Essential Oil

In this post I am continuing to share some ideas for Essential Oils in Aromatherapy that I learned from *Cate Alber in April at our Women’s Social Business Group. Today’s ideas are for your personal use, last post I shared several ideas for household use.

Two EOs that should be in everyone’s first aid kit: Lavender and Tea Tree oil. I prefer Lavender Spikey because of its smell. It has a little spicy smell and sort of sassy.

Have you ever forgotten to use your Coola or Colorscience sunscreen? Of course I know you would never do that, but just in case you had a moment of crazy thinking I’ll give you a little formula to help you out. To heal your burn use 10 drops of Lavender, 5 drops of Frankincense (if you don’t have this don’t worry, just use the Lavender), add to 2 Tablespoons of Jojoba Oil or Aloe (the good stuff, not the kind with parabens, fragrance or other junk!). If you have an Aloe plant just smash some up and add your EOs to it. It is best to take the heat out of your skin first so take an ice cold shower if you can handle it, or soak the body part in ice cold water.

For any burn, use a drop of lavender straight on the burn as soon as you’ve run it under cold water to cool it down.

Have you ever burned your hand on a pan while you were cooking? I have been cooking more lately. I made the brilliant mistake of totally grabbing the handle of a hot skillet I had just pulled out of the oven! HELLO!!!!!!! Oh my word, OUCH! Any how, I first soaked my hand in ice cold water, then I added some smashed Aloe and used a salve that has Lavender in it. I really expected my hand to blister. It was sore and a little red the next day, but not bad at all. That Lavender really works!

If you want to take a healing bath, use 5-20 drops of EOs with Epsom salts, Himalayan salts or whole milk. This will help disperse the oil better. Avoid hot oils in the bath, like Peppermint, Thyme, Oregano, Clove or Cinnamon. Bath friendly oils include Lavender, Patchouli, Cypress, Frankincense, Ylang Ylang, Geranium and many more!

Grapefruit, Cypress and Juniper oil added to a sugar or salt scrub are perfect for helping with cellulite.

2 drops of Lavender and 1 drop of Peppermint are a life saver for a headache! Massage into temples, between your brows and the back of the neck (or at least for me since my headaches start back there a lot) and under your nose. Inhale deeply and wipe the excess on a tissue so you can inhale throughout the day.

I had a terrible headache a few weeks ago and thought I was going to have to cancel my day. I had already taken 2 Aleve, which is not normal for me at all. If I take anything it might just be 1, but I knew this was going to be a doozy. I felt nauseated, like I was going to pass out or throw up. It was pretty rough. Within 15 minutes of using the oils my headache was almost gone. A short time afterwards and it was gone altogether.

Any EO that smells like food will help control appetite: Grapefruit, Orange, Lemon, Cinnamon, Clove, Thyme, Sage, or Rosemary are just a few you could use. Place the oil on a tissue and inhale. You can also use the oil in a diffuser.

Need help with sugar cravings? Try Cinnamon, Grapefruit and Patchouli. You can put a drop of each on a tissue or cotton ball and inhale. You could also add 3 drops of each to a roller bottle and dilute it with a carrier oil of your choice, like fractionated coconut, jojoba, or grapeseed.

I hope you find these tips as helpful as I do! Let me know which ones are your favorites after you try them. Talk to you soon!

*Cate Alber, Certified Aromatherapist, studied with Cheryl Hoard in St. Louis, MO, and the East West School of Herbal and Aromatic Studies. She has worked in and studied the field of natural health since 2008, and has been practicing Aromatherapy in Greenville since 2013. Find her at Pure on Main.

In April, *Cate Alber from Pure on Main came to talk with the Women’s Social Business Group I am part of. She spoke about using aromatherapy for the spring and summer, some basics to help with allergies, weight loss, and insect repellent as well as other things.

Essential Oils, or EOs, are used in aromatherapy. Aromatherapy works with the body via multiple pathways: through inhalation and olfaction, and through application to the skin. When you inhale an essential oil, it quickly crosses into your bloodstream through your lungs. Many oils are also very effective at crossing the blood-brain barrier, and immediately act upon the emotional centers of your brain. Here are a few things I learned during the meeting that I wanted to share with you. In this post I will share some ideas for household use with you.

Want a natural bug spray for plants? Use 1 teaspoon Eucalyptus to 2 cups of water. Spray lightly on plants.

Bay leaves or Bay EO in your pantry will help deter weevils.

Cederwood helps keep away cockroaches.

Have a problem with silverfish? Use Rosemary sprigs or a few drops of Rosemary oil on a cotton ball and place around the area with the problem.

Add a few drops of Lavender to a cotton ball and use to deter moths.

Use Peppermint to keep mice away. A few drops on a cotton ball placed wherever they might be sneaking in is effective.

Use a Borax and sugar mixture, dissolved in water, to get rid of ants. Use 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 1/2 Tablespoons Borax and 1 1/2 cups warm water. Soak cotton balls in the mixture or saturate a paper towel and lay in the area the ants are. They will feast on it, and carry it back to their home. After a few days, your ant problem should disappear!

Want to protect your dogs from fleas? Try adding 5 drops total of Lavender, Eucalyptus and Citrus oils (like Orange, Lemon or Grapefruit, your choice). Apply to a cloth collar. This remedy is not to be used on other pets, just dogs.

To help deter ticks, use 30 drops each of Lavender, Lemongrass and Geranium oils to 2 cups water. Be sure to shake well before each use to disperse the oil. Spray directly onto your dogs coat. You can also use this one on yourself, just spray on your skin.

Lavender is good if you get stung or bit. Just apply a drop to the bite area. If you are using this on little kids, add a few drops of lavender to a teaspoon of aloe gel and apply that mixture to their bites.

Next post I will be sharing lots of other Lavender ideas for helping you with all sorts of things from headaches to sunburn.

*Cate Alber, Certified Aromatherapist, studied with Cheryl Hoard in St. Louis, MO, and the East West School of Herbal and Aromatic Studies. She has worked in and studied the field of natural health since 2008, and has been practicing Aromatherapy in Greenville since 2013. Find her at Pure on Main.