Cedarwood Deters Moths

One of my regular clients came to see me the other week and noticed my box of essential oils on the table. We had a brief chat about the various oils and he told me that he uses cedarwood essential oil to protect clothing from destructive moths in his wardrobes. I was intrigued by this and decided to look in to it further.

Cedarwood is used for lining closets to deter moths. It is also used to line chests to repel vermin in the storage of valuables, especially furs and shoes according to Jeanne Rose, author of 375 essential oils and hyrosols.

You can make your very own mothballs using cedarwood essential oil. All you need is a few wooden balls which you can buy from craft stores, a piece of string, cedarwood essential oil, and a drill. Carefully drill through the middle of each wooden ball and thread onto the string tying a knot at one end to secure them in place and make a loop at the other end so that you can hang it on a hanger in the wardrobe. Place a couple drops of cedarwood essential oil on each wooden ball let it soak in, then hang it up in your wardrobe, or place in your chest of drawers. This is a great alternative to the shop bought mothballs which often contain harmful chemicals.

Eucalyptus Variations

Photo by ximenatapia.

When I first trained as an aromatherapist I thought I new what Eucalyptus smelt like and that there was only one. Recently, I discovered that there are in fact over two hundred varieties of Eucalyptus trees and five different Eucalyptus essential oils all with slightly different aromas.

The most common Eucalyptus oil is Eucalyptus Globulus, the other lesser known ones include Eucalyptus Citriodora, Eucalyptus Radiata (this one I am particularly fond of), Eucalyptus Staigeriana, and Eucalyptus Smithii.

They all have similar healing properties although some are better at one thing than another.

Eucalyptus Radiata has a similar composition to that of the essential oils from the Melaleuca family (e.g. tea tree). It stimulates the immune system making it beneficial to people who are tired, run down, and/or prone to frequent colds and infections. It is less likely to cause skin irritation compared with Eucalyptus Globulus. Eucalyptus Radiata is excellent for reducing inflammation helping with arthritis, sprains, strains, torn ligaments and tendons. It can also be beneficial in cases of Endometriosis. It is said to be absorbed by the skin better than the other Eucalyptus oils.

As the name suggests, Eucalyptus Citriodora is lemon scented and is often called Lemon Eucalyptus. It is a very rich source of citronellal making it a powerful insect repellent, it is hypotensive, calming to the nervous system, and a febrifuge (lowers body temperature to prevent or alleviate fever). It has a similar strength anti-inflammatory property as Eucalyptus Radiata.

Eucalyptus Smithii is anti-viral and an expectorant. It is considered to be the mildest of the Eucalyptus essential oils making it more favourable for use with children and the elderly. It is less likely to cause skin irritation and the aroma isn’t quite as strong.

Like Eucalyptus Citriodora, Eucalyptus Staigeriana is also lemon scented. It is another gentler Eucalyptus so can be used on people with more sensitive skin including children and the elderly. It has similar physical properties to Lemon oil.

Eucalyptus Globulus is used in both Eastern and Western medicine especially in preparations which aid the respiratory tract such as colds/flu, coughs, and asthma.

Below is a table comparing some of the properties of these five Eucalyptus essential oils. It is not a definitive list as information about the lesser known Eucalyptus oils is not as widely available as that of Eucalyptus Globulus.

Property	Eucalyptus Globulus	Eucalyptus Radiata	Eucalyptus Citriodora	Eucalyptus Smithii	Eucalyptus Staigeriana
Analgesic	Y		Y		Y
Anti-bacterial	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Anti-depressant	Y
Anti-fungal	Y
Anti-inflammatory	Y	Y	Y		Y
Anti-microbial	Y	Y	Y		Y
Antiseptic	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Anti-spasmodic	Y
Anti-viral		Y	Y	Y	Y
Boosts immune system		Y
Decongestant	Y	Y			Y
Diuretic					Y
Expectorant	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Febrifuge			Y
Hypotensive			Y
Insect repellant			Y
Lowers blood sugar	Y				Y
Mucolytic	Y	Y		Y	Y
Nervine			Y
Sedative			Y	Y
Stimulant	Y		Y	Y

Essential Oil Of The Week: Tea Tree

Botanical Name: Melaleuca Alternifolia

Aroma Type: Herbaceous

Note: Top

Tea Tree is another popular and well known essential oil which nowadays appears in many shampoos, conditioners, spot treatments, lip salves, cleansers, mouth rinses, antiseptic lotions, toothpastes, and bath oils.

Tea tree was named by Captain Cook’s crew, who brewed the small dark leaves and drank it as a tea substitute. The Aborigines first used it for its healing properties. During World War II, Australian soldiers were issued with Tea Tree oil in their first aid boxes as they recognised its powerful germicidal and antiseptic effects.

Its main properties are antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral, bactericidal, cicatrisant (promotes the healing of a wound), expectorant, fungicidal, insecticidal, stimulant and sudorific (increases perspiration).

Tea Tree can help with the following conditions: fungal infections, thrush, athlete’s foot, colds / flu, cuts, burns, blisters, cold sores, nappy rash, insect bites, breathing problems, bunions, chickenpox, chilblains, dandruff, insect repellent, measles, cystitis, sinusitis, sore throat, bronchitis, muscular aches & pains, boosts immune system, boils, warts, verrucae, bacterial & viral infections, catarrh, coughs, ringworm, PMT, anxiety, depression, and stress.

Like Lavender, Tea Tree oil can be used neat on the skin - apply one or two drops directly to spots, cuts, insect bites, stings, cold sores etc. If you or someone you live or work with has a cold, to combat the spread of airborne germs place 4-6 drops of Tea Tree oil in to some water in an oil burner. If you suffer with athlete’s foot, Tea Tree is a must – it is an efficient way of getting rid of it without having to use heavy chemical products.

I recently scalded my hand and was in quite a lot of pain with it. I placed a few drops of Tea Tree directly on to the affected area and I also placed a few drops in a bowl of cold water which I kept plunging my hand in to. It really eased the pain and stopped the throbbing and burning feeling.

Tea Tree blends well with frankincense, lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus, pine, chamomile, geranium, mandarin, marjoram, and peppermint.

Although Tea Tree oil is non-toxic and a non-irritant, it may cause some skin irritation to people with very sensitive skin. It is also advisable to avoid long-term continual use of the oil.

Using an Oil Burner

Oil burners are a great way to benefit from the healing properties of essential oils and fill your house with pleasing aromas. It has many uses – for healing, as an alternative to chemical-laden shop-bought air fresheners, as a room disinfectant in the case of colds and flu, as a room freshener, and to eliminate unpleasant odours.

With an increase in the use of aromatherapy and essential oils, oil burners have become very popular. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colours, and materials, and can be purchased from health food stores, chemists, department stores, new age stores, and on the internet. The type of burner you choose comes down to personal preference.

You can get metal and ceramic oil burners. I have both at home but mainly use the metal one. They both have their advantages and disadvantages. I think as long as the bowl on top is quite large and is far enough away from the candle it doesn’t matter too much what the burner is made from.

Some oil burners have a removable bowl and others are all in one. I personally prefer the ones with a removable bowl so that you only have to take that part to the tap to fill with water rather than the whole burner plus it makes it easier to clean in between use.

If you don’t feel comfortable using candles especially if you have children or pets around, you can purchase an electric “burner” known as an Aroma-Stream, which works by blowing air through a pad which holds the essential oils. It also means that you can use it at night to help you get to sleep or if you are suffering from a blocked nose or cold. The downside to the electric “burners” is they are quite expensive to buy, uses electricity, and you have to buy replacement pads.

Once you have purchased your oil burner, you will also need some small tea-light candles. Make sure that these are unscented otherwise they may mask the smell of the essential oils when they are lit. You will also need some pure essential oils of your choice and a lighter or matches.

Fill the top bowl of the oil burner with water. Add 6 - 8 drops of essential oil to the water. If you have a small room use less drops than if you have a large room. Stand the wick up on the tea-light candle, light it, and place in the base of the oil burner. As soon as the candle starts to heat up the water above it, the essential oils in the water will start to evaporate and the aroma is diffused along with the water vapour into the room.

Don’t let the oil burner burn dry as this can cause ceramic and glass burners to crack. When the water and essential oils have evaporated, either put the candle out or refill with more water and add a few more drops of essential oils.

Lighter oils (top and middle notes), such as lemon and lavender diffuse quicker than thicker oils (base notes), such as sandalwood and rose. You may want to top up the oil after a little while to maintain the aroma.

Some safety precautions. Never leave a lit candle unattended. Ensure the oil burner is secure on a flat surface and out of the reach of children and pets when in use.

The essential oils that I purchased along with my very first oil burner (way before I trained as an aromatherapist) were Lavender, Ylang ylang, and Eucalyptus. I have listed below some example blends for you to use in your oil burner.

As an insect repellent, add 2 drops each of Lemongrass, Lavender, and Tea Tree essential oils to a little water in the top of your oil burner.

To mask the smell of cigarette smoke, use 4 drops of Peppermint essential oil.

To wake you up in the morning, add 3 drops Grapefruit, 2 drops Rosemary, and 1 drop Peppermint essential oils.

To relax after a hard day at work, use 2 drops each of Lavender, Chamomile (I prefer Roman Chamomile to German and Maroc but it depends on what you are using it for as they have slightly different properties), and Sandalwood essential oils.

To help you study and improve concentration, use 3 drops Rosemary, 2 drops Eucalyptus, and 1 drop Peppermint to your oil burner.

I hope you get as much pleasure and healing from your essential oils and oil burner as I do from mine!

If you would like to purchase any of the essential oils mentioned in this post, please contact me for more details.