Compresses

We're taking a break from Monday's With Marge during the Holiday season, but I've been browsing the November postings and finding some questions and answers worth saving.

Hi Marge! I would like to do a warm compress, but I have hesitated because I am not sure I understand the proper way to do one. Do you dilute the oils before adding them to the water to soak the towel? Could you please explain this for me? 

Cool Compress for a Headache

Nature's Gift Aromatherapy Jennifer, a warm compress is a traditional nursing method... and can be one of the most comforting methods for pain relief.

To use an essential oil compress.. from our website and my book... "Compress: Excellent for topical application to ease pain, from strained muscles, menstrual cramps, etc. Add 4 to 7 drops of essential oil to a bowl of warm water. Swish the surface of the water with a cloth, wring out, apply to area, repeat when cloth cools. You may cover the warm cloth with a sheet of plastic and a towel to keep the warmth in longer. This is an excellent method for treating painful menstrual cramps."

For a baby or toddler with an earache or teething pain, use just one or two drops of essential oil or blend, cover your shoulder with plastic wrap, put the wrung out compress on your shoulder and snuggle the wee one against the warm compress. Your body heat will help keep it warm. I remember Kathy Duffy teaching this during our CCAP course when we were covering... I forget if it was Roman Chamomile or German Chamomile... one of the "baby safe" oils---A wonderful loving way to sooth a wee one in pain.

You can do the same thing with cold water, for a cold compress, when icing is appropriate. From last week's newsletter, when Haly's husband had a LOT of teeth pulled: "She applied compresses of Helichrysum oil in cold water to his face when he would allow it, as well as spraying cold heli hydrosol on his face, as well as in his mouth." Easy peas-y... you do NOT dilute in a carrier, you add the drops of EO directly to the warm water and 'swish." Now, obviously you are going to use gentle oils, relaxants, not the strong irritants. Make sense? Try a warm compress of Sweet Marjoram and Clary Sage for menstrual cramps... you'll wonder why you waited so long to try it.

"Thank you for the info. I was not sure if a compress was falling into the neat category and wanted to make sure how to do it correctly. Thank you so much."

Nature's Gift Aromatherapy Jennifer, compresses are wonderful. Now, for example, with my Lavender allergy, I would never use a compress with Lavender, any more than I would apply even diluted Lavender topically.. but with that caveat... avoid the irritants, the 'hot' oils.. it's not something you would use on a regular basis, but it is a WONDERFUL method when the circumstances are right.    Expand your aromatic horizons and try one next time there is pain to deal with.

Daily Use?

Geno asked, "What is your opinion on daily use of eo's?"

Nature's Gift Aromatherapy "that depends."

There are too many questions in my mind for me to give an answer. What oils, and why? How used? At what dilution?

So.. since I can't address someone ELSE's "daily use" without knowing who/how/what/why, I'll describe how some of us at Nature's Gift tend to use the oils.

And the answer is, only when necessary.

We'll start with me. Because we are under an Air Quality alert because of the wildfires burning to our South East I have been using my Deep Breath inhaler two or three times a day since perhaps Friday. (I am also using the prescribed COPD inhaler and using the (also prescribed) oxygen a few hours each day.) IF I wake up in the night and something hurts, I will rub on some That's Better. If bothered by insomnia I will probably put a few drops of something sedating in the Aroma Stone on my bed table.

If I feel like "I'm coming down with something" I'll either do a really INTENSIVE diffusion of some antivirals, a conifer, some Fragonia™, perhaps.. whatever comes to mind. Again, only when needed. This is also a time that I might reach for some "aromatic medicine"... remedies taught in Mark Webb's course... dose specific for a specific goal.  (I'll also be loading up with Elderberry, Fire Cider and other natural remedies.)

I'm more apt to use an unscented base for skincare than using the oils ... unless there's some first aid necessary.. Heli for a bruise or burn, etc. Hydrosols for skincare and for emotional uses.

If the house smells like wet dog, or last night's dinner I might spray some Fresh Aire spray, or diffuse a tiny bit of Fresh Aire or a conifer... but if the weather allows I'd rather just open the windows.

Of course, I am totally immersed in airborne aromatic molecules at least five days a week. Because of that, I tend not to catch whatever is going around.

OH.. at about once a week or so.. there is rose oil in my bath... just for pleasure of it. And if we DO end up making some lip balms with cocoa and/or coffee and perhaps some Calendula for color and skin healing.. I might snag one of them. so that would be daily use... at an extremely low level.

I discussed this question with Christi. She doesn't diffuse at home because she has a bird. She'll occasionally use some Orange Oil to clean up grease. (me too!).. she will spot treat with skin care oils. I think overall she uses fewer oils than I do on a daily basis.. She normally wears a bit of our aged Sweet Patchouli on her wrists, for sheer pleasure. This week she has been wearing Vetiver and Rose, for sheer pleasure. She uses SkeeterBeater when working in the yard, and Blue Tansy for allergy flare ups.

Again, very conservative use.

I don't know of any professionals in the field who use the oils "just because."

Does this answer your question? 

Geno: "Absolutely. Perfect. I was under the impression less was more, but wanted a professional confirmation. Thank you."

Nature's Gift Aromatherapy  Geno, YES. as a daily rule, less is more. There is a time and place for 'intensive use" but not routinely, as taught by some suppliers. sorry.. had to add that!

After thought. It just occurred to me that this question ties in with my safety mantra, "Anything powerful enough to heal is powerful enough to do harm."  So if the oils are, as I believe powerful healing substances,  it shows great disrespect for their powers to use them "just because." 

Sister Act

Tis the Season.

A comment in an order placed last evening, "Treat with love :) Christmas present! Thank you!"


I wrote back, "We *always* treat them with love...  but the Roses get more love!"  (The order contained a diluted Rosa Alba CO2.)

And the client answered my flippant response, and I lost it.
 

"I know :) my sister has been wanting this for 10 years but couldn't justify herself spending the money on it. So I'm getting it for her! Thanks and happy holidays!!!!"

I went running downstairs to see if the order was still there.. We wanted to tuck in a small gift, because this sister's love just touched our hearts.  The mail had just left and it was too late.  But this sister's gift just touched all our hearts.   

Tis the season for sharing with love.  We are glad that we were able to take part in that gift of love.  You people out there just keep giving us more reasons to be grateful, never more than during this Holiday Season.

Cold Sores?

Just was asked this question again, so thought I need to put this Mondays with Marge discussion in a more permanent location.
 
"Hi Marge, my sister gets cold sores on her lips, she has a good one going right now, do you have a good oil recommendation?"

Nature's Gift Aromatherapy Several thoughts...

Jane Buckle always taught the same blend folks use for shingles for ANY sort of herpes outbreak... (and cold sores are herpes simplex) ie, a STRONG dilution of EITHER Ravensara aromatica OR Ravintsara in a base of Calophyllum inophyllum, the same blend we use for Shingles.

Our Christi SWEARS by our Melissa 10% dilution, and my youngest child, Jackson, stocks up on our Melissa Calendula Lip Balm. This always surprises me because years ago someone ( I forget who!)

taught me that the antiviral components in Melissa (aka Lemon Balm) are water soluble and come across in a tea or decoction, but not in the distilled oil. But quite obviously whoever taught me that never told our Melissa essential oil that it would be of no use.

Another thought, from Kathy Duffy, my CCAP instructor... in the module when we studied Tea Tree oil... as soon as you feel the tingle coming.. when you KNOW there's going to be a cold sore, but it's not even a bump yet, put NEAT Tea Tree oil on it... every 15 minutes or so. Use a Qtip to apply it. She says if you catch it in time, often it will go away with no further treatment. If you have not avoided it completely, though, once the "bump" starts to swell a bit, start diluting the tea tree oil down. I want to say she said to 50% or 25%... and keep applying. IF the sore does fully form and break open, then apply a much lower dilution to avoid the risk of sensitization.

so there are all sorts of "expert opinions" on this one.

Top Ten List

As the staff hurries to finish off the few remaining orders from Cyber Monday I thought you might like to see what your neighbors bought.  Drum Roll please..

The Nature's Gift Cyber Monday Top Ten Best Sellers:

10  a tie between Atlas Cedarwood and Bulgarian Lavender

9    Fragonia (tm)
 
8, 7, 6 and 5 an even tie between Haitian Vetiver, Sweet Orange, Siberian Fir and Balsam Fir

4 and 3   a tie between the Essential Oil Key (single) and Holiday Joy Synergy

2  Lemon Oil

1 (drum roll please...and THIS surprised me!)  BLACK SPRUCE!

The essential oils were all 15  ml sizes, Holiday Joy, of course, was 5 mls.

And looking at  those numbers made me wonder about the Year to Date Top Ten:

10  Lavender Mailette
9  Inhaler Blanks  single (There's a story there.)
8  Cedarwood, Atlas
7 Peppermint, Midwestern
6 Rosewood (Bois de Rose)
5 Peppermint, Organic, Hungarian
4  Orange, Sweet
3 Tea Tree
2 Lemon
1 Lavender, Bulgarian


(all of the above are 15 mls.)


 Best selling Synergy   SleepEase

Best Selling CO2  Frankincense

Best Selling "fixed oil"  Pomegranate CO2  Followed Closely by Fractionated Coconut Oil

Best selling Hydrosol:  Helichrysum (surprising since we were out of it for several weeks.)

And there you have it.  Are all of these in your collection?