How are you coming along with your terminology? What about your Latin names? What is Citrus Bergamia ? How about Olibanum ? What is Salvia Sclarea ? What is a Ketone ? Which is more desirable to find in a gentle essential oil, alcohols or Terpenes ? What basic group does Carvone belong to?

Find some of those terms mysterious? Have no idea which group carvone belongs to? Well, then go look at the chemistry section of this site. It’s all laid out there. I made a big effort to make it understandable, as I found it rather difficult myself when I was studying.

Now on to this week’s lesson, Melissa (Melissa officinalis ) is steam distilled from leaves and flowering tops.   First thing I want to mention when talking about Melissa, is that it is one of the most adulterated Essential Oils in the industry. It is very difficult to find pure Melissa Oil which is why it’s so important to find a supplier that you can trust. And THEY in turn have to find a source that they can trust, preferably direct from the still!

Sniffing time. What do you think? Top note? Base? What do you think it smells like? Grass? Citronella? Dirt? Do you like it?

Melissa’s main Chemical components are aldehydes and terpenes.  Melissa is a very gentle oil and is used for: Genito-Urinary menstrual pain, regulating the menstrual cycle, has been suggest that it balances hormones, Digestive system [used for colic, nausea, stomach cramps, indigestion, stimulates the liver], Immune system [colds, flu, fevers, strep infections, herpes outbreaks], Skeletal/ muscular system [muscle spasms, fatigue, rheumatism], Skin & hair [oily skin, acne, insect bites, insect repellant, cold sores, fungal
infections], Nervous system [anxiety, depression, insomnia, hysterics, migraines, shock,
grief, fear, anger, tensions].

Melissa is: antiseptic, antidepressant, antihistaminic, anti-inflammative, antispasmodic, antiviral, bactericidal, carminative, cordial, choleretic, digestive, emmenagogue, febrifuge, hypotensive, hypnotic-sedative, nervine.

Okay, now on to dosage. How many drops would you use in a potion. Have you figured out what the note is? Did you decide top note? Well actually it is a middle note, so how many drops? Six? One? four? Well, try two. Two drops in a tablespoon of oil (15 mls), tub of water or in a diffuser.

Side lesson for this week: Well last week we talked about cats, so it’s only fair that this week we talk about dogs and aromatherapy.  Dogs and aromatherapy go extremely well together. However, because of the fact that dogs are a bit more sensitive than us and their noses are oh so excellent, they should stick to using half the amount of a human adult.

Actually, that is the general rule of thumb, but like people dogs differ in size, weight and temperament.  I used to go to dog shows a lot when I was living in England, and had my
own dog that I used to show, and so was able to do a LOT of experimenting.

What I found on the basis of trial and error was some of the following. I use one half the amount of essential oils on bigger dogs, those that reach the 85 pound mark and over. Usually. If I have a dog that is rather nervous, I will actually use a quarter. Smells are very stimulating to a dog, and these dogs don’t need to be stimulated any more than necessary.

For mid size dogs, I tend to use 1/3 the amount I would use on adult and for the smaller dogs, I use 1/4 the amount.

I used to brush hydrosols into their fur to bring out shine, and to improve their general coat, and to prevent "breaking". I also found that Lavender Hydrosol was particularly helpful when calming down dogs that didn’t like being groomed.

One thing that turned out to be a big help when bringing puppies into a new home and on subsequent trips out and about was a warmed up Woobee (microwavable pillow), with a drop of Lavender. It gave them something comforting to cuddle up to.

A lot of times, if you explain to a breeder, that you will be using a woobee when they will come home, the breeders are more than willing to start using in the week before they come home, so the puppy will have something familiar to come home to.

Which brings me to puppies (briefly, as I’m rambling again). Puppies like babies do not need a whole lot of essential oils. Try just a drop of Lavender to help calm them down in the evening, or a drop of chamomile, in a diffuser before going to bed. If they get car sick, just put a single drop on their bedding with them, when they go traveling. Works wonders.

One last note: Tea-tree and Spaniels. There was a report done a few years ago, that Spaniels and Tea-tree were a bad combination. I had a particular interest in this as I had a gorgeous Springer Spaniel.  There were cases of spaniels (not any particular Spaniel, just spaniels across the board) becoming seriously ill after using Tea-tree, some died from it.  They didn’t know why tea-tree, or why it seemed to be just Spaniels, but apparently there was/is something in their genetic make up that doesn’t tolerate Tea-Tree too well.

I talked to a breeder here in the U.S. about this, and she said that would explain one of her dogs, that seemed to have delicate health anyway.  Apparently, he would get seriously ill, and the connection seemed to be Tea-Tree.

I never heard any outcome of this investigation, or any further research into this, so if anyone else has please let me know.

And THIS is IT! Went WAY over this week. Sorry for the Ram bling.

Final exam question:   What is an Aromatherapist? Easy Question? We'll see.  Remember, I would like to see your answer at the END of the course.

Sources of Information: Besides my own course notes, and things I’ve learned along the way, for this course I also use:
 

The Aromatherapy Practitioner Reference Manual By Sylla Sheppard-Hangar

Plant Aromatics A Data & Reference Manual on Essential Oils and Aromatic Plant Extracts By Martin Watt

Advanced Aromatherapy by Kurt Schnaublet

The Aromatherapy Work Book by Shirley Price

Aromatherapy for Health Professionals by Shirley Price and Len Price. 
 

© 2001 Kathleen E. Petrides, SmeLLeNNium
 

© 2001 Mother (page layout only)