Essential oils have been in my life as long as I can remember. When I was little, my mom would help to soothe our stomach aches with a drop of peppermint oil on a teaspoon of honey and she would rub our backs, chests and feet with camphor when we had colds. At that point,…
The Skin Types of Ayurveda
I feel very fortunate to say that I truly love my work as a holistic skin care therapist. I love it because I get to work so closely with people and because skin is a very fascinating and very telling organ. One never stops learning about the skin, its interaction with the environment, its…
The HEARTS Process for Pain Management and Relaxation
When we are in pain, physically or emotionally, it is nearly impossible to focus on something else and if we are chronic pain sufferers, we have the sensation and feeling that our body has become a pain body. We forget then that we are not that pain body and that makes it very difficult for…
The Magic of Hydrosols
Distillation is an act of magic. While we can explain the process – heat, evaporation, transpiration and condensation – in doing so we bring forth the essence of a plant. Molecules, previously held in and between the cells of its parts, reveal themselves to us in an alchemical conglomerate we know today as hydrosols. The…
Skincare: Holistic versus Mainstream
I often come across discussions about skin care which bring up a lot of frustrated commentary and not much else. They usually lead to very little progress in understanding or broadening of horizons between the opposing parties and I find that in the end, a discussion like that is a plain waste of time. Attempting…
Coco-Craze – A Comparison of Coconut Oils: Part II
Medium Chain Triglycerides: A Magic Bullet? Coconut products have skyrocketed to superfood fame practically overnight. Or, to be more specific: coconut oil consumption in the USA jumped by 34% between 2004 and 2014. These changes in consumer behavior were accompanied by an impressive array of marketing campaigns claiming that coconut oil is easy to digest,…