Spring clean your skin!

After one of the coldest winters in recent years we're finally seeing the first signs of Spring. And, what's more, we have the Easter holidays to look forward to! We all know that the harsh effects of winter can leave our skin very dry and lifeless, so I've put together a few home spa ideas that will help freshen up your skin, brighten up your appearance and give you that much deserved opportunity to relax and indulge over the holiday period!

Spring clean your skin!

Face and neck treatment for deep moisturising and intense wrinkle repair:
Place 15 ml of pure Almond Oil (1 tablespoonful) into a small dish and stand it in a bowl of boiling water until the oil reaches skin temperature. Whilst the oil is warming apply 2-3 face cloths (that have been soaked in warm water and rung out) to the area of skin to be treated. Leave in place for 1-2 minutes until the skin is slightly flushed (showing that surface circulation has been increased). Remove the oil and blend in up to 4 drops of Rose, Chamomile and/or Frankincense Essential Oil. Paint the blend all over the face, neck and lips (with a large flat cosmetic brush or natural bristle pastry brush) using upward strokes and avoiding the under eye area. Pay particular attention to the jaw line, the throat and the cheeks. If your skin is particularly dry the therapeutic blend will disappear, in which case keep adding more until you are left with a wet surface. At this stage place two cotton wool pads soaked in cold water over the eyes and lie back and relax for at least 30 minutess. Finally, remove the eye pads and massage any extra moisture into the skin. For best results leave the skin free of make up for the next 24 hours. If the skin to be treated is particularly sensitive then patch test the oil blend near the hairline before treatment. If the skin is excessively dry, carry out the treatment every 24 hours for three sessions then once weekly. For normal skin once per month will be sufficient.

For the ultimate treat why not enjoy this home facial whilst relaxing in the bath - try Potions & Possibilities Ultra Relaxing Bath Oil Blend for an extra luxurious and moisturising treat!

Hand Treatment to moisturise hands, soften cuticles, strengthen nails and treat hard skin:
Prepare a comfortable seat at a table in a warm room and spread a towel over the table to protect it. Remove any nail polish or jewellery. Place 30ml of pure Almond Oil (2 tablespoonfuls) into a small dish and stand in a bowl of boiling water until the oil reaches skin temperature. Remove the oil and blend in up to 10 drops of Lavender and/or Ylang Ylang with Tea Tree (suggested blend is maximum of 4 drops Lavender, 3 drops Ylang Ylang and 3 drops Tea Tree).
Treating one hand at a time (unless you have a helper) spread the blend all over one hand taking care to work it between the fingers, down underneath the nails, into the cuticles and up past the wrists. There is no need to rub it in just smooth it on. If your hands are particularly dry the therapeutic blend will disappear, in which case keep adding more until you are left with a wet surface. Pull on a polythene glove or sandwich bag and your hand in the bag/glove (removing any air). Then wrap up in a hand towel as if you were wrapping wet hair. Relax for 20-30mins during which your hand should start to heat up. If you have wrapped the hand securely then you will find that due to the increased circulation and moisture penetration the skin feels quite warm and looks slightly flushed when you unwrap. In the unlikely event of any oil being left on the surface simply massage it in. Repeat the treatment on the other hand. If you suffer from aches and pains in your fingers (arthritis or key board strain) then increase the proportion of pain killing Lavender and consider adding Chamomile (nature’s steroid).

Therapeutic Foot Treatment to relax the mind, rejuvenate tired feet and reduce hard skin:
Fill a washing-up bowl with ½” coarse sea salt then lay 6 smooth pebbles of varying sizes on top. Fill the bowl with hot water and add up to 8 drops of Essential Oil. I recommend Chamomile, Peppermint and Lavender. Mix with a tablespoon of milk first to help the oils disperse in the water. Then, sit, relax and soak your feet in the bowl. Press the soles of the feet onto the salt on the bottom to gently stimulate the circulation. If you wish to buff away hard skin then shuffle or rotate feet. Next, rest the feet on the stones, press them into the arches, roll them along the soles, try to pick them up with the toes and push them around the bowl to relieve pain, stimulate sluggish circulation and soothe tired muscles. When the water cools empty some out and replace with more hot. After 30 minutes remove the feet and dry with a towel. Moisturise the feet and ankles thoroughly with Potions & Possibilities' Foot Relief Cream and relax for at least an hour preferably with feet raised. Tip: For athletes foot or “sweaty feet” also include Tea Tree Essential Oil. For extra-dry and cracked, sore heels try Potions' soothing Finger & Heel Relief Balm.

So relax, indulge and have a lovely Easter!

Julie

Aromatherapy advice for London Marathon runners

AS runners complete their final few weeks of training for the London Marathon, I've put together my top professional tips and natural remedies to help boost runners’ performance and ease that inevitable post-training discomfort!

My sister is a national level triathlete and fell runner and has run the marathon several times so I am used to being asked for advice on this subject by her and her friends as well as clients via the Potions & Possibilities website. Apart from the practical problems which I’ll discuss below, one of the biggest issues is training and working really hard at the same time, to the point where you become tired and it starts to compromise your immune system.

In normal circumstances, the immune system does a great job of keeping people healthy and preventing infections. Intense physical exertion however can sometimes compromise the immune system and lead to illness and infection. This is why athletes and marathon runners routinely use Tea Tree essential oil, which is a well known immunostimulant.

Tea Tree is renowned as the most powerful antiseptic know to man and has a natural affinity with the skin and immune system. I am just about to launch a new Tea Tree range which, as well as being wonderfully therapeutic for general use, is ideal for Marathon runners in training. The range includes Tea Tree & Mint Foot Spray – the ultimate natural refresher. Tea Tree & Mint Bath & Shower Gel for stimulation, Tea Tree & Lime Bath & Shower Gel for concentration and energy, Tea Tree & Lavender Bath & Shower Gel for pre-race nerves and Tea Tree & Geranium Shampoo for Tea Tree with a touch of luxury!

In addition to using Tea Tree, I also have advice for the more practical problems experienced:-

To keep your spirits up and remain mentally strong during training I’d recommend Potions & Possibilities’ Courage Balm (15g £4.99) with Cedarwood for strength and courage, Jasmine to calm the nerves and Chamomile, which in the language of flowers, stands for ‘patience in adversity’. The balm should be applied to the pulse points as required.

During a marathon, every moving body part that can chafe will chafe. And nothing is more irritating and painful than itchy skin rubbed raw. Many runners use Vaseline in sensitive areas but I’d also recommend adding 3 drops of Tea Tree and 1 drop of Benzoin to every tablespoon of Vaseline to help stop the soreness and soothe the itching. Alternatively our Finger & Heel Relief Balm (15g £4.99), which contains Tea Tree and Benzoin, can be used not only on sore feet but also in more sensitive areas such as the groin and underarm.

If your training schedule involves dieting, try adding a few drops of Fennel to your running vest. Fennel Oil has also long been used as a slimming aid - Roman soldiers used to chew fennel seeds on long marches to ward off hunger pains and enhance their fortitude and willpower. I make up a cheery blend of Lime, aniseedy Fennel and a touch of mind soothing Frankincense to help reduce my intake.

If you’re worried about wearing running shorts and exposing your dimply thighs try mixing our Detox Massage Oil (200ml £9.99) with sea salt (or baby rice for sensitive skin) and massaging into the thighs whilst in the shower. Also, leave out the fabric conditioner from your towel wash and regularly rub your thighs vigorously with the non-softened towels – you will soon notice the difference and save money on your laundry too!

It is a well known fact that most marathon runners go through the “wall” at about the halfway mark – they feel it physically and also mentally to the point where some are know to simply pull out. The “wall” is a formidable challenge for most marathon runners. I recommend a technique that harnesses the power of smell which is the most powerful and primitive of all the senses.

You need to choose a stimulating essential oil that you like the scent of - my suggestions for women are Green Mandarin, Grapefruit or Lemon Eucalyptus and for men, Rosemary, Basil, Lemon Eucalyptus or Spearmint. On your training runs, tune into your mind and body and identify when you are feeling euphoric and on top form physically and mentally. At that stage take out of your pocket a tissue that has had several drops of your chosen oil on it and smell it. Repeat regularly (only when you are feeling really good and on form) and as you do there will be a physical and psychological association between those smells and feeling on form. During the marathon when you hit the “wall” take out the tissue, smell it and you will be amazed how your sense of smell can have a remarkable effect in terms of re-energising you both physically and mentally.

To aid your warm up and help loosen your muscles I suggest mixing Almond Oil with Ginger, Tea Tree and Spearmint (2 drops of each essential oil per tablespoon of Almond Oil). This will not only help warm up the muscles but the oil will also offer some protection against chafing and wind burn. Always spot test the skin first and remember that this is NOT an alternative to you’re your physical warm up and stretch routine!

For stiff and painful joints and muscles I recommend adding 3 drops of Chamomile (nature's steroid) to your after-training bath along with 3 drops of Lavender for the pain and 3 drops of Frankincense to encourage deep breathing and relaxation. If you’re cold after training you can also add Rosemary to warm the muscles and joints. Add the oils to a tablespoon of milk before adding to the bath to help them disperse. Alternatively try Potions & Possibilities Joint Ease Clinical Bath Oil (150ml £10.99) with Lavender, Rose, Sandalwood, Chamomile, Bergamot and Evening Primrose, our Joint & Muscle Relief Massage Blend (200ml £9.99) or our Heavy Duty Relief Gel (60g £7.99) which can both be massaged into the affected areas.

Potions & Possibilities are innovative producers of natural toiletries and aromatherapy health and wellbeing products. Our products can be purchased online at http://www.potions.co.uk/ or by telephoning 01394 386161.

Good luck with the training!

Julie

Dealing with death: Brave Jade brings cancer into the open!

Jade Goody has brought into the open what happens at the end of life, which I personally think is healthy. The mysteries of the birth room are now open to all so why not at the other end of life?

In the clinic and on the website I am constantly asked about how to comfort someone at the end and when they are seriously ill, particularly if they have lapsed into unconsciousness. There are many theories of what the patient can hear or feel at the end however I think no one is in any doubt that there are differing levels of consciousness and that the sense of touch and smell last long after speech has been lost.

Here is one of my most commonly asked questions, along with my professional advice which I hope will provide some level of comfort and reassurance in such difficult times:-

Question:
My mother is in hospital now and close to the end. She is lapsing in and out of consciousness and I am spending long periods of time with her. I want her to know that I am there and that I care for her and love her even though I am not even sure she can hear me. I try to involve her beloved grandchildren but as teenagers I can see that they are uncomfortable.

Mrs K Rochester

Answer:
Visiting a seriously ill person can be emotionally painful and difficult, particulary if the normal patterns of conversation are impossible. In such a situation you’ll probably feel that you need to communicate on another non-verbal level. The purpose of my following suggestions is to remove the pressure "to chat" and shift the focus of the visit from a passive conversation to a proactive caring interaction. This can make even the most difficult visit relaxing and rewarding for both patient and the visitor.

Brush the hair (or scalp if they have lost their hair) with a natural bristle brush or soft baby’s hair brush. It feels comfortable and stimulates the flow of blood to the scalp to improve circulation to the brain and it can increase consciousness. For women, and often men, the act of brushing their hair is a key part of grooming and critical to their sense of of dignity. Although the reality is that there may be no hair to brush, the ritual can still be enormously therapeutic.

Treat the patient to a footbath. Use warm water and use pebbles, sand or marbles in the bottom. The need to wriggle the toes becomes almost irresistible and can stimulate circulation in the lower limbs, especially useful when mobility is compromised. It can also help with muscle and joint stiffness.

Apply hand cream to the hands and wrists, paying particular attention to the palms of the hands and avoiding joints. Not only is this comforting, but it can also stimulate energy points in the hands. The traditional scent of our Luxury Rose or Lavender Hand Cream may be particularly soothing for more elderly patients.

Look to use aromatherapy products that have a positive effect. For many older people, Orange has a particularly nostalgic scent, reminding them of childhood, so add a few drops of Orange Oil to the bath or a body lotion or put Orange Oil on a sugar lump and add to their talcum powder container.

Lip Balm. Cracked lips can cause both distress and discomfort. A therapeutic balm such as the Potions & Possibilities Lip Relief Balm applied regularly can improve the condition immeasurably.

A manicure is a lovely way to help relax the patient. Trimming and filing the nails (they often overgrow in the hospital environment), massaging cream into the hands and feet are all good ways to make contact and show that you care without the need for verbal communication.

Treat the patient’s itchy skin, often a side-effect of morphine treatment, with gentle natural ingredients. Try our cooling Lavender Spray designed for the body.

Read poetry out loud. Whilst newspapers and magazines can be over-stimulating and can create anxiety, poetry can evoke memories and create a relaxed environment. Try something like AA Milne’s “Now we are Six” for nostalgia or something associated with a favourite hobby, such as gardening, travel or sailing.

A dry mouth is a common side effect of drugs and verbal immobility. A small section of tangerine, gently squeezed so that a few drops of juice enter the mouth, stimulates saliva production and can help ease the condition.

Please email me directly if you would like any further information or have any particular questions that you feel I may be able to help with.

Best Wishes
Julie

Mother's Day Thoughts

Mother's Day is always an important day for my Business and I. I love helping people with that special present. Whether it's a small child in the shop with £1.50 to spend on a seconds soap or a businessman buying a £100 selection to be sent half way round the world, I love hearing about their mums and what they mean to them. I enjoy the gifts being sent to places far and wide, taking the personal messages and hearing how much our special treats mean.

Poignantly the man, who having been adopted 40 yrs ago, chose the New Mum Bath Oil (designed for post natal but does it matter?) to take as a present when he met up with his newly found Mum thanks to the internet.

Another incident to make me feel very emotional was the customer finally pregnant after years of trying. Her Mum had spent her life savings paying for the IVF and she wanted a special way of telling her Mum that the much wanted pregnancy had finally arrived. A bottle of 'Special Grandmother' Bath Oil was sent with a hand written tag to say "thankyou". I only found out when the daughter was still buying the Bath Oil 8 years later and came in the shop with her Mum. The Grandma told me that the treasured first bottle, long since emptied, was stowed carefully in her treasure box.

This year Mother's Day has been significant for me. My children now 6 and 9 actually understand that Mother's Day is more than going out with daddy and buying a soft toy together. They made me a fantastic poster and bought me a book token, showing that they had actually thought about what I would like rather than what they liked. I think in parenting terms, that first time when you notice they are capable of seeing things from another point of view and can appreciate other peoples needs and feelings, is as prouder moment as when they first walk or say "Mummy". Read their wonderfully thoughtful poster poem below:-

M for making me happy
O for helping others
T for teaching me stuff
H for helping me
E for exiting times
R for realising (I think they meant recognising) my feelings
S for making me smile
D for giving me nice days
A for being my angel
Y for me and you

..on a more poignant note Hazel the first lady I ever employed at Potions, who used to pack your mail order parcels with me in my kitchen at home, lost her gorgeous 17 year old daughter Sarah to cancer this week. I can't start to imagine her grief and I know that Mother's Day for her and others who have lost children must be beyond anything anyone can bear. Every other sentence included news about "my girls" - they were the centre of her life. I can hardly think of any words to say to her and her husband and her other lovely daughter, who has bravely continued with her university studies throughout the devastating illness. I cannot think of how to help them at this awful time, other than to offer to muck out her horses and take a casserole round.

In sadness I find great solace in poetry and this resonates – not sure who wrote it - do any of you know?

I Do Believe

There is nothing I can do to make her come back.
There are no words I can say that can replace her words you long to hear.
There are no answers I can give that will satisfy your questions.
There is not another soul I can introduce to you that will ever replace hers.
And there is no love I can offer you that will ever replace the love you shared.

I cannot promise your broken heart will ever be complete.
I will not say that it could have been worse.
I will not deny that it was a tragedy.
I will not lie and tell you she will be back,
She never really left.

I do promise you she hears you when you speak.

I will say she loves you no matter what the distance.
I will not deny she is in a better place.
And will not lie she is waiting to greet you someday.

She is every step you take.
She is everything you do.
She is the air you breathe.
She is every beat of your heart.
She is like the wind,
you cannot see her ... but you will always feel her.

In the Academy Mother's Day brings a boost to business and for the next two weeks we are booked solidly with Mother's Day Pamper Packages. It is a sign of our times that some Mums book for themselves ("if I don’t treat myself no one else will"), others are treated by husbands and kids ( we had to ask two 17 year old boys, buying the surgery free face lift for their mum, whether they had asked their Mum in case she took it the wrong way! "Oh yes" they said "she circled it in your brochure", which they proudly showed us), but most bask in the glow of someone loving them and celebrating their status as a Mother.

In the clinic Mother's Day brings an increase in demand for holistic services too. For those who have lost their Mums, Mother's Day can be a trigger for depression and overwhelming sadness. I recommend essential oils of Cedarwood (for courgare and fortitude), Chamomile (which in the language of flowers stands for "patience in adversity"), and Green Mandarin (gently uplifting for the spirits).

Sadly not everyone has a positive relationship with their Mum and often clients describe their relationship as "complex". I think that’s a kinder and more forgiving word than difficult. Therapy is a good place to start in terms of dealing with the mix of emotions this generates. If you wish to treat yourself with essential oils then I recommend Palmarosa (cleansing for negativity), Frankincense (soothes anxiety and breaks the cycle of anxious thought) and Grapefruit (a detox for mind and body). For something made up try Detox Bath & Shower Gel (£8.99 for 200ml) or Courage Relief Balm (£4.99 for 15g).

Guilt is a feature in many of the dysfunctional relationships – guilt that they didn’t have the perfect relationship. Although the responsibility for establishing a good maternal relationship unquestionably has to rest with the adult, I am constantly amazed how many women go though life carrying the guilt that somehow the broken relationship was their fault. If I am massaging or offering an NLP treatment in these circumstances I will always use May Chang, the oil of tranquility and the antidote to guilt in aromatherapy terms. I have many clients who have had a positive result with my Divinity Natural Perfume (£19.99 for 50ml). It has low calming notes and settles the mind.

On a lighter hearted note I like the following quote on guilt. "My Mother could make anyone feel guilty. She used to receive letters of apology from people she didn’t know" (Joan Rivers).Or, talking of complexity, what about; "Blaming Mother is just a negative way of clinging on to her" (Nancy Friday, author).

Whether your relationship with your mother is one of loss (bereavement), emotional complexity or unadulterated love, I hope you had the very best Mother's Day. And, a big thanks to all of you who ordered your Mother’s Day gifts from us – thank you for shopping with us and thank you for buying British.

Look forward to hearing from you soon.
Julie

p.s. Mr RODRICK from London (some men love to research the best poss present whilst others just come into the shop and say "give us something for the missus") and several others asked what were our best selling gifts for Mums were. We are getting a bit whizzy these days with our computer so we could actually look and see and here it is:-

1) Special Mum Bath Oil (thankyou so much to the Telegraph for featuring this – who says the papers only feature big brands – it makes a big diference to small companies like us and the team here absolutely loved seeing it
2) Because You Deserve It gift box
3) Me Time Gift Box
4) Special Mummy Bath & Shower Gel with the Body Soufflé
5) Time For You Gift Box
6) New Mum Bath Oil
7) Special Grandmother Bath Oil with Heavy Duty Pain Relief Gel and a Rose & Cinnamon Soap
8) Appreciation Gift Box
9) Fatigue Relief Bath Oil with Anti-fatigue Pulse Point Balm
10) Special Occasions Collection with Someone Special Bath & Shower Gel

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