All posts by jessica

Skin Care, Uses of Essential Oils

Renew your skin: 3 essential oil bodyscrub recipes you would love

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The plight of our skin is pathetic. It is the thing that requires utmost attention, but it is also the same thing that is taken less care of. Skin diseases occur only because we take inadequate care of our skin. Our skin is damaged by weather, especially the sun, wind and pollution and this in turn, damages our body by thickening the outer layer of the skin. With a thick outer layer, all that a skin has, is roughened dead cells. One of the ways to manage a dead skin condition is to exfoliate skin cells on a regular basis. This will give a healthy glow to your skin and will also prevent it from abnormal conditions.

How to renew your skin: Essential oils can help greatly in the renewal of new skin. They help your skin exfoliate and clear of dead stuff in a better, safer way. You can use them to prepare bodyscrub that help clean and detoxify skin cells. However, usage of bodyscrub comes with its own kind of limitations. These include a list of dos and don’ts too: Do not ever rub vigorously on the body. Avoid scraping hard on sensitive skin and spend time on bumpy or rough areas. Do all the scrubbing standing under a shower or upright in a bath tub. If you happen to get dehydrated often, drink plenty of water before the exfoliation process. And finish off dehydration with natural body moisturiser.


Essential oil bodyscrubs: Essential oils are energizing and mind-awakening recipes. Below are a few bodyscrubs which are some of the best ways to exfoliate skin.

1. Herbal salt bodyscrub recipe: This is a great bodyscrub to rejuvenate your spirits and relax you in the right way. There are two varieties in this scrub recipe – one for the morning, another for the evening. Add 3 to 4 drops of Peppermint oil to 5 tbsps of sea salt and mix this together in ½ a teaspoon of carrier oil like Almond or Grapeseed. If the mixture is thick or does not have enough moisture, add water to it and blend well. You can use this scrub as a deep-cleanser and toner. For a soothing evening recipe, replace Peppermint oil with Lavender. It would not be sensitive or invigorating on the skin.

2. Ivy bodyscrub: This is a scrub that works as a skin tonic and an astringent. It can stimulate circulation and enhance body health by getting rid of toxins, excess fluid build-ups etc. To make the scrub, combine 20 fresh Ivy leaves with 2 tbsps of course-ground oatmeal and 2 tbsps of natural yoghurt. When you get an even consistency, add Lemon essential oil and mix into a nice smooth paste. Massage the paste on to your skin, focusing on problem areas like hips, buttocks, legs and upper arms. Rinse off with water and clean completely after bath.

3. Lemongrass bodyscrub: Lemongrass is all about liveliness and this recipe is just that. Sugar can be used to scrub the skin that to create problems inside the body. This recipe is holistic in that, it uses Lemongrass, sugar, Almond oil, Fennel oil etc. To make the bodyscrub, combine 4 tbsps of sugar with 2 tsps of Sweet Almond oil, 10 drops of Lemongrass oil, 5 drops of Geranium oil and 5 drops of Fennel oil. Blend well and massage all over your skin. Then, rinse with water and clean dry.



Aromatherapy Facts, Uses of Essential Oils

Topical Fragrancing: How to make herbal tinctures using essential oils

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Herbal tinctures. What do they have to do with aromatherapy? You might wonder. The connecting factor between aromatherapy and tinctures are – herbs. Preparing tinctures require attention to detail and knowledge in aromatherapy. This is because tinctures have both aromatic and therapeutic purposes and are inexpensive to make. But you need to properly store them to preserve them and use them for a indefinite period of time. You need to use a variety of aromatherapy related stuff for the making of these herbal tinctures. These include – herbs, dried herbs, alcohol or glycerin etc. Since tinctures are one of the best and quickest ways to make a place aromatic, you can use them with ease, without any issue of overuse or restrictions on safety.


Uses of herbal tinctures: Tinctures are more concentrated dosages of herbs. Though extracted from herbs (medicinal or otherwise), they are thicker than essential oils and can be made easily from home. Tinctures can be used for a variety of purposes. It is a great remedy for treatment of high blood pressure. A tincture made using Garlic, Hawthorn, Linden and Wood Betony can reduce high blood pressure symptoms. You can treat acne or other skin disorder with Calendula tinctures, while Echinacea can help cure sore throats. You can treat insomnia with a tincture of Lemon Balm, Chamomile, Hops, Passion Flower or Valerian at night. If you have mild to severe headache, you can use Chamomile, Willow Bark, Skullcap, Valerian and Wood Betony oils/herbs. Apart from all this, tinctures make good room fresheners and are often used in cleaning the air in the room – an aromatherapeutic way of doing things.

Topical fragrancing with herbal tinctures: To make herbal tinctures for topical fragrancing, you will need the following supplies: sterilized containers, fresh herbs, dried herbs, vodka that is used for food recipes, cheesecloth or a fine grade stainer. You can use dried herbs only if you want to make the tincture more concentrated. Vodka should be of the high-proof, edible kind. Read all safety precautions before any sort of mixing. First, chop the fresh herbs and add them into air-tight sterilized containers. The herbs will start to release their aromatic oils as soon as you cut them. Then, fill the containers with vodka with enough room to mix both herbs and alcohol. When the blending is done, allow the containers to sit idle in a cool, dark and dry place. Shake every container at least once for over 30 days. Then, finally, after the period is over, filter the tincture with layered cheesecloth or fine grade stainer.

If you want to get a more concentrated, aromatic tincture, it is better if you keep it idle for 30 days. You can use this aromatic tincture as body spray, linen spray, facial toner and room mist.

Caution while using aromatic tinctures: Follow all the rules of caution while using or making aromatic tinctures. Made out of herbs, tinctures are no different from essential oils except in concentration of liquid. So, check the list of hazardous oils and avoid all herbs that yield such oils. If you are allergic to alcohol or want to avoid it in your body, use Glycerin-based tinctures are used extensively in the personal care industry.



Aromatherapy Facts, Uses of Essential Oils

When age is a burden and old is not gold: 4 tips to use old essential oils

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Aging essential oils can be a real burden. Because, they cannot be used or disposed off easily. Another thing is, not all oils age at the same pace. Some oils age faster, while some age slower, taking more than a year to grow old. So, what to do with aging oils? How best to use them, or at least dispose them without trouble? For disposing essential oils, visit ‘Way to the bin: How to dispose of essential oils safely’ article. Though essential oils do not go rancid quickly, they can age with time on account of their ability to oxidize. This gradually slows down their therapeutic value, which at one point, remains just aromatic and completely un-therapeutic. Also, not all essential oils age poorly, in a deteriorating way. Oils like Patchouli or Sandalwood mature with age and turn out to be more beneficial as years pass by. This is why you need to read about the shelf life of an oil before you choose to buy it.

How to identify old essential oils: First, get to know  more about essential oils before you buy them. With all your ground information clear, you will know the time value of a particular oil. Read the label information or get info from your supplier. Calculate from the date of extraction and preservation. Try to use all the oils before the expiration date. If you sense a foul-strain in your essential oil’s aroma or if your oil does not possess a full aroma, understand that it has lost its therapeutic grade quality. At any cost, avoid use of such aromatherapy products or application. Especially on the skin as aromatherapy oils have the ability to come into direct contact with skin and cause sensitization. Avoid using very old oils in room sprays and diffusers as it can affect pets and children in the house.

How to use aging essential oils: Uses of aging essential oils are minimal, but varied. First, you need to gauge in which way your oil has grown old – aromatic or therapeutic. If your oil has become therapeutically old, you should not use it in any recipe of health related application. If your oil is just therapeutically old and still retains an aromatic pleasantness, you can use it in the following applications:

1. Homemade Dryer Sheets: When you use dryer sheets for laundry, you can use essential oils to naturally fragrance your laundry. For making a laundry drying sheet, use add 5 drops of oil to a scrap of cotton fabric and place it into the dryer. Your aroma will let customers look for your product. However, use only oils that are clear, thin-colored and without any therapeutic usage.

2. Drain Freshener: If your oils do not smell rancid, use them on toilet drains. You can add just one to 2 drops to disinfect a place, including the odor. However, be careful. Pouring more than 2-3 drops of essential oil can harm your underground water supplies. So, avoid using thick oils as drain freshener.

3. Fabric softener: It is said that old oils are sometimes better than vinegar and hence can be used in laundry during the rinse cycle. This softens fabrics and makes them better.

4. Trash Freshener: If rodents, insects and parasites are troubling your trash liner too much, use a drop of two of essential oils. This will eliminate odors and detract rodents and insects from reaching your trash.



Aromatherapy Facts, Uses of Essential Oils

Born of the Sun: Aromatherapy, color therapy and vibrational healing

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Almost everything in this universe derives energy from the sun and plants or petals are no exception to this. Since the sun has all the colors of the rainbow in it, plants have a special mechanism to absorb color vibrations in our system. Contrary to synthetic substances that are lifeless and do not change, pure essential oils are full of life. In fact it is said that they contain the “life-force” of plants in them. They have living and pulsating vibrations that make them engage in color therapy too. This way aromatherapy is connected to other forms of alternative medicinal systems like color therapy and vibrational healing. This article will throw light on what it means to use color vibrations of oils for healing.

Aromatherapy and color therapy: Aromatherapy can be made vibrational like color therapy. Vibrational medicine is the form of medicine that uses vibrations of the electromagnetic spectrum to heal the body. Often this electromagnetic spectrum is what is referred to as aura. By gaging the aura of an individual, one can know the physical, spiritual and mental state of the individual along with his or her energy levels. Essential oils can also be infused with color vibrations to treat illnesses. To create a blend that is a perfect medium to practice color vibrational healing, you need to mix essential oils in complementary or similar colors. You can even use color as a guide to blend essential oils.


Below are a few colorful blends of essential oils. These blends are therapeutic in two ways – they contain pure, healing essential oils; they carry color vibrations that react with the life-force in the oils to bring about a solution to the illness.

1. Orange Skin Tonic: Orange is always a rejuvenating color. It can refresh, uplift and keep you in high spirits. Blend 16 drops of Orange essential oil with 4 drops of Neroli and 100 ml of Orange flower water. You can use this blend as a body cleanser anytime to lift your mood or to relax after a hard day. These are citrus oils and should be used with care as some oils are photo-toxic. Better to not use this blend if you are pregnant. Also, it is not advisable to go out in the sun for 72 hours of using this oil.

2. Yellow/Violet Balm for skin care: A combination of complementary colors always work in color therapy. Yellow and violet belong to that category. Mix 2 drops of Lemon essential oil and 1 drop of Lavender with 6 drops of Evening Primrose oil. Spread on to your acne or affected skin area two times a day. Since this blend contains photo-toxic oils, do not go in sunlight for at least 72 hours.

3. Violet Tonic for skin: Lavender is a great source of violet and this violet tonic contains just that. Use 12 drops of Lavender with 100 ml of Lavender water to cleanse the affected area.

4. Bath mix with vibrational energy: Combine 30 ml of Almond oil with 2 drops of Lemon and one drop of Sandalwood essential oil. Add to your bath and relax for about 15 to 20 minutes. You can also create a blend of different kind with oils that represent different colors. Use Cajeput for white; Sandalwood for red; Patchouli for gold color; Citronella, Lemongrass, Evening Primrose, Lemon and Camphor for yellow color; Geranium oil for pink blend; and Lavender, Violet, Rose, Rose Geranium, Juniper for violet color.



For Family, Uses of Essential Oils

Holiday aromatherapy: 7 ways to make Thanksgiving delightful with essential oils

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Thanksgiving, as you all know, is all about fun, food and celebration. You have guests coming in all time of the day and children freaking out in and out of the house every now and then. The kitchen is also very busy during Thanksgiving, thanks to our generous hospitality and willingness to get together with friends, family and loved ones. Though the festivity comes with its own share of the sensory delights like the smell of pumpkin, the aroma of cooking food and the joy of crisp air and pecan pies, it has its share of trouble too. With guests hovering around your house, you will have little time to set things in proper order. This is when you can use essential oils to make your home aromatic and a pleasant place for guests to stay.

Essential oils for Thanksgiving: Below are a list of recipes/oil blends you can use for various purposes in Thanksgiving:


1. Scenting your home: Before your guests arrive, you can scent your room with either a blend of Cinnamon, Clove or Orange oils or Cinnamon, Clove and Vanilla oils. For a dramatic and pleasing visual display, you can even set out Clove-studded oranges in some area of your living room. The scent will waft through the air for a long time and keep guests lively and happy.

2. For bathroom odors: An ill-kept bathroom or toilet can be a disgrace to you as a host. To clear your bathroom of odors, use a blend of Lavender and  Thyme. You can even put a bowl of pebbles on top of your toilet and add the blend into it.

3. For children’s rooms: If you have trouble with children, arrange a separate room for them. To make them stay glued to the room, you can use a few essential oils they generally like. This includes Citrus odors like Tangerine, Grapefruit and Lemon essential oil. You can either diffuse it or spray this in children’s rooms.

4. For avoiding strong cooking odors: If your kitchen happens to be close by your living room, guests can experience strong cooking odors. Some of them can be disturbing and un-aromatic to people. To avoid this, boil a large pot of water and add a drop or two of Clove oil to it. Remove from heat and place the blend in one corner of kitchen.

5. For conversational atmosphere: Post-dinner time is usually set aside for conversation. Use scents like Basil, Rosemary and Lavender or Grapefruit for a creating a relaxed conversational environment at your home.

6. For sanitizing home: To kill germs or insects, use Lemon Eucalyptus with Citronella. To stop the spread of infection in crowded rooms, use a blend of Eucalyptus, Tea Tree oil and Lavender. You can add the blend to a humidifier for better benefits.

7. For aromatic bathing: After the heavy food and chatter of the Thanksgiving day, your guests may want to cope up with indigestion or fatigue. You can help them with an aromatic bath oil made of two drops of Lavender, Grapefruit and Rosemary oils.



For Common Ailments, Uses of Essential Oils

H1N1 and anti-viral essential oils: 4 things you need to know

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The H1N1 virus has caused a great deal of fear among people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the virus is contracted by the following sect of people in most cases: Pregnant women, babies from 6 months to young adults aged 24, people who have chronic respiratory illnesses or weakened immune system and health care personnel who are in constant exposure to the virus. The dreaded H1N1 virus or Swine Flu can be combated with essential oils. No, we are not talking about any miracle therapy, but the regular use of essential oils to keep such cold and flu viruses at bay.

H1N1 and essential oils: We bet you do not believe this. How can essential oils combat H1N1? No, we do not mean that oils can cure the flu, we only mean that oils can keep the flu at a distance from your body and treat you in case of symptoms. Apart from the several common things that you are supposed to use while in case of a H1N1 outbreak, you need your daily dose of essential oils to keep things in order. With essential oils, you can strengthen your weakened immune system and combat any disease with ease. Below are a few things you need to know on how to use essential oils for your benefit, especially in case of a threat of Swine Flu or cold or viral/bacterial attack:


1. Diffuse regularly: Regular, even daily diffusion of essential oils that are anti-viral or anti-bacterial can help. This would not just rid your environment off microbes, but will also cure your family of virus infections (at initial stages) if any. You can use anti-viral oils of a diverse kind: Anise, Basil, Bergamot, Cinnamon, Cajeput, Cypress, Coriander, Clove, Eucalyptus, Fennel, Kanuka, Lavender, Niaouli, Peppermint, Rosemary, Ravensara, Rosewood, Sage, Tea Tree, Tea Tree Lemon, Thyme and Lemon Eucalyptus. Diffusing expectorant or decongestant oils can help cleanse the mucous microbes present in your living space. You can use oils like Basil, Black Pepper, Cypress, Eucalyptus, Juniper Berry, Kanuka, Marjoram, Niaouli, Oregano, Ravensara, Rosemary, Sage, Tea Tree Lemon and Thyme for this.

2. Room Mists: If you cannot set up a diffuser, you can use a room mist and fare well. You can create your own room mists and use oils that have anti-viral, anti-bacterial or anti-microbial properties. Though room mists do not spread the scent across an entire room, you can get sufficient scent to keep yourself safe and protected from flu viruses.

3. Hand Gel lotion with essential oils: Hand sanitizing is an important way to stay protected from cold or H1N1. Though commercial hand sanitizers help, nothing works for a long time like essential oil hand sanitizers. To make one, mix 2/3 oz of Aloe Vera or Jojoba oil with 1 ml of Ravensara, 1ml of Tea Tree and several drops of Vitamin E oil. If you feel Ravensara or Tea Tree is too medicinal, you can substitute them with Lavender or the earthy Manuka oil.

4. Surface Sprays: It is important to keep your surfaces germs-free. Essential oil surface sprays can help you do that. Be careful while spraying and do not use sprays or room mists on surfaces that are frequented by pets, on furniture, open beverages, collectibles etc. You can also use Inhalers and Chest Rubs made from essential oils to stay extra-protected from H1N1 or other flus.



For Common Ailments, Uses of Essential Oils

Sick as a dog? 5 essential oil blends for cold, flu and bronchitis

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When the seasons change, not just the landscape, even our bodies change. As we move to Spring or Autumn, we need to be prepared for the possible seasonal allergies that we can contract during the season. The shift in the weather, sudden drop or rise in temperatures, breezy climatic conditions – anything from everything can cause cold, flu or respiratory system related illnesses. Common cold is so common, yet the rigors you have to go through while experiencing it can be difficult for anyone. Intensity of your flu can depend on the effect of the virus and also the efficiency of your immune system. Essential oils can come handy in treating common cold or flu. This article will detail on how it is possible to completely cure yourself of cold symptoms with just a few oil blends.

Essential oil blends for cold and flu: Essential oils have therapeutic properties to cure you of cold-causing organisms and alleviating the symptoms of flu like congestion, headaches, body pain etc. Below are a few recipes that can be made at the convenience of your home:

1. For chest cold and cough: This blend has to be inhaled for better response. You can make the blend and add 4 to 5 drops of it to 18 oz of hot water. Cover yourself with a towel to inhale the blend without letting in external air or allowing the temperature to cool the blend. This sort of steam inhalation can help relieve your headache and cold congestion. To make the blend, combine 6 drops of Cinnamon with 6 drops of Rosemary, 6 drops of Pine and 3 drops of Thyme.

2. For seasonal allergies: If your nasal passage is completely congested, this blend can offer you instant relief. Blend together 4 drops of Eucalyptus, 4 drops of Chamomile, 3 drops of Anise, 3 drops of Lemon, 1 drop of Petitgrain and 5 ml of your favorite carrier oil. While bathing, use 15 to 18 drops of the blend in your bath water. You can even omit the carrier oil when you use a bath oil.

3. For flu, sinusitis and bronchitis: You can blend all these oils by adding them into a dark amber colored bottle and then shaking the bottle for gentle blending. To treat flu or bronchitis, mix 30 drops of Eucalyptus with 15 drops of Lavender, 12 drops of Pine, 6 drops of Marjoram and 3 drops of Thyme. When blended well, mix a few drops of the blend in a bowl of hot water and inhale the steam for about 5 to 10 minutes.

4. For prevention of cold and flu: Treatment of cold and flu is different from prevention of it. If you want to take precautions to prevent cold and flu, try this blend. To make the blend, use 5 ml of Lavender, 5 ml of Eucalyptus, 3 ml of Ravensara, 2 ml of Bay Laurel and mix together.

5. For cough: Frequent coughing can spoil your health and also irritate people around. To prevent the cough syndrome from spreading to everyone at home and to alleviate the frequency of your coughs, try this blend. Add Eucalyptus in a pan of water on low heat and put in a vaporizer or diffuser. The aroma will spread throughout your living space and enhance the health of everyone.



For Family, For Travel, Uses of Essential Oils

Gear up for fun: 5 holiday and seasonal essential oil blends

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Holidays are times for fun and frolic. We want to be in our best during holidays as it is the season of year to celebrate with friends, family and loved ones. Holidays can be sober or boring to some. This maybe due to lack of motivation or the cancellation of an exotic holiday plan or inability to get together with friends and loved ones. Whatever be your plight, holidays are meant for enjoyment and you should not miss the holiday spirit even if you are single and not near dear ones. You can maximize your holiday mood with the use of essential oils. Pure oils of the floral or earthy kind can uplift your mood and motivate you to have fun even it means holidaying within the four walls of your apartment.

Holiday and seasonal essential oil blends: Like holidays, seasons too affect our moods and mental dispositions. Autumn and Winter, especially, can take their toll on us and make us sober and uninteresting. To set things right and enjoy life as usual, you can use holiday or seasonal essential oil blends. Below are a list of holiday/seasonal blends that may help you rejuvenate yourself:


1. Christmas Tree Blend: Christmas is a season of joy and happiness. It is a time for sharing love and expressing concern toward others. How would you able to enjoy the spirit of the season, if you are down in the dumps? This Christmas blend will uplift your mood and persuade you to experience the season with an open heart. Combine 5 drops of Spruce oil with 3 drops of Fir needle, 3 drops of Pine oil and 2 drops of Cedarwood. If you want an exotic yet mellow scent, add a few drops of Juniper oil to the blend.

2. Angel’s Breath Blend: During Christmas, we look at things with a religious fervor. This blend will enhance your trust in God and make life pleasant and meaningful for you. Its aroma brings in peace and prosperity in the mind. Add 12 drops of Lavender to 6 drops of Sweet Orange, 4 drops of Chamomile, 4 drops of Ylang Ylang and 3 drops of Sandalwood oil. Combine well and use the blend in a diffuser.

3. Frankincense Holiday Blend: For warm, rich and spicy aromas, use Frankincense oil with Myrrh. Add 5 drops of Frankincense oil, 5 drops of Myrrh, 5 drops of Cedarwood and 5-10 drops of Orange to a dark, amber bottle and shake well. When the oils are blended well, pour them into a diffuser and use.

4. Frankincense and Fir Holiday Blend: Frankincense always carries with it a traditional aroma. Its very scent brings back to the mind things that are religious, old-time or historically significant. Above all, Frankincense is all about sprightly moods. If you think the above Frankincense-Myrrh blend is a bit earthy, try this one. Add 2 drops of Frankincense oil to 2 drops of Fir Needle oil and 1 drop of Grapefruit essential oil. Mix well and use in a diffuser or air freshener. This blend is ideal for invigorating your home or holiday cottage atmosphere.

5. Sugar and Spice blend: This blend is perfect for Thanksgiving. It makes your entire room sweet and aromatic. Add 10 drops of Orange, 5 drops of Ginger and 8 drops of Cinnamon with 1 drop of Nutmeg. Mix in a dark colored bottle and use in your room diffuser.



Aromatherapy Gifts, Personal Care, Uses of Essential Oils

Scented lights, tranquil aromas: 5 steps to make aromatherapy candles

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Imagine a nice romantic evening bath surrounded by aromatic candles or an aromatic candle-light dinner at the rooftop of your home. Aromatic candles have become a fad now. People just love them due to their relaxing and calming effects. Aromatic candles go one step further and yield a soothing aroma while they burn. Light and aroma make the whole environment magical and romantic. It is a great recipe for any down-in-the-dumps evening or night. What more, candles burn without emitting intense heat like electric lights and that renders a cool air in the room where the candles are placed. This article will explain what aromatherapy candles are and how to make them at home.

Aromatherapy candles – Truths you need to know: What can be more exotic than light scented with an aroma? But not all aromatherapy candles are natural or synthetics-free. Most of the candles, labeled as made with essential oils, have paraffin wax in them. As a petroleum product, paraffin wax is not natural and is not like the natural occurring beeswax, soy wax or vegetable oil wax. Similarly, stores that claim to be selling natural substances may sell aromatic candles that are made using synthetic fragrances. This is because it takes a lot of essential oil to make an aromatherapy candle. Since this may not be affordable for some manufacturers, they tend to use synthetic perfumes to make aromatic candles. When such a candle burns, it may not emit natural aromas, but toxic ones. So, when you shop for aromatherapy candles, look for indications of natural substances that are included in the candle. A manufacturer who does not list the ingredients used may have made the candles using synthetics. Similarly one who claims the oil to be made with essential oils may actually have used chemical fragrances. To avoid falling into chemical, synthetic substances, check if your candle manufacturer has a label like any of these: ‘Made with 100% natural substances’, ‘Contains no synthetic ingredients’, ‘Paraffin Wax Free’ etc.


How to make aromatherapy candles: Making aromatic candles is easy if you know the trick of the trade – candle making. Votive candles are the easiest to make and this recipe is one that guides you in making a votive aromatic candle.

1. Melt your wax and prepare mixture: To start with, get your wax mixture ready. Use a double boiler and melt your wax for about 175 degrees F. When the wax is completely melted, add additives like stearic acid, fragrance essential oil and dye (for coloring). Ensure all these ingredients are natural and have no synthetics in them. Mix all the ingredients well while the wax is in melted form.

2. Pour into molds: Pour the wax into your votive molds. See to it that you do this in a slow and steady manner to avoid spilling. Maybe use a sheet of paper or cardboard under the molds to save your kitchen table from being spoiled. Pour till the lip and save 20% of your wax. You may require the wax a second time.

3. Insert the wicks: Once the wax has congealed a bit, insert the pre-tabbed wicks into the votive molds. Make sure that the wicks are placed at an approximately straight point and see to it that the pre-tabbed end meets the end of the wax mold. Cooling may cause the wicks to go off-center. At such times, bring them back to their center positions with a slight firmness.

4. Re-pour wax: When the wax has cooled for about  3 to 4 hours, you will notice that there are sink holes in the molds. The wax has shrunken a bit and needs to be re-filled with new wax to level the candle. Heat the 20% remaining wax to 190 degrees F and pour into the molds. Pour till the lip, but do not spill.

5. Remove from molds and use: When you notice the votive molds have cooled, you can remove the candles from the molds by placing them in freezer for five minutes. Use the candles in votive containers/holders as these candles melt a lot.



Personal Care, Uses of Essential Oils

A dose of salts: 3 steps to a healing bath with essential oil bath salts

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Healing baths rejuvenate a fatigued self and help you be at home with yourself. Treating yourself to a luxurious spa-like bath once in a while is simple and easy to do. It is also exciting and relaxing. If someone told you that bath salts work, try bath salts with aromatherapy oils. Yes, essential oil bath salts work great and are made of nothing but natural ingredients. Without any use of synthetics, you can make a simple bath salt recipe to soothe your skin and pamper your muscles. This article will help you by giving tips on how to make your one bath salt without trouble.

Bath salts with aromatherapy oils: To make a bath salt, you should do a few things as ground work. Read all the available safety information about essential oils and learn how to use/blend/diffuse them into your bath salt recipe. Bath salts are allergic to some due to the presence of high salt content. Check if you are allergic by taking a sample bath. Also, do not use oils that are irritating or annoying to the skin. You can end up making stuff that will not just spoil your skin, but also make you more tensed and worked up. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to make bath salts at home:


1. Get your ingredients ready: As ingredients, you would require 3 cups of Dead Sea salt, Epsom salt or a blend of the two or three of these salts. Sea salts come in several sizes and if you want, for better effect, you can combine salts of different grain sizes. This would be both appealing and different. However, remember that the more the size of the salt, the greater the time it takes to dissolve in your tub. Next, you will need 15 – 25 drops of your essential oil blend or one or two essential oils. Decide on whether you plan to use essential oil blends or pure essential oils. Since pure essentials can be irritating on the skin, it is better to go with blends that have carrier oils mixed in them. You will also need 1 tbsp of fractioned coconut oil or carrier oil for moisturizing purposes.

2. Make the blend: Place all the salts into a bowl and mix them well. If you plan to include vegetable oils in your salt, mix separately (with salt) and then, add the salt with other salt mixtures and essential oils. Use a spoon or fork to do the mixing work and keep the whole thing on a container that has a tight-fitting lid. Closing the container is important in ensuring that the aroma does not escape the container before bathing.

3. Color your salts: The next in line is coloring. Most people want to color their bath salts. Though this is attractive, too much of coloring can discolor your skin, your bath tub and cause skin irritation. Even if you want to color your salts, color  them light. In light pastel colors. Naturally colored salts like Hawaiian Red Sea salt and Black Sea Pink salt can be used for natural coloring. You can mix them with other salts to get a speckled effect. If you insist on coloring, use FD&C grade liquid dye in a tiny amount (say 1/8 of a teaspoon is enough). Ensure that it is a skin-safe colorant that does not cause any kind of disorientation in your body/skin.

How to use: Add ½ cup of the bath salt made to running water or disperse it well in the tub, before bathing. Some essential oils evaporate very fast, especially ones from the Top Notes clan. If you have used any one such oil in your blend, add the salt only a few minutes before you enter. This would avoid evaporation of oil.