Nowadays aromatherapy is known as a kind of alternative medicine that is set to favorably alter one’s cognitive function, mood, health or mind. This write-up talks about aromatherapy benefits that you should learn about.

* Healing Characteristics
The same as what you read earlier, the primary reason why essential oils were brought to light was because of their ability to heal. Ever since the incorporation of lavender oil in managing cuts in 19th century, it has also been found that the tea tree oil has cleansing properties on wounds. Aside from this, the application of helichrysum is also beneficial for faster healing.

* Addresses Body Needs
Laboratory testing has proven that essential oils have an effect on viruses and bacteria that may cause harm to the body. Apart from this, their aroma, especially those of menthol and eucalyptus, can ease certain symptoms like colds and clogged nose. This is why branded merchandises, such as Halls and Vicks, are quite popular all over the world.

* Pain Relief
Prior to the introduction of anesthesia, dentists used to apply the essential oil of the clove plant to reduce the pain during and after tooth extraction. You merely have to guarantee to use a small amount of it and dilute this before applying to your body.

* Relief from Stress
Essential oils, such as lemon oil and basil oil, aid in relaxation as well as improve the mood, especially of those who are stressed or depressed.

In general, the aromatherapy benefits that can be offered by essential oils coming from Floracopeia, for instance, provide physical, emotional and mental satisfaction. Needless to say, feeling great would not be much of a problem anymore.

Learn more about building immunity. Stop by Joseph Coler’s site where you can find out all about essential oils and what these can do for your immunity.

There’s been a significant amount of research performed on the oil in the last two years, validating its variety of skin care therapeutic properties. It’s a perfect oil to make a wound healing blend with, using helichrysum or calendula essential oils, or an anti-aging blend, for both prevention as well as reduction of wrinkle appearance.

One research journal article called it a “panacea” for wound healing. The oil stimulates skin cell production to increase. This is the foundation property of many anti-aging, anti-wrinkle skin care formulas..

A study being performed seeking new ways to block sun rays discovered that Tamanu oil was very powerful in this regard. What a wonderful pair of therapeutic effects!

On top of all that, it’s been discovered that the oil also inhibits the growth of skin cancer tumors. Plus it has a host of other properties that make it useful for healing of all sorts of skin conditions: it is also antimicrobial (a good base oil for acne formulas) and antiviral as well (supporting the healing of herpes outbreaks.

It is a unique oil in other ways as well: its color and light but somewhat odd aroma is unlike any other carrier used in aromatherapy formulas.

You can certainly use the oil by itself, and many people do. It blends nicely with other carrier oils as well, and for a great array of essential fatty acids, you could mix it with virgin coconut, argan oil, rosehip seed oil and borage seed oil.

Want to make it even more potent? Add sea buckthorn supercritical extract (often called sea buckthorn essential oil). It too will block UV rays, and speed skin cell regeneration. Use up to one milliliter (35 drops) per ounce of base. Also great are helichrysum (at a much lower dose – more like 7 drops), frankincense, and rosemary verbenone. Keep it simple – all these oils are complex unto themselves, and together will do a great job at helping your skin look its best.

Aroma-therapeutics is an entire branch of botanical medicine. Understand more on the unique therapeutic actions of individual oils like carrot root essential oil and cinnamon essential oil.

The tree from of its source, upon first glance, may seem rather unremarkable. It appears as a giant shrub, with many knurled branches topped with abundant slender leaves and occasionally, small white flowers. This North African native looks like it belongs in the desert, standing alone in some of the world’s harshest growing conditions. It is the sap of this enduring tree that has such lore and mysticism surrounding it…when the tree’s bark is pierced, a milky-white ‘oleo’-resin is exuded and collected; thought the tree is not harmed. The hardened drops of resin are known themselves by the name Frankincense, derived from the medieval French ‘franc’, meaning ‘pure’, and from the Latin ‘incensium’, meaning ‘to smoke’.

Natural medicine and aroma-medicine practices are truly utilizing the oil of Frankincense. The oil, with a deep, earthy scent, is extracted using different methods from the resin. There are several types of Olibanum shrub from which the resin is collected and the oil distilled, the most often used being Boswellia carteri and Boswellia seratta. There is a large amount of research available on the extracts and resins of both species. The carbon dioxide extracted oils contain many of the important large molecules as the resin – which may be best for health purposes.

Frankincense resin has been considered throughout the ages to have a wealth of health supporting properties. In Ayurveda, it has been used to treat many ills, and is well-known for it’s use in treating arthritic conditions. Modern investigation has found the components called Boswellic Acids can have significant support both to relieve joint pain and to further prevent cartilage loss. Today’s naturopathic practitioners continue to use Frankincense, though the essential oil is now commonly employed because of it’s simplicity of use. It may be applied topically or taken orally with proper instruction from a qualified practitioner. There are many indications for the use of Frankincense oil, including asthma, depression, stress-related conditions and a weakened immune system.

Perhaps the most important actions of Frankincense are its anti-cancer actions. The oil is the aromatherapy product examined for this property more than any other, producing impressive data. The extracts are noted to attack cancerous cells directly, yet not affecting healthy ones. No matter the cell line being used, Frankincense shows this incredible anti-cancer effect.

The most immediate and pronounced aroma-therapeutic effect of the essential oil can be on the emotional and mental state for many people. Frankincense oil contains sesquiterpenes, which stimulate the limbic system, the hypothalamus, the pineal and the pituitary glands, and may increase human growth hormone production. This overall tonic action to the mind also seems to be directly affecting the immune system for some individuals, bringing additional strength and reserve along with peace of mind.

With the incredible history Frankincense has with its myriad of health benefits, we are lucky at this time to have it available in many forms. The new CO2 extracts make it especially easy to utilize for one of is therapeutic applications.

Aromatic oils give you a wealth of medicinal actions. Uncover further information regarding individual oils like wildcrafted amyris essential oil and vanilla essential oil.

Traditional bug repellant formulas contain DEET, a chemical shown to be harmful to the young (and that really means everyone). On the other hand, catnip oil is ten times more effective at telling mosquitoes to “buzz off” without the potential safety risks. Folks who are interested in protecting their health and the environment are reaping the benefits of essential oils as healthier replacements for chemical insect repellants.

At the 222nd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, an Iowa State Research Group presented their findings that Catnip repels cockroaches. Below is a quote from Science Daily as to how the experiment was done:

The experiment involved two 2-foot tubes, divided in half. One half of the first tube was treated with nepetalactone, which comprises 80% of our Catnip oil. Ten minutes after releasing 20 mosquitoes into the tube, only four remained on the side of the tube treated with nepetalactone. In the other tube, half of which was treated with DEET (diethyl-m-toluamide), after the same ten minutes, 8 or 9 mosquitoes remained on the treated side. Statistically, that means that nepetalactone was 80% effective at repelling mosquitoes, while DEET was only 55-60% effective.

The results from each tube were compared on a scale from -100 to +100, with 0 meaning exactly half of the insects would be on the treated side of the tube, and half would be on the untreated side. The tests of Catnip produced results between +49 and +59, meaning that most of the insects traveled to the untreated side of the tube. The DEET tests yielded values between +6 and +16, meaning that more mosquitoes remained in contact with DEET in the treated side of the tube.

To achieve the same degree of repellency, researchers adjusted the doses of nepetalactone and DEET, and reported that one part nepetalactone yielded the same effect as ten parts DEET. Thus, nepetalactone is agreed to be ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes. Commercial formulas typically use between 5-25% DEET, which means that your homemade natural repellant should require only .5-2.5% of catnip oil to be equallyeffective.

Given the increased effectiveness of Catnip essential oil, it takes less oil to reap the same benefit as one achieves using more of the risky DEET. There are also two other delightful blending oils that provide repellency. Their scents are a matter of taste; the newest oil is Eucalyptus Citradora, which doesn’t exhibit Citronella’s classic scent of lemon-grass.

Essential oils repel mosquitoes through a variety of means. From lotions to water- or partially alcohol-based sprays, to using a diffuser in your home, your homemade blends will guard against biting insects when applied to skin, clothing, or dispersed through the air.

If you would prefer to make a high-quality body spray, you’ll need to keep the oil and water from separating; our preference is a naturally-derived product called “tween” to help you do just that. Look for tween on our mixing bottles page. If you don’t mind shaking the bottle before using it, mix a ratio as small as :1, tween to essential oil. If you prefer a no-shake blend, use up to a ratio of 1 to 1, tween to essential oil. When formulating lotions, use an unscented cream base, such as our organic Jojoba/Coconut, and no tween is necessary.

Following are three recipes to try, or you cancreate your own! Each blend yields one total ounce of liquid

Recipe #1

1.5ml Catnip Oil 1.5ml Eucalyptus Citradora Oil 0.5ml Peppermint Oil (use only 7 drops if the spray will be used on children under 12) add perhaps 10 drops of Tween (don’t be offended by the smell – it actually is almost undetectable in about a day) and fill the bottle the rest of the way with water and/or alcohol (some folks find the alcohol mixes better, but we use water).

Recipe 2

1.0ml Catnip Oil 1.5ml Geranium Oil (A VERY popular ingredient in natural mosquito repellents) 1.5ml Citronella OR Eucalyptus Citradora 0.5ml Peppermint Oil (again use only 7 drops if the spray will be used on children under 12). The peppermint is not really a requirement, but we think the menthol may add repellent action.

Diffusing in your home

Because of the relatively high cost of catnip essential oil with a high concentration of neptalactone (like ours), you may add none at all, or perhaps 1/10th of your entire formula being catnip, the rest being whatever you like to smell! We recommend: Eucalyptus Citradora, Citronella, Geranium, and a little Peppermint. ALL these oils have been noted effective, and we think experimenting at home is fun. As a best practice, make a note of your ingredients and proportions each time, and how well you liked them. You’ll make your own finest critter-repelling creation!

The author is proponent of the varied and potent healing actions of aromatherapy essential oils. For more, see http://www.anandaapothecary.com/essential-oils.html.

Also known as “volatile oils”, these aromatic plant substances are used to bring about physical and psychological well being. They’re highly concentrated extractions that should be used with great care by amateurs because of their intensity. Many people are familiar with lavender, often used for relaxation, and eucalyptus, frequently employed to relieve respiratory distress. These are only two examples of more than 90 essences derived from plants and herbs.

There are more than 90 different kinds of essential oils, each derived from a different plant. Most people are familiar with plant essences such as lavender, eucalyptus and lemon, but there are dozens more made from unexpected plants such as grapefruit. These essences are created by distilling the plants in water or steam, treating them with chemicals or applying liquefied carbon dioxide. Those oils made with CO2 are known as “COs”, while those made with other methods are called Absolutes. Any of these methods is an acceptable way to create a volatile oil.

Aromatherapy uses essential oils in two ways to benefit the body: inhaling an oil’s fragrance or applying the essence to the skin using what’s known as a carrier oil. These carriers can include sweet almond, cold-pressed olive, grapeseed and others. Other popular body oils are no recommended as carriers for these intense fragrances because they contain synthetics, which defeats the holistic intention of using plant essences.

It’s important to remember three things when using essential oils. First, these highly concentrated plant essences should never be applied directly to the skin as they may cause a rash. Instead, place a few drops of volatile essence into a carrier oil such as sweet almond, cold-pressed olive or grapeseed, and apply it to the body.

Consumers also should be careful when purchasing products containing plant essences allegedly useful for aromatherapy. That’s because such products often are not regulated, and may simply be a sweet-smelling concoction made with chemical agents. Aromatherapy practitioners often give their clients a “recipe” for creating their own mixture of essential oil to avoid chemical interference.

A final word of caution: many countries don’t regulate the production of aromatherapy products, so buyers who want to follow a completely holistic regimen should read labels carefully for synthetic ingredients. Many fragrances used in bath and beauty products are not true plant essences, but are perfumes containing chemicals that don’t provide the same health benefits as true essential oils.

There’s so much more to know! See more about many pure aromatics like pine needle oil and wildcrafted plai at anandaapothecary.com/essential-oils.html.

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The most helpful oils are the carbon dioxide distilled extracts of total buckthorn berry, the deep orange carrot root CO2 oil , German chamomile, German blue chamomile, chamomile, rosemary antioxidant and whole rose hip. The reason these cold-extracted oils are so great is that they are gentle on the skin, and are more complex with compounds that have the ability to limit, or at least slow down the aging process that excessive sun exposure can create.

Their gentleness allows them to be used in high concentrations in your formulas without the intense feeling steam distilled oils can cause. (Though you can still add these — just at much lower amounts).

Each of these CO2 oils has a complex mixture of nutrients that limit the two major skin aging processes: oxidation and inflammation. Free radicals are produced when light rays alters the structure of healthy molecules in the skin. The molecule which has lost an electron becomes an oxidative radical and takes particles from other molecules(this is a rather simple explanation, but does explain the process).

The bioflavinoids found in these carbon dioxide distilled essential oils stops this process by giving up an electron to the oxidative radical.There are several “classes” of oxidative radicals, and that’s one reason a blend of antioxidant oils can be useful.

Inflammation is also a factor of sun damage that should be addressed. German chamomile CO2, and certain carrier oils are also known for their anti-inflammatory activityas are the CO2 extracts, though the German Chamomile may be the most potent It’s helpful to choose base oils with these properties for your recipes.

Don’t limit yourself if you don’t have all the oils mentioned; just using a couple potent antioxidant extracts can really help your skin after sun exposure.

For the blends described, apply immediately after sun exposure and again throughout the day if you like. Consider using the formulas before going in the sun, too.

These are some formulas you might like to experiment with: For every one ounce to be made, begin by estimating one-third of an ounce of each carrier. Coconut, rosehip seed, pomegranate and “foraha” are great choices. Then add the following: 35 drops each of Sea Buckthorn , Carrot Root CO2, 7 drops Rosemary Antioxidant extract and 11 drops Blue Chamomile.

There are many CO2 extracts with high amounts of antioxidants that you can blend for this purpose, so don’t be afraid to develop your own formula.

The author utilizes pure therapeutic grade essential oils for aromatherapy. More information is available through The Ananda Apothecary at www.anandaapothecary.com.

The most helpful oils are the CO2 extracts of Sea Buckthorn , Carrot , German Blue Chamomile, Rosemary antioxidant extractand whole Rose Hip. These CO2 cold-extracted oils are so remarkable is that they are gentle on the skin, and are very rich in nutrients that may prevent, or at least slow the aging process that sunlight exposure can result in.

The gentle action of these extracts lets you use them in large amounts in your recipes without worry of irritation.

Each of these oils has a complex mixture of nutrients that that may halt 2 important skin aging processes: oxidation and inflammation. Damaging oxidative molecules are created when light rays knocks an electron from its orbit in a molecule. That molecule then becomes an “oxidative radical” and tries to steal electrons from other healthy molecules.

The anti-oxidants found in these CO2 oils limits the damage by donating an electron to the oxidative radical.A blend of antioxidants is useful, as the oxidative radicals themselves take different shapes, requiring different substances to properly quench them.

Inflammation is the other aspect of sun-damage we’d like to prevent. Blue chamomile, and certain carrier oils are also known for their inflammation-reducing effects(As are, actually, all the oils listed above, though the German Chamomile may be the most potent It’s helpful to choose base oils with these properties for your recipes.

Don’t limit yourself if you don’t have all the oils mentioned; just using a couple potent antioxidant extracts can really help your skin after sun exposure.

Apply these blends right after you’ve been in the sun, and perhaps again later in the day for best results. ALSO, you can use these BEFORE sun exposure, as well as after, for even better protection.

Here are some blends: For each ounce you make, begin by estimating one-third of an ounce of each carrier. Coconut, rosehip seed, pomegranate and “foraha” are great choices. Then add the following: 35 drops each of Sea Buckthorn Berry CO2, Carrot , seven drops Rosemary CO2 anti-oxidant oil and eleven German Chamomile.

Don’t be afraid to experiment and create your own blend – there are many oils that will do the job, and a little research will help you in your creation.

There’s so much more to learn. Therapuetic qualityaromatherapy essential oils like other effective herbal remedies, have an incredible range of healing uses. Go to the site www.anandaapothecary.comto browse their learning library.

You can also use your slow cooker to infuse the petals and oils if you want it ready quicker than sitting in the window. Place the mixture in the slow cooker on low power overnight and you should have some excellent oil in the morning. Strain it the same way and try to use sterilized jars, as you don’t want anything to touch your skin that is not beneficial.

There is now an oil called Calendula CO2, which is much stronger than traditional calendula oil, where only a few drops are needed to do the same job. You can even create a similar infused oil by adding this extract to your carrier oil and mixing well. This new high-tech concentrated extract can save a huge amount of time to produce your blends.

Your newly created oil can be used in many ways to benefit and help heal your skin. It can be used straight out of the bottle on unbroken skin as an excellent topical relief for skin irritations and inflammations, as well as the primary ingredient in a base with beeswax and other beneficial ingredients to make a lotion or salve. In the era of home remedies, it was known to help with eczema and other skin problems, as it is gentle and calms the irritated skin areas.

Infant skin is also excellent to be cared for by the oil. Apply a little to diaper rash, or any irritated skin. You may apply it for a soothing massage for your for anyone with sensitive skin in need of some care. There are several oils that make excellent massage oil bases: Almond, Hazelnut, Grapeseed, or Fractionated Coconut are all great choices.

Yet another usage for this wonderful oil is to help lessen the swelling of a minor sprain or bruises. The oil contains anti-inflammatory properties that can make healing faster in many skin disorders, such as bug bites, bed sores and even acne.

You’ll find calendula in many, many products in natural beauty care sections of health food stores. But making your own formula can often result in a stronger, more effective blend.

The practice of using essential oils go far beyond their aromatic applications. Lime oil and tangerine oil are two fine essential oils with far reaching therapeutic results.

It’s great to know that several essential oils are effective at repelling mosquitoes. Catnip essential oil has been shown to be 10 times more effective than DEET, the compound found in most over-the-counter traditional formulas. This is good to know because DEET has been called a safety concern for children (which really means “everyone” doesn’t it?). Catnip can eliminate that risk.

An Iowa State University research group, which had previously found catnip essential oil repels cockroaches, presented the report at the 222nd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Researchers contained twenty mosquitoes in a see-through container, half of which was exposed to nepetalactone (found in high amounts in catnip oil). Within ten minutes one fifth or about four mosquitoes were near the part of the tube containing catnip. The same tests with DEET (diethyl-m-toluamide) showed about forty percent remaining on the treated side.

The results from each tube were rated on a scale from -100 to +100, with 0 meaning half of the insects would be on the treated side of the tube, and exactly half would be on the untreated side of the tube. The tests of Catnip yielded values between +49 and +59, meaning thatmost of the insects traveled to the untreated side of the tube. The DEET tests produced results between +6 and +16, meaning that fewer insects traveled to the untreated side of the tube.

To achieve similar results in repellency, researchers manipulated the dosages of nepetalactone and DEET, and reported that one part nepetalactone yielded an identical effect as ten parts DEET. Thus, nepetalactone is assumed to be ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes. Commercial formulas typically use between 5-25% DEET, which means that your home blend should require only .5-2.5% of catnip oil to be aseffective.

Given the higher effectiveness of Catnip essential oil, it takes less oil to reap the same benefit asyou would get using a higher quantity of the risky DEET. There are also two additional essential oils that provide repellency. Their scents are a matter of preference; the newest oil is Eucalyptus Citradora, which reduces Citronella’s classic scent of lemon-grass.

If you would prefer to make a pleasant body spray, you’ll need to keep the oil and water mixed; we find a naturally-derived product called “tween” to help you do just that. Look for tween on our mixing bottles page. If you don’t mind shaking the bottle before using it, mix a ratio as small as one-fourth, tween to essential oil. If you prefer a no-shake blend, use up to a ratio of 1 to 1, tween to essential oil. When formulating lotions, use an unscented cream base, such as our organic Jojoba/Coconut, and no tween is needed.

Blending into a lotion is even easier. Your catnip or other essential oils will mix right in, and may only need occasional shaking. Other than that, you can use about the same amount of essential oil as with a spray; several commercial formulations use up to 10% total essential oils

An example recipe might be this – in each ounce of water, add 30 drops catnip oil and eucalyptus citradora oil, plus 10 drops peppermint (limit the peppermint if anyone finds it too strong). Start with ten drops of polysorbate 20, and fill the rest of the bottle with water. Shake well and let sit overnight. Shake again, and if you feel you need more emulsifier, try adding another 5 to 10 drops.

If you choose to use these in a diffuser to prevent the little buggers from coming in the house because of the relatively high cost of catnip essential oil you may select other well-known bug repellent oils instead, or use simply up to 1/10th of your entire formula being catnip, the rest being other oils you enjoy! Our favorites include: lemon Eucalyptus, Citronella, Geranium, and a little Peppermint. All these oils have been shown to be effective, and we think trying out new formulas at home is simple and fun. As a best practice, make a note of your ingredients and proportions each time, and how well you liked them.

You may even try using Flower Essences like Rescue Remedy, along with calming essential oils during the holiday season. For more, visit anandaapothecary.com

Three essential oils stand out among the approximately 100 varieties in use today in popular aromatherapy. These are: lavender, the great soothing and healing oil which began the modern aromatherapy revolution; sandalwood, an aromatic with a history of over 1000 years; and bergamot, the flavoring added to Earl Grey tea, and aromatherapy’s number-one anti-depressant oil. The wonderful thing about having three “proven” anti-stress oils is that it’s likely one of them will work for you. Not everyone loves the brilliant floral aroma of lavender, but almost everyone will appreciate at least one of these important oils.

We all know about lavender — it’s aromatherapy’s most commonly-used essential oil, with an incredible array of actions. It, by far, has the greatest amount of research supporting its stress-reducing effects. Interestingly, it’s physiological effects are similar to its psychological effects: it’s calming and soothing to the skin, as it is calming and soothing to the mind. Of the three oils here, lavender has the most sedative action. It directly supports sleep, reduces aggression, and lessens anxiety.

Research on lavender has shown statistically significant reduction in stress and anxiety through both inhalation and ingestion. Linalool, the “sweet” component of the oil, has been singled-out as the “active ingredient”, and has been the subject of additional research supporting lavender’s use (though the “whole” oil has an even greater effect). The research regarding ingestion had subjects taking the equivalent of 2 drops of lavender oil internally for 10 weeks. The researchers concluded the lavender capsule being evaluated was an effective treatment for mild-to-moderate clinical anxiety disorder.

The oil distilled from the heartwood of sandalwood trees has a similar, yet still distinct effect. Sandalwood is stress-reducing and sleep-enhancing without being sedative. As for whether best topically applied or inhaled, research shows either way can be effective. Where improvement of sleep was demonstrated when the oil was inhaled, it was the presence of the oil in the blood to which this effect was attributed — rather than via the brain’s interaction with the smell sense. Other research indicates the oil might help calm by clearing the mind, rather than act as a mild sedative.

Pressed from the peels of bitter oranges, bergamot is considered aromatherapy’s classic “anti-depressant” aromatic. Teenagers involved in a study wearing aromatherapy jewelry releasing bergamot, scoring themselves, showed statistically-significant improvements in mental/emotional states. Esoterically, bergamot’s action targets conditions of the heart, supporting that those who have closed-down emotionally due to high levels of work-related stress. Bergamot inhalation has also been shown to reduce the level of pain medication necessary to achieve a certain state of relief. Italian researchers determined bergamot works by limiting formation of circuitry in the brain which would otherwise enhance the stress response. These same researchers formally recommended bergamot be utilized as a complementary medicine for its pain-relieving, stress reducing actions.

The question is frequently asked by beginning aromatherapy practitioners: “what oil should I use for depression or anxiety”? These oils are the place to start. One needs to be willing to experiment to see what works best for them. Get a sample of each of these oils and see how you respond to their scents — you have to like the aroma for you to use an oil consistently for anxiety reduction and stress relief. Lavender has been noted to be more appreciated by women, and sandalwood is considered a somewhat more “masculine” aroma — yet certainly this shouldn’t prevent either gender from trying both oils.

The method through which you use them is up for experimentation as well. Lavender is the most flexible, being used through inhalation, topical application or ingestion (please note, ingestion is very rarely recommended with essential oils, and the amount noted in the study referenced here was again about 2 drops per day). Sandalwood is wonderful to wear as a natural perfume; just dab a drop or two on your wrists and rub them together — it’ll work well in most diffusers too. Bergamot is generally not used topically due to its photo-toxic effects (makes the skin more sensitive to UV light). It is one of the few oils that is simply wonderful in a diffuser all on its own (rather than in a blend), particularly if you find a very fine grade. You might even find a combination of oils and techniques best offers the support you need. For those interested in aromatherapy for stress relief, these three oils are an excellent place to start.

Learn more on medicinal aromatherapy and using essential oils is available at www.anandaapothecary.com/essential-oils.html.