In the past, we've focused on blending essential oils and herbs based on their chemistry. Today, we'll explore a different method of blending - by plant part.
Think of a plant. Think of its parts and what they do. Roots anchor the plant to the earth and hold it steady through good weather and bad. They absorb nutrients from the soil and send them up to the rest of the plant. Resin/Gum is the lifeblood of the plant and carries the nutrients to all of its parts. Stems are the skeleton and blood vessels. As the skeleton, the stem is strong enough to resist breaking so the plant stands upright, yet flexible enough to allow the plant to bend in rough weather The stem also houses conduits to circulate water and nutrients to all parts of the plant. Leaves breathe and sweat for the plant. They take in carbon dioxide and sunlight, then produce glucose (which gives the plant energy) and exhale oxygen. Flowers attract insects through color and aroma. This attraction leads to pollination and fertilization, and the flower’s primary duty – reproduction. Fruits protect and nourish the seed during its early days of germination until the ‘baby’ is able to sustain itself. Seeds are the plant’s embryos. They drop from the plant and, when conditions are right, grow into new plants. In aromatherapy and in herbalism, one method of deciding what ingredients to put in a blend is to match a plant part to the body part and function we’re endeavoring to support. Let’s look at how this works. Someone who is highly stressed or lacks proper nutrition may find grounding and nutritional support from the roots of plants. Angelica, Vetiver, and Valerian are roots with calming, grounding properties. Dandelion, carrots, and radishes provide a plethora of vitamins and minerals we need to survive. When blood or lymph is stagnant, a person may feel tired, bogged down, or sick. Resins like Frankincense, Myrrh, Copaiba, and Opopanax all have the potential to support healthy blood and lymph circulation. Improved circulation allows the body to heal faster so that person has more energy and feels better. Often, the stems used in aromatherapy are wooden. Sandalwood, Palo Santo, Cedarwood, and Rosewood are good examples. The oils from these stems have analgesic and relaxant properties that may provide relief from muscle and joint issues and from acute injuries. They support our skeletal system. Like the resins, they also support circulation, encouraging blood flow to an injured area for faster healing. When there is congestion (sinus or lungs), breathing clearly is the function one wants to bolster. In this case, the best option may be choosing herbs or essential oils that are made from the breathing part of the plant – the leaves. Think of Peppermint, Sage, Eucalyptus, and the evergreen leaves like Pine and Spruce. The aroma alone for all of these can open the airways and promote respiration. Flowers provide a great deal more than perfume - though their aromas may inspire romance and reproduction in humans. Lavender, Ylang Ylang, Chamomile, and Jasmine, with their incredible fragrances, have the ability to calm and uplift a troubled spirit. They open the heart to peace and love. Those who are angry or tense can benefit from these florals. As they nourish the seeds, fruits also nourish us. Apples, lemons, oranges, elderberries, and rosehips provide us with vitamins (especially vitamin C) to support and strengthen the immune and skeletal systems. People with demanding schedules and constant exposure to colds and flu may boost their energy and immunity with fruit. Sunflower seeds, pecans, cashews, and chia seeds provide protein and other nutrients to support growth and maintain health. Oils made from seeds flavor our foods and nourish our bodies and skin. Cooking with the right seed oils provides the body with essential fatty acids that balance the inflammatory process. Using them on the skin may help regenerate skin cells. The seeds and their oils work to rejuvenate damaged cells. Seed butters and oils are good for baby's diaper rash, mature skin, and everything in between the two. Now that we understand the affinity between plant and human parts, we can begin to design formulations based on them. Some of those blends may include only one part, i.e. leaves, while others may combine different parts for a greater effect. Next week's blog will go into more detail and specific examples of blending by plant part. We can throw in everything but the kitchen sink, but keeping a blend simple is often a great deal more effective. There's no need to use 15 or 20 different essential oils, carrier oils, or herbs in a blend. In fact, doing so may reduce the efficacy of the blend. Let's look at how this works by creating a moisturizing serum for dry, mature skin with age spots.
First, we make lists of EOs, herbs, and carriers that are moisturizing for the skin. (These lists include ingredients I already have on hand.) Off the top of my head, I know that Patchouli, German Chamomile, Roman Chamomile, Lavender, Sandalwood, Frankincense, Myrrh, Geranium, Helichrysum italicum, Hemp, Ylang Ylang, Carrot Seed, and Vetiver are all great skin oils. Could I make a serum that includes all of these? Certainly, and it would be an example of throwing in everything but the kitchen sink. Since essential oils in a leave-on product should be limited to about 1%, putting all of these essential oils in would mean each oil would only be 0.07% of the blend. That means there's not enough of any one constituent to make much of a difference. For a serum, herbs would be infused into carrier oils. On hand right now, I have Helichrysum stoechas, Lavender, Arnica, Calendula, St. John's Wort, Amla berries, Ginger, Comfrey Leaf, Comfrey Root, Plantain Leaf, Aloe, and Greater Galangal herbs infused in different oils -- Safflower, Olive, Castor, and Jojoba. To make our serum, the Helichrysum, Aloe, Lavender, Plantain, Amla, Calendula, and Comfrey are all great herbs for a skin serum. Using all 7, would be the kitchen sink method. We need to pare this list down to one, two, or three herbs. Our carrier oil list will be huge. Jojoba, Castor, Hemp Seed, Andiroba, Olive, Safflower, Sea Buckthorn Berry, Sacha Inchi, Avocado, Black Currant Seed, Borage, Black Seed (Nigella), Coconut, Cherry Kernal, Cranberry Seed, Evening Primrose, Macadamia Nut, Meadowfoam, Neem, Pumpkin Seed, Red Raspberry Seed, Rosehip and many more. Again, it would be unreasonably complicated (and another kitchen sink example) to use all of these oils in our serum. Okay, so how do we narrow it all down? Excellent question. This is when we start looking at chemistry, energetics, and aromas and match them to the person. With essential oils, we have the recipient of the serum smell the different oils, and choose the ones (s)he most loves -- up to 4 to 6 oils (could be less). We then pull out the chemistry and EO datasheets and evaluate the chemical composition. With herbs, we'll choose 1 - 3 and use our herb and chemical datasheets to put next to the EO datasheets. Next, we do the same for the carrier oils. We may choose to use carriers that have already been infused with herbs. or we may decide to infuse our chosen herbs in our chosen carriers. Now, to formulate. We'll make a 1 oz serum. That means a max of 6 drops of essential oil to keep it at 1%. Even though the essential oils are listed first, we'll start with our carrier oils. We're choosing Hemp Seed Oil as the base oil because it has a perfect balance of Omega 3 to Omega 6 Fatty Acids. It has the ability to restore moisture and to heal and protect skin cells from damage. It absorbs quickly and easily and has a light, pleasant aroma. The one drawback with this oil is its short shelf life. Hemp Seed's short shelf life influences the next carrier oil selection. Meadowfoam moisturizes the skin and adds protection from the sun. It has a high percentage of very long-chain Fatty Acids and Vitamin E which means it will help preserve less stable oils in the serum. It will significantly slow the oxidation process of the Hemp Seed Oil and any essential oils. Finally, we'll add Castor Oil. Castor oil hydrates the skin and can help toughen fragile skin to make it less prone to cuts. It carries the therapeutic properties of all of our ingredients deeply into all the layers of the skin. This oil will be infused with the one herb we're going to use -- Aloe. Aloe is renowned throughout the world for it's moisturizing, skin-healing properties. After checking therapeutic properties, chemistry, aromas, and energetics, we've decided on 3 essential oils. For this blend, we'll use equal amounts (two drops each) of Frankincense carterii, Myrrh, and Geranium essential oils. Therapeutically, all of these oils have moisturizing, skin healing, and skin-cell regenerating properties. Now, we look at all seven of our ingredients and decide on quantities of each. We write it as a recipe. .75 oz (22.5 mL) Hemp Seed Oil 0.1 oz (3 mL) Meadowfoam Oil 0.15 oz (4.5 mL) Castor Oil infused with Aloe Vera 2 drops Frankincense Essential Oil 2 drops Myrrh Essential Oil 2 drops Geranium Essential Oil This is a simple, elegant formula, and every ingredient is designed to help moisturize and beautify dry, mature skin with age spots. The final step will be to test it and see if the recipient likes it. Note: The Topical Recipes section of this website has instructions for how to infuse herbs into oils. Become a member and gain access to this and the many other great resources! If you work with herbs, essential oils, carrier oils, or any combination of these, this is the place you can come to get the information you need on all of them.
One thing I have learned (and mentioned in prior blogs) is that when I'm creating new blends, EVERY ingredient needs to be chosen with the purpose of the blend in mind. Blends are much more effective when the herbs, EOs, and carrier oils are chosen based on coordinating the therapeutic benefits each provides. This may sound like, and should be, a simple thing. Often, it is simple because I use oils and herbs that I've studied and that are quite familiar to me. Other times, I spend hours researching in multiple books, websites, and courses to find and learn about herbs, EOs, and carrier oils that are new to me. I have bookshelves filled with notebooks and binders with all the notes I've written, all the printouts from courses I've taken, and all the recipes I've developed. I have stacks of notecards I created for quick reference. The hunt from one source to the next to the next in order to get and/or verify the details of each ingredient in a new blend can take a great deal of time. This became the reason for the creation of the membership portion of this website. I've created datasheets that include the important information that takes a ton of time to find. These datasheets are designed to be printed and saved for quick, thorough reference and will be updated periodically with any new information that comes to light. There are currently 20 Herb Datasheets, 20 Essential Oil Datasheets, 21 Carrier Oil Datasheets, and 12 Chemistry Datasheets (5 Each for EO and carrier oils, and 2 for herbs). Three more herb chemistry Datasheets will be added this week. That means 73 datasheets today and 76 by this Friday! At least one new datasheet for each category plus datasheets on specific safety topics will be added every month. In addition, you'll have access to topical and edible recipes. Future plans for the membership include short "how to" videos, chemistry videos, and blending process videos. I will also set up a members-only, private Facebook page for discussions and questions. All of this is included with your membership! The cost is $30 for a monthly subscription or $300 for an annual subscription. (That's approximately a 17% savings over a monthly subscription.) Once created, individual video classes will run from $34.95 - $149.95 for non-members, but will be included free in your membership! So, why is membership a good deal for you? To get all of this information, you would need to purchase separate memberships with herbal sites, aromatherapy sites, and carrier oil sites. These memberships, on average, cost around $25 - $50 monthly or $250 - $500 annually. With this website, you get all three fields of study plus the chemistry, the safety, the recipes, and a whole lot more! Your savings will be at least $1,000 a year! To celebrate the launch of the membership section, I'm offering an additional 15% off the price of your monthly or annual membership. That means you'll only pay $25.50 for your first monthly subscription or $255 for your first annual subscription! This special promotion is good until midnight on September 30, 2019. To join today, simply go to the Membership section on Home & Store page and choose your option. Then enter Coupon Code Welcome when prompted. I'm going to give you a preview of what you'll get with your membership. Below is one of the Carrier Oil Datasheets you'll find in the membership section. Carrier Oil Datasheet by Karen Dragoo Updated August 18, 2019 Oil: Neem Oil Latin Name: Azadirachta indica INCI: Azadirachta indica (Neem) Seed Oil INCI Soap: Sodium Neemate Other Names: Indian Lilac, Nim, Margosa Plant Family: Meliaceae (Mahogany family) Related to: Mahogany Where it’s grown: Native to India. Now grows in tropical areas of Africa and Asia. Plant Part: Seed Method of Extraction: cold pressed Therapeutic Properties: antibacterial, antifungal, antihistiminic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-parasitic, antipyretic, antiseptic, antiviral, cicatrisant, emollient, skin cell regenerative Traditional & Common Uses: Integumentary: (skin, hair, nails): acne, Athlete's Foot, burns, cold sores, dry skin, eczema, fungal conditions, improve elasticity, insect repellent, irritated skin, itchy skin, lice, mature skin, moisturize, prevent free radical damage, prevent moisture loss, nail fungus, protect and restore the skin barrier, psoriasis, rashes, reduce redness, rejuvenate cells, ringworm, salves, scars, smooth pigmentation, soaps, warts, wrinkles, wounds Skeletal: Respiratory: Digestive: Circulatory: Immune: boost the immune system, may help protect against certain kinds of cancer (more studies need to be done)., protect against Malaria Endocrine: Lymphatic: Neural: Organs: Female: Male: Other: Insect repellent -- for both skin application and/or to spray an area. Keeps mosquitoes and flies away! Safe to spray around the house to keep bugs out. Safe to spray in the garden, and around children and pets. Bedbug treatment that is effective, safe, and natural. Pets -- get rid of fleas, mites, other parasites, and soothe skin issues. Room spray -- use as part of an all natural spray when people in the house are sick. Absorption: absorbs into the skin easily Comedogenic rating: 1 - 2 -- moderately low probability of clogging pores Aroma: strong and unpleasant -- like a mix of strong garlic and sulfur Color: light to dark green, yellow-brown to dark brown Taste: N/A Freezing/Melting Point: 37° F 3° C Flash Point: 392° F 200° C Viscosity: Depends on the level of refining and temperature -- unrefined is thick, refined has a low viscosity. Saponification Value: 194.5 Iodine Value: 65 - 85 NaOH Value: 0.142 KOH Value: 0.200 Peroxide Value: 1.91 Unsaponifiable Portion (aka Healing Fraction): azadirachtin beta-carotene gedunin kaempferol nimbidin nimbidol nimbin quercetin Shelf Life: Kept in a liquid state (meaning at room temperature). Note: I have tried putting Neem Oil in my refrigerator. From one supplier -- pure, unrefined Neem Oil -- no problem, the oil stays liquid. From a different supplier, the oil turned solid, and when melted, formed deposits on the bottom and sides of the bottle. Fatty Acid Composition: Example: C16:0 means a chain of 16 carbon atoms with no double bonds (saturated). C18:1w9 means a chain of 18 carbon atoms with one double bond at the 9th carbon (Omega 9) from the methyl end of the chain Oleic Acid C18:1 n-9 40 - 60 % Stearic Acid C18:0 14 - 22 % Palmitic Acid C16:0 14 - 19 % Linoleic Acid C18:2 n-6 8 - 20 % Arachidic Acid C20:0 1 - 3.5 % Myristic Acid C14:0 < 3 % Lauric Acid C12:0 < 1 % Alpha-Linolenic Acid C18:3 n-3 < 1 % Other Constituents: Terpenoids 200 - 4000 mg/kg carotenoids Vitamins C, E Cautions: Do not ingest. Try a patch test on the inside of the wrist before using as there have been rare cases of contact dermatitis. Dilute to 2 - 50 %. Sources: 1. Parker, Susan M., Power of the Seed: Your Guide to Oils for Health & Beauty, Process Media, Port Townsend, Washington, ©2014 pp. 154 - 155, 260, 284 2. Janes, Damjan and Glavac, Nina Kocevar, et. Al. Modern Cosmetics: Ingredients of Natural Origin, A Scientific View, Volume 1, Sirimo dobro besedo d.o.o., ©2018, pp. 119 3. Saavedra, Karin, Comedogenic Rating of Carrier Oils and Butters, EverPhi, May 27 – June 13, 2019, https://www.everphi.com/2019/05/27/comedogenic-rating-carrier-oils/, Accessed August 17, 2019 4. Penman, Tash, The Complete List of Comedogenic Oils, Holistic Health Herbalist, ©2019, https://www.holistichealthherbalist.com/complete-list-of-comedogenic-oils/, Accessed August 17, 2019 5. The North Country Soapmaking Library, Iodine Values of Various Soap Making Oils, The North Country Soapmaking Library, Copyright © 1998-2019, http://www.northcountrymercantile.com/soapmakinglibrary/iodine-values-of-various-soap-making-oils/, Accessed August 17, 2019. 6. Just Neem, 4 Ways Neem Oil Will Improve Your Skin, Just Neem, https://www.justneem.com/4-ways-neem-oil-will-improve-your-skin/, Accessed August 18, 2019 7. Simply Health Today, 20 Benefits of Neem Oil, Simply Health Today, (c) 2019, https://simplyhealth.today/20-benefits-neem-oil/ utm_source=%2Bneem%20%2Boil&utm_medium=20BenefitsofNeemOil&utm_campaign=adw_us&msclkid=44577304d60a1051ded22e5dbe879dfb, Accessed August 18, 2019 The information on this datasheet is for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The Datasheets are all set up in a similar manner so that you can easily find the information you're looking for and move on with your project. To join today, simply go to the Membership section on Home & Store page and choose your option. Then enter Coupon Code Welcome when prompted. |
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February 2021
CategoriesAuthorKaren Dragoo |