Posts tagged ‘Essential oil’

  |  
May 29, 2012

Clove essential oil

Clove essential oil is invaluable to have on hand for good dental health and to treat any dental, gum pain and discomfort.  Clove oil is best known for its pain relieving eugenol constituent used to treat toothaches, sore gums, mouth infections, and bad breath. Always use clove oil diluted in an edible carrier oil like olive oil, it is strong, and numbing.

Directions:

Dilute clove essential oil 50/50 in olive oil to carry with you to treat in transit. 

Put carrier oil like olive oil on a Q-tip with a drop of clove essential oil and put directly on affected mouth areas.

Clove buds

Clove is an evergreen tree with red flowers. It is one of the five noble spices along with cinnamon, nutmeg, black peppercorns and ginger.

Clove is one of the ingredients in the Indian spice blend garam masala and masala chai, which is a tea beverage drink. 

Clove comes from the Latin word ‘clavus’ meaning nail, because the dried clove buds look like little nails.

COMMON NAME CLOVE
Latin Name Sygyzium   aromaticum
Family Myrtaceae
Country of Origin Indonesia, Philippines, Madagascar,   West indies
Volatility Middle note
Extraction steam distillation or CO2   extraction from the dried buds
Colour pale yellow to clear
Aroma spicy, pungent, rich, strong
Caution Contraindications Use sparingly, hot stimulant. Skin irritant. Do not use during pregnancy or with   children. Always use diluted.Not recommended for massage. 
Primary Uses Digestion:spasms, parasites, gastritis,   spasms

Immune: stimulant, colds, flu, viral   infections,

Cardiovascular:circulatory stimulant,

Skin: fungal infections, shingles, warts,   localized treatment only  

*****Toothaches, dental problems, gum infections, sore gums, bad breath/halitosis

 
Properties Local anaesthetic, analgesic, anticatarrhal,   antiemetic, antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral,   anti-parasitic,   antioxidant, astringent, antispasmodic,   anti-inflammatory, warming carminative, circulatory stimulant, diaphoretic, digestive   stimulant, male aphrodisiac,  nervine relaxant, stomachic, vasodilator
Constituents  Esters:18-25% eugenyl acetateSesquiterpenes:4-8%  caryophyllene

Phenylpropanoids:

70-80% eugenol

 

 

Posted in Natural Health, Herbs, Aromatherapy, Health conditions | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , , ,
May 29, 2012

Thyme time

Time for Thyme herb!

Essential oil Thyme

There are many varieties of thyme and they are all hardy and easy to grow. Thyme is grown in pots year round for culinary, medicinal or ornamental purposes or grown directly in the ground, where it comes back bigger and better every year. There are creeping varieties that grow close to the ground or hanging varieties that hang over and trail down the sides of pots. Thyme is a sturdy sub-shrub and the creeping varieties are a great alternative to lawn grass or to put under other bigger shrubs. Put thyme around walkways or in cracks to keep other weeds out.

Common Name  Thyme herb
Latin Name  Thymus vulgaris spp.
Family Lamiaceae (Mint Family)
Parts Used Perennial- herb picked in spring and summer growing season
Target Organs Digestion, Respiratory, Immune, Central Nervous System, Skin, Muscular
Common Uses Digestion: infections, gastritis, colitis, parasites, diarrhoea, worms,

Respiratory: bronchitis, pleurisy, TB, whooping cough infections, cough, bronchitis, colds, flu, gargle sore throats,

Immune: stimulant, colds, flu, strep, staph, tonsillitis, infections, fever,

Nervous system: stimulating, depression

Skin: warts, lice, scalp infections;

Muscular: analgesic pain relief, arthritis, sprains, strains

External: wounds, astringent stops bleeding

Culinary fresh or dried

Essential oil use diluted-very hot
Properties Anthelmintic, antibacterial, anticatarrhal, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, antifungal, anti-inflammatory (local, systemic) antimicrobial, antioxidant, antispasmodic (general, digestive, respiratory), anxiolytic, appetite stimulant, astringent, warming carminative, cholagogue, decongestant, diaphoretic, relaxing secretolytic expectorant, febrifuge, stimulating nervine relaxant, stomachic, vasodilator, vulnerary
Constituents Essential Oil: 1%   Monoterpene: p-cyamene aka paracymene;

Phenol: Thymol 45% thujanol, carvacrol,

Monoterpene alcohol: Geraniol, linalool

borneol;

Other:  bitter, tannin, flavonoids, triterpenoids

Cautions Essential oil use diluted very hot and stimulating. May irritate sensitive skin.
Dosage Tincture: 1-4ml  

Posted in Uncategorized, Natural Health, Herbs, Aromatherapy, Health conditions | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , , , ,
February 4, 2012

Essential Oils and the Five Elements: e-book

Essential Oils and the Five Elements:
Easing Emotional Overload with Aromatherapy and Reflexology.

This book explores and combines the natural health therapies of Aromatherapy, Reflexology and integrates the Ancient Chinese Five Elements. By combining essential oils used in Aromatherapy with the ancient healing therapy of Reflexology it helps to ease emotional overload, filter out destructive emotions and improve over all health. The Ancient Chinese Five Elements helps to decipher emotional and physical states of being and acts as a map to show the way into more positive realms of existence.

Includes detailed maps of reflexology, plus Aromatherapy recipes for health, beauty and wellness.

Includes Bonus Essential Oil Profiles that are detailed monographs explaining properties, primary uses and more…

Buy e-book now $3.99

Posted in Aromatherapy, Energy Medicine, Natural Health | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , , , , ,
January 5, 2012

DIY Natural Cleaning Products

DIY and Make Your Own Natural Cleaning Products

Harsh chemical cleaners can sometimes be more harmful than the germs. Make your own effective natural cleaners that are inexpensive and are much healthier for you and the environment.

Kill 100% of the germs by using an acid and a base. Germs cannot live in extreme ph values. Common acids are vinegar and lemon juice and common bases are baking soda and borax. Alternate the use of acids and bases so that the germs cannot survive.

Add essential oils to boost antiseptic, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and give yourself an aromatherapy treatment while you clean. Use traditional cleaning aromas like citrus oils such as Lemon, Lime, Mandarin, Orange or tree oils like Pine and Spruce. I also use Clove, Tea tree, Lavender, Lemongrass, Ginger, Peppermint, Rosemary, Sage and Thyme, but you can choose your favourites to create your own blends.

Vinegar surface spray: 1:1 ratio 50% vinegar to 50% distilled water.

Add essential oils to cover-up the vinegar smell and add antiseptic action. You need a lot of oils to cover the smell of vinegar. I use 20 drops or more of essential oil for every 100 mls.

Put in spray bottle and label. Spray on surfaces such as counters, cabinets, fridges, shelves, walls and just about anything. Use with baking soda when cleaning sinks, toilets to create an acid and base. Let the mixture sit for at least half an hour. Caution: When put together vinegar and baking soda will bubble up and foam. You can alternate use instead of putting them together.

Hydrogen peroxide spray: (H202) the chemistry symbol for water is (H20) with another oxygen bond on the end.

Use food grade ultra pure hydrogen peroxide 35% aqueous solution used in seed sprouting and found at the health store or from a seed sprouting supply store. Do not use hydrogen peroxide from the drugstore it has binders and it is not food grade. Be careful not to splash on skin or eyes when diluting. At full strength H202 can burn off warts and can discolour the skin white for a short period.

Use 3% solution which equals 1 part 35% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to 11 parts distilled water. Mix carefully in spray bottle and label.

You can use food grade H2O2 to clean fruit and vegetables as well as any surfaces including your toothbrush and ear buds. There are books written on all the uses for hydrogen peroxide. Anytime you see a product with the word oxy chances are this is the magical ingredient. It gets rid of stains on clothes and I have used it to get rid of coffee stains on white shirts. It brightens and whitens.

Baking soda: mix 30 drops to one cup of baking soda in a wide mouth jar and label. I use a chopstick to stir it and mix it together. You can use giant salt and pepper shakers to spread on carpets. Let marinate at least 24 hours. Use with vinegar to create an acid and base. Caution: When put together vinegar and baking soda will bubble up and foam.

This is an excerpt from my book: Essential oils and the Five Elements: Easing Emotional Overload with Aromatherapy and Reflexology

Posted in Aromatherapy, Natural Health | 1 Comment »

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
December 9, 2011

DIY Aromatherapy Pinecone Ornaments

Pinecone Ornaments

My mom asked me to make her some pinecone ornaments for her tree this year. I’m using the ones leftover from making pinecone wreaths. See my blog DIY  Aromatherapy Pinecone Wreaths http://earthelixir.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/diy-aromatherapy-pinecone-wreaths/

for added instructions. I’ve never made any before so I had to start thinking of ideas.

Pinecone Wooden Beaded Ornament

I decided to use beaded necklaces and bracelets that were broken or I didn’t wear anymore.  I took a wooden beaded necklace that I never wore and broke it to use the wooden beads. If the beads have large holes you can use any kind of string but the smaller the hole is I would recommend using beading wire or fishing line instead.

Pinecone Wooden Beaded Ornament

I made four hanging loops with the large wooden beads to suspend the pinecones from the tree. I used a broken small brown beaded necklace to make hanging loops for the other two pinecones to make half a dozen. It was a fast project!

Pinecone Wooden Beaded Ornament

I drilled a small hole in the middle of the bottom of the pinecone to fit the end bead halfway, and then glued the bead to the hole with a hot glue gun but you can use any fast drying glue. You can add ribbon and/or greenery… the options are limitless.

You can add your own favourite essential oils, a couple of drops to each pinecone to make them into Aromatherapy Pinecone Ornaments. I am using tree oils like Balsam fir, Black or white spruce to blend with the tree or Cinnamon and Orange because I love cinnamon cones!

Pinecone beaded ornament

I also used these wonderful ‘candy’ glass beads my friend gave me. I used black beads that were already strung and ran the beaded wire through them and put the colourful candy beads on. I put snowflake obsidian chips on either side to hold it so the big candy bead wouldn’t float through the small beads.

Pinecone ornaments with clear glass beads

I wanted a snowy effect for some pinecones without using glitter, because I have pets and inhaling glitter probably isn’t that healthy. I decided to try clear glass beads instead. I tried wrapping a string of clear glass beads, that I had bought already on a string, around the pinecones spiralling centre. I put kid’s white glue on the end of the pinecone tips and dipped and rolled it in clear glass beads on a paper plate. Let them dry on the paper plate for at least 24 hours before touching them.

I am going to hang these from the tip at the top of the pinecone with string or ribbon, which is the easiest way to hang them.

I am going to dip these pinecones quickly in natural melted beeswax that I get from local beekeepers and buy at the maple syrup festival. The beeswax will make sure that the clear white beads stay on the pinecone and it will give the pinecones a shine and protection. I will dip all of the pinecones when I make beeswax candles soon. (I smell another blog!)

You can leave the pinecones au natural and put a couple drops of essential oils on each one or dip the pinecones in melted beeswax with added essential oils.

Either way if you add essential oils make sure you do not put them around open flames or candles because dry pinecones with an added accelerant can start a fire.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy pinecone crafting!

Posted in Aromatherapy, Crafts | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
November 29, 2011

DIY Boxwood Aromatherapy Wreath

Boxwood is a popular green garden hedge and topiary plant.

Boxwood from my garden cut into a globe shape

Using Boxwood for wreath making is a popular choice because they keep their colour and shape relatively well when dried. They may dry a slighty darker green colour and shrink a little so you need  a bunch of sprigs to make a full wreath, or you may want to use it as edging, like I did in some of the wreaths that I have made.

Chili cone wreath with Boxwood

I decided to clip some of my Boxwood plants from my garden to make a wreath for my front door. I clipped them into globes because they are small. You can buy your own boxwood to make your own topiary plant to put in a plant container pot or plant it directly in the garden, and then you can use the clippings for wreath making and botanical arrangements. My Boxwood plants are pretty bald now so I have to let them grow back for a while before I make any more wreaths.

Boxwood close-up

For making the boxwood wreath I used a straw form as a base, that I bought for a dollar.

strawbase wreath form

I wrapped red satin ribbon around it so that some of the straw form alternated with the ribbon. I used a hot glue gun on the boxwood stem ends and wedged them into the cracks of the straw form and underneath parts of the ribbon. A toothpick or skewer can help you place things so that you can avoid getting burned with hot glue.

Be careful when using a hot glue gun! Have a bowl of cold water ready to dip your hand in if you come into contact  with the hot glue. Use lavender essential oil directly on any burns that occur along with aloe vera gel for effective treatment.

Boxwood wreath almost finished

I secured some of the boxwood sprigs with floral pins. I put the wreath on a round ‘Lazy Susan’ flat on the table so that I could easily spin it around while I worked on it. Hang the wreath on the wall to finish it, it gives you a better angle on where to fill in the holes. I tied a big red satin ribbon around the bottom of the straw form half way through making it, so that it wrapped around some boxwood sprigs which helps to hold them into place and then some still filled out around it. I tied the double bow when I finished making the wreath. The double bow is easy if you do rabbit ears for the second loops. At first I added red jingle bells with twisted paper clips, but I found that the floral pins worked better and I fastened them through the straw. It took me about an hour to make.

Boxwood Wreath

I hung it on the front door and the last step was to add essential oil to make it into an Aromatherapy wreath. I added Balsam fir essential oil to the straw sides to give it a fresh evergreen forest smell that greets visitors when they enter. Balsam fir is a popular choice for Christmas trees and for me the smell is synonymous with the holidays, but I don’t cut down trees so this works out even better because it is really all about the aroma! You can add your own choice of essential oils like citrus oils such as orange or other tree oils like Spruce. Use your favourites.

Battery Tealight in Boxwood Wreath

 I taped a battery-powered  tea light candle to peak out in between the ribbon near the bottom just like an old-fashioned traditional wreath but without the fire hazard of burning a candle.

Boxwood wreath with jingle bells

Here is the finished version. It still smells wonderful and it has dried well. I added another bow and some large jingle bells to accompany the red jingle bells in the wreath.

Cheers! Wishing everyone a safe and Happy Holiday!

Posted in Aromatherapy, Crafts | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
November 18, 2011

DIY Dried Botancial Aromatherapy Wreath

Dried Aromatherapy Wreath

Our Aunt sent us the most beautiful bouquet of roses just before she died of cancer. I dried the roses and decided to make a wreath out of them. I am going to give the Aromatherapy wreath to her surviving twin sister, who is still having a hard time dealing with the loss of her identical twin. I know she likes lavender too so I put some dried lavender flower heads from my garden and added some boxwood leaves as greenery. I added essential oil of lavender to the dried flowers to make it smell even more wonderful.

I used a round 12’ straw wreath form.

Straw Wreath form 12'

I used a wire ribbon to form the double bow for the front, and a solid green ribbon to wrap around the wreath.

Bow

I added the dried roses first with a low temp. glue gun. Have a bowl of water ready if you burn yourself with hot glue, especially if you use a high temp. glue gun. The low temp glue guns make the glue stringier, but you don’t burn yourself as bad. Have lavender essential oil on hand in case of burns.

 I added clove essential oil to the middle of some flower heads for antifungal, antibacterial action and to make it smell great while I worked on it.  I love the smell of clove and roses together. Add your own favourite essential oils.

I added boxwood leaves around the sides of the roses to fill in and cover the straw form. Boxwood is a good choice because it dries well. The leaves will shrink when dried so it is better to use the straw form than wire, because the wire one may fall apart.

I filled in any imperfections or holes with lavender flower heads and added French Lavender essential oil to make it a true Aromatherapy wreath.

To hang it I used green wire and twisted it around itself to form a hole, and attached the wire to the top of the back of the form.

wire hanger

I hope this gives you some inspirational ideas to work with to make your own Dried Botanical Aromatherapy Wreath.

 

 

 

Posted in Aromatherapy, Crafts | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
  |  
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 1,190 other followers