There are several types of chamomile essential oils but chamomile Roman is especially good when used for the treatment of insomnia and nervous conditions. Chamomile is another essential oil that is antibacterial, antiseptic, and disinfectant but it is most useful for its internal and external anti-inflammatory properties.

Chamomile can be used when children have teething problems and can be added to the bath to ease nerves and tetchiness. It can also be used to treat burns, sunburn, psoriasis, eczema, asthma, hay fever, diarrhea, sprains and strains, nausea, fever, and nervous or depressed states. Chamomile’s analgesic, diuretic, sedative and calming properties make it absolutely essential to have in your basic care kit.

Tea tree oil is another oil for your basic essential oil kit. It comes from the Australian Melaleuca tree and the Aborigines there have used it in their medications for thousands of years. Although its antiseptic action is stronger than carbolic acid, it is non-poisonous to humans. Naturalists and others concerned with alternative health and alternative first aid use tea tree oil in the treatment of all kinds of infections; for ringworm, sunburn, acne, athlete’s foot, toothache, and many other things that require antiviral, antibacterial, or antifungal medication.

At work, a colleague and I were discussing the band aid on her finger one morning and she told me she had gone to the doctor because her finger was infected at the site of a hang-nail and he suggested she purchase some tea tree oil. We had discussed tea tree oil before because of its medicinal properties and I thought it could possibly take the place of some of the prescriptions she used so often.

Later in the day I smelled the strong camphoraceous scent of tea tree oil and I kept hearing the question, “What’s that smell?” My friend came into my office and we had a good laugh because she had spilled half the bottle of tea tree oil when she was changing her band aid but she didn’t want anyone to know that the strong smell was coming from her cubicle. She also said that her finger was feeling a lot better.

If you are new to the world of aromatherapy, you may be astonished to learn there are over 300 essential oils from which to choose. Wouldn’t that be mind-boggling to have to check through that many essential oils and their properties to find one to help your symptoms? Well, you won’t need to do that because I am giving you information on the top ten essential oils as compiled by NAHA or the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy as well as some ways to use them to good advantage.

Today’s basic essential care oil is lavender. Lavender is relaxing, and also useful in skin care and for treating wounds and burns. It helps to balance hormones in women and is good for balancing the skin. Lavender can be both relaxing and uplifting, as well as antidepressant. If you have only one essential oil in your home, this is the one I suggest you keep available.

Many people are now using essential oils in their home because they know that essential oils are the powerful medicines nature created to keep us healthy instead of the high priced chemically enhanced products we get from the drug store. If you want to start using natural essential oils in your home medicine cabinet as a natural alternative to chemicals, the ones I suggest for your basic essential care kit are lavender, tea tree, peppermint, chamomile, eucalyptus, geranium, rosemary, thyme, lemon, and clove. These essential oils are chosen for their medical properties first and second for their ability to take care of a broad range of health problems. For the next few days, I will discuss particular essential oils that everyone should have in their home’s essential care kit.

Peppermint has been used by different cultures (Egyptians, Chinese, and American Indians) for thousands of years because of its healthful properties. It is a superb digestive, it helps the respiratory system and promotes circulation, it is an anti-inflammatory and it is an antiseptic. These qualities make peppermint oil an excellent choice to use in the treatment of indigestion, flatulence, bad breath, headaches and migraines, skin irritations, toothache, and fatigue. Peppermint oil is very strong so if you’re going to rub it on your skin, always use a carrier oil and do not ingest it.

I have put one drop of peppermint oil in my green tea when I didn’t have any peppermint tea bags and I liked it just as well as the tea bag but it might be something you have to work up to. I’ve used it many times for upset stomach too but I never take it neat, always mixed in water or tea. Lastly, if you put 5 drops of peppermint oil on a cottonball and put it in strategic places in your home, it can help to keep pests like mice, fleas, and ants away. Talk about a versatile essential oil!

If you read the last blog post and are ready to start your natural skin care regimen by making your own facial mask, this recipe is for a purifying, toning, soothing and rejuvenating mask. The basic mask recipe calls for 2 ounces of green clay and 3 teaspoons of cornflour. Mix the clay and cornflour together in a jar and keep it ready for combining into one of the mask formulas below. Or you can use 1 tablespoon of this basic formula with enough of one of the liquid ingredients below to form a paste and then add your chosen essential oils when you are ready. You will blend the ingredients together to form a smooth paste and leave it on your skin for fifteen minutes. Rinse it off with warm water and apply a facial treatment oil such as grapeseed or almond oil. Dab the face with a tissue after applying the oil.

Mask Formulas:

Normal skin

• 1 tablespoon basic mask
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon water
  Combine and use 1 drop
• 2 drops geranium essential oil
• 1 drop of rosewood essential oil

Dry skin

• 1 tablespoon basic mask
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon almond or evening primrose oil
• 2 drops carrot oil
• 2 teaspoons water
  Combine and use 1 drop
• 1 drop chamomile
• 1 drop rose

Oily Skin

• 1 tablespoon basic mask
• 1 tablespoon Brewer’s yeast
• 1 tablespoon water
  Combine and use 1 drop
• 1 drop rosemary
• 1 drop lavender

Revitalizing Mask for Dehydrated Skin

• 1 tablespoon basic mask
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon Brewer’s yeast
• 1 teaspoon jojoba oil
• 1 tablespoon water
  Combine and use 1 drop
• 1 drop chamomile
• 2 drops carrot

Acne

• 1 tablespoon basic mask
• 1 teaspoon water
  Combine and use 1 drop
• 1 drop chamomile
• 1 drop lavender
• 1 drop juniper
• 1 drop patchouli

Sebaceous glands are microscopic glands in the skin that secrete an oily or waxy matter, called sebum, which lubricates the skin and hair of mammals. Sebaceous glands in humans are found mainly on the face and scalp but  you will also find them in other areas of the body as well,  except for the palms of our hands and the soles of our feet.

When sebum gets blocked in a duct that has no surface opening, a hard white lump (milia) appears. Milia, commonly called whiteheads, are usually found on dry skin but they can also appear after some type of damage has been done to the skin. If you have had whiteheads for some time, they will need to be removed by a beautician or a dermatologist. However, you can break up recently formed milia by massage.

Use the following essential oils:

• Bergamot- 5 drops
• Thyme - 5 drops
• Almond oil or jojoba oil  – 1 tablespoon

Use a very small amount of the above essential oil mixture to massage the whiteheads twice a day, in the morning and at night. This will help the milia to be reabsorbed by the body.

Facial masks have beneficial effects for many skin types because they can nourish, rejuvenate, and stimulate; refine, cleanse, and peel off the outer skin layer; soothe and calm inflammation; clear acne, loosen blackheads; and act as an anti-wrinkle treatment and natural face-lift. For natural skin care, you can use practically any fruit or vegetable in your refrigerator and many other foodstuffs. You can purchase a flower water to blend your dry ingredients but I prefer to use plain spring water as the moisturizer with essential oils added for the properties they bring to the mixture.

Clay masks are wonderful because the clay has absorbed the sun and the plants and minerals of earth over thousands of years giving it rejuvenating and anti-aging benefits for our skin. Clays come in an assortment of colors from all over the world and can be found in health food stores and pharmacies. When we combine the clay with essential oils they complement each other with a synergistic effect providing natural skin care that is highly beneficial. White kaolin clay is best used on normal to oily skin because it has an astringent effect. It removes impurities from the skin as it cleanses and it improves lymphatic flow, increasing blood circulation to the area. Fuller’s earth is a stimulating clay that is a soft brown in color. It is a cleansing clay plus it removes dead skin cells. It is best used on oily to normal skin.

Green clay is the best of the clays and it can be used on all skin types. It is good for treating acne and other skin disturbances as well as providing an anti-aging effect for mature skin. Green clay balances combination skin, normalizes oily skin and revitalizes dry skin. It is rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium and energizes connective tissue. It stimulates very gently and it is effective in increasing the lymph flow and circulation allowing oxygen to speed the elimination of waste products.

Of course, you can purchase a face mask that you squeeze from a tube providing an instant face mask but these products contain all kinds of unnecessary ingredients that may even be harmful to your skin. When I look at the expiration date on a product and it is a year or two away, I wonder how that product can be good for my skin and I want a natural alternative instead. That’s why I make my own facial masks and cleansers. A homemade mask takes only a few minutes to assemble and once you put your tailor made product in a jar you have your own instant face pack ready to use at any time and tailor-made for your own skin type.

When used on the body, peppermint essential oil has a dual action: cooling when hot and warming when cold. As a remedy for colds, it curbs mucous production, fevers and encourages perspiration. It is extremely important for its effect on the digestive system (1 drop on a sugar cube or on a teaspoon of honey will treat indigestion).

Peppermint oil helps people become clear headed, refreshes the spirit, is good for concentration and mental fatigue. It is also known  to relieve states of anger, hysteria and nervous trembling and is excellent for depression. Peppermint oil has a slightly anesthetic effect on stomach muscles. Use it for travel sickness, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, colic, nausea and to keep drivers alert while on the road.

Its cooling and pain relieving action seems to ease headaches, migraines and toothaches. Use it in liniments for the relief of muscle pain, lumbago, bruises, joint pain and insect bites. It can be used to relieve any kind of skin irritation or itching but should be used in a dilution of 1% or less or the irritation could be made worse. It is not much liked by insects and vermin and it is great for getting rid of ants and rodents. Peppermint oil blends well with cedar wood, cypress, lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus and pine. Peppermint essential oil is extracted by steam distillation from the whole plant. The oil is colorless or pale yellow and has an invigorating minty smell.

Peppermint is one of the more popular herb teas and is widely available in tea bags.  A small amount of peppermint may be added to most herb teas for flavor. Peppermint essential oil is a must for your essential oil first aid kit and to use while traveling. Peppermint has been known for its medicinal properties for centuries.

Properties

• Anti-Infectious
• Antiseptic
• Anticatarrhal
• Expectorant
• Antiviral
• Fungicide
• Affects the digestive system

I read an article in a health magazine by Elizabeth Agnvall today and she confirmed something I’ve been saying all along. Agnvall’s article listed seven medical procedures you don’t need. I won’t go into all seven, but the third procedure on her list is the prescription of antibiotics for mild to moderate sinus infections. I know several people who run to the doctor at the slightest sign of a cold or the sniffles and demand a prescription for antibiotics. I told one friend that when she really got a bad sinus infection the antibiotics are not going to work for her because her body has gotten too accustomed to them.

Most sinus infections are caused by viruses and the drugs only work against bacterial infections. Using them too often will make you susceptible to more virulent types of drug resistant bacteria. My recommendation is to use natures’s own medicines, essential oils. The next time you have sinusitis, use essential oils in any of the following ways.

To really open your sinuses, use 3 drops of rosemary, 1 drop of thyme and 1 drop of peppermint in the steam inhalation method. If you have to go to work, make a blend of 2 drops rosemary, 1 drop of geranium and 1 drop of eucalyptus and put 1 drop of this blend on a tissue and inhale the aroma throughout the day. Lastly, blend together 5 drops of rosemary, 5 drops of geranium,  2 drops of eucalyptus and 3 drops of peppermint. Then use 5 drops of the blend per 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil and massage around your neck, in front of and behind your ears, over the cheekbone, the nose and the forehead. I do this before going to bed and it makes for a very restful sleep.