This short-growing perennial produces very little chamazulene, so the resulting oil is pale yellow, not blue. It is a digestive stimulant and antispasmodic used for constipation and insomnia. Its applelike fragrance gives chamomile the Spanish name...
Cinnamon has an amazing variety of uses beyond flavor. It can treat a number of medical ailments, enhance mood, has antiseptic properties, and has even been used as an aphrodisiac.
Clary sage was mixed with ambergris, cinnamon, brandy and sugar into a popular European cordial for digestive problems and to improve the complexion. It still flavors muscatel wine and tobacco; the largest U.S. grower is the tobacco company R. J...
Not a picturesque plant with its grasslike leaves, vetiver’s (or vetivert) thin, aromatic roots are its treasure. They are distilled in Java, R‚union, Haiti, Brazil and India. Door and window screens (called tatties) and fans are woven in East...
The urinary system, consisting of the kidneys and bladder, regulates the body's water content and salt balance, and eliminates waste. The kidney determines what will be eliminated and what will be recycled. It is also involved in regulating blood...
Much of the ancient history of fragrance is shrouded in mystery. Anthropologists speculate that primitive perfumery began with the burning of gums and resins for incense.
The bowels can become irritated or infected by various foods. Even excitement or stress can agitate the bowels. Ginger, peppermint, fennel, coriander and dill help counter gas. Peppermint is specific for irritable-bowel syndrome. For constipation...
Care must be taken in treating children with essential oils, although there are any number of safe ones. Use one-third to one-half the adult dose, or a 1-percent dilution (five or six drops of essential oil per ounce of carrier oil), and don't...
Our health and vitality depend largely on how effectively we process and assimilate nutrients, as well as on how thoroughly we eliminate waste. What we eat is important, but so are how and when we eat. Creating a peaceful environment, eating fresh...
Antiseptic essential oils such as lavender and tea tree can be diluted in olive oil and rubbed around the outside of-never in-the ear and over the lymph nodes on the side of the neck. If the ear problem is caused by a throat infection, be sure to...
Kathi Keville