Aromatherapy to make your Valentine's Day Memorable

With Valentine's day right around the corner you may be thinking of doing something special for your loved one.  You can make an aromatherapy bath salt blend or an aromatherapy massage oil blend to create a romantic and lasting impression on your lover.

Essential Oils commonly associated with sensuality are: clary sage, jasmine, neroli, rose, patchouli, sandalwood, vanilla, vetiver and yang-ylang.

Throughout the ages scent has been used to woo partners and for personal expression.  Scents that we put on our skin mingle with the natural odor of our body to create a scent that is truly our own.  Our individual scent is so unique that babies have been able to identify their mothers through smell.  Scent is a primal sensation for us and as such evokes some of our more primal responses and emotions.  Using Aromatherapy to tap into your lovers unique scent connection can take your intimate experiences from wow to OH WOW.

To do this determine which smells from the above list you both find attractive and make you feel happy.  Look for those scent combo's in products you buy or you can use the individual essential oils to make a massage oil or bath salt (DIY recipe's to follow).

A few things to consider when using a massage oil for sensual purposes are to avoid getting the product on or near mucous membranes and sensitive body areas.  Have a towel nearby to dry your hands after using the massage oil.

Now that you have an understanding of the safety around using a massage oil and some suggestions for which essential oils to use to create a romantic setting its time to get to work making the product.  Or you can email info@evokearomatherapy.com for a custom created product made specifically for you and your lover based on your chosen scents.


DIY Sensual Massage Oil

30 ml (2 TBSP) Sweet Almond Oil
2 drops Rose Essential Oil
2 drops Sandalwood Essential Oil
1 drop 10% Vanilla Absolute in Jojoba Oil
3 drops Sweet Orange Essential Oil

Mix all the ingredients into a bottle with a flip top lid for easy pouring.

DIY Sensual Bath Salts

1/2 cup Epsom Salts
4 drops Ylang-Ylang Essential Oil
2 drops Clary Sage Essential Oil
1 drop Lemon Essential Oil
1 drop Sandalwood Essential Oil

Add the essential oils to the Epsom Salts.  Mix thoroughly.  Pour the bath.  While sitting in the bath mix in the bath salts containing the essential oils.

Light candles, play soft music, send the kids to grandma's for the night!  Do what you need to create uninterrupted time for you and your lover to connect and lose yourselves in the moment.  Trust that the memory you create will be lasting, carried on the sweet memory of scent.

"The minute I heard my first love story I started looking for you, not knowing how blind I was.  Lovers don't finally meet somewhere.  They're in each other all along."
Rumi

Happy Valentine's Day!

www.evokearomatherapy.com

Five Aromatherapy Tips For Everyday Wellness

People often ask how they can incorporate essential oils into their everyday life.  They are on the path to greater wellness and have realized that using essential oils is an effective and enjoyable means to their wellness goals.  I use essential oils and essential oil blends daily, many times a day and truly believe that my everyday wellness and joy has increased with aromatherapy in my life.  Following are 5 aromatherapy tips that can be started right now for everyday wellness.
For more aromatherapy and essential oil information please visit my website www.evokearomatherapy.com and follow my blog www.evokearomatherapy.blogspot.ca
Individual essential oils and vegetable carrier oils are available from Evoke Aromatherapy.  These products are available by request only which can be submitted on our "contact us" page.  Currently pure essential oils and carrier oils have no separate listing on the website.


5 Aromatherapy Tips For Everyday Wellness

1. Practice breathing: use your favourite essential oil to teach you to fully breathe into the bottom of your lungs then exhale completely.  Do this by applying a drop of your favourite essential oil to your hands, inhale deeply, exhale fully and repeat.
Benefits: increased oxygen to your body equals increased alertness, improved mood and increased energy.  Hint:  use an anti-viral essential oil like lemon to boost immune, or a calming essential oil like sandalwood to soothe the nervous system.

2.  Diffuse pure essential oils:  add a few drops of your favourite essential oil into a vaporizer to infuse the air you are breathing with natural calm.  One of my favourite oil blends is cinnamon and sweet orange.  An all round oil blend for wellness and an uplifted mood.
Benefits:  decreased stress hormones equal an increase of inner peace and calm.




3.  Aromatic Baths:  adding Epsom salts mixed with a few drops of your favourite essential oil into the bath water encourages your body to unwind and de-stress.  My favourite bath salt blend is Evoke Aromatherapy's Sweet Surrender that has lavender, neroli and geranium essential oils.  This bath blend helps the body and mind to completely unfurl.
Benefits:  Epsom salts help increase Magnesium absorption which decreases muscle pain and encourages relaxation.  Essential oils refresh, purify and relax the mind and body.

4.  Dry skin brushing and body oil:  dry brushing the skin allows you to slough off dead skin cells and increase circulation.  Applying a body oil afterwards revitalises the new skin cells bringing luxurious softness to your skin.  My favourite body oil... Evoke's Spring Fling (which will be released this spring.  Sign onto our newsletter or like us on social media to learn when it is available)
Benefits:  increased circulation, promotes healthy skin, increased self care which equals more SELF LOVE!






5.  First Aid:  promote healing of cuts, scrapes and burns using lavender diluted in a vegetable carrier oil.  Disinfect cuts using tea tree essential oil also diluted in a vegetable carrier oil.

Benefits:  healing the natural way, strengthen the bodies natural healing response.




Bonus Tip for increased wellness using essential oils.... have fun using them!  You are caring for and loving yourself in a wonderful proactive and healthy way.  You are on your way to enjoy a life of everyday wellness and self love!
All this benefit from simply "stopping to smell the roses!"

NOTE:  Always dilute essential oils before use.  Also check on their safety and proper dilution ratios before using.  Evoke Aromatherapy is providing this information for educational purposes only and does not intend to treat, diagnose, or cure any ailment, or disease.  

What's Your PMS Type?

I think most women have experienced PMS at some stage during their life. When I was younger I felt horrible days before my period. Fortunately, I haven't had any problems  since I started taking care of my body holistically.


PMS is mostly connected to toxicity, nutritional imbalances, and hormonal imbalance. A poor diet and nutritional deficiencies are the primarily causes of PMS. When your diet is high in sugar, white flour, corn syrup, and caffeine the chances are higher that you suffer from PMS. I noticed a significant difference when I removed all the refined white products and processed foods in favor of a diet high in vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables, and  good sources of protein. It is important to avoid synthetic estrogens in food and aim for organic dairy and meat. Good fats are important so experts suggest to increase your amount of omega oils, and especially Evening Primrose Oil which has proven helpful for many women.


According to Dr. Henry Bieler, in his book, Food Is Your Best Medicine, PMS means that the digestive tract and liver have become irritated from a poor diet, and as a result the toxins are entering the blood stream

PMS has been divided into different groups according to the symptoms and hormonal patterns. It is possible for a woman to suffer from all four types in one cycle, and only suffer from one in the next cycle. So, what type are you?

The different PMS types:

PMS-A (anxiety)

This group is associated with anxiety and symptoms include nervous tension, mood swings, anxiety, and irritability. This group biochemically shows a high estrogen to progesterone ratio. This could be related to congestion in the liver, and excess milk and animal fats. Steven Horne suggests that using liver cleansing herbs to clear congestion and progesterone cream may be helpful. Steven Horne also says magnesium, B6, and  GLA, (Gamma-linolenic acid) may be helpful as well. GLA can be found in plant based oils such as borage seed oil, evening primrose oil and black currant seed oil.

PMS-C (craving)

This group shows an increased appetite and food cravings, especially for sugar and chocolate. Some of the symptoms are dizziness, fainting, fatigue, and heart palpitations. This is linked with hypoglycemia and low prostaglandins. Remedies for hypoglycemia may be helpful, and Horne recommends Licorice root, and Algae. Cravings for chocolate may be caused by magnesium deficiency and essential fatty acid deficiencies. He also says zinc and B6 are other supplements that may help.

PMS-D (depression)

Depression, forgetfulness, crying, confusion, and insomnia are some of the characteristics of this group. According to Steven Horne, this is related to high progesterone and low estrogen, and magnesium  levels seem to be low in this group as well. Heavy metal toxicity from lead may be another factor. Steven Horne says natural phytoestrogens may be helpful.  He also says antistress vitamin supplement in herbal base can supply essential B-vitamins. Horne says St. John's Wort is an herb that historically has been used for the nervous system.

PMS-H (hyper hydration)

This group is associated with fluid retention. Weight gain, breast tenderness, swelling of extremities, and abdominal bloating are some of the characteristics of this group. According to Steven Horne this is caused by elevated levels of the hormone aldosterone. He also says diuretics may help. Horne also says Vitamin E, GLA, magnesium  and phytoestrogens may be helpful for this type of PMS as well.

Yeast infections may also contribute to PMS. Yeast infections are closely related to general toxicity. Progesterone affects yeast growth which means that women with yeast overgrowth often have more problems with yeast related symptoms during their later half of their cycle. You might want to consider Candida cleansing if you have problems with vaginal yeast infections, taken a lot of antibiotics or birth control pills. The endocrine glands work together, so thyroid problems may also contribute to PMS.

Aromatherapy
Essential oils and aromatherapy treatments may be beneficial in PMS. According to Battaglia, sweet fennel, geranium, and juniper berry used in a lymphatic drainage massage may reduce fluid retention.


Battaglia writes that clary sage, rose, geranium, sweet fennel influence the production of hormones and may be beneficial for  PMS. He says Roman chamomile, rose, and bergamot may be used to reduce irritability and depression. Battaglia also says in order for the essential oils to be beneficial for PMS, the above essential oils need to be used daily in a massage blend with evening primerose oil as the base oil.

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


The best you can do is to avoid toxins and refined products. Eat a wholesome diet rich in vegetables, fruits and good proteins. Aim to buy as much organic food as possible, and don't forget to make sure you get sufficient amount of vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids. 






This post is linked up to:
 WFMW., Tuesday with a Twist, Wildcrafting Wednesday

Essential Oils & Menopause Part 1

As I mentioned many times before, aromatherapy is considered to be one of the most effective methods of dealing with female concerns such as menstrual, pregnancy and menopausal problems. The aroma of the essential oil is very powerful,  through the essential oils' molecular structure and fragrance, it can influence the limbic lobe and hypothalamus. Inhalation of essential oils is said to  stimulate production of hormones from the hypothalamus.

Symptoms
Menopause affect women differently but most of the symptoms include dizziness, difficult breathing, hot flushes, depression, heart palpitations, shortness of breath and headache. The average age of menopause is 50 years but some women go through an early menopause in the 30s or early 40s while others continue to menstruate until the late 50s.

Progesterone
The level of progesterone decline as a women age and this can lead to osteoporosis and an increase risk of depressions, mood swings and uterine and breast cancer. Estrogen levels can also decrease and increase the risk of heart disease. The hormones decline to a point where menstruation ceases. The Essential Oils Desk Reference suggests that the topical application of progesterone and prenolone cream is the most effective way to replace and boost the declining hormone levels. 

Dr. Dan Purser, M.D, is also promoting the use of progesterone in his new book, Progesterone The Ultimate Women's Feel Good Hormone. 


Other things to consider:

• Exercise is important.
• Avoid stress as much as possible.
• Avoid or limit, coffee, alcohol, refined food, artificial additives.
• Increase water intake to 2-3 liters/quarts a day, especially if suffering from hot flashes.
• Battaglia recommends to take 1,000 mg capsule of evening primrose 3 times a day if suffering from dry itching skin and dry vagina. Increase water to 2-3 liters a day.

So, what kind of essential oils can be used to make life easier during the change of life? 

Battaglia  recommends:

• Geranium since it is a hormonal balancer
• Rose since it tones the uterus and regulates the menstrual cycle
• Chamomile, jasmine, neroli, and ylang ylang since they are antidepressant and calming. These can be helpful when used in a bath, massage or when diffused.

Battaglia also recommends sweet fennel, and bergamot.



The Essential Oils Desk Reference recommends the single oils clary sage, sage and geranium.



Other posts in this series:
Hot Flashes

Don't forget to check with your doctor before you start a new health program.

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. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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:

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

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

t

This post is linked to:
The Gathering Spot, Fat Tuesday, Titus 2day, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Healthy Tuesday Hop, Domestically Divine, Teach Me Tuesday, Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, Encourage One Another, WFMW, Raising Homemakers, Party Wave Wednesday, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Wellness Wednesday, Natural Living, Simple Lives Thursday, The Homeacre Hop, The Busy Bee, All Things Thursday, Hearts 4 Home, Fight Back Friday, Small FootPrint Fridays, Sunday School Blog Carnival, Natural Living Monday, Mop it Up Monday, The Mommy Club, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways

Wound Healing and Essential Oils

I think it is important to be prepared for emergencies so I keep essential oils and herbs in my first aid kit. We use both herbs (my husband is a Master Herbalist) and essential oils in our family, but I find it easier to use essential oils in certain situations. Essential oils have traditionally been used to promote healing of wounds. Essential oils that have traditionally been used for wound healing are German chamomile, frankincense, everlasting (Helichrysum), myrrh, lavender, neroli, rose, palmarosa, yarrow and sandalwood.

For wound treatment I would choose oils that are cicatrizant, astringent, and vulnerary. Oils with cicatrizant properties promote the healing of wounds and keep them antiseptic. They will also prevent formation of scar tissue. Some oils are vulnerary and they will also promote the healing of wounds and prevent the wounds from being infected. Oils with styptic actions will stop the local bleeding. Astringent oils will contract tissues in order to make them firmer, denser and decrease discharges.

 Below is a formula  I used  as a compress several years ago to treat a wound. Compresses are very effective and useful in treating a small area. I would have added bergamot to this blend but it is phototoxic and we were out in the sun when I made this compress.

Wound Healing Compress:

• Benzoin resinoid 3 drops - Its styptic property will arrest the bleeding
• Roman Chamomile 3 drops - For disinfecting the wound. Its vulnerary, cicatrizant, and antiseptic properties will promote healing of the wound and prevent scar tissue.
• Purified water 9 oz

Add the water to a bowl and then add the essential oils. soak a soft cloth, gauze or a piece of flannel in the water. Make sure that you wring it out so that it doesn't drip and apply to the injured area. It is preferable to cover the cloth with saran wrap and then a towel to keep the aromas in.  Re-apply the compress once it dries out. Repeat the treatment 15 minutes to one hour. Do this three times a day if needed.

Other oils historically been used for wound healing:
German chamomile, frankincense, everlasting (Helichrysum), myrrh, lavender, neroli, rose, palmarosa, yarrow and sandalwood.

Calendula officinalis has also traditionally been used for the treatment of wound healing. It is generally used as an infused oil.

Other related posts:
Lavender to The Rescue
Make an Antiseptic Vinegar
Essential Oils for First Aid- Protect Your Family
How I Would Deal With A Scorpion Sting

This post is shared on:

Wildcrafting Wednesday

Simple Lives Thursday 

Seasonal Celebration Sunday 

Sunday School 

Fat Tuesday 

Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways 

SImple Living Wednesday 

Healthy 2day Wednesday