About Evoke Aromatherapy

Evoke Aromatherapy is a holistic aromatherapy company that provides products which are specifically formulated to address common wellness concerns in adults, children and babies.

Each Evoke product is formulated and hand crafted by a certified aromatherapist using accurate dilutions according to their intended uses. Adults, children and babies have different requirements for quantities and types of oils they can use. Evoke Aromatherapy is conscious of this and blends accordingly. Our products are supportive to the whole body and by the very nature of essential oils and their properties, encourage wellness of the whole body on both a specific and overall spectrum.

Our products for adults, children and babies are created using the highest quality independently sourced pure essential and vegetable oils available. Our products are vegan, not tested on animals, use glass recyclable bottles, are hypoallergenic, and are created with natural and organic ingredients. They are also free from synthetic fragrances, chemicals and petroleum by-products. Evoke is not affiliated with multi-level marketed companies nor do we use their oils or products.

Evoke Aromatherapy was born on Kauai, Hawaii in 2012. Evoke’s conception however happened many years before having started under the name Healing Thyme Aromatherapy. Having been born on Kauai, Hawaii, Evoke was saturated in the healing energy of the Hawaiian Islands and given the time needed to absorb this energy and beauty into its very essence. Evoke Aromatherapy is now ready to spread this Aloha experienced on Kauai.

The Evoke logo image is an albatross, which flew over the waters from where Evoke’s founder worked, symbolizing the freedom and expansiveness that is in Evoke’s essence. The crystal clear waters ebbed and flowed below her feet creating the harmony and color of the image. The trade winds blew, the ocean moved and the sounds, smells and harmony became entwined with Evoke as organically as the healing powers of essential oils are entwined with the plant. With loving-kindness these properties are extracted to serve their purpose of helping to bring wellness to adults, children and babies in a gentle, loving and nurturing way.

We love what we do and hope you feel this love with our products. You deserve the best and to live your best life.

Evoke by definition is the calling forth of what lies in the unconscious into the conscious. Together with Evoke Aromatherapy you can call forth the joy and wellness you have been creating for your life.

Evoke encourages us to “live with love in our heart and actions” ♥

Delayed- Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and Essential Oils

It was thought among experts that DOMS was caused by the lactic acid, the by-product of anaerobic metabolism (glycosis). However, it is now believed that the free radicals hydroperoxides, ammonia, and hydroxyl radicals cause hydroxyproline damage. Hydroxyproline can be found in the connective tissue.  It is a constituent of the collagen.

Any movement that is new can cause tearing and swelling that leads to soreness  However, it is mostly the eccentric muscle contractions that lead to DOMS. Eccentric muscle contractions are movements that cause the muscles to forcefully contract while it lengthens. Going down the stairs, lowering weights, running downhill, and the downward movements of squats and push ups.

Stretching, hydration, pre-workout warm up, and massage are some things that may reduce DOMS. It is wise to add antioxidants before and after training to minimize or reduce occurrence of DOMS. Remember, higher intensity training increases the risk of DOMS. Some antioxidants to consider are Pantothenic Acid, niacin, vitamin C & E, beta-carotene, COQ10, n-acetyl cysteine, zinc, selenium, grape seed extract and L-Glutathione. Rehydration drinks with electrolytes, carbohydrates and ascorbates should also be consumed. 

 Essential oils have a high antioxidant value in addition to the other healing properties.

Here are some blends to try for over exercised muscles.

Hot Bath

Marjoram 3 drops

Lemon 2 drops

Follow with the massage oil below

Massage Oil for Over-Exercised Muscles

Eucalyptus 5 drops

Peppermint 5 drops

Ginger 5 drops

Dilute in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.

More Blends:

Sore Muscle Blend

Juniper 8 drops

Wintergreen or Birch 10 drops

Lemon 8 drops

Rosemary cineol 4 drops

Lavender 8 drops

Sore Muscle Blend No.2

Cypress 9 drops

Rosemary cineol 4 drops

Lavender 8 drops

Elemi 2 drops

Valerian 2 drops

Other essential oils that may be useful are nutmeg, black pepper, basil, spruce, Roman Chamomile, peppermint. 

Important

This information is for educational purposes only, and is not meant to diagnose or prescribe.  If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or suffer from a medical condition, consult with your health care practitioner prior to using essential oils. Be careful when using essential oils with hormonal activity and don’t hesitate to contact a professional. Make sure that you look over the safefy information before you start using essential oils.

Before you leave:

I recommend that you always perform a skin patch test when you try a new oil.

Check out my safety page to make sure you are aware of any contrindications before you use essential oils. Some oils are not suitable when suffering from certain conditions. Also, Read this Before You Start Using Essential oils. Some oils should not be applied prior to sun exposure so make sure you check this list before spending time in the sun.

Not sure how to apply the oils? Visit these pages to learn how to apply the oils:

• Topical Application
• Inhaling Essential Oils
• Are You Diffusing the Oils Correctly?
• How to Dilute Essential Oils
• Vita Flex Technique

If you're new to essential oils you might want to check out my Getting Started Guide. 

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Johanna is an aromatherapist and she is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives. 

Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

Essential Oils & Chronic Pain

The body produces its own pain-killers called neurochemicals. They are opiate-like substances called enkephalins and endorphins. They are produced in the spinal cord and the brain. One theory is that people with chronic pain have less of this pain relieving substances, but more research is needed.

The thalamus and pituitary are stimulated when inhaling essential oils, and this may increase the amount of endorphins and enkephalins. These essential oils are known as aphrodisiac and euphoric since they make us feel good. Valerie Cooksley suggests that chronic pain sufferers should incorporate these oils into their lives.

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Johanna is an aromatherapist and she is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives. 
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

This post is linked to:
Wildcrafting Wednesday

Emergency Preparedness – Pain

This is my fourth post in my Emergency Preparedness series where I address an important issue as lack of access to medicine and medical care in case of emergencies. 

What if access to medication and medical care is denied?

 In my first post, Emergency Preparedness , I was wondering how people on prescribed medications would handle an emergency situation if access to medication and medical care is denied.  I encourage you to go back to my previous posts and read them. My other posts cover  high blood pressure, anxiety & depression,  diabetes and allergy.

I urge you to take charge of your own health so you're better prepared for any situation where you might not be able to fill your prescription or use any medical facilities.

Natural solutions
Below are some natural solutions to the most prescribed drugs in America today. 

Why essential oils?

• You can stockpile essential oils, and they have no expiration date if they are stored correctly. Herbs also lose their potency over time.
•  They are small enough so they can be put in a pocket if needed. 
• They are more potent so less amount is needed for healing. You have to drink 26 cups of peppermint tea in order to get the same healing effect as one drop of therapeutic peppermint essential oil. 

Treat the body holistically
It is important to remember to take a holistic approach to healing and not only rely on natural remedies. Dietary changes, living a toxin free life, exercise, sufficient rest and sleep, and incorporating other healing therapies into your life should also be considered. 


Okay, here we go:

#3 Pain medications are some of the most prescribed drugs in our country

About 38, 000 people died of an overdose in 2010 and 58% of the cases involved prescription drugs. The fastest growing drug problem in US today is the abuse of pain medicine and not the illegal street drugs. Chronic pain is the number one cause of disability in Americans 45 years and younger.

 Pain medications have many side effects and even the over the counter drugs are not harmless. Some of the side effects are kidney disease, organ failure, liver disease, addiction, death, strokes, and heart attack. Tylenol may seem innocent enough but it is actually the number one cause of liver failure. Tylenol contributed to half of all deaths due to poisoning in 2007.

It's not easy to discontinue the opiate prescription pain killers and can result in withdrawal symptoms such as chills, tremors, anxiousness, hallucination, sweating, confusion, flu-like symptoms, strong drug craving and more. It may even lead to seizures. Imagine how unpleasant if you run out of your medicine and cannot fill your prescription during an emergency. 

Remember

Never quit any prescribed medication on your own since it may be dangerous. Some medications needs to be weaned of slowly. Consult with your doctor first.

Pain
In my post Essential Oils & Pain,  I discussed that chronic pain sufferers should consider using essential oils that stimulate the thalamus and pituitary since it may increase the amount of endorphins and enkelphalins. You see, the body produces its own pain-killers called neurochemicals, and these opiate-like substances are called enkephalins and endorphins.


According to experts

• Include fish oil in your diet, several studies have confirmed that omega 3 has anti-inflammatory properties.
• Use ginger in your cooking since it is an anti-inflammatory and offers pain relief and stomach settling properties according to Dr. Mercola. Try fresh ginger as a tea steeped in hot water or grated in vegetable juice.
• Include food such as onion, leek, chive and garlic since they provide sulfur for combating joint and muscle inflammation.
• Include capsaicin in your diet since it is anti-inflammatory. 
• Eat unprocessed whole foods.
• Balance your pH and make sure you are alkaline.
• Include the top anti-inflammatory spice turmeric in your cooking.
• Refined sugar, processed meat, most dairy, alcohol and cooking oil cause inflammation so avoid these or at least cut back.
• Anthocyanins in cherries are powerful antioxidants that block inflammation and inhibit pain enzymes. 

Time for the oils

According to Gary Young Peppermint has shown to block calcium channels and substance P, which are important in the transmission of pain signals. This is great news since peppermint is a fairly inexpensive and an easy to find essential oil. 

According to Gary Young, other essential oils traditionally used for painful conditions are:

Helichrysum ~ Helichrysum italicum
Spruce ~ Picea mariana
Wintergreen or birch ~ Gaultheria procumbens or Betula alleghaniensis
Ginger ~ Zingiber officinalis
Clove ~ Syzygium aromaticum
Elemi ~ Canarium luzonicum
Douglas fir ~ Pseudotsuga menziesii
Balsam fir ~ Abies balsamea
Rosemary cineol ~ Rosmarinus officinalis CT 1,8 cineol

Thanks for reading and come back for my 4th part in this series to find out the solutions to the other medications on the list!

Emergency Preparedness - Part 1 - Introduction  drugs in our country
Emergency Preparedness - Part 2 - Anxiety and depression
Emergency Preparedness - Part 3 - High Blood Pressure 

Before you leave:

I recommend that you always perform a skin patch test when you try a new oil.

Check out my safety page to make sure you are aware of any contrindications before you use essential oils. Some oils are not suitable when suffering from certain conditions. Also, Read this Before You Start Using Essential oils. Some oils should not be applied prior to sun exposure so make sure you check this list before spending time in the sun.

Not sure how to apply the oils? Visit these pages to learn how to apply the oils:

• Topical Application
• Inhaling Essential Oils
• Are You Diffusing the Oils Correctly?
• How to Dilute Essential Oils
• Vita Flex Technique

If you're new to essential oils you might want to check out my Getting Started Guide. 

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Johanna is an aromatherapist and she is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives. 
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

Sources:

Connie and Alan Higley, (Twelfth Edition, revised 2010). Reference Guide for Essential Oils. Abundant Health
Gary Young, ND (2006). Essential Oils, Integrative Medical Guide. Essential Science Publishing

Salvatore Battaglia (1995). The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy. The Perfect Potion Pty Ltd

Julie Behling  (2011). Medical Preparedness for Adults  E-book

The Essential Oils Desk Reference. (Fifth edition 2011). Life Science Publishing

Photo credit

This post is linked to:
Mostly Homemade Mondays,  Fat Tuesday, The Gathering Spot, Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, WFMW, The Mommy Club, Raising Homemakers Link Up, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Natural Living Link Up, Simple Lives Thursday, The Homeacre Hop, Fight Back Friday, Sunday School Blog Carnival, Natural Living Monday, Teach Me Tuesday

Analgesic Essential Oils

Analgesic essential oils are used to relieve pain when applied externally, and they are also called anodynes or local anesthetics.

I previously wrote a post about Essential Oils & Pain. In that post I discussed that chronic pain sufferers should consider using essential oils that stimulate the thalamus and pituitary since it may increase the amount of endorphins and enkelphalins. You see, the body produces its own pain-killers called neurochemicals, and these opiate-like substances are called enkephalins and endorphins.

According to Young, Peppermint has shown to block calcium channels and substance P, which are important in the transmission of pain signals. This is great news since peppermint is a fairly inexpensive and an easy to find essential oil. Douglas fir, balsam fir and helichrysum are other oils with unique pain-relieving properties. 


How I apply oils for pain

• Sometimes I mix the essential oils with massage oils and apply on the location
• I apply the oils to relevant Vita Flex points on the bottom of the feet
• It the pain is chronic or trauma related, then I apply a warm compress on the location

As often when it comes to essential oils, there are loads of them to choose from so I will pick my favorites. 

The following oils with analgesic properties are my first choices:
Eucalyptus, peppermint, wintergreen,rosemary, black pepper, and marjoram

Other oils with analgesic properties:
Clove, cinnamon, palo santo, lavender, tea tree, helichrysum, bergamot, juniper, oregano,  German chamomile, thyme, geranium, elemi, ginger, nutmeg, pine, rose, vetiver, ylang ylang and dorado azul. 

 Remember, some essential oils such as cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, oregano, juniper, wintergreen, and black pepper may irritate the skin so make sure you dilute the essential oils and perform a skin patch test. I recommend that you always perform a skin patch test when you try a new oil.

Check out my safety page to make sure you are aware of any contraindications before you use essential oils. Some oils are not suitable when suffering from certain conditions. Also, Read this Before You Start Using Essential oils. 

Not sure how to apply the oils? Visit these pages to learn how to apply the oils:

• Topical Application
• Inhaling Essential Oils
• Are You Diffusing the Oils Correctly?
• How to Dilute Essential Oils
• Vita Flex Technique

If you're new to essential oils you might want to check out my Getting Started Guide. 

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Johanna is an aromatherapist and she is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives.

Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

Sources:

Gary Young, ND (2006). Essential Oils, Integrative Medical Guide. Essential Science Publishing

Salvatore Battaglia (1995). The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy. The Perfect Potion Pty Ltd

This post is linked to:
WFMW