How Green are Your Essential Oils?

November 2, 2008 – 12:29 pm
Are you living and working green? Green is not just about the car you drive, reusing your shopping bags or deciding whether or not to buy organic food.  Green is about the products you use, what goes into making them and the well being of those who produce what you use. What is green when it comes to the products you use? Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources to produce the products Protecting the health of the employees and the users  No use of pesticides or additives in any part of the process Reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation Sustainability of the agriculture used So, how green are the essential oils you use?  Are they free of chemical pollutants? Are they produced in such a way that the earth and environment are honored in the production process?  Are they direct from nature or manipulated to mimic nature? Does the company who grows, distills, bottles, and sells the oils give their ...

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What is Aromatherapy? Really….?

September 30, 2008 – 6:35 pm
When I worked in a spa setting, the offering of aromatherapy - with a $10 price tag - was little more than an application of some highly diluted vague smelling oil with a name like Tranquility. Is this what aromatherapy really is? When you look at the historic roots of aromatherapy it is the use of pure, undiluted, unaltered, essential oils for healing the body, mind, and spirit. After all, the father of modern day aromatherapy, Rene Gattefosse, put his hand in a vat of undiluted lavender oil and his severe burns were healed.   So how did this wonderful modality that can do everything from heal burns, repair tissues, and clean out receptor sites turn into such a watered down offering? Let's take a look at how aromatherapy is taught, presented, and represented. We are taught you must dilute 95% with carrier oils so the oils will do no harm (and this is because....?), ...

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What Are The 3 Most Important Things to Consider When Choosing An Essential Oil? Grade, Grade, Grade!

September 1, 2008 – 11:16 am
The grade of essential oil that you use trumps your knowledge of how to use it. You can spend a lot of time and money learning about the different properties of essential oils, but if the oil you are using is perfume or food grade oil, the results you are looking for will either not be there, not be as optimal as they could be, or even be harmful. The grade of the essential oil that you use is MORE important than which particular oil (lavender, basil, etc.)  you are choosing to use. The first question to ask when choosing an essential oil is: does the oil have the ability to deliver the full content of the plants underlying benefits? Almost all essential oils say on the label 100% pure or 100 % (lavender) essential oil or therapeutic grade but is the description on the label really what is in the bottle? There are no ...

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Essential Oils and Down Syndrome

August 4, 2008 – 5:55 pm
I have a son with Down syndrome. Respiratory and sinus issues create a huge challenge in the day to day health of someone with DS. My pediatrician told me that because of his head shape, my son would have to live with the infections and the subsequent cracked and bleeding nose and lips. After my son suffered with constant infections for 4 years, I decided to start researching natural ways to support his health. I was on a mission to not only remove the symptoms but actually evoke a permanent healing. I took a class on the healing benefits of essential oils. I started applying oils directly to his sinus cavity, chest and feet. I diffused oils into the air with a cold air diffuser that allowed him to breath in the droplets while he was sleeping. He started getting better. The first month I used tons of oils on ...

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Aromatherapy: Schools of Thought

July 23, 2008 – 6:52 pm
There are different aromatherapy schools of thought and which school you follow will determine what type of benefits you receive. Some schools focus on aroma and others focus on therapy. The practical applications you incorporate into your use of essential oils depend on several factors: the training available to you, the resources available to you, and the quality of the essential oils you use. The German School The German school of thought emphasizes inhalation of essential oils as the best way to receive the benefits of aromatherapy. This practice falls into the same category as approaching health through psychology, a German created methodology for wellness using a sensory-perception system. When essential oils are inhaled they go directly to the brain through the limbic system. This is the one of the senses that is not mediated through other bodily systems before reaching the brain. Our sense of smell is a direct pathway to the ...

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