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3 Ideas for Re-Using Essential Oil Bottles

Ever wonder what to do with the few remaining drops of essential oil at the bottom of an almost-empty bottle?  It’d be a real shame to just toss it into the recycling bin!  Following are three ideas for getting the most out of those last precious drops and for reusing the containers.  Thanks to Marla of  Back Porch Soap Company for the original idea.

1).  Add white vinegar, give a little shake or even better, let sit to help the essential oil infuse into the vinegar as much as it can.  Use for household cleaning or as a natural laundry fabric softener.

2).  When I make hand soap with a thicker liquid Castile soap (like Dr. Bronner’s), I usually like to thin it out so I don’t have to use as much, and so it won’t clog the dispenser.  To your almost empty eo bottle, add some water and again, shake or let sit.  Pour into your own dispenser of homemade soap.

3).  Add Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) or other fatty oil to the eo bottle and let sit for several days, giving a slight shake daily.  This essential oil-infused carrier can be used as a body oil or natural perfume.  You maybe even be able to get more than one bottle out of it if you refill it with your oil of choice.

When you’re sure you’ve gotten every last bit, THEN toss it in the recycling bin!

Tea Tree Essential Oil Part II

I had the opportunity to listen to the rest of Robert Tisserand’s series on Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), and I can’t express how much new found amazement I have for this essential oil!  This week’s webinar focused on the use of Tea Tree eo to treat issues of oral and skin health, wounds, respiratory infections, and how to deal with difficult-to-treat microscopic pests like mites and lice.  The examples of wound-healing were quite impressive!  An Australian surgeon named Eugene Sherry has developed a blend of Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Lemongrass, Lemon, Clove, and Thyme essential oils that work synergistically to kill bacteria.  He used this blend on a patient where infection had set in and traditional antibiotics were not working in order to get it under control.  I think it is really exciting to see essential oils being used in this environment with such success.  Below are some further points I found important.

1.  Tea Tree eo is effective against all 4 of the bacteria that cause Athlete’s Foot.

2.  Doctors are also using Tea Tree eo to successfully treat respiratory illnesses such as tuberculosis and acute bronchitis.

3.  Tea Tree eo is very useful in oral hygiene; it is effective at relieving bad breath and killing Candida in the mouth.

4.  A blend of Tea Tree and Lavender eos was more effective at killing head lice than the chemical alternative, Pyrethrin, which the lice have become resistant to.

5.  Exposing dust mites to Tea Tree eo (or even better a combination of Tea Tree, Lemon and Lavender eos) has been shown to kill them.  Using this eo blend in cleaning products is a consistent means of reducing their presence in your home every time you clean.

If you’d like to learn more, visit www.roberttisserand.com.

Simple Wood Polish

We live in a very old house; from the information I can gather, it has been here since at least 1836.  There’s wood everywhere you look, some of it stripped of paint in recent years and definitely in need of a little TLC.  I decided to make a *very easy* recipe for wood polish: 2-3 tablespoons of Sunflower (Helianthus annus) oil to which I added about 10 drops organic Lemon (Citrus limon) essential oil.  This combination of oils moisturizes and conditions the wood, cleaning it at the same time.  (You don’t have to use Sunflower oil, you can use whatever fatty oil you have on hand).

I decided to try it out on our old, wooden kitchen table, which was in serious need of care after all the spills of my two toddlers.  After wiping the table down and then drying it, I began by dipping a soft, clean cloth into the oil, smoothing it over the table surface in even strokes.  I let it sit for several hours to absorb, then wiped up any excess with a clean cloth to avoid attracting dust.

The immediate results were amazing; I could almost hear the table say, “Ahhhhh!”   My family and I definitely gave a sigh of relief when we smelled the light, sunny aroma of our all-natural and healthy wood polish.

“Babies & Botanicals” (Organic Gardening)

There are a few reasons why I chose to make babies and children my aromatherapy specialty.  The first being that I have have used essential oils, hydrosols, and herbal remedies with my twin girls since their very first bath.  I believe that being surrounded by pure, natural products has contributed to their general good health; they are rarely sick.

The second reason is that, at least in the essential oils-world, there is a lot of misinformation floating around out there about how to use them safely and effectively with babies and kids.   From my experience with my own children and national certification as an aromatherapist, I wanted to teach other parents how to incorporate these wonderful essences into their family’s life.  They are a wonderful support to both mind and body.

I do believe using quality ingredients is of the utmost importance, as is knowledge.  As the following article from Organic Gardening confirms, its a good idea to read up on any natural substance before taking or administering it.  If in doubt, seek the guidance of an expert.  I am always happy to answer any question regarding the use of essential oils…for any age…that you might have and to help point you in the right direction!