The Sp Blog for everyone who loves aromatherapy. Since 1974 Sp have set the international standard for essential oils and training of the highest quality. Sp supply 1700 aromatherapists in 40 countries
Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Robert Tisserand - online seminars
http://roberttisserand.com/online-seminars/
find out about Robert's London Seminar here
www.PureAromatherapy.com
Roberts blog....
Hygienic massage with essential oils
Essentia per mutua
Chysanthemum
Another flower of medicinal interest and insect repellant use.
Chrysanthemum is the flower of the east as the rose is the flower of the west. A chrysanthemum absolute oil is available for use in tea and as a natural insecticide and repellant against wasps.
Below my Rosa Centifolia coming into bud tonight
and calendula, cheerful as ever tonight
and the citrus limon in flower
Essentia per mutua
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
EO Adulteration
Chrality means the optical activity of organic compounds. GC columns have been developed to separate S and R isomers of organic compounds. Optical activity measurement requires the isolation of the component in question. There is published information on which column to use and the order of elution of the S and R isomers for many of the common components of essential oils."
Brain Lawrence, LinkedIn Correspondence
Monday, 28 May 2012
Antimicrobial 'good' and 'bad' bacteria
I think this is a numbers thing. The zones of
inhibition visible in aromatograms certainly must affect both good and
bad bacteria but they impact most on the 'bad' bacteria which are trying
to proliferate and now find they cant in the presence of the essential
oil constituents.
A. Just a wild guess, I am no microbiologist but my thought is that 'bad'
bacteria are doing something 'bad' in a differant way to good bacteria.
There is a difference of intent and behaviour. For example once the
'bad' bacteria detect a weakness with the body's defences by detecting
enough of their fellows around they start to form colonies and rapidly
proliferate giving off toxins and disrupting the bodies cells and
tissues.
Then there is an issue of action. Inhibition or destruction. I guess the EO constituents are as much disrupting the bad bacteria's communications as actually disrupting their cell membranes. The 'good' bacteria are keeping their heads down anyway. They are inhibited but only as long as the EO constituents around and then its life as normal. They must be replicating but not in such numbers as to necessitate an immune response.
The good bacteria are not wildly proliferating anyway so are not affected by this disruption of communications. Certainly there is some chemical intelligence at work because the body is sensing at a micro level the difference between good and bad bacteria and attacking the bad bacteria with the immune system.
In a sense the 'bad' bacteria are not eliminated but go back to being good(ish) bacteria again. This is an issue I have with the medical orthodoxy that an active ingredient can in all cases effect a 'cure'. Once a pathogen is introduced to the body the sad fact is that on the whole they dont go away even though health is restored.
When we look at the more chronic impacts of the 'bad bacteria' we look at the formation of plaques which the body's immune system constituents and antibiotics are too big to penetrate. Eo constituents are small enough to do penetrate the biofilms and inhibit the bacteria. These biofilms are no differant from the plaque on our teeth but forming in the heart arteries and in the brain they can be very damaging and of course you cant brush them away.
Turning to the chemistry...............
It is the sesquiterpene lactones which first caught my eye and some display this bicyclic 7 carbon ring, 5 carbon ring azulene structure
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesquiterpene_lactone
as do other better known anti-inflammatory constituents
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamazulene (blue)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vetivazulenehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guaiazulene
and working back to the antibacterial theme
di-aldehyde
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velleral
sesquiterpene alcohol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotol
Caratol is some 40% of carrot oil and that certainly isnt blue. However it seems active properties of some important essential oils both anti-inflammatory and antibacterial may derive from the 7, 5 structure of azulene which certainly food for thought.
Are good bacteria as affected by the behaviour of these constituents as bad ones. Having identified the chemical structure of interest we can now delve into the research to see if anyone has subjected differant bacteria to azulene or its derivatives. Maybe a research project in there alright!
Ian Brealey
Antibacterial/Antimicrobial EO's only impacts "bad" not "good"?
Q. I'm looking for a better
understanding of this concept. If anyone can help me with a explanation
or a reference I'd really appreciate it. I'm a student of aromatherapy
and I understand a handful of oils have constituents that are effective
for some nasty bacteria strains. The question is how have these EO's
become so smart that they know to leave our "good" bacteria in tact and
only go after the "bad/nasty" ones? Or do you have a opinion that they
go after good AND bad when they are doing their job? so I'm trying
to understand if the EO's containing antimicrobial actions would
basically have the same effect (externally or internally used).
Then there is an issue of action. Inhibition or destruction. I guess the EO constituents are as much disrupting the bad bacteria's communications as actually disrupting their cell membranes. The 'good' bacteria are keeping their heads down anyway. They are inhibited but only as long as the EO constituents around and then its life as normal. They must be replicating but not in such numbers as to necessitate an immune response.
The good bacteria are not wildly proliferating anyway so are not affected by this disruption of communications. Certainly there is some chemical intelligence at work because the body is sensing at a micro level the difference between good and bad bacteria and attacking the bad bacteria with the immune system.
In a sense the 'bad' bacteria are not eliminated but go back to being good(ish) bacteria again. This is an issue I have with the medical orthodoxy that an active ingredient can in all cases effect a 'cure'. Once a pathogen is introduced to the body the sad fact is that on the whole they dont go away even though health is restored.
When we look at the more chronic impacts of the 'bad bacteria' we look at the formation of plaques which the body's immune system constituents and antibiotics are too big to penetrate. Eo constituents are small enough to do penetrate the biofilms and inhibit the bacteria. These biofilms are no differant from the plaque on our teeth but forming in the heart arteries and in the brain they can be very damaging and of course you cant brush them away.
Turning to the chemistry...............
It is the sesquiterpene lactones which first caught my eye and some display this bicyclic 7 carbon ring, 5 carbon ring azulene structure
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesquiterpene_lactone
as do other better known anti-inflammatory constituents
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamazulene (blue)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vetivazulenehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guaiazulene
and working back to the antibacterial theme
di-aldehyde
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velleral
sesquiterpene alcohol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotol
Caratol is some 40% of carrot oil and that certainly isnt blue. However it seems active properties of some important essential oils both anti-inflammatory and antibacterial may derive from the 7, 5 structure of azulene which certainly food for thought.
Are good bacteria as affected by the behaviour of these constituents as bad ones. Having identified the chemical structure of interest we can now delve into the research to see if anyone has subjected differant bacteria to azulene or its derivatives. Maybe a research project in there alright!
Ian Brealey
Shirley Price Chamomile Eyecare
Hay fever
In spring many are kept indoors suffer the discomfort caused by hay fever symptoms such as sneezing, itching eyes and nose and increased mucus. In summer grass pollens bring misery to the majority of sufferers and then autumn brings a final flurry of fungal spores and autumn flower pollens to contend with.
Research on natural remedies for hayfever suffers continues.
The Shirley Price Chamomile Eyedrop has proved a popular remedy because the eyedrop washes out pollengrains attaching themselves to the eye and irritating it while the highly diluted chamomile (1/2500 dilution) serves as a natural preservative.
Essentia per mutua
Sunday, 27 May 2012
'Spike' the 'nard'??
Ian Brealey
Saturday, 26 May 2012
Pawns pretending to be Bishops?
Good to see the drugs therapy junkies and political lobbyists too jumping on the band wagon and out in such force today in todays Times! Dont you think you are overdoing it this time gentlemen? According to the FT homeopathic prescriptions cost the NHS £122,000 last year. You have already done tremendous harm to vulnerable patients and put off many from studying and seeking treatments. Why not rest on your 'laurels'. After all is not £122,000 the pay of an average GP who certainly could not take the credit for 200,000 GP and 40,000 hospital interventions which homeopathy provides.
So what did you do dad in the days of aquarius? Son I closed down a bunch of homeopathic hospitals and got flowers banned from the rest. I was for animal experiments and GM crops against bishops and the monarchy and any kind of institution. After all its only rational. Hippies and flower power the anti-homeopathy campaign is not. It is the opposite of that wonderful movement. It is opposite in effect, irrational and damaging.
Of course it is good that institutions are not above questioning and criticism, that is what keeps them corruption free and working. It is a fact that only political and religious institutions can meet peoples needs. We are better with them that without them or we enter a new dark age.
Homeopathy works and there is nothing less scientific than to deny the evidence of our own eyes and taking refuge in the nonsense that Colquhoun and Evans had published today. Fortunately thousands of real scientists (who are working doctors who do have enquiring minds and care of patients) are fascinated by complementary therapies that evidently work and want to know why. Worldwide research continues to accumulate at an unprecented level and with much improved scientific method. Nobel prizes have been won and there are Nobel prizes to be won. So what is this about?
The human body ages and regulates itself, interacting with microorganisms with a shared chemical intelligence in ways we still only dimly understand. This is not psycho-social, this is high science. The new frontier. In the space of a generation bacteria have evolved cellular mechanisms to identify and spit out the 'active ingredient'. The 'active ingredient' orthodoxy is under threat.
Homeopathy is a serious existential threat to the profits of pharmaceutical companies because homeopathy shows, amongst many other things, that symptoms of disease can be an illusion of the mind - what doctors call 'the worried well'. There is also the whole area of interest as to why homeopathic treatments succeed in stimulating the body to heal itself where conventional treatments fail or are too toxic for a particular patient.
Without homeopathy there would be no limit to the NHS drug bill. The more 'active ingredients' the better.
I am therefore for homeopathy. Not because homeopathy is good or bad, cheap or costly nor beause I understand it but because in trained medical hands it works where conventional treatments fail or are to toxic for a particular patient and is therefore worthy of research.
Complimentary treatments which increase or extend the effectiveness of conventional treatments are an important area of study. There is an area of self treatment which is subclinical which either does not merit the risks of medical or surgical intervention or where a diagnosis is not yet possible. This is perfect grounds for homeopathy.
Research shows that undiagnosed symptoms give rise to anxiety and depression in 70% of cases. You can literally worry yourself sick. All symptoms should be reported to your GP who will be able to discern whether your condition merits the risks of medical or surgical treatment or whether it is right to recommend a complementary health practitioner.
The campaign
An expert - who is not a doctor or a homeopath says...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2116953/Homeopathy-worthless--says-expert-subject-claims-unethical-prescribe-treatments-NHS.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/poll/2012/mar/19/homeopathy-banned-nhs
Doctors who are not homeopathic doctors say
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/jun/29/ban-homeopathy-from-nhs-doctors
Informative
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8c29526a-d152-11e0-89c0-00144feab49a.html
Simon Singh, the science journalist unsuccessfully sued for libel for his criticism of chiropractic, another complementary therapy, praised the activism of scientists and the 10:23 movement: “Bit by bit homeopathic degrees are being closed down, but it is nothing to do with the government or the medical establishment,” he said.
10.23 movement and 'stunts'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV9fWExk1Vw
Balanced
http://now-here-this.timeout.com/2012/05/06/face-off-should-the-nhs-fund-homeopathic-treatments/
"In Britain and Australia, horrified scientists are fighting hard against the teaching of alternative therapies in publicly funded universities and against their provision in mainstream medical care. They have had most success in Britain. Some universities have been shamed into ending alternative courses. The number of homeopathic hospitals in Britain is dwindling. In 2005 the Lancet, a leading medical journal, declared “the end of homeopathy”. In 2010 a parliamentary science committee advised that “the government should not endorse the use of placebo treatments including homeopathy.” So, should alternative medicine be treated on a par with the traditional sort and taught in medical schools?"
jeez even the economist - that didnt come cheap - you dont need a first class degree in economics to see on economic grounds alone yes of course Homeopathy should be part of the NHS. 240,000 interventions costing £122,000 i, £4m if you take into account all establishment costs - if thats not a bargain I dont know what is.
http://www.economist.com/economist-asks/should-alternative-medicine-be-taught-medical-schools?page=6
Do you get the feeling there is a campaign running? Who is funding this? The cost of a media campaign like this probably exceeds the entire £122,00 NHS Budget on homeopathic medicines!
Doctors who are working homeopathic doctors say
Yes- Dr Sara Eames, president of the Faculty of Homeopathy, Luton
‘Homeopathy is a safe and cost- effective form of medicine which is used by fully trained doctors to treat approximately 200,000 patients a year in general practice and 40,000 in hospital. The hospital patients are all referred by their GPs or hospital consultant, often because they have not been helped by conventional medicine, have had intolerable side-effects or the orthodox treatment is not suitable for the individual patient. ‘There is growing evidence for homeopathy, with over 150 double- blind trials, far more of which are positive than negative. These trials are a “gold standard” in medicine and are specifically designed to cancel out the placebo effect. Outcome studies from the homeopathic hospitals show a high percentage of patients improving their main condition and overall wellbeing. Homeopathy can be safely combined with other treatments, and has massive potential to reduce NHS costs: the total expenditure on NHS homeopathy is less than a thousandth of 1 per cent of the NHS budget. So let’s stop this polarised argument, and discuss the responsible integration of different treatments to save money and help more patients.
Ian Brealey
per mutua
Turning to todays 'contributions'
The Times Letters May 26 2012Lets be honest: its not ethical to give a placebo
Should the NHS Fund alternative medicine such as homeopathic remedies?
Sir, Dr Michael Dixons letter (May 21) is fascinating.....Prescribing of medicines that contains no active ingredient involves lying to patients. That is old-fashioned and unethical.......Psycho-social problems may indeed be very important to some patients. But deceiving such patients with dummy pills is not the proper way to deal with their problems."
D Colquhoun, FRS
Professor of Pharmacology
University College of London
Sir, Dr Michael Dixon argues that the NHS should fund placebo treatments such as homeopathy.....public policy demands that the NHS spends its resources only on treatments which work without deception in a cost effective way.
Dr Evan Harris
Oxford
Essentia (latin for being) says
"Follow the money gentlemen!"
This lobby are prepared to attack patient choice, medical choice, patient care, the monarchy and religion as well as belief of any kind. It is prepared to deploy any argument and ignore and evidence to the contrary of its views. Even so 200,000 patients a year in general practice and 40,000 in hospital still receive care which conventional treatment is too toxic or ineffective to deliver.
What makes me mad is this is down on nearly 1m homeopathic interventions of the NHS's 16m total interventions a decade ago. Thats a lot of people suffering in silence and the work of generations of homeopathic doctors going to waste. Or looked at another way 800,000 more interventions for the drug therapists and their feeders. These gentlemen have nothing to be proud of.
Thursday, 24 May 2012
Course dates
May 16th to 20th - Reflexology diploma 10am - 4pm
July 1st - Aromatherapy oils for midwifery 11am - 4pm
July 2nd - 6th - Aromatherapy module 4
July 4th - Chair Massage 11am - 4pm
July 5th - Qi drop Therapy 10am - 4pm
July 9th to 13th - Holistic Skin Care
July 9th - Aromatherapy Facials 10am - 4pm
July 12th Aromatherapy Skin Treatments 10am - 4pm
July 13th Fruit Facials 10am - 4pm
July 14th - The creamy craft of cosmetic making 11am - 4pm
July 15th - Learn how to make mineral makeup 11am - 4pm
July 16th - How to make natural makeup 11am - 4pm
October 8th - Aromatherapy seminar 10am - 4pm
October 9th - Aromatherapy for Emotional Health 10am - 4pm
October 8th - 12th Aromatherapy Module One 10am - 4pm
October 12th - The creamy craft of cosmetic making 11am - 4pm
October 14th - The Art of Soap Making 11am - 4pm
October 15th - Learn how to make mineral makeup 11am - 4pm
October 16th -How to make natural makeup 11am - 4pm
Wednesday, 23 May 2012
NEC exhibitions 2012
The Sp oils and skincare at the NEC last week
Retail Pricelist
http://www.shirleypriceessentia.com/files/Season_2012RetailPricelist.pdf
Ian Brealey at Primary Care 2012
Essentia
Saturday, 19 May 2012
What are the most commonly used oils in aromatherapy?
This is a very frequently asked question. Its also a frequently not asked question in scientific research where aromatherapy is equated often with a massage in the local spa to the detriment of the scientific enquiry in hand. Oxidised oils are used, the botanical origin is sometimes a mystery. Help is at hand. Take a class! Below are oils for particular bodily systems starting with skincare and nervous conditions, the areas where essential oils are of frequent use. For the hardy the class boards showing how we got there are below too.
Benzoin you will see appears in skincare but is not in other categories. Benzoin is however a useful fixative allowing the aromas of more volatile oils to persist longer so may well find its way into aromatherapy and natural perfume blends for this reason alone. I would stress that this is not science nor aromatherapy either! However for the student new to the oils this is a useful teaching device to work through. A professional aromatherapist seeks to select oils appropriate to the individual in front of them based on their training and experience. All this does is look at the most versatile oils in each category. The methodology was simply to take a commonly recognised Shirley Price table and count the mentions the oil received within each care category to arrive at the most versatile oils.
So the table of most versatile oils by care area. Comments on the table are below.
Skincare
Benzoin, cedarwood, chamomile german, chamomile roman, clove bud, frankincense, geranium, juniper, lavender, lemon, melissa, myrhh, patchouli, rose otto, sandalwood, bergamot, marjoram sweet, tea tree
Nervous
Basil, bergamot, chamomile roman, clary sage, frankincense, geranium, lavender, marjoram sweet, melissa, peppermint, pine, rose otto, rosemary, sandalwood, thyme sweet, ylang
Digestive
Basil, black pepper, caraway, coriander, clove bud, dill (not versatile but a famous carminative for babies) fennel, geranium, ginger, lemon, mandarin, melissa, niaouli, peppermint, rosemary and thyme sweet
Genito urinary
Chamomile german, clary sage, fennel, sage, thyme sweet
Circulatory muscles joints
Basil, cajuput, cham roman, cypress, frankincense, geranium, juniper, lavender, lemon, marjoram sweet, niaouli, nutmeg, peppermint, rosemary, sandalwood, sage, thyme sweet, valerian
Respiratory
Black pepper, cajuput, clovebud, cypress, dill, lemon, marjoram spanish, marjoram sweet, niaouli, peppermint, pine, rosemary, sage, tea tree, thyme sweet
Comments
Starting with skincare
As above Benzoin is versatile in skincare but not in other care areas. Cedarwood similarly. They are relatively specific to skincare. Chamomile German finds skincare and genitourinary use. Chamomile roman finds skincare, nervous and CMJ (circulation, muscles and joints) use. Clove bud skincare, digestive and respiratory use. Frankincense skincare, nervous and CMJ use. Geranium is a versatile oil which finds much use within aromatherapy including skincare, nervous, digestive and CMJ uses. Juniper skincare and CMJ. Lavender is another versatile oil with skincare, nervous, and CMJ uses. lemon for the treatment of warts and verucae in skincare and digestive care. Melissa is useful in skincare and produces an excellent hydrolat, also finding nervous (excellent for agitation) and digestive use. Myrhh finds skincare uses. Patchouli finds skincare use. Rose otto finds skincare and nervous uses. Sandalwood finds skincare, nervous use and CMJ use. Bergamot finds use in skincare as a herpes treatment and in nervous care. Sweet Marjoram finds use in skincare as an athletes foot treatment, nervous care as sedative, CMJ and respiratory. Tea tree finds use in skincare as an athletes foot treatment and respiratory. Unlike other oils Tea Tree is not readily absorbed by the skin and so makes an ideal antifungal footcare treatment. Always take a seriously fungal nail to a podiatrist as it may be symptomatic of a more serious condition.
Nervous care
hello Clary Sage, hello Peppermint, also digestive and cooling in CMJ. hello Pine also with respiratory uses. hello Rosemary (Rosemary for remembrance), also digestive, and CMJ. hello Ylang.
Digestive
hello Black Pepper (improves the swallowing reflex), caraway, coriander, dill and fennel, ginger, mandarin, niaouli (also in CMJ).
Genito-urinary
hello Sage (also in CMJ)
CMJ
hello Cajuput (also respiratory), Nutmeg, Valerian
Respiratory
No newbies.
I would stress this exercise solely looks at the oils that are most versatile in the care uses. We can then go to the individual oil profiles to see their true range of individual uses.
Just click on a name for the wikipedia profile.
Success in your studies!
no mercy straight into the chemistry - alcohol + acid = ester + water, easy from thereon
therapeutic properties of the functional groups
botany
then into the skincare and massage carriers
essential oils for skincare
and then into the uses cross reference
Bless this mess. The oils and the use areas
Indications reading
Glossary reading
pulling it all together
A protocol for clinical aromatherapy use
If you are thinking of taking the Sp day class in aromatherapy to master the basics rest assured the the slides and handouts are more colourful than the boards!
we are now (at last) ready to consider the researched uses of essential oils
The leading author and researcher into the uses of essential oils in Aromatherapy is Robert Tisserand. His upcoming seminars and online learning can be found at
https://www.facebook.com/RobertTisserandEssentialTraining
A new edition of his book Essential Oil Safety will be available in 2013 including over 4000 research references
Ian Brealey
Saturday, 12 May 2012
The Robert Tisserand Weekend, London 2013
Delegates received over 400 slides and videos. Generous goody bag from the Tisserand company. My son George Brealey made delegates an oil blend called Refresh, Relax including the excellent essential oil of Fragonia and the Shirley Price Rest mix.
Photo Gallery on www.purearomatherapy.com
Robert Tisserand Weekend Seminar at Imperial College London
I am reviewing the handouts with great enthusiasm. As the organiser I didnt get much time to take notes!
Attendee feedback and more pictures
http://purearomatherapy.virb.com/attendees
Gallery
http://purearomatherapy.virb.com/gallery
Essentia
Monday, 7 May 2012
St Hildegard in 2012
Tuscany is one of my favourite places. Rome had been under military misrule for almost three centuries before Benedictine was born in 480 AD. Communities of Benedictine monks remind us that respect for what they stand for has been there for over a thousand years. The Rule of St Benedict makes interesting reading for anyone on a spiritual path or just curious.
http://www.benedictines.org.uk/
On May 20 I raise a glass to the memory of St Bernadine of Siena. In the 1400s he virtually single handed returned Italy to a widespread acceptance of non violence and the rule of law even on the part of rulers which paved the way for the Italian renaissance. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02505b.htm
A great interest in the Benedictine tradition is a german abbess called St Hildegard. She is known for her visions, music and vivid art but also for her healing and herbal medicine. She used a word viriditas to describe the green or life force which could effect healing. As a holistic healer she used plants, stones and waters to restore health. She wrote 9 books and is credited with the first book on gynecology.
http://archive.org/stream/hildegardiscaus00hildgoog#page/n32/mode/2up
Hildegards beatification could be completed in late 2012 when she will be declared a doctor of the church
Hildegard achieved particular success with eye infections. Lavender cultivation was promoted and remains an important essential oil.
Essential n. something of importantance
Ian Brealey
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