Soy Candles

Essential oils have three classifications: top note, middle note, base note.  These describe the evaporation rate of the oil.  The fragrance will last only a certain amount of time, depending on what note it is.  Here is the breakdown of the notes.

1. Top note: lasts for 3-24 hours, the most stimulating due to the fact it is the most strongly scented.  Examples of top note: basil, bergamot, clary sage, coriander, eucalyptus, lemongrass, neroli, peppermint, sage and thyme.
2. Middle note: lasts about 2-3 days, affect the metabolic and body functions, fragrance or scent is less potent than top note.  Examples of middle note: balm, chamomile, fennel, geranium, hyssop, juniper, lavender and rosemary.
3. Base note: lasts up to a week at the maximum, have a sweet and soothing scent, relaxes the body.  Examples of base note: cedarwood, clove, frankincense, ginger, jasmine, rose and sandalwood. 

Essential oils are very potent and are usually diluted with carrier oils or base oils.  Don’t confuse base note essential oils with base oils.  Unless essential oils are diluted they are very irritating to the skin.  A carrier oil is a vegetable oil derived from the fatty portion of the plant usually from the seeds or kernels or the nuts.  They carry the essential oil onto the skin.  Each carrier oil provides a different combination of characteristics and therapeutic properties.  Start with the therapeutic benefit wanted and then decide on what carrier oil to use.  Carrier oils do not evaporate and have only a faint sweet nutty aroma.  They however can go rancid and will then have a strong, bitter aroma.  True carrier oils are generally cold-pressed vegetable oils.  The most popular carrier oils are Sweet Almond and Grapeseed.   Here are some other carrier oils:

• Apricot kernel
• Avocado
• Evening Primrose
• Hazelnut
• Jojoba
• Olive oil
• Peach kernel oil
• Sunflower
• Wheatgerm oil
• Borage
• Cocoa Butter
• Kukui
• Macadamia Nut
• Peanut
• Pecan
• Rose Hip
• Sesame
• Shea Butter
• Cranberry Seed
• Meadowfoam
• Pomegranate
• Seabuckthorn Berry
• Hemp Seed
• Watermelon Seed
• Fractionated Coconut

Our gourmet body massage soy candles combines the use of these carrier oils: Grapeseed Oil, Jojoba Oil and Shea Butter.  They come in over 50 different fragrances.  You can get a truly relaxing total body massage in the privacy of your own home when you use a gourmet body massage soy candle. 

The basis of how essential oils works on our body through inhalation is as follows;

1. They have an immediate effect on our sense of smell or also know as olfaction. 
2. When we inhale essential oils our olfactory receptors are stimulated.
3. This is transmitted to the limbic system, which is the emotional center of our brain.
4. The limbic system is connected to the areas of our brain that operate the memory, respiratory or breathing, circulatory or blood, and the endocrine glands.
5. The endocrine glands regulate different hormone levels in our body.
6. The property of the essential oil that was inhaled, will determine what system is involved and what kind of stimulation occurs.

Essential oils are also effective when used topically or on the skin.  When used in massage oils the route of administration is two-fold.  One in the inhalation of the oil, thus working as explained above, and two in a topical application as the oil is massaged into the skin. 

1. Topically, they penetrate the skin tissues.
2. Next they find their way into the bloodstream or circulatory system.
3. Here they are transported to the organs and other systems of the body.

How many of you have been to the spa and had a terrific massage with a wonderful smelling massage oil?  Now you can have that massage right in the comfort of your own home with a gourmet body massage soy candle.  Share the experience with your loved one and spread the love around!

There are many forms of aromatherapy.  Take for example the application of scented body lotion or body spray or perfume.  Then there is taking a warm fragrant bath, burning potpourri, or even just walking through a scented garden.  Last but not least is the burning of a scented candle.  How many of these have you done and not realized it was a form of aromatherapy?  Even better yet is the lighting of a scented soy candle.  You get added benefits in the use of a scented soy candle; less soot, renewable resource, non-toxic, longer burn time.  In fact a soy candle will burn 50% longer than a paraffin candle.

Aromatherapists have known for a long time that odors have a huge impact on how we feel, our mood.  Medical research has also stumbled upon this significant fact.  The sense of smell is strongly linked to our brain and our emotions.  Scents can take us for a walk on memory lane, pleasant or unpleasant.  Alan Hirsch M.D., a neurologist and psychiatrist, states that “smells act directly on the brain, like a drug.  We know that from brain wave frequency studies that smelling lavender increases alpha waves in the back of the head, which are associated with relaxation.  An odor such as jasmine increases brain waves in the front of the head, which are associated with a more alert state of consciousness.”  As you can see the medical profession has also begun to recognize the value of aromatherapy in medicine.  But they have only begun!

Aromatherapy uses the essences of aromatic plants.  These essences are the essential oils that are in high concentration from the plants.  Aromatherapy then is the art of using these essential oils to promote healing of the body and mind.  The oils are found in various parts of the plants like the flowers, leaves, twigs, bark or rinds of the fruits.  They can be used in combinations or alone.  There are different methods of extracting the oils which can be time consuming and expensive.  The essential oils themselves can be expensive, but a small drop goes a long way and is very effective.  You can purchase essential oils from catalogs, websites, and in health food stores.  You can also purchase scented soy candles from the same places.  Why not try one today and get in the aromatherapy groove!

Aromatherapy is a term used to refer to various traditions making the use of essential oils.  They could sometimes be used in conjunction with other alternative medical practices and spiritual beliefs.  Common use of aromatherapy products include medicine, massaging products, and any topical application that includes the use of essential oils.  Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine using essential oils {EOs} and various aromatic compounds from the plant.  The purpose is to affect your mind or health.  When the plant is used to make essential oils only the monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes are recovered.  This is what makes them unique from other herbal products in which the lighter phytomolecules are recovered with the distillation process. 

There are various routes of administration of aromatherapy compounds.  Included are: 

1.  direct inhalation-used for respiratory disinfection, decongestant, expectoration as well as psychological effects.
2. aerial diffusion- used for aerial disinfection or environmental fragrances.
3. oral, vaginal, rectal- used for infection, congestion, parasites, perfume for body scenting, and anointment’s.
4. topical applications- used for general massage, baths, compresses, and therapeutic skin care.

Then there is the use of aromatherapy in candles.  This route of administration would be be direct inhalation.  Another route would be with topical application when using a gourmet body massage soy candle from the spa collection.  The fragrances offered are Citrus Fantasy, Cool Breeze, Enchanted Journey, Lavender Fields, Pleasant Dreams and Sensual Moments.  With cold weather coming snuggle up close to that special someone and offer them a body massage to take away the winter blahs.  These special soy candles will add vigor to your love life. 

Aromatherapy is the prevention or treatment of disease with the use of essential oils.  The way it works is twofold.  One is upon the brain with the influence of aroma where it is inhaled through the olfactory system or nose.  The other mechanism of working is by direct pharmacological effects or science of drugs in the usage of the essential oils. 

In France where aromatherapy originated it is incorporated into mainstream medicine.  Some essential oils are considered like our narcotics in that they are regulated and available only by prescription and administered by a doctor.  The doctors use an aromatogram in deciding which essential oil to use.  They actually collect a sample of the infected area and grow or culture it in a petri dish.  The petri dishes have been inoculated with different essential oils and studied to see which one retards growth of the infection and then is used to treat the patient. 

Essential oils are included in the national pharmacopoeia of many countries.  Japan, Germany, Russia and the United States do not recognize aromatherapy as a valid branch of medicine.  In the United States aromatherapy is considered an alternative form of medicine. 

Essential oils used in massage oils when applied to the skin activate thermal receptors, kill microbes and fungi.  When used in aroma {scent} therapy they activate the emotional centers of the brain and the limbic system.  When used in internal applications they may stimulate the immune system.  This route is mainly in pharmacological drugs and not generally recommended for home use unless diluted. 

Aromatherapy soy candles works by inhalation on your olfactory system.  They activate emotional centers in your brain, giving you an altered or enhanced mood response.  Thus they can be used as a relief for stress.  Aromatherapy soy candles come in the following fragrances Cool Breeze, Citrus Fantasy, Enchanted Journey, Lavender Fields, Pleasant Dreams, and Sensual Moments.

Essential oils are fragrant oils extracted from plants mainly through the process of steam distillation.  Essential oils can vary in price.  Depending on what country the oil is from, the amount of the harvest, the type of extraction process used, and how desirable the oil is, will help to determine the price put on that oil.  Organic and wild harvested oils tend to be higher in cost.  Indian Sandalwood comes from a species that is endangered and the aroma is more desirable for use than Australian Sandalwood, therefore it is twice as expensive. 

There are safety concerns when using essential oils.  Due to the high concentration of the oils they can be irritating to the skin unless diluted with a carrier oil.  A carrier oil is typically an oily plant triacylglyceride used for dilution of essential oils for use on the skin.  Licensed aromatherapy professionals don’t recommend self prescription of essential oils due to the high toxic nature of some of them.  Never take them internally unless prescribed by a doctor as some are extremely toxic when taken this way, like Eucalyptus.  Also sage, hyssop, thuja, and cedar can cause toxic reactions when ingested.  Be sure and keep them out of reach of children and pets.  If you are receiving conventional medicines, oils may interfere and have a negative interaction, ingested or applied to the skin.  Example is Sweet Birch and Wintergreen can cause hemorrhaging in people who take the anticoagulant Warfarin.  As with any medicine, it may be safe for the general public but in pregnant and lactating women it may be a hazard.  Before using essential oils be sure you have researched it and know the hazards that might come from using it and the route of usage.  If in doubt be sure and check with a health professional before beginning use of the essential oil.

Medical professionals have come to the consensus that some aromas have shown effects on mood and relaxation.  In dental mouthwash products it has been shown that oils have an intended effect.  Also researchers have shown that aromatherapy has significantly reduced claustrophobia for MRI patients by the use of vanilla.  Another newer use of essential oils are the body massage oil candles and aromatherapy soy candles. 

Visit our Spa Collection.  Included in this collection are the aromatherapy soy candles and the gourmet body massage soy candles.  This collection is made with pure essential oils and contains all-natural aromatherapy soy candles.  The fragrances are aromatic, captivating and sensual.  Each fragrance is designed to provide a unique aromatherapy experience. 

Aromatherapy science is a newly created discipline.  This science takes common knowledge about smell and mood regulation from everyday life into the laboratory setting.  Holistic aromatherapy practitioners have made claims that scents and aromas help to reduce stress and promote relaxation.  Here in the lab, it can be tested and the results categorized.  The results have been surprising to the scientific community members.  Lavender and vanilla have been discovered to greatly reduce stress and anxiety in some settings.  In a study at Manhattan’s Sloan-Kettering Hospital, stress related to claustrophobia was reduced by 63% during MRI scans, using the scent of vanilla.  In another lab setting using mice, lavender and sandalwood aroma bursts calmed the hyper-excited rodents.

There may be benefits to include aromatherapy in your everyday life as well.  Relaxation is an important part of combating high blood pressure and heart problems.  Unlike meditation and yoga that takes time and practice, with aromatherapy you can get immediate results just by inhalation.  Just introduce a pleasing scent into your environment and presto, relaxation.  You can introduce it into the work environment and academic classrooms as well. 

Here is a tip on how to try aromatherapy in reducing stress and tension.  Use a scented soy candle while reading or bathing or even just daydreaming.  Lavender and or vanilla has shown proven results in reducing stress and promoting relaxation.  As aromatherapy science advances you can except more information on what scent will give you the intended effect for your mood and reduction of stress.   

Fragrance oils are generally very complex.  They are a mixture of aroma chemicals and can contain hundreds of them.  They are undiluted.  They can be part artificial and part synthetic or all synthetic.  Fragrance oils are not perfume oils.  Never take them internally or place them directly on the skin.  They need to be diluted into your final product.  

Fragrance oils that are synthetically or man-made, give to aromatherapy only their fragrance property.  Use these kinds for crafting, incense, bath and body products.  Synthetic fragrance oils are beneficial for their aroma.  They can help promote peace of mind and alleviate a down mood.  When it comes to the pocket book, they are much more affordable than essential oils.

Some however, are not synthetic.  They are a blend of essential oils cut with a carrier oil.  These fragrance oils are diluted too much and don’t have a strong enough scent to be used for crafting purposes.  They are good for use on the skin, on the hair or in candles.

Fragrance oils used in making soaps need to be purchased from a company that sells these oils just for soap making.  They will sell scents formulated in accordance with certain standards that are safe for use in bath and body products.  Be sure not to use fragrances meant for candles or potpourri in your soaps.  They will be to irritating for your skin. 

Whatever the purpose you choose to use fragrance oils, they can be found in many scents.  You can combine scents to create your own fragrant blend.  When used in a lamp ring they bring to your home a delightful aroma.  With the holidays just around the corner why not spruce up your home with some favorite holiday scents like Bayberry, Dickens Christmas, Eggnog, Hollyberry, Noel, Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Holy Night, Pumpkin Spice, Spiced Cranberry, Victorian Christmas, and Yuletide Memories.  Happy Holidays!

Aromatherapy is vastly growing in the field of alternative medicine.  It is used in clinics, hospitals, hospice, and homes.  Its uses are in pain management and rehabilitation.   It also has usage with a healing effect of the mind and spirit.  After being inhaled or applied to the skin aromatherapy essential oils can provide and promote hormonal balance, calmness, stress relief, rejuvenation and much more. 

Essential Oils are aromatic essences extracted from grasses, seeds, plants, flowers, trees, fruits and bark.  They have a distinctive therapeutic, psychological, and physiological property which can improve and help prevent illness.  There are over 300 essential oils on the market today.  They have associated with them these properties: antiseptic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, pain relief, antidepressant, and expectorant.  Some have the benefit of stimulation, relaxation, improvement of the digestion , and diuretic properties{ helping to rid the body of excessive fluids}.  To obtain any benefit from using essential oils they should be pure and natural, made from the raw material.  Synthetically made oils do not have the same benefits.

Body massage soy candles are made using pure essential oils in the spa collection.  They will heighten your senses of sight, touch and smell.  They will rejuvenate, hydrate and soften your skin.  Most of all they will ignite your love life.  Share one today with your special someone! 

The definition of aroma-therapeutic quality is that there is no synthetic fragrance in the product you are buying, only pure essential oils and plant extracts.  Essential oils and pure plant extracts are more expensive than synthetic fragrances.  Larger companies aren’t willing to make that kind of investment, but smaller companies are willing to invest, to keep up and become better than the big fish in the ocean. 

Do you have dry and sensitive skin?  Check to be sure the product you have just purchased does not contain alcohol as it drys the skin.  Does the product contain the word “perfume”?  Will it is made from petroleum derivatives and can’t be good for your skin.  And what about candles?  Aromatherapy candles are everywhere, but what kind of wax are they made from?  Remember paraffin candles are known to contain carcinogenic toxins.  Try instead a aromatherapy soy candle which is natural and non-carcinogenic.