Helichrysum (Helichrysum italicum) Testimonials

Regular readers of our newsletter know that I believe our Helichrysum italicuum is the most healing essential oil I have ever seen. A friend recently asked me to collect “anecdotal evidence” of Helichrysum’s effects, and this document was the result. She urged me to share it online, so here it is. (We have recently found these testimonials posted verbatim on other websites, selling other helichrysum species. We can’t be responsible for the effects of using ANY helichrysum other than our certified organic Helichrysum italicuum from the island of Corsica.)

Read about, and order, our  Helichrysum Essential Oil here. Or our  Helichrysum Hydrosol  on our hydrosol pages.

Rosacea

From a client whose name is withheld by request:

A few months ago I asked you for some advice re a Rosacea client. I used your Rosacea synergy and formulated a lotion and soap for him, as well as providing him with Helichrysum Hydrosol to use as a toner. He has been using them for about six weeks, and called me yesterday to tell me that these products have really helped him and that he wanted to order more! He had previously sought treatment with a dermatologist and found that nothing had helped, but had actually caused more irritation to his skin. Just wanted to share with you another success story and to thank you for your help!

From a client who wished to remain anonymous:

I just received my first order – very promptly, I might add- thank you, and am already seeing results from using the combination of clarifying soap, helichrysum hydrosol, and rosacea synergy. It’s been just five days! My skin thanks you!!

From Julia Mulcahey:

Thank you! I have had a small patch of rosacea on my face for nearly 6 months. Your clarifying soap and helichrysum hydrosol seem to be working their magic – it’s nearly disappeared! Thank you!

Bruising

From Kati Toney (w/ Marge’s comments in 2nd paragraph):

Anyway, my point to all this is, I got the BIGGEST, UGLIEST bruises on my legs from climbing that tree & when I got home I put the Helichrysum sample I got from you on it (b/c I remembered you saying that it was good for bruises!) and the next day they were faded & within a day or two were completely gone! I was AMAZED!!! I usually keep bruises for quite awhile & ones that deep & big mighta hung around for a couple of weeks! I was SO excited & it didn’t take much at all! Matter of fact, I still have half of that sample left!

Wonderful!!! That is exactly what it was SUPPOSED to do…but I’m so delighted that it worked for you…that it DID do what it was supposed to. Now you see why I say it’s one of those ‘desert island’ oils…the ones I wouldn’t be without. 

More on Bruising

Mary Hayne, from Denton, Texas recently wrote:

I have to tell you though, I had another mishap — I was getting into the back seat of a friend’s minivan when a friend getting into the front seat closed her door — on my hand (I didn’t realize my hand was holding on so close to her door frame). She got the door back open pretty quickly. That was the panic part. The exciting part is that I iced, took homeopathic Traumeel, and slathered on your 10% Helichrysum. My hand never bruised!

There are two small red spots on my knuckles where my hand was particularly pinched, and a very slight bit of swelling — but that is it and the red spots are fading fast. I also didn’t have any pain — tenderness, yes — pain, no. This is all particularly nice as I had an eight hour exam the next day (right hand crushed, right-handed writer). But the best part was my friend’s face the next morning when she looked at my hand. She was completely dumbfounded. She was so sure it was so bad that she was going to have to take me to the doctor. There my hand was, looking like nothing ever happened. I have read that Helichrysum has “powerful antibruise properties” but this experience has really blown my mind too.

And I have run out of the stuff, so I am ordering more. Thanks so much Marge. Your work really makes a big difference in my life.

Louise, from The Netherlands writes:

Dear Marge,

A few days ago I asked your advice how to avoid bruises in my face due to injections which I unfortunately had to have in my face.

The doctor had told me that I would get very nasty bruises in my face and but that was just one of the facts I had to endure and that they would fade in a week or so.

Then I asked you and I want to tell you that there are no nasty bruises at all! There is a little swelling but very little only myself can notice that because nobody noticed!

Anyway, I want to tell you that I used 25 ml of St.John’s wort infused oil, 20 drops of Helichrysum italicum and 5 drops of Lavender augustifolia. Yesterday (after the injections) I applied it immediately after I came home and then I continued to apply it during the day. This morning I looked in the mirror and was very pleased to see a normal color of skin, so I will apply it again several times today!

So Thank you Marge for your advice and please feel free to give this recipe to others.

I have to see the doctor in a few days and I am already enjoying the look on his face when he sees me. I will certainly tell him what I did to avoid those nasty bruises!

Kindest regards, Louise

Alexis Stegall recently wrote:

I had some heli and did use it full strength the first couple of times on a HUGE (6 in diameter at least) bruise on my thigh and then used the 10% in Rose Hip Seed Oil (because that was all that I had) couldn’t believe how fast the bruise went away. 

Normally I will have bruises for a couple of weeks, this one was virtually gone in about 5 or 6 days. It worked great.

You may quote me if you like.

Even More on Bruising

Susan Farr, acupuncturist, recently wrote:

It’s good to be back in touch and to see you too — checking out your website made me hungry for oils again!! I know you have tons of feedback on your helichrysums, but I want you to know that my bottle (10% in FCO) stayed in the acupuncture clinic the whole time I was an intern, and gradually replaced the arnica and chinese ointments as everyone’s treatment of choice when they realized that a puncture was going to leave a bruise (which happens fairly commonly). And the patients (at least mine) loved the smell, too. I never even tried the recommended chinese remedies, as I knew from personal experience how well the heli works. That’ll be my next order!

Take care, Susan

Scarring

Ellen W. Ray from Alchemical Essence Aromatherapy wrote:

I used the Helichrysum Italicum and Rose Hip Seed Oil blend for an injury to my face that occurred from a dog bite and it helped tremendously. There’s barely the trace of a scar on my lip and none on my face. The doctor who removed the stitches was amazed and asked for the name of the Essential Oil and Carrier Oil. He kept looking back at his notes from the emergency room, remembered the incident, and said the healing was incredible. He also asked where it could be purchased. 

From Leslie Robinson:

I can vouch for Marge’s suggested rose hip seed oil/heli blend for scars. In July, I fell and impaled my face on a piece of rebar. An ugly accident. I used this combination an average of 3 times daily — I have no visible scar. Have used this on a year-old mastectomy scar for a few months and notice that it is beginning to flatten and fade a bit.

Wondrous things these oils are!!!”

From Vicki Camp, Reporting back on the Helichrysum Experiment:

I asked you on the Cosmetics List some time ago if you thought Helichrysum Italicuum would be good on old scars. You replied something to the effect of ‘no guarantees; I’m not certain,’ although I note you’re really fond of its properties. However, I went ahead and tried it anyway. Had a breast needle biopsy last July (benign, benign) – 2 separate entrances on the same breast. While the scars were not huge and there was no raised marking (is that called a keloid, I think?) they were noticeably red and each about 1/4 – 1/2 inch in size. I am of Scandinavian-American descent and have this fair, fair skin. No allergies of note, although living in Michigan automatically qualifies me for itchy skin spots and sinus in the allergy season.:D Natural soap prevents most of the skin issues.

So hey, having given you the background – HERE’s the amazing results. I put a drop of Heli, neat, on each spot. Rubbed them a bit. Didn’t give much thought to it. Never tried it again. This morning in the shower I happened to notice that the scars are all but invisible. I guess I’m so used to them NOT being there that I don’t give it a thought very often. But what do you suppose made THAT happen, after a year of visible scars?

I ‘m off to try it on some ‘whitish’ scars on my arm that I got when coming in contact with a hot iron years ago. Will let you know. This is fun! Hugs and smiles!”

MY NOTE: I do NOT recommend using Helichrysum (or any other essential oil) neat the way Vicki did. Proper and appropriate dilution might take a bit longer to see results, but it is safer for you, and less wasteful of a precious limited resource.

Barbara McBee wrote:

I had a benign cellular tumor removed from my neck nearly three years ago. The scar was 4 inches, very tight and inflamed. Nothing over the counter worked—I am very sensitive to chemicals and additives. My doctor thought this was the best I would heal, though I never keloid. I searched around and found your sight approx. one and one half years after my surgery-I have ordered helio with rosehips, (my orders have included peppermint and argan oil.but for this purpose I stuck with helio and rosehips).

I applied religiously for several months at night-I could not wear anything against my neck, and had trouble sleeping because my poor skin seemed to be pulled so tight.I am small, and great care was taken to pull everything back together.I am back to wearing turtlenecks, and the scar(including the turkey-wobble that brought the sutures to a complete close) are so minimal that one has to search for it.

More Scarring (Keloids)

A story I had forgotten about, until a friend recently quoted it on a list we share:

A friend who had a brain tumor removed… I saw her about 4 weeks after the surgery, and it was the worst single scar I have ever seen… from about an inch in front of her temple, running around the back of her head to the other side of her forehead… maybe two inches of whole skin between the two ends of the scar… swollen keloidal tissue, bigger than my thumb, and bright burgundy wine color… 

I gave her some heli in rose hip with the ‘standard instructions’…didn’t see her for about a month, and she had stopped using it “because the scar was all healed”… it hadn’t totally disappeared…but it was faded to white, and looked as though you had taken a very sharp pencil and drawn a white line on her skin… no wider than a thread. Now, the thing is, she had stopped using the heli blend several days earlier because she considered it healed… but it’s my belief that if she had continued using it, there would be NO scar… —Marge Clark

And Sharon Finch shares her two daughters’ results:

About six months before my oldest was married, she ended up in the hospital for over 14 days and ended up having surgery for her Crohns disease. Due to the nature of her surgery, her scar is runs up and down. Her condition was so severe they thought she would have to wear an ostomy bag. Fortunately, she did not, however, she did have a very mean red ugly scar. Marge, being the person she is, sent me a bottle of her Helichrysum in Rose Hip seed oil for Jessica to use. Jessica actually wore a bikini to Jamaica after her wedding. Today, the only reason you know there is a scar is there is a very faint line.

My middle daughter was in a halo for seven months; until April, 2000. She had pretty large indentions on her forehead that were red and just plain ugly and two actual openings on the back of her head where the halo was screwed in. Jessica had surgery in 2002. Aubrey used some of the blend Marge had sent to Jessica. You can hardly notice the markings on her forehead.”

Dawn St. Clair wrote:

Marge recommended Rosehip Seed Oil mixed with Helichrysum as a remedy for scars. She said it was best to use on new scars, but could also be useful on old ones. Well, my daughter, Ashley, had a large Keloid scar (we are of Mediterranian origin) on her thigh where a pre-cancerous mole was removed. She had this scar for over a year, so it was not a new scar. I used Marge’s formula, with a little added emu oil, twice a day, every day. This is not a quick fix. It took a couple of months, however, the skin has lightened from dark gray to her own skin tone, and even smoothed out a great deal. It is not visible now unless you are looking for it.

Janice Sheplar, quoted below re the dark circles, first started using the Helichrysum in Rosehip Seed oil for a surgical scar on her neck. She emailed me that she has the sort of skin that automatically forms keloids and sent me a picture of the “before” picture, a truly nasty vertical scar from her collarbone to her jaw, deeply coloured and raised up. I managed to lose the “after” photo, but the scar was impossible to see in a close up photograph. She was thrilled with the results!

Eczema

“I must say, I am *hugely* impressed with what the Helichrysum and Roman Chamomile hydrosols have done for my skin! I was having a bad bout of what I’d always termed “seasonal eczema” {it always happens with the change of seasons and is sometimes tough to shake}. My skin {face} had been downright scaly and was oozing a little in spots as well. I ordered the hydrosols, received them and used them that night. The very next day there was strong, visible improvement! By the 3rd day my skin was basically back to normal! Wonderful stuff.”—Name withheld by request

Back Pain

“Hi, got the order Friday (I think). Have been enjoying the rosewood and helichrysum (sp? I’m away from the bottle) especially. They help relieve my painful back and make me smell wonderful!”—Name withheld by request

More Pain Relief

Stacey Miller writes:

Last night I made a 5% dilution of equal parts Helichrysum italicum and Lavender stoechas in jojoba for my stepmom to use for pain relief. Evidently it worked pretty well. She used it on her broken foot and said the analgesic effect was almost instant. (I was skeptical about getting any pain relief at all for something this intense.) She liked the scent and didn’t need a pain pill before bed.

Kathy Mijares writes:

Also, I just wanted to add that I am absolutely in LOVE with the Helichrysum! It smells SO wonderful. This is my first experience with this lovely oil! I mixed up a pain treatment in a carrier oil with a little of the Heli, black pepper and my lavender right away because I have disabling chronic back pain…..and the change in the weather (cold and rainy here) was causing me to be very uncomfortable. It worked so fast I was amazed! No more pain pills for me….now that I have my Helichrysum! I’ll definitely be back for more!

Carole Bland recently wrote:

Comments: Broke my ankle back in March. Had surgery to repair both the tib and fib (w/hardware). The helichrysum has helped tremendously with both the pain from the injury and fading the scar. Thank you for offering such a great product.

Rheumatoid Arthritis — Bone Spurs?

Our client Prakash recently shared this anecdote:

Dear Marge,

I want to share an interesting story with you–something unexpected from using Helichrysum & St. John’s Wort.

Earlier this week, I felt a flareup of rheumatoid arthritis starting. I’d recently gotten some of your infused St. John’s Wort, and I’ve been playing with your amazing (on many levels) Helichrysum in Fractionated Coconut Oil for about a month. So, as the sharp pain started in my joints, I slathered on the St. John’s…let it soak in for a few minutes, then followed with a healthy dose of Helichrysum gently massaged on top. (joints involved: many, including elbows) After a while, I began to feel a “softening” of the pain.

*BUT* that’s not why I’m writing. The next morning, I noticed a big brown bruise near my elbow. A few weeks ago, I’d felt a bump there–like a bone-spur. I’d chalked it up to the RA and planned to check in with my doctor about it. Anyway, this big bruise (looking like it was an old bruise; though there’d been nothing there the day before) was right over that spur/bump. Hmmm. Felt it; it felt sort of like little crystals were in there, maybe a bit of break up of the spur? Anyway, I decided to rub my elbow each evening with the same combo of St. John’s & Helichrysum.

I started all this on Tuesday night. This morning–Sunday–that spur/bump is barely there, maybe 1/8 of what it was earlier in the week.

I don’t know if this was from the Helichrysum or the St. John’s Wort or the combo of the two. I just know I’m delighted.

Side note: Just smelling that marvelous Helichrysum soothes my bones, my heart, and my soul.

Thanks, Marge.:-)

Prakash

Chemical Burn Scarring

From a client whose name is withheld by request:

This is some background about how my face was scarred. In January 1996 my former dermatologist gave me glycolic acid, which was too strong for me to perform at home, and it literally ate into my skin. It would have been fine if he performed the glycolic peel in his office so he could monitor it but the peel was not meant for an inexperienced patient to do at home. The result of the peel was equivalent to a second-degree burn and it left significant scarring on one side of my face. I spent so much money for products and procedures like expensive herbal peels in trying to heal the scar but it never improved. I searched hours on the Internet and ordering products that were formulated for scars but nothing worked. I looked in numerous books to try to find a solution but I couldn’t find anything that would specifically work for scars, only ways to prevent them from forming. I kept coming across rosehip oil and helichrysum as being healing and regenerative to scar tissue and I did more research into them. When I decided to try the oils I made a commitment to stay with it until the scar improved. It was several months before I could see a major difference but I am amazed at how much the scar has diminished. The scar is blending into the surrounding skin and it’s not thick anymore.

The texture is so much smoother and with a light layer of foundation my scar is hardly noticeable. I feel confident that the scar will be completely resolved because of how much improvement I have seen. I also massage the scar on a daily basis and I feel that has also made a tremendous difference. Some other things that I am using as well are aloe vera and a few other essential oils but I believe that it is the rosehip and helichrysum that is regenerating the skin to normal. When I feel the skin where the scar is the texture feels so smooth and normal. I feel that the reason I got such good results is that I am very consistent, I’ve haven’t missed a single day of using rosehip oil and helichrysum since I started my regime. That makes a huge difference. It does take time, my scars were well formed, and I’m going to continue with the oils until they are resolved. Thank you for letting me share my experience.

Bumps and Bruises

Monique Macintosh writes:

Your Helichrysum with German Chamomile CO2 is doing wonders for my scrapes from playing volleyball and rescuing one of my pine trees from a huge wild rose bush. A good test is my slow pitch softball team mate who loves to slide in shorts. He has a patch of healing skin on his right leg. I “loaned” him my bottle of H w/ GC CO2 and he says he already feels the difference in a day.

Dark Circles

My friend Janice recently had surgery, so we sent her some Helichrysum in RoseHipSeed oil. She has been raving about its effect on the scar from her surgery on another mail list. But she also shared that she’s been using it to fade under eye circles…and that it’s working amazingly well. That one felt like a “DUH…why didn’t I think of that?”…as effective as Helichrysum is at healing bruises, it stands to reason that it might well be useful for the dark circles some of us (especially me!) get under our eyes. I don’t think the Rosehip Seed Oil is an essential part of that combination…it would be the Helichrysum Italicuum that would do the work, so you could dilute it in the carrier of your choice. Please dilute it well, and, as always, be VERY careful using any essential oil around the eyes!

Bursitis

My friend Mary Jane writes from Michigan:

I woke up this morning and could hardly walk. I have bursitis in my right hip. I used a mixture of helichrysum, vetiver, black pepper, and jojoba oil. The pain decreased in about 10 minutes. I could walk without a limp for six hours. It was great! I have also been in a horrible mood for the last few days. I must say, the synergy did wonders for my attitude. I walked around relaxed and on cloud nine all day.

Maybe you could pass along the recipe to fellow sufferers. 

So I did ;).

Chigger Bites

Another client just wrote: “Also want you to know the Helichrysum oil (in carrier) did WONDERS with a chigger bite I had on my leg! Good God! Swelling (welt) and itching immediately reduced to almost NOTHING. Last time this happened, I itched for about one solid week and the nasty bites left almost scars and darkened spots that remained for a long time.” (Now, if she had used our  SkeeterBeater  in advance, she’d not have had to worry about the chiggers, but that’s another story.”)

Skin Irritation

Manisha recently wrote:

I hope this email finds you happy and healthy. I wrote to you several years ago when I carelessly and hastily used hair removal wax meant for arms on my face (to remove facial hair above my upper lip). You rushed me Helichrysum oil and rose hip seed oil for the carrier. This combination worked wonderfully! I healed quickly without any scarring. Thank you so very much for your advice and quick shipment.

Hydrosols (also called hydrolats or floral waters) are a safe, gentle and less expensive alternative to the use of essential oils. Most often considered a by-product of the steam distillation process, some hydrosols are actually distilled specifically for the water component and not for the essential oil. They are gentler and perfect for children, and they make lovely gifts for yourself or someone special.

Our hydrosols are packaged in 1 oz and 4 oz PET plastic bottles with atomizer spray tops. For larger sizes,  email us! Please note: we often receive requests for samples of our hydrosols. Because of their fragility and ease of contamination, we do not want to risk packaging them in the tiny sample vials. Hence we have started offering one ounce sizes for sale.

Please remember to store your precious hydrosols under refrigeration. True, natural hydrosols contain no preservatives and therefore should be treated as perishable. We store them under refrigeration and follow fastidious clean technique while rebottling. However, if you plan on using any of these healing waters internally, we suggest you pasteurize them before use. Pour the hydrosol through a fine filter (a coffee filter works beautifully) and slowly heat it to a very slow boil; this should help with microbial concerns and should not damage the healing elements of the hydrosol.

We would like to thank Jan Salko, Suzanne Catty, and Dennis Archer for allowing us to share information they have provided.

How Hydrosols Are Made

During the distillation process, steam containing essential oil molecules crosses over into a chilled condenser. Chilling the steam causes it to turn back into water with a layer of essential oil floating on top. The essential oil is skimmed off and bottled for use. In some cases, the remaining water (hydrosol) is simply discarded. However, this water contains both minute molecules of essential oil as well as all the water-soluble elements of the plant that are not present in the oil.

Department store spray misters, spritzers, or floral waters do have their uses. They are most often made of distilled or spring water with a few drops of the appropriate essential oil added. Most often, though, what are sold as “floral waters” contain water with some sort of fragrance (whether natural or synthetic) solubilized in it. These products should not be confused with true hydrosol, which can contain many other therapeutic benefits. For example, linalyl acetate, a component important in a beautiful smelling lavender oil, is lacking in lavender hydrosol. For this reason, the hydrosol may or may not smell like the essential oil which emerged from the still at the same time.

Hydrosols have many uses. They can complement essential oils as well as extend the scope of the oils themselves. They also allow us to experience some of the benefits of, for example, true Bulgarian rose oil, at a much more affordable price.

Sample Uses

We use  Helichrysum Hydrosol  to soothe the redness of rosacea or other skin inflammations. A spritz of  Yarrow Hydrosol  soothes and heals ‘hot spots’ on dogs and cats.

Neroli Hydrosol  was what one daughter-in-law carried on the plane to ease her “fear of flying” and to keep the dry airplane air breathable.  Rose Hydrosol  is both a facial toner and a wonderful linen spray.

Lavender Hydrosol or Chamomile Hydrosol can soothe a sunburn or also function as a relaxing “monster spray” to banish night-time monsters.

Chilled Peppermint Hydrosol is the ultimate summer cooler, either spritzed on, or with a bit added to a bottle of spring water.

Rose Geranium Hydrosol is said to calm a woman’s mid-life “power surges”. Aromatherapist and herbalist Jeanne Rose suggests blending it with one of the mints. Melissa Hydrosol is a wonderful “blotter” for oily skin.

Spike Lavender or Tea Tree Hydrosols both make gentle antibacterial toners for skin with acne.

Teething baby? German chamomile hydrosol, rubbed on the outside of the jaw, can help soothe the ache.

This is just a sample of the uses we have for our wide range of hydrosols. Read more about specific hydrosols on their product pages.

When a scent has a question mark beside it, it indicates that some authority has placed it in that category, but my experience, as well as other sources, contradict it. (Especially when the same scent appears as all three notes!) However, it is not unusual for a specific scent to fill two adjacent functions, depending on the other oils in the blend.

Among other sources, the above information was gathered from works of Valerie Worwood, Christine Malcolm, Anne Berwick, Susan Renick, and other sources that have contributed to my education, but are too hopelessly intertwined to isolate. My thanks to all of them.

The most basic face mask, and probably the easiest to make is a blend of which ever type of clay is suited to your skin type, moistened with an appropriate hydrosol, to make a smooth “mud.” Spread the moistened clay over your face, avoid the eye area, let dry, and rinse well with tepid water.

A mask will always help with exfoliation, may dry excess oil, and can help your skin detoxify. There are those who say that the minerals contained in various clays can also be beneficial to your cells.

The “fun” part of creating a face mask lies in selecting ingredients that are suited to your skin type.

Clays

Commonly available clays helpful for various skin types:

Glacial Clay

Glacial Clay is composed of particles that are small enough to create a powerful absorption factor for the skin and due to it’s chemical properties it has the ability to remove toxins and bacteria and dead skin cells to leave the skin healthy, purified, and smooth.

It stimulates the circulation, detoxifies, exfoliates dead skin cells while and smothes down wrinkles, leaving the skin soft, smooth and invigorated. It produces erythema (local skin warming), accelerates physiological processes and increases cell regeneration in surrounding tissues, improving skin elasticity and overall complexion. Because of the warming effect, I would avoid using Glacial Clay on very sensitive skin.

Because of its strongly detoxifying effect, Glacial Clay is highly recommended for skin plagued by acne, blackheads, pimples, etc.

Sea Clay

Wonderful for oily skin Sea clay draws impurities like a magnet! It provides deep cleansing, tighten pores, revitalize the complexion and help clear problem skin. Sea clay is the best for oily skin due to its high mineral content. Due to its high content of minerals, sea clay draws oils from the skin, and is rich in algaes, macro- and micro-minerals, as well as sodium and sulphur. Sea plants, seawater, sea salt and oceanic clay have long been popular physical-therapy ingredients in Europe. Recommended as medical therapeutic agents as early as 1578, seawater and sea derivatives were administered for rheumatism and general rehabilitation. Sea clay is an important ingredient in body wraps to lose inches and cellulite.

White Kaolin

One of the mildest of all clays, French White Kaolin is suitable for the most sensitive skin. It will help stimulate circulation while gently exfoliating and cleansing. It does not draw oil from the skin so is a good choice for dry skin. It is also high in minerals known to be beneficial for oily or blemished skin. It can help heal blemishes and inflammation, while preventing more problems from forming. White kaolin clay soothes and softens the skin and is suitable for all skin types.

Pink Kaolin

Pink Kaolin is the cosmetic clay for normal, sensitive and mature skin. It is the mildest clay and most widely used in cosmetics.

Pink clay is particularly useful for toning dull, tired, or devitalized skin. It also has excellent cleansing properties

Hydrosols

For Oily Skin: Cedarwood Hydrosol, Clary Sage Hydrosol, Melissa Hydrosol, Lavender Hydrosol, Peppermint Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol, Rosemary Verbenon Hydrosol

Combination Skin: Cedarwood Hydrosol, Frankincense Hydrosol, Rose Geranium Hydrosol, Lavender Hydrosol, Neroli Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol

Dry Skin: Roman Chamomile Hydrosol, Owyhee Hydrosol, Patchouli Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol

Mature Skin: Carrot Seed Hydrosol, Frankincense Hydrosol, Helichrysum Hydrosol, Neroli Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol

Problem Skin or Acne: German Chamomile Hydrosol, Clary Sage Hydrosol, Neroli Hydrosol, Patchouli Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol, Rosemary Verbenone Hydrosol, Tea Tree Hydrosol, Yarrow Hydrosol

Sensitive Skin or Rosacea: Helichrysum Hydrosol, Roman or German Chamomile Hydrosol, Frankincense Hydrosol,Yarrow Hydrosol, Blue Tansy Hydrosol, Owyhee Hydrosol

The Most Basic Mask:

Cleanse your face using your favorite method.

In a small cup or bowl, pour approximately one tablespoon (1/2 ounce) of your chosen clay. Gradually stir in (1/2teaspoonful, or 2 mls at a time) your chosen Hydrosol. Stir well, continue to add liquid until a smooth fairly liquid “mud” is formed.

Apply in a smooth layer to face and neck, avoiding eyes and lips.

Relax for 10 to 20 minutes until the clay has totally dried. Rinse well with warm water. If desired, follow with your favorite moisturizing facial oil.

Additions:

For Any Skin Type: Use 1 teaspoon of barely warmed honey as part of the liquid. (Warming the honey makes it more liquid.)

For Acnied Skin: To the warmed honey, described above, stir in one drop of Tea Tree, German Chamomile, or Manuka essential oil. The tea tree and manuka are powerful antibacterials, while the german chamomile is a powerful anti-inflammatory.

For Oily Skin: You might add a pinch or two (up to a teaspoon) of very finely powdered oatmeal to the clay. Stir in well before adding hydrosols.

A large fresh strawberry, very finely pureed is a wonderful addition to an oily skin mask.

Especially for oily skin or acne it helps to remove the mask with steaming washcloths. Add a drop or two of one of the above essential oils to a bowl of hot water, wet the washcloth and gently wring out excess moisture.

For Dry Skin: Instead of, or in addition to the hydrosol, and perhaps honey, add 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) of your favorite facial oil to the clay. My personal choice is either Squalane or Argan Oil, but Avocado Oil is a wonderful addition as well. Please note, the addition of a fixed oil will prevent the clay from drying as hard as in a mask composed of just hydrosols and/or honey. Leave the mask on for 15 to 20 minutes and remove with tepid water. Your skin will be moist and glowing.

A bit of finely mashed avocado is a traditional ingredient for a mask for dry skin.

Adding 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin to part of the liquid portion of the mask will help draw moisture to dry skin.

For Sensitive or Inflamed Skin: Consider using Aloe Vera Gel as part of the liquid in your mask.

Please note, these are not hard and fast rules. Have fun with them!

Helichrysum (Helichrysum italicum) Testimonials

Regular readers of our newsletter know that I believe our Helichrysum italicuum is the most healing essential oil I have ever seen. A friend recently asked me to collect “anecdotal evidence” of Helichrysum’s effects, and this document was the result. She urged me to share it online, so here it is. (We have recently found these testimonials posted verbatim on other websites, selling other helichrysum species. We can’t be responsible for the effects of using ANY helichrysum other than our certified organic Helichrysum italicuum from the island of Corsica.)

Read about, and order, our  Helichrysum Essential Oil here. Or our  Helichrysum Hydrosol  on our hydrosol pages.

Rosacea

From a client whose name is withheld by request:

A few months ago I asked you for some advice re a Rosacea client. I used your Rosacea synergy and formulated a lotion and soap for him, as well as providing him with Helichrysum Hydrosol to use as a toner. He has been using them for about six weeks, and called me yesterday to tell me that these products have really helped him and that he wanted to order more! He had previously sought treatment with a dermatologist and found that nothing had helped, but had actually caused more irritation to his skin. Just wanted to share with you another success story and to thank you for your help!

From a client who wished to remain anonymous:

I just received my first order – very promptly, I might add- thank you, and am already seeing results from using the combination of clarifying soap, helichrysum hydrosol, and rosacea synergy. It’s been just five days! My skin thanks you!!

From Julia Mulcahey:

Thank you! I have had a small patch of rosacea on my face for nearly 6 months. Your clarifying soap and helichrysum hydrosol seem to be working their magic – it’s nearly disappeared! Thank you!

Bruising

From Kati Toney (w/ Marge’s comments in 2nd paragraph):

Anyway, my point to all this is, I got the BIGGEST, UGLIEST bruises on my legs from climbing that tree & when I got home I put the Helichrysum sample I got from you on it (b/c I remembered you saying that it was good for bruises!) and the next day they were faded & within a day or two were completely gone! I was AMAZED!!! I usually keep bruises for quite awhile & ones that deep & big mighta hung around for a couple of weeks! I was SO excited & it didn’t take much at all! Matter of fact, I still have half of that sample left!

Wonderful!!! That is exactly what it was SUPPOSED to do…but I’m so delighted that it worked for you…that it DID do what it was supposed to. Now you see why I say it’s one of those ‘desert island’ oils…the ones I wouldn’t be without. 

More on Bruising

Mary Hayne, from Denton, Texas recently wrote:

I have to tell you though, I had another mishap — I was getting into the back seat of a friend’s minivan when a friend getting into the front seat closed her door — on my hand (I didn’t realize my hand was holding on so close to her door frame). She got the door back open pretty quickly. That was the panic part. The exciting part is that I iced, took homeopathic Traumeel, and slathered on your 10% Helichrysum. My hand never bruised!

There are two small red spots on my knuckles where my hand was particularly pinched, and a very slight bit of swelling — but that is it and the red spots are fading fast. I also didn’t have any pain — tenderness, yes — pain, no. This is all particularly nice as I had an eight hour exam the next day (right hand crushed, right-handed writer). But the best part was my friend’s face the next morning when she looked at my hand. She was completely dumbfounded. She was so sure it was so bad that she was going to have to take me to the doctor. There my hand was, looking like nothing ever happened. I have read that Helichrysum has “powerful antibruise properties” but this experience has really blown my mind too.

And I have run out of the stuff, so I am ordering more. Thanks so much Marge. Your work really makes a big difference in my life.

Louise, from The Netherlands writes:

Dear Marge,

A few days ago I asked your advice how to avoid bruises in my face due to injections which I unfortunately had to have in my face.

The doctor had told me that I would get very nasty bruises in my face and but that was just one of the facts I had to endure and that they would fade in a week or so.

Then I asked you and I want to tell you that there are no nasty bruises at all! There is a little swelling but very little only myself can notice that because nobody noticed!

Anyway, I want to tell you that I used 25 ml of St.John’s wort infused oil, 20 drops of Helichrysum italicum and 5 drops of Lavender augustifolia. Yesterday (after the injections) I applied it immediately after I came home and then I continued to apply it during the day. This morning I looked in the mirror and was very pleased to see a normal color of skin, so I will apply it again several times today!

So Thank you Marge for your advice and please feel free to give this recipe to others.

I have to see the doctor in a few days and I am already enjoying the look on his face when he sees me. I will certainly tell him what I did to avoid those nasty bruises!

Kindest regards, Louise

Alexis Stegall recently wrote:

I had some heli and did use it full strength the first couple of times on a HUGE (6 in diameter at least) bruise on my thigh and then used the 10% in Rose Hip Seed Oil (because that was all that I had) couldn’t believe how fast the bruise went away. 

Normally I will have bruises for a couple of weeks, this one was virtually gone in about 5 or 6 days. It worked great.

You may quote me if you like.

Even More on Bruising

Susan Farr, acupuncturist, recently wrote:

It’s good to be back in touch and to see you too — checking out your website made me hungry for oils again!! I know you have tons of feedback on your helichrysums, but I want you to know that my bottle (10% in FCO) stayed in the acupuncture clinic the whole time I was an intern, and gradually replaced the arnica and chinese ointments as everyone’s treatment of choice when they realized that a puncture was going to leave a bruise (which happens fairly commonly). And the patients (at least mine) loved the smell, too. I never even tried the recommended chinese remedies, as I knew from personal experience how well the heli works. That’ll be my next order!

Take care, Susan

Scarring

Ellen W. Ray from Alchemical Essence Aromatherapy wrote:

I used the Helichrysum Italicum and Rose Hip Seed Oil blend for an injury to my face that occurred from a dog bite and it helped tremendously. There’s barely the trace of a scar on my lip and none on my face. The doctor who removed the stitches was amazed and asked for the name of the Essential Oil and Carrier Oil. He kept looking back at his notes from the emergency room, remembered the incident, and said the healing was incredible. He also asked where it could be purchased. 

From Leslie Robinson:

I can vouch for Marge’s suggested rose hip seed oil/heli blend for scars. In July, I fell and impaled my face on a piece of rebar. An ugly accident. I used this combination an average of 3 times daily — I have no visible scar. Have used this on a year-old mastectomy scar for a few months and notice that it is beginning to flatten and fade a bit.

Wondrous things these oils are!!!”

From Vicki Camp, Reporting back on the Helichrysum Experiment:

I asked you on the Cosmetics List some time ago if you thought Helichrysum Italicuum would be good on old scars. You replied something to the effect of ‘no guarantees; I’m not certain,’ although I note you’re really fond of its properties. However, I went ahead and tried it anyway. Had a breast needle biopsy last July (benign, benign) – 2 separate entrances on the same breast. While the scars were not huge and there was no raised marking (is that called a keloid, I think?) they were noticeably red and each about 1/4 – 1/2 inch in size. I am of Scandinavian-American descent and have this fair, fair skin. No allergies of note, although living in Michigan automatically qualifies me for itchy skin spots and sinus in the allergy season.:D Natural soap prevents most of the skin issues.

So hey, having given you the background – HERE’s the amazing results. I put a drop of Heli, neat, on each spot. Rubbed them a bit. Didn’t give much thought to it. Never tried it again. This morning in the shower I happened to notice that the scars are all but invisible. I guess I’m so used to them NOT being there that I don’t give it a thought very often. But what do you suppose made THAT happen, after a year of visible scars?

I ‘m off to try it on some ‘whitish’ scars on my arm that I got when coming in contact with a hot iron years ago. Will let you know. This is fun! Hugs and smiles!”

MY NOTE: I do NOT recommend using Helichrysum (or any other essential oil) neat the way Vicki did. Proper and appropriate dilution might take a bit longer to see results, but it is safer for you, and less wasteful of a precious limited resource.

Barbara McBee wrote:

I had a benign cellular tumor removed from my neck nearly three years ago. The scar was 4 inches, very tight and inflamed. Nothing over the counter worked—I am very sensitive to chemicals and additives. My doctor thought this was the best I would heal, though I never keloid. I searched around and found your sight approx. one and one half years after my surgery-I have ordered helio with rosehips, (my orders have included peppermint and argan oil.but for this purpose I stuck with helio and rosehips).

I applied religiously for several months at night-I could not wear anything against my neck, and had trouble sleeping because my poor skin seemed to be pulled so tight.I am small, and great care was taken to pull everything back together.I am back to wearing turtlenecks, and the scar(including the turkey-wobble that brought the sutures to a complete close) are so minimal that one has to search for it.

More Scarring (Keloids)

A story I had forgotten about, until a friend recently quoted it on a list we share:

A friend who had a brain tumor removed… I saw her about 4 weeks after the surgery, and it was the worst single scar I have ever seen… from about an inch in front of her temple, running around the back of her head to the other side of her forehead… maybe two inches of whole skin between the two ends of the scar… swollen keloidal tissue, bigger than my thumb, and bright burgundy wine color… 

I gave her some heli in rose hip with the ‘standard instructions’…didn’t see her for about a month, and she had stopped using it “because the scar was all healed”… it hadn’t totally disappeared…but it was faded to white, and looked as though you had taken a very sharp pencil and drawn a white line on her skin… no wider than a thread. Now, the thing is, she had stopped using the heli blend several days earlier because she considered it healed… but it’s my belief that if she had continued using it, there would be NO scar… —Marge Clark

And Sharon Finch shares her two daughters’ results:

About six months before my oldest was married, she ended up in the hospital for over 14 days and ended up having surgery for her Crohns disease. Due to the nature of her surgery, her scar is runs up and down. Her condition was so severe they thought she would have to wear an ostomy bag. Fortunately, she did not, however, she did have a very mean red ugly scar. Marge, being the person she is, sent me a bottle of her Helichrysum in Rose Hip seed oil for Jessica to use. Jessica actually wore a bikini to Jamaica after her wedding. Today, the only reason you know there is a scar is there is a very faint line.

My middle daughter was in a halo for seven months; until April, 2000. She had pretty large indentions on her forehead that were red and just plain ugly and two actual openings on the back of her head where the halo was screwed in. Jessica had surgery in 2002. Aubrey used some of the blend Marge had sent to Jessica. You can hardly notice the markings on her forehead.”

Dawn St. Clair wrote:

Marge recommended Rosehip Seed Oil mixed with Helichrysum as a remedy for scars. She said it was best to use on new scars, but could also be useful on old ones. Well, my daughter, Ashley, had a large Keloid scar (we are of Mediterranian origin) on her thigh where a pre-cancerous mole was removed. She had this scar for over a year, so it was not a new scar. I used Marge’s formula, with a little added emu oil, twice a day, every day. This is not a quick fix. It took a couple of months, however, the skin has lightened from dark gray to her own skin tone, and even smoothed out a great deal. It is not visible now unless you are looking for it.

Janice Sheplar, quoted below re the dark circles, first started using the Helichrysum in Rosehip Seed oil for a surgical scar on her neck. She emailed me that she has the sort of skin that automatically forms keloids and sent me a picture of the “before” picture, a truly nasty vertical scar from her collarbone to her jaw, deeply coloured and raised up. I managed to lose the “after” photo, but the scar was impossible to see in a close up photograph. She was thrilled with the results!

Eczema

“I must say, I am *hugely* impressed with what the Helichrysum and Roman Chamomile hydrosols have done for my skin! I was having a bad bout of what I’d always termed “seasonal eczema” {it always happens with the change of seasons and is sometimes tough to shake}. My skin {face} had been downright scaly and was oozing a little in spots as well. I ordered the hydrosols, received them and used them that night. The very next day there was strong, visible improvement! By the 3rd day my skin was basically back to normal! Wonderful stuff.”—Name withheld by request

Back Pain

“Hi, got the order Friday (I think). Have been enjoying the rosewood and helichrysum (sp? I’m away from the bottle) especially. They help relieve my painful back and make me smell wonderful!”—Name withheld by request

More Pain Relief

Stacey Miller writes:

Last night I made a 5% dilution of equal parts Helichrysum italicum and Lavender stoechas in jojoba for my stepmom to use for pain relief. Evidently it worked pretty well. She used it on her broken foot and said the analgesic effect was almost instant. (I was skeptical about getting any pain relief at all for something this intense.) She liked the scent and didn’t need a pain pill before bed.

Kathy Mijares writes:

Also, I just wanted to add that I am absolutely in LOVE with the Helichrysum! It smells SO wonderful. This is my first experience with this lovely oil! I mixed up a pain treatment in a carrier oil with a little of the Heli, black pepper and my lavender right away because I have disabling chronic back pain…..and the change in the weather (cold and rainy here) was causing me to be very uncomfortable. It worked so fast I was amazed! No more pain pills for me….now that I have my Helichrysum! I’ll definitely be back for more!

Carole Bland recently wrote:

Comments: Broke my ankle back in March. Had surgery to repair both the tib and fib (w/hardware). The helichrysum has helped tremendously with both the pain from the injury and fading the scar. Thank you for offering such a great product.

Rheumatoid Arthritis — Bone Spurs?

Our client Prakash recently shared this anecdote:

Dear Marge,

I want to share an interesting story with you–something unexpected from using Helichrysum & St. John’s Wort.

Earlier this week, I felt a flareup of rheumatoid arthritis starting. I’d recently gotten some of your infused St. John’s Wort, and I’ve been playing with your amazing (on many levels) Helichrysum in Fractionated Coconut Oil for about a month. So, as the sharp pain started in my joints, I slathered on the St. John’s…let it soak in for a few minutes, then followed with a healthy dose of Helichrysum gently massaged on top. (joints involved: many, including elbows) After a while, I began to feel a “softening” of the pain.

*BUT* that’s not why I’m writing. The next morning, I noticed a big brown bruise near my elbow. A few weeks ago, I’d felt a bump there–like a bone-spur. I’d chalked it up to the RA and planned to check in with my doctor about it. Anyway, this big bruise (looking like it was an old bruise; though there’d been nothing there the day before) was right over that spur/bump. Hmmm. Felt it; it felt sort of like little crystals were in there, maybe a bit of break up of the spur? Anyway, I decided to rub my elbow each evening with the same combo of St. John’s & Helichrysum.

I started all this on Tuesday night. This morning–Sunday–that spur/bump is barely there, maybe 1/8 of what it was earlier in the week.

I don’t know if this was from the Helichrysum or the St. John’s Wort or the combo of the two. I just know I’m delighted.

Side note: Just smelling that marvelous Helichrysum soothes my bones, my heart, and my soul.

Thanks, Marge.:-)

Prakash

Chemical Burn Scarring

From a client whose name is withheld by request:

This is some background about how my face was scarred. In January 1996 my former dermatologist gave me glycolic acid, which was too strong for me to perform at home, and it literally ate into my skin. It would have been fine if he performed the glycolic peel in his office so he could monitor it but the peel was not meant for an inexperienced patient to do at home. The result of the peel was equivalent to a second-degree burn and it left significant scarring on one side of my face. I spent so much money for products and procedures like expensive herbal peels in trying to heal the scar but it never improved. I searched hours on the Internet and ordering products that were formulated for scars but nothing worked. I looked in numerous books to try to find a solution but I couldn’t find anything that would specifically work for scars, only ways to prevent them from forming. I kept coming across rosehip oil and helichrysum as being healing and regenerative to scar tissue and I did more research into them. When I decided to try the oils I made a commitment to stay with it until the scar improved. It was several months before I could see a major difference but I am amazed at how much the scar has diminished. The scar is blending into the surrounding skin and it’s not thick anymore.

The texture is so much smoother and with a light layer of foundation my scar is hardly noticeable. I feel confident that the scar will be completely resolved because of how much improvement I have seen. I also massage the scar on a daily basis and I feel that has also made a tremendous difference. Some other things that I am using as well are aloe vera and a few other essential oils but I believe that it is the rosehip and helichrysum that is regenerating the skin to normal. When I feel the skin where the scar is the texture feels so smooth and normal. I feel that the reason I got such good results is that I am very consistent, I’ve haven’t missed a single day of using rosehip oil and helichrysum since I started my regime. That makes a huge difference. It does take time, my scars were well formed, and I’m going to continue with the oils until they are resolved. Thank you for letting me share my experience.

Bumps and Bruises

Monique Macintosh writes:

Your Helichrysum with German Chamomile CO2 is doing wonders for my scrapes from playing volleyball and rescuing one of my pine trees from a huge wild rose bush. A good test is my slow pitch softball team mate who loves to slide in shorts. He has a patch of healing skin on his right leg. I “loaned” him my bottle of H w/ GC CO2 and he says he already feels the difference in a day.

Dark Circles

My friend Janice recently had surgery, so we sent her some Helichrysum in RoseHipSeed oil. She has been raving about its effect on the scar from her surgery on another mail list. But she also shared that she’s been using it to fade under eye circles…and that it’s working amazingly well. That one felt like a “DUH…why didn’t I think of that?”…as effective as Helichrysum is at healing bruises, it stands to reason that it might well be useful for the dark circles some of us (especially me!) get under our eyes. I don’t think the Rosehip Seed Oil is an essential part of that combination…it would be the Helichrysum Italicuum that would do the work, so you could dilute it in the carrier of your choice. Please dilute it well, and, as always, be VERY careful using any essential oil around the eyes!

Bursitis

My friend Mary Jane writes from Michigan:

I woke up this morning and could hardly walk. I have bursitis in my right hip. I used a mixture of helichrysum, vetiver, black pepper, and jojoba oil. The pain decreased in about 10 minutes. I could walk without a limp for six hours. It was great! I have also been in a horrible mood for the last few days. I must say, the synergy did wonders for my attitude. I walked around relaxed and on cloud nine all day.

Maybe you could pass along the recipe to fellow sufferers. 

So I did ;).

Chigger Bites

Another client just wrote: “Also want you to know the Helichrysum oil (in carrier) did WONDERS with a chigger bite I had on my leg! Good God! Swelling (welt) and itching immediately reduced to almost NOTHING. Last time this happened, I itched for about one solid week and the nasty bites left almost scars and darkened spots that remained for a long time.” (Now, if she had used our  SkeeterBeater  in advance, she’d not have had to worry about the chiggers, but that’s another story.”)

Skin Irritation

Manisha recently wrote:

I hope this email finds you happy and healthy. I wrote to you several years ago when I carelessly and hastily used hair removal wax meant for arms on my face (to remove facial hair above my upper lip). You rushed me Helichrysum oil and rose hip seed oil for the carrier. This combination worked wonderfully! I healed quickly without any scarring. Thank you so very much for your advice and quick shipment.

Hydrosols (also called hydrolats or floral waters) are a safe, gentle and less expensive alternative to the use of essential oils. Most often considered a by-product of the steam distillation process, some hydrosols are actually distilled specifically for the water component and not for the essential oil. They are gentler and perfect for children, and they make lovely gifts for yourself or someone special.

Our hydrosols are packaged in 1 oz and 4 oz PET plastic bottles with atomizer spray tops. For larger sizes,  email us! Please note: we often receive requests for samples of our hydrosols. Because of their fragility and ease of contamination, we do not want to risk packaging them in the tiny sample vials. Hence we have started offering one ounce sizes for sale.

Please remember to store your precious hydrosols under refrigeration. True, natural hydrosols contain no preservatives and therefore should be treated as perishable. We store them under refrigeration and follow fastidious clean technique while rebottling. However, if you plan on using any of these healing waters internally, we suggest you pasteurize them before use. Pour the hydrosol through a fine filter (a coffee filter works beautifully) and slowly heat it to a very slow boil; this should help with microbial concerns and should not damage the healing elements of the hydrosol.

We would like to thank Jan Salko, Suzanne Catty, and Dennis Archer for allowing us to share information they have provided.

How Hydrosols Are Made

During the distillation process, steam containing essential oil molecules crosses over into a chilled condenser. Chilling the steam causes it to turn back into water with a layer of essential oil floating on top. The essential oil is skimmed off and bottled for use. In some cases, the remaining water (hydrosol) is simply discarded. However, this water contains both minute molecules of essential oil as well as all the water-soluble elements of the plant that are not present in the oil.

Department store spray misters, spritzers, or floral waters do have their uses. They are most often made of distilled or spring water with a few drops of the appropriate essential oil added. Most often, though, what are sold as “floral waters” contain water with some sort of fragrance (whether natural or synthetic) solubilized in it. These products should not be confused with true hydrosol, which can contain many other therapeutic benefits. For example, linalyl acetate, a component important in a beautiful smelling lavender oil, is lacking in lavender hydrosol. For this reason, the hydrosol may or may not smell like the essential oil which emerged from the still at the same time.

Hydrosols have many uses. They can complement essential oils as well as extend the scope of the oils themselves. They also allow us to experience some of the benefits of, for example, true Bulgarian rose oil, at a much more affordable price.

Sample Uses

We use  Helichrysum Hydrosol  to soothe the redness of rosacea or other skin inflammations. A spritz of  Yarrow Hydrosol  soothes and heals ‘hot spots’ on dogs and cats.

Neroli Hydrosol  was what one daughter-in-law carried on the plane to ease her “fear of flying” and to keep the dry airplane air breathable.  Rose Hydrosol  is both a facial toner and a wonderful linen spray.

Lavender Hydrosol or Chamomile Hydrosol can soothe a sunburn or also function as a relaxing “monster spray” to banish night-time monsters.

Chilled Peppermint Hydrosol is the ultimate summer cooler, either spritzed on, or with a bit added to a bottle of spring water.

Rose Geranium Hydrosol is said to calm a woman’s mid-life “power surges”. Aromatherapist and herbalist Jeanne Rose suggests blending it with one of the mints. Melissa Hydrosol is a wonderful “blotter” for oily skin.

Spike Lavender or Tea Tree Hydrosols both make gentle antibacterial toners for skin with acne.

Teething baby? German chamomile hydrosol, rubbed on the outside of the jaw, can help soothe the ache.

This is just a sample of the uses we have for our wide range of hydrosols. Read more about specific hydrosols on their product pages.

When a scent has a question mark beside it, it indicates that some authority has placed it in that category, but my experience, as well as other sources, contradict it. (Especially when the same scent appears as all three notes!) However, it is not unusual for a specific scent to fill two adjacent functions, depending on the other oils in the blend.

Among other sources, the above information was gathered from works of Valerie Worwood, Christine Malcolm, Anne Berwick, Susan Renick, and other sources that have contributed to my education, but are too hopelessly intertwined to isolate. My thanks to all of them.

The most basic face mask, and probably the easiest to make is a blend of which ever type of clay is suited to your skin type, moistened with an appropriate hydrosol, to make a smooth “mud.” Spread the moistened clay over your face, avoid the eye area, let dry, and rinse well with tepid water.

A mask will always help with exfoliation, may dry excess oil, and can help your skin detoxify. There are those who say that the minerals contained in various clays can also be beneficial to your cells.

The “fun” part of creating a face mask lies in selecting ingredients that are suited to your skin type.

Clays

Commonly available clays helpful for various skin types:

Glacial Clay

Glacial Clay is composed of particles that are small enough to create a powerful absorption factor for the skin and due to it’s chemical properties it has the ability to remove toxins and bacteria and dead skin cells to leave the skin healthy, purified, and smooth.

It stimulates the circulation, detoxifies, exfoliates dead skin cells while and smothes down wrinkles, leaving the skin soft, smooth and invigorated. It produces erythema (local skin warming), accelerates physiological processes and increases cell regeneration in surrounding tissues, improving skin elasticity and overall complexion. Because of the warming effect, I would avoid using Glacial Clay on very sensitive skin.

Because of its strongly detoxifying effect, Glacial Clay is highly recommended for skin plagued by acne, blackheads, pimples, etc.

Sea Clay

Wonderful for oily skin Sea clay draws impurities like a magnet! It provides deep cleansing, tighten pores, revitalize the complexion and help clear problem skin. Sea clay is the best for oily skin due to its high mineral content. Due to its high content of minerals, sea clay draws oils from the skin, and is rich in algaes, macro- and micro-minerals, as well as sodium and sulphur. Sea plants, seawater, sea salt and oceanic clay have long been popular physical-therapy ingredients in Europe. Recommended as medical therapeutic agents as early as 1578, seawater and sea derivatives were administered for rheumatism and general rehabilitation. Sea clay is an important ingredient in body wraps to lose inches and cellulite.

White Kaolin

One of the mildest of all clays, French White Kaolin is suitable for the most sensitive skin. It will help stimulate circulation while gently exfoliating and cleansing. It does not draw oil from the skin so is a good choice for dry skin. It is also high in minerals known to be beneficial for oily or blemished skin. It can help heal blemishes and inflammation, while preventing more problems from forming. White kaolin clay soothes and softens the skin and is suitable for all skin types.

Pink Kaolin

Pink Kaolin is the cosmetic clay for normal, sensitive and mature skin. It is the mildest clay and most widely used in cosmetics.

Pink clay is particularly useful for toning dull, tired, or devitalized skin. It also has excellent cleansing properties

Hydrosols

For Oily Skin: Cedarwood Hydrosol, Clary Sage Hydrosol, Melissa Hydrosol, Lavender Hydrosol, Peppermint Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol, Rosemary Verbenon Hydrosol

Combination Skin: Cedarwood Hydrosol, Frankincense Hydrosol, Rose Geranium Hydrosol, Lavender Hydrosol, Neroli Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol

Dry Skin: Roman Chamomile Hydrosol, Owyhee Hydrosol, Patchouli Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol

Mature Skin: Carrot Seed Hydrosol, Frankincense Hydrosol, Helichrysum Hydrosol, Neroli Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol

Problem Skin or Acne: German Chamomile Hydrosol, Clary Sage Hydrosol, Neroli Hydrosol, Patchouli Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol, Rosemary Verbenone Hydrosol, Tea Tree Hydrosol, Yarrow Hydrosol

Sensitive Skin or Rosacea: Helichrysum Hydrosol, Roman or German Chamomile Hydrosol, Frankincense Hydrosol,Yarrow Hydrosol, Blue Tansy Hydrosol, Owyhee Hydrosol

The Most Basic Mask:

Cleanse your face using your favorite method.

In a small cup or bowl, pour approximately one tablespoon (1/2 ounce) of your chosen clay. Gradually stir in (1/2teaspoonful, or 2 mls at a time) your chosen Hydrosol. Stir well, continue to add liquid until a smooth fairly liquid “mud” is formed.

Apply in a smooth layer to face and neck, avoiding eyes and lips.

Relax for 10 to 20 minutes until the clay has totally dried. Rinse well with warm water. If desired, follow with your favorite moisturizing facial oil.

Additions:

For Any Skin Type: Use 1 teaspoon of barely warmed honey as part of the liquid. (Warming the honey makes it more liquid.)

For Acnied Skin: To the warmed honey, described above, stir in one drop of Tea Tree, German Chamomile, or Manuka essential oil. The tea tree and manuka are powerful antibacterials, while the german chamomile is a powerful anti-inflammatory.

For Oily Skin: You might add a pinch or two (up to a teaspoon) of very finely powdered oatmeal to the clay. Stir in well before adding hydrosols.

A large fresh strawberry, very finely pureed is a wonderful addition to an oily skin mask.

Especially for oily skin or acne it helps to remove the mask with steaming washcloths. Add a drop or two of one of the above essential oils to a bowl of hot water, wet the washcloth and gently wring out excess moisture.

For Dry Skin: Instead of, or in addition to the hydrosol, and perhaps honey, add 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) of your favorite facial oil to the clay. My personal choice is either Squalane or Argan Oil, but Avocado Oil is a wonderful addition as well. Please note, the addition of a fixed oil will prevent the clay from drying as hard as in a mask composed of just hydrosols and/or honey. Leave the mask on for 15 to 20 minutes and remove with tepid water. Your skin will be moist and glowing.

A bit of finely mashed avocado is a traditional ingredient for a mask for dry skin.

Adding 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin to part of the liquid portion of the mask will help draw moisture to dry skin.

For Sensitive or Inflamed Skin: Consider using Aloe Vera Gel as part of the liquid in your mask.

Please note, these are not hard and fast rules. Have fun with them!

Helichrysum (Helichrysum italicum) Testimonials

Regular readers of our newsletter know that I believe our Helichrysum italicuum is the most healing essential oil I have ever seen. A friend recently asked me to collect “anecdotal evidence” of Helichrysum’s effects, and this document was the result. She urged me to share it online, so here it is. (We have recently found these testimonials posted verbatim on other websites, selling other helichrysum species. We can’t be responsible for the effects of using ANY helichrysum other than our certified organic Helichrysum italicuum from the island of Corsica.)

Read about, and order, our  Helichrysum Essential Oil here. Or our  Helichrysum Hydrosol  on our hydrosol pages.

Rosacea

From a client whose name is withheld by request:

A few months ago I asked you for some advice re a Rosacea client. I used your Rosacea synergy and formulated a lotion and soap for him, as well as providing him with Helichrysum Hydrosol to use as a toner. He has been using them for about six weeks, and called me yesterday to tell me that these products have really helped him and that he wanted to order more! He had previously sought treatment with a dermatologist and found that nothing had helped, but had actually caused more irritation to his skin. Just wanted to share with you another success story and to thank you for your help!

From a client who wished to remain anonymous:

I just received my first order – very promptly, I might add- thank you, and am already seeing results from using the combination of clarifying soap, helichrysum hydrosol, and rosacea synergy. It’s been just five days! My skin thanks you!!

From Julia Mulcahey:

Thank you! I have had a small patch of rosacea on my face for nearly 6 months. Your clarifying soap and helichrysum hydrosol seem to be working their magic – it’s nearly disappeared! Thank you!

Bruising

From Kati Toney (w/ Marge’s comments in 2nd paragraph):

Anyway, my point to all this is, I got the BIGGEST, UGLIEST bruises on my legs from climbing that tree & when I got home I put the Helichrysum sample I got from you on it (b/c I remembered you saying that it was good for bruises!) and the next day they were faded & within a day or two were completely gone! I was AMAZED!!! I usually keep bruises for quite awhile & ones that deep & big mighta hung around for a couple of weeks! I was SO excited & it didn’t take much at all! Matter of fact, I still have half of that sample left!

Wonderful!!! That is exactly what it was SUPPOSED to do…but I’m so delighted that it worked for you…that it DID do what it was supposed to. Now you see why I say it’s one of those ‘desert island’ oils…the ones I wouldn’t be without. 

More on Bruising

Mary Hayne, from Denton, Texas recently wrote:

I have to tell you though, I had another mishap — I was getting into the back seat of a friend’s minivan when a friend getting into the front seat closed her door — on my hand (I didn’t realize my hand was holding on so close to her door frame). She got the door back open pretty quickly. That was the panic part. The exciting part is that I iced, took homeopathic Traumeel, and slathered on your 10% Helichrysum. My hand never bruised!

There are two small red spots on my knuckles where my hand was particularly pinched, and a very slight bit of swelling — but that is it and the red spots are fading fast. I also didn’t have any pain — tenderness, yes — pain, no. This is all particularly nice as I had an eight hour exam the next day (right hand crushed, right-handed writer). But the best part was my friend’s face the next morning when she looked at my hand. She was completely dumbfounded. She was so sure it was so bad that she was going to have to take me to the doctor. There my hand was, looking like nothing ever happened. I have read that Helichrysum has “powerful antibruise properties” but this experience has really blown my mind too.

And I have run out of the stuff, so I am ordering more. Thanks so much Marge. Your work really makes a big difference in my life.

Louise, from The Netherlands writes:

Dear Marge,

A few days ago I asked your advice how to avoid bruises in my face due to injections which I unfortunately had to have in my face.

The doctor had told me that I would get very nasty bruises in my face and but that was just one of the facts I had to endure and that they would fade in a week or so.

Then I asked you and I want to tell you that there are no nasty bruises at all! There is a little swelling but very little only myself can notice that because nobody noticed!

Anyway, I want to tell you that I used 25 ml of St.John’s wort infused oil, 20 drops of Helichrysum italicum and 5 drops of Lavender augustifolia. Yesterday (after the injections) I applied it immediately after I came home and then I continued to apply it during the day. This morning I looked in the mirror and was very pleased to see a normal color of skin, so I will apply it again several times today!

So Thank you Marge for your advice and please feel free to give this recipe to others.

I have to see the doctor in a few days and I am already enjoying the look on his face when he sees me. I will certainly tell him what I did to avoid those nasty bruises!

Kindest regards, Louise

Alexis Stegall recently wrote:

I had some heli and did use it full strength the first couple of times on a HUGE (6 in diameter at least) bruise on my thigh and then used the 10% in Rose Hip Seed Oil (because that was all that I had) couldn’t believe how fast the bruise went away. 

Normally I will have bruises for a couple of weeks, this one was virtually gone in about 5 or 6 days. It worked great.

You may quote me if you like.

Even More on Bruising

Susan Farr, acupuncturist, recently wrote:

It’s good to be back in touch and to see you too — checking out your website made me hungry for oils again!! I know you have tons of feedback on your helichrysums, but I want you to know that my bottle (10% in FCO) stayed in the acupuncture clinic the whole time I was an intern, and gradually replaced the arnica and chinese ointments as everyone’s treatment of choice when they realized that a puncture was going to leave a bruise (which happens fairly commonly). And the patients (at least mine) loved the smell, too. I never even tried the recommended chinese remedies, as I knew from personal experience how well the heli works. That’ll be my next order!

Take care, Susan

Scarring

Ellen W. Ray from Alchemical Essence Aromatherapy wrote:

I used the Helichrysum Italicum and Rose Hip Seed Oil blend for an injury to my face that occurred from a dog bite and it helped tremendously. There’s barely the trace of a scar on my lip and none on my face. The doctor who removed the stitches was amazed and asked for the name of the Essential Oil and Carrier Oil. He kept looking back at his notes from the emergency room, remembered the incident, and said the healing was incredible. He also asked where it could be purchased. 

From Leslie Robinson:

I can vouch for Marge’s suggested rose hip seed oil/heli blend for scars. In July, I fell and impaled my face on a piece of rebar. An ugly accident. I used this combination an average of 3 times daily — I have no visible scar. Have used this on a year-old mastectomy scar for a few months and notice that it is beginning to flatten and fade a bit.

Wondrous things these oils are!!!”

From Vicki Camp, Reporting back on the Helichrysum Experiment:

I asked you on the Cosmetics List some time ago if you thought Helichrysum Italicuum would be good on old scars. You replied something to the effect of ‘no guarantees; I’m not certain,’ although I note you’re really fond of its properties. However, I went ahead and tried it anyway. Had a breast needle biopsy last July (benign, benign) – 2 separate entrances on the same breast. While the scars were not huge and there was no raised marking (is that called a keloid, I think?) they were noticeably red and each about 1/4 – 1/2 inch in size. I am of Scandinavian-American descent and have this fair, fair skin. No allergies of note, although living in Michigan automatically qualifies me for itchy skin spots and sinus in the allergy season.:D Natural soap prevents most of the skin issues.

So hey, having given you the background – HERE’s the amazing results. I put a drop of Heli, neat, on each spot. Rubbed them a bit. Didn’t give much thought to it. Never tried it again. This morning in the shower I happened to notice that the scars are all but invisible. I guess I’m so used to them NOT being there that I don’t give it a thought very often. But what do you suppose made THAT happen, after a year of visible scars?

I ‘m off to try it on some ‘whitish’ scars on my arm that I got when coming in contact with a hot iron years ago. Will let you know. This is fun! Hugs and smiles!”

MY NOTE: I do NOT recommend using Helichrysum (or any other essential oil) neat the way Vicki did. Proper and appropriate dilution might take a bit longer to see results, but it is safer for you, and less wasteful of a precious limited resource.

Barbara McBee wrote:

I had a benign cellular tumor removed from my neck nearly three years ago. The scar was 4 inches, very tight and inflamed. Nothing over the counter worked—I am very sensitive to chemicals and additives. My doctor thought this was the best I would heal, though I never keloid. I searched around and found your sight approx. one and one half years after my surgery-I have ordered helio with rosehips, (my orders have included peppermint and argan oil.but for this purpose I stuck with helio and rosehips).

I applied religiously for several months at night-I could not wear anything against my neck, and had trouble sleeping because my poor skin seemed to be pulled so tight.I am small, and great care was taken to pull everything back together.I am back to wearing turtlenecks, and the scar(including the turkey-wobble that brought the sutures to a complete close) are so minimal that one has to search for it.

More Scarring (Keloids)

A story I had forgotten about, until a friend recently quoted it on a list we share:

A friend who had a brain tumor removed… I saw her about 4 weeks after the surgery, and it was the worst single scar I have ever seen… from about an inch in front of her temple, running around the back of her head to the other side of her forehead… maybe two inches of whole skin between the two ends of the scar… swollen keloidal tissue, bigger than my thumb, and bright burgundy wine color… 

I gave her some heli in rose hip with the ‘standard instructions’…didn’t see her for about a month, and she had stopped using it “because the scar was all healed”… it hadn’t totally disappeared…but it was faded to white, and looked as though you had taken a very sharp pencil and drawn a white line on her skin… no wider than a thread. Now, the thing is, she had stopped using the heli blend several days earlier because she considered it healed… but it’s my belief that if she had continued using it, there would be NO scar… —Marge Clark

And Sharon Finch shares her two daughters’ results:

About six months before my oldest was married, she ended up in the hospital for over 14 days and ended up having surgery for her Crohns disease. Due to the nature of her surgery, her scar is runs up and down. Her condition was so severe they thought she would have to wear an ostomy bag. Fortunately, she did not, however, she did have a very mean red ugly scar. Marge, being the person she is, sent me a bottle of her Helichrysum in Rose Hip seed oil for Jessica to use. Jessica actually wore a bikini to Jamaica after her wedding. Today, the only reason you know there is a scar is there is a very faint line.

My middle daughter was in a halo for seven months; until April, 2000. She had pretty large indentions on her forehead that were red and just plain ugly and two actual openings on the back of her head where the halo was screwed in. Jessica had surgery in 2002. Aubrey used some of the blend Marge had sent to Jessica. You can hardly notice the markings on her forehead.”

Dawn St. Clair wrote:

Marge recommended Rosehip Seed Oil mixed with Helichrysum as a remedy for scars. She said it was best to use on new scars, but could also be useful on old ones. Well, my daughter, Ashley, had a large Keloid scar (we are of Mediterranian origin) on her thigh where a pre-cancerous mole was removed. She had this scar for over a year, so it was not a new scar. I used Marge’s formula, with a little added emu oil, twice a day, every day. This is not a quick fix. It took a couple of months, however, the skin has lightened from dark gray to her own skin tone, and even smoothed out a great deal. It is not visible now unless you are looking for it.

Janice Sheplar, quoted below re the dark circles, first started using the Helichrysum in Rosehip Seed oil for a surgical scar on her neck. She emailed me that she has the sort of skin that automatically forms keloids and sent me a picture of the “before” picture, a truly nasty vertical scar from her collarbone to her jaw, deeply coloured and raised up. I managed to lose the “after” photo, but the scar was impossible to see in a close up photograph. She was thrilled with the results!

Eczema

“I must say, I am *hugely* impressed with what the Helichrysum and Roman Chamomile hydrosols have done for my skin! I was having a bad bout of what I’d always termed “seasonal eczema” {it always happens with the change of seasons and is sometimes tough to shake}. My skin {face} had been downright scaly and was oozing a little in spots as well. I ordered the hydrosols, received them and used them that night. The very next day there was strong, visible improvement! By the 3rd day my skin was basically back to normal! Wonderful stuff.”—Name withheld by request

Back Pain

“Hi, got the order Friday (I think). Have been enjoying the rosewood and helichrysum (sp? I’m away from the bottle) especially. They help relieve my painful back and make me smell wonderful!”—Name withheld by request

More Pain Relief

Stacey Miller writes:

Last night I made a 5% dilution of equal parts Helichrysum italicum and Lavender stoechas in jojoba for my stepmom to use for pain relief. Evidently it worked pretty well. She used it on her broken foot and said the analgesic effect was almost instant. (I was skeptical about getting any pain relief at all for something this intense.) She liked the scent and didn’t need a pain pill before bed.

Kathy Mijares writes:

Also, I just wanted to add that I am absolutely in LOVE with the Helichrysum! It smells SO wonderful. This is my first experience with this lovely oil! I mixed up a pain treatment in a carrier oil with a little of the Heli, black pepper and my lavender right away because I have disabling chronic back pain…..and the change in the weather (cold and rainy here) was causing me to be very uncomfortable. It worked so fast I was amazed! No more pain pills for me….now that I have my Helichrysum! I’ll definitely be back for more!

Carole Bland recently wrote:

Comments: Broke my ankle back in March. Had surgery to repair both the tib and fib (w/hardware). The helichrysum has helped tremendously with both the pain from the injury and fading the scar. Thank you for offering such a great product.

Rheumatoid Arthritis — Bone Spurs?

Our client Prakash recently shared this anecdote:

Dear Marge,

I want to share an interesting story with you–something unexpected from using Helichrysum & St. John’s Wort.

Earlier this week, I felt a flareup of rheumatoid arthritis starting. I’d recently gotten some of your infused St. John’s Wort, and I’ve been playing with your amazing (on many levels) Helichrysum in Fractionated Coconut Oil for about a month. So, as the sharp pain started in my joints, I slathered on the St. John’s…let it soak in for a few minutes, then followed with a healthy dose of Helichrysum gently massaged on top. (joints involved: many, including elbows) After a while, I began to feel a “softening” of the pain.

*BUT* that’s not why I’m writing. The next morning, I noticed a big brown bruise near my elbow. A few weeks ago, I’d felt a bump there–like a bone-spur. I’d chalked it up to the RA and planned to check in with my doctor about it. Anyway, this big bruise (looking like it was an old bruise; though there’d been nothing there the day before) was right over that spur/bump. Hmmm. Felt it; it felt sort of like little crystals were in there, maybe a bit of break up of the spur? Anyway, I decided to rub my elbow each evening with the same combo of St. John’s & Helichrysum.

I started all this on Tuesday night. This morning–Sunday–that spur/bump is barely there, maybe 1/8 of what it was earlier in the week.

I don’t know if this was from the Helichrysum or the St. John’s Wort or the combo of the two. I just know I’m delighted.

Side note: Just smelling that marvelous Helichrysum soothes my bones, my heart, and my soul.

Thanks, Marge.:-)

Prakash

Chemical Burn Scarring

From a client whose name is withheld by request:

This is some background about how my face was scarred. In January 1996 my former dermatologist gave me glycolic acid, which was too strong for me to perform at home, and it literally ate into my skin. It would have been fine if he performed the glycolic peel in his office so he could monitor it but the peel was not meant for an inexperienced patient to do at home. The result of the peel was equivalent to a second-degree burn and it left significant scarring on one side of my face. I spent so much money for products and procedures like expensive herbal peels in trying to heal the scar but it never improved. I searched hours on the Internet and ordering products that were formulated for scars but nothing worked. I looked in numerous books to try to find a solution but I couldn’t find anything that would specifically work for scars, only ways to prevent them from forming. I kept coming across rosehip oil and helichrysum as being healing and regenerative to scar tissue and I did more research into them. When I decided to try the oils I made a commitment to stay with it until the scar improved. It was several months before I could see a major difference but I am amazed at how much the scar has diminished. The scar is blending into the surrounding skin and it’s not thick anymore.

The texture is so much smoother and with a light layer of foundation my scar is hardly noticeable. I feel confident that the scar will be completely resolved because of how much improvement I have seen. I also massage the scar on a daily basis and I feel that has also made a tremendous difference. Some other things that I am using as well are aloe vera and a few other essential oils but I believe that it is the rosehip and helichrysum that is regenerating the skin to normal. When I feel the skin where the scar is the texture feels so smooth and normal. I feel that the reason I got such good results is that I am very consistent, I’ve haven’t missed a single day of using rosehip oil and helichrysum since I started my regime. That makes a huge difference. It does take time, my scars were well formed, and I’m going to continue with the oils until they are resolved. Thank you for letting me share my experience.

Bumps and Bruises

Monique Macintosh writes:

Your Helichrysum with German Chamomile CO2 is doing wonders for my scrapes from playing volleyball and rescuing one of my pine trees from a huge wild rose bush. A good test is my slow pitch softball team mate who loves to slide in shorts. He has a patch of healing skin on his right leg. I “loaned” him my bottle of H w/ GC CO2 and he says he already feels the difference in a day.

Dark Circles

My friend Janice recently had surgery, so we sent her some Helichrysum in RoseHipSeed oil. She has been raving about its effect on the scar from her surgery on another mail list. But she also shared that she’s been using it to fade under eye circles…and that it’s working amazingly well. That one felt like a “DUH…why didn’t I think of that?”…as effective as Helichrysum is at healing bruises, it stands to reason that it might well be useful for the dark circles some of us (especially me!) get under our eyes. I don’t think the Rosehip Seed Oil is an essential part of that combination…it would be the Helichrysum Italicuum that would do the work, so you could dilute it in the carrier of your choice. Please dilute it well, and, as always, be VERY careful using any essential oil around the eyes!

Bursitis

My friend Mary Jane writes from Michigan:

I woke up this morning and could hardly walk. I have bursitis in my right hip. I used a mixture of helichrysum, vetiver, black pepper, and jojoba oil. The pain decreased in about 10 minutes. I could walk without a limp for six hours. It was great! I have also been in a horrible mood for the last few days. I must say, the synergy did wonders for my attitude. I walked around relaxed and on cloud nine all day.

Maybe you could pass along the recipe to fellow sufferers. 

So I did ;).

Chigger Bites

Another client just wrote: “Also want you to know the Helichrysum oil (in carrier) did WONDERS with a chigger bite I had on my leg! Good God! Swelling (welt) and itching immediately reduced to almost NOTHING. Last time this happened, I itched for about one solid week and the nasty bites left almost scars and darkened spots that remained for a long time.” (Now, if she had used our  SkeeterBeater  in advance, she’d not have had to worry about the chiggers, but that’s another story.”)

Skin Irritation

Manisha recently wrote:

I hope this email finds you happy and healthy. I wrote to you several years ago when I carelessly and hastily used hair removal wax meant for arms on my face (to remove facial hair above my upper lip). You rushed me Helichrysum oil and rose hip seed oil for the carrier. This combination worked wonderfully! I healed quickly without any scarring. Thank you so very much for your advice and quick shipment.

Hydrosols (also called hydrolats or floral waters) are a safe, gentle and less expensive alternative to the use of essential oils. Most often considered a by-product of the steam distillation process, some hydrosols are actually distilled specifically for the water component and not for the essential oil. They are gentler and perfect for children, and they make lovely gifts for yourself or someone special.

Our hydrosols are packaged in 1 oz and 4 oz PET plastic bottles with atomizer spray tops. For larger sizes,  email us! Please note: we often receive requests for samples of our hydrosols. Because of their fragility and ease of contamination, we do not want to risk packaging them in the tiny sample vials. Hence we have started offering one ounce sizes for sale.

Please remember to store your precious hydrosols under refrigeration. True, natural hydrosols contain no preservatives and therefore should be treated as perishable. We store them under refrigeration and follow fastidious clean technique while rebottling. However, if you plan on using any of these healing waters internally, we suggest you pasteurize them before use. Pour the hydrosol through a fine filter (a coffee filter works beautifully) and slowly heat it to a very slow boil; this should help with microbial concerns and should not damage the healing elements of the hydrosol.

We would like to thank Jan Salko, Suzanne Catty, and Dennis Archer for allowing us to share information they have provided.

How Hydrosols Are Made

During the distillation process, steam containing essential oil molecules crosses over into a chilled condenser. Chilling the steam causes it to turn back into water with a layer of essential oil floating on top. The essential oil is skimmed off and bottled for use. In some cases, the remaining water (hydrosol) is simply discarded. However, this water contains both minute molecules of essential oil as well as all the water-soluble elements of the plant that are not present in the oil.

Department store spray misters, spritzers, or floral waters do have their uses. They are most often made of distilled or spring water with a few drops of the appropriate essential oil added. Most often, though, what are sold as “floral waters” contain water with some sort of fragrance (whether natural or synthetic) solubilized in it. These products should not be confused with true hydrosol, which can contain many other therapeutic benefits. For example, linalyl acetate, a component important in a beautiful smelling lavender oil, is lacking in lavender hydrosol. For this reason, the hydrosol may or may not smell like the essential oil which emerged from the still at the same time.

Hydrosols have many uses. They can complement essential oils as well as extend the scope of the oils themselves. They also allow us to experience some of the benefits of, for example, true Bulgarian rose oil, at a much more affordable price.

Sample Uses

We use  Helichrysum Hydrosol  to soothe the redness of rosacea or other skin inflammations. A spritz of  Yarrow Hydrosol  soothes and heals ‘hot spots’ on dogs and cats.

Neroli Hydrosol  was what one daughter-in-law carried on the plane to ease her “fear of flying” and to keep the dry airplane air breathable.  Rose Hydrosol  is both a facial toner and a wonderful linen spray.

Lavender Hydrosol or Chamomile Hydrosol can soothe a sunburn or also function as a relaxing “monster spray” to banish night-time monsters.

Chilled Peppermint Hydrosol is the ultimate summer cooler, either spritzed on, or with a bit added to a bottle of spring water.

Rose Geranium Hydrosol is said to calm a woman’s mid-life “power surges”. Aromatherapist and herbalist Jeanne Rose suggests blending it with one of the mints. Melissa Hydrosol is a wonderful “blotter” for oily skin.

Spike Lavender or Tea Tree Hydrosols both make gentle antibacterial toners for skin with acne.

Teething baby? German chamomile hydrosol, rubbed on the outside of the jaw, can help soothe the ache.

This is just a sample of the uses we have for our wide range of hydrosols. Read more about specific hydrosols on their product pages.

When a scent has a question mark beside it, it indicates that some authority has placed it in that category, but my experience, as well as other sources, contradict it. (Especially when the same scent appears as all three notes!) However, it is not unusual for a specific scent to fill two adjacent functions, depending on the other oils in the blend.

Among other sources, the above information was gathered from works of Valerie Worwood, Christine Malcolm, Anne Berwick, Susan Renick, and other sources that have contributed to my education, but are too hopelessly intertwined to isolate. My thanks to all of them.

The most basic face mask, and probably the easiest to make is a blend of which ever type of clay is suited to your skin type, moistened with an appropriate hydrosol, to make a smooth “mud.” Spread the moistened clay over your face, avoid the eye area, let dry, and rinse well with tepid water.

A mask will always help with exfoliation, may dry excess oil, and can help your skin detoxify. There are those who say that the minerals contained in various clays can also be beneficial to your cells.

The “fun” part of creating a face mask lies in selecting ingredients that are suited to your skin type.

Clays

Commonly available clays helpful for various skin types:

Glacial Clay

Glacial Clay is composed of particles that are small enough to create a powerful absorption factor for the skin and due to it’s chemical properties it has the ability to remove toxins and bacteria and dead skin cells to leave the skin healthy, purified, and smooth.

It stimulates the circulation, detoxifies, exfoliates dead skin cells while and smothes down wrinkles, leaving the skin soft, smooth and invigorated. It produces erythema (local skin warming), accelerates physiological processes and increases cell regeneration in surrounding tissues, improving skin elasticity and overall complexion. Because of the warming effect, I would avoid using Glacial Clay on very sensitive skin.

Because of its strongly detoxifying effect, Glacial Clay is highly recommended for skin plagued by acne, blackheads, pimples, etc.

Sea Clay

Wonderful for oily skin Sea clay draws impurities like a magnet! It provides deep cleansing, tighten pores, revitalize the complexion and help clear problem skin. Sea clay is the best for oily skin due to its high mineral content. Due to its high content of minerals, sea clay draws oils from the skin, and is rich in algaes, macro- and micro-minerals, as well as sodium and sulphur. Sea plants, seawater, sea salt and oceanic clay have long been popular physical-therapy ingredients in Europe. Recommended as medical therapeutic agents as early as 1578, seawater and sea derivatives were administered for rheumatism and general rehabilitation. Sea clay is an important ingredient in body wraps to lose inches and cellulite.

White Kaolin

One of the mildest of all clays, French White Kaolin is suitable for the most sensitive skin. It will help stimulate circulation while gently exfoliating and cleansing. It does not draw oil from the skin so is a good choice for dry skin. It is also high in minerals known to be beneficial for oily or blemished skin. It can help heal blemishes and inflammation, while preventing more problems from forming. White kaolin clay soothes and softens the skin and is suitable for all skin types.

Pink Kaolin

Pink Kaolin is the cosmetic clay for normal, sensitive and mature skin. It is the mildest clay and most widely used in cosmetics.

Pink clay is particularly useful for toning dull, tired, or devitalized skin. It also has excellent cleansing properties

Hydrosols

For Oily Skin: Cedarwood Hydrosol, Clary Sage Hydrosol, Melissa Hydrosol, Lavender Hydrosol, Peppermint Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol, Rosemary Verbenon Hydrosol

Combination Skin: Cedarwood Hydrosol, Frankincense Hydrosol, Rose Geranium Hydrosol, Lavender Hydrosol, Neroli Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol

Dry Skin: Roman Chamomile Hydrosol, Owyhee Hydrosol, Patchouli Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol

Mature Skin: Carrot Seed Hydrosol, Frankincense Hydrosol, Helichrysum Hydrosol, Neroli Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol

Problem Skin or Acne: German Chamomile Hydrosol, Clary Sage Hydrosol, Neroli Hydrosol, Patchouli Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol, Rosemary Verbenone Hydrosol, Tea Tree Hydrosol, Yarrow Hydrosol

Sensitive Skin or Rosacea: Helichrysum Hydrosol, Roman or German Chamomile Hydrosol, Frankincense Hydrosol,Yarrow Hydrosol, Blue Tansy Hydrosol, Owyhee Hydrosol

The Most Basic Mask:

Cleanse your face using your favorite method.

In a small cup or bowl, pour approximately one tablespoon (1/2 ounce) of your chosen clay. Gradually stir in (1/2teaspoonful, or 2 mls at a time) your chosen Hydrosol. Stir well, continue to add liquid until a smooth fairly liquid “mud” is formed.

Apply in a smooth layer to face and neck, avoiding eyes and lips.

Relax for 10 to 20 minutes until the clay has totally dried. Rinse well with warm water. If desired, follow with your favorite moisturizing facial oil.

Additions:

For Any Skin Type: Use 1 teaspoon of barely warmed honey as part of the liquid. (Warming the honey makes it more liquid.)

For Acnied Skin: To the warmed honey, described above, stir in one drop of Tea Tree, German Chamomile, or Manuka essential oil. The tea tree and manuka are powerful antibacterials, while the german chamomile is a powerful anti-inflammatory.

For Oily Skin: You might add a pinch or two (up to a teaspoon) of very finely powdered oatmeal to the clay. Stir in well before adding hydrosols.

A large fresh strawberry, very finely pureed is a wonderful addition to an oily skin mask.

Especially for oily skin or acne it helps to remove the mask with steaming washcloths. Add a drop or two of one of the above essential oils to a bowl of hot water, wet the washcloth and gently wring out excess moisture.

For Dry Skin: Instead of, or in addition to the hydrosol, and perhaps honey, add 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) of your favorite facial oil to the clay. My personal choice is either Squalane or Argan Oil, but Avocado Oil is a wonderful addition as well. Please note, the addition of a fixed oil will prevent the clay from drying as hard as in a mask composed of just hydrosols and/or honey. Leave the mask on for 15 to 20 minutes and remove with tepid water. Your skin will be moist and glowing.

A bit of finely mashed avocado is a traditional ingredient for a mask for dry skin.

Adding 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin to part of the liquid portion of the mask will help draw moisture to dry skin.

For Sensitive or Inflamed Skin: Consider using Aloe Vera Gel as part of the liquid in your mask.

Please note, these are not hard and fast rules. Have fun with them!

Helichrysum (Helichrysum italicum) Testimonials

Regular readers of our newsletter know that I believe our Helichrysum italicuum is the most healing essential oil I have ever seen. A friend recently asked me to collect “anecdotal evidence” of Helichrysum’s effects, and this document was the result. She urged me to share it online, so here it is. (We have recently found these testimonials posted verbatim on other websites, selling other helichrysum species. We can’t be responsible for the effects of using ANY helichrysum other than our certified organic Helichrysum italicuum from the island of Corsica.)

Read about, and order, our  Helichrysum Essential Oil here. Or our  Helichrysum Hydrosol  on our hydrosol pages.

Rosacea

From a client whose name is withheld by request:

A few months ago I asked you for some advice re a Rosacea client. I used your Rosacea synergy and formulated a lotion and soap for him, as well as providing him with Helichrysum Hydrosol to use as a toner. He has been using them for about six weeks, and called me yesterday to tell me that these products have really helped him and that he wanted to order more! He had previously sought treatment with a dermatologist and found that nothing had helped, but had actually caused more irritation to his skin. Just wanted to share with you another success story and to thank you for your help!

From a client who wished to remain anonymous:

I just received my first order – very promptly, I might add- thank you, and am already seeing results from using the combination of clarifying soap, helichrysum hydrosol, and rosacea synergy. It’s been just five days! My skin thanks you!!

From Julia Mulcahey:

Thank you! I have had a small patch of rosacea on my face for nearly 6 months. Your clarifying soap and helichrysum hydrosol seem to be working their magic – it’s nearly disappeared! Thank you!

Bruising

From Kati Toney (w/ Marge’s comments in 2nd paragraph):

Anyway, my point to all this is, I got the BIGGEST, UGLIEST bruises on my legs from climbing that tree & when I got home I put the Helichrysum sample I got from you on it (b/c I remembered you saying that it was good for bruises!) and the next day they were faded & within a day or two were completely gone! I was AMAZED!!! I usually keep bruises for quite awhile & ones that deep & big mighta hung around for a couple of weeks! I was SO excited & it didn’t take much at all! Matter of fact, I still have half of that sample left!

Wonderful!!! That is exactly what it was SUPPOSED to do…but I’m so delighted that it worked for you…that it DID do what it was supposed to. Now you see why I say it’s one of those ‘desert island’ oils…the ones I wouldn’t be without. 

More on Bruising

Mary Hayne, from Denton, Texas recently wrote:

I have to tell you though, I had another mishap — I was getting into the back seat of a friend’s minivan when a friend getting into the front seat closed her door — on my hand (I didn’t realize my hand was holding on so close to her door frame). She got the door back open pretty quickly. That was the panic part. The exciting part is that I iced, took homeopathic Traumeel, and slathered on your 10% Helichrysum. My hand never bruised!

There are two small red spots on my knuckles where my hand was particularly pinched, and a very slight bit of swelling — but that is it and the red spots are fading fast. I also didn’t have any pain — tenderness, yes — pain, no. This is all particularly nice as I had an eight hour exam the next day (right hand crushed, right-handed writer). But the best part was my friend’s face the next morning when she looked at my hand. She was completely dumbfounded. She was so sure it was so bad that she was going to have to take me to the doctor. There my hand was, looking like nothing ever happened. I have read that Helichrysum has “powerful antibruise properties” but this experience has really blown my mind too.

And I have run out of the stuff, so I am ordering more. Thanks so much Marge. Your work really makes a big difference in my life.

Louise, from The Netherlands writes:

Dear Marge,

A few days ago I asked your advice how to avoid bruises in my face due to injections which I unfortunately had to have in my face.

The doctor had told me that I would get very nasty bruises in my face and but that was just one of the facts I had to endure and that they would fade in a week or so.

Then I asked you and I want to tell you that there are no nasty bruises at all! There is a little swelling but very little only myself can notice that because nobody noticed!

Anyway, I want to tell you that I used 25 ml of St.John’s wort infused oil, 20 drops of Helichrysum italicum and 5 drops of Lavender augustifolia. Yesterday (after the injections) I applied it immediately after I came home and then I continued to apply it during the day. This morning I looked in the mirror and was very pleased to see a normal color of skin, so I will apply it again several times today!

So Thank you Marge for your advice and please feel free to give this recipe to others.

I have to see the doctor in a few days and I am already enjoying the look on his face when he sees me. I will certainly tell him what I did to avoid those nasty bruises!

Kindest regards, Louise

Alexis Stegall recently wrote:

I had some heli and did use it full strength the first couple of times on a HUGE (6 in diameter at least) bruise on my thigh and then used the 10% in Rose Hip Seed Oil (because that was all that I had) couldn’t believe how fast the bruise went away. 

Normally I will have bruises for a couple of weeks, this one was virtually gone in about 5 or 6 days. It worked great.

You may quote me if you like.

Even More on Bruising

Susan Farr, acupuncturist, recently wrote:

It’s good to be back in touch and to see you too — checking out your website made me hungry for oils again!! I know you have tons of feedback on your helichrysums, but I want you to know that my bottle (10% in FCO) stayed in the acupuncture clinic the whole time I was an intern, and gradually replaced the arnica and chinese ointments as everyone’s treatment of choice when they realized that a puncture was going to leave a bruise (which happens fairly commonly). And the patients (at least mine) loved the smell, too. I never even tried the recommended chinese remedies, as I knew from personal experience how well the heli works. That’ll be my next order!

Take care, Susan

Scarring

Ellen W. Ray from Alchemical Essence Aromatherapy wrote:

I used the Helichrysum Italicum and Rose Hip Seed Oil blend for an injury to my face that occurred from a dog bite and it helped tremendously. There’s barely the trace of a scar on my lip and none on my face. The doctor who removed the stitches was amazed and asked for the name of the Essential Oil and Carrier Oil. He kept looking back at his notes from the emergency room, remembered the incident, and said the healing was incredible. He also asked where it could be purchased. 

From Leslie Robinson:

I can vouch for Marge’s suggested rose hip seed oil/heli blend for scars. In July, I fell and impaled my face on a piece of rebar. An ugly accident. I used this combination an average of 3 times daily — I have no visible scar. Have used this on a year-old mastectomy scar for a few months and notice that it is beginning to flatten and fade a bit.

Wondrous things these oils are!!!”

From Vicki Camp, Reporting back on the Helichrysum Experiment:

I asked you on the Cosmetics List some time ago if you thought Helichrysum Italicuum would be good on old scars. You replied something to the effect of ‘no guarantees; I’m not certain,’ although I note you’re really fond of its properties. However, I went ahead and tried it anyway. Had a breast needle biopsy last July (benign, benign) – 2 separate entrances on the same breast. While the scars were not huge and there was no raised marking (is that called a keloid, I think?) they were noticeably red and each about 1/4 – 1/2 inch in size. I am of Scandinavian-American descent and have this fair, fair skin. No allergies of note, although living in Michigan automatically qualifies me for itchy skin spots and sinus in the allergy season.:D Natural soap prevents most of the skin issues.

So hey, having given you the background – HERE’s the amazing results. I put a drop of Heli, neat, on each spot. Rubbed them a bit. Didn’t give much thought to it. Never tried it again. This morning in the shower I happened to notice that the scars are all but invisible. I guess I’m so used to them NOT being there that I don’t give it a thought very often. But what do you suppose made THAT happen, after a year of visible scars?

I ‘m off to try it on some ‘whitish’ scars on my arm that I got when coming in contact with a hot iron years ago. Will let you know. This is fun! Hugs and smiles!”

MY NOTE: I do NOT recommend using Helichrysum (or any other essential oil) neat the way Vicki did. Proper and appropriate dilution might take a bit longer to see results, but it is safer for you, and less wasteful of a precious limited resource.

Barbara McBee wrote:

I had a benign cellular tumor removed from my neck nearly three years ago. The scar was 4 inches, very tight and inflamed. Nothing over the counter worked—I am very sensitive to chemicals and additives. My doctor thought this was the best I would heal, though I never keloid. I searched around and found your sight approx. one and one half years after my surgery-I have ordered helio with rosehips, (my orders have included peppermint and argan oil.but for this purpose I stuck with helio and rosehips).

I applied religiously for several months at night-I could not wear anything against my neck, and had trouble sleeping because my poor skin seemed to be pulled so tight.I am small, and great care was taken to pull everything back together.I am back to wearing turtlenecks, and the scar(including the turkey-wobble that brought the sutures to a complete close) are so minimal that one has to search for it.

More Scarring (Keloids)

A story I had forgotten about, until a friend recently quoted it on a list we share:

A friend who had a brain tumor removed… I saw her about 4 weeks after the surgery, and it was the worst single scar I have ever seen… from about an inch in front of her temple, running around the back of her head to the other side of her forehead… maybe two inches of whole skin between the two ends of the scar… swollen keloidal tissue, bigger than my thumb, and bright burgundy wine color… 

I gave her some heli in rose hip with the ‘standard instructions’…didn’t see her for about a month, and she had stopped using it “because the scar was all healed”… it hadn’t totally disappeared…but it was faded to white, and looked as though you had taken a very sharp pencil and drawn a white line on her skin… no wider than a thread. Now, the thing is, she had stopped using the heli blend several days earlier because she considered it healed… but it’s my belief that if she had continued using it, there would be NO scar… —Marge Clark

And Sharon Finch shares her two daughters’ results:

About six months before my oldest was married, she ended up in the hospital for over 14 days and ended up having surgery for her Crohns disease. Due to the nature of her surgery, her scar is runs up and down. Her condition was so severe they thought she would have to wear an ostomy bag. Fortunately, she did not, however, she did have a very mean red ugly scar. Marge, being the person she is, sent me a bottle of her Helichrysum in Rose Hip seed oil for Jessica to use. Jessica actually wore a bikini to Jamaica after her wedding. Today, the only reason you know there is a scar is there is a very faint line.

My middle daughter was in a halo for seven months; until April, 2000. She had pretty large indentions on her forehead that were red and just plain ugly and two actual openings on the back of her head where the halo was screwed in. Jessica had surgery in 2002. Aubrey used some of the blend Marge had sent to Jessica. You can hardly notice the markings on her forehead.”

Dawn St. Clair wrote:

Marge recommended Rosehip Seed Oil mixed with Helichrysum as a remedy for scars. She said it was best to use on new scars, but could also be useful on old ones. Well, my daughter, Ashley, had a large Keloid scar (we are of Mediterranian origin) on her thigh where a pre-cancerous mole was removed. She had this scar for over a year, so it was not a new scar. I used Marge’s formula, with a little added emu oil, twice a day, every day. This is not a quick fix. It took a couple of months, however, the skin has lightened from dark gray to her own skin tone, and even smoothed out a great deal. It is not visible now unless you are looking for it.

Janice Sheplar, quoted below re the dark circles, first started using the Helichrysum in Rosehip Seed oil for a surgical scar on her neck. She emailed me that she has the sort of skin that automatically forms keloids and sent me a picture of the “before” picture, a truly nasty vertical scar from her collarbone to her jaw, deeply coloured and raised up. I managed to lose the “after” photo, but the scar was impossible to see in a close up photograph. She was thrilled with the results!

Eczema

“I must say, I am *hugely* impressed with what the Helichrysum and Roman Chamomile hydrosols have done for my skin! I was having a bad bout of what I’d always termed “seasonal eczema” {it always happens with the change of seasons and is sometimes tough to shake}. My skin {face} had been downright scaly and was oozing a little in spots as well. I ordered the hydrosols, received them and used them that night. The very next day there was strong, visible improvement! By the 3rd day my skin was basically back to normal! Wonderful stuff.”—Name withheld by request

Back Pain

“Hi, got the order Friday (I think). Have been enjoying the rosewood and helichrysum (sp? I’m away from the bottle) especially. They help relieve my painful back and make me smell wonderful!”—Name withheld by request

More Pain Relief

Stacey Miller writes:

Last night I made a 5% dilution of equal parts Helichrysum italicum and Lavender stoechas in jojoba for my stepmom to use for pain relief. Evidently it worked pretty well. She used it on her broken foot and said the analgesic effect was almost instant. (I was skeptical about getting any pain relief at all for something this intense.) She liked the scent and didn’t need a pain pill before bed.

Kathy Mijares writes:

Also, I just wanted to add that I am absolutely in LOVE with the Helichrysum! It smells SO wonderful. This is my first experience with this lovely oil! I mixed up a pain treatment in a carrier oil with a little of the Heli, black pepper and my lavender right away because I have disabling chronic back pain…..and the change in the weather (cold and rainy here) was causing me to be very uncomfortable. It worked so fast I was amazed! No more pain pills for me….now that I have my Helichrysum! I’ll definitely be back for more!

Carole Bland recently wrote:

Comments: Broke my ankle back in March. Had surgery to repair both the tib and fib (w/hardware). The helichrysum has helped tremendously with both the pain from the injury and fading the scar. Thank you for offering such a great product.

Rheumatoid Arthritis — Bone Spurs?

Our client Prakash recently shared this anecdote:

Dear Marge,

I want to share an interesting story with you–something unexpected from using Helichrysum & St. John’s Wort.

Earlier this week, I felt a flareup of rheumatoid arthritis starting. I’d recently gotten some of your infused St. John’s Wort, and I’ve been playing with your amazing (on many levels) Helichrysum in Fractionated Coconut Oil for about a month. So, as the sharp pain started in my joints, I slathered on the St. John’s…let it soak in for a few minutes, then followed with a healthy dose of Helichrysum gently massaged on top. (joints involved: many, including elbows) After a while, I began to feel a “softening” of the pain.

*BUT* that’s not why I’m writing. The next morning, I noticed a big brown bruise near my elbow. A few weeks ago, I’d felt a bump there–like a bone-spur. I’d chalked it up to the RA and planned to check in with my doctor about it. Anyway, this big bruise (looking like it was an old bruise; though there’d been nothing there the day before) was right over that spur/bump. Hmmm. Felt it; it felt sort of like little crystals were in there, maybe a bit of break up of the spur? Anyway, I decided to rub my elbow each evening with the same combo of St. John’s & Helichrysum.

I started all this on Tuesday night. This morning–Sunday–that spur/bump is barely there, maybe 1/8 of what it was earlier in the week.

I don’t know if this was from the Helichrysum or the St. John’s Wort or the combo of the two. I just know I’m delighted.

Side note: Just smelling that marvelous Helichrysum soothes my bones, my heart, and my soul.

Thanks, Marge.:-)

Prakash

Chemical Burn Scarring

From a client whose name is withheld by request:

This is some background about how my face was scarred. In January 1996 my former dermatologist gave me glycolic acid, which was too strong for me to perform at home, and it literally ate into my skin. It would have been fine if he performed the glycolic peel in his office so he could monitor it but the peel was not meant for an inexperienced patient to do at home. The result of the peel was equivalent to a second-degree burn and it left significant scarring on one side of my face. I spent so much money for products and procedures like expensive herbal peels in trying to heal the scar but it never improved. I searched hours on the Internet and ordering products that were formulated for scars but nothing worked. I looked in numerous books to try to find a solution but I couldn’t find anything that would specifically work for scars, only ways to prevent them from forming. I kept coming across rosehip oil and helichrysum as being healing and regenerative to scar tissue and I did more research into them. When I decided to try the oils I made a commitment to stay with it until the scar improved. It was several months before I could see a major difference but I am amazed at how much the scar has diminished. The scar is blending into the surrounding skin and it’s not thick anymore.

The texture is so much smoother and with a light layer of foundation my scar is hardly noticeable. I feel confident that the scar will be completely resolved because of how much improvement I have seen. I also massage the scar on a daily basis and I feel that has also made a tremendous difference. Some other things that I am using as well are aloe vera and a few other essential oils but I believe that it is the rosehip and helichrysum that is regenerating the skin to normal. When I feel the skin where the scar is the texture feels so smooth and normal. I feel that the reason I got such good results is that I am very consistent, I’ve haven’t missed a single day of using rosehip oil and helichrysum since I started my regime. That makes a huge difference. It does take time, my scars were well formed, and I’m going to continue with the oils until they are resolved. Thank you for letting me share my experience.

Bumps and Bruises

Monique Macintosh writes:

Your Helichrysum with German Chamomile CO2 is doing wonders for my scrapes from playing volleyball and rescuing one of my pine trees from a huge wild rose bush. A good test is my slow pitch softball team mate who loves to slide in shorts. He has a patch of healing skin on his right leg. I “loaned” him my bottle of H w/ GC CO2 and he says he already feels the difference in a day.

Dark Circles

My friend Janice recently had surgery, so we sent her some Helichrysum in RoseHipSeed oil. She has been raving about its effect on the scar from her surgery on another mail list. But she also shared that she’s been using it to fade under eye circles…and that it’s working amazingly well. That one felt like a “DUH…why didn’t I think of that?”…as effective as Helichrysum is at healing bruises, it stands to reason that it might well be useful for the dark circles some of us (especially me!) get under our eyes. I don’t think the Rosehip Seed Oil is an essential part of that combination…it would be the Helichrysum Italicuum that would do the work, so you could dilute it in the carrier of your choice. Please dilute it well, and, as always, be VERY careful using any essential oil around the eyes!

Bursitis

My friend Mary Jane writes from Michigan:

I woke up this morning and could hardly walk. I have bursitis in my right hip. I used a mixture of helichrysum, vetiver, black pepper, and jojoba oil. The pain decreased in about 10 minutes. I could walk without a limp for six hours. It was great! I have also been in a horrible mood for the last few days. I must say, the synergy did wonders for my attitude. I walked around relaxed and on cloud nine all day.

Maybe you could pass along the recipe to fellow sufferers. 

So I did ;).

Chigger Bites

Another client just wrote: “Also want you to know the Helichrysum oil (in carrier) did WONDERS with a chigger bite I had on my leg! Good God! Swelling (welt) and itching immediately reduced to almost NOTHING. Last time this happened, I itched for about one solid week and the nasty bites left almost scars and darkened spots that remained for a long time.” (Now, if she had used our  SkeeterBeater  in advance, she’d not have had to worry about the chiggers, but that’s another story.”)

Skin Irritation

Manisha recently wrote:

I hope this email finds you happy and healthy. I wrote to you several years ago when I carelessly and hastily used hair removal wax meant for arms on my face (to remove facial hair above my upper lip). You rushed me Helichrysum oil and rose hip seed oil for the carrier. This combination worked wonderfully! I healed quickly without any scarring. Thank you so very much for your advice and quick shipment.

Hydrosols (also called hydrolats or floral waters) are a safe, gentle and less expensive alternative to the use of essential oils. Most often considered a by-product of the steam distillation process, some hydrosols are actually distilled specifically for the water component and not for the essential oil. They are gentler and perfect for children, and they make lovely gifts for yourself or someone special.

Our hydrosols are packaged in 1 oz and 4 oz PET plastic bottles with atomizer spray tops. For larger sizes,  email us! Please note: we often receive requests for samples of our hydrosols. Because of their fragility and ease of contamination, we do not want to risk packaging them in the tiny sample vials. Hence we have started offering one ounce sizes for sale.

Please remember to store your precious hydrosols under refrigeration. True, natural hydrosols contain no preservatives and therefore should be treated as perishable. We store them under refrigeration and follow fastidious clean technique while rebottling. However, if you plan on using any of these healing waters internally, we suggest you pasteurize them before use. Pour the hydrosol through a fine filter (a coffee filter works beautifully) and slowly heat it to a very slow boil; this should help with microbial concerns and should not damage the healing elements of the hydrosol.

We would like to thank Jan Salko, Suzanne Catty, and Dennis Archer for allowing us to share information they have provided.

How Hydrosols Are Made

During the distillation process, steam containing essential oil molecules crosses over into a chilled condenser. Chilling the steam causes it to turn back into water with a layer of essential oil floating on top. The essential oil is skimmed off and bottled for use. In some cases, the remaining water (hydrosol) is simply discarded. However, this water contains both minute molecules of essential oil as well as all the water-soluble elements of the plant that are not present in the oil.

Department store spray misters, spritzers, or floral waters do have their uses. They are most often made of distilled or spring water with a few drops of the appropriate essential oil added. Most often, though, what are sold as “floral waters” contain water with some sort of fragrance (whether natural or synthetic) solubilized in it. These products should not be confused with true hydrosol, which can contain many other therapeutic benefits. For example, linalyl acetate, a component important in a beautiful smelling lavender oil, is lacking in lavender hydrosol. For this reason, the hydrosol may or may not smell like the essential oil which emerged from the still at the same time.

Hydrosols have many uses. They can complement essential oils as well as extend the scope of the oils themselves. They also allow us to experience some of the benefits of, for example, true Bulgarian rose oil, at a much more affordable price.

Sample Uses

We use  Helichrysum Hydrosol  to soothe the redness of rosacea or other skin inflammations. A spritz of  Yarrow Hydrosol  soothes and heals ‘hot spots’ on dogs and cats.

Neroli Hydrosol  was what one daughter-in-law carried on the plane to ease her “fear of flying” and to keep the dry airplane air breathable.  Rose Hydrosol  is both a facial toner and a wonderful linen spray.

Lavender Hydrosol or Chamomile Hydrosol can soothe a sunburn or also function as a relaxing “monster spray” to banish night-time monsters.

Chilled Peppermint Hydrosol is the ultimate summer cooler, either spritzed on, or with a bit added to a bottle of spring water.

Rose Geranium Hydrosol is said to calm a woman’s mid-life “power surges”. Aromatherapist and herbalist Jeanne Rose suggests blending it with one of the mints. Melissa Hydrosol is a wonderful “blotter” for oily skin.

Spike Lavender or Tea Tree Hydrosols both make gentle antibacterial toners for skin with acne.

Teething baby? German chamomile hydrosol, rubbed on the outside of the jaw, can help soothe the ache.

This is just a sample of the uses we have for our wide range of hydrosols. Read more about specific hydrosols on their product pages.

When a scent has a question mark beside it, it indicates that some authority has placed it in that category, but my experience, as well as other sources, contradict it. (Especially when the same scent appears as all three notes!) However, it is not unusual for a specific scent to fill two adjacent functions, depending on the other oils in the blend.

Among other sources, the above information was gathered from works of Valerie Worwood, Christine Malcolm, Anne Berwick, Susan Renick, and other sources that have contributed to my education, but are too hopelessly intertwined to isolate. My thanks to all of them.

The most basic face mask, and probably the easiest to make is a blend of which ever type of clay is suited to your skin type, moistened with an appropriate hydrosol, to make a smooth “mud.” Spread the moistened clay over your face, avoid the eye area, let dry, and rinse well with tepid water.

A mask will always help with exfoliation, may dry excess oil, and can help your skin detoxify. There are those who say that the minerals contained in various clays can also be beneficial to your cells.

The “fun” part of creating a face mask lies in selecting ingredients that are suited to your skin type.

Clays

Commonly available clays helpful for various skin types:

Glacial Clay

Glacial Clay is composed of particles that are small enough to create a powerful absorption factor for the skin and due to it’s chemical properties it has the ability to remove toxins and bacteria and dead skin cells to leave the skin healthy, purified, and smooth.

It stimulates the circulation, detoxifies, exfoliates dead skin cells while and smothes down wrinkles, leaving the skin soft, smooth and invigorated. It produces erythema (local skin warming), accelerates physiological processes and increases cell regeneration in surrounding tissues, improving skin elasticity and overall complexion. Because of the warming effect, I would avoid using Glacial Clay on very sensitive skin.

Because of its strongly detoxifying effect, Glacial Clay is highly recommended for skin plagued by acne, blackheads, pimples, etc.

Sea Clay

Wonderful for oily skin Sea clay draws impurities like a magnet! It provides deep cleansing, tighten pores, revitalize the complexion and help clear problem skin. Sea clay is the best for oily skin due to its high mineral content. Due to its high content of minerals, sea clay draws oils from the skin, and is rich in algaes, macro- and micro-minerals, as well as sodium and sulphur. Sea plants, seawater, sea salt and oceanic clay have long been popular physical-therapy ingredients in Europe. Recommended as medical therapeutic agents as early as 1578, seawater and sea derivatives were administered for rheumatism and general rehabilitation. Sea clay is an important ingredient in body wraps to lose inches and cellulite.

White Kaolin

One of the mildest of all clays, French White Kaolin is suitable for the most sensitive skin. It will help stimulate circulation while gently exfoliating and cleansing. It does not draw oil from the skin so is a good choice for dry skin. It is also high in minerals known to be beneficial for oily or blemished skin. It can help heal blemishes and inflammation, while preventing more problems from forming. White kaolin clay soothes and softens the skin and is suitable for all skin types.

Pink Kaolin

Pink Kaolin is the cosmetic clay for normal, sensitive and mature skin. It is the mildest clay and most widely used in cosmetics.

Pink clay is particularly useful for toning dull, tired, or devitalized skin. It also has excellent cleansing properties

Hydrosols

For Oily Skin: Cedarwood Hydrosol, Clary Sage Hydrosol, Melissa Hydrosol, Lavender Hydrosol, Peppermint Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol, Rosemary Verbenon Hydrosol

Combination Skin: Cedarwood Hydrosol, Frankincense Hydrosol, Rose Geranium Hydrosol, Lavender Hydrosol, Neroli Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol

Dry Skin: Roman Chamomile Hydrosol, Owyhee Hydrosol, Patchouli Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol

Mature Skin: Carrot Seed Hydrosol, Frankincense Hydrosol, Helichrysum Hydrosol, Neroli Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol

Problem Skin or Acne: German Chamomile Hydrosol, Clary Sage Hydrosol, Neroli Hydrosol, Patchouli Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol, Rosemary Verbenone Hydrosol, Tea Tree Hydrosol, Yarrow Hydrosol

Sensitive Skin or Rosacea: Helichrysum Hydrosol, Roman or German Chamomile Hydrosol, Frankincense Hydrosol,Yarrow Hydrosol, Blue Tansy Hydrosol, Owyhee Hydrosol

The Most Basic Mask:

Cleanse your face using your favorite method.

In a small cup or bowl, pour approximately one tablespoon (1/2 ounce) of your chosen clay. Gradually stir in (1/2teaspoonful, or 2 mls at a time) your chosen Hydrosol. Stir well, continue to add liquid until a smooth fairly liquid “mud” is formed.

Apply in a smooth layer to face and neck, avoiding eyes and lips.

Relax for 10 to 20 minutes until the clay has totally dried. Rinse well with warm water. If desired, follow with your favorite moisturizing facial oil.

Additions:

For Any Skin Type: Use 1 teaspoon of barely warmed honey as part of the liquid. (Warming the honey makes it more liquid.)

For Acnied Skin: To the warmed honey, described above, stir in one drop of Tea Tree, German Chamomile, or Manuka essential oil. The tea tree and manuka are powerful antibacterials, while the german chamomile is a powerful anti-inflammatory.

For Oily Skin: You might add a pinch or two (up to a teaspoon) of very finely powdered oatmeal to the clay. Stir in well before adding hydrosols.

A large fresh strawberry, very finely pureed is a wonderful addition to an oily skin mask.

Especially for oily skin or acne it helps to remove the mask with steaming washcloths. Add a drop or two of one of the above essential oils to a bowl of hot water, wet the washcloth and gently wring out excess moisture.

For Dry Skin: Instead of, or in addition to the hydrosol, and perhaps honey, add 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) of your favorite facial oil to the clay. My personal choice is either Squalane or Argan Oil, but Avocado Oil is a wonderful addition as well. Please note, the addition of a fixed oil will prevent the clay from drying as hard as in a mask composed of just hydrosols and/or honey. Leave the mask on for 15 to 20 minutes and remove with tepid water. Your skin will be moist and glowing.

A bit of finely mashed avocado is a traditional ingredient for a mask for dry skin.

Adding 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin to part of the liquid portion of the mask will help draw moisture to dry skin.

For Sensitive or Inflamed Skin: Consider using Aloe Vera Gel as part of the liquid in your mask.

Please note, these are not hard and fast rules. Have fun with them!

Helichrysum (Helichrysum italicum) Testimonials

Regular readers of our newsletter know that I believe our Helichrysum italicuum is the most healing essential oil I have ever seen. A friend recently asked me to collect “anecdotal evidence” of Helichrysum’s effects, and this document was the result. She urged me to share it online, so here it is. (We have recently found these testimonials posted verbatim on other websites, selling other helichrysum species. We can’t be responsible for the effects of using ANY helichrysum other than our certified organic Helichrysum italicuum from the island of Corsica.)

Read about, and order, our  Helichrysum Essential Oil here. Or our  Helichrysum Hydrosol  on our hydrosol pages.

Rosacea

From a client whose name is withheld by request:

A few months ago I asked you for some advice re a Rosacea client. I used your Rosacea synergy and formulated a lotion and soap for him, as well as providing him with Helichrysum Hydrosol to use as a toner. He has been using them for about six weeks, and called me yesterday to tell me that these products have really helped him and that he wanted to order more! He had previously sought treatment with a dermatologist and found that nothing had helped, but had actually caused more irritation to his skin. Just wanted to share with you another success story and to thank you for your help!

From a client who wished to remain anonymous:

I just received my first order – very promptly, I might add- thank you, and am already seeing results from using the combination of clarifying soap, helichrysum hydrosol, and rosacea synergy. It’s been just five days! My skin thanks you!!

From Julia Mulcahey:

Thank you! I have had a small patch of rosacea on my face for nearly 6 months. Your clarifying soap and helichrysum hydrosol seem to be working their magic – it’s nearly disappeared! Thank you!

Bruising

From Kati Toney (w/ Marge’s comments in 2nd paragraph):

Anyway, my point to all this is, I got the BIGGEST, UGLIEST bruises on my legs from climbing that tree & when I got home I put the Helichrysum sample I got from you on it (b/c I remembered you saying that it was good for bruises!) and the next day they were faded & within a day or two were completely gone! I was AMAZED!!! I usually keep bruises for quite awhile & ones that deep & big mighta hung around for a couple of weeks! I was SO excited & it didn’t take much at all! Matter of fact, I still have half of that sample left!

Wonderful!!! That is exactly what it was SUPPOSED to do…but I’m so delighted that it worked for you…that it DID do what it was supposed to. Now you see why I say it’s one of those ‘desert island’ oils…the ones I wouldn’t be without. 

More on Bruising

Mary Hayne, from Denton, Texas recently wrote:

I have to tell you though, I had another mishap — I was getting into the back seat of a friend’s minivan when a friend getting into the front seat closed her door — on my hand (I didn’t realize my hand was holding on so close to her door frame). She got the door back open pretty quickly. That was the panic part. The exciting part is that I iced, took homeopathic Traumeel, and slathered on your 10% Helichrysum. My hand never bruised!

There are two small red spots on my knuckles where my hand was particularly pinched, and a very slight bit of swelling — but that is it and the red spots are fading fast. I also didn’t have any pain — tenderness, yes — pain, no. This is all particularly nice as I had an eight hour exam the next day (right hand crushed, right-handed writer). But the best part was my friend’s face the next morning when she looked at my hand. She was completely dumbfounded. She was so sure it was so bad that she was going to have to take me to the doctor. There my hand was, looking like nothing ever happened. I have read that Helichrysum has “powerful antibruise properties” but this experience has really blown my mind too.

And I have run out of the stuff, so I am ordering more. Thanks so much Marge. Your work really makes a big difference in my life.

Louise, from The Netherlands writes:

Dear Marge,

A few days ago I asked your advice how to avoid bruises in my face due to injections which I unfortunately had to have in my face.

The doctor had told me that I would get very nasty bruises in my face and but that was just one of the facts I had to endure and that they would fade in a week or so.

Then I asked you and I want to tell you that there are no nasty bruises at all! There is a little swelling but very little only myself can notice that because nobody noticed!

Anyway, I want to tell you that I used 25 ml of St.John’s wort infused oil, 20 drops of Helichrysum italicum and 5 drops of Lavender augustifolia. Yesterday (after the injections) I applied it immediately after I came home and then I continued to apply it during the day. This morning I looked in the mirror and was very pleased to see a normal color of skin, so I will apply it again several times today!

So Thank you Marge for your advice and please feel free to give this recipe to others.

I have to see the doctor in a few days and I am already enjoying the look on his face when he sees me. I will certainly tell him what I did to avoid those nasty bruises!

Kindest regards, Louise

Alexis Stegall recently wrote:

I had some heli and did use it full strength the first couple of times on a HUGE (6 in diameter at least) bruise on my thigh and then used the 10% in Rose Hip Seed Oil (because that was all that I had) couldn’t believe how fast the bruise went away. 

Normally I will have bruises for a couple of weeks, this one was virtually gone in about 5 or 6 days. It worked great.

You may quote me if you like.

Even More on Bruising

Susan Farr, acupuncturist, recently wrote:

It’s good to be back in touch and to see you too — checking out your website made me hungry for oils again!! I know you have tons of feedback on your helichrysums, but I want you to know that my bottle (10% in FCO) stayed in the acupuncture clinic the whole time I was an intern, and gradually replaced the arnica and chinese ointments as everyone’s treatment of choice when they realized that a puncture was going to leave a bruise (which happens fairly commonly). And the patients (at least mine) loved the smell, too. I never even tried the recommended chinese remedies, as I knew from personal experience how well the heli works. That’ll be my next order!

Take care, Susan

Scarring

Ellen W. Ray from Alchemical Essence Aromatherapy wrote:

I used the Helichrysum Italicum and Rose Hip Seed Oil blend for an injury to my face that occurred from a dog bite and it helped tremendously. There’s barely the trace of a scar on my lip and none on my face. The doctor who removed the stitches was amazed and asked for the name of the Essential Oil and Carrier Oil. He kept looking back at his notes from the emergency room, remembered the incident, and said the healing was incredible. He also asked where it could be purchased. 

From Leslie Robinson:

I can vouch for Marge’s suggested rose hip seed oil/heli blend for scars. In July, I fell and impaled my face on a piece of rebar. An ugly accident. I used this combination an average of 3 times daily — I have no visible scar. Have used this on a year-old mastectomy scar for a few months and notice that it is beginning to flatten and fade a bit.

Wondrous things these oils are!!!”

From Vicki Camp, Reporting back on the Helichrysum Experiment:

I asked you on the Cosmetics List some time ago if you thought Helichrysum Italicuum would be good on old scars. You replied something to the effect of ‘no guarantees; I’m not certain,’ although I note you’re really fond of its properties. However, I went ahead and tried it anyway. Had a breast needle biopsy last July (benign, benign) – 2 separate entrances on the same breast. While the scars were not huge and there was no raised marking (is that called a keloid, I think?) they were noticeably red and each about 1/4 – 1/2 inch in size. I am of Scandinavian-American descent and have this fair, fair skin. No allergies of note, although living in Michigan automatically qualifies me for itchy skin spots and sinus in the allergy season.:D Natural soap prevents most of the skin issues.

So hey, having given you the background – HERE’s the amazing results. I put a drop of Heli, neat, on each spot. Rubbed them a bit. Didn’t give much thought to it. Never tried it again. This morning in the shower I happened to notice that the scars are all but invisible. I guess I’m so used to them NOT being there that I don’t give it a thought very often. But what do you suppose made THAT happen, after a year of visible scars?

I ‘m off to try it on some ‘whitish’ scars on my arm that I got when coming in contact with a hot iron years ago. Will let you know. This is fun! Hugs and smiles!”

MY NOTE: I do NOT recommend using Helichrysum (or any other essential oil) neat the way Vicki did. Proper and appropriate dilution might take a bit longer to see results, but it is safer for you, and less wasteful of a precious limited resource.

Barbara McBee wrote:

I had a benign cellular tumor removed from my neck nearly three years ago. The scar was 4 inches, very tight and inflamed. Nothing over the counter worked—I am very sensitive to chemicals and additives. My doctor thought this was the best I would heal, though I never keloid. I searched around and found your sight approx. one and one half years after my surgery-I have ordered helio with rosehips, (my orders have included peppermint and argan oil.but for this purpose I stuck with helio and rosehips).

I applied religiously for several months at night-I could not wear anything against my neck, and had trouble sleeping because my poor skin seemed to be pulled so tight.I am small, and great care was taken to pull everything back together.I am back to wearing turtlenecks, and the scar(including the turkey-wobble that brought the sutures to a complete close) are so minimal that one has to search for it.

More Scarring (Keloids)

A story I had forgotten about, until a friend recently quoted it on a list we share:

A friend who had a brain tumor removed… I saw her about 4 weeks after the surgery, and it was the worst single scar I have ever seen… from about an inch in front of her temple, running around the back of her head to the other side of her forehead… maybe two inches of whole skin between the two ends of the scar… swollen keloidal tissue, bigger than my thumb, and bright burgundy wine color… 

I gave her some heli in rose hip with the ‘standard instructions’…didn’t see her for about a month, and she had stopped using it “because the scar was all healed”… it hadn’t totally disappeared…but it was faded to white, and looked as though you had taken a very sharp pencil and drawn a white line on her skin… no wider than a thread. Now, the thing is, she had stopped using the heli blend several days earlier because she considered it healed… but it’s my belief that if she had continued using it, there would be NO scar… —Marge Clark

And Sharon Finch shares her two daughters’ results:

About six months before my oldest was married, she ended up in the hospital for over 14 days and ended up having surgery for her Crohns disease. Due to the nature of her surgery, her scar is runs up and down. Her condition was so severe they thought she would have to wear an ostomy bag. Fortunately, she did not, however, she did have a very mean red ugly scar. Marge, being the person she is, sent me a bottle of her Helichrysum in Rose Hip seed oil for Jessica to use. Jessica actually wore a bikini to Jamaica after her wedding. Today, the only reason you know there is a scar is there is a very faint line.

My middle daughter was in a halo for seven months; until April, 2000. She had pretty large indentions on her forehead that were red and just plain ugly and two actual openings on the back of her head where the halo was screwed in. Jessica had surgery in 2002. Aubrey used some of the blend Marge had sent to Jessica. You can hardly notice the markings on her forehead.”

Dawn St. Clair wrote:

Marge recommended Rosehip Seed Oil mixed with Helichrysum as a remedy for scars. She said it was best to use on new scars, but could also be useful on old ones. Well, my daughter, Ashley, had a large Keloid scar (we are of Mediterranian origin) on her thigh where a pre-cancerous mole was removed. She had this scar for over a year, so it was not a new scar. I used Marge’s formula, with a little added emu oil, twice a day, every day. This is not a quick fix. It took a couple of months, however, the skin has lightened from dark gray to her own skin tone, and even smoothed out a great deal. It is not visible now unless you are looking for it.

Janice Sheplar, quoted below re the dark circles, first started using the Helichrysum in Rosehip Seed oil for a surgical scar on her neck. She emailed me that she has the sort of skin that automatically forms keloids and sent me a picture of the “before” picture, a truly nasty vertical scar from her collarbone to her jaw, deeply coloured and raised up. I managed to lose the “after” photo, but the scar was impossible to see in a close up photograph. She was thrilled with the results!

Eczema

“I must say, I am *hugely* impressed with what the Helichrysum and Roman Chamomile hydrosols have done for my skin! I was having a bad bout of what I’d always termed “seasonal eczema” {it always happens with the change of seasons and is sometimes tough to shake}. My skin {face} had been downright scaly and was oozing a little in spots as well. I ordered the hydrosols, received them and used them that night. The very next day there was strong, visible improvement! By the 3rd day my skin was basically back to normal! Wonderful stuff.”—Name withheld by request

Back Pain

“Hi, got the order Friday (I think). Have been enjoying the rosewood and helichrysum (sp? I’m away from the bottle) especially. They help relieve my painful back and make me smell wonderful!”—Name withheld by request

More Pain Relief

Stacey Miller writes:

Last night I made a 5% dilution of equal parts Helichrysum italicum and Lavender stoechas in jojoba for my stepmom to use for pain relief. Evidently it worked pretty well. She used it on her broken foot and said the analgesic effect was almost instant. (I was skeptical about getting any pain relief at all for something this intense.) She liked the scent and didn’t need a pain pill before bed.

Kathy Mijares writes:

Also, I just wanted to add that I am absolutely in LOVE with the Helichrysum! It smells SO wonderful. This is my first experience with this lovely oil! I mixed up a pain treatment in a carrier oil with a little of the Heli, black pepper and my lavender right away because I have disabling chronic back pain…..and the change in the weather (cold and rainy here) was causing me to be very uncomfortable. It worked so fast I was amazed! No more pain pills for me….now that I have my Helichrysum! I’ll definitely be back for more!

Carole Bland recently wrote:

Comments: Broke my ankle back in March. Had surgery to repair both the tib and fib (w/hardware). The helichrysum has helped tremendously with both the pain from the injury and fading the scar. Thank you for offering such a great product.

Rheumatoid Arthritis — Bone Spurs?

Our client Prakash recently shared this anecdote:

Dear Marge,

I want to share an interesting story with you–something unexpected from using Helichrysum & St. John’s Wort.

Earlier this week, I felt a flareup of rheumatoid arthritis starting. I’d recently gotten some of your infused St. John’s Wort, and I’ve been playing with your amazing (on many levels) Helichrysum in Fractionated Coconut Oil for about a month. So, as the sharp pain started in my joints, I slathered on the St. John’s…let it soak in for a few minutes, then followed with a healthy dose of Helichrysum gently massaged on top. (joints involved: many, including elbows) After a while, I began to feel a “softening” of the pain.

*BUT* that’s not why I’m writing. The next morning, I noticed a big brown bruise near my elbow. A few weeks ago, I’d felt a bump there–like a bone-spur. I’d chalked it up to the RA and planned to check in with my doctor about it. Anyway, this big bruise (looking like it was an old bruise; though there’d been nothing there the day before) was right over that spur/bump. Hmmm. Felt it; it felt sort of like little crystals were in there, maybe a bit of break up of the spur? Anyway, I decided to rub my elbow each evening with the same combo of St. John’s & Helichrysum.

I started all this on Tuesday night. This morning–Sunday–that spur/bump is barely there, maybe 1/8 of what it was earlier in the week.

I don’t know if this was from the Helichrysum or the St. John’s Wort or the combo of the two. I just know I’m delighted.

Side note: Just smelling that marvelous Helichrysum soothes my bones, my heart, and my soul.

Thanks, Marge.:-)

Prakash

Chemical Burn Scarring

From a client whose name is withheld by request:

This is some background about how my face was scarred. In January 1996 my former dermatologist gave me glycolic acid, which was too strong for me to perform at home, and it literally ate into my skin. It would have been fine if he performed the glycolic peel in his office so he could monitor it but the peel was not meant for an inexperienced patient to do at home. The result of the peel was equivalent to a second-degree burn and it left significant scarring on one side of my face. I spent so much money for products and procedures like expensive herbal peels in trying to heal the scar but it never improved. I searched hours on the Internet and ordering products that were formulated for scars but nothing worked. I looked in numerous books to try to find a solution but I couldn’t find anything that would specifically work for scars, only ways to prevent them from forming. I kept coming across rosehip oil and helichrysum as being healing and regenerative to scar tissue and I did more research into them. When I decided to try the oils I made a commitment to stay with it until the scar improved. It was several months before I could see a major difference but I am amazed at how much the scar has diminished. The scar is blending into the surrounding skin and it’s not thick anymore.

The texture is so much smoother and with a light layer of foundation my scar is hardly noticeable. I feel confident that the scar will be completely resolved because of how much improvement I have seen. I also massage the scar on a daily basis and I feel that has also made a tremendous difference. Some other things that I am using as well are aloe vera and a few other essential oils but I believe that it is the rosehip and helichrysum that is regenerating the skin to normal. When I feel the skin where the scar is the texture feels so smooth and normal. I feel that the reason I got such good results is that I am very consistent, I’ve haven’t missed a single day of using rosehip oil and helichrysum since I started my regime. That makes a huge difference. It does take time, my scars were well formed, and I’m going to continue with the oils until they are resolved. Thank you for letting me share my experience.

Bumps and Bruises

Monique Macintosh writes:

Your Helichrysum with German Chamomile CO2 is doing wonders for my scrapes from playing volleyball and rescuing one of my pine trees from a huge wild rose bush. A good test is my slow pitch softball team mate who loves to slide in shorts. He has a patch of healing skin on his right leg. I “loaned” him my bottle of H w/ GC CO2 and he says he already feels the difference in a day.

Dark Circles

My friend Janice recently had surgery, so we sent her some Helichrysum in RoseHipSeed oil. She has been raving about its effect on the scar from her surgery on another mail list. But she also shared that she’s been using it to fade under eye circles…and that it’s working amazingly well. That one felt like a “DUH…why didn’t I think of that?”…as effective as Helichrysum is at healing bruises, it stands to reason that it might well be useful for the dark circles some of us (especially me!) get under our eyes. I don’t think the Rosehip Seed Oil is an essential part of that combination…it would be the Helichrysum Italicuum that would do the work, so you could dilute it in the carrier of your choice. Please dilute it well, and, as always, be VERY careful using any essential oil around the eyes!

Bursitis

My friend Mary Jane writes from Michigan:

I woke up this morning and could hardly walk. I have bursitis in my right hip. I used a mixture of helichrysum, vetiver, black pepper, and jojoba oil. The pain decreased in about 10 minutes. I could walk without a limp for six hours. It was great! I have also been in a horrible mood for the last few days. I must say, the synergy did wonders for my attitude. I walked around relaxed and on cloud nine all day.

Maybe you could pass along the recipe to fellow sufferers. 

So I did ;).

Chigger Bites

Another client just wrote: “Also want you to know the Helichrysum oil (in carrier) did WONDERS with a chigger bite I had on my leg! Good God! Swelling (welt) and itching immediately reduced to almost NOTHING. Last time this happened, I itched for about one solid week and the nasty bites left almost scars and darkened spots that remained for a long time.” (Now, if she had used our  SkeeterBeater  in advance, she’d not have had to worry about the chiggers, but that’s another story.”)

Skin Irritation

Manisha recently wrote:

I hope this email finds you happy and healthy. I wrote to you several years ago when I carelessly and hastily used hair removal wax meant for arms on my face (to remove facial hair above my upper lip). You rushed me Helichrysum oil and rose hip seed oil for the carrier. This combination worked wonderfully! I healed quickly without any scarring. Thank you so very much for your advice and quick shipment.

Hydrosols (also called hydrolats or floral waters) are a safe, gentle and less expensive alternative to the use of essential oils. Most often considered a by-product of the steam distillation process, some hydrosols are actually distilled specifically for the water component and not for the essential oil. They are gentler and perfect for children, and they make lovely gifts for yourself or someone special.

Our hydrosols are packaged in 1 oz and 4 oz PET plastic bottles with atomizer spray tops. For larger sizes,  email us! Please note: we often receive requests for samples of our hydrosols. Because of their fragility and ease of contamination, we do not want to risk packaging them in the tiny sample vials. Hence we have started offering one ounce sizes for sale.

Please remember to store your precious hydrosols under refrigeration. True, natural hydrosols contain no preservatives and therefore should be treated as perishable. We store them under refrigeration and follow fastidious clean technique while rebottling. However, if you plan on using any of these healing waters internally, we suggest you pasteurize them before use. Pour the hydrosol through a fine filter (a coffee filter works beautifully) and slowly heat it to a very slow boil; this should help with microbial concerns and should not damage the healing elements of the hydrosol.

We would like to thank Jan Salko, Suzanne Catty, and Dennis Archer for allowing us to share information they have provided.

How Hydrosols Are Made

During the distillation process, steam containing essential oil molecules crosses over into a chilled condenser. Chilling the steam causes it to turn back into water with a layer of essential oil floating on top. The essential oil is skimmed off and bottled for use. In some cases, the remaining water (hydrosol) is simply discarded. However, this water contains both minute molecules of essential oil as well as all the water-soluble elements of the plant that are not present in the oil.

Department store spray misters, spritzers, or floral waters do have their uses. They are most often made of distilled or spring water with a few drops of the appropriate essential oil added. Most often, though, what are sold as “floral waters” contain water with some sort of fragrance (whether natural or synthetic) solubilized in it. These products should not be confused with true hydrosol, which can contain many other therapeutic benefits. For example, linalyl acetate, a component important in a beautiful smelling lavender oil, is lacking in lavender hydrosol. For this reason, the hydrosol may or may not smell like the essential oil which emerged from the still at the same time.

Hydrosols have many uses. They can complement essential oils as well as extend the scope of the oils themselves. They also allow us to experience some of the benefits of, for example, true Bulgarian rose oil, at a much more affordable price.

Sample Uses

We use  Helichrysum Hydrosol  to soothe the redness of rosacea or other skin inflammations. A spritz of  Yarrow Hydrosol  soothes and heals ‘hot spots’ on dogs and cats.

Neroli Hydrosol  was what one daughter-in-law carried on the plane to ease her “fear of flying” and to keep the dry airplane air breathable.  Rose Hydrosol  is both a facial toner and a wonderful linen spray.

Lavender Hydrosol or Chamomile Hydrosol can soothe a sunburn or also function as a relaxing “monster spray” to banish night-time monsters.

Chilled Peppermint Hydrosol is the ultimate summer cooler, either spritzed on, or with a bit added to a bottle of spring water.

Rose Geranium Hydrosol is said to calm a woman’s mid-life “power surges”. Aromatherapist and herbalist Jeanne Rose suggests blending it with one of the mints. Melissa Hydrosol is a wonderful “blotter” for oily skin.

Spike Lavender or Tea Tree Hydrosols both make gentle antibacterial toners for skin with acne.

Teething baby? German chamomile hydrosol, rubbed on the outside of the jaw, can help soothe the ache.

This is just a sample of the uses we have for our wide range of hydrosols. Read more about specific hydrosols on their product pages.

When a scent has a question mark beside it, it indicates that some authority has placed it in that category, but my experience, as well as other sources, contradict it. (Especially when the same scent appears as all three notes!) However, it is not unusual for a specific scent to fill two adjacent functions, depending on the other oils in the blend.

Among other sources, the above information was gathered from works of Valerie Worwood, Christine Malcolm, Anne Berwick, Susan Renick, and other sources that have contributed to my education, but are too hopelessly intertwined to isolate. My thanks to all of them.

The most basic face mask, and probably the easiest to make is a blend of which ever type of clay is suited to your skin type, moistened with an appropriate hydrosol, to make a smooth “mud.” Spread the moistened clay over your face, avoid the eye area, let dry, and rinse well with tepid water.

A mask will always help with exfoliation, may dry excess oil, and can help your skin detoxify. There are those who say that the minerals contained in various clays can also be beneficial to your cells.

The “fun” part of creating a face mask lies in selecting ingredients that are suited to your skin type.

Clays

Commonly available clays helpful for various skin types:

Glacial Clay

Glacial Clay is composed of particles that are small enough to create a powerful absorption factor for the skin and due to it’s chemical properties it has the ability to remove toxins and bacteria and dead skin cells to leave the skin healthy, purified, and smooth.

It stimulates the circulation, detoxifies, exfoliates dead skin cells while and smothes down wrinkles, leaving the skin soft, smooth and invigorated. It produces erythema (local skin warming), accelerates physiological processes and increases cell regeneration in surrounding tissues, improving skin elasticity and overall complexion. Because of the warming effect, I would avoid using Glacial Clay on very sensitive skin.

Because of its strongly detoxifying effect, Glacial Clay is highly recommended for skin plagued by acne, blackheads, pimples, etc.

Sea Clay

Wonderful for oily skin Sea clay draws impurities like a magnet! It provides deep cleansing, tighten pores, revitalize the complexion and help clear problem skin. Sea clay is the best for oily skin due to its high mineral content. Due to its high content of minerals, sea clay draws oils from the skin, and is rich in algaes, macro- and micro-minerals, as well as sodium and sulphur. Sea plants, seawater, sea salt and oceanic clay have long been popular physical-therapy ingredients in Europe. Recommended as medical therapeutic agents as early as 1578, seawater and sea derivatives were administered for rheumatism and general rehabilitation. Sea clay is an important ingredient in body wraps to lose inches and cellulite.

White Kaolin

One of the mildest of all clays, French White Kaolin is suitable for the most sensitive skin. It will help stimulate circulation while gently exfoliating and cleansing. It does not draw oil from the skin so is a good choice for dry skin. It is also high in minerals known to be beneficial for oily or blemished skin. It can help heal blemishes and inflammation, while preventing more problems from forming. White kaolin clay soothes and softens the skin and is suitable for all skin types.

Pink Kaolin

Pink Kaolin is the cosmetic clay for normal, sensitive and mature skin. It is the mildest clay and most widely used in cosmetics.

Pink clay is particularly useful for toning dull, tired, or devitalized skin. It also has excellent cleansing properties

Hydrosols

For Oily Skin: Cedarwood Hydrosol, Clary Sage Hydrosol, Melissa Hydrosol, Lavender Hydrosol, Peppermint Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol, Rosemary Verbenon Hydrosol

Combination Skin: Cedarwood Hydrosol, Frankincense Hydrosol, Rose Geranium Hydrosol, Lavender Hydrosol, Neroli Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol

Dry Skin: Roman Chamomile Hydrosol, Owyhee Hydrosol, Patchouli Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol

Mature Skin: Carrot Seed Hydrosol, Frankincense Hydrosol, Helichrysum Hydrosol, Neroli Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol

Problem Skin or Acne: German Chamomile Hydrosol, Clary Sage Hydrosol, Neroli Hydrosol, Patchouli Hydrosol, Rose Hydrosol, Rosemary Verbenone Hydrosol, Tea Tree Hydrosol, Yarrow Hydrosol

Sensitive Skin or Rosacea: Helichrysum Hydrosol, Roman or German Chamomile Hydrosol, Frankincense Hydrosol,Yarrow Hydrosol, Blue Tansy Hydrosol, Owyhee Hydrosol

The Most Basic Mask:

Cleanse your face using your favorite method.

In a small cup or bowl, pour approximately one tablespoon (1/2 ounce) of your chosen clay. Gradually stir in (1/2teaspoonful, or 2 mls at a time) your chosen Hydrosol. Stir well, continue to add liquid until a smooth fairly liquid “mud” is formed.

Apply in a smooth layer to face and neck, avoiding eyes and lips.

Relax for 10 to 20 minutes until the clay has totally dried. Rinse well with warm water. If desired, follow with your favorite moisturizing facial oil.

Additions:

For Any Skin Type: Use 1 teaspoon of barely warmed honey as part of the liquid. (Warming the honey makes it more liquid.)

For Acnied Skin: To the warmed honey, described above, stir in one drop of Tea Tree, German Chamomile, or Manuka essential oil. The tea tree and manuka are powerful antibacterials, while the german chamomile is a powerful anti-inflammatory.

For Oily Skin: You might add a pinch or two (up to a teaspoon) of very finely powdered oatmeal to the clay. Stir in well before adding hydrosols.

A large fresh strawberry, very finely pureed is a wonderful addition to an oily skin mask.

Especially for oily skin or acne it helps to remove the mask with steaming washcloths. Add a drop or two of one of the above essential oils to a bowl of hot water, wet the washcloth and gently wring out excess moisture.

For Dry Skin: Instead of, or in addition to the hydrosol, and perhaps honey, add 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) of your favorite facial oil to the clay. My personal choice is either Squalane or Argan Oil, but Avocado Oil is a wonderful addition as well. Please note, the addition of a fixed oil will prevent the clay from drying as hard as in a mask composed of just hydrosols and/or honey. Leave the mask on for 15 to 20 minutes and remove with tepid water. Your skin will be moist and glowing.

A bit of finely mashed avocado is a traditional ingredient for a mask for dry skin.

Adding 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin to part of the liquid portion of the mask will help draw moisture to dry skin.

For Sensitive or Inflamed Skin: Consider using Aloe Vera Gel as part of the liquid in your mask.

Please note, these are not hard and fast rules. Have fun with them!