Shona Wilson
“As a therapist I have my favourite oils – top of the list is lavender lavandula angustifolia a good all rounder. This helps me relax, sleep, treat burns, and uplifts me if I feel dull.
My second would be lime citrus aurantifolia which, when placed on a tissue gives me an instant lift. It is also very cleansing if used in a burner and, when included in a shower gel, gives a real boost to your day.
My third is sandalwood santalum album my go to grounder if I feel anxious, overwhelmed or uptight. I use this oil especially at this difficult and unpredictable time. It is great added to a bath or in a diffuser.
I also have found new best friends in tea tree melaleuca alternifolia and eucalyptus, eucalyptus globulus for their antiseptic, antiviral, and antibacterial qualities.
Lastly a wee tip, I put essential oils onto the filter in my hoover which adds a beautiful aroma around my house”
Nicola Peddie
“Ravensara – key at this time! Being anti-viral this can be used in so many ways. I have added it to hand / body wash so I use it every time I wash my hands and during my daily shower. Also I have used this alongside Eucalyptus for steaming when I have a cough or cold. A few drops on a tissue of both these oils can help to keep airways clear over night. Added to some body lotion and rubbed all over , especially my chest area, I feel just a little bit more protected during this time.
I have some Aloe Vera after sun gel which I am going to add it to with a few drops of alcohol to make a hand sanitiser when I run out.
Lavender – I always remember this story when I was learning about oils. A French man was distilling lavender to extract oil from the plants and badly burned his hand. His instant reaction was to plunge it into a vat of oil and the results were miraculous, no scarring , blisters or pain! Obviously as well as for burns, this is an oil I use mostly for Lavender touch clients. Most people find it relaxing and not too pungent. However….
Neroli – Lavender is not actually my favourite! Neroli is, I find it has a more pleasant aroma and I offer it to clients who dislike the smell of Lavender. When going through stressful times and having sleep problems in the past, I tried Lavender on my pulse, on a tissue, in my bath but it didn’t help my sleep, when I replaced this with Neroli, it instantly helped. This just goes to show that not all oils work for everyone in the same way.
May Chang also known as Litsea – I call this the “happiness” oil ! It is such an uplifting oil and has a lovely gentle citrus smell inspite of it not actually being from a citrus fruit. This is probably best used in a diffuser / burner as it gives a fragrant aroma in any room. I also like using it in massage especially when feeling low as it both balancing and stimulating. This can also be added to cleaning products to give an uplifting air!
Kirsty Brown
“I regularly use these in my house especially during corona virus.
Non toxic air freshener – use a diffuser for a safe natural vapour.
These electronic diffusers use just regular tap water and your chosen natural essential oils which diffuse a safe natural vapour . 100mL is good for a small room or office and 500mL is good for the main living space in a house. They work by sending tiny water molecules through vibrations into the water, which then breaks down the essential oils into molecules and projects (diffuses) them into the air.
Diffusers are especially great for diffusing germ-fighting and therapeutic oils into the air for example : cypress, peppermint, orange/lemon, lime, lavender and more. And they also act to add some moisture to the air during the winter months and dry summer days.
A 100mL essential oil diffuser is the industry standard. Normally, you’d only need between three and five drops of essential oils for this size diffuser. It’s best to start on the low end and work your way up to five. If you have a larger 300mL ultrasonic diffuser, you’ll put in at about 150ml of water.- this means you want 8-10 drops of your chosen oil. A 500ml diffuser will use 15 -16 drops of essential oils. Another point to consider is your ventilation. You want a very well-ventilated room for your diffuser. This will help prevent the oil scent from building up and overwhelming you. You can try to open a few windows or run fans if you don’t have good ventilation.
Inhalation is a safe way to use essential oils, but you do want to exercise caution. The smell of certain essential oils could set off a reaction or irritate your respiratory tract. Most people can safely diffuse lemon, lavender, tangerine, and spearmint without a problem. It’s important that you purchase your essential oils from reputable brands.
Shona qualified in clinical aromatherapy and Swedish Massage in 1997. She is a Trustee of the charity. She was one of the first therapists to join the lavender touch almost 20 years ago.
Nicola too has been with the Lavender Touch for a long time, starting in 2004. She covers the Kelso area.
Kirsty is one of our newest therapists, based in Melrose, having been with us for just under 2 years.
