The organic way to control pests in the garden

New research suggests that essential oils can be used as insectersides. Rosemary, Thyme, Clove and Mint have been proven to deter pests in the garden and on the farm. As they're only plant extracts they don't need to be approved by the the appropriate governing bodies and are suitable for organic growers.

These killer spices are usually used in a combination of two or four spices, some pests are deterred by the spices and others irradicated. Also pests are less likely to build up resistance to the spices than they are to conventional insectacides. At present they only have a small amount of the market share but it's growing. Usually these insectacides are a mixture of the plant extract and water - that's it so you could make your own at home, just remember to shake before use as the oil and water will seperate when left for a while.

The only downsides are they need to be applied more often than regular pestacides and are less potent so more needs to be applied.

One for the bedroom

Here's a recipe for the bedroom. It's both romantic and relaxing so whether you want to curl up with your favourite book, or get physical with your favourite person (of the moment at least) then this recipe is just what you're looking for.

2 drops Bergamot
3 drops Jasmine
2 drops Ylang Ylang

Pure essential oils Vs poor quality essential oils

With legislation around the distribution of essential oils being so poor how do you tell the difference between real theraputic essential oils and plain fragrance or poor quality diluted oils? Many oils on the market today are cut with vegatable which saverely reduces the theraputic properties and wastes your money buying rubbish products that don't do the job you bought them for. When using oils for aromatherapy you should only use 100% pure essential oils together with a base oil. Check out the following video to help you decipher which oils are of a good quality and which are not.

Essential Oils the Gladiators Choice

Can you think of anything more macho than a gladiator? All of that fighting and muscles and costumes and stuff. Well if you're a guy and you use aromatherapy you can tell all of your mates that the Roman Gladiators used to aromatherpy to help keep them strong and vital, to help keep the nerves in check before battle, to ward off any colds so they wouldn't get sick and were at their best for battle. They used them as aphrodisiacs to help woo the women and they used essential oils after a fight to help sooth aching and tired muscles. Now I don't know about you but this doesn't seem very girly to me.

Aromatherapy in the present day has a very bad rep with the boys as being a bit sissy, if you were to tell the guys down the the pub or where ever you socialize that you use essential oils you'd probably never want to show your face there again. Now if you tell them about the gladiators it may just keep the micky taking down to a minimum.

Before the Romans essential oils were also used by the egyptians. They were such a treasured commodity that the pharaohs had essentials oils burried with them in their tomb with all of the other riches they'd accumulated.

Finally the greek athletes who took part in the original olymic games used essential oils regularly for the same reasons as the gladiators did. So if you want they edge in your health and fitness try using essential oils as a part of your daily routine, they're not just for girls

Free Yourself Of Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or as it's better known 'The Winter Blues' affect many of us to different degrees. Aromatherapy can help alleviate the symptoms and make winter a happier time. Citrus oils have an uplifting effect and are best inhaled in diffuser or oil burner. With the colder weather and darker nights approaching now is the time to stock up your cupboards in readiness for the impending winter. My favourite recipe is

3 drops grapefruit oil
3 drops orange oil

added to an oils burner with warm water. You'll notice the effect immediately as you inhale the mouthwatering scent of these sweet essential oils.

Stress Soothing Massage Oils Recipe

Had a hard day at work? Do you have a partner who is good enough to give you a massage? Watch this video for an excellent stress soothing massage oil.

Aromatherapy Stick, Seriously Cool

I saw this and just had to post it. Us men we like our gadgets don't we? Well here is one of the coolest gadgets I've see for aromatherapy. It's a USB essential oil diffuser. It's the size of a normal USB stick with a small pad for you to drop the essential oil into. Apparently it takes a few minutes to warm up and when it does it's just as good as any other type of diffuser. I generally use and candle burner on a shelf about a metre away from my laptop, right now I'm just relaxing whilst surfing the net so I'm burning some Lavender (lavendula Officinalis/Angustifolium) but when I need work I burn Rosemary which aids concentration. Rosemary is great for the kids too when they're doing their homework.

Most USB gizmo's that you see are really gimmicky with no practical applications. Yes, they're fun and yes, they can be a talking point in the office but I think this one is a real winner, just plug it add your preferred oil and away you go. Forget those energy drinks with caffeine, taurine and all that other stuff which taken regularly can be quite harmful, just get yourself one of these and a apple and a banana to boost your energy level

Seriously Cool!!!!!

I'd really appreciate your views on my posts like it or not please comment below

Aromatherapy Newbie

If you're seroius about using aromatherapy follow the link for some ideas of the things you will need in order to start using essential oils to improve the quality of your life and the health of your wallet.

http://bit.ly/ZHGAs

Reduce Eye Strain With Essential Oils

In these modern times much of our time can be spent in front of the computer whether it be at home surfing for pleasure and playing games or at work. Excessive time in front of the VDU screen can cause eye strain which on it's own may not be that bad but after a while many people start with headaches as well and the two combined can be very painful.

Aromatherapy can help. Although essential oils can never be dropped directly into the eye a hot or cold compress can help. The method is the same for either hot or cold compresses.

Take a bowl of hot or ice water and add
3 drops of Chamomile Essential Oil
2 drops of Lavender Essential Oil
Use a face cloth or your preferred absorbent fabric to dip into the water
Wring out and place over closed eyes, the heat/cold and essential oils will be absorbed into the eyelids
Once the cloth has reached body temperature repeat.

Full Back Massage Video

OK guys if you want to get into the good books with the lady in your life one of the best ways is to massage those aching muscles. Many people have no idea how to give a good and effective massage so here's a video to show you how.

I'd really like your views on the content on my posts like it or not please comment.

Lavender and mans best friend

Lavender is one of the most popular essential oils renound for it's relaxing properties. Studies have now found that Lavender is as helpful for dogs at relieving anxiety as it is for us.

Normally when you come home to your dog he'll be waiting at the door for you wagging his tail as happy as he always is but there'll always be times when you dog gets stressed Lavender is the perfect natural way to calm you dog down with no side effects. Click here to read more

Motion Sickness? Not Any More?

Anyone who's ever had motion sickness can tell you it's not very pleasant. In mild cases it gives you a dicky tummy in the worst cases it'll make you physically sick.

Here's recipe to help curb or even prevent altogether the onset of travel sickness.

2 drps peppermint pure essential oil
2 drps of ginger pure essential oil
10 ml carrier oil (grapeseed is the most popular)

Massage the chest and stomach in a clockwise direction about an hour before travelling.

Finally take a tissue and add 2 drops of peppermint and 2 drops and ginger essential oil to it and tuck it down the side of your seat. Alternatively you could add the drops to some kind of cloth or preferably a hand sized wheat bag and place over the heater which will blow the scent around your vehicle.

Essential Oils Buying Guide

Not all essential oils are equal. There is very little legistation with regard to what essential oils manufacturers have to put on the packaging. Many essential oils on the market today are diluted down and you wouldn't even know. To ensure you're buying premium quality here are a few tips.

1. Find out weather it's an established brand. Anyone can buy small(ish) amounts of cheap low quality essential oils from wholesalers with their own label on them and sell them from their website or ebay, and amazon etc.

2. Make sure the bottle has the latin name on it. This is the botanical name for the plant from where the oils is extracted. If you know this name you can find out the exact strain of the plant and discover how good it is.

3. Look to see if it says '100% pure' on the bottle, if not it's likely to be diluted down and not very good. It may small nice but it'll have no theraputic properties.

Make your own shaving oil

Years ago my barber recommended that I use shaving oils to shave with as they're the best product. You can buy these in all of the big retailer but they're expensive. The following video shows you how to make your own shaving oil using the same essential oils as one of the biggest high street brands for a fraction of the price.