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In this newsletter we will try to help you further
your knowledge and use of essential oils.
Physical ailment
Eczema - Atopic dermatitis
by Penny Keay
This past month we have had several inquires about eczema. It is not just in the winter that people
are afflicted with this condition, it’s just that it appears to get worse this time of year.
So what is eczema and what causes it? Eczema is a type of dermatitis. Dermatitis is inflammation or irritation of the skin.
Eczema can appear in two main forms. The dry form where the skin cracks and flakes or a weepy kind where blisters form,
then continue to ooze. The cause can be from many things but often the underlying cause is due to an allergy to something.
Something you came in contact with or something you ate or inhaled. Most often it is diet related and can be hereditary.
Most common sites for eczema to start are on the face, in the bends of the elbows and behind the knees, although it can be
found on any part of the body. It can be extremely itchy, red, raw, weepy or dry, crusty and flaky. It can be any of the above.
Often it will start as small blisters that quickly will break, ooze then become crusty and flaky. The area affected can be as little
as a small coin shaped circle or cover a large portion of your body.
Many of you that have known Al and me for a while know that he has eczema also. He had suffered for years with it appearing
just in the winter months and of all places on his eyelids. Then about 5 years ago he had a major outbreak and it covered nearly his
entire body. Surprisingly it was from his neck down. He was miserable. It was extremely itchy and he was getting to the point where
he was unable to sleep at night and was causing self-mutilation of his legs while sleeping (yes he scratched until he bled). The doctor
put him on a course of steroids and on cortisone cream. It got worse!!
One afternoon he was eating some nuts and cheese and within an hour or so noticed he was very itchy. He put two and two together
and discovered he must have an allergy to something he was eating. So he called the doctor again and explained that it was getting worse,
not better and he thought it was food related. She recommended allergy testing for food allergies. So, we took the plunge and even
though our health insurance wouldn’t cover the cost of the tests the $500.00 we spent was well worth it.
He was allergic to Corn! And about a dozen more foods at varying levels. Corn was and is still the worse offender. He must avoid
all corn and corn by products or else he develops blisters between his fingers, behind his knees and on his eyelids!
The doctor explained that in allergies of this type that cause eczema the allergen is actually causing the skin to boil from within –
hence the blisters, they break open to let the toxin out but in so doing have caused skin damage. The skin in a flare up may feel
hot or warm to the touch. This in turn may cause it to itch.
The skin will attempt to heal but because the offending food may still be being ingested or the substance exposed to may still
be present the skin has a very hard time to heal partly because you may be itching it or the blisters keep forming, breaking and
oozing in the underlying skin layers.
This is where aromatherapy can help. If you can keep a barrier by applying lotions and creams that have essential oils and other
carrier oils between your skin and the outdoor elements you should be able to shorten the length of time it takes for your skin to heal.
Also the faster you can get it to heal the less likely you are of developing secondary infections such as bacterial or fungal infections.
Several essential oils will help relieve itching.
Some of the best essential oils for eczema are Rose Otto,
Lavender,
Roman Chamomile ,
Neroli,
Helichrysum,
Bergamot and the carrier oils
Evening Primrose oil and
Rosehipseed oil.
Evening Primrose oil
is extremely helpful for those with eczema and should be used and/or mixed
in small amounts in any lotion or cream used for your skin.
Other essential oils that may help are
Geranium,
Hyssop,
Juniper berry,
Melissa,
German Chamomile,
Carrotseed,
Cedarwood,
Niaouli,
Rosemary,
Rosewood,
Tea Tree,
Oregano,
Clary Sage,
Patchouli,
Ylang Ylang and
Sandalwood.
Many of the essential oils listed can help with stress which can also be a triggering factor in eczema.
Removing stress in your life can help
along with getting plenty of fresh water and rest.
Al found a special blend that I made up for him worked wonders. It helped keep the skin softened so it did not
seem to crack as easily.
It provides essential oils that helped the skin to heal fast and prevent infections. To buy this blend please
visit our websites Scented Products page Click here now.
Another helpful blend would be to use our Sorbolene Cream ,
to that add some Evening Primrose oil and a few drops
of Roman Chamomile .
Our recommendation to anyone suffering from eczema, especially if it is long term is to see your doctor first.
If you suspect you have
food or other allergies you may want to inquire about testing (for Al it was simply drawing a few tubes of blood
that were sent off to a
special testing lab).
Remember prevention is still the best medicine. If you find out you are allergic to some food you are eating it’s
much easier to avoid that food than to deal with the eczema.
Al also found that since the eczema always was worse in the winter time, we discovered that as soon as he got more
sunshine on his skin
it would disappear.
For Al and many other eczema sufferers it is known that they may need more sunshine to help their body with the
photo-chemical reactions
he needs to make certain hormones and vitamins to keep his skin healthy. Note: there are a few individuals that
have the opposite reaction
to the sun and must avoid it. These folks a few and far between but thought I should mention it here too.
So in the winter months he goes to the tanning booth for one 20 minute session each week. This has all but
eliminated his eczema unless of
course, he gets into some corn by product by accident (happens sometimes when we eat out and aren’t sure what
might be in the food
ingredient lists).
He uses my cream all winter long too as his skin does have a tendency to dry out more than mine.
We hope this information has been helpful and you can find some relief for your eczema too.
Emotional Concern
Mental Fatigue – slow my mind down please!
by Penny Keay
There can be many causes of Mental Fatigue. Typically it will first be triggered by physical
stress and fatigue.
Pretty soon you are unable to concentrate and your mind wanders. You cannot or are unable to focus on your project
or job. You begin
to feel depressed and are tired much of the time. Falling asleep is difficult. Even though you cannot focus your mind
won’t shut down
when it is time to rest.
Using essential oils to help stimulate your concentration and memory are most helpful at this time.
Several essential oils may give you
a little physical and mental pick me up too.
Some of the best essential oils for mental fatigue are
Basil,
Rosemary, and
Peppermint . Any stimulating
essential oil will be helpful
but should not be overused. The best treatment for mental fatigue is to try to get physical rest.
Essential oils that are relaxing and
calming are best used to help you fall asleep and get the real rest you need.
Try this stimulating blend as adapted from Roberta Wilson’s book A Complete Guide to Understanding &
Using Aromatherapy for
Vibrant Health & Beauty.
Rosemary – 3 drops
Basil – 2 drops
Juniper berry 1 drop
Peppermint – 1 drop
Blend well in an amber bottle then use a few drops in the shower or put in a personal Personal inhaler and
inhale as needed.
Essential oils to help with mental fatigue include
Basil,
cardamom,
Peppermint,
Clary Sage,
Grapefruit,
Coriander,
Eucalyptus globulus,
Ginger,
Helichrysum ,
Jasmine,
Juniper berry,
Orange,
Palmarosa,
Thyme,
Vetiver,
Ylang Ylang ,
Rosemary,
Lavender,
Neroli,
Petitgrain and
Lemon.
Any essential oil that makes you feel good are the ones you should use.
Health and Beauty
Soft and Smooth Lips
by Penny Keay
Nothing is nicer to kiss or see as a smile then nice soft, smooth lips. Wintertime air or any
time weather
can leave our lips cracked, sore and dry.
Prevention is definitely a must to keep your lips soft. Something very simple is to apply a little bit of Jojoba
regularly to your lips.
To make this more readily available than carrying a large bottle of
Jojoba simple put some Jojoba in one of our
roll-on perfume bottles.
These bottles are very versatile with the roller.
They are easily filled with Jojoba and you can add just a drop or two of Peppermint , spearmint or any of the citrus
oils. Although if you
are going to be outdoors you should avoid using any citrus oils as they can cause a photo-sensitive reaction.
If your lips have become chapped you might want to add one or two of the following essential oils to your
Jojoba .
Roman or German Chamomile,
Rose, Sandalwood,
Neroli
or Eucalyptus globulus .
Remember only add a drop or two per 10ml of Jojoba .
Of course, you will need to try to not lick your lips too.
Before I forget, chapped dry lips are often a sign that you need to get a drink of water. You are probably dehydrated
and don’t realize it.
I always get chapped lips when we are out for a day of shopping because I usually forget to take a bottle of water along with me!!
If you want to make a protective lip gloss you can make a simple gloss using
Beeswax Pearls– 1 tablespoon and 1
tablespoon Sweet almond oil.
Melt and stir these together in a hot water bath. Do not heat these over direct heat or flame.
Once the beeswax has melted add the Sweet almond oil
and add 5-10 drops of Jojoba ,
3 drops of Carrotseed oil and
upto 6 drops total of
2-3 different essential oils. Good oils for this recipe are listed above. Remember only 6 drops total. Pour
into a small jar and let cool.
Use as needed on your lips.
You can use the above base gloss, plain too without any essential oils added.
Around the House and Garden
Freshen Closets and Wardrobes
by Penny Keay
This time of year the closets and dressers start to take on new odors of their own. Some may
not be as
pleasant as we would like.
Of course, you see the commercial where they are spraying some odor beater to eliminate the odors. Well, if you read
the label
closely on that product and have allergies to corn you will need to avoid it as it has corn based ingredients and of
course some other
unnatural stuff too.
Personally, using essential oils is natural and a much more pleasant way to deal with odors. There are many great
essential oils you can use.
Lavender
is probably the most favorite of everyone. But if you like the smell of cedar chests and closets and don’t
have one, simply place
several drops of Cedarwood
on a Terra Cotta Discor other passive type diffuser .
The simplest form of a diffuser for a closet is to place several drops on a cotton ball and pin it to a hanger.
The Terra Cotta Pendants
work great for hanging in closets. You can use them as jewelry as they were meant to be used
but they
can also be used as a decorative diffuser to hang in your closet or wardrobe.
Although you can use any single oil in the closet you probably would be happier with a blend that has a base note oil
as part of the blend.
Base notes are known to have lasting power especially when mixed with your lighter oils. The lighter oils will also
last longer.
Some of the better known base notes are
Cedarwood,
Patchouli,
Sandalwood,
Frankincense,
Vetiver.
Simply mix your other essential oils
with one or more of these then drop onto your passive diffuser. Let it soak in and place in your closet.
It should last a couple weeks or so but that depends on the size of your closet, how often you are in and out of it
and the temperatures
where you live.
Experimenting here is fun. You can try different combinations and find the ones you enjoy the most.
If you have a moth problem you’ll want to use essential oils to keep those little pests out of the closet. Other
oils to try include: Lavender,
Geranium ,
Eucalyptus globulus,
Eucalyptus lemon,
Cajeput ,
Clove bud ,
Bay laurel ,
Peppermint,
Patchouli,
Pine needle ,
Sandalwood,
Citronella
and Lemongrass.
Please note: these essential oils will not kill any of the pests, just repel them. If you desire to actually destroy
these pests, you should
call an exterminator.
Have fun and I know you’ll have the best smelling closets, wardrobes and dressers than anyone in your neighborhood!!!
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BIRCH HILL HAPPENINGS NEWS
Hello Everyone,
ROARRRRRR! March has come in like a lion here in Minnesota!!
We had our first 'Blizzard' in over 15 years – at least here where we live.
The other big storms we have had were in 1991 and the biggest storm ever was the year that Al and I were married in 1975!
Yep, we got married in a Blizzard – well, not really but we almost did. The storm hit the Sunday (Palm Sunday) and
lasted almost all week-
dumping nearly 30 inches of snow on us.
It finally quit on Friday, March 28, 1975. We managed to get dug out and our Wedding went on as it was suppose to on
March 29th.
Even all of our attendants made it and some of them had to travel over 200 miles along very snow covered highways.
So, you can see our Anniversary is coming up very soon and mark your calendars as we will be taking a long weekend
getaway to
celebrate 32 years of marriage the last weekend of March.
You all know Al and I are romantics so need I say more?
Orders placed during our long weekend will be shipped upon our return. It will be noted on your order sheet at the
time you place your order.
So what’s new this month? Did you remember to check out our
"What's New" Page throughout the last few weeks?
If not make
sure you do check in there.
We will periodically put up new items or have reduced or clearance items so you’ll want to check that page too.
It is linked from our
main page, and our online catalog page.
To start with we have available once again
Penny’s “Cream d’la Crème”.
It is a wonderful hand and body cream for extremely dry,
cracked, chapped hands such as those seen with folks suffering from eczema. So you’ll want to click on the link for
this wonderful cream.
Also, we have added Beeswax Pearls to our Carrier oil page. Although they are not true carrier oil,
they are used in many recipes for hand, skin and lip care. Many of you have inquired if we carried them.
We have them available in small quantities as many recipes only call for 1-2 tablespoons at a time.
These are all natural beeswax in easy to use pearls. They are light yellow in color – their natural state.
(We do not carry the white beeswax as they are bleached and could contain residues of the bleaching agents
that are used to make them
white.)
We have new empty Green colored PET plastic bottles
being offered in 2, 4 and 8oz sizes.
Also we have recently reduced the pricing of the SpaScenters,
their pads and the SpaScenter Sets. So if you
have been waiting for a great deal on this very popular variable speed
fan diffuser you may want to get one soon.
Lastly we have several candles on clearance.
Our supplier of candle jars recently discontinued the two styles we had for an uncovered
cobalt blue and square green glass. We now have a covered style cobalt blue jar. Anyway, we have priced
the old style jars upto 50%
off so we can make space for our new jars. The candles are still made out of our pure essential oils and
soy wax. So you’ll want to hurry as supplies are limited and will probably go rather quickly.
We’ll try to keep the number count current on the webpage, but realize if you order and we are out
we will ship what we have available.
A quick reminder about our
"Special Deals".
As many of you know, we have in the past, offered one item which was discounted upto 50%.
These offers are sent via an e-mail notice which includes a special coupon code to get the item at the discounted price.
So our Special Deals
will have a new and better twist to it.
What will it be?? Simple, If you have signed up to receive the
"Special Deal for You" email notice
you will be sent the special "coupon code" and the announcement of the 'Sale'. Once a month, for a limited time -
somewhere between 2 to 5 days, we will run a special discount on EVERY item we sell, including special sets.
The discount will vary from 3-10% off. But in order for you to get the special code and to be in the
'know' you have to be signed up for this e-mail notice. The orders will have to be placed "on-line only" for you to
get the "Special Deal".
It's as simple as that. The Sales will vary from month to month and fall on different days or weeks.
A surprise to everyone.
If you are already signed up for the Special Deal notification you need not change anything. If you want to sign up
you need to see our page about
"Special Deals" by
Clicking here
There are complete details on this page too.
We are now using our new labels. They will be larger (where we can make them
larger) and brighter. They are water and essential oil resistant too!!
We just wanted to let you know, that even though you may get products with the occassional old labels
the product inside is not old.
In case that many of you don't know, when we get your order, your oils, and unscented base products are all
bottled 'just for you'. We keep our essential oils,
carrier oils
and unscented base products in their bulk containers
until we need to fulfill an order.
That way, we know you are always getting the freshest stock we have available.
(Not a bottle that might have been hidden on some back shelf somewhere.)
So, we do have a few of the 'old' style labels we need to 'use up' first before we will be entirely
switched to the new style but soon, you will see all new labels.
In case you missed last months issue - Are there any of our Customers out there that have a website?
Would you like to exchange links?
We have started a reciprocal Link page for our customers. See it at Customers Businesses and how
they use our Products Page. So if you have a website and would like to link to us
we will give you about 50-75 words and a hyperlink to your website.
So if you have made a purchase from us and would like to exchange links. Send us an e-mail.
Put in the subject line - "Customer that wants to exchange links".
Send us your website so we can take a look.
We would hope that you would let us put about the same length of a link on your site too.
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
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since 1999
