Posts Tagged ‘Aromatherapy’

Buy Cheap Supplements

Over the years I’ve noticed some “anomalies” when it comes to the price of health products. Many companies take advantage of the fact that people want to take care of their bodies and will often pay a lot of money for a “magic pill” instead of just eating healthily.

Here are a few examples of cheap and not so cheap supplements I’ve come across over the years.

Saw Palmetto and Pumpkin Seeds v Prostate Care

When flicking through a vitamin catalogue I noticed that the company was selling two products which at first glance are very different. One was a bottle of “Saw Palmetto and Pumpkin Seeds” caps whilst the other was for “Prostate Care”. It made me chuckle when I looked closer at the ingredient list and saw that they are exactly the same product. The only difference was the price. The “Prostate Care” product was much more expensive.

Tea Tree Essential Oil v Tea Tree Aromatherapy Oil

When buying some tea tree oil the other month for my sun burn I found myself rather confused. Sitting next to each other was a bottle of “Tea Tree Essential Oil” and a bottle of “Tea Tree Aromatherapy Oil”. Both of these products were by the same company, both products contained 100% Tea Tree Oil and both contained exactly the same amount of oil. Yet the aromatherapy oil was a lot more expensive.

OK, I’m not an expert on aromatherapy but I have dabbled with it over the years, for the life of me I can’t figure out why there’s a price difference. Does it cost more to print the word “Aromatherapy”?

OptiMSM v OptiMSM

MSM is a product I’ve started to take again as it’s supposed to be beneficial for your hair, skin and nails. When I bought my MSM a couple of years ago I found out that one of the major manufacturers is OptiMSM who sell their powder to other companies. These companies then package the powder into capsules, cream and mix it in with other products such as Glucosamine. When shopping around I noticed that Swanson sold this exact same MSM considerably cheaper than other brands Swanson stocked at the time.

I find it amazing that companies will charge different amounts for the same product all because they think they can get away with it.  Do yourself a favor and avoid buying expensive supplements based on branding.  Although there is the risk of cheap supplements being of inferior quality, buying cheap supplements should be done after you have done your research.

How to Get Rid of Bruises Naturally

Why is it that the largest bruises always seem to appear when you don’t expect it? Maybe it’s just me but I always end up thinking to myself “how the heck did I end up with that?”

Anyway, some years ago my mum ended up with a huge big bruise and decided to try out some lavender essential oil to get rid of it. So she put some drops of lavender onto a cotton pad and taped it over the bruise. The problem was that the cotton pad wasn’t big enough to cover the entire bruise so when it was taken off, there was a surprising result….

The covered area was yellow whereas the exposed area was still black/blue.

I wish I had a photo to show you, it looked amazing. No one could try and say it was just a “placebo effect”!

None of the bruises I’ve had recently are big enough to reproduce this experiment however if I do get one I’ll make sure I take a photo as proof.

Lavender oil isn’t the only natural remedy you can try, here are some other suggestions:

  • When the bruise appears, apply fennel, helichrysum or hyssop essential oils to the skin.
  • Arnica gel, a homeopathic remedy, is said to be one of the best ways to get rid of a bruise.
  • When the bruise has turned yellow, rosemary oil is said to help by increasing circulation.
  • Eat foods rich in vitamin C.
  • Bromelain (a digestive enzyme found in pineapples) breaks down proteins that trap fluids in the tissues after an injury.

Has anyone else successfully treated bruises using natural remedies?

USB Oil Diffuser

It seems there’s loads of gadgets you can plug into your laptop from paper shredders to fridges but the latest to hit the market is a USB oil diffuser which is basically a scented oil diffuser that plugs into the USB port.

I never go anywhere with my laptop but there’s loads of people who carry theirs to and from work. Plus with wireless broadband all the rage, people are connecting to the net whilst commuting on the train. If this sound like you then you can now travel with you favourite fragrance for only $7.

I’m afraid I’ll not be buying one of these, I only have 2 USB slots and I’m not giving one of them up so I can have a nice fragrance whilst I type.  However it would sure be nice to have a scented oil diffuser as it’s nice to be able to work away whilst having a nice scent in the air.  It’s the sort of thing that if my gran knew what a USB was she’d love to be able to have a scented oil diffuser.

Aromatherapy Blends: Do’s and Dont’s to Blending

Because aromatherapy can be fairly confusing if you’re new to it you can start off by buying ready made blends of essential oil. On the other hand, if you’re more experienced and want the flexibility of creating your own creations then continue reading….

Blending is simply the combining of different aromatherapy carrier oils, essential oils, absolutes, CO2s, herbs and occasionally water for the purpose of achieving different results.

There’s more to blending than simply adding random oils together. You need to understand the theory behind blending before you rush off and waste money. Once you understand the theory behind blending, it’s something you’ll easily be able to do on your own.

What’s the Difference Between Aromatic and Therapeutic Blending

Simply put: with aromatic blending we’re primarily concerned with the scent, whereas with therapeutic blending our aim is to deal with aches and pains. Although the focus with therapeutic blending is different, aroma is still a factor to consider. The therapeutic blending will be a wasted effort if it’s too pungent to be used!

DO Be Careful of Oil Combinations: Not all oils are harmonious with each other, sometimes certain oils can overwhelm other more delicate scents, so you need to be careful. Don’t worry, you don’t need to have a scientific mind to find out what works and what doesn’t. There’s a lot of info written about this subject in books and on the internet.

DO Limit the Amount of Oils Used: Should you want to experiment, it’s better to limit the number of essential oils you combine to three, sometimes four until you’re more experienced with the process. That amount is easier to control.

DON’T Shake – Roll: When blending the one thing you should NOT do is shake the bottle. The best thing to do is gently roll the bottle between the palms of your hands.

DO Take Notes: How frustrating would it be if you created the most beautiful smelling aromatherapy blend only to discover you can’t remember what oils you used and in what quantities! That’s why taking notes is so important. And likewise, when disaster strikes and you create aromatherapy blends that are harsh and as a result, cause significant irritation, you’ll know what NOT to do next time.

DO Be Aware of Contradictions: Special care needs to be taken when using essential oils for certain people. For instance, if you are pregnant you should stay away from rosemary. Also, a surprising amount of people suffer from nut allergies, so if this is you, stay away from essential oils made from these nuts.

DO Label Your Blends: For safety as much for tracking, always properly label and store your aromatherapy blends as well as the individual ingredients in a cool, dark area away from pets and children.

What Are The Benefits of Aromatherapy?

What is Aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy harnesses the body’s sense of smell to help relieve stress, boost moods and improve general wellbeing. Each type of essential oil has its own unique health giving properties. If you want to feel energized then choose eucalyptus or peppermint, whereas if you want to feel relaxed and sleepy then lavender and chamomile are excellent choices. If you’re feeling tired and want to feel revitalized then choose either lemon or rosemary.

Wow! Aren’t our Bodies Amazing?

The sense of smell is powerful. In fact, the body can distinguish around 10,000 different scents! As scents are inhaled, the smell travels across the olfactory nerves located inside the nose and then up into the part of the brain that controls our moods, our memories and our ability to learn. This area is called the Limbic System and when stimulated it releases endorphins, neurotransmitters and other ‘feel-good’ chemicals.

Aromatherapy isn’t all just about scent. The oils from the fruits, plants, herbs or flowers are also carried into the blood stream when rubbed into the skin. Chances are you’ve practiced aromatherapy without even realizing it. The reason being is that many fragrant lotions and creams you buy to make your skin feel soft contain essential oils.

There’s a huge selection of essential oils to choose from and are often found in lotions, inhalants, gels, bath salts, vaporizers, candles, perfumes and room sprays. Aromatherapy involves the use of essential oils, oils that have been extracted from naturally-occurring materials. Because they’re natural there is less chance of developing allergies to them. Essential oils are far from being a new phenomenon, despite being considered by some to be “new age”. In fact, they’ve been around since Ancient Egyptian times.

Benefits of Aromatherapy

1# Enjoy in Your Own Home

if you have the money to spare, then visiting a professionally trained aromatherapist can be a real treat. However for the rest of us who have bills to pay, aromatherapy can just as easily be enjoyed in your own home. All you need are some candles, Aromatherapy or bath oils and a burner or diffuser. To achieve the maximum results, you’ll also want to seek out a quite and comfortable space for your aromatherapy session!

#2 Improve Your Health Naturally

So many people are getting fed up of taking prescription medication that they are looking for natural ways to improve your health. Be careful however; make sure you always take advice from a physician. If you only have mild health problems such as colds and headaches, aromatherapy can help instead if you don’t want to take such meds as aspirin. Although there are few side effects with aromatherapy, it’s important to remember that there is still the possibility of an allergic reaction. If you have particularly sensitive skin you should always test on a patch of skin.

#3 Not Tested on Animals

As a vegetarian and animal lover, I love the fact the buying essential oil means I don’t have to worry about cruelty to animals. Although many manufacturers say they don’t test their products on animals, they in fact test the ingredients on them instead. I think this is very misleading to say the least.

Absolutes in Aromatherapy

What makes aromatherapy so attractive? Many people will say that smell can improve the body, mind and soul. That’s why it’s so important when practicing the use of aromatherapy to find one that smells attractive. Absolutes are only recently becoming part of aromatherapy. The highly-concentrated scent of absolutes can waken powerful feelings and emotions even in the busiest of lives.

So What Exactly are Absolutes?

Absolutes are basically a more concentrated form of essential oil extracted from plants. What actually makes them different is the process by which the oil is obtained. Essential oils are primarily extracted using a steam distillation process.

However, the process of extracting absolutes involves the use of chemicals and solvents. This extraction method creates a more concentrated version of the plant’s essence – one that is far more fragrant. The problem is that traces of chemicals and solvents can often be found in the end product.

This is why absolutes are generally used by perfume manufacturers, rather than aromatherapists. They can be used in aromatherapy but with extreme care because then can trigger an allergic reaction in some people.

On the whole essential oils are preferable over absolutes but sometimes it’s just not practical to use traditional distillation methods. Two examples of plants which need to go through the chemical extraction process are Jasmine and honeysuckle.

Some Popular Absolutes

Jasmine absolute – Extracted using solvents, Jasmine absolute offers an exquisite scent. Used for years in perfumes and therapy sessions, this sweet heady fragrance is among other things an effective aphrodisiac. If you suffer from irregular menstrual cycles, Jasmine is said to be able to help. It’s also helpful for relieving headaches, depression and also has antiseptic properties.

Lavender absolute – Extracted using alcohol, Lavender absolute has a sweet, floral and woody fragrance reminiscent of a lavender shrub. I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of soaps and creams with lavender in it

Oakmoss absolute – Extracted using solvents or alcohol, Oakmoss absolute has a rich scent that is both earthy and woody. Imagine the smell of damp oak along the seashore and this is what oakmoss absolute smells like – very comforting.

Rose absolute – Extracted from rose blossoms using chemical solvents, rose absolute is a feminine scent that is very intense. It’s perfect for relaxing after a hard day or for when you’re feeling particularly sexy. Something you don’t hear much about is that roses absolute also has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. The only downside is the price; it takes many rose blossoms to produce an absolute.

Lotus absolute – Extracted from either pink or white lotus flowers using solvents, lotus absolute has healing qualities. It can also help build confidence and self-esteem.