Diffusing essential oils is an extremely pleasurable path to health and well being! The health benefits of essential oils are innumerable, plus diffusing essential oils can and will prevent the onset of some sicknesses.
Don’t be a Pessimist: I realize that there are some people out there that if there isn’t something wrong with them they aren’t happy. It sounds strange but it is true.
I have had a number of acquaintances who seem to have something new wrong with them each and every week of the year. It is almost as if they open a medical encyclopedia and throw a dart. Ah-Ha! That is what I have.
It is very difficult to rearrange that way of thinking, however it can be done!
Uplift Your Spirits: Diffusing essential oils will lift you out of your doom and gloom plus give you a brighter, clearer outlook on life!
Many of my pessimistic acquaintances are amazed at how much better they feel. All those ailments they thought they had simply melted away by uplifting their spirits and taking on a positive attitude!
Below is a list of essential oils that will uplift your spirit.
Orange, Bergamot, Lemon, Lemon Verbena, Melissa, Petitgrain and Neroli.
Diffusing any one of these oils 15 to 20 minutes periodically thru out the day will raise your positive energy in a short amount of time.
Air Borne Illness: Many of the sicknesses we come in contact with today airborne. You simply walk into the room of someone who has the cold or flu and you can carry that virus home with you.
This is where diffusing essential oils in your home will shine. These essential oils will destroy the virus before they have the chance to run rampant through your house.
Anti-viral: Bay, Bergamot, Cardamom, Eucalyptus, Black Pepper, Cinnamon bark and Clove bud. The last three essential oils are very potent! Use care when handling these oils.
Anti-Bacterial: Bay Laurel, Thyme, Oregano, Cinnamon and Clove bud. Once again the last three essential oils are very potent and care is required when handling them.
Build your Immunity: Don’t you just hate it when you get sucker punched! We see it all the time on Americas Funniest Home Videos. Dad is teaching his young son to play T-ball and the kid always hits a line shot to dad’s groin. Oh man, if there was only a way to deflect that shot!
We have a way to deflect the blows of sickness and disease by building our immune systems. Having a strong immune system will prevent you from getting sick in the first place and at the very least ease the symptoms and severity of an illness should you get sick.
The following essential oils are proven immune system builders. Bay Laurel, Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Sage, Cinnamon and Oregano. Use care when handling Cinnamon and Oregano!
What about Air Fresheners: There are so many different air deodorizers available today that it can be difficult to choose. From spray cans, plug-ins to those that periodically send a puff of air freshener into the room.
The power of scent is a wonderful thing. Many of these department store air fresheners will pick us up and our reaction is, Man that smells nice. The response to the aroma is instant and generally uplifting. However, this is where air fresheners and essential oils differ. Air fresheners usually only cover odors in the room. Essential oils will attack and destroy these foul odors. Air fresheners will only temporarily effect your state of mind. The chemical make up of essential oils combine with our own chemical make up to bring about lasting physical changes in our psyche. The old saying goes, Imitation is the best form of flattery. Air fresheners can only hope to imitate the pure essence of an essential oil and have virtually none of the therapeutic qualities of essential oils.
Let’s Breath Easy: I cannot say that once you start diffusing essential oils that you will never be sick again. I would be crazy to make a statement like that! What you will find is that by diffusing essential oils you can boost your immune system, lessen the effects of an illness and lift your spirits making it difficult for sickness and disease to attack you.
Always remember to use pure therapeutic grade essential oils for optimum results!
Be Well,
Sallie A. Peterson
Sign up for our free newsletter and view our excellent line of therapeutic grade essential oils and quality aromatherapy products at http://www.amberoils.com
Erasing Wrinkles
What if I had a magic eraser that would eliminate wrinkles? How many of you would buy it?
Many people will try just about anything to fight the signs of ageing! Ageing my friends, happens wether we want it to or not. Fortunately essential oils are the safest, most effective and least expensive way to eliminate wrinkles!
Time Line: Since the beginning of time people have been struggling with signs of ageing. For centuries alchemist and philosophers have sought to find a secret formula for making ageing rulers appear younger and more vibrant.
Stockholders today watch for new products that can eliminate or prevent wrinkles rather than cover them. They know millions of dollars can be made from the millions of people who rush to purchase these products.
The First Step: The first step is probably the most difficult. You must be able to look at yourself in the mirror. Pay close attention to your wrinkles as you make different facial expressions. Are those lines more pronounced when you smile, frown, squint or laugh?
The first step in erasing those wrinkles is to change those expressions which cause them to be most visible. ( Unless that expression is a smile.) In my experience however, people who smile tend to have fewer wrinkles.
This will require a conscious effort at first. Don’t worry it will start to become natural in time. After all it took several years of the same facial expression to develop those lines.
Surgery as an Option: There are literally hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on cosmetic surgery. Face lift surgery alone is a multi million dollar industry. This type of surgery can and usually does wonders for a persons psyche. Along with their new younger appearance comes a considerably lighter pocket book.. I have heard of people spending $10,000 on a face lift. My skin wrinkles when I hear that! Then of course there is the discount face lift that gets botched. The patient is scared for life. Why take that risk?
Herein lies a problem. After a few years or in some cases months, the wrinkles begin to re-appear. Why does this happen? Chances are you were never instructed concerning the first step. If you continue to use the same facial expressions, the same lines will return. You can count on that.
Instant Gratification: The surgical nip and tuck face lift can give you instant gratification. Your friends will notice the new younger looking you. Then they will likely want to know how much it cost.
Any thing worth having is worth working for. Getting rid of wrinkles with essential oils is not instant! However, with continual use it will be lasting. In most cases essential oils will begin erasing your wrinkles in about 30 days. The beautiful thing about it is the change is gradual. Your friends will notice that you are looking younger. Of course, they will want to know your secret. Feel free to let them know you saved thousands of dollars removing your wrinkles using essential oils.
Cell Regeneration: Essential oils work on a molecular level and will actually regenerate skin cells! Essential oils have circulation stimulating properties which oxygenate the blood. This action energizes the cells allowing skin regeneration to take place.
Don’t Apply the Brakes: When fighting the signs of ageing try to avoid slowing the process. A healthy lifestyle and diet will hasten your results. Habits such as alcohol and tobacco will slow the process considerably.
Anti-ageing Oils: The following essential oils can cut ten years off your appearance. When you look younger you feel younger and may even gain a new outlook on life.
Carrot, clary sage, fennel, frankincense, galbanum, German chamomile, hyssop, lavender, lemon, lime, myrrh, neroli, orange, oregano, palmarosa, patchouli, rose, rosemary, thyme, vervain, violet leaf and yarrow.
Any one of these oils will work on their own. Should you decide to be creative you can blend two or more to suit your particular needs.
Use these oils in a bath, face oils or body rub. For use in a bath place 6 drops in warm bath and soak. As a face oil or body rub use 25 drops of your chosen oil in one half once of light nut oil such as fractionated coconut or almond oil. For best results apply face oil and body rub oil immediately following your bath. If you plan to blend oils remember to mix the essential oil together before adding them to your carrier oil.
Ironing out the Wrinkles: For centuries we have been seeking new ways to fight the signs of ageing. Through all of our technology and expensive surgeries there is nothing as effective or long lasting as essential oils.
Remember to always use therapeutic grade essential oils for optimum results!
Sallie A. Peterson
Sign up for our free newsletter and view our excellent line of therapeutic grade essential oils and quality aromatherapy products at http://www.amberoils.com
Traveling With Essential Oils
You have been cooped up inside your house all winter long. Your cabin fever is so high you feel like you are burning up. Spring break is almost here and you can’t wait to get away for a week or two. You have been planing this trip for weeks now and your itinerary is all laid out. Why not let essential oils help you deal with any glitches in your travel plans. They will help in making your vacation go smoothly.
The Excitement Builds: The closer you get to the day of departure the more excited you become. This is especially evident when you have children. Using geranium and lavender essential oils in your child’s bath will help in keeping anxiety levels at a minimum before and during your trip.
The Drive: Travel sickness is a problem many people struggle with. Peppermint oil is excellent for calming an uneasy stomach. Before you leave place a drop of peppermint oil in a warm glass of water with one half teaspoon of honey and sip. This will keep your stomach settled for a long time and can be used for children and adults alike. Another option would be to bring a small bag of sugar cubes. Place a single drop of peppermint oil on each cube. If you start to feel a little nauseous, take one of your sugar cubes and suck on it. A nifty device for your drive is an essential oil car diffuser. These little units plug into your cigarette lighter and work extremely well. A good car diffuser is very inexpensive. Only about 10 to 15 dollars and are well worth the price.
Ginger is another essential oil you should take along for the ride. Although it is better known for treating seasickness, it also works well in alleviating other types of travel sickness. If you do not have a car diffuser yet, you can place a couple of drops on a cotton ball or tissue and place them on the front and rear dashboards. In more extreme cases mix 4 drops ginger with 1 teaspoon carrier oil and rub over your abdomen.
Traffic jams can be very frustrating and set you on edge. Keep you and your passengers cool and calm by placing 1 drop of lavender, eucalyptus or peppermint essential oil on a tissue or cotton ball and putting them on the front and rear dashboards. These oils will sooth your nerves and keep them from fraying. Under these conditions these essential oils will not make you sleepy! You will be able to stay on a more even keel, relaxed yet more aware. With a car diffuser you will not have to use tissue and cotton balls.
Exhaust fumes can cause nausea. If that traffic jam has you choking and gaging place eucalyptus on cotton balls or tissue around the inside of your car. This will help to counteract the smell from the exhaust.
The Flight: Flying presents us with an entirely new set of problems to deal with. The pressurized air is dry and can cause dehydration, swollen feet and ankles, cramps, dry skin and headaches. Then you are always bumping your knees on the seat in front of you.
Before you flight drink a cup of peppermint tea using 1 drop of peppermint oil and a teaspoon of honey in a cup of hot water. This will keep your stomach settled and help to keep it from feeling bloated or extended. Gases in your abdomen tend to expand during flights and peppermint oil will help alleviate these problems.
If you are anxious or nervous about flying you need to take preemptive measures. Before your flight place1 drop of lavender and 1 drop of geranium essential oil on a tissue. Put this tissue in a zip lock bag. When you begin to feel uneasy , pull the tissue out of the bag and take 4 or 5 deep breaths. Now lie back, close your eyes and relax. This will also work should you find yourself becoming irritable during your flight.
Children on long flights can become fidgety and irritable. Have ready a small bottle with 15 drops chamomile in 2 tablespoons of coconut or almond oil. Before things get out of control, massage this mix on their legs and feet. They will soon settle down. You and those around you will have a much more pleasant flight. Plus you will have plenty of this mix left should you need it later during your vacation.
For swollen feet and ankles mix 5 drops lavender or eucalyptus oil into a teaspoon of almond oil. Massage on feet and ankles in an upward motion toward the bottom of the calf. This will work wonders at reducing the swelling.
Are you prone to leg cramps. Have a compress made up before you take flight. Get a clean handkerchief, wet it so it is just damp. Place 5 drops of geranium on the cloth and store in a zip lock bag. When you feel a cramp coming on, take out your compress and place it over the affected area.
If you are over 5' 8" tall your knees are going to bump the seat in front of you. If your knees get bumped and sore use a compress as mentioned above. With this compress however, use 5 drops of lavender essential oil. Rub this compress all over your knees. This will relax the muscles and reduce the bruising from being bumped around.
Your Arrival: Once you reach your destination there are a couple of things you should do to ensure your stay is a pleasant one. Even though there are clean sheets on your bed there are also thousands of dust mites that feed off dead skin cells which we are constantly shedding. A precautionary measure to take especially where young children are concerned. Pull back the bed cloths. Then with a tissue that you have placed a few drops of thyme, lavender and lemongrass, wipe the mattress. Very few microorganisms can escape this combination of essential oils exterminating effects. Another method that works well is to place your blend of thyme, lavender and lemongrass in a spritz bottle with a half once of water. Spray this combination over the bed cloths and allow to dry before climbing into bed for the night.
It is never easy to rest when you are in a strange bed or new environment. The bed isn’t as soft or firm as you are used to. There is a mass of new sounds that you haven’t heard at home. Other hotel guest coming and going. The ice machine at the end of the hall. The elevator whirring up and down and sirens from police cars and ambulances. All these sounds can interrupt your sleep if your not used to them. Use scents that you have been using at home. This will bring about a feeling of familiarity helping you to relax and allowing you a more restful sleep.
Reality Check: All the excitement and fun you have had over the last week or two has come to an end. Now comes the shock of having to return to those classes or your career. Getting back into your routine can be tough. Placing 2 drops each of peppermint and geranium essential oils on a tissue and taking an occasional whiff will help get you over the shock of reality. The peppermint will keep you alert while the geranium will calm your stress levels while you readjust to your routine.
Happy trails!
Remember to always use therapeutic grade essential oils for optimum results!
Sallie A. Peterson
Sign up for our free newsletter and view our excellent line of therapeutic grade essential oils and quality aromatherapy products at http://www.amberoils.com
Heading Off Head Lice
Head lice is a common problem most of us have had to deal with at one time or another. These tiny little six legged creatures are non-discriminatory. They do not care wether your hair is clean or not. However, they do prefer a clean environment. It doesn’t matter if you have blond, brunette, black, brown or blue hair. Your hair could be curly, straight, long, short, kinky, or permed. All head lice want is a nice warm place to lay their eggs.
Stigmatisms: Unfortunately getting head lice carries the stigmatism that you are sloppy or unkempt. This is not at all true.
We recently had a beautiful young lady stay in our home. She was very meticulous about her appearance and was always neat and clean.
One day while we were shopping she decided to get her hair trimmed. She was horrified when the beautician would not cut her hair due to her head lice infestation. I was shocked to see hundreds of lice and thousands of nits. I had never seen an infestation this extreme. I truly thought we were going to have to shave her head. This young lady was heartbroken. The thought of losing her hair was devastating.
I had treated minor infestations in the past with a variety of essential oils. However, this was the worst case I had ever seen and she was living in my home!
Shampoos: Many of the shampoos available for treating head lice have toxic chemicals in them. These shampoos can be very dangerous to handle! Especially if you intend to use them on younger children.
We have found treating your hair with essential oils to be the best and safest treatment.
What You Need: The essential oils you will need to treat head lice are, Chamomile (roman and german), eucalyptus, geranium, lavender, lemon, rosemary and tea tree. You will also need some white beeswax and castor oil.
First melt 1 oz. beeswax in a dish or bowl over boiling water. Then slowly add 2 oz. castor oil until you a creamy texture. Let cool. Then add 25 drops of each of the following essential oils. Geranium, lavender and rosemary. Rub this mixture well into scalp, put on a shower cap and leave on overnight. In the morning wash your hair as normal using 2 drops tea tree oil with your shampoo. Prepare a blend of eucalyptus, geranium, lavender, lemon and rosemary for your final rinse. Use equal amounts of each oil and blend together. Add 2 drops of this blend to your final rinse. Repeat this procedure for two nights.
You will also need to purchase a nit comb for head lice. Combing an infected persons hair with one of these combs is a must. This can be a painful experience for those with long or thick hair. Sorry!
In the case with this young lady, she did this routine for four consecutive nights. She wanted to ensure that all adult lice and hatching lice were dead. She endured the nit comb and kept her hair. Not a single little six legged creature survived the treatment!
Cases With Inflamation: If you have a case where you have caused an inflammatory condition due to excessive scratching, use one of the following blends.
Combine equal amounts of these essential oils. Chamomile ( roman and german ) geranium and lavender. Then add 30 drops of this blend to your beeswax castor oil cream. Rub on scalp, cover and leave overnight. This is an antiseptic blend and will calm the itching as well as cool the inflammation!
Another blend for easing the itchy scalp and inflammation would be 20 drops german chamomile, 10 drops lavender, 5 drops lemon. Mix this blend in ½ oz. fractionated coconut carrier oil. Massage into scalp, cover and leave overnight.
Prevention: When washing your hair use 2 drops tea tree oil along with an unscented shampoo. Lice do not like tea tree oil at all. Use equal amounts of eucalyptus, geranium, lavender, lemon and rosemary. Add 2 drops of this blend to your final rinse after washing your hair.
Remember Lice are non-discriminating and will jump from head to head. You could be on a subway, in line at the grocery store or at your favorite sporting event. They are just looking for a warm place to lay their eggs.
Where to Look: The most common places to find these little critters is under your bangs, at the nape of the neck or above the ears. They are smaller than a match head and brownish grey in color. The adult lice lay their cream colored eggs close to the skin. The eggs are more easily seen. Lice are sensitive to light and will scurry away quickly as you part your hair.
A Clean Slate: Getting a case of head lice has carried with it a lot of negative connotations. Take heart! It is more likely a case of being in the wrong place at the right time. How could you know your best friend at school had them. Did you suspect your co-worker at the water cooler? I am not trying to make you paranoid of every one you meet. Quite the contrary. I want you to be confident around people. You now know you have a safe and natural way of combating these little critters.
Stay lice free with essential oils!
Remember to always use therapeutic grade essential oils for optimum results!
Sallie A. Peterson
Sign up for our free newsletter and view our excellent line of therapeutic grade essential oils and quality aromatherapy products at http://www.amberoils.com
The Wonders of Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy. This is just one of those $10,000 words retailers made up just to make a buck, right?
They want you to believe if you smell this it will calm you down. If you light this candle you will light his fire and have an unforgettable evening of love and romance. Every where you look there are candles, oils, lotions, potions, incense and sprays all claiming to lift your spirits and be good for your health.
This all sounds like the traveling salesman of old. Go into town, sell a wagon load of goods, and get out of town before the townspeople figure out they have been scammed. Unfortunately there are a number of businesses selling synthetic oils calling them aromatherapy. This leads to distrust and scepticism in the entire industry.
Not Junk Science: True aromatherapy is not a bunch of nonsense. There is much more to aromatherapy than meets the nose. Science has now confirmed what men and women have practiced for centuries. Scents, indeed have the ability to promote good physical, mental and spiritual health.
The Wonders of Aromatherapy: Have you ever been down in the dumps? You then smell a bouquet of flowers or someone peeling an orange. Moments later you realize your feeling better. This is the basis on which aromatherapy works. In essence, aromatherapy is a natural healing art that is gentle and non-invasive. The scent of essential oils are used to promote general well being. True essential oils do have medicinal properties. Just smelling an essential oil can uplift your spirit and change your feelings and outlook in a positive manner.
Portable: Aromatherapy has the ability to generate an almost instant sense of joy and peace. It also aids in stimulating your imagination. Unlike other therapies such as western medicine and acupuncture, aromatherapy is non-invasive. No pills to swallow and no needles to poke you. With your basic survival kit of essential oils in hand you can go anywhere. If ever a stressful or anxious situation occurs, you will have just the right essential oil right under your nose.
New Age Talk: New age hype has probably done more to hurt the art of aromatherapy than help. It has given way to the unscrupulous manufacturers of synthetics to pedal their wares as aromatherapy. These synthetics may have a nice smell but have no therapeutic value. Aromatherapy is not a warm fuzzy, touchy feely practice. Quite the contrary. Aromatherapy is a science. This science is called psychoneuroimmunology. Now that is a $10,000 word.
Psychoneuroimmunology is the study of how positive and negative experiences effect the immune system and emotions. This science has confirmed that gentle massage and breathing pleasant aromas can strengthen the Immune system. At the other end of the spectrum unhappiness, the lack of touch or breathing stale air can lower your bodies resistance to sickness and disease.
By incorporating true aromatherapy into your daily routine you can help boost your immune system giving you a more positive outlook on life.
Holistic Medicine: Aromatherapy is part of holistic medicine. Holistic medicine doesn’t just look at the symptoms, but also the cause and prevention of illnesses. When you use pure therapeutic grade essential oils on a daily basis you are taking control of your health issues. You will be on your way to a happier healthier you.
In Essence: True aromatherapy can provide you with an innumerable number of health benefits. We must be aware of the synthetic oils available. They do not have the therapeutic value of pure essential oils. In most cases these synthetics are very inexpensive. As the old saying goes you get what you pay for.
Shop Smart: Compare prices! If you find 5 or 6 sites selling 2.5 ml. or approximately 1/8 oz of rose essential oil for 60 to 70 dollars and another site selling 10 ml. (a little under ½ oz.) for less than $50.00 guess what. More than likely the rose priced under $50 is likely synthetic or has been already diluted with another oil. Be smart. Be safe.
Always remember, use only pure therapeutic grade essential oils for optimum results.
Sallie A. Peterson
Sign up for our free newsletter and view our excellent line of therapeutic grade essential oils and quality aromatherapy products at http://www.amberoils.com
Getting Scentsable
Last month we began a series of articles entitled The Wonders of Aromatherapy. Over the next few months we will guide you on a journey through aromatherapy one step at a time. For those of you that may be new to aromatherapy should glean some interesting, useful information. Those of you well rooted in the art of aromatherapy should harvest maybe old news but, in a refreshing new view.
There are scents all around us from bouquets of flowers and pine forest to those we try to blame on the dog. However, those aromas we blame on the dog have absolutely no therapeutic benefit so we will concentrate on those scents we obtain from plant life called essential oils.
There are many fragrances that affect our lives on a daily basis wether we are aware of it or not. The smell of flowers on a warm spring day will make us feel great. Especially after a long cold winter. The smell of pumpkin pie baking in the oven for desert on Thanksgiving day. This causes us to anticipate desert over the main meal.
We smell so many different things thru out the day that we take many of them for granted
We could just memorize a list of scents for treating certain ailments. However, aren’t you the least bit curious as to why they work. I know I am!
Discovery: Discovering what creates a plants aroma is the best place to start when learning about aromatherapy. When we learn more about scents we can begin to understand why they are so useful in therapy.
Essential oils are what create a plants scent. These special oils are produced naturally in the plant and are held in special glands. Any plant that has a scent contains essential oils. These plants all have their own distinctive aromas due to their essential oils.
Consistency: The molecules in an essential oil are extremely tiny. Essential oils are much thinner than vegetable oil or motor oil. This is why they are so useful in therapy. The thin molecular structure of essential oil is why they can penetrate the skin. They then go right to work on the area being treated.
We often refer to them as volatile oils. This means they are vaporous or like gas. A 15ml. bottle of essential oil will evaporate in a short amount of time if left open setting on your kitchen counter. A pure essential oil will not leave an oily stain on cloth because it dissipates quickly.
Production: Essential oils are produced in special scent glands within the plant. These glands are predominantly in the leaves and flowers. However, They can be found most anywhere in the plant.
Botanist did not know why plants contained essential oils for a long time. They now understand these oils have an important role in the plants development. These essential oils attract bees and other pollinators, seal a plants wounds, repel harmful insects, kill bacterial, viral and fungal infections, make a plant waterproof, repel other plants to avoid overcrowding of space, increase immunity to disease and possibly influence reproduction as plant hormones.
Uses: People and plants alike can utilize the value of essential oils for more than just scent. We have the ability to treat all manner of physical and emotional issues with essential oils. Some of the most important medicinal benefits we obtain using these oils are. Kill bacterial, viral and fungal infections, heal wounds, reduce inflammation, aid in blood circulation and digestion, decrease sinus and lung congestion, repel insects, tone and moisturize skin, regulate hormones, stimulate immune system, attract a mate and possibly influence reproduction.
End Result: Ironically enough essential oils function about the same in people as they do in plants. Many essential oils are highly antiseptic and have the ability to kill harmful micro organisms such as bacterial and viral infections. Essential oils also have the ability to reduce inflamation, which in turn can reduce or eliminate pain. Some essential oils stimulate cell regeneration, which encourages wounds to heal at a much faster rate.
With all the benefits essential oils have it makes them an excellent choice for treating minor injuries such as cuts, bruises, sprains, tight or cramped muscles, arthritis, headaches, inflamation and infections.
Remember, always use pure therapeutic grade essential oils for optimum results!
Sallie A. Peterson
Sign up for our free newsletter and view our excellent line of therapeutic grade essential oils and quality aromatherapy products at http://www.amberoils.com
