Dysmenorrhea Dysmenorrhea, the term for painful periods, is derived from the Greek words dys (difficult, painful, or abnormal), meno (month), and rrhea (flow). Cathleen Morrow and Betsy Naumburg, authors of the excellent chapter “Dysmenorrhea” in Women’s HealthPrimary Care: Clinics in Office Practice, offer a thorough introduction to the topic. Primary dysmenorrhea is a gynecological condition…
Essential Oil Allies: Cedarwood
Cedarwood syn. Atlas Cedar Cedrus atlantica Cedrus atlantica is one of the true cedars and is a native of the Atlas Mountains in Algeria and Morocco. Cedarwood is a member of the Pinaceae family, which includes fir, hemlock, spruce, and pine species. The essential oil of Atlas Cedarwood is distilled from the wood or saw…
Is it safe to use Wintergreen essential oil?
Wintergreen Gaultheria fragrantissima or Gaultheria procumbens Wintergreen essential oil is distilled from the leaves of Gaultheria fragrantissima (native to Asia and N. India) or the North American native species Gaultheria procumbens. These species are commonly cultivated and distilled in Nepal and Sri Lanka for production of essential oil. Wintergreen essential oil often gets a bad…
Learn how to blend with essential oils
Enjoy Jade’s talk on approaches to blending and formulation. This talk was given at NAHA’s Beyond Aromatics Conference in October of 2016. Powerpoint PDF: The Art and Science of Formulation
Clary Sage Essential Oil
Written by: Amy Emnett My first encounter with Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea) was a memorable one. I have been afflicted with reproductive issues since the onset of puberty. My online research, prior to aromatherapy school, lead me to this herbaceous oil. In my research, I saw that it shared a lot of the same constituents…
About Black Spruce Essential Oil
Black Spruce Picea mariana (P. Mill.) B.S.P. var. mariana Black spruce is in the Pinaceae family which includes the Pines and Firs as well as Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica). Black spruce resin was used as a chewing gum; wound healing agent; tea against sore throat; salve greased on the chest against bronchial diseases while Black spruce…