Essential Oils Part 2

There is a common story, which I cannot confirm, that the perfumers of Europe were the least likely to get the plague because of their constant contact with lavender. There is a wonderful little article on the history of lavender that does say that lavender repels fleas which carried the plague, and that people all through history have used it for it’s healing benefits (http://www.auracacia.com/). Lavender is common, but it certainly isn’t the only essential oil. There are scents for every sniffer and effects for every mood, for example, citrus oils are stimulating, mood lifting scents. They can increase photo-sensitivity though so do be careful when using them in skin care products. As an aside, isn’t it just so fascinating that mood-improving citrus oils and depression fighting St.John’s Wort all increase photo sensitivity? We get vitamin D from the sun, which is widely accepted as what is generally lacking in people who get SAD in the winter, and also a factor in regular depression too. So what do the oils and herb above do? Increase one’s sensitivity to the sun! So awesome how nature works. Anyway, there are plenty of places to read about what essential oils are specific for what condition so I will just point out one (http://www.aromatherapypoint.com/) that is a good place to start. I would recommend getting to a store and smelling them though, as what suits a person’s a nose is probably the best place to start. Oh goodness, I guess there will be a part III because there are still fun, easy things to make with them and my sons are waking up.