Traveling while..
Clinical Aromatherapy Blending
Making blends in the moment for
people's needs and acute conditions.
Clinical Aromatherapy Blending
Making blends in the moment for
people's needs and acute conditions.
I found myself in a wonderful place to be making blends for my family who were desperately in need for all types of Clinical Aromatherapy while visiting them in Western Pennsylvania over the last month of September. I was visiting for my sisters wedding. Family came together from New Mexico, and from New York of Puerto Rican descent and also my Native PA residence who are my Parents and sisters.
The hardest part when leaving my how was narrowing down my own personal Aromatherapy kit. Mine takes up half my fridge at this time. The most important part would be taking the key Essential oils and a few empty bottles, vials and roll-ons, and a tiny funnel. I put all of this into a small cooler. I transferred most of my oils into sample, 5/8 dram vials so that it wouldn't be much to take on the plane and I was ready to go. Of course, I had my favorite reference book with me as well.
The hardest part when leaving my how was narrowing down my own personal Aromatherapy kit. Mine takes up half my fridge at this time. The most important part would be taking the key Essential oils and a few empty bottles, vials and roll-ons, and a tiny funnel. I put all of this into a small cooler. I transferred most of my oils into sample, 5/8 dram vials so that it wouldn't be much to take on the plane and I was ready to go. Of course, I had my favorite reference book with me as well.
I had foreknowledge that my mother and sister suffer chronic illnesses of their own and that when I got here I would be the "resident medicine women". I knew that they would be looking to me for the tiniest hang nail.(which I am happy for) All my newly acquired Clinical Aromatherapy training and field study would be put to use.
In this post I will talk about how I blend "on the fly", and how I work using what I have around. I will share with you how my own aroma-radar seamed to just be running in the back ground as I was preparing for two weeks for my sisters wedding. My mind was creating blends for my family as times, to ease all types of ailments and emotional distress. Then I will also share with you a few recipes I came up with for the ailments that arose. Maybe you can in your mind's eye envision the lovely aromas.
In this post I will talk about how I blend "on the fly", and how I work using what I have around. I will share with you how my own aroma-radar seamed to just be running in the back ground as I was preparing for two weeks for my sisters wedding. My mind was creating blends for my family as times, to ease all types of ailments and emotional distress. Then I will also share with you a few recipes I came up with for the ailments that arose. Maybe you can in your mind's eye envision the lovely aromas.
I find no greater joy that the look upon the faces of my family as they witness the power of plants and how they work on them personally and help their bodies be supported and as their concerns are eased. Being here in the flesh to watch it myself is wonderful, as most of my case studies have been off site.
Angry Skin Creme:
The first product I ended up making was an oil/ cream for my Mom. She has some eczema type skin irritation around her eyes and on her back. The eye skin around her eyes get this way several times a year and might be related to allergies and is very itchy, red, swollen and painful. Her back is more of a rash and dry and itchy. Both would need to be treated with oils that would related to eczema and irritated skin. Also, given the high stress levels that I know she faces emotional support would also be in order.
I had to work with what I could find at her local, small-town grocery. I choose to work with coconut oil because in Pennsylvania, being a cooler climate, it mostly remains a solid. By adding some oils it would become a cream.
Herbal Infusion Part: White Willow Salix amygdaloides
My favorite part of creating this oil was making an herbal infused oil. She already had some white willow bark capsules and I emptied them into a small jar. I covered them up to the top with olive oil and sat the jar in a crock pot. Then I filled the crock pot with water covering the jar to just below the lip. My brew sat on low for 6 hours. I gave it a shake every hour to make sure the herbal matter would keep loose in the oil. The White Willow would help with inflammation of the skin and the pain she was feeling on her skin that she described to me as a constant itching.
Here is more on making infused oils from Mountain Rose herbs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e095va7iAX0
Angry Skin Creme:
The first product I ended up making was an oil/ cream for my Mom. She has some eczema type skin irritation around her eyes and on her back. The eye skin around her eyes get this way several times a year and might be related to allergies and is very itchy, red, swollen and painful. Her back is more of a rash and dry and itchy. Both would need to be treated with oils that would related to eczema and irritated skin. Also, given the high stress levels that I know she faces emotional support would also be in order.
I had to work with what I could find at her local, small-town grocery. I choose to work with coconut oil because in Pennsylvania, being a cooler climate, it mostly remains a solid. By adding some oils it would become a cream.
Herbal Infusion Part: White Willow Salix amygdaloides
My favorite part of creating this oil was making an herbal infused oil. She already had some white willow bark capsules and I emptied them into a small jar. I covered them up to the top with olive oil and sat the jar in a crock pot. Then I filled the crock pot with water covering the jar to just below the lip. My brew sat on low for 6 hours. I gave it a shake every hour to make sure the herbal matter would keep loose in the oil. The White Willow would help with inflammation of the skin and the pain she was feeling on her skin that she described to me as a constant itching.
Here is more on making infused oils from Mountain Rose herbs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e095va7iAX0
- Vit E as a preservative
- Coconut oil
- White willow infused oil
- Avocado oil
- Frankinscence
- Greanium
- Sandalwood
- Vetiver
- Ylang Ylang
With in about two days the swelling was down and my mother was no longer itching all day at her eyes. The bits of pealing and dry scales of skin were disappearing. She was using this cream/ oil to soothe her back as well.
Grandpappy's Patchouli Liniment:
Grandpappy's Patchouli Liniment:
Also made in the moment were a few bottles of liniment for a few family members in pain.
My mother was also having a lot of pain in her back and neck muscles while I was here and the easiest thing in the world was to help her by making her a liniment.
Rubbing alcohol was right on hand and a bit of Saflower oil was added, which allowed the essential oils to linger a bit more on the skin after the initial evaporation took place.
This liniment was discovered by my Aunt while it sat at our kitchen table. She is Hispanic and could not read the bottle but had seen me put it on my mother's back earlier. She is in need of a knee replacement and is in much pain. I could see her knee was very stiff and painful and I gladly massaged her knee with the blend. Her elation and relief touched my heart. I made her a bottle as well adding an essential oils that would be analgesic (pain killing) and good for joint pain, and even translated the label into Spanish.
The oils used in both these blend were essential oils with properties intended for anti-inflammatory, analgesic, skin soothing and calmative.
To name a few: Peppermint, Benzoin, Patchouli, Palmarosa, Lavender.....
My mother was also having a lot of pain in her back and neck muscles while I was here and the easiest thing in the world was to help her by making her a liniment.
Rubbing alcohol was right on hand and a bit of Saflower oil was added, which allowed the essential oils to linger a bit more on the skin after the initial evaporation took place.
This liniment was discovered by my Aunt while it sat at our kitchen table. She is Hispanic and could not read the bottle but had seen me put it on my mother's back earlier. She is in need of a knee replacement and is in much pain. I could see her knee was very stiff and painful and I gladly massaged her knee with the blend. Her elation and relief touched my heart. I made her a bottle as well adding an essential oils that would be analgesic (pain killing) and good for joint pain, and even translated the label into Spanish.
The oils used in both these blend were essential oils with properties intended for anti-inflammatory, analgesic, skin soothing and calmative.
To name a few: Peppermint, Benzoin, Patchouli, Palmarosa, Lavender.....
As a situation arose I felt the motivation to blend. It was a challenge I enjoyed and the reward was even greater than I had imagined. The gratitude was something I felt through and through. I have always felt that Aromatherapy found me, and in-the-moment and on-location I felt very needed. Those around me in my family turned to me for help. I was thankful I could do something for them this time.
Toe Jam:
My next blend was a Lotion/ointment for Edema. My sister had been on her feet all day and her foot was very swollen and I could see that her big toe was swollen with fluid and her large toe nail was pushing into the skin. The end of the toe was turning purple with pain. She came to me and asked if there was anything I could do. I whipped up this lotion using what I had on hand as a base: Palmer's coco butter lotion and A&D ointment. Both aren't my first choice for a "clean and organic" base but they would do to carry the oils to her poor swollen foot.
Toe Jam:
My next blend was a Lotion/ointment for Edema. My sister had been on her feet all day and her foot was very swollen and I could see that her big toe was swollen with fluid and her large toe nail was pushing into the skin. The end of the toe was turning purple with pain. She came to me and asked if there was anything I could do. I whipped up this lotion using what I had on hand as a base: Palmer's coco butter lotion and A&D ointment. Both aren't my first choice for a "clean and organic" base but they would do to carry the oils to her poor swollen foot.
Using some wonderful fluid moving and detoxifying Essential oils I made a 1oz container for our massage purposes:
I used 7 Essential oils with properties that were anti-inflammatory, fluid moving, detoxifying, analgesic, healing, and calming. I had to work with it's coco butter scent as part of the end aroma. I took this into account when choosing my oils as well.
I did a light lymph massage toward the heart with her foot and ankle. Within about 15 minutes her foot was looking healthy again and she put on a sock to hold in the lotion and then elevated the foot. She was grateful. I was happy. The name for this blend is one she gave to it since the first thing she noticed that hurt was her "toe". She has a great sense of humor!
Thus the name: "TOE JAM".
Again there was a family member, my Aunt, lurking in the wing as I blended and asking if she could also have some Edema cream for her swollen leg. I gladly whipped up a second batch for her and made the label in Spanish.
What a wonderful thing to feel like I could be of such help to all my loved ones. There were so many more blends I made while I was away on my "vacation" but not enough time to tell about them all. I tried as much as possible to still use all-natural products when I could. I searched high and low for carriers and natural preservatives for my products. I always kept to my safety and clinical dilutions and I carried my favorite reference books with me in my bags.
I used 7 Essential oils with properties that were anti-inflammatory, fluid moving, detoxifying, analgesic, healing, and calming. I had to work with it's coco butter scent as part of the end aroma. I took this into account when choosing my oils as well.
I did a light lymph massage toward the heart with her foot and ankle. Within about 15 minutes her foot was looking healthy again and she put on a sock to hold in the lotion and then elevated the foot. She was grateful. I was happy. The name for this blend is one she gave to it since the first thing she noticed that hurt was her "toe". She has a great sense of humor!
Thus the name: "TOE JAM".
Again there was a family member, my Aunt, lurking in the wing as I blended and asking if she could also have some Edema cream for her swollen leg. I gladly whipped up a second batch for her and made the label in Spanish.
What a wonderful thing to feel like I could be of such help to all my loved ones. There were so many more blends I made while I was away on my "vacation" but not enough time to tell about them all. I tried as much as possible to still use all-natural products when I could. I searched high and low for carriers and natural preservatives for my products. I always kept to my safety and clinical dilutions and I carried my favorite reference books with me in my bags.
Sources:
Aromatherapy for Bodyworkers by: Jade Shutes & Christina Weaver
Aromatherapy for Bodyworkers by: Jade Shutes & Christina Weaver