If I am on-line and you want to chat in real time, or if I am off-line and you want to leave a message with my local IM program, allow pop-ups, then :::
My Sandalwood arrived! This Caledonian variant similar to east Indian Sandalwood is as mature and as nice as the samples I received previously. I could easily get in the habit of using this daily.
"Santalum austrocaledonicum Concrete from New Caledonia, Vacuum
distilled from absolute in France. (Vacuum distillation to
remove impurities and color.)
This colorless absolute is less intense than the new Sri Lanka
sandalwood above. It is closer aromatically to our
Tamil Nadu oils, but not their equal in aroma. Its comparitive affordability and its
total clarity gives it a place in any collection.
I don't use it for the multitude of healing reasons I keep true Santalum
album on hand, but the next batch of Sandalwood soap we make will be much more
affordable, due to the relatively low cost of this Absolute." -- Marge Clark
Essential oil Purchases of the Month: Helichrysum 10% copper free, and SANDALWOOD ABSOLUTE - Colorless
06 May, 2008 02:48
It has been a few months since an essential oil purchase, so while I was browsing the web for a mothers day gift I decided to get my internet goodies in one sweep from all my resources. - Helichrysum and Sandalwood Absolute (colorless):
The steam distilled oil of the Italian Everlasting is one of the
strongest anti-inflammatories I know. I use it in
all my skin blends, and have been known to use it neat on bad bruises .
The fragrance is warm, slightly honey like, rich and buttery, with green notes
of wood, spices, herb. It is a fascinating oil because it is made up of several
layers of notes that appear to unfold during the dry down.
Helichrysum is antibacterial, anti-viral and
anti-fungal . It is a component of my anti-acne
blends, as well as useful in any rash or skin irritation (blended with German
Chamomile CO 2 it gives amazing results!).
The literature and the aromatherapy lists are full of anecdotal evidence of
Helichrysum Italicuum's amazing power when used on broken
bones , stories of doctors being amazed that the break healed in half the
estimated time, etc.
My personal experience is that it can fade bruises
almost overnight, turning an angry new bruise to one that looks like a week old
almost healed bruise while I slept. It acts by having the blood reabsorbed into
the tissue, thus removing the discoloration and the pain caused by pressure on
the nerves.
According to Dr. Christoph Streicher, Helichrysum is useful in treating heart
palpitations, irregular heartbeat and risk of stroke. Blended with Ylang Ylang
it is useful in treating high blood pressure. Dr. Streicher, along with many
other authorities, also states that Helichrysum, in a base of
Rose Hip Seed Oil will
fade older scars.
Any blend created for arthritis, bruising, or scarring needs Helichrysum. One
client writes that it is very effective in easing the pain of Carpal Tunnel
Syndrome. She applies a weak dilution when the pain starts, and within about 10
minutes the pain is gone for hours. (Not sure that relieving the pain and
continuing the same activities that caused the pain is wise, but that is a
matter of personal choice.)
Mentally, it is very supportive and comforting. It is believed by some to
open the right side of the brain and improve creativity as well as
increase dream activity. I also use it in a meditation blend to encourage
spirituality and personal growth.
Again, according to Dr. Streicher, emotionally it can help an individual get
in touch with unresolved feelings, emotions that have been denied and/or buried.
It is also helpful in restoring memories that have been buried deep in the past.
Dr. Streicher recommends it in psychotherapy to aid a patient in dealing with
emotions. It helps release defense mechanisms and offers
comfort in processing these emotional traumas. A client who is a
psychotherapist uses a blend of Helichrysum and Jasmine Sambac for helping her
clients deal with their pasts.
This oil can have very profound spiritual and emotional
effects .It is considered by some to be one of the 'sacred' oils.
There are other species of Helichrysum. It is grown in several
different countries. In the past we have offered others. We no longer do so,
because even though the price is lower, and we can pass the savings on to you,
we have not found that any Helichrysum, other than Corsican, offers the amazing
healing benefits of true Corsican Helichrysum Essential Oil.
BLENDS WITH: Boronia, Chamomile, all
Citrus oils, Clary Sage, Clove, Cypress, Geranium, Lavender, Mimosa, Neroli,
Oakmoss, Patchouli, Rose, and Vetiver. Use with Rose Hip Seed Oil for fading
surgical and burn scars." -- Marge Clark [Link Here]
I also ordered a bottle of Colorless Sandalwood Absolute. I received a couple samples of this, and have posted a message or two about this very beautiful oil in the past.
It has a high amount of alpha-santalol giving it a deep and complex aroma experience when applying it in a diffuser or diluted on the skin. GC/MS Analysis can be found here [262-sandalwood absolute_ lot 6822GC.pdf], and the product page can also be [found here].
If you want to experience a high aromatically satisfying Sandalwood at a small price, I would suggest this distillation.
Sage essential oil as an alternative to Wormwood, clinical properties of Thuja, Absinthe and y-aminobutyric acid receptors
30 March, 2008 14:50
In relation to (sage essential oil as an alternative to wormwood), I have a couple resources you may find in interest related to Wormwood - Absinthe, following my Blog post text about Thujone displayed here:
"Wormwood essential oil is hard to come by. Most often you have to
import the oil from another country and hope the FDA doesn't take it
has a digestible substance. The reason for this, or the feature is
absinthe.
This word meaning 'undrinkable' in Greek is an elixir
containing the chemical thujone. Thujone is known as a psychoactive
drug causing hallucinations and addiction. Current research concludes
that thujone is a GABA antagonist. Although it was banned in the
united states by the FDA, (I am uncertain about DEA regulations) with
no evidence to conclude such, thujone can be found in many other
readily available essential oils.
Sage essential oil can contain
as much as 50% thujone, however the FDA considers this a safe additive
to food products and cosmetics. Anis and Florence fennel also contain
thujone and readily available to US consumers.
Sage essential oil
is used as a food additive in Vermouth for flavoring. Sage, as used by
an aromatherapist can help treat stress related symptoms and act as a
cerebral sedative. Sage should be used with care however, because of
the large amount of thujone it contains. Thujone in large quantities
is toxic, (causing renal failure and death) and any oil that contains
thujone should be used with care.
Sage in conjunction with
niacin, ginko biloba, or other herbs that improve circulation through
vasodilation is known to help treat symptoms of Schizophrenia and other
mental disorders. Sage, and other camphor chemotypes can also have
strong adverse reactions with those prown to epileptic seizures." -- My Blog post dated March the 2nd of 2007
"..thujone is found
in plants of the Thuja genus, which is arborvitae and cedar. They are in the conifer family Cupressa-cae, which also includes Juniperus (the source of gin), and nutmeg; the related Tsuga genus is hemlock (a well-known poison).
The newly noted connection with GABAA receptor channel antagonism should not be surprising in light of previous observations..."
-- Absinthe and y-aminobutyric acid receptors Richard W. Olsen* Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology,
University of California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
90095-1735: This is a link to the PDF file.
"Arbor vitae (Thuja occidentalis L.) is a native European tree widely used in homeopathy and evidence-based
phytotherapy. Many reviews and monographs have been published on the herbal substance’s descrip-
tion, mode of action and clinical use. However, no comprehensive evidence-based review is available.
Therefore, our aim was to search MEDLINE databases and survey manufacturers for further details or
unpublished data. This review presents the botany, ethnobotany and phytochemistry, especially the
different contents of essential oil (Thujone) in relation to different extraction procedures of this medic-
inal plant. Thuja’s antiviral action and immunopharmacological potential, such as stimulatory and
co-stimulatory effects on cytokine and antibody production and activation of macrophages and other
immunocompetent cells, have been evaluated in numerous in vitro and in vivo investigations. Although
no controlled trials have been conducted on Thuja occ alone, many clinical studies have been performed
with a herbal medicinal product containing a special extract of Thuja occ and other immunostimulants,
demonstrating its therapeutic efficacy and safety in respiratory tract infections."
-- Thuja occidentalis (Arbor vitae): A Review of its Pharmaceutical, Pharmacological and Clinical Properties, Belal Naser, Cornelia Bodinet, Martin Tegtmeier and Ulrike Lindequist: This is a link to the PDF file.
I often use Wormwood essential oil, which I was once afraid of, to ease stomach pains, muscle tension, and anxiety. If it is not an Absinthe drink, their are a lot of safe uses that responsible, medically uneducated, yet aware people can take advantage of.
It does a beautiful job of diffusing oils within an office sized area.
Warming of the oils takes just a few seconds.
It is small, transportable, and re-usable (as of my first findings)
However, these are my concerns:
The bottom of the adapter gets VERY hot - to the point of touch tollerance.
It does not have USB slot grips, making it easy to slide out or have open power connections.
I have yet to figure out what type of pad holds the oil, or if it is replaceable, or just plastic like 95% of the components make-up.
So far I am enjoying it, but I will be keeping an eye on it for a few more hours. Like I said, this gadget gets HOT. On the brightest side, it diffuses the oils at a lower, top placement of oil, temperature.
Thumbs up, and I will be sure to post if I find it thumbs down.
USB Essential Oil Key Drive - It will arrive soon, and a review to follow! Here are the specs.
01 March, 2008 18:17
This gadget is $7.00, $10.00 after shipping. It is powered by a USB port, it is the size of a key drive, and it diffuses essential oils and fragrance oils.
I could hardly pass up an aromatherapist geek device. When it arrives, I will give it a full review.
Here are the specifications of my blue fire starter looking new USB gadget:
Features & Specification:
Powered by USB, no driver required
Diffuse fragrance oil with your computer
Drop fragrance oil in the cross-shaped hole
3 to 5 drops are enough for operating all day long
Mini size for a discrete use
Size: 66mm x 22mm x 7mm
Weight: 4g
Contents:
USB Fragrance Oil Drive
Fragrance Oil
User Manual
Scent:
Rose - Red
Peppermint - Green
Jasmine - Orange (Temporary Out of Stock)
Lavender - Blue
Random Thought :I think it may come in handy for hamper, my server I have Blogged about a couple times. It sits in the area of my closet with my stack of dirty clothes. I can not expect this to fill a room - maybe an area next to a computer however. We will see.
The beginning of my passion for Sandalwood started from finding that this oil, and Frankincense contain sesquiterpenes.
Sesquiterpenes increase the oxygen in the brain up to 28% and is known to pass the blood brain barrier oxygenating the penal and pituitary glands.
If you have never sampled true Sandalwood, here is a link to a vial, somewhat adulterated, but a very intense and spiritual aroma at an affordable price (Sandalwood Absolute).
