Tag: antiseptic

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Capture the scents of Spring – and give yourself a Spring Clean!

Round image with text hello spring and some abstract pictures of chamomile, basil, rosemary and thyme

It might not feel like Spring yet so here are some oils to help you capture those seasonal aromas and give your mind and body a Spring clean in the process!

I have a vision of creating a beautiful herb garden, one which I potter around in, snipping sprigs of fresh herbs for alfresco dining, wearing an organic cotton apron, basking in herbaceous aromas in the sunshine. The reality was sewing a variety of herbs into plastic pots in between rain showers and hoping the early morning April frosts would not kill them! I potted cress too and the good news is this blooming already. Does anyone remember growing cress at school, bringing it home and sprinkling it on everything and anything? I can taste the peppery flavours now and it’s the perfect companion to egg mayonnaise.

As I was lovingly sewing my seeds and chalking the slate plant markers – a birthday gift from my husband – wishing it was sunnier and warmer, my mind turned to the oils of some of these incredible plants. In particular, Basil, Chamomile, Rosemary and Thyme. Apart from being used in food and tea, as essentials oils, these are some of my favourites because of their wonderful and magical therapeutic benefits. I wanted to create a lovely herbaceous blend inside and what better way than to add a drop of each to my burner and inhale their collective power.

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) grown in India and North Africa but now cultivated in Mediterranean countries like Italy and France has a clean, warm and aromatic aroma. Good for digestion and inflammation of the respiratory system, it is also an aid to concentration as it helps focus and wake up the mind. I like to use it when I’m working on something, writing or researching as its stimulating properties help lift our spirits too and if I have a foggy head including a headache, Basil is my go-to oil.

Chamomile Roman (Chamaemelum nobile) is grown in this country as well as places like France and the USA. It is refreshing, rich and earthy and I love its bright, happy flowers reminding me of sunshine and a warm breeze. I have fond memories of drinking Chamomile tea made by my mum to help calm my nerves when I was in a play aged about 10. Mum made me the tea from the flowers and stems, infused in hot water, and I remember drinking this before performing to help calm and soothe. It’s perfect for stress, depression and anxiety calming heated emotions and worry. Also good for PMS, heavy or irregular periods. You can add a 1 drop to 5ml of carrier oil and rub into your abdomen. Or soak a flannel in warm water, add 1-2 drops of the oil and then lay this onto your tummy, and place a warm hot water bottle on top to help ease symptoms.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is one most of us will cultivate quite easily. Careful where you plant it though as it can become huge. Like Basil, Rosemary is a stimulant therefore good for headaches, fatigue and nervous exhaustion. Brought to the UK by the Romans, it was used in battle for courage but it is also highly antiseptic so useful for treating wounds. In folk medicine, it is associated with having a good memory and there has been recent research investigating this claim, particularly aiding our future memory. Future memory can be defined as ‘remembering to remember’, for example, remembering things such as taking medicine, buying your niece’s birthday card, getting the chicken out the freezer before you dash off to work. Research has found that Rosemary does improve our future memory, attributed to the chemical 1,8-cineole (also found in other oils such as Eucalyptus). So as well as smelling wonderful, Rosemary can have a powerful impact in our brains.

Finally, Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) another Mediterranean plant, sweet and herbal, also stimulates our digestive and circulatory systems, increasing blood flow so careful if you have low blood pressure as it can, potentially, raise your blood pressure. It is also good for our head, helping with stress and nerves, stimulating our minds and helping clear out a cold and catarrh.

All of these oils can give our bodies and minds a Spring clean – clearing, stimulating and uplifting. Gorgeous on their own but also combined, they offer us a taste of Spring, lifting our spirits and hopes for warmer, sunnier days in the garden.

Contraindications: please check with your doctor if you are using immunosuppressants, hrt, or have high or low blood pressure. Do not use in pregnancy.

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The miracle of Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Silver Sage

Distilled from the flowering herb, Sage has long been seen as a miracle plant. The word ‘Salvare’ means to heal, to save and was used frequently by the Romans and throughout the middle age as a nerve tonic relieving nervousness, tension, stress as well as aiding concentration. It is rich in keytones therefore should be used with caution as it can accumulate or build up within the body and so should be used in very small amounts.

Having said that, it has excellent therapeutic benefits. For example, it is clarifying which can positively impact unbalanced or infrequent menstruation periods as it stimulates hormones and can clear a ‘menstrual obstruction’. It relieves other PMS symptoms such as headaches, tiredness, mood swings and depression. Other therapeutic benefits include anti inflammatory, antiseptic, expectorant (clearing out sinuses, fevers, flu) and anti spasmodic relieving coughing and cramps. It soothes and calms digestion helping neutralise acids in the stomach and bloodstream, relieving hiccups and colic.

A top note oil, Sage has a spicy, warm and minty aroma. I like to use it in my skin care routine diluted in a moisturiser (1% blend) as its antioxidant properties are known to aid the regeneration of skin cells. As we age, our skin becomes wrinkled and can loose it’s shape. Sage can support us here – maybe not provide a miracle – but its therapeutic actions can support this inevitable and perfectly natural process – beautifully.

Seek advice from a qualified Aromatherapist when using essential oils. It is not recommended for children, or used during pregnancy as it can activate menstruation. Avoid using if you suffer from epilepsy.

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The healing ‘tears’ of Frankincense

Why is Frankincense (Boswellia sacra) significant and given as a gift to Jesus in recognition of his Divinity? The reason is that in ancient times Frankincense was just as expensive as gold in terms of weight and is mentioned 22 times in the Bible.

Yet Frankincense is also rich in terms of its healing and therapeutic qualities. The essential oil comes from the dried and distilled resin of the Boswellia tree, grown in Somalia, Ethiopia, the Red Sea and Lebanon. It is extracted by tapping the bark, where the sticky resin exudes and forms ‘tears’ that harden. These ‘tears’ naturally protect the tree from infection and repairs damage and disease and we use it in the same way, to protect and repair our bodies and minds.

Traditionally Frankincense was used as incense in churches and for meditation. It is a balancing oil, calming and sedative, slowing the pace of, and deepening, the breath making it a comforting oil when stressed and anxious. However, it can also be energising as according to the Greek philosopher Pythagoras, Frankincense heightened his senses and awareness, enabling him to prophesise. Culpepper suggested it helped with depression and poor memory, helping strengthen the nervous system. It has a lemony, warm woody aroma which can sometimes be spicy and musky making Frankincense a dynamic oil – both relaxing and stimulating. When Frankincense is burned it produces phenol which is highly antiseptic, historically believed to banish evil spirits from sick rooms. Being rich in monoterpenes it helps clear mucus and catarrh making it expectorant so good for asthma, coughs, bronchitis and laryngitis – perfect for these winter months where our immune systems are low and susceptible.

Frankincense is also a lovely oil for the skin, particularly mature skin, balancing oily skin, it is anti-inflammatory, healing scars, wounds and sores – similar to how the resin ‘tears’ repair damage to wounds of the tree, we can use the oil to repair damage to human skin. It blends beautifully with Myrrh but also any citrus oil such as Bergamot, orange, lemon, and floral oils like Rose, Geranium, Lavender and Jasmine.

This is an oil gifted by kings given to a future king – if you believe in the Christmas story yet it’s healing, meditative power is far reaching both historically and cross culturally making it a magical oil producing perfect harmony, balance and calm.

Avoid in pregnancy, unsuitable for children and those who are taking immunosuppressant medication.

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Every house should have one….

Tea tree garden

Every house should have a bottle of Tea tree essential oil (Melaleuca alternifolia). With its distinctive, antiseptic aroma, extracted from the leaves of the tree, it can be applied neat to treat and prevent ALL infections including bacteria, viruses and fungi and, according to one study, MRSA and the treatment of flu. What is unique about Tea tree is that it can stop the spread of virulent organisms such as Staph infections which cause skin irritations like impetigo, styes, conjunctivitis and athletes foot. It can also stop the spread of Candida albican, commonly known as thrush. It can treat insect bites and verrucae. Put one drop of Tea tree onto a cotton bud and apply to the affected area. If you do not want to apply neat, mix 1 drop with 5 mls of blending cream or aloe gel and apply to the area (at least once a day). If you are suffering from athletes foot, put up to 8 drops into a bowl of warm water and bathe your feet. Make sure you thoroughly dry your feet afterwards. It will ease itching and offer welcome relief. I always have a bottle to hand, it is inexpensive and can be bought from most pharmacies and health food shops. Make sure when you purchase Tea tree, the Latin botanical name (Melaleuca alternifolia) is displayed, which will ensure that it is from the plant and is not diluted with another oil. Do not use during pregnancy, if you are taking immunosupressant medication or have sensitive skin.