How to Use Your Essential Oil Travel Kit

Join Tracey Miller from the American College of Healthcare Sciences at the Beaverton Farmer's Market as she walks you through the seven must-have essential oils for travel: cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), ginger (Zingiber officinale), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), lemon (Citrus limonum), tea tree Australia (Melaleuca alternifolia), peppermint (Mentha piperita var. vulgaris), and ylang yang (Cananga odorata). Traveling with essential oils is a great way to support you health while traveling and to have your sustainable, natural first aid kit on the go!

Essential Oils May Be Effective With Superbugs

Research suggests essential oils may be an effective alternative to antibiotics, according to research from the Technological Educational Institute of Ionian Islands, Greece. Research also suggests essential oils may help fight drug-resistant hospital superbugs.

For this research, Professor Yiannis Samaras and Dr Effimia Eriotou tested eight essential oils for their antimicrobial activity, including thyme and cinnamon. Thyme essential oil was the most effective and eliminated bacteria within 60 minutes. Thyme and cinnamon essential oils also showed positive results against several Staphylococcus species.

Professor Yiannis Samaras says, "Not only are essential oils a cheap and effective treatment option for antibiotic-resistant strains, but decreased use of antibiotics will help minimise the risk of new strains of antibiotic resistant micro-organisms emerging."

In addition, "The oils – or their active ingredients – could be easily incorporated into antimicrobial creams or gels for external application. In the food industry the impregnation of food packaging with essential oils has already been successfully trialled. They could also be included in food stuffs to replace synthetic chemicals that act as preservatives," Professor Yiannis Samaras and Dr Effimia Eriotou say.

To read the full-text article, visit e! Science News. (2010, March 30). Essential oils to fight superbugs. Retrieved from http://esciencenews.com/articles/2010/03/30/essential.oils.fight.superbugs

Essential Oil Profile: Cinnamon Essential Oil Warming in Winter

Cinnamon Cinnamomum zeylanicum has a long history of use. For example, did you know the Egyptians used cinnamon in their mummification process? Historically, cinnamon was also used as an ingredient in a medicinal tonic called "hippocras," and was blended with ginger and cloves. Today, cinnamon is most commonly known as a culinary flavoring. But, cinnamon essential oil has many health promoting properties worth exploring.

The active constituents in cinnamon essential oil include aldehydes, which are antifungal [1,2], antimicrobial, and antiseptic, as well as the oxide 1,8 cineole, trans-cinnamic acid, and terpenes, among others. Traditional uses include: slow circulation, colds, cough, gums, infection, influenza, lice, intestinal parasites, stomach cramp, and stress, to name a few.

Aromatically, cinnamon has a spicy, slightly woody scent, which can be warming in colder months. Cinnamon blends well with benzoin, frankincense, myrrh, orange, peppermint, and ylang yang.

Download our Cinnamon Air Purification Blend from our post Essential Oils for Winter.

Referenes
1. Lima EO, Gompertz OF, Giesbrecht AM, et al. In vitro antifungal activity of essential oils obtained from official plants against dermatophytes. Mycoses 1993;36 (9-10):333-336.
2. Viollon C, Chaumont J-P. Antifungal Properties of Essential Oils and Their Compounds upon of Cryptococcus neoformans. Mycopatholgia 1994;128 (3):151-153.

*This information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent disease. You should always consult with your primary care physician, naturopathic doctor, or Registered Aromatherapist before making any significant changes to your health and wellness routine.

Essential Oils for Winter

As winter unfolds its many surprises--cold temperatures and short, gray days among them--it's a great time to enjoy adding warming and uplifting essential oils into your seasonal blends. Warming essential oils like cinnamon Cinnamomum zeylanicum and ginger Zingiber officinale have fresh, spicy aromas that blend well with citrus oils like grapefruit. Citrus oils are pleasant to use during the winter season because their fresh, uplifting scents can help support healthy emotional well-being.

Air Purification Formula with Cinnamon Essential Oil

• Clove Syzygium aromaticum oil: 3-drops
• Cinnamon Cinnamomum zeylanicum oil: 3-drops
• Lavender Lavandula angustifolia oil: 3-drops
• Peppermint Mentha piperita oil: 3-drops
• Pine Pinus sylvestris oil: 3-drops
• Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis oil: 3-drops
• Thyme Thymus vulgaris oil: 3-drops
• Water (distilled): ½-oz
• Alcohol: ½-oz

Directions: Mix the essential oils with the distilled water and ethyl alcohol in a 1-oz amber bottle. Place in a pump-action atomizer or blend 5-10-drops of each of the oils, and place in a vaporizer.

More information about cinnamon, ginger, and grapefruit essential oils to come!

*This information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to treat, diagnose, heal, or prevent disease. You should always consult with your primary care physician, a naturopathic doctor, or a Registered Aromatherapist before making any significant changes in your health and wellness routine.

5 Essential Oils in 5 Minutes or Less: Our Top 5 Picks for Fall

If you could only pick five essential oils to use for the rest of your life, which would they be? Don’t worry … we can’t answer that question either! But we can recommend five of our favorite essential oils to keep on hand this fall. Here’s a snapshot introduction to our top five picks.

1. Cinnamon Cinnamomum zeylanicum has a spicy aroma and is considered a base to middle note. It blends well with frankincense, orange, and peppermint, forming a lovely seasonal scent. Medicinally, cinnamon has antiseptic, antispasmodic, and bactericidal qualities, making it an effective air purifier. Blend cinnamon with some of our other favorites (like clove, lavender, and peppermint) to create a room spray that’s both seasonal and germicidal.

2. Clove Syzygium aromaticum was an important commodity for the Greeks and Romans and was heavily traded. Clove bud oil has been shown to inhibit the production of free radicals and to have anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. Recent studies have highlighted its use especially for oral hygiene. Another good oil for travel! You can add 2 drops of the essential oil to 1 cup of water to make an on-hand mouthwash. For aromatherapeutic blends, clove imparts a fresh top note and blends well with bergamot, lavender, vanilla, and ylang ylang.

Read about our other picks--eucalyptus, tea tree Australia, and vetiver--in the October issue of our enewsletter, The Reporter. Download The Reporter HERE.

Help us spread the word about aromatherapy. Use the share button to email this article to a friend. Post a link to your Facebook. Send a tweet. And ... thanks!

*This information is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Using Aromatherapy in Fall: Bring the Spirit of the Season Indoors

Fall has arrived! And, right on its heels, cooler weather. The good news … there is a lot to love about the fall: pumpkin patches, rich colors, root vegetables, warm herbal teas, and essential oils.

Just as nutritionists recommend eating with the seasons, there are aromatherapeutic essential oils that complement the seasons too. Select spicy, earthy, rich aromas to bring the spirit of the season indoors and to create feelings of warmth. We suggest a blend of sweet orange, cinnamon, ylang ylang, and lemon (the Festive Spice blend from our Apothecary Shoppe).

Sweet orange Citrus sinensis essential oil helps to support emotional well-being and has a sweeter, fruity scent. It blends well with basil, cinnamon, clary sage, clove, lavender, neroli, lemon, and nutmeg. For more information about sweet orange visit here.

Cinnamon Cinnamomum zeylanicum essential oil supports healthy digestion and stress management and has a spicy, earthy aroma. It blends well with ginger, nutmeg, rosemary, frankincense, and the citrus oils. For more information about cinnamon, visit here.

Ylang ylang Cananga odorata essential oil is attributed with analgesic, antidepressant, and aphrodisiac properties. It has a sweet aroma with long-lasting woody undertones and blends well with lavender, bergamot, the citrus oils, and sandalwood. For more information about ylang ylang, visit here.

Lemon Citrus limonum essential oil supports a healthy respiratory system and has a refreshing aroma. It blends well with cedarwood, chamomile, clove, eucalyptus, fennel, juniper, lavender, neroli, oakmoss, petitgrain, pine, sandalwood, and ylang ylang. For more information about lemon, visit here.

Festive Spice Blend
6 drops Sweet Orange
1 drop Cinnamon
2 drops Ylang Ylang
1 drop Lemon

We hope your first day of fall is fantastic and look forward to hearing more about your fall aromatherapy blends. Post any blending tips, photos, recipes …. here!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Essential Oils May Be Effective with Lice

Creepy crawly lice torture school-aged children. It can be hard to rationalize with kindergartners, to make them understand why they really don't want to touch their hair or scratch or share their personal hygiene products with friends.

Instead, it may be more effective to focus on prevention. Check your children regularly. Because lice can be spread person-to-person without physical contact, the USA Today article "Lice: Any kid can get 'em, so comb early, comb often" recommends 1. maintaining appropriate personal space; 2. having shorter hair, and; 3. checking your child's hair regularly.

If it's too late, however, you will want to check everyone in the house, select some kind of product to help rid the lice, and wash all clothes and furniture.

There are many products on the market, including chemical shampoos. But before you use chemicals, you may want to consider essential oils. Evidence suggests essential oils--specifically cinnamon, peppermint, and eucalyptus[1]--may effectively kill lice.

Natural Health Magazine suggests you "mix 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon leaf oil and 1/8 teaspoon of peppermint oil with four ounces of a basic shampoo. Apply to your child’s head, leave on for 20 minutes, and rinse. Don’t leave on overnight: Essential oils are too concentrated to be used for that long."*

If you have used essential oils with lice, we want to hear your story. Please post any suggestions you can share and/or essential oil recipes!


[1] Toloza AC, Lucía A, Zerba E, Masuh H, Picollo MI. 2009. Eucalyptus essential oil toxicity against permethrin-resistant Pediculus humanus capitis (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae). Parasitol Res. Jan;106(2):409-14. Epub 2009 Nov 10.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Stock Up On Summer Travel Supplies: Save 20% through Monday!!

Fourth of July is Sunday! That means two things: Summer is here and it’s travel time!

What’s more exciting than a new destination, a little adventure, and some R&R on the road? Not much! But, don’t let your summer travels get grounded by unexpected health challenges. Minor bumps and scrapes, bug bites, and unexpected allergies are common travel mishaps. But with a little preparation, you can have the adventure of a lifetime AND keep you and your family happy and healthy all summer long!

Essential Oil First Aid Travel Kit

This kit was personally designed by ACHS President Dorene Petersen and includes 5 ml of aloe vera and 5 ml each of the antibacterial, health-promoting essential oils cinnamon, ginger, lavender, lemon, peppermint, tea tree Australia, and ylang ylang.

The Travel Kit’s great price reflects our new, lowered prices on essential oils due to the U.S. dollar's surge against the Euro. But we can’t predict how long these exchange rates will stay in place, so take advantage of these great savings while you can!

Order by midnight July 5 to save 20% off any Apothecary Shoppe purchase of $30 or more. Just enter the code July2010 into the comments section of your order at checkout.

Also check out these travel items:

• Flight Spray Germ Fighting Nasal Spray
• Herbal Comfort Neck Pack
• JetZone Jet Lag Homeopathic 30 Tab
• Rescue Remedy Spray

Click here for a link to ACHS on Facebook. "Like" us to download natural body care recipes and comment on article links and add your own favorite recipes. Go to: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Portland-OR/American-College-of-Healthcare-Sciences/99091122240

Thyme and Cinnamon Essential Oils May Be Effective Alternative to Antibiotics

"Essential oils could be a cheap and effective alternative to antibiotics and potentially used to combat drug-resistant hospital superbugs," according to the article "Essential Oils to Fight Superbugs" on the ScienceDaily website.

The research for this study was led by Professor Yiannis Samaras and Dr. Effimia Eriotou from the Technological Educational Institute of Ionian Islands, in Greece, and presented at the Society for General Microbiology's spring meeting in Edinburg. Samaras and Eriotou tested the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil from eight plants, from which they found thyme (Thymus vulgaris) essential oil to be the most effective; thyme essential oils "was able to almost completely eliminate bacteria within 60 minutes."

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) essential oil was also found to be effective, and both cinnamon and thyme essential oil "were found to be particularly efficient antibacterial agents against a range of Staphylococcus species. Strains of these bacteria are common inhabitants of the skin and some may cause infection in immunocompromised individuals."

"The Greek team," according to ScienceDaily, "believes essential oils could have diverse medicinal and industrial applications. 'The oils--or their active ingredients--could be easily incorporated into antimicrobial creams or gels for external application. In the food industry the impregnation of food packaging with essential oils has already been successfully trialed. They could also be included in food stuffs to replace synthetic chemicals that act as preservatives,' they said."

To read the full-length article on the ScienceDaily website, go to: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100330210942.htm

*This information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to treat, diagnose, heal, or prevent disease. You should always consult with your primary care physician or naturopathic doctor before making any changes to your health and wellness routine.

Aromatherapy Insight Cards: A Practical Tool for Everyday Health

Have you tried these Aromatherapy Insight Cards before? If not, you may want to. Not only do these cards and accompanying text provide great background information about essential oils, they also provide an interactive, hands-on tool to start incorporating essential oils into your everyday health and wellness routine.

As the book jacket outlines, "we need to rebalance our lives and regain all that we are searching for. [...] The Aromatherapy Insight Cards are a practical tool to help you tap into your intuition, develop your emotional awareness, and increase your knowledge base as you learn the subtle uses for aromatherapy."

For more information on this text by Jennifer Jefferies, ND, check it out on the Apothecary Shoppe website: http://www.apothecary-shoppe.com/product_info.php?cPath=4_24&products_id=1164

Here's the oil we selected for today, Tuesday, February 9, 2010: Cinnamon, Cinnamomum seylanicum. According to the text, cinnamon is a tool to help you "regain that passion for life." It has the physical benefit of "a valuable antiseptic and it warms, giving relief to arthritic aches and pains. It also alleviates coughs and colds, nervous tension and exhaustion."

Jefferies, Jennifer ND. Aromatherapy Insight Cards. Living Energy: Australia. 2005.