Use Lavender Oil to Reduce Work

The daily demands and pressures of life can be quite distressing and in particular those demands that are work-related. Work-related stress is a fact of life with which most individuals deal. Work-related stress not only negatively impacts work performance, but it can also adversely affect personal relationships as well. Stress from work can lead to fatigue, aching muscles, headaches, stomach problems, and emotional difficulties such as anxiety or depression. When you need to relieve work-related stress, you may want to consider using lavender oil.


Using natural ingredients to combat the ill-effects of stress is both safe and effective. Treating stress with chemicals, such as those found in anti-depressants and over-the-counter medications, can be counterproductive to one's overall health. Since many medications carry with them warnings of dangerous side effects, it seems only rational to opt for natural alternatives instead. Reducing work-related stress naturally can be better for physical, mental, and emotional health.


There are many ways in which lavender oil can be used to reduce work-related stress. The fragrant, calming vapors of this oil can be inhaled directly or the oil can be added to a hot bath. Most people can apply lavender oil directly on the skin without a carrier oil, but you may find after a patch test that you prefer to dilute the lavender oil with some jojoba or another base oil. The oil from the lavender plant (Lavandula angustifolia) produces a calm, soothing, and sedative effect that can restore balance to the nervous system thereby promoting relaxation and uplifting one's mood.


It's not always practical to use a diffuser at work because everyone else may not want to smell lavender, and it can be overly relaxing for some people... which is not usually something everyone else in the office wants or needs. The easiest way to take full advantage of the benefits of lavender oil is to simply keep the bottle on hand, either in a purse or in your pocket, and simply breathe in deep inhalations of the scent from the open bottle. Alternatively, you can put a couple of drops of the pure oil on a tissue and then breathe in the aromatherapy from the tissue. This is generally a milder option and sometimes subtlety is the better method when it comes to full strength essential oils.


Remember that pure essential oils are very concentrated therapeutic substances, but they are not to be over used. Moderation is always the best practice with natural healing substances.


Michael D. Thompson, an organic perfumer and accredited Master Herbalist, is the founder and director of Florapathics, LLC which manufactures all-natural, organically-derived personal care products that are infused with pure essential oils for aromatherapy.

Here Eucalyptus Oil Is Not Just for Koala Bears

The aborigines of Australia were the first humans to discover the healing qualities of the eucalyptus tree, but the Koala, Australia's lovable herbivorous marsupial, was actually the first mammal to discover the amazing leaves of the eucalyptus. A Koala spends at least three of its five active hours eating the leaves of several varieties of eucalyptus leaves because they are low in protein, and high in phenolic compounds, which are powerful antioxidants... plus they're rich in terpene compounds, which are the primary constituents in the essential oil of the eucalyptus tree. The aborigines undoubtedly noticed the affect of eucalyptus on the Koala, and began to use the leaves in order to benefit health-wise. They used these species for antiseptic, repellent, and flavoring purposes.


Almost three thousand tons of eucalyptus oil is produced every year by China, South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Australia, Spain, and Portugal. These countries generally produce three types of oil depending on the end use, but the most popular oil of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) is the cineole-based version which has a spicy, as well as camphor like smell, and cooling effect. The medicinal uses of this naturally fragrant oil are well known and the fortification it provides to the immune system is considered a vital element in aromatherapy applications.


Eucalyptus oil has the ability to affect monocytes, which are a type of white blood cell that are an important aspect of the human immune system. Monocytes have two main functions: First, they help initiate the defense systems when free radicals attach themselves to cells and begin to damage them, and second, they respond to inflammation and infection in the tissue, so the immune system can identify and divide the cells, and then regenerate new cell growth.


A fortified immune system is the foundation for an active lifestyle, as well as for an extended life cycle, so take a hint from the happy, healthy Koala bear and make the benefits of pure eucalyptus oil a part of your daily life!


While drinking eucalyptus tea is a practice in some cultures, the essential oil contains compounds that are not to be ingested and can cause harm if they are taken orally. The protocol for aromatherapy use is olfactory only and topical only if diluted due to sensitizing compounds that occur naturally within the concentrated oil. It should definitely be kept out of the reach of children and pets, since their systems are much more sensitive than adult systems.


Michael D. Thompson, an organic perfumer and accredited Master Herbalist, is the founder and director of Florapathics, LLC which manufactures all-natural, organically-derived personal care products that are infused with pure essential oils for aromatherapy.