Herb Journal

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Storing, Handling And Using Essential Oils

Pure Essential Oils are a natural merchandise and contain no preservatives or additives. A few of them might also be quite dangerous if not handled correctly. Some basic procedures should therefore be observed in order to ensure safety but also the quality of the oils in storage.

Storing essential oils:
Many Essential Oils are flammable and/or act as strong solvents. Eucalyptus Oil for example might be used to remove glue from old stickers or to strip paint.

Essential Oils are best stored in amber glass bottles with a tight lid. It is also advisable to fit bottles that don’t have a dripolator (orifice reducer) with a child proof cap for safety reasons.
Sun light (UV) and high temperatures are the main enemies of essential oils. Amber glass bottles offer sizeably efficient protection from UV. Essential Oil containers are best kept in a dark, cool place with temperature fluctuations kept to a minimum.
Keep essential oils safely locked away from children at all times.

Stored at low temperatures, some oils will tend to solidify. This is no cause for alarm as they will turn liquid again once they reach room or in some cases body temperature. Most likely to solidify are the absolutes, vanilla, rose otto and fennel.

Under grand conditions essential oils might be stored for periods of 6 years to several many years. Some oils like myrrh, sandalwood, frankincense and patchouli will even improve or “mature” with age, very similar to a dazzling wine.
The shortest shelf life have all citrus oils with grapefruit often being the first to deteriorate. Once these oils initial to turn cloudy or smell rancid they should be disposed of.

Handling and using essential oils:
When getting essential oils from the bottle, avoid contaminating the oil. Dont touch the top of the bottle or the inside of the lid. If you are using pipettes to transfer the oils, try to obtain disposable ones that you can throw away after make use of . Never utilize the same pipette for different oils. Used pipettes might also be stored for a short time in clip-seal plastic bags to utilize again later.

Avoid contact of essential oils with the skin as they may cause irritation. Using latex gloves and wearing protective glasses is recommended when handling essential oils.
Essential oils must never be used internally. For application to the skin, dilute the essential oil with a sizeably workable quality carrier oil e.g. jojoba, almond or olive oil. 3% essential oil with 97% carrier oil is a safe ratio.

Diffusers and oil lamps need only 2-3 drops of essential oil to scent a room for many hours. The cup on the oil lamp should be 3/4 filled with clean water, add to it the 2-3 drops of essential oil. Only then light the candle in the burner. Remember some essential oils are highly flammable, so be careful when using an essential oil lamp.

Observe these points and you will get a lot of enjoyment out of your essential oils.

Essential Oils to Banish Stress

Our sense of smell is one of the most powerful tools we have
to combat the negativity of stress.

An ocean breeze, the fresh smell of the forest after a
rainfall, the pristine scent of a crisp winter morning - all
of these uplift our spirit.

Essential oils allow us to bring the exhilarating scent of
the outdoors into our indoor lives. Try one of these
combinations when you feel the hassle of modern day living
acquiring to you.

Magical Essential Oil Combinations

To begin: Fill a mist spray bottle with purified water and
then add the essential oils.

Tighten the cap well and shake the bottle. The longer the
mixture remains in the bottle, the more the scent
strengthens and improves in potency.

Essential Sunshine

50 drops of Lime essential oil
50 drops of Grapefruit essential oil
10 drops of Orange essential oil
10 drops of Patchouli essential oil
Mix with 4 ounces of pure water

Essential Flower Garden

75 drops of Ylang-Ylang essential oil
25 drops of Orange essential oil
20 drops of Clove essential oil
Mix with 4 ounces of pure water

Essential Rain Forest

40 drops of Pine essential oil
40 drops of Cajuput essential oil
20 drops of Cypress essential oil
20 drops of Sandalwood essential oil
Mix with 4 ounces of pure water

When you feel particularly stressed and need a little more
boost, place the following blended oils into an aroma lamp
with a small bit of pure water. Inhale the vapors deeply
for best results.

Essential Breathe Easy

5 drops of Lemon essential oil
5 drops of Pine essential oil
5 drops of Lavender essential oil
5 drops of Peppermint essential oil

Essential Room Freshener

5 drops of Lemon essential oil
5 drops of Tea Tree essential oil
5 drops of Sage essential oil
5 drops of Cajuput essential oil

Use these essential oil combinations in your daily life -
just see the difference in how your mood changes!

http://www.relieve-stress.com 2005

Petunia

Potpourri is a fragrant mix of dried flower petals, leaves, whole flowers and spices. It could be sewn into sachets, simmered in a potpourri burner, or displayed in an open bowl. By choosing herbs and flowers that dry well and maintain their fragrance when dried, you will be well on your way to scenting your home with the natural fragrance of last summers garden.

Your potpourri mix should include both flowers and herbs from your garden, and be chosen with an eye toward color and a nose for scent.

Natural Health Magazine

Your skin is your largest organ. What many people do not realize is that what you put in your skin is taken into your body to a large extent. Most skin care products, if you read the labels, have ingredients in them that I am sure you have no idea what they are. If you do not know that, then you don’t understand what they may do to your body and its operation.

Fine Gardening Magazine

Herbs have been around since time immemorial. Ever since, herbs have served different kinds of purposes. Herbs have been used to treat illness and also in cooking. They are even believed to have magical charms. So if you do want to have your own herb garden, here are a few ideas on how to create one effectively.

Basil

Today there are sprays, scented candles, plug-ins, and even discs that promise to freshen your air by putting a variety of aromas into your home. However, when you know how to grow basil, you can have enough variety of fragrance to package your own potpourri! The most generally grown basil is the annual, ocimum basilicum that carries a minty fragrance that smells like well, it smells like sweet basil. In addition to having a wonderful fragrance, sweet basil is an essential ingredient in soups, stews, pesto sauce, and just about any tomato dish. Knowing how to grow basil is a must for every herb gardener. You can grow herbs both indoors and outdoors

Vapor Genie Vaporizer

Find aromatherapy candles to match your color scheme. Not only will the soft glow contruct you feel relaxed, the scent will be calming and therapeutic as well. To build your own candles, add essential oils into melted beeswax and pour into a glass container. Place in the wick and let it harden.

Herbal Vaporizer

Essential oils from many plant families have now been demonstrated to have antiviral properties. Interestingly, different plant families exhibit varying degrees of effectiveness depending on the virus strain. This is due to the particular molecular structures found in each type of oil, which penetrate physical entities to varying degrees (different tissues, cell walls, mucous membranes, etc). The effect on each virus strain depends also on the virus structure (enveloped, non-enveloped, molecular symmetry, etc.)

Seed Kit

Bigger balconies may also serve as a seating area - a perfect place to relax after a day at work. just remember to use light furniture as moving it around might be a backbreaking task in bad weather.
Even if your apartment doesn’t boast an extended balcony, theres nothing to worry about. When it comes to gardens, size doesn’t really seem to matter and even the smallest square might support a mini-kitchen garden.

You might grow everything from tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplant to oranges, all in pots. Admittedly, this is a bit more challenging than having just a few ferns and flowers. If you’re not willing to work that hard for fresh fruit and vegetables, ruminate on growing your own herb garden. Its the best option. Herbs can be grown in planters, needing just water and sunlight.

Replacement Grow Bulbs

There is nothing more pleasing than walking right outside your kitchen door and finding all the spices you will absolutely need for a tasty and fresh dinner. How about picking a bit of rosemary for those lamp chops, or cutting a bit of that fresh dill for that flounder you’re baking, or pulling some fresh oregano leaves to add to that spaghetti sauce or snipping some fresh basal for a tomato, mozzarella cheese and basal salad. The availability of fresh herbs might add a real kick to your ordinary dishes and turn them into something special. Fresh herbs are also likely to help you boost your imagination in the kitchen.

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