Lavender recipes

I have talked about Lavender before and how it is such a versatile essential oil. This versatility and chemical complexity make it a perfect oil to have at home at all times.

Carrier

A carrier is a vegetable oil that serves to dilute essential oils so they penetrate the skin into muscle tissue and into the blood stream. Always choose a light, high quality oil such as almond, coconut or jojoba. Heavier oils such as olive oil leave an oily residue on the skin and are not recommended for oily skin.

Essential oil and quality

It is important to buy good quality essential oils as they reach your brain through smell and penetrate your skin through massage. These can be found at a specialized shop selling aromatherapy products or pharmacies.

Applying neat essential oils on the skin

Generally it is not recommended to use essential oils neat on the skin. Lavender however is safe in certain situations such as a mosquito bite where one drop soothes the sting.

How to use

Add 3 tablespoons, which is approximately 15ml, of the carrier oil to a little dish, add the essential oils of your choice and blend.

Recipes

Invigorating

4 drops lavender

3 drops sandalwood

1 drop grapefruit

After the massage (whole body or torso and arms), use WakeUp to maintain this feeling.

Relaxing

4 drops lavender

2 drops frankincense

2 drops mandarin

After the massage, use Calming and at bedtime Eyes Down.

Tantrum bath blend

Always blend essential oils in for example coconut milk or Castille soap before adding to the bath. Undiluted they float in the water and can sting and even burn skin.

½ cup full cream coconut milk

3 drops lavender

1 drop Roman chamomile

After the bath, use either Calming and at bed time Baby EyesDown (up to the age of 4 months) or Eyes Down

Enjoy blending and please contact me with any questions you may have!

No-Crave and Weight loss

User feedback

“I have been using No-Crave for about 6 weeks now and can highly recommend this product for reducing my cravings for sugar and snacks in between meals. It definitely works for me.” Happy (repeat) Customer, 25 January 2014.

No-Crave – may curb cravings and appetite

A great smelling blend of essential oils infused in organic jojoba oil, No-Crave contains essential oils that act as appetite suppressants and boost digestion.

How it works

·      under the nostrils

essential oils free small particles in the nostrils and they reach various parts of the brain as well as the important hypothalamus that regulates appetite. Researchers at Columbia University Medical Centre focused on the hypothalamus and have identified a brain receptor that appears to play a central role in controlling hunger and cravings¹.

·       massage abdomen

massaging the skin with No-Crave warms both the oils and the skin allowing for the molecules to penetrate into the abdomen and to stimulate the peristalsis movement of the bowel thus boosting digestion and elimination.

·       on the inside of the wrists

through warming the oils and the skin, the beneficial properties of the oils penetrate in the blood stream and are carried throughout the body with the beneficial properties working on the digestive system.

Diet and exercise

A user of this beautiful blend told me that she did not eat as much after massaging No-Crave into the abdomen before a meal. No-Crave is a great tool when wanting to manage weight. For greater weight loss it is imperative to have a balanced diet and regular exercise, No-Crave is a support in this process.

Conclusion

Remember to use No-Crave when you need it

Remember not to give into cravings

Remember to eat healthy smaller portions

Remember to exercise

Reference

1.     Ren, H., Orozco, I., Su, Y. Suyama, S., Gultierrez-Juarez, R. Horvath, T., Wardlaw, S. Plum, L., Arancio, O. & Accili, D. (2012). G protein-coupled purinergic receptor GPR17 mediates orexigenic effects of FoxO1 in AgRP neurons. NIHPA Author Manuscripts, 149(6), 1314-1326. doi:  10.1016/j.cell.2012.04.032

Sustainable: homemade shampoo and toothpaste

Sustainable toiletries are one way to use ingredients that are safer for us as well as reducing waste.

Many recipes are to be found on the web. The following are but a few and they are easy to make.

Shampoo

½ cup castile soap

¼ cup coconut milk

¼ cup honey

2 tbsp jojoba oil

1 tbsp vitamin e (optional)

25 drops lemongrass

15 drops lavender

10 drops lemon

Mix all ingredients in a (recycled jam) jar. Shake well before each use.

Don’t do what I did!!! Not paying as much attention to all the ingredients as I should have, instead of adding coconut MILK to the blend, I added coconut OIL. It goes without saying, that even though my hair was nice and soft (which I don’t really need as I have very fine hair!) it became oily very quickly!! So next time ……

NOTE: All was not lost; the ‘shampoo’ with coconut oil has become a gentle and nourishing body wash.

Toothpastes

I love the simple recipe toothpaste; my mouth feels clean and fresh after using it.

A simple single use toothpaste:

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp sea salt, finely ground (Celtic or Himalayan salt)

1 drop peppermint pure essential oil (refreshing)

1 drop tea tree pure essential oil (great anti-bacterial properties)

A few drops of water

 

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and combine to form a thick paste.  The peppermint will leave your mouth refreshed and the cinnamon essential oil has anti-septic properties. 

Thanks to mother nature network for this recipe

Remineralizing toothpaste

5 tablespoons calcium powder or calcium magnesium powder

2 tablespoons baking soda

3 to 4 tablespoons coconut oil

4 drops peppermint essential oil (refreshing)

2 drops tea tree essential oil (great anti-bacterial properties)

2 drops cinnamon essential oil (great anti-infectious properties)

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and add the coconut oil to achieve a paste. If it is too runny add some baking soda and if it is too thick, add some more coconut oil. Store in a small (recycled jam) jar. Finally add the essential oils. If you wish to only use one or two essential oils, I would chose peppermint (refreshing) and tea tree (anti-bacterial).

This is the next one I will try as this recipe has the benefit of the calcium and/or magnesium powder. improvement in cold sensitivity of the teeth as been reported.

Thanks to Wellness Mama for this recipe.

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Tea Tree Essential Oil

History

Indigenous people of northern New South Wales in Australia have been using the healing properties of the tea tree oil for millennia.

The following methods were used to release the essential oils in the leaves to benefit respiratory ailments and cuts and wounds.

1.     Leaves were crushed to release the aroma that was then inhaled

2.     Rocks heated in a fire were placed in the creek; leaves would be placed in the resulting steam that would release the oils³.

3.     Crushed leaves were applied as poultices to help heal cut and wounds¹.

Recent history

It is thought that the name originated from Captain Cook’s description of one of these shrubs as he saw local indigenous people brew leaves to make an infusion to drink instead of tea².

It is only after World War I that scientists began to seriously study the application and use of tea tree with Arthur Penfold, a leading chemist, discovering its potency, which was 12 times higher than carbolic acid, the used remedy at the time.

In the 1930’s and 1940’s tea tree was seen as the near perfect antiseptic. Demand grew which meant that producers and cutters were exempt from military service until enough tea tree essential oil was gathered. Australian soldiers carried it in their first aid kits during World War II as it was safe to apply neat to prevent infection, help with tinea and repel insects.

With the advent of synthetic antibiotics - cheaper and easier to develop in larger quantities though less effective - tea tree was forgotten with the industry collapsing. It resurfaced however in the mid 70’s with Eric White convinced that tea tree had a place in modern society and he successfully created Thursday Plantation^{1 2}.

Origins of Tea Tree

Tea tree is an Australian native. In New South Wales, Australia, Lake Ainsworth has the colour of tea from the surrounding tea trees. The Bundjalung aborigines swam there to heal any sores, wounds or skin problems. Today the tea tree is carefully cultivated in plantations².

Benefits

Tea tree has many benefits from stopping the bleeding of gums to neat application on cuts and wounds to vaginal suppositories.

This powerful essential oil has been found effective in eradicating fungi and yeast infections such as infected feet, tinea in the nails and candida. It also has applications for the scalp where it gets rid of dandruff, prevents head lice and clears the scalp of dead skin. Added to toothpaste, it controls bacteria thus maintaining good oral health. Dabbed on acne, it kills the responsible bacteria and scientific studies have shown “the oil has proved capable of dispersing infectious material and debris trapped within wounds”²

Research is still taking place uncovering more and more benefits of this amazing oil.

NOTE OF CAUTION: This article is of general interest only and not replacing medical advice; please consult a general practitioner, naturopath and/or a qualified aromatherapist with any medical concerns. Essential oils need to be stored in a cool, dark spot and in an airtight bottle.

References

1.     Thursday Plantation. The history of tea tree. Retrieved from: http://www.thursdayplantation.com/page/Tea-Tree-Oil/

2.     Tenelli, K. (2011). Nature’s Plus, the energy supplements. The microbe fighter. Retrieved from http://www.naturesplus.com/healthlibrary/libdetail.php?sf=3&criteria=sf&fullArticle=yes&articleID=20110703&articleAuthor=Karen%20Tenelli&articleTitle=The%20Microbe%20Fighter&articleMagazine=Energy%20Times&articleDate=July%203,%202011

3.     Essentially Australia. Tea tree essential oil. Retrieved from: https://essentiallyaustralia.com.au/shop/tea-tree-essential-oil/