Scent To Unstress & Heal

LAVENDER OIL. The Power to Heal and Relax

Lavender wins the Mother Nature Triple Crown for essential oils: it is one of the most popular floral fragrances, it is a natural “Bacteria Buster” (antibiotic, antiseptic, antiviral and antifungal) and it has the power to sooth and relax.Here are some comments on using Lavender based on our own experiences and feedback from our customers…

Healing

We have found Lavender to be most helpful for skin problems such as facial blemishes (adult), Rosacea, sores, athlete’s foot, cuts and burns. We have used it to relieve itching and prevent infection on poison ivy, insect bites and bee strings.

We don’t know many of the names for the skin problems where customers have reported Lavender to be helpful nor do we know why Lavender often has a beneficial effect. It is so inexpensive and has a good enough batting average that it’s worth a try. We have not had encouraging reports on using Lavender to combat teenage acne; at best, it seems to keep it from getting out of hand. Nor does it seem to work for psoriasis or eczema.

Lavender can be applied directly to the skin but care should be taken not to get it into one’s eyes. When applied to the face, the fumes can have a mild stinging effect on the eyes.

Essential oils work more slowly than modern drugs so one shouldn’t expect immediate results (a test period of about three weeks is suggested). The amount of oil applied doesn’t seem to be as important as the frequency of application. The more often used, the better the chance for a favorable result.

Lavender, in spite of being an oil, has a slightly drying effect. When using it to attempt to relieve skin problems where the skin is very dry (such as the scalp), try a mixture of approximately one quarter Sweet Almond oil and three quarters Lavender oil.

Relaxing

Most interesting is the ethereal nature of Lavender. Lavender is known as an antidepressant and sedative when its fragrance is inhaled. The use of the oil to sooth and calm can vary from a few drops on a handkerchief, on the upper lip just below the nostrils, in a room diffuser or as a room spray. Experiment.

Some customers find Lavender helpful for inducing sleep. The amount used carry vary from a few drops on the upper lip to misting sheets and pillows. If one tends to wake in the wee hours with events, problems, etc. kicking the brain into such a frenzy of activity that sleep seems impossible, try short circuiting the brain with a good whiff of Lavender.

The comments above apply to the essential oil of Lavender (preferably French) extracted from the plant and not to synthetic Lavender. Lavender oil will last for about two years or indefinitely if kept in the refrigerator (not the freezer). The brown bottle protects the oil from the effects of light.

Obviously, if you have or suspect a reaction to Lavender, discontinue it’s use. About the most negative reports we’ve ever had of Lavender is that it did not alleviate the problem or that the fragrance was repellant.Not for internal use.

Please contact us if you have any questions. Ask for Caitriona: sales@barclaycrocker.com

The Science of Smell

We take smell for granted. When cookies come out of the oven,

When we pass by a pile of dirty clothes, one never thinks to trace the connection between these events and the processes of our respiratory system.

First comes the nose, the entry point into our system. Deep inside the middle of your face is the nasal cavity, which then leads to the back of the throat, separated from the inside of your mouth by a palate - the roof of your mouth.

You inhale..air enters the nasal passages and goes to the nasal cavity. From thence the air (carrying the scent) plunges down the back of your throat into the trachea, or windpipe, on the way to your lungs.

OK you say, I get it..but where does our ’sense’ of smell generate? Up on the roof  of the nasal cavity is the ‘olfactory epithelium’. Olfactory is a fancy word that has to do with smelling. It contains  special receptors that are sensitive to odor molecules that travel through the air. When the smell receptors

Are stimulated, signals travel along the olfactory nerve to the olfactory bulb. This little jewel is underneath the front of your brain..just above the nasal cavity. The ‘O’ bulb sends signals to other parts of the brain to be interpreted as a smell you may recognize, like the cookies or the dirty clothes.

Identifying smells is one way your brain tells you about your environment. Burning toast?! Run to turn off the toaster. Smell a delicious perfume..you’ll be led by your snoz to it’s source.  Our ‘O’ bulb is always on alert, enriching our lives.

And here’s the kicker. Without your nose, those cookies wouldn’t hardly taste at all. Need proof? Take a bite of one - then pinch your nose and take another bite. Notice the difference?!  Food for thought..through scent.