Birch Hill Happenings Aromatherapy Newsletter Vol 89 Information on the use of essential oils safe to use Car and Motion sickness, Nausea, Staying alert, Summer time skin care, and essential oils in the first aid kit along with more aromatherapy recipes

BIRCH HILL HAPPENINGS Aromatherapy Newsletter Vol 89 2006
In this newsletter we will try to help you further your knowledge and use of essential oils. Physical Ailments Motion Sickness and Nausea You are all packed and ready to go. The excitement of the long awaited day has begun. Everyone is in their seats and next thing you know "little Emily" says she is not feeling well. She has a lot of nausea and the car has barely started to move yet. Several things to check and to help with motion sickness and nausea include: Did the person eat a little bit or a lot before getting into the car? Sometimes not eating can cause motion sickness too. One of our sons, always got car sick if he didn't have something to eat, especially in the morning. We usually had to give him a bite to eat before we could take the family out for breakfast!! Can the person see out in front of the car? For some people, sitting in the part of the car where they can not see the road ahead can make them feel sick to the stomach. If these things are fine and motion sickness and nausea are still present, the number one essential oil is a little bit of Ginger . Simply inhale a drop or two of Ginger placed on a tissue or placed in an inhaler. Some people will respond better to Peppermint or Spearmint. For some Roman Chamomile gives relief. For those that suffer from chronic motion sickness you may want to try breathing in any one oil or a blend of a couple of the above essential oils BEFORE getting into the car, train, boat or plane. Inhaling these 30 - 60 minutes before departure and every 15 to 30 minutes while on your trip may make a world of difference in you enjoying your trip. Other essential oils that might help with nausea include Coriander, Cardamom and Fennel . Since each person has different preference and chemical makeup, you may need to do a trial with each of these oils separately (and the ones listed above too) to find out which one or a combination of a couple seem to give you the best relief before and while traveling. If you get to the point of vomiting you might want to try this recipe. Basil - 1 drops Peppermint - 1 drop Lavender - 1 drop 2 teaspoons of a carrier oil Mix the oils together in the carrier oil, then rub your hands together to warm the oil. Gently massage over the abdomen, afterwards you may want to cup your hands over your face (nose and mouth) and slowly inhale for a few breaths before washing your hands. ²⁰ Emotional Concerns Staying Alert Summer is here! and if you are like Al and I you have so much you want to do and things you need to do! The last thing you want is to not be awake and alert. Especially when you are doing any of your tasks. Driving, of course, being a task you must be mentally aware at all times, especially of everything going on around you. Of course there are other things you do where you need to pay attention and be alert. (You know, like when you are on the golf course or fishing!! . . . Ok, I'm in summer mode!) Several essential oils not only help you stay alert and focused but may also give you the energizing boost you need to finish. One of the best known essential oils for alertness is Rosemary, Grapefruit and Peppermint. Some others that work well too include Spearmint, Eucalyptus radiata, Bergamot, Lemon, Lime and other citrus. Other oils that may help include: Basil, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Petitgrain, Black Pepper, Coriander, and Juniper. Give this Alertness blend a try Juniper - 14 drops Pine needle - 8 drops Rosemary - 8 drops Blend all in an amber bottle. Place several drops in any diffuser. If you are using in your car while traveling apply about 5-6 drops on your car diffusers pad. Insert into plug in. Diffuse for no longer than 20 minutes in the car. If diffusing in the home, you can diffuse for longer periods of time as the house has more cubic footage than the interior of any auto. If you don't have time to blend some oils, you might want to try one of our energizing blends. Mint Energizing blend is a big favorite. Refreshing blend and Revitalizing blends may also help. Beauty and Skin Care Summertime Skin Care Skin care in the summertime can be just as much of a challenge as other times of the year. Not only do we need to replenish the moisture, we need to keep it there. Typically your skin has enough sebum to keep the moisture in and your skin nice and soft. During the summer months we are exposed to many elements that can remove or limit the amount of our natural oils our body has available. Sunlight is very important to our health. It helps our bodies function properly by stimulating our metabolism, hormonal systems and of course to make Vitamin D, just to name a few of its many pluses. Over exposure and getting a sunburn is not good and can actually do a lot of damage to your skin. Sunburn can cause mild redness, all the way to blisters. Repeated sunburns can lead to scarring, discolorations, wrinkled skin as we age and worse yet, skin cancer. One way to protect your skin is to eat a very good diet high in Essential Fatty Acids - you know Omega 3's. Please note that Essential Fatty Acids and Essential oils are NOT the same!! Now on to other ways to protect your skin. A good carrier oil for the summer months is Jojoba . It is the liquid wax that is most like our skins natural oil - sebum. Therefore, applying this after cleaning your skin is very important. If you are a gardener or work outdoors, you know how many times your hands, knees, etc. get dirty in an hour and how many times you are washing your hands. (Okay, maybe you use gloves, unlike me that usually uses her bare hands!) Even if you do wear gloves your still have wear and tear on your skin. Applying a few drops to your clean hands before and after gardening will help preserve your skin. Essential oils that may help to stimulate your bodies own production of sebum are Geranium , Lavender and Sandalwood. Adding a drop of two of each of these oils to your daily face or hand cream or lotion may be all you need to do. Jasmine, Neroli and Rose Otto are great essential oils for skin care. These are good for all types of skin but especially for mature and aging skin. Other oils good carrier oils for your skin are Hazelnut oil, Sesame oil , Wheat germ oil and Vitamin E. The Wheat germ and Vitamin E should be mixed with other carrier oils as only minute amounts of these are needed. If you have spent too much time out in the sun and do get sunburned a quick and easy help is to simply mix 5-10 drops of Lavender in to 1 ounce of Aloe Vera. Aloe is well known for its use with burns. Lavender helps to lessen the pain and to quickly heal the skin. Remember to drink plenty of water during the summer. Hot, windy days evaporate the moisture from our skin quickly and so we need to replace the inner moisture often. After bathing and swimming be sure to apply a good moisturizing lotion or cream to lock in and hold your skin moisture. A good summertime blend that is good to help your skin stimulate its own natural production of sebum. This blend can be used everyday. You only need a few drops for your entire face. Roman Chamomile - 10 drops Geranium - 10 drops Lavender - 15 drops Mix in Jojoba - 1 teaspoon Hazelnut oil - 1 teaspoon Evening Primrose or Rosehip seed oil oil - 1 teaspoon Sunflower oil - 1 tablespoon Blend this well. Apply to face and exposed skin to help keep it from drying when exposed to the sun and wind. You will only need a few drops of this blend. If you feel there is too much essential oils and it makes the scent too strong simply add another tablespoon of sunflower oil to dilute down, or cut the essential oils amounts in half.
Around the House and Garden Essential oils in the First Aid Kit Yes, essential oils are an important part of any first aid kits and in your travel case too. A list of basic essential oils for any one just starting out will include many of these essential oils to begin with. Without a doubt, number one on the list is Lavender. Next should be Tea Tree. Peppermint, Roman Chamomile, Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Thyme, Lemon, and Clove bud. Personally, I would also suggest adding Helichrysum . A quick list of why each oil is useful follows. This list is just the most common reason or uses. There are certainly many, many more uses of each of these oils. Be sure to get a good book on Aromatherapy. One good book is Valerie Ann Worwoods book - The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy. This book provided some of the information for this article. See our Book Review page for other excellent aromatherapy books. Lavender: Stings and bites, burns, bruises, scrapes. It has analgesic, antiseptic and more properties to help heal wounds. Not to mention the calming effect it will have to the person affected. Tea Tree: Good for all types of infections. It is antifungal, antiviral and anti bacterial. Good for all kinds of skin wounds and irritations from sunburn, to acne, athlete’s foot and more. Peppermint : Known for its antinausea and indigestion relief. Peppermint also helps with headaches, sinus congestion and even for painful joints! I recently read where adding a few drops to some calamine lotion, helps relieve and heal Poison ivy lesions more quickly! Oh and if you are camping, Peppermint will help keep the ants away from the picnic table, the mice out of your tent and other unwanted pests away too! (Al just mentioned that if you go camping in bear country, you should be cautious about using any essential oil as some bears are easily attracted to sweet scents.) Roman and/or German Chamomile: Excellent to help you and your children relax and fall asleep more easily after a day of excitement. Of course, they also have anti-inflammatory properties and are helpful for burns, bee stings nettle rashes, and other injuries. Eucalyptus : Best known to help relieve congestion from coughs and colds. But did you know that it is also an excellent insect repellent? Especially Eucalyptus citriodora (Eucalyptus Lemon). Eucalyptus has great antiseptic and antiviral properties. It is anti-inflammatory and a mild analgesic (relieves pain). There are several varieties of Eucalyptus and any of them would be a great addition to your kit. Rosemary: This wonderful stimulating essential oil is great to use on long road trips. It will give you a pick me up and will be great after a long and tiring day. Rosemary is also one of Al's recommendations along with Peppermint to use for those headaches that can pop up out of nowhere. Just a drop or two mixed with a little carrier oil and rubbed on the back of your neck and shoulders will relieve those headaches within a few minutes. Use Rosemary on painful muscles and joints too! Thyme: This is a superb antiviral essential oil. It also has great antibacterial and antifungal properties. Please do not OVER use this oil. It is very potent and should not be used on an ongoing basis. It should be used diluted only. Use when needed and do not use beyond where you are healed and well. Lemon: Best known for its antiseptic and disinfecting properties. Lemon will freshen and clean most all surfaces. Can be very effective on insect bites. Some folks have found headache relief from using Lemon oil too. Clove bud: Antiseptic, antibacterial, analgesic are the most important properties held by Clove bud oil. It is great for toothaches and other pains, such as painful joints and muscles. Be sure to dilute with a carrier oil before applying to the skin. It is one oil that could cause a skin reaction (burning sensation). Helichrysum : great analgesic, antibacterial and helps if uses on bruises shortly after they occur. It will reduce the discoloration and help heal the bruise very quickly. Because it has analgesic properties bumps and bruises won't be as painful. We carry essential oils with us wherever and whenever we travel in one of our travel cases. Please, do not leave your essential oils in your car. Ideally, if you have a small insulated bag, or cooler, your oils will be much happier in that!! Protecting them from sunlight and excessive heat will prolong their effectiveness and extend their shelf life. For use in hotel rooms, don't forget to take along a small diffuser or two. The TruMelange fan diffuser or a Scentball are small and easy to use in any guest room or suite. Have a safe and fun time while you travel this summer!
Recipes to try
Motion Sickness Blend for nausea Roman Chamomile - 10 drops Ginger - 10 drops Peppermint e 10 drops Blend all essential oils in an amber bottle. Simply breath a few drops from a tissue or use a Personal inhaler. Inhale 30-60 minutes before departure and also every few minutes while traveling. ⁷ Soothing Sun burn Bath In a tub of cool water add Lavender- 8 drops Roman Chamomile - 2 drops Helichrysum - 2 drops Peppermint - 1 drop Place the oils in the tub of cool water. Soak for fifteen to twenty minutes. Do not rub the burned areas. You can repeat this bath every few hours until the pain subsides. Add a few ice cubes to the water if you want to keep the water cool. Use a small cup to gently poor water over hard to soak areas. ⁷ Surprising Alertness Blend Grapefruit - 5 drops Lime - 5 drops Black Pepper - 2 drops Peppermint - 2 drops Blend all in a small amber bottles. Then diffuse or if you prefer place in a Personal inhaler and take several inhalations as often as needed. Simple First Aid Wash Simply put several drops of Lavender essential oil in a small basin of tepid water. If the body part that needs cleaning is easy to submerse, simply swish around in the water for a few minutes. If the body part can not be submersed, then use a wash cloth and gently wipe over the area. The natural antiseptic properties of Lavender will help fight any infection and its analgesic property will help with any pain or discomfort. Use this wash for scrapes, bug bites and any other bump or bruise!
BIRCH HILL HAPPENINGS NEWS Hello Everyone, The end of May is here and Summer will begin in just a few days with Memorial Weekend. Well, maybe not according to the sun, but according to most everyone that has school age children. Here in Minnesota most schools are done for the school year before Memorial weekend or just afterwards. Summer will end right around Labor day. So for all intents and purposes our summer begins NOW! This issue of the newsletter, as you could tell, was focused around things for the summer time months. Of course, most of this information can be used year around. So, if you haven't checked your supply of essential oils or if they are getting low or old, be sure to get some more ordered, before you need them, for all those boo boos and things that can happen this summer. Bugs are out and you might want to think about our DEET Free insect repellants. They work great and are very safe to use for your children and of course yourself. Last summer one of our customers took the Bug Away Spray with him for his 5 week trip to Africa. He was not bothered at all by any insects or bugs and was happy he could enjoy his trip not worrying about being 'eaten alive'. Don't forget to sign up for our "Special Deal for you!" . What is this? The "Special Deal for you!" began in May and is a big hit. We have 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. So far we have had Orange - 10 ml for $1.73 (reg $3.15 a 45% savings) Cajuput - 10 ml for $3.60 (reg $6.55 a 45% savings) French Lavender - 10 ml for $6.18 (reg $10.30 a 40% savings). What is next? Sorry, but you'll have to sign up to find out. After all it is a "Special Deal". For more information and to sign up for this special program visit our "Special Deals for you" page by Clicking here The New Tealight and Electric Oil warmer 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 As for other things that are in the 'works'. Penny is developing a few new blends. Watch for them to be announced later on. Also we are looking into some 'Jewelry' type personal diffusers. We have a few different ones we are considering. Again, we will keep you posted either in the newsletter or notify you by e-mail if you have signed up for the 'New Product' notice. Of course, you can watch our website too! We've been asked by a few customers to see if we can match or make up a blend similar to some other aromatherapy companies. Our answer is: we can try. If you request us to see if we can match a blend, we need to have you send us a couple of milliliters (about 40 drops) in a clean container (small glass bottle). We do need to know a list of the essential oils that are in the blend. It does take a few weeks to attempt this. So be patient. We do ask that you e-mail us ahead of time so we are aware you are sending us a sample. At this time we do not charge extra to try to match a blend. Sorry, but we cannot match perfumes or blends of fragrance oils as we do not have any of those available to us. We only carry 100% pure therapeutic quality Essential oils. If we are able to match the blend, realize that it is blended with very high quality essential oils. We try to get it to match but it may not be exactly like the blend you sent us. It might just smell better!! In case you missed last newsletter, The Recipes Index has now been completely updated. It should be a 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 89 2006

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

Physical Ailments

Motion Sickness and Nausea

You are all packed and ready to go. The excitement of the long awaited day has begun. Everyone is in their seats and next thing you know "little Emily" says she is not feeling well. She has a lot of nausea and the car has barely started to move yet.

Several things to check and to help with motion sickness and nausea include:
Did the person eat a little bit or a lot before getting into the car? Sometimes not eating can cause motion sickness too.

One of our sons, always got car sick if he didn't have something to eat, especially in the morning. We usually had to give him a bite to eat before we could take the family out for breakfast!!

Can the person see out in front of the car?
For some people, sitting in the part of the car where they can not see the road ahead can make them feel sick to the stomach.

If these things are fine and motion sickness and nausea are still present, the number one essential oil is a little bit of Ginger . Simply inhale a drop or two of Ginger placed on a tissue or placed in an inhaler. Some people will respond better to Peppermint or Spearmint. For some Roman Chamomile gives relief.

For those that suffer from chronic motion sickness you may want to try breathing in any one oil or a blend of a couple of the above essential oils BEFORE getting into the car, train, boat or plane. Inhaling these 30 - 60 minutes before departure and every 15 to 30 minutes while on your trip may make a world of difference in you enjoying your trip.

Other essential oils that might help with nausea include Coriander, Cardamom and Fennel . Since each person has different preference and chemical makeup, you may need to do a trial with each of these oils separately (and the ones listed above too) to find out which one or a combination of a couple seem to give you the best relief before and while traveling.

If you get to the point of vomiting you might want to try this recipe.
Basil - 1 drops
Peppermint - 1 drop
Lavender - 1 drop
2 teaspoons of a carrier oil

Mix the oils together in the carrier oil, then rub your hands together to warm the oil. Gently massage over the abdomen, afterwards you may want to cup your hands over your face (nose and mouth) and slowly inhale for a few breaths before washing your hands.

²⁰

Emotional Concerns

Staying Alert

Summer is here! and if you are like Al and I you have so much you want to do and things you need to do! The last thing you want is to not be awake and alert. Especially when you are doing any of your tasks.

Driving, of course, being a task you must be mentally aware at all times, especially of everything going on around you.

Of course there are other things you do where you need to pay attention and be alert.
(You know, like when you are on the golf course or fishing!! . . . Ok, I'm in summer mode!)

Several essential oils not only help you stay alert and focused but may also give you the energizing boost you need to finish.

One of the best known essential oils for alertness is Rosemary, Grapefruit and Peppermint. Some others that work well too include Spearmint, Eucalyptus radiata, Bergamot, Lemon, Lime and other citrus. Other oils that may help include: Basil, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Petitgrain, Black Pepper, Coriander, and Juniper.

Give this Alertness blend a try

Juniper - 14 drops
Pine needle - 8 drops
Rosemary - 8 drops

Blend all in an amber bottle. Place several drops in any diffuser. If you are using in your car while traveling apply about 5-6 drops on your car diffusers pad. Insert into plug in. Diffuse for no longer than 20 minutes in the car.

If diffusing in the home, you can diffuse for longer periods of time as the house has more cubic footage than the interior of any auto.

If you don't have time to blend some oils, you might want to try one of our energizing blends. Mint Energizing blend is a big favorite. Refreshing blend and Revitalizing blends may also help.

Beauty and Skin Care

Summertime Skin Care

Skin care in the summertime can be just as much of a challenge as other times of the year. Not only do we need to replenish the moisture, we need to keep it there. Typically your skin has enough sebum to keep the moisture in and your skin nice and soft. During the summer months we are exposed to many elements that can remove or limit the amount of our natural oils our body has available.

Sunlight is very important to our health. It helps our bodies function properly by stimulating our metabolism, hormonal systems and of course to make Vitamin D, just to name a few of its many pluses.

Over exposure and getting a sunburn is not good and can actually do a lot of damage to your skin. Sunburn can cause mild redness, all the way to blisters. Repeated sunburns can lead to scarring, discolorations, wrinkled skin as we age and worse yet, skin cancer.

One way to protect your skin is to eat a very good diet high in Essential Fatty Acids - you know Omega 3's. Please note that Essential Fatty Acids and Essential oils are NOT the same!!

Now on to other ways to protect your skin. A good carrier oil for the summer months is Jojoba . It is the liquid wax that is most like our skins natural oil - sebum. Therefore, applying this after cleaning your skin is very important.

If you are a gardener or work outdoors, you know how many times your hands, knees, etc. get dirty in an hour and how many times you are washing your hands. (Okay, maybe you use gloves, unlike me that usually uses her bare hands!) Even if you do wear gloves your still have wear and tear on your skin. Applying a few drops to your clean hands before and after gardening will help preserve your skin.

Essential oils that may help to stimulate your bodies own production of sebum are Geranium , Lavender and Sandalwood. Adding a drop of two of each of these oils to your daily face or hand cream or lotion may be all you need to do.

Jasmine, Neroli and Rose Otto are great essential oils for skin care. These are good for all types of skin but especially for mature and aging skin.

Other oils good carrier oils for your skin are Hazelnut oil, Sesame oil , Wheat germ oil and Vitamin E. The Wheat germ and Vitamin E should be mixed with other carrier oils as only minute amounts of these are needed.

If you have spent too much time out in the sun and do get sunburned a quick and easy help is to simply mix 5-10 drops of Lavender in to 1 ounce of Aloe Vera. Aloe is well known for its use with burns. Lavender helps to lessen the pain and to quickly heal the skin.

Remember to drink plenty of water during the summer. Hot, windy days evaporate the moisture from our skin quickly and so we need to replace the inner moisture often.

After bathing and swimming be sure to apply a good moisturizing lotion or cream to lock in and hold your skin moisture.

A good summertime blend that is good to help your skin stimulate its own natural production of sebum. This blend can be used everyday. You only need a few drops for your entire face.
Roman Chamomile - 10 drops
Geranium - 10 drops
Lavender - 15 drops
Mix in Jojoba - 1 teaspoon
Hazelnut oil - 1 teaspoon
Evening Primrose or Rosehip seed oil oil - 1 teaspoon
Sunflower oil - 1 tablespoon

Blend this well. Apply to face and exposed skin to help keep it from drying when exposed to the sun and wind. You will only need a few drops of this blend. If you feel there is too much essential oils and it makes the scent too strong simply add another tablespoon of sunflower oil to dilute down, or cut the essential oils amounts in half.

Around the House and Garden

Essential oils in the First Aid Kit

Yes, essential oils are an important part of any first aid kits and in your travel case too.

A list of basic essential oils for any one just starting out will include many of these essential oils to begin with.

Without a doubt, number one on the list is Lavender. Next should be Tea Tree. Peppermint, Roman Chamomile, Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Thyme, Lemon, and Clove bud.

Personally, I would also suggest adding Helichrysum .

A quick list of why each oil is useful follows. This list is just the most common reason or uses. There are certainly many, many more uses of each of these oils. Be sure to get a good book on Aromatherapy. One good book is Valerie Ann Worwoods book - The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy. This book provided some of the information for this article. See our Book Review page for other excellent aromatherapy books.

Lavender: Stings and bites, burns, bruises, scrapes. It has analgesic, antiseptic and more properties to help heal wounds. Not to mention the calming effect it will have to the person affected.
Tea Tree: Good for all types of infections. It is antifungal, antiviral and anti bacterial. Good for all kinds of skin wounds and irritations from sunburn, to acne, athlete’s foot and more.
Peppermint : Known for its antinausea and indigestion relief. Peppermint also helps with headaches, sinus congestion and even for painful joints!
I recently read where adding a few drops to some calamine lotion, helps relieve and heal Poison ivy lesions more quickly!
Oh and if you are camping, Peppermint will help keep the ants away from the picnic table, the mice out of your tent and other unwanted pests away too! (Al just mentioned that if you go camping in bear country, you should be cautious about using any essential oil as some bears are easily attracted to sweet scents.)
Roman and/or German Chamomile: Excellent to help you and your children relax and fall asleep more easily after a day of excitement. Of course, they also have anti-inflammatory properties and are helpful for burns, bee stings nettle rashes, and other injuries.
Eucalyptus : Best known to help relieve congestion from coughs and colds. But did you know that it is also an excellent insect repellent? Especially Eucalyptus citriodora (Eucalyptus Lemon). Eucalyptus has great antiseptic and antiviral properties. It is anti-inflammatory and a mild analgesic (relieves pain). There are several varieties of Eucalyptus and any of them would be a great addition to your kit.
Rosemary: This wonderful stimulating essential oil is great to use on long road trips. It will give you a pick me up and will be great after a long and tiring day. Rosemary is also one of Al's recommendations along with Peppermint to use for those headaches that can pop up out of nowhere. Just a drop or two mixed with a little carrier oil and rubbed on the back of your neck and shoulders will relieve those headaches within a few minutes. Use Rosemary on painful muscles and joints too!
Thyme: This is a superb antiviral essential oil. It also has great antibacterial and antifungal properties. Please do not OVER use this oil. It is very potent and should not be used on an ongoing basis. It should be used diluted only. Use when needed and do not use beyond where you are healed and well.
Lemon: Best known for its antiseptic and disinfecting properties. Lemon will freshen and clean most all surfaces. Can be very effective on insect bites. Some folks have found headache relief from using Lemon oil too.
Clove bud: Antiseptic, antibacterial, analgesic are the most important properties held by Clove bud oil. It is great for toothaches and other pains, such as painful joints and muscles. Be sure to dilute with a carrier oil before applying to the skin. It is one oil that could cause a skin reaction (burning sensation).
Helichrysum : great analgesic, antibacterial and helps if uses on bruises shortly after they occur. It will reduce the discoloration and help heal the bruise very quickly. Because it has analgesic properties bumps and bruises won't be as painful.

We carry essential oils with us wherever and whenever we travel in one of our travel cases. Please, do not leave your essential oils in your car. Ideally, if you have a small insulated bag, or cooler, your oils will be much happier in that!! Protecting them from sunlight and excessive heat will prolong their effectiveness and extend their shelf life.

For use in hotel rooms, don't forget to take along a small diffuser or two. The TruMelange fan diffuser or a Scentball are small and easy to use in any guest room or suite.

Have a safe and fun time while you travel this summer!

Recipes to try

Motion Sickness Blend for nausea

Roman Chamomile - 10 drops
Ginger - 10 drops
Peppermint e 10 drops

Blend all essential oils in an amber bottle. Simply breath a few drops from a tissue or use a Personal inhaler. Inhale 30-60 minutes before departure and also every few minutes while traveling.

⁷

Soothing Sun burn Bath

In a tub of cool water add
Lavender- 8 drops
Roman Chamomile - 2 drops
Helichrysum - 2 drops
Peppermint - 1 drop

Place the oils in the tub of cool water. Soak for fifteen to twenty minutes. Do not rub the burned areas. You can repeat this bath every few hours until the pain subsides. Add a few ice cubes to the water if you want to keep the water cool. Use a small cup to gently poor water over hard to soak areas.

⁷

Surprising Alertness Blend

Grapefruit - 5 drops
Lime - 5 drops
Black Pepper - 2 drops
Peppermint - 2 drops

Blend all in a small amber bottles. Then diffuse or if you prefer place in a Personal inhaler and take several inhalations as often as needed.

Simple First Aid Wash

Simply put several drops of Lavender essential oil in a small basin of tepid water. If the body part that needs cleaning is easy to submerse, simply swish around in the water for a few minutes. If the body part can not be submersed, then use a wash cloth and gently wipe over the area.

The natural antiseptic properties of Lavender will help fight any infection and its analgesic property will help with any pain or discomfort.

Use this wash for scrapes, bug bites and any other bump or bruise!

BIRCH HILL HAPPENINGS NEWS

Hello Everyone,

The end of May is here and Summer will begin in just a few days with Memorial Weekend.
Well, maybe not according to the sun, but according to most everyone that has school age children.

Here in Minnesota most schools are done for the school year before Memorial weekend or just afterwards. Summer will end right around Labor day. So for all intents and purposes our summer begins NOW!

This issue of the newsletter, as you could tell, was focused around things for the summer time months. Of course, most of this information can be used year around.

So, if you haven't checked your supply of essential oils or if they are getting low or old, be sure to get some more ordered, before you need them, for all those boo boos and things that can happen this summer.

Bugs are out and you might want to think about our DEET Free insect repellants. They work great and are very safe to use for your children and of course yourself.

Last summer one of our customers took the Bug Away Spray with him for his 5 week trip to Africa. He was not bothered at all by any insects or bugs and was happy he could enjoy his trip not worrying about being 'eaten alive'.

Don't forget to sign up for our "Special Deal for you!" . What is this?
The "Special Deal for you!" began in May and is a big hit. We have 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.
So far we have had
Orange - 10 ml for $1.73 (reg $3.15 a 45% savings)
Cajuput - 10 ml for $3.60 (reg $6.55 a 45% savings)
French Lavender - 10 ml for $6.18 (reg $10.30 a 40% savings).
What is next? Sorry, but you'll have to sign up to find out. After all it is a "Special Deal". For more information and to sign up for this special program visit our "Special Deals for you" page by Clicking here

The New Tealight and Electric Oil warmer 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

As for other things that are in the 'works'. Penny is developing a few new blends. Watch for them to be announced later on. Also we are looking into some 'Jewelry' type personal diffusers. We have a few different ones we are considering. Again, we will keep you posted either in the newsletter or notify you by e-mail if you have signed up for the 'New Product' notice. Of course, you can watch our website too!

We've been asked by a few customers to see if we can match or make up a blend similar to some other aromatherapy companies.
Our answer is: we can try.

If you request us to see if we can match a blend, we need to have you send us a couple of milliliters (about 40 drops) in a clean container (small glass bottle). We do need to know a list of the essential oils that are in the blend. It does take a few weeks to attempt this. So be patient. We do ask that you e-mail us ahead of time so we are aware you are sending us a sample. At this time we do not charge extra to try to match a blend.
Sorry, but we cannot match perfumes or blends of fragrance oils as we do not have any of those available to us. We only carry 100% pure therapeutic quality Essential oils.

If we are able to match the blend, realize that it is blended with very high quality essential oils. We try to get it to match but it may not be exactly like the blend you sent us. It might just smell better!!

In case you missed last newsletter, The Recipes Index has now been completely updated. It should be a 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