Another name for shea butter is “women’s gold” because the job of  extracting the butter from shea nuts gives employment and income to many rural African village women. Shea butter is used in foods and cooking as well as soaps and beauty products because it is so safe and beneficial. It also contains natural ingredients that protect skin from the sun.

African women and healers have known about and used shea butter for thousands of years. Its properties are so amazing it is almost magical in its healing effects on burns, skin conditions, ulcerated skin, stretch marks, and dryness. The vegetable fats in shea butter promote cell regeneration and circulation making it a superb revitalizer for troubled or aging skin.

Essential oils have been used to benefit mankind for centuries but the term aromatherapy was not developed until the 1920’s in France. These oils are drawn from plants and flowers by the process of distillation which results in a  fragrant and highly potent essential oil. When undiluted, essential oils can be a skin irritant so there are many different ways to enjoy their use.

• Sprinkle a few drops in your hot tub, jacuzzi, trash cans, garbage disposals and drains, or toilet bowls to fight bacteria and odors.
• Place a few drops on the filter pad of your vacuum cleaner to spread freshness throughout the room.
• Add three drops on the edge of your toilet paper roll before placing on the holder.
• Mix with purified water in a spray bottle and use as an air freshener, remember to shake before using.

Essential oils are highly concentrated and must be used with extreme respect and care. Always use caution when experimenting with essential oils. There are many recipes for essential oil use in our blog archives so feel free to browse through past blogs.

Have a Happy Valentines Day!

Valentine’s Day is a yearly holiday that we can make memorable by using essential oils. Fragrances and the sense of smell cause a quicker reaction in the brain than any of our other senses. When you send a Valentine card to your boyfriend/girlfriend or someone you would like to know better, scent it with your favorite fragrance. Body oils are wonderful for this because their scent will linger on and on. Be sure the next time you see this friend that you are wearing the same fragrance you suffused the card with so they make that association and are clear about your intentions. Old sweethearts can also be sent a fragranced Valentine card to evoke memories of you in their mind. Be sure to use a scent that they will associate with memories of you and your times together.

When you plan that special Valentine’s evening, make sure your amorous intentions are clear the moment you greet that special person at the door. Spray the room and place red or pink scented candles around for ambiance. The sensual essential oils to use for these romantic encounters are rose , jasmine, ylang-ylang, or geranium.

Make a Valentine gift by placing fudge or sugar cookies in a tin or other pretty container with a small piece of absorbant decorative paper on which you have placed a drop of rose or ylang-ylang oil. Leave the container closed until time to present it to your lover and the sweets will be infused with the sensual oil, thus enhancing your evening even more.

To complete the evening, take a romantic bath together and add 3 drops of ylang-ylang and 4 drops of grapefruit essential oils. After the bath, massage each other with a lover’s massage oil blend containing 10 drops of rose, 2 drops of ylang-ylang, 8 drops of lemon and 10 drops of palma rosa essential oils. A different blend you might use for your massage is 10 drops of jasmine, 5 drops of nutmeg, 5 drops of black pepper and 10 drops of mandarin essential oils. Both blends must be diluted into 2 tablespoons of jojoba oil or sweet almond oil. Before going to sleep, put a handkerchief doused with a few drops of the sensual aroma of jasmine, rose or ylang-ylang essential oil so that when your lover faces the morning and pulls out his keys, the aroma greets his nostrils and reminds him again of you and your romantic night together.

Essential oils are used by many cultures throughout the world for their healing properties. Some uses for the oils include increasing over-all well being and physical, emotional and mental health. Many essential oils can also stimulate the sex drive and work as powerful aphrodisiacs. So those looking to spice up their love lives this Valentine’s Day should consider filling their oil diffusers with one of the following essential oils:

~Ylang Ylang oil energizes the body and intensifies sexual desire.

~Rose oil aids in hormone balance. This oil works best for women, but is also said to boost sexuality in men.

~Jasmine oil is said to have a counter-effect on frigidity, impotence and premature ejaculation. It also boosts energy levels.

~Sandalwood oil is said to aid in the treatment of impotence and help to relieve the anxiety that leads to frigidity. It also produces something similar to androsterone, a male hormone secreted in the armpits as a sexual signal.

You know how you feel when you’re fresh from the shower and get all dressed up to go out? That’s a great feeling, right? Our pets feel great when they get all dolled up too. Take care of your animals the same way you take care of yourself, the natural way. Pet perfume can be used in the following ways:

1. As a pet massage oil when blended with a carrier oil like sweet almond oil
2. As a pet aromatherapy product
3. As a pet deodorizer
4. As an anti pest solution
5. As a general natural pet care product

Pet perfume contains natural essential oils designed to keep your pet smelling fresh and pest free. Your pet will thank you for your loving care.

Does your job have you on the computer all day long so that you are using the same hand muscles to maneuver your mouse? It seems that the human body is not designed to repeat the same movements over and over. When we do work with repeated movements, we can develop repetitive strain syndrome. These symptoms can include cracking and grinding noises, numbness, tingling sensations, and stiffness in the fingers, knuckles, hand, wrist and forearm. These symptoms mainly develop in people who use their hands and wrists for long periods of time like pianists, string players, painters, carpenters and computer whiz kids.

To treat this condition, try using ice massage (more about that later) as well as aromatherapy essential oil massage. My massage formula is 10 drops each of peppermint, lavender and eucalyptus essential oil diluted in 1 tablespoon of jojoba oil and 1 tablespoon of liquid shea butter oil. Massage this onto your hands, fingers and forearms throughout the day, whenever you start to feel the symptoms described above.

It would be too messy to use ice massage at work, but at home you can use it for repetitive strain conditions as well as for back strain. If you sit all day at work on the computer you can use ice massage to help your muscles feel better. You can probably massage your lower back yourself but you may need to get someone else to help when you have sore muscles in your upper back and shoulders. To make the ice you need, fill several styrofoam cups with water and freeze, then cut the cup down so that the ice protrudes. Massage the ice over your sore areas in circular movements.

Next in our series on aromatherapy essential oils and weight loss are formulas for fat blaster toning and diuretic massage oils.

FAT BLASTER TONING MASSAGE OILS

 Toning Massage Formula 1

•  10 drops basil
• 5 drops lemongrass
• 15 drops lavender

Toning Massage Formula  2

• 5 drops red thyme
• 10 drops rosemary
• 15 drops orange

FAT BLASTER DIURETIC MASSAGE OILS

Diuretic Massage Formula 1

• 8 drops juniper
• 10 drops fennel
• 12 drops grapefruit

Diuretic Massage Formula 2

• drops cypress
• 15 drops lemon
• 5 drops juniper

You can make fat blaster massage oils by adding 30 drops of essential oil to 2 tablespoons sweet almond oil plus 10 drops of carrot oil. The almond oil and carrot oil should be blended before you add the essential oils. For today, I have the general fat blaster massage oils for weight loss.

GENERAL FAT BLASTER MASSAGE OILS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Formula 1

• 8 drops grapefruit
• 2 drops oregano
• 10 drops rosemary
• 10 drops cypress

Formula 2

• 5 drops petitgrain
• 10 drops lime
• 5 drops juniper
• 10 drops basil