Lavender for Summer AND Winter Skin

Video

Hello natural beauties I hope you’re all faring well after the New Year. I’m so grateful I’ve been having lots of lovely beach time this summer, which also means I have tan, and have been exposed to lots of UV rays. Lavender is the perfect essential oil to cool summer skin, but even if you’re in the dead of winter, it’s perfect for you too! Read on to find out how this amazing oil of oils can help you now ….

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Please check out my book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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Kisses from Kirra beach in QLD. #kiss #queensland #kirra #beach #summer #australia #happynewyear #happy #grateful #abundance #holiday #sea #blue #sky #clouds #gorgeous

A post shared by Suzanne R Banks (@banksbotanicals) on Jan 4, 2017 at 7:53pm PST

SUMMER

Lavender has always been used to treat burns as its high linalool and linalyl acetate content helps soothe hot skin.
Used as a calming oil you can see how this relates to stress, sleep, healing skin and soothing skin too.
Mix a few drops of lavender oil into some natural aloe vera gel for the perfect after-sun treatment (although it can be a bit sticky)
Add a few drops of this amazing oil into your favourite body or face moisturiser to help soothe and repair sun damaged skin
Have a luke warm bath with some coconut milk and 4 drops of lavender
Make a body oil blend with lavender and your favourite cold pressed oil using this ratio:

lovely lavender in my neighbour's planter box out the frot

lovely lavender in my neighbour’s planter box out the front

Nourishing Body Oil Blend

For a coat of your body use 3 teaspoons of carrier oil in a little dish and, add 7 – 8 drops of essential oil. It’s always best to patch test first, before you apply all over.

***** Always put the drops of essential oil into the bottle or dish first, then add the carrier oil. It gives the scents time to create a synergistic fusion.

For a 50ml bottle of oil add 25 drops and see my articles “Ratios for Blending Essential Oils – A Reminder of the Basics” and “Aromatherapy – It’s Easy as 1 2 3”

“After Sun Special”

Lavender 4 drops

Peppermint 2 drops

Vetiver 1 drop

I took this pic in Mexico in 2014

WINTER

Warm up in winter with essential oils

While lavender is wonderful for soothing and calming summer skin how can it help you in winter?

Lavender is an ancient healing herb oil that has strength and tenacity which is what one often needs to brave the winter months
Your skin can become very dry due to many reasons – artificial heating, hot showers and baths and by being continually covered up the dead skin cells often don’t have anywhere to escape to, leaving you dry and flaky
Lavender is the perfect oil to nurture you in the cold by doing steam inhalations to bring colour and life into your face – even add a few drops to your shower to give you an all over steam inhalation
Add a few drops to a hot foot bath to increase circulation
And as above: add a few drops of this amazing oil into your favourite body or face moisturiser to help soothe and repair dry skin
Make a body oil blend with lavender and your favourite cold pressed oil using the ratio above:

“Warm me up, Give Me Strength”

Lavender 3 drops

Rosemary 2 drops

Ginger 2 drops

Lavender in Sydney

“When in doubt, use lavender”

Suzanne R Banks

Ah yes there I go quoting myself again, hehe.

Do you use lavender all year round? I’d love to know x

Aromatherapy Skincare on TVSN and the Powerful Solstice

Video

Hello my natural beauties, I hope you are all well at this auspicious time of the solstice. I forgot a post last week as I was preparing to do another 2 live TV spots on TVSN, as a Brand Ambassador for Springfields Aromatherapy. I’m blaming the powerful blue moon solstice for my forgetfulness, and a little bit of nervous energy too.

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Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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Me in my dressing room

It was an early start in hair and makeup with my beautiful friend Jason, then off to the studio to do 2 live shows, each an hour long.

Live TV is a bit nerve-wracking because there’s no saving grace. Anyway suddenly you’re on camera thinking “I hope I remember what to say’.

Then its over and the world keeps turning.

My friend took this screen shot:

And that was the second show and it was all over, again. I’ve got 2 more days this year – in spring and summer (southern hemisphere).

And speaking about hemispheres, the north just had the summer solstice and the south just experienced the winter solstice – yay! It seems that this was a cosmological blue moon in Sagittarius, rather than a calendar blue moon, with powerful movements for us all. I’m not an expert so I’ve included a couple of links:

Mystic Mumma

Collective Evolution

My summary is:

if you’ve been feeling overwhelmed lately there may be big breakthroughs coming up
a new chapter, or time in your life, may becoming a reality on a very deep level
end relationships that are not serving your higher purpose
acknowledge your spiritual conscious for this may be the driver of your new paradigm
be willing and courageous to forge ahead with a new way of life

I’ve just planted some basil and it seems to be dong quite well

My body oil blend for this time is:

For a coat of your body use 3 teaspoons of carrier oil in a little dish and, add 7 – 8 drops of essential oil. It’s always best to patch test first, before you apply all over.

***** Always put the drops of essential oil into the bottle or dish first, then add the carrier oil. It gives the scents time to create a synergistic fusion.

For a 50ml bottle of oil add 25 drops and see my articles “Ratios for Blending Essential Oils – A Reminder of the Basics” and “Aromatherapy – It’s Easy as 1 2 3”

“Blue Solstice”

Frankincense 3 drops Keywords: meditation, truth, preservation

Basil 1 drop Keywords: clarity; open your mind

Black Pepper 1 drop Keywords: go forward and fulfill your destiny

Petitgrain 3 drops Keywords: potentiality

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Check out my YouTube channel too, thanks.

Collective Evolution

Mystic Mumma

Be The Queen of Your Life

Video

Hello natural beauties! I have just done a couple of live TV shows on TVSN in Sydney, as Brand Ambassador for Springfields Aromatherapy, and their beautiful skincare. This week we featured the Rose Collection, so it was easy to talk about beautiful organic Bulgarian rose oil.

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Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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My dressing room for the day – feeling nervous

Live TV is nerve-wracking! The presenters are professionals and can turn it on quite quickly. I, on the other hand, found it challenging to be succinct and precise while going with the flow. Anyway it’s over now – phew!

I talked about rose oil as being “the Queen of Oils” due to its complex molecular structure and the fact that it is a “premium” essential oil. It is very expensive because the production of the Attar of Roses, or Rose Otto (meaning steam distilled rose oil), is very labour intensive. It can take 5000 kgs to make 1 kg of essential oil – or more – depending on the harvest, the size of the flowers and other variables. After all this is a natural product and we are subject to the ebb and flow of nature.

Rose is the Queen of oils

Using the Queen of Oils sends a positive energetic message to your soul – I am the Queen of my life. When I treat myself as a Queen, I am not the only one who benefits. I have more to share with others when I acknowledge my divinty.

My good friend Darryl, The Vitalist, took a sound grab from the TV. Thanks Darryl:

In my practice I use rose oil:

help the body deal with excess heat
help dry, mature, and sun damaged skin
help a client deal with grief
help a client process difficult emotions
allow the heart to open
acknowledge a client’s success or fears around a challenge ahead

More beautiful roses from my recent trip to New Zealand

As rose oil is expensive it is usually sold in a 3% blend in jojoba which is perfect to use straight on your skin as a perfume. If you are fortunate to have a pure rose oil then even 1 drop can be enough to soothe your soul, uplift your emotions, clarify your mind and help you feel abundant in many ways.

Me and Sarah on set

After the shows I was met by Springfields owner Rodney, with chocolates and flowers from the new Springfields garden. I hope to follow this story more closely as time goes on as Rodney has started the process of preparing the garden, which will grow the plants that will be hrvested to make botanical extracts for the skincare products. I’m excited about that!

Rodney from Springfields with dahlias and lavender from the new garden

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Check out my YouTube channel too, thanks.

Have you ever used rose oil? What are your experiences?

To Dry Brush or Not? Yep … Another Question!

Posted on June 3, 2015 by suzannerbanks

The Soft, Supple Skin Series Part 3 – Dry Brushing

The series continues with question about how effective dry brushing is.

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Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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The best dry brushes are made from plant fibres and have detachable arms - pic via amazon.com

The best dry brushes are made from plant fibres and have detachable handles – pic via amazon.com

Dry brushing has been a health and beauty regime for many people over the past century. I have to admit I have had a dry skin brush in the past but found it hard to get into a routine with it. In summer I found I didn’t really need it and in winter I found it was too cold to dry brush before the shower. Having admitted my downfalls I am a proponent of the dry brush because of its simplicity and they way it can make you feel truly enlivened.

History

From my research into this topic it seems as though the dry brush (although probably used for hundreds of years if not more), sprang into modern culture via the Nordic countries in combination with the sauna. Dr Paavo Airola extolled the wonders of dry brushing in his book “How to Get Well”. He was born in 1918 and died in 1983, having written 14 books on health and wellness, he was definitely ahead of his time. Dr Airola talked about juicing, taking supplements, a raw diet without meat and many other health regimes we accept today as part of the norm. Looking back, his work on nutrition and biochemistry helped form the naturopathic way of life.

Feel fresh and enlivened with body brushing

The Benefits of Dry Brushing

From his book, and what we know today, some of the benefits of dry brushing are:

* increase lymphatic drainage which is one of the detoxification systems of the body

* which in turn helps to remove cellulite

* and increase immunity

* remove dead skin cells

* gently massage internal organs and promote healthy digestion

* make you feel fresh and alive by tightening the skin, improving muscle tone and increasing circulation

How to Do It

The best way to brush is to be gentle and let the bristles do the work.

Brush toward the lymph nodes and I understand you might not know where they are so here’s an easy guide:

Easy dry brushing guide - pic via www.fengshuidana.com

Easy dry brushing guide – pic via http://www.fengshuidana.com

So basically you work up the legs to the groin.

Up the arms to the arm pits.

Downwards on your neck.

Upwards on your back.

Up and down on your stomach.

This is why its better to have a detachable arm as it easier to do the dry brushing with your hand on top of the brush and just add the arm for your back.

Have a shower after your brushing!

Detach the arm for most of your body as its easier to use - pic via www.athleticaesthetic.co

Detach the arm for most of your body as it’s easier to use – pic via http://www.athleticaesthetic.co

Why Can’t You Use the Brush In the Shower?

* the bristles are better when dry

* it doesn’t work as well with water, as the water can make the brush heavy, and you are working against the force of the water flow. This can lead to over scrubbing and very red raw skin – ouch!

* it’s generally less effective for improving skin tone

So yes dry brushing is probably the best way to exfoliate and make your skin feel great because it has many other health benefits that using a scrub does not. It even surpasses the body puff and gloves for this reason.

Do you dry brush?

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Check out my YouTube channel too, thanks.

To Scrub or Not To Scrub? That is the Question!

Posted on May 13, 2015 by suzannerbanks

The Soft, Supple Skin Series Part 1 – Skin Scrubs

Natural skin scrubs are easy to make, and thanks to the internet it’s easy to find recipes – but are they good for your skin?

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Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Barnes & Noble Booktopia AU Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

***************************************************************************************************************

Salt scrub – pic via themethuselahcenter.com

Skin scrubs can make your skin feel soft and new, providing you don’t use them too often.

The skin is called the Integumentary system. It is the largest organ of the body – and yes it’s actually classified as an organ, just like your liver and heart are organs. The skin has its own intelligence and it separates us from our environment and gives us our unique quality. It is also the most exposed organ in the body and needs some care and attention.

The skin on our faces is finer than in other parts of our body, but generally speaking it works in a particular way. It is estimated we could be losing about 30,000 skin cells per hour. Yes, per hour! New cells are formed from within, and push up to the external layer of the epidermis. This means our skin is already taking care of itself in a complicated and intelligent fashion, so is it ok to use a scrub?

Salt makes a great base for a scrub but use fine salt or grind up coarse salt

I think using a scrub once every week to 10 days is good for your skin, just be careful when actually scrubbing your skin so as not to give yourself scratches. Also the scrub you make to use on your body, could be a little too rough for your face so plan ahead and do your recipe research first.

* Winter skin tends to need a scrub more frequently as hot showers and layers of clothing can interfere with the natural release of skin, and we can get that dry crocodile looking effect.

* Basically you will be washing dead skin down the drain rather than letting it pile up around the house.

* Ideally soak in a bath for 5 minutes. Use your scrub on all parts of your body, then soak for at least another 5 minutes for a real spa treatment feeling. Some of us only have a shower so make the best of what you have.

* Always moisturise after your scrub, and of course I recommend you use a body oil and face oil or serum which will give your skin a velvety smooth finish.

Sea salt – pic via cooks.ndtv.com

Bases for Your Body

* Fine sea salt is the best. Don’t use coarse as you will scratch yourself.

* I see recipes all the time using sugar but I just don’t understand why you would use sugar when you have salt?

* Oil and/or moisturising cream to make a slurry

* Green or pink clay

* a little water

Bases for Your Face

* moisturising cream on its own or with some white or yellow clay

* almond meal – I love this gentle scrub base for the face

Use a mortar and pestle to grind up anything you want to use in your scrub

Additives to Your Bases

* a few drops of essential oil (1 drop for face – 5 drops for body – or a few more) – don’t go overboard you don’t want to burn or irritate your skin, especially if you are adding other botanicals to it

* coffee grains

* almond meal

* fresh rind of lemon/orange/grapefruit/lime

* dried citrus peel

* ground cacao nibs

* ground rose petals

* ground pumice

* dried or fresh herbs

Use your imagination but also your intuition as to what might be good for your face and what is best left for your body.

lovely legs!

A basic body scrub could look like this:

2 cups fine sea salt

grated lemon rind

3 – 5 drops lavender essential oil

a tablespoon of oil

a tablespoon of clay

a little water or cream to make a gooey paste

A face scrub:

3 teaspoons almond meal

1 teaspoon white clay

a little water to make a paste

1 drop bergamot essential oil

The only issue for me using these types of scrubs is that we are washing the gooey paste down the drain. I think that’s fine for the salt on it’s own but what about the oil and botanicals too?

Stay tuned for more in my Soft, Supple Skin Series and check out my YouTube channel too, thanks.

10 Recipes with Vetiver Essential Oil

Posted on September 10, 2014 by suzannerbanks

Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Amazon USA Amazon AU Amazon UK

10 Recipes with Vetiver Essential Oil

: Hairy vetiver root

Vetiver essential oil (Vetiveria zizanoides) is steam distilled from the root or “rhizome” of the plant. As you can see from the pic above the rhizome is hairy and fine, exposing as much surface area as possible to the surrounding soil. This scent of vetiver is similar to damp soil, although this is a simplification. It is an essential oil that is used extensively in perfume as a “fixative”; bringing all the scents together and binding or fixing them into a cohesive blend. It is used in many scents for men due it’s strong, deep, smoky aroma- but having said that it is also used in women’s perfumes too.

: less IS more via zazzle.com

In aromatherapy it is therapeutically used for many things, and is also used the bind a formula together. I would use 1 drop of vetiver in a formula to make this possible. The most important thing to remember about vetiver is that the scent is so strong, less is more!

One drop is enough in a small oil blend for your body.

Vetiver is sometimes referred to as “The Oil of Tranquility”, especially in India where it is commonly used, and produced. If you just remember this little phrase you will automatically know what to use vetiver oil for – relaxing, de-stressing and being tranquil. It can also be used in hair care and skincare as a moisturiser for dryness.

Let’s check out some recipes;

1. Nourishing Body Oil

For a coat of your body use 3 teaspoons of carrier oil in a little dish and, add 7 – 8 drops of essential oil. It’s always best to patch test first, before you apply all over.

***** Always put the drops of essential oil into the bottle or dish first, then add the carrier oil. It gives the scents time to create a synergistic fusion.

For a 50ml bottle of oil add 25 drops and see my articles “Ratios for Blending Essential Oils – A Reminder of the Basics” and “Aromatherapy – It’s Easy as 1 2 3”

“Crocodile Skin”

Remove the scaliness –

Lavender 3 drops

Palmarosa 3 drops

Vetiver 1 drop

“Softly, Gently”

Calm yourself down by oiling yourself up –

Lemon 3 drops

Jasmine 3% 10 drops * see my article for more info on 3% blends in jojoba

Vetiver 1 drop

“Head in the Clouds”

Bring yourself down to earth and get “grounded” –

Lemongrass 3 drops

Roman Chamomile 3% 6 drops * see my article for more info on 3% blends in jojoba

Vetiver 1 drop

2. Hair Mask

Warm 3 teaspoons of oil (either olive or jojoba) and add 7 to 8 drops of essential oil. Massage into your hair from the ends up. Wrap your hair in a towel (or some plastic wrap then a towel). Leave for 1 hour, or overnight, then wash and condition as usual. This is the same ratio for a body oil blend and for more info see my articles “Ratios for Blending Essential Oils – A Reminder of the Basics” and “Aromatherapy – It’s Easy as 1 2 3”.

Rosemary 2 drops

Lavender 2 drops

Orange 2 drops

Vetiver 2 drops

3. Scent Your Space

In a traditional oil burner with a candle or a diffuser add 25 drops of oil

“Slow it Down Sister”

Chill, be calm

Marjoram 8 drops

Mandarin 8 drops

Spearmint 7 drops

Vetiver 2 drops

“Kids. Driving. Me. Nuts. Help”

Petitgrain 10 drops

Cedarwood Virginian 6 drops

Peru Balsam 6 drops

Vetiver 3 drops

4. Personal Aura Cleansing Mist & Room Mist

In a 50ml mist bottle filled with water add 25 drops of oil

(depending on the packaging you have, you may need to use a little alcohol -like vodka- at the bottom of your bottle first, so the oils disperse into smaller drops to prevent clogging the atomiser top. I’ve found sometimes it works just with water, and sometimes it doesn’t – very annoying!)

“Givin Myself Some Room”

Allow time to relax –

Rosewood 8 drops

Bergamot 8 drops

Ylang Ylang 4 drops

Cinnamon 4 drops

Vetiver 1 drop

“Serenity NOW!”

Orange 10 drops

Rose Geranium 8 drops

Cedarwood Himalayan 5 drops

Vetiver 2 drops

“Sweet Sleep”

Lavender 9 drops

Lime 8 drops

Marjoram 6 drops

Vetiver 2 drops

5. Soak in a bath

I don’t often recommend adding too many essential oils to a bath as they are difficult to disperse and can cause minor skin irritations when combined with the heat of the water. If you do like to use them in a bath, try 4 -6 drops in total and add the drops to another medium like sea salt, coconut milk, other milks or a water dispersible agent.

“Finally Me Time”

Frankincense 3 drops

Vetiver 1 drop

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

My Top 3 Oily and Easy Skincare Tips!

Posted on August 25, 2014 by suzannerbanks

Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Amazon USA Amazon AU Amazon UK

My Top 3 Oily and Easy Skincare Tips!

oilve & oil – sneakily borrowed from botani.com

1. The Best Makeup Remover in the World

Oil. Olive oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, almond oil, camelia oil, safflower oil, macadamia oil. You get the picture. Any medium or heavy oil will do the job perfectly. Nothing takes off waterproof mascara like good ol’ cold pressed oil. My system is to wet a makeup remover pad with some water, add a squirt of oil, remove makeup. Clean face with warm, wet washcloth. The end.

rosehips – sneakily borrowed from wellnesswa.com.au

2. The Best Face Moisturiser in the World

Rosehip oil. You can also try borage oil and apricot oil but I find rosehip is the best. It is dark and slightly scented, but once you start using it it’s hard to give up. I rarely even make creams for my face anymore because rosehip oil is so good. I put makeup on straight away after moisturising with rosehip and don’t encounter any problems. Rosehips are high in Vitamin C and also have anti-inflammatory properties. Rosehip extracts are now being used in herbal medicine for both the above properties – in joint formulas as well as immune stimulating formulas. It works best if you smooth the oil on a damp face, this also helps trap some extra moisture in too. I use a floral water in a mist bottle to make the process even more stunning.

You can definitely add essential oils to your rosehip and the best for the face are:

Geranium

Lavender

Rose

Neroli

Frankincense

Refer to my blog for the correct quantities to use –

articles “Ratios for Blending Essential Oils – A Reminder of the Basics” and “Aromatherapy – It’s Easy as 1 2 3”

This lists essential oil ratios for making a body oil – for the face use half the quantity. For example if you use 1 teaspoon of oil for your body add 3 drops of essential oil. For the face use 1 drop of essential oil.

jojoba - it look a lot like an olive doesn't it?

jojoba – it looks a lot like an olive doesn’t it?

3. The Best Body Moisturiser in the World

Oil. Jojoba oil, almond oil, sesame oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, macadamia oil, olive oil, camelia oil, sunflower oil ……….

Add a few drops of essential oil and you have a natural, preservative free, paraben free, beautifully scented, quick aromatherapy treatment.

Use any essential oils for the body but it’s best to stay away from the following in large quantities

All the spice oils – use them but be conservative

Thyme

Peppermint

and any other strongly scented oil you can think of. Refer to my article Aromatherapy It’s Easy As 1 2 3 for the correct quantities to use.

Go for it. Using cold pressed oils is a start to simplifying your life by cutting out chemicals and toxic ingredients in personal care products. It does take a bit longer but if you value yourself and the world around you, it’s easy to make the effort.

Look after yourself first. Treat yourself first and everyone will benefit.

10 Recipes with Frankincense Essential Oil- Boswellia carterii

Posted on June 11, 2014 by suzannerbanks

Frankincense resin in its organic form is then distilled into an essential oil

Ah frankincense it’s a good oil! It’s an oil that helps you breathe deeply, relax and connect with your spirit. It’s an oil that can help skin looking and feeling younger. It’s an oil that’s been around for thousands of years. It’s an oil of truth.

Frankincense has a fine scent and I have written more about it previously with my article ‘Frankincense is the Scent of Truth’. It is from the family Burseraceae and the genus Boswellia.

Many years ago a friend of mine (he’s not around any longer, hi Peter!) was having a really bad asthma attack and was getting very anxious. He called me and I went to him immediately with a vapouriser and some Frankincense oil. I sat him down next to the stream of vapour and within 5 minutes he was better and after 20 minutes he could breathe normally. He also felt much more relaxed and I left the set up with him for a few weeks so he could access the treatment whenever he needed it.

Frankincense has many applications so let’s get into some recipes –

A clay face mask is the best and most natural clarifyng mask. pic vis chiclooking.com

A clay face mask is the best and most natural clarifying mask. pic via chiclooking.com

1. Face Mask

Usually add 1 or 2 drops of oil to some clay and add water, floral water or hydrosol. Keep the mask on for 5 minutes then rinse off with cool water. Mist with a hydrosol or floral water and moisturise.

I would use 2 drops of frankincense in pink clay to rejuvenate your skin, help tone oilier skin and to treat acne.

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Take a huge whiff to change your focus in seconds

2. Open The Bottle and Take a Huge Whiff

Do this with frankincense to help you relax and gather your energy. It will give you a chance to stop and catch you breath too.

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The classic Duralex glass dish is handy to make oil blends and quick perfumes in

3. Pure Pulse Point Perfume

In a little dish mix these oils and anoint your pulse points or chakras – 3 drops of essential oils and dilute with a few drops of carrier oil – always patch test first!

“Peace and Quiet”

Frankincense 2 drops

Lavender 1 drop

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“I’m Ready for the Day”

Take a deep breath and go!

Frankincense 1 drop

Neroli 3% 3 drops * see my article for more info on 3% blends in jojoba

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“Sweet”

Life IS sweet –

Frankincense 2 drops

Peru balsam 1 drop

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“Now is the Best Time”

Do it now!

Frankincense 1 drop

Lemongrass 1 drop

Rose Geranium 1 drop

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Check this out - an oil burner made from a can - pic via www.instructables.com

Check this out – an oil burner made from a can – pic via http://www.instructables.com

4. Scent Your Space

In a traditional oil burner with a candle or a diffuser add 25 drops of oil

“Sunday Night Settle Down”

You’ve got school in the morning!

Frankincense 10 drops

Orange 9 drops

Marjoram 6 drops

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“Fresh Vibe”

A great blend for when you’ve finished cleaning the house –

Frankincense 10 drops

Lime 6 drops

Cedarwood Atlas 5 drops

May Chang 4 drops

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Rub oil into your body – it’s good!

Nourishing Body Oil Blend

For a coat of your body use 3 teaspoons of carrier oil in a little dish and, add 7 – 8 drops of essential oil. It’s always best to patch test first, before you apply all over.

***** Always put the drops of essential oil into the bottle or dish first, then add the carrier oil. It gives the scents time to create a synergistic fusion.

For a 50ml bottle of oil add 25 drops and see my articles “Ratios for Blending Essential Oils – A Reminder of the Basics” and “Aromatherapy – It’s Easy as 1 2 3”

“Renew”

A blend to feel hydrated with a new outlook –

Frankincense 3 drops

Palmarosa 3 drops

Lavender 2 drops

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“It’s All About Me Tonight”

Shower off the day and oil yourself –

Frankincense 2 drops

Ylang Ylang 2 drops

Mandarin 3 drops

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Happy blending and remember to use your intention when you are creating your formulas.See my article about intention.

Ylang Ylang Essential Oil – Yeah!

Posted on April 28, 2014 by suzannerbanks

Cananga odorata- pic via www.rareflora.com

A mass of Cananga odorata flowers on a branch – pic via http://www.rareflora.com

Many essential oils share similar qualities and properties, although they are all unique in their characteristics. Scent is the main way we distinguish essential oils from one another, and we know how varied the beautiful fragrances are!

Ylang Ylang – Cananga odorata is a beautiful oil used extensively in perfumery AND aromatherapy and hails from a beautiful and unusual looking flower. I love using Ylang Ylang anytime. It works well with orange oil and is great to counteract frustration and even anger. Soothing and calming to the nerves, it also works as an aphrodisiac with its deep, base scent.

The plant is grown in tropical climates and Salvatore Battaglia claims this wonderful, spidery looking flower is strewn on the wedding bed of newly married couples in Indonesia. How divine!

What a gorgeous flower

Some of its chemical constituents are:

* linalool (an alcohol) – also found in lavender and basil and has a warming effect

* B-caryophyllene (a sesquiterpene)- also found in cloves and could be considered balancing

* Benzyl benzoate (an ester) – also found in jasmine and can be seen as calming

Each chemical constituent within an essential oil gels with all the others to produce a general effect on the body. However, not all oils with esters will necessarily be calming oils, and this can be said for most active ingredients.

YinYang

Energetically it is said by some to be a “yang” (masculine) oil, and has an absolutely stunning oil with a heady, sweet aroma. It seems to have many feminine uses but I also know many men who adore this oil.

In Aromatherapy today Ylang ylang is used :

* for calming nerves

* as an aphrodisiac

* for stimulating cell growth in scar tissue and for general skin care and hair care

* for treatment with people who have high blood pressure

* for symptoms of menopause and PMS

Unlike other oils, when essential oil of ylang ylang is produced it creates a few different levels of oil. When you buy from a wholesaler they will indicate what level you are buying but when you buy from a retailer you may not get this information.

“Extra” – the first part of the distillation which is the most finely scented of the oils. I always use this

1st Grade – the next best bit

2nd Grade – the next best bit

3rd Grade – the level of oil with the lesser quality of all.

My wholesaler also offers “Complete Ylang Ylang” which is a combination of Extra, !st and 2nd grades so could be seen as a more rounded oil. I still use Extra all the time.

No other oil (as far as I know) has such a distinctive production and collection process, and this is where I think some multilevel marketing essential oil companies get their marketing ideas from – claiming they have the highest therapeutic grade oils in the world. There is no doubt some grades of essential oils are better than others, and one of my suppliers has created their own list of grades – Certified Organic – Conventional – down through a couple of levels to Commercial (which would be used for body products and some food flavourings). It’s all very interesting but have no doubt that raw ingredients, especially the oils of flowers (jasmine and rose) and sandalwood are becoming very expensive.

Heavily laden Ylang ylang tree with flowers – pic via blog.proxisante.com

Stay tuned for my next article with recipes with this stunning oil!

Exfoliating Your Face and Body

Posted on March 24, 2014 by suzannerbanks

Salt scrub – pic via themethuselahcenter.com

Our skin is one of the largest systems in the body called the Integumentary System. It is our protector against the environment and something that holds us all together. We absorb nutrients through the skin and this is why I love to use nourishing essential oil blends on a daily basis. We eliminate toxins through our skin too.

Our skin is just as important as our other organs like the liver, pancreas, thyroid and everything else we are made of. It forms part of our personality by giving us a certain look and comes in a variety of colours. Our skin can easily be ignored but we really need to give it a helping hand. Moisturising is a must which will definitely keep skin looking younger and feeling more supple. Exfoliating is also a great benefit to skin to keep it healthy so it can do all the jobs we need it to do. It can help with general feelings of lethargy and will definitely wake you up too.

We exfoliate automatically as new skin cells are made and old cells dying make their way back into the universe, however, sometimes our skin needs a helping hand and we need to manually exfoliate for health and vanity reasons. Skin varies in texture and colour in different parts of the body so what is good for scrubbing your body, may not work very well for your face. We could use a few methods for exfoliation of the body:

Exfoliating Gloves - pic via www.aliexpress.com

Exfoliating Gloves – pic via http://www.aliexpress.com

1. Exfoliation Gloves

* environmentally friendly because they last a long time

* inexpensive

* use a little soap in the bath or the shower and don’t rub too hard it will hurt!

* once or twice per month is enough

dry skin brushing – pic via slenderresults.com

2. Dry Skin Brushing

* lightly done on dry skin

* benefits are said to be varied from minimising cellulite to stimulating new cells growth and getting rid of old cells, improving the elimination of toxins

* once or twice a week is enough and shower afterwards

Body-Scrub – pic via blog.freepeople.com –

3. Scrub with a Product

* use a product that you love or make your own body scrub or face scrub

Face and body scrubs can be made easily at your place with lots of different ingredients that you may find in your cupboard.

almond meal – pic via urbanposer.blogspot.com

Face Scrub

I often use almond meal but if I need more oomph I use LSA (a blend of linseeds, almonds, and sunflowers). Just mix a little water or coconut water with it and gently rub on your face. It’s not very user-friendly so do it over the bathroom sink so the little bits can fall off in that rather than on the floor. I rarely use essential oils with this one because it’s divine on its own.

When you add liquid to the almond meal it becomes milky and soft straight away. This almond milk is lovely and combines with the natural oil n the almonds will make your face so soft. It’s easy and it’s a winner. Try it! After rinsing off you wont even need to moisturise.

Sea salt – pic via cooks.ndtv.com

Body Scrub

I recommend using sea salt as a base and adding ingredients to that. I think I may have to write an article on the benefits of sea salt its an amazing treatment! You could choose Celtic or Dead Sea salt or a locally produced sea salt. Use fine grade as the coarse grade will scratch your skin. This is best done in a bath so you can soak in the salt afterwards. If you only have a shower then wet your body, step out of the stream or turn off the water, scrub then rinse.

If you are a lover of essential oils then try adding about 5 – 8 drops of the oils you choose, into 2 cups of salt and slosh in some oil to make a gooey, grainy paste. It can be olive oil, almond oil, coconut oil, sesame oil or anything you have in the cupboard. You could even try coconut milk or coconut cream to take you away on an island holiday in your mind.

Then get creative by adding spices and extract from your cupboard like, cinnamon, nutmeg or vanilla extract. For a more comprehensive list of suggestions see my article It’s Easy to Make Your Own Body Scrub.

Happy blending and remember to use your intention when you are creating your formulas. See my article about intention

suzannerbanks

scent . intention . consciousness . essential oils

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Exfoliating Your Face and Body

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