10 Fabulously Positive Christmas Recipes for the End of the Decade!

Hello natural beauties living in this crazy world! Are you having a cold Christmas or a super hot one like me?  I love summer in Australia and I always feel so much better with the warmth and sun on my skin, but due to climate change our country is on fire! Lets hope we can move towards a new society where we put our earth first.

Wherever you are, here are 10 essential oil recipes for your diffuser, for a hot, or a cold Chrissy.

Buy my 100% natural and organic botanical perfumes, and paperback book here:

suzannerbanks.com.au

                     Digital downloads and paper backs of my book                              Revelation! Reveal your Destiny with Essentials Oils here:

Barnes & Noble      Booktopia AU      Amazon UK

are you having a cold Christmas/end of year?

In a traditional oil burner with a candle or a diffuser add about 15 drops of oil(depending on what type of diffuser you have and how it operates)

“Baby It’s Cold Outside”

orange                            8 drops

Virginian cedarwood     4 drops

clove                                3 drops


“Light My Fire”

mandarin                       8 drops

cinnamon                       3 drops

rosemary                        2 drops

fennel                            2 drops


“Snowed Inn”

lavender                            6 drops

rose geranium                  4 drops

lemon                                4 drops

marjoram                           1 drops

Hyams Beach south of Sydney still holds the Guinness Book of Records whitest sand in the world! Warm Christmas recipes coming up …

“Aussie Bush Christmas”

lemon eucalyptus              4 drops

bergamot                           4 drops

nutmeg                               3 drops

patchouli                            4 drops


“Cocktails!”

blood orange          6 drops

peru balsam              4 drops

palmarosa                3 drops

thyme                          2 drops


“Sultry Nights”

lime                              7 drops

Australian Sandalwood       3 drops

Ylang ylang 3 drops

Fragonia 2 drops


cinnamon – my own pic

“Peace on Earth For Infinity”

mandarin                           10 drops

black spruce                      8 drops

myrrh                                   3 drops

pine                                     3 drops


“Thanks”

spearmint                             4 drops

may chang                           4 drops

grapefruit                              4 drops

frankincense                         3 drops


“Spiced Love”

geranium                           3 drops

orange                                5 drops

coriander seed                  4 drops

black pepper                     4 drops


peppermint candy canes use real peppermint oil – which is mixed into a food safe flavouring

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I wish you a great end to this year, a fabulous start to the new year, and new decade too. 

Recipes for Making Essential Oil Inhalers

Hello natural beauties I hope you’re all well and happy. I’ve only just recently made a few essential oil inhalers and I quite like them. I’ve given some away and have others stashed in various bags. They are great for a quick burst of essential oil healing magic.

Buy my 100% natural and organic botanical perfumes, and paperback book here:

suzannerbanks.com.au

                     Digital downloads and paper backs of my book                              Revelation! Reveal your Destiny with Essentials Oils here:

Barnes & Noble      Booktopia AU      Amazon UK

The components of the inhaler

When you get your inhalers, which you can buy from many sources including ebay, it will usually come in a few parts: the outer cover, the inhaler (which sits inside the cover), a cotton wad on which you drop your essential oils and the screw lid to keep the cotton inside your inhaler.

I tried using 20 drops of oil but found that it was too strong, so dropped it to 15. You can re-use the cotton wad if you are topping up with the same essential oils. I think you could probably make your own inserts when you run out too.

The cotton insert

Ensure you have a clean workspace, and then just drop the essential oils onto the cotton insert. I usually place a towel down when I’m working.

MMM delicious look at the beautiful green bergamot!

Study Burst

8 drops lemon . 4 drops rosemary . 3 drops basil


Conjuring Creativity

4 drops petitgrain . 4 drops black spruce . 4 drops cedarwood Atlas . 3 drops nutmeg


“Meditation” .

7 drops frankincense . 4 drops lavender . 4 drops Australian Sandalwood




“SLEEP NOW!”

5 drops lavender . 5 drops orange . 4 drops marjoram . 1 drop vetiver


“Sexy Delicious”

5 drops ylang ylang . 4 drops mandarin . 3 drops patchouli . 3 drops cardamom


“End of Year Cheer”

5 drops lime . 4 drops coriander seed . 4 drops geranium . 2 drops spearmint



Make a simple label and you’re ready to go

It really is quite simple and you are only limited by your creativity. It’s a wonderful and inexpensive Christmas/ end of year present.

Let me know how you go in the comments.

Thank you and remember, treat yourself first then everyone benefits.

Better Sleep with Essential Oils

Just a drop of lavender on your pillow at night will help you sleep well – right? No, sorry, it’s not as simple as that. Essential oils can definitely help you relax and adjust your weird sleep patterns, but you’ll have to do a bit more work than opening an oil bottle. Read on to find the best essential oils for sleep, and what you need to change…….

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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

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

 

sleep!

sleep!

 

If we don’t sleep well all sort of problems can start happening. When this becomes more frequent, the daytime can be very challenging. Lack of sleep can be the cause of so many other health problems, but at the very least we simply can’t function well during the day. If bad sleep patterns prevail they can become habit, and then it’s all downhill. Here’s what you need to do to prepare for essential oils to help you sleep:

  1. Drink less coffee and/or don’t have caffeine in the afternoon
  2. Exercise more frequently, even if that means a walk around the block
  3. Stop watching TV at least an hour before bed
  4. Stop all screen time ie phones and computers at least an hour before bed
  5. Set up healthy patterns – eat about the same time each day, go to bed about the same time, wake up about the same time

Other hints:

  1. Have a cup of relaxing herbal tea about an hour before bed
  2. Have a warm bath or shower before bed
  3. Start stretching and force yourself to yawn in the evening (I read that somewhere and I’ve tried it and it works!)
  4. Have a book at your bedside – this always sends me to sleep

 

timing is everything

timing is everything

 

Daily habits are important if you are having difficulties sleeping. Of course the clock can be the devil when you’re staring at it every night – 1am, 2am, 3am, 4am ……… It may only take you a few days to reset your body clock, but it could take weeks. In the evening (perhaps after dinner), start your essential oil diifuser to help you unwind. Here are your oils:

Lavender

The classic sleep and relaxation oil, lavender is a healing herb that’s been around for centuries. This is a panacea (helps everything) in my opinion. The art of aromatherapy comes into play here as too much lavender can be too stimulating, so the key is to mix your oils to get a perfect soothing combination.


Vetiver

Sometimes referred to as “The Oil of Tranquility”, vetiver is a very strong oil and you’ll only need a couple of drops in each blend. It is a cooling oil and very grounding and centering. Great for meditation and stress.


Marjoram

Another ancient herb, marjoram will help induce relaxation and works wonderfully with its sister, lavender. Marjoram is an oil to treat pain relief, grief and anguish, so is perfect to help you turn off the events of the day, and the anxiety of tomorrow.


Frankincense

Frankincense is the oil to help you take deeper, slower breaths. By breathing deeply you will automatically slow your heart rate, calm your mind and allow yourself to “be”. This is a classic oil for meditation and asthma.


Bergamot

Bergamot is not a classic sleep oil, but it’s a lovely oil to help with anxiety, and mixed with some other oils, can add some sweetness to your blend. In fact all the citrus oils (lemon, lime, mandarin, orange, grapefruit) are light and blend well with most other oils so are always handy to have nearby. They will add happiness and lightness to your blends.


The Chamomiles – Roman and German

Both these oils are relaxing oils. German chamomile is blue due to a chemical change during distilling, and is an anti-inflammatory oil for the body. It works synergistically with lavender in this regard. The scent is not as pretty as Roman chamomile, which has a honey sweetness to it, and could be better for you to use for this reason. Why not double up and have a relaxing chamomile tea in the hour before bed too?


Sandalwood

I regard Indian (Mysore) sandalwood as a sleep inducing oil due to its traditional uses, and it’s powerful energetic presence. This oil has many uses for the body but excels when treating the mind and emotions. It is a beautiful and expensive oil to use, but when it comes to sleep I’d say it’s worth buying a bottle. It will cover you in a comforting, soft yet strong, blanket of love. Other woods could be used in its place and I’d recommend cedarwood Virginian (which is actually a juniper, not a true cedar).  Australian sandalwood could be a bit too stimulating with its hint of the hot Australian bush.

 

Sexy black diffuser from puzhen.com

Sexy black diffuser from puzhen.com

 

And now some blends for your diffuser –

In a traditional oil burner with a candle or a diffuser add 25 drops of oil, which could be too much for some diffusers, so check the recommendation of each unit and adjust thee recipes accordingly.

 

“Universal Flow”

Lavender         10

Frankincense    8

Bergamot         7


 

“Depth”

Marjoram                   6

Roman Chamomile    7

Orange                       8

Vetiver                        2


 

“Cool”

Mandarin                       10

German Chamomile       4

Cedarwood Virginian      6

Lavender                        5


 

“Intuition”

Sandalwood                6

Lavender                    6

Marjoram                     4

Orange                       11

 


 

“The Way”

Frankincense              10

German Chamomile     2

Vetiver                          2

Sandalwood                5

Lime                           6


I've got these gorgeous chamomile flowers in a teapot nest to my bed - sweet dreams!

I’ve got these gorgeous chamomile flowers in a teapot nest to my bed – sweet dreams!

 

By now you have the idea so go for it! Mix those oils baby!

Let me know how you go and –

remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Check out my YouTube channel too, thanks.

 

copyright 2016

 

20 Good Reasons Lavender is the Superhero of Essential Oils

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 a Kindle and Paperback


20 Good Reasons Lavender is the Superhero of Essential Oils

Lavender at my local market

Lavender at my local market

The following is an excerpt from my book:

“Lavender – Singularly Spectacular for General Health”

 

If it all gets a bit too confusing, lavender is here to save the day. It’s the super hero of essential oils and here are 20 good reasons why:

 

1. It is a herb that has been used for perfumery and healing for centuries and is still thriving.

 

2. Lavender’s purple colour is related to the upper chakras, mainly the crown chakra which connects us with the universe and all the knowledge contained within its structure.

 

3. The perfect oil for use in first aid as it has properties of cell regeneration, anti-bacterial and anti-septic constituents. Perfect for cuts, grazes, falls and anytime first aid is required. Even rushing to someone’s aid with a little bottle of lavender can help shock and fright.

 

4. A great after sun oil and THE one indicated oil to use for any kind of burn.

lovely lavender

lovely lavender

5. Great for relaxing and inducing sleep.

 

6. It is calming and can be used for headaches and as an antidote for sadness and depression.

 

7. A wonderful tonic for the heart both physically and meta-physically.

 

8. It has warming and cooling properties and could be considered a balancing oil – an oil of evening things out. I call it the oil of solidarity.

 

Lavender backpackers in Akeroa NZ

Lavender backpackers in Akeroa NZ

 

9. Treats insect bites by immediately stopping the itching.

 

10. It’s easy to find and relatively inexpensive.

 

11. It’s grown and produced all over the world, each region giving its scent and quality to the oil.

 

12. Lavender oil can be inhaled as a steam for colds, coughs and sinus infections to relieve the symptoms.

wild lavender with buterfly

wild lavender with butterfly

13. It counteracts most kinds of pain – physical an emotional.

 

14. The herbaceous scent blends well with all other oils and can be used as the main part of a potion to provide a platform for all the other scents to project from.

 

15. The herb can be used in baking, in jams, in teas and in body products.

 

16. Children seem to like it – it tends to provide a sense of calm and security. It is also a powerful oil to use with the elderly to instill a sense of safety.

more gorgeous lavender

more gorgeous lavender

17. The essential oil is perfect for grounding and centering, using in spells and to help stimulate creativity.

 

18. It is wonderful to use if you need support and encouragement, and either don’t have anyone around to give that to you, or you’ve temporarily exhausted your own supply. Helps you to find the strength to carry on when times are tough.

 

19. Connects us to the great feminine power of Gaia.

 

20. One drop is enough to change your perspective from weak to strong.

lavender!

lavender!

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Check out my YouTube channel too, thanks.

copryright SR Banks 2015

 

Essential Oils and Babies – Do They Go Together?

Do essential oils and babies go together? Thats a good question natural beauties. Read on to find out the best way to use essential oils around babies.

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

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

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

Precious little person

Precious little person

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Babies – only use essential oils in their environment – not on them!

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Can you use essential oils on babies?

Short answer = YES – but not on them directly.

Long Answer =  YES but you must use caution and follow these rules.


Any child up to 3 years I will consider a baby for this article and topic. Babies have  extremely new and sensitive skin so

* do not use essential oils, diluted or neat, on your baby unless you seek medical advice.

* do not put essential oils into the bath, diluted or neat.

* always wash you hands before you touch your baby if you’ve been using essential oils

* keep bottles of essential oils away from reach, as even a couple of drops may hurt them

There's so many easy ways to diffuse essential oils now

There’s so many easy ways to diffuse essential oils now

 

You can use essential oils with your baby in the environment around them and the best way to do this is to use a diffuser and vapourise the essential oils in their room. You can buy humidifier from your pharmacy specifically made for children so they can breathe easier, and you may also use calming essential oils so they sleep better too. An ordinary motorised diffuser will be fine for this as well, but as a precaution don’t use a burner with a candle. Refer to the model of your diffuser for amounts of oil and if there is no info I would only use 6 drops.

 

Babies love baths

Babies love baths

 

If you really want to add something to your baby’s bath you could use some organic herbal tea (a couple of teaspoons) wrapped in some muslin and make a weak infusion. Chamomile and lavender would be the only herbs I would use. In the same vein you could use organic oats which makes a soft, skin soothing bath which is safe for babies and will help soothe nappy rash and hot skin. A dash of hydrosol would be fine too.

A lovely selection of rosewater

A lovely selection of rosewater

 

A great alternative to essential oils that works well with babies and kids are hydrosols and floral waters. They have a mild scent and are safe you to be misted all around your baby to help induce a sense of calm and also for cooling them down in summer. The best hydrosols will be rose, lavender, roman chamomile and neroli (or orange blossom). See my article Hydrosols vs Floral Waters – What’s the Diff? for more information.

You will find rosewater and orange blossom water in some food stores and to be on the safe side I would water these down, otherwise buy a good quality (organic if possible) hydrosol from a natural beauty/aromatherapy store.

 

Essential Oils for Baby’s Sleep

lavender

Roman chamomile

bergamot

marjoram

Essential Oils for Baby’s Better Breathing

frankincense

eucalyptus (sparingly ie 1 or 2 drops in a humidifier only and do not continue the treatment for more than a night or two) *

lavender

* a reader of my blog has asked a question regarding eucalyptus and babies –

“I enjoyed your article. However, why do you recommend eucalyptus? I have read it is not safe for young children. Wouldn’t fir needle, a pine, or spruce be a better option?”

My answer –

I have referenced 3 text books and only one leans towards avoiding eucalyptus with young babies. It has an active ingredient called 1-8 cineole that can be toxic in lethal doses but nothing like a couple of drops you would use in a humidifier. It may be best for me to update this article to be very specific about using eucalyptus with babies. It is still one of the best mucolytic oils. Fir, pine and/or spruce could be used as a substitute for sure, but they won’t be as effective.

Also some oils/formulas that are specific for kids & babies, that are sold with humidifiers, contain many questionable ingredients and could even be potentially more dangerous than a drop or two of eucalyptus.

Sleeping babies are happy babies

Sleeping babies are happy babies

 

Essential Oils For Baby’s Crying

Try putting a couple of drops of oil on your clothes and when your hold your baby, they will just get a small scent of oil, mixed in with your scent, and this may work really well to settle them down. Just be careful not to let the babies face touch against you where the oil is.

vetiver (sparingly as its very strong – just a drop will do. You could also add a drop to the sleep oils too

lavender

Roman chamomile

You can see a pattern here – pretty much just stick with lavender and a few other oils until your baby is older.

 

Please your you motherly or fatherly intuition with your baby and remember if you use a diffuser the whole family will benefit from the aromatherapy treatment too.

copyright suzanne

 

 

 

 

Marjoram – A Must-Have Essential Oil for the Scent Enthusiast

Marjoram is a dainty herb with a big scent - pic via thelastrevelation.com

Marjoram is a dainty herb with a big scent – pic via thelastrevelation.com

Ah marjoram. I’m not sure if I’m addicted to this very strong, herbaceous, hardy oil but rarely a week goes by that I wont use this with clients, friends or myself.

I have written an article generally on the herbs “Essential Oils from Herbs are Spectacular”, but I think we may need to go deeper into each one.

We’ll start with marjoram because I just felt like talking about it. Often when I go to have my treatment, my aromatherapist also uses this oil frequently with me as it has some great indications for the body and spirit too (of course)!

Marjoram (Oreganum marjorana) belongs to the herb family called Lamiacae, and the genus of Oreganum. It may now be more obvious why marjoram and oregano (Oreganum vulgare)  look very similar and sometimes it’s hard to tell the fresh herbs apart from each other.

Great pic comparing oregano and marjoram - pic via cookthink.com

Great pic comparing oregano and marjoram – pic via cookthink.com

Herbs are the ancient medicinal healers of our world and when I make a blend for a client that has a few herbs in it I always say to myself silently “ah the herbs’ and feel like I’ve created a very traditional therapeutic blend. This herb was used by the ancient Greeks and according to Salvatore Battaglia, the name marjoram means “joy of the mountains”. Aw lovely!

In aromatherapy marjoram is used for:

* aching and sore muscles

* general body pain

* as a warming tonic

* to help someone deal with grief

* to help with falling asleep

* to counteract stress

* as a sedative for distraught emotions

* generally for calming and soothing

* to reduce coughing

I use marjoram for all these things too, and particularly love the way it blends so well with all the other oils. I like marjoram and use it a lot along with lavender because they are so beautifully calming. Who doesn’t want to chill out when they have a massage? We all need a little help de-stressing from the ups and downs of daily life so in this respect it’s a great oil.

a client's oil formulation

A client’s oil formulation with marjoram

Here are a few recipes –

1. 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.

***** 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”

“Release the Day”

Release the stress of the day by putting this all over your body after a shower –

Marjoram   3 drops

Bergamot  4 drops

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 “Oh My Aching Legs”

Apply to aching legs and rest with your feet elevated –

Marjoram     4 drops

Lavender      2 drops

Rosemary     2 drops

(ah the herbs)!

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Anoint yourself with pure essential oils

Anoint yourself with pure essential oils in a little carrier oil

2. 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!

“I’m Ready for You Now Sleep”

Induce relaxation –

Marjoram     2 drops

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

————————————————————————————————————————————-

“Phew I’m Glad That’s Over”

Marjoram       1 drop

Rosewood     1 drop

Lemongrass   1 drop

————————————————————————————————————————————–

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

copyright suzannerbanks 2013