Birch Hill Happenings Aromatherapy Newsletter Vol 88 Information on the use of essential oils safe to use during Pregnancy, Labor and post partum and includes aromatherapy recipes

BIRCH HILL HAPPENINGS Aromatherapy Newsletter Vol 88 2006
In this newsletter we will try to help you further your knowledge and use of essential oils. Physical Ailments Pregnancy and Motherhood Spring is here and as we think of the rebirth of nature, of course, naturally, we think of all mothers. With Mother's day just around the corner, I thought of my first Mother's Day, (almost 30 years ago)! Although our first son had not been born, I was 8 months pregnant in May 1976. I wish I had known about essential oils back then. I suffered with morning sickness almost the entire pregnancy, developed stretch marks at the end, and had swollen feet! What wonderful memories!! Really, they are. As I had no other problems during any of my pregnancies. We are often asked about essential oils safe to use during pregnancy, labor and delivery, post partum, and while nursing (breastfeeding). First, I want to say is that most essential oils can be safely used during pregnancy. Just as they have been used in perfumes, cosmetics and other bath and body products for centuries with no ill effects to mother or baby. Pure essential oils in concentration though should be avoided until after the first trimester of your pregnancy, as should any and all types of medications and chemicals. Your physician will let you know that prior to becoming pregnant and in the first 3 months of your pregnancy, you should avoid taking any medications (unless prescribed of course) or exposing yourself to strong chemicals. Many expectant mothers cannot take strong smells or scents. The sense of smell seems to become extremely keen during pregnancy. Certain smells will trigger varied emotions and several will become absolutely offensive. By the way, expectant mothers should not be filling their automobiles with fuel. Smelling gasoline or diesel fumes is not recommended. Likewise, strong cleaning solutions should also be avoided. And just another note of caution, Don't use any of those commercial air deodorizers or air fresheners either, as many of them are made from petroleum products. All of them can be detrimental to your baby. Of all things in nature, Essential oils are much safer to be exposed to then those petro-chemicals!! So, although most essential oils are GRAS (Generally recognized as safe). There are a few that you should avoid. Any essential oil that is used in flavoring foods such as citrus generally can be used any time. Below is a list of Essential oils you can use during pregnancy. As always, make sure your physician is aware you are using essential oils. If at any time you have an adverse reaction to an oil, whether pregnant or not, discontinue use. During the first trimester use essential oils with caution and in limited amounts. Essential oils can be safely used after the first trimester, in moderation. SAFE OILS Bergamot, Roman Chamomile, Geranium, Lavender, Lemon, Mandarin, Neroli, Orange, Patchouli, Rose, Sandalwood, Tangerine, Tea Tree, Ylang Ylang, The following oils can be used occasionally but please do not over use. Cedarwood, Clary Sage, Cypress, Ginger, Jasmine, Juniper, Marjoram, Nutmeg, Peppermint, Rosemary, Spearmint, There may be many other oils safe to use during pregnancy but the above oils should cause no problems during a normal pregnancy. These lists of oils were complied from research from several of the reference books from well known aromatherapy authors and aromatherapists. If an oil is not on the above list it probably should be avoided until you are no longer pregnant or breast feeding. COMMON Complaints and suggestions Morning Sickness - Please consult with your physician. Morning Sickness normally occurs in the first three months and so make sure you ask your doctor if he or she feels it is okay for you to use a little of the following two essential oils during your first trimester. Smelling a little Peppermint may take off the edge of a queasy stomach. Also, Ginger is a well known herbal remedy for upset stomach (think about Ginger ale) and so the essential oil has helped other pregnant mothers too. Both of these oils can be safely used after the first trimester. Back Aches Every pregnant woman at one time during her pregnancy will have a back ache. The ever expanding abdomen creates a lot of stress not only on the front, but also the back. The muscles are growing and stretching too and if the expectant mother is on her feet too much the weight of the baby will cause her balance to shift and the back muscles will try to compensate. They may tire easily and cramps and aching muscles will result. Now is the time to have some Massage lotion or oil available so the expectant father can help relieve the discomfort. Also learning how to rub the back while the pregnant mother is on her side is important. As during labor, if the labor is more in the back, massaging the back will be most welcome by the mother to be. A blend of Lavender - 5 drops Ginger - 2 drops Roman Chamomile - 2 drops 1 ounce carrier oil mixed in a bottle and massage on the back as needed. Or another blend of Lavender - 5 drops Roman Chamomile - 2 drops Frankincense 2 drops Eucalyptus - 1 drop 1 ounce carrier oil Swollen Feet and Hands As your pregnancy progresses many women will begin to retain unwanted fluids. Notably it will show in her hands and feet. You won't need to be on your feet very long and your legs and feet will swell. Many women experience swelling in the hands too. To help with swelling, elevate the affected limbs as much as possible. Also a light massage oil or lotion with the following essential oils. Use no more than 10 drops total per 1 ounce of lotion or oil. Choose up to three of the following oils to mix with your lotion or oil; Lemon, Orange, Geranium, Lavender, Patchouli, Petitgrain When applying these to the swollen limbs always massage lightly and towards the heart. LABOR and DELIVER to Ease Pain, and promote Relaxation The big day finally arrives. You are nervous, anxious and the contractions are getting stronger and more uncomfortable. Several essential oils will help you to relax and to relax those around you. Everyone is excited. We have a couple of birthing centers and women's health centers that have used the following massage blend to help their mother's during labor. They have reported to us that the expectant parents and others in attendance enjoyed this blend. Not only did it help the mother, but all those in the room were also put more at ease. The added light scent was very welcome and added to the wonderful moment. For 1 ounce of massage oil Sunflower oils - 1 ounce Lavender- 8 drops Neroli - 3 drops Rose 5% - 3 drops Ylang Ylang - 1 drop Blend all together and use as a massage oil during labor. Although this is a very nice blend to use while in labor, anyone can use it anytime. Emotional Concerns Pregnancy and Motherhood One minute you are laughing, the next you are crying. Your body is going through a tremendous amount of change. Your hormones are raging, trying to keep you and your baby safe from all outside dangers in the environment. One minute you are happy, next you are mad. Again, your body is going through so many changes. You are feeling absolutely exhausted, but so excited you can hardly sleep. You are worrying about this, that and every thing under the sun. The pregnancy consumes you and everyone around you. You don't want to become obsessed but you can't help it. For nine months you are nurturing one of the biggest miracles of life - Life itself! No wonder you feel like you are going crazy, so many emotions and so much to think about. Hopefully, you will be able to make it through those first three months, where you will then be able to use a few more essential oils. You can choose an oil or two that you really like from the above list and use it as part of your daily routine. A little Lavender or other uplifting citrus oil may help you feel less anxious, help you to sleep better or to give you a little pick me up when you are feeling down. POST PARTUM To Balance and Uplift your Emotions After the excitement and anticipation of the big day and arrival of your newborn, again, your emotions can be all mixed. As your hormones and body adjust to the baby being outside instead of within you, your emotions will once again be changing. Many women have very little problems other than an occasionally day of the 'blues'. To help on those days, simply use a blend of your favorite essential oils. Put a drop or two on a tissue or in your personal inhaler. Take a few deep breaths, close your eyes for a few moments and think of beautiful happy thoughts. Take a few more breaths and think of that wonderful little person that has arrived and changed your life forever. After the Baby - a little Uplifter! Nutmeg - 7 drops Rosewood - 6 drops Frankincense - 2 drops Lemon- 9 drops Rose - 6 drops 2 ounces of carrier oil Blend well and massage a few drops into your temples or other pulse points. Adapted from a recipe from The Complete Book of Essential oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood Once a mother/parent, always a parent. Even when your children are all grown. They still will come to you for advice and the caring nurturing that you have given to them from before they were born. Happy Mother's Day to all!! Beauty and Skin Care Stretch Marks during Pregnancy and other times Often times our skin is stretched beyond its 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 ounceWheat germ oil 10 drops Lavenderessential oil 8 drops Neroli essential oil 4 drops Vetiver essential oil Mix the first four 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 In and Around the Nursery Every mother and father anticipating the arrival of the newborn wants the nursery to be clean and fresh. Since the nursery typically is not readied until the last couple months of the pregnancy. The essential oils used for cleaning can easily and safely be used in your cleaning water. You may want to clean the room with Lemon or Orange, oil added to the cleaning bucket. Others prefer to use Pine needle . If the expectant father is willing to help clean and wipe things down, adding our Thieves blend or Purifying blend to the cleaning bucket will thoroughly disinfect and clean the room before the baby arrives. Once the baby has arrived, you should reduce the amount of essential oils used in your cleaning bucket. Strong solutions can be irritating to young lungs and nasal passages. Even if you do not use essential oils, reduce the amount of cleaning solutions in your buckets, or make sure the room has time to air out before putting the baby back in the room.
Recipes to try
Another Recipe for Stretch Marks 1 ounce Cocoa butter, melted (heat slowly just until melted) 1 ounce Jojoba Rose Otto - 5 drops Lavender- 6 drops Tangerine - 5 drops Carrotseed - 5 drops Apply this blend to the areas that may develop stretch marks. You do not need to use a lot of this mixture. a few drops applied daily to your tummy are all that you should need. Swollen Feet Relief In a basin of cool water add Lavender- 2 drops Lemon - 1 drops Geranium - 1 drop Then soak a towel in the basin, wring out excessive water and wrap loosely around swollen feet and hands. Elevate your feet and relax. Be sure you have placed another towel to protect your pillows and furniture from becoming dampened. Rest for 15 to 20 minutes as needed. Simple Morning Sickness help Add 4-6 drops of Spearmint to a terra cotta or other passive style diffuser near your bed. Spearmint is milder to use than Peppermint and often times will ease a queasy stomach. Pregnancy Back Ache Rub Lavender - 5 drops Rosemary - 3 drops Sandalwood - 3 drops Geranium - 1 drop Sweet almond oil - 2 ounces Mix all essential oils in a bottle, then add the Sweet Almond oil. Blend well. Use to massage the lower back as needed. Adapted from a recipe in Aromatherapy by Valerie Gennari Cooksley, RN
BIRCH HILL HAPPENINGS NEWS Hello Everyone, We hope this month's newsletter has been helpful to many of you or someone near and dear to you. Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers and Mother's to be!! Just a quick reminder for those of you reading this before April 30th, don't forget our Anniversary sale is still going on for a few more days. It will end at Midnight Central time on April 30th. So please keep this in mind if you are ordering on Sunday evening the 30th. (You might want to order something special for yourself or your Mother since Mother's Day is just around the corner!!) Don't forget you may also qualify for free shipping when your total of items ordered is greater than $100.00. Click here for free shipping details. We only have a couple sales a year and the next one is not until the fall. Check your supplies as you might want stock up now for your spring and summer needs. Thank you to all the Massage Therapists who responded to our request of how you use essential oils in your practice. We will be passing them along at our presentation the first of May. Don't forget to sign up for our "Special Deal for you!" . What is this? The "Special Deal for you!" will begin in May and we are hoping to provide one product a week at a SUPER savings of up to 50% off. But there is a catch. In order for you to 'hear' about this you will need to "OPT IN" to receive the e-mail notice. You can always unsubscribe from the notifications at any time. For more information and to sign up for this special program visit our "Special Deals for you" page by Clicking here The New diffusers have arrived!! See the large selection by clicking on the following links. For the NEW TEA LIGHT DIFFUSERS CLICK here For the NEW ELECTRIC OIL WARMERS CLICK here We have one new essential oil, one new carrier oil and two new Synergy blends. The New 100% Pure Essential Oil that we are happy to announce is: Sweet Basil - ct - Linalool Eygpt Steam distilled from the leaf Click here to order Our new Carrier oil is Avocado. This rich oil from the fruit of the Avocado's flesh is wonderful for use on dry, damaged and aging skin. Click here to order The first blend is called Courage Click Here to go to the order page for Courage. It is a wonderful blend of Spruce, Rosewood, Blue Tansy & Frankincense. (This same blend is known by "Valor" from another company. No we do not buy it from them. We have our own supplier, who has their own chemists and blending expert.) It is blended using excellent top quality essential oils and is not diluted in any carrier oil. (If you want to dilute it, as the other company does though, that is up to you.) The next blend is called Full of Life Click here to go to the order page for Full of life. It is a blend of the highest quality essential oils of Orange, Frankincense, Patchouli, Clove, Ginger, Myrrh, Cinnamon and Spruce. (This same blend is known by "Abundance" from another company. No we do not buy it from them either. We have our own supplier who has their own chemists and blending expert.) Both of these blends are offered in Sample, 2 ml, 4 ml, 10 ml, 30 ml and 50 ml sizes. Offering the different sizes makes these beautiful blends available and favorable for everyone's budget. The Recipes Index has now been completely updated. I'm still working on developing new "Categories". But hopefully now the recipe files will be a little bit more user friendly. To Visit the New Recipe Index page Click here As always, if we can help you with any aromatherapy question please send us an E-mail at bhhinfo@birchhillhappenings.com and we'll get back to you as soon as we can. ‘til next month, Yours in Aromatherapy, Alan and Penny E-mail us at bhhinfo@birchhillhappenings.com

BIRCH HILL HAPPENINGS Aromatherapy Newsletter Vol 88 2006

In this newsletter we will try to help you further your knowledge and use of essential oils.

Physical Ailments

Pregnancy and Motherhood

Spring is here and as we think of the rebirth of nature, of course, naturally, we think of all mothers.

With Mother's day just around the corner, I thought of my first Mother's Day, (almost 30 years ago)!

Although our first son had not been born, I was 8 months pregnant in May 1976. I wish I had known about essential oils back then. I suffered with morning sickness almost the entire pregnancy, developed stretch marks at the end, and had swollen feet! What wonderful memories!! Really, they are. As I had no other problems during any of my pregnancies.

We are often asked about essential oils safe to use during pregnancy, labor and delivery, post partum, and while nursing (breastfeeding).

First, I want to say is that most essential oils can be safely used during pregnancy. Just as they have been used in perfumes, cosmetics and other bath and body products for centuries with no ill effects to mother or baby.

Pure essential oils in concentration though should be avoided until after the first trimester of your pregnancy, as should any and all types of medications and chemicals. Your physician will let you know that prior to becoming pregnant and in the first 3 months of your pregnancy, you should avoid taking any medications (unless prescribed of course) or exposing yourself to strong chemicals.

Many expectant mothers cannot take strong smells or scents. The sense of smell seems to become extremely keen during pregnancy. Certain smells will trigger varied emotions and several will become absolutely offensive.

By the way, expectant mothers should not be filling their automobiles with fuel. Smelling gasoline or diesel fumes is not recommended. Likewise, strong cleaning solutions should also be avoided. And just another note of caution, Don't use any of those commercial air deodorizers or air fresheners either, as many of them are made from petroleum products. All of them can be detrimental to your baby. Of all things in nature, Essential oils are much safer to be exposed to then those petro-chemicals!!

So, although most essential oils are GRAS (Generally recognized as safe). There are a few that you should avoid.

Any essential oil that is used in flavoring foods such as citrus generally can be used any time.

Below is a list of Essential oils you can use during pregnancy. As always, make sure your physician is aware you are using essential oils.

If at any time you have an adverse reaction to an oil, whether pregnant or not, discontinue use.

During the first trimester use essential oils with caution and in limited amounts.

Essential oils can be safely used after the first trimester, in moderation.

SAFE OILS
Bergamot, Roman Chamomile, Geranium, Lavender, Lemon, Mandarin, Neroli, Orange, Patchouli, Rose, Sandalwood, Tangerine, Tea Tree, Ylang Ylang,

The following oils can be used occasionally but please do not over use. Cedarwood, Clary Sage, Cypress, Ginger, Jasmine, Juniper, Marjoram, Nutmeg, Peppermint, Rosemary, Spearmint,

There may be many other oils safe to use during pregnancy but the above oils should cause no problems during a normal pregnancy.

These lists of oils were complied from research from several of the reference books from well known aromatherapy authors and aromatherapists.

If an oil is not on the above list it probably should be avoided until you are no longer pregnant or breast feeding.

COMMON Complaints and suggestions
Morning Sickness - Please consult with your physician. Morning Sickness normally occurs in the first three months and so make sure you ask your doctor if he or she feels it is okay for you to use a little of the following two essential oils during your first trimester.

Smelling a little Peppermint may take off the edge of a queasy stomach.

Also, Ginger is a well known herbal remedy for upset stomach (think about Ginger ale) and so the essential oil has helped other pregnant mothers too. Both of these oils can be safely used after the first trimester.

Back Aches
Every pregnant woman at one time during her pregnancy will have a back ache. The ever expanding abdomen creates a lot of stress not only on the front, but also the back. The muscles are growing and stretching too and if the expectant mother is on her feet too much the weight of the baby will cause her balance to shift and the back muscles will try to compensate. They may tire easily and cramps and aching muscles will result.

Now is the time to have some Massage lotion or oil available so the expectant father can help relieve the discomfort.

Also learning how to rub the back while the pregnant mother is on her side is important. As during labor, if the labor is more in the back, massaging the back will be most welcome by the mother to be. A blend of
Lavender - 5 drops
Ginger - 2 drops
Roman Chamomile - 2 drops
1 ounce carrier oil mixed in a bottle and massage on the back as needed.

Or another blend of
Lavender - 5 drops
Roman Chamomile - 2 drops
Frankincense 2 drops
Eucalyptus - 1 drop
1 ounce carrier oil

Swollen Feet and Hands As your pregnancy progresses many women will begin to retain unwanted fluids. Notably it will show in her hands and feet. You won't need to be on your feet very long and your legs and feet will swell. Many women experience swelling in the hands too.

To help with swelling, elevate the affected limbs as much as possible. Also a light massage oil or lotion with the following essential oils.
Use no more than 10 drops total per 1 ounce of lotion or oil. Choose up to three of the following oils to mix with your lotion or oil; Lemon, Orange, Geranium, Lavender, Patchouli, Petitgrain
When applying these to the swollen limbs always massage lightly and towards the heart.

LABOR and DELIVER
to Ease Pain, and promote Relaxation
The big day finally arrives. You are nervous, anxious and the contractions are getting stronger and more uncomfortable. Several essential oils will help you to relax and to relax those around you. Everyone is excited.

We have a couple of birthing centers and women's health centers that have used the following massage blend to help their mother's during labor. They have reported to us that the expectant parents and others in attendance enjoyed this blend. Not only did it help the mother, but all those in the room were also put more at ease.

The added light scent was very welcome and added to the wonderful moment.

For 1 ounce of massage oil
Sunflower oils - 1 ounce
Lavender- 8 drops
Neroli - 3 drops
Rose 5% - 3 drops
Ylang Ylang - 1 drop
Blend all together and use as a massage oil during labor.
Although this is a very nice blend to use while in labor, anyone can use it anytime.

Emotional Concerns

Pregnancy and Motherhood

One minute you are laughing, the next you are crying. Your body is going through a tremendous amount of change. Your hormones are raging, trying to keep you and your baby safe from all outside dangers in the environment.

One minute you are happy, next you are mad. Again, your body is going through so many changes. You are feeling absolutely exhausted, but so excited you can hardly sleep. You are worrying about this, that and every thing under the sun.

The pregnancy consumes you and everyone around you. You don't want to become obsessed but you can't help it.

For nine months you are nurturing one of the biggest miracles of life - Life itself!

No wonder you feel like you are going crazy, so many emotions and so much to think about.

Hopefully, you will be able to make it through those first three months, where you will then be able to use a few more essential oils.

You can choose an oil or two that you really like from the above list and use it as part of your daily routine. A little Lavender or other uplifting citrus oil may help you feel less anxious, help you to sleep better or to give you a little pick me up when you are feeling down.

POST PARTUM
To Balance and Uplift your Emotions
After the excitement and anticipation of the big day and arrival of your newborn, again, your emotions can be all mixed.

As your hormones and body adjust to the baby being outside instead of within you, your emotions will once again be changing.

Many women have very little problems other than an occasionally day of the 'blues'. To help on those days, simply use a blend of your favorite essential oils. Put a drop or two on a tissue or in your personal inhaler. Take a few deep breaths, close your eyes for a few moments and think of beautiful happy thoughts.

Take a few more breaths and think of that wonderful little person that has arrived and changed your life forever.

After the Baby - a little Uplifter!
Nutmeg - 7 drops
Rosewood - 6 drops
Frankincense - 2 drops
Lemon- 9 drops
Rose - 6 drops
2 ounces of carrier oil Blend well and massage a few drops into your temples or other pulse points.

Adapted from a recipe from The Complete Book of Essential oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood

Once a mother/parent, always a parent. Even when your children are all grown. They still will come to you for advice and the caring nurturing that you have given to them from before they were born.

Happy Mother's Day to all!!

Beauty and Skin Care

Stretch Marks during Pregnancy and other times

Often times our skin is stretched beyond its 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 ounceWheat germ oil
10 drops Lavenderessential oil
8 drops Neroli essential oil
4 drops Vetiver essential oil
Mix the first four 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

In and Around the Nursery

Every mother and father anticipating the arrival of the newborn wants the nursery to be clean and fresh.

Since the nursery typically is not readied until the last couple months of the pregnancy. The essential oils used for cleaning can easily and safely be used in your cleaning water. You may want to clean the room with Lemon or Orange, oil added to the cleaning bucket. Others prefer to use Pine needle .

If the expectant father is willing to help clean and wipe things down, adding our Thieves blend or Purifying blend to the cleaning bucket will thoroughly disinfect and clean the room before the baby arrives.

Once the baby has arrived, you should reduce the amount of essential oils used in your cleaning bucket. Strong solutions can be irritating to young lungs and nasal passages. Even if you do not use essential oils, reduce the amount of cleaning solutions in your buckets, or make sure the room has time to air out before putting the baby back in the room.

Recipes to try

Another Recipe for Stretch Marks

1 ounce Cocoa butter, melted (heat slowly just until melted)
1 ounce Jojoba
Rose Otto - 5 drops
Lavender- 6 drops
Tangerine - 5 drops
Carrotseed - 5 drops
Apply this blend to the areas that may develop stretch marks. You do not need to use a lot of this mixture. a few drops applied daily to your tummy are all that you should need.

Swollen Feet Relief

In a basin of cool water add
Lavender- 2 drops
Lemon - 1 drops
Geranium - 1 drop
Then soak a towel in the basin, wring out excessive water and wrap loosely around swollen feet and hands. Elevate your feet and relax. Be sure you have placed another towel to protect your pillows and furniture from becoming dampened. Rest for 15 to 20 minutes as needed.

Simple Morning Sickness help

Add 4-6 drops of Spearmint to a terra cotta or other passive style diffuser near your bed. Spearmint is milder to use than Peppermint and often times will ease a queasy stomach.

Pregnancy Back Ache Rub

Lavender - 5 drops
Rosemary - 3 drops
Sandalwood - 3 drops
Geranium - 1 drop
Sweet almond oil - 2 ounces
Mix all essential oils in a bottle, then add the Sweet Almond oil. Blend well. Use to massage the lower back as needed.

Adapted from a recipe in Aromatherapy by Valerie Gennari Cooksley, RN

BIRCH HILL HAPPENINGS NEWS

Hello Everyone,

We hope this month's newsletter has been helpful to many of you or someone near and dear to you.

Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers and Mother's to be!!

Just a quick reminder for those of you reading this before April 30th, don't forget our Anniversary sale is still going on for a few more days. It will end at Midnight Central time on April 30th. So please keep this in mind if you are ordering on Sunday evening the 30th. (You might want to order something special for yourself or your Mother since Mother's Day is just around the corner!!)

Don't forget you may also qualify for free shipping when your total of items ordered is greater than $100.00.
Click here for free shipping details.

We only have a couple sales a year and the next one is not until the fall. Check your supplies as you might want stock up now for your spring and summer needs.

Thank you to all the Massage Therapists who responded to our request of how you use essential oils in your practice. We will be passing them along at our presentation the first of May.

Don't forget to sign up for our "Special Deal for you!" . What is this?
The "Special Deal for you!" will begin in May and we are hoping to provide one product a week at a SUPER savings of up to 50% off. But there is a catch. In order for you to 'hear' about this you will need to "OPT IN" to receive the e-mail notice. You can always unsubscribe from the notifications at any time. For more information and to sign up for this special program visit our "Special Deals for you" page by Clicking here

The New diffusers have arrived!!

See the large selection by clicking on the following links.
For the NEW TEA LIGHT DIFFUSERS CLICK here
For the NEW ELECTRIC OIL WARMERS CLICK here

We have one new essential oil, one new carrier oil and two new Synergy blends.
The New 100% Pure Essential Oil that we are happy to announce is:

Sweet Basil - ct - Linalool Eygpt Steam distilled from the leaf Click here to order

Our new Carrier oil is Avocado. This rich oil from the fruit of the Avocado's flesh is wonderful for use on dry, damaged and aging skin. Click here to order

The first blend is called Courage
Click Here to go to the order page for Courage.
It is a wonderful blend of Spruce, Rosewood, Blue Tansy & Frankincense.
(This same blend is known by "Valor" from another company. No we do not buy it from them. We have our own supplier, who has their own chemists and blending expert.)

It is blended using excellent top quality essential oils and is not diluted in any carrier oil. (If you want to dilute it, as the other company does though, that is up to you.)

The next blend is called Full of Life
Click here to go to the order page for Full of life.
It is a blend of the highest quality essential oils of Orange, Frankincense, Patchouli, Clove, Ginger, Myrrh, Cinnamon and Spruce.
(This same blend is known by "Abundance" from another company. No we do not buy it from them either. We have our own supplier who has their own chemists and blending expert.)

Both of these blends are offered in Sample, 2 ml, 4 ml, 10 ml, 30 ml and 50 ml sizes. Offering the different sizes makes these beautiful blends available and favorable for everyone's budget.

The Recipes Index has now been completely updated. I'm still working on developing new "Categories". But hopefully now the recipe files will be a little bit more user friendly. To Visit the New Recipe Index page Click here

As always, if we can help you with any aromatherapy question please send us an E-mail at bhhinfo@birchhillhappenings.com and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

‘til next month,

Yours in Aromatherapy,
Alan and Penny

E-mail us at bhhinfo@birchhillhappenings.com

Click Here to go to Birch Hill Happenings On Line Catalog