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Newsletter - February 2008

For many people, February 14th is traditionally the time of year to validate that special relationship with a loved one. So this would seem like the perfect opportunity to tell you all about some very special essential oils that arouse the passions within!

In this months special feature Love is in the Air, we reveal which are the very' hottest' essential oils to put you in the mood for love! If you have never experienced the arousing and passionate actions of these erotic oils then don't miss this fascinating article. After all, it is a Leap Year!

We were delighted to receive some very positive feedback from readers last month about the latest additions to the Aromatherapy Collection. Please do write and let us know if there is anything that you would like to see us add to our selection of products.

New to our range for 2008 is a selection of informative eBooks that are proving very popular, a new Ceramic Burner and a personal aromatherapy Steam Inhaler - just the thing whilst all those winter flu bugs are still going around! More details below.

Our Oil Profile this month this time looks at a popular base note that has a very long and distinguished history; Cedar Atlas. Geoff looks at its therapeutic uses in both ancient and modern times, and reminds us about the importance of using botanical names rather than common ones!

It seems the rest of the world is beginning to catch up with the UK's trend of using aromatherapy in hospitals. This form of therapy has been growing in popularity here for almost 15 years now, but other countries have been much slower to take it onboard in their hospitals.

Of course it is crucial that staff who use aromatherapy are trained properly, therefore a forward-thinking hospital in the US is now arranging to implement training for both its staff and the general public in an effort to raise standards.

You can read the full story here. Let's hope that this is a trend that will continue to spread until aromatherapy is available in hospitals everywhere!

 

Floral Oils Special Offer!

When you buy this fantastic collection of exquisite Floral Oils for £40.15 during February, you will also receive a beautiful handmade 6 space Alderwood Essential Oil Storage Box worth £13.99- absolutely FREE!

And there's more - when you order your Floral Oils Collection online the price even includes delivery to your door!

This 30 day only Special Offer includes:-

• Champaka 5% Dilution 5ml
• Jasmine 10% Dilution 5ml
• Neroli 10% Dilution 5ml
• Rose Otto 5% Dilution 5ml
• Tuberose 10% Dilution 5ml
• Ylang Ylang oil 5ml
• FREE Handmade Alderwood Storage Box
• Price includes delivery

Expertly sourced from around the world, these beautiful oils represent the very finest natural fragrances that nature has to offer.

Experience for yourself the sensual delights and health-giving benefits of our Floral Oil Collection - and receive a FREE hand-made Storage Box - the price even includes delivery!

But don't delay - we only have 50 Hand-made Alderwood Storage Boxes to give away this month - when they are all gone the offer will close.

Place your order now and claim your Free Gift to avoid missing out on this great offer.

 

Love is in the air!

For many couples, Valentine’s Day is one day of the year where they really want to have a great time and show their partner how much they love and care about them. However, many people have a great deal of trouble deciding exactly what to do to celebrate.

This may be because there is a great deal of pressure to plan a fabulous date, or simply because the person planning the date just doesn't’t know how to get organised on any day of the year - and is totally stressed out trying to arrange a date on such an important day!

So this Valentines Day, take it easy! Stay at home with the one you love and enjoy a sensuous, aromatic experience far more intimate than a meal in a crowded restaurant. Light up a few romantic candles, put some exotic essential oils in your burner, and discover for yourself how aromatherapy can spice up your love life!

Seductive oils

Since the days of the ancient Egyptians, fragrant oils have been used to enhance health, beauty, fertility, virility and of course, love. The Greeks and others learned from the Egyptians how to use oils and aromatics to increase passion, and the knowledge quickly spread throughout the world.

Today, modern research has confirmed that essential oils can influence the brain and cause the complex chemistry of the brain to change subtly. It has been observed many times that certain essential oils will produce specific and repeatable emotional responses in an individual. So which ones are the best to arouse the passions within?

Champaka
Also known as Champa, this oil is extracted from the fragrant flowers of a tree revered by the Hindus and dedicated to the god Vishnu. Its seductive and beautiful fragrance produces a celestial atmosphere that soothes, relaxes and strengthens the mind after a stressful day.

Frankincense
The calmness and serenity that this oil instills helps to dispel those day-to-day worries that so often pours cold water on passionate thoughts.

During this calm, the aroma stimulates the senses and desires helping to unleash your sensuality. Almost a perfume in itself, Frankincense can be used alone or added to any of the oils in this list.

Jasmine
Reputed to be a sacred flower in ancient Persia, Jasmine is said to attract a lover due to its irresistible aroma. This oil is thought to help with frigidity and impotence, perhaps because of its reputation of instilling confidence and alleviating fear.

Its sweet and heady aroma can be intoxicating or overpowering to some people, so if you are one of these you can reduce the sweetness by mixing it with Grapefruit, Bergamot or Lavender.

Lotus
A symbol of enlightenment and purity, this oil helps to overcome difficulties in relationships, particularly where jealousy or insecurity lies. It soothes and dispels negative emotions and thoughts, helping to strengthen the relationship.

Patchouli
Deep and mysterious, Patchouli can unlock the hidden depths of your passion! If you and your partner have been going through a turbulent patch, Patchouli may help to soothe arguments and settle things down a bit.

This oil is best used in blends due to its very persistent fragrance, and a little goes a long way. Use just one drop of Patchouli in any mix to add a hint of oriental mystery.

Rose Otto
This oil is like the rose itself; luxurious, rich and soft - touching the heart and our deepest desires. It is the most feminine of oils, with a powerful seductive and sensual action which can be put to great use either as a single oil, or blended with Sandalwood, Geranium, Lavender, Frankincense or Patchouli. My favourite blend is Rose and Sandalwood - its absolutely divine!

Sandalwood
With its sensual, woody aroma, Sandalwood is great on its own and an ideal oil to awake the passions within! The amazing thing about Sandalwood is that it can be blended with almost any other essential oil to add a soft, sweet and seductive note.

Mix 2 drops of Sandalwood, 1 drop of Geranium and 1 drop of Lavender for an inexpensive exotic floral-type blend.

Tuberose
Less well known than Rose but just as seductive is Tuberose, which is literally 'worth it's weight in gold' due to its low yield and high production cost. With its hauntingly beautiful floral fragrance, this is an oil that is worth every penny when used for its aphrodisiac properties.

Like Jasmine, the flowers are picked at night and this is why in India it is known as 'rat ki rani', which means 'Mistress of the Night'. You certainly don't need much of this oil - a little goes a long, long way.

Ylang ylang
Ylang Ylang is another oil with a passionate and arousing action. It is a powerful relaxant that can help to allay nervousness and anxiety prior to love making, if you are the shy type.

Ylang seems to have the ability to harmonise the emotional and sensual part of our being, releasing the fear of sensuality. Some people find Ylang a little 'heady', so you may find you need to blend it with a citrus oil such as Bergamot to reduce the sweetness a little. You will love the result.

What next ?

Some of you will be keen to experiment with your partner with a few of these oils, and you should have great fun finding out what works for you both!

If you are feeling adventurous, an aromatherapy massage is the perfect way for you and your partner to enjoy both the alluring power of fragrance and the sensuality of touch.

And you don't have to do a full body massage either - a back massage is extremely arousing and relaxing too. In fact, often all that is needed is a neck and shoulder massage to put your partner in the mood for love, the tantalising oils will do the rest!

If all of this sounds like too much hard work - don't worry, a blend of oils in the bath can often work just as well. If you don't want to get too greasy, simply add a blend of alluring oils to an unfragranced base lotion and massage as usual. Alternatively, you can just wear it as a perfume - whatever takes your fancy.

Enjoy experimenting with your romantic oils, and have a great Valentines Day. Remember girls; it's a leap year this year - you just might get lucky!

New products for 2008

The first additions to our range for this year is a choice selection of great eBooks, a new Ceramic Vaporiser and personal Inhaler to help keep all those nasty flu bugs away!

Over the coming months we will be adding more categories to our collection of eBooks to bring you a wider range of choice within the areas of health, well-being and self-development.

Why eBooks? Well, there are several reasons. Convenience is a major benefit. An eBook is supplied in electronic format and downloaded straight onto your computer, which means no trudging round the shops or waiting for days or weeks for the delivery to arrive.

You simply pay for your order and within minutes you can download your eBook and start reading immediately. Absolutely perfect when you need information really quickly to solve a problem or start a project over the weekend.

Another advantage with eBooks is that they take up no space at all in your home, so you don’t need a library or a wall full of bookshelves that groan under all the weight! You can store thousands of eBooks on your computer and find exactly the one you want much more quickly than hunting round your house for it.

You can even search an eBook to find exactly the piece of information that you want - within seconds, instead of having to laboriously flick through all the pages of a conventional book to find the part that you are looking for. Best of all, put your eBooks on a laptop computer and you can read them anytime, anywhere. How cool is that!

Conservation is the final major benefit. Because eBooks are published in electronic form they save the earths precious resources. Every time traditional books are printed we deplete the planet of trees plus the oil for fuel to transport raw materials for their production. Then there is further fuel required for the delivery of the finished book. In comparison, eBooks are a truly green alternative.

Scanda Ceramic Burner

Our latest ceramic burner features a one-piece design that means goodbye to the problem of broken lids that are caused by dropping! The stylish curved lines of this timeless design with a nice, deep lid, will complement every type of décor.

Simply add your favourite Essential Oil, Mood Enhancer or Synergy , light the tealight, make yourself comfortable and prepare to relax in waves of beautiful aroma.

Aroma-Clear Inhaler

Keep the bugs at bay this winter with a steam-inhaler designed to efficiently vaporize your essential oils for easy inhalation.

This lightweight and portable two piece unit can be taken anywhere to provide a safe and effective way to use steam and essential oils to help relieve respiratory or congestion symptoms that cause so much discomfort.

Doctors recommend vapour therapy for the symptomatic relief of colds, flu, bronchitis, catarrh, sinusitis and laryngitis. Combined with antiviral and clearing essential oils, this non-powered inhaler is absolutely ideal for bringing relief throughout the winter.

Simply fill the container base with very hot water, add 3 to 4 drops of essential oil, twist the top unit into place and gently inhale the vapours for instant relief. The vapours are directed straight to the nasal passages and throat without the hassle of the old, inefficient method of placing a towel over your head!

The Aroma-Steam Inhaler is easy to clean, lightweight and takes apart for easy storage or transportation. Simple, but effective relief.

To see all of the new additions to our range, plus many other recently introduced items, just go to our New Products page where you can view them all.

 

Oil Profile - Cedar Atlas (Cedrus atlantica)

I recently spoke to a new customer who had previously purchased her anonymous 'cedarwood' oil from a supplier that did not provide either the full common name or a botanical reference on the label.

When she purchased Quinessence Cedar Atlas she had presumed that it would be the same as the oil she was familiar with, and was understandably surprised at the different fragrance. 'Why doesn't it smell like pencils?', she asked me.

Good question. 'If only I had included this oil profile in last months Newsletter', I thought to myself, 'It would have made this explanation so much easier! Oh well, at least our customer helped me to decide which oil I should cover this issue.

Popular choice

There are several essential oils derived from trees that are named ‘cedar’, and this regularly causes confusion for newcomers to aromatherapy and natural perfumery. The two most popular in aromatherapy are Cedar Atlas and Cedar Virginian.

Cedar Atlas (Cedrus atlantica) from the Pinaceae family is probably the most popular choice of cedar wood oil with aromatherapists since it has a broad range of therapeutic properties. Cedar Virginian (Juniperus virginiana) which smells of pencils is from the genus Juniper (Cupressacaea) family and is not really a 'cedar' at all. More on Cedar Virginian.

Physical description

Cedrus Atlantica is a majestic tree with a graceful habit that can reach a height of 40 and even 50 metres (135 – 165 ft) once mature. It is fast growing and bears green-grey, needle-shaped leaves which collect in whorls in groups of 3 or 4 around stems and branches.

During the summer, light green or purple coloured flowers blossom on the horizontal spreading branches, and the male and female cones take up to 2 years to reach maturity.

As you might expect it grows in the Atlas mountains of Morocco and Algeria and is believed to be related to, or have descended from the legendary Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) which is mentioned in the Bible.

Unfortunately, Lebanese Cedar is no longer available for the production of essential oil because during biblical times it was almost driven into extinction due to over-harvesting.

Historical background

Cedar Atlas is a very unassuming oil that lays claim to a very notable history and is believed it was one of the very first essential oils ever to be distilled. It is recorded that both the oil and wood were widely used throughout the Egyptian and Persian empires, finding their way into medicines, cosmetics and ceremonial incense.

Most famously, the ancient Egyptians used the oil in their process of mummification as well as in skin care preparations because of its preserving and rejuvenating properties. The wood was widely used during biblical times to build temples, ships and furniture, and was even the choice of coffin makers. Due to its unusual balsamic fragrance, the wood is still used to this day as a temple incense by the Tibetans.

Distinctive fragrance

Cedar Atlas oil is straw or golden coloured and is produced by steam distillation of the aromatic wood. Distillation typically produces a fairly generous yield of between 2% to 4% essential oil. The fragrance is quite distinctive, and has a slightly sweet, woody and balsamic odour which is often employed as a fixative in men's fine fragrances.

Classed as a base note, the oil blends well with a wide range of other essential oils, particularly Clary Sage, Cypress, Jasmine, Juniper Berry, Lavender, Rosewood, Rose, Vetiver and most citrus oils. Although the resulting fragrance would not be the same, it could be used to replace Sandalwood in many relaxing recipes due to its de-stressing and relaxing action.

Uses in aromatherapy

Like certain other essential oils, Cedar Atlas has a relaxing effect on the mind whilst bringing a stimulating and strengthening action to the body. It also has an effective antiseptic and astringent action that can be used to great effect in skincare for conditions such as acne and spots. Whilst it does not offer the same potency as Tea Tree, it certainly does present a more acceptable fragrance!

Used in massage, this oil also helps with joint mobility for sufferers of arthritis and rheumatism as well as easing general aches and pains. It also makes a useful inhalant oil for all types of respiratory conditions. As part of your regular haircare regime it can help to control dandruff and keep the hair in excellent condition.

A blend of Rosemary and Cedar Atlas oils added to a fragrance-free shampoo and/or conditioner base will give your tired, lifeless hair a real boost. In recent research - together with Lavender, White Thyme and Rosemary - Cedar Atlas was found to be an effective remedy for Alopecia areata.

Finally; many reference books claim this oil has enjoyed a reputation as an aphrodisiac since ancient times, and although is not in the same league as Rose and Jasmine it would be interesting to know if it really deserves this reputation.

Try it out on February 14th and let us know how you get on!

I hope to see you next month.

US Hospital offers classes in aromatherapy

The staff at Central Peninsula Hospital in Alaska have a nose for sniffing out means and methods to best treat their patients and will soon offer a series of courses for those on the scent of a certification in clinical aromatherapy.

"There is an increased interest in using natural methods to influence healing, but we don't want people dabbling in it. We want certified people, so we looked for a program to train staff and other people interested in these complimentary therapies," said Bonnie Nichols, CPH director of public relations.

The clinical aromatherapy course, offered through the Institute of Spiritual Healing and Aromatherapy, teaches the science and hands-on use of aromatic oils in healing and therapy. Students enrolled in the three-class course will complete 240 hours of coursework, create a mini-research project and take a written exam.

'It will be an in-depth and educational course. It will go over the basic chemistry and vibrational frequencies of oils, such as what kind of reaction does it cause, what response does the body have, the practical application methods and how it is absorbed, and toxicity and oil safety.' Nichols said.

The course includes three classes, two of which will be offered early this year. The first class will cost $400 to enrol and be held January 25th through to the 27th. It will be followed by the second class at $480 February 1st through to February 3rd.

'The last class will be held in spring because a lot of work has to be done before the exam can be taken for clinical certification,' Nichols said. 'The classes, which each can accommodate 25 to 30 people, are offered to the general public as well as CPH staff, of which roughly a dozen already have signed up'. he concluded.

Continuing education credits also can be gleaned through the classes, 16.5 hours for nurses and 20 hours for massage therapists for the first class, and 21.75 and 24 hours, respectively, for the second class. 'We're sharing the classes with the community' Nichols said.

Article source; © Peninsula Clarion

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