Donna Walker our resident Aromatherapist with 18yrs experience is offering free advice and guidance on how to use aromatherapy oils safely in your home.
Whilst we are all adjusting to spending more time at home it is a good time to look in the back of your cupboards for essentials you may have invested in or received as a gift.
Good immune support oils are:
Lavender
Tea Tree
Why not add two drops of each into an oil burner
(AVOID Tree Tea if you have cats or dogs)
OR
Run a bath
Turn the taps off when at desired depth and temperature
Close the door and windows
Blend a maximum of 8 drops of essential into about an egg cup of milk and stir with your finger
Slowly pour all the milk into the bath water
Swirl it around with your hand
Get into the bath, recline, breathe slowly and relax for 20-30 minutes
ENJOY!
The therapeutic properties of the oils work in two ways, absorption through the skin and inhalation that is calming to the senses and supporting your body’s own innate systems.
Milk acts an emulsifier dispersing the essential oils evenly through the depth of the bath water therefore, avoiding the oil just sitting on top of the water.
It is thought that Cleopatra used milk in her baths for this very reason.
Email Donna with the oils you find in your cupboards at donna@aromaticanswers.com and she is happy speak with you and give additional free guidance.
Lemon Oil is a wonderful zingy summery fragrance. Lemon is well known for its ability to cleanse toxins from the body and is used to help clear skin and purify the body. It can also be used as an insect and bug repellent.
Lemon oil is really good to have in the household and it’s not expensive either. It can be used as a teeth whitener, laundry freshener, cellulite cream, a face wash and a household cleaner.
According to the Ayurvedic way of practicing, lemon oil has been used to treat many symptoms for at least 1000 years and it’s health benefits have been established scientifically, which is always good to know.
Some of the uses of lemon oil are:
Oral remedy for bad breath
Digestion
Thirst quencher
Remedy for abdominal colic pain
Cough relief
Calms stomach and relieves nausea
Improves digestion
If you’d like to know more about Aromatherapy at the Centre visit our page here or call 01394 388234.
To find out more about Victoria Lily visit her page here.
Camphor Oil is one of those unsung heroes. It is so good for pain relief, aching muscles and inflammation and has a warming and cooling feeling all at the same time. It is known as a stimulant, antiseptic, decongestant, sedative and nervous pacifier. It benefits the activity of the circulatory system, metabolism, digestion and consequently the excretion from the body. I believe it’s also good for putting in your wardrobe to ward off those pesky moths.
When travelling, camphor oil can be safely added to drinking water to disinfect it, especially during the summer and in rainy seasons when infection of water is greater. An open bottle of camphor oil or putting some on a cloth drives away insects and kills germs. When put into the bath, camphor oil disinfects the whole body externally and can kill lice or other parasites or bugs that maybe on your body.
So grab yourself a bottle of camphor and sing the praises of this unsung hero. Happy June.
If you’d like to know more about Aromatherapy at the Centre visit our page here or call 01394 388234.
To find out more about Victoria Lily visit her page here.
Peppermint essential oil
At this time of year many people are studying for exams and it can be a very stressful time. Peppermint oil can be wonderful for improving mental focus, just put a few drops in an oil burner in the room you are studying in.
Peppermint oil may also help with headaches brought on by tension so try putting a few drops on a tissue and breathing it in to help with clearing head tension. Or you could add some peppermint oil to a teaspoon of base oil (just two drops of peppermint oil) and massage that into your temples and at the back of your neck where your skull meets your neck, where you may find tender points.
Peppermint can also be excellent for helping with digestive issues as for some people exam stress will go to their tummies. You could try drinking some peppermint tea to help with this.
Good Luck
If you’d like to know more about Aromatherapy at the Centre visit our page here or call 01394 388234.
To find out more about Victoria Lily visit her page here.
Happy 2017. Winter is often the season of more germs and we love to share them with each other.
This month, I am writing about the essential oil of Tea Tree. This oil is known for its powerful antiseptic properties. Tea Tree comes from the Australian plant called Melaleuca alternifolia and has been used in numerous medical studies to kill strains of bacteria, viruses and fungi.
As well as using the oil on our bodies, we can also use it for cleaning in the house, diffusing in the air to kill mold and germs or making cleaning sprays by blending it with cheap vodka.
The anti-inflammatory and antiseptic qualities of tea tree are helpful for many things including the following –
Acne
Bacterial infections
Cold sores
Verrucas
Halitosis
Fungal infections
Psoriasis
Head lice
Having said all the above, please don’t put it neat onto an open wound and ask advice from a professional if you are unsure.
Wishing you a germ free winter season.
If you’d like to know more about Aromatherapy at the Centre visit our page here or call 01394 388234.
To find out more about Victoria Lily visit her page here.
It’s nearly Christmas and this month I’ve chosen two aromas of the month, Frankincense and Myrrh. Both are wonderful oils, especially for this time of year. Merry Christmas xx
Frankincense – Comforter of Sorrow, Spiritual Healing & Support.
Frankincense is excellent for grief, loss, and letting go. It is best known for its enduring emotional and spiritual support. A fortifying essence to the mind and emotions, Frankincense oil slows and deepens cellular respiration and has the characteristic effect of comforting and centering you during times of distress. Frankincense is also helpful for overcoming and dispelling fear and taking action, and is beneficial for releasing negative mental and emotional states such as low self-esteem, lack of confidence, insecurity and anxiety. The quintessential oil for letting go and allowing whatever happens to be okay, use Frankincense essential oil to promote your spiritual awakening and to enhance your meditation practice.
Myrrh – Soothing & Restorative Tonic
Traditionally Myrrh oil has been used for enhancing spiritual and emotional well being. It is an excellent aid to healthy functioning of the limbic (emotional center) of your brain. Myrrh oil wakes up cell tissues and enhances the physical energetic centers of the body. Its vibrant and resonant effect on cell tissues makes Myrrh oil a wonderful tonic for your body, mind and emotions.
Victoria Lily Reflexology
If you’d like to know more about Aromatherapy at the Centre visit our page here or call 01394 388234.
To find out more about Victoria Lily visit her page here.
The oil of the month for November is Nutmeg Oil.
Nutmeg is well known as a cooking ingredient and as a delicious addition to many dishes. However, it isn’t just popular in cooking, it also has therapeutic properties. The ancient Chinese and Indian cultures have used it as medicine and now we also use it in various ways in our western society.
As an essential oil Nutmeg is a natural treatment to aid digestive issues, arthritis, halitosis, exhaustion and anxiety related symptoms. It can also help with concentration and detoxing.
When used as massage oil, Nutmeg may help to relieve muscle pain, swelling, inflammation and help promote good circulation. Oil of Nutmeg is a natural painkiller and very good for menstrual cramps. Nutmeg Oil has a sedative and calming effect; it can therefore help to improve the quality of sleep and apparently makes dreams quite colourful.
During this time of bugs and colds, Nutmeg oil can be helpful with respiratory and breathing conditions including Asthma.
As it is the season of the Pumpkin, I will leave you with this lovely recipe from BBC Good Food website, which of course includes Nutmeg.
Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
750g/1lb 10oz pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks
350g sweet shortcrust pastry
plain flour, for dusting
140g caster sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp fresh nutmeg, grated
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs beaten
25gbutter, melted
175ml milk
1 tbsp icing sugar
Method
Place the pumpkin in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15 mins or until tender. Drain pumpkin; let cool.
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use it to line a 22cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Chill for 15 mins.
Line the pastry with baking parchment and baking beans, then bake for 15 mins. Remove the beans and paper, and cook for a further 10 mins until the base is pale golden and biscuity. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
Increase oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Push the cooled pumpkin through a sieve into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, salt, nutmeg and half the cinnamon. Mix in the beaten eggs, melted butter and milk, then add to the pumpkin purée and stir to combine.
Pour into the tart shell and cook for 10 mins, then reduce the temperature to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
Continue to bake for 35-40 mins until the filling has just set.
Leave to cool, then remove the pie from the tin. Mix the remaining cinnamon with the icing sugar and dust over the pie. Serve chilled.
Victoria Lily Reflexology
If you’d like to know more about Aromatherapy at the Centre visit our page here or call 01394 388234.
To find out more about Victoria Lily visit her page here.
The Aromatherapy oil of the month for July is Orange oil. Here aromatherapist Victoria Lily talks about the benefits of this fresh, zesty fragrance.
Mmmmmm just think of the wonderful zesty smell of a freshly peeled orange. Orange oil is a wonderful uplifting oil. One almost can’t help but feel zingy when you out it in your oil diffuser. It brightens up the day. If you have a bad mood in the household, try using orange oil to disperse and uplift the atmosphere. I can’t promise miracles, but it may help!
Orange oil is also great for relieving inflammation and it relaxes spasms within muscles and nerves.
It can also be used to treat acne and dermatitis, boost immunity, treat constipation and alleviate depression, anxiety and anger.
I’m off to put some in my diffuser.
Victoria Lily
To find out more about aromatherapy at the Centre visit our website or call 01394 388234.
You can visit Victoria’s website here.
Aroma of the Month for June: Marjoram
Marjoram Oil
Marjoram oil can have many uses. When inhaled it can have a calming and soothing quality. It can also aid digestion and help with the prevention of gastric ulcers; it can help with hormonal balance in women and has anti-viral, anti-septic and anti-bacterial properties.
To find out more about Marjoram as an herb and oil follow the link here.
Victoria Lily
Look out for the hashtag #AromaOfTheMonth on our social media pages and if you’d like to know more about Victoria and Aromatherapy at the Centre click the links or call 01394 388234 for an appointment.