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| BIRCH HILL HAPPENINGS
Aromatherapy Newsletter Vol 96 2006 |
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In this newsletter we will try to help you further
your knowledge and use of essential oils.
All About
Getting Started using Essential oils and Aromatherapy
This newsletter is a help to those just getting started in the use of essential oils and for
those of you that want to introduce aromatherapy and those wonderful essential oils to those around you.
So what do you tell someone about Aromatherapy or the use of essential oils that might spark their interest?
Simply, it's something NATURE provided for us to use to make us feel better, whether it is emotionally or physically
and sometimes one helps the other. The fact that many of them smell great also helps!
Many are seeking natural ways of helping yourself. Folks are tired of the quick fix pills that have so many,
many side effects.
Did you know that essential oils only stay in your system for about 24 hours?
Once they have done what they need to do the body eliminates them. Unlike some drugs that may
never leave your body or have been known to take months to leave.
Let's get started. First you will need some essential oils. The most basic kit would include:
Lavender, Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Lemon, Tea Tree and Rosemary. Now this is an extremely basic set of oils but
will help with many emotional and physical needs.
The next would be a carrier oil - most likely Sweet Almond oil, Apricot oil, or Sunflower oil. These are used to
mix with the essential oils for massage and baths.
A simple diffuser - There are many to choose. If you want something just for personal use, a cotton ball, handkerchief
or a personal inhaler is all that you need. If you want to scent an entire room you may want a more powerful fan
or other electrical heat source diffuser. You might want to check out our descriptions of diffusers by
clicking here .
You'll also need a book, a decoder, or chart .
These can be quick reference sources for finding what oil or oils will help with a
particular concern. There are many good books for anyone starting out but the simplest way to introduce essential oils
is a decoder. We have a large selection but the two most basic ones - Aromatherapy and Advanced Aromatherapy decoders
are two of the best for anyone, beginner to advanced. They are simple to use as they have a books worth of information on each 'wheel' of the decoder.
These are also handy to carry in your Essential First aid kit or Travel kit.
Last, you might want to have a few empty bottles to mix blends in and or to share your creations.
As you explore the use of essential oils you will quickly find out that you just don't have some of the oils you
might need. So you will need to purchase more oils.
So what is next? If you are getting more interested in Aromatherapy and essential oils, you'll definitely want to
buy more books. You will be able to learn a lot from the several good books available.
When you are very serious you will probably want to take a course. There are several home study courses available.
Or if you live in an area where there is an aromatherapy school, you might want to check them out too. Prices
for home study courses usually run from a few hundred dollars to well over a thousand or more.
You might not be aware that we have several basic kits for those just beginning to use essential oils.
Please visit our Sampler kits page.
We have kits for all levels of interest.
As always, if you have any question about essential oils we are here to help. Please feel free to send us an
e-mail at bhhinfo@birchhillhappenings.com and
we'll get you an answer as quickly as we can.
How to Use Essential oils
All the ways to use them in Aromatherapy!
Here are a few common or general ways to use Essential oils:
- Inhalation - a drop or two on a tissue and inhaled
- Applied to a terra cotta disc or other clay diffuser and placed in the sun.
- Use a Tea light or other electric oil warmer so the essential oils can permeate the room, home or office.
- Put a few drops in a foot bath.
- Add a few drops to your regular bath.
- Put upto 15 drops in 1 ounce of carrier oil and massage.
- Put upto 15 drops in 1 ounce your shampoo or conditioner, then use as normal for hair care.
- Put upto 10 drops in 1 ounce of lotion to smooth on your skin.
- Add several drops to a spray bottle, add distilled water, shake well and spray around the room.
We are often asked for the ways we use essential oils here are some of the more specific ways we use them.
- In the dish wash water - a few drops of Peppermint
or Lemon. We
wash dishes by hand. Although you can add a few drops to the powder or gel when you put
them in to your automatic dishwasher.
(We are looking into an unscented dishwashing powder and may
ask for volunteers to see how you like it and your comments - we will let you know!)
- In the bath tub - Lavender
or a synergy blend - Theratone
is one of our favorites.
You can use many of our synergy blends in the bath tub or shower. Experiment with a few!
- On the bed sheets - again
Lavender
- In the Automobiles - Conifer
Blend, or Citrus Blend
. Although we have a Car Scenter and an
Aeron Car diffuser , some times we just put some on a tissue and lay
on the front seat.
- In the vacuum cleaner - Pine or one
of the Fir
needles, or Peppermint
or Mint
Energizing blend, or for a change Anise .
- By our Computers - Grapefruit,
Spearmint,
or Rosemary
on a small passive diffuser like the new little Terra Cottas.
- When we travel - to hotels - we use our Natura or a
Scentball - We usually start by diffusing Lavender
and Purifying
blend blend, sometimes we might add a little Theives blend .
Then before bed a drop or two of Lavender
on the pillows.
- We use Lavender
on Burns & cuts.
- Peppermint
and Rosemary
- on the back of the neck when we have headaches.
- Helichrysum
on bruises, cuts and other scar producing injuries.
- When we have a back ache or muscle aches - We use Muscle Warm blend ,
or Dar's blend
mixed in a little carrier oil and massaged into the affected areas.
- Kerchew! - Coughing When we have been exposed to people
out in the public who are sneezing and coughing. We will use Purifying blend
and Theives
blend (mixed with carrier oils )
massaged into the bottom of our feet at bedtime.
- Sorethroats - at the start of a sorethroat - we gargle
with a drop of Thyme or Oregano
in 2-3 ounces of water every couple of hours. Usually knocks it out
within a few hours.
- Dry chapped skin - A blend of Lavender
and Rose
lotion or
sorbolene cream.
- Canker sores - ever brush your teeth and have the tooth
brush miss your teeth and hit your gums? Next thing you know you have a
sore on your gums. A drop of Myrrh in
warm water and swish around. Do a couple times a day and soon the sores
are healed.
- We have 2 dogs and so although we keep things as clean as
possible - every now and again you smell doggy smells in the house. So
we spray some essential oils in the air. In our Recipes
Files we have several Room Spray recipes. I like the citrus sprays
but you may prefer one of the others.
- This time of year we seem to have a few mice that like to
come in, but Peppermint
on the thresholds of the doorways keep them from 'sneaking' in.
- During this time of the year, it is always fun to burn a few candles, so often times, if we aren't diffusing
other essential oils will light a candle or two.
These are just a few of the ways we use them in our daily life.
Hope this gives you a few ideas as you begin the wonderful journey into the world of True Aromatherapy!
Exactly, What is an Essential oil?
As you study and learn more about Aromatherapy you will quickly find out what an essential oil is.
And to get the quality and purity you need to use in Therapeutic aromatherapy there are certain things you should be
looking for too.
To start with an essential oil comes from a living PLANT. Not an animal, not the earth or out of the air, or from a the
petroleum industry.
Essential oils are always distilled or cold pressed from various plant parts.
Plants can be trees, shrubs, grasses, and bushes.
The parts distilled might be the flower, the seeds, the peels, the bark, the twigs, branches and trunks
(including the resins they produce), the leaves and the roots.
Some oils are extracted by solvents or carbon dioxide. Technically they aren't called essential oils if extracted
using those methods - they are concretes and absolutes.
Essential oils are the subtle, volatile liquids extracted by steam distillation and cold pressed (peels of citrus fruit).
They are the essences of life of the plant. They are unique to each plant variety. Rosemary smells different than roses
and oranges smell different too. The essential oil is the so called fingerprint of each plant!
Volatile means to evaporate rather quickly into the air from a liquid state to a gaseous state.
Things to look for in Therapeutic Essential oils.
The label should state the following information:
-
Common name of Essential oil may also include a chemo type i.e. Thyme - ct Linalool.
- Botanical name of plant the essential oil is extracted from i.e. Thymus vulgaris.
- The Part of the Plant extracted from. i.e. the leaves
Other helpful information but not crucial is the country of origin.
The method of extracted is nice to know and most companies will have this too.
Another factor is to find out if they have the oils tested for Purity?
The most common tests run on essential oils are Gas Chromatography and Mass
Spectrometry. These are the basic tests. They tell us the chemical constituents and if there is contamination in any
form.
Our supplier does upto 4 more tests if necessary. This assures us we are getting the absolute best products for our customers.
Whether an essential oil is organic, wild crafted or cultivated doesn't assure the therapeutic quality of an oil. Only
testing to be sure it is not adulterated with pesticides, insecticides or other man-made chemicals is what's important.
The testing will tell us that and if the biological markers for a particular oil are in alignment with those chemical
constituents that it should have. Of course, unless you are a chemist or know what you are looking for,
the tests typically won't mean much to the average person using essential oils.
Today we see a lot of advertised products stating they are Aromatherapy - this or that (could be a lotion or more than
likely a scented candle). But just because a product says it is 'aromatherapy', doesn't mean it is Therapeutic Aromatherapy.
If by chance it only has a few drops of pure essential oils but the rest of the product is made of 'fragrance'
oils then it is more detrimental to your health than anything.
Fragrance oils are man-made using different chemicals made to smell like things in nature or our food
supply. As an example, there are no essential oils that when blended together will make the smell of
Strawberry shortcake or blueberry muffins or pumpkin pie.
If there was - it would be sold by Aromatherapists around the world. But you won't find those products sold on
any TRUE aromatherapy site unless they are selling FRAGRANCE OILS! If they do not specifically state that their are
fragrance oils in a product along with essential oils, you should not buy the product.
And if they state that the scent of a Blueberry muffin will help you with some health problem -
I suggest you leave the site or store!!
Fragrance oils are typically petroleum based products with chemically altered scents added to them. This may sound
extreme but you might as well go smell out of your automobiles gas tank as gasoline is a petroleum based product too!
Essential oils are too expensive to put in your gas tank to make it smell good!!!
Now, don't get me wrong, occasionally you will find a fragrance oil product that has some essential oil in it. You will
even find Fragrance oils called 'Lavender', 'Rose', and 'Vanilla'. But a good way to figure if you are getting a fragrance
oil or a Pure Essential oil is to look through the items for sale. If all the bottles are the same size and they are
all priced for exactly the same price - well, they are all fragrance oils.
Pure Essential oils will vary in price. Rose, Jasmine, Melissa being some of the most expensive essential oils available.
They cost several dollars for just a few drops. And orange and other citrus oils are very inexpensive so large amounts
will be just a fraction of the cost. Just look at our pricing for essential oils - 2 ml of orange is $1.63 and 2ml of Rose
otto is $67.83
So, if the name is a food or baked good, or some other goody name, it probably is a fragrance oil. And although they smell
good, they are made with unnatural substances that can be hard for the body to deal with. Some may be more dangerous
than you could ever imagine. Eventually many people will develop some type of a sensitivity to fragrance oils. We hear
it all the time. And although a sensitivity can develop at any time in ones life, natural substances are less likely
to cause any kind of problem.
So, once again, Therapeutic quality Essential oils are the volatile essences produced by a living plant that are
extracted by distillation or pressing. They possess anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties.
They affect you at the cellular level to help your body to be chemically balanced, emotionally and physically.
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Around the House and Garden
How to Scent your Artificial tree!
This time of year many of us, (yes we are included due to allergies to molds that are present
on live trees) love to have our artificial tree smell like a REAL TREE!
The essential oil that most folks enjoy is the smell of Douglas Fir Needle. We do have those that prefer Siberian
Fir Needle as it is a little less intense. Yet for others their trees should smell like a Pine or Spruce.
A combination of any or all of these is wonderful too.
To have your tree smell like a real tree, simply add several drops to cotton balls and place in your tree.
We prefer to use terra Cotta diffusers. We have several little terra cotta discs or Terra Cotta Pendants.
You can place them in your tree or near the tree. If you can place it next to a heat source - like a sunny window
or near a heat vent, the essential oil will penetrate the air more quickly.
You can also place several small decorative pine cones that you have dropped several drops of oil onto your tree too.
As you are scenting for the tree smell, you might want to think about a corner that has other holiday scents.
I like to put a drop or two on the tree of peppermint. Especially since we hang candy canes on our tree.
Or you might want to put a drop or two of anise (licorice smell) or clove or cinnamon on your tree or
in your diffuser. These are all common holiday scents.
So, enjoy your artificial tree. If you get the scenting right, when your holiday guests arrive they will comment,
(just as my nephews have,) at how wonderful our tree makes the house smell!! Of course, they might get close
to the tree and discover it is fake, but you can keep the scenting a secret if you wish!!
One added note - As you spend a lot of time in your home and around the tree, realize you will become accustomed
to the smell of the essential oils in the air. You may not smell the tree scent all the time. You will have
to test the amount of essential oils you add to your diffusers or pine cones. You'll figure it out so you
can enjoy your natural tree scent on your artificial tree!!
Happy Holidays Everyone!!
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Recipes to try
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Festive Blend
Spruce Needle - 5 drops
Peppermint - 4 drops
Anise - 3 drops
Mix all oils together in an amber bottle. Use 3-4 drops in any diffuser as desired.
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Festive Blend 2
Peppermint - 35 drops
Frankincense - 10 drops
Rosemary - 5 drops
Mix all oils together in an amber bottle. Use 3-4 drops in any diffuser as desired.
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Calming Blend for Restlessness
Tangerine - 8 drops
Vanilla - 4 drops
Myrrh - 3 drops
Mix all oils together in an amber bottle. Use 3-4 drops in any diffuser as desired.
This blend is good for young and old. Excitement of the season and anxiousness can
make everyone a little restless. This blend is warm and relaxing.
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Massage oil blend for tired feet and legs
Spruce - 4 drops
Spearmint 4 drops
Ravensara - 4 drops
Cajeput - 3 drops
Helichrysum - 3 drops
Almond oil - 1-2 tablespoons.
Blend all together, then massage into your feet and lower legs.
You'll want to use this blend after all the preparations for the festivities have ended for the day!!
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BIRCH HILL HAPPENINGS NEWS
Hello Everyone,
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!!
Hope you are having fun with family and friends as the end of the year approaches.
We are busy getting your orders sent out. Thank you in advance for your patronage.
As you know we are having our annual Holiday sale through the end of the year.
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Announcing
Our ANNUAL HOLIDAY SALE!!
5% off your order from now
until December 31, 2006
Except for items already in
Specials or Sets
Click here for
Details
Be sure to Shop early!!
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So if you need those last minute gifts or need to replenish your supplies don't forget
you have until December 31 to get a little discount.
Just a quick note that we hope to post shipping information as deadlines for deliveries become more timely.
Right now, both UPS and USPS are on time, of course, this is subject to change at anytime.
We have a couple new products.
One is White Camphor
essential oil and the other is a carrier oil Tamanu oil.
Both these products have been requested by several of you and so as perusal, we have decided to
carry them.
We have a new very special Aromatherapy kit available. We call it the Aromatherapists' Dream.
Check out our NEWEST KIT!
The Ultimate in Aromatherapy
The Aromatherapist's Dream Kit!
This special kit has 72 different essential oils and blends,
assorted carrier oils and unscented base products, decoders, mini charts,
empty bottles, diffusers and a couple of storage cases.
A great savings over individual prices.
For Complete details CLICK HERE.
It is packed with just about everything you could ever want or need as you begin your journey into the
world of aromatherapy. Please if you will, check it out. It has 72 oils, carrier oils, blends, bottles, diffusers and
more! CLICK HERE for details.
Don't forget about our new Aromatherapy Jewelry. Just in time for gift giving.
We have some inexpensive
Terra Cotta Pendants. These are
very easy to use. Just add 1 drop of your favorite essential oil on the pendant, give it a minute or two to absorb into
the porous surface and let your own body heat diffuse the essential oils right under your nose all day!
We also have some very beautiful Sterling Silver, Brass and Pewter jewelry too.
There are several lockets to choose. Apply a drop or two of essential oil or a blend to the pad and
lock into the locket! All of these come with a corded necklace.
We do have some Sterling Silver chains available for the sterling silver lockets.
Please visit our Jewelry pages for
Sterling Silver, Brass and Pewter Jewelry
and also our page for Terra Cotta Pendants
Still in need of a few last minute gifts? We have ideas for gift giving to fit everyone's budget
and level of aromatherapy experience. Please visit
http://birchhillhappenings.com/giftsets.htm for some ideas.
Remember to place your order early, so your gifts and supplies will have plenty of time to arrive before your celebration.
As mentioned above, the terra cotta discs are great to place in the tree or near the tree
to use as a convenient diffuser for your holiday scents. The Terra Cotta diffusers scenting may last a few
days depending on how much you apply. See our
Selection of Terra Cotta and other Passive diffusers by Clicking here.
Well, it's time to wish everyone a Happy Holiday and Merry Christmas!
Be sure to spend time and create memories this year with your family and friends.
The scents and smells of essential oils will help to lock in memories for years to come!
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
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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
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since 1999