Palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii) Essential oil.  

We recommend that all essential oils be used diluted and with the proper education provided to you by your health care provider or certified aromatherapist. There are many places you can purchase essential oils, but we recommend that you consult with an educated provider or purchase blends from educated providers. Essential oils are powerful medicines and when used incorrectly can cause harm. Please read our Disclaimer before using our products.

Although some websites will say that this oil is a skin irritant and to avoid use in pregnancy. Our research did not find this to be an issue, in fact, one of our favorite aromatherapy textbooks, Aromatherapy for Health Professionals, by Shirley and Len price refers to Palmarosa as being a "uterotonic oil which facilitates delivery" and they provide what they call the "Boudoir" blend as follows:

Thyme essential oil - Thymus vulgaris ct (chemotype) geraniol - 3 ml (there are 5 ml's to a teaspoon)

Palmarosa essential oil - Cymbopogon martini - 3 ml

Clove (it doesn't say leaf or bud, but they are much the same) - Syzygium aromaticum: 0.5 ml

Vegetable carrier oil: 13.5 ml

Instructions: "6 to 8 drops massaged over the belly several times a day to stimulate labour if the mother is post-term. Or the same quantity over the lower back every half hour during labour itself."

Our favorite book on essential oil safety is well...Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand and Tony Balacs. They have comments concerning the constituent geraniol and refers to oral dosing, which we do not recommend regardless of the oil unless under the advice and guidance from an aromatherapy professional who has demonstrated hours of education and expertise. They also state that geraniol may have the potential to lower blood pressure. They consider Cymbopogon martinii to not be a skin irritant nor sensitizer, not phototoxic with no cautions or warnings noted.

Once I finalize the blend for the Candida that we used for the yeast overgrowth, I'll put it up on the website for sale with all of the ingredients declared. Plus, we will be adding Palmarosa to our Bugz Off essential oil blend so it can be used for dust mites and most likely for bed bugs - but I'm still finishing up the research and testing on that one.

Keep ALL essential oils out of reach of children or pets, dilute prior to use. Use and store in the amber dropper safety caps provided. Keep out of sunlight or high temperatures. Do not take orally without proper supervision by a healthcare provider and/or certified aromatherapist.

Cassia (Cinnamomum cassia) essential oil 

Due to its high level of cinnamic aldehyde please use caution when using this oil. It has historically been used in the flavoring industry and studies that have shown its very beneficial properties, as detailed above, have been with oral use. This oil makes a very good antiseptic mixed with water or in a diffuser. It is, however, one of the strongest skin irritants and skin sensitizers in the field of aromatherapy. Previously most aromatherapists, including myself, would tell you to never, ever use this oil topically. However, after listening to a webinar by Robert Tisserand, who wrote the classic textbook on aromatherapy safety, said that it could possibly be used because of how highly antibacterial it was but at no greater than 0.5% usage. His book has stated that it is "not useful for aromatherapy", but he did change his view point during this webinar. I would say do not use it without the guidance of a qualified, trained clinical aromatherapist. Having seen so many horrible wounds and so many cases of MRSA during my nursing career, I have to be excited about the possibilities of this particular essential oil and hope to do some studies in the near future. For what it's worth - and I think it's worth a lot - China has been using this essential oil medicinally for several thousands of years. They are so far ahead of us where healthcare is concerned.

Also please note: If used concurrently with any other anti-platelet and/or anti-coagulant medications this essential may increase the risk of bleeding. 

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) essential oil - safety and usage information coming soon.

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.

 Clove Bud (Zyzgium aromaticum) Essential Oil

As the long list of properties indicated, it is quite obvious that clove bud essential oil would be a good one to keep around the house. It works very well when added to other essential oils. See our recipes below (under construction - sorry). 

STRONG CAUTIONS:

This particular oil due to its high level of Eugenol is a skin sensitizer, it will be a skin irritant if not diluted properly, and it is an anti-coagulant and should not be used by anyone currently taking any other blood thinners, and before or after surgery. The anti-coagulant/anti-thrombotic properties can be very helpful for vascular issues however. Always consult your health professional and/or certified aromatherapy professional. Keep out of reach of children!! We provide our oils with a safety dropper cap - please leave that on. An oral dose of 5 to 10 ml for a child as young as 2 can result in acute liver damage or death.

Cajeput (Melaleuca cajeput), also known as Melaleuca leucadendron

For an in-depth discussion of the properties and benefits of this Cajeput essential oil, please visit our growing Essential Oil Database.

Cajeput was not one of the oils in my original aromatherapy certification class, so it was a few years before I actually became acquainted with it. I love it now for so many reasons. It has the same familiar aroma to me as our Stay Awake Blend, which is a blend of Rosemary, Eucalyptus, and Peppermint. I could have just used Cajeput! It has been described as penetrating, camphorous and medicinal. I don't think medicinal, but that is such a subjective term. I will be making a soap with it after testing a little bit more. 

Cajeput essential oil is distilled from the fresh leaves and twigs of the paperbark tree according to most sources. It has a long history of being used successfully to combat colds, flu and chronic arthritis. It was apparently also prescribed for cholera. It has been said that this particular oil would be the one to grab for immediately at the onset of any respiratory infections accompanied with aches, pains, chills and congestion. I usually know when my immune system is fighting off a "bug" when I get a sore, scratchy throat. I've found that our Cold & Flu blend with some raw honey has always, and I do seriously mean always, stopped it in its tracks. I would imagine that cajeput alone would do the same thing. It contains a high percentage (although in the literature there was a wide range of "typical" chemical constituents for this essential oil, particularly in the amount of 1,8-cineole.) We can assume though that it consists mainly of 1,8-cineole, followed by a-pinene  and b-pinene. 

The other amazing property of this Cajeput essential oil is it's ability to clear the mind and, therefore, I think would be a wonderful oil to put in your diffuser or your nasal inhalers (coming soon to Wingsets). 

Safety/Cautions: From my research, it appears that this oil is non-toxic and nonsensitizing; however, may irritate skin if used in high concentrations. One should use care and caution during pregnancy.

IMPORTANT: All of our products are for external use only.

We also suggest you have a good working knowledge of the use of essential oils or consult with an aromatherapy professional prior to use. In addition, Essential Oils must be properly diluted before use in order to avoid any damages to property or adverse physical effects (including injury or bodily harm). Please read our Disclaimer before using our products.

Black pepper (Piper nigrum)

See more indepth information in our Essential Oil Database and a blog about it's anti-tumoral properties.

Safety/Cautions: The literature shows black pepper essential oil to be non-toxic and generally non-sensitizing, but could be a skin irritant in high concentrations due to its ability to increase blood circulation to the skin. We've found this property to be of special benefit for inclusion in our Spicey Muscle Oil.