Even though there are around 700 varieties of geranium, only about 10 supply the valuable essential oil, which is obtained by distilling the leaves and shoots with steam. The oil, with its fresh, rosy, citrusy scent, stimulates the senses. It can renew your energy when you feel exhausted and calm you when you feel angry or irritable. Geranium oil also helps balance the hormones, making it a good option for women who are troubled by menopausal symptoms. Because of its cleansing and antiseptic properties, the oil has proved valuable in healing wounds and fighting infections. Geranium essential oil can help most skin types because its stimulating action helps boost the regeneration of skin cells and aids the healing of acne and blemishes. Diluted, it also helps control excessive oiliness of the skin and soothe dry, sensitive skin. The geranium oil will give your skin a healthy glow, making it appear more youthful and radiant. Many cosmetic lotions contain geranium oil, as it soothes irritated skin and helps control acne. Geranium oil blends well with most other oils, including lemon, grapefruit, lavender, rosemary, jasmine bergamot and ginger essential oils.
Recipes
Insect Repellant
Geranium oil is especially well suited to warding off insects, particularly mosquitoes. The following mixture used in a nebulizer or diffuser provides for perfect insect-free evenings.
5 drops geranium oil
3 drops clove oil
To help insect bites - Geranium can help with the aggrevation of swollen, itching mosquito bites. Simply dilute 2 drops of pure geranium oil in 1 ounce of witch hazel. Dab on affected area with a cotton ball. This will help the swelling go down.
For acne - Geranium is an antiseptic and anti-flammatory. After daily cleansing, dab a little of a geranium-witch hazel dilution on individual pimples with a cotton ball.
To feel good - If plants could speak, the message from the geranium would be, "Don't do a thing, let yourself be pampered." The pleasant scent of geranium, when mixed with rose oil is ideal for making a body oil combination to pamper yourself in a bath, with a facial or in a hair rinse. The oil relaxes the body and softens the skin.
For concentration problems - You can begin to feel more in control of your hectic life and decrease absentmindedness by inhaling the scent of geranium oil. The clear, light scent will aid you in organizingh your thoughts and improving your memory. You can also mix 2 drops of geranium oil with 2 drops of rosemary oil to enliven your senses. Add some to a tissue and keep in your purse when you travel or place the mixture in your car diffuser.
To reduce swelling in the legs - rub them with a mixture of 3 tbsp of sweet-almond oil, 8 drops of geranium oil and 5 drops of lemon oil. After applying the mixture, elevate your legs slightly and rest for for 30 min. The oils unblock the lymph nodes and prevent edema.
To help fade scars - use geranium oil mixed with neroli oil: mix 5 drops each of geranium and neroli oils into 3 tbsp of odorless enriched skin cream. Massage into the scar tissue to keep it supple.
To ease menstrual pain and cramps, a bath with geranium oil will provide relief. Add 6 drops of geranium oil, 3 drops of jasmine oil and 2 drops of clary-sage oil to 1 1/2 cups of whole milk and pour it into your bathwater; soak in the tub for at least 30 min or more.
Geranium oil can give your new optimism when your're feeling worn-out and apathetic. Place 3 drops each of geranium and bergamot oil in the nebulizer.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Lavender Oil
Lavender grows in open fields and on mountain slopes, giving off an intense spicy aroma when it blooms. Ther herb's flower buds are harvested by hand at midday, when the oil content is highest; the essential oil is then extracted using steam distillation.
Lavender oil has many uses: It is a powerful antiseptic containing more than 200 compounds that are active against fungi, viruses and other microbes. The oil is also valued for its ability to balance the emotions. It restores vitality in people suffering from nervous exhaustion and also has a calming effect on people who are agitated or who have trouble sleeping. Lavender oil is one of the few essential oils that is safe to use "neat" or undiluted, on the skin.
Recipes
To Purify Indoor Air - Place this mixture of essential oils in simmer pot or nebulizer to help freshen the air. The oils have a powerful cleansng action. The fresh scent also exerts an uplifting effect on the mind, body and spirit. Lavender combines particularly well with citrus oils.
4 drops lavender oil
2 drops bergamot oil
2 drops lemon oil
For Skin Irritations - Lavender water promotes good circulation in the skin and prevents infections of the sebaceous glads. For a facial lotion, add 3 drops of lavender oil to 1 quart of distilled water; dab on daily
For Sunburn Relief - Add 10 drops of lavender oil to 4 ounces of water. Store the liquid in a glass spray bottle and take it with you to spritz on sunburned skin as needed.
To Treat First Degree Burns - 1 to 2 drops directly on the burn will relieve pain and reduce the risk of blisters.
For Insomnia - Lavender oil has a calming effect and can be used to induce sleep when you're feeling stressed or anxious. Put a few drops of lavender oil in your nebulizer and place it in your bedroom. Its soothing effects will help you sleep soundly through the night.
For Middle Ear Infections - Saturate a cotton ball in olive oil, drip 5 drops of lavender oil onto it and place it on the outer part of the affected ear. The lavender oil will help releive the pain and inhibit the inflammation that often accompanies ear infections.
Stomach Aches, Cramping, and Colic - Combine 30 drops of lavender oil, 10 drops of chamomile oil and 3 1/2 ounces of cold pressed olive oil in a bottle and shake vigorously. Massage this mixture gently onto the abdomen for 10 minutes, using broad circular movements. Rest for a brief period, and then apply a hot water bottle to the affected area for 30 minutes.
For an aromatic lavender bath, use a natural emulsifier to help the oil blend well with the bathwater. Mix 5 drops of lavender oil with 1 cup of heavy cream or 1 tsp of honey and add it to the tub.
Around the House
Add several drops of lavender oil to the washer's final rinse cycle, or scent a cloth with a few drops of lavender oil and throw it in the dryer to freshen a load of newly laundered clothes.
Lavender oil has many uses: It is a powerful antiseptic containing more than 200 compounds that are active against fungi, viruses and other microbes. The oil is also valued for its ability to balance the emotions. It restores vitality in people suffering from nervous exhaustion and also has a calming effect on people who are agitated or who have trouble sleeping. Lavender oil is one of the few essential oils that is safe to use "neat" or undiluted, on the skin.
Recipes
To Purify Indoor Air - Place this mixture of essential oils in simmer pot or nebulizer to help freshen the air. The oils have a powerful cleansng action. The fresh scent also exerts an uplifting effect on the mind, body and spirit. Lavender combines particularly well with citrus oils.
4 drops lavender oil
2 drops bergamot oil
2 drops lemon oil
For Skin Irritations - Lavender water promotes good circulation in the skin and prevents infections of the sebaceous glads. For a facial lotion, add 3 drops of lavender oil to 1 quart of distilled water; dab on daily
For Sunburn Relief - Add 10 drops of lavender oil to 4 ounces of water. Store the liquid in a glass spray bottle and take it with you to spritz on sunburned skin as needed.
To Treat First Degree Burns - 1 to 2 drops directly on the burn will relieve pain and reduce the risk of blisters.
For Insomnia - Lavender oil has a calming effect and can be used to induce sleep when you're feeling stressed or anxious. Put a few drops of lavender oil in your nebulizer and place it in your bedroom. Its soothing effects will help you sleep soundly through the night.
For Middle Ear Infections - Saturate a cotton ball in olive oil, drip 5 drops of lavender oil onto it and place it on the outer part of the affected ear. The lavender oil will help releive the pain and inhibit the inflammation that often accompanies ear infections.
Stomach Aches, Cramping, and Colic - Combine 30 drops of lavender oil, 10 drops of chamomile oil and 3 1/2 ounces of cold pressed olive oil in a bottle and shake vigorously. Massage this mixture gently onto the abdomen for 10 minutes, using broad circular movements. Rest for a brief period, and then apply a hot water bottle to the affected area for 30 minutes.
For an aromatic lavender bath, use a natural emulsifier to help the oil blend well with the bathwater. Mix 5 drops of lavender oil with 1 cup of heavy cream or 1 tsp of honey and add it to the tub.
Around the House
Add several drops of lavender oil to the washer's final rinse cycle, or scent a cloth with a few drops of lavender oil and throw it in the dryer to freshen a load of newly laundered clothes.
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