Back to School blend

Whether you are preparing for college, traditional back-to-school, or homeschool, the transition from summer to study can be smooth with some preparation.

The citrus family of essential oils are known to be antiviral.  This is great for back-to-school and all those new exposures to nasty-bugs.  Citrus essential oils are also great for reducing anxiety and are usually uplifting.

Try this blend for back-to-school:

2 parts bergamot
2 parts lime
1 part lavender



It can be diffused in the home before and after leaving the house as well as in an aromastick.  Older children (teens) and adults may like the aromastick option to be able to take a few whiffs in the middle of the day as a pick-me-up.

Safety Guidelines

Essential Oil Safety

Aromatherapy is a safe and effective use of essential oils to promote wellness when used correctly.

Basic Safety Guidelines:

• Keep essential oils out of the reach of children.
• Essential oils should not be applied to the eyes or in the ears.
• Do not ingest essential oils without consultation with a qualified aromatherapist.
• Do not use undiluted essential oils on the skin without consultation with a qualified aromatherapist.
• In general, diffusion / inhalation is the safest use of essential oils, followed by diluted topical application.
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women, children, persons with seizure disorders, and those with chronic medical conditions should consult with a qualified aromatherapist prior to essential oil use.
• Prolonged exposure to an essential oil, inhaled or topically, can cause sensitization, so periodically changing the oils used is highly recommended.
• Some essential oils are contraindicated for some persons, and some essential oils are known to be sensitizers, photosensitizers, or toxic. (For example, bergamot essential oil is a known photosensitizer.)
• Any adverse events resulting from essential oil use should be reported to your aromatherapist.
• Adverse events can be any unexpected negative effect such as: headache, nausea, dizziness, redness of skin, itching, irritation, blistering, heart racing, palpitations, and more.

Three Pillars of Health: Sleep

Eat right.  Exercise. Sleep.

These three basic pillars of health are like the legs of a three-legged stool.  All three are needed to build and maintain health and each one affects the other two.  Eating poorly can affect exercise motivation and endurance, but it can also cause sleep problems such as lying awake with indigestion after a large meal.

Depending on the season of life, any or all of these factors can be out of balance, but the focus today is on sleep.

Aromatherapy offers safe and effective help for sleep problems.  Antianxiety essential oils can help calm the racing mind.  Sedative essential oils help induce sleep and promote deeper, more restful sleep.  Ideally, any essential oils chosen to promote sleep will have both sedative and antianxiety properties.  Some citrus oils, though they are antianxiety are also stimulating and have been shown to lessen sleep quantitiy!

An ideal method for introducing aromatherapy for sleep is the linen spray.

Help-Me-Sleep Spray

2 drops Valeriana officinalis (Valerian) 

4 drops Origanum majorana (Marjoram)

6 drops Lavendula angustifolia (Lavender)

10 drops Matricaria recutita (German Chamomile)

1 oz. vodka

1 oz. distilled water

Combine the above in a 2oz. glass spray bottle.  To use: Apply 2-3 sprays in the air over the bed at bedtime, or on bed linens earlier the day.



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References:

 Price, S., & Price, L. (2012). Aromatherapy for health professionals (4th ed.). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Teruhisa Komori, Takuya Matsumoto, Eishi Motomura and Takashi Shiroyama The Sleep-Enhancing Effect of Valerian Inhalation and Sleep-Shortening Effect of Lemon Inhalation Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Medical Science, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie 514-8507, Japan  http://chemse.oxfordjournals.org/content/31/8/731.full.pdf