Wax and Bubbles

Lavender is one of the most popular essentail oils to use when you are sleep deprives or stressed, so why not use it for other aliments as well. Your eyes are the windows to your soul, so you must take care of them in everyway possible. When your body and mind are stressed your eyes show the prove of this. With a simple craft of making an lavender eye pillow you can help relieve your stress and help you eyes in the long run as well. Here’s how it’s done.

• For the pillow: You will need 1/2 yrd. of fabric. Be sure and wash it, dry it and iron it before starting.

• For the filling:
1/2 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup buckwheat
1/2 cup dried lavender
1/2 cup dried chamomile *if you are allergice to any of the above, please consider using a different dried herb*

• To make the pillow: Mark two 4 1/2 by 10-inch recatangles on the side of the favbric. Cut along your marks and create two panels. Place the two panels rigth sides together and stitch a 1/2-inch sesm along the edge. Backstitch over each end. Leave one of the 4-inch sides open, so you can add your filling. Be sure and stitch another stictch reinforcement seam around the edge to guarantee the filling won’t fall out. Turn the panels right side out and spoon in the filling to fill the pillow completely. Fold the opening where the filling was put inside over and stitch by hand the opening sot hat is completely closed. If you want you can reenforce this stitch as well.

You can heat this pillow in the microwave for about 20 seconds and apply it to your eyes. Lie back after a hard day and enjoy the lavender and chamomile benfits it brings.

• C

1. Cataracts: Taking bilberry supplements two to three times a day can help guard against radical damage to the eyes. Also wearing sunglass with UV protection and a hat during the times you are outside in the sun can help dramatically.

2. Chronic Fatigue: Inhaling tea tree oil helps to build up the immune system and inhaling geranium and bergamot oils help to combat the depression symptoms associated with chronic fatigue as well. Raising the body temperature a couple of degrees for a few minutes every day helps to multiply your white blood cell count.

3. Colds: Defeat the cold virus quicker with acupressure by pressing down on the hollow points on either side of the collarbone. Raven Sara oil is an antiviral scent and adding lemon and eucalyptus or pine oils to it give the mixture a medicinal benefit. Lavender oil added to a warm bath helps to boost the immune system. Working up a sweat can also help; it helps to rid the body of toxins as well.

4. Constipation: Massage some olive oil mixed with chamomile, rosemary and thyme onto your stomach clockwise to relax the intestinal muscles. Always eat fiber rich foods to help soften your bowel movements.

• D

1. Depression: Try inhaling rose, lavender, chamomile, ylang-ylang, clary sage and cypress. Cutting out sugary foods, caffeine and even alcohol from your diet as well. Taken St. John’s Wort supplements can also help.

2. Diarrhea: Sip on pomegranate juice instead of high calorie sports drinks or sugar laden fruit juices. Mixing together lemon oil, honey and salt helps as well.

• E

1. Earache: Hold your nose and eat a clove of garlic a day till the ear ache is gone. Pulling on your ear lobes about 10 times a day can help increase circulation as well.

2. Eczema: Calendula ointment will give instant relief. Add a few drops of lavender, chamomile and olive oil to your non scented body lotion can also help calm irritated skin as well. Add some baking soda and warm oatmeal to your bath to help with the itching. Detox your liver with dandelion root tea to get to the heart of the problem as well.

Essential oils are all around us, just like with herbs. The benefits of essential oils goes beyond what most modern-day medicine practicing doctors can prescribe, but getting the benefits of the essential oils in your own home is really very easy. A holistic approach to your ills and moods is the main area where essential oils shine through. With using essential oils in your products you can create custom blends as well as products within your own home. They are very earth-friendly and super easy to make at home. No basic knowledge of making products needs to be known. All you will need to make your custom blends is the essential oils, a carrier oil as well as some patience.

Blending of essential oils:

• Calm Alert Blend:
13 drops of lavender essential oil
8 drops of coriander essential oil
4 drops of grapefruit essential oil

• Invigorating Blend:
17 drops of rosemary essential oil
8 drops of peppermint essential oil

• Relaxation Blend:
20 drops of lavender essential oil
3 drops of ylang ylang essential oil
2 drops of frankincense essential oil or can be substituted for sandal wood essential oil

• Sensual Blend:
10 drops of sweet orange essential oil
10 drops of sandalwood essential oil or can be substituted for cedar wood essential oil
5 drops of ylang ylang essential oil

• Calming into sleep Blend:
10 drops sweet almond oil
10 drops Roman chamomile essential oil
5 drops lavender essential oil

• Anti-Depression Blend:
1 drop Rose essential oil
3 drops sandalwood essential oil
1 drop sweet orange essential oil

Lavender has a soothing property to it in oil, or dried bud form. Just one smell and you immediately feel more relaxed with the world and what’s going on around you. Making a lotion to use during these occasions or just having a salve for when your hands are dry. It is a great way to cure the blues and heal those happed hands.

What you will need:
• 10-15 drops lavender essential oil

• 1/2 cup dried lavender flowers (either grow your own or pick them up at any health food store or herb specially shop)

• 4 tbs. grated beeswax or beads

• 1 cup light olive oil

• Double boiler

• Glass measuring cup

• Cheesecloth

• Storage container with a tight fitting lid

Pour 1 cup olive oil into the top of a double boiler. Add 1/2 cup dried lavender flowers. Gently heat olive oil and lavender flowers over simmering water for about 15 minutes. While you are waiting, cover the measuring cup with a piece of the cheesecloth and secure it with a thick rubber band.

Remove the olive oil mixture from the heat. Carefully strain through the cheesecloth into the measuring cup. When most of the oil has been filtered through the cheesecloth, remove the rubber band and gather the cheesecloth up and squeeze as much of the oil out of the lavender flowers as possible. Using latex gloves or kitchen cleaning gloves will help control the oil on your hands. If you do the squeezing with no gloves on your will need plenty of paper towels around because your hands will be covered in oil.

Place the measuring cup in the double boiler. Using a glass or plastic dropper, carefully add 10-15 drops of the lavender essential oil. Add 4 tbs. of the grated beeswax beads. Stir over simmering water until melted. After it has been completely combined with the oil and lavender mixture pour your finished oil mixture into your containers. Place in the refrigerator for several minutes. If it is too hard add more olive oil, if it is too soft add more beeswax. Let it harden for about 2 hours.

This recipe makes about 1 cup of salve

Our hands are the most important tools to our well being. In the garden as well as everyday tasks, we depend on them to plant, pick, pull and haul things around for us.

To keep your hands looking and feeling their best, use this rich handmade cream before and after you work outdoors as well as when they get dry from everyday usage. Especially during the winter, we can suffer from dryness. With SPF of about 6; if you burn easily, use a commercial sunscreen as well with this hand cream. The lavender is a traditional insect repellent. Keep a jar next to all of your sinks, desk, and outdoor faucets when you wash you hands then apply the hand cream.

What you will need:

3 tablespoons grated beeswax
1/2 cup dark sesame oil
1 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoon spring water
2 to 3 drops of lavender essential oil
1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Combine all the ingredients in a heat-resistant container or a double boiler. Gently heat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium high heat, stirring often, do not allow the mixture to boil or it will burn. Heat until the wax and oils melt completely. Pour the mixture into a container or a jar and allow to cool. After the mixture has cooled completely, give it a final stirring and place on a tight fitting lid. To u, massage the cream into clean hands. As stated above, this mixture is a great after washing cream for outdoor activities. This recipe makes roughly about 4 ounces of hand cream.