Original Oils!
8 years ago by
I could seriously nerd out all day and night over natural remedies and organic beauty.
Erik makes fun of me pretty much every day about it, but it is so fascinating! But really, I had an incredible experience the other day when I went to the New York Institute of Aromatherapy. It sounds kind of clinical, but it’s really a welcoming little store front that was founded by Amy Galper, who has every credential under the sun.
We sat down and Amy told me a little bit about how she got to where she was (by way of some pretty crazy yoga festivals a couple of decades ago), and went a little more in depth about the healing properties of essential oils — how it’s not just the oil but the fragrance that cuts straight to the brain to evoke a response, which can be very powerful and extremely beneficial.
She then talked to me about where I hold my stress (shoulders) and where else (hip joints), then started to pull out a whole range of oils from this shelf of every option you can imagine. In the end, she blended a mix of marjoram (to prevent tightening and spasming of muscles, also amazingly antimicrobial), black spruce (helps circulation, can lift you up through exhaustion), and blue chamomile (anti-inflammatory and calming, focuses on the heart chakra!). So I simply rub a small dab on sore muscles when they ache, and it is so wonderfully calming! It’s a little crazy how effective it is immediately.
And when New York feels a little overwhelming, I can just rub the oil between my palms and then breathe in the aroma — so nice!
I was wondering if there was anyone who has been using aromatherapy and essential oils for a long time, and has really noticed longterm what it does to help? So far, I really love it!
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There’s nothing better than an Epsom salts bath with eucalyptus or rosemary essential oils for relaxation. I’ve been doing that for a long time. I also love rose oil for almost anything. It’s wonderful as part of a skin care regime, ‘tho it does get expensive.
Oh so nice! Since it’s the long weekend here this week, I was planning on a long bath with a book… going to have to include some salts and oils too. You’ve inspired me :)
J’utilise assez souvent des huiles pour soigner les bobos du quotidien, surtout avec mon fils qui est 1 peu casse cou.
Mais aussi pour soigner rhumes et bronchites de l’hiver et cela est très efficace .
En tout cas je vais acheter les mêmes huiles dont vous parlez car moi aussi je souffre des épaules et des articulations des hanches, merci pour cette infos.
I am a long time fan of essential oils. They’re great for something simple like a bath. And specific ones have properties that can help with what ails you. For example, if I’m congested I love to do a face steam with an oil that is also an expectorant (e.g. eucalyptus). Otherwise, they’re great to just drop in a carrier oil (grapeseed, avocado, etc) to get a scented oil.
In short, there are tons of things to do with them!
Yes! I grew up using Eucalyptus oil all the time, and I think that might be where my love of oils comes from… Very cool to see it used more and more globally. I’ll have to try an avocado oil – haven’t tried that one yet!
Yes, I use aromatherapy for everything, I even make my own beauty face oils with high-quality essential oils (selected and blended depending on my skin’s needs) added to a carrier oil (coconut, sweet almond, olive, etc.) It’s the only thing that works for my skin because the products on the market are too aggressive for it. It’s also inexpensive in the long run (essential oils are an investment, but a worthy one!).
These oils also work wonders on the mood! I have a roll-on rose therapeutic oil that helps a lot when I’m stressed, sad or upset!
Love,
http://www.sonushka.com
Yes, I’ve been using essential oils in carrier oils for several years. I discovered that applying the eo first (as a moisturizer) made my foundation or tinted sunscreen blend better and very smoothly. The oils seem to add a dewiness to my skin that I like. The scents of the oils lift my spirits and make me feel pampered. I have blended my own oils and also requested blends from aromatherapists. I also like Leonor Greyl’s blends for the skin. Because the blends have natural ingredients and I know what’s in them, I feel better about applying them. I also use hydrosols first for extra moisturizing (like Rose Hydrosol).
Lots of fun and so pampering!
How exciting Neada to have a customized aromatherapy blend made for you! As a practicing aromatherapist, I love seeing how people respond to the healing properties of essential oils. At this time of year – especially as the days grow shorter – I highly recommend diffusing bergamot essential. Its uplifting scent is like a summer holiday in sunny Italy. :)
I have started using EO last year, now I am hooked! Try out Young Living, a US company specializing in oils. Amazing! I also have very tensed shoulders and lower back pains, it works wonders. I recently acquired a diffuser, I recommend mixing a few drops of orange & peppermint, your home will smell heavenly.
I am more and more interested in natural beauty products. I use this mix verx often at night: one drop of essential oil of lavender + a few drops of jojoba oil+ small quantity of aloe vera gel.
Works wonders for me and helps clear out my blemish-prone skin! Especially before and during the bad time of the month.
Lavender, for when I am stressed and have a hard time winding down in the evening. I just put a couple of drops on my temples and jaws (which tend to get really tight when I stress). Or if my stomach or bowels are upset, then I rub it on my belly (clockwise, since that’s the way your bowel moves).
I also use ravintsara oil when I feel like I’m getting a cold, it’s a powerful anti-viral. I take two drops in a teaspoon of olive oil and keep it under my tongue until it more or less dissolves, then swallow it. It’s true that some people say you should never use essential oils internally, because some of them are poisonous, but this is definitely not the case for all of them.
J’ai vécue en Thaïlande quelques mois et la culture de l’aromathérapie est aussi très présente! depuis je ne vis plus sans un flacon d’une huile, en ce moment j’adore la lavande que j’applique sur les tempes ou je crée un pillow mist que je vaporise tous les soirs sur mes oreillers avant de me coucher, un vrai plaisir!
Bisous
Iman
I have a solid perfume of lavender and sage (I know you like those, got mine from MindOverLather from Etsy), which I carry with me and helps when I get anxious a bit.
And a lemongrass spray for on my yogamat (same Etsy shop), which I looove.
Oh and Chinese peppermint oil for a couple of things (congested nose, steambath, headache (rubbing it on your temples is wonderful)).
It’s really nice reading these comments for tips btw! And that you have a customised oil! Never thought about it like that.
I started making my own nighttime face oil this year and I really like it. I am picky about scents and I prefer natural ingredients so I decided to channel my inner Linda Rodin. I use some avocado oil and jojoba as a carrier and I add a few drops of tea tree oil and rosemary oil. I like using the glass dropper bottles and I like their visual simplicity. I buy these roll on glass containers from whole foods and make little roll on perfumes with essential oils as well.
Love seeing articles like this and the trend toward pure products from nature to honour the skin! I’ve been using essential oils (diffused & as skin treatments) since I was a teenager and almost 20 years later can honestly say (other than staying out of the sun) nothing has treated my skin better.
While most essential oils I use are in such small amounts and really (just for me) to enhance wellbeing through aroma-therapy, my daily go-to miracle oil is pure rosehip seed. Used directly (its like a carrier so no need to dilute like essentials) it has staved off crows feet, stretch marks and (other than cherished laugh lines) early wrinkles! Many expensive brands use rosehip in their rich, facial oils, but it can be purchased from most health food stores (or good quality essential oil suppliers) in its pure form.
I’ve been using oils for over a decade – and it makes a difference. An incredibly kind (possibly blind?) lady told me she thought I was 23 at first (I turn 41 this year)!
Rose hip oil has my love forever. A few drops after a shower before you dry off. Ruins the towels, but I can buy new towels – can’t buy new skin! Oils in the bath are a definite plus too. I won’t say what oils I use, but if you’ve got problem skin, neroli is a very good start.
I’ve also made my own perfumes, and been complemented on them; Siam benzoin, rose geranium and cedar wood was one of my favourites. It’s fun to try combinations and it doesn’t seem to affect people with chemical sensitivity (although that might need a bit more testing.)
If you’re in Australia (don’t know if they ship internationally) ring Goulds Naturopathica and order stuff from them. All the staff are qualified naturopaths (ie they have accredited degrees, don’t really know if there’s a qualification to be a naturopath, never looked into it) and they grow a lot of their herbs on their own farm. Or if you’re in Tasmania, stop into their shop. The smell when you open that front door is amazing!
Essential oils have saved my skin! I turned 50 last year and have the skin of someone ten years younger. In my 20’s, I had angry sensitive skin, anything mass produced made my skin angry, red and dehydrated. Channeling my inner Apothecary I started experimenting with base and essential oils quickly noticed a difference in my skin. It became calm, the redness reduced and it started to feel and look hydrated. Fast forward to the present, while the basic principle is the same, I now use a high quality of oils. Each oil is selected for it’s healing and rejuvenating properties and each one targets specific areas of ageing and keeping my skin healthy and youthful. In mid 2015 I started to market my products under the name of Charlie and Co, and have received fabulous feedback on how the products are helping my clients achieve their best skin possible. Please feel free to like me on both facebook, instagram and twitter @charlieandcoskincare
I can also be found on ETSY @charlieandcoskincare
#skincarewithlove #agegracefully #weareallqueens