Overview– As usual, please allow your animated helper to give you an overview of the page. Grab a beverage and head to Aphrodite’s Classroom beside the Salon for this experience.
Please do your reading, listen to the videos and then download your
exercises and assignments in your journal.
Introduction:
This lesson will discuss many more aromatic ideas, from bathing to toothpaste. I am sure you now realize how using oils or, better yet, your products can enhance your daily experiences and help you feel beautiful in your body!
Bathing-
Aromatic baths were thoroughly covered in the Practical Potions Introductory course, unit 3A. In this lesson, we review bathing with essential oils and elaborate on this splendid ritual.
For me, baths are pleasant all on their own but become therapeutic and spa-like with the addition of essential oils. You can ditch your commercial bubble bath and fragrances and create your home spa with essential oils and a little cream, milk, or vegetable oil.
Mix 1-5 drops of essential oil into milk, cream, Epsom salts, or vegetable oil and drop into the bath after running the water. Stir the mixture vigorously to distribute the oils further. If you use straight essential oils in a bath, you may risk burning yourself as you merge into the tub. The fruit and spice oils are particularly aggressive on delicate tissue, so use less rather than more as you experiment with various concoctions. Remember, some therapeutic tubs have rubber or plastic components that cannot handle essential oils. Check with the manufacturer before ever using essential oils in your tub.
Video Overview of Body, Nail, Hand and Foot Care:
Bath Temperatures-
Very hot baths (100F or 38C) aid the sweat glands and help sweat out a cold or flu. But, according to Chrissie Wildwood pg. 29, they can cause the skin to age more rapidly. Be careful to test your body’s reaction before entering a hot bath. Cool down the water if it feels too hot. Never put a small child, fragile senior or anyone unfit to communicate appropriately in such a hot bath.
A neutral bath is around (83-94F or 29-34 C). This will help relax the body and may help promote sleep, especially if roman chamomile and lavender are added to the tub.
Cool baths at 65-70F or 18-21C enliven and wake us up. Stimulating essential oils, such as peppermint, spearmint, pine, and rosemary, enhance the effect.
Showers are inherently more stimulating than baths, especially cool showers.
Epsom salt baths serve various purposes: help draw out toxins, aid muscular pains, and calm the body. Bath salts are alkaline and may draw uric acid from the muscles and joints through the skin’s pores, offering some relief to those with arthritis. According to Chrissie Wildwood pg. 29, magnesium sulphate may counter the effects of low-level radiation from jet lag or too much computer work. Choose essential oils for your bath that are compatible with your skin type. Check the skin type chart earlier in the chapter to determine your options.
Hot Epsom salt baths are contraindicated for high blood pressure or a heart condition.
Another downside of Epsom salts is that they dry the skin. For anyone with already parched skin, a suitable oil or cream application after the bath will soothe and moisturize.
Compresses–
Chrissie Wildwood pg. 31
Cold Compresses are good for recent injuries, sprains, bruises, swellings, inflammation, and fever. For a cold compress, use icy, icy water. Leave the compress in place until it warms to body heat, then refresh it as required.
Hot Compresses: Use on old injuries, muscular pain, toothache, menstrual cramps, cystitis, boils, and abscesses.
Add six drops of essential oil to a bowl of hot water to make a hot compress. Or place a small pot on the stove, boil the water until it is cool enough to dip a clean cloth in and squeeze out the excess water. Patch test to ensure you do not burn yourself. Place the fabric over the area to be treated. Cover this cloth with plastic wrap. Leave until it has cooled to body temperature and replace as required.
For arthritis, alternate hot and cold compresses 2-3 times each. Always end with a cold compress.
Essential Oils for Body Care and Bathing-
Itchy Skin–
Use a neutral bath water temperature. Try the essential oils of helichrysum, lavender, peppermint or Roman chamomile. Floral waters from the same substances may also be helpful. Baking soda and oats are both old-time cures for itchy skin. I prefer to put oats into a porous sachet bag so they do not cause a cleanup mess at the end of the bath.
Chapped Skin–
Use neutral water, not hot water. Try the essential oils of myrrh, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, Roman and German chamomile, and lavender. Calendula’s infused oil is also excellent for chapped skin. Use a calendula ointment or lotion to help heal the area after the bath.
Cleansing & Detoxifying Oils–
A hot bath is suggested. Use Epsom salts to draw out toxins. Try essential basil, rosemary, juniper, lemon, lemongrass, niaouli, or peppermint oils.
Infections–
Warm bathwater. Add essential oils of German chamomile, eucalyptus, lavender, myrrh, Roman chamomile, rosemary, spikenard, tea tree, thyme, linalool, palmarosa, niaouli, laurel, myrtle, and manuka. Be sure not to re-use your towel and dab the area carefully. Seek medical help if it does not clear up. Some infections can get nasty quickly.
Regeneration–
Neutral water temperature. Essential oils of frankincense, lavender, neroli, elemi, patchouli, rose, rosemary, spikenard, vetiver, galbanum, myrrh, and myrtle.
Bath Formulas–
To make skin formulas for the bath, choose oily, combination, and dry formulas from your skin type chart to suit your body’s skin type, just as you would for making a facial blend. You may find those charts in the Practical Potions 2 Journal.
Skin Tips:
To brighten skin–
Bleach is used for a mild bleach effect, brightening discoloured skin, and as an antiseptic for cuts and greasy skin. Use lemon juice or essential oil. Patricia Davis A-Z P 181.
Boils–
Place one drop of Tea tree on the center of the boil 2-3 times daily. Boils: Int. J of Aroma p. 9, 1991, Vol. 3, #1
Sunburns–
Put five drops of lavender and 1 cup of apple cider vinegar into the bathtub. Alternatively, put this mixture into a spray bottle and spray onto burns.
Another sunburn remedy uses 15 drops of lavender, 10 ml aloe, 10 ml St. John’s infused oil, and 10 ml calendula-infused oil. You can use it in a cool bath or gently apply it.
WOUND HEALING FORMULA
Ron Guba INT. J. of AROMA, 1998/99 VOL 9 # 2
Mugwort 10
Lavender 40
Sage 10
Helichrysum 18
German Chamomile 12
Calendula CO2 10
Caulophyllum 62.5 milligrams
Borage 62.5
Flax 62.5
Shea 62.5
Rosemary to delay oxidation 0.125%
Wounds treated with this formula were resolved in about 12 weeks. Control wounds were healed in 26 weeks.
Finger Nails-
Rosehip seeds contain prostaglandins, which strengthen nails and increase circulation. Vitamin C fights nail infections and its fatty acids replenish lost moisture.
Foot Care:
Patricia Davis says lemon oil helps remove corns and warts. Two drops of lemon, near or in 10 drops of cider vinegar, may be applied daily. Please do not get it on the healthy surrounding skin.
For Athlete’s Foot –
12 patients in a Romanian hospital were given 3% Vetiver and 10% Litsea Cubeba. Six were cured, five improved, and one dropped out.
Tea tree, manuka, oregano, and thyme are all useful against athlete’s foot.
Footbath and Foot Oil Treatment- Video
Foot Oils Discussed in Video:
Essential oils can refresh and heal some foot issues. Choose the essential oils that seem most appropriate for your healing or refreshing goal. You may use the essential oils in a carrier oil, apply them to your feet, or make an aromatic footbath.
Could you let your Practical Potions Facebook friends know which treatment you opted for?
Peppermint and Spearmint: refreshes and cools.
Calendula: heals hard skin and corns.
Lavender and chamomile: soothes tired and swollen feet (anti-inflammatory).
Grapefruit, cypress, and fennel: for feet and ankles retaining water.
Geranium strengthens skin and improves elasticity and circulation.
Deep Dives and Transformations Summary Video for Unit 2, Advanced
You can visit your Practical Potions Downloads below for more recipes and instructions for your Hair and Skin Care Lab.