Scents & Sensibility Newsletter - Volume II - Issue 9- February 25, 2001

Composing your own fragrances as discussed in earlier articles can be very simple, just one or two essential oils, or as complicated as your personal scent palette allows. Once you have a created a fragrance for yourself or someone else, don't underestimate the power of your scent intuition. Your nose may know that you or your loved ones may benefit from the aromatherapeutic benefits of your personalized scents and now all you need are some creative ways of delivering it.

Perfumes and Colognes

Perfumes and colognes have been around for a long time and are really only distinguished by their concentration; perfume being more highly concentrated and thus longer lasting than cologne. Find a used, empty perfume bottle and sterilize it; for perfume add about 40 drops of your fragrance to an eighth ounce of 100 proof vodka, for cologne, double the vodka. Stir with a glass rod or shake gently, cover and allow to 'age' for at least a week or longer. Commercial fragrances contain fixatives to preserve and reduce the evaporation rate of a fragrance. Tincture of benzoin can be used for this purpose in your home fragrances by adding a drop or two to the bottle and will lengthen the shelf life of your fragrance but is not mandatory. Many essential oils act as fixatives themselves, particularly those derived from resins like frankincense and myrrh.

Tub Teas, Bath Salts, Salt Glows, Bath Oils - Luxuriating in the Bath

A marvelously easy way to enjoy the healthful benefits of essential oils and soften your skin while relaxing in a hot, steaming bath is to toss in a bag of tub tea, or a couple tablespoons of scented bath salts. While simple, these formulations will leave your skin feeling softer and enervated. They work by softening the water, (salt is a famous water softener), the hot bath and steam open your pores to allow even greater hydration and softening from the water and oils. Lastly, by laying in the water you inhale the scented steam rising off the surface of your bath. Even if you don't have time for a bath our salt glow recipe below will let you reap the benefits while taking a shower.

Bath Salts Recipe
8 parts coarse sea salt - (say 4 cups)
1 part dendritic salt - (½ cup)
rose petals, lavender buds, calendula petals (optional)
10- 12 drops of your favourite essential oil (try rose or lavender or make a blend)
Sea salt is magnesium rich and is preferred to something like Epsom salts (though you can use them if you like). We like to use a dendritic salt as the shape of the crystals captures and absorbs the essential oil more thoroughly. Mix these ingredients and add the essential oil last, stirring well to disperse the scents. All ingredients can usually be found in a health food store. Store in a dry container to protect from moisture. To use them, add a couple of tablespoons to a full, hot bath and luxuriate. If you have added a lot of herbs you can put your blend into a small muslin bag to keep the herbs from clinging to the sides of the tub, the salts and oils can still disperse through the water.

Salt Glow Recipe
2 cups coarse sea salt
1 ounce base oil (avocado, olive, apricot kernel or jojoba)
8 - 10 drops of your favourite essential oil
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl making sure to spread the essential oils and the base oil throughout the salt. You can adjust the quantity of base oil if you like a looser mixture. Stand in the shower or tub and gently massage the mixture all over your skin in circular motions. If the salts fall to the tub pick them up and keep reusing them until you have covered your whole body. When you are done fill the tub with warm water and let the residue melt into the water, or simply shower off any remaining salt. Your skin will be glowing, moisturized and tingly. A definite treat.

Bath Oil Recipe
8 ounces of Turkey Red Oil (sulfated castor oil)
15 drops of your favourite essential oil
Turkey Red Oil is preferable because it is the only oil that disperses in water, leaving no oily film on the tub, however any base oil will do though a light unsaturated oil is best (grapeseed or perhaps olive). Use only two tablespoons per full, hot bath and soak.

Tub Tea Recipe
Dried herbs (chamomile, yarrow, heather, eucalyptus, thyme or rosemary)
Few drops of essential oils (optional)
Muslin bag (about 4"x3")
Combine your herbs into the muslin bag and toss into the hot tub. Just like tea the herbs will release their qualities to your bath water.

Hope you enjoy these easy recipes, they are definirely worth the effort!