Friday, July 31, 2009

Cooking with essential oils


Many Therapeutic essential oils make great seasoning and it only takes 1-2 drops for the equivalent of a full bottle of dry herbs so they work very well. You can try Basil, cinnamon, fennel, ginger, lemon, lavender, marjoram, nutmeg, oregano, peppermint, rosemary, sage, spearmint, tarragon, and thyme. Just add a few drops right before serving so that the oils do not have a chance to evaporate. one of my favorite recipes is to add a drop of peppermint and two drops lemon oil to a cup of apple cider vinegar for an excellent and refreshing not to mention healthy alternative to salad dressing. Other ideas are



  • in cake frosting

  • in puddings

  • in fruit filling of pies

  • in herbal tea

  • in water

  • in pasta sauce

The point is to try it adds a healthy element to any food you may prepare.


Make sure when you do try things out to leave a comment for our other readers.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

More Uses for Therapeutic Essential Oils


There are many uses for essential oils in the home for hygene. You can use clove or cinnamon oil as a toothpaste. You can use Lemongrass, Rosemary, Tea Tree, Lavender, Myrtle and Citronella as deoderants under the arms. (use caution here if you have sensitive skin some of these may have a poor reaction to the sensitive area under the arms) You may use citronella as an insect repellent. Ylang Ylang, Cedarwood, Holy Basil and Sage act well when used in shampoo or in place of your normal shampoo. A few drops of Geranium, Patchouli and Rose, aloe, chamomille or hilichrisim in your lotion will be a great inhancement or you can use a blend of aloe hilichrisim and chamomille in place of lotion.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Toothache or Sore Throat


Have you ever used cloroceptic for a sore throat or a tooth ache? I found an oil that works just as well or better. Clove oil is amazing it acts just like clorceptic except that it is completely natural. I have used it in a couple of ways; the first is to put a couple of drops in a cup of drinking water. this numbs the throat for several hours or until you eat another way that I have used it is to place a drop on the sore area and use the numbing power in a more local area like a tooth or a canker sore.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Sinus Problems


I have been using a great blend the last couple of days. This blend is perfect for anyone suffering from aliments in the sinus area I have sinus headaches that can almost completely put me out of commision. but this blend really helps. Here is what you need to do. in an empty bottle mix two parts pepermint two parts lemon and one part eucalyptus. shake well and then apply to the sinus areas on your temples across the forehead under the eyes ( careful not to get to close this oil burns a bit and will be really painfull if it gets in the eyes ) and the bridge of the nose. In all about 2-3 drops should do the trick. This will make you tear up and may give a burning sensation to sensitive skin. test it first on a more hardy piece of skin to see what you can expect. If it gets to hot do not use water as this will only make the effects worse you can use a vegitable oil or carrier oil to thin the oils effects. I usually do this before going to bed for the evening. It helps me to wake up clear and lessens the effects of my headaches.

Monday, July 27, 2009

More on Birch Oil


Birch Oil 2

Oil properties
Birch oil has a balsamic smell and is pale yellow in color.
Origin of birch oil
This decorative tree is native to the northern hemisphere and grows up to 15-20 meters in height. It has slender branches, silver-white bark broken into scales and light green oval leaves. Birch buds were formerly used as a tonic in hair preparations.
In Scandinavia, young birch leaflets and twigs are bound into bundles and used in the sauna to tone the skin and promote the circulation. The sap is also tapped in the Spring and drank as a tonic.
Extraction
White birch oil is extracted from the leaf-buds by steam distillation.
Crude birch tar is extracted by slow destructive distillation from the bark; this is subsequently steam-distilled to yield a rectified birch tar oil.
Therapeutic properties
The therapeutic properties of birch oil are analgesic, antiseptic, astringent, depurative, disinfectant, diuretic, febrifuge, insecticide and tonic.
Chemical composition
The main components of birch oil are salicylic acid, methyl salicylate, betulene and betulenol.
Precautions
White birch oil is generally non-toxic, non-irritant and non-sensitizing but should be avoided during pregnancy due to possible irritation occurring.
Uses
White birch oil is useful for dermatitis, dull or congested skin, eczema, hair care and psoriasis, although it could irritate the skin.
It is also helpful in cases of poor circulation, the accumulation of toxins in the muscles, for arthritis, rheumatism, muscular pains, edema and cellulite.
Vapor therapy or used in a bath
As vapor therapy or diluted in the bath, White Birch oil can help with muscular aches and pains, arthritis and rheumatism.
Cream and ointment
The crude tar from birch is used in pharmaceutical preparations for dermatological diseases.
Birch oil blends well with
Although most essential oils blend well together, birch oil blends particularly well with benzoin, jasmine, sandalwood and rosemary.