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Carrier oils such as almond are useful in making your own concotions
public cookery demonstrations as I do get nervous.
I also use this as a massage when diluted in sweet almond carrier oil. It helps eliminate fluid retention so helps with feelings of bloatedness. If you don’ t wish to use as a massage oil a few drops in the bath will also help. It can be added to soap or shower gels and massaged into the skin that way.
My other great favourite, simply because I love the smell of it, is Patchouli. It seems to envelop me when I wear it, which I have for many years. It was only whilst listening to a talk by a local policeman when I taught in a primary school, did I discover that many people who smoke marijuana wear it to cover up the aroma of the smoke.
Tea tree is also one oil I am never without as I use it in foot soaks to keep fungal infections at bay. I have used it in shampoos when my children were susceptible to head lice and it seemed to keep them away on me too, during my teaching years. It’ s anti- bacterial properties have helped complexion breakouts, I dilute it with a little cooled boiled water and dab it on the spotty areas to clean and dry up spots, though it can be very drying on the skin so take care with the amount of essential oil you use. I add about 30 drops of tea tree oil to an unfragranced shower gel base, this makes an effective after sport body wash for my son, Josh who is at present studying Sport Science at University.
I have never like using aerosol room freshening sprays, I much prefer to fill a spray bottle with a mixture of water and thyme, rosemary and lavender oils. That make the room smell fresh and clean and I feel they help clean the air, but that is just a personal opinion. Another pleasant air freshening combination is lemon, lime and grapefruit oils, they wake me up on hot tiring days, not that we have had many of those lately!
Finally, and most recently, Paul has suffered from neuropathic pain in his feet and he has had some relief from a massaging mixture of black pepper, peppermint, geranium and rosemary oils in a light carrier oil such as apricot oil. He also soaked his feet in the oil combination alongside a tablespoon of Epsom salts.
Apart from their usefulness in many toiletries and household preparations, using them is a pleasure and learning about their many properties is of continuing interest to me.
I am sure there are many more of our readers who feel the same and we would love to hear from you about your favourite essential oils and how you use them.
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