Rhiannon Harris is organizing an extraordinary conference in Dublin, Ireland. The conference dates are September 7-10th, 2012.

This is a quote from the Botanica2012 website, to give you a sense of what the conference has to offer us.

“The field of clinical aromatherapy is a rapidly evolving profession in many countries around the world. This continuing integration into health care settings has reached a point where it is now imperative to share information, present results and showcase the potential of essential oils and related herbal remedies across a range of clinical environments.

To date there has been no formal international gathering of experts within northern Europe to share these findings, forge new treatment strategies and plan future integration. In European countries such as France and Germany, aromatherapy is viewed as a branch of herbal medicine, also known as phytotherapy –with much shared tradition and experience in the use of herbal preparations such as essential oils, vegetable oils, hydrolats and herbal tinctures.

Elsewhere in the world, the two professions are often regarded as distinct and self contained; here there is a growing need for greater collaboration between herbalists and aromatherapists to maximize therapeutic efficacy in their respective specialties.

It is with this awareness that botanica2012 was conceived: to be a celebration of plant therapeutics and clinical aromatherapy, bringing together all professionals who work with plants and their extracts in the therapeutic setting.”

Registration: Botanica2012
Feel free to email me with any questions you might have.
Andrea: andrea@aromahead.com

This blog post is officially number 200! To celebrate I am listing a few of my personal favorites from the past few years. Thanks for being out there and taking the time to read the Aromahead Blog.

•  5 Great Ways to Use Hydrosols
• Ecomaat Distillery in Bulgaria
• Make Your Own Natural Skin Cleansing Pads
• Solid Natural Perfumes
• The Wonders of Bergamot! (Italy in a Bottle)

To share any of these posts on your facebook page or via Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn, just click the icon on the left side of this page. Thanks for sharing! *

*If your using a bookmark for this blog you may not see the icons on the left. To resolve this, search for the Aromahead blog via Google and update your bookmark.

Aromahead Institute is excited to be one of the first approved sponsors in New York!

Complete all 36 of your required CEU hours through Aromahead Institute’s online and in-person classes.

All of Aromahead Institute online courses are written by Andrea Butje and Cindy Black. All exams, photography, lessons, reviews, and videos have been developed specifically for these classes. All course material is original, engaging and clearly organized.

All in-person and online classes are approved!

CEU hours for this summers 2012 In-Person Classes, Ithaca NY

Aromatherapy Certification Program: 105 hours
Advanced Graduate Program: 75 hours
Teacher Training Program: 36 hours
Component Blending: 21 hours
Aromatic Blending: 21 hours

Payment plans are available and registration has already begun for 2012. Come join us for a summer of studying essential oils and generating new ideas for your business!

Website: Aromahead.com
Email: andrea@aromahead.com

I know it is not really fair for me to write about the winter given that I live in Florida… but I’ll justify it because I lived in Ithaca, NY during the winters for many years! I know all about scraping car windows, black ice and freezing cold feet.

I had a few blends I used in the winter that really got me through. So if moving to a tropical climate is not on your list for this winter, here are a few recipes to support your health through the cold months.

Steam Now

(for the moment you feel even a hint of a cold)
Use a 5 ml bottle with an orifice reducer. Make a stock bottle with the following essential oils and then use 1 drop for your steam:

• 25 drops Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)
• 25 drops Ravintsara (Cinnamomum camphora ct 1,8 cineole)
• 25 drops Black Spruce (Picea mariana)

Need to learn how to do a steam? Register for Aromahead Institute’s free online class.

The Best Inhaler

Add these oils to a blank inhaler and use 2-3 times daily for a few months:

• 3 drops Lemon (Citrus limon)
• 5 drops Black Spruce (Picea mariana)
• 2 drops Laurel Leaf (Laurus nobilis)
• 3 drops Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens)

Video on how to make an inhaler

Awesome Aloe Wash for the Shower

Begin with 2 oz Aloe vera gel in flip top (pop up) PET plastic bottle and add:

• 10 drops Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
• 3 drops Neroli (Citrus aurantium var. amara)
• 7 drops orange (Citrus sinensis)

Use freely on your body at the end of your shower and then rinse off.

Keep Your Cold to Yourself Diffuser Blend

Add drops to an electric diffuser filled with water and run until the finished.

• 10 drops Siberian Fir (Abies siberica)
• 5 drops Orange (Citrus sinensis)

Right Before Bed

Add drops of the following oils to 1 oz of unscented lotion:

• 5 drops Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)
• 5 drop Sandalwood (Santalum album) Vetiver or Patchouli can be substituted for Sandalwood.

Apply gently to your legs, feet, neck and stomach.

During Your Morning Shower

3 drops of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis ct camphor/ 1,8 cineole) on the shower floor in front of where you stand. Breathe deeply!

Seeing successful Aromatherapy businesses brings me great pleasure. I believe in the healing potential of essential oils and I love seeing businesses promoting all their varied uses -  house cleaning and skin care as well as emotional and physical well being.

So for those of you out there growing your Aromatherapy businesses, I hope some of these tips are useful.

• Retail: what are your best selling products? Can you create an additional, similar product with a twist? For example, if your lip balm sells really well, can you add a lip gloss, 1 new flavor and a larger size? Remember to describe the differences between the products: the lip gloss for a special evening out, or the larger size lip balm for the winter months.
• Social networking: it is surprisingly easy to set up your own youtube channel and create short educational videos. I am amazed at how many people tell me they found our Aromahead Institute classes through one of my little videos.
• Photos: can marketing your business really be as simple as taking photographs? There are several excellent, free sites to organize and store your photos. Aromahead Institute uses Flickr. When I ask in classes how the students heard about Aromahead Institute, there are always a handful that say “I saw your pictures and I just knew this was the right place for me”. So much can be communicated about your business through your photos!
• Inspiration: have you considered asking your friends on facebook for suggestions on how to grow your business? Or another more relevant question? Some of the best and most generous advice I have received has been in response to a question I asked on facebook.

Please feel free to post a business tip in the comments section below, or ask a business question.  

Essential oils can offer excellent digestive support. This is a simple and helpful blend that smell great!

For Digestive Support
4 drops Cardamom essential oil or CO2 extract (Ellettaria cardamomum)
5 drops Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)
3 drops Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
3 drop Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)

Blend essential oil in 1 oz. of unscented cream or jojoba oil. Massage into abdomen after each meal. This blend of oils can also be used in an inhaler for nausea or car sickness.

 Benefits of Studying Online at Aromahead Institute

• Set your own schedule & learn at your own pace
• Study from the comfort of … anywhere!
• Develop new career opportunities
• Read materials online or print them out for later
• Watch the videos as many times as you like
• Access to the course materials are yours even after you complete the program.

This is a 3 minute video of how the online Aromatherapy Certification Program works.

What Do You Want to Be?

Aromahead Institute graduates launch successful careers from the foundation of an Aromatherapy education. For many, an Aromatherapy education is the natural way to begin a new and satisfying career. It’s possible to “be your own boss” and create a fulfilling livelihood on your own terms.

Aromatherapy is no longer a “fringe” practice. People are becoming more aware of the health benefits of essential oils and the tried and true research behind the practice of Aromatherapy.

Successful Graduates

Aromahead Institute graduates are busy! They create essential oil retail businesses, web retail stores, therapeutic product lines, and consultation services. They work in spas, teach classes, start their own schools, write for journals, magazines and online businesses, teach at massage school, work in hospice programs, massage clinics, alternative health clinics and more.  Need inspiration as you begin a new career or educational path?  Read about our graduates and their work as Aromatherapists: Graduate Directory

We all have those nights when sleep escapes us. Try this blend to assure a good night sleep.

If you don’t feel like taking a bath this blend works great as a foot soak before bed. Just add all the ingredients to a pot big enough for both your feet. You might like this enough to buy a plastic bin that you dedicate to foot soaks.

I Want to Sleep Bath Blend
Spikenard 2 drops
 (Nardostachys jatamansi)
Orange-1 drops (Citrus sinensis)
Lavender -2 drops (Lavandula angustifolia)
Epsom salts: 1/2 cup
Neroli Blossom infused Jojoba Oil: 1 tablespoon
Pink Himalayan salts: 1/2 cup
White clay: 1 tablespoon ( a very fine and light clay that naturally absorbs and cleanses)

Do you have a bath blend to share? Please add it to the comment section, thanks!

Here are a few fun tips about cleaning from my new eBook, Essential Living eBook: Aromatherapy Recipes for Health and Home. Purchase this eBook now for $19.95! Just click this link and as soon as you pay you will receive a link in your email. Once click and the book is yours! To buy the book as a gift simply email me: andrea@aromahead.com.

Cutting Boards

To keep wooden and plastic cutting boards free of bacteria, use a few drops of Lemon essential oil to 
clean the cutting board. First, wash the board with hot water and castile soap. Then put about five
 drops of Lemon essential oil on a clean sponge and wipe the board vigorously, front and back. The 
“side effect” is that the sponge is now also clean and bacteria free!

Floors

Use hydrosols and hot water on the floors. Any mop will do, but we suggest mops with a removable
 terry cloth cleaning surface. They’re great for cleaning hardwood floors, ceramic tile, marble, and 
vinyl. They also work well on ceilings, walls, and windows. The terry cloth cover is removable and is
 machine washable.

When cleaning floors, soak the terry cloth cover (or regular mop) in hot water. Squeeze the water out, 
then pour a cap full (a few tablespoons) of Lavender hydrosol or Sweet Grass hydrosol directly onto 
the mop.

Deodorizing Spray for Trash

Makes: One 16 oz spray bottle

Ingredients:

15 oz water
1 oz white vinegar
20 drops Peppermint essential oil
 (Mentha piperita)
30 drops Orange essential oil
 (Citrus sinensis)
30 drops Lemon essential oil (Citrus limon)

Tools:

16 oz plastic spray bottle

Directions:

1. Simply add the drops of essential oil directly into the spray bottle full of water.
2. Close well, shake, and you’re ready to spray.

Notes:

I like to spray the trash can in my bathroom and kitchen each time I empty the trash bag. I simply 
take out the bag, spray the can three or four times, and add the new bag.

Making your own resin blends is easy and they make great gifts.

Simply mix the resins together in a bowl, sprinkle on your powders and/or dried herbs, add a few drops of essential oil and mix. Let this sit for a day or two and you’re ready to burn the resins.

You can burn the resins on charcoal tabs or on bamboo charcoal briquettes in a ceramic bowl. Simply light the charcoal or briquette with a lighter, make sure it is heating up and then add a few pieces of your resin blend on the top. Below are a few recipes I make often.

Breath Deep

1 oz Frankincense resin
1 oz Myrrh resin
Sprinkle of cardamom powder
Sprinkle of dried rosemary
10 drops Hemlock essential oil

Sweet Aroma

1 oz Opoponax resin
1 oz Benzoin resin
Sprinkle of vanilla powder
5 drops Balsam Poplar essential oil

Inward Journey

1 oz Copal resin
1 oz Pinon Pine resin
Sprinkle of Palo Santo Wood powder
10 drops Frankincense essential oil

Do you have a favorite resin? Please add yours in the comment section below.