07/01/2010 by Joanna.

Well can you believe it’s 2010 ?  Already another decade has passed and what a lot has changed.  The most important change, I believe, of the last 10 years is the environmental issue, with more and more people recycling, re-using and trying to use more natural products. 

 Fortunately, consumer pressure is making the large corporations offer environmentally friendly alternatives, and they are also looking at changing their packaging, ingredients and where they source their products from.  Even a little bit helps in the big scheme of things.

   The New Year is always a time when people look at making a change in their lives and now is the time to look around to see how you can help yourself and family to have a healthier lifestyle.

There are many simple changes which can be made using aromatherapy oils which include some of the following:-

Look for skin and hair products with less synthetic ingredients.

Make your own lotions and potions for skincare using all natural ingredients.  It’s easier than you think and can be great fun to do !

Try to use natural aromas from essential oils in the house as air fresheners.  This can enhance the mood as well as keeping nasty chemicals out of the house.  Some essential oils will also have antibacterial and anti-viral properties to helps with colds and flu.

Use some natural essential oils as household cleaners, Lemon and Lavender essential oil have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties and they will leave a lovely fresh aroma too.  Just add a few drops of essential oil to a bowl of warm water and use a sponge or cloth to wipe the surface area.

 Even using a new oil for your face and skin.  Something like Rosehip oil has amazing skin regenerating properties and can help heal scars and stretch marks.  Many people are already using this with fantatic results and the best news is, it’s 100% natural.  Just make sure you buy and oil which is Organic, unrefined and from Chile for the best possible quality. 

The list is endless and these are just a few ideas of how to use aromatherapy oils to help you lead a healthier lifestyle.

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30/03/2009 by Joanna.

Has anyone been watching this great series ?  I’ve only seen the last two, as I didn’t know what it was about, however, now I’ve seen it I’ll be catching up on the others on iplayer.  We’ve had several requests for us to stock the book which accompanies the series and I’m pleased to say it has arrived in today and is now on the website. 

The series and book is written by James Wong who is an Ethnobotonist and uses natural ingredients to make creams, salves and teas to help relieve everyday ailments and conditions (eg. acne, ezcema and insomnia).

The recipes are easy to follow using items like fruit, flowers, vegetables, roots, herbs and even some essential oils to make the preparations.  If you’re into natural ingredients and remedies this book (and series) is a must for you.

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20/03/2009 by Joanna.

If we were only able to use one word to describe Rosehip oil (Rosehip seed oil) it could be something like “wow”!  This oil is amazing and has so many benefits for our skin.  Rosehip oil is best if it is cold pressed and certified organic as it will have retained most of it’s nutrients in the manufacturing process and will have been approved by the certifying body. 

 Organic Rosehip oil can come from many places, however, the best oil is comes from the Andes mountains in Chile.  The latin name for the species is Rosa Rubiginosa (in South America the locally grown wild Rose plants are referred to as Rosa Mosqueta/Moschata).  There is a similar oil called Rosa Canina which is usually cheaper as it is extracted from the Dog Rose plant.  This oil is said to be quite similar, however, it is not from the same species of plant. 

Rosehip oil is a deep orange colour and has a distinctive fatty aroma.  If it has been deodourised or refined the aroma will disappear, however, so will some of the properties.  Also if the oil is clear, this will have been through a bleaching or refining process and will also have lost some of it’s nutrients.  A refining process is often popular with cosmetic manufacturers as it will prolong the shelf life of the oil.

Organic Rosehip oil is fantastic for mature, scarred or dry skin.  It has fabulous skin regenerating properties and is popular to help with the premature aging of the skin and to help treat wrinkles.  The oil is also very popular for stretchmarks.

 This oil has a very high content of natural Vitamin E oil, Linoleic acid and other unsaturated essential fatty acids which are required to keep a healthy skin.

Organic Rosehip oil has been used for many years in skin preparations and seems to be becoming more popular than ever at the moment.

 If you rub a few drops of oil into the skin twice a day you should notice the improvements within a few weeks.

To buy some 100% pure organic Rosehip oil please visit Essential Oils Online Ltd

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30/09/2008 by Joanna.

I can’t believe it’s the end of September already !  This month has been extremely busy with so many people starting aromatherapy courses and stocking up on essential oils.  We are also getting lots of new customers just looking to go greener and wanting to make their own products for health and beauty.  Either way, it’s lovely to see all these people wanting to help themselves, their family or the environment by turning to Aromatherapy. 

What’s new this month ?  Well, further to our customers requests, we’ve added Parsley seed, Dill herb and Valerian essential oils this month.

We’re also pleased to announce that the Pure Azure Baby Range has also taken off well and since its launch these 100% organic products have been flying off the shelf.

Coming soon…….. Pure Azure pre-blended facial blends   

And finally, we have taken on two new employees this month, welcome to both Sarah and Kirsty ! 

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29/01/2008 by Joanna.

I can’t believe it’s nearly the end of January, it only seems like yesterday that we were getting the last things ready for Christmas ! 

 Are you one of the many people who have made a resolution and, if so, are you still sticking to it ?  

 There will be lots of people this year who will be keen to do a little more to help the environment, this includes me and we can only hope that everyone’s small part will make a big difference. 

 I’m going to try and recycle more, use the car less, compost more and buy english or organic produce if possible.

At Essential Oils Online we are commited to helping the environment and here are a few things we have/are doing to help cut our carbon footprint:-

We’re moving premises this weekend to a unit which is nearer to us.  This means that we can cycle, if the weather’s nice, and when we do have to use our cars, the journey will be shorter.

 We are now using compostable packaging (they look like white ‘wotsit’ crisps) in the parcels we send out, or we use packaging that we have recycled from another company.  We also recycle as many boxes as possible which we receive from our suppliers.

 We have changed our bank account recently to the Co-op Bank who are an ethically guided bank.

We use local suppliers and companies wherever possible.

We have an increasing amount of organic products.

We sell a large selection of English essential oils, wherever possible, to reduce the carbon emissions from travelling.

And finally all of our base products and blends are produced in the UK and they are all SLS/SLES and paraben free.

We will try and do more as the year progresses and take pride in what we have managed so far.

Everyone can do their small piece, be it recycling, cycling or more. 

If you have any suggestions or ideas, we would love to hear - thanks for reading !

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11/12/2007 by Joanna.

We get a lot of customers buying essential oils to use on their animals.  Some are doing courses in Animal Therapy and some are just keen home users who would love their animals to benefit in the same way that they do.  I have been in contact with Pauhla Whitaker who is a qualified essential oil therapist for animals and she has kindly offered the following article for us to use on this blog. 

So, what is Animal Essential Oil Therapy?

By

Pauhla Whitaker…Committee Member of the Guild of Essential Oil Therapists for Animals

Essential oils are a wonderful tool to enhance the well being and health of both our animals and ourselves and brings yet another dimension into holistic animal-care. Essential Oil Therapy (EOT) uses oils extracted from the buds, flowers, leaves, twigs, bark, seeds, skins, peel, fruit, stems, resins and roots of plants to help re-establish the balance of the body and so restore and maintain good health.
It can be used to help a variety of issues from emotional trauma, to physical injury to supporting behavioural re-training as well as palliative care for those animals nearing the end of their lives. The welfare and needs of the animal are always paramount and because the owner is directly involved in administering the treatment it also helps with feelings of helplessness and disempowerment that people often experience when their animals are ill or suffering emotionally.

How does it work? Essential oils are extremely volatile. When inhaled they evaporate through the nasal cavity of the animal and the active parts of the oil pass easily into the blood stream via a rich supply of blood vessels. From here they are transported around the body and metabolised. The chemical constituents of the oil are also processed by the Limbic system which links the sense of smell to the brain and as a result messages are passed to the various parts of the body that are out of balance.
In nature, essential oils are messengers. They attract insects to pollinate plants, repel potential attackers and even give out distress signals to warn other plants of impending attack. When used therapeutically for humans and animals it is thought they behave in much the same way and act as messengers which encourage the body to switch on or off certain responses, e.g. switch on an anti-inflammatory response or switch off an allergic or pain response. Normally, Essential oils are given either by inhalation, or by allowing the animal to lick the diluted oil from the owner’s hand while topical application is normally reserved for the treatment of physical problems such as wounds and disorders of the musculo-skeletal system. Animals are adept “self-medicators” and seem to know, at an innate level, just what they need to maintain optimum health and so it is vital that they are given the choice to take the oils or not. By offering the oils to an animal to inhale and or lick if it wishes, and applying topically to areas of pain or injury if necessary, essential oils can gently encourage the body to trigger it’s own healing systems but whatever method you use, the most important thing is that the animal, be it a cat, dog, horse, rabbit or pet rat, has the choice to either accept or reject the oils and they should only be administered in the correct dilution and with care, respect and knowledge. Although the properties of various oils are generally accepted to suit certain conditions, there is no “one size fits all” with animals since the symptoms it is suffering from is often the result of many factors, both emotional and physical and so, while an oil like Yarrow may have antihistamine and wound healing properties and so be useful for allergic skin conditions, it may not match the emotional state of the animal. For this reason, each selected oil should be offered to the animal to “self-select” and if it shows signs of dislike or distress, that oil should not under any circumstances be forced on the individual. It is for this reason that oils are not massaged into the skin as the animal could not get away fro the aroma (as well as becoming a greasy, furry mess!) and this could cause incredible distress.

How do I offer the oils to my animals?To offer an oil to the animal, remove the bottle cap and grasp the bottle in your fist so that the neck doesn’t protrude above your hand in case the animal tries to grab it. Move the bottle towards the animal so that it is 10-12 inches away and then wait. The volatile components in the oil will evaporate and diffuse through the air and the animal will become aware of the aroma so you need to be patient and allow it to process the information it is receiving. Do not attempt to follow the animal around with the bottle, restrain it or coax it in any way. Just stay still and calm and let the animal guide you in its reaction.
Signs of keen interest are trying to lick or nibble at the bottle, quiet, intense inhalation, going into a trance like state, licking/smacking the lips, yawning, “smiling”, wagging the tail, or simply staying close by.
Dislike is indicated by extreme reactions such as the animal running away and hiding or quieter reactions such as backing away, looking worried or turning the head away.
If the animal wants to inhale the oil, let it do so for as long as it wishes and when it has had enough it will move away. Some animals may wish to lick the oil and in most cases, diluting it in a neutral base such as Sunflower at the dilution of 2 drops to 5ml for a dog or 1 drop in 10ml for a cat will be safe. However, there are certain oils that should not generally be offered to animals to take orally so you should always seek the advice of a suitably qualified therapist before offering oils so that you are aware of any contra-indications with the oils you intent to try.Oils can safely be offered twice daily for as long as the animal shows an interest but if this is longer than two weeks and the situations has not resolved or improved then it is wise to consult an Animal Essential Oil Therapist for a professional consultation.

When isn’t EOT appropriate? While many conditions and states respond positively to EOT, there are certain situations where some ground work needs to be carried out first.
When working with emotional/behavioural issues and many physical ones it is important to find the underlying cause and rectify it to give your animal the best chance of reaching a state of wellness again.
It may be that the therapist identifies some issues that need to be formally diagnosed and resolved by an appropriate professional before the use of essential oils is appropriate e.g. Back pain or saddle fit and dental problems in horses, potential pain issues in any type of animal or certain training, handling and environmental issues. A good example of this would be respiratory problems in rats and other small animals. If the cage litter and bedding is inappropriate e.g. wood shavings or sawdust, no amount of essential oils will help if the materials aren’t changed for something that does not contain harmful volatile oils which the animal can not get away from. Likewise, a dog that is destructive or soils in the house due to loneliness, lack of appropriate exercise or because it is left alone for long periods of time, will never be “cured” by essential oils until the underlying cause is remedied and appropriate lifestyle changes are made.

Working with emotions and behaviour  It is also possible that in the case of behavioural issues, the problem is a simple breakdown in communication and confidence in the human/animal partnership and that this needs working on before the problem can be resolved. But, the careful, informed and responsible use of essential oils can act as an emotional “pause button” to help both animal and human find space to work with the issues and find their own solutions together and at their own pace. It’s a terrible cliché I know, but I am particularly interested in the question “are we like our animals or are they like us? ” I often find that the oils my own and my friends and clients animals choose are the same ones that we favour ourselves. Working from that view, if we try to look at the animal and human as a whole in our everyday interaction, why not extend this to treatments such as aromatherapy? Just as a physical problem in the rider can be mirrored in the horse because it has to compensate for the riders lack of balance, pain e.t.c. so can an emotional one so why should this be any different for smaller animals that we share our homes with and so probably spend far more time with than the average horse owner will with their horse. It is worth remembering that if we are not feeling “safe” emotionally, we can’t expect our animals to feel “safe” with us. A person who is not in balance with their own feelings and emotions can be like a loose canon around animals and they really do not appreciate being the butt of our emotional swings so, if we can try and take a step back from our problems before we step into our animals’ space, life is much better for all of us.

Working with physical problems  Essential oils have purely physical properties too. Many stimulate the immune system and can also be used to treat a variety of conditions such as minor cuts, bruises, strains, skin irritation, respiratory conditions, parasitic problems etc but it should be emphasised that although careful use of oils is fine for minor first aid or treatment of previously diagnosed conditions, you must always get a veterinary diagnosis if you feel your animal has a physical problem or that a behavioural one has a physical cause. It must also be remembered that although many oils are natural substances, which are mild and safe in use, they can also be very powerful substances which form the base of many modern-day drugs, and as such, they have their own contra-indications and safety issues. Natural isn’t always safe!

As a qualified essential oil therapist I run regular workshops to educate owners of all sorts of different animals how to use essential oils safely and responsibly on the animals in their care. The main application for essential oils is undoubtedly in the following areas….
 a) wellness care i.e. helping our companion animals achieve optimum health in order to fight off the inevitable challenges to the body, often triggered by emotional and environmental stresses b) acute care to support the individual during illness and c) palliative care to help make the final weeks and days more comfortable, both physically and emotionally and to give the owner and carer a sense of being able to do something positive to ease their animals situation.
Nowadays, the emphasis with many veterinary practises is on preventative care and there is vast scope for incorporating essential oils and other aromatic products into the day to day care of our small animals, as well as being able to make up our own health and grooming products tailored to our particular situation and with full control over the ingredients in them, providing it is done with appropriate knowledge and using only the highest quality ingredients (and with a little alchemy thrown in for good measure!).

Please note, this article is for information only and is not intended to replace veterinary diagnosis and treatment. It is your responsibility to inform your vet of any complementary treatments you intend to use on your animals. It is important that you are aware of the safe and correct way to work with essential oils before using them on yourself or your animals. If in doubt, always consult a suitably qualified person. 

For further information on essential oils for animals consultations and education, go to www.animoils.co.uk © Pauhla C. Whitaker 2006.

We hope this gives a basic introduction to using essential oils with your animals and if you’d like further information please visit Pauhla’s site as shown above.

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26/11/2007 by Joanna.

With the weather being so cold at the moment, it’s making us realise that Winter, and indeed Christmas, is not too far away.  When we get indoors, it’s lovely to block the chilly weather outside and let the wonders of essential oils cast their magic.

There are a few aromas that are synonymous with Christmas and using a selection of essential oils you can bring these lovely natural scents into your home.  Synthetic air fresheners seem to be advertised whenever I turn on the TV, however, most of these have to be used in a well-ventilated room and not inhaled, surely this defeats the object ?

To create a natural aroma, which has therapeutic properties as well, you just need to add a few drops of pure essential oil to an oil burner, a vapouriser, a light bulb ring or just a piece of cotton wool (this can be placed on the top of a warm radiator to disperse the aroma).

The scents which spring to mind are:-

Orange, Cinnamon and Clove.  Just blend two drops of orange and cinnamon leaf essential oils with one drop of clove bud essential oil.

Pine, the smell of Christmas trees.  You can also add a couple of drops of Pine essential oil to a log before you put it on a fire (keep the essential oil bottle away from the flames as the oil is flammable).

Frankincense has been used for thousands of years and is always associated with Christmas.   This essential oil is currently our fastest selling oil, even outselling Lavender !  It has a lovely warm, woody aroma and is very purifying.

Myrrh, similar to Frankincense, has also been used for thousands of years and is strongly associated with Christmas.  It is also very purifying and has soothing properties.

Ginger and Lime or Grapefruit and Ginger.  Ginger blends very well with both of these essential oils and create a lovely warm, welcoming aroma.

I hope this has given you a few ideas for blends to use at Christmas.  You may even create a new mix yourself, Nutmeg, Cedarwood and Cypress are other seasonal oils to use for that spicy, woody aroma.  If you have any of your own recipes, let us know, it would be lovely to share them with each other !

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19/10/2007 by Joanna.

Essential Oils are mainly associated with aromatherapy and natural skincare, however, people are becoming more and more aware of their uses around the home.  There are many very toxic chemical cleaners on the market to help with your household cleaning, but if there was a safer, cheaper, more eco-friendly alternative would you use it ?  Of course you would and that’s why essential oils are fast becoming the new ‘green’ way of cleaning around the house. 

 Many essential oils have antibacterial properties and are natural disinfectants so they don’t just have a wonderful aroma, they actually kill the germs as well !

Lavender, Lemon, Lemongrass, Pine and Tea Tree essential oils are excellent oils which will get you ready for an environmentally friendly, spring clean !

Here’s a few recipes and tips to get you going :-

Anti-bacterial Surface cleaner

Water

Squirt of liquid castile soap

5 drops each of Lavender, Lemon and Lemongrass essential oils

Put in a spray bottle and shake well before each use.  

 You can also just add a few drops of essential oil to a damp cloth and wipe down surfaces.  2-3 drops of Lavender, Lemon or Pine are good essential oils to use for this.

Please note: pure essential oils can damage plastic, so ensure they are diluted well before use.  

Floor Wash 

Bucket full of water

1/4 cup of white vinegar

10 drops lemon essential oil

4 drops of thyme essential oil 

Mix well and mop !

Window Cleaner 

Spray bottle half full of water 

1 cup of white vinegar

16 drops of Lemon essential oil

Mix together and shake well before each use.

Other tips

Add a few drops of your favourire essential oil to a spray bottle. Shake well and spray onto your clothes whilst ironing.  Your clothes will then be freshly scented with your favourite aroma !

Put a few drops of essential oils into your hoover filter.  This will scent the house while you’re hoovering and can even lift your spirits if you use a ‘happy’ oil such as May Chang / Litsea Cubeba !  

Well that’s given you a few ideas for a chemical free clean.  If you have any other ideas we’d love to hear from you.  Happy cleaning !

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17/10/2007 by Joanna.

It seems that the use of synthetic chemicals in natural beauty is becoming more controversial.  People are becoming aware that there may be adverse reactions or side effects and the sales of natural and organic ingredients are increasing all the time.  Essential oils and natural ingredients have been used for thousands of years with many benefits and the new users are often amazed at the results. 

 I was very pleased to find an article in the Daily Mail (Femail) this week called   “The secret of natural beauty: Essential oils that will keep you looking younger for longer” .  If you click on this link the article gives 10 recipes for head to toe beauty to help with a more youthful look.  These recipes just have natural ingredients and are very straight forward to follow.  Most of the ingredients are ones that we sell and we are pleased to see that they include lovely oils like Argan, which are little known and difficult to find here in the UK.

 There are wonderful oils readily available which can be beneficial on wrinkles and aging skin.  The most popular carrier oils which are often used for wrinkles are Organic Rosehip oil, Organic Argan, Carrot Tissue, Camellia, Evening Primrose and Wheatgerm oils.  The most popular essential oils to help with aging skin are often Rose Otto, Frankincense, Palma Rosa, Carrot Seed, Sandalwood, Myrrh, Neroli, Geranium and Lavender essential oils.  

There are endless recipes available on the internet for free a quick search on Google should bring up many results.

 If you have any recipes or hints and tips on natural beauty please leave a comment.  In the mean time, we’ll keep searching for the miracle ’natural’ recipe to help us keep our youthful looks !

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12/10/2007 by Joanna.

So did you see the programme last night on Channel 4 ?   Sarah Beeny presented a documentary called How Toxic Are You ?.  It looked at our lifestyles and how we are subjected to hundreds of man-made chemicals every day.  The program mainly focussed on our cosmetics, toiletries and cleaning products and was really quite alarming.  Many chemicals were mentioned and the main ones were:-

Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulphate (SLS), a foaming and degreasing agent, in most shampoos, toothpastes, shower gels and bath foams.   

Triclosan, an anti-bacterial chemical used in most toothpastes and handwashes.  

Phthlates, a chemical which makes plastics flexible.  This is found in many day to day objects like credit cards and shower curtains, however, it is also used in many shampoos, nail polishes, hair sprays and moisturisers.  A common one to look out for is DEHP (di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate).

and Parabens, a synthetic preservative which can come in many forms and again is in most shampoos, shower gels, creams and lotions. 

I’ve been looking at ingredients on items I’ve personally purchased for a couple of years now and it’s hard to find products without these chemicals in from the large manufacturers.  Even products which imply they are natural, often show a long list of chemicals on the back. 

At Essential Oils Online, we’ve managed to successfully remove all the SLS’s from our base product range and I’m also pleased to say that this week all of our products are now Paraben free as well.  None of the base products have ever included Phthalates or Triclosan so this has not been as issue.  

 Our soaps are hand made with natural ingredients and our pure floral waters can make excellent toners and cleansers.  We also sell Organic base products to which you can add essential oils, to create your own unique blends.

All of our raw materials are 100% pure, which means you can make your own chemical free cosmetics and toiletries straight away.  There are many recipes available on the internet for home made products, many of these are quite easy to do and they are all very rewarding. 

 So if you feel like a change, even a small step can make a difference.  Good luck with it and we’d love to hear what ideas and tips you may have in the battle to reduce your chemical intake.

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