Information page

On this page you will find further helpful information regarding using Essential Oils and tips on massage. Any information taken from reference books will be noted and the author mentioned.

Please feel free to E-mail us with any queries or tips you may have and be sure to come back frequently for further updates.

Although as a rule you should never apply Essential Oils directly to the skin, it has been known that Lemon Oil is especially good at getting rid of warts if applied directly to the affected area.

Lavender Oil is widely used in many preparations and is an excellent calmer for the skin. Try adding a few drops to your skin toner to soothe tired, sore skin.

Aniseed/Basil/Cedarwood/Celery/Cinnamon/Citronella/Clary sage/Clove/Cumin/Fennel/Hyssop/Juniper/Marjoram/Myrrh/Nutmeg/Parsley/Tarragon/Thyme

Q: I'd like to know more about the facial oils e.g. I have combination skin, what can I use?

A: A good combination for troublesome skin (especially if spotty) would be Tea Tree and Peppermint

A: I cannot stress enough that great caution must be taken when using essentil oils for babies and blended oils should be further diluted uless made especially for your baby. Usually only 1 drop diluted in 5ml of base oil for babies aged 0 - 12 months, either massaged onto the tummy or used in the bath - although be careful as you do not want a slippery baby!!! I would suggest that you do not try to make your own massage oils for your child.

Q: I'm in my menopause and get very stressed out. Is there anything you can suggest to help.

A: Yes try using the relaxing oil in the bath. The Lavender is very calming and soothing on the skin and Geranium is a very good hormone balancer.

To find out more about the type of Essential Oil to use it is best to get used to what type of fragrance they are

Green Basil, Chamomile, Clary Sage, Eucalyptus, Galbanum, Peppermint, Pine, Rosemary, Spruce, Thyme

Woody/Balsamic,Ambrette, Angelica, Bay, Birch, Cedarwood, Frankincense, Marigold, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Valerian, Yarrow

Floral, Geranium, Jasmine, Lavender, Mimosa, Neroli, Rose, Rosewood, Violet, YlangYlang

Spicy, Camphor, Fennel, Ginger, Juniper, Laurel, Marjoram, Myrrh, Tarragon, TeaTree

Citrus, Bergamot, Citronella, Lemon, Lemongrass, Lime, Mandarin, Orange, Petitgrain

Add 5 drops of Essential Oil (total 5 drops) to 1 litre (2 pints) of boiling water

For best results it is advisable to stay in a small space to get the advantage of keeping the evaporating oils to a minimal area. This way you get maximum benefit in the shortest time. Place 1 litre (2 pints) of boiling water into a heat retaining bowl and add 5 drops of Essential Oil. Cover your head with a large enough towel and bend over with your face above the bowl. Inhale the vapours for a few minutes adding more boiling water to ensure the remaining oil is evaporated.

You may also wish to add a couple of drops of Essential Oil to a tissue or handkerchief and inhale this way, but remember the oils on the tissue are not diluted and should only be used this way in moderation. Just 2 drops on the oil should be enough to last for several hours. Another way is to place the tissue on your pillow or in a top pocket.

Add 5 drops of Essential Oil (total 5 drops) to 1 litre (2 pints) of boiling water

Instead of using a face-pack, why not try a steam facial to deep cleanse or deep moisturise the face once a week. Steam facials are effective for dull, dehydrated, spotty or greasy skin as they act instantly. As a facial is quite relaxing it is best to use before going to bed and the added use of your usual moisturiser on a clean warm face will be very beneficial.

How to use a steam facial. Cleanse the skin thoroughly. Boil some water and pour in to a large heat retaining bowl. Make sure the bowl is placed on a secure surface and that the height is comfortable for you to bend over so that your face is just above the bowl. Have a large towel ready to cover your head and add your chosen oils drop by drop to the surface water. Cover your head with the towel and bend forward over the bowl, close your eyes and stay under the towel until the steam cools adding more boiling water to evaporate the remaining oils. Pat your face and immediately apply your moisturiser to trap the steamy water to your skin.

Do not use a steam facial before a night out as the steam and heat can cause the skin to look shiny and the cheeks to have a high colour for a couple of hours after use.

Ambrette, Basil, Eucalyptus, Bay, Camphor, Ginger, Petitgrain, Pine, Marjoram, Rosemary - muscular pain/strain

Angelica, Myrrh, Eucalyptus, Sandalwood, Ginger, Peppermint, Pine,Thyme - sore throat/congestion

Add 5 drops of Essential Oil (total 5 drops) to 1 litre (2 pints) of boiling water

You can use any of the prepared blends or your choice of Essential Oils as a Hot Poultice. Try adding some of the prepared oil or a few drops of Essential Oil to a bowl of hot water and place a cloth in the bowl. Squeeze out the excess water and lay the cloth to the affected area until it cools to blood temperature. Repeat this method re-heating the water if necessary. This is especially good to relieve muscular pain and congestion of the chest.

You can use Hot Poultices for : backache, earache (in this case use on a piece of wet cotton wool) cramps, boils, arthritis, rheumatism, tummy ache, stiff neck, muscular pains/strains, chest congestion and sore throats.

Bergamot, Eucalyptus, Chamomile, Marigold, Lavender, TeeTrea - measles & chickenpox

This is an ideal way of using Essential Oils to soothe inflammation. Use the same method as is Hot Poultices but use cold water with added ice cubes to keep the water cold.

Cold Compresses can be used for: headaches, sprains, inflammation, fever, swollen bumps, burns, blisters, rashes, measles and chickenpox, sunburn and even a hangover.

It is easy to create your own air freshener using Essential Oils. This is especially useful if you are conscious of using aerosols or if you have an asthmatic in the household. You will need a pump-action spray bottle- similar to what you would use to spray indoor plants. Simply add 10 drops of Essential Oil to half litre of water (reduce this amount if using a smaller bottle). Shake the bottle well and spray 4 -5 times into the air to deodorise, freshen and scent a room. A good tip here is to spray the mattress when changing the bed linen - this helps eliminate any stale odours.

How to Massage
The best way to learn to massage is to massage yourself. So four of the massages in this chapter, face/neck/scalp, energising top-to-toe, soothing foot massage and anti-aging facial, are self-massages, while the last massage, relaxing back, needs two people. While a do-it-yourself massage is deeply therapeutic, it is not quite as pleasurable as when someone else does it to you. And once you've mastered the basic routines single-handedly, it is quite easy to adapt them yourself and perform them on someone else.

Basic Strokes
Aromatherapy massage needs lots of long, slow strokes and short fast friction rubs to warm the oils and help move them into the skin. Keep your touch light over bony areas and the abdomen, but put more pressure on heavy muscles, such as the shoulders, buttocks and back. The main movements you will need to master are:

Stroking
This is the simplest massage movement, with both palms down and hands flat. You may do it with one hand following the other, as if you were stroking a cat. Or both hands parallel moving in unison in the same direction.

Raking
Pretend your fingertips are the ends of a rake. Keeping them bent but stiff at the joints, and with fingertips touching the skin, make firm, pulling movements back towards you. In this movement you may choose to use both hands together, or one following the other in a repeated action.

Pummeling
Making your hands into fists and keeping fingers relaxed, bounce them one after the other in a fast, drumming movement up and down the body. You can do it with hands flat (i.e. pummeling with fingertips down), sideways (i.e. pummeling with thumbs up, little fingers down), or turned palm upwards (i.e. pummeling with backs of hands)

Friction Rub
With palms down and hands flat, move one up while the other moves down in a short, fast, sawing movement.

Thumbing
Use the pad of your thumb to knead into flesh, stroking deeply. You can also make small, deep circles with the thumb tips or use them to press down, hold, then release over deep muscle tissue.

Kneading
Place your hands flat, fingers together with thumbs wide, then use your thumbs to push and pinch flesh up towards the fingers, moving them one after the other over the same area of flesh.

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