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Aromahead's April Newsletter
From Andrea
 Hi,
When you’re a parent or caretaker for children, nothing feels better than being able to support their health naturally—when they come to you with a cut or scrape or bruise, or if they have the sniffles, and you know just what to do to help them and “make it all better.”
Essential oils to the rescue!
From bruise oil to sunburn relief to easing the pain of a bug bite or sting, essential oils help us be there for our kids. I’ll share a few useful recipes in this newsletter, and you can find even more on The Aromahead Blog and in my book, The Heart of Aromatherapy (where every single recipe is published with a kid-friendly version!)
At Aromahead, we like to take a special approach to using essential oils for kids. We call it The Aromahead Approach.
Kids are smaller than grown-ups, and their systems tend to be more responsive . . . that’s why The Aromahead Approach calls for using less essential oil overall for them. And for babies and very little kids, we sometimes don’t include essential oils at all—hydrosols, butters, and carriers can often give them the nudge they need to rebalance their health. (You’ll see an example of that in the “On the Aromahead Blog” section, where I share a natural diaper rash cream with cocoa butter.)
Have fun making these recipes!
Love,
Andrea
A Recipe for You: Thyme's "Everything but the Sink" Hand Cleanser
 If you spend time taking care of children, you might have noticed that their hands can get a little dirty. You want them to have fun and explore the world . . . but you definitely want them to be healthy and germ-free while they do it!
So it helps to carry a sink and bar of soap around. Any time kids’ hands get dirty, just set up your sink where it won’t get in the way of other people and have the child wash their hands.
Just kidding! You can use a convenient, alcohol-free hand cleanser! I want to share a hand cleanser recipe made with aloe vera gel and essential oils that can get children’s hands clean and germ free even if you don’t have soap and water nearby. This recipe comes from my book, The Heart of Aromatherapy.
Thyme’s “Everything but the Sink” Hand Cleanser (for kids five and older)
Thyme loves washing its hands frequently to reduce infections. This recipe has everything it needs (except the sink!) to cleanse and care for its hands while it’s running around town.
- 1 oz (28 g) aloe vera gel (Aloe barbadensis)
- 3 drops Thyme ct. linalool (Thymus vulgaris ct. linalool)
- 1 drop Lemon (Citrus limon)
- 2 drops Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)
Make this blend in a 1 oz (30 ml) bottle with a flip-top. To use it, shake out a few drops into the child’s palm and have them rub their hands together.
For kids younger than five, I like to use a blend that’s made with just hydrosols. They’re so gentle and nourishing! You can make this blend in a 2 oz (60 ml) PET plastic spray bottle. (PET plastic is known to be a non-reactive plastic that doesn’t leach.)
Happy Hands Hydrosol Blend
- 1 oz (30 ml) Lavender hydrosol (Lavandula angustifolia)
- 1 oz (30 ml) Tea Tree hydrosol (Melaleuca alternifolia)
Spray little hands with this blend, then wipe them clean with a paper towel until you have a chance to wash up with soap and water.
On the Aromahead Blog: Why I Love Cocoa Butter for Natural Diaper Rash
 Cocoa butter nourishes tender skin so well, it’s perfect in a homemade, natural diaper rash butter!
People tend to fall in love with cocoa butter.
That’s because it’s an all-natural carrier butter that’s gentle and deeply nourishing, and it blends beautifully into homemade body butters and creams.
And also because cocoa butter smells like chocolate! (That’s enough to make anyone fall in love a little!)
More from the Aromahead Blog
Our Aromatherapy World: 21 Drops
I can remember when my friend Cary Castor was an Aromahead student . . .
Now she has built an impressive Aromatherapy company— 21 Drops! She’s been featured in Marie Claire, Vogue, InStyle, and “O” the Oprah Magazine. Her products are sold in places like spas and boutiques, including the Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. And they’re now being sold in Costco, too! (Wow, congratulations Cary!)
Cary sells a “core” line of products that include 21 different roll-on blends with simple, descriptive titles like “Immunity,” “Sleep,” and “Digest.” It’s easy to see what each blend is for and to choose the ones that are right for you. Her oils are all GC/MS tested and 100% organic. 21 Drops has branched out and now sells things like diffusers, diffuser blends, sample packs, and bug spray.
21 Drops also gives back . . . this is a sweet quote from their website:
“At 21 Drops, we try to ‘give more to the world than we take from it.’ We feel that it is our duty to help preserve the Earth and all of its beautiful beings. One of the ways we live this is by contributing to like-minded organizations who are on a similar mission.”
They donate to The Sierra Club Foundation, the American Botanical Council, and more.
Essential Oil Spotlight: Yuzu Essential Oil
 Yuzu (Citrus junos) is a citrus fruit that’s primarily grown in Japan, where it’s very popular. It resembles a small orange, but the rind is not as smooth.
Yuzu’s aroma is unmistakably citrus, and it also has floral notes that help it stand out from the crowd and put a new, complex twist on the familiar citrus fragrance. In this Essential Oil Spotlight, I’ll share some ways you can “use Yuzu” (haha, it’s fun to say that!), such as shower gel, foam soap, and bath salts.
These recipes let different aspects of Yuzu's personality shine, from its relaxing side to its more vibrant, optimistic notes. Yuzu is one of those essential oils (like Orange) that manages to be versatile, and is a good friend in both the daytime and evenings. Let's start with one of its favorite daytime blends for getting your energy going . . .
Business Tip: Clipart.com
 Do you know what clipart is? Clipart (or clip art) is online images made by graphic designers and artists that you can copy and paste into your own work—it’s useful for newsletters, blogs, making infographics, creating memes, and more.
I want to tell you about Clipart.com, which says they have the largest collection of royalty-free clipart images online. You can “subscribe” to their site and have access to all of the images . . . but Clipart.com knows that you might not need clipart all the time, and might just be doing a short-term project. So they have “subscriptions” that last 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. They also offer special pricing for people who really do use a lot of clipart, like schools and teachers.
Aromahead Video: A Natural Way to Help Calm Children
 Using inhalers with essential oils can be a great way for kids (from five to twelve years old) to calm themselves down.
When kids get anxious or can’t sleep, using their inhaler is something they can do themselves that they don’t have to ask permission for, so it’s very empowering. It’s also fun to let kids pick the color of their inhaler, so it’s even more their own!
If you’ve never used an essential oil inhaler, you can see me demonstrate at 2:22. Kids have no problems using them.
Watch the video and enjoy the recipe!
These recipes can get you started on making your own natural “first-aid kit” for kids. Just be sure to keep your essential oils themselves out of children’s reach. (Kids love things that smell good, and we don’t want them accidentally ingesting any essential oils.)
Love,
Andrea
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Aromahead Institute P.O. Box 1853 St Petersburg Florida 33731 United States (727)469-3134
© Black and Butje, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Hi,
The dictionary defines “swell” in a few different ways . . .
- (Especially of a part of the body) becoming larger or rounder in size, typically as a result of an accumulation of fluid.
- A slow, regular movement of the sea, in rolling waves that do not break.
- Excellent; very good.
If you’re experiencing “swell” definition number 1, it may not be easy to experience “swell” definition number 3.
Bergamot Mint essential oil can help you get there! It’s often used to ease pain and usher swelling out of an area, gently and effectively. Using a lotion with Bergamot Mint can help reduce swelling in fingers (so you can get your rings off!), and you can make a salve or oil with it to ease pain and swelling around an area of injury (such as a twisted ankle).
This is a recipe for a “Swell Gel” that you can use on hands, feet, joints, and muscles. Then you’ll feel like the third definition of swell!
(And maybe you can even go to the beach and watch the waves swell . . . haha, I could not resist that suggestion!)
Bergamot Mint’s Swell Gel
- 1 oz (28 g) aloe vera gel (Aloe barbadensis)
- 5 drops Bergamot Mint (Mentha citrata)
- 7 drops Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens)
- 3 drops Juniper (Juniperus communis)
- 3 drops Geranium (Pelargonium × asperum)
Make this blend in a 1 oz (30 ml) glass bottle. Combine the aloe vera gel and essential oils, shake well, and rub into areas that feel swollen and uncomfortable.
I suggest making a fresh bottle of this every few weeks, because aloe is a water-based ingredient, and there are no preservatives added in this blend.
Another essential oil that’s excellent for reducing swelling and pain is Sweet Orange ( Citrus sinensis). Its aroma inspires relaxed, uplifted feelings—much like Bergamot Mint’s—and offers a lot of similar benefits for skin, muscles, and respiratory support. You can read more about Sweet Orange in its Spotlight on The Aromahead Blog (there are four recipes in the Spotlight!).
Enjoy feeling swell!
Love,
Andrea
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Aromahead Institute P.O. Box 1853 St Petersburg Florida 33731 United States (727)469-3134
© Black and Butje, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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