Arthritic hands / wrists - how Aromatherapy can help

Here's another from my question and answer series:

I have arthritic hands/wrists which cause great pain what can be done?

Whatever the cause of pain maintain regular contact with your GP. If you wish to try an Aromatherapy Treatment at home then the following is based on what what I would advise my own clients to help to relieve pain: Lavender Oil is a well-known pain killer and can be used in a fragrance burner, on a lamp ring or dropped on to clothes.

To treat a specific area of pain take the following action, preferably with a friend to help.

Warm a towel & warm approximately 1 tablespoonful of almond oil or olive oil to a comfortable temperature (putting it in a milk bottle & standing it in a bowl of hot water from the tap is usually enough). Arrange tissues & a bowl & 2 polythene bread bags or similar on a table next to your chair. Place the towel across your lap & add 3 drops of Lavender Essential Oil or more if you wish to the almond oil & mix. Soak your hands & wrists well until they are wet with oil & put them in the polythene. Then wrap the towel round & round until you have a warm parcel & rest for 30 mins (i.e. duration of the news or a soap opera).

Afterwards tissue off the residue & gently mobilise the area (i.e. slowly circle your wrists). For knees, backs etc. cover the area with a sheet of thin plastic & many towels. If you don’t want to mix the oils yourself then you can try a blend that I have already mixed. Pain relief & remedy can be ordered from me. It is suitable for some sports injuries & massage too. Also for pain see in the catalogue - Therapeutic bath Oils which can be very helpful.

Aromatherapy and your star sign - Gemini

As promised, here's the next set of star sign information for you from Essential Oils in Harmony with the Star Signs & Planetary Rulers

Astrological Sign - Gemini (22 May to 22 June)
Ruler - Mercury
Colour - Yellow
Aromatic Essential Oils - Chamomile, Sandalwood & Lavender
Element - Air
Season - Spring

Summer Skin

Does the expression Summer Skin make you think “great – time to shed those heavy fleeces and stifling layers” or do shiver with embarrassment at the thought of exposing all that blue goose pimply flesh to the world! As a professional Aromatherapist and beauty consultant here are some tips which will help to get your skin into tip top shape for a beautiful summer.

Stimulate, exfoliate, nourish and moisturise

a) Stimulate the circulation to banish the greyness and bring back some healthy colour into those marble like expanses of skin. Alternate invigorating showers using a rough surfaced wash cloth or mit with an energising bath & shower gel for a really healthy glow.

Anti-fatigue Bath & Shower gel from Potions & Possibilities

b) Exfoliate to remove that invisible layer of dead cells that so often give your skin that dull lifeless appearance. There are a huge range of fashionable salt scrubs on the market at the moment and if you have a youthful, elastic skin these are great. However for those of us with a more mature, sensitive skin then they can be a little harsh. Try making your own body scrub with 50% sea salt and 50% oatmeal (both available form supermarkets). Mix into a paste using any of the massage or body oils avialbel form several suppliers and then apply to towel dried skin in a circular motion using your fingers.

Using your fingers rather than a cloth or brush is important because different areas of skin have different levels of sensitivity and your fingers will give you full control. With an implement you may overdo it leaving your skin feeling tight or even grazed. The oatmeal is very high in Vitamin E which has a rejuvenating effect on the skin and will counteract any harshness from the salt.

c) Nourish and Moisturise. Whilst the skin is still warm apply a good plant based moisturiser preferably in oil rather than cream form . Plant oils have much smaller molecules and they penetrate into the upper layers of the skin. This offers a longer term nourishing effect rather than simply sealing the moisture in.

Choose Potions & Possibilities Body Soufflé

New Potions & Possibilities Video

Julie Foster, owner of Potions & Possibilities, has placed a new video up on their website, www.potions.co.uk, showing you what's new at their store. We've copied it here for you:



The products that Julie shows you in the video are available here.

It's that time of year again - hayfever!

Can Aromatherapy be beneficial in dealing with hayfever & allergies?
M Etherington

Historically the advice has been that during the non-hayfever period “grassy” and/or floral oils should be used in the bath to increase tolerance. Geranium and Lavender are good choices. During attacks use Chamomile in the bath regularly, as many believe that it acts to calm the reaction in a similar way to anti-histamine.

We found the following information at iVillage:-

Hay fever is the most common form of allergy, affecting up to 25 per cent of the population. Airborne allergies make summer a misery for at least 15 million people in the UK and are increasing at a rate of five per cent each year 'Allergic rhinitis', as it is also known, is now classified as a 'major chronic respiratory disease'. Its increase is hotly debated, but air pollution, especially the minute hydrocarbon particles from diesel engine exhausts, is thought to be a prime cause. Global warming, which means that summer starts earlier and may end later, may be another factor.

Aromatherapy - Back To Basics

With the launch of this new blog, we thought it best to update you all on exactly what Aromatherapy is all about - it's a passion for me and my team at Potions & Possibilities, but we understand that a lot of people are yet to discover this wonderfully fascinating field and we'll be aiming over the next few posts to give you some starting points..

First of all, why not have a look at this overview from the BBC - click here to read it.

Don't forget if you have any questions, you can always drop us a line here at contribute@aromatherapyblog.co.uk

New address - aromatherapyblog.co.uk

We are proud to be found at our new home, www.aromatherapyblog.co.uk!

Please add us to your favourites/bookmarks and check back regularly, or if you are a technical-type you can use our RSS feed, which is available at http://feeds.feedburner.com/aromatherapyblog