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Essential Oil: Orange

Orange essential oil is relatively common — which means it is easy to find and very affordable. That’s a good thing, because orange essential oil is also very useful for a lot of different things! The orange tree is native to Asia, and was brought to the rest of the world by travelers and explorers. Orange trees can be found in groves around the world, including Israel, Spain, and the United States. Most of the world’s orange essential oil is produced in France, Italy, Israel, Cyprus, and the United States. The essential oil is cold pressed from the peel of … Continue reading →

Essential Oils: Clove Bud

You probably know clove as a traditional holiday scent. But when distilled into essential oil form, you have one of the world’s most powerful natural antiseptics on your hands! You can use the essential oil from both clove buds and clove leaves. Yes, these are the same clove buds used in cooking. They come from evergreen trees found mainly in Indonesia and Zanzibar; the tree can bear cloves for a century or more. Clove bud essential oil has a component called eugenol that is often found in dental products. Both clove essential oil and eugenol alone are used for numbing … Continue reading →

Essential Oils: Basil

Across the Mediterranean, people have been using basil medicinally for centuries, even thousands of years. Basil (also known as ocimum basilicum) originally comes from India but is perhaps best known in Italian cooking. Pesto, pizza, sauces… but basil is much more than a seasoning! In the sixteenth century, basil was used as an antidepressant — herbalist John Gerard wrote that the herb “taketh away sorrowfulness.” Basil is still used in aromatherapy today to help ease negativity and mental fatigue. Use basil to help your mind stay sharp; the scent promotes circulation and can help you stay alert on a long … Continue reading →

Essential Oils: Chamomile

Compared to other essential oils, chamomile can be a little more expensive… but it is worth the price! Chamomile is a great all-around essential oil — it is mild enough for use on all skin types and is known to be great for easing stress and tension. Look for German chamomile or Roman chamomile, but get the German variety if you can. You’ll know you have the real deal on your hands if the essential oil has a blue-green color. Other chamomile varieties will show up as a paler yellow color. The other varieties of chamomile do the same things; … Continue reading →

Essential Oils: Frequently Asked Questions

What are essential oils? Basically, essential oils are concentrated plant essences. Some are extracted by pressing (similar to how olive oil is made!). You can collect your own essential oils from the rinds of citrus fruits with a press. Most essential oils are extracted with steam, a more complicated process that more or less breaks down the plant material by cooking. How much do essential oils cost? The prices can vary widely. Certain oils are easier to obtain, and therefore will cost less. You should be able to buy basic oils like lemon, lavender, eucalyptus, orange, grapefruit, peppermint, lime, and … Continue reading →

What Your Nose Knows

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Don’t knock your nose — scientists believe that the nose is capable of recognizing thousands of smells. In fact, studies are showing that your sense of smell may be as much as ten thousand times sharper than your sense of taste. That’s pretty amazing! So how does smell work? Inside your nose are millions are cells that act as scent receptors. We have hundreds of different kinds of smell receptors that allow us to identify lots of different odors. Once your scent receptors detect a smell, they send the information to a cluster of neurons in the brain known as … Continue reading →

Flea and Tick Prevention Options for Pets with Sensitive Skin

I mentioned recently that Lally seems to be having trouble with a new flea and tick preventative we tried. Hopefully we won’t have any more skin problems if I switch back to Frontline… but I wonder if she’s just getting more allergic as she ages. That got me thinking about alternatives to the insecticide-medication-on-the-skin type of flea and tick prevention. Traditional flea and tick collars. You might remember the narrow white collars that dogs and cats used to wear before medications like Frontline and Sentinel came along? Since the medication doesn’t get soaked into the skin, it might be an … Continue reading →