Winter is the time for introspection. It’s when we need to send some gentle energy to the seeds we’ve planted so that they’ll germinate in the new year. By seeds, I mean goals, aspirations, intentions, and such. Here are five supportive scents to help put you in touch with yourself and your path…
I’ve written before about some fantastic plant allies for dealing with panic attacks that are also helpful for day-to-day anxiety and tension—though some of these botanicals may be a bit too sedating when you’re trying to shave off some tension and relax
When sadness hits, your energy may be low or you might feel paralyzed. In these times, you might just skip making a fancy inhaler or spray. Just grab the bottle of oil and take a couple sniffs every couple of hours, being careful not to spill it. If you’re going to be out and about, a spritzer is nice, as it’s easy to use and less of a disaster if it leaks in your bag.
It’s spring! (At least for those of us here in the northern hemisphere.) It’s a great time to make your own seasonal perfume blends to celebrate the return of green. Spring brings to mind rebirth, flourishing, moving forward, and movement in general. Any of these can inspire a great-smelling, natural blend. Or you can center your perfume around one main essential oil.
As someone who has been living with chronic pain for years, I’m slowly learning that nature has all the answers. We just need to ask the right questions and be willing to listen—listen to our bodies, to our minds, and to our souls. In our lifetime, we all go through physical and mental pain—not to mention heartache. And nature has everything that we need to heal, ready and waiting.
Have you ever used rose water? Divine, isn’t it? Real rose water—one of the most popular cosmetics in the world—is technically a hydrosol, a scented water produced by distillation of fresh rose petals. Distillation is when you use steam to extract plant components, especially scented components. Hydrosols 
Some of the most sacred and valued scents over the centuries are those deeper aromatics—Frankincense, Myrrh, Benzoin and others—whose use predates the millennia-old religious texts in which they’re noted. These scents are “heavier” because the chemicals they’re made of are heavier than those in “lighter” oils such as lemon or bergamot. Another way to look at it is that the scents
Having a fear of flying isn’t fun. I can tell you this firsthand as it’s something I’ve struggled with for the past 12 years. I don’t know exactly when or why I started to panic during takeoff or turbulence, my hands gripping the armrests, my palms sweaty.
An “infused oil” is a vegetable oil in which herbs, spices, or plant resins have been infused. They’re fun to make and immensely useful. First, let’s look at uses, then how to make an oil, and finally, I’ll share some of my favorite oils.
Scrubbing your skin is part and parcel of a good and basic skincare routine. But do we really need those store-bought tubes to do a job that homemade ingredients do just as well, if not better?