Aniseed Essential Oil

Aromatherapeutic uses for Aniseed Essential oil include:

To be perfectly honest, this essential oil was not in any of my classes and not on my list of oils that I regularly use or recommend. That was until a friend asked me to make a soap that he knew about that "attracted" fish and also masked human scent while hunting. This intrigued me, so I began to frequent some of the forums and blogs such as Bass Pro and learned that in fact Aniseed is a common and frequent use for these applications. So I formulated a soap and a body spray. We haven't used them ourselves - yet, but will be interested in any testimonials or experiences by those who do.

The scent of Aniseed is strongly familiar as licorice and some love it and some don't. It has many beneficial properties far and beyond those mentioned above and we've assembled that information in our ever-expanding Essential Oil Database. For those who want more detailed information please take a look there. This oil has an amazing array of benefits that I wasn't aware of myself until I began to do the research.

An important consideration for anyone using Aniseed oil. It is quite high in the chemical constituent, (E)-Anethole, also referred to as trans-anethole, thus giving this particular oil the properties of being anti-platelet and vaso-relaxant. This can be a good thing for some vascular issues, but must be avoided if taking other blood thinners or prior to or post-surgical procedures.

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.

Cypress essential oil

At first glance you would assume that this oil would be a good addition to any asthma-type blend. However further research indicates that at higher concentrations the inhaled essential oil can be an irritant and should be used with caution and knowledge if using for asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.)

Avoid with estrogen dependent cancers, avoid if pregnant and some sources recommend to avoid with hypertension (high blood pressure.) Otherwise, non-toxic, non-irritant or non-sensitizing to the skin. Always use essential oils diluted with carrier oil or other pertinent ingredients.

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.

Carrot Seed Essential Oil

An easy do-it-yourself way to incorporate the antiwrinkle, cell-renewing properties of this essential oil is mix the following blend into any of your favorite unscented cream (our unscented hand & body cream would be good for this purpose.)

Add to 8 oz of cream or your favorite carrier oil. See our carrier oil benefits page to help you decide which one to use for your skin type.

5 drops Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) essential oil
5 drops Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) essential oil
5 drops Carrot Seed (Daucus carota) essential oil
5 drops Rosemary, ct Verbenone (Rosmarinus officinalis)
5 drops Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
5 drops Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea)

Safety or Cautions: Carrot seed essential oil is considered to be non-toxic, and non skin-sensitizing. As with all oils, this oil must be diluted with a carrier prior to use. Please check the link to the individual essential oils noted in the recipe for safety/usage information. See our Essential Oil Database for more information.

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.

Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) essential oil

Bergamot is by far one of my favorite essential oils. If I feel anxious or pushed to meet a deadline, but need to focus - I reach for bergamot and/or geranium, but I particularly like the bergamot if I'm feeling "hot" either mentally or physically. It has so many amazing qualities that you can find detailed in our expanding essential oil database. 

In particular the chemical constituents in this oil attribute to it's calming and sedative properties. Predominately you will find the monoterpene (d-limonene), monoterpenol (linalol) and the ester (linalyl acetate). The percentages of each of these constituents will differ from batch to batch due to the many variables involved in growing and distilling the plants. These three, however, should be the predominant features in any Bergamot essential oil.  Linalool (you'll see it spelled linalol also) provides the antibacterial as well as the sedating, relaxing properties to this oil. Linalyl acetate is also known to provide very relaxing properties, which is also one of the constituents seen in Lavender essential oil and why high altitude lavender has the most relaxing properties. The monoterpene, d-limonene, according to Kurt Schnaubelt in his book, Advanced Aromatherapy, has anti-viral properties. Other sources recommend Bergamot for issues related to the herpes virus. The d-limonene also contributes significant anti-inflammatory properties to this oil. Buyer beware - according to Kurt Schnaubelt, this is one oil that is often adulterated in the marketplace, which is why we so carefully source ours.

Highly phototoxic if not used according to guidelines. Bergamot is one of those oils that the IFRA recommends to not exceed 0.4% in "stay-on" products, which would include a massage oil or a body cream. Bergamot is a particularly nice perfume as a stand-alone oil and, therefore, should be diluted prior to use. This percentage would equate to approximately one drop of the oil to one ounce of a carrier oil. When used in a diffuser, 2 to 4 drops would suffice. The safety issues are more related to the skin and direct UV light. We previously carried a bergapten-free oil which is rectified to remove the phototoxic qualities, but the last sample we received just didn't hit the mark that we strive for. I recently received the sample of the oil we have now which is not bergapten-free and does carry the issues of phototoxicity, but it smells truly wonderful.

A few of our favorite uses for this oil:

Can be added to a face mask for acne due to its antiseptic and astringent properties or add to your regular bottle of shampoo and conditioner if you have oily hair. The literature also recommends this essential oil for eczema. I'm having my daughter test this new shipment to see how her eczema responds to it.

Body powder (deodorizing and refreshing)

2 parts tapioca starch (or cornstarch, organic preferred)
1/2 part orrisroot (fragrance fixative, easily found at health food stores)
1 part baking soda
1 part zinc oxide (deodorizing due to antibacterial properties)
Bergamot essential oil - using the dilution of 0.4%, which would be approximately 1 drop per 1 ounce of powder.
Lovely and uplifting, refreshing powder. Can be placed in a shaker bottle (we will be carrying these) or just a glass jar with a tight lid.

Perfume: (Put in a 2 oz sprayer bottle if using vodka, a roller ball if using a carrier oil)

1 tsp vodka or 1 tsp carrier oil (such as almond oil or olive oil)
8 drops of lavender essential oil
2 drops of rose absolute or rose otto
4 drops of bergamot essential oil
8 drops of vanilla essential oil
1 drop of ylang-ylang essential oil

Safety/Cautions: Bergamot contains furocoumarins, notably bergapten, which causes skin sensitization and skin pigmentation when exposed to direct UV light for up to 12 hours. It can and has caused severe burns when used on sensitive skin that is subsequently exposed to sunlight or sunbed rays. The maximum concentration for most oils in concentration with a carrier is somewhere around 5%, but the IFRA recommends Bergamot to not exceed 0.4% in products that will not be washed off. We follow those guidelines in our products that contain Bergamot.
Avoid in cases of liver problems. Not for use when pregnant or nursing. Possible skin irritant – dilute well.

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.