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Category: Aromatherapy 101
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Luxurious Aromatherapy Body Oil Inspired by Biolage
Earlier this month I had the pleasure of partnering with Biolage as a part of their self-care week series. Living in NYC has many perks, one of them being how I was able to share the power of aromatherapy at Biolage’s NYC studio for our Instagram Live session! I had such a fun time and…
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The Art of Candle Making and the Enchantment of Essential Oils
In the realm of home fragrance and decor, candle-making emerges as an art form that blends ancient tradition with modern mindfulness. Amidst the plethora of candle types, soy container candles infused with essential oils stand out, offering a serene ambiance, eco-friendliness, and a touch of aromatherapy to any space. Here, we delve into the wonders…
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Dilution Rates and the Concentrated Nature of Essential Oils
Ever notice how dilution rates are often cited in aromatherapy formulas and recipes yet it is often vague on how the rates were derived? This has always gotten to me so I decided to look into it.
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Blending Essential Oils: Synergy, Additivity and Antagonism
Have you wondered if an essential oil (EO) can “cancel out” another essential oil when blending 2 or more EOs? It’s a question that often arises when someone embarks upon the art blending! The answer is multivalent just as an essential oil and the practice of aromatherapy is. My fun and frustrating take on this…
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Gloriously Aromatic Herbal Teas
Let’s get right to it. We know we need to stay hydrated, and THE best way is through drinking water and eating fruits and vegetables. Yet sometimes we need a little bit more, sometimes we need to drink herbal tea. A client said we were “drinking flowers” (!) when I prepared a cold infusion tea…
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How to Smell an Essential Oil
Aromatherapy. Essential Oil Therapy. What do those mean? How do you start to learn about essential oils? This video takes you through a journey of scent recognition, memory formation and aromatic molecules’ impact on mood and physical states including the nervous system. But that’s not the main reason for the video…It also takes you through…
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Make Your Own Lotion Bars
Easy to Make Skin Softening Body Bars Lotion bars, Body bars, and what I like to call Butter Bars, are all the same things! Regardless of what you call them, they are an easy, portable way to work with oil-based preparations in a no-mess way. This is your how-to inspiration guide for creating your own…
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Glossy Vegan Lip Balm
Protected, Soft and Glossy Lips Are you looking for a vegan lip balm formula that goes beyond the classic Coconut, Shea and Castor? This how-to guide shares ideas and steps for making a glossy vegan lip balm with nourishing staying power that goes beyond the ordinary. Breaking Through the Coconut Oil Barrier I ran out…
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Distillation: Dancing with Plants and Water
The Poetically Elemental Essence of Distillation Working with aromatic plants and their distilled essences is poetry. We are in-touch with the most volatile components able to come over the still carried by water in its gaseous state: steam. Water and distillation are essential (pun intended) for obtaining essential oils and hydrosols from the wonderful aromatic…
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DIY Aromatherapy Shower Tablets
Shower tablets are an easy and economical way to bring aromatherapy to your shower experience. Making your own aromatherapy shower tablets doesn’t have to be expensive, difficult or contain complicated ingredients. After being baffled about the cost and ingredients of “aromatherapy shower tablets” I nosed (pun intended!) and played around with basic recipes. Here’s what…
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DIY Aromatic Deodorant
Complicated Ingredients Not Needed Have you thought about swapping out store-bought deodorant or anti-perspirant for something simpler but are unsure of what to do, especially when DIY formulas call for irritating baking soda and heavier nut butters or coconut oil when your skin cannot hack those ingredients? Read on for information about your fabulous under-arms,…
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Myth of the Emotional Brain
Have you been hungry and noticed how irritablitly sets in? Often called “hangry,” this emotional state is a perfect example of physical states affecting emotions. This article contemplates the “body budget” concept in relation to aromatherapy and holistic health.
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No Poo Shampoo The Clay Way
Have you tried the “No Poo” method of hair washing but found it’s not quite working for you? Fear not! Options like clay and simple plant based preparations such as infusions and hydrosols may be what you have been looking for.
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DIY Body Polishes (Sugar Scrubs)
What Is a Sugar Scrub? Sugar scrubs may be made of two simple ingredients: sugar and a nut/seed oil like sunflower oil. You may choose to “amp up” a scrub with botanical ingredients, including essential oils but you don’t need to in order to reap the benefits. Sugar scrubs are also known as “Body Polishes,”…
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An Aromatic Meditation: Attunement
Over the years I have looked for different ways to help people tap into the power of plants, specifically aromatic plants and their essential oils. I learned from great teachers who wisely passed on how the most effective way to understand a plant, or an oil, and its “actions” is to sit with it. “Smell…
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The Perfect Aromatherapy Bath
To Soak or Not to Soak? That is the Question… As a teenager, one of my favorite Friday night activities was not going out with friends or classmates, it was having a luxurious bath-soak followed by watching an old movie on Turner Classic Movies or AMC. Into my early 20’s I would find solace in…
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On-the-Go Hand Cleanser
Although it is clear nothing beats washing our hands with basic soap* and hot water, we may often find ourselves in a pinch where a portable hand cleanser would be handy (pun intended). Notice how I’m not choosing to call this a “hand sanitizer”…you can probably guess why. Instead of some drippy-drabby post that goes…
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Using and Cleaning Glassware
Glass is a valuable tool for anyone making, creating and concocting lotions and potions. It beats the pants out of plastic as it is non-reactive, safe, reusable and doesn’t degrade. The downside of glass? You need to clean it, and when you are using lipids and lipid-loving substances such as essential and fixed oils it can…
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Demystifying Salve Making
The impetus behind writing this post was my frustration in finding measurement guidelines (the mathematics) to make a balm or salve. Many recipes give specific measurements for a specific recipe and that’s it–no guidelines, no “WHY.” What if I need a small quantity (e.g., 1 ounce) or a large quantity of an odd number (e.g.,…
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Toothpaste: Baking Soda, Coconut Oil, Xylitol and Essential Oils
I had a routine dental check-up in late July of 2015 and received bad news–bleeding gums on my lower-right gum-line. As you can imagine this was depressing news. Granted I don’t floss as much as I should. Though I do gargle and brush, twice daily, with national brands of mouthwash and toothpaste. Obviously something had to change, like…
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