Essential Oils - Properties and Uses:

Citronella: With its powerful lemon-like aroma, citronella is a familiar component of bug-repelling sprays.  Use it in dread sprays to ward off pests and to combat oily scalp.  Astringent and cleansing citronella is also useful for oily, blemished skin and large pores.  It can be irritating, so be sure to dilute properly.

Citronella will produce a subtle sensation of warmth when properly diluted in a massage oil and applied to the skin.  Dilute 3 drops of essential oil per teaspoon of massage oil.  Using this in a friction massage may help bring relief to painful joints and muscles.  Perform a simple friction massage by rubbing a targeted area vigorously until warmth is produced by the friction.  The idea is to bring blood and soothing warmth into the affected area.  Combine citronella with lavender to make the effect more moderate and balancing.

Citronella is astringent and can help with oily complexions.  First, test a single drop of oil on your inner arm to make sure that it won't irritate your skin.  Then apply no more than two or three drops to a soft cotton ball to gently wipe clean any oily areas.  Follow this with your regular cleaning and moisturizing routine.

Peppermint:
Widely used in toothpaste, chewing gum and candy, peppermint oil has a very potent fresh, minty aroma that produces a cooling and refreshing sensation.  Combine peppermint, lavender and a skin care oil for a soothing stomach massage oil.  Common Name: Peppermint Botanical Name: Mentha piperita Origin: United States Apperance: Colorless to pale yellow or greenish Aroma: Fresh, sweet, menthol-minty, herbaceous.  The primary constituent of peppermint oil is menthol, which causes a physical reaction when inhaled or applied to the skin. Menthol produces an immediate and pronounced sensation of coolness which the body reacts to quite strongly, producing its own warming effect as blood flows into the area of application.  This physical sensation impresses the senses as a medicinal effect and is partially responsible for peppermint's long history of use as medicine. Peppermint Oil is great in anti-itch sprays for its cooling effect on the scalp.

Rosemary:
Rosemary oil acts as an astringent and will help regulate or decrease oily secretions of the hair folicles.  For this reason rosemary hair care preparations are often used by people with oily hair and dandruff.  Energizing Rosemary Hair Oil To 3 ounces of a good virgin olive oil add: * 5 drops rosemary * 5 drops lavender Gently massage a few drops of this mixture into the scalp and throughout the hair.  This will impart a fragrant, moisturizing sheen.  Rosemary has a fresh, herbaceous scent and has purifying properties. Blend rosemary oil with grapeseed and olive oils to make a nourishing scalp massage. Common Name: Rosemary Botanical Name: Rosmarinus officinalis Origin: Spain, Tunisia, Morocco, France Apperance: Colorless to pale yellow Aroma: Powerfully fresh, woody, foresty, herbaceous and camphor-like Aromatherapists use rosemary's briskly energizing aroma to combat nervous exhaustion and fatigue.  This effect can be so powerful that rosemary is not recommended for use by people with epilepsy or high blood pressure.

Sweet Orange:
Sweet Orange Oil is the perfect remover for Shrinkies, Latex Bonding Glues and Hair Bonding Tapes!  This is NOT a dilute residue remover that you will find on other sites!  This is concentrated essential oil.  One drop per bond dissolves glues on contact! You cannot buy a stronger remover for these systems as this oil is 100% pure Orange Oil concentrate! To use with Shrinkies, remove the extension hair and shrinkie. Place a drop of orange oil on each bond. Rub the concentrate into place.  There is no need to rub for 20-30 seconds.  The oil dissolves the bond on contact. Comb through the hair and shampoo to remove the oil.  (Note: If you have used a fusion glue with shrinkies, follow the directions for removing that glue first, as orange oil may not dissolve your brands fusion glue.)  To use with Latex Bonding Glues drop the orange oil onto the latex glue.  The orange oil will dissolve the latex within a few seconds.  No more pulling your hair out trying to comb through sticky glue mess!  To use with Hair Bonding Tapes, drop the orange oil onto the weft where it is being held by the tape.  The weft will become easy to remove within seconds.  Lift the weft off of the tape.  Place a few drops onto the natural hair where the tape is still holding.  The tape adhesive will turn very slippery and slide off of the natural hair easily.  Common Name: Sweet Orange Botanical Name: Citrus sinensis Origin: Southeast Asia, China Apperance: Pale to dark orange Aroma: Sweet, citrusy, reminiscent of the freshly peeled fruit.

Tea Tree:
Possessing an intense, medicinal aroma, tea tree can be used by the drop directly on the skin to cleanse and purify.  Common Name: Tea Tree Botanical Name: Melaleuca alternifolia Origin: Australia Apperance: Colorless to slightly pale yellow Aroma: Spicy, medicinal, fresh.  Some of the most effective aromatherapy uses for tea tree oil are cosmetic in nature.  For instance, tea tree has a marked oil dissolving and dispersing action, which can help alleviate overly oily secretions of the skin.  One way to take advantage of tea tree's natural astringent action is to dilute 12 drops of the oil in about three ounces of warm water and gently wipe freshly cleaned skin with the mixture using a soft cotton ball.  An oily scalp can also benefit from an application of tea tree.  Before shampooing, a gentle massage with a few drops of the oil will gently invigorate the scalp and help lift greasy deposits from the hair shaft.  Because of the mild qualities of tea tree's terpinen content, the oil can soothe cuts, scratches, sunburn and cold sores.  Because it's non-irritating, a single drop of the oil can be applied directly to minor injuries once or twice a day.  For a soothing sunburn treatment, tea tree is especially effective when paired with lavender oil. Add five drops of tea tree and 11 drops of lavender oil to three ounces of cool, distilled water.  Place this mixture in a bottle with a spray atomizer attachment and mist sunburned areas whenever cooling relief is needed.