Relaxation
Hydrosols for Intimate Apparel
The summer is a very appropriate time to experiment with hydrosols, washing your intimate apparel, silks, and scarves in the gentle essences of blossoms. Here’s how:
Fill a basin 2/3 full of spring water. Add 1/4 cup soapwort infusion (soapwort is used traditionally for valuable textiles ~ but any mild soap will do as long as it is safe for use on the fabrics you are washing).
Next add 1 cup of your favorite hydrosol. Swish clothing in this water gently to work up lather. Soak 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse. Hang up to dry.
Qualities of the three most popular hydrosols to consider:
- Lavender is relaxing and unisex.
- Neroli builds confidence in sexuality, and helps with recovery from embarrassment.
- Rose lends energy, is stimulating, and aids the adventurous spirit.
From: Four Seasons of Mojo
Lake House Room Spray
My summers were often spent at my family’s lake house on the Minnesota Canada border. Days (and nights) were filled with fishing, swimming, hiking, camp fires, and board games. The air was scented with a wonderful blend of evergreens, fresh-cut fire wood, and water. This homemade room spray recipe of Pine, Cedarwood, Lavender and Spearmint captures that memory perfectly for me. Plus it’s calming, grounding, and balancing.
To make room spray:
- Fill 8 oz glass spray bottle about 3/4 full with distilled water
- Fill most of the rest of the way full with Witch Hazel
- 10 drops Pine essential oil
- 10 drops Cedarwood essential oil
- 10 drops Lavender essential oil
- 10 drops Spearmint drops essential oil
- Put on sprayer top and shake well to mix
To use: Shake bottle gently before each use. Spray into the air to freshen room. Use as often as needed.
Source: One Essential Community
Summer Sunset Room Spray
Summer sunsets and summer nights are hard to beat. You can still feel the warmth of the sun on your skin, but the air begins to cool and things start to slow down, giving a chance to reflect on the day. This summer sunset air freshener blend reflects that calm, grateful, peaceful feeling. The Patchouli essential oil is grounding and encourages reflection and self acceptance. The Ylang Ylang essential oil is the oil of the heart and helps connect us to our inner joy and being in the moment. Sandalwood essential oil is grounding, helping to calm and reduce stress. And sweet Orange essential oil is very uplifting and opens your heart to accept the goodness that life is offering.
To make room spray:
- Fill 8 oz glass spray bottle about 3/4 full with distilled water
- Fill most of the rest of the way full with Witch Hazel
- 12 drops Ylang Ylang essential oil
- 12 drops Sweet (wild) Orange essential oil
- 10 drops Sandalwood essential oil
- 5 drops Patchouli essential oil
- Put on sprayer top and shake well to mix
To use: Shake bottle gently before each use. Spray into the air to freshen room. Use as often as needed.
Source: One Essential Community
Geranium Essential Oil
Geranium works profoundly on the emotions and is useful in many medical conditions – and smells wonderful while it works so hard. The oil is extracted not from the familiar brightly colored geranium but from the species Pelargonium – Geranium Robert or “lemon plant” – which is very often displayed in abundance in Greek restaurants.
- Application:
Diffuse and apply topically. May be added to food or soy / rice milk as a dietary supplement. Apply where you would use a deodorant.
- Fragrant Influence:
It may help to release negative memories. It may also help ease nervous tension and stress, balance the emotions, lift the spirit, and foster peace, well-being, and hope.
- Safety Data:
If pregnant or under a doctor’s care, consult your physician.
Geranium will make chilblains disappear overnight and brings a radiant glow when used in skin care. This oil is useful in applications for aged, wrinkling or older skin, as well as for healing balms and salves after facial or plastic surgery.
More importantly, it is a vital component in the treatment of endometriosis, is very effective for menopausal problems, diabetes, blood disorders, throat infections, and as a nerve tonic, and works well as a sedative.
When inhaled the scent is antidepressant, uplifting, averts tension, and is stimulating to the psyche.
It is reputed to help in cases of uterine and breast cancer and if nothing else, would certainly help the patient to relax and cope with the pain. Geranium has many applications, from frostbite to infertility, and its antiseptic and astringent properties contribute to its general usefulness. Its delightful floral fragrance makes it a pleasure to use, either on its own or as a contributory oil in blends.
Information collected from various sources
Chamomile Essential Oil
There are several types of chamomile essential oil. German Chamomile is an excellent variety and its beautiful deep dark blue color, due to its high azulene content, comes as a bonus. Another excellent variety, Roman chamomile, is particularly good for the treatment of nervous conditions and insomnia. Beware though of chamomile Maroc (Ormenis multicaulis) which is not a true chamomile and cannot be used as such.
Generalities
Chamomile is that wonderful yellow daily-like flower that is used for everything: cosmetics, fragrance, oil, herbal baths, soothing tea. The root is used for toothache and the entire plant in herbal therapeutics. The whole plant is used from root to flower. The essence is obtained by steam distillation of the flowers. Chamomile smells sweet, resembling fresh golden apples, and this fruity scent has given it the name of Manzanilla in Spanish-speaking countries.
The Egyptians had a great reverence for Chamomile and used it in massage oils to remove aches and pains. Sports-minded people will like using the flowers in a bath for relaxation and to ease aching muscles. This plant was one of the favored strewing herbs of the Middle Ages, to sweeten the air of a room and create a relaxing atmosphere.
The scent is rejuvenative and especially helpful to those of a sensitive nature. Inhaling the herby, aromatic, slightly bitter but always refreshing scent of Chamomile will ease your depression, soothe your irritable nature, lull you into a restful sleep and calm you. Use the oil straight or use it in combinations to relax and soothe a busy household after a trying day.
A busy person might like dabbing a drop or two of Chamomile oil on the forearm, to inhale occasionally during the day , for relaxation and to allay temper. Remember that oil of Chamomile is recommended for use in the diffusor, in a child’s room, for the anesthetic, for the calm that will come, for sweet sleep.
German Chamomile
German chamomile has been highly esteemed for over 3,000 years and has been used for many types of skin conditions and stress related complaints.
- Application:
Diffuse, add to food or water as a dietary supplement, or apply topically on location. Among the gentlest oils used in aromatherapy, the chamomiles are suitable for use on children.
- Fragrant Influence:
Dispels anger, stabilizes emotions, and helps release emotions linked to the past. It may also be used to soothe and clear the mind.
- Safety Data:
If pregnant or under a doctor’s care, consult your physician.
German chamomile is a cleanser of the blood, helps increase liver function and secretion, and supports the pancreas. German chamomile promotes the regeneration of skin and can be used for abscesses, burns, rashes, cuts, dermatitis, teething pains, acne, eczema, chronic gastritis, infected nails, cystitis, inflamed joints, menopausal problems, sores, skin disorders, stress related complaints, toothaches, ulcers and wounds.
Roman Chamomile
Roman chamomile is used extensively in Europe for the skin. For centuries, mothers have used Roman chamomile to calm crying children, ease earaches, reduce fevers, soothe stomachaches and indigestion, and relieve toothaches and teething pain.
- Application:
Diffuse or apply topically on bottom of feet, ankles, wrists or on location. Add to food or soy / rice milk as a dietary supplement. Among the gentlest oils used in aromatherapy. All of the chamomiles are suitable for use on children.
- Fragrant Influence:
Because it is calming and relaxing, it can combat depression, insomnia, and stress. It minimizes anxiety, irritability, and nervousness. It may also dispel anger, stabilize the emotions, and help to release emotions that are linked to the past.
- Safety Data:
If pregnant or under a doctor’s care, consult your physician. Test for skin sensitivity.
Roman chamomile neutralizes allergies and increases the ability of the skin to regenerate. It may help calm and relieve restlessness and tension. Its anti-infectious properties benefit cuts, scrapes, and bruises It is a cleanser of the blood and also helps the liver discharge poisons.
This oil may help with allergies, bruises, cuts, depression, insomnia, muscle tension, nerves (calming and promoting nerve health), restless legs, and skin conditions, such as acne, dermatitis, eczema, rashes, and sensitive skin. It can effectively minimize irritability and nervousness in hyperactive children.
Collected from various sources
Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender oil is a natural antibiotic, antiseptic, antidepressant, sedative, and detoxifier which promotes healing and prevents scarring, and also stimulates the immune system and contributes to the healing process by stimulating the cells of a wound to regenerate more quickly.
- Application:
Diffuse or apply topically. Has a wide range of uses. Apply where you would use a deodorant. Safe for use on small children. May also be added to food or soy/rice mil as a dietary supplement.
- Fragrant Influence:
Calming, relaxing, and balancing, both physically and emotionally.
- Safety Data:
If pregnant or under a doctor’s care, consult physician.
Lavender is capable of many important jobs and is a delight to use. Every home should have a bottle of lavender, if no other oil, because it is so very effective in the treatment of burns and scalds. Lavender is beneficial for cleansing cuts and wounds and is ideal for skin care, since it prevents the build up of excess sebum, a skin oil that bacteria feed on. Lavender has also been clinically evaluated for its relaxing effects.
Although not known specifically as a circulatory stimulant, lavender oil certainly seems to allay the effects of clinical shock and as a mood tonic and antidepressant it helps to deal with the psychological shock of injury.
The French scientist Rene Gatefosse was the first to discover lavender’s ability to promote tissue regeneration and speed wound healing when he severely burned his arm in a laboratory accident. Today, lavender is one of the few essential oils to still be listed in the British Pharmacopoeia.
It also has a multitude of other qualities which make it a truly indispensable oil. This is one of the oils that should be on your number one list – and particularly of use in a first aid kit and for children and pets. It is good for camping because it repels fleas and flying creatures like mosquitoes.
Collected from various sources
