One of the things most people overlook is the soap we use. Most of us might question what our soap is made of, but if you think about it, it is something we use several times a day, every day. Shouldn’t we be totally positive as to what we are exposing our highly absorbant skin to on such a regular basis?

Soap is soap, right? Wrong.

Let’s take a closer look. If you look at the back of a soap package, the ingredients will likely include Sodium Tallowate. This is beef fat. The reason it is in your soap is because it is cheap, readily available and makes a really hard soap.

All real soap is made from some type of fat.

Almost all fat that goes into store bought soap is from animals and not vegetables. There are absolutely no vitamins, no minerals and no soothing or healing qualities in animal fat. Animal fat does not add anything beneficial to your skin. And if you ask me, it sounds really gross!

When it comes to looking after your skin and keeping it healthy, there is nothing more important than cleaning it properly. Our skin needs nourishiment, not something which has absolutely no beneficial, or redeeming qualities to recommend use on our human bodies.

One of the best ways to be sure you are doing the best that you can do for your skin is to use a soap with all of the benefits that come from natural vegetable oils like olive and soy bean. Personally I prefer natural ingredients loaded with antioxidants, moisturizing and healing properties, as well as vitamins which actually feed our skin.

Making your own natural soap is a perfect solution to getting what your skin needs. You choose your oils, your scents, and your colors.

After a lot of research on the matter, I have decided that Hot Soap Making – The Complete Guide by Rene Whitlock sounds like something my daughter and I would love to try. We both have a great interest in this, and like the idea of having more options with hot soap processing as opposed to cold soap processing, with less trial and error to slow us down. Learning from someone who has taken the time to put together all the information in one easy place sounds perfect to me!

I can just see myself and Dragon Girl in the very near future… we shall have totally perfected the art of Hot Soap Making, and all our family and friends will simply love us when they see and smell our wonderful naturally created soap gifts in all shapes, sizes, scents, and colors. Not to mention how happy our skin will be… This is truly exciting!!

We would love to share our adventures into the realms of natural soap making, so feel free to check back to see where our next learning experience takes us. Enjoy…

Basic Rose Potpourri
Blend 1 tsp of rose essential oil to 3 TBS coarse ground orris root and let sit, covered for a few days. For a spicy scent, add 2 TBS each of ground cloves and cinnamon. For a sweet floral scent, add 2 cups lavender and ¼ cup ground tonka bean. For a musky scent, add 1 cup patchouli leaves and ½ cup sandalwood and vetiver root. For a fruity scent, add 1 cup each of dried citrus peel, rose and lemon scented geranium leaves, and lemon balm or lemon verbena. You will soon find yourself adding a little of this and that as you become familiar with the process and begin creating your own blends.

Balsam Fir Potpourri
1 cup balsam needles
¾ cup sweet woodruff leaves
1 cup dried violet blossoms
1 cup lavender 2 TBS salt
¼ cup bee balm blossoms
1 oz balsam Peru tincture

Seal and let set to “cure”, occasionally shaking the mix.

Christmas Potpourri
1 cup each: cut and sifted: whole allspice, star anise, ginger root, and sassafras bark
2 cups each: orange peel, lemon verbena leaves, and rose buds and petals.
30 drops allspice oil, stirred into the mix 5 drops at a time.
10 6″ cinnamon sticks.

Seal and let set to “cure”, shaking occasionally.

Citrus Blend
4 cups lemon verbena leaves
2 cups lemon balm leaves
2 cups orange mint
2 cups lemon, lime or orange scented geranium leaves
1 cup apple mint
4 cups ground citrus peel
Add other flowers for color if you like
4 cups marigold or calendula petals (or other yellow and orange flowers)
2 cups orris root, mixed with 1 TBS orange oil and 1 TBS lemon oil

Seal and let set to “cure”, shaking occasionally.

Lily of the Valley Potpourri
1 cup dried lily of the valley petals
2 cups dried violet and viola flowers
¾ cup dried rose blossoms
4 tonka beans broken into pieces or 1 tsp vanilla extract
3 TBS orris root powder

Seal and let set to “cure”, occasionally shaking the mix.

Moist Potpourri
Rose petals are the primary ingredient, but any flower petals will work. Add any oils or spices to the petals you wish, and layer them with uniodized salt. Compress the potpourri under a weighted dish. Set the potpourri aside for several weeks, but do stir the mixture every day. Once fermentation of the mix begins, let it sit for 2 more weeks without stirring until a cake is formed. Break the cake into small bits, and combine with spices, oils, and fixatives. Let it blend a few more weeks, and then put it in a decorative container. It isn’t attractive, so you may want to put it where it can be smelled, but not seen.

I hope you enjoy these simply sweet recipies… I know I sure will!

~Dragon Girl~

**Note – As always, be certain of your allergies. If you are not sure what may cause harm to you personally, contact your naturopath or health care provider before using anything, even if it falls into the natural realms.

Today I have been made aware of a Lavender Cleansing Conditionerwhich appears to carry some awesome ingredients right out of natures own backyard. I was just thinking I would love to try something new, besides the generic shampoo’s and conditioners on the market today, and this sweet lavender cleansing conditioner was generously brought to my attention. What a great universe we create!

Let’s take a look at what this delicious sounding Lavender Cleansing Conditionerhas to offer, and exactly what it is we are looking at here.

Ingredients

Water, Organic Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Lavender Extract, Cucumber Fruit Extract, Chamomile Extract, Marigold Flower Extract, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Amodimethicone, Lavender Oil, Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5), Witch Hazel, Ceteareth-20, Sweet Almon Oil, Menthol, Avocado Oil, PEG-60, Almond Glycerides, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Methylisothiazolinone, Citric Acid

Helpful Directions

Rinse hair thoroughly and completely with cool water for at least 1 minute. Cleansing Conditioner should be applied in four sections: the crown of your head, the nape/back of head, ends to the left side of your hair and ends to the right side of your hair. For hair above your shoulders, use a minimum of 24 pumps, (6 pumps per section). For hair down to your shoulders, use a minimum of 32 pumps, (8 pumps per section). For hair past your shoulders use a minimum of 40 pumps, (10 per section). For hair to your mid-back use a minimum of 48 pumps, (12 per section). Add a splash of water to help evenly distribute through the ends and massage vigorously into scalp for 2-3 minutes. Comb through with a wide-tooth comb and clip hair up for the remainder of the shower. Leave on for at least 3-5 minutes. The longer you leave it on the better for maximum results. Rinse with cool water thoroughly for 1-2 minutes by massaging your scalp and running your fingers through to the ends. While hair is soaking wet, apply 1-3 pumps of the Cleansing Conditioner as a leave-in conditioner starting from the back of the head through to the ends. For thicker/coarser hair increase amount of pumps in order to thoroughly hydrate and cleanse the scalp and ends. If you choose to rinse and repeat, use half the amount of suggested pumps for each cleansing.

I would just like to add that I would simply love to enjoy a few minutes of lavender heaven on my scalp and hair, and can only imagine how wonderful this would feel! What a treat for a living part of our body which takes a lot of hits from the environment, as well as our own unintentional careless treatment. Our hair stands up to a lot of stress from many directions, and could use a break from the collaterol damage our busy lifestyles demand.

Breath-fresh Mouth Rinse

* 2 drops Peppermint
* 2 drops Myrrh
* 2 drops Tea Tree
* 4 oz. distilled water

Mix all ingredients in a clean bottle. Swish a proper amount of the mix in your mouth after brushing your teeth or after meals.

When the gums or the tissues supporting the teeth become damaged or inflamed, gum disease may threaten oral health.

Gum Oil

* 5 drops Tea Tree
* 2 drops Myrrh
* 3 drops Lemon
* 2 Tbs. Mixing Oil

Place the carrier oils and essential oil in container. Massage the mixture into your gums once a day, after brushing your teeth.

Some general information

* 1 drop of Lemon oil on your toothbrush may help whiten your teeth.
* Lemon, Orange, Peppermint, and Tea Tree oils may help freshen your breath and keep bacteria away from your mouth.
* Myrrh oil may support healthy gums.

**Note – As always, be certain of your allergies. If you are not sure what may cause harm to you personally, contact your naturapath or health care provider before using anything, even if it falls into the natural realms.

Since I am proactive, and love to play with the little ones, I tend to push myself pretty hard at times. Life is just too short to waste any of these precious moments, and I strongly feel it is important to make the most of our time as it flows by. Erego, I do get a bit overwhelmed at times (yes, the unthinkable happens to me too, and my family is usually at a loss when I turn myself off and go into self-pamper mode, but they’ll survive!).

So, what do I do to relax? Well, like I have mentioned before, I love to do my Qigong and gather Life Force Energy to keep myself in balance. I also place a bit of lavender under my pillow to get the wonderful benefits of the healing energies lavender carries. It is good to have a nice sachet of lavender handy for a moment in our day when we need to give our senses a bit of a reprieve as well.

Yet the most beneficial thing a busy woman (or man) can do for our bodies as well as our senses, is to take a nice, soothing, long hot bath! Hands down, this is the best way to really relax and let our busy bodies and minds have a chance to find that place of peace which brings us back into perfect balance. Masada Bath Salts, Relaxing Lavender, Dead Sea Mineral is a special treat I found to pamper myself in a way that gives me complete privacy in my quiet time. No one dares enter my space during bath time, so I am certain to get that which I need to keep me sane.

Life on this planet throws a lot of stuff our way (and it is not all peaches and cream), and as the Matriarch of my family, I need to keep myself in top shape to allow me to handle any situation that comes my way with a clear mind, sharp senses, and a whole lot of wisdom! Give me a few precious moments to myself, and I am good to go! So here I go to run that delicious hot bath and thank the heavens for me time!

This is a friendly reminder to take the time to pamper yourself. If you are always busy, even if you don’t have such a big and active family as I do, then you too need a bit of self indulgence to balance out the hectic moments Life throws your way. So do yourself a big favour and go run a really hot bath, throw in some of your favourite scents and salts in and enjoy!

Let’s take a look at a few natural strategies and options for creating a healthy atmosphere within our bodies, and giving us a priceless sense of well being.

Aromatic Foot Bath to Support Healthy Circulation

4 drops Wild Rosemary
2 drops Geranium
2 drops Eucalyptus
1 Tbs Mixing Oil

Bowl with cold water…

Add the mixture into the bowl, put feet in, and soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Colder water may increase circulation by causing local stimulation.

Feeling Pressure?

4 drops Lavender
2 drops Ylang Ylang
2 drops Clary Sage

Put the drops on the tissue and inhale a few times. You can also add the mixture to 2 Tbs of Massage Lotion and gently massage the chest and back.

Tonic to Support Healthy Veins

6 drops Cypress
1 drop Lemon
1 drop Bergamot
2 cups cold water

In a small bowl, add the oils to the water. Swish a soft fabric in the bowl. Gently apply fabric to legs.

For relaxation, you may wish to try a sedating massage using Neroli, Lavender, or Ylang Ylang.

Enjoy!

**Special Note – As always, use good sense and be very certain of your allergies. Always consult your health care provider or naturapathic before using any new herbal treatment.

Combating the Winter Blues through Scent

Winter is a time when we enjoy the safe and warm comfort of staying inside our homes. It is the time of year when we may start to feel lethargic, depressed, or irritable. Even though winter brings special holidays that make us want to feel festive and optimistic and you can feel spring coming, we become affected by the lack of sunshine in our lives. To combat the winter blues, we love to surround ourselves with pleasant scents. Essential oils may bring balance to our hearts and peace to our minds. They may help to cleanse, release, and balance our thoughts. Let the aromatherapy shine.

Scent has a great effect on our emotions. Scientists are increasingly interested in the connection between fragrance and memory triggers in the limbic brain. They are also researching pheromones – fragrant substances that may influence physical attraction. Personal attraction or aversion is influenced by odor. Without the ability to smell, there would be very little attraction. Our body has special glands that produce a very personal perfume that changes according to our mood or state of health. Fragrance may create well-being or discomfort. If you have difficulty adapting to a new situation, or letting go of the past, a new fragrance may help create a fresh mood. It may help you change your attitude or find a new positive reaction. A pure essential oil will not create an aggressive feeling; rather it will have a positive, balancing effect.

We each have our own personal reaction to every scent. Smells, moods, and short and long-term memories are all stored in the limbic part of our brain. Dangerous or negative odors set our subconscious in the awareness stage. Positive smells like our babies’ skin or our mothers’ fragrance will bring a pleasant reminder of a positive experience for decades.

Our Ancestors knew the Power of Aromatherapy

Helping our body and psyche with scent has a history stretching back for many centuries. The very beginning of the practice of medicine has been connected with mythical rituals, magic, or religion. We may say that the history of scent began with incense burners and has continued through experience with aromas and essential oils up to the present day. The methods of treatment were based on philosophical ideas that looked at a direct connection between man and nature. In ancient civilizations, medicinal herbs were evaluated by their taste and smell.

An interesting example from the history of essential oils is thyme. The name “Thyme” is derived from the Greek word Thymiama (incense) and means courage, health, or sacrifice. It was a sign of high respect in ancient Greece to say to someone that he “smells of thyme”. Roman soldiers often added thyme to their baths to give themselves strength, health, and courage.

Rosemary played an important part in the Roman tradition of eliminating evil spirits. In the Middle Ages, it was a part of Hungarian water, a distillate of rosemary, lavender, and turpentine. According to alchemistic understanding, this was the first water of life. Many preserving properties were attributed to Carmelite water, a distillate of lemon balm, clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

The seductive power of scent has always been known. The sense of smell may help create love and desire. Smell influences us much more than we think. The natural scent of flowers, essential oils, and compositions in the form of perfume, are more than just a pleasant smell. They can promote relaxation, sensuality, or spiritual depth. According to research on flowers by P. Jellinek, “esters of phenylacetic acids, fatty aldehydes, and alcohols are responsible for the aphrodisiac effect of various flower scents (jasmine, neroli).”

Essential Oils to Balance out our busy Lifestyles

Extensive studies by occupational psychologists have shown that lemon or rosemary scent may help with concentration, nutmeg may reduce stress, and lavender, interestingly, promotes a desire to buy things. Large Japanese companies are using scent throughout their employees’ workstations to help improve their performance – lemon in the morning for pick-me-up feelings, rose at lunch time for relaxation, and wood scents in the evening for stimulation and refreshment.

Another interesting discussion would focus on stress levels in our civilization. More and more studies are being done to prove that essential oils interact well with the receptors of the psychosomatic network and they may, in a soft and gentle way, restore harmony in our systems. This is especially essential to help people balance out the fast pace in the modern world of technology.

Aromatherapy is using the knowledge of the effect of scents on the body and mind. With the help of the purest essential oils we may influence our stage of mood or form of somatic anomalies. Compared with synthetic products, aromatherapy has a much higher risk-free profile. Nature provides all that we need, and the amazing and near magical powers of these scents are gifs that we should be aware of so we can utilize them to our greatest advantage. Caring for the Earth and her treasures should be high on our list of priorities as we step forth on our Paths with care and love for all which surrounds us.

Note – Information and statements regarding Aromatherapy have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health condition or disease. Contact your Health Care provider or Naturapathic immediately if you suspect that you have a medical problem, or may be prone to an allergic reaction.

Baby massage – helps circulation and enhances body function, however the most important factor is providing you and your baby with very enjoyable moments and memories. It is natural for a mother to give a massage and natural for a baby to receive it. The most suitable oils for babies are Lavender and Roman chamomile. Both oils will help with most aspects of your baby’s problems. Massage may help calm an over-active child and can help promote healthy sleep, ease stomach problems, prevent diaper rash, and soften skin. Use 2 to 3 drops of essential oils in a small cup of warm mixing oil.

Studies are showing that massaged babies are more alert, sleep better, gain weight faster, and look happier. Use this knowledge to spend more memorable and quality time with your precious one.

Nature’s Jewel

Orange (Citrus sinensis) – Orange is a small tree with shiny oval leaves, fragrant white flowers, and sweet, very nutritious fruits. It yields orange essential oil from its fruit, neroli oil (one of the main constituents of Eau-de-Cologne) from its flower, and petitgrain oil from its leaves. The orange is native to China and India, however it is cultivated today in many warm climates in the USA, Europe, Mexico, or Brazil.

The orange’s main chemical components are 90% Limonene, while the remaining 10% is made up of odorous constituents such as citral, citronellal, auraptenol and acids. The essential oil is located within the small sacks in the outer part of the skin. If you pinch the skin close to the candle flame, the released oil will burn producing tiny stars. The flash point for orange essential oil is 75 degrees Fahrenheit (23C).

Oranges symbolize innocence and fertility. In Chinese medicine, it was used to help with colds, coughs, and appetite problems. Traditionally it has been used as a tonic and as a support for the digestion system. It may influence one’s mood, create positive and happy feelings, and awaken activity. Orange oil will help you brighten gloomy feelings, dark thoughts and stressful situations. The oil is very beneficial and soothing for dry, irritated, and non-cystic acne prone skin. It has great regenerating properties and is valuable for mature skin. It may stimulate the lymphatic fluid, and it is a very good choice in massage procedure for helping swollen tissue.

Orange oil is a good source of vitamin C. It’s a good idea to add essential oil into a diffuser at times of flu or colds. It may help relieve tiredness, promote energy, and support the immune system.

Orange was also traditionally used to help the digestion system, alleviate occasional bloating or pressure, and prevent nausea associated with motion.

Use essential oil in combination with your daily skin care products and as an essential part of inhalation to help regulate your psyche and mood. If you use it as a necessary part of your massage procedure, you can aid digestion and help the muscular systems.

Essential Oils – The Gentle Touch and Scent Massage is probably the oldest and simplest method of helping your body. A massage is enjoyable to give and relaxing to receive. It is an ancient therapy; the word “anoint” has almost the same meaning as massage. Ancient people always used essential oils while giving a massage, and the ancient wisdom has not lost its popularity. It is still a pleasant art of touching that is beneficial to the mind and body.

Aromatherapy massage is a traditional form that uses essential oils together with the form of Shiatsu, Neuro-Muscular, Connective Tissue massage, or Lymphatic Tissue massage. A full aromatherapy massage may last up to 1 to 1-½ hours. Its main purpose is to relax and nourish the body. It may also help improve circulation, digestion, and respiration. It can also help speed up the elimination process, while promoting a warm, satisfied feeling of ease that takes away stress and worry. There are just a few basic strokes what you need to learn; everything else can come from your intuition and caring feelings.

Basic Massage Strokes

Effleurage – the basic stroking movement. The meaning comes from the French word “effleurer” which means “to touch lightly.” When done with a fast motion, it is invigorating. There are many variations, such as palm, thumb, pick-up effleurage, and “carresse du poing” that means: “closed hand” effleurage. You can do a few effleurage strokes on each part of the body. Use enough oil for your hands to slide easily over the skin.

Petrissage – often used to soften and relax tired muscles. The technique involves lifting up the muscle and applying compression with both hands.

Kneading – a one handed kneading that is similar in action to the two-handed petrissage – mostly used on short muscles.

Lymph tissue massage – assists lymph passage and helps reduce any minor swelling. This massage requires very little pressure at a slow speed.

Swedish massage – soft tissue massage that incorporates several types of movement – effleurage, kneading, cupping or hacking.

You can also include parts of reflexology massage, shiatsu massage, or acupressure. When you have chosen the right essential oils and carrier oil to serve your purpose, and a room that has been specially prepared, you can start a massage. Blend oils in a small bowl within reach, thus allowing one hand to maintain contact with massaged part. An ideal step-by-step procedure should start with massaging the back, legs, arms, stomach, chest, neck, scalp and face. Massage should always be pleasurable and rhythmical. For a full body massage, add 15-20 drops of essential oils per 1 oz of carrier oil. For a longer massage, use mixing oil; for a shorter massage, use a local application of Tangible lotion.

Good oils for relaxing massage treatments are Lavender, Roman chamomile, Frankincense, Marjoram, Clary sage, Geranium, or Ylang ylang. Oils that may help with minor muscle pain or strains are Helichrysum, Orange, Peppermint, Clove, Pine needle, or Wild rosemary.