Let's talk aromatherapy and preservatives Preservatives and aromatherapy body care products seems to be one of the hot topics in the aromatherapy community these days and one that deserves a bit more exploration. Firstly, it may be beneficial to reflect upon the origins of ‘holistic aromatherapy’. Holistic aromatherapy was, and is, a practitioner-based and client-focused practice. Within this context, most ‘aromatherapy practitioners’ were and are making small batch products customized to a client and designed to be used up within 1-3 months. The home user and the professional READ MORE
Blog
Unique DIY Gift for Your Favorite Guy
Introduce Him To Shave Oil: All Natural Men’s Gift There’s a plethora of shaving products available these days in the form of classic foaming creams, gels, butters, or soaps. I think every man can agree the best grooming experience is a straight razor shave from your barber. The sacred routine of the hot scented towel, the warm foam cream followed by the precise stroke of a new straight blade across your face. It’s the male equivalent of a spa treatment. Unfortunately the average guy can’t run to the barber shop every time he needs a shave, but he can simulate a parallel experience with a READ MORE
Mindful Preparation for the Full Beaver Moon
Welcome the Holiday Season Unmasked, Grounded, and Interdependent with the Full Beaver Moon Saturday November 4th brings the full Beaver Moon in Taurus. This late autumn moon will brighten up the night sky— but not without some lunar experts duking out the specifics of this astrological event. This Beaver Moon takes the prize as the second closest full moon of the entire year, which has made some wonder if it’s to be dubbed a supermoon. While some say it is, others say it fails to meet supermoon criteria (a supermoon simply means that the moon occurs while its orbit is closest to earth, also READ MORE
4 Immunity Boosters for Winter Wellness
As a wellness expert, western herbalist and makeup artist, I’m always looking for ways to help my clients support their bodies using plant based nutrition and beauty products to heal and revitalize their health from the inside out. Focusing on plant based solutions for healing and wellness is especially important as we head into the winter months, the time to really boost our immunity, and find ways to connect to nature from inside our homes and pantry cabinets. When thinking about ways to prepare for these winter months my focus is on prevention and proactive ways to build up my body’s READ MORE
Marrying Experience with Reason: Celebrating the Pioneering Herbalist & Astrologer Nicholas Culpeper
October 18th marks the celebration of a special plant medicine community member. On this day, we celebrate the birth of Nicholas Culpeper, in 1616. Revered as the People’s Herbalist and sometimes The Master Herbalist, Culpeper was a tour de force in botany, herbalism, astrology, and medicine. Nicholas was raised by his mother and her family in the British countryside. His grandfather was a local minister and imparted much of his wisdom —- from the distaste for royalty to their steadfast religious beliefs. When he was sixteen years old, it was decided that Nicholas would attend Cambridge to READ MORE
Essential Oils and The Bath: Part I
Intellect versus Experience: The importance of balance There is a growing sense from reading different aromatherapy posts on social media, that research is where it's at. From opinions based solely on research to individuals sharing about personal experiences with essential oils and yet when they get to what essential oils worked for them they revert to quoting research papers about the potential benefits for ‘given’ condition instead of sharing what worked for them. Note: Research can be incredibly valuable so please understand, I am not discounting research in the least. I personally love READ MORE
Essential Oil Allies: Copaiba
Copaiba essential oil is distilled from the balsam (aka: oleo-resin) of an evergreen tree in the Fabaceae (legume) family. Several species of Copaiba (Copaifera officinalis, Copaifera reticulata, C. langsdorffii) are found in South America and considered inter-changeable regarding their medicinal properties. However, trees of the Brazilian rainforest are most often tapped for their healing oleo-resin. Copaiba essential oil is a gentle, balsamic, un-sung hero of aromatic medicine. Its powers are many and a sustainable choice when looking for qualities a resin-bearing tree often provides. A READ MORE
Aromatic Self-Care Rituals for October’s Full Harvest Moon
Written by: Leigh Winters Thursday October 5th brings the full, Harvest Moon. Traditionally, the October full moon is called the Hunter's Moon recognizing this as the time of year when animals fill up on food to prepare for a long, cold winter. Interestingly, this year gets the Harvest Moon appellation because it’s the full moon that occurs closest to the autumn equinox, which happened on September 22. The next Hunter's Moon will make an appearance in October 2018. Some also refer to the October full moon as the blood moon, which refers to the gaming season. This week’s Harvest Moon READ MORE
How to make an aromatic salve – The art of formulation
What is a salve? A salve is the combination of two basic ingredients: an oil and a wax. You can use any one vegetable oil, or combine 2 vegetables oils, or combine a vegetable oil with a nutrient-rich specialty oil (e.g. Rosehip seed oil), combine herbal oils or use one herbal oil. There are so many incredible combinations to create therapeutic salves with! The choice of oil is often based upon it’s purpose. If you are making a skin care salve, you might choose to use a combination of calendula herbal oil, lavender herbal oil, and jojoba. If you are making a muscular aches and pain salve, READ MORE
Essential Oil Allies: Patchouli
Patchouli essential oil is distilled from the dried and lightly fermented leaves of Pogostemon cablin, a member of the mint (Lamiacae) family. It is grown and distilled in Indonesia, India, China, and Brazil. It also grows in locations that may surprise you, like NYC. Like a fine wine, patchouli gets better with age. It mellows out, deepens and gets thicker as it sits and waits for you to use it to support your body, mind and even home. You may find many different types of patchouli once you start looking: Dark (the distillation is in iron), Light (the distillation is in stainless steel READ MORE