Lavender

Lavender is an oil that anyone who is even vaguely interested in aromatherapy ought to have in their cupboard. It is one of the safest oils and one of the only ones recommended to be applied directly to the skin without being diluted (please carry out the test as described previously though).

Lavender has a lot of uses. It is antiseptic, so can be applied to closed wounds, especially cat scratches as it gets rid of that irritating stinging pain that follows a scratch. It is also beneficial to burns and reduces the pain and increases the healing time.

Mentally it can have two effects, depending on the dosage. A small amount will help you sleep while a large amount will keep you awake, so take care not to use too much if you want a good night's sleep. For sleeping a good way to use it is to put a little on a tissue and tuck it under your pillow.

It has a lovely flowery smell and is relatively inexpensive, so I would advise you to get some for your medicine cabinet, especially cat lovers who get that accidental scratch now and then. (I have six and always put some lavender or tea tree on a scratch). Even my father is a convert to these two oils.

Clary Sage

It's a while since I promised to write about some more oils. My apologies for that...

Clary Sage is a fantastic oil if you're feeling low. Its woody, tangy smell is very warm. It does take some getting used to but it's worthwhile. 

It will lift your mood and in high doses is lightly narcotic, so take care especially as overdoing it will probably give you a headache.

Again, like most oils it can be burned in a vaporizer or hot surface or you can take a warm bath with about 8 drops in. Your muscles will relax more than you could think. Again like any oil put a little on part of your body such as the inside of your elbow, just to make sure you don't have any negative reaction and keep it away from your eyes. Another word of warning if you are having an alcoholic drink take care because Clary Sage can enhance the effects of alcohol. I hope you get something out of this and hopefully I'll be back soon with more oils. Enjoy..

Glad it helped

Thank you for getting in touch and leaving such positive feedback. I hope the remedies work well for you and you find my future ramblings of interest...Tony