dry potpourris are given, together with a sample recipe for a traditional floral potpourri.
MANY TRADITIONAL DRY potpourri mixes displayed in open ceramic bowls in the bedroom or living room are based on rose petals, often with the addition of lavender flowers. However, a great deal of flexibility and individual creativity can be used in choosing plant material and other ingredients. A fresh citrus blend based on herbs such as lemon balm and lemon-scented geraniums together with dried lemon peel and marigold petals can make a refreshing bathroom blend. Spicy mixtures, which are suitable for the kitchen or for festive occasions, may include ingredients such as lemon or orange peel, cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, whole cloves and other spices, bay leaves, and sprigs of dried rosemary.
Traditional potpourri recipe
Ingredients
2 cups (25g) dried rose petals
½ cup (6g) dried lavender flowers
½ cup (6g) dried mint leaves
½ tbsp/7.5ml orris root powder
half a nutmeg, grated
20 to 30 drops rose oil
20 to 30 drops lavender oil
decorative rosebuds
small glass mixing bottle
mortar and pestle
small spoon for mixing
glass or ceramic storage jar
decorative bowl
1 Measure out the essential oils and blend them together in a glass bottle. Put on the lid securely and set aside.
2 Grind the grated nutmeg and orris root powder together, using the mortar and pestle. Add half the total quantity of essential oils and mix with a spoon.
3 Place the main ingredients in the storage container and add the remaining essential oils, mixing well.
4 Add the powdered material from the mortar and mix gently, so as not to damage the plant materials. Seal the container and leave to mature for two to six weeks in a dark place.
5 Transfer the potpourri mixture into a decorative bowl or jar and arrange a few tiny rosebuds on top. Later, as the aroma starts to fade, more essential oils can be added to revive the mixture and prolong its life.
Cosmetic aromatherapy aims to rejuvenate and beautify the body through the use of aromatic oils, and generally to improve our outward appearance. Much of this section focuses on the different methods by which essential oils can be used to improve the complexion or to treat specific skin conditions. Beauty, however, is not just skin-deep. The condition of the skin expresses the overall health of an individual. A relaxed attitude, together with a well-balanced diet, enough exercise, and a daily intake of plenty of spring water or herbal teas, all help to keep the system in top condition.
Our outward appearance is certainly kept high on the cultural agenda today, with health and beauty issues attracting a wide audience among the general public. New weight-control programs, fitness plans, and nutritional regimes are emerging all the time. But the emphasis that our culture places on the body and the importance of beauty, like all things, has both a positive and a negative side. On the positive side, it can encourage a sense of well-being, self-confidence, self-awareness, and self-motivation. On the negative side, it can foster addictions, narcissism, or a lack of self-worth by holding up a concept of perfection or beauty that is ultimately unattainable. Taken to the extreme, an over-materialistic attachment to the beauty of the body can lead to a youth-oriented society in which people have an exaggerated fear of growing old.
Essential oils have themselves been linked to the old alchemical tradition of the search for physical immortality—but, as the medieval alchemists discovered for themselves, ultimately it is not possible to transmute base matter into gold. What they did discover through their laborious experimentation was how to perceive an “inner map” for the transformation of the psyche or nature of the soul. In the end, as Paracelsus realized, the material body is only a receptacle or instrument for the transcendental soul.
ROSE PETALS
“Why not take care of this body, which is the receptacle of our soul, so that it may remain as healthy, strong, and perfect as possible …”
PARACELSUS
However, before considering the contribution or limits of an aromatherapeutic approach to rejuvenation, and the value of essential oils in beauty and cosmetic preparations, it may be helpful to take a look at the structure of skin itself and the types of physical problems to which it is exposed.
Women wearing perfume cones on their heads depicted in an Ancient Egyptian wall painting.
THE SKIN IS the largest organ of the human body, consisting of over three million cells. Like the heart or liver, the skin is a very active organ and is responsible for all kinds of bodily processes, including temperature regulation, elimination of metabolic waste, and the manufacture of vitamin D, as well as protecting the body from external invasion.
Massage and dry skin brushing help to improve the circulation and discourage toxic wastes from accumulating in the thigh area
The skin is divided into three main layers:
