29:
Good tips on aromatherapy for breastfeeding moms over at The Healthy Moms:
http://www.thehealthymoms.net/2009/06/aromatherapy-for-breastfeeding-moms.html
The Leader gets on the anti-bug bandwagon with the help of lemongrass oil:
http://www.theleader.info/article/18650/aromatherapy-insect-bites/
The Daily Green has some great tips for using olive oil; I’m thinking you could substitute almond or jojoba oil for a lot of these tips and get the same effect:
http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/olive-oil-benefits-uses-460609
29:
Last week I got a great email from Nina, our store manager at Park Royal. She sent me a list of reasons why Escents is a unique company, and I thought I’d share it with you:
1. Our customer service: Escents staff know all about our products because we love to use them ourselves, and we can always help people find exactly what they need.
2. Custom blending: where else can you find a huge range of unscented products that can be blended with oils in endless combinations?
3. Escents is proud to be Canadian, and that shows in our community outreach and our policy of no animal testing.
4. Our products are unisex and for people of all ages. Escents blends are for everybody.
5. Our products are scented with pure essential oils. They smell good and are good for you.
6. Our packaging is attractively simple: all our efforts go into what’s inside.
Thanks for the great list, Nina!
ETA: Got another email, this one from Fanyee at the West Broadway location. She agrees with a lot of Nina’s points, and adds:
-We focus on natural ingredients: no parabens, no artificial colors and organic!
- We are a family of closely knit stores that share the same passion and dream: great products and customer service!
- We have loyal customers that have been with us since the beginning
- We are constantly developing new products with the customers in mind (e.g. organic baby line, matcha tea)
- We take the time to get to know our customers when developing a scent or blend for them
- We have great promotions that allow customers to try new products
- We are an excellent source of knowledge for our customers and are committed to learning more!
Thanks Fanyee!
22:
It looks like one of my favourite essential oils is getting some press for its antimicrobial properties: according to foodnavigator.com, orange essential oil is useful in fighting salmonella:
“Essential oils from citrus offer the potential for all natural antimicrobials for use in improving the safety of organic or all natural foods,” said the researchers.
This is timely, considering my recent post about the properties of lavender: Escents’ new line of organic baby products, Baby Soothe, features both organic lavender and orange essential oils. Orange you glad when science meets scent? (Sorry, couldnt resist!)
18:
There’s no question that summer is the Season of Feet. Sandals expose your feet to the elements, unfortunately making your feet look worse for wear at the time when they’re most noticeable. There are lots of easy ways to keep your feet looking good while avoiding summertime problems like toenail fungus, bacteria, cracked heels, and hangnails. And the best part is that you can do it yourself, on-the-go, in very little time.
The Aromatherapy Pedicure You Can Keep in Your Purse
A pedicure has three basic purposes: to clean thoroughly and prevent fungus and infection; to soften skin and nails; and (last but not least) to prettify your feet! With a little preparation, you can create a purse pedicure—a quick way to freshen up feet when you need to get somewhere quick.
Antibacterial Foot Cleansing Gel
Mix approximately 25 ml of Escents comfrey gel, or carrier gel of your choice, with 3 drops each of Tea Tree and Lavender essential oils. Store in a small jar or bottle and keep in a dark place (like the inside of your purse). To use, rub a tiny bit between toes and around toenails, or on underside of foot. Let dry.
The comfrey and arnica in the carrier gel will help with any redness or bruising and feel nice and cool on the skin. Lavender is an anti-inflammatory that will take away puffiness, and help heal any tiny nicks or cuts. Tea Tree oil is antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral: a must-have ingredient for anyone who wears sandals (or bare feet) in high-traffic public places like swimming pool decks and change rooms. Use this gel after you’ve been walking outside, and you will dramatically cut your chances of developing an infection.
Skin-Softening Oil for Legs and Feet
Almond oil makes a great cuticle softener. Add 2 drops each of peppermint and eucalytpus to 10 ml of an oil of your choice (again, I like almond oil for this, but jojoba also works very well). Apply one drop of the oil mixture to each toenail, and let it soak in, gently massaging the surface of the nail. You should now be able to gently push the cuticle back without breaking the skin. Regularly pushing back your cuticles helps to keep your toenails healthy and prevents the cuticle from splitting and cracking. This oil is also great for dry heels, and if used immediately after a walk or beach session, can help prevent dried-out skin from cracking.
Paint ‘Em Up!
Once your feet are disinfected and moisturized, you can take out a bottle of polish and do a touch-up job on any chips or flakes. If your nails are still soaking in oil, it’s a good idea to use a polish-corrector pen to swipe over the area you wish to paint. This will remove any remaining oil from the surface and will smooth out the edges of the polished area so that your touch-up job will be even less noticeable. Put matching polish on the chipped areas, and use the polish corrector pen on any places where you’ve happened to get polish on your skin.
That’s it, done! Four small containers, three easy steps, and two clean, soft, pretty feet.
18:
Lavender essential oil is one of the best-loved and most used essential oils, and is usually the first oil that people buy when they are learning about aromatherapy. But why is lavender so popular, and what makes it so special?
The key to lavender’s popularity is its versatilty. There’s not a lot that lavender can’t do!
The Many Uses of Lavender Essential Oil:
Lavender is an anti-inflammatory and calms redness on the skin, which makes it great for treating blemishes.
Lavender is an analgesic, which means it can topically treat aches and pains. Use it in a massage oil for tense muscles.
Lavender is an antiseptic; applied to burns or wounds, it can help prevent infection.
Lavender is an antibiotic; use it in a steam inhalation to treat secondary infections caused by colds or flu.
Lavender is an insect repellant; use it to protect your stored clothes and linens from bugs, while lightly scenting them.
Until July 6th, Escents is giving away free lavender essential oil (and other lavender products) with online purchases of $50.oo or more. Check it out at www.escents.ca !
15:
Everyone knows how to prepare their skin for the beach: you’ve got your sunscreen, your wide-brimmed floppy hat, your SPF lip balm. But not everyone knows how to treat their skin during the aftermath of a beach weekend, when your sun-kissed skin starts to feel dry, tired, and maybe even a bit flaky.
There are lots of natural ways to help out your skin. Staying hydrated is very important, as is staying out of direct sunlight in the first place. The juice from aloe plant leaves is great, too, but it can be a little messy to slather on (plus you can’t carry a plotted plant around with you in your beach bag). The more convenient store-bought aloe gels often have alcohol as their main ingredient—not helpful if you’re looking to actually hydrate.
My favourite way to do after-sun treatment is to find a light carrier gel, like Escents’ Comfrey Gel, and add some skin-soothing essential oils. The little 100 ml jar doesn’t take up much space on my overcrowded bathroom shelf, and it will fit in a purse if I’m expecting to need it later. Here’s a handy recipe for treating skin that’s had too much sun:
After-Sun Aromatherapy Skin Treatment
100 ml Comfrey Gel
15 drops Lavender Essential oil
2 drops Bergamot Free Essential Oil*
3 drops Geranium Essential Oil
5 drops Chamomile Blue Essential Oil
5 drops Rosewood Essential Oil
You could buy these oils separately, as they’re all very useful for multiple purposes, and geranium and lavender are excellent for skincare in general. Or, you could drop in to any Escents location and ask them to make this skincare treatment for you right then. Instant gratification! If you’re on the way to Kits beach, check out the Escents on Broadway and Trafalgar, and then you can mosey on down to the water with the knowledge that you are fully prepared for sun.
*Make sure you use “Bergamot Free” Essential oil, and not just plain Bergamot. Did you know that Bergamot is a photosensitizer? That means that there are ingredients in it that, when applied directly to your skin in its pure form, can make your skin sensitive to sunlight, possibly even causing it to burn. Luckily, you can buy Bergamot Free oil, which is pure Bergamot that has had the photosensitizing agent removed.
06:
Hello, everyone! The move went well last week; a very stressful process, but positive in the end.
It’s quite busy in the Willowbrook Escents today. There is a group of young cheerleaders in the center court of Willowbrook Mall, promoting their cheerleading school. It’s pretty cute. They are taking little volunteer girls ages 3 and up and gently throwing them up in the air. It made my day, as they are all so happy and cheerful to watch.
The weather this week has been unbelievably hot, yet enjoyable! I’ve been soaking my self in Revitalizing mist (Peppermint, Eucalyptus) to cool off during the evening. It’s meant for your feet but it works for your entire body as well.
01:
Best Health Magazine, one of Canada’s leading lifestyle magazines for women, has just featured Escents as one of five “up-and-coming” beauty brands in a recent edition:
With niche or “indie” brands now a bigger trend than ever, Best Health zeroed in on five up-and-coming Canadian companies that we think represent the new wave.[... ]The Escents collection includes essential oil blends, soaps, bath bombs, body washes, dry oil mist, body lotions and home scent accessories. Our pick: Headache Relief Roll-on with peppermint and lavender oils: Roll it onto your temples and even the back of your neck.
Read the full article online at www.besthealthmag.ca.
rss feed