Friday 28 January 2011

Diseasemongering - try natural alternatives to medication for indigestion

Dont let indigestion stop you doing what delights you

Indigestion isn't an especially glamorous medical topic, but relieving this condition -- and keeping the whole gastrointestinal (GI) tract operating comfortably and efficiently -- is vital to overall well being. As French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau put it, "Happiness: a good bank account, a good cook and a good digestion."

Dr Andrew Weil's article

Many physicians are resistent to plant medicine because as Tisserand puts it 'plant medicine doesnt sound like science'.  Within the Shirley Price shareholder list a significent shareholder is a medical doctor who describes himself to visiting aromatherapists like tutor Jan Benham as the biggest sceptic of plant medicine imaginable but who takes a keen interest in our affairs.  When I discussed oils for a condition affecting his children that have been subject of scientific study the studies were dismissed and he reached for a remedy that would make you blush.  Faced with this no wonder some resort to myths!

An individual who has spent his life in gentle debate with the medical community on the benefits of aromatherapy is Robert Tisserand.  Like all true teachers of aromatherapy Tisserand's objective is clear - to educate not brainwash with myths designed to sell oil and courses which bring love and happiness and cure all known ills - of which lack of love and unhappiness must be the worst.  Tisserands intentions are clear and his work a testament to them.

He is someone who would probably have succeeded whatever he set his mind to.  It happened to be aromatherapy.  People attend Tisserand's courses and seminars and buy the oils which bear his name because they and he think they are the best.  That is the same basis on which Shirley Price was founded and why Sp has endured as a leading training and product supplier for professional aromatherapy long after its founders retired.  Robert Tisserands Blog

Essentia

Friday 21 January 2011

Revise - Lemon Balm

Another source of excellent scholarly notes for essay purposes is Cindy Jone's notes.  Here is her note on melissa

http://www.facebook.com/robert.seidel1/posts/124741737595126?ref=notif&notif_t=feed_comment_reply#!/note.php?note_id=486534801570

here is how to subscribe to an RSS feed.
http://www.facebook.com/feeds/notes.php?id=1583658900&viewer=1522270524&key=f6c65fadb6&format=rss20

Essentia

Sunday 16 January 2011

Against animal testing

this week we are going to tackle animal testing, great progress in the EU on this but at the same time this should not be a window for the unscrupulous to launch dangerous cosmetics with nice names, that they might reasonably have known would cause allergies.

Aromatherapy has had a somewhat fraught relationship with science in this area.  Scientists naturally want to test essential oils effects on tissues so tend to test the essential oils against rats and guinea pigs tissues.

Essential oils science is not aromatherapy.  That is an empirical process resulting from case studies of the use of essential oils in practical application.  I like to think too aromatherapy goes far beyond the visible and the measurable.  Science too is increasingly agreeing.  In the vital area of maintaining congnition as populations age researchers are confirming the importance of essential oils in fighting the plaques which can build up in the brain.  These are every be to be combatted as plaque on our teeth,.

Essential n. something of importance


On muscular injections, researchers in france injected massive doses into laboratory mice to test the toxicity of essential oils in the 1920s and 1930s.  Research blossomed in this period because of the interest of R Gattefosse who made available the materials and facilities of the Gattefosse company to researchers.  Gattefosse had scientific and commercial interest in the physiological effects of essential oils (and isolated constituents and synthetic fragrance components) with a view to their medical applications.  Dozens of research papers are listed in his book Aromatherapy.

Empirical.  His book also contains a useful summary of the empirical use.  Then there was no aromatherapy profession to report back practical uses of the oils and Gattefosse lists pharmacopea summaries of indications of the plants or essential oil or isolates.  Researchers observed the effects of these massive doses and from this much of our knowledge of toxicity springs.

Terpenes.  One of Gattefosse's 's achievements was to note that if terpenes were put to one side essential oils ordered themselves quite naturally according to the chemical effects of their oxygenated components. This was an important insight and a big improvement on previous classifications. Terpenes dissolve mucous and can affect the stomach and oesophagous lining as a result. The other constituents too means there much be the greatest concern with a significent undiluted use of oils internally as 'food supplements or dietary aids' in any but trivial quantities and other than by a qualified and trained individual. Terpenes are not soluble in water so this is an unsatisfactory dilutant.


Essentia

Saturday 8 January 2011

Revise History - egypt 3500BC

History. Well heres where it all began in Egypt with Narmer, we have cosmetic palettes preserved from the time of this character and his wife who were the original pharoahs of a unified civilised egypt back in 3500 BC. Hieroglyphs appear at this time.

In Egypt perfumery was firmly linked to religion. Each deity had its own special fragrance, and statues would be covered with scented oils. Chamomile was the flower offered to Ra, the sun god.

find out more about hieroglyphs http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/hieroglyphs.html

Essentia

Getting in tune with Reiki

Reiki is an enourmously popular self help therapy using nothing more than the mind to achieve mental, physical and spiritual healing.  To 'get' reiki its sometimes helpful to reflect on some insights from science as to how the mind works in the form of emotions, images and memory.

Savants like Daniel Tammet provide scientists with remarkable insights into this. Daniel describes his experiencing numbers in emotional terms as feelings.  I was lucky enough to liase with Daniel over a show for his New York publicist.  Dont miss his upcoming New York show.

http://optimnemblog.blogspot.com/

Essentia

Below is an introduction to Reiki
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpT5MrD44wM

Friday 7 January 2011

Thursday 6 January 2011

Now Shirley Price therapists have a new organic tool for their storage boxes.

The new look of the Shirley Price organic lipstick and organic natural perfumes range.

The organic lipsticks come in a range of 18 individual lipsticks with popular colours 4 shades of pink, 4 shades of red, black and brown.

The organic perfumes come in a base of fractionated coconut or clear or coloured jojoba.

To get the label's grey effect requires three pantone greys on the label.

Essentia

Wednesday 5 January 2011

How safe are candles? - Why Sp offer electrical diffusers

Candles around children are a hazard but children should not miss out.  An aromatherapy diffuser nightlight allows children to also benefit from the use of essential oil and scent safely. We are not giving up on our soy candles for special occasions though.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/ZENBOW-bundle-Diffuser-Changing-ESSENTIAL/dp/B002KNHY0Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294275430&sr=8-1
Essentia

Dr Weil writes....Candles are a convenient, inexpensive way to add ambience, calm and serenity to a home or office throughout the year. Their warm, soothing touch creates an inviting and comforting atmosphere. For everyday indoor use, you should opt for unscented candles. Some researchers note that unscented candles create less soot than scented varieties - over time this soot can accumulate in lungs and cause respiratory problems. Scented candles may also contribute to indoor pollution. I suggest candles made of unscented beeswax, which are just as beautiful and cozy as artificially scented varieties.

More from Dr Weil
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP03662/How-Safe-Are-Your-Candles.html

Essenzia Forum

http://www.forum-essenzia.org/

The Aromatherapy Show


Listen to internet radio with IanBrealey on Blog Talk Radio

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ianbrealey/2011/01/06/daily-aromatherapy-blogta

Join Ian Brealey and Jan Benham of Shirley Price Aromatherapy with their guests for weekly live chat mostly about plant oils and how they help us with health, beauty, fitness on The Aromatherapy Show

Tuesday 4 January 2011

Essentia skincare essentials

1.  Honey mask

Normal to dry/mature skin. A smooth honey mask including essential oils of lavender and geranium, which gently stimulates and nourishes a dry or mature skin. Helps restore skin based vitality and elasticity. Used over time will normalise a dry skin.

Ingredients: Aqua, Mel, Propylene Glycol, Xanthum Gum, Hydroxyeythycellulose, Algin, Phenooxyehanol, Methyidbromo Glutaronitrile, lavendula angustifolia, pelargonium graveolens, santalum album

PH value: 4.5-5.5, Specific gravity 0.997-1.00

2.  Pretty serum
Pretty serum – All skin types
Contains essential oils of frankincense, Neroli and rose otto. This easily absorbed serum contains essential oils that give the skin a silky smooth feel, increasing softness and elasticity. Normalising and revitalising.
  1. Skin feels smooth and silky
  2. Normalises and revitalises the skin
  3. Increases softness and elasticity
Method of use: Gently massage into the skin as often as required.

A serum is used to provide extra moisturising for dry and mature skin

3.  Classic Moisture Cream
Moisture cream - for normal and dry skins
A beautiful blend of natural moisturising ingredients, including carrot oil, which helps to maintain the skin's natural moisture balance and elasticity. Contains specially selected essential oils of frankincense, lavender and rose absolute to normalise a dry skin
1.    Moisture cream helps to normalise dry skin.
            2.    Moisture cream maintains the skin’s natural moisture balance by replacing
water lost through the pores.
3.    It helps to preserve natural elasticity of skin.
4.    Moisture cream is non-comodegenic and will not block pores. It forms a barrier to prevent the pores being blocked by dirt and make-up.
Method of use: After thorough cleansing and toning apply to the face, neck and around the eyes, blending until completely absorbed.

4.  Revitalising minute gel

All skin types. All skin types can use minute gel to activate blood circulation, revitalise and promote a glowing, healthy skin. With regular use will brighten the skinand normalise a sensitive skin; includes essential oils of chamomile and cypress.


5.  Moisture cream
The organic base cream serves as a sensitive skin moisture cream. 
Organic cream base 87.75% organic ingredients: Aqua, Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Butospermum Parkii (Shea butter)*, Glycerin, Coco-glucoside and conconut alcohol, Theobroma Cacoa (Cocoa) seed butter*, Glyceryl stearate, Cera alba*, Sucrose stearate. Olea europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil*, Aloe barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder*, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthum Gum, Potassium sorbate, Lactic acid, Tocopherol, Benzyl alcohol *certified organic

Other cream bases also serve as a moisturising cream.

6.  Cypress exfoliating cream – Normal-dry skin
This creamy mask, containing bergamot, cypress and lavender, cleanses, smoothes and invigorates. Its exfoliating action eliminates impurities, refines pores and helps to maintain a clear and healthy complexion.
  1. Eliminates impurities
  2. Refines pores
  3. Maintains a clear and healthy complexion
  4. Cleanses, smoothes and invigorates the skin
Method of use: Gently massage for approximately 5 minutes, then rinse with tepid water.



7.  Moisture lotion - for normal to oily skin
This fine, light lotion blended with essential oils of geranium, juniper and lavender will help to keep the skin supple and moist and preserve its natural elasticity. Moisture lotion protects the skin from harmful environmental conditions. It will normalise an oily skin.
1.    Moisture lotion helps to normalise an oily skin.
2.         It keeps the skin's natural moisture balance correct by replacing moisture lost
 through the pores.
3.    Moisture lotion helps to preserve natural elasticity of skin.
4.    It forms a barrier to help prevent dust, dirt and make up going into the pores
Method of use: After thorough cleansing and toning apply moisture lotion with finger tips to the face, neck and around the eyes until completely absorbed.
 
more essentia skincare products are on www.ShirleyPrice.com
 
Essentia

Monday 3 January 2011

Aromatherapi - CAM links

LINKS TO HEALING
WITH AROMATHERAPY
Iceland
Aromatherapi
The story of teaching
aromatherapy in Iceland
started in 1989. In that year
the wholesale Ambrosia
founded The Aromatherapy
School of Iceland. The
owners were Agnar
Ólafsson, Arnar Sigurðsson
and Agnar Agnarsson. The
teacher was Anna Edström.
She is a doctor in biology
and biochemistry from The
University of Uppsala in
Sweden. She also graduated
as an aroma  therapist from
the School of Shirley Price in
Hinckley, England.  For the
assistance of Anna Edström
Ambrosia had imported
Shirley Price aroma products
to Iceland for teaching and
sale. The school was run
until 1993 and graduated
aroma therapists. Since that
time Bergfell ehf has
imported products from
Shirley Price.
NSK

KAM ~ The Committee for
Alternative Medicine,
Sweden
www.kam.se
NNH ~ Norwegian Natural
Medicine Association,
Norway
www.nnh.no
LNS ~ Landsorganisation
Natursundhedsrådet,
Denmark
www.l-n-s.dk
BIG ~ The Association of
Complementary and
Alternative Medicine in
Iceland
www.big.is
LKL ~ Luonnonlääketinteen
keskusliitto ry, Finland
www.lkl.fi

Aromatherapy and Sjögren's syndrome

KH writes
"I USE HELICHRYSUM IN ALOE VERA FOR DRY EYES. PUT IT ON THE UPPER AND LOVER EYE LIDS."
"I HAVE SJOGRENS SYNDROM. MY TEARS DONT RUN ANYMORE. MY EYES FEEL DRY, LIKE THERE IS A SAND THERE, STINGS ET.C. DON'T ASK ME HOW HELICHRYSUMT WORKS BUT IT DOES. I FEEL BETTER IN MY EYES THAN WHEN USING ARTIFICIAL TEARS. THE SKIN AROUND MY EYES ARE FINE, NOT DRY OR FLAKY. I AM ALMOST 60 YEARS OLD AND THERE IS NO PUFFINESS AROUND MY EYES. IT WAS BEFORE I LEARNED TO USE AROMATHERAPY. BUT AFTER I STARTED TO USE HELICHRYSUM THEY HAVE NOT COME BACK. I USE ALOE VERA GEL BECAUSE IT DOES NOT RUN. I LOVE HELICHRYSUM."

Sjögren's syndrome is a chronic disorder that causes insufficient moisture production in certain glands of the body. It occurs when a person's normally protective immune system attacks and destroys moisture-producing glands, including salivary glands and tear glands. The lungs, bowel and other organs are affected occasionally.

Sjögren's syndrome is named after the Swedish eye doctor, Henrik Sjögren, who first described the condition.

Sjögren's syndrome may cause the following symptoms:
  • extremely dry eyes causing a feeling of grit or sand in the eyes or a burning redness.
  • extremely dry mouth and throat causing difficulty with chewing and swallowing, decreased sense of taste, difficulty speaking, an increase in dental cavities, and dry cough or hoarseness.
  • excessive fatigue
  • aches and pains in muscles and joints

What causes Sjögren's syndrome?

Normally, the immune system (the body's defence against invaders) protects the body from infection and foreign substances such as bacteria and viruses.
In autoimmune diseases, such as Sjögren's syndrome, the immune system triggers an inflammatory response when there are no foreign substances to fight off. This inflammatory response causes the body's white blood cells to attack and destroy certain moisture-producing glands.
The exact cause for the abnormal immune response in Sjögren's syndrome is unknown. Some theories suggest that a virus or bacteria may alter the immune system, causing it to attack the glands. Some people may have a genetic or inherited factor that makes them more likely to develop Sjogren's syndrome.

Essentia

Sunday 2 January 2011

Carriers





An aromatherapy supply company must provide first class carrier oils in 125ml to 25kg quantities.  Many are attracted into the aromatherapy business thinking they just have to buy a quantity of essential oils and then realise that the clients of massage therapists judge them equally on the quality of their carrier oils. That said some aromatherapists do an excellent job hunting out small distillers of rarer oils or distilling their own oils and hydrolats.

Not everyone likes storing and toting around 200kg carrier oil barrels either! Nor is this the sort of business that can be done from home.

Most carrier oils must be cold pressed from seed and fresh.  Many of the carriers lose their skin nourishing fat soluable vitamins with 12 months after pressing.  Even Jojoba which is noted for its keeping qualities becomes lifeless as a massage oil within 18 months. 

Most of the appreciative feedback messages from new hospice and shop customers Sp gets relate to the quality of the carrier oils which have always been a key strength of Sp.

We do supply organic carrier oils but with the exception of the jojoba and the sunflower oil we find the organic oils way too expensive for most therapists and so most of the carrier oil we sell is conventionally farmed.

Essentia

Carrier Oil List

96013311  Almond
96013328  Apricot
96013335  Argan
96013342  Avocado
96013359  Blackseed
96013366  Calendula


96013380  Camellia seed Oil Expressed 
96013397  Carrier oil mix
96013403  Carrot Oil
96013410  Coconut oil
96013427  Evening primrose
96013434  Flax (Linseed)
96013441  Grapeseed
96013458  Hazlenut
96013465  Hemp seed
96013472  Jojoba golden
96013489  Jojoba clear
96013496  Lime blossom
96013502  Macadamia
96013519  Melissa
96013526  Mustard
96013533  Moringa oil
96013540  Neem
96013557  Olive Oil
96013564  Passionflower
96013571  Passionfruit
96013588  Peachnut
96013595  Pomegranate
96013601  Pumpkin seed
96013618  Rosehip
96013625  Rosehip organic
96013632  Safflower
96013649  Sesame
96013656  Soya
96013663  St Johns Wort
96013670  Starflower (Borage)
96013687  Sunflower
96013694  Wheatgerm
96013700  White lotion
96013717  White Lotion Organic