3 Go-To Essential Oils for Work

3 Go-To Essential Oils for Work

by | Apr 1, 2022 | Nyssa Says

Running an aromatherapy business must be filled with calming music, soothing scents, and lots of relaxation, right?  We can all use essential oils for work!

Sometimes. But mostly, it’s just like any other business. The only difference is that we get constant reminders that life is too short to worry about the small stuff, and that number one, it really is all about taking care of ourselves.

I mean, I can’t preach self-care all day and then not properly hydrate myself or work too many hours. Actually, I know that I CAN do that because I have. So what I actually mean is—it just doesn’t work.

That’s why simple tricks to help us stay on track and return back to what matters are essential. I’ve found that besides the ever-present opportunity to just sit back and take a deep breath, essential oils also help bring me back to a focused state.

I recently wrote an article for Massage Today on using essential oils to re-center while at work. Though this is geared towards massage therapists, the article is relevant to everyone. It will not only apply while at work, but the info is great for getting focused in general.

Read the whole article here.

My three go-to essential oils for work (right now) are: Eucalyptus, May Chang, and Spruce.

  • Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) – Think of Eucalyptus as a breath of fresh air. This respiratory tonic and sinus opener will inspire you to breathe deeper. It helps to open the lungs to take in new air, and its expectorant qualities clear mucus from the respiratory passages.
  • Spruce (Picea mariana syn. P. nigra) – Spruce, to me, is like strength and growth in a bottle. It’s great for those days when you feel heavy and bogged-down by tasks or responsibilities. Spruce is another respiratory tonic, inspiring a full breath as if we were on a walk in the woods.
  • May Chang (Litsea cubeba) – May Chang smells like the excitement of a new day. It is a bright and uplifting, lemon-y smell that feels like the light of gold. It is a bit like Lemongrass but a little less irritant. (This is a super plus!)

These are three of SO MANY to choose from. I want to know, what is your favorite oil to use when you go to work? What about it works for you?

Thank you for letting me share my love for aromatics with you!

Aromatically Yours,

Nyssa

 

P.S. CALLING ALL MASSAGE THERAPISTS. I need your help! What questions would you like answered regarding massage and aromatherapy? I’ll be writing a few more articles for Massage Today this year, and I’d love to know any burning questions you might have. Leave me a comment on what future articles you’d like to see.  

How to Make Spruce Syrup

How to Make Spruce Syrup

by | Jan 24, 2019 | Yarden Notes

Ah, the smell of Evergreens … This is a scent that can transport you to a winter landscape. Even if you live in a tropical place like us, there are ways you can feel like you’re on a mountain overlooking snow-covered trees.

My latest favorite is crystallized Spruce needles and with those, Spruce Syrup!

As part of the Spruce Exploration Deep Dive in the Atlantic Aromatic Library, I crystallized some real Spruce tips and made a simple syrup with them. (If you don’t have any Spruce trees near you, you can order them from a beer supplier here.) I imagined I was a homesteader or wilderness person, wishing to preserve the feeling of Spruce, the smell of winter into a simple syrup—since I don’t have maple trees to tap. It’s been the best addition to my water.

DIRECTIONS:

A simple syrup is just sugar and water together in a 1:1 ratio. So, I boiled water and added the sugar till it dissolved, as I did for the crystallization project. I immersed the remaining Spruce sprigs, wood, and needles, along with the rest of the sugar mix I had used. Simmering on the stove, I kept it on low so I wouldn’t lose the essential oils. I must say it smelled like something delicious was cooking! After a few hours, I had to add more water as it thickened! So I added more water and left it overnight in the fridge. Then I simmered it again the next day till it smelled perfect and was the right consistency.

Once it cooled, I strained out the spent needles and let it cool further before decanting it into my bottle.

I now use it to flavor and sweeten my daily water glasses.

Watch Sylla share why she loves her Spruce syrup so much.

First, I add some warm water in the bottom of a large tumbler. Then I add about a tablespoon of syrup, mixing it and adding ice. Finally, I top it off with room-temperature distilled water (my choice).

There are many ways to use this simple syrup! It could be used in hot tea. It could also be caramelized till it’s thick and brown—to be drizzled over desserts … The uses are endless.

I already know I should have made more …

Have you ever crystallized an Evergreen? How do you like to use it? Tell us all about it below!

 

Why You’ve Got to Learn the Latin Names

Why You’ve Got to Learn the Latin Names

by | Jan 14, 2019 | Yarden Notes

Ever since my parents started dating, they’ve called each other, “Buddy.” Whenever my dad was in his home office and my mom needed his attention, she’d yell up the stairs, “Hey, Buddy.” One day, when I called home to talk to Mom, Dad went to find her in the backyard garden and yelled from the porch, “Hey, Buddy.” I know this because I could hear it through the receiver.

Cards will be addressed to “Buddy,” and the two of them will even say, “I love you, Buddy,” before leaning in for a kiss.

The thing is, no one else calls either one of them Buddy. Since I’m an only child, I call them plain ol’ Mom and Dad, and no one else does that either (except for Mom’s adopted aroma-kids!).

I share this odd and personal tidbit to emphasize that we do the same thing with plants—give them names that we know them by—even when they have proper names.

What’s important to understand here is that every essential oil you work with comes from a plant that has an official Latin binomial. Also known as a botanical name, these identifications help us know exactly what plant we’re dealing with.

It’s like the difference between asking to talk to “Buddy,” which could refer to either one of my parents (or the millions of other people out there known as “Buddy”) and asking for Sylla Sheppard-Hanger (Latin for amazing aromatherapist and Mom to Nyssa).

Now, you might think each plant has a Latin name, like our first and last names, and possibly one or more common names, right?

Well, not exactly. Sometimes plants have more than one Latin name.

Before you think plants are just trying to keep us on our toes, keep this in mind: we’ve only been officially classifying plants since about the 1700’s. And since Carl Linnaeus laid the foundations of binomial nomenclature, we’ve learned a lot more about how to study plants and better classify them. So plant names may change species, genus, or much less often, family, and it takes time for everyone to catch on. That’s why many resources (like your books) will list several names if present.

Watch Sylla and Nyssa explain why they love Latin names in the video below.

Now we want to know, what’s your favorite botanical name?

Which one do you just love to say?

Let us know by leaving a comment below.