Natural Body Guru

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.

A friend of mine told me she loved the fragrance I was wearing one day and asked what it was. I told her it was Egyptian Musk, a fragrance we carry at Fragrance World of Topeka. (Like us on Facebook.) She eventually got some for herself and she told me she still likes but it didn’t smell the same on her as it did on me.

The thing about body oils is that the fragrance smells one way in the bottle but once you put it on, it blends with your body chemistry and it becomes a signature scent for you. It will still have the same fragrance notes but your chemical signature will make it different on you than on anyone else. One special thing about Egyptian Musk as well as most other musk fragrances is that they are unisex and work well on both men and women.

My daughter’s dog was 18 years old when she passed and she had arthritis so bad that sometimes she couldn’t walk at all. My daughter asked me what essential oils I had for my “grand-dog” so she could help her when she couldn’t walk or go up and down the stairs. She hated trying to force pet medicine down Onyx’s throat.

Just like with people, arthritis is painful for dogs and you must be careful when you are handling them but dogs do love to be massaged. If your pet has arthritis, they will love your touch as you massage them and the essential oils will be a beneficial treatment. The arthritis dog treatment I suggested to my daughter is 4 drops of rosemary, 2 drops of lavender, and 3 drops of ginger diluted in 2 tablespoons of a carrier oil like sweet almond oil or grapeseed oil.

Try to get the massage oil mixture onto the painful joints working it through the coat and into the skin. Start at your pet’s back  and massage the muscles in rhythmic movements working towards the haunches. Cover all of the legs and include the vertebrae. This may be a little messy but your pet will soon lick off most of the oil and enough will penetrate the skin to be effective.  Also, what they ingest will help their digestive system. An added bonus to this treatment is that fleas do not like lavender!

Making your own perfume or body oils using essential oils is a lot like making music in a band or orchestra. You need base notes, middle notes and top notes for the blend to be beautiful and to smell wonderful. These notes in perfume making can be either male or female and in some cases they are for either sex so I say, if you like the way it smells – use it. Below are some essential oils in each category for you to experiment with and make your own blends.

Base Note Essential Oils (Always start with the base and go up)

• Benzoin
• Cedarwood
• Cinnamon
• Frankincense
• Myrrh
• Sandalwood
• Patchouli
• Vanilla
• Vetiver

Middle Note Essential Oils

• Carnation
• Clary Sage
• Clove
• Geranium
• Ginger
• Jasmine
• Marjoram
• Rose
• Thyme

Top Note Essential Oils

• Anise
• Bay
• Bergamot
• Cumin
• Lavender
• Lemon
• Lemongrass
• Lime
• Mandarin
• Pettigraine

Store your essential oil perfume blends in dark colored bottles in a dark cool place for best results. Right now, you can go to your local perfumery and start sniffing the essential oils above to see which ones you want to experiment with when you make your first perfumes.

Trembling that is not related to a physical ailment like Parkinson’s disease can be helped with aromatherapy. I remember my Uncle Albert’s hands were always trembling, probably because he was an over the road truck driver. I bet this treatment would have helped him, had I known about it then. Yesterday, my husband did the yard trimming with a weed eater and we have a large corner lot so there was a lot of trimming to be done. When he came in, his hands and arms were trembling noticeably so I rubbed his body with the following essential oils: 2 drops of narcissus, 4 drops of nutmeg and 2 drops of lemon diluted in 2 teaspoons of sweet almond oil.

Since it was his hands and arms that were trembling, I rubbed the oil over his right arm, across his chest, down the other arm and over both hands. Within two to three hours, the trembling had lessened significantly. You can use the same treatment again within six hours if needed.  If the trembling is in the lower part of your body, rub the oil (use about the size of a quarter in the palm of your hand) over your lower back, hips, legs, and feet. You may need help with this part, but you should also rub it all down your spine and about a hands width on either side of your spine. If you don’t have anyone to help, just get as much of your spine as possible. Narcissus essential oil is very expensive and many places don’t carry it so if you can’t find it or don’t want to pay so much for the little amount you need to use, you can use chamomile essential oil instead. It is much more reasonably priced.

Blackheads are ugly and can easily become infected. Blocked sebum become blackheads when surface cells develop sulphides that turn black when they come into contact with oxygen. When you remove them and the opening just fills up again with more sebum; this condition is related to seborrhea, overproduction of the sebaceous glands. Even people with dry skin can develop blackheads, especially on the nose or chin but blackheads can develop practically anywhere on the body, as well as on the face. Wherever they develop, the treatment for blackheads is the same, they need to be removed.

To remove blackheads, get a bowl of steaming hot water with 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar added, put 1 drop of lavender essential oil on the water and cover your head with a towel, being sure to close off the sides too and steam your face for 10 minutes, coming up for air every 3-4 minutes. Rinse the face with 1 teaspoon of cider vinegar mixed in a bowl of hot (but not boiling) water. If the blackheads are loose, squeeze gently taking care not to damage the skin. Then splash the face with a mixture of 2 ounces of mineral water, 2 teaspoons cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon witch hazel, 2 drops each of bergamot and cypress essential oils.

After patting the skin dry, massage the following oils into the skin. This will help to prevent blackheads from coming back and also loosen the ones that are already there:

• Lemongrass – 8 drops
• Lavender – 5 drops
• Clary-sage – 2 drops
• Thyme – 5 drops
• Jojoba oil – 5 drops

Use this massage mixture morning and night. When you wash your face, take care to use a pure natural soap. You can use eye makeup if you like but avoid face makeup and powder.

There are multiple factors that contribute to acne: genetics, hormones, certain medications, stress and bacteria, to name a few. Acne results when bacteria, dead skin, dirt and oil become trapped in the pores. Typically, blemishes consist of whiteheads or blackheads, and can be accompanied by redness, peeling, changes in skin texture and an increase in oil production.

There are several solutions to getting rid of acne, such as all natural skin care beauty products and a better diet.  There are also some commercially available acne medications, but many of them contain chemicals that can be harmful to sensitive skin and I would prefer not to use those.

Coriander essential oil has been used for thousands of years in Asian countries and is composed of over 65% linalool which makes it great for the skin. It stimulates the appetite and is wonderful for relieving occasional digestive issues. Coriander and cilantro come from the same plant and go together well as essential oils and when used in cooking. When using coriander oil on the skin, use it with a carrier oil such as jojoba oil if your skin is sensitive.

Seven Super Uses for Coriander

1. Blood Sugar Balance – coriander contains properties that can assist with balancing cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. To support healthy blood sugar, take 1 drop internally as needed.
2. Gas, Nausea and Bloating – coriander’s digestive support properties assist in relieving gas and nausea. It also helps relax the digestive system and can ease unsettledness that often leads to nausea. Apply 2 to 3 drops topically to the abdomen or take 1 drop internally.
3. Skin Health – coriander is an effective Ayurvedic remedy for rashes and itchy skin because of its anti-irritant , soothing, inflammation – cooling and antiseptic properties. Apply 2 to 3 drops topically to the irritated area.
4. Anxiety – coriander oil is a mild stimulant and is capable of relaxing the mind too, thereby reducing feelings of stress and nervousness. Diffuse or apply a blend of coriander, lavender and chamomile topically to the soles of the feet and the back of the neck.
5. Muscle and Joint Discomfort – because of its inflammation-cooling and spasm-soothing properties, coriander oil may reduce pain associated with muscle and joint issues. For soothing relief, apply it topically to the area of concern.
6. Adrenal Fatigue – to support the adrenals and promote proper function naturally, apply coriander to the back of the neck or the soles of the feet.
7. Appetite Stimulant – to boost the appetite, take 1 drop of coriander oil internally or apply 2 to 3 drops to the palms, cup the nose and inhale deeply for 5 minutes.

The use of natural essential oils stimulates potent mental, emotional and physiological responses. The aroma of the essential oil stimulates a reaction in the brain but also when the oil is inhaled into the body, the natural chemicals in the oil supply great therapeutic benefits. For example, diffusing eucalyptus is a very effective way to help ease congestion and inhaling peppermint oil improves energy.

When you breathe in the aroma of any essential oil, that is called “direct inhalation“. There are several methods of direct inhalation:

1. Open a bottle of essential oil and breathe in the fragrance.
2. Put a couple of drops of essential oil in the palm of your hand, rub your hands together, make a cup with your hands around your nose and mouth and breathe in the aroma. Remember, some essential oils require a carrier oil like coconut or jojoba oil to dilute the concentration or prevent irritation to the skin.)
3. Put a drop or two of oil or a blend of two or more oils on a tissue, hold it close to the face and  breathe in the scent.

Another widely used method of aromatherapy is diffusing the essential oils in a room. A diffuser causes the essential oil to evaporate into the surrounding room. Diffusing oils can change your mood by relaxing or stimulating the mind. Diffusers are also used to kill airborne germs and ease respiratory issues. Here are several ways to diffuse essential oils:

1. Add a blend of lemon, clove, orange, cinnamon, eucalyptus and rosemary essential oils to a diffuser to cleanse the air.
2. Add peppermint oil to a diffuser to improve energy.
3. Add lavender or chamomile oil to a diffuser to reduce stress, ease a headache or just to relax.

Do you feel a cold coming on? Do you already have a miserable cold and feel stuffy? Aromatherapy inhalation is a method of using essential oils that will help you tremendously. All you do is add a few drops of essential oil to hot water to make a therapeutic steam. Inhaling this steam will help to open your airways and improve your breathing during colds, flu, hay fever and sinusitis. The essential oil travels up your nose through the vapor and then the tiny molecules of essential oil help to loosen blockages and sooth mucous membranes in your nasal passages. As you breath deeply and breathing becomes easier, the essential oil vapor travels farther down the respiratory passages toward your lungs. This will ease your cough and tight chest.

It is easy to do an aromatherapy inhalation at home. Half fill a heatproof bowl with near boiling water. Remove your glasses or contact lenses, add up to a total of 6 drops of essential oil to the hot water, lean over the fragrant steam with a towel draped over your head and the bowl. Lift the towel every 2 to 3 minutes so you don’t become uncomfortable. Breathe slowly, deeply and steadily so the aromatic fragrance enters your nose and lungs for up to 15 minutes. You will feel the essential oils clearing your head and nose, bringing a feeling of lightness and relief.

These inhalation blends are safe for all adults except those with asthma. If you have asthma, these may be too strong for you and you should not use inhalations. Instead, you should take an aromatherapy bath to ease your breathing.

• To ease a stuffy head, use 3 drops eucalyptus and 3 drops pine
• To unblock the nose, use 3 drops peppermint and 3 drops oregano
• To sooth the throat and chest, use 3 drops cedar wood and 3 drops frankincense
• To help ease a chest infection, use 3 drops tea tree and 3 drops lemon