Author Archives: roseanne Smith
November 15, 2019
Things I’ve learned about sleep since launching my REST Oil
I was at a conference in the Royal Marsden Hospital in London last month. It was looking at the benefits of using aromatherapy in clinical settings. One of the clinicians started his presentation by saying the the most important medicine is sleep.
His comment got me thinking about everything I’ve read about sleep throughout my life but especially since I launched my REST oil. Read on below to find out a few interesting things that have stood out for me.
September 26, 2019
Essential Oils to help runners
With Dublin Marathon on the horizon here I have been thinking about ways that essential oils can help runners. Here is a selection to support those of you who have got the running bug.
You can’t miss them along the coast and in all the beautiful parks in Dublin City at the moment. The runners. All shapes and sizes and all speeds. On their own or in groups, pounding the pavement, putting in the time on their feet in preparation for the main event here in Dublin. Taking place on October Bank Holiday weekend I thought now would be a good time to share some of my favourite ways for runners to use essential oils to soothe muscles, relieve anxiety and keep your skin in tip top condition.
September 18, 2019
10 *Essential* Essential Oils For Your Home
I have been asked many times if I had to choose a selection of botanical oils, say a top three, which oils would I consider essential for everyday life. Well, that is so hard to do… I could not pick just three! If I had to narrow it down to the ten oils that I would always keep in my home these are the ten I would choose and why. Of course, I have many more but let’s start with these ones…
June 6, 2019
The Botanical Armour Kitchen Cleaning Spray
Would you like an antibacterial, mood boosting, stress relieving, memory enhancing and gorgeous, fresh smelling kitchen cleaning spray? Yes please!
I’ve written before about using essential oils in sprays, both for very specific purposes. One spray I shared last December creates seasonal aromas in your home, and a welcoming and calming atmosphere. The second, an energising and clearing car spray, will fill your car with scents to help you get where you are going in healthy and happy form.
This next spray that I’d like to share with you is one that I use everyday around the home. It’s a kitchen cleaning spray. All you’ll need to make this surface spray is a clean, used, spray gun bottle, some water and four easy-to-find essential oils. Read more
March 27, 2019
The Spring Clean: A car spray to get you there healthy and happy
Winter is coming to a close and there is a spring in our step. Traditionally, the brighter longer days give us an opportunity to roll up our sleeves and get stuck into a big spring clean. Using the therapeutic power of essential oils we can make this more than just a mammoth bout of cleaning. We can take the opportunity to lift our senses and clear our minds by adding some carefully chosen oils to our cleaning routine. I’ll be sharing a few different ideas about how to use essential oils day to day over the coming weeks. However, the recent good weather got me thinking about hopping in the car and hitting the road!
November 30, 2018
Christmas Calm: A Scent for Home
Make your own DIY room scent spray with this easy to follow recipe that I have been making for years. It really gets me in the mood for Christmas!
While many of us look forward to a break midwinter during all the festivities, it can get very hectic. We rush around making sure everything is in place. Meanwhile our minds are swirling, full of lists and to-dos (and even don’ts!)
Sometimes January arrives and we feel like we haven’t had a break at all!
I created this DIY room scent spray to calm and energise my senses. While the traditional festive scents of Frankincense, Cypress, Clove and Mandarin evoke times gone by they are also nurturing, energising and calming in equal measure. Just the formulation required during a time when you need to recharge but you also want to enjoy social occasions too!
It’s easy to pull together once you’ve gathered your ingredients.
Read more
October 22, 2018
Botanical Oils are wonderful to use for those anxious moments in life.
Recently, I had the unique experience of creating a set of videos to use in the promotion of FLORA +FIONA. I was spurred on by my exciting collaboration with the Danish lifestyle retailer, RICE.
Working with RICE*
The ethical entrepreneur, Charlotte Hedemann, designs and produces the funky and colourful range that sells in over 45 countries. She asked me to create two new oil blends- specifically for their Travel the World Autumn Winter 2018 catalogue. My friends in Rice wanted a video to share with their online community where I could share some of my inspiration for my hand-blended oils.
I arranged to meet the videographer at my garden studio. Because of the fabulous summer, my rambling, cottage style garden was looking its best and bursting with colour and luscious blooms. I was feeling a lot less so. Work and business travel had taken their toll and I was very nervous at the prospect of being in front of the camera…
We were on a deadline
But it had to be done. We were on a deadline. I had made promises and, goodness, the garden had to be captured in all its botanical glory!
So I put my best foot forward, applied two drops of Frankincense essential oil on a tissue, took a deep breath and went for it!
Don’t let stress and anxiety get the better of you
There is no doubt that sometimes we can let stress and anxiety get the better of us. Allowing it to win, causing us to procrastinate and dwell on the source of the anxiety is often more harmful than the imagined future turns out to be. A friend, who had a huge business decision to make recently, said to me, “Once the decision was made, everything else fell into place. When I was considering all the options, imagining ALL of the possibilities, instead of living just one, in the here and now, my mind was swirling. I couldn’t settle and everything was too complex. The over-thinking nearly finished me.”
Frankincense, Lavender and Neroli come together to soothe, revitalise and calm
Among much else, I spoke during the filming about how my feelings of stress and anxiety propelled me to do something about it. As a younger, working mother I was beset by doubts and anxiety… and exhausted! I bought a book on aromatherapy, started my studies, researched many oils and created a blend not dissimilar to the blend you will find in my REST oil. It’s good to know that the blend I made to help me all those years ago is now part of my own product range. It has some of my favourite oils including ancient, mystical Frankincense for the way it brings calm and peace. This wonder oil has the ability to both relax and revitalise, perfect to alleviate nervous tension and exhaustion. I added Moroccan Neroli, as it is so comforting and also because the aroma of orange blossom is such a glorious fragrance. To complete the blend, I added a little of relaxing Lavender, a versatile oil that should be in everyone’s kitchen cupboard.
Take a moment and breathe
Whatever way your use natural oils, whether on the face or in body massage, on pulse points or in a diffuser, the important thing to remember is to take a moment and breathe them in. By breathing in the aroma, the therapeutic properties in the oils interact with senses so that we can step away from our heads, settle ourselves and just enjoy the moment.
July 27, 2018
Why does my Carry-On Travel Oil work?
Flora + Fiona Carry-On Travel Oil was my first product and the one I have been passionate about for nearly 10 years. I am delighted to see that we have been getting great feedback from our customers on this special oil! It is used by frequent fliers and holidaymakers alike: anyone who wants to enjoy a relaxed journey with the added reassurance of natural products that protect you and keep you well when you travel. Some customers love the aroma so much that they use it as a perfume!
So what do I put into the Carry-On Travel Oil to make such a small bottle do so much hard work?
I chose some of my favourite oils when researching this formula. Firstly, All my blends are 100% natural and carefully chosen from ethical distillers all over the world. I create and hand blend my oil formulations myself in my studio in Dublin looking out at my garden. I have been hand-blending oils for my private clients for nearly 20 years and really enjoy researching and discovering new oils . About 8 years ago, I started looking at oils for travel that had anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. A client who suffered constantly with sinus problems when flying had asked to me to create a blend for her. My research led me to examine many of the problems associated with travel :
- Jet lag
- Disturbance of sleep patterns
- Stress and anxiety
- Fatigue
- Exposure to contagion
I wanted a convenient roller bottle, with an oil blend designed to target some of these downsides of travelling. The oil I created became The Carry-on Travel Oil.
Powerful Oils
Powerful oils including Ravintsara and Niaouli from Madagascar, and Egyptian Sweet Marjoram, all used in their native countries for their antibacterial, antiseptic and antiviral properties, are combined in this unisex product.
I’ve written about Ravintsara previously. I love it for its strong punchy aroma. I see it as a strong protective presence in the blends I create with it.
Breathing in its powerful aroma certainly transports me to the exotic island of Madagascar, with its unique and fascinating flora and fauna. In its chemistry it contains an oxide called 1,8 cineole that is historically known to be anti-viral, anti- bacterial and an immune stimulant. This oxide is also found in more common oils such as Eucalyptus and Tea Tree. As an immune stimulant and also an energising oil I felt it was just what you need in transit.
Sweet Marjoram oil has been used since Ancient Times as a culinary and medicinal herb. Sweet, warm and protective are words I associate with this plant native to Mediterranean regions. They are also words I would like to have close to me when travelling, like a cocoon to protect me from the hustle and bustle about me.
In aromatherapy it is used for its antiseptic and anti-bacterial qualities. It is also considered to be a muscle relaxant and have analgesic and sedative properties. It brings a wonderful sense of calm and peace. Sweet Marjoram helps to aid mental and emotional fatigue or ‘overthinking’ by settling any nervous tension and anxiety. From this description alone you will understand why I include this “all rounder” in my oil.
The Third Protector Oil in the Carry-On Travel Oil
Wild Niaouli is the 3rd protector oil and is also sourced in Madagascar. Related to Tea Tree it has similar qualities but is far more gentle on the skin. It is thought that the presence of the Niaouli Tree in New Caledonia is responsible for the absence of malaria on that south west Pacific island. Whether or not this is the case, for me it is an oil that protects and helps clear the head.
I have completed the blend with the sunny and cheering aroma of lemon and orange oils. Apart from their various properties it is essential that my blends make you feel good. Breathing in the aroma has a direct link to the storehouse of memory and emotions in the brain. The oils I have chosen have a vitality and energy that are joyful, comforting, and reassuring, ensuring that you are refreshed and ready for anything at your destination.
If you think that sounds like how you would like to feel when contemplating your next journey, whether for business or pleasure, my 100% natural Carry-on Travel Oil in its handy 10ml rollerball bottle will be your perfect travel companion.
June 20, 2018
Excited about your holiday? Be prepared and then just dive in!
In this article I write about travel. I love to travel myself but I know how stressful it can be. That’s one of the reasons why I developed my Carry-On Travel Oil – to combat the feelings of anxiety and act as a support in new places.
I love travel. I joke with my pals that one of my favourite places is the Departure gate at Dublin Airport!
Holidays are a wonderful time to sit back, day dream. Put aside work demands, say goodbye to the boredom of domestic chores, park some worries and just let it all go.
Of course, Anticipation is a big part of a holiday. I know an eight year old who is very excited about her holidays. There is a blackboard in her house with a number on it. Everyday she rubs out the number and subtracts one. She is one day closer to her holidays.
That being said, for the parents, actually getting there can be so stressful.
Will all the work deadlines be met and finished in time? Have I brought everything? Will the house be ok? Cancelled deliveries? Told the neighbour? Are all the passports up to date?
Whether you are travelling for work or pleasure there are certain things you can do to avoid those anxiety pitfalls. From my experience, travelling the world for fun and function, these are my top five tips for a smooth journey this summer. Naturally I recommend my specially blended Carry-On Travel Oil, my REST Oil and Velvet Skin Body Oil for super relaxed travelling but there is much else besides. Read on and please add in your own tips in the comments below!
The Checklist
Like the eight year old friend, do a countdown. You may not have to countdown the minutes as she does but certainly think about milestones you must hit or deadlines you have to reach before you can put your feet up. Make a plan and a to-do list to help you reach those milestones. Definitely start making a checklist now of things you must do or remember before departure: I have a checklist that is divided into Work: Personal: Pack. (Often on a back of envelope but carry it with you and jot it down whenever you think of something).
Keep your eye on the prize.
If you are feeling stressed, a few drops of frankincense on a tissue will bring some calm. Its exotic aroma, traditionally from Somalia, will put you in mind of far off places and help you remember why you are on the move. Its soothing and relaxing properties are documented and it is a key ingredient in my REST Oil.
Digital Companions
Choose your books (I always bring a few actual books), or download an audiobook or ebook and up load those playlists,. The great thing about using digital downloads is that they don’t take up any extra space in your precious carry-on luggage.
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- I love www.audible.co.uk for audio books. Since discovering it, It has given me such enjoyment and magical moments. You just sit there and someone is reading to you! Perfect for flights/train journeys and often a very handy way to fall asleep. I love using them for the Classics: Dickens, Tolstoy, Jane Austen, The Brontes… Check out Juliet Stevenson, she is a wonderful narrator and brings an extra sparkle to every book.
- BBC Radio 4 podcasts are endlessly enjoyable and so varied. RTE Doc on One are brilliant too.
- A friend recommended The Stitcher app for listening to podcasts, easy to use and easy to search to find podcasts of interest to you. One recent find was 36 Questions, a podcast musical in 3 Acts about a couple working their way through a rough patch. Also check out 99% Invisible a weekly exploration of the process and power of design and architecture. Sounds nerdy but is full of humanity.
Bring a Natural Support
Bring the Carry-On Travel Oil. I have received rave reviews of my Carry-On Travel Oil: Elaine from Holland writes “The Travel oil comes everywhere with me. It is always in by bag” Designed to meet the requirements of carry on liquids, this 10ml roller ball is your security blanket. I have researched this formula for 8 years to source oils that are historically known to have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Ravintsara, Sweet Marjoram and Niaouli provide strong support and these are holistically balanced by zesty Lemon and sweet Red Orange. It smells divine and it works! Whether on short haul/ long haul flights, just pop it in your bag. I made it as protection against the stuffy, bug-filled atmosphere of all modes of transport. Roll it on your wrists and neck regularly and breathe in deeply. One regular user, Mairead, says, “ It is lifesaver on flights”.
Take a Moment
Lastly and most importantly, remember to Take A Moment.
Carve out some quiet Metime when on your holidays. For me; it is the early morning swim when no one is around swimming in cool water looking at a blue sky; sitting under the shade of a tree sipping a morning coffee listening to the birds; In the early evening after a shower, rubbing after sun body oil over your skin and just enjoying the aroma and sensory experience. Of course I would recommend my Velvet Skin Body Oil (!) rosehip, prickly pear and apricot oil are perfect to hydrate and soothe heat rashes or itchy skin post sun. The vetiver is a natural insect repellent which is bonus to help fight off the mosquitoes.
If you like to do some meditation, I use my REST oil to tackle a whirling mind and those anxious moments. Essential oils can be a wonderful asset when you combine them with meditation. Just roll on the palm of your hand, gently rub together and breathe in deeply 3-4 times. Or roll directly on inside of wrist and over neck area. Take a moment to enjoy the powerful aroma, tune into your senses and take a rest. Again it comes in a 10ml rollerball so perfect for carry-on luggage. Ideal for long haul travel where you intend to catch a few winks and arrive refreshed and ready to go at your destination.
There are some of our top tips for travelling for work and pleasure. How do you combat the stress of travelling and being away from your home place? I’d love to hear any tips you might have for the excited but weary traveller.
p.s I forgot to say.. heat can make everyone a little cranky! My grandmother’s advice.. before you react. take a deep breath and count 10!
Happy Holidays x
November 23, 2017
REST cures all ills: science says so.
The Dalai Lama said “Sleep is the best meditation” and never a truer word was spoken. As I spent time researching and developing my new blended oil, REST, designed to prepare you for sleep, I came across more and more scientific research on journeying to the Land of Nod.
We are regularly reminded by health practitioners to get 8 hours sleep. However, with life being so busy, there always seems to be obstacles to achieving that magic number. Work, study, family, fun times all seem to conspire at different stages in our lives to come between us and our pillows, sometimes literally.
Imagine a product that could help you prepare for those eight hours, that gets you in the mood for a nice, long relaxing sleep. Doesn’t that sound marvellous? When I began thinking about my new REST oil, I was thinking of all my family, friends, clients and customers lamenting the fact that they were having difficulty switching off, tuning out and dropping off. Knowing that Frankincense oil and Neroli oil contain powerful relaxing properties, I began my research into creating an oil that can become part of any bedtime routine, relaxing and winding down to sleep.
Improve your life
Research in recent years suggests that adequate sleep (which varies depending on age but is not less than eight hours regardless of age group) can improve your memory function, your motor skills, boost your immune system, aid longevity (1) and bizarrely, improve breakfast food choices among teenagers thus counteracting potential onset of diabetes and obesity. (2)
According to the scientific research benefits of sleeping the recommended length of time for your age group include:
- Improved health: there are numerous studies that confirm the link between the optimal amount of sleep and conditions such as heart disease, obesity and diabetes. (3)
- Improved weight control: this is partly due to psychological reasons. If you are too tired it’s easier to slide a pizza out of a packet than to spend time chopping vegetables for a nourishing soup. However it’s also physiological as a hormone called leptin plays a role in telling you when you are full. Leptin levels drop when you are tired meaning you’re more likely to feel hungry. (4)
- We all know that short sleep can make us cranky (5) but research shows that adequate sleep can improve concentration and productivity in adults (6) and in children. (7) So if you sleep well not only will you stop snapping at your co-workers, you’ll get your work done in half the time!
- Longer sleep will help you get achieve fitness goals: Longer sleeping has been linked to achieving athletic goals in a study of college basketball players (9) so get to bed early if you are trying for a personal best.
- Stay healthy this winter by sleeping for eight hours a night. A 2015 study (9) found that adults with longer sleep were less likely to develop cold symptoms after infection.
Apart from the short and long term health benefits that can be gained from eight hours of sleep per night there are also mental and emotional benefits. Sleep before and after learning can greatly assist recall due to the role deep sleep plays in memory retention or what Matthew Walker, the Sleep Diplomat and author of “Why we Sleep” calls in this video presentation “the save button” . There are campaigns afoot to adjust school start times in order to make allowances for the specific sleep needs of teenagers with sleep experts calling for a complementary course of sleep education for parents, teachers and teenagers. How have we gone so wrong that we need to be taught how to sleep!
Sleep Nirvana
What can we do to reach this sleep nirvana? Over and over experts recommend routine, gentle activity that helps frame your mind for rest. This can include gentle mindfulness or yoga practice, a soothing blend of tea or incorporating FLORA + FIONA REST into your evening routine to help you prepare. Other tips (based on scientific research!) include:
- Avoiding alcohol (10) and caffeine, (11) not just before bed, but altogether. Do I want to believe that?!
- Putting away that phone/ mobile device (12) (you have our permission to stop reading right now if you are in bed!)
- Getting some daylight during the day (13) but dim the lights at bedtime. (14)
- Developing a routine which can include things as simple as brushing your teeth but try and keep to a schedule. Consider including a warm bath (15) with calming oils as part of that routine.(16)
- Introducing some calming scents to the bedroom.(17) We love this one, of course!
Would you like to do everything you can to prepare for a restful night of sleep? Try some of those scientifically proven tips along with FLORA + FIONA REST and you will find yourself easing your mind and body onto the golden sands of sleep.
Try REST for yourself
My new product REST will help you to calm the mind and settle so you are more able to relax and sleep.
Just roll it on and breathe it in!
As an introduction to REST we 10% off all FLORA+ FIONA products until midnight November 26th 2017. Shop online now using the promo code “rest10”
- How Does Seven to Eight Hours of Sleep Affect Your Body?
- The Impact of Sleep Improvement on Food Choices in Adolescents With Late Bedtimes.
- Sleep duration predicts cardiovascular outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies.
- Short sleep duration is associated with reduced leptin, elevated ghrelin, and increased body mass index.
- Cognitive flexibility across the sleep-wake cycle: REM-sleep enhancement of anagram problem solving.
- Sleep and rest facilitate implicit memory in a visual search task.
- Cognitive benefits of last night’s sleep: daily variations in children’s sleep behavior are related to working memory fluctuations.
- The effects of sleep extension on the athletic performance of collegiate basketball players.
- Behaviorally Assessed Sleep and Susceptibility to the Common Cold.
- Sleep, Sleepiness, and Alcohol Use
- Caffeine intake (200 mg) in the morning affects human sleep and EEG power spectra at night
- Bright Screens Could Delay Bedtime
- Effect of Light on Human Circadian Physiology
- Exposure to Room Light before Bedtime Suppresses Melatonin Onset and Shortens Melatonin Duration in Humans
- Night-time sleep EEG changes following body heating in a warm bath
- The effects of aromatherapy on sleep improvement: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis.
- An Olfactory Stimulus Modifies Nighttime Sleep in Young Men and Women
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