Fungus Can Be An Easy Foe

One of the most common, and persistent fungal infections around is Athlete's Foot -Tinea pedis. This is caused by the ringworm infections Trichophyton rubrum; Trichophyton interdigitale; or Epidermophyton floccosum.
Essential Oils that research has shown to be effective against the Trichophyton species include:
Citrus limonum - lemon; Cymbopogon citratus - lemongrass; Foeniculum vulgare - fennel; Lavandula angustifolia (officinalis) - lavender; Melaleuca alternifolia - tea tree; Melissa officinalis - melissa; Ocimum basilicum - basil; Ocimum gratissimum - wild basil; Pelagonium graveolens - geranium; Rosmarinus officinalis - rosemary; Thymus vulgaris - thyme; Vetiveria zizanioides - vetiver.

Essential Oils that research has shown to be effective against the Epidermophyton species include: Citrus limonum - lemon; Cymbopogon citratus - lemongrass; Foeniculum vulgare - fennel; Melaleuca alternifolia - tea tree; Mentha spicata - spearmint.

Armed with this information it makes sense that one would first try essential oils. However, one must keep in mind that because of the tenaciousness of fungal infections as a whole, one must be prepared to continue the treatment over a period of time in order to see results. A minimum of a month is generally recommended and sometimes depending on the strain and the severity it might take up to a year to affect a change.

Using anti-fungal essential oils while bathing or showering is especially important because fungal infections thrive and try to grow in warm, moist environments. All of the oils mentioned above can easily be added to Epsons salts to combat fungal infections.

Pathogenic Fungi have a tendency to hibernate along the spinal cord and in the lymphatic system. The body can then hold them in a suspended state for long periods of time; hence the reason that these types of infections are so difficult to get rid of.

When the immune system becomes compromised from stress, fatigue or other factors, these pathogens can be released. Lymphatic drainage therapy can help remove dormant fungi.

Alkalizing the body will also make it easier for you to rid the body of disease of any kind.

Acidophilus cultures have also been shown to help combat fungus overgrowth in the gastrointestinal tract.

Spring Is In The Air

Essential oils can play a very important part of welcoming spring into the home, office and personal life. The old lines about spring cleaning and the welcoming of new life will always play an important part of the human existence. So get ready to gracefully usher out the old, the stale, and the slightly dusty. Essential oils like geranium, bay laurel and lavender can help rejuvenate in a clear and simple manner while ravensara, thyme, and rosemary increase feelings of vitality. Adding several drops of tea tree and clary sage to the dryer will freshen and give an airy uplifting to sheets, pillows and drapes.

For those of you who may not have used Bay Laurel much let me explain that this beautiful oil is stimulating and uplifting. It can restore the adrenals and help lift the immune system. Bay Laurel is wonderful to use in the early spring because it can be a very useful tool in fighting tiny new insects especially those found around potted plants. Some feel that Bay Laurel has a somewhat masculine scent but balances beautifully with geranium or lavender.

So break out of the ordinary and spend some time getting to know essential oil of bay laurel as you "spring clean."

With spring right around the corner it is time to start thinking more seriously about refreshing our lives. Essential oils can be the easiest and more effective way in which to clean out the hard to reach, hidden corners of our lives. The beautiful and uplifting notes of the citrus and mint families can brighten and refesh everything from furniture and floors to our personal mind set. Essential oils such as clove, gernaium, lavender, spruce, lime and even spearmint are great natural additives in the laundry room and can be used by placing a few drops on a cotton cloth and thrown in the drier.

With the coming of summer the need for pest control becomes more of an issue and there is no better way to repel unwanted pests than the use of Essential oils. Everyone knows that citronella is a powerful warrior but did you know that oils used in a combination can keep the bugs away without harmful chemicals? The following recipe is easy to make, easy to use, SMELLS GREAT and best of all NO chemicals!

In a two ounce spray bottle, combine 1 Tablespoon jojoba oil with 50 drops of Sandlewood oil, 30 drops of cajeput oil, 25 drops of Geranium, 10 drops of Cedarwood and 15 drops of Lavender. Finish by filling the bottle the rest of the way up with 50% distilled water and 50% vodka. Try it you will like it! Mist the exposed areas of the body before going outdoors. CAUTION< avoid spraying the face, instead spray a small amount in the the hands and then gently apply to the face being careful not to get the mixture into the eyes as this will cause a burning sensation.

Spring time pests such as tiny "sugar" ants cannot stand the taste and aroma of lemongrass, tea tree and patchouli. Misting corners and doorways will keep them from returning.

Think about the many properties of the different oils and let your imagination run with great ideas for your home and property while enjoying the fresh aromas that will lift your heart and mind.

Understanding Is Key

Feelings of intense sadness can be the result of a recent loss or other sad event but another key element of mood disorders can be contributed to light deprivation such as during the winter months when the days are very short. During the winter months especially, feelings of depression come more frequently for some and last much longer for others. Statistics have shown that post holiday mood swings elevate in February and March as we long for spring to make it's appearance and the cold dreary days of winter to subside. Understanding the symptoms can always go a long way into helping deal with the experience of depression.
Symptoms will typically develop gradually over a period of time, days or weeks, and can include feelings of mild sadness, guilt or hopelessness. Other symptoms can also be a loss of interest, difficulty in being able to concentrate and a lack of decisiveness.
Just the right blend of essential oils can help to lighten and uplift one's mood. Just the right blend applied on the pulse points, similar to the wearing of perfumes, or diffusing in the air, using in baths or delicately adding to massage therapy can lighten as well as uplift the heart and mind.
Different oils speak to different symptoms and can be custom fit for each individual need. If your mood tends to be one of restlessness you might consider including the oils that help to calm, such as those in the chamomile family or Clary sage, lavender, sandalwood and ylang ylang. If you are suffering from feelings of lethargy you might want to consider some of the more uplifting oils such as geranium, jasmine, tangerine, bergamot and rose. Neroli can help with anxiety!
The exact causes of depression may not be fully understood, but there is always help and hope. Nature gives us both in the gentle uses of essential oils.

The Virtues of Lavender Oil

The sweet smelling herb, Lavender as a long and legendary history. In the 12th century, Hildegard von Bingen who was a Catholic nun and noted herbalist, had this to say about the many virtues of Lavender; "Especially good for all forms of headaches, especially migraine and can be used as a restorative and tonic against weakness, spasms, giddiness, colic and vertigo. It will cause melancholy to go away and will raise the spirits. A drop or two in a glass of water is a good gargle for hoarseness and the loss of voice."


Later in 1910, Gattefosse, the father of modern aromatherapy, experimented widely with Lavender oil. He found it to be very beneficial to the nerves, calming to the skin, useful in treating colds and flu. It can be useful for such skin disorders as acne

Lavender oil can be employed as an aromatic, an agent to sooth the digestive system as well as an agent to sooth the nervous system, making it the perfect oil for mental stress such as test anxieties or job interviews and even first dates.

Lots of things have been said about the virtues of Lavender oil, and many more things will yet be said as people fall in love all over again with this wonderful and therapeutic oil.

A Subject Of Great Controversy

A Subject of great controversy is whether or not essential oils can be used in oral applications. In the United States, most people avoid this conversation all together because most don't want to be involved in the subject so they give the advice of "when in doubt, don't."

With any subject we should take the time to think the situation through. The commercial Food industry has used essential oils for years as flavoring agents, and the American FDA provides a food-grade rating to indicate purity and safety even for some aromatic oils which are synthetic. These oils have no therapeutic effect however and should never be used for aromatherapy application.

In France and Germany, it is not unusual for a physician to prescribe oral doses of pure essential oils to treat many conditions that are routinely treated with antibiotics in other countries.

We now live in a world where knowledge and information travels, literally, around the globe in mere seconds making the world a very small place in reality. As people learn more about essential oils they will want to be able to take advantage of their potential healing power. It is important to remember that in almost every example, a little may do you great good but an overdose can do you great harm. The use of essential oils is no different in their applications.

The key to any subject is the willingness of the individual to engage in real and honest research so that they become informed consumers.

Current research has shown that assimilation of orally ingested essential oils occurs primarily in the duodenum and the first third of the intestinal tract. No digestion of fats occur in the stomach. Absorption of the active ingredients in essential oils occur on contact with the surface of the mucous membranes. Now think about the contact of 1 drop of essential oil, it is a very small area and the oil is very concentrated. If that same drop is then dissolved in an excipient such as a vegetable oil, honey, or water then the surface of contact is greatly increased and not so concentrate. This is why most therapist recommend that oral doses of essential oils be taken in an excipient for efficacy as well as safety. In fact a lot of therapist have recently started recommending that drops of essential oils be placed in gelatin capsules and then swallowed, however this application while useful and effective tends to defeat the purposes behind AROMA-therapy because it bypasses the olfactory system and does not include the brain in the message system.

Use A Helping Hand

Essential oils are highly concentrated and using a very small amount, counted in drops, can be very effective. Getting a helping hand from carrier or base oils helps the essential oils do their work more effectively especially when using them in massage applications or with young children.

The carrier or base oil serves as a gentle lubricant allowing smoothing distribution over the skin's surface. Different carrier oils are used for different purposes, but common to all is the need for the carrier to be 100% pure and without an odour that could overpower the aromas of the essential oils. Most carrier oils contain vitamins and minerals and the texture will moisturize the skin. These oils are produced from the nuts, seeds, beans or kernels of a wide variety of plants. A few of the more common carrier oils are sweet almond, apricot kernel, avocado,
grape seed, sesame seed and wheatgerm.

Sweet Almond oil is derived from the kernels of the almonds by warm pressing; however this oil should never be confused with bitter almond oil which contains prussic acid or cyanide. Sweet almond trees have pink blossoms whereas bitter almond trees bloom with white blossoms.

Sweet Almond oil is one of the most popular carrier oils used in aroma therapy and massage. This oil is not expensive and the vitamin E content helps to preserve the oil. It will nourish the skin and is very useful in cases of eczema and other irritations. Sweet Almond oil is high in vitamins A, B and E.

Apricot kernel oil is high in essential fatty acids, although, unlike the fruit, it does not contain many vitamins. The is very light in texture, and is particularly suited to facial massage. Excellent for dry, sensitive or mature skins as it is absorbed easily.

Mechanical pressing followed by centrifugal extraction is used to obtain avocado oil from the flesh of the fruit. Grown largely in Mexico as well as part of the Southern United States and South America this oil is wonderful on the abdomen and legs of pregnant women who wish to avoid common stretch marks. The oil is a deep green colour and is full of vitamins, lecithin, protein and essential fatty acids. It has a tendency to become cloudy and thick when cold, but gentle warming of the bottle with warm hands will reverse this process.

Grape seed oil is obtained from the seeds of grapes, and is often imported from wine growing areas in Europe. Without any noticeable odour, grape seed is universally used in aromatherapy for its non-greasy, silky feel. Generally grape seed oil is even more inexpensive than sweet almond oil and many people will mix the two for color and texture.

Sesame seed oil is extracted from the seeds, it is light and has virtually no odour. This oil has the advantage of washing out of towels better than grape seed or sweet almond oil. Because it is a monounsaturated oil it will retain its freshness longer than some other oils and will not go rancid in strong sunlight or excessive heat.

Cold expression of Wheatgerm oil is performed to extract this thick, rich oil which is very nourishing and contains B vitamins as well as vitamin E and essential fatty acids. The vitamin E makes wheatgerm oil a natural antioxidant helping to extend the shelf life even after exposure to oxygen, light or temperature changes. It is useful for dry skin, scar tissue and burns.

There are many other carrier oils, but those outlined are easily available, relatively inexpensive and offer a versatile selection for the purpose of aromatherapy.