Certified organic Arnica montana flowers infused in certified organic hi-oleic sunflower oil

Take a moment to read our article here on the benefits and properties of this very useful and effective oil - and the safety and cautions that apply. Below you will find more information.

SAFETY CAUTION INFORMATION: Using topical arnica for a long time frame may lead to skin irritation, including eczema, peeling, blisters and burning sensations, according to the UMMC and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). These effects are uncommon. Although arnica is a common topical herbal treatment, people should not apply this herb to open wounds because absorption into the bloodstream can be toxic.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/113469-arnica-montana-side-effects/#ixzz23fC1DqhR

 Anticoagulant Effects

Peppermint essential oil is widely used and because of this, often misrepresented as being completely safe. It is safe when used diluted and with knowledge of cautions that apply to this oil. I was happy to see that the National Association of International Aromatherapists (NAHA) has felt it necessary to post a position statement on their website due to adverse events caused by perhaps well-meaning sellers of essential oils who know little to nothing about safely using essential oils. Here is NAHA's statement:

Peppermint (Mentha x piperita): relieves nausea, analgesic for muscular aches and pains, relieves/reduces migraines, energizing, antispasmodic, do not use on children under 30 months of age

NAHA Safety Note for Peppermint Essential Oil:

- Avoid use on children under 30 months of age. The nasal mucosa is an autonomic reflexogen organ, which has a distance action to the heart, lungs and circulation and may lead to sudden apnoea and glottal constriction.

- Direct application of peppermint oil to the nasal area or chest to infants should be avoided because of the risk of apnea, laryngeal and bronchial spasms, acute respiratory distress with cyanosis and respiratory arrest. (The Longwood Herbal Task Force)

- Do not apply undiluted peppermint essential oils to the feet, particularly on infants and children under the age of 12.

- Inhalation of larges doses of menthol may lead to dizziness, confusion, muscle weakness, nausea and double vision. (Natural Standard Research Collaboration, Peppermint oil. Evidence based monograph 2005; Medlineplus)

The information below has been taken from the European Medicines Agency: ASSESSMENT REPORT ON MENTHA X PIPERITA L., AETHEROLEUM

- When used orally, it may cause heartburn, perianal burning, blurred vision, nausea and vomiting. Heartburn is related with the release of the oil in the upper GI tract, which relaxes the lower oesophageal sphincter, facilitating the reflux. The same occurs in the cases of hiatal hernia. This particular undesirable effect is minimized by an appropriate pharmaceutical formulation.  **Peppermint essential oil should always be in an enteric-coated tablet or capsule for internal use.

- People with gallbladder disease, severe liver damage, gallstones and chronic heartburn should avoid the intake of peppermint oil.

- Menthol and peppermint oil caused burning mouth syndrome, recurrent oral ulceration or a lichenoid reaction, by contact sensitivity in the intra-oral mucosa, in sensitive patients.

- When applied on the skin, it may cause allergic reactions, as skin rashes, contact dermatitis and eye irritation.

- Use in infants or children is not recommended, when inhaled, taken by mouth or if applied on open skin areas, on the face or chest, due to the potential toxicity of the product.

- Peppermint oil should be used with caution. Doses of menthol over 1 g/Kg b.w. may be deadly.

For further research articles see:

A near fatal case of high dose peppermint oil ingestion- Lessons learnt

Acute allergic contact dermatitis of the lips from peppermint oil in a lip balm.

Immune Enhancer blend - newly reformulated to be even more effective. This blend contains clove and cinnamon, both of which are high in the chemical constitutent Eugenol which is an anticoagulant. That means they thin the blood, so should not be used with anyone who is presently on other blood thinners, either pharmaceuticals such as Coumadin or Plavix, over-the-counter, or supplement such as Nattokinase. Also do not use prior to or immediately following surgery. Keep all essential oil bottles tightly closed when not in use, leave dropper cap in place, and keep out of reach of children or pets. DO NOT USE THIS BLEND UNDILUTED. INTENDED FOR EXTERNAL USE ONLY.

This blend can be used as simply as placing a couple drops onto a tissue and sniffing the aroma-therapy. They are very effective when used in our ultrasonic diffuser that is adequately described here. This blend also contains some oils known to be skin irritants; however, this blend when diluted can safely and effectively be used as a chest rub, back rub or foot rub. I don't recommend this blend as a full massage blend. As little as 2 drops in one ounce of carrier vegetable oil is sufficient.  We also find it very effective to use this, or any of our blends or oils, in our personal nasal inhaler soon to be added to the website. These are very convenient as they are the size of a lip balm and can be carried easily in your pocket or purse.

See our Essential Oil Database (currently under construction) and our Disclaimer page for more information.

Cold and Flu #2 Blend

Is for those who are on blood thinners or prior to or after surgery. We have formulated this blend for those who may be on blood thinners or are getting ready for or have recently had surgery. Although this blend contains cinnamon leaf, which contains a large percentage of the chemical constituent Eugenol and is a potent blood thinner, we have reduced the percentage of cinnamon leaf and have completely left off clove bud and clove leaf, both of which also contain a high percentage of Eugenol. We believe this makes this blend a much better choice for anyone on blood thinners such as aspirin, Nattokinase, Coumadin, or Plavix. Ask your doctor if you have any questions.

Asthma sufferers - please take note. Although the research shows that Eucalyptus globulus is an effective essential oil for you, please note that when using this blend, the single oil or any blend containing Eucalytpus, be mindful that you do not directly inhale the oil as it may elicit a cough reflex which could trigger an asthma attack. We have also formulated our Breathe Easy blend which is also very effective for inflammation and lung discomfort experienced by asthma sufferers, but not as effective in fighting cold and flu bacteria and viruses.

As with any essential oil or new product, we ask that you do a patch test on the inner aspect of your elbow by putting a drop of oil that has been diluted in your choice of vegetable oil onto your skin, cover it with a bandaid and wait 24 hrs to see if you have any redness, itching or inflammatory reaction. The oils in this blend are inherently skin irritants, so they must be properly diluted prior to use. Our recommendation is 1 to 2 drops from the dropper cap bottle to 1 oz or 3 tsp of vegetable oil. This oil may be added directly to your ultrasonic diffuser and we recommend 5 to 10 drops per 24 hours.

This blend and our regular Cold and Flu blends are very beneficial for cold and flu symptoms. We like to use them as chest rubs, back rubs and foot rubs. Did you know that your feet are one of the best places to put your essential oil mixture for the best absorption? It's true. Cover your chest, back and/or feet after applying for enhanced absorption and reduced evaporation of the oils. You can use any vegetable oil you choose. Please do not use occluding oils such as animal-based oils, lanolin, vasoline, or mineral oil. These will not allow for good absorption of the essential oils. We also highly recommend that topical application be augmented with the use of the ultrasonic diffuser.

As as always, please see our disclaimer here.

Clove leaf essential oil 

For safety, cautions and usage information see Clove Bud - here.

Basil Essential Oil, ct Linalool

For more in-depth information on this particular essential oil and how to incorporate it in your wellness program and aromatherapy-at-home use, refer to our Essential Oil Database.

My favorite use of this particular chemotype of basil is to relieve the neck pain that starts at my cervical spine (from too many years back in the days we had typewriters), moves to the base of my skull and then radiates up and out into a full-fledged tension headache. Now a good massage would work wonders, but for a do-it-yourself quick and effective fix, I keep a bottle of Tamanu oil with just basil essential oil mixed in it - the linalool chemotype.  I use about 8 drops (using the dropper type bottles we sell our essential oils in) to 15 grams (by weight) or 1/2 ounce of Tamanu oil. You could use any oil, but I've found the Tamanu to be very effective for this application. Arnica infused oil would also be a good choice. Check out our Aromatherapy Recipes blog for more ways to use basil - we will be adding more and more recipes. I keep a small bottle of this mixture handy, but if you wanted to make up just enough for one application it would be easy to do with the treatment type bottle we offer with the Tamanu oil. Using the treatment bottle you would be safe with one or two pumps of the Tamanu oil and then add 1 to 2 drops of the basil essential oil.