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Tag Archives: essential oils
A Natural Remedy for My Toddler’s Stomach Ache
Last weekend, my hubby and I took our Little Apple to Hobee’s, a wonderful chain of family-oriented restaurants here in northern California. She had not eaten much all day, so I expected her to go to town on her dinner. Before the food came out, however, she started clutching her tummy and whining to me, “Mommy, my stomach is so hungry.” I said, “Honey, just be patient. The food is coming out soon.” Thinking it was just hunger pangs, I didn’t really pay much attention to it at first. I figured I would just distract her until the food arrived, … Continue reading
Aromatherapy for Balancing Hormones, Part 2
Boy, am I long-winded. I am still trying to address a question from one of my readers, K.L., about how to use aromatherapy to balance hormones. Last time, I talked about all the different ways to apply essential oils – both topically and internally – and today, I want to talk a little bit about what I would suggest for her specific issue of balancing hormones. For the sake of convenience, let me re-paste her question: Do you…have any information on essential oils and hormones? Specifically, I am wanting to know the best way to use them. Topically? Internally? Strictly … Continue reading
Posted in Aromatherapy, Women's Health
Tagged aromatherapy, clary sage essential oil, essential oils, geranium essential oil, hormonal balance, hormonal balancing, hormone balance, marjoram essential oil, origanum majorana, Pelargonium graveolens, salvia sclarea, vitex, vitex essential oil
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Essential Oil Suppositories…Really?
When I first started studying Aromatherapy, I noticed there were a lot of mentions in my aromatherapy texts and in the general aromatherapeutic literature about essential oil suppositories and their use in Europe. I’ll be honest: at first I didn’t even know what a suppository was. I had to look it up on Wikipedia and realized that a suppository is a medicinal delivery mechanism…that you insert into your rectum or your vagina. I must be an especially squeamish person, because the thought of that used to really, really, REALLY gross me out. But one really good thing that all of these … Continue reading
How to Give Yourself a Spa Facial at Home
Originally, I was going to title this post, “How to Give Yourself a Spa-Quality Facial at Home,” but then I thought about it, and really, you can’t. For one thing, at a spa you’re being taken care of by a professional esthetician, who as part of her training regimen, (hopefully) learned how to properly do extractions without harming your skin. For another thing, it’s infinitely better to have someone else massage your face and neck and shoulders than to do it yourself. So, I omitted the word “Quality” from my title because it would just set me up for failure. … Continue reading
Posted in Aromatherapy, Skin/Facial Care
Tagged aromatherapy, at home, cleanse, do it yourself, essential oils, facial, masque, moisturize, serum, skin care, spa, steam, tone
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Ask Dr. Corrine: What Are Some Good Natural Remedies for Helping My Child Conquer Colds and Flus?
Yup, it’s that time of year again. The school year and fall season are in high gear, and today I woke up with that yucky, slightly painful tickle at the back of my throat. So, I decided to ask Dr. Corrine Wang, a naturopathic physician focused on resolving childhood allergies, asthmas, and ADHD, to weigh in on what we can do as Moms during this time to help prevent our kids from getting sick. Or if they do fall ill, how can we Moms alleviate their symptoms and help them get well as quickly as possible? She came back with … Continue reading
Posted in Colds/Flu, Herbal Remedies, Naturopathic Medicine, Vitamins & Minerals
Tagged black cherry, chamomile tea, cinnamon, cloves, colds, echinacea, elderberry, essential oils, eucalyptus, fish oil, flu, herbs, home remedies, horehound, hydration, Hyssop, immune support, marshmallow root, mullein, natural remedies, naturopathic doctor, naturopathic medicine, plenty of rest, prevention, probiotics, thyme, vitamin c, wet sock treatment, Yarrow, zinc
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Home Remedy for Stinky Diaper Pails
Whoo-eee! If you’re using conventional diapers (i.e., non-cloth), then you know that that diaper pail sure can get stinky. The one in my house is so nasty, it could wake the dead. That is why we put it near the front door, so that it can knock out guests as they walk in, enabling us to ransack their pockets for extra cash. Just kidding. Not really. We use compostable diapers and have a compostable diaper service pick ours up every week, but just because we’re being environmentally friendly doesn’t mean that that pervasive stink doesn’t still waft itself into our … Continue reading
Posted in Baby & Child Care, Housekeeping
Tagged aromatherapy, cinnamon, clove, deodorant, deodorize, diapers, essential oils, eucalyptus, Ginger, home remedies, home remedy, how to, Peppermint, remove odor, rosemary, sage, stinky diaper pail, Tea Tree, thyme
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Natural Remedies for Grief
I had never lost anyone close to me until I lost my BFF, Christine. Actually, I take that back – I lost my grandfather in November 2004, but that felt different because a) he had been ill for quite some time; b) he was 90 years old and had lived a long and full life; and c) I had a chance to say goodbye. Yes, I did mourn him, but his death did not throw me into a state of shock and grief the way Christine’s did. Christine was healthy, 38 years old, and left suddenly and unexpectedly. There was … Continue reading
Posted in Aromatherapy, Flower Essences, Herbs, Holistic Home Remedies, Natural Health Disciplines
Tagged aromatherapy, clematis, depression, essential oils, flower essences, grief, home cures for, home remedies for, homeopathy, ignatia, lemon balm, natural cures for, natural remedies for, neroli, rescue remedy, shock, star of bethlehem, sweet chestnut
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How to Make Cinnamon Lip Balm for Sexy Lips
As the harried Mom of an 11-month-old, I am definitely not feeling sexy these days. I look like a human kangaroo, what with my tummy still looking semi-pregnant and all, and my face evolving into a dermatological desert (which is what led me to write about how to make essential oil skin care blends in the first place). So I decided to dash off a quick post about what I do to feel sexy again. Very simply, I make some Cinnamon Lip Balm to give myself a pair of big, sultry, bee-stung lips. No collagen injections needed here! Remember when … Continue reading
Posted in Beauty Care, Self-Image, Skin/Facial Care
Tagged cinnamon, essential oils, lip balm, recipe
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Essential Oils for Babies and Young Children
Unfortunately, the number of essential oils you can actually use on your baby, toddler, or young child is rather limited. This is because of the potency of many essential oils and the fragility of your little one’s still-developing systems. I would recommend a kit of just 5 essential oils for your young ones, with the following important caveats: 1) Use 1/3 the dose you would use on an adult (so if an adult recipe calls for 9 drops, use 3) and 2) DON’T use ANY essential oils on or near an infant under 1 month. Here’s my kit: Lavender (Lavandula … Continue reading
Posted in Aromatherapy, Babies, Toddlers, Young Children
Tagged aromatherapy for babies, bergamot, dill, essential oils, lavender, lemon, mandarin, roman chamomile, spearmint, sweet orange, tangerine, toddlers, young child
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List of Toxic, Hazardous Essential Oils
Just because essential oils come from plants, and plants come from nature, doesn’t mean they’re not potent or potentially harmful. I’m printing a list of essential oils (I’ll abbreviate EO going forward) that you must never use because the risks outweigh the benefits. I recommend staying away from these, for the safety of yourself and your children/family. Bitter almond (Prunus dulcis var. amara): Also known as prussic acid or cyanide, this is a well-known poison. I remember a chilling Roald Dahl short story in which a sweet old lady used this to poison guests in her inn and “stuff” them – … Continue reading
Posted in Aromatherapy, Toxic Essential Oils
Tagged bitter almond, boldo leaf, brown camphor, calamus, essential oils, hazardous, horseradish, jaborandi, mugwort, mustard, pennyroyal, rue, sassafras, savin, southernwood, tansy, thuja, toxic, wintergreen, wormseed, wormwood, yellow camphor
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