Citrus fruits make wonderful refreshing essential oils. The essential oils areproduced by cold pressing the rind of the grapefruit. This is a little different from essential oils that are distilled. It is also unusual for the fruit of a plant to be used for the essential oil instead of the leaves, stem or flower. Pink Grapefruit is one of my favorite essential oils because it is not as extreme as lemon and not as sweet as orange. Pink Grapefruit, has a very complex fragrance that is a little bitter, but also full of sweet elements. I call it my “Daybreak” fragrance, and I use it effectively in soap and shampoo. Citrus essential oils are phototropic, which is to say, that they will burn your skin if you go out in the sun wearing the essential oils. For my lotions there is something called … [Read more...]
The Benefits of Orange and Neroli
Santa Claus used to leave an orange in the heel of my stocking on Christmas morning. Oranges occupied a special space with candies and nuts. Now that they are available in grocery stores everywhere, they seem more commonplace and less cherished. Though Orange juice is a common juice, the smell of a freshly squeezed orange will transport us to new tropical places and to memories of special celebrations.Orange essential oil has many uses for aromatherapy. It stimulates the immune system, which along with its vitamin C content, makes it a helpful essential oil in the winter months. It also alleviates depression and insomnia, which are additional good reasons to keep it on hand during the darkest months of the year.Orange and Cinnamon combine in an … [Read more...]
Did you Know That Vanilla Comes From an Orchid?
Finally a Vanilla Lotion. One of my Florida customers would ask me when she walked by my booth on Saturdays, “ Have you made the Vanilla Lotion yet?” I tried some different brands of vanilla essential oil and finally settled on awonderful vanilla absolute. This is a ten-fold absolute, which means that the terpenes have been removed so that it does not irritate the skin. The final lotion smells just like a vanilla latte you might buy at your favorite coffee shop, and is that lovely light coffee color so I call it Vanilla Latte Lotion. The lotions smell as if you could eat them. It’s a wonderful choice as the weather grows cooler and we head into the fall and winter months.Vanilla planifolia is a yellow green orchid that grows on trees in the tropical areas of Central America. Flowers are … [Read more...]
Making Rosewater from Old Fashioned Roses
What is the Difference between Rose Absolute and Rose Essential Oil? Our farmhouse in northern Wisconsin came with some beautiful fragrant roses out front. They are pink and the petals are very dense. When they bloom for two weeks the fragrance is marvelous and seductive. I make rosewater by distilling the petals. But before I continue, I want to explain the difference between rose absolute and rose essential oil. Rose Absolute is the fragrances, vitamins and minerals of rose distilled in water. All the water soluble elements of the flower are dissolved in water. The absolute smells heavenly, but has a rather short life expectancy of several months. Usually I keep my absolutes in the refrigerator to prolong their life expectancy. Rose Essential Oil, on the other hand, will last longer, … [Read more...]
How Eucalyptus Can Offer Us Protection
Those cute little koala bears just love to eat eucalyptus leaves, and seem to thrive on them. But for the rest of us, Eucalyptus is a strong disinfectant and a strong insecticide. Eucalyptus globulus, the most commonly used species of Eucalyptus, is sometimes called Blue gum, because of the gum secreted by its stem. This very same gum makes the tree very susceptible to fire. Eucalyptus brush burns readily, and for this reason is often cut down in fire-prone areas. It prefers wet areas and is known to draw a lot of water out of the soil up into its leaves. Originally brought to the United States from Australia, this evergreen tree has become invasive in many areas of the west. It is a member of the myrtle family. Its leaves have oil glands that create the essential oils that we use in body … [Read more...]
Natural Carrier Oils
Singing Flower Studio uses natural oils such as Sweet Almond Oil, Macadamia Oil and Avocado Oil to carry the important essential oils and other ingredients that have healing abilities in our lotions. These are called carrier oils because they “carry” other essential ingredients so that you can spread them out evenly on your skin. These oils are also absorbed by your skin and the healing ingredients that the plant creates are also introduced into your body through your skin. Like all natural ingredients, carrier oils have a shelf life and will eventually become old. Then you will want to start over with a new jar or tube of lotion. I mark all our ingredients with a 2 year shelf life, but I have some lotion from 7 years ago that is still good. It has been on my bathroom shelf, … [Read more...]
All About Neroli
Neroli is the essential oil that is derived from the blossom of the sour orange tree (Citrus aurantium var. amara (flos). Sour orange you may ask? The sour orange was the original fruit that was grown before hybridizers began to work with the orange tree to make it easier to manage and pleasanter to drink. Sour orange juice is almost like a lemon juice and sour orange trees have very long thorns which make it very difficult to harvest the oranges. Probably the early use of sour orange in jellies created the sour orange marmalade that we love on our toast. Hybridizers have managed to sweeten the fruit of the orange tree. They have also eliminated the thorns. A tree we had in our yard when we lived on Pine Island, Florida, died back and sprouted from the old sour orange tree … [Read more...]
How Do You Know When a Product Has Artificial Fragrance?
Last summer when I was talking with an acquaintance about essential oils, she showed me her supply of little bottles with essential oils and fragrance oils next to each other in a box. I realized that she did not know the difference. Fragrance oils are artificial, while essential oils are naturally distilled oils from plants. Artificial Fragrances: The terminology for fragrances is very confusing and almost totally unregulated by the FDA (Federal Drug Administration). Anything labelled “fragrance,” “fragrance oil,” or “parfum” is produced in a laboratory. Essential oils and absolutes are naturally derived from real plants. Fragrance oils are much more likely to cause allergic reactions than essential oils. They are desirable for big box stores, … [Read more...]
