Shea Butter Treatment Stick

Just a week ago, a friend of mine and I participated in an 18-mile walk to support "Out of the Darkness - Overnight" in order to raise awareness about depression and suicide. In hindsight, I guess I was not as well prepared for the walk as I should have been. Walking 18 miles was more straining on my feet and body than I had thought it would. Therefore, I must have over extended either the ligaments or tendons in my foot and leg because ever since then I was in slight pain.

Then yesterday, while walking around a craft fair, I got the idea to make my own Shea Butter Treatment Stick. Not only is this treatment stick a great moisturizer, it is also wonderful for On-the-Go and is "airplane friendly" due to its solid texture. That means, you can carry it in your purse and not in a zip-lock bag :)

I used very few yet powerful ingredients for the base:

Beeswax is anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and heals wounds
Shea Butter is moisture spending; it is also anti-inflammatory and great for sprains, and
Jojoba Oil penetrates quickly into the skin and rejuvenates the skin.

To the base, I added the following essential oils that soothes muscle pains and sprains:

Peppermint (YL) is great for tired muscles and legs and a wonderful pain reliever.
Roman Chamomile (YL) is antispasmodic and soothes the nerves.
Rosemary (YL) stimulates the circulation and has anti-inflammatory properties.
Verbena is also an anti-inflammatory oil and is good for the neuromuscular system.

I've applied the Shea Butter Treatment Stick only twice and my foot feels so much better!

What a wonderful gift from Nature!!!

Many Blessings!!!

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Aromatherapy for Retrieving Information from Long-Term Memory

I stumbled across this article (copied below) that describes how aromatherapy can help staying focused in the ever changing job market. Needless to say, the job market has seen better days. Some of my friends have been looking for a job for over a year. Others who have a job are staying in jobs they otherwise would quit. 


The article below mentions Rosemary essential oil but I found that Peppermint Essential Oil is a great stimulant as well. When I studied Cognitive Psychology in college, our professor told us to diffuse a scent (whatever that scent may be and an essential oil works best) while we studied for an exam or prepared for a presentation. Then, we should sniff on the same scent before and during the exam. It is a technique used for effective retrieval from long-term memory - encoding specificity principle. The stimulus (essential oil) is encoded along with the experience (study material) and can trigger the memory of the experience. 
So, the next time you study for a test, prepare for a job interview, or a presentation diffuse an essential oil or inhale it neat (smell the oil directly from the bottle). Then, before you take the exam (even during the exam), or before you go into the room to meet with the person who will conduct the job interview or give your presentation, inhale the scent again. It will trigger what you have studied and prepared for so diligently. 


And now, here is the article... 

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Peppermint Essential Oil

Peppermint Essential Oil (EO) is a true multi-tasker! Its many uses are stimulating and to help you study for an exam, for headaches, tension, tired muscles, back problems, arthritis, respiratory infections, digestive problems, travel sickness, morning sickness, just to mention a few.

I love to add it to my base cream and use it for tired feet. I gave it to my marathon-running friends to soothe their over-exhausted legs and muscles. It is stimulating after standing up on your feet all day long. The cream feels invigorating to your feet and since the soles of your feet are gateways to your entire body, guess what?! Your entire body benefits from your foot cream!

❀ If you need to stay awake to study for an exam or if you have trouble breathing due to a cold, put 2-3 drops of Peppermint EO into a diffuser.

❀ Suffer from bad breath? No problem. Place 1 drop of Peppermint Oil on a piece of bread and eat it. You can also use sugar or sometimes I drop it onto an apple slice.

❀ Like flavored coffee? 1 drop of Peppermint EO will give you a nice minty flavor.

❀ Massage 1 drop of Peppermint EO onto your temples and/or the back of your neck to relief headaches. NOTE: the EO will give you a burning yet cooling feeling. Stay away from sensitive areas such as your eyes.

❀ For nausea, rub several drops of Peppermint EO onto your abdomen.

❀ Peppermint EO can also bring down a fever or relieve hot flashes. Massage a few drops into the soles of your feet.

❀ Inhaling Peppermint EO can also curb your appetite. So if you want to loose weight or if you have a craving for sweet, inhale some Peppermint EO.

The uses are endless and there is a great site that lists even more... read testimonials of Peppermint EOs

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