Being busy during the holiday season can fight against the body's natural desire to relax and hibernate. Instead of grabbing that sugary soda or energy drink when feeling tired, try one of these energizing scents to help boost energy levels naturally.
Whenever I have a bad cough — take the last EIGHT days for instance — I'll take a hot shower for some temporary relief. The warmth of the heat coupled with the steam helps moisturize my dry and irritated throat and helps loosen the phlegm in my chest. Because the cold I have this week is especially brutal, my friends have been offering me all sorts of remedies, like these Aura Cacia eucalyptus shower tabs ($6). You put one of these tabs on the shower floor with you and as the hot water dissolves it, your bathroom becomes turns into a eucalyptus steam room. Besides eucalyptus, there are also peppermint and lavender tabs available.
This whole process is pretty similar to making a steam bowl with essential oils, except that you get a lot more of it at once. And because eucalyptus is a natural decongestant, taking a shower with one of these tabs really helps clear up my sinuses and loosen up my cough. My only gripe is that they are ultimately pretty pricey, and don't last an incredibly long during a shower. I think I might experiment with this concept by putting a few drops of eucalyptus oil on the shower floor, or hanging a bundle of fresh eucalyptus in the shower.
To create a spa-like environment in your bathroom, simply add some herbs. One of my favorite scents is rosemary, which adds a spicy, bracing scent to a room. Cut the herb, wrap it with ribbon or thread, and hang it from your shower. Then, as you bathe, the hot steam will release the scent of the herb and wake up your senses as you scrub and shampoo. Other great herbs to try include peppermint, lavender, or sage.
No matter how healthy my lunch is there are still days where I hit that dreaded afternoon slump. My eyes begin to glaze over and I start to zone out at my desk. A quick walk outside usually helps, but, depending on my workload, I can't always get away.
Luckily I've found a quick and simple solution in the form of rosemary or peppermint oil. I know that there are doubts surrounding the validity of aromatherapy, but I definitely feel refreshed after taking a small whiff of these oils — I'm more awake, lifted, and ready to work.
If oils are hard for you to find, keep a lemon at your desk for afternoon sniffing. Citrus fragrances, especially lemons, have been shown to lift people's moods.
Have you ever used aromatherapy as a pick-me-up? If not, how do you beat your afternoon slump? Tell me in the comments section below.
Aromatherapy is immensely popular nowadays. It seems like everywhere you go, you can find rose geranium-infused candles, citrus and bergamont room sprays, and lavender-scented eye pillows. I enjoy these sweet smells, and my spirit is often buoyed by them. However, recent research is saying that aromatherapy doesn't work — well, at least not for the two popular scents lavender and lemon.
Researchers at Ohio State University conducted a two-year study that included scientifically rigorous testing of the body's physical changes when people smelled popular scents — and they came up with nothing. Patients were subjected to stressors, like dipping a foot in icy water (sounds fun), and even when patients were told to sniff lavender because it had destressing abilities, it didn't do a thing for their bodies' physical stress levels. They found that lemon did lift people's moods, but it didn't affect their heart rates, blood pressure, immune functions, or stress hormones.
Scientists admitted that the results surprised them. Even the people who believed in the power of aromatherapy — those who regularly bought scented products — didn't show any physical reactions to what they sniffed.
So according to this study (which cost nearly $374,000, by the way), aromatherapy may not be a cure for illnesses or pain, and it may boost your immune system. When it comes down to it, if smelling a scent makes you happy, having a sniff certainly won't hurt you. What do you think? Is aromatherapy a bunch of quackery, or do you think it really can heal the body and make you feel better?
Scents have an amazing way of transforming your mood and calming your nerves. They can help relieve stress and bring your mind, body, and spirit into balance. A great way to introduce aroma into a room is by using one of these Brass Light Bulb Rings. They're inexpensive ($1.95), easy to use, and don't take up a lot of space.
They're also a lot safer than using a scented candle or a diffuser that uses an open flame, especially if you have pets or kids running around. All you do is place a drop or 2 of essential oil in the ring, then add a teaspoon of water. Place the ring on top of the light bulb, turn on the light, and within minutes, the light bulb heats the oil and diffuses the scent into the air. These brass rings are much better than the clay ones that can crack easily. Plus they're easy to clean when you want to switch to a new scent.
Dear's Advice: You definitely want to use essential oils because synthetic (man-made) oils can give you a major headache and won't diffuse well. My favorite essential oils to use are lavender, clary sage, bergamot and rose geranium. They smell amazing!
Light, soothing scents have the amazing power to calm me down instantly. I've tried using lotions, candles, scented room sprays and even oils to surround myself with a certain smell, but the scent can be too obnoxiously strong (not so good for allergies or asthma) or it can quickly fade away. Plus using a candle around two young girls and a dog is not exactly safe.
Then I found the Hubmar Nebulizer. You plug it in, fill it with water, add a few drops of essential oil, and it disperses scent into the air safely and evenly, without making a sound.
If you want scent to disperse at a certain time or speed, you can digitally program it. You don't even have to keep an eye on it because it will automatically shut off when the water level gets too low.
You can order one from Aviva for $69.99. We have one at my yoga studio and as soon as I walk in, the scent gently reminds me to move slowly and take deep breaths. I'm relaxed just thinking about it. This might just be the best way to beat the Monday blaahhhs.
Life is about making messes and then cleaning them up. Often making the mess is more enjoyable than cleaning the mess, but I have found cleaning up with Mrs. Meyer's Aromatherapeutic Cleaning Products make that little competition a toss up.
These cleaning products are heavily scented with fragrances of either Lavender, Lemon Verbena or Geranium, but not cloyingly so. The aroma of the sprays, counter wipes and dish soaps is so pleasing, you find yourself going the extra mile with your cleaning, just to keep the aromatherapy going.
On the "green" tip these products pass the sniffy test too. They are made from naturally derived ingredients whenever possible, like corn, sugar cane, coconut and palm or safe synthetics when necessary. The packaging is recyclable and the products, often made in concentrated formulas that require smaller amounts clean effectively, are biodegradable too.
You can shop by fragrance on the Mrs. Meyer's website or use their store locator to find a store close to you if you prefer to sniff before you buy. The products are on the pricey side, a 16 ounce bottle of dish soap costs $4.99 - but for the calming pleasure they bring it is worth it.
If you're looking for something unique and fun to give for a wedding favor (it's also fun even if you're not getting married), I've got to tell you about Lunaroma Aroma Bubbles.
I went to a wedding a few years ago and bubbles were handed out to all of the guests to blow at the newly married couple. It was fun blowing bubbles and seems so much better than rice since it is bad for the birds, or birdseed that can make its way down your cleavage. Plus, floating bubbles are angelic.
Want to know more about them? Then read more
Your extremities (hands and feet) are normally the coldest part on your body. That’s because your body is sending the heat to its core, to keep your vital organs at the right temperature.
What you need is a pair of Polar Fleece Microwavable Slippies. You can warm the slippers in a microwave and these slippies contain a special blend of treated flax seed and wonderfully relaxing herbs.
Simply “cook” them in a microwave for about 90 seconds, and then you'll feel the soothing effects of heat and aromatherapy on your tired aching feet.
Slippies can be reheated thousands of times and will keep your feet warm for up to 2 hours with each heating. You can also freeze them to treat sprains, bruising and swelling.
Fit's Tips: Sounds like a great Valentine's gift idea to me. Is the expression - "Cold feet, warm heart?"
