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Things I’ve learned about sleep since launching my REST Oil

A woman sleeps on a bed of daisies. Image by Ann Danilina on Unsplash.com
A woman sleeps on a bed of daisies. Image by Ann Danilina on Unsplash.com

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.

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10 *Essential* Essential Oils For Your Home

A comfortable relaxing couch in a home with grey and turquoise tones. Superimposed text reads "10 Essential Essential Oils for your home"
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…

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Essential Oil Safety

Essential oils are now available extensively in pharmacies and have become very popular. They are a wonderful addition to everyday life but they are highly concentrated and can be toxic if over-used.  I thought it might be useful to give some basic safety guidelines to consider before using essential oils. If in any doubt at all, consult with a qualified aromatherapist or your medical practitioner.

Use of Essential Oils

  • Not to be taken internally
  • Keep out of reach of children – do not use with children under 7 years old.
  • Keep away from the eyes
  • If pregnant, do not use in first 12 weeks and seek medical advice before using essential oils at any stage.
  • Do not use undiluted 
  • Do not put directly on the skin. Always put into a base or carrier – oil, cream or gel, even milk will do to dissolve the oil.
  • Discontinue if there is an allergic reaction. Seek medical advice
    Use a much smaller dose (normally 50%) for elderly and those with serious illness
  • Check that the bottle says 100% natural essential oil. The botanical name written in Latin must be on the bottle
  • Store in a cool dry place – once opened, use within 12 months .

Dosage

  • Adopt the approach – Less is more – The oils will be just as effective with a smaller dose. Do not be tempted to add a few extra drops.
    The general rule is to use 2 drops to 5ml – (One teaspoon) of base or carrier oil*
  • Bath 6-8 drops in a carrier oil, milk, aqueous cream or epsom salts
    2 drops in a tissue
    3-4 drops in a bowl of hot water for steam inhalation.

* carrier or base oil is a vegetable oil, nut oil or wax for e.g sweet almond, coconut, jojoba, apricot kernel, argan, rosehip etc.

Further information:

There are many resources online to read up on essential oils. One site I like as a good resource is https://www.aromatics.com/Oshadhi Essential Oils does a great newsletter with information on oils. I have previously mentioned Andrea Butje at Aromahead Institute, School of Essential Oil Studies  Any question on oils and how to use them please contact me or leave a comment below I would love to hear from you.