Essential Oils

Pure Tea Tree Oil has a clean fresh medicinal aroma, and is clear/pale yellow in appearance It has the consistency of water and is extracted by steam distillation from the leaves and twigs of the native Australian shrub Melaleuca Alternifolia.

The Australian Aborigines were the first to unearth the benefits of Tea Tree long ago when they began to harvest the leaves for their medicinal use.

Tea Tree is effective against bacterial and other microbial organisms, extensive scientific studies over recent years have proved this.

It is also a powerful parasitic idée and used by many as a flea, head louse and insect repellent.

Tea Tree oil should not be taken internally!

The use of this oil as an antiseptic has been found to be ten times more powerful than carbolic acid and yet is non-toxic and generally non-irritating to the skin.

It is generally non-irritating but as with all essential oils those with sensitive skin should use the oil in low dilutions to begin with.

Do not use when pregnant or breastfeeding!

Tea tree oil should not be confused with Chinese tea oil, cajaput oil, kanuka oil, manuka oil, ti tree oil, and niauouli oil.

Tea Tree is the only other oil apart from Lavender which can be used neat on the skin in small amounts by applying one or two drops directly to spots, cuts, insect bites, stings, blisters and problems such as warts, shingles and Chickenpox lesions, verrucae, cold sores.

TEA TREE TIPS...
COLDS
To Get rid of airborne bacteria during illness, using an oil burner vaporize 8 drops of Tea Tree oil, or mix 20 drops with 200ml of spring water into a glass plant sprayer, Shake well and spray directly into the air.
Add a few drops of Tea Tree essential oil to a warm bath to induce sweating to lower fever during illness.
Add 5 drops of Tea tree and Eucalyptus essential oil to boiling water in a bowl, and inhale the vapors for several minutes.

PETS
You can treat flea infestations in dogs and rabbits by preparing a solution of 2 drops of Tea Tree in 300ml of spring water, brush the fur backward then spray on to the coat, working from the tail to the head avoiding the eyes. Then towel dry and repeat at 5 day intervals until clear, This should NOT be used on cats!

KITCHENS
To make a natural anti-bacterial spray, add 60 drops of Tea Tree to 500ml of spring water in a plant sprayer, to make it smell nicer add Lemon Pine or mandarin essential oil, this also increases the de-greasing properties too. Shake well before use and dry surfaces thoroughly before preparing food. Not suitable for wood surfaces. You can also use this solution on kitchen floors.

Tea tree oil is a great natural antiseptic and disinfectant. It's great for cleaning mould and mildew of clothes too - try a dilute mix of 3-4 drops in 2 liters of water (cold or hot). Soak mildewed items or spray on to trouble spots using a plant mister. Scrub, then rinse off.

Use Tea Tree neat to remove chewing gum from hair or clothing.

GARDEN TIP
Tea Tree is also anti fungal so is good at getting rid of black spot rust and mildew, mix 20 drops of Tea Tree to 1 Litre of water and spray effected area, remember to shake every 15 seconds to ensure that the oil is evenly distributed in the bottle. We have found this treatment to be particularly effective when used to treat black spot on Roses and rust on Hollyhocks, which is generally difficult to eradicate.

Lavender was used traditionally to treat burns; Lavender is one of the world most versatile essential oils.

The ancient Greeks used it as a perfume and the physicians of the time spoke of the medicinal qualities of Lavender.

Romans used Lavender to bathe in because of its antiseptic and healing qualities and also for its ability to deter insects.

Egyptians used Lavender as a perfume and used it in incense.

Elizabeth 1 used Lavender as a tea to combat migraine headaches that she suffered from.

Frenchman Rene Gattefosse was the first modern day scientist to document Lavender's ability to help tissue regeneration.

Nowadays we use Lavender most commonly to help with relaxation and sleep and to reduce stress.

Here are some recepies for Stress relieving blends using Essential Oils - they all effective, just pick one that you like the sound of...

Blend 1
2 drops Roman Chamomile
2 drops Lavender
1 drop Vertiver

Blend 2
3 Drops Clary Sage
1 Drop Lemon
1 Drop Lavender

Blend 3
3 drops Bergamot
1 drop Geranium
1 drop Frankincense

Blend 4
3 drops Grapefruit
1 drop Jasmine
1 drop Ylang Ylang

Directions: Using one of the recipes above choose which method you would like to use from below:

Diffuser Blend:
Multiply your blend by 4 to obtain a total of 20 drops of your chosen blend.
Mix all your oils together in a dark colored bottle and lightly shake, Add your mixture to water in your oil burner/diffuser following manufacturers instructions.

Bath Oil:
Multiply your blend by 3 to obtain 15 drops of your chosen blend, add to unscented bath oil or directly to your bath using as much as you would like of this mixture.

Massage Oil:
Multiply your blend by 2 to obtain 10 drops
Add this to half an ounce of carrier oil such as Sweet Almond or Grape seed oil, Massage into the skin avoiding Eyes and the genital area.
NEVER apply undiluted essential oils directly to your skin!

Six Handy Tips for other Essential Oils:

1. To dispel household cooking odors, add a few drops of Clove oil to a simmering pan.
2. Add your favorite essential oil to a cotton wool ball pop in your vacuum cleaner, Lemon and pine are great, geranium is good for getting rid of pet odors.
3. Dab a wart with Lemon Essential oil every day and with time your wart will disappear!
4. Rosemary Essential oil promotes alertness and stimulates memory, inhale occasionally when driving or studying
5. Six to eight drops of eucalyptus oil in the bath cools the body in summer and protects in winter.
6. When washing out the fridge add 1 drop of Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit, Bergamot, Tangerine or Orange to the final rinse water.
   
   
   

At Something For The Wickend we supply well over 100 different essential oils as well as premixed massage oils. To go to our Aromatherapy section Click Here. On each oil there is a 'more' button if you click this you will get a pop-up window with a picture of the original plant (if we have one) and further information.

Remember essential oils are potent stuff, and with the exception of lavender shhould never be used neat unless advised by a trained aromatherapist!

The picture at the top of the page comes from Mayfield Lavender, an organic producer based 4 miles from us.

Lavender Essential oil (Lavendula officinalis) is one of my favorite essential oils, it is a relaxing fragrance that eases tension and promotes sleep. It also has lots of other great properties that are going to included in future blogs.

Lavender essential oil does not have to be diluted before using it, although if you are pregnant or under a doctor’s care, consult your physician. Dilution is not required and is suitable for all but the most sensitive skin. Lavender is generally safe for children over 2 years of age.

Here are a few tips...
Rub a few drops of Lavender essential oil onto aching feet to soothe and relax.

Put some drops in the bath to soothe aching muscles

Rub a few drops of Lavender essential oil onto your tummy to relieve menstrual cramps.

Its Summer time and flies and Moths can be a problem when opening windows. Flies and moths dislike Lavender oil. Sprinkle it on the outside of your window frames.

Apply true Lavender oil or Tea Tree oil directly to cuts, scrapes or scratches. 1 or 2 drops will promote healing.

Put 5 to 10 or more drops of Lavender essential oil into water in an oil burner to calm and promote relaxation also will help with depression.

Other Essential Oil tips...
When cleaning out the fridge, freezer or oven, add 1 drop of Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit, Bergamot, Grapefruit, Orange or Tangerine essential oil to the final rinse water

Shoes can be freshened by either dropping a few drops of Geranium essential oil directly into the shoes or by placing a cotton ball dabbed with a few drops of Lemon oil into the shoes. Athlete's foot? Tea Tree is great!

Do you use those disposable sheets in your tumble dryer to make your washing smell nice? Try using a few drops of your favourite essential oil on a face flannel. You'll be amazed!

To see our range of essential oils click here

Tip: Green Mopping

If you do not want to use bleach or detergent there are some pretty effective ways of cleaning your house. This tip involves mopping the floors. It has been shown that a 5% vinegar solution kills a whopping 99% of all bacteria. It also kills 82% of mould and 80% of viruses. If you use white vinegar from any supermarket and add a few drops of lemon and teatree oils, well known, and relatively cheap anti-bacterial and ant-viral essential oils you will have a pretty potent mixture.

It’s non-toxic and environmentally friendly! Try it.

To buy essential oils Click Here

Research at Southampton University suggests that Essential Oils combined with ions from a candle flame can destroy these rather nasty bugs on most surfaces throughout the room. Essential Oil Candles or Oil Burners with tealights are ideal for this. Click Here to see the universities news release. The research is 5 years old, but worth remembering. So grab yourself an Oil Burner and some Essential Oils and get rid of  the little blighters!

Did you know we sell over 100 types of Essential Oil?

What's the difference between an Essential Oil and a Fragrance Oil? 
An essential oil (also known as aromatherapy oil) is an extract from the actual plant. So for example, Orange Essential Oil is extracted from the skin of an orange and Rose Essential Oil from the petals of a rose. Of course oranges are plentiful, relatively large and skins are available in huge numbers, so whilst only a relatively small amount is derived from each orange it is quite cheap and less than £2 a 10ml bottle. It takes a staggering 4 tons of rose petals to make 1 litre of rose essential oil! Think about how much a rose petal weighs (nearly nothing) and how many it takes to make up 4 tons. £23 for 5ml almost seems like a bargain!
Fragrance oils are man made and are an approximation (usually an extremely good one) of the actual oil. Sometimes essential oils, especially the cheaper ones are used in making fragrance oils. They are great way of getting fantastic aromas into your house, often at a fraction of the cost of essential oils.
A long time ago I created a website listing the essential oils we sold. It looks fairly primitive, but the information is good, so feel free to have a look at www.aromatherapy-oil.co.uk 

Rose Essential Oil
It takes a staggering 4 tons of rose petals to make a single litre
of rose essential oil!