In this newsletter we will try to help you further your knowledge and use of essential oils.
This Months Newsletter features:
edited by Penny Keay because the article is written by Well, really by our Readers and Customers!!
Every week we get several suggestions and comments from our readers and customers of ways they use essential oils and some of our products. It is always fun and interesting to find out what works for every one.
So in this issue I’m going to list a few of the latest suggestions and ideas that we have received. Hopefully they will be of interest to many of you too and you can use them as needed.
Last Names have been omitted to protect everyone’s privacy. But we do have these e-mails on file. Although we may not have personally tested these suggestions the folks that submitted them have.
1. For Mosquitoes, Fleas and Ticks – from D. B. in South Africa writes: A mixture we use often as a personal spray here in South Africa to keep mosquitoes away is:
1ml Peppermint 1ml Lavender 1ml Lemongrass Mix this with 50ml Vodka Dilute to 1Lt with water. Spray directly onto skin and clothes.
This works quite well, especially on children, late afternoon. Remember that some essential oils and sunlight aren't friends on skin. It is effective for approximately 2 hours, depending on temperature (normally 25+ oC here in summer evenings)
This mixture does not work on flies though. Should work for fleas and ticks.
Lemongrass does not work for flies, nor mixtures of Lemongrass, Camphor and/or Citronella .
NOTE: We do not ship our products internationally (except into Canada and US Territories) but we just had to share this recipe from one of our avid readers. We know that this time of year in the northern hemisphere the ‘bugs’ are very hungry! And this recipe may be the one that is perfect for you.
2. For those that Love to Knit - L.M. Washington
I'm a knitter and spinner, and use the Talc Powder
on my hands especially in the summer to keep the yarn or fiber from getting all sweaty and gummed up. It works great.
3. For Flies, Wasps, Hornets and more including in the Horse barns - L. S. South Carolina
Incidentally, we use a formula for keeping flies down in our horses' stalls.
20 drops Lavender,
10 drops Tea Tree,
10 drops Peppermint in a quart of water.
It is marvelous. The horses like it....loll in the stalls rather than standing out in their paddocks....and it is non-toxic. It repels, rather than poisoning.
The Lavender seems to soothe them. And, believe it or not, it soothes and tranquilizes hornets and wasps. You can spray them...they stop whirring their wings....they sort of wander around aimlessly. You can then scrape down their little nests (not big ones...but the ones they have just started to build) and they wander around mumbling "Where is it? I thought I had a little nest started here..."They seldom rebuild.
We are not into killing....but we can't have wasps in our stalls. I'm allergic (and easily annoyed.)
The point, for BHH, we ran out of Peppermint and bought some
locally, at one of our Natural Food stores. It says it is the same stuff as yours, but there is no comparison.
It doesn't smell like Peppermint ....it smells like Cedar needles, crushed.
That's why I've reordered from you.....You do much better with your essential oils....and my horses depend on
your Peppermint , and
Lavender.
The spray is used on the stall walls, not on the horses. We spray daily, before we bring them home from the pasture. We have no flies in the stalls at all and the horses notice this and tend to stand inside. Their tails seldom swish, so we can see that it is continuing to be effective.
We also use your oils directly on the horses' skins. For cuts, scrapes, irritations we use a mist of Lavender, Tea Tree and Aloe Vera, equal parts of each. We seldom get an infection and minor cuts heal without scarring.
One of our friends, who raises Arabians, told us about the healing mix. She swears by it, and now, since trying it, so do we.
We use the same mixture on our own scratches and small cuts. It is a very healing mix.
4. OCD – Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - Katie.
Just wanted to add some information about OCD and panic attacks (since I suffer from both).
Usually you would recommend seeing a councilor but also, it appears that OCD and panic attacks are both caused by low activity of the "happy"
neurotransmitters in the brain (generally serotonin) and can be treated with antidepressants that raise serotonin.
This is important because my guess is anything oil or oil blend that might help with depression would also help with OCD and panic attacks.
My favorite blend for dealing with panic and anxiety is 4 drops Sandalwood
(or your The S'WOODS ) ,
1 Ylang Ylang,
and 1-2 drops of your diluted Jasmine (the 10%).
It does the trick every time, calming and uplifting. I also like your Comforting Spray blend,** I mix just the oils and put them in my vaporizer at night - that also helps.
Just incase that was something you guys didn’t know or wanted to pass on.
** Comforting Spray Recipe is listed below in Recipes to Try
5. Restless Legs - Suzanne
I recently had horrible restless legs at night, and I tried a variety of oil combinations with little success.
I found your recipe, and it worked within minutes and I haven't had any problems since.
Thank you so much for making all your recipes available. I refer to them often. Thanks again.
** Recipe for Restless legs is below
6. Colds and Nasal problems - Julie
Here's a tip you might like to try. I have a cold with the usual nasal problems and found this helpful.
Put a drop of Rosemary oil on a cotton swab. Exhale, getting all the air out. Now carefully put the swab up inside your nose, and do a long inhale, holding the air inside your sinuses. This draws the Rosemary right up inside. Repeat on both sides. You can prepare a swab and leave it handy on your bedside table at night. Hope you find this useful.
7. Rosacea and Delicate Skin - Gloria
I purchased the cream for delicate skin
(Penny’s Cream de La Creme) and it has been a wonderful experience.
I am scared of trying face creams because most cause a lot of itching.
During the winter I have a hard time because the skin of my face feels tight.
Your cream has helped me with all these problems and it also has kept my
Roseacea under control. I am very pleased.
(Added comment by Penny – My Cream de La Creme was created for use with dry skin and specifically for eczema that Al suffers from but we have had many folks write us – just like Gloria did and the list continues to grow for uses of my Cream dela Crème – Bed sores, diaper rash – both to treat and prevent and for other rashes, eczema and some cases of psoriasis – if you have used it for other skin problems please let us know. – Of course it works great for normal skin too! )
8. Arthritis Lotion – Mary
I wanted to tell you about my experience.
I have been using Ravensara and find it is extremely helpful for aching bone (Arthritis). I put a few drops in my lotion for my hands or use it straight for my hips. I find it better than anything else I have used. It was recommended by my massage therapist. I love your oils!
(Please note: we never suggest using essential oils ‘neat’ or straight from the bottle if they are to be applied to the skin. Please – always dilute them with a carrier oil or mix with a lotion if you are using them on the skin. But there is an occasional exception to this rule - see below - Bee Sting )
9. For a Great Natural Sleep – Karen
Some medicine I have to take keeps me from sleeping at times, this works wonders
2 drops Rose,
1 drop Jasmine ,
1 drop Roman Chamomile
Mix with carrier oil ( i use a 2mm bottle) put on temples, neck pulse, wrists and a little on the soles of your feet. A great natural sleep.
10. Dental and Medical Offices – that don’t want to smell like a ‘Dental or Medical Office’ – Dr. D. a DDS in Alabama
I tried the aromatherapy today in fact (I just had to try it out before Monday).
And quite frankly I was not expecting it to work as well as it did.
I was pleasantly surprised.
Within about 5 minutes the whole office was filled with a wonderful, relaxing NONDENTAL fragrance. I am very satisfied.
Thank you so much. I look forward to doing more business with you in the very near future.
Note: Many of the Doctor and Dental offices purchase one or more of the following Essential oils and Blends from us to make their offices not smell like a ‘conventional medical office’ : Calming blend, Relaxing blend , Elation blend , Inspiration blend , , Peaceful , Darryl’s, Celebration and Take Five blend. They also order single essential oils – Lavender, Cinnamon leaf, Cedarwood and many others. Most medical offices seem to avoid any of the mints, eucalyptus and such as these are used so often in scenting and flavoring medicine.
11. To Relax and Fall Asleep for Man, Women and Dog: From S. W. in Indiana
I used the following recipe from www.birchhillhappenings.com to make an EO water blend to then use it as a spray on our pillows:
“Sweet Dreams" - a pillow spray
15 ml of distilled water
2 drops of Lavender
1 drop Roman Chamomile
1 drop Orange
1 drop Ylang Ylang
Shake well and spritz on pillow cases. Let dry. Great for your guests.”
When I was mixing and testing it, I noticed the aroma of Ylang Ylang , Roman Chamomile and Orange in that order, but not really the Lavender. It was a very pleasant blend, not overwhelming, but soothing with a little orangey freshness (“zest”).
I sprayed the pillows a couple of hours before going to bed. The aroma lingered not just on the pillows but also in the air for about an hour. When I went to bed, the aroma in the room was gone, but it was still noticeable on the pillows when you put your nose in it. I re-spritzed the pillows and laid down and immediately relaxed. I was reading a book “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert (definitely worth reading!), and I had a tough time keeping my eyes open J.
The other interesting thing was that my 5 ½-year-old female dog Ronya, who sleeps on the bed with us, actually moved over to my husband’s side (who was still sitting at the computer at that time) and laid her head on the pillow, inhaled and stayed there! She really enjoys the essential oil aromas of the oils and blends that I use.
12. Miracle – Bee Sting remedy – from Kirsten W.
I was stung by a bee a few days ago - first time since I was a child - and the following was miraculous:
Ice for 10 minutes immediately after the sting
One drop of Helichrysum
and 1 drop of Lavender on the swollen sting
Thirty minutes later the swelling was almost gone, 6 hours later the swelling and pain were totally gone That's the LAST I knew of any bee sting!! Amazing. Thought you would like to know.
(Please note: we never (or should I say rarely) suggest using essential oils ‘neat’ or straight from the bottle if they are to be applied to the skin. Please – always dilute them with a carrier oil or mix with a lotion if you are using them on the skin. This is one of the FEW exceptions to the "don't apply neatly". If after an application or two you see no improvement or symptoms worsen, discontinue use and seek immediate medical attention. Bee and Wasp stings can be life threatening in some cases. Please seek medical care in necessary. )
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We have many, many more suggestions, helps and tips from our customers and readers. We’ll share more at another time.
If you have some you would love to share – please send them to us. You never know when it could make a BIG difference in some ones life!
Aromatherapy – it’s not just for women.
A tidbit from Al. As he says “My 2 Cents worth”
By Alan Keay
From a guy’s point of view it seems that Aromatherapy is more for women than men.
But yes, there are a few of us men that are Aromatherapists. I have been asked if I am one by several women in a surprised voice, mainly because there are more women involved in Aromatherapy than men.
Is it because men don’t want to get involved? I don’t think so.
I think that women try to figure the cause or cure of health concerns more than men (maybe it’s in the genes or what has been taught to us – back in the day, women are/were the ‘nurses’, cooks etc, while men are the ‘bread makers’. But times and things have changed.
We see more men – both young and old that are interested in the use of essential oils.
We men have the same situations going on – stress, can’t sleep, sore muscles, headaches, etc. and there are some smells (aromas) we like that are different from what women like. Isn’t that the way it is supposed to be?
We (men) wear ‘smells’ women like and they wear smells we like – opposites attract?? For instance, I love the smell of Jasmine but Penny doesn’t. And where does it say that men don’t like ‘flowery’ smells? To be honest we see more men enjoying floral smells and women enjoy more earthy smells.
Coincidence? Think about the perfume & men’s cologne industry, who are they creating these scents for – to attract the opposite sex?
But I digress, Aromatherapy is for men AND women.
I got into it because we (Penny and I) believe that essential oils have been around for years and it’s a natural way to help the body get back into balance (and because Penny told me I had to do exercise my mind since I wasn’t a Scoutmaster anymore:-) - fishing and golfing didn’t count!!).
So since everyone’s body is out of balance, we, by using Therapeutic Aromatherapy, are trying to put the body back into balance. T he molecules of the essential oils go to the cellular level of the body.
For instance if you have a headache and you inhale or diffuse Peppermint, the molecules go into the nose and the olfactory senses and then are absorbed into the blood stream. Then the chemical constituent of the Peppermint is/are ‘dropped off’ where needed and if the body doesn’t need any other constituent of the Peppermint , it is eliminated.
Another thing about essential oils, is they can help build up your immune system. Depending on how out of balance your body is, would depend on how long it would take to build it back up.
Pen and I noticed things after about a year from the time we started working with essential oils. That we didn’t seem to be affected by the flu, colds etc that our co-workers had (we were both working for someone else at the time).
We may still get a sniffle or two but we know when we have a ‘bug’ and we do things to help ‘kick them out’…
But since we started learning about Aromatherapy, 16 years ago, we have learned so much about the body and what the oils can do to the body systems.
What we strive for is to have the purest oils for our customers and to give them advice on the proper and safe ways to use them.
And that’s my two cents worth :-) AL
Again I would like to thank ALL of our readers and customers and if you have any questions please email me at bhhcontact@birchhillhappenings.com and I will answer as quickly as I can. AL
Back to topby Penny Keay
COMFORTING SPRAY
- 8 drops
Vanilla
or V'nilla's - 3 drops
Ylang-Ylang - 3 drops
Orange -10 drops
Cedarwood - 8 drops
Coconut Emulsifier - 1/2 teaspoon
Distilled Water or Room spray base - 2 ounces
Add oils to Emulsifier, shake well then add the distilled water or
room spray base .
Shake well and spray in room. OR as an alternative you can omit the water or
room spray base and use the blended essential oils in your favorite diffuser, fan diffuser or tart warmer!
RESTLESS LEGS
We have used this blend several times for people, especially those folks in assisted living or care centers that seem to
have problems keeping their legs comfortable. This blend can be used in a diffuser, or if someone is available, mix into a carrier oil and massage the legs.
Lavender - 24 drops
Roman Chamomile - 20 drops
Vetiver- 16 drops
Blend well in an glass bottle.
If inhaling, put a few drops in a personal inhaler and take several deep breaths when legs are
feeling restless. Or mix 15 drops in 1 ounce of Sunflower oil, shake well and use for leg massage.
BIRCH HILL HAPPENINGS NEWS
Hello Everyone,
Sure hope you enjoyed the ‘helpful ideas’ from our readers and customers. Please do send us your suggestions and ideas for products or essential oils that have worked for you. We love hearing from you. And as stated above you never know when what works for you – will really help someone else too.
What’s New? Well we are now Accepting PayPal
 |
Many of you have asked and it did take us a bit to get it integrated with our shopping cart. But it is now working and available to you for those that prefer not to use your credit card information over the web.
The new Aromatherapy bracelets
are now up on our website see the new designs that I created during vacation. I know, working on vacation?
Well, for me being able to be creative during a relaxing time was very fun and enjoyable.
There are many new gemstone bracelets with either a Sterling Silver Locket or a wooden aroma bead for you to apply your favorite essential oils and then enjoy.
More Ambience Lighting Tart Warming Diffusers – have arrived.
And a New Outlet Plug-in with dimmer switch tart warmer.
These Outlet Plug-ins make a great night light too.
Please Check out the WHAT'S NEW!! Page for other ‘New Items!
Be sure to check out our New CURRENT SALES ITEMS Page.
This is a new program that has replaced our previous Coupon Codes that were listed with each e-mail notice. NOW you will need to either bookmark the new page OR sign up for the New Weekly & Monthly Sales e-mail notices.
This new Sales page will have Current sales with new ones being added each week or so and month old sale items being removed.
You can update your interest categories on the bottom of your Newsletter e-mail notice by clicking on the Update profile/email address link. Or to sign up go to our Newsletter Sign up form Click here
Here you can also sign up for the "Special Deal Coupon Code" E-mail notice where you will get a "Special Coupon code" e-mailed to you once a month for a 4-6 day "Special Deal sale".
SO be sure to sign up for this New Current Sale items notice so you won't miss out or any of the
other notices that you may be interested in.
For a list of our Current Sales items Click here.
We also have a Page JUST for CLEARANCE ITEMS. These are items that are Seconds, slightly damaged or Discontinued by the manufacturer (or us). Click here to see the Current Clearance items.
HELP STILL NEEDED – As requested last month we are working on a Muscle massage blend for folks that are afflicted with fibromyalgia,
rheumatoid arthritis, MS and other muscle type injuries (strains & strains).
If you would be interested in trying/testing an ounce or two
(provided you have one of the above conditions) please contact us. We need some feed back before for we are ready
to have it available for others.
Since neither of us, have these problems, we cannot really test it on ourselves. Feedback from someone with these conditions is needed so we will know for sure that this new blend works. (In theory it should but we need actual proof from several folks that can benefit from its’ use.)
Send us an e-mail at bhhcontact@birchhillhappenings.com If you would be interested. Thank you so much in advance.
So far we only have 4 replies and would like to have upto 10. So if you know of someone that might be interested please ask them and give them our contact information. Thanks so much!
REMEMBER we have a NEW CONTACT - E-mail Address - Due to our Old e-mail address becoming over run with so much Spam we have a new Contact e-mail address. Please change it in your E-mail Preferences and allow your program to accept our new address. Thanks our new e-mail address is: bhhcontact@birchhillhappenings.com
It's summer now and we have NEW SUMMER HOURS through Labor Day Weekend in September
During the HOT summer months we will be in the OFFICE Monday through Thursdays 9:00AM - 5:00 PM Central Time
We will not be shipping orders out on Fridays as we are trying to avoid your items from being damaged by
excessive heating. The Transport Trailers and Shippers often times will Park their Trucks in parking lots over weekends
and the orders can become overheated. We don't want this to happen. So if you place an order (on a Thursday)
with items we feel could be damaged and not arrive to you before the weekend - we may choose to
hold it until Monday's shipout.
Please understand we know how precious your money is that you have spent on these items and we don't want them
damaged by excessive heat. Sorry if this causes any inconveniences.
We will resume our Regular Hours after Labor Day weekend in September.
Hope you are having a safe and wonderful Summer!
As always, if you have suggestions, questions or comments please feel free to send us an e-mail to
bhhcontact@birchhillhappenings.com
and
we will get back to you as soon as possible.
‘til next month,
Yours in Aromatherapy,
Alan and Penny
E-mail us at bhhcontact@birchhillhappenings.com
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For a listing of the Resources for information in this newsletter (including recipes) and others please visit our Reference page Click here