PHYSICAL AILMENTS
BURNS
Burns- OUCH!  No matter what degree of burn you have they can all be extremely painful.  It was well documented by French chemist, Rene-Maurice Gattefosse', considered the father of present day "Aromatherapies", that Lavender oil will give quick relief and promote fast healing.  As many of you know, he was burned in his laboratory and submerged the burned body part in a vat of Lavender oil.  Amazingly the pain was quickly dissipated and the burn healed rather quickly, without blistering or scarring.
  Roman chamomile, Geranium, Eucalyptus, Neroli, Helichrysum and Rose oils are also good oils to use on minor burns.   Lavender can be applied 'neatly' - undiluted on minor burns.  Other oils should be added to carrier oils such as Sweet Almond or other light oil.
Then apply several times a day to the affected area.
To make a simple Homemade Burn formula
To a cold water bath (bowl of water) - 5 drops chamomile or 8 drops lavender oil for each cup of cold water to which a few ice cubes have been added.  Submerge the burned area to give relief. Personally we have found that you will get much relief if you can hold your burned area in the cold water for about an hour.  Use caution to not freeze your burned area.  You should use cold water not ICE water.  A few ice cubes will help to chill the water but not to freeze the skin.
A nice After Burn formula to apply
after the initial cold treatment is to use
1/4 teaspoon (25 drops) Lavender  add 2 drops peppermint,
1 teaspoon of Vitamin E oil and 2 ounces Aloe Vera.
Shake well and apply several times a day to the burned area.
This formula works on sunburn too. Be sure to have plenty on hand as you venture out to the beaches this summer!
Of course any serious or widespread burn including sunburns should be attended by a medical professional.  Do not attempt to treat serious burns without consulting a physician.

 All essential oils have healing properties and will help your body to heal itself.
 

EMOTIONAL CONCERNS
BURNOUT
What can you do about Burnout? The total and complete exhaustion of mind and body.  Burnout not only affects your emotional well being, but often times it began with a physically exhaustive circumstance.  Number one is to take care of yourself.
Burnout can occur after or while you are care taking others.  Long term care of convalescing or terminally ill loved ones puts not only a physical strain on many but the biggest affect will be the emotional drain.  Burnout can occur also from working long hours in a stressful job and not getting enough time to rest and recoup.
If you feel like you are feeling 'burnout' - stop now and take care of yourself.  Get plenty of rest and let your mind and body heal itself.
Essential oils diffused while you rest will help to rejuvenate and enlighten your heart.  A nice massage will be a wonderful way to treat yourself and help the many tense muscles holding in toxins to release them.  Once you start to feel better inside, your body will also heal physically and emotionally.
There are many wonderful essential oils to diffuse for burnout.  Try any of these singly - Grapefruit (6), Sandalwood (5) or Geranium (3).  Also a blend of these three oils are very helpful.  (The number in parentheses are the number of drops to make the blend).
As a massage oil try a blend of Vetiver 2 drops, Bergamot 10 drops and Lavender 3 drops in 30 mls of almond oil and massage you feet, legs, arms or have a close friend massage your back, neck and shoulders.  This same massage oil blend can be added to a bath.  Add about 1 tablespoon to your tub, relax and enjoy.  (Use caution when adding oils to bath water as it can make the tub extremely slippery).
Burnout will not be 'cured' overnight. It took a long time to develop and will take several days to weeks to help the exhaustion to resolve.
So enjoy your little treats to yourself and use your essential oils.
** Burnout can lead to severe forms of depression. If you feel this is more than Burnout please seek professional help and do it now!**

HEALTH & BEAUTY
Stretch Marks
Often times our skin is stretched beyond it's normal capacities. Most often this is seen in expectant mothers.  When this occurs our skins underlying collagen and infrastructure breaks apart and stretch marks appear.  Other people may experience stretch marks too.  Children that grow quickly or if one gains a lot of weight in a short period of time can develop stretch marks.  There are several other disease processes that can cause stretch marks to develop.
Nothing can truly repair the stretch mark (except surgical removal and this may not be practical or possible), but using oils and emollients may help or prevent them from becoming worse.  Some will help to lessen the discomfort that can accompany the development of these marks.   With time the red lines will lighten and become less noticeable.  The best is to prevent stretch marks before they occur.
The following Stretch Mark Oil * blend can be used one or twice daily.  This blend is safe to use during pregnancy in the last trimester - the months where stretch marks are most likely to occur.
1 ounce Cocoa butter, melted (heat slowly just until melted)
1/2 ounce Evening Primrose or Borage oil
1/4 ounce Rose hip seed oil
1/4 ounce Wheat germ oil
10 drops Lavender essential oil
8 drops Neroli essential oil
4 drops Vetiver essential oil
Mix the first 4 oils together.  After they begin to cool and thicken add the essential oils.  Mix well and once cool can be used to massage into your skin once or twice daily.

AROUND THE HOUSE AND GARDEN
Cleaning Surfaces
As you prepare for spring cleaning you'll want to add some essential oils to either your washing water or your rinsing water.   As you do your spring cleaning, essential oils can be useful to disinfect and leave all the areas you clean with a light scent.  A good dilution to add to your bucket will be about 8 drops of essential oil to 1/2 gallon of warm water.  Favorite oils to use are Lavender, Cypress, Orange, Lemon, Lemongrass, and Grapefruit.  A blend of these may appeal to many spring cleaners too!
Many of these oils have Anti bacterial, anti-fungal and other germicidal properties.  Of course the uplifting properties will help your spring chores to fly by and be done shortly!

RECIPES TO TRY
A Calming Massage Blend
Sweet Almond oil - 15 ml
Sandalwood 5 drops
Rosewood (aka Bois de rose) 4 drops
Lavender 4 drops
Lemongrass 2 drops
Add these essential oils to the Sweet Almond and blend (shake). Massage into your favorite body parts - feet, legs, arms, back, neck, etc.

A Simple Furniture Polish
Jojoba Oil - 2 Tablespoons (30 ml)
Ylang ylang - 10 drops
Blend all the above oils together, Apply to a soft cloth and polish your furniture.
 

This issue was more fun and challenging to write.  Not only does it give you information, but freshens our minds on new or different oils we can suggest during our consultations.  We hope you will find this information helpful.  Naturally we encourage everyone to consult with your health care professional in cases of severe health concerns.

You've asked for it and we are listening. Many times we are asked for samples of our oils. Someone wants to purchase a small amount before spending a lot on a larger quantities.  Samples are now available to purchase. The clear vial rod capped sample contains about 15-20 drops of oil. There is plenty essential oil for a few recipes or for you to just smell to see if you 'like' the oil.

Also we are now carrying 50 ml Amber Eurodropper bottle of essential oils. This is 1 2/3 ounce - (not  2 ounces as we have offered in the past).  The best part is the bottle has an orifice reducer.  This allows oils to drop out one drop at a time.  This reduces the need for pipettes.  This helps to prevent your precious essential oils from spilling out of a larger bottle and being lost or contaminated.

Our next new Product is the Aroma Sac. These sacs are filled with wonderful herbs and 100% pure essential oils. They are made from natural ingredients. These sacs can be heated in the Microwave or Cooled in the freezer.  Then apply them to the affected area you wish to have treated.   They come in 2 different sizes and 4 different blends to treat different problems.  Headache & Tension Tamer; Stress Relief and Relaxation; Rejuvenation; and Comforts of Home. They are made locally here in Minnesota.  For more details please see our On-line catalog.

We are also offering Lip balms they are made with all natural oils and butters and are available in 3 scents, Peppermint, Sweet Orange and Spearmint.  They are made locally also.

‘til next month,

Yours in Aromatherapy,
Alan and Penny
 
NOTE: Please use bhhinfo@birchhillhappenings.com when e-mailing us.

Disclaimer:
We do not endorse, nor do we encourage anyone to implement Aromatherapy or any suggestions contained within this site without the consent of his/her medical doctor. We also do not take any liability for your implementation of any oils, recipes, or anything else available through this site, from any book or company recommendation, or available on any site linked from Birch Hill Happenings
 
 

**Resources for information in this newsletter was obtained from the following sources:
500 Formulas for Aromatherapy by Schiller & Schiller
The Fragrant Veil by Elisabeth Millar
The Fragrant Mind Aromatherapy for Personality, Mind, Mood, and Emotion by Valerie Ann Worwood
Aromatherapy by Patricia Davis
*Aromatherapy for Vibrant Health and Beauty by Roberta Wilson
Practical Aromatherapy for Home and Garden Decoder
Advanced Aromatherapy Decoder
The Decoders are available from Birch Hill Happenings

To the beginning of our Catalog.

Copyright © 2004-2007 Penny Keay
Please do not use my information without my written permission.