Nature's Gift August Newsletter

    ORGANIC Spearmint oil - USA grown, certified organic.
    MUHUHU - sometimes called African Sandalwood - Deep and mysterious base note from Brachylaena hutchinsii, Wildcrafted from Tanzania
    Low Atranol Oakmoss in a 10% dilution for ease of use. (See our July Newsletter for suggested perfume blends using the Oakmoss.)

BACK IN STOCK SPA PRODUCTS

We've finally had time to "play" in the product kitchen, and have recreated our two favorite Salt Scrubs.   Nature's Gift Body Polish, rich, creamy emulsion of Shea Butter, Squalane, Jojoba blended with pure sea salt, designed to scrub away dead dry skin while leaving your body silky smooth, but never oily, and Deep Cleanse,  to help your body detoxify. We've added our DETOX Synergy (Juniper, Lemon, Seaweed and Fennel essential oils) as well as using purifying Dead Sea Salt as the "scrubber" in Deep Cleanse.  We know from experience that it helps remove toxins on a cellular level; there are those who say this combination of ingredients will remove cellulite. I'm not sure about that, but if any natural product can, I think this would be the one.

CLEARANCE SALE:

We're almost out of our Ethiopian Myrrh,  and our Elemi - time to clear the shelves and make room for more.  You may read about each on our descriptive listing, but be sure you return to our Specials page for this clearance sale pricing.

ROOFTOP SALE:

What is found on a rooftop?  Shingles, of course! (And someone in Production said "Santa!" - not this month, folks!) We are putting our most highly recommended shingles remedy on special sale for a limited time.  Order one fluid ounce of our Madagascar Calophyllum Carrier oil and 15 mls of Ravensara aromatica and save 20%   (We are almost out of the Madagascar Calophyllum and awaiting a new shipment from a different producer.  To avoid confusion, we'd like to sell off all our remaining stock of the Madagascar oil.)

JULY New Products: 

In case you missed the July Newsletter and/or specials page, we are continuing to list ALL the oils and hydrosols that have arrived during the month of July on our specials page, as Christi and I work on adding them back to our "regular" inventory.

All new products and special pricing are available only on our New and Specials page.

CRAZY EIGHTS SALE

Once in this lifetime, this August the date on my (and your!) computer will read 08/08/08.  To celebrate we are having a 'Crazy Eights" sale.  On Friday August 8th, according to Pacific Central Time,  use the promotional code "eights" and receive an 8% discount.  Enter the code in the box labeled "Promotional code or gift certificate" and press apply.  Your discount will show on your monitor.  If the discount is NOT applied to your order, please don't submit the order; go back and re-enter the code, and re-apply it.  We will not be able to apply the discount retroactively.

At some point in the day we will change the discount to 16%.   At one point, it may be as high as 24% ...  have to use all those eights, after all.  Have fun!

BLOG UPDATES:

We've not done much writing this month, but Christi posted an experience with Heli Hydrosol, which has lead to several active responses,  I've posted some information about the FDA's proposed Globalization Act of 2008.  If you value the right to purchase from small businesses and avoid the mega corporations you might want to join this battle.  The blog posts will lead you to references that will help you join our cause.  And, finally, a quiet gesture to protest the Chinese control of Tibet, on the eve of the Olympic games. 

Please jump in and add your comments to any and all of the above, and please contact your legislators about the FDA Globalization Act.

OUR CLIENTS SAY:

Recycling:

Valerie Howells asked if our "packing peanuts" could be used in her Compost Pile.  A question that hadn't occurred to us, but yes!  Depending on which vendor we have used, our "packing peanuts" are made from either corn starch, or cellulose.  Both are completely biodegradable and may safely be added to composting materials.

Ruptured Eardrum:

Larry Helveston wrote the following:

 I had a freak lawnmowing accident where a tree limb penetrated my ear and ruptured my ear drum. Well, I studied my essential oil books and came up with a blend. I used   a diluted blend of Tea Tree oil, Rosemary, Clovebud, and Helichrysum. In one weeks time my ear has healed and the perforation is almost closed!!  I swabbed the inside of my ear and put some drops on a cotton ball and put in my ear about 3 times a day. I went to the ear specialists yesterday and he confirmed that it was healing nicely. Nothing like good ole essential oils!!

UTI's (Urinary Tract Infections)

Ruth Kirchner emailed me the first of this week:

hello, I just thought perhaps you'd be interested in a use I found for Scotch Pine (not sure if it's actually new or not but...). a while back I had a hellacious urinary tract infection. I was at work and was having a hard time getting through the day due to the nonstop external pain. I'm a massage therapist so I usually carry a few oils in my bag with me for use during a session. I pulled them out hoping I'd have some lavender because of its analgesic properties, but no such luck. I did however have some pine oil so I thought....well what the heck I'll give it a go. So I went to the ladies room and put a few drops on a warm wash cloth to use as a compress and whallah! total relief of my discomfort, and it lasted for the rest of the day!

Ruth, thanks for sharing that one...  a problem a lot of us share!

Clinical Aromatherapy in Ft Worth Hospital.

A month or more ago we mentioned a TV interview with one of our clients at Harris Methodiest Ft Worth Hospital.  The TV interview was very brief,  but the full interview is posted online at nurse.com  It's a great article, quoting Jane Buckle herself as well as several of the other nurses in the Clinical Aromatherapy program at Harris Methodist.  We really appreciate Susan giving the link to our site as a source for essential oils.   It's a great article - especially useful if you are trying to convince friends and loved ones that the oils we love are not just "smoke and mirrors"

Skin Bumps after shaving or waxing:

Years ago my friend Fiona wrote the following - it has languished in my 'to be used' file since July, 2000. Definitely time to share!

Just a quick note to tell you I've found Helichrysum helpful with
"shaving bumps" or "waxing bumps" from hair removal--especially
the ones you get when you wax an area and then the hair try
to go "ingrown" as they're coming back in. Probably a use you're
already familiar with, but I thought I'd let you know. I mixed up
some Helichrysum with Lavendar and a couple of other skin-healing
oils, then I add a few drops of the mixture to my skin lotion, and
apply liberally after waxing.

                                        --Fiona

When I followed up and asked permission to share, she wrote the following:

Yep--you can share. <smile> But include this as well: another key
step in preventing ingrown hair is daily scrubbing of the area with
a mild abrasive (milder for face than legs, of course).

PATIENCE Blend

Came across an email message dated 1999, where someone mentioned my "Patience" blend.  Of course I have no record of the original post they were talking about, nor do I have a copy of the blend.  But she wrote:

"Dear List and Marge,    That _Mentha citrata_, linden blossom, and vetiver blend for patience is really nice. It has a gentle summer breeze scent that I find very
pleasant."

Which, of course, meant that I immediately had to go get scent strips of Mentha citrata (Bergamot  Mint,) Linden, and Vetiver and try them together. Of course I was working with relatively equal amounts, and the linden and vetiver somehow were a bit too deep for me.  I got nothing of a "gentle summer breeze" from it.  (Of course the original blend probably had a LOT more bergamot mint than the other two oils... but I don't know that.)

At any rate, I wasn't pleased.  But then I touched just the very TIP of a scent strip to our new organic Spearmint.  Perhaps 1/10th as much of the spearmint as of the other oils.  And, all of a sudden,  that little bundle of scent strips reminds me of a light summer breeze.  Amazing!  (Now, why would those three oils contribute to "Patience"???  I have no idea.  But it's amazing what I find when I go through old email archives!
 

Another Summer Blend

Quoted from a years old midsummer newsletter:  Misty was playing this morning and came up with a delightful
light summery perfume or diffuser blend... one drop each of Spearmint, Ylangylang, and Tuberose 10%...  
(or 10 drops each of the ylangylang and spearmint with one drop of undiluted Tuberose)  She's thinking of making a
room spray, I have it in the aromalamp on the shelf over the desk. Yummy!.  (She used Ylangylang extra, but I think whichever you
have on hand would work well.)

From that same newsletter -     

Summer Aromatic Quote:

  "Here's flowers for you;
  Hot lavender, mints, savoury, marjoram;
  The marigold, that goes to bed wi' the sun
  And with him rises weeping: these are flowers
  Of middle summer, and I think they are given
  To men of middle age."
  --- A Winter's Tale--Shakespeare

Have a wonderful rest of the summer everyone!