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2003 05: E'Scentially Clean

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President's Letter

Dear Aroma Friends,

This month's newsletter, "E'scentially Clean", focuses on making the job of spring cleaning much more bearable through the use of essential oils. If you have to do it, why not at least keep your nose happy as you toil away!

April's newsletter, with its focus on cancer, brought some interesting results, not the least of which is Green Valley's decision to enter a team in the Relay for Life. This fundraiser is an all night event that takes place June 13th and 14th. Our 10 member team, "Tarts 4 Life", so named as a pun on the fact that my husband has a bakery (and a bit of an inside joke here at Green Valley), is completely made up of Green Valley staff members. The sign up sheet was filled within moments of its being posted. I am pleased that the members of Green Valley team are so willing to give of their time to support this cause.

April is also the Annual General Meeting for the British Columbia Association of Practicing Aromatherapists, or BCAPA. Alice, Bobbi and Denise attended this year. In addition to the meeting, they also attended a workshop by Bob and Rhiannon Harris, renowned speakers on aromatherapy. They discussed the immune system benefits of Holistic Aromatherapy. Association members from all over BC were there, so it was a great opportunity to network, renew old acquaintances and meet new people.

May will see Green Valley staff working towards getting our new One Face skincare line prepared for its' June launch. It will also bring us closer to the premier of Green Valley's new book "Green Valley Aromatherapy Essentials" (tentatively scheduled for release in July). The book has been over a year in the making and has involved hundreds of hours in research and discussion! With August not that far away we also are madly working on our new 2003/04 catalogue. Our teams have been constantly creating and sourcing new products and re-evaluating existing ones for this catalogue and are excited to be able to bring these new products to you. Both the book and the catalogue have been huge undertakings. All of research (for both projects) has now come down to frantic discussions, as final decisions must be made. We will be thrilled when they are released.

We hope you will be as excited with all of our new items as we are here. Life at Green Valley is never dull, that's for sure! Enjoy your spring flowers as we look ahead to summer!

Barb Greenwood
President & CEO

E'Scentially Clean

Ahhh May! If the saying "April showers bring May flowers" is at all true, here at Green Valley we should be awash in flowers with all the rain we have had here in April! But now we are looking forward to a bright and sunny springtime, allowing us to open the doors and windows of our homes as we embark on that yearly tradition - spring cleaning! Instead of asphyxiating yourselves with the myriad of chemicals in the cleaning products on our supermarket shelves why not try blending up some of your own cleaning products from essential oils? Many essential oils carry with them anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties that are excellent for cleaning kitchens and bathrooms, or for freshening up any other room in your house! This spring, make your cleaning experience an e'scential one!

Product Highlight: Terminator Blend

Based on the traditional "Thieves Blend" (without the garlic!), this blend was created for a client of ours who needed help fighting off germs and bacteria and to help keep her immune system strong. We researched our oils, looking for the most powerful germ fighters and immune system builders available (that smelled good too!).

Camphor: is a natural antiseptic as well as being anti-infectious and anti-fungal. It is excellent for the respiratory system.
Cinnamon: carries with it anti-infectious properties as well as being antibacterial and antifungal.
Lavender: along with being calming and relaxing is known to be a powerful tonic to the entire system. When inhaled this oil may help with asthma and bronchitis.
Nutmeg: is added to this blend in low concentrations as an antiseptic, analgesic and tonic.
Rosemary: as well as being a great brain stimulant, is also anti-bacterial.
Sage: is known as an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal oil.

Of course all these oils have many other properties as well, but the properties listed above make this blend fabulous creating a powerfully synergistic combination to help keep the germs at bay and you healthy. This blend works especially well when used in a diffuser or room spray and also is great when added to a dish cloth before wiping down your countertops or even added to your bath if you feel illness coming on remember, a little goes a very long way! Try it out and see if you become as excited about it as we are!

Customer Feedback

You know, we love to hear from our clients how they enjoy their oils, as well as new and exciting ways they find to use them. This e-mail was so great we wanted to share it will all of you!

"Hi. You may be completely aware of this discovery I tripped over, but just in case, I wanted to mention it because I haven't seen it mentioned on your site.

I am a massage therapist / reflexologist and I use a lot of lemon oils for everything from cleaning to foot soaks, etc. But now I use it in my laundry to REMOVE THE MASSAGE LOTIONS/OILS FROM MY SHEETS!

I have seen and heard many inquiries on how to remove this residual oil/lotion and the smell that goes with it and so far the only thing I've seen sold for this purpose is a very expensive, chemically based product that is neither environmentally friendly NOR cost effective.

I have mulled this over for some time. This past week I was taking up some flooring and the adhesive got all over my hands. I had my lemon oil handy so I put some on to see if it would break it up and it did! INSTANTLY! I have also used lemon oil to remove the smell of gasoline and other nasty smells from my hands and clothes�SO�the idea came that maybe it would remove the oils from my massage sheets!

I added 1-2 Tbsp of lemon oil to the wash cycle of my sheets and IT COMPLETLEY REMOVED THE OIL BUILD UP and left the whole room and the sheets smelling wonderful!

I wanted to share this because I think if you mention this on your website or in a newsletter it will help many massage therapists and also help keep our environment safer from the chemical alternatives many use. Hope this helps! I'm telling all of my friends and they LOVE it!"

E.K. , CMT

Mother's Day - May 11th

We all have them! Wouldn't be here without them! Remember your Mom on her special day by spoiling her shamelessly this year.

Start the night before with a little lavender on her pillow to help her drift off to sleep peacefully. Allow her to sleep in the next day and prepare her breakfast in bed. On her breakfast tray you could have a single fragrant rose (rose essential oil has relaxing, uplifting properties) to accompany her favorite breakfast. Offer to give her a hand, foot or back massage (or all three!) and use essential oils to help her stay relaxed and happy throughout the day (see possible recipes below).

The rule for today? Mom is not allowed to do ANY work, and must stay OUT of the kitchen and laundry room! Find her a good book, a pile of magazines or chase her out into the garden (if it's lovely outside) to enjoy fresh air and a cool drink under the shelter of the trees. To end the day, take Mom out to dinner and treat her to the joys of not having to cook or clean up for one whole day. Your Mom works hard for you 364 days a year, why not give her one day all to herself? Essential oils can help make the day a happily fragrant one!

Suggestions (and recipes!) for making Mom's day a fragrant, relaxing one.

Diffuse "Tranquility" in her bedroom while she is enjoying her breakfast in bed and lingering over her third cup of coffee or tea!
Place 2 drops each of Orange, Grapefruit and Lemon on a washcloth and hang in Mom's shower just before she steps in. The steam from the shower will turn the bathroom into a mini spa and she will feel refreshed, happy and pleasantly awake.
For Mom's hand massage, use essential oils of Lavender, Lemon, Geranium and Sandalwood (one drop of each) into 30ml of carrier oil or hand cream (the cream will absorb in quickly).
For a lovely foot treatment, allow her to soak her feet in warm water with small round pebbles in the bottom (for her to rub the soles of her feet over for a mini massage) into which you have mixed a tablespoon of salt and 4 drops of her favorite essential oil. Soak for 10-15 minutes, dry off her feet and then offer a massage with a blend of Peppermint (very refreshing), Geranium (helps strengthen the skin and improves circulation to the feet) and Lavender (helps relieve tired, swollen feet). A good base oil for this is Calendula as it works very well on the tough skin found on the soles of the feet.
A nice blend for a relaxing back massage is Palma Rosa, Sandalwood and Lemon. Blend at the rate of 11 drops Lemon, 9 drops Sandalwood and 7 drops Palma Rosa and add to 30mls of a light carrier oil.

Book Launch!!!

Green Valley Aromatherapy Essentials

Attention!!!!
Attention please!
Green Valley is proud to announce the release of our own, user friendly, book! Created as a hands-on guide, it will be invaluable to anyone wanting a book that is easy to read and easy to use. Watch this newsletter and our website for more information regarding our July launch.

New Products

Basic Decoder

Thirty-six essential oils are introduced in this comprehensive decoder. Each of the three spinning wheels address a number of physical conditions and a number of properties for each oil. This decoder is great for beginners!

Decoder for Women

This decoder is specifically designed for the needs of women as a reference tool. Sixty important conditions are decoded here. Spin the wheel to find lists of appropriate essential oils as well as other relevant information, including methods of use.

Did You Know?

Many essential oils have antiseptic and anti-bacterial properties (they can inhibit the growth of bacteria)? These oils smell good and are powerful in their bacteria inhibiting abilities:

Cinnamon
Lemon
Clove
Lime
Eucalyptus
Niaouli
Grapefruit
Pine
Lavender
Thyme

Stale cooking odors in your kitchen? Try a blend of Rosemary, Lemon, Eucalyptus, Cinnamon and Orange. Fresh and stimulating! Wow!

Oil Profile: Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)

This oil, a member of the Myrtaccae family, is active against all three categories of infectious organisms (bacterial and fungal). This makes it a natural when looking to clean and disinfect your home and surroundings. It is also a very powerful immuno-stimulant, so whenever any of these infectious organisms enter the body, tea tree helps increase its ability to fight.

Tea tree is great for colds, flu and any infectious illnesses. It can be helpful when used in the bath (especially when combined with Epsom salts) at the first sign of an illness to help induce sweating (ginger is a good additive here too, in very small doses), which may help to completely stop the illness from progressing. If not, it may help to greatly reduce the symptoms and decrease actual 'sick time'. Tea tree can be used on cold sores, shingles, chicken pox and even warts with the placement of one drop of the oil 'neat' (not mixed with a carrier oil) once or twice a day. Remember, though, to apply the oil with a cotton swab for a controlled application. It can be used in a skin wash for acne, or in a treatment for athlete's foot and candida. There are also reports of this oil being used in the weeks leading up to surgery by patients to help them build up their strength.

However you use your tea tree, remember to keep some at hand, especially when the germs are flying and you have no desire to succumb to them!

Online Poll Results

Is Aromatherapy part of your everyday life?
YES - 88%
NO - 11%

Green Valley has made a conscious decision to discontinue the sale of essential oils that are becoming rare or endangered. Do you agree with this position?
YES - 79%
NO - 12%
Don't Know - 8%