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Aromatherapy During Pregnancy
Pregnancy brings about all sorts of new physical and emotional stresses that you’re not used to. Your body goes through massive changes, which has implications in all sorts of little ways you might not expect. And everyone knows about the emotional up and downswings that can come with pregnancy. There are a number of ways that aromatherapy can help using the essences of nature to make you feel good during this wonderful time.
Essential Oil Air Therapy for Pregnancy
Pregnancy Stress Relief: Try adding a few drops of Lavender essential oil in an aromatherapy diffuser is a great stress reliever. Our Lavender Spray Mist is also works well and is convenient to bring and use anywhere. Great before, during and after labour.
Sleep: One of the most common complaints of being pregnant is not being able to sleep. Our Aromatherapy Sleep Collection has 3 different ways to safely help you sleep better during pregnancy.
Increasing Energy during Pregnancy: Adding a few drops of our Rejuvenating Essential Oil Blend in an aromatherapy diffuser or using our Rejuvenating Spray Mist can help increase energy and take the mind off pain and problems. Great before and after labour.
Skin Care
The abdomen and breasts increase in size quickly during pregnancy and childbirth resulting in what is commonly known as stretch marks. Once they form, they’re very difficult to get rid of. Our Stretch Mark Prevention Oil is an effective solution. If they’ve already formed, our Skin Repair Moisturizing Butter can help reduce them while also relieving dry skin and easing muscle pains.
100% Natural Wellness Treatments
Nausea Remedy:A convenient and effective solution for dealing with nausea related to pregnancy is our Headache Relief Roll-on. This can be applied on the temples and the back of neck. A few drops of peppermint essential oil, inhaled from a diffuser or a from a tissue is another option. You can also try our Morning Sickness Spray recipe.
Hemorrhoids Remedy: It may sound strange but our Arthritis, Joint & Muscle Pain Treatment is unbelievably effective at increasing circulation, reducing pain & inflammation, and relieving itchiness.
Headache & Body Pain Remedy: Our Headache Relief Roll-on not only helps ease headaches, but also the backaches and leg cramps that can come with pregnancy. It also lifts the spirits and increases energy.
Labour: Many essential oils that should be avoided during pregnancy can be very helpful during labour. Our Labour Oil Recipe uses them to ease the labour process.
When you’re pregnant, you don’t want to get worn down by all the associated physical and emotional conditions. Aromatherapy gives you a natural, chemical-free way of dealing with those stresses so you can focus on what really matters most, welcoming your new baby into the world.
*Note: Be aware that some essential oils should be avoided during pregnancy in concentrations higher than 1%. Any of the following that are included in recommended products above are in concentrations lower than 1%.
Essential Oils to Avoid During Pregnancy: Cedarwood, Cinnamon, Clary Sage, Clove, Cypress, Fennel, Jasmine, Juniper, Marjoram, Peppermint, Rosemary
Essential Oils to Avoid in First trimester: Chamomile, Frankincense, Geranium, Rose
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As you may have read here, Escents is proud to support The Environmental Youth Alliance (EYA) and the work that they do. We are very aligned with their mandate of bringing nature to the youth of this area, and we’re finding all sorts of ways to connect with them and do great things together.
On Tuesday, I joined with Jennifer, Nancy and Rebecca from our Head Office in a special planting day at the Strathcona Community Garden in Vancouver. It was a sunny and beautiful afternoon, and we showed up eager to work, sporting lots of sunscreen and our gardening duds. We learnt that the gardens actually span more than 7 acres in total, and while they service local residents wishing to have a small plot of land to call their own, there are also many programs run out of the gardens that benefit youth in the city.
We began with a tour of the grounds with our hosts, Hartley, Matt, Kazumi and Julia, then found ourselves at what would become an Aromatherapy Garden, just waiting to be transformed. We weeded the plot, shoveled dirt, made beds, then planted rows of lavender, eucalyptus, and peppermint. For a neat-and-tidy perfectionist like myself, it was fun to let go of the need to keep my hands clean, roll up my sleeves and play in the dirt. It was also very gratifying to see the area we worked on transform from a weedy dry patch of tired old soil, to a fertile bed that would grow lavender and other wonders.
Rebecca takes a small rest while Matt creates a pathway between the beds
If you haven’t already discovered a community garden in your area, we would highly recommend doing so; it was a perfect way to spend an afternoon and I can see that gardening could be highly addictive, even if it did require a soak with a Muscle Relief Bath Bomb when it was all over!
Rebecca and Nancy help Matt plant the seedlings
The finished Aromatherapy Garden!
Keep watching here for more updates on our activities with the EYA, and by all means, consider volunteering with them or making a financial contribution to their efforts.
Happy Gardening!
-Tara (Sales and Marketing)
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Escents Staffer Alina
We’ve asked our staff to tell us what THEIR favorite Escents products are in short blog entry contest. This is the first of a series of posts we’ll be sharing from staff at our various locations:
Five years ago, I was introduced to Escents, not knowing anything about essential oils or aromatherapy. I was obsessed with their Green Tea and Tahitian Vanilla Aroma Blends. Not too long ago, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, as well as slight scoliosis, rheumatoid arthritis, loosened joints, psoriasis and possible lupus as well as IBS. Everyday is a struggle for me, even just waking up takes a lot of effort. I feel very limited in what I can do, including limited memory and energy, even though I am just 20 years of age, I feel like I am in an 80 year old’s body.
There are numerous medications my doctor has tried me on, but a lot of it did not help, and only caused more problems. It’s a miracle that I stepped into Escents in the first place. I have learned a lot about the products and have switched over from most medications to essential oils. And with this in mind, I have showed a lot of friends and family as well as clients a natural way to help ease their pains through my experience
I have a hard time choosing just one product from Escents that I favor, but there are several that have really changed my life. The first product is the Headache Relief Roll-On (Peppermint and Lavender). It’s hard to even describe how amazing it really is. I roll it on my knees, my back, my neck, my head, and anywhere I get pain. I also use it for the wretched stomach aches I get every morning as the peppermint eases nausea. The peppermint is also a stimulant, so at the same time while it is working its magic on my sore muscles, it aids with my concentration, energy levels and memory.
The second product is our Arthritis Treatment Gel, which I dab on my fingers, toes, ankles, as well as my knees and back again, which are the most painful. When I was diagnosed with the Fibromyalgia, the specialist had prescribed me sleeping pills, which of course, didn’t help. I was talking to a lady who used to be on sleeping pills herself, she had come to the store to purchase the Sleep Roll-On (Blue Chamomile and Ylang Ylang) she believed so much in this product that I had to try it myself. I will admit I was a bit skeptical at first, but when I laid down in my bed, and rolled it on my wrists and forehead, I was out for the count, which is very hard as I am usually tossing and turning and cracking throughout my sleep during the night.
Being introduced to essential oils has probably been one of the most life changing experiences in my life. And I just love sharing my experiences with others, so when they give it a try, they come back smiling telling me it worked!
-Alina
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Insomnia is a problem for many people. Not getting enough sleep makes it harder to perform your daily activities, both mental and physical. It also weakens your immune system. There are many great tip articles for improving their sleep patterns (here’s one I like), but sometimes it’s not enough and people need a little extra help. Sleep Aromatherapy using particular essential oils can give you a little extra help getting to sleep naturally without chemical drugs.
Create a Relaxing, Aromatherapy Sleep Ritual
To make the best use of aromatherapy methods, create a customized, anxiety-reducing relaxation ritual for yourself in the 1-2 hours leading up to bed time. A good friend of mine was having trouble sleeping due to stress and anxiety. She developed the following routine and now sleeps like a baby and even looks forward to bedtime. She starts by taking a relaxing aromatherapy bath or shower, lighting a candle or running her aromatherapy diffuser in the bathroom while she bathes. When she gets out, she writes down her worries in a journal and lets her mind rest knowing that she can handle them in the morning. She then sprays a heated shoulder wrap with lavender aroma mist then reads until she falls asleep.
Essential Oils that Help You Sleep
Lavender oil, chamomile roman oil, ylang ylang oil, marjoram oil, and clary sage oil all have sleep-inducing qualities. They can be used on their own or you can mix these essential oils to create your own sleep-inducing essential oil blend. You can also try Escents’ own Sleep essential oil blend.
4 Ways to Use Aromatherapy to Help You Sleep
1) Aromatherapy Diffusers. Add 15-20 drops of your chosen essential oils or our Sleep essential oil blend to some water in an ultrasonic diffuser and turn it on when you go to bed. It will purify and permeate the air in your bedroom with your chosen oils. Be sure to use one that shuts off automatically like our ultrasonic blue light diffuser you don’t have get up and turn it off. Do NOT use a candle diffuser. Candles should never be left unattended.
2) Essential Oil Mists. Add 40 drops of essential oils to an unscented mist. You can also our Lavender Aroma Mist or our Sleep Aroma Mist, which was recently recommended on Dooce.com. Lightly spray the mist on bed linens before getting into bed to go to sleep.
3) Roll-On Therapy. Add 20 drops to an unscented roll-on or try our Sleep Aromatherapy Roll-On. Apply to wrists and neck before going to sleep.
4) Relaxing Aromatherapy Bath or Shower. Add 10-20 drops of essential oils to 30ml of unscented bath oil or unscented wash & bubble bath. Draw a nice, warm bath adding the mix to your water. Make sure the water is not too hot or cold or else it may stimulate you rather than relax you. Alternatively, you can use our wash & bubble as a body wash in the shower.
Have you found an essential oil blend or aromatherapy ritual that works well against insomnia? Please comment and let me know! 
Jacqui MacNeill
17:
We’ve been back for almost a week and have finally managed to compile all our information, new varieties of Lavender that we brought back and photos of all the gorgeous scenery we found.
Day two of our trip found us visiting two more farms on the Saanich Penninsula of Vancouver Island (just outside Victoria). We visited Happy Valley Farm and Kersey Lavender Farm. It was great to meander through the area and see lots of local growers of not just lavender, but all sorts of things! We could not have asked for a more perfect day; the dappled sunlight was hitting us as we made our way to the ferries.
Escents is always searching out new suppliers, products and ideas, and we were happy to bring back a couple bottles of some new English Lavender with us. While both Nina and I are reluctant to let the bottles out of our sight, we have shared the scent with everyone who can smell. The English variety (Escents uses a lot of French Lavender in its products) is completely different and so intoxicating! If only the internet had a scratch and sniff option…
Tara at Kersey Farm
We’re currently trying to source more of this from one of the farms that we visited so that we can look at creating some new products with this new scent. We’ll keep you updated as we make progress on that.
Our mission to Vancouver Island to explore all things Lavender was a tremendous success. We finished the day by making the ferry just in time, then spotting some whales breaching off the side of the ship. Successful all around.
Pretty Ferry Scenery
The third and final post for our little adventure will be a recipe! We bought some culinary lavender and will be playing with it later this week. The Escents staffers will get to taste-test, but we’ll share the recipe here.
16:
Bergamot
Bergamot is an ornamental citrus tree producing small, slightly pear shaped fruit which are green and turn yellow as they ripen. Originating from the tropical areas in Asia, it has a sweet, fresh, complex citrus scent.
Bergamot leaves more commonly know for their inclusion in Earl grey tea, but they are also used extensively in the flavouring and perfume industry. In aromatherapy, bergamot essential oil is favoured for its mentally uplifting qualities, for its benefits for the skin and a variety of other uses.
Here are just a few of the many ways bergamot oil can be used:
1. Mood Enhancement. Add 10-20 drops in an aromatherapy diffuser to help ease stress, anxiety, and depression. Alternatively, try applying our Stress Relief essential oil roll-on (containing Neroli and Bergamot) to your neck, temples, and back of the neck. Or try taking a time-out in the bath with our Stress Relief bath bomb.
2. Muscle Tension & Inflammation. Add 6-8 drops to 30ml or 1oz of unscented massage oil and massage it into the affected area. Try following up with our Rejuvenating Hand & Body Lotion to help the effects linger.
3. Acne/Problem Skin. Because bergamot is naturally antiseptic and anti-fungal, it can be used in a solution to treat acne, athlete’s foot, eczema, fungal skin infections and more. Create your own solution to all these problems by adding 10-20 drops to 30ml or 1oz of comfrey gel.
4. Digestive Problems. Bergamot activates and increases secretions of digestive acids, facilitating digestion. It also regulates the peristaltic motion of the intestines to aid digestion. Try adding 6-8 drops to 30ml or 1oz of unscented massage oil and massage it into your stomach area.
*Note: Bergamot is very sensitive to sunlight. Avoid using it when it has been exposed to sun.
Bergamot is so versatile, we use it in a wide variety of our essential oil blends, including Rejuvenating, Breeze, Muse, and Stress Relief. Which ones are your favourites?
Jacqui MacNeill
13:
Keeping skin care simple
Recently Jacqui MacNeill, founder and owner of Escents was featured in the North Shore News talking about our new Thera Skin Collection. Find out how your skin care could actually be aging your skin and what went in to developing this collection. Read the entire article Skin care line keeps it simple.
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Give skin a healthy glow.
In developing Thera – Skin, our recently released anti-aging skin care line, I consulted a wide variety of scientific studies about the causes of aging. What many people don’t realize is that the #1 cause of premature aging is chronic inflammation of the skin, which I discussed when I recently appeared on Urban Rush. This became the central focus in our development of Thera – Skin to give women beautiful skin that’s softer, clearer and defies age.
About Inflammation
Inflammation is an essential part of the body’s healing process. It occurs at the cellular level when the immune system tries to fight off disease-causing germs and repair injured tissue. It can be invisible (internal) or visible. Hives or pimples, for example, occur when blood vessels dilate near the skin’s surface to enhance blood flow, which in turn facilitates healing. Redness, heat and/or swelling can also occur alongside inflammation.
When the fight is over, the army of inflammation-triggering substances is supposed to retreat, but in many cases it doesn’t. When the skin is involved, it can accelerate fine lines, wrinkles and enlarged pores, as well as puffiness, sagging, blotchiness or reddening of the skin.
Environmental & Lifestyle Factors that Can Cause Unhealthy Inflammation
- Environmental pollutants. Exposure to air pollution, second-hand smoke. The sun’s UV rays can also generate free radicals (highly reactive oxygen molecules), which can produce an inflammation in the skin.
- Dietary factors. Unhealthy fats, such as partially hydrogenated oils, trans fats and polyunsaturated vegetable oils, as well as highly refined carbohydrates like sugary or starchy processed foods.
- Chronic stress. Skimping on sleep and ongoing stress can alter your body’s internal chemistry by revving up the production of cortisol, a hormone that can predispose your body to increased inflammation.
- Family history. If arthritis, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease or auto-immune diseases like multiple sclerosis run in your family, you’re at greater risk for chronic inflammation. Discuss your family history with your doctor.
Simple Solutions to Prevent Chronic Inflammation/Premature Aging
1. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet. Eat plenty of whole grains and fruits and vegetables (preferably organic) from every part of the color spectrum; monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, nuts and avocados; and sources of omega-3 fatty acids (i.e. salmon, walnuts, flaxseed, etc). Use ginger or turmeric as seasonings.
2. Look for the right supplements. Taking vitamin and mineral supplements that contain antioxidants like vitamins C and E and alpha lipoic acid can help combat the inflammatory damage. Ask your doctor what supplements are safe for you.
3. Stay physically active. Getting 30-45 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise 5 or more times per week may help reduce inflammation.
4. Use Thera-Skin products for your specific skin type. Determine whether your skin is Oily/Acne-Prone, Anti-Aging (mature), Sensitive, Normal/combination then choose the appropriate Thera – Skin products. Thera-Skin products reduce inflammation, protect cell structures and are powerful anti-oxidants, but they work best when you use the right ones for your skin type.
5. Watch overexposure to sun. Wear protective clothing whenever possible and use a sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays to prevent the sun’s damaging effects.
Thera-Skin and How it Combats Chronic Inflammation
Thera-Skin contains natural plant & mineral derived ingredients at dose levels that have demonstrated proven results. This meant using the most rigorous testing methods used for skin care products including: dermatologist testing, ophthalmologist approval, ingredient efficacy testing, and consumer approval, with absolutely no animal testing. We use only gentle preservatives known to cause less skin irritation and inflammation, and have no undesirable ingredients like parabens, mineral oils, lanolin, talc, sodium lauryl or laureth sulfates.
If you’d like to try our new skin care line before buying full-sized bottles, check out our Thera-Skin starter sizes.
10:
The day started Early. I had spent the night before prepping and packing, then woke up nice and early to pick up Nina, the manager of our Park Royal store, so that we could begin our Island Lavender Adventure.
Anticipating traffic and line-ups at the ferry terminal, we left quite early and found ourselves with some time to get a coffee (oh, yes!) and spend a little time catching up on our various mobile applications.
We arrived without incident and headed north, to our first farm – the owners weren’t able to give us a first hand tour, but we did have a wander and get a few photos to take with us. We also found a breezy spot to steal a walk on the ocean. Nina and I seem to have a love of the open water in common.
Next, we headed up island to Damali Lavender Farm. Here’s a link to their website, and we’ll report more on that once we check into our hotel and have some dinner.
Cheers,
Nina & Tara (Sales & Mktg Manager)
05:
Vancouver Island Lavender Farm
In this time of environmental awareness, Escents is focused on helping to instill values in our youth to help drive the movement toward sustainability and conservation. It is the youth of the world that will carry the torch and be the future activists for nature.
In Canada, we are blessed to have wide open natural spaces still. We have clean water, and an abundant supply of trees, plants, forests and land for wildlife to thrive in. In most cities we have nature in close proximity to schools so that our youth can see and experience nature’s beauty and bounty first-hand, but we believe that there are opportunities to take that experience further, to get our youth more aware and actively involved with nature and its conservation.
I recently met with a representative of the Environmental Youth Alliance (EYA). We brainstormed ideas on how our two organizations can better work together to foster awareness of where our food supply comes from and to foster an understanding of how plants are an integral function of our lives. We’re working on some initiatives that we’ll continue to outline over the next year. As part of our relationship, we are committed to helping their growing Vancouver chapter.
As part of EYA’s event program, we discussed creating events that will increase awareness of essential oils by bringing some in from Canadian farms for children to experience, and by demonstrating how lavender essential oil is extracted using a small distill. These new Canadian-grown essential oils will also eventually be available to our customers. Working with Canadian farmers, we also plan to create a video documenting the “Seed to Harvest Cycle,” which will be presented at these events.
Escents is working closely with EYA because we believe in the importance of plants and nature in our society, communities and our youth. Stay tuned for more information on these initiatives currently in development with EYA. If you’re interested in attending EYA events or volunteering to help support their initiatives, visit their website, or contact Tara Caffelle at Escents Aromatherapy.
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