Natural Body Guru

This is the last blog on hangovers for a while and it is for those of you who party a little too much on a night when you have to go to work the next morning. I have an aromatherapy formula that will give you the stimulation you need to get the children off to school and get you to work. It also has a diuretic effect. Use this formula like the one in yesterday’s blog; put 8 drops in a bath, rub 2 drops neat around your liver area and 2  neat drops on the back of the neck. Also, like with yesterday’s formula, drink plenty of water and blend some honey in it too. Read the rest of this entry »

The best remedy for a hangover is sleep and some extra rest and relaxation. If you can sleep late and take it easy the next day, here is a relaxing blend of essential oils that will help your body deal with what it went through the night before in the name of fun.

The TLC Hangover Cure

• 5 drops fennel
• 3 drops lavender
• 5 drops sandalwood
• 10 drops lemon

Blend these in an amber colored bottle to have ready for the next emergency. Use 8 drops in a bath, rub 2 neat drops around your liver area (the right side of the body near the diaphragm and stomach) and 2 neat drops on the back of your neck. Drink plenty of water with honey dissolved in it and also eat a spoonful of honey into which you’ve blended 2 drops of carrot oil.  Tomorrow, I’ll have one more blend for the days you have to go to work after that fun night out that resulted in a hangover.

You have been running at full speed for the last month trying to get it all done before December 25. You have worn yourself to a frazzle and your body is about to go on strike. Maybe you made it until you picked up (or at least supervised the kids picking up) the wrapping paper on Christmas morning. Now that the kids are playing with their new toys and before you reach full burnout, let me tell you about an essential oil blend that can help you relieve the holiday stress you may be suffering.

It is very important to build up your energy with exercise to avoid exhaustion. Exercise helps you to fight fatigue, strengthens your heart and  sends endorphins from your brain into your whole physical system, thus empowering you with a sense of well being.  Rub the following synergistic blend of essential oils all over your body before exercise.

• 5 drops grapefruit
• 4 drops cypress
• 2 drops geranium

Mix these oils together in these proportions and then use 5 drops per 1 teaspoon of jojoba oil or sweet almond oil. The next blog will extend this information with another blend that will help you to relax. There will be no blog on Monday, December 26.  I am taking the day off. Merry Christmas to all and stay safe.

The sense of smell is one of the quickest ways to reach the brain and affect the mood of your friends and family. The holidays can be one of the most stressful times of the year but you can ease the stress by using aromatherapy essential oils. Essential oils will make your house smell wonderful and the scented atmosphere will brighten the mood of all those invited into your home. Choose seasonal essential oils to heighten the holiday spirit. Some of the most popular scents to use at this time of the year are frankincense, myrrh, pine, cinnamon, orange and sandalwood.

• Frankincense and myrrh are popular holiday scents because they were brought by the three wise men to honor the birth of Jesus. Both of these scents are also used for their medicinal properties. Frankincense is often used in meditation because of its ability to calm, relax, and slow down breathing.
• Pine often brings up memories of Christmas trees but it is also an essential oil that has many healing properties. It is often used to relieve sinuses, asthma, fatigue, allergies, and inflammation.
• Cinnamon essential oil is a warm and spicy scent that is often associated with Christmas probably because of the Christmas cookies left for Santa. Cinnamon has the healing properties of antiseptic, anti-infectious, and anti-bacterial.
• Orange essential oil is associated with Christmas because of the Christmas tradition of giving children an orange in their Christmas stocking. Orange essential oil relieves stress, anxiety, depression and insomnia. It is a light and uplifting scent, as are most of the citrus essential oils.
• Sandalwood is mentioned in the Christian Bible and was used by the Egyptians to embalm bodies. This essential oil has sedative, anti-depressant, decongestant, antiseptic, anti-infectious and aphrodisiac properties.

Aromatherapy can be used in several ways during the holidays. Give gifts of aromatherapy essential oils, aromatherapy baskets, and aromatherapy diffusers. You can also give the gift of “well-being” when you scent your home with these delicious fragrances.

Are you looking for great gifts to give to friends and relatives for the  holidays? Whether it is for the home or the body, many of us like to give wonderful smelling scents as gifts for Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. We have previously discussed using essential oils to scent the air with diffusers. Essential oils can also be added to the bath, massaged into the skin, or inhaled directly.

If you are concerned about using natural skin care products, you should use body oils instead of  perfume or cologne. Body oils are designed to be used on your skin. They may or may not contain essential oils. They are often formulations based on the traditional designer brands. When you purchase perfume or cologne in a department store, you  are paying a premium price for the brand name, the advertising campaigns, cosmetics gifts, and the beautiful fancy packaging. These designer brand name perfumes are comprised of concentrated oils and 75% to 85% alcohol, ethanol and or water.

The alcohol and ethanol used make your perfume smell much stronger than it is but it fades within a few hours. As your perfume (or the alcohol in it) evaporates, it not only takes your fragrance but your natural body oils with it, drying your skin as it goes.  Body oils are pure, concentrated perfume oils in a cosmetic grade vegetable oil base that blend in with your body chemistry making the scent your own. They evaporate naturally giving your skin a softer, smoother feeling – plus they contain no alcohol, ethanol or water so many people who are allergic to perfumes and colognes can wear body oils with no problems.

None of us want to grow old gracefully. That’s just like giving in and it’s unnecessary. No matter what your age is, you can start now to revitalize your skin. If you are 80 years old it may take you longer but essential oils can help you look and feel younger. There are different essential oils to use for different age groups but today we are talking about anti wrinkle oils for those of us over the age of 40.

Get an amber colored bottle in which to keep your synergistic oil blend. Then dilute 10 drops neroli, 10 drops lavender, 10 drops frankincense, 2 drops rosemary, 10 drops fennel, 3 drops lemon, 10 drops carrot, and 10 drops evening primrose in 2 tablespoons of hazelnut carrier oil. Use this blend each morning and night after cleansing your face.

In the morning wash your face as usual and then use ice as an astringent agent. Make your ice astringent by filling a foam coffee cup about 3/4 full with water. Put the cup in your freezer until the water freezes. Peel the cup past the frozen water and gently rub the ice over your face and neck. Dab your face dry with a soft towel and put on your anti-wrinkle essential oil blend. If you wish, you can blot your face with a tissue. You will be looking younger in no time.

Your skin is a living breathing organ and it must be kept hydrated just like the rest of your body. To improve the condition of your skin and delay or even reverse the aging process, do the following:

1. drink plenty of water
2. eat a diet rich in antioxidants
3. wash your face with a gentle natural soap
4. use a good moisturizing cream

Be gentle when you wash your face and don’t scrub too hard because scrubbing is not good for your skin. I splash lukewarm water on my face and then make a soapy lather in my hands but you can also use a soft cloth to wash your face. After rinsing well, I use an astringent like witch hazel on a cotton ball before moisturizing with 30 second face lift.

We know oregano mostly from its use in the kitchen but before its seasoning properties were discovered, oregano was used for its curative properties. The Egyptians used oregano to disinfect wounds and speed up the healing process as well as for mummification. Other uses throughout the years have been to sooth coughs, calm digestive disorders, relax tension and relieve insomnia. American GIs discovered the Mediterranean herb during World War II and brought it back with them for use at home.

Today, oregano is still very popular in the kitchen, but it also has many aromatherapy uses. Some of those therapeutic uses are: allergies, antiseptic, antiviral, appetite, arthritis, asthma, backache, bronchitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, cellulite, colds, congestion, flu, fungal infections, headaches, immune booster, indigestion, insomnia, lymphatic circulation, menstruation, menstrual cramps, migraines, muscular pain, nervous tension, rheumatism, sprains, and swelling. Tomorrow I will discuss some essential oil applications of oregano.

When I was younger, I had a bad case of acne, but my biggest problem was with blackheads. As I’ve grown up, both of those problems have been reduced significantly, but even in my adulthood, I still frequently find myself with many blackheads on my nose. For a while, I wasn’t sure what to do about it and it was something that really bothered me.

Recently, I discovered a facial cleanser that works perfectly when I combine it with other natural skincare  products and it’s been clearing up my blackheads like you wouldn’t believe! Ever since I started using natural soap, it has given me so much more confidence now that my skin stays clear. I’m very happy with the results I’ve seen so far.

Your body controls temperature and eliminates toxins by sweating, so stopping underarm sweat with antiperspirant is not healthy and is often thought to be one reason for the rise in breast cancer. The  medical profession does not support this idea and considers it a myth but it just makes sense that if toxins are trapped in your body they can lead to health problems. Do antiperspirants contribute to breast cancer? I have no scientific proof but why risk it?

If you want to try a natural alternative it is worth your while to try Crystal Deodorant in either a spray or roll on bottle. It is 100% natural and contains potassium alum mineral salts. It is non-aerosol, ozone friendly, hypoallergenic, unscented, non-staining, contains no alcohol, and kills odor causing bacteria.  You can add bergamot essential oil if you like your deodorant to smell nice. The Crystal Deodorant has no scent so you can do scented or unscented.