Summer Specials

I already have a lot of specials going on in my Etsy store to celebrate the abundance of some of my plants, and I will be posting them to Hyenacart and Indiemade soon.  I have great deals on all of my comfrey products including the hydrosol.  And all of the comfrey oil based products are double infused with fresh comfrey so they are really strong!  If you have been reading my blog and FaceBook page you know I'm also distilling peppermint like crazy.  Soon I'll have a big run on Lemon Balm hydrosol and I'll have special Summer pricing on that.

I will be doing some special distillations too as my flowers bloom, including some co-distillations.  I have buds on my helichrysum and lavender plants and I have had one bloom on my rugosa Roses.  These are supposed to put out tons of fragrant blooms so I will be able to distill my own good quality rosewater!  There will not be any special pricing on the rosewater though since my quantities will be limited and I will reserve some for personal use throughout the year and for use in my perfumery projects.

I have seen NO signs of any elder flowers as of yet but I think everything is happening later than usual this year so I hope to have more elderflower water done by mid-June.  I have very little of last years left so if you want to order some, go ahead.  It still has at least a year before it goes bad (if stored properly).  I am also thinking about a big distillation of catnip.  By big, I mean a quart.  I think it would make an awesome base for an insect repellant spray, and of course a treat for your kitty.  This may also be a good training tool if you have a cat clawing your furniture.  Buy your kitty a scratching post and spritz it with catnip hydrosol.

I am also thinking about making a version of Jeanne Rose's Bruise Juice, which is an all purpose medicated oil.  Helichrysum flowers will be amazing in there!  I have tons of blooms on these plants so I will be making some more oil with them (infused in fractionated coconut oil) and will probably have enough to put up for sale.  It makes a wonderful replacement for the very expensive essential oil and can be used as is, or in ointments.  Helichrysum and Lavender are 2 of the greatest and gentlest healing plants and Heli is my absolute favorite for healing bruises.

I dipped into the Florida Water a bit and it smells incredible already!  I may get another batch going this weekend along with some Orange Blossom cologne and Eau de Cologne.  I LOVE PERFUME!  Especially when they are natural and therapeutic.  I am going to offer these for sale-domestic ground shipping only.

Lavender Essential Oil

I haven't posted an "educational" post in a while and since I actually have some time today I figured it's about time I did one! I have decided to talk about Lavender essential oil today since it is by far the most useful oil. I use more of this oil in a year than I do of all my other oils combined. You might conclude that is my favorite oil but you would be wrong. I do adore Lavender and it is ONE of my favorites-I would put it in the top 10 but definitely not my favorite. So why do I use so much of it? Because it is quite literally good for everything!

It is one of the few oils that is safe to use undiluted. It can be used for beauty, first aid, for psychological well-being, and even in home made cleaning products.

For beauty-It is a skin regenerator so it can help keep skin beautiful and youthful. It is disinfecting and healing so a drop or 2 on a cotton swab applied to a zit will DRAMATICALLY speed healing. You can add a few drops to a bottle of store bought witch hazel to make a healing toner for normal or acne prone skin. It also prevents scarring if you use it faithfully.

For first aid-it is an insect repellant so if you apply some before you go outside it will keep the bugs away from you while you work in the garden. If you forget to apply it, like I ALWAYS do, you can apply a drop to bug bites to neutralize venom and prevent swelling and itching. When I have a mosquito bite I apply a drop a couple of times a day until it heals. It can also be used this way on cuts and scrapes. I even used it this summer on vacation to relieve nausea with my daughter. Peppermint would have been better but I wanted to pack light so I only took a vial of Lavender in my purse. We were at the Washington monument and she decided to jump from the embankment instead of walking around and I guess she jarred a nerve. She was so nauseaous that she literally couldn't stand. I had her inhale the lavender oil from the bottle and in a few minutes she felt better and was able to keep walking. You can also massage a few drops over your forehead and back of your neck for tension headaches.

For psychological uses-It has a reputation as a relaxing oil. It would be more accurate to say it's balancing. If you are stressed out it will help you relax enough to go to sleep. But you can also use it during the day to relieve stress without getting sleepy. You can use a burner to diffuse the scent in your house or use a few drops in the bathtub, make a pillow spray, or sprinkle a few drops on a tissue and stuff it into your pillow case.

Around the house-there are lots of nice recipes on the internet for making your own cleaning products with essential oils. Lavender is one of my favorites to use this way along with rosemary, citrus oils, fir needle, and pine.

Plus.....Lavender is not expensive. You can usually find good quality Lavender for $15/oz. When you consider that you will be using it a few drops at a time, an ounce will probably last you for a year.

Things to consider when picking a Lavender oil...........the varieties of Lavender oils will probably give you a headache so here are my recommendations (opinion). Lavender 40/42 is not for therapeutic use. Lavindin is a hybrid of lavender and spike lavender and has a pretty medicinal smell, although it has the same properties as lavender. If you want a more herbaceous oil try Bulgarian or Maillette (sweet lavender). If you want more floral try a French Lavender. My absolute favorite is High Altitude French Lavender-this is the most delicate lavender I have ever used.

I hope everyone finds this information useful. You can contact me or leave a comment anytime you would like to know more.