Rose Geranium Essential Oil is one of the most feminine essential oils, not just for its sublime fragrance but for the way it can make you feel both strong and beautiful - beautifully strong even! I have used Rose Geranium as a single note in many products but like all essential oils, Rose Geranium really likes company. At Angelico we use Rose Geranium essential oil in our Serums for Combination, Dry and Mature Skins. We blend it with woody notes of Frankincense, Cedarwood and Sandalwood but it also blends well with florals like Rose and Neroli and citrus notes such as Grapefruit and Mandarin to give it a real ‘sparkle’. As you see, Rose Geranium not only has a beautiful aroma, it is wonderfully versatile too. It has the power to minimise the look of wrinkles because it tightens facial skin and slows down the effects of ageing by promoting new cell growth.
Rose Geranium was used by the Egyptians to promote beautiful and radiant skin. Now, Rose Geranium oil is used to treat acne, reduce inflammation, alleviate anxiety and balance hormones. This beautiful oil can also uplift your mood, lessen fatigue and promote emotional wellness.
Rose Geranium is the rosier smelling version of Geranium essential oil. It used to always have the word roseum at the end of its Latin name to distinguish one from the other but now the Latin names on Geranium essential oils is nearly always the same for both - pelargonium graveolens. A Geranium essential oil that is not a Rose Geranium has a much more ‘green’ fragrance - a little sharper - but it does share the same properties. Having said that, the more floral fragrance of the Rose Geranium variety is to my mind more fitting to it’s myriad feminine properties.
Rose Geranium oil can also be used as a natural insect repellant.
Geraniums were originally planted on the periphery of Mediterranean gardens to ward off insects. Now they are a staple for their colour and robustness as they can survive with very little water.
Use this blend after a day in the sun to reduce inflammation and to sooth your skin or when out in the evenings to ward off insects.
15ml Calendula Oil
15ml Borage Oil
7 drops Rose Geranium Essential Oil
5 drops Lavender Essential Oil
3 drops Mandarin Essential Oil
ALL ABOUT BORAGE
I down loaded this beautiful free picture from Pexels by Eva Elijas. I love the colours and who would have thought of Borage and Strawberries as a combo? Well….. I’ve totally co-incidentally read recently that it’s good to grow borage and strawberries together as they are believed to stimulate each others growth! (Also borage and tomatoes as borage can act as a natural insect repellent.) For me though, the colours just work so beautifully. Thank you Eva Elijas at Fleur Rustique for this gorgeous picture.
BORAGE OIL SKIN BENEFITS
At Angelico we use Borage Oil in our Combination, Dry & Mature Skin Serums for it’s ANTI-INFLAMMATORY - ANTIOXIDANT properties.
Borage oil skin benefits include anti-infammatory properties which can be helpful with conditions such as eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis and rosacea. If your skin is simply dry, you will love how it calms redness and nourishes even the driest skin. It can also help calm acne and as it is lighter than many other oils it won’t leave your face feeling at all greasy.
Of all plant oils, borage oil contains one of the highest levels of the fatty acid - gamma-linolenic acid known as GLA which is what makes borage oil such a strong anti-inflammatory. GLA is one type of omega-6 “essential” fatty acid that the body cannot make on its own so we must get it from outside sources such as borage oil.
One of the most well-researched uses for borage oil is treating inflammatory skin disorders such as eczema. GLA has been shown to correct deficiencies in skin lipids (oils). When the skin can’t produce enough protective oils of its own the result is increased inflammation and skin flare-ups. In fact, borage has the most potent concentration of gamma linoleic acid found in nature, containing twice as much as is found in the evening primrose.
BORAGE IN FOOD
Add fresh Borage to salads or sandwiches. Flowers can be floated in drinks or candied for use on cake, ice cream, and other desserts. Freeze flowers in ice cubes or drop freshly picked flowers in drinks. You can eat borage stems peeled and chopped like celery.
INTERESTING FACTS
The Celts referred to Borage as borrach, which means 'courage'. Borager could also come from the French word borrache, which means 'hairy' or 'rough', and which could be a reference to its bristly stems and leaves. The Greeks and Romans believed that the herb was a source of courage and comfort, and there are references to the flowers being embroidered into medieval tapestries and the colours of jousting knights. The blooms were even floated in drinks consumed by Crusaders before battle. The American settlers carried borage seed with them on their long journeys across the Atlantic Ocean.
Taken from the H2G2 website.
DRY SKIN BODY OIL BLEND
This blend is fantastic for dry skin especially legs.
Sometimes hard water can create dry skin on the body.
A good trick is to apply this oil before you shower or bath.
After too if you wish.
Use instead of lotion and be amazed!
20 ml Borage Oil
10ml Calendula Infused Oil
10 drops Frankincense Essential Oil
3 drops Cedarwood Essential Oil
2 drops Lavender Essential Oil
ESSENTIAL OILS FOR CONCENTRATION AND FOCUS
We are slowly adding more organic essential oils to our range and this month we have Rosemary and Spearmint. I know most essential oils like old friends and like old friends, there is always something new I can learn about them and that is thrilling don’t you think? I think I might make that a thing….. to find out something I didn’t know about my oldest friends. Big digression there!! …and good reason to make use of these two wonderful new oils to help me focus! In these days when many of us are forced to work or study at home, a little help can go a long way so here are my recommended essential oils and how to use them to help you focus on what you need to do.
Most people who use essential oils know that Rosemary is the go to oil for diffusing into the air when you are studying or working. Research indicates that inhaling rosemary oil helps prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, a brain chemical important for thinking and concentration.
An interesting piece of hearsay is that Roman soldiers were said to have kept a sprig of Rosemary behind their ears during long battles to keep them awake!!
Spearmint is a lovely alternative to Peppermint and unlike other mint varieties, contains no menthol making its aroma sweeter, more gentle and more appealing to children. Like Rosemary it also aids concentration but in a more soothing way. Combined they make a lovely blend to work by.
HERE’S HOW :
Pour 3 drops of Spearmint and 3 drops of Rosemary essential oil into a diffuser and heat as instructed by diffuser directions.
No diffuser? Simply fill a bowl with warm water and pour 3 drops of Spearmint and 3 drops of Rosemary essential oil into the water. The heat from the water will diffuse the fragrance.
Dip a cloth into the fragrant water described above and place the cloth on a radiator to diffuse the fragrance around your home.
Simply put one drop each of Spearmint and Rosemary essential oils onto a hanky or tissue and keep it in your pocket to inhale as needed.
Make a pulse point blend by filling a 10ml bottle with any Base Oil and adding 3 drops of Spearmint Essential Oil and 3 drops of Rosemary essential oil. Dab onto wrists and/or temples whenever needed.
Put 1 to 2 drops of essential oil into the palm of your hand and rub hands together. Inhale as needed.
(Choose either of the above oils combined or on their own, depending on your preference)
We hope you liked this article on essential oils for concentration and focus. Thank you for reading :)
Way back when I was at ballet school, The Royal Ballet created a splinter group called Ballet For All that toured the country introducing ballet to people who had never really seen or understood it. There was even a TV series. When I got into aromatherapy I was driven by the same concept to make Aromatherapy For All. To make aromatherapy products affordable and understandable to everyone and anyone who was interested. That was so many years ago that I seem to have slipped into the belief that most people now know how to use essential oils but recently I have realised that is not the case. I write often for magazines, giving people recipes for aromatherapy at home from simply diffusing essential oils to turning them into skincare and health rituals. At Angelico we sell the highest quality Organic Essential Oils and Organic Base Oils. We have now added a ‘How To’ page on our site so that you can really start to learn how to create your own tailor made aromatherapy products and remedies from essential oils and base oils. Apologies if you have heard it all before but just like way back then when my quest was to make Aromatherapy for All, I am revisiting the concept here. There are many people and sites that teach in depth aromatherapy but I am more interested, for the purposes of this piece, in making aromatherapy accessible, simple and most importantly safe enough for everyone to use. Do let me know if you have any questions once you have read below. I am always happy to help.
Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts that each have different and overlapping properties. Some essential oils have contra indications or precautions that should be followed but so long as you follow the instructions on the bottle you will find that they are invaluable to your daily life. By combining different essential oils in a ‘blend’, you can create endless fragrances that can have both physiological and/or phycological effect. Except for in a few cases, essential oils should not be used neat. They should be diluted into base oils which are also known as a carrier oil.
BASE OILS - ALSO KNOWN AS CARRIER OILS
Base oils used to be just that - base oils - used mostly as a base for the more active essential oils and as a basic moisturiser. Now though, there are myriad base oils and we are far more knowledgeable about what they are capable of. Base oils come in many different weights - some are thick and viscous, some are light and some are medium weight. Some are more easily absorbed by the skin than others. They can be antioxidant, antiviral, help to smooth fine lines or even help to regulate oil secretion. Their possibilities are endless.
BLENDING
In Aromatherapy 'blending' is the term used for combining essential oils and base oils which results in a 'blend'.
By combining essential oils and base oils you can create any number of products for yourself, your family and your friends. The possibilities are literally endless. For the creative people amongst us the lure of making something unique is powerful but it can be as simple as adding one drop of essential oil to some carrier oil to make a brilliant moisturiser with no added nasties that can often cause problems in commercial products. Here are a few ways to get started, including some simple recipes for you to try out.
MASSAGE / MOISTURISING OILS FOR BODY
The rule of thumb here is approximately 3% essential oil to base oil and the way to achieve this is to take 10ml of base oil which is approximately one dessertspoonful and add 5 drops in total of essential oil. So 10ml base to 5 drops essential oil. To 20ml base of base oil you add 10 drops of essential oil in total.
For example;
RELAXING BODY OIL
5ml (1 x teaspoon) Peach Kernel Base Oil
5ml (1 x teaspoon) Jojoba Base Oil
2 drops Chamomile Essential Oil
3 drops Lavender Essential Oil
MASSAGE / MOISTURISING OILS FOR FACE
Here we want the dilution to be half that that we use on the body so I use just 1% To achieve this add just 2 drops of essential oil in total to 10ml of base oil.
For example;
FACE OIL FOR MATURE SKIN
10ml Red Rosehip Base Oil
1 drop Rose Geranium Essential Oil
1 drop Frankincense Essential Oil
MASSAGE / MOISTURISING OILS FOR CHILDREN
For children over 2 years of age the dilution for body oil is the same as for adult face so approximately 1% or 2 drops of essential oil to 10ml of base oil.
For example;
HAPPY MASSAGE BODY OIL FOR CHILDREN
5ml (1 x teaspoon) Calendula Base Oil
5ml (1 x teaspoon) Jojoba Base Oil
2 drops Mandarin Essential Oil
MASSAGE / MOISTURISING OILS FOR BABIES
For Babies under 2 years of age please see our AROMATHERAPY FOR BABIES leaflet/section.
BATHING
There are many ways to add essential oils to your bath.
NEAT
Add 6 to 10 drops of essential oil into the bath after the water has run to stop the oils from evaporating. Swish the water around to prevent sitting on the individual drops of essential oil. Do not have the water too hot.
For example;
REVITALISING BATH
3 Drops Bergamot Essential Oil
3 Drops Grapefruit Essential Oil
2 drops Mandarin Essential Oil
BATH OIL
This is great for dry sensitive skin as it will nourish and protect the skin from harsh water.
Add 6 to 10 drops of essential oil to 10ml of base oil which is approximately one dessertspoonful. Mix together and add to your bath water after the water has run to limit evaporation of the essential oils.
For example;
DEEP RELAX BATH
10ml Borage Base Oil
3 drops Frankincense Essential Oil
2 drops Rose Geranium Essential Oil
4 drops Lavender Essential Oil
BATH SALTS
Add 6 to 10 drops of essential oil per cupful of un-fragranced bath salts such as Magnesium Salts or Dead Sea salts.
For example;
MUSCLE RELAXING BATH SALTS
1 cupful Dead Sea Salts add to this;
3 drops Myrtle Essential Oil
2 drops Cypress Essential Oil
1 drop Black Pepper Essential Oil
Mix together and pour into bath
SHOWER
Add 6 to 10 drops of essential oil to the shower tray before you get into your shower. The steam will diffuse the fragrance.
For example;
HEAD CLEARING SHOWER
3 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
1 drop Peppermint Essential Oil
2 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil
DIFFUSING & INHALATION
You can add up to 10 drops of essential oil to a bowl of hot water for inhalation. Place a towel over your head and breath in the vapours to clear airways or to steam to cleanse your face.
For example;
ROOM FRAGRANCE
Add a few drops of essential oil to an un fragranced candle where the little puddle of wax appears after lighting. Alternatively add a few drops to a damp cloth or absorbent paper and place on radiators or add to electric or candle vaporisers as instructed by the supplier. Usually 6 drops in total is the correct amount.
For example;
CUTS, STINGS, SPOTS & BITES
Even though essential oils are not usually used neat, there are a few instances in which neat essential oils work brilliantly. Just one or two drops of neat Lavender or Tea Tree essential oil works brilliantly on cuts stings or bites and neat Lavender essential oil on light burns is brilliant.
Lemon and/or Tea Tree essential oils are often used on warts and verrucas with great success.
RINSES
I love to fill a bowl with warm to cool water and add just a few drops of essential oil to it. This can be used to refresh and/or clean your face or body. If you have been in the sun for too long a few drops of lavender in a bowl of cool water, soak a flannel in it and place on over heated skin to cool it.
For example;
SUMMER FOOT COOLER
Fill a bowl with cool water and add 6 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil to it. Swish around to dissipate the Essential Oils then soak your feet in it for at least 10 minutes - bliss!
SPOTTY SKIN SPLASH
Fill a bowl with warm water. add 4 drops of Tea Tree essential Oil. Swish the water around to dissipate oils and use to wash face.
CLEAN SURFACES
As just abut all essential oils are anti bacterial, it’s a great idea to use them to wipe over kitchen and/or bathroom surfaces leaving them not only clean but smelling fabulous.
For example;
ST CLEMMENTS SURFACE FRESHENER
Fill a bowl with warm water and add 5 drops of lemon essential oil and 5 drops of sweet orange essential oil. Swish the water around to dissipate oils and use a cloth to wipe down surfaces.
LASTLY
Aromatherapy is not an exact science so quantities are approximate but with essential oils, less is often more so always bare this in mind. There are many more ways to use aromatherapy in your day to day life - this is really just the tip of the ice berg but its a very good start. Have fun!
ONE MORE THING!
If you want to make and store your blends, we have a selection of amber bottles available on our site.
11 WAYS TO USE LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL EASILY & EFFICIENTLY
I am always writing about essential oils and Lavender essential oil more than most, either for magazines, books or websites. Usually I cover the properties, history, contraindications, you name it but here I want to just tell you how I use Lavender on a day to day basis and why I just couldn’t live without it.
10 INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT JOJOBA
Jojoba oil is in almost all Angelico Serums as it has myriad properties. I discovered it when I first had babies as it works miracles on nappy rash. I swiftly got rid of the thick gloopy cream that other young mothers were encapsulating their babies bottoms with, innocently sealing in moisture which resulted in sore bottoms. I used jojoba oil instead which let the delicate baby skin breath whilst keeping it clean and bacteria free. The results were remarkable.
Here are 10 interesting facts about jojoba - just one of our natural active plant oils that go to create Angelico Serums.
(1) If you keep jojoba oil in the fridge it will completely solidify as it is actually a wax not an oil.
(2) Jojoba is cleansing as well as moisturising.
(3) Jojoba contains iodine which helps prevent breakouts.
(4) Jojoba protects, provides moisture control and soothes the skin.
(5) The texture and action of jojoba is almost identical to our skin’s own sebum.
(6) Jojoba regulates oil levels making it a great treatment for oily skin.
(7) Jojoba is full of antioxidants which help to slow down signs of ageing.
(8) Vitamin E present in Jojoba helps improve elasticity in the skin and speeds up healing.
(9) Jojoba helps to soothe irritation caused by eczema.
(10) Vitamin B complex in jojoba makes it a natural hormone balancer.
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