Aromatherapy Newsletter

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

Physical ailment

Bell’s Palsy

by Penny Keay

Bell’s palsy is a condition in which the damage to the facial nerves causes the muscles on one side of the face to become weakened or paralyzed.

This condition is not as uncommon as one might think. Afflicting up to 40,000 Americans a year according to the Bell’s palsy information website.

The side of the face affected may feel strange, numb, tingly or even painful to the touch. The eye on that side may not close completely causing either the eye to tear excessively or in some cases to become dry – each case is individual depending on the nerve trauma involved. In severe cases the whole side of the face may droop.

What causes this condition? Any number of things can cause the nerves to become affected – but typically some type of trauma has occurred to the nerves involved. Herpes virus has also been known to cause facial paralysis.

Here in Minnesota and other northern climates, chilling the face and neck can easily bring on the weakness. I have known of several cases – during the fall or winter months where you roll down the car window for a few minutes and get a blast of cold air on that side of the face. Within a day, the weakness will appear, typically upon waking the next morning.

Usually recovery, with no permanent damage, is forthcoming, with healing taking place within as little as 2-4 weeks to a couple months. Rare occasions complete healing can take longer but usually not longer than a year.

But what to do while the nerves heal, that is the question. And can essential oils speed the process along? Keeping the area from getting re-injured or traumatized further is of utmost importance.

Once you have been diagnosed by your doctor, you may want to try a few essential oil massage blends to help speed your recovery. Don’t assume your facial paralysis is Bell’s palsy – visit your physician before you proceed with self treatment! Please let him know if you would prefer to try complimentary health solutions before he prescribes any steroids (often time prednisone is prescribed in severe cases).

Anyway, massage the area of the face and neck with essential oils that have been mixed with your favorite carrier oil. Using essential oil that may have nerve regenerating properties will speed the healing process. The best known essential oil for help with regeneration is Helichrysum but other oils can also help.

Juniper berry , Lavender, Peppermint, Rosemary, Eucalyptus globulus and Sweet Marjoram can help you with the discomfort. Roman Chamomile and German Chamomile are good for inflammation and you may want to add those oils to the massage blend too.

Massage Blend for Facial Pain
Helichrysum – 20 drops
Lavender – 8 drops
Peppermint – 6 drops
Rosemary – 4 drops
Sweet Marjoram – 2 drops
Jojoba – 2 ounces
Blend all in a PET plastic bottle. Then using only a few drops – just enough to cover the affected area massage lightly. If you have Bell’s palsy, be sure to massage the entire affected side of the face (avoiding eyes and other mucous membranes) and down behind the ear and onto the back of the neck. Use 3-4 times a day if possible.

You can also use Dar’s Massage oil (http://birchhillhappenings.com/aroma5.htm#dars). but this should not be used long term nor as frequently as the above blend.

Other premixed massage blends that may be of benefit include Back Rub and Joint Rub, (for pain and discomfort), Scar Lightening Blend. (for nerve regeneration), Muscle Rub (for pain and heating).

Using a 10% Helichrysum in a Roll-on is easy to use too and in a recent case that is all this person used. His Bell’s palsy was totally resolved within 10 days. Initially, he had pain and numbness along with excessive tearing from his left eye.

Remember, it will take time for the nerves to heal. Be patient and above all, don’t let the trauma recur again.

Emotional Concern

Just NEED to Relax!

by Penny Keay

Busy fall schedules are here again and if you are like the rest of us the economy is very unsettling right now causing even more tension. Prices are constantly going up for gas and groceries. Making us worry about everything.

Back when our children were little there was a slogan for a popular bath salt blend that said “…. Take me Away!”. Back then before we became familiar with essential oils and making our own bath salts we did buy those products. Mostly because they did have some ingredients that helped us to relax (Epsom salts) and exotic scents to enjoy a nice hot bath.

These days we know that adding essential oils to a nice warm or hot bath will have the same effect and be better for us in the long run. Since many of the essential oils enjoyed in a relaxing bath also helps to boost your immune system, so what could be better?

Not sure where to start? Well, Lavender is always a favorite but if you’re like me, I like to try something different now and again. The combinations are limited only by your imagination.

Relaxing oils include: Roman Chamomile, Neroli, Rose Otto, Clary Sage, Bergamot , Ylang-Ylang , Sandalwood, Juniper berry and Lemongrass. This list is just a starting point, because, any oil that you enjoy will be the oils that will make you feel relaxed.

If you don’t have time to make your own bath salts be sure to check out our line of Bath Salts. Start out with the basic Lavender Bath Salts and simply add more of any of your favorites to the tub. Remember though only add about 6-8 drops total of any additional essential oils.

Light a few candles play your favorite nature sounds or CD and sit back and relax!

Relaxation Blend
Lavender – 5 drops
Lemongrass – 5 drops
Clary Sage – 10 drops
Mix in an amber bottle then diffuse in any diffuser . If you want you can add 6-8 drops to a bath too.

Beauty Tips aka Skin and Hair Care

Dandruff revisited

by Penny Keay

This time of year, as the air becomes drier; the dandruff flakes seem to appear from no where!

The typical case of dandruff is called Seborrheic dermatitis. What causes it? Since everyone is an individual each person that has seborrheic dermatitis can have a different cause.

Anything from undiagnosed allergies or fragrance oils or shampoo ingredients to underlying vitamin deficiencies to undiagnosed fungal infections can be the underlying cause. The list goes on. Then there is the case where the dandruff comes and goes. Or is a chronic condition that can also involve the skin on the side of the face and behind the ears.

You have probably tried several shampoos specifically for dandruff. Now unknowingly, you may just be propagating the problem. It is possible that the very shampoo to help with dandruff is really the culprit behind it continuing to be a problem.

First you may want to just try using a plain unscented shampoo for several weeks to see how your condition reacts. Man-made scents – called fragrance oils are made from petroleum based products and for some people can cause severe irritation to your scalp.

If your skin is constantly being irritated from too frequent hair washing, you might want to see if you can go 2-3 days between shampooing. See what happens and by all means use an unscented shampoo j just in case you are reacting to scenting or chemicals in your previous shampoo.

Then a suggestion from one of our readers is to rinse your hair and scalp with a blend of the following:

Dandruff Scalp Rinse
Distilled water - 1 cup
Cider Vinegar - 1 tablespoon
Cedarwood - 5 drops
Rosemary - 10 drops
Mix well by vigorously shaking, and then use to rinse your hair after shampooing.   You do not need to rinse this rinse out.   The smell of the Vinegar will dissipate once your hair is dry. Use this each time you shampoo.

For additional information about Dandruff please see our past newsletter on Dandruff http://birchhillhappenings.com/v802005.htm

Around the House and Garden

Ooowee – Where did that smell come from?... Need a Better smelling Gym bag?

by Penny Keay

School sports and your very own workouts have once again begun. Oh boy, you don’t have time to switch things around and before you know it your work out bag or your sports bag is starting to smell.

Simply mix a cup of baking soda with several drops of essential oils. Women will probably want to try a Floral or Citrus blend, Men might prefer a Pine needle , Sandalwood, Cedarwood or a spicy blend such as Allspice or Bay rum, Clove bud or Cinnamon leaf Be creative and have fun.

Experiment a little. Then put the baking soda & essential oil mix in an old sock, tie the end shut and tuck inside your gym bag. Next time you shouldn’t have your socks knocked off when you open your back.

And don’t worry, if you just dump out the clothes into the washer and your scent sock ends up there too – the baking soda and oils will dissolve in the wash water and you can easily refill the now clean sock with more of your easy gym bag deodorizer.

Recipes to try

by Penny Keay

BIRCH HILL HAPPENINGS NEWS

Hello Everyone,

Fall time is here, cooler crisp air has arrived. Between the cooler temperatures and the rain, we find ourselves stuck inside more. Rain is softly falling as I write this newsletter. This is a good thing as the rain we get now will assure us of a lovely green spring!

Thank you to all that participated in our Customer Appreciation Days! We hope you were able to get your supplies for your fall and winter projects and of course to be well supplied in case the flu season hits us.

If not, be sure to sign up for our Aromatherapy Tip of the Week as we have a coupon code each week good for a couple days to get a discount on your order. Visit our Coupon Information page at http://birchhillhappenings.com/deal.htm to find out more about coupons!

We have a couple of new items to announce here.

You asked and we found one – an After Shaving Lotion base. Now this lotion isn’t just for men or for women. It can be used by either. You simply smooth on your face (men) or legs etc (women) after shaving. It will leave your skin soft and smooth. You can easily scent this lotion with essential oils. To make a blend for men you’ll probably want to use earthy or woodsy scents with a little lime essential oil to spice it up a little. For women, just blend in your favorite floral essential oil blend!

Our new “Blenders Kit” . It is a nice assortment of bottles, pipettes, beakers, stir rods and a small bottle of emulsifier for use while you make your aromatherapy blends. Because we sell this as a kit, you will get a nice discount compared to ordering all these items separately.

Coming VERY soon are unscented, unflavored Lip Balms. We hope to have a few scented/flavored ones too but haven’t decided on the scents/flavors for them yet. But the ingredients are total plant based to give you lovely soft, moisturized lips.

And some Unscented Deodorant bars - no scenting added, just made from all plant based ingredients.

Potpourri refills and Potpourri dishes. We are often asked if we have a potpourri refill made with pure essential oils. We have been working to find all natural, organic products to help hold the essential oils scent longer than a day or two. We are working on a basic potpourri blend and will let you know when it is ready – hopefully within the month.

Also we hope to have more Aromatherapy Jewelry – Bracelets. We’ll have a few to start, with more to come thereafter.

The Recipe Book is coming along and we are still hoping to have it ready for the upcoming Holiday season.

We’ll announce these items and more on the What’s New Product announcements – so be sure to sign up for that announcement e-mail notice.

One last item is our New Affiliate Program. If you have a website and can copy and paste onto your pages you can easily earn a few extra dollars. Visit our page for our Affiliate Program & to find out more and to sign up CLICK HERE OR send Penny an e-mail Clicking here and filling out the contact form to ask any questions you may have, put "Affiliate Program question" in subject line.

As always, 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

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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