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

Physical ailment

First Aid Kit for Anytime, Anywhere.

by Alan Keay

Yippee!!! Spring is in the air, grass is getting green (get to try my new mower pretty quick! and of course, while getting the yard “prettied up” and working on the yard machines, I got to thinking about a First Aid Kit and what you may want in it, while working in the yard and on your summer trips.

So some of the things that came to mind while cleaning up the yard were;
- insect bites
- cuts and wounds
- headaches
- indigestion (from the restaurant food, NOT Penny’s! )
- athlete’s feet
- motion sickness
- and of course allergies

Now to talk about the situations that may arise and the help you may want –

Insect bites – some of the oils that may help are Roman Chamomile, Cedarwood, Eucalyptus globulus, Tea Tree and Lavender, all of these oils will help with swelling, itchiness and inflammation.

Most of the time since we are (at least I am) being bitten by mosquitoes, sand flies and “noseums”, just a dab of one or two of the above oils listed will help with those little bites.

If you are bitten by a spider, a bee, wasp or other large bug, then Lavender along with a clay paste or even mud (if you are camping and don’t have access to your clay) will help pull the toxins from the bite. You can also use Epsom salts or plain old table salt (dissolved in water and soak or use a compress on the bite if need be).

Then again if you want to not be bitten, I would suggest either one of our synergy blends – Bug Off!!, which is a massage oil type skin repellant and there is also Bug Away, which is an oil based spray.

Both are all natural and DEET FREE!! And both have been used by our customers in areas around the world with the reports back being great – NO bugs, NO bites

Cuts and wounds – the oils that may help are Lavender, Eucalyptus globulus, Thyme, Lemon, Marjoram, Rosemary and Tea Tree.

What these oils have are wound healing and antiseptic properties. And of course Tea Tree is known for it antifungal fighting properties.

Headaches come in different ways – working too much (hint, hint!!), with loud equipment, an accident, stress or dehydration and of course in the way we eat but that may be a different subject in a different newsletter.

Headaches are usually caused by tension, so if you have been working with a mower, a trimmer or any other machine, you most likely have a headache caused by the tension in the muscles in and around the shoulders, neck (from looking down for a long time) and just the sound of the machine you are using (you should be using ear and eye protection anyway).

A few good oils that may help are Peppermint, Eucalyptus globulus, Rosemary, Black Pepper, Marjoram. Basil, Jasmine and Roman Chamomile will help. So will any other oil that helps you relax.

My favorite headache reliever is 2 drops of Peppermint and 2 drops of Rosemary in a small amount of a carrier oil on the back of the neck and rub them both in, then go someplace quiet and close your eyes for 10 – 15 minutes and VOILA’, no more headache.

Indigestion can come in many different forms, such as bloating, gas (leaded or unleaded Oh - You know what I mean!! ), nausea or heartburn.

Some of the causes of indigestion are different and new food combinations, poor diet, failure to chew food properly, overeating (who us?? Which causes overweight situation etc).

Some oils to help improve digestion are Peppermint, Black Pepper, Roman Chamomile, Fennel, Anise, Clary Sage, Marjoram, Ginger and Sage. Yes, just inhaling them will help with indigestion. Remember inhaled essential oils enter the blood stream rather quickly and can go to the area of the body where they are needed.

Athletes feet (I don’t know where this one came from but it may be a hotel stay (shower or pool) or the locker room. Since this has been mentioned in previous newsletters the only thing I will say is Tea Tree (the best), Lavender, Myrrh and Patchouli are some oils that may help. See our past newsletter for more detailed information on treating Athletes feet.

But something else for a reminder is to wear either sandals or thongs so the feet can dry out as any virus, bacteria or fungi like to have things wet.

Motion sickness – ahh, yes, those car rides, being on the lake, the wild rides at amusement parks etc.

This also was mentioned in a previous newsletter (Newsletter Volume 89) so be sure to check out our past newsletters for more detailed information about motion sickness.

The feelings are headaches (mentioned above) nausea, cold sweats, sleepiness or in severe cases may cause lack of coordination.

Some things to do are: keep still by lying down and closing your eyes, this minimizes the objects (scenery) going by or up and down.

Again some of the oils to help are Peppermint, Ginger and Chamomiles are good for nausea. Inhaling of course is the best.

Allergies - at this time of the year are from the many trees that are blooming and until the spring rains can wash them away, there is mold left on the ground from the snow now being gone. I know Penny has talked about this before and the Chamomiles are great for this.

So after all this, you will want to have in your First Aid Kit several essential oils.

I would have Lavender, Peppermint, Tea Tree, Rosemary or Eucalyptus globulus, a Chamomile (either the Roman or German or our Allergy Tamer blend !!), Geranium, Thyme, and a Bug Repellant as your basic first aid kit. You can certainly add more oils as you feel necessary.

Have a Safe and Happy Summer!!

Emotional Concern

Tiredness

by Penny Keay

Have you had a good night sleep only to find that a few hours into your day you feel terribly tired?

If you can’t figure out what is causing it, maybe it was because a few days earlier you had a restless or sleepless night or went to bed later or had to be up earlier than usual.

It is not uncommon for there to be a 24-48 hour delay in your energy levels after a night when you didn’t get as much rest as you normally would.

Typically the day after you were ‘shorted’ on sleep you will function quite normally. But in another 24-48 hours you feel as if you have hit a brick wall.

Again, this is normal and provided you can get back to your sleep routine the tiredness should resolve on its own.

For these types of tiredness you can treat yourself to inhaling a few different essential oils. Sniffing these is better for you health wise than drinking a bunch of coffee or other caffeine laden beverages. The caffeine can end up keeping you awake or distrupting your sleep pattern again for another night (you can see how this can become an on going problem?)

Since essential oils can enter your body very easily through inhalation, just breathing a little ‘pick-me-upper’ essential oils will give you a little burst of energy within just a few minutes of inhaling.

My favorite is Spearmint and Grapefruit. You may have others. Basil, Lemon and Rosemary, not only are great to give you a little energy they will also help you to concentrate on the tasks at hand and to improve your memory at the same time.

Some of the best essential oils to help stimulate with this mildest form of fatigue are any of the citrus oils: Lemon, Orange, Grapefruit, Lime, Tangerine and Mandarin. Almost all of them are stimulating essential oils. Also the mints – Peppermint and Spearmint are stimulating.

Since every one has a different chemical makeup you may find you are better stimulated by some of these oils: Coriander , Cypress, Basil, Geranium , Clary Sage.

And don’t forget we have several synergistic blends that may work for you too. Citrus Blend , Concentration blend, Elation blend, Enlighten blend, Refreshing blend, and Revitalizing blend each have essential oils that are stimulating.

Now we also want to look into the other end of the spectrum here too. You are tired and need to sleep so you will also want to use some relaxing essential oils about 30-60 minutes prior to bedtime.

Of course the old standby Lavender is always the first one to try. We have found that using Bergamot, Roman Chamomile and Ylang Ylang also are great oils to help you fall asleep too. Neroli, Petitgrain and Basil work for some folks. And don’t forget, we have several wonderful pre-made synergistic blends such as Calming blend , Relaxing blend and Take Five blend that may work for you too.

Nighty night, sleep tight and feel rested in the morning!

Health and Beauty

Aging Skin Care

by Penny Keay

Lovely, soft and wrinkle free skin at any age can be a challenge for every man and woman.

Of course, it is important for skin health to be sure you are eating a good diet. Skin needs good nourishment and plenty of fresh water. Eat your fruit and veggies as they have many important vitamins and minerals that are needed.

To help fight the signs of aging skin you need to make sure you have plenty of fresh water. Skin that is wrinkled or dry will look years older. Wrinkled skin at an early age may be nothing more than an indication you have been dehydrated much of your life. So first step, increase your water intake.

Next you will want to help nourish your skin from the outside. When skin is soft and pliable it is usually less wrinkled. There are several essential oils that have been used though the years to help fight the aging effects of time, weather and temperatures.

These in combination with several of the carrier or fixed oils can work wonders on wrinkled, dry and aging skin.

Some of the best essential oils to help with wrinkles and aging skin are: Frankincense, Rose and Carrotseed. Although these are found in several recipes throughout the internet and in books there are other essential oils that may work better for your own skins makeup.

Your skin may react better to any of the following when blended together in groups of 3-5 different oils: Lavender, Neroli, Rosewood, Fennel, Rosemary, Lemon, Myrrh, Hyssop, Patchouli, Yarrow , German Chamomile

The blend of oils you use should be mixed with a carrier oil of your choice such as Hazelnut oil , Sweet almond, or Apricot kernel oil that has a small amount of Evening Primrose , rosehip seed and Jojoba added. These last three carrier oils are very nourishing to the skin, but are only needed in small amounts.

Try this simple blend to help ease your dry, lined face.

Frankincense – 3 drops
Carrotseed – 3 drops
Lavender – 3 drops
Neroli – 1 drop
Rosemary – 1 drop
Geranium – 1 drop
Rose - 1 drop
Evening Primrose – 1 teaspoon
Rosehipseed oil – 1 teaspoon
Jojoba – 1 teaspoon
Hazelnut oil oil - 5 tablespoons

Blend essential oils together, then add to the carrier oils. Mix well. Then apply just a few drops to a clean face. Avoid getting into your eyes.

An alterative to the above essential oils mixed with the carrier oils is to add a drop or two of the above blend to 2 ounces of water and shake well. Then apply with a cotton pad as a toner after cleaning your face.

One other simple thing you can do and is enjoyed by many is to use some rose hydrosol as a toner. Rose hydrosol is the distillation water left over from the processing and distillation of rose essential oil. Although there are only minute amounts of rose essential oil present in the hydrosol the healing properties are still present. Applying this as a toner will brighten your day and help with your aging skin. (We now carrier True Rose hydrosol .)

We also have a new premixed synergy blend – Smooth & Soft Blend to help keep your skin looking its best. To use this blend simply add 10-15 drops to 1 ounce of carrier oil, blend well then dab on your face. This can also be mixed with the Sorbolene Cream – To two ounces of Sorbolene Cream add 25 drops of the Smooth & Soft Blend, stir well. Then add 1-2 teaspoonful of distilled water to thin down a little more. To use- apply a small amount to your face and smooth on. This should absorb in rather quickly to your skin if it doesn’t you have applied too much. Simply wipe off any excess with a soft cloth.

Don’t you love all these creepy crawly and flying creatures this time of the year?? NOT!!

Well, as you can see I feel they are just a bunch of nuisances that can cause pain, stress, anxiety and terrible infections (such as Lyme disease) and who knows what other kinds of problems. Keeping them from biting (attaching) to your skin is some of the best preventative measures you can take.

Essential oils to the rescue!! Plants may hold the clue to keeping us happy in many ways. Not only do they make us feel better when we smell their lovely scents but there are many essential oils that will repell those nasty little creepy crawling bugs!

Many plants produce essential oils to protect themselves from insect attacks. So we can look at essential oils that can be used in carrier oils or mixed with water and spritzed on to our skin and clothing to repell these unwelcome little critters too.

In the research I have found that the most effective repellent blend of essential oils contain Geranium and among others. Ticks especially dislike Geranium. Catnip essential oil (This is the main essential oil in our Bug Away Spray) has been studied and found to be a natural alternative to DEET. Eucalyptus Lemon (Eucalyptus Citriodora) is said to be as effective as DEET too.

Here are some other essential oils that are known to repell insects: Cedarwood, Citronella , Lemongrass, Lavender, Vetiver, Juniperberry , Tea Tree, Patchouli, Peppermint and Sandalwood(personally this one is too costly to even think of using for repelling not to mention Sandalwood from India is in short supply).

Recipes to try

by Penny Keay or as otherwise noted.

BIRCH HILL HAPPENINGS NEWS

Hello Everyone,

Spring has finally arrived here in Minnesota. The trees are beginning to get their leaves and the grass is turning green. Although we could sure use some more rain to keep things growing and greening up (we have extreme fire danger right now) and to help the little flowers to bloom too.

A Special Thank You to all that shared in our 10th Anniversary Celebration. We look forward to many more years of continued service and providing you with quality and reasonably priced products for use in your aromatherapy endeavors. Thanks!

Exciting things are happening this spring and summer at Birch Hill Happenings.

We have slowly out grown the storage space in the lower level of our home and so we are adding on our home. Partly to get back some of the house we relinquished for the business and also to add more storage room for the biz. If we run out of room again, I believe we will end up having to build a whole new building just for Birch Hill Happenings!! (Time will tell)

Al and I are our own General Contractors and main carpenters. We don’t do any concrete work nor own excavating equipment so have to have those parts of our project done by others. We plan on getting a few folks together on the day we do the actual framing and placement of the roof trusses. (Do you have a spare hammer and helping hand???)

The rest of the work will be done by just us. Yep, Al is a very good carpenter, electrician, plumber, trimmer, etc, etc, etc. Of course, I lend a helping hand too.
My focus is on the interior design & decorating including wallpapering and ceramic tile laying (yep, I love setting ceramic tile).

As time permits and for those who are interested I'll try to take photos to show you the progress! and will give you a link to find the construction page.

As for Business, it should continue as usual. We still plan on being in the office working our usual 8-10 hours a day at Birch Hill but may have to take an occasional day off or several hours off here and there.

We anticipate orders being processed and shipped out as usual (within 24-48 business hours). And most of you know we have shortened office hours on Fridays and are not in the office on the weekends.

The only thing that most likely might be affected and limited is returning phone calls.

So, we ask, that if possible, you send us your questions by e-mail. That way we can answer them between orders or in the evenings, early mornings or when ever we have a spare moment.

For those of you that like to place your orders by phone, we will try to return those calls ASAP. We ask everyone that calls to PLEASE leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Now onto New Products!!
Just click on the little picture to learn more about each product and ordering information.

We have several new items this month. First off is the new battery operated fan diffuser – the Mio

CLICK HERE to go to the Mio's ordering page. It comes in two colors, metallic blue and a light green. Budget priced too at $13.57. This handy little diffuser can be tucked easily in your travel bags or purse. We were concerned because it has a battery, that it wouldn’t last long. We ran ours for over 24 hours and the battery (which was included) lasted nearly two full days. Of course, there are many factors when it comes to a batteries life so realize you will want to have a few on hand to use your cute little Mio.
For details see the website page for Electric Fan Diffusers .

The spring selection of electric oil warmers has finally arrived and the two we are carrying are very beautiful.
Just in time for MOTHER'S DAY!!!

CLICK HERE to go to the Ordering page and for more information. One has delicate green leaves and the other one has pretty pink orchid like flowers. You can use unscented wax tarts in them and add your own essential oils. What a perfect Mother’s Day Gift!! Be sure to check them out. See our Oil Warmer page for more details. Click Here.

Since many of you are busy mixing and blending and we had several requests we now have small glass beakers and stir rods. They make mixing a small amount of massage oil or a little lotion quick and easy. Just add your essential oils to the beaker then add your carrier oil or lotion and stir away. Soon your new blend will be ready to use!

CLICK HERE to go to the Beakers ordering page.

CLICK HERE to go to the Stirring rods ordering page.

Next up is the True Rose and Lavender Hydrosols. Again, several of you have requested them and we found the true distillation waters at reasonable price. They smell absolutely wonderful. These are the true distillation water from the processing of the essential oils. Many of you have used floral waters – where you take a few drops of essential oils and mix them with distilled water. But that is not a hydrosol. The properties are different – the smell is similar but lighter.

CLICK HERE to go to the Hydrosol ordering page.

We have added a couple more Special Sets. First is our Special Set of 7 items includes one each - Spa Scenter, Aroma Shell, Mio, Scentball, CarScenter and 10 Replacement pads for the SpaScenter and 5 replacement pads that fit the Mio, Scent ball and Car Scenter. Great selection of Aromatherapy diffusers at a 10% discount when purchased in this Special Set! Just $75.44.

Click here to go to the Special 7 Ordering Page.

Special #5 is a Personal Inhaler with 4 ml of Allergy Tamer and 4 ml of Peppermint. This kit is designed for those of us that have allergies and problems with sinus congestion. Again, a 10% savings over individually priced items.

CLICK HERE to go to the Special 5's ordering page.

Special #8 is a Fabric Travel Case filled with 8 – 10ml bottles of 4 different essential oils and 4 synergy blends. This would make a great beginner gift or travel companion. Save again by purchasing this kit. It has some of the most useful essential oils and blends we sell - Lavender, Peppermint Eucalyptus globulus, Ylang Ylang, Calming Blend, Mint Energizing Blend, Purifying Blend and Citrus Blend.

CLICK HERE to go to the Special 8's ordering page.

Thats about it for the most recently added products. Remember to check the 'Whats New Page' frequently as we will announce new items there throughout the month.
See WHAT'S NEW!! by Clicking here

One more little note to add. Several months ago, we discovered several of our Newsletters and Recipes had been used on other websites without our permission or giving us acknowledgement. This is copyright infringement and is against the law to do.

So, please if you wish to use any of our articles, recipes or whatever & not from only our website, please get permission or give them (& us) credit. Just because it is on the internet it is not 'free' for the taking. Remember we work hard to do the research for all the information we provide. We give credit where credit is do too. We list all our references and if we quote someone we give them credit too.

You can use and make copies of anything for YOUR OWN use. Just remember to write down where you got the information from in case you want to share with someone else.
Enough said on this subject (which consumed way to much of our time this winter).

We hope you find the information in this newsletter helpful and look forward to feedback from our readers on how we can serve you better. Please e-mail us at the address below.

Well, that’s it for this time. As always, if we can help you with aromatherapy just ask. If you have suggestions, questions or comments please feel free to send us an e-mail to bhhinfo@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 bhhinfo@birchhillhappenings.com

For a listing of the Resources for information in this newsletter (including recipes) and others please visit our Reference page Click here