Aromatherapy, part one

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aromatherapy, essential oil

There are so many uses for aromatherapy and so many ways to use essential oils! Over the next few weeks, I’ll talk about some of my experiences with essential oils.

Aromatherapy is often referred to as an art and a science. It takes the essence of a plant and uses it to promote healing in the body, mind, and spirit of a being. It can be used for preventative measures or for active treatment.

Herbal remedies in many forms have been around for a very long time. Both Egypt and China have written documentation in the use of herbs from the time written documents started to be made. Herbs and oils have been used for perfumes, in religious ceremonies, and for healing in many cultures over many millennium. As with many things, it has drifted in and out of popularity. And not everything has worked.

There are, however, many documented things that have worked. French chemist Rene-Maurice Gattefosse is the person who started the term aromatherapy. He investigated the antiseptic properties of essential oils and, because of his work, a lot of interest in and study of essential oils started in France in the 1920s.

Dr. Jean Valnet is another person who helped validate the field of aromatherapy. He used essential oils on the battle field during WWII and documented many of his results. I highly recommend his book, The Practice of Aromatherapy, if you are interested in learning more about essential oils and aromatherapy in general.

One of my first experiences with essential oils was in the cosmetic classes I took a few years ago. I had heard of them but hadn’t used them much. Getting into the cosmetic making classes opened up a whole new world for me! The cosmetic uses for essential oils are many. They offer great benefits for your skin. You can find many posts from me on skin care here https://lazycatoils.wordpress.com/category/skin-care-2/ Or ask me a question directly if you are curious about something specific!

Tubiflorae

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essential oil, Labiatae, plants, Tubiflorae

Tubiflorae is the order for today! It signifies plants with numerous tubular flowers. I use plants from the Labiatae family of this order. Here the tubular flowers look a bit like lips. This family is very large and includes many aromatic herbs and shrubs like mint, thyme, sage, and rosemary.

In general, members of the Labiatae family are warming, good for helping with the respiratory system and with common muscle aches and pains. I use peppermint EO frequently at home in the winter to help get rid of my chest congestion. Oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil, and rosemary herbs go into many of my sauces when I’m cooking in the fall and I use the EOs in various treatments. This is a very versatile and useful family of plants and I use something from this family everyday either as an EO or in the form of the physical plant itself.

Tea Tree

Tags

essential oil, health, tea tree

Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) is a very beneficial EO that I seem to have gotten away from using! Long before I started actively studying essential oils, tea tree EO was my go to oil as it seems to fix just about everything. Tea tree belong to the botanical family Myrtaceae, the same family as Eucalyptus. The EO is distilled from the leaves of the plant, native to Australia and New Zealand.

Tea tree EO is not something I use in facial skin care, though success has be reported with using it to treat acne. A very antiseptic EO, it does have a strong smell. And there are lots of other EOs that will help the skin with a more pleasant scent! It is good for helping to treat nail fungus and athletes foot.

For me this was something I used often when taking care of small cuts (like paper cuts when I was doing corporate admin work) or to help ward off colds in the winter. Tea tree is antibacterial and antiviral so works well at keeping germs at bay. Just a whiff of it can help open up congested air passages and, in the winter, I often put a drop on my coat collar as I walk out the door to walk through the cold and then get on a crowded, germ-filled subway. I am looking at some inhalers for the fall/winter season and will most likely be incorporating a bit of tea tree into at least one recipe.

Tea tree EO should never be taken internally and should be kept out of reach from children (as should all undiluted EOs).

Lemon Essential Oil

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essential oil, lemon, skin care

Lemon (Citrus lemon) EO is an oil I should use more often. Not sure why I don’t as I love the fresh crisp scent that it has. The EO comes from the peel of the fruit and is obtained by the expression method. (https://lazycatoils.wordpress.com/2013/04/27/how-is-an-essential-oil-made/) It belongs to the Rutaceae botanical family along with all of the other familiar citrus fruits like oranges and limes.

Among its many benefits, lemon has antibacterial, antiviral, and astringent properties. It has a very uplifting scent and it always makes me smile when I smell it.

For the skin and hair, it can be helpful in reducing excess oil. It can also help restore dull looking skin to a more vibrant look by helping increase blood circulation. It is used to treat acne and oily skin. Many of the citrus oils are also photosensitive. Damage to the skin can be caused if the skin is exposed to sunlight after using oils like lemon. It is recommended to avoid sunlight for up to 24 hours after using some of the citrus EO. And of course, using any EO in a diluted form is always recommended.

A look back at the past year

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Big On Bloor Festival, cosmetics, essential oil, health, Jan Benham, Music Toronto, reflexology

A year ago I was getting ready for my first outdoor street festival! It was a great success and a turning point for me – a chance to step things up with my own business, knowing that I was about to leave my full time job and start a new path with another job but only part time. I’m getting ready to take part in Big On Bloor (http://bigonbloorfestival.com) once again and thought this was a good to look back at what has happened over the past year and what lies ahead!

At the end of last August, we went on a lovely vacation to California. Saw lots of places and would love to go back in the future and see some more! Returning from vacation saw me being back to self employed and very part time employed in a new job. My new job is with Music Toronto, a chamber music presenting company (www.music-toronto.com). Initially the plan was to only be working for them one day a week to start and to increase my time and my role over the next several years. Well that timetable has moved up considerably and as of this month I’m now working for them 4 days a week! It has been a great experience and I’m loving the work I’m doing with them.

I’ve been doing lots of reading and studying and moving more towards the treatment side with essential oils. I’ve been working away at my thesis and hope to finish off all of those related courses by the end of the summer. I took some more classes with my teacher, Jan Benham (www.makeyourowncosmetics.org), last October. I spent 5 days learning how to do facials and haven’t looked back! In November, I started booking some room time at a clinic near me and I’m giving facials on a regular basis now. I’m building my clientele slowly as I don’t have that many hours in a day. I’m loving it and the response has been great! Jan will be back again this October and I’m signed up for a chair massage class and a week long course in reflexology. So looking forward to both of those!

I have continued to launch a few more products this past year, adding in some more makeup items in the past few months. Next weekend I’ll be back at Big On Bloor and I’ll have my usual favourites and some of my new items available for purchase. The festival takes place over 2 days – Saturday and Sunday – so come on by and say hi if you are in Toronto! I’m hoping to be close to the Lansdowne end of the festival. Watch my LCO Facebook feed (https://www.facebook.com/LazyCatOils) for updates as we get closer to the end of the week.

BIG On Bloor Festival – July 19, 2014 – noon to 9pm; July 20, 2014 – noon to 6pm. http://bigonbloorfestival.com

Benzoin Essential Oil

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benzoin, essential oil

I have been doing some bulk ordering this week. There are several of us working at various stages of aromatherapy who have met through classes over the past couple of years. We have become a great support network for each other and a great source of resources as we each bring our own different expertise to the group. While gathering info for what everyone needed for this order, I was reminded of another EO that I don’t personally use much but which has intrigued me in the past. So Benzoin has become my topic for this week!

Benzoin (Stryrax benzoin) is a tree native to Southeast Asia. It belongs to the Styraceae botanical family. The EO is a resin that comes from tapping the bark. It is a thick, dark (brownish-red) liquid that has a vanilla-like smell.

Commonly used as a fixative in perfumes and as incense, benzoin EO has many other great uses. It is often used to help relieve coughs and cold, having antibacterial and expectorant properties. I look forward to exploring that more next fall! It is also said to be helpful in treating arthritis so I need to do some further investigation into that over the coming months and see what I discover.

For skin care, it is used sparingly and is not something I use in my facials. It can help with chapped, irritate, red skin. But it should be used in small quantities. It can be useful in treating more wound-type skin conditions like psoriasis. Not something to keep in the cupboard to use everyday but useful when treating something more severe on a short term basis.

Mandarin Essential Oil

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essential oil, mandarin, skin care

Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) EO is cold pressed from the peel of the fruit. It is part of the Rutaceae biological family which also contains the other citrus fruits.  Mandarin trees are smaller than orange trees and generally grow in Europe.  Tangerines are botanically the same as mandarins and generally grown in the U.S. Mandarin is also used in Chinese medicine and it is said that the name mandarin links back to the Mandarins of China and the probable origins of the original plant.

I first encountered Mandarin EO when looking a blends to help with stretch marks for some pregnant friends.  We don’t use many essential oils during pregnancy or on young children.  However, Mandarin EO is one of the gentlest and is often one that can be used in both of these instances.  It is good for helping to prevent stretch marks and is very calming.  For facial skin care, Mandarin EO can be used in a blend for those with sensitive skin.   

Enhancing your LCO at home facial

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clay, clay masks, essential oil, glacial marine clay, honey, kaolin clay, rhassoul clay, seaweed

Part of my facial line is a clay mask that you can mix and use at home. This is the same clay mix that I am using in the clinic for most of my clients. It contains a mix of Kaolin Clay, Rhassoul clay, and Glacial Marine clay and I love the feeling and look it gives your face after using it!

The basic instructions are simply – mix 2 tablespoons of the clay mix with 1 tablespoon of toner. There are a few things you can add to the mix at home.

Honey – I spoke about honey last week. It is great for softening the skin and can help heal redness caused by inflammation. You only need a small amount, about a 1/4 teaspoon, and you simply mix it in at the same time as you add the toner. Keep in mind that you want to use unpasteurized honey.

Seaweed – I use this in both a powder and a liquid extract form and either could be added to the clay mix before applying it to your face. It gives an extra boost of nutrients to your skin and I find it beneficial for more mature skin. Again you don’t need much – a few drops of seaweed extract or about a 1/2 teaspoon of powder are all I use.

Essential oils – If you are mixing the clay with one of my LCO toners then you will already be getting the benefit of some essential oils! If you are mixing it with regular water, you can add in a couple of drops of an essential oil yourself if you have them. I find Geranium and Frankincense work well. Myrrh is great for mature skin. And Lavender is very calming. Make sure you only use a couple of drops. More will NOT be better and could damage your skin.

Carrier oils – For drier skin in particular, sometimes I add a couple of drops of a carrier oil to the mix. It keeps the mask wetter longer and adds more nourishment to your skin. Two of my favourites are jojoba oil and apricot kernel oil.

Enjoy!

Neroli Essential Oil

Tags

essential oil, neroli, orange blossom

There are so many different citrus essential oils! Neroli EO comes from the blossom of the bitter orange tree. The Latin name is Citrus aurantium and it comes from the Rutaceae botanical family which includes all of the other citrus oils like lemon and lime. Generally the EO is extracted by the distillation process.

It is quite an expensive EO as it takes 1000 pounds of blossoms to make 1 pound of the EO. For skin care, Neroli EO is generally used sparingly due to the expense. It is good for helping regenerate skin cells and can be used to promote healing of scar tissue and stretch marks. Overall it can have a calming effect on your body and mind and is great for anxiety and many other emotional issues.

Ylang Ylang

Tags

essential oil, Ylang Ylang

Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata) is an EO that I do not use very frequently but it intrigues me so I added it to my list of ones to research.

The essential oil is steam distilled from the flowers of this tree, native to the Philippines and Indonesia. There are several different types of ylang ylang essential oil, each coming from different stages of the distillation process – Ylang Ylang Extra, Ylang Ylang I, II and III, Ylang Ylang Complete. Normally an essential oil is collected at the very end of distillation. With Ylang Ylang, the distillation process is stopped at various points and the oil to that point is collected. Ylang Ylang Extra is collected after a very short period of distillation. The process is paused, the oil collected, and then the distillation process resumes. Ylang Ylang I, II and III are collected at various other points along the process – all coming from the distillation of the same flower parts. Ylang Ylang Complete is actually the essential oil that occurs when the distillation is not interrupted at all and it is collected the very end. For aromatherapy, we use either the Ylang Ylang Extra or the Ylang Ylang Complete, as they contain the highest amount of components from the plant in the essential oil. Ylang Ylang I, II and III are often used for perfumes.