December, the last month of the year, is a month of celebration worldwide. We experience happy family gatherings, along with some stressful preparation time for celebrating our traditions. It is a month where we share love and caring for each other. It can be a very expensive month, and it can be a month for reflection about what has been and what is to come. It is also a time for experiencing spicy fragrances such as fresh orange and sweet vanilla. For most of us, it’s a month for joyful journeys, nostalgia and happiness. But it can also be a time where lonely people feel even more lonely.
December is also the month where IFPA welcomes new Board members, and we start a new year. Our new committee brings new ideas, new plans, and new strategies. We are excited to fulfil some of these plans in the coming year.
In November, we held our first online AGM/CPD Day. Thank you to everybody who participated and helped to make it such a special day. Christine Courtney, IFPA Chair, shares her experiences from the day…
I am writing to you with a heart full of joy and gratitude.
December is often a time for reflection, celebration, and connection, and IFPA’s recent milestones give us so much to celebrate together
This month, IFPA hosted our very first online CPD event and Annual General Meeting (AGM), bringing together members from across the globe. What an incredible experience it was to see so many of you join us, sharing your insights, passion, and commitment to professional Aromatherapy. It was a vivid reminder of the power of our collective community and how technology can bring us closer, no matter the distances between us.
As we embrace this month’s theme of Joyful Journeys, I hope you find inspiration in the many ways our work can uplift and inspire. Aromatherapy holds a special ability to evoke joy, comfort, and connection, and this season provides the perfect opportunity to share that gift with others.
As we Aromatherapists know, aromas have an extraordinary ability to act as a bridge to memory, transporting us back to moments of happiness and nostalgia. For over 25 years, I have been creating my OBUS Christmas essential oils blend, which has become an integral part of my holiday season. It fills me with joy to know that this special blend has also become a cherished tradition for all my siblings.
The inspiration for this blend comes from my beautiful memories of my mother lovingly preparing Christmas cakes and puddings. The delightful aromas of her mixing and baking filled our home with warmth and festive cheer, and it is those cherished moments that I sought to capture. Now, each year, the scent rekindles those precious memories, keeping her legacy alive in our hearts and homes. As we celebrate diverse traditions and embrace the universal values of connection and gratitude, I am reminded of the joyful journey we are all on together as Aromatherapists. Thank you for your dedication, your contributions, and for being a vital part of this vibrant international community. Wishing you, your family and friends, peace, happiness, and plenty of joyful moments this season.
Most people know the smell of lavender – or do we? First of all we ask: Which species? Do you smell the fresh garden lavender or lavender spike essential oil? Is it a pure extract or adulterated to “reach” a specific aroma?
Anyway, lavender essential oil is very famous, and my guess is that every educated aromatherapist has atleast one bottle of lavender essential oil in his or her clinic. The most commonly known and used is Lavendula angustifolia.
Lavender essential oil has so many wonderful therapeutic properties and brings us gifts for body, mind and soul. Lavender is so effective and versatile and yet mild enough to be used even for the youngest – and for our pets, if we use it correctly.
With its broad use, many have told us about the effects of the oil both in general literature and in more scientific frames. Lavender may be the most researched oil of all. Sometimes, we may also hear of myths about lavender, and these are what this article is about.
One of the most difficult myths to debunk is the long-living myth towards lavender having estrogenic effects. I remember my own reaction first time I heard, that using Lavender essential oil could affect boys so much, that they develop brests – Gynecomastia. I was shocked and thought it was a joke. But afterwards I made a little research, and no – it is no joke, Some really do believe and bring this myth forward. The myth has it’s roots from missreports and poor analysis of some small studies carried out. You can read more abouth the myth here
The reported estrogenic effect of Lavender essential oil also led to myths about being a hormone disruptor and even with the risk of leading to cancer. Well, that is serious stuff. Luckily Robert Tisserand and other serious researchers has helped us getting wiser. He claims here
that Lavender essential oil is not estrogenic and explains why we can trust the oil as safe. (Of course if used properly)
As professionals we carry a lot of responsibility for the health of the people we guide – and therefor in my oppinion – we are obliged to be updated on the truth and newest research about the effect of essential oils to provide safe and effective advises. In some communities Lavender is claimed to be so safe to use, that you do not need to dilute it! Dilution is a long discussion – and too long for this text, but even this socalled mild essential oil can cause problems with allergy if you overuse it without being careful. Here
you can read more about lavender and contact allergy.
General use of Lavender essential oil in personal care products is a point of discussion. Some says: Don’t use it at all – others loves to add a few drops in their lotion. Robert Tisserand has written an article about the issue, and concludes here:
“I submit that the dermal benefits of lavender oil outweigh the risks to a considerable degree.”
There is so much more to say about this precious and beloved oil, than this article leaves room for. If you are interested in research about the endrocine issue, you can start here
If you want to learn more about the many medicinal properties of lavender essential oil, you can get some of the answers here
Did you know…
As a member of IFPA, you have access to the electronic versions of In Essence all the way back to 2007. In the consolidated index you have a great overview of the content if you are looking for something special. We encourage you to dive into the archives to find a host of exciting articles full of knowledge and inspiration. You can find the Index here. This month, we are highlighting the article entitled Seasons of Change in Vol 6 No 3 Winter 2007.
“Use winter’s dark days to your advantage, ” says the author, Barbara Payne. ”Try some unfamiliar oils, update your essential oil knowledge, or even plan a herb garden for springtime planting.”
The article is about harvesting roots, fruits, woods and evergreens during the winter season. She talks about how refreshing and uplifting the essential oils that come from these plants are – especially during the holiday season. You can find the article here.
This article is available through the In Essence magazine archive in the members’ area of the IFPA website. Find out how to become a member and what benefits you gain here.
A prized treasure from the tropical and sub-Saharan regions of Africa, Marula oil is known by African women as “the African Beauty Secret” for its amazing skin and hair benefits. Interestingly, Marula fruit is a favourite of elephants, who travel vast distances to feast on it!
The oil is extracted from the seeds contained in the fruit. It is rich in oleic and linoleic fatty acids, vitamins C and E, and epicatechin, a powerful antioxidant also found in dark chocolate. With a mild, nutty aroma, marula oil is one of the most stable oils available.
Marula oil exhibits anti-microbial properties and being non-comedogenic, it is ideal for acne-prone skin. Its anti-inflammatory effects help soothe redness and itchiness and can be beneficial in conditions like eczema and psoriasis. It helps protect the skin against harsh climate conditions. Marula oil also supports a gentle flow of circulation. Its Omega-9 fatty acid balances scalp oils, without leaving a greasy effect.
Lightweight, deeply skin penetrating, Marula oil is a popular addition to anti-aging products. It nourishes dry skin, repairs damaged skin, and reduces blemishes and wrinkles in mature skin. In hair care recipes, it strengthens hair strands and revitalises brittle and dry hair. A truly versatile oil!
Even if we don’t use much myrrh essential oil during the year, many of us remember myrrh in December. I love myrrh for its deep fragrance in a blend, for the therapeutic actions and for the history behind this precious essence. Since antiquity, it has been exploited as a natural drug to treat pain, skin infections, inflammatory conditions, diarrhoea, and periodontal diseases. In more recent history, it has been recognised as possessing properties such as antiseptic, anaesthetic, and antitumour. Many have experienced these properties, and, during evidence-based research, now support these properties as well as including antiparasitic and wound healing properties.
To learn more about myrrh from a research perspective, I recommend Commiphora myrrh: a phytochemical and pharmacological update – PMC , where it is says: “This review highlights an updated information on the history, distribution, traditional uses, phytochemical components, pharmacology, and various biological activities of Commiphora myrrh.”
I can also recommend the splendid article by Jamie Garvey in In Essence Vol 19 No 1 Frankincense and myrrh: A distiller’s story, if you are interested in learning more.
Annette Davis, certified clinical nutritionist and aromatherapist with 35 years of aromatherapy experience and president of NAHA, will be speaking at the USA informal regional group meeting on 5th December at 17:00 EDT live on Webex. Her presentation is on Calming Anxiety. In this presentation, Annette will explore the factors contributing to anxiety and will discuss strategies to help restore nervous system health. Everyone is welcome to attend. Please e-mail Robin B Kessler, CA/MIFPA at [email protected] so that she can add you to the list.
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