Posts filed under essential oils

All Natural Fascial Cleanser

This DIY all-skin-type facial cleanser recipe is an extra gentle cleanser that will whisk away everyday impurities without stripping your skin of essential moisture.  The essential oils in it also work to sooth and soften your complexion.   Healthy looking skin at a fraction of the cost your typical department store formulas.

Through my years in the chemical industry, I worked with various surfactants (soaps) so based on what I know and my experience I recommend liquid castile soap.  To make sure it is right for your skin sensitivity, use unscented/baby formula.  Castile soap is known for its gentle cleansing and emollient qualities.  Most commercially available soaps, cosmetic and otherwise, are made with sulfates with the addition of alcohols or acids, which make them really efficient at eliminating dirt, but also at stripping away organic compounds, including the mantle on your face, which, if you’re like me, you intend to keep. 

To complement the cleansing properties of castile soap,  aromatherapist recommend combining therapeutic grade essential oils with your cleanser.  For its soothing and cleansing properties I use lavender essential oil and rosemary essential oil.  If you have specific needs, you can consult with experts to target your condition.

I normally use about 8 ounces of soap in each recipe. This gives a nice full bottle of facial cleanser that will last several months.  With each 8 ounce bottle, I add between 35-40 drops of essential oil. This is a less than 1% dilution.

In a 10 oz amber glass dropper bottle add

*As with any soap, you’ll want to avoid getting it in your eyes. Liquid castile soap can sting and burn if it does get in the eyes.

Posted on August 15, 2016 by Eduardo Martinez and filed under aromatherapy, Ayurveda, essential oils, inspiration and tagged aromatherapy cleanser facial cleanser lavender essential oils DIY project.

Younger Looking Skin: the best Natural Tips for Detoxing your Skin

Our skin is a reflection of our inner physical and mental state.  What I've learned from all my years of Yoga practice, Ayurveda’s studies and my work in the chemical industry is that skin care requires way more than expensive potions and lotions.  In other words, your skin tells the story of your alignment with nature and this alignment is the key to radiant skin.  

Read more …
Posted on July 25, 2016 by Eduardo Martinez and filed under Ayurveda, essential oils and tagged young skin natural tips for healthy skin healthy skin natural remedies.

Natural solution is overlooked while MRSA cases double in five years

Sometimes smart and scientifically proved solutions aren't made available to the public just because there isn't a capital gain.  I find that unfair. Recently I learned about  a MRSA infection case in a local hospital, which was poorly handled and decided to do so some research on the subject. And you know how I love sharing. 

According to materials released July 26, 2012 by the University of Chicago Press Journals the number of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections doubled in academic medical centers from 2003 to 2008.  According to Scott Johnson with the Holistic Health Examiner,  "even though these infections dramatically rise worldwide, conventional medicine largely ignores an effective natural solution — essential oils.  And one Utah company — Young Living Essential Oils — is leading the way in pioneering research to bring more attention to these potent remedies."

MRSA is a term used to describe staph infections that have adapted and become resistant to the first line antibiotics that typically cure staph infections. Once inside the body, a staph infection can quickly spread to bones, joints and organs, which can be life threatening.

These so-called “superbugs” have been called a significant and multifaceted health threat that places “a significant human and economic burden on society” by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.  According to Dr. Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization, "things as common as strep throat or a child's scratched knee could once again kill," as more bacteria evolve to become resistant.

The growing body of evidence suggests that unmatched tools in the fight against MRSA can be found in essential oils. These potent botanical extracts exhibit significant antiviral and antibacterial effects that have been clinically proven in hundreds of scientific studies. In their pure form, essential oils readily kill bacteria — including MRSA — and viruses. More importantly, research suggests they kill MRSA without promoting bacterial resistance and they are free of the side-effects common to antibiotics.

The following is a list of some of the most well-researched essential oils for their ability to destroy MRSA and other pathogens.

My go-to blend of essential oils, which combines a good amount of the essential oils mentioned above is Thieves, sold exclusively by Young Living.  If you are interested in learning more about this natural way of staying healthy please contact me or visit my aromatherapy page to learn how to order therapeutic grade essential oils.


Posted on May 18, 2014 by Eduardo Martinez and filed under aromatherapy, essential oils, wellness and tagged MRSA essential oils practical uses for essential oils Thieves.

A gentle, effective approach to cleansing

Many health experts recommend cleansing as a normal, preventive practice, yet a majority of people only cleanse after they are sick or diseased.  The key to a successful cleanse is to find a program that will help you eases the process with a simple, energizing program that helps you say goodbye to the obstacles and excuses that prevent you from cleansing.  I have tried various gentle cleanses and I found Young Living 5-Day Nutritive Cleanse to be a great one.  I do about three of these a year (Young Living recommends four).  All you need arrives in a box,  you replace your meals with nutritional supplements, ingest Essential Oil capsules and you can snack through the day.  That easy.

Why to cleanse at all?

Modern diets have degenerated into high calories, low-to-no nutrients, very little fiber, and dangerously high levels of sweeteners.  According to experts, these quickly digested “foods” flood the bloodstream, causing insulin levels to soar. High levels of insulin are associated with increased inflammation. Recent research indicates that inflammation is at the root of all chronic diseases. Excess blood sugar and insulin surges eventually lead to chronic problems like diabetes and cardiovascular damage. In addition, high blood sugar and insulin often play a pivotal role in the following problems: hypertension and kidney damage, weak and brittle vessels and veins, and a number of serious chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. One noticeable symptom of excessive insulin and high blood sugar is abdominal obesity.

About two-thirds of American adults are overweight. One third are clinically obese. This condition also increases your risk for heart disease, cholesterol imbalance, cancer, female infertility, and gallstones. Excess insulin and high blood sugar creates a vicious cycle. You crave simple carbohydrates because they enter the blood quickly. Then, a surplus of insulin is produced which causes more hunger.  In response to hunger, you eat more. Overeating causes more body fat to accumulate and it activates more insulin. This merry-go-round of insulin spikes leaves you tired, hungry, and unfocused.    So a cleanse is a basic way to reboot your system so you are energized, and experiencing life better!

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Eduardo Martinez and filed under aromatherapy, essential oils, wellness and tagged cleanse nutrition Young Living.

How to Quit Coffee Painlessly!

Chances are that if you are doing a detoxifying cleanse, trying to resolve a sleeping problem or  visiting an Ashram you will need to quit coffee.   At least during your cleanse and/or your visit.  I am not writing about the pros & cons of coffee (I love coffee too much & I have experienced both the pros and cons for years).  This is just a practical way of giving up coffee as painless as possible.  Whether you want to do it momentarily or permanently is up to you.

If you are a coffee drinker and have tried to quit it before you know that it can be a very uncomfortable, if not painful, process.  So the main step to do this successfully is to do it in stages and slowly.  Start by weaning yourself off main offenders such as colas (even Diet Coke! or any soda for that matter), energy drinks, and chocolate.  Even some over the counter medications such as Anacin and Excedrin contain caffeine.  

That alone may take a week or so.  Once you are only consuming coffee it takes about a week or two depending on how many cups of coffee you consume on a daily bases.   Here’s a painless strategy to unhook from the caffeine drip:

Day 1: Today, have your usual amount of coffee. Yes, that is part of the process.

Day 2 – Day 3: Blend your regular coffee with 50% decaf (preferably certified organic). Drink that for the next three days.  Have at hand your favorite headache cure whether it's aspirin or peppermint essential oil. 

Day 4- Day 6: Have 25% regular coffee, 75% decaf.  By day 5 or 6, try to consume only one cup a day of this blend.

Day 7: Start drinking pure decaf. Yay, you are on decaf now.  However that is not caffeine free.

Day 9 - Day 12 : Continue drinking decaf.  Some people may need to this for a whole week depending on their addiction.

Day 13 - Day 14:  Most of the coffee drinking habit is, well, habit.  Begin to use a coffee substitute.  I tried INCA successfully.  There are many other in the market.  Find them at your local health food store.  Just remember these are not coffee and taste nothing like coffee.  You are trying to avoid caffein so think of it as a ritual placebo not coffee, you will be disappointed if you think it's replacing coffee.   Now you are caffeine free!

Kicking the caffeine habit can be incredibly difficult, but well worth your while. Your sleep will be longer and of higher quality,  quitting before you start a detox cleanse would make the cleanse a lot easier & quitting before going to an ashram will make waking up at 5 am a lot easier without coffee.   

Please let me know if you have any questions.  I am here to help.

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Eduardo Martinez and filed under essential oils, inspiration, wellness and tagged coffee quit coffee detox cleanse.

Want Happy Feets? Aromatheray blend to energize your step!

As we move into warmer days, awaken your senses with clean, refreshing scents.  Citrus aromas are naturally cleansing and energizing- think lemon, grapefruit, orange.  Peppermint, lime, ginger, eucalyptus and rosemary scents, to name a few, are all used to uplift the spirit and recharge the mind and body.  While reading Barbara Close's The Spa Deck, I ran into this great foot soother recipe which is just what my winter-tired feet are barking for.

Before I give you the recipe, make sure to look for pure therapeutic grade essential oils.  Don't use synthetic fragrances, only pure essential oils retain the healing properties of the plants from which they are derived.  I have a link to my favorite essential oil brand in my webpage

Rosemary Citron Sea Salt Foot Smoother

Want happy feet?  Try this after wearing uncomfortable shoes or standing for long periods.  It works its magic in part by helping to break up lactic acid deposits that causes feet to ache.

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl; set aside.  Soak feet in warm water for 10 minutes to soften the skin.  Rub mixture onto feet, concentrating on the rough patches.  Wrap feet in plastic and swaddle in a towel.  Leave on for 15 minutes.  Rinse with warm water.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Eduardo Martinez and filed under aromatherapy, essential oils, inspiration, wellness and tagged grapefruit aromatherapy rosemary essential oils lemon recipe aromatherapy blend.

Spicy Attitude: Frankincense not just for Baby Jesus

During the stormy transition from Summer into Fall,  I can feel a bit uprooted.  Whenever this feeling of being disconnected from the present arrives,  I try to stay focus on what is happening inside.   Yoga and meditation are a perfect way to stay rooted.  And as an aid to help me stay connected,  I use Frankincense Essential Oil. Frankincense is a  tree resin (i.e., Boswellia tree) that has been used and valued since ancient times for its medicinal, cosmetic, aromatic and spiritual applications.  I hear wise men tend to offer it as gift, and who am I to argue with wise men.

Emotionally, I find the aroma to be grounding, calming and relaxing without being sedating. The aroma is woody, earthy and also has a slightly spicy attitude to it.  The country of origin and variety of tree used to obtain the resin from which the essential oil is derived plays an important role in the quality of the Frankincense essential oil.  My favorite brand is from Young Living, you can also find in health-food stores, make sure to get therapeutic grade.   I enjoy diffusing frankincense oil while meditating or while practicing restorative yoga poses.

Additional use

Frankincense is great for your skin, it promotes the regeneration of skin and healthy cells ( there are technical paper written on this, but I am giving you my anecdotal testimonial!)  It is an excellent choice for preventing or reducing wrinkles when used topically and it helps fade scars from acne and surgery.  It also relieves itching skin.   Just apply a drops of frankincense to the affected area and that is it.  If you have sensitive skin, you can dilute a drop of frankincense in a carrier oil. Don't hesitate to contact me with questions or personal testimonial.

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Eduardo Martinez and filed under aromatherapy, essential oils, Uncategorized, Yoga and tagged frankincense.

Aromatherapy for your yoga practice

Chances are that if you have been around me in the last several years, you have come in contact with  my aromatherapy experiments - I do apologize for the Summer of patchouli ; experiments do come with sacrifices.
I am not gonna try  to explain what makes Essential Oils and Aromatherapy such a unique and interesting form of alternative medicine, I'll let you explore the information on you own.  I can only tell you that  it has made my health a lot better since I started using them.
There are different ways to use essential oils, and they have a lot of emotional and esoteric properties attributed to essential oils,  however I will concentrate on the practical ways in which I  use them during my yoga practice.  Needless to say,  if you tend to have allergies or have a specific condition, consult with your doctor before exploring the wonderful benefits of essential oils.
Before and After your Yoga Practice
  • Preparing the space: Diffusing oils like lemon essential oil, grapefruit essential oil, Thieves® essential oil or Purification® essential oil before or in between yoga class will purify the air while bringing a refreshing, uplifting energy to the space.
  • Cleaning:  For cleaning your yoga mat, props and or the area where you practice, you can use my formula.    Thieves household cleaner is a great non-toxic-disinfectant alternative for those of you who don't enjoy the DIY projects.

During your Yoga Practice

  • Meditation (dhyana): Diffuse or directly inhale oils such as lavender essential oil can sooth your mind and senses to become more open.  I find the calming quality of lavender very useful in softening my heart and opening my mind to the experience of meditation.  By the way, lavender is like the baking-soda of essential oils; it can practically be used in all circumstances (and a little trivia, the term Aromatherapy was named after the use of lavender essential oil to treat burn victims- royalty! )
  • Breathing (pranayama): The pure aroma of essential oils such as eucalyptus essential oil can assist in opening the pathways of your respiratory system (pharmaceutical companies reproduce synthetically this chemicals, but can we really surpass nature's wisdom?).  If I wake up with a stuffy nose, I diffuse eucalyptus essential oil in the room.  I sometime do a face steam bath with one drop of  eucalyptus essential oil...this is a stronger application for more severe nasal congestion, but so effective - again consult with your doctor if you have any medical condition.
  • Poses (asana): Topical application of oil-diluted peppermint  essential oil may help alleviate muscle soreness and tension.  Make sure you dilute the essential oil in a carrier oil such as almond oil.  I sometime use  lavender essential oil  to decrease post-practice muscle irritation or yoga mat burns.

If you have any comments or questions, please let me know.   There is a lot of information available through the Young Living website, the company I get my essential oils from.   I also have various aromatherapists available for questions.

How to Order Organic & High Quality Essential Oils? I created an ordering essential oils page with easy steps to make it easy.  There are a lot of products market as essential oils, but therapeutic grade oils are the ones to use for Aromatherapy...after all there is aroma & therapy in Aromatherapy!!

Experience life...better.

Posted on November 12, 2011 by Eduardo Martinez and filed under aromatherapy, cleaning, essential oils, Yoga, yoga mat, yoga poses and tagged aromatherapy essential oils and yoga practical uses for essential oils.