Holiday tips

Well we have Christmas right around the corner. That usually means long hours on your feet. When you come home and those beautiful feet that serve you so well are throbbing, don’t ignore them, and don’t wait for the man in your life to massage them. Instead go sit on the side of the bath tub and run enough water to cover your feet. Put 10 drops of Peppermint oil in some liquid soap or shampoo and swish it around. Now soak those dogs for at least 10 -15 min. Get a book, you might as well enjoy your quick “little pick me up”. You won’t believe it. They won’t ache anymore. It just takes minutes to take care of yourself, so do it.

Peppermint is also great for headaches, stomach aches, morning sickness & car sickness. 1 drop on the tongue & a drop on the back of your neck is all it takes for all of those ailments. Use it as often as needed. You won’t overdose on Peppermint. It also makes a great mouthwash to freshen your breath. I always carry a small bottle in my purse.

How and Why Does Aromatherapy work?

Why and how does aromatherapy work? I get this question quite frequently. A lot of people think that aromatherapy is nosing around and smelling fragrances.
Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils of plants for your health & well being. Essential oils are the concentrated essences of plants, often referred to as the soul of the plant and, at one time, were actually thought to be waste products. It has since been found that essential oils are part of the plant's own immune system with the plant producing more essence under stress. An essential oil contains the life force of the plant from which it comes. They work in harmony with the body and give a sense of balance and well being. Essential oils are fragrant, highly concentrated, volatile extracts from plants. They are found in such varied parts of the plant as the leaves, spices, fruits, woods, roots, seeds and flowers. The flower is part of the plant's "communication," providing rich nectar, hallucinogenic colors, scents, varying textures and markings to entice specific insects or birds to come and sample its splendors. Scent is the final step in the flower's ability to screen its callers.
Each oil contains individual benefits to which the body and mind respond. Since the use of essential oils, incense and perfumes began, it has been believed that they could heal the body, alter moods, stir memories, and generally improve the quality of life. Essential oils are complete in themselves. Essential oils are the most concentrated and potent of all plant extracts. They are approximately 75-100 times more concentrated than dried herbs. This is why only small concentrations are used in applications.
FYI: It takes nearly 5,000 pounds of rose petals to yield one pound of essential oil which in turn has a market price of $2200-$2,500. The concentration of essential oil in the plant and the process of distillation dictate the price. For instance, eucalyptus is quite inexpensive (an abundance of oil is found in the leaves and distillation is easy) and rose is very expensive (very little oil in the flower and quite costly to process).
If you are having hay fever, or congestion. Put a few drops of eucalyptus on a tissue and inhale. You will find your sinus clearing instantly. The wonderful thing about this is it is not harmful to use it as often as needed.

Strengthen your immune system

As we approach winter it is easy to get exposed to more virus' & bacteria. Homes and schools are closed up with little fresh air. We tend to get less exercise and the stress of life builds up as we rush here and there. When you first feel a cold or illness coming on it is very important to bring out the big guns! Building your immune system is imperative. Taking a bath in Lavender, Tea tree & Eucalyptus combination is a real boost. Use a combination of 10-12 drops depending on your tub size. I usually use 5 drops of lavender, 3 tea tree and finish up with the eucalyptus. Don't forget to put it in an emulsifier before putting it in the tub. Soak 15-30 minutes and finish up by massaging some anti virus oil essential oil, mixed in olive oil on your chest, lung area and the bottom of your feet. Mix some anti viral essential oil in a mister and spray in your home 4 or 5 times a day or use the diffuser to keep it from spreading. The most important thing is to eat well and get plenty of sleep so that you build your immune system. Deep breathing exercise are also very helpful. Breath deeply to the count of 6, hold for 12, and exhale 6. Doing 10 of these breathing sets 3 times a day will really help your endocrine system rid itself of toxins.
You can not mix aroma therapy with homeopathic remedies. The essential oils kill the pathogens that the homeopathic remedy is introducing in small amounts to encourage your immune system to fight. They will cancel the benefits of each other.

Introducing Weekly Aromatherapy Tips

You hear a lot about aromatherapy, but may be wondering what to do with the oils and how they can enhance your life. I will be doing a weekly blog with small ways you can add them to your life for some wonderful benefits for your health and to enhance your life.

When you want to take a relaxing, energizing, healing bath grab your favorite oil… Lavender for relaxation, birch and juniper for aches, peppermint for energy etc. (If you have some oils you don’t know what to do with email me and I will let you know what they are good for.) Put 10 drops in an emulsifier. An emulsifier is to disperse the essential throughout the bath. Never add the oil directly to water. Some common emulsifiers are shampoo, bath salts, liquid soap, milk, epson salts. After adding the oils to the emulsifier add to your bath and swish around just before you get in… don’t run the bath and then put the kids in bed, do the dishes etc like you usually do… the oils are volatile and will have dissipated before you get done. Because the oils have a very small molecular structure they can enter into your system quickly, but they also dissapate quickly. Remember you have to stay in the water for at least 15 min. to get the maximum benefit, so grab your favorite book and relax! Finish your pamper by putting lotion you have added essential oils to, on your moist skin. 15 drops per 2 oz. is perfect. PS don’t put peppermint lotion on before going to bed… it is for energy!

Hope you have a fabulous week.
barb@solutionsteam.biz
Barb Wittwer , Certified Aromatherapist
435 884 9449
“ Remember, Herbs are ordained for the use of man & women”