- Bath Oils- Facial Steams
- Sauna
- Aromatherapy and Massage
- Exfoliating Scrubs
- Clay Masks
- Diffusion
A spa experience can be incorporated into your home in many ways:
- Bath Oils
- Facial Steams
- Sauna
- Aromatherapy and Massage
- Exfoliating Scrubs
- Clay Masks
- Diffusion
Creating Your Own Steam Room or Sauna
Creating your own steam room or sauna in your home is easy. All you need is warm water in your shower or bath tub and a few essential oils.
Essential oils are best absorbed into the system under warm and wet conditions. Dispensing essential oils directly into the bath or onto the shower floor will volatize the oils into the airspace quickly and effectively. They will also absorb into the skin well in these environments.
A few preparatory measures increase the effectiveness and your enjoyment of the oils.
Shower
Since it is possible for certain oils (especially the darker oils) to stain shower surfaces, it is best to dilute them first with a carrier oil or even some salt before using them on shower and bath tub surfaces. Start with a little carrier oil (ike jojoba) or salt, add your preferred oils to it (you can do this in the palm of your hand), then drop them on the shower floor. (You want the water to be running warm before you drop the oils.)
If it works for your particular shower set-up, try putting a large towel over the top of the shower to hold the hot steam in -- it will definitely be worth the effort.
Bath
Using essential oils in your bath can be incredibly fun and beneficial. Be careful, however, when using oils in the tub, as you don't want to add too many drops without a carrier. Oils are hydrophobic and will float on the surface of the tub. Some of them can also be irritating. They are attracted to lipids and guess what, if there's no carrier oil, the only other lipid in the tub is you.
If you have a tub with jets, you're in for a treat. Use any of the Aura Cacia foam baths, soaks, bubble baths, kids foams or baby milk and oat bath for an incredibly bubbly experience.
Oils you do not want to put in a bath include cinnamon bark or leaf, clove bud, wintergreen, thyme, oregano and allspice. Keep in mind, however, that any oil can be irritating to certain individuals. It's always best to exercise caution.
Hot Tub
If you have a hot tub there are a couple of things to note. The foam bath packets work really well with the air from the jets. You only need about a third of a packet in a hot tub with the jets on. You can add some oils to hot tubs with no concern of damage to the tub. Keep in mind that there are reports of full packets of foam bath in the hot tub producing over 12 inches of foam!!
Sauna and Steam Room
Using essential oils in a sauna and steam room is easy and offers endless possibilities at home. If you're doing it in a public setting like a spa or a health club, you'll want to make certain that the facility doesn't have any rules, regulations or stipulations that need to be considered. If you get the "green light," you'll then want to be certain that anyone else in the room with you doesn't object.
There are many ways to use oils in a sauna or steam room. The simplest is to mix your oils and apply them directly to the skin before entering. Another is to mix the oils and take the container into the room with you. Just set it aside and let the heat and/or steam do the work. You can also drop the pre-blended oil directly onto the floor of the steam room or rocks in the sauna.
Another simple and practical way to use oils in a sauna is to add the oils to a spray bottle with water and spritz the rocks. (Important note -- carrier oils are not suitable for this application because they have low melting points and will emit a "burnt" smell if they get too hot.)
A few unusual oils to use (in very small amounts) in the sauna include: cypress, frankincense, amyris, blue cypress and cardamom.
(Cucumber slices layered directly on closed eyelids are an excellent, natural way to soothe and cool dry, tired, red eyes.)
Other Blending notes
A word about carrier oils -- jojoba is a favorite oil at Aura Cacia for many reasons, but it is not especially suitable for heat applications because the oil doesn't smell great when it's exposed to heat.
Honey can be blended into many formulas. Warming it slightly creates a very sensual texture and aroma. You want to be careful with it though, because it does heat quickly and tends to be a little sticky.
Sugar is an easy ingredient to work with. It makes a nice base for body scrubs and is a key ingredient in Aura Cacia's Body Polishes. A sugar scrub is made simply by blending your essential oils and carrier then adding that blend to the sugar. Sugar tends to be less irritating to the skin than salt and is therefore a preferred ingredient to salt.
But salt is equally easy to use and also makes a nice base for a body scrub or bath salt. A salt scrub is made by taking coarse sea salt and blending it with your favorite oils. The best way to do this is to pre-blend your essential oils with your carrier oil. Then mix the two together.
Scrubs
Salt and sugar scrubs are amazing tools for exfoliating and improving blood flow. Scrubs can be used just about anywhere -- face, feet, hands, or tense muscles of the shoulders and the back. Exercise caution, however, when using them on the face and neck. If you scrub too vigorously, you could tear the skin. The key to using a scrub safely and successfully is to just let the scrub do the work. Use light and gentle circular motions for best results. Look at it that the skin is as delicate as the skin of a ripe peach and the goal of the scrub is to remove the fuzz without tearing the skin.
If you suffer from dry, cracked, chapped lips during the winter or any time of the year, be sure to exfoliate them, as well. Again, a light touch with gentle, circular motions is best. Exfoliating the lips will help them feel smooth and supple.
Manicures and Pedicures
Body scrubs, manicures and pedicures using salt and sugar scrubs are a popular menu items at better spas and salons. You can enjoy this at home using the salt and sugar combinations discussed above. Adding a carrier oil to the essential oils before you blend them is necessary to buffer any irritation. You will also want to add a carrier oil after you've blended the oils with the salt or sugar until the blend is smooth and not clumpy.
A wonderful blend for dry, brittle, or yellow nails is 4 drops of rose otto precious essentials to 2 drops of sandalwood rubbed into your fingernails, cuticles, nail bed and hands. This blend will do wonders for the vibrancy and health of your hands and nails. A bonus with this blend is that the sandalwood will do wonders for lots of nail problems associated with nail fungus. Try this on your toenails and feet, as well. If you need to stretch the blend, you can double the recipe or simply add some jojoba oil or unscented massage cream.
Facials
A very easy, at-home facial can be achieved with a simple wash cloth and a few oils. Carefully heat a washcloth either by soaking it in hot water or simply running hot water over it. Drop 8 to 10 drops of rose otto, german chamomile, myrrh essential oil -- or a combination of all three. Gently massage into the face and neck. These oils are gentle enough to put directly on the eye lids and under the eyes. Take your hot wash cloth and lay it directly over the face for as long as you like. You might consider cutting a slit where your nose is so you can breathe well. You can also use a hand towel and wrap it around the face so that the face is covered but the nose is exposed.
You can get a similar effect with a bowl of hot water and a large towel. Simply fill a large bowl with hot water, apply the oils as mentioned above, put the towel over your head, keeping your eyes closed.
Massage
You can use your favorite combination of essential oils, or use one of the massage oil recipes below, to create your perfect and personal at home experience.
Sports Blend
30 drops of German Chamomile Precious Essential
10 drops of Roman Chamomile Precious Essential
6 drops of lavender
1 drop of clove
1 drop of allspice
4 drops of wintergreen
Foot and Muscle Blend
2 oz. carrier or unscented massage blend
6 drops sweet orange
3 drops clove
3 drops wintergreen
6 drops peppermint
Blend this into a sugar base and you're ready to go.
Erotic Blend
40 drops of Vanilla Precious
2-4 drops of sweet orange
2 drops of cardamom
10 drops of rose absolute
You can either add this to an ounce of base or you can melt a little cocoa butter (20 seconds in a microwave), add the oil blend, and then rub that on your lover's body. This blend is edible and tastes like chocolate.
Sciatica Blend
30 drops of German Chamomile Precious Essential
10 drops of Roman Chamomile Precious Essential
6 drops of peppermint
4 drops of wintergreen
2 drops of clove
Rub this at the base of the back and down through the buttocks and as far down as you feel the irritation from the sciatica.
Stimulating Blend
10 drops of peppermint
3 drops of eucalyptus
2 drops of ginger
3 drops of sweet orange
Soaks
Melt away tension with a warm, relaxing soak.
Revitalizing Foot Soak
2 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon Epsom salts
1 tablespoon sodium bicarbonate or baking soda
1 tablespoon French white clay powder
12 drops lavender oil
2 drops peppermint oil
1 drop spearmint oil
Luxurious Foot Soak
2 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon Epsom salts
1 tablespoon sodium bicarbonate or baking soda
1 tablespoon French white clay powder
8 drops lavender oil
4 drops rose oil
4 drops cedarwood oil
2 drops patchouli oil
Mix the essential oils evenly throughout the dry mixture. Dissolve the mixture in two gallons of hot water, making sure the oils are dispersed.
Relaxing Bath Soak
20 drops of Rose Absolute Precious Essential
5 drops of lavender oil
1 drop of sandalwood or patchouli
5 drops of Jasmine Absolute Precious Essential
Blend together and add to hot water. (The Precious Essentials are pre-blended in jojoba so there is no need for an additional carrier.)
Sore Muscle Bath Soak
20 drops of German Chamomile Precious Essential
10 drops of Roman Chamomile Precious Essential
5 drops of lavender
1 drop of clary sage
Blend together and add to hot water. (The Precious Essentials are pre-blended in jojoba so there is no need for an additional carrier.)
Blending
A few tips regarding blending:
Essential oils are often conceptualized as being in three categories, top note oils, middle note oils and base note oils.
Top notes include oils such as citrus oils and confiers (pine, spruce). Typical middle note oils are chamomile and fennel. The best-known base notes are sandalwood, patchouli, and clary sage. Others include vetiver, cedarwood, blue cypress and amyris.
Top notes volatize quickly, fill the air and then are gone in 10 minutes or so. Middle notes last up to 2 hours and base notes can linger for much, much longer. Simply adding a base note oil to a top/middle note oil will extend it so it lasts longer. This principle is commonly used in perfume and fragrance manufacturing.
Balancing top, middle and bottom notes is key when using heat sources such as diffusers, candles, etc. to volatize essential oils if you want your blend to last.
A Word or Two About "Natural"
One of the participants offered that the spa they go to says that they create their products using natural ingredients. And they wondered if they were using the types of ingredients that were being discussed during the chat. Sometimes, spas and salons will use "bases" such as a scrub base or a massage base and then add ingredients like essential oils to them to create a customized experience for the consumer. There is nothing wrong with this practice, but it's important to keep in mind that not everyone's definition of "natural" is the same. Unlike the term "organic" there are no regulations regarding what the term "natural" actually means.
Phthalates and other dangerous ingredients are showing up in personal care products that claim to be natural. There are, unfortunately, a number of adulterants put into body care products to extend their volume, extend their shelf life, scent them and to ultimately make the manufacturer more money. Phthlates are one of the worst odorless solvents used in body care products and in just about every fragrance and perfume on the market. They cause birth defects and reproductive abnormalities. What's worse is that you will never find it on the label.
Another chat participant commented that they felt like they needed to be a scientist to purchase these products. The answer is that you don't need to be a scientist, you just need to be savvy. Read the labels carefully, visit companies websites and find out what they say they're using and not using. Find out, also, if they're using equipment to test raw materials for these adulterants. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry are effective ways for manufacturers to insure they aren't putting these solvents and chemicals into your products. Aura Cacia tests every product they use for these harmful additives. When we say 100% pure, we mean it and we can prove it!
Experiences
Fruits and vegetables can work wonders in spa applications. For instance, one participant's recipe for mature, dry skin is to blend an avocado with 5 drops of our Rose Otto Precious Essential. Rose oil is great for dry damaged skin, and the high lipid and vitamin A content of the avocado make this a wonderful treat!
A sunburn remedy was also shared by a chat participant; Put cucumbers in a blender with a few drops of lavender, blend, and apply directly to the sunburn.
An Aura Cacia expert suggests adding 100 drops of lavender to one ounce of water in a spray bottle. Lavender will quickly dissipate the heat and discomfort of a burn.
Other helpful oils for sunburns would include rose otto, German chamomile and sandalwood. All are soothing and quite helpful in reducing swelling and inflammation that are common with sunburns.
We would also caution that adding a small amount of carrier would be prudent in the event that the sunburn sufferer was irritated by lavender. Most people are quite comfortable using it by itself, but we suggest exercise caution at all turns with sensitized sunburned skin.
Another great idea for a spa experience in the shower or bath is to use Aura Cacia's pre-packaged soaks, salts and foam baths. For the bath, add them before, during or after filling the tub. For the shower, run your water until it reaches the desired temperature then simply pour as little or as much as you want directly onto the shower floor.
Eucalyptus, peppermint and spike lavender are excellent oils to use during cold and flu season. If using them in the bath, be sure to add a carrier oil. If using them in the shower, run your water to the desired temperature and add several drops to the shower floor.
Another Aura Cacia favorite is the Lavender Aromatherapy Mist. Try chilling it in the fridge and then spray it on the face, back of the neck and arms as a soothing and calming skin toner.