Most essential oils require being diluted in another base oil, or alcohol, prior to being applied to the skin.  But lavender essential oil (EO) is one of the few EO’s that can be applied to the skin ”neat”, meaning it is safe to use full strength for skin irritations like insect bites, boils, non-serious burns, athletes foot, rashes, etc.

Considered an effective remedy to help purify and clean stale air, it has been used to disinfect hospitals and sick rooms in Greece, Rome and Persia.   Since I make my own home cleaning products, such as scrubs and sprays for the kitchen and bathroom, I often include a few drops of lavender EO to add an herbaceous, woody smell to offset the more medicinal-smelling EO’s with anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties (e.g., eucalyptus and tea tree).

Because of its relaxing nature, lavender EO can help heart arrhythmias, lower blood pressure and ease PMS symptoms.  As most essential oils do not stain, I often drizzle a few drops directly onto my pillowcases before bed.  Check out my online store for laundry & personal fragrance products made with pure lavender essential oil , including laundry soap, linen water, cream perfume and body powder.

The recipe below combines lavender, ylang ylang and bergamot EO’s to provide the ultimate “restful sleep”.  Considered to be the number one essential oil to help “ease anger, ylang ylang essential oil has a “heady” floral scent with aphrodesiac and calmative properties.  Bergamot essnetial oil, which is used to flavor Earl Grey tea, is considered a classic anti-depressant that helps balance emotions and ease agitation. 

Restful Sleep Recipe:

Combine the following EO’s together and then sprinkle over bed linens before bedtime:

3 drops of lavender,
2 drops of ylang ylang,
2 drops of bergamot

Enjoy in health,
barbara-ann

Sometimes people are mainly seeking something to ease physical ailments from colds or respiratory troubles. Then there are those in search of help with issues I consider emotional and physical, such as challenges from menopausal symptoms. Lastly, there are scent-maniacs (like me), who love having an essential oil blend recipe tailor-made for their current mood!

I LOVE making essential oil custom blends because it is always fun and very challenging. As each of us has different scent preferences, the number of potential scent permutations is seemingly endless!

So to get your year started off on the right foot (at least for today!), I’ve listed a few of my favorite essential oil blend recipes below. But of course, the beauty of working with essential oils is they can be tweaked according to your likes, preferences and needs!

Uplift: Begamot, Clary Sage and Grapefruit
Relax: Lavender, Chamomile, Germanium, Clary Sage, Valerian
Happy: Mandarin, Blood Orange & Neroli
Sleep: Tangerine, Lavender, Sandalwood

Remember to NEVER use essential oils without diluting! These blends can be added to room diffusers, unscented lotions, soaps, etc. A little goes a LOOOOOONG way, so you don’t need to use more than 3-4 drops per 4 oz. Enjoy in health!

barbara-ann

The majority of nutmeg comes from Indonesia and Grenada.  Dried nutmeg seeds grow on a tall, thick evergreen tree full of little yellow flowers, and the EO extraction method is through steam distillation from the seeds.

Nutmeg EO is stimulating, which is why it’s great for a “pick-me-up-like-yesterday” treatment.  Some of its properties include anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, analgesic, anti-rheumatic and antispasmodic; several studies indicate nutmeg may have also have an anti-fungal composition.  Believed to invigorate the mind (take heed, morning sleep heads!), it is also thought to relieve pain associated with arthritis and muscle aches.  Additionally, research has indicated it can help with digestive troubles, including nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.  I haven’t personally tried it for digestive troubles because my default for nausea relief is peppermint EO.

Since the molecular structure of all essential oils is so small, the theory is they are absorbed into the circulatory system by inhalation through the mucous membranes.  Once the EO molecules enter the bloodstream, the properties assist the body. 

WORD TO THE WISE on Nutmeg EO:

This EO is not thought to be toxic or irritating, as long as it is properly diluted (e.g., use only 1 drop of nutmeg EO to 2 oz. of base oil or emulsifier).  However, in large dosages, it has the potential to be dangerous because it contains a constintuent called myristicin, which can cause hallucinations, vomiting, epileptic symptoms.  And if you are pregnant, I recommend avioding this oil.

In health
barbara-ann

As beautiful as a real tree smells, we decided to skip that tradition and instead purchased a ficus alii tree that we hung a strand of lights & some pretty ornaments on.  After the holidays, we’ll plant our new tree in the front yard!  Since I miss the scent of a real tree, I use a plug-in diffuser ball and add 8 – 10 drops of spruce essential oil to the pad ever other day.   Spruce essential oil is believed to have antifungal, disinfecting, grounding, calming & uplifting properties - no wonder we LOVE the smell of real trees!

One small act by each person results in a collective benefit to reducing overall waste.  Ivillage has some great tips for creating a “greener” holiday (pun intended!).

In health,
barbara-ann

In health
barbara-ann

The most common African Black Soap is Ose Dudu (derived from the languages of Nigeria, Benin & Togo) translating literally to Soap (ose) Black (dudu).  Black soap varies from light brown to deep black, depending on the ingredients & preparation method.  Togo black soaps have specific applications and uses, but black soap is the oldest, healthiest soap available. As African black soap varies by region, the oils used to make African black may include some combination of palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter or shea butter.  Since the oils used are based on availability, the particular combination used results in color variations. In general, coastal regions use more coconut oil, while savanna regions use more shea butter.

If you’re wondering why the soap is black, it’s related to “potash”, which is the term used for the “fertilizer form” of the element potassium (chocked full of beneficial properties).  These properties were realized many centuries ago and the potash is essentially the wood ash collected in metal pots.  Potash used to make African black soap can be derived from the ashes of several plant sources, including cocoa pods, shea tree bark, plantain leaves & by products of shea butter production.  True African black soap is made with hand-made potash in small batches & is not manufactured in factories with commercial potash or refined oils.

I recommend Agbanga Karite and Alaffia fair trade products, which you can read more about here.  Their black soap uses the traditional recipe of central Togo, which is a minimum of 45% unrefined shea butter; the remainder is virgin palm kernel oil.  Their potash comes from ashes of plantain leaves, shea butter residues & bark from a local tree called “Agow”.

Black soaps manufactured in the United States, Europe, or Asia are not authentic African black soaps, so be sure to read the ingredient list on black soap labels to ensure:

1. The soap contains the oils previously mentioned, not cheap oils or fats, AND

2. The “black color” is due to saponification, not additives like charcoal or black dyes used as “coloring agents”

Enjoy in health!

barbara-ann

In a 4 oz bottle, combine the following:

1/2 oz of grain alcohol (avoid the temptation to drink it;-)
3 drops blood orange essential oil (EO)
3 drops black pepper EO
3 drops cedarwood EO
3 drops bergamot EO
4 drops ylang ylang EO
4 drops rose absolute EO

Shake bottle vigorously to emulsify the EO’s and then add a 1/2 oz. of vegetable glycerine, shaking again.

Lastly, top off with your choice of rosewater, lavender water or plain ole distilled water.  And one more time: “Shake, shake, shake señora!”

The oils I chose for this mix contain sedative and / or anti-depressant properties, so every time stress approaches, just bust out the bottle, shake and and spray!  As your heart rate slows down,  close your eyes and count backwards from 10.  Life will be all good again! Since I live in Florida, where November highs are still between the mid 80’s & low 90’s, I keep my bottle in the fridge, but that’s not necessary.

BTW, this spray has many uses. Besides being used as a body spray, it can be also be used as a room and / or car freshener, a doggie odor blaster or a linen spray; and the EO anti-bacterial / anti-viral properties give it enough chutzpah to work as a hand sanitizer too – how’s that for all-purpose?!

Enjoy in health,
barbara-ann

And while I LOVE vintage, I’m not an all or nothin’ gal, so I try to create a look that works with my current wardrobe and my premium denim vice!  After all, fashion should be fun, creative and uniquely yours. 

In health,
barbara-ann

Nevertheless, I am very sensitive to the many people who feel depressed during this time of year.  One potential way to alleviate some of those symptoms is to incorporate some natural essential oils (EO) into your home, work space and even in your daily car commute(s).  An extremely economical way is to keep a few vials of some uplifting essential oils around and simply dab a couple of drops (or two) directly onto a cotton ball or kleenex and then place it nearby where you can breathe in the scent.

If your’e feeling sad, a few EO’s I recommend include white grapefruit, blood orange and bergamot to lift your spirits.  These are all affordable citrus scents; perhaps my Floridian roots are shining through here, but I’ve not yet seen anyone inhale grapefruit EO and not smile.  If only for a  moment, the feeling of rejuventation that an EO can provide has the potential to provide a positive experience in your day.  And it doesn’t cost very much, which we all love!  If you’re not a fan of citrus scents, ylang ylang is an exotic floral scent also recommended for depression.  Because of its subtle similarities to the scent of Jasmine (a pricey precious oil), it’s been nicknamed the “poor man’s jasmine”!

I love the smell of precious oils, especially, german (blue) chamomile, rose absolute and jasmine and can personally attest to considerable emotional benefits provided from rose, in particular.  When my precious beagle, Holly, passed away in March, I was devastated, grief-stricken and extremely depressed.  My aromatherapy mentor and teacher filled a little glass vial pendant with Turkish Rose EO, which is used to help with grief.  I wore it 24/7 for weeks and inhaled it non-stop after Holly’s death and experienced noticeable improvement each day.  I truly believe it helped me through that horrible time and gave me the resolve to celebrate Holly’s wonderful, long life.  In her memory, I built a small garden with pretty plants in her doggie bowls, paw print tiles and other mementos from her life.  Call me crazy, but I honestly believe I received a lot of emotional strength from rose EO. I posted about EO’s for grief early this year.

As an added benefit, many of these essential oils also provide antisceptic, disinfectant and anti-viral properties.  Due to their small molecular structure, inhalation of pure EO’s allows them to enter our bloodstream, so the added health benefits go a long way in boosting our immune systems during the infamous cold and flu season.

May your holiday season be filled with health, hope and happiness.

In Health,
barbara-ann

Scentsational recipes are available on her website.

In health,
barbara-ann