My interest in natural skincare really began with my interest in aromatherapy. I think I was in my early twenties when I was introduced to high quality essential oils. Imagine being raised on Jergens and Suave and thinking hey this is what lotion is supposed to smell like. It was during that phase in my life when I went on raw foods and began to really awaken and become more sensitive to what was going into my body.
That is when I started to search more natural options. In one of the raw food "support" groups in San Francisco that I attended the in house foodie guru was totally into these oils from Young Living. I never really ever saw the need for those little bottles filled with mysterious odoriferous substances before, but I tell you what coming off a 10 day juice fast boy did those little bottles rock my world! I thought I went to nirvana, the first time I inhaled pure Bulgarian Rose Oil, it went straight to my crown chakra or maybe it was my base chakra who is counting, but hot damn it made me feel real good all over.
Then my new obsession began, I spent all my extra money on those darn oils. It was like crack, remember this was pre-Pinkberry or any other addictive berry for that matter, we had dingleberries but those were not that fun. Then a whole new world opened to me of herbs, extracts, exotic oils and from then on I only wanted the highest quality pure essential oils on or near my body. Young Living were great oils to work with, they served me very well in my apprenticeship phase. Young Living would make you believe that anything else was inferior, but I soon started thinking for myself and found that even better quality oils were out there to be discovered.
Formulating new blends was my thing, and then naturally wanting to create massage oils, then body scrubs, then lotion then facial creams followed. So my advice to any newbie to the world of essential oils is to start with the basics like: Lavender, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Lemon and Sage. These are really versatile and easy to work with. Remember when creating a blend it needs to mature like a fine wine for at least one week before the real aroma sets. Lavender is the perennial favorite it should be in every medicine cabinet. It can be used for minor burns, sunburns, headaches and many more simple maladies. My all time favorite most versatile oil is Peppermint, I LOVE Peppermint. It is so fresh, clean and uplifting. I use it all the time. My favorite thing to do is to put 4-5 drops in my laundry water. My clothes come out smelling so fresh and clean. I always use the most natural and un-scented launder detergent I can find.
My most requested aromatic blend from my clients is a blend that captures the essence of a spa. Think herbal scented sheets, wafting Eucalyptus steam, calming Lavender and grounding Sage. Here is a great simple recipe to make your own oil blend that you can use as a moisturizing after shower body oil, bath oil and just a great blend to diffuse in your home.
In a good quality neutral carrier oil such as Jojoba Oil blend together:
• 6 ounces Jojoba Oil
• 10 drops Lavender Oil
• 3 drops Sage Oil
• 3 drops Eucalyptus Oil
• 2 drops Lemon Oil
• 2 drops Peppermint Oil
Shake bottle well and let stand for a week, then you will have quite a treat that you made yourself. If you want a more intense blend just increase the drops by a few. The Body Deli offers fantastic oils, we have searched far and wide for the best. Nothing can beat the aroma of pure therapeutic grade essential oils. We do not sell our oils on our website so if you are interested you can call our store and speak to a knowledgeable "real" person. 760-340-3731.
Have fun with your aromatherapy quest. There are lots of great oils out there, trying different companies oils is a good place to start. Everyone is different, so each person's olfactory receptors respond to different oils. That is half the fun, it is like a treasure hunt for the senses.
Have a Beautiful Day.
David Parker
The Cosmetic Chef
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