English Lavender

It’s summertime again, and time to break out the sunscreen to help protect our skin and keep it happy and healthy. And although we apply the liberally, there may be spots we miss on ourselves or on our children; and its likely we won’t remember to reapply each time we get out of the ocean or pool. Here’s the perfect opportunity to nourish yourself and you skin with the fantastic skin care effects of essential oils. Much of the unpleasant effects from sun over exposure are due to the generation of free radicals in our dermal layers. Inflammation occurs on a cellular level, and long term sun damage can result if this occurs frequently. Luckily, we can apply antioxidant and anti-inflammatory formulas topically to keep our skin happy and healthy after sun exposure.

Natural essential oils are highly effective antioxidants. Clove essential oil is one of the strongest natural antioxidants known, with and ORAC value of over 100,000 — though it might be a little spicy to use on your face. There are a great many other essential oils with strong antioxidant action packed are known healers to the skin from which to choose. For example, a study just released by French scientists note that Myrrh essential oil has a profound oxygen quenching effect on free radicals produced by the interaction of UV rays and the skin’s sebum. All essential oils used in skin care have the ability to absorb oxidative radicals, and they each have specific healing properties for the skin.

It’s simple to compound your own formula: Choose from a few readily available oils commonly used in skin care, add them to one or more nourishing carrier oils and voil?– your own personally-tailored recipe. The obvious first choice is lavender. Lavender reduces inflammation and has natural constituents which stimulate healthy skin cell regeneration. Lavender in fact began the modern aromatherapy revolution with its quick healing of burns. Really, when we come in from sun over-exposure, even without a sunburn, we do have a mild burn on a cellular level. Lavender can be used undiluted on burned his skin, and will be an effective addition to any recipe.

Blue Tansy is a somewhat more rare essential oil with profound anti-inflammatory action. Blue Tansy can be used in very dilute amounts; it is often called for in recipes at only a one or 2% concentration. Blue tansy’s wonderful aroma will have you bathing in your lotion just for its sweet berry-like scent. Blue tansy is especially effective for sensitive skin that may be prone to irritation. It is included in many eczema and allergy blends for its naturally-calming action. So if your skin is gentle, and the Sun treats it a little harshly, a little blue tansy can really help.

Everlasting essential oil, better known as Helichrysum Italicum, is a wonderful and profoundly healing oil called for when the most potent anti-inflammatory and regenerative effects are needed. If you’re looking for one of the secret ingredients in natural skincare, Helichrysum is it. While expensive, just a small amount will have important healing effects. Helichrysum is used in wound healing and scar removal blends, and will do just as well for daily facial care. For folks with an eye toward really preventing any damage from the sun’s rays, Helichrysum is a must. Like lavender Helichrysum can be used neat in emergencies, and at about 3% for a regular use skin recipes.

And for be perhaps most profound protective effects, choose Sea Buckthorn. This essential oil has been studied by Russian scientists as a protective agent for cosmonauts in outer space. It’s deep red color indicates a high concentration of vitamin A like compounds, highly regarded for their skin healing properties. Steam distilled from the berries found across Europe, it too has a sweet fruity aroma loved by many. Sea Buckthorn is useful in virtually any skincare application, and most certainly for an after-sun formula. Add at one to 3% in your carrier base.

Other additions to your formula include myrrh, as it’s antioxidant effects for the skin have recently been elucidated (use at 1-3%); natural vitamin E (use at 10-20 drops per ounce) — also an excellent antioxidant for the skin; or a form of vit. C added to many skin care preparations these days, known as ascorbyl palimate (include .5 to 1 gram per each ounce ~ you may find this in capsules, along with vitamin E at health food stores or online). All these oils will go into a base of carrier oils. Carrier oils are natural cold-pressed oils from seeds, nuts, and fruit. Good choices for your after-sun formula are Avocado, Apricot Kernel, Jojoba, Tamanu and Rosehip seed. Avocado is very hydrating, with a plethora of nutrients. Apricot Kernel is quickly becoming more popular in aromatherapy skin care for its anti-inflammatory action. Jojoba is also hydrating and healing. Tamanu and Rosehip seed are the ultimate exotic skin care base oils. Tamanu is described in the aromatherapy literature for wound healing and scar reduction; Rosehip seed has been the subject of many University studies, and has been shown to reduce the appearance of sun damage.

The recipes are really flexible; you can easily tailor them to your own needs, or to those of your children and other loved ones. These are a some excellent, effective recipes to give you a few ideas: make a base of one third Apricot Kernel, one third Tamanu, and one-third Rosehip seed. For each ounce of base, add 15 drops each of Lavender, Blue Tansy and Sea Buckhorn — include 15 drops of vitamin E and 1/8 teaspoon of ascorbyl palimate for that extra nutraceutical enhancement. You might also try a base of Jojoba, Avocado, and Tamanu; to this add 15 drops each of myrrh, helichrysum, and Sea Buckthorn. While simple, these formulas are highly effective. They will reduce inflammation and quench oxidative radical activity in your skin on a cellular level. All of these oils are gentle enough for family members of all ages, though for the very young ones use only a quarter as much essential oil in the recipe. These oils are gentle enough for frequent application, and frequent application is encouraged for the long-term health and vibrancy of your skin.

Making your own perfume is really very easy. Not only does it save you money on expensive shop bought perfumes but it is a very satisfying activity. You can get hours of pleasure out of blending your own perfumes at home. Home made perfumes make ideal presents. Your friends and family will be delighted to have a truely unique perfume that you have made with love and care.

The equipment you need is very simple. You will need some glass bowls that you can cover, some clean jars with lids and some bottles for the finished perfume. The reason you use glass is that it will not react with the essential oils. Plastics tend to react with these oils. This can contaminate the perfume. Each batch of perfume needs a completely clean container.

A funnel for filling bottles is useful. Some muslin or coffee filter paper for straining infusions that you have made from plants will come in handy. You may also like to get a small pipette. This is a glass tube with an air bulb on the end. It is used for taking small quantities of liquid such as essential oils to add to your perfume mixture.

The best kind of containers to store home made perfume in are dark glass bottles. It is important to protect the essential oils from light which causes them to detriorate. You can use clear glass bottles if you keep them out of the light. Put the bottle in a box or stick on a label that covers the glass. Decorating and presenting the perfume that you have made at home is all part of the fun.

Recycle old perfume bottles, Most of the cost of the perfume you buy goes into the packaging so it is a shame to waste it. Or buy some pretty antique bottles with glass stoppers when you want to give the perfume you have made at home as a present.

The vital ingredients you will need to make perfume at home are essential oils which can be bought at health food shops and specialist retailers. There are many suppliers on line if you do not have a local source.

Essential oils can also be extracted at home by soaking plant material such as flowers, twigs, leaves, seeds and berries in alcohol. Vodka is the best source of alcohol for perfume making because it is guaranteed to be safe for human consumption. Industrial alcohol is not a good idea.

Carrier oils are useful for making perfumed oils. Any vegetable oil will do, but some are too sticky to make good body oil. Olive oil is fine if you have time to let it soak in but almond is perhaps the best because it is light and easily absorbed.

Lavender always make a good base for a blend of perfume. You can buy ready made essential lavender oil or make your own by soaking lavender in vodka. If you grow your own lavender it can become the distinctive appeal of your own perfume. It is something that you have made from start to finish. The perfume you have made at home can be another way of enjoying gardening. When you give that perfume you have made with your own lavender you are giving your friends a real gift of love.

Add other essential oils to the lavender to create different effects. You will find many recipes in books and on the internet for blending perfumes or you can follow your own nose. It’s all a matter of your own prefernces when you make perfume at home.

My first hoarding client was a startling experience. When I arrived at her home, the door was slightly ajar. I tapped, called out and stepped inside. The stifling air and the bad smell hit me first. Thick dust covered everything. Papers were stacked everywhere. It appeared as though the floor was made of dirt, but the carpet had actually turned to dust. Suddenly, from behind a piled high kitchen table, a tiny, perfectly coiffed, elderly lady in a lavender sweater set and pearl necklace stepped out…

What is Hoarding? I am not a mental health professional so I can’t make a clinical diagnosis. But I can tell you what I have seen and what it looks like to me. I can also share with you my considered opinion of what causes it from the perspective of a person who sees hoarding on a regular basis, not from a tidy therapist’s office but from the real,down and very dirty places where hoarders live.

Hoarding is not the same as being a slob. Hoarding is not dirty dishes in the sink and a pile of unpaid bills or unread newspapers on the kitchen table. Hoarding is a condition where the debris and collected materials of an individual become so large and unmanageable that it affects their relationships with others, their health and their safety. The saddest part about hoarding is that the sufferer is often extremely resistant to any changes and is willing to give up their family, friends and even their own well being for the sake of their “stuff”.

Hoarding can be classified in stages and the National Study Group on the Chronically Disorganized has a website that will give you a grading scale from 1-5. You will also find a list of trained professionals who can help you.

The first two stages are really just messy people. The mess is yucky but not life threatening and you can probably still safely visit them and drink out of their cups and use their bathrooms. After stage 2, check their beds. Hoarders, past stage 2, have piled up so much trash on their beds that they are either sleeping on a small part of the bed or actually sleeping elsewhere to avoid moving their precious junk. Stacks, boxes and piles of papers fill every space until there is only a narrow pathway in which to walk. Exits are blocked. The bathtub is full of stuff and sometimes even the oven! You are also talking filth: Rodent droppings, pet feces, fleas,bad smells, spiders and cobwebs hanging like stalactites from the ceiling, carpet so filthy it has rotted and turned to dust, kitchen appliances not working, toilet un-useable, wiring a fire hazard. Windows shut and filthy, air stagnant. This was how Lavender Lady was living. How many Americans live like this? Hundreds of thousands. They are your neighbors that never let you in past the front door. They are professionals, impeccably dressed at work and living in secret squalor at home. I’m sure my client’s neighbors had no idea how she was living.

What causes hoarding? No one has the exact answer, Mental Health Professionals will tell you that Hoarding is a mental illness caused by Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, often combined with Depression. It can be inherited, learned or triggered by loss. I see a disproportionate number of retired teachers (such as my Lavender Lady) and other academics. I see a very large number of Seniors. Lavendar Lady was 93! My work tells me that people who have suffered a devastating loss (job, death of a loved one, health) can succumb to hoarding. Hoarders seek to rescue things that they perceive to be abandoned just like them. They wish to give new meaning and importance to these items, even if it looks like junk to us. Try to separate a hoarder from their stuff and you risk extreme anger directed at you and serious emotional and even physical harm to them. Their stuff makes them feel rich, needed and safe. It gives meaning to their lives.

Here are some more hoarding symptoms:

- Excessive Saving: paper, tissue, bottles, cans, newspapers, magazines, plastic bags, etc.

- Excessive Collecting :boats,cars and broken appliances.

- Excessive Rescue: Cats, dogs, birds, other animals which they often cannot care for properly, even though they have good intentions.

-Grandiose Ideas: 1. Save the Planet. They save recyclables to excess but can’t part with any of it. 2. A Museum in their Honor: All this stuff is so valuable and amazing, someone out there will appreciate it. 3.They want to help others. I had one client who was saving plastic bags for a mailman who no longer walked that beat. She really believed he would come back some day and be so thankful that she had saved all those plastic bags just for him. 4. Help a fellow teacher: They just “know” that some teacher out there could use their stuff in their classrooms. Lavender Lady had piles of rocks in her kitchen (for art projects) and over 100 ancient bird nests stored in her garage.

-Compulsive Shopper: Many hoarders will compulsively purchase items on television shopping channels. I had a client in a wheelchair who purchased roller skates. This tendency can put them in real financial jeopardy.

These are individuals who are lost, sad, lonely and feel useless. They think their stuff will make them happy and importamt. They create a job for themselves as caretakers and protectors of this stuff so that their own lives have meaning.

Hoarding, like any other compulsion or addiction, takes over the life of the sufferer and destroys the peace of mind of those that love them. Lavender Lady’s daughter had called me. The victim will often resist help when offered. The stuff means more to them than anyone or anything.

What do you do with a hoarder? Even Professional Organizers who are trained by the National Study Group on the Chronically Disorganized have a policy of not working with hoarders beyond class 3 unless the the hoarder is in therapy and on medication. It is just too frustrating and a waste of time and money. Anti anxiety medication is often prescribed. Be extremely careful of exposing yourself to toxins, germs, bugs and disease when trying to “clean out” a hoarder Trained Professionals use masks, gloves and often wear protective clothing.

Relatives and friends of hoarders often call me to “come over while the hoarder is on vacation or in the hospital” and just get rid of the all the junk. I can’t do that and neither should you. Removing their stuff without permission can cause them severe psychic harm and/or physical breakdown, stroke or worse. Do not take it away without their knowledge or permission. If they refuse help,the best you can offer is to make sure their living conditions are as clean and safe as possible.

Just know that the stuff will grow again into a filthy mess as quickly as the hoarder can do another “dumpster dive” or visit a garage sale, shop or eat packaged food.

Can hoarders be cured? The jury is still out. It requires first and foremost, a willingness to change coupled with professional therapy and medication. Progress is very slow with many years of therapy needed. It often gets worse with age. Lavender Lady refused help.

What can you do? Have patience and compassion for the hoarder. You can’t talk them out of their stuff. The best you can do is help them keep it under control so they are safe from injury, sickness and fire. Seek help from a therapist who specializes in obsessive compulsive disorder. Try to let go of your own worries as ultimately, it has to be their decision to change. Contact Social Services if their safety is at stake.

For many people perennials are a great way to accomplish a certain look they want for their yard and garden. One area of the yard that many people have a hard time with is the shady areas. There are plants that thrive in such conditions and one form of these are the shade perennials. These types of perennials will grow from two to four years before they need to be replaced and grow well in shady areas of the yard. If they receive to much sunlight they will have a hard time growing and may even die. Lavender is considered one of the most beautiful of the shade perennials. Lavender is known for its beautiful flowers that can be any color of the rainbow. It also grows lush green stems that make a striking backdrop for the flowers. As with all shade perennials, Lavender needs to be planted in rich and moist soil. It also needs regular attention and watering. In fact if kept constantly moist Lavender can be kept in the more sunny areas of the yard. At its mature height it will grow to 15 to 20 inches tall. Bleeding heart is another favorite plant for the perennial gardener. Its well known look is familiar to many people, even if they do not know what it is. The name bleeding heart describes the unique flowers, which resemble tiny pink or white hearts with drops of blood at the bottom. These particular perennials love the shade and moist soil conditions. Unlike Lavender the Bleeding Heart must be protected from direct sunlight. Blue Bells are another favorite among perennial gardeners. They can grow up to 36 inches tall and bloom beautiful baby blue flowers. Blue bells are much like Lavender in that they can grow in partial shade with some direct sunlight. Last on our list of favorite shade perennials is the Shasta Daisy. Growing up to 36 inches tall a Shasta Daisy is known for its beautiful white petals that are truly eye catching in the shady part of any garden. These are but a few of the many shade perennials that will add color and life to any shady yard or garden. They do take a bit of work but if kept properly maintained with moist rich soil and plenty of water they will come back year after year.

The wonderful thing about aromatherapy is that you can prepare it however you’d like choosing the smells that you like best. Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils (essences or extracts) from herbs, trees, and flowers to promote good health and well-being.

One of the key benefits of aromatherapy in treating anxiety is the immediate effect of aromatherapy without having to wait for the treatment to work its way into?your body. The main methods of administering aromatherapy include inhalation (most rapid), external application and ingestion. (First time users should follow directions carefully).

The next time your feeling stressed out, go to the nearest store where lavender and other essential oils and products are sold and do some smell testing. Your mind and body will really appreciate the positive benefits to mental and physical health and well-being.

Aromatherapy is convenient and straight forward. Sprinkle a few drops onto a handkerchief or tissue and inhale deeply to quell sudden stress and anxiety. Its not difficult to add a few drops of essential oil to a bath, to take a bottle of essential oil with you to the office, or keep a small sprayer in your pocket. It only takes a moment to massage lavender oil into skin. Using a scented candle, humidifier or diffuser you can circulate the scent throughout a room or house. De-stressing your environment, and making your home smell sumptuous and serving to abate mental stress.

Lavender is great for relaxation and improving mood. Just one drop near your ear lobes will do wonders. Rosemary is great for decreasing anxiety and simultaneously improving mental alertness. Lavender and Rosemary are not the only essential oils known to aid in the treatment of anxiety and stress. Other relaxation scents include Cedarwood, Clary Sage, Bergamont and Neroli, Lemongrass, Orange Blossom, Vanilla, and other floral fragrances. Chamomile, Sandalwood and Nutmeg appear to help for unwinding and de-stressing. Patchouli oil elevates mood. Lavender, Geranium and Patchouli together are reputed to relieve tension and anxiety while Melissa and Chamomile sooth nerves and acts as an anti-spasmodic. Other common and often used oils for treating anxiety and anger include: Cypress, Basil, Bergamot, frankincense, marjoram, hyssop, geranium, jasmine, juniper, melissa, and ylang-ylang. Roman Chamomile, Valerian, Gabatrol, GABA, and Lime are other essential oils that are great for the treatment of anxiety. They must all be used as per the directions of an Aroma therapist.

Cost isn’t a deterrent to using aromatherapy as a treatment for anxiety. Essential oils don’t have to be expensive. They are easy to find and don’t require prescriptions or a visit to the doctor or any other health care professional, for that matter, once you know what you are doing. Its certainly not going to be embarrassing being seen buying a bottle of Lavender or Rosemary oil.

For better ways to cure anxiety, stress, panic, fear, or phobia click here: