Even More Ways to Use Essential Oils

Topical application and inhalation are the most common ways of using essential oils. There are  other ways to incorporate essential oils into your life than just applying them on the body or inhaling the oils.

Here are some more tips so you quickly can get into the habit of using the essential oils in your daily life.


Cleaning and disinfecting
Add a few drops of oil to the dishwasher to help disinfect and purify. Essential oils can also be added to the sponge or the cloth for extra freshness. Common oils to use are fir, lavender, Melaleuca Alternifolia, pine, spruce, bergamot, orange and lemon.



Dishwashing Soap
Add several drops of essential oils like orange, tangerine, pine, lemon, and peppermint to a bottle of liquid soap. Use un-scented or natural soap if possible. Liquid castile soap can be used too.


Laundry
You can add essential oils to enhance the cleanliness and fragrance of the laundry. Recent research shows that eucalyptus oils kills dust mites. Add 25 drops of eucalyptus oil to each load for an effective dust mite control. You can also add 1 tablespoon to a bottle of liquid laundry detergent.


A few drops of oils like spruce, lavender, fir, juniper, rosewood, wintergreen/birch, cedarwood and juniper can also be added to the rinse cycle.


Use a dampened wash cloth with 10 drops of lavender, bergamot, lemon, or melaleuca instead of a softening agent in the dryer.


Carpets and floors
Make your own non-toxic aromatic and  cleaning products for the carpet and floors.


Non-carpet floors
Add 1/4 cup of white vinegar to a bucket of water.
Add 5-10 drops of pine, spruce, melaleuca, or lemon.
Add several drops of dishwashing soap if the floor is especially dirty.


Carpet floors
Add 16-20 drops of essential oils
1 cup of baking soda
Mix well and put in a covered container overnight. Sprinkle over the carpet and then vaccum the powder.


Room deodorizer
Make a room spray to deodorize, freshen, and disinfect the bathrooms, work areas, sinks, tiles, woodwork, carpets, cupboards etc. 


Mix:
Rosemary CT cineol 2 drops
Lemon 4 drops
Eucalyptus globulus 3 drops
Lavender 4 drops
1 cup of water


Add it to a spray bottle and shake well since essential oils separate easily from water.


For more natural cleaning recipes and tips check out my post, Cleaning with Essential Oils



Spiders, fleas, dust mites, ticks, ants and more
Repel these nasty little bugs with natural essential oils instead of with toxic chemicals. 


Peppermint, lemon, lavender Eucalyptus globulus, citronella, basil, thyme,cinnamon, cypress, and lemongrass are insect repellents. 

For moth repellents for your linens and woolens use essential oils like citronella, lemongrass, lavender instead of toxic moth balls. Rosemary and Red Cedar may also be effective. Make a sachet by placing essential oil drops on a cotton ball. Wrap and tie this in a small handkerchief or similar. Hang in storage areas or add to the linens. 

The sachet can also be put in the drawers. Switch out the essential oils for something pleasing like lavender or rose.

Roman chamomile is very soothing and relaxing for children's sleepwear. Add a scented cotton ball to an envelop to scent stationary. 

The post the Chistmas Essential Oils provides some tips on how you can use essential oils during the holidays.

Hot Tubs and Saunas

Jacuzzis, saunas and hot tubs are favorite spots for germs. You can disinfect the water using essential oils like cinnamon, lavender, clove, lemon, thyme, grapefruit or Eucalyptus globulus. Use 3 drops per person.

Add several drops of thyme, pine, rosemary or lavender to a spray bottle with water and spray down the surfaces in the sauna. You can also use scented water to splash down the hot sauna stones.

Some oils may damage plastic sauna/spa filters or hoses.

Painting

Add 1 teaspoon of your favorite essential oil to one gallon of paint. Mix well. The oil will counteract the unpleasant smell of the paint. The essential oils ware not fatty oils so there is no need to worry about leaving spots on the wall.

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.

Cypress - Cupressus sempervirens var. stricta

Cypress, Cupressus Sempervirens var. stricta is part of the Cupressaceae family. It is also referred to as Mediterranean cypress, Italian cypress, and Columnar cypress. It is a tall tree with round cones and small flowers. 

Origin

The branches, leaves, and cones are steam distilled to make the essential oil. It originated  in France, Italy, Germany, and Algeria.

History

Cypress was used by the Romans and the Greeks. Sempervirens means ever living, and the tree was dedicated to the gods of the underworld by the Greeks and the Romans.

The chemical constituents of Cupressus sempervirens var. stricta are:

• Esters
• The monoterpenes a-pinene, b-pinene, a-thujene, camphene, sabinene, and myrcene.

• Alcohols
• The ketone cymene.
• Sesquiterpene.

Aroma
Cypress has a bitter, acidic, sharp, spicy and balsamic-woody top note. It is a clean and refreshing smell. The middle note is balsamic-woody, sweet and spicy. The base note smells more like cypress with a forest scent and it is not as sweet. The dry out note is sweet, woody, and mild. The aroma of cypress is calming and balancing, but also very refreshing and clearing.

Characteristics

Cypress oil is yellow to green in color and it dries quickly on the perfume blotter. It didn't leave any residue. It dries quickly when rubbed between the fingers.

Indications

Cypress is useful in anger and it will also restore calm.

According to Battaglia, cypress has vaso-constrictor and astringent properties, and has traditionally been useful in circulatory problems such as varicose veins and hemorrhoids. 

In France, Dr.Valnet used cypress for bronchitis and coughs at the hospital. The coughs were stopped when cypress oil was dropped under the pillows. According to Battaglia. cypress is useful. in asthma and spasmodic coughs due to its antispasmodic action. Battaglia also says it regulates the menstrual cycle.

According to Gary Young, ND, cypress reduces scar tissue and he consider it outstanding when used in skin care. 

Cypress blends well with

Bergamot, clary sage, fennel, grapefruit, juniper, lavender, lemon, lime, orange, pine, rosemary, tangerine.

Safety

Cypress should be avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is considered non-toxic but it contains thujone- like compounds, so therefore use with caution. Avoid in hypertension.

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.

Use Essential Oils to Make Luxury and Healing Bath at Home

Using essential oils in the bath is one of the most enjoyable and effective methods of aromatherapy. The oil is absorbed through the skin, and the essential oils are also easily inhaled due to the warm water causing the oils to evaporate.  You can use essential oils in a bath to revitalize the spirits, help reduce stress, or fight colds.


According to Battaglia, an aromatherapy bath can:

• relieve mental and physical fatigue
• calm the nervous system
• clear heat, fever, and inflammation
• reduce pain and inflammation
• enhanced removal of metabolic wastes
• improve circulation of blood and lymph

This time of the year is perfect for blending some essential oils with a suitable carrier in your bath. It is getting darker earlier in the evening, and it is less inviting to be outside for longer period of times. So, why don't you pamper yourself with a relaxing and healing bath? There is no need to spend a lot of money to go to a day spa when you can make a healing and relaxing bath at home. And, better yet, you don't have to go outside to go home when you are done.

Dispersion is important because most essential oils will float on the surface and may burn the skin. Essential oils can be blended with a variety of things to make an inviting bath.

The following are some suggestions of items to use, which you may already have at home:

Basic Bath:

Add about 8-12 drops of essential oils or blend to a full bath.

Dispersions:

Here is information of suitable dispersions and the amount needed for a full bath. Make sure you blend the essential oils with the dispersion agent before adding it to the bath.

Castile Soap Quick bath: 2 teaspoons bubble bath: ¼ cup plus ¼ cup glycerine. Cleans skin, prevents tub ring, disperses essential oils. Can be drying to the skin.

Massage Oil 1/4 cup.

Moisturizes lightly, disperses essential oils. Agitates the bath water. Be sure not to slip.

I found this beautiful bottle at Hobby Lobby the other day and I thought it was perfect for the bath oil my children use.  I quickly mixed 4 oz. of apricot peach kernel oil and 20 drops of an essential oil blend of Tangerine (Citrus nobilis), orange (Citrus aurantium), ylang ylang (Cananga odorata), patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) and blue tansy (Tanacetum annuum).

I use very little and not more than a couple of teaspoons in their bath,
 but they feel very special when I use fancy bottles.

More ideas and recipes for using essential oils in baths.

Jojoba Oil 1/8 of a cup.

Moisturizes deeply and heals.

Epsom Salt 1/3 to 2 cups

Detoxifies the body, eases muscle pain and joint aches, disperses essential oils. Do not use in cases of low blood pressure. Mix with essential oils before adding to water.

Sea Salts 1/3 to 2 cups

Detoxifies, heals eczema, remineralizes the body, disperses essential oils. Use caution in cases of high or low blood pressure. Mix with essential oils before adding to water.

Dead Sea Salt 1/3 to 2 cups

Detoxifies, heals eczema, remineralizes the body, disperses essential oils. Use caution in cases of high or low blood pressure. Mix with essential oils before adding to water.

Hydrated Bentonite Clay ½ to 2 cups

Detoxifying. May absorb smell of essential oils.

Kelp 1/8 cup

Detoxifies, contains minerals. Has a strong smell.

Honey 1/8 cup

Conditions skin, disperses essential oils. Mix with essential oils before adding to the water.

Milk 3 cups or more
Conditions skin, disperses essential oils. Mix with essential oils before adding to the water. Do not use if Candida is present.

Apple Cider Vinegar ½ to 2 cups

Conditions skin, detoxifies.

As you can see, it is not hard to make a luxury and healing bath with ingredients you may already have at home. Be sure to look over the essential oil safety page to make sure that the oils you use are safe for you. You find more ideas and recipes for using essential oils in baths here.

Also, be cautious when you use citrus oils such as lemon or spice oil such as cinnamon, and peppermint. These oils can easily irritate the skin.

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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 and Fertility

Increasing problem
Infertility is an increasing problem. There are a lot of factors involved that can be the cause of infertility. Poor nutrition, toxicity, and xenoestrogens are just a few things that can cause hormonal imbalance. Women pay thousands of dollars for medical treatments and many of them are not successful.

Essential oils may be helpful

Essential oils may be very useful for female concerns. In fact, aromatherapy is one of the most effective methods of dealing with problems of the reproductive system. Many essential oils have historically been used to help regulate hormone production. Some essential oil constituents have hormonal like behavior since their structure is similar to hormones. This means they interact with the receptors that identify hormones.

The powerful aroma
The aroma of an essential oil is very powerful. The fragrance can  directly affect our emotions as well as other functions in the body. Many oils are very useful for reducing stress-related tension. Essential oils may also increase circulation and boost the immune system. The essential oil aroma is inhaled and transferred to the limbic system where the limbic lobe activates the hypothalamus.The hypothalamus acts as the hormonal control center and it releases chemical messengers. The inhalation of essential oils is said to stimulate the production of hormones from the hypothalamus, as well as combating stress and emotional trauma. 

The following oils are said to have hormone like actions: 

Female infertility
According to Valeri Ann Worwood, these oils help with infertility:
Clary sage, geranium, fennel, cypress, Roman chamomile, thyme, nutmeg, and coriander.

Worwood lists the following oils to help with Male infertility: 
Thyme, cumin, sage, clary sage, basil, Cedarwood, vetiver and angelica.

 Anise seed oil is also said to have estrogenic activity. 

Uterine and ovarian tonics
Uterine tonics have a toning and strengthening effect on the whole system, on the tissue of the organs. Oils that are uterine tonics include jasmine, clary sage, myrrh, frankincense, rose, melissa, and geranium. 

Let’s focus on some of the most popular oils used for fertility: 

Geranium
Geranium has a balancing effect on the nervous system. It is considered an ideal oil to maintain homeostasis of the body. According to Battaglia, its stimulating effect on the adrenal cortex has a regulatory effect on the hormonal system. As mentioned above, it is also considered an uterine and ovarian tonic.

Clary sage
It balances the hormones. According to Gary Young, clary Sage contains natural phytoestrogen that mimics estrogen function. It is very calming and stress relieving. It is also an uterine and ovarian tonic.

Fennel
Fennel stimulates said to stimulate estrogen production. It has historically been useful in regulating the menstrual cycle.

Cypress
According to Battaglia, it said to stimulate estrogen production and has a regulating effect on the menstrual cycle. It strengthens an overburdened nervous system and restores calm. It’s an astringent and has traditionally been used to reduce abnormally heavy blood loss. 

Jasmine
It is a great oil for emotional problems, and it is a known anti-depressant. Battaglia says it is also helpful in childbirth and will assist in labor.  It’s hormonal activity is useful in menstrual problems. It may relieve spasms of the uterus.

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 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. 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.

 References 

The Complete Book Of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, Valerie Ann Worwood, New World Library, 1991 

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

The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy, Salvatore Battaglia, The Perfect Potion Pty Ltd, 1997

This post is linked to:
Teach Me Tuesday, Titus 2 Tuesdays, WFMW, Party Wave Wednesday, Sunday School Blog Carnival

Living Well Blog Hop #11

Welcome to the Living Well blog hop! We’d like to invite you to share a blog post about what you do to Live Well. It could be a healthy recipe, exercise tips, ideas for relaxing, getting organized, lifestyle improvements – anything that you feel makes your life better.

Your Living Well hosts for the week are:

Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading

Jo @ Jo’s Health Corner

Tina @ Being Made New

Lea @ Nourishing Treasures

Living Well Blog Hop guidelines:

1. Please provide a link back to one of the Living Well host blogs in your post. Grab one of the buttons below if you like.

2. Please link to a specific post in your blog, not your blog’s home page.

3. If you link a recipe, please use real foods and avoid highly processed ingredients. Recipes low in refined sugar/refined carbohydrates are preferred.

4. The hosts of the blog hop reserve the right to remove any posts that we deem inappropriate.

 5. Please leave a comment below to tell us a little more about your link or share your tips if you don't have a blog.  (Linked posts do not need to be from this week.)

Thanks for joining us in Living Well.

<a href="http://joshealthcorner.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae314/naturallysports/livingwellbutton3.jpg"/></a>

Chicken Pox

 I decided to share what I did when my children had chicken pox. I'm sure everyone is familiar with the chicken pox and how it is very contagious. The incubation time is 24 to 21 days after exposure to the virus, so it can take a long time to get over the disease if you have several children.

Aromatherapy sprays are great!

I'm a big fan of aromatherapy sprays because they are so easy to apply. They are not as messy as massage oil blends. I added things such as honey, witch hazel, herbal infusions, and aloe vera gel to the sprays. Aloe vera was added for its anti-inflammatory effect while witch hazel is astringent and aided in drying up the blisters. Honey is antibacterial as well as anti-inflammatory, but is also acted as a carrier for the essential oils since they will not emulsify in the liquids.

 According to Valeri Gennari Cooksley, essential oils that are astringent, promote healing, relieve itching, and are antibacterial have traditionally been used for chicken pox. I used essential oils such as lavender, lemon, bergamot, peppermint in my sprays that I made for my children. 

My favorite spray that I used for my children, this is a modification of Cooksley's spray.

1/4 cup distilled Witch hazel lotion 

1/4 cup aloe vera gel - 

7 drops of lemon essential oil - 

20 drops of lavender essential oils 

7 drops of bergamot essential oils 

3 drops of peppermint essential oil 

1 tbls honey 

Mix the essential oils with the honey in a glass bowl, add the aloe vera gel. Add the witch hazel and make sure it is all mixed, pour into a spray bottle with a relatively fine nozzle.

Aromatic baths are very healing

I'm also a fan of an aromatic bath, and according to Cooksley, it is an effective way to promote healing and provide a cooling relief for the itching. I like to use baking soda since Cooksley suggested it is very effective in easing the itching. She says it is important to use tepid water in the bath for inflammatory conditions. Tepid water will also provide relief for itching and hot spots. For my children I used Roman chamomile, lavender and tea tree as suggested by Cooksley.

Bath # 1

1 cup of baking soda

2 drops of lavender essential oil

2 drop of Roman chamomile essential oil

1 drop of tea tree essential oil
I mix the essential oils with the baking soda and add to tepid bath water once the bath tub is filled.

Make sure the diet is good, make healing bone broths, avoid food that promote inflammation, and encourage the intake of healing teas.

This information is not meant to diagnose or treat, it is for information and education purpose only.

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.

This post is linked to:
Simple Lives Thursday
Domestically Divine

Living Well Blog Hop # 10

Welcome to the Living Well blog hop! We’d like to invite you to share a blog post about what you do to Live Well. It could be a healthy recipe, exercise tips, ideas for relaxing, getting organized, lifestyle improvements – anything that you feel makes your life better.

Your Living Well hosts for the week are:

Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading

Jo @ Jo’s Health Corner

Tina @ Being Made New

Lea @ Nourishing Treasures

Living Well Blog Hop guidelines:

1. Please provide a link back to one of the Living Well host blogs in your post. Grab one of the buttons below if you like.

2. Please link to a specific post in your blog, not your blog’s home page.

3. If you link a recipe, please use real foods and avoid highly processed ingredients. Recipes low in refined sugar/refined carbohydrates are preferred.

4. The hosts of the blog hop reserve the right to remove any posts that we deem inappropriate.

 5. Please leave a comment below to tell us a little more about your link or share your tips if you don't have a blog.  (Linked posts do not need to be from this week.)

Thanks for joining us in Living Well.

<a href="http://joshealthcorner.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae314/naturallysports/livingwellbutton3.jpg"/></a>