Nature’s Gift July Newsletter

Thoughts and prayers and healing energy go out to every corner of this country. Our friends in Colorado at the mercy of raging wildfires, friends and family in the northeast ravaged by a “perfect storm” this past weekend, thousands left without power in the middle of a heatwave, and here in the south we have broken records for the hottest day in recorded history, let alone the hottest month of June. Hope all our friends are safe throughout all these challenges.

This newsletter contains:

  • A preview of our July “New and Special” page
  • July Specials – Fourth of July Fireworks and Friday the 13th – your lucky day.
  • Blog Updates
  • Our Clients Say
  • Facebook Gleanings
  • Hints Tips and Formulas: Measurements
  • A reminder of our Charity of the Quarter
  • Aromatic Quote of the Month

July Specials Page Contents:

Two new essential oils – Australian Buddha Wood and French Mastic (Certified Organic)
Back in Stock: Cade Oil – hydrodistilled from France. Limited quantities. 5 mls only.
NEW Treatment Blend – “After the Bite” to sooth the itch, burn, and swelling of Mosquito and other bites.
Clearance sale on some of our 2 ml sized oils – while limited supplies last.
Travelers sale – Our handy Car Scenter Diffuser, packaged with your choice of our three favorite “traveling blends” – Fresh Aire, Citrus Smile, and Focus
Discount on three of our Skincare Travel Kits – Cleopatra’s Secret, Harmony, and our Rosacea Treatment Kit. A discount on our Essential Oil travel carrier.
Prepare for summer: Sale on Skeeter Beater, Sunburn Soother, three cooling hydrosols.
Clearance continues on Elderberry and Spearmint Hydrosols, and our Copper-free Helicrysum.
BACK IN STOCK: Cade Oil!

JULY SPECIAL SALES:

Two special sale days in July. (Two that we have planned, who knows what else may happen.)

July Fourth. Enter the Promotional Code “freedom” (without the quotation marks), press Apply, and receive either a 4 % or an 8% discount on EVERY product we offer. (while supplies last.) This includes all of the products normally marked “No discounts will apply” Our special books, our Kits, bulk essential oils… everything we have. While supplies last, of course. The discount will very briefly be at 16%, for some lucky client.

Friday the 13th – Enter the Promotional Code “lucky” (without the quotation marks), press Apply, and receive 13% off all retail sized essential oils, absolutes, and CO2 extracts.

Blog Updates:

Toward the end of June I blogged about an research study that indicated that Triclosan and the Parabens may be associated with rapidly increasing rates of childhood allergies. Our suggested replacement is our KleenHandz gel. No parabens, no synthetic antbacterials.

This month I learned something totally new to me, about the hormonal effects of Cypress Oil. It came as a shock. The article is, aptly enough, entitled “Who Knew?”

On Sunday I blogged about an email exchange regarding “natural preservatives” and shared some resources for learning more, and for product testing.

Our Clients Say:

After the Bite
Jennifer Chambers emailed me about a month ago asking for help:

“Could you please send any samples you have for treatment of mosquito bites? My daughter is HIGHLY allergic to mosquitos and the Skeeter Beater is the ONLY product I have found that will keep them away.”

When I wrote asking for permission to quote her, Jennifer replied,

“Absolutely! I’m very serious when I say that this is the only thing I have found! She won’t even go out the door after the sun starts to go down without saying “Mommy, I need my Skeeter Beater on”! She just turned 4 and has been using it since she was 2! If I can just find something to treat the bites that she infrequently receives (at random times during “non-mosquito” typical hours or, believe it or not, when one (1) flew in the door last week and I couldn’t find it inside the house — it bit her during the night 6 times!!)”

We had discussed some oils that she had on hand, and how to blend them. Christi remembered a “bug bite” blend she had designed for a case study in her recent aromatherapy course. It had worked very well, and we had discussed blending enough for everyone here to try it. We sent some of the newly named “After the Bite” blend to Jennifer to use with her daughter.

The end of last week I followed up to see how the blend had worked for Jenna, and this was the reply:

“Thanks for checking in on her. Thankfully, she has only had one mosquito bite since we received the After the Bite. She got the bite on Tuesday night and I immediately used the product on it. The bite looks MUCH better than it would have with cortisone cream as treatment. She did not wake during the night complaining of it itching (as she normally does when she receives a bite) and it’s not nearly as red and inflamed. I have been using it throughout the day and it really does seem to work much better than anything else I’ve used. I’ll be interested to see if it heals quicker by using this. Most of her bites take at least 2 weeks to go away, sometimes 3 weeks. I’ll keep you posted. Thanks again for checking in and for making such great products!:)

Our friends and family members who have tried it have been universally impressed. They mention how cooling it is, how it relieves the itch and swelling for up to 8 to 12 hours. We have not (yet) had occasion to use it on other “bites” or stings so we honestly don’t know if it would help or not…but it is the first thing I would reach for. Last week my granddaughter had a bee sting on the back of her hand. Red, swollen, itchy and sore, I wish I had been able to get some “After the Bite” to her. I think it would have helped.

Helichrysum, of course
Jo Ann Schlott posted on our Facebook page:

“Hi Marge,
I haven’t written in quite some time, but this testimonial is to good not to share. My next door neighbor took a bad fall in her driveway early one morning. Early afternoon as I was leaving I saw her and she showed me her injuries. Her face took the brunt of the fall, and long deep scrapes down her neck as well. As soon as I returned, I mixed lavander, helichrysum, and Jojoba for her. Only used four drops of the helichrysum. Anyway, when I took it over to in her, she told me she didn’t have much faith in “stuff” like that. I assured her she didn’t have to have faith in it, just use it and see if it helped. WELL, by the next morning all of the red scrapes had cleared, and so far there was no bruising. By day five there was still no bruising on her face, and you would never know she had fallen except for the horrible bruise in her shoulder. She didn’t realize she had hit that area, so she didn’t use the oils there. We have made a believer out of her. She has told everyone she knows about this miracle oil that I mixed for her. Once again the oils worked as I knew they would. Feel free to use any part of this letter if you wish.
Jo Ann Schlott”

Formulas from Alisa
Alisa is a client who frequently shares her uses of the oils:

I have very oily skin. I made an facial cleanser with your liquid castile soap to which I added some of your pink grapefruit, lemon rind, lemon myrtle and sweet orange. I keep getting compliments on how beautiful my skin is. It has tightened up my pores and brightened my skin. Also the smell is so bright that I love using it.

(My note, this blend of oils would be drying and irritating. If you want to try the blend in a wash off product, please keep the dilution VERY low, I would stay under 1% total (which would be only six TOTAL drops ef essential oil per fluid ounce of liquid soap.)

I’m also thinking it would make a bright and cheery diffuser blend… and anti-bacterial, as well.

Between you and me, I made up some lotion scented with the cape chamomile and gave it to a clinical psychologist friend of mine. She opened the bottle and sniffed the contents. The look of pure release and the long sigh she let out is what makes this past time of aromatherapy really worth it. My friend’s specialty is counseling people with chronic illlnesses and people dealing with grief. To give her something that could help her relax and dip in a pool of liquid bliss during the day, it made my day. I brought the cape chamomile from you. You are healing more people than you know.

FACEBOOK GLEANINGS:

From Natural Solutions magazine: “Nourish your hair naturally: Did you know that using Coconut oil as a pre-wash conditionier boosts the strength, shine and overall appearance of hair. Esp. true for more porous type of hair as Coconut oil protects the follicle and hair shaft from being stripped of moisture by shampooing. Rub enough Organic Virgin Coconut Creme to cover hair thoroughly, let sit for five mins, and shampoo as usual.

From CBS News: Research study shows that 2 or 3 cups of coffee daily may help reduce the risk of Alzheimers.

Are you on Pinterest? come join us at http://pinterest.com/naturesgift/

Hints Tips and Formulas:

From an email… fast way to measure a dilution if you only need a wee bit.

Use one measuring teaspoonful of carrier oil or diluent:

1 drop of essential oil = a 1% dilution
2 drops of essential oil = 2% dilution
3 drops of essential oil = 3% dilution.

etc. etc. etc.

One measuring teaspoonful = 1/6th fluid ounce = 5 ml

and for diluting larger amounts:

One fluid ounce = 600 drops of carrier.
1% of 600 = 6 drops = a 1% dilution
2% of 600 = 12 drops = a 2% dilution
2.5% of 600 = 15 drops = a 2.5% dilution
5% of 600 = 30 drops or 1.5 ml = 5% dilution
10% of one ounce = 60 drops or 3 ml.

Charity of the Quarter

Midwives on Missions of Service travel to the poorest parts of the world to share information on safer pregnancies and birthing methods, to help improve the lives of women and children.
from their website:

MOMS is a non-profit, non-denominational organization whose purpose is to improve maternal health through education and service.

How we fulfill our mission:
Prepare women to educate and support their communities, especially the pregnant women in those communities
Train women in the skills and knowledge they need to support local women in normal birth
Promote effective maternity care to all women
Our Philosophy of Mission:

We serve marginalized women. We have a vision of improving women’s and children’s lives by helping provide excellent maternity care. We stay focused on serving women and preparing them to support their communities skillfully. With our experience in effective management, we also think creatively. We act responsibly with the trust our donors and clients have given us. We like to have fun, not taking ourselves too seriously, while taking MOMS’ work very seriously.

Aromatic Quotes of the Month

“Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains…” —Diane Ackerman

“Mosquito is out,
it’s the end of the day;
she’s humming and hunting
her evening away.
Who knows why such hunger
arrives on such wings
at sundown? I guess
it’s the nature of things.”
— N. M. Boedecker, Midsummer Night Itch

(We need to send this poet some SkeeterBeater!)

To sign up for your own copy of the newsletter to be emailed to you, please click here.