While I never intended this book to be a recipe book of aromatherapy and essential oils, I do feel that you need a few blends and recipes to get you started on your path. There are numerous books and resources where you can find more. Another reason, I have to admit, is that my next book on making bath and body products will be heavy in the recipe department. My main objective with this book is to cover the ins-and-outs of essential oils and aromatherapy. When you get comfortable with blending essential oils, it will be time to start creating your own recipes.
BATH OIL
Bath oil seems to have gone out of fashion but it is a wonderful experience. You can use virtually any carrier oil you want but go easy and only use about a third of a teaspoon of the finished product in the tub – that is plenty to leave your skin feeling soft and smooth. Too much can be oily and make the tub slippery.
For a relaxation bath oil, blend together:
2 ounces of liquid oil (olive, jojoba, etc)
12 drops lavender essential oil
3 drops geranium essential oil
2 drops clary sage essential oil
Store in a glass or plastic bottle with cap. If you have used carrier oils that go rancid quickly, store in the refrigerator to make it last longer.
MASSAGE OIL
Many massage oils can be used as bath oil. When blending massage oil you want to try to pick carrier oils that blend into the skin instead of leaving a greasy barrier on the surface. We are going to use a single base oil in this recipe and create different massage oils with the essential oils we choose.
BASE: 2 ounces of sweet almond oil
In the base of sweet almond, mix in the essential oil blends listed below based on the effect you want to achieve:
SORE MUSCLE BLEND: 5 drops peppermint, 3 drops ginger, 5 drops sweet marjoram, 3 drops cypress.
ROMANCE BLEND: 8 drops sandalwood, 3 drops ylang-ylang, 3 drops patchouli, 4 drops lavender.
STRESS BLEND: 7 drops lavender, 3 drops cedarwood atlas, 4 drops lemongrass, 3 drops geranium.
PERFUME
The art of perfumery is an exact science, down to the precise drop so there are a million different formulas you can create. I always use a base of pure-grain alcohol because it is the closest thing in composition to perfumer’s alcohol. However, not every State sells pure-grain alcohol (brand name Everclear). So, an alternative to it is vodka. The difference is that vodka has a water content while pure-grain is nothing but alcohol. (and, no…rubbing alcohol will not work for perfume)
1 ounce alcohol base
20 drops sandalwood
5 drops jasmine (or rose)
6 drops citrus (lemon, orange, or tangerine)
Blend all ingredients in glass bottle, shake well, and allow to sit for several days. Best, when allowed to rest for two weeks or more. You can test right away but the scent will be different as it ages.
HEADACHE RELIEF
Headaches usually fall under two main categories – tension or migraine. This blend will help with a little of both. Peppermint is well known for relieving a tension headache, pink grapefruit oil is said to shrink swollen capillaries, lavender is for relaxation, and ginger is for the nausea associated with migraine headaches.
Place one drop of each oil (peppermint, pink grapefruit, lavender, and ginger) onto a cotton ball. Cradle the cotton ball in both hands and take long deep breaths to inhale the scent from the oils. After four or five deep breaths, set cotton ball aside and sniff again as needed.
MEDITATION ANOINTING OIL BLEND
Certain essential oils have been used for centuries in both prayer and meditation. This blend helps to put you in that specific “zone”. Anointing oils are usually applied using a drop of the mixture on the forehead (the third eye).
In one teaspoon carrier oil (your choice) mix:
2 drops sandalwood essential oil
1 drop frankincense essential oil
1 drop cedarwood essential oil
1 drop myrrh essential oil
Blend well and use as an anointing oil or can also be applied to the wrists as a pulse-point perfume.
CALM SLEEP BLEND
3 drops lavender essential oil
1 drop chamomile essential oil
1 drop clary sage essential oil
Drop each of the oils onto a cotton ball and rub the cotton ball across the surface of your pillow. With this blend, I always tell people to take the pillowcase off their pillow first, rub on the blend, allow to sit for a few minutes and then pull the pillowcase back on. This way, essential oils are not in direct contact with your eyes and face while you sleep. It should last for several days. If you do not want to place on pillow, simply drop oils onto cotton ball and breathe in deeply before going to bed.
ATHLETES FOOT RESCUE
Take a teaspoon of witch hazel and combine with:
2 drops tea tree essential oil
1 drop lavender essential oil
1 drop patchouli essential oil
Wash feet and dry thoroughly. Apply mixture
between the toes and top of nail beds with a cotton
ball or cotton swab. Apply up to twice a day.
ATHLETES FOOT SOAK
Mix together 1 cup Epsom salts with:
6 drops tea tree essential oil
3 drops lavender essential oil
1 drop patchouli essential oil
Blend well and use a handful of the salt mix in a
nightly foot soak of warm water. Be sure to dry feet
thoroughly after soaking.
ODOR CONTROL SPRAY
To make a spray for odors, get an eight-ounce bottle
with a spray top or mister. You will need:
8-ounce sprayer bottle
1-ounce vodka or pure grain alcohol
15 drops eucalyptus essential oil
10 drops spearmint essential oil
15 drops lavender essential oil
Purified or distilled water
Vodka has higher water content than pure grain alcohol but both will work well for making a spray. First, put the vodka in the bottle, then the essential oils, cap and shake well. Then top off with water and your simple spray in ready. The reason for the alcohol content is that it helps to disperse the essential oils. Since essential oils do not blend with water, you will still need to shake this each time before use.
NATURAL INSECT REPELLENT
A few years ago, the Center for Disease Control put out a press release stating that lemon eucalyptus essential oil was the best, natural alternative to DEET. Regular eucalyptus will not do. It is the high citral content in the lemon eucalyptus oil that does the trick. I have found many recipes that sing praises for lemongrass oil but it is a weaker choice when compared to lemon eucalyptus and citronella. However, when combined with them it makes for a much more pleasant smelling spray. We are going to use the same directions as the previous recipe (odor control) to make a spray.
8-ounce sprayer bottle
1-ounce vodka or pure grain alcohol
15 drops lemon eucalyptus essential oil
15 drops citronella essential oil
15 drops lemongrass essential oil
Combine all ingredients in bottle, top off with water and shake well before every use. Spray on legs, arms, back of neck to keep mosquitoes and ticks away. Can even be used to spray the shrubbery surrounding your patio.
CARPET POWDER
This is a basic carpet powder like the ones you find in stores everywhere. The main difference is the use of real essential oils instead of the usual overpowering fragrance found in the big box store.
1 cup baking soda
12 drops lavender essential oil
6 drops bergamot essential oil
5 drops eucalyptus or spearmint essential oil (your
preference)
Mix essential oils together and drop into the baking soda by sifting completely with your hands, breaking up the lumps that the oils create. When fully incorporated, sprinkle onto the carpet, allow to sit for five or ten minutes then vacuum up.