Essential Oils - Gifts of Nature

DEFINITION OF

: essential oils - aromatic liquid substances extracted from certain species of flowers, grasses, fruits, leaves, roots, and trees.

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:  Essential Oils-Gifts of Nature

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I have a collection of essential oils and I use them for everything from housekeeping to skincare to first aid.  It is amazing to me how versatile and adaptable a single oil can be. 

Lavender, for example, is physically healing as an antiseptic, analgesic, cytophilactic (protects, regenerates cells), antispasmodic, tonic, cicatrisive (promotes wound healing) and works as an anti-inflammatory agent. It is restorative, calmative, a sedative and anti-infectious.



Emotionally

healing —

Lavender is
said to encourage 
security,

gentleness,

compassion,
reconciliation,

vitality,

clarity, 

comfort, 

acceptance, 

awareness

and 

emotional balance.
   

In her book, Aromatherapy for the Soul, —Valerie Ann Worwood calls lavender the "mother of essential oils" and describes its spiritual attributes this way:

"Lavender embodies the warm, protective love of Mother Earth.  It is caring, cherishing, and nurturing...When deep sadness covers the spirit like a suffocating blanket, lavender gently lifts the weight.  When the inner tears fall, lavender wipes them away.  When depression clouds the psyche, lavender blows it asunder.  And for those with worries that trouble the spirit, lavender lifts the veil of despair.  ...with compassion [lavender] seeks to bring out the best in every one of us, letting us know that we are all her precious children, and we all have our destiny of goodness to fulfill."  —Valerie Ann Worwood

There are many methods of use for enjoying the aromatic benefits of essential oils from using a few drops in the bath or shower to using a diffuser or room spray.  

A method I use often is by candle.  I love the ambiance of a burning candle in a room anyway, plus it couldn't be easier to do:  

• Simply light the candle and allow it to burn until the wax melts in a large pool around the wick.  
• Blow out the flame and drop 1-4 drops essential oil in the pool of wax.  (Essential oils are flammable, so use care not to get any on the wick.)   
• Once the wax begins to cool and solidify, you can relight the candle.   

. . . 

The great thing about using essential oils in candles –(and via other methods)– is that you can tailor the aroma in your home to whatever mood you would like to create: 

You can send a refreshing, uplifting aroma about in summer 

           {try Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Lavender...} 

or create a warm, soothing atmosphere in winter 

{try Cinnamon, Frankincense, 

Orange, Clove, and Cypress} 

You can generate a motivating atmosphere for exercise 
{try Lemon, Basil, and Peppermint} 

or an atmosphere for settling into meditation 
 {such as Frankincense, Neroli or Palo Santo} 

Once you have a supply of essential oils and have experimented with a few recipes, you will learn what works best for you and it seems to me that a sort of intuition develops, guiding you to what you need most in any given situation.   Three favorites that I return to time and again:

Bergamot  -citrus aurantium bergamia 

Aroma: sweet, fruity, citrus with spicy-floral undertones.  Encourages concentration, confidence, balance, strength, joy, motivation, good cheer, harmony and completeness.

"It is an amplifier of light energy, energizing and magnifying, opening the heart to cosmic joy." —V. Worwood

Neroli -citrus aurantium, c.brigaradia, c. vulgaris

Aroma:  highly radiant, sweet, floral.
Encourages lightness, the lifting of sorrows, completeness, joy, understanding, calm, regeneration, peace, and to feel guided.

"Neroli is one of the most precious essential oils, its vibration being one of the highest among them...it is itself pure spirit, representing the purity in all things.  It is always loving and peaceful.  Neroli brings light into any day..."—V. Worwood

Amber -Pinus Succinifera

Aroma: resinous, warm, smoky with a faint citrus-floral undertone. 
Encourages harmony, balance, inspiration, visions and inner knowing.

"Such a fragrance has the ability to take us to the beginning of time, to the beginning of forever." 

—V. Worwood

Here are my suggestions if you would like to try essential oils, but aren't sure where to start:

I like to keep a large (30ml) bottle of Lavender on-hand because it has so many uses.  It can be used on its own in a number of ways –(such as my favorite, lavender-scented sheets)– and is used in practically every other recipe you come across: from an insect repellent to a burn ointment to beauty treatments to home cleaning...it truly is an essential, essential oil.  

Other go-to oils are:  Lemon, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Peppermint, Chamomile, Geranium, Clove, Rosemary and Thyme.  With these ten oils, you can make recipes to treat everything from chapped lips to an upset stomach.  Adding Lime, Orange, Citronella, Clary Sage and Rosewood in various combinations, you can create natural yet very effective cleaners, disinfectants and deodorizers for every room of your home with the added benefit of their uplifting aromas.  

Many of the essential oils I listed above can be used to create your own custom massage oils

 added to your choice of base oil (also referred to as a "carrier" oil.)   
{such as hazelnut, almond or sunflower oil}

You can also create luxurious skin care treatments using a base oil or other natural ingredients such as almond flour or creamy coconut oil.

And for soaking tired feet...

...try my favorite combination:  Dead Sea Salts and a synergistic blend such as–
Stress Relief 
(Bergamot, Patchouli, Blood Orange, Ylang Ylang and Grapefruit) -or- 
Relaxation 
(Lavender, Marjoram, Patchouli, Mandarin, Geranium and Chamomile.)

RECOMMENDED READING:

The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy 

by Valerie Ann Worwood

Over 600 recipes for health, beauty and home; –my copy has notations and bookmarks throughout.  It is an invaluable guide and a good starting place for practical applications of essential oils from health remedies to beauty treatments.

&

Aromatherapy for the Soul by Valerie Ann Worwood
For delving further into the spiritual uses and attributes of essential oils, this book includes fascinating imagery showing the energy fields of essential oils and discusses their use in relationship to the chakras (our body's energy centers) and reviews the "aromatic traditions" of many cultures throughout history to the present day.  

"Healing takes place on all levels - spiritual, mental, and physical, and what's so remarkable about essential oils is that they influence the whole being.  Just as they are the catalyst that can make a wound heal, or a mind relax, so can they transport a soul.  I know of no other substances that can do that.  They are flexible, adaptable, multifaceted, deep, complex, light, subtle, etheric, and all in a positive way.  If molecules could be angels, they would surely be essential oils." —Valerie Ann Worwood, Aromatherapy for the Soul, page xx, Introduction.

There is something at once familiar and mysterious about essential oils.  Like a dear old friend you've known forever,  

—who just happens to hold the keys to the Universe.

Images 1 and 3-16, photographs by LeAnn

Image 2:  Marie Claire Maison

linen & lavender

For a revised version of this post, visit our new site:  www.linenlavenderlife.com

 (sorry.  digital magazine link no longer available)

{Volume No. 01 ~ Issue 02,  (pg 20):   "Nature's Gifts"}

  {Nature's Gifts:  essential oils}

Design Daily - The Bath & "From Nature With Love"

Enjoy Making Bath Salts

This article is copyright © 2004-2007 by Natural Sourcing, LLC (www.fromnaturewithlove.com) and is reprinted with permission.

At the end of a long day, there is nothing quite as relaxing as slipping into a luxurious tub filled with warm bathwater. A soothing bath helps to melt away the day's emotional stresses and helps to ease physical soreness.

The choices for bathwater additives are many: bubble bath, bath oils, bath teas, milk baths, fizzing bath bombs, and of course, aromatic bath salts. Bath salts are a wonderful choice because they have the ability to greatly enhance the physical and emotional benefits of bath time. For centuries, people have bathed in the mineral-rich seas of the world to help promote good health and beautiful skin. Ancient records show that people traveled many miles to bathe in salt waters such as the Dead Sea. Bathing in salt water can stimulate circulation, hydrate the skin, increase moisture retention, promote cellular regeneration, detoxify the skin and soothe dry or irritated skin. Bathing in salt water also reduces inflammation of the muscles and joints, relaxes muscles and relieves pain and soreness. Adding natural essential oils such as lavender provides additional therapeutic benefits.

Using the recommended 1-2 cups of salts per bath can be expensive when paying the prices that many bath salt retailers charge. Some bath salt makers package their prepared salts in quantities of just one to four ounces. Aside from a temporary burst of fragrance when poured into the tub, small quantities of salt provide minimal therapeutic benefit.

Equipped with the below recipe and good sources for quality salts and aromatics, it is easy to make affordable, skin nourishing, fragrant bath salts. The salts can be left unfragranced, or pure essential oils can be included to provide added therapeutic benefit. Alternatively, bath salts can be fragranced with one of the hundreds of different cosmetic grade fragrance oils available. All of the ingredients can be obtained through From Nature With Love (www.fromnaturewithlove.com).

Bath Salts Recipe

2 lbs. of Pure Sea Salts, Dead Sea Salts or Epsom Salts (approximately 2 cups)

1 teaspoon of Avocado, Shea, Jojoba or Other Cold Pressed Vegetable Oil (optional)

Liquid FD&C or D&C Dye as a Colorant (optional)

10-14 drops Essential Oil* or Fragrance Oil (optional)

1 oz. Dendritic Salts (optional but recommended if fragrancing bath salts)

Use any combination of mineral-rich salts and place in a bowl. Mixing different grain sizes together lends visual interest. If coloring the bath salts, add liquid dye drop by drop (3-6 drops should be sufficient) until a consistent but soft color is achieved. Avoid using too much colorant as it can transfer to the skin at bath time. In a separate bowl, add the essential oil or fragrance oil to 1 oz. of dendritic salts and mix well. Dendritic salts are optional but they help to discourage clumping and help hold the fragrance.   Although tempting, do not add more than 10-14 drops of essential or fragrance oil because these oils can cause irritation in large concentrations. Add the dendritic salts to the bowl that contains the other salts and mix. If dendritic salts are not used, add the essential or fragrance oils directly to the other salts and mix well. To add moisturizing properties to the salts, add 1 teaspoon of a quality, cold pressed vegetable oil and mix well. Please note that the vegetable oils found at the grocery store are generally not cold pressed and are not very nourishing for the skin. The bath salts can be packaged in a jar, tin, tie bag or cello bag.

*Essential oils are natural, concentrated, fragrant oils distilled from pure plant material. Some essential oils such as cinnamon and clove should be avoided for skin care because they can be too harsh. Check with the supplier or a source such as www.aromaweb.com when selecting essential oils for skin care use.

To Use: Add 1-2 cups of bath salts to running bath water. Stir the bathwater before getting in, especially if the bath salts included coarse grain sizes.

Types of Salts

Below is a short list of commonly available salts that can be used when making bath salts. Sea salts and Dead Sea salts are generally available in a variety of grain sizes. Mixing grain sizes can add texture and visual interest to bath salts. Keep in mind that chunky bath salts look beautiful, but they will take longer to dissolve in bathwater.

Sea Salts: Sea salts are mineral-rich "all purpose" salts commonly added to bath salt blends. Next to Epsom salts, sea salts are the most inexpensive salts available. They help to draw toxins from the skin and soothe sore muscles.

Dead Sea Salts: Dead Sea salts generally have a higher mineral concentration than ordinary sea salts. Dead Sea salts can help relieve aches and pains, reduce stiffness after exertion, relax muscles and relieve skin problems such as acne, eczema and psoriasis.

Epsom: Epsom salts are the most affordable and readily available salts available. They are often used to help ease muscle tension and joint discomfort.

Exotic Salts: Other more exotic salts such as Hawaiian Red Sea Salts (Alaea), Black Sea Pink Salts, and Icelandic Geo-Thermal Brine Salts are also available. These salts generally are more expensive, but their coloration, texture and therapeutic properties are highly sought after.

Dendritic Salts: Dendritic salts are added to bath salts for their ability to retain fragrance. Essential or fragrance oils are first added to the dendritic salts and then the fragranced dendritic salts are mixed into the other salts.

From Nature With Love offers all of the salts, ingredients and packaging supplies described within this article. For more information, please visit  From Nature With Love

This article is copyright © 2004-2007 by Natural Sourcing, LLC and is reprinted with permission. This article may be reprinted provided that all credit information remains intact.

Lemon Grass Scrub

. . .

I just ran across "From Nature With Love" when researching for another article.  I was impressed with the storehouse of information they have amassed (check out their Information Library and their Recipe Database) and what appears to be a very comprehensive selection of high quality essential oils, including completely organic offerings.  Admittedly, I'm somewhat of a novice on the subject of aromatherapy and home-made skin care products, but I found it all very intriguing and I'm seriously contemplating ordering a few items myself.  I'm always drawn to any skin care product line with an "apothecary" look to their packaging -Those little brown bottles with the stoppers - Why are they so appealing?! 

linen & lavender

see our new site:

www.linenlavenderlife.com

Photo credits in order of appearance:  Côté Sud, Dec 2000-Jan 2001
All other photos courtesy of From Nature With Love