majorana)
- Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin)
- Rose (Rosa spp.)
- Rose geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)
- Sandalwood (Santalum album)
- Vetiver (Vetiveria zizaniodes)
- Ylang ylang (Cananga odorata)


I also said that I would post the recipes that I talked about. These recipes are for your bath, if you do not take baths, you can use the essential oils in these recipes with 2oz. of carrier oil such as grapeseed oil, sweet almond or olive oil to make a lovely moisturizer for your skin after your shower.

Stress-Relieve 
Lavender, clary sage and sandalwood make a deeply relaxing aromatherapy bath.

- 5 drops lavender essential oil
- 3 drops sandalwood essential oil
- 2 drops clary sage essential oil

Add essential oils to the bath water after the tub has filled and mix the oils into the water with your hand. (I would add about 4-5 tbsp. of Epsom and dead sea salt to the bath.) Remember to use intention and visualization as you are releasing your stress into the water, watching it go down the drain.

Restorative 
Frankincense, lavender and rose geranium help restore a sense of balance.

- 1/8 cup Epsom salts
- 1/8 cup sea salt
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 5 drops frankincense essential oil
- 5 drops lavender essential oil
- 5 drops rose geranium essential oil

Combine the Epsom salts, sea salt and baking soda into a glass bowl. Add essential oils, mix well.  To use, fill the bathtub with warm water and add bath salts after the tub has filled. Mix the salts into the water to dissolve.

Sweet Dreams 
Try this bath just before bed to ensure a restful night's sleep. Lavender, vetiver, clary sage and ylang ylang have deeply relaxing effects on the body and mind.

- 1/4 cup Epsom salts
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 10 drops lavender essential oil
- 5 drops vetiver essential oil
- 5 drops clary sage essential oil
- 2 drops ylang ylang essential oil

Combine Epsom salts and baking soda into a glass bowl. Add essential oils, mix well. To use, fill the bathtub with warm water and add bath salts after the tub has filled. Mix the salts into the water to dissolve.

In all of these recipes, you can make batches and store them in nonporous sealed containers for future use. If you want to use the Sweet Dreams recipe for a child, cut the essential oils in half.

There are great essential oil bath salts available at Aroma Pharmica.

Deck the Halls with Aromatics - Part 3 - Holiday Firewood

Okay I am on a roll and want to share with you some the easiest and most effective ways to change your world and the world of the people around you through essential oils.

Let's Make Holiday Logs for the fire. Whether your fireplace is inside or outside, this will surely evoke memories of yesteryear and perhaps create new ones for years to come.

All you need is one drop of EO, that's right only ONE drop of Essential oil per log per fire. Surprisingly, this one drop will be enough to provide an aromatic boost to the Holiday ambiance. If you make a holiday blend from the essential oils below, simply use ONE drop.

Simply put the "Firewood or Holiday" oil onto the log and leave it to soak in before putting on the fire. I suggest 20-30 minutes, sounds good. The reason is that Essential oils are inflammable so unless the oil has been given time to soak in, you might see more sparks than you bargained for.  I usually prepare several logs at a time and set them aside and use as needed.

Firewood Essential Oils: Frankincense, Myrrh, Cedarwood, Cypress, Sandalwood

Holiday Essential Oils: Cinnamon, Clove, Bay, Pine, Cedarwood, Mandarin, Orange Tangerine, Frankincense, Myrrh

(Essential oils can be found at your local natural grocer or specialty store or my favorite source Aromatics International.)

Happy Holidays from the studio of Aroma Pharmica to your family...As always, thank you for your support throughout the year and as a way to show you our gratitude, use coupon code "thanks" for 20% savings when shopping with us at Aroma Pharmica, where we have better Synergy Essential Blends for diffusing or putting on logs throughout the year.

Tis the Season

As the holidays approach at a rapid rate, I am multitasking, making my lists and checking them twice. I want to share with you one of the easiest holiday gifts to make that will put a smile on everyone's face. This is a fail-proof way to ease the stress of the ones you love and the ones who care for us and our family. My children and I are making these for their teachers who work tirelessly throughout the year, loving and giving our children the necessary tools to go forth as independent, strong and educated beings.

In the studio and in my home this week, we are making our famous "Chocolate Lavender Bathtub Cookies."


Now for the ingredients, you probably have most of these in your kitchen. If not, they are easily obtained from the grocery or health food store.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Cocoa Butter
• 2 oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 cup Oatmeal, Fine
• 1/4 cup Goat's Milk Powder (naturally pH balanced) 
• 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder 
• 3/4 cup Epsom Salt
• 1 cup Cornstarch
• 1 cup Baking Soda
• 1/2 cup Citric Acid
• 1 tsp. Lavender Essential Oil

Directions:

Warm the Cocoa Butter and Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a hot water bath until completely melted.  Remove the Cocoa Butter and Oil from the heat, allowing it to cool slightly, but not to harden.  Next, line a small baking sheet with waxed paper and set it to the side.  In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the Oatmeal, Milk Powder, Cocoa Powder, Cornstarch, and Epsom Salt.  Stir the ingredients well, making sure to break up any clumps in the powders.  You may want to grind the oatmeal in a blender or food processor to achieve a fine consistency.   In a second mixing bowl, combine the Baking Soda and Citric Acid.  Again, make sure to work out any clumps in the mixture.  Next, combine the two bowls of dry ingredients and mix well.  Add the Lavender Essential Oil to the melted Cocoa Butter and Extra Virgin Olive Oil then pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients.  Begin stirring and kneading the mixture immediately.  You must work quickly at this point to get the cookies formed and placed onto the baking sheet.  Using your hands, form tablespoon sized balls of the mixture.  Place the balls onto the baking sheet then press them down gently, flattening the top.  They should be similar in shape to a gingersnap or sugar cookie.  Continue shaping cookies with the remaining mixture.  Allow the cookies to harden for a full 24 hours before attempting to remove them from the baking sheet.  After 24 hours the cookies should be hard enough to be handled and packaged. Makes approx. 28 cookies.

Usage and Packaging:

Chocolate Lavender Bath Cookies should be stored in a tightly sealed bag or container.  Moisture or humidity can cause the cookies to fizz or "flower" prematurely.  These cookies look adorable in Cello Bags or 1/2 lb. Tin Tie Bags.  To use the Cookies, simply drop one or two into a warm bath.  They will fizz and bubble, filling the bath with the delightful aroma of Lavender and Chocolate, leaving your skin moisturized and nourished, your muscles relieved and revived and your mind relaxed and rejuvenated. 

 

Heather A. Howell  teaches classes such as ‘Facials from the Frig,” “Nature's Medicine Cabinet” and other aromatherapy classes from her studio and as Community Education through the school districts in Charleston, SC.  She is also the Chief Organic Skincare Formulator and Aromatherapist for Aroma Pharmica. Visit the website http://www.aroma-pharmica.com for most nature inspired skincare.

Being on my Card...Part 2

Continued from the last post...

When the staff finished their examination, they began preparation for bandaging Zaya's arm. The nurse took out her supplies that consisted of medicated pads, gauze, tape and scissors. I asked her if she would use something I had brought instead of the medicated pads that contained petroleum. I showed her an herbal and essential oil infused product that I formulated for my business a few years prior called "Mother and Child." It contains chamomile, calendula and lavender organic herbs infused in an oil base of jojoba, hempseed, apricot, sweet almond and soy with lavender essential oil for extra healing power.

The nurse called the doctor in and they concluded that for malpractice reasons - the could not use my product. I refused to use petroleum based products on my daughter's burn, so I proceeded to apply "Mother and Child" and bandage her arm.

I repeated this process twice daily and went to the plastic surgeon's office the following week. He had read her chart and had an idea of what to expect, but when he removed the bandages, he was amazed at the progress and what I did for her. He was on board with alternative nature based healing practices and commended me for a job well done. Zaya did not require surgery. I continued with the same protocol for the next week, cleaning her wound and re-applying "Mother and Child" and clean bandages. With each dressing of her arm, the healing was evident. When I removed her bandage at the end of a two week process, there was no evidence that she had ever had 2nd degree burns. There is no scar or discoloration on her arm. She was and is completely healed.

This was one of the confirmations from the Universe that I was on my card and embracing my gifts that God had set forth in my creation. I am truly grateful for this passion of being of service to others through Nature based Wellness. What confirmations have you received that let's you know you are on your card?

Here is a great exercise that will help you stay on your card. Write down 5 people that inspire you and that you admire, now beside their name, write 3 traits that each possess. Now on a small card that you can carry with you or put in a prominent spot, write the traits from those that you admire and that inspire you because these are the actual qualities that you possess and those are the traits that you were given by God to develop and embrace.

Being on my Card...

"Being on your card" was the message from Unity service this past Sunday, which means showing up and living your truth, being who you came here to be, shining your light for the betterment of others.

I live in a world blessed by the essence of plants. I write to you often about the benefits of essential oils in your life. I tell you of ways to transition to Nature based wellness and care. I thought I would share how I got confirmation from the universe that I was on my card.

I had embraced skincare formulation in 2001 after the birth of my second child and created enticing smells with therapeutic essential oils. As I continued to explore and learn the realms of plant essences, it was in 2003 that I went back to school to become a Certified Clinical Aromatherapist.

One wintry day in late 2004, my daughter Zaya sat playing at her table; she dropped a toy. As she reached for it, she lost her balance and fell on the wood burning stove. She seared her skin from her pinky finger to her elbow. My husband scooped her up and rushed to the kitchen as I reached for my purse and pulled out a bottle of Lavender essential oil. I poured an entire 10ml bottle of this oil down her arm. Quickly her crying subsided and I assessed the situation, which did not look good.

As a parent wanting to protect her children, I felt we should go to the hospital for another opinion. Upon arriving in the ER, Zaya was laughing and talking about life as a toddler would know it. The severity of her burn was 2nd degree and the hospital staff was amazed that she was so calm and happy. I explained my profession and told them what I had done by applying Lavender essential oil to the burn site. I had actually stopped the action of burning further into the tissue and effectively sedated my daughter. The doctors and nurses looked at me as if I were speaking a different language and didn't understand.

As they gently examined and cleaned the burn area, Zaya continued to laugh and talk about her world as a toddler knows it. I was then told that we would have to schedule an appointment with a plastic surgeon as a skin graft would be needed.

Stay Tuned for Part 2....