How To Relieve Arthritic Pain With Essential Oils

Arthritis Pain Relief Recipe

An application of essential oils can bring relief to stiff, aching joints whenever and
wherever the pain of arthritis strikes.

NUMBING BLEND

1 teaspoon evening primrose carrier oil
10 drops wintergreen or clove essential oil
1. Pour the evening primrose carrier oil into a small glass or ceramic bowl.
2. Add the wintergreen essential oil to the carrier oil, and stir to combine.
3. Using your fingertips, apply this blend to the affected area, and massage it into the
skin.

COOLING BLEND

1 teaspoon evening primrose carrier oil
6 drops Douglas fir essential oil
6 drops eucalyptus essential oil
1. Pour the evening primrose carrier oil into a small glass or ceramic bowl.
2. Add the Douglas fir and eucalyptus essential oils to the carrier oil, and stir to combine.
3. Using your fingertips, apply this blend to the affected area, and massage it into the
skin.

NEAT TREATMENT

2 or 3 drops German chamomile, lemon, or tea tree essential oil
Using a cotton ball, apply the undiluted German chamomile essential oil directly to the affected joint.

.

Read More

Get Rid of Your Acne Once and For All

How To Get Rid Of Acne Once And For All

Acne is a skin condition aggravated by hormonal changes. Essential oils can help clear up
blemishes and prevent the formation of new ones by cleansing the skin and fighting the
production of sebum, the oily substance that can clog pores.

NEAT TREATMENT

3 or 4 drops tea tree essential oil
1. Transfer the tea tree essential oil to a small glass or ceramic bowl.
2. Using a cotton swab, apply the undiluted tea tree essential oil directly to blemishes.

MASK

To make a base powder for the mask
2 ounces green clay (available in powdered form at natural foods stores)
3 teaspoons corn flour
1. Mix the clay with the corn flour to create the mask powder.
2. Store the powder in a covered jar until you’re ready to use it.
To make and use the mask
1 tablespoon mask powder
1 tablespoon brewer’s yeast
1 tablespoon water
1 drop juniper berry essential oil
1 drop lavender essential oil
1. Mix the mask powder with the brewer’s yeast in a glass or ceramic bowl.
2. Add the water to form a paste.
3. Add the juniper berry and lavender essential oils, and stir to combine.
4. Apply the mixture to the face, and leave it on for 15 minutes, then rinse and pat dry.

STEAM TREATMENT

3 cups hot water
1 drop clary sage essential oil
1 drop thyme essential oil
1. Pour the hot water into a glass or ceramic bowl.
2. Add the clary sage and thyme essential oils (they will remain on the water’s surface).
3. Drape a towel over your head in such a way that it is also draped closely over the bowl.
4. Bend to hold your face over the bowl. Keep your eyes closed.
5. Remain in this position for about 5 minutes, periodically lifting one side of the towel to
take a breath of fresh air.
6. After 5 minutes, sit back up and remove the towel.
7. Rinse your face with cold water to close the pores.

NEAT BEDTIME BLEND

30 drops orange seed essential oil
15 drops carrot essential oil
3 drops chamomile essential oil
1. Transfer the orange seed, carrot, and chamomile essential oils to a dark-colored glass
bottle that closes tightly.
2. At bedtime, using a cotton ball, apply 5 drops of this undiluted blend to skin affected
by acne.
3. Leave the blend on for 5 minutes.
4. After 5 minutes, use a tissue to remove any excess oil.
5. Repeat this treatment once a day at bedtime until the acne fades.

EARLY-WARNING DAB-ON BLEND

1 teaspoon jojoba or coconut carrier oil
3 drops oregano essential oil
1. Pour the jojoba carrier oil into a small glass or ceramic bowl.
2. Add the oregano essential oil to the carrier oil.
3. Using a cotton ball, dab this blend on skin where acne is about to appear, as indicated
by the appearance of spots that characteristically precede an outbreak.
4. Repeat this treatment once a day until the spots are gone.

Read More

How To Tighten Ageing Skin With Essential Oils

Ageing Skin

Skin changes happen for all of us as we grow older. Here are some natural ways to help
mature skin maintain its purity, tone, and firmness.

CLEANSING PASTE

4 ounces almonds
3 ounces sweet almond carrier oil
2 ounces apple cider vinegar
2 ounces spring water
6 drops essential oil (good choices: bois de rose, borage seed, carrot, evening primrose,
galbanum, lavender, myrrh, neroli, rose, or violet leaf)
To make the blend
1. Grind the almonds in the glass jar of a blender.
2. Add the sweet almond carrier oil, apple cider vinegar, spring water, and essential oil to
the ground almonds.
3. Blend the ingredients on high for at least 2 minutes to produce a smooth paste.
To use the blend
1. Using a soft, natural-bristle complexion brush, apply the paste to your face.
2. After 30 seconds, rinse your face with cool water to remove the paste.2

TONING BLEND

½ cup white wine
10 drops rosemary essential oil
3 drops peppermint essential oil

To make the blend

1. In a small saucepan, simmer the wine for 10 minutes.
2. Let the wine cool until tepid.
3. Pour the wine into a heatproof glass or ceramic bowl.
4. Add the rosemary and peppermint essential oils to the wine, and stir to combine.
5. Pour the mixture into a 4-ounce dark-coloured glass bottle that closes tightly, and store
the bottle in the refrigerator between uses.

To use the blend

1. Using a cotton ball, smooth the toner over your face.
2. Use the toner within 6 months.

MOISTURISING BLEND

½ cup olive carrier oil
¼ cup apricot kernel carrier oil
30 drops carrot seed essential oil
20 drops rose hip seed essential oil

To make the blend

1. Pour the olive and apricot kernel carrier oils into a glass or ceramic bowl.
2. Add the carrot seed and rose hip seed essential oils to the carrier oils.
3. Pour this blend into a 6-ounce dark-coloured glass bottle that closes tightly, and store
the bottle in the refrigerator between uses.
To use the blend
Using your fingertips, gently apply a small quantity of the blend to your face and neck
once a day.

Read More

Treating Age Spots With Essential Oils

Age Spots

Age Spot

What used to be called liver spots (since they were once believed to have something to do
with liver function) are small and generally harmless tan, brown, or black spots on the
skin where pigmented cells have clumped together. You may choose to have a
dermatologist remove your age spots, but the following remedies can help fade them.

ONCE-A-DAY BLEND

¼ cup coconut carrier oil
6 drops frankincense essential oil
6 drops lavender essential oil
6 drops myrrh essential oil
To make the blend
1. Put the coconut carrier oil in a glass or ceramic cup.
2. Add the frankincense, lavender, and myrrh essential oils to the carrier oil, and stir to
combine.
3. Pour the blend into a dark-coloured glass bottle that closes tightly, and store the bottle
in the refrigerator between uses.
To use the blend
1. Using a cotton ball, apply this blend once a day to skin affected by age spots.
2. Repeat this treatment for several weeks, or until you notice results.

TWICE-A-DAY BLEND

1 ounce organic castor oil
10 drops frankincense essential oil
To make the blend
1. Pour the castor oil into a small glass or ceramic bowl.
2. Add the frankincense essential oil to the castor oil, and stir to combine.
3. Pour the blend into a dark-coloured glass bottle that closes tightly, and store the bottle
in the refrigerator between uses.
To use the blend
1. Using a cotton ball, apply this blend to skin affected by age spots.
2. Repeat this treatment 2 times a day for 4 weeks, or until you notice results.

THRICE-A-DAY BLEND

20 drops avocado carrier oil
6 drops sandalwood essential oil
4 drops blue cypress essential oil
4 drops lavender essential oil
4 drops nutmeg essential oil

To make the blend

1. Pour the avocado carrier oil into a small glass or ceramic bowl.
2. Add the sandalwood, blue cypress, lavender, and nutmeg essential oils to the carrier
oil, and stir to combine.
3. Pour the blend into a dark-coloured glass bottle that closes tightly, and store the bottle
in the refrigerator between uses.

To use the blend

1. Using a cotton ball, apply 2 to 4 drops to skin affected by age spots.
2. Repeat this treatment 3 times a day for 2 weeks.

Read More

Tips For Using Essential Oils

TIPS FOR USING ESSENTIAL OILS

Essential Oils 

1. Understand that essential oils are not the same as perfumes.
Most perfumes

are made from synthetic ingredients, even when their packaging claims that they are
“natural” fragrances. If you’re planning to buy an oil for therapeutic purposes, be
careful to check the bottle for the words essential oil.

2. Don’t shop exclusively by price. 

Discount oils may not be as pure as the more
expensive ones, and it’s also true that the most expensive oils are not necessarily the
best. A handful of distilleries sell their essential oils to bottlers all over the world,
and so it’s entirely possible that all you’re buying for a higher price is a fancier label

3. Remember that essential oils are highly concentrated. 

Just a drop or two of most essential oils will be more than enough to produce the desired effect. An
essential oil represents a very powerful concentration of terpenes.

4. Add essential oils to carrier oils. 

Because essential oils are so concentrated, they

can cause skin irritation and other adverse effects if you apply them directly to your

skin. Always dilute your essential oils by adding two or three drops to a carrier oil (a

fixed oil like almond oil or grape seed oil) in a ratio of about 50 parts carrier oil to 1

part essential oil. 

A topically applied essential oil must be mixed with a substance that does not vaporise

when exposed to oxygen, the way an essential oil does. That’s where a carrier oil comes in.

As its name suggests, a carrier oil is used to dilute a highly concentrated, potentially

irritating essential oil and “carry” it to the skin. Carrier oils come from cold-pressing the

fatty parts of a plant, such as the nut, the fruit, or the seed. Many carrier oils (for example,

almond oil and grape seed oil) are commonly found in natural foods stores and

supermarkets.

5. Be aware that essential oils can eat through plastic. 

Use only glass bottles
with metal lids to store your oils, and only a ceramic or glass bowl to create a blend.

6. Test your skin for sensitivity before using an essential oil

Testing The Skin

 It’s smart to do a .
skin test before using an essential oil, just as you would with any kind of topical
medication. Add a drop of the essential oil to a teaspoon of a carrier oil or to a
cream, wax, or another diluting substance, and then rub a little of the solution on the
inside of your upper arm. Wait a few hours and see if redness or a rash develops. If
nothing happens, you’re ready to use the diluted oil more liberally. If you do develop
redness, you have a sensitivity to this particular essential oil, and you should refrain
from using it on your skin.

7. Not all essential oils are safe for children. 

You should rarely use an undiluted
essential oil on your own skin, and you should never use one on a child’s, because

the absorption rate through a child’s skin is much faster than through an adult’s. For
a child, you’ll need only half the amount of essential oil recommended for an adult.
To be sure that an oil is safe for your child,
In particular, avoid topical use of lavender oil and tea tree oil on
prepubescent boys—these oils have a high hormonal-trigger content that can cause boys in this
age group to grow breasts.

8. Avoid essential oils during the first trimester of pregnancy,

 Consider avoiding them throughout your pregnancy. As i will stipulate, essential oils are natural, but many of them are not recommended for use
while you’re pregnant—and no essential oil should be used during the first
trimester. When you read descriptive information about an essential oil or remedy,
look for warnings about pregnancy and nursing.

9. Treat your essential oils the way you would treat an over-the-counter
medication. 

Keep them away from children, use them only as directed, and store
them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Many of your essential oils will
last for years—the bottle you buy today could still be with you a decade or more
from now, and it will retain its full strength. The longevity of an effective essential oil
makes that oil a particularly good choice for inclusion in an emergency-preparedness
kit.

Treating Essential Oils As A Medicine

Read More

Essential Oils and Emotion

Emotions With Essential Oils

When you inhale a fragrance, its scent molecules enter your nose, where
they remain in a part of the nasal lining (the olfactory membrane). Within this lining is the olfactory
epithelium, a specialised tissue containing receptor neurons (nerve cells) that become containers for the
scent molecules.
But these neurons don’t just trap the scent molecules and hold them inside the nose. They also send
electrical impulses to the brain’s olfactory bulb, the centre of the sense of smell. The olfactory bulb then

signals the amygdala, an area of the brain that contains emotional memories. (This is why the sense of
smell is such an immediate trigger for remembering long-ago feelings and events.) The olfactory bulb also
distributes signals to the sense of taste, housed in the gustatory centre, and this signalling is what makes
aromas a key factor in how food tastes.
Olfaction—the sense of smell—is the only one of the five senses that is directly connected to the limbic
system, the part of the brain that controls blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing as well as memory
and hormone balance. (The other senses—hearing, sight, taste, and touch—are all connected to the
thalamus, another region of the brain.) The limbic system regulates fear, anger, depression, anxiety,
happiness, and sadness, and it is believed that a scent entering the olfactory bulb has the ability to affect
all these emotional responses.

Notes
1. “What Is Aromatherapy?,” National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, accessed June 23, 2014,
http://www.naha.org/explore-aromatherapy/about-aromatherapy/what-is-aromatherapy.
2. “Lavender and Tea Tree Oils May Cause Breast Growth in Boys,” National Institutes of Health, US Department of
Health and Human Services, NIH News, January 31, 2007, http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jan2007/niehs-31.htm.

Read More