Friday, March 30, 2012

Aromatherapy/Botanicals Tip of the Week

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Last week I shared a recipe from Mountain Rose Herbs for a natural deodorant. This week, I'll be showing you another twist on the same recipe--this time using orange and vetiver in place of cedarwood and juniper ;)


Natural Deodorant Spray

Ingredients:
1.5 ounces witch hazel extract
10 drops sweet orange essential oil
1 drop vetiver essential oil

Directions:
Pour all ingredients into a 2-ounce glass bottle and top with a little more witch hazel. Cap with a mister top and shake well before spritzing liberally under your arms.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Aromatherapy/Botanicals Tip of the Week

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For this week's Tip, I'm sharing a nifty recipe I found from Mountain Rose Herbs for a natural deodorant. I love using juniper, so I was really pleased to find it featured in this recipe! I'm planning to try this one out in the next week or so and will be sure to let you guys know how I like it.

Natural Deodorant Spray

Ingredients:
1.5 ounces witch hazel extract
10 drops cedarwood essential oil
2 drops juniper berry essential oil

Directions:
Pour all ingredients into a 2-ounce glass bottle and top with a little more witch hazel. Cap with a mister top and shake well before spritzing liberally under your arms.


PS: You may recall I had posted a Tip about the use of ginger supplements to help relieve inflammation (which I started taking for my foot pains). Well, I've been taking about 1,000 mg twice a day for a few weeks now and I've really noticed a difference. Although my pain is not completely gone and I do still have some days that are worse than others, it has been feeling significantly better. I highly recommend it!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Shop Highlight: A Tea Leaf

You may recall my ongoing photo project, where I've been hanging seasonal pictures. For autumn/Halloween, I featured bats, a witch, a crow, and a crescent moon.Then for the winter season, my scene consisted of things like a snowflake and wintry trees.

Now that the weather is getting warmer and the days are growing longer, I felt it was time to replace those snowflakes with a spring and summer theme! My first thought was to check out A Tea Leaf on Etsy. I've been admiring her work for a long time and have had my eyes on her gorgeous Herb and Spice series.



My boyfriend picked out four of our favorites and awaited eagerly for them to arrive. I just got them yesterday afternoon and the first thing I did after work was to put them up on our living room wall.



I am so so happy with how these prints work with our decor, I love them! Do yourself a favor and check out A Tea Leaf. In addition to her art prints, Alissa also creates beautiful jewelry and some adorable magnets. Happy shopping!

Friday, March 9, 2012

Aromatherapy/Botanicals Tip of the Week

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It’s getting to be about that time again—allergy season. While I am fortunate enough not to have allergies, I know many people who do and I feel for them. Luckily, I came across quite a few ways to utilize the benefits of aromatherapy to relieve common allergy symptoms.

One of the most common symptoms with allergies is inflammation of the nasal passages. Because German chamomile acts as an anti-inflammatory, it can be beneficial when used in a massage oil blend (simply add 10 drops to 1 ounce of tour favorite carrier oil). Other oils that are particularly helpful in relieving symptoms of hay fever include eucalyptus, myrtle, lavender, peppermint, rosemary, thyme, and tea tree.

Another common complaint during allergy season are asthma flare-ups. To help open up your airways, oils such as rose, frankincense, and clary sage can be beneficial. Try adding a few drops of the oils to a hot bath or create a homemade facial steam using 1 drop of oil per cup of water.

Note: It is particularly important that anyone with allergies or asthma use caution when trying a new essential oil blend. You should always do a quick sniff test to gauge how your body reacts to each oil before using them. 

Friday, March 2, 2012

Aromatherapy/Botanicals Tip of the Week

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I'm not sure if it's due to these cold winter months or what, but I've been having some really pesky muscle aches lately. I've noticed that my neck becomes especially sore and achy, most likely a result of sitting at a computer desk for hours each day. To relieve my aches I've tried aspirin and a heating pad, both of which helped a bit, but there was still some pain. I'm not sure why I didn't think of it before, but my next step is to try some aromatherapy for my pain.

Two oils recommended to relieve pain are lavender and peppermint. According to James Duke's The Green Pharmacy, some essential oils (such as lavender) can reduce the flow of nerve impulses such as those that signal pain. Peppermint is helpful for pain relief because it contains menthol, which has an anesthetic effect. Try using a few drops of lavender and peppermint in a base oil (such as jojoba) and massage it into the affected area. For added benefit, also include eucalyptus which can aid the absorption of the lavender and peppermint, boosting their pain-relieving effects.