Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Lavender Pure Essential Oil

Lavender pure essential oil is cultivated and harvested in the Mediterranean today. More specifically, lavender is grown in Provence, France. Lavender, actually comes from the latin word lavare, which means to wash. Since the beginning of time, lavender has been used for all natural skin treatments.

The finest of the lavender species is English Lavender, Lavandula Angustifolia, which was formerly known as Lavandula Officinalis. What is origin specific about this species is it only grows above 3000 ft.

Lavender pure essential oil can help treat skin conditions, such as acne, and rashes. Just mix up 10 drops of the oil in a quart of water, and spray, or dab with a cotton ball on the surface of the skin.

This oil can also help you relax and enjoy a good nights sleep. Take a few drops of the oil, and rub them directly on your temples, and/or on the pressure points on the back of your neck. Then lay down, and enjoy the aroma.

Lavender is also one of the main pure essential oils used in massages today. The aroma of the oil is a relaxing aroma, and helps the persons being massaged to relax even more. Also, with the skin benefits of this oil, it is an excellent oil, when blended with a carrier oil, to be used for massages.

Lavender, being versatile, and good for the skin, is an excellent oil to have in the cabinet. Try some lavender pure essential oil today.

For much more information on an all natural products, visit n2scents - All Natural Products

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

What Is Aromatherapy? What Does Aromatherapy Do?

Have you heard about aromatherapy but really don't know what it is? Or are you just confused about where aromatherapy came from and what it's use is? Lets consider a little about the history and uses of aromatherapy.

The term aromatherapy comes from around 1920. At that time a French chemist by the name of Maurice Gattefosse had a vat of lavender oil in his laboratory as he was studying the healing effects of essential oils. There was a fire in his laboratory.

There was a fire at the laboratory and his arm was burnt, so he plunged his arm into the vat of lavender oil, experiencing immediate pain relief from the burns. Not only that but the burns healed very fast and left virtually no scarring.

Other scientist followed up on the work of Maurice Gattefosse during world war 2 when many soldiers were burnt and also experienced all sorts of other life changing wounds. Research was done into the use of essential oils on burns and various other wounds.

In fact, aromatherapy has been around for thousands of years under various names. It has always been the art of using various oils from plants and the scents that those oils produced for very pleasant and sometimes healing effects on people with health conditions.

However, it is not true that aromatherapy "cure" any disease. However, the use of aromatherapy is in helping disease sufferers cope with their various diseases and to improve their mental state. Whilst this is helpful in the overall treatment aromatherapy does not cure illnesses.

It seems that there are indeed a range of psychological benefits from the beautiful scents derived from essential plant oils and these psychological benefits to assist sufferers of illnesses to cope with their disease. Whilst aromatherapy does not cure the disease it does elevate the mood, reduce fear and stress and relax disease sufferers. This helps them cope with the illness.

And in some cases it can also help reduce their dependence on some prescription drugs, for example some pain killers, sleeping tablets, indigestion cures, skin care solutions and so on.

Particular scents have a different effect on different people. Do you find, for example, that a perfume that relaxes you that you love just doesn't do it for your friends? Everyone has a different reaction to various scents, and so aromatherapy is a very personal thing. And many people apply the principles of aromatherapy to their lives without even knowing it. For example, many use various oils, perfumes and lotions with all sorts of soothing scents in their homes because the nice smell makes them feel good. That's aromatherapy at work.

So if you have a disease that you are confronting, and wondering about the role of aromatherapy, don't investigate aromatherapy hoping that it will be a magic cure for all your ills. But don't discount it either, it can do wonders for your moods and for your emotional and mental state, and these can be no less important in some cases. Aromatherapy can, and will often, make a big difference to how your illness, or the cure, progresses.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Pure Lavender Oil and Dried Lavender Flower Are Excellent Home Remedies For Insomnia

Pure lavender oil and dried lavender flower are commonly used as home remedies for insomnia. When most people think of lavender, they think of scented lotions, soaps, shampoos and oils. However, lavender does more than just smell good. Lavender essential oil plays an important role in aromatherapy, while dried lavender flower is frequently used by herbalists.

If insomnia strikes, place a drop or two of lavender essential oil onto a hanker-chief, tissue or cotton ball and breathe deeply. This aromatherapy will help calm and relax you. You can also simply place this hanker-chief or other small piece of cloth near your head while falling asleep. This even works for children...in fact a drop or two of lavender essential oil on a favorite blanket or "lovey" can help your child peacefully drift off to dreamland.

Pure lavender oil is frequently used in massage therapy. Add a drop of lavender essential oil to coconut or olive oil and massage the temples, back of the neck and feet.. This is especially useful for children and babies who may have trouble sleeping. However, do use caution when using lavender with boys as one study conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has shown an association between prepuberal gynecomastia (breast growth) and repeated topical use of lavender containing products in young boys.

Dried lavender flower is oftentimes sewn into pillows and sachets. If you frequently have trouble sleeping, especially if you experience anxiety at night, make yourself a small "sleep pillow". This is not meant to be a large pillow to put under your head, but rather a small pillow (around 6 inches long) stuffed with dried lavender flower and other herbs. One popular combination of herbs is 1 tablespoon each of dried lavender, chamomile, hops, mug-wort and rose. Place this pillow near your head at night...within smelling distance.

Dried lavender also makes a wonderful tea which is very soothing and relaxing at bedtime. Add one teaspoon of dried lavender flower to one cup of boiling water. Steep for 5-10 minutes and then strain and drink.

If you like taking warm baths at night, add a few drops of pure lavender oil to your bath water and soak awhile. The lavender will be extra relaxing and soothing, helping you fall asleep faster and easier once you do get into bed..

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Lovely Lavender Wedding Details

Lavender is a lovely and soothing color. It combines well with other colors to create interesting wedding color palettes, and it also stands well on its own. These are some inspiring tips for using lavender details in your wedding.

Lavender is a pale purple with a cool blue undertone, just like the flowering herb of the same name. The fragrance of lavender is known for its soothing quality, and the color is equally relaxing. Who couldn't use something to help them relax at their wedding? Paired with white, lavender is fresh and simple, but you can also create some great effects using it with an accent color. For a spring wedding, add touches of buttercream yellow to your signature hue. Brown gives lavender depth and elegance, and for a crisp wedding palette, navy and lavender look terrific together.

Certainly the first place to use lavender in your wedding is the bouquets and centerpieces. The relaxing aroma of lavender will be heavenly in the bride and bridesmaids' bouquets. Many other flowers work wonderfully with lavender. Romantic sweetpeas and pretty lisyanthus come in wonderful shades of lavender, and there are some unbelievable silvery-lavender roses available. For a rich monochromatic effect, pair lavender with deep velvety purples, or mix in contrasting colors, such as yellow or even red.

The bridesmaid dresses will look beautiful in lavender. It is an easy color to wear, as it is flattering to most skin tones. For a summer afternoon wedding, nothing would be prettier than a lavender organza dress tied with a navy sash. This is a particularly nice look by the water. The bridesmaid jewelry can be handcrafted from pale lavender crystals and classic white pearls. The soft and feminine color combination makes a perfect bridesmaid jewelry gift, as it can easily be paired with everything from a little black dress to denim after the wedding.

A color as pretty as lavender works wonderfully for a wedding cake. If you love an old-fashioned look, choose a lavender buttercream cake with little violets made from sugar. For a more contemporary wedding cake, you can create a bold chocolate brown stripe on a lavender fondant base. A very elegant design would be a bold damask pattern in lavender and navy, perhaps with metallic accents. The fun thing about the wedding cake is that you can really let your creative side take over.

Sprigs and bunches of lavender will cast a dreamy scent over your wedding. Large bunches of lavender can be tied with a wide satin ribbon and hung on the church doors to greet your guests. A small sprig of lavender is a pretty and aromatic accent to tie on the favor boxes or to use as a decoration on the napkins. Unlike some heavier scents, a touch of lavender is fine to use near food, and in fact, is even an ingredient in the classic French seasoning herbs de Provence.

The color lavender will be a lovely addition to your reception décor. If too much purple is a concern, just use touches of your signature hue to add character to your venue. Basic white chair covers can be dressed up with wide lavender sashes. Pretty lavender specialty cocktails make a festive addition to the cocktail hour. And don't forget to have your monogram cast in lavender light onto the dance floor for your first dance!

Lavender is a terrific wedding color. It is not too trendy, it pairs well with more masculine colors, and it looks great at any time of the year. With all of these things to recommend lavender, it is no surprise that it is one of the most versatile wedding colors around.

Laura helps brides with their wedding plans by offering advice on selecting bridesmaids gifts,reception ideas and other aspects of planning a wedding. Treat your bridesmaids to beautiful bridesmaid jewelry that is custom made in your wedding colors.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_Firenze