Everyday Aromatherapy

One of the most common questions we receive at Auroma is about our Lavender oils, and why we have so many different types.

As we have always maintained a very high level of transparency to our customers about the quality, origin and type of oil we are supplying, it became apparent very early on that we needed a number of different classifications for our Lavender oil. In this way we have presented our customer with a range of oils to select for their final application depending on availability, growing method and pricing requirements.

Cocoa Butter is a very emollient ingredient for your cosmetics or massage bars. The butter is quite hard, but melts into the skin as soon as it touches you.

Cocoa Butter is used in hand creams, hair products, lip gloss, night creams, anti-wrinkle creams, sun protection, tanning products and of course, chocolate!

Auroma’s Cocoa Butter has a very high natural fat content, which provides the nourishing properties. When the butter is melted, or is placed in very warm conditions, you can sometimes see the fat bloom when the butter later sets. The fat bloom appears as a coating and you can see the fat balls (or globules) on the surface and in the butter.

Wheatgerm is a warming and soothing oil, it is also highly nourishing to the skin.  This makes it particularly useful for dull or extremely dry skin. Wheatgerm has naturally high levels of Vitamin E and is an excellent anti-oxidant. These two properties give it the reputation of being an excellent oil for the skin, beneficial in helping improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, minor scars and chapped skin.

Auroma offers tw Wheatgerm oils - virgin and pure. The virgin oil has the rich colour and odour from the cold pressed oil, and is considered the premium oil. However, as some consumers/manufacturers do not like the colour/odour a pure oil is also available.

Myrtle oil is becoming more and more popular as people discover the vast number of applications with adults and children.

It has a gentle pleasing aroma, with an uplifting and cleansing nature. Myrtle works very well on the respiratory system, and can be chosen as a replacement to Eucalyptus for blends used in the evening, when a calmer, less stimulating oil is more desirable.

Burning the oil in the office or at home will help to cleanse the air, and as an added bonus soothes and calms those around you, helping to maintain balance and harmony.

In skin care and cosmetic applications Macadamia Nut Oil has been relatively unexploited. It is an excellent selection for delicate skin, mature skin or where deep nourishment is desired.

Mature skin loves Macadamia Nut Oil as it penetrates quckly and deeply. However, while it does penetrate quickly, it leaves a film on the skin suitable for massage. It contains natural levels of palmitoeic acid (helping to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles) which is a natural part of human sebum that decreases during menaopause.

Jasmine Absolute has a delightfully sweet powerful aroma reminiscent of the freshly picked flowers.

Jasmine Absolute is known by the botanical names Jasminum grandiflorum and J. officinale with the traditional sweet full bodied floral Jasmine aroma. There are other varieties of Jasmine such as J. sambac which has a lighter fragrance with a green floral top note, that is less sweet than the traditional oil. The Sambac oil is a good selection when blending eith other essential oils as the green floral note is lighter and less over powering within your blend.

A full body bath is not always environmentally friendly, especially with summer water restrictions. So, once a week give your feet a treat with a foot bath that will leave them feeling soothed, smoothed and super!

Add 20 drops of Rose in Jojoba to 2 tablespoons of Dead Sea Mud. Blend well then add a few drops of water to make a paste. Then over a bowl (large enough to relax your feet in) filled with warm water, take a handful of the paste mixture and rub into one foot. Allow the excess paste to fall into the water. Massage away your cares and troubles with this detoxifying and relaxing mud. Once you have finished with one foot, place it in the foot bath to soak for around 10 minutes, and start on the other foot. To finish your treatment, pat the feet dry and apply 2-3 drops of Rose in Jojoba to the tops of your feet and massage in. Then you can discard the water onto the garden.

With insects a plenty at this time of year, here are some tips to keep the little pests at bay:

Ants don’t like Peppermint!

If you have a trail of ants breaking into your home you can put some Peppermint Arvensis at the point of entry (menthol crystals also work really well). Use the Arvensis type of Peppermint as it has a higher natural menthol level and this is the part that deters the ants. Also include Peppermint Arvensis in your bucket when mopping the floor.

Citronella Incense Sticks

Add 10mL of Citronella oil to 50mL of Benzoin Tincture and using a pipette coat the outside of unscented incense sticks to create your own Citronella incense sticks. To improve the odour of the Citronella oil you can also add 5mL of Lavender oil. Allow the incense sticks to dry completely before lighting.

 Moth Deterrent Bags

Lavender, Rosemary and Citronella oils make good moth deterents. You can make fragrant pomanders to keep in the laundry or pantry with Lavender flowers and Orris Root Powder in a cloth bag. Depending on the size of the bag, the amount of flowers and Orris Root required will vary. You will only need around 1tsp-1tbsp of Orris root powder. Add 10 drops of each of the essential oils to the Orris root powder and then add this to the lavender flowers. Tie your bag securely, and this will help to keep the moths at bay.

Shea Butter Also known as Karite Butter or African Butter, Shea Butter has been used by Africans for beauty and healing.

The Shea tree grows up to 12 metres in height. The butter is extracted from the large brown seeds found in the green fruit. The selection of nuts is important to produce a white butter, which melts readily into the skin. The nuts are dried and then cold pressed to produce the butter, which has been used as a food source as well as for its healing and cosmetic properties. The butter melts into the skin as soon as it is applied, and can be used as a base for massage balms for relaxation and relief for those who do not like carrier oil…

A native to Asia, this tall grass is now grown in Africa, the West Indies and tropical Asia. It has been used as a culinary herb, and traditionally used as a medicine for infectious diseases and fever. It is widely used by the cosmetic industry for soap and skin care products.

Auroma offer two species of Lemongrass oil, with slightly different profiles.

1. Cymbopogon schoenanthus also known as Cymbopogon citratus

Sourced from Guatemala, it has a sharp, fresh, strong lemon-like odour. This oil has a higher citral level than the flexuosus.

2. Cymbopogon flexuosus     

Sourced from Cochin and Nepal. The Nepalese oil is Certified Organic. This oil has a sweet, fresh, grassy-lemon odour…