Aromatherapy and Essential Oils Blog - AromaTalk

Bringing in the New Year With Aromatherapy

Another New Year's Eve has arrived! In addition to the methods we each use to celebrate and bring in the new year, today is a time that many of us reflect upon the past year and think about our plans and expectations for the year up ahead. It's a time where many of us set personal goals by making ambitious resolutions like improving our fitness, nutrition, spirituality or personal relationships.

Lime Essential Oil is a beautiful choice for inclusion in room fragrancing/meditation blends for the New Year. Lime essential oil is one of the most affordable of oils and is routinely used for its energizing, fresh and cheerful aroma. Lime essential oil is also well known in folklore for its ability to cleanse, purify and renew the spirit and the mind.

Blends #1 and #4 on AromaWeb's Aromatherapy Diffuser Blends page include lime essential oil. AromaWeb's Air Freshener Recipe converts one of the lime diffuser blends into a beautiful room mist that you may customize using other essential oils.

During quiet moments on New Year's Day, I will be diffusing a blend of about 5 parts Patchouli Essential Oil, 4 parts Lime Essential Oil and 1 part Ylang Ylang Essential Oil in a candle diffuser. Patchouli is deep, rich and grounding, and the ylang ylang lends an exotic, sweet floral touch. Patchouli and Lime are a wonderful combination on their own as well.

Lime essential oil is strong, and a little goes a long way in diffuser and room fragrancing applications. I use it in small dilutions when making soap, but I tend to avoid it in other skin care applications as it can be irritating to the skin.

A thought provoking book that will joyfully help you bring in the New Year is Daily Aromatherapy: Transforming the Seasons of Your Life with Essential Oils by Joni Keim and Ruah Bull. This book can be started at any time of the year, but Daily Aromatherapy is a must-have book for anyone that wishes to begin a New Year's journey of reflection and discovery using essential oils. View AromaWeb's detailed description of the book.

Can I Use My Diffuser Constantly?

Passive Aromatherapy Diffusers

This blog post was inspired by several recent e-mails that posed that very question. When using a nebulizer, electric fan diffuser or other diffuser that is capable of distributing a large quantity of essential oil into the air, use your diffuser for a limited period of time (15 minutes is a good rule of thumb) and then shut it off for about an hour before turning it back on. I use an electric timer on my nebulizers. The timers make the process simple, and I never have to worry about accidentally leaving a nebulizer on when I leave the house. Candle diffusers usually emit a less concentrated quantity of oil into the air. As a rule, it is generally ok to diffuse oils for longer periods of time than electric diffusers, but of course you should never leave a candle unattended. Passive diffusers such as porous terra cotta style diffusers can be used for extended periods of time if they are used in large or well ventilated rooms. When used in smaller spaces including cars or bathrooms, try not to add an excessive amount of oil to the diffuser, and don't use it constantly.

When essential oils are diffused into the air, you gradually begin to adapt to the aroma and no longer notice the fragrance until you leave the area and return a short while later. It's easy to overpower the air and not realize it. Many individuals that are sensitive to commercial perfumes and synthetic fragrance oils are able to enjoy and benefit from natural essential oils. Too much of a good thing, however, isn't always better. With overuse, it is possible to become sensitized to essential oils. A good rule of thumb is to not overdo it and be considerate with your choice of oils when diffusing before or while you have guests over.

	A selection of Diffusers and Nebulizers

Some essential oils are stronger in aromatic intensity and will more easily overpower a room. The strongest essential oils include peppermint, geranium, lime, nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon. Ylang ylang possesses an intensive floral aroma that is known to cause headaches when not used modestly. Some essential oils are contraindicated with particular illnesses/conditions and should be used sparingly if at all with those that have the specific illness/condition. For details on essential oil safety, visit AromaWeb's Essential Oil Safety article.

For more information about diffusion and the different types of diffusers available, visit AromaWeb's Aromatherapy and Essential Oil Diffusers article.

Tip: Label the Top of Your Essential Oil Bottles to Quickly Find the Oil You Need

Regardless of where you store your essential oils...whether it be in a lined case, apothecary drawers or even just in shoeboxes, chances are your storage method makes it difficult to know which oil is which without picking up each bottle to read the label. The more essential oils you have to sift through, the longer it takes to find that one precious oil you want to use at a given moment.

To solve this problem, simply jot down the name of each of your essential oils onto 3-ring paper hole reinforcements or small round white labels and stick them onto the top of your bottles. If you purchase round white labels, you can print out the oil names onto the labels with Word or other word processing/page layout application, or simply handwrite the name of your oil onto the labels. 3-ring reinforcements are small and fit bottles best, but it can be irritating to write on a curve as you'll notice if you try this idea.

Marge Clark, president of Nature's Gift shared the above labeling tip with me over a decade ago, and it has saved me countless hours over the years. Thanks, Marge!

No matter what type of apparatus that you use to store your collection of essential oils, be sure you keep your essential oils stored in dark (amber or cobalt) glass bottles and keep them stored in a cool, dry location. Learn more by reading AromaWeb's Storing Essential Oils article.

When you purchase new oils, it's helpful to also get into the habit of jotting down the date that you acquired the oil.

Merry Christmas!

Frankincense & Fir Diffuser/Air Freshener Blend

Fir Needles

I love the traditional aroma of Frankincense and Myrrh, but Myrrh can be a bit heavy and earthy for frequent use in room fragrancing. AromaWeb's Frankincense & Myrrh recipe livens up the traditional aroma of Frankincense and Myrrh with the additions of Orange and Cedarwood.

Around the holidays, my Frankincense & Fir blend fills the room with a light, uplifting and energizing aroma that does not compete with other Christmastime aromas from the tree, baking and so on. This year, I used this blend in a batch of handmade soaps that I made for stocking stuffers, and I made a couple extra for myself. I am finding this to be the bar that I keep reaching for each time I shower (I love variety, and usually keep 3 bars of handcrafted soaps in the bath to select from). You may love it this much too!

• 2 Parts Frankincense Essential Oil
• 2 Parts Fir Needle Essential Oil
• 1 Part Grapefruit Essential Oil

Combine the essential oils in a bottle and use in your diffuser. If you're new to diffusion, read AromaWeb's Essential Oil Diffusers article.

Frankincense Tears

Or use AromaWeb's Air Freshener Recipe to create a beautiful room mist (use approximately 12 drops Frankincense, 12 drops Fir Needle and 6 drops Grapefruit).

If you're new to aromatherapy, be sure to read AromaWeb's Essential Oil Safety Article and the other articles within AromaWeb's Article Archive area.

Natural Home Fragrancing Ideas for Christmas

A naturally fragrant orange pomander. See the below recipe.

Christmas time is full of the colorful sites of Christmas decorations and beautiful decorated gifts, the sounds of laughter and loved ones, the taste of holiday treats, and the many aromas of this special time of year.

When I think of the holidays, I think of beautiful outdoor scenes, falling snow, baking cookies and delicious meals and the natural aroma of Christmas trees, pine needles, sprigs of rosemary, frankincense, the nutmeg in eggnog, and so on. The last thing I want to associate with Christmas is synthetic chemicals... but as each year passes, I see more and more synthetic home fragrancing products on the market in a myriad of "holiday" aromas. Holiday candles is an especially growing market over the past few years. Most candles are made with paraffin wax (a byproduct of petroleum production) that emit toxins into the air when burned. And most candles are fragranced with synthetic fragrance oils. It's no wonder that so many people develop allergies and headaches from fragranced candles and other synthetic room fragrance products. (For information about natural candles, see AromaWeb's Aromatherapy Candles article.)

Fragrancing our homes naturally is easy, better for our health, can be more affordable than buying synthetic commercial fragrancing products, and gives you more control over customizing the fragrance to your family's preferences.

Look to the "Seasonal" section of AromaWeb's Recipe Box for these recipes:

• Christmas Tree Diffuser Blend
• Sugar & Spice Blend
• Frankincense & Myrrh Holiday Blend
• Scented Greeting Cards & Tissue Paper

Frankincense & Fir Blend:
Be sure to peak at the fresh and uplifting Frankincense & Fir Diffuser/Air Freshener Recipe that I posted today.

Orange Pomander:
For a natural and visually interesting tabletop decoration, create an orange pomander. After carefully poking holes into an orange using a sturdy toothpick, skewer or ice pick, insert cloves. The Santa Cruz Public Library references a pomander recipe that includes the added step of using and rolling your pomander in an array of fitting seasonal spices. I'm looking forward to trying this particular recipe when I have time.

Natural Potpourri:
AromaWeb's Potpourri Recipe can also be adapted to create a wonderfully aromatic and beautiful seasonal potpourri. Consider creating holiday potpourri that includes whole nutmeg, cloves, dried apple slices, cinnamon sticks and perhaps dried rosemary sprigs for visual appeal.

Aromatherapy Tips for Combating the Holiday/Winter Blues

As joyful as the holiday season is supposed to be, the days leading up to Christmas can be filled with stress, chaos, hectic schedules, deliciously tempting but unhealthy food, lack of quality sleep and dealing with disagreeable loved ones and fellow shoppers.

The reality of Christmas Eve and Christmas day can also be a difficult time for those that cannot be with their loved ones at Christmas, for those that are in dysfunctional families, for those that have painful past memories associated with Christmas, for those with financial stress and for those that are enduring health issues of their own or those of a loved one. And often, those that are caught within one or all of these categories tend to remain silent about their feelings around the holidays so that they do not put a damper on the joyful mood of those around them.

The shorter hours of daylight during winter as well as the increase in cloudcover, cold and snow can also make it difficult to maintain an energetic, cheerful, positive disposition.

I have been challenged with stress, the blues and even depression during the holidays, and aromatherapy has been a tremendous aid to me during difficult and emotionally challenging times of my life. Aromatherapy isn't a wonder-cure for the winter/holiday blues, but by following the below tips, you can help to naturally uplift your spirits, calm your nerves and energize your mood:

• Check out AromaWeb's Winter Blues blends for a selection of blends that can help ease the symptoms of the winter blues. They're also good for holiday stress and holiday blues.
  
  
• The holiday/winter blues isn't the same as depression, but the aromatherapy techniques that can help improve your outlook are similar. If you're suffering from either the holiday blues or the winter blues, read AromaWeb's detailed Aromatherapy and Depression article. It provides guidelines on the many ways that you can easily implement aromatherapy to help improve your spirits and improve your outlook.
  
  
• Do pay close attention to the Aromatherapy and Depression article's paragraphs regarding Eating and Nutrition and Exercise. Proper nutrition and exercise is not just essential for physical health, but it also nourishes and strengthens your nervous system, your emotions and your ability to focus and think clearly.

When you're down, stressed and immensely busy, it's easy to forget to give yourself a moment to take an aromatic bath, enjoy a brief self massage or diffuse your favorite essential oil blend. It's also harder to eat well and exercise. If you need to, set up a way to help yourself remember and be sure to carve out the time needed to care for yourself. You deserve it!

Seeking Photographer that Specializes in Outdoor & Botanical Photography

AromaWeb's free AromaGram eCards area is an active area that lets visitors easily select and send free "AromaGrams" to their friends and loved ones. I developed and coded the backend and functionality of the AromaGram eCard system myself several years ago, and I'm rather pleased with how it turned out.

I want to expand AromaWeb's free AromaGram eCard area by adding a greater selection of scenic eCards.

To accomplish that, however, I need a a GOOD selection of photographs that feature breathtaking natural outdoor settings as well as photos of herbs, plants, botanicals and other shots that are appropriate for AromaWeb. Seasonal photos that tie in with holidays will also be helpful. Stock photography licenses usually prohibit the ability to utilize the stock artwork for eCard development. I want work directly with photographers that are interested in the below proposal and that can supply photographs that meet my criteria...

I welcome you to contact me if you are a photographer that can offer AromaWeb, LLC a license to use your photographs for eCard development, and if you have at least 20 photos available for my consideration. You must be the photographer and still own the copyright to your work.

If your photos are ones that I find suitable for use, I will properly credit you (and link to your Web site/portfolio) from the AromaGram area as well as within each eCard that utilizes your photographs. The benefits of this arrangement include the following:

• Free publicity on the world's most well known informational aromatherapy Web site.
  
  
• Free publicity within the eCards that are distributed.
  
  
• Links to your Web site from popular and highly ranking sites like AromaWeb can increase your own site/portfolio's rankings within search engines like Google.

Please contact me to discuss the details.

AromaWeb: What's In Store for 2009

I'm looking forward to continuing to expand AromaWeb during 2009 by adding new articles, recipes, book reviews, polls and other content. The current structure of the Article Archive and Recipe Box areas is not only bland, but is not as user friendly as I want. I look forward to updating these areas.

I will be exploring the options for adding a Calendar of Events to AromaWeb. When time permits, I look forward to setting up the calendar so that the educators and organizations that advertise on AromaWeb can promote their events. I will contact the educators that advertise within AromaWeb's Schools and Educators Directory as soon as the calendar is in place.

I intend to add an average of 1-2 posts a week on AromaTalk.

If time permits, I hope to update the AromaGram eCard area with a larger selection of free eCards. If you know of a photographer who takes breathtaking outdoor scenes and who may be interested in granting AromaWeb a license for using his/her photographs in exchange for ample credit, please contact me at aromatalk@gmail.com.

I have a few other things up my sleeve for AromaWeb. I will use AromaTalk to announce new articles and other changes/additions to AromaWeb. Stay tuned!

AromaWeb: 2008 in Review

AromaWeb's enhanced Advertising Information area.

Making it easy for visitors to learn and explore the dynamics of aromatherapy remains one of my top priorities. One way I strive to accomplish this is by enhancing and updating AromaWeb with new content and making it easier to find existing information. AromaTalk is an additional tool that I plan to use to help extend the aromatherapy content that AromaWeb offers and keep you abreast of what's new on AromaWeb and in the field of aromatherapy.

2008 was a busy year for AromaWeb and included significant content growth:

• Authored and added over 20 new aromatherapy articles to the Article Archive.
  
  
• Added 20 new essential oil profiles to the Essential Oil Profiles area.
  
  
• Created a new Carrier Oil Profile section of AromaWeb and added 25 new carrier oil profiles. Prior to 2008, AromaWeb featured a single "Oil Profile" section that featured essential oil profiles and merely listed a selection of carrier oils on a single page.
  
  
• Added several new recipes to AromaWeb's Recipe Box.
  
  
• Read, reviewed and added several new aromatherapy books to AromaWeb's Book Shelf.
  
  
• Enhanced the Advertising Information area with added content and improved navigation.
  
  
• Developed the new AromaWeb in the Media area.
  
  
• Created AromaTalk, AromaWeb's new blog.

Several areas on AromaWeb were also slightly restructured to enhance navigation, and I look forward to more drastically enhancing the navigation within AromaWeb's Article Archive and Recipe Box areas in the future.

Despite the sagging economy, AromaWeb's traffic for 2008 is forecasted to be 16% higher overall than traffic for the preceding year. I'll be able to confirm that once December is over. AromaWeb's ongoing growth is of course especially good new for AromaWeb's advertisers. [Update: AromaWeb's final traffic figures for 2008 are available, and AromaWeb demonstrated 17% growth over 2007.]

I'm looking forward to continuing to expand AromaWeb during 2009. Continue to visit AromaTalk to keep abreast of what's new on AromaWeb and in the field of aromatherapy!