Season's Greetings!

December 2015

Season’s Greetings! The festive season is finally upon us!


Normal daily routines are abandoned, sugar intakes soar and shopping bills multiply. Here are our top Christmas survival tips and special Christmas offers to help you through the next few weeks.

Start Drinking

No, not that sort! Herbal teas and infusions are an easy and tasty way to harness the therapeutic powers of aromatic plants. Ginger (Zingiber officinalis) has been used across the world for centuries for medicinal purposes. Writing around 50-70AD Dioscorides, a Greek surgeon with the Roman Empire, wrote that ginger “warms and softens the stomach”(1) whilst in his famous Herbal John Gerard told his 17th century readers that ginger “…is of a heating and digesting qualitie, and is profitable for the stomache…”(2). Cardamom seeds are also strongly indicated for the digestive system. In The Art of Aromatherapy the world renowned aromatherapist Robert Tisserand told us that cardamom “…is especially good for digestive problems of nervous origin.”(3)

Ginger & Lemon Lift

So start your day the aromatic way by adding to a mug:

• &# 189; teaspoon of chopped ginger
• Or &# 188; teaspoon of dried ginger powder if you’re in a rush
• a pinch of ground cardamom seeds
• a squeeze of lemon juice

Add boiling water, pop a saucer on top and leave to stand for 5-10 minutes. The lemon will give you a morning lift and the ginger and cardamom will help prepare your digestive organs for another day of indulgence.

Calm the Kids

Which aromas do your kids love the smell of? Children often respond positively to sweet and familiar scents such as orange, mandarin and lavender. Christmas is a lovely time for children but the excitement and routine changes mean that bed times can become more challenging. Invest in an essential oil diffuser. Invite your kids to choose their favourite essential oils – drop a selection on tissues for them to try (avoid giving them the bottles to smell)*. Start diffusing their chosen oils during calm times of the day such as story time. Once they begin to associate their ‘calm smells’ with quieter times start diffusing their oil for 15-20 minutes at bedtime. If all goes to plan, the ‘calm smells’ will trigger the quieter behaviour associated with their chosen oil/oils.

Calm Child Diffuser

Materia Aromatica has designed blend specifically for Children. This calming blend contains:

• Mandarin
• Roman Chamomile
• Lavender
• Vetiver

Our blend has all the essentials to calm and soothe over-excited young minds on the Eve of Christmas.

* Recommended for children of 5 years and over. Be aware that not all essential oils are recommended for children – check your oils for safety first.

Materia Aromatica has designed a blend specifically from Children. With mandarin, roman chamomile, lavender and vetiver, it has all the essentials to calm and soothe over-excited young minds on the Eve of Christmas.

Improve your Sleep

If the late nights and sugar highs of the season mean your sleep patterns are disrupted then an aromatic intervention may be needed. True Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) has long been recommended to aid sleep. Various studies have examined its sleep-inducing properties including a small-scale project in 2013 whenTrue Lavender essential oil was diffused in the bedrooms of 24 patients living with dementia, anxiety and disturbed sleep patterns. At the end of the study the researchers perceived that, with this particular group of people, lavender had indeed proved effective in reducing insomnia and anxiety. You might want to experiment for yourself. As an alternative to diffusing oils try making a duvet spray.

Duvet Spray

• Take a 50ml glass bottle with a spray top (atomizer). Fill it with filtered water. Even better use lavender or orange blossom aromatic water (hydrolat).
• Add up to 10-12 drops in total of oils such as True Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), Roman Chamomile (Anthemis nobile), Sweet Marjoram (Origanum marjorana), Bergamot (Citrus aurantium ssp bergamia) or Neroli (Citrus aurantium flos). Try combining 2-3 of your favourites. Our current favourite bed time blend is 3 drops Roman Chamomile, 3 drops Bergamot, 2 drops True Lavender & 2 drops Neroli essentil oils in Lavender Water.ops Roman Chamomile, 3 drops Bergamot, 2 drops True Lavender & 2 drops Neroli essential oils in Lavender water.
• Adding a little high proof vodka to the bottle will help the essential oils & waters mix better.
• Shake the bottle well before spraying. Adiding a little high proof vodka will help the essential oils and waters mix better.
• Lightly spray the corners of your pillow or the top of the duvet cover before climbing into bed. Sweet dreams!
• Keep your linen spray in the fridge and use within a few weeks.

We also suggest one of our best-sellers - ‘Peaceful Night’ - 6 drops in the bath or on a tissue by the bed.

The oils will work on many levels, relax muscles and mind, decongest, calm and soothe. Perfect when you are feeling a little under the weather or just tired.

Ravintsara also has a relaxing and calming action and is an oil of choice to use in the evening. Indulgence would be to be able to receive a back massage just before going to sleep. For those lucky enough to be in this position, try the following blend: In a 30 ml bottle of jojoba or argan (light base oils), add:

• 2 Ravintsara
• 2 Frankincense
• 2 Lemon
• 2 Fragonia
• 2 Eucalyptus Radiate.

Alternatively add 1 drop of each oil on a tissue by the side of the bed.

CLICK HERE FOR SPECIAL OFFERS within this blend

Book Yourself a Present

Make sure you get at least one great present this Christmas - have an aromatherapy massage! Regular massage can help keep the body working more efficiently and keep stress at manageable levels.

Find a UK therapist at http://www.ifparoma.org.

Breathe!

Amongst all the joy and madness of the season make sure you give yourself time to breathe. Which essential oils make you feel calmer and happier simply by smelling them? Pop a drop of your favourite oil on a tissue to carry around with you or add a few drops to an oil burner or diffuser when you’re at home.