Aromatherapy can seem like smoke and mirrors if you're new to the wonderful world of essential oils. Between you, me, and the man on the moon it took me a bit to be convinced too. I don't do anything in my life without hours of research, pro/cons lists, and pestering everyone in my life by rambling about what I've learned. That's why transparency is so important to me as I run "Rooted in my Strength."
Let's get started! I get plenty of questions about what I use while I work with essential oils and create blends. First and foremost, all of my blends are carefully crafted with the recipient in mind- their needs, safety considerations, and unique scent preferences are all taken into consideration. That's part of the Consultation step in my 3-Step process, I don't add anything my client doesn't want. If a client hasn't experienced an oil that they are interested in I will send a sample for free for them to try. I will always go the extra mile to ensure blends are personal and enjoyable. I have a variety of tools I use while blending. From glass stir rods, pipettes, high quality essential oils, to gloves, massage therapy quality lotion, amber jars, and a double boiler- everything used is clean and inspected for any potential issues.
What are these strange things and how are they used? My most popular blends are lotions, I'll get into why in a minute. When creating a blend, assuming everything has been cleaned, inspected, and laid out, the first step is to pump the plain lotion base into an amber plastic jar. I measure each pump on a small kitchen scale to make sure the blend will be the correct dilution, again I'll dive into that in a bit. Typically I use 4 ounce jars, but I do have other sizes for use when necessary. Once the correct weight has been reached I'll add in the heart and soul of each blend- essential oils. Each drop is painstakingly counted until all oils are added, then I use a glass stir rod to incorporate the oils into the lotion. I like using nonporous materials like glass to ensure every benefit stays inside the jar. After mixing up the blend, the jar is sealed, labeled, packed into a bag with an informational sheet with every necessary detail, and shipped.
Now to get technical! Every client is as unique as their blend, and every blend has its own unique safety considerations. One of the ways I uphold those considerations is dilution. Essential oils are wonderful, powerful tools that can be used for great benefits- but they can also be harmful if used incorrectly. Enter dilution! There are certain oils best used at a certain content percentage, I've been taught through the Aromahead Institute to use a certain number of drops per ounce of carrier, creating a percentage of dilution. Blends can be at a 1%, 2%, or 3% dilution. And to keep that beautiful, fully unique blend from oxidizing I use amber colored jars. The darker color of the jar walls help prevent sunlight from engaging with the blend inside. Sunlight, heat, and essential oils do not mix. Ever. Oxidation can cause skin irritation and an ineffective blend.
Now we've discussed tools. What about tricks? I'm not in the business of fooling anyone. Again, one of my top priorities is transparency. These tricks may not sound fancy, but they sure are helpful when it comes to working with essential oils. One of the carriers I'm equipped to blend with is beeswax, which means I can make balms and salves. The neat thing about beeswax is how long it keeps. It's possible to pour a salve into several tins and keep them in a fridge until it's time to melt them down to add oils. I do prefer to blend salves and balms to order, I just think it's neat! Speaking of cool waxes, did you know jojoba oil is actually a wax? And to make it even better, jojoba never goes rancid! That's why I love to use jojoba in everything possible, usually personal rollers- which are a great way to target a specific area on the body by the way. This next one might sound a little obvious, but an amazing trick to use is to try new combinations and use aromatherapy daily. My latest find is to combine witch hazel on a cotton round with a drop of lavender for scrapes and bug bites. Every day I'm studying my notes and trying fresh combinations to unlock new understandings from the oils in my kit.
At the end of the day, I am so glad I started this journey. And I'm certain you will enjoy your journey, too. You deserve peace and comfort, naturally. Let's Connect and discuss what aromatherapy can do for you.
Peace to you,
Willow R.
Owner, Rooted in my Strength
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