Welcome to another of Organica J’s Top Ten Uses. Here we will be focusing on 10 helpful uses for Frankincense essential oil.
We use frankincense essential oil as an ingredient in our I am Calm Collection Meditation Blend which is available in an essential oil blend, after shower, bath and body oil, a pulse point roller ball and a nourishing soap. All these products are ideal for ultimate relaxation and as a meditation tool.
Frankincense is also in our Orange and Frankincense Blend. this blend is wonderful to create a calming atmosphere all year around, but optimum around the festive time, the perfect antidote for taking the stress out of the Christmas frenetic energy.
Working as a clinical aromatherapist and skincare creator, frankincense is one of my most used essential oils, I love it! and I find it so gently powerful. Helping with clearing the mind when over stressed or anxious and with moving forward in life. It is an ideal choice for meditation. I just couldn’t do without frankincense oil – I take it with me anytime I am away from home! Here are what I think are its top ten uses.
There are a number of uses for Comfrey herb and a very long history of its usage.
In ancient times the herb was called ‘knitbone’,’ all heal’ or ‘woundwort’ and was used topically for healing cuts, bruises, fractures, sprains, injured tendons/ligaments, sores and skin ulcers.
On the skin, comfrey is an emollient, soothing and was used to heal scars and blemishes. It was also said to promote a youthful complexion. Dioscorides, a greek physician, who wrote ‘Materia Medica’ in 50AD used the herb to heal wounds and broken bones. The Latin name ‘symphytum’ means ‘heal together’
It is now believed that the allatoin (a main component of comfrey) is responsible for the growth and multiplication of skin cells.
The medium we use for maceration is organic sunflower oil, as a rich oil full of vitamins and moisturising. Our comfrey oil macerate is effective for use in massage and can be easily blended with other carrier oils and essential oils can be added.
Maceration of comfrey is literally allowing the oil to take the goodness out of the leaves using this natural lovely process. Ours is a cold process maceration which leaves a fabulous naturally rich, nourishing green-coloured oil in its final form
We used comfrey oil macerate regularly in our clinical aromatherapy practice, for clients for which comfrey oil would be effective and approriate for their individual needs. All our products are only suitable for topical use.
For more in-depth information here are three links to research papers on the efficacy of comfrey. (1), (2), (3)
The comfrey we use is harvested by hand by us from deep within the rural countryside here in Aberdeenshire. We have permissions to access a private piece of controlled land for the harvest rather than forage. It is free from artificial fertilizers, pesticides and the comfrey grows completely naturally in its own environment.
The harvest takes place from end April into May, and we choose the optimum conditions for harvesting the plant as early in the season as we can (finding consecutive dry days can be very challenging!). We only take the youngest unblemished, freshest leaves. The harvest is fully sustainable and damages no part of the land. You can see no outward evidence that we have been to collect our yearly harvest.
Each year depending on weather conditions the plants are a different height and ready at different times on different years, so we monitor how the plants are doing from mid March each year. I have a small crop (that I do not use for production) at my home, and I keep an eye on their progress too as this gives me a general idea how the plants are coming on. This tiny crop is ideal for photo and video use for marketing purposes only.
The focus here has been on the history and use of comfrey herb on the body rather than its other uses: – such as an excellent mulch on your garden. The depth of the herbs roots into the ground bring their goodness up into the plant, which can be returned into the soil to enrich it and make it ideal for growing.
Comfrey Herb is also excellent for biodiversity as the bees and other insects love it.
There are so many reasons why I so enjoy working with these lovely herbs.
Our own comfrey uses – we have 6 products which contain our own wildcrafted comfrey from Aberdeenshire, Scotland – the comfrey oil macerated in organic sunflower (which in 2022 and 2023 the oil macerate for sale as an oil is macerated in organic olive oil) ,comfrey ointment, gardener’s hand balm, herbal foot balm, reflexology balm and skin SOS balm.
Comfrey Ointment – the wildcrafted comfrey is harvested by us in Aberdeenshire and macerated in organic sunflower oil to create a wonderfully rich and powerful oil. This oil is lovingly combined with other organically grown ingredients to make what we believe is a truly premium product
Gardeners Hand Balm – Great repair and deep moisturising for cut, grazed, dry or rough hands.
Herbal Foot Balm – Excellent regeneration and deep nourishment for overworked and/or damaged feet at the end of the day.
Reflexology Balm – Tested and used by reflexologists. This product was made by request and has been so popular. Many reflexologists also use the herbal foot balm too. We have been advised that it is very good for ‘slippage’ and reflexologists and their clients love it.
Skin SOS Balm – The Skin SOS Balm was developed following many requests from customers for a product that would specifically help with scars, and minor skin issues.
The SOS Balm contains a rich blend of powerful organic carrier oils and essential oils, which can be helpful on scar repair, also on psoriasis and eczema-prone skin. After much testing it was found also to be helpful for use on new tattoos and after tattoo removal. Protective, calming and regenerating.
All our artisan skin care products are made by a highly qualified aromatherapist (BSc in Complementary Therapies (Aromatherapy), Member of the International Federation of Professsional Aromatherapists)
Welcome. In this article we are focusing on the ten helpful uses for Sweet Orange essential oil.
When I was working as a clinical aromatherapist, I used it a lot for its sunny, relaxing, gentle but powerful action. It is good for using with vulnerable folk, such as the young or elderly because of these properties.
I used it very regularly when I was finishing my degree, I worked one day a month at a local residential home for the elderly. Sweet Orange was a very popular choice there among the residents and staff alike.
Sweet Orange has been a favourite oil since I qualified. It is a component of my Love Soap, Love After Shower, Bath & Body Oil and Pulse Point and Essential Oil Blend. Sweet Orange is also in my Orange & Frankincense Soap, Essential Oil Blend, the Gentle Shampoo Bar. The reflexology college that I worked with developing the Reflexology Foot Balm requested Sweet Orange as an ingredient.
Here are my opinions on its top ten uses.
1. Useful to calm restlessness and for mild depression 2. Can be regenerative for skin, also for acne or irritated skin
3. Helpful for the elderly and the young to soothe 4. May be helpful to settle the digestive system
5. Useful for cellulite and lymph stimulation 6. Can be good for anxiety and stress 7. May be helpful to ease IBS symptoms
8. Good as an uplift in the darker, colder months
9. Useful for insomnia.
10. On a subtle level can be helpful for new challenges and ease self-doubt
The organic sweet orange essential oil that I have in stock right now is Citrus Sinensis. The sweet orange tree is a small tree and it was introduced to Europe by the Portugese early in the 16th century. Sweet orange oil is expressed from the ripe peel of the fruit and is orange. The scent is citrus and very sweet. My current supplies are from Mexico.
If you feel that Sweet Orange essential oil would be a useful oil for you, you can buy it here from Organica J.
There is also available a full range of other aromatherapy essential oils, with information on their uses available in the essential oil category on the website. Always use on the body blended with a carrier/vegetable oil.
If you require further information on any oils, feel free to contact us by email or phone.
NB if you have a medical condition/take medications check with your GP and/or a qualified aromatherapist before using essential oils.
I have so many customers report that they have issues getting to sleep or once they are asleep they awaken in the night and cannot get back to sleep.
This is something I personally had not encountered until I reached menopause. I can now also totally relate to everyone who experiences trouble sleeping. However there are many aromatherapy approaches and blends that can help ease it though, also combining it with meditation, mindfulness is a powerful combination to tackle the problem.
I offer online many ready made products that have helped so many clients, including my Pulse Point Roller Balls. The Restful Evening pulse point is helpful to soothe you before bed. The Nervous Exhaustion which is de-stressing, and so can ease you into a better place to allow sleep. They are so easy to use and very portable for travel and in your bag at work too.
My I Am Calm range After Shower Bath & Body Oils and Pulse Points – Love, Joy and Meditation are also incredibly helpful for you depending on the root cause of the sleeplessness, disturbed sleep.
Love blend comforts you in times of grief, unsettled emotions, and with troubles in relationships.
Joy blend is as it suggests a huge uplift and balancer of moods and emotions. I am using it to help me with the hormonal imbalances that I am experiencing right now. I use it after my bath every evening, which is also keeping my skin wonderfully soft and supple.
Meditation. blend can be used along with your meditation practice to allow a easier path for the thoughts of the day to clear through and each a quieter place in your mind, which of course will assist your route to sleep. Or just utilise on its own to calm and deepen your breath.
All these blends can be used in After Shower, Bath & Body Oil format too, that can be used in the bath or after shower or as a massage oil. These products are ready blended for you just to use. I have no preservatives in these products, they are pure aromatherapy blends, always my first choice. See our Aromatherapy Bath & Body Oil range and our I Am Calm Range.
The artwork for my I Am Calm range was designed and drawn by artist, wild therapy therapist, and fellow meditation teacher Andrea Hobbs which I spotlight on her many skills in another blog
Adding in little moments of calm each day with aromatherapy do not need to be long periods of time. Literally just a few minutes a day, perhaps as you awaken or at lunchtime, or after work or before bed. Wherever you can find a moment to allow your mind and body to rest, will be invaluable to your wellbeing. I can definitely testify to the power of these two tools of calm being used together to enhance the effect of each.
You do not need a special position to sit in or special clothes to wear or to be entirely zen. There will likely be lots of thoughts happen while you take that moment, and that is perfect! Your mind needs an opportunity to process all the stuff going on in there as you rush around each day. Just take time to allow the thoughts to come and go. Exercising your focus muscle – to return time and again to a restful place, when the mind pulls you in the other direction. I will go into more about this simple form of meditation in a future blog.
So looking at how you can blend your own bath and body oils, or use your blends on your pulse points to help with issues with sleeping. I will share some of my favourite blends that I have used with clients for help with sleep.
The first oil that everyone thinks of with sleep is lavender. I have had over the years had quite a number of people saying ‘I don’t like lavender’. But the scent they are recalling actually isn’t the same as the true lavender, lavandula angustifolia from France, that is my first choice. This is due to the powerful, soft note that I feel that this lavender provides and is perfect for therapy.
Our own lavender in the UK is fabulous, but has (for me) a sharper note. There are a number of varieties of lavender out there, some are more suitable to other treatments, such as lavandula spica, which is excellent as an analgesic and expectorant properties. Another common one that you may see is Lavandin a blend between true lavender and lavandula spica.
If you don’t like the scent of lavender, my personal choice would be sweet orange oil. I use it a lot and in products. It has been a favourite since I first used it in training. Very gentle and excellent for the very young and the much older generation too.
Roman chamomile is another definite for aiding sleep, but I would always blend it (as I have in the products mentioned above), it makes a very comfortable companion with lavender. If you don’t like too much sweetness in a blend, this is perfect.
Sandalwood is excellent for relaxation of the nerves. I use it in my Meditation blend, as it is ideal for this and it adds a soothing effect to any blend it is part of. I use an australian sandalwood, santalum spicatum for ethical reasons.
Two other favourites of mine for trouble sleeping are frankincense and neroli. An incredible combination together, bringing in the physical effects of relaxation, clearing the mind and nurture and self care, with a gentle uplift. Neroli is very much known as an aromatherapy treatment for insomnia, but frankincense is not so often put in that category. I have found it incredibly helpful. In most cases the client was coming with an extremely busy mind, full of constant thoughts dealing with a problem/stressful situation. Either right now or from something that happened in their past. So frankincense is fabulous to slow down the breath, calm the thoughts, and free the mind to allow healing/rest to begin.
I will also mention rose geranium here, that I use in my products for sleep. It is a fabulous balancer of mood, hormones (and skin). I find a small amount in a blend is extremely helpful to encourage balance in the body and mind.
A few suggested blends are lavender (3 drops), roman chamomile (1 drop), sandalwood (2 drops)
Another is Neroli (2 drops), frankincense (2 drops), sweet orange (2 drops).
Or lavender (2 drops), sandalwood (2 drops), rose geranium (1 drop), roman chamomile (1 drop)
For trouble sleeping, you can make up these blends (multiply equally for larger quantities). Use as two/three drops on a tissue by your pillow at night, or on a tissue by you as you relax in the evening. To use on the body always blend with a carrier oil. For the above blends use a 5ml spoon of carrier oil, such as sunflower, sweet almond, jojoba. Or for a richer (more moisturising) blend rosehip, evening primrose oil. Remember if you multiply the essential oil blend also multiply the carrier oil equally at the same time.
I hope that this information on essential oils for sleep issues has been helpful for you. If you have a complex medical history/medications always check with your GP before using essential oils, or ask a qualified aromatherapist.
Welcome. I am Andrea Hobbs – a Wild Therapy and Art Therapist and meditation coach. I offer individual and group work for adults of all ages. My approach is intuitive and creative, with a deep connection to the natural world we are part of. Life can be complex and we’re not meant to do it alone. I work with you to co-create a space where you can mend at your own speed, and in your own way.
My events page on my website will tell you about workshops, current groups and residentials coming up, either facilitated by me alone, or with friends and colleagues who are like-minded.
Here is a little information about what I can offer you:
Wild Therapy
1-hour long one2one sessions outside in the ancient woodland very close to my home. Alternative outdoor spaces can be negotiated, or if accessing inclines and muddy paths is difficult for you. If weather is very challenging then I may use a quiet space in my house instead, but this would be exceptional.
Wild Therapy brings wildness, spontaneity, boundlessness, and freedom for those of us who prefer being outside in nature. It is suitable for anyone who may find a traditional therapeutic approach narrow, constraining or intense, or just wants something different. Wild Therapy is usually conducted outdoors. It allows emotional healing and growth supported by the wild environment. Our more-than-human and other-than-human companions on the planet. You can read more about Wild Therapy here.
I chose this way of working as it challenges traditional norms of sitting in a room which I found uncomfortable and un-natural, and contributed to my choosing not to pursue a career in a clinical setting. We can weave an Art Therapy approach into sessions when desired: opening up the possibility to explore through making things from natural found objects, or taking materials out into the open. This way of working provides a tactile and visual way to facilitate self-exploration and is not just for people who see themselves as artistic or ‘creative.’
Both Wild therapy and Art Therapy bring in the ‘something other’, encouraging a dialogue with something external but connected to you, rather than being focussed on just talking. As your therapist, my role is to walk alongside you on your journey to improve your emotional wellbeing, resolve emotional challenges, and help you to discover for yourself a greater sense of peace and acceptance. Unsure if Wild and Art Therapy is for you? Why not get in touch and book a short ‘taster’ session?
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Mind Calm Meditation
Small groups or individual meetings: (usually) 6-week introductory course. Meetings last around 1.5 hours and include learning talks, instructional techniques, and a period of silent meditation to introduce you to the Mind Calm approach.
Individual meetings are held at my own home, or in specific circumstances, at your own home (e.g., for health or access reasons).
One-off group workshops are sometimes available.
Groups are held at local venues and therefore charges vary according to venue costs.
Mind Calm meditation can help you to be less distracted by a busy mind, experience better sleep, cope with life’s stresses more calmly and have more peace in life.
Mind Calm is not affiliated to any specific religion or philosophy but does have a wide spiritual intent. You will not be asked to sign up to or arrive with any particular belief. Meditation is particularly helpful if you suffer from endless thinking (a busy mind), sleeplessness, or if you’re just feeling that life is OK but not great, and you’d like to feel more content, peaceful or happy.
Once you have completed the introductory course, you are welcome to join any local regular groups that are running. Meditating as a group is extremely supportive and helps us all to take the time out from our busy lives. I have been meditating on and off for over 30 years, and with more commitment for the last 10 years, exploring different methods in that time. I chose Mind Calm as it makes meditation accessible to everyone and anyone, and it’s so quick to learn and easy to understand; it’s fun, and it can really make a difference to your life.
See Events on the website for more details and dates.
In the summer, meditation groups are sometimes held outside in the beauty of Teesdale
Card Readings
1.5 hours approximately at my home in a quiet private space. Or readings are also available online too, so you can access this service from wherever you live.
Readings are not recorded, so you may wish to take your own notes.
For an additional charge, I offer a digital coloured drawing of your reading. This can help to integrate the messages you receive, and means you can carry it around with you for a while on your phone, tablet or as your screen saver on your PC. Drawings usually take 2-3 weeks to completion and are not immediately available.
I offer personal insight card readings rather than premonition or ‘future forecasting’. I see myself as a translator of the message that comes to you through the cards from your own wisdom, or Higher Self. A card reading can help you to clarify where you are in life, validate your own intuitive ‘hits’, help you to make better decisions for yourself, or reassure you that you are on the right path.
For sessions I currently use a combination of card decks: a modern-day Tarot deck that is based on the 4 elements of Fire, Water, Air and Earth rather than the traditional symbols by Radleigh Valentine, and a super-simple Insights deck created at Findhorn. From time to time, I may use other decks, depending on your own preferences.
I am a spiritual being, but not a religious one. Since my young adulthood, I have explored the alternative, mysterious and intuitive side of life as a human. My self-exploration has always included card decks for inspiration and guidance.
Other Stuff
I am available as a celebrant, or facilitator, for weddings, naming ceremonies, funerals and other family ceremonies. I am very open and will be guided entirely by your own vision and ideas. I also bring my own intuition, creativity and imagination to the process of shaping your ceremony.
My very personal approach leans into our human need for connection, healing through ritual or ceremony, and an alternative approach to celebrating our life-cycles. Please contact me for a ‘no commitment’ chat to find out what is possible.
Groups – indoors and outdoors
My small one-off Calm Craft sessions that I run indoors or outdoors across County Durham and North Yorkshire (within reasonable travel distance). These groups usually begin with a very light touch relaxation/mini meditation exercise, followed by a simple craft or creative project that everyone can have a go at. Please contact me for more details and discussion about what you want. Prices will vary and depend on materials and travel required. Charities and not-for-profits will be offered a reasonable rate.
Highly Qualified
Andrea has a BA (Hons) degree in art and design, and went on to qualify as an Art Therapist, gaining a Post-graduate Diploma in Art Therapy in 1993. Having worked in varied social care and voluntary roles since 1989, with children and adults across England, Scotland and in Romania, Andrea has spent the last 20 years working in the voluntary sector, mostly as a charity manager.
In 2021, she turned her attention back to her art and therapeutic skills, running her Calm Craft groups, and qualifying as a Wild Therapist in 2023. She is also an accredited Mind Calm Coach with best selling author Sandy Newbigging’s Mind Detox Academy.
Andrea completed a Hypnotherapy training in 2007 (non-practising), and followed a Hay House card reading course online in 2020-21, with sessions from Denise Linn, Radleigh Valentine and Kyle Gray.
She is a part-time charity manager and an artist and textile crafter. She lives close to Barnard Castle with her husband, dog and chickens.
Andrea is a registered to practice Wild Therapy, and is accredited with the Federation of Holistic Therapists as a Mind Calm Coach. She is in the process of re-registering as an Art Therapist. She is insured through Holistic Insurance Services. Andrea has an enhanced DBS check for both adults and children (refreshed annually)
How to Get in Touch
Individual support requires you to get in touch, which you can do here or directly by email to support@andreahobbs.co.uk
Although my offers are stand-alone methods, all three can be blended fluidly together if this appeals to you.
It can be difficult to make that first move to reach out for support. I offer a no obligation by phone or on-screen short chat to make sure that I am offering what you need, and to make any practical arrangements required for your safety and comfort.
You can enjoy my regular blog which you will find here
Pop onto the website for all prices and timeframes, which are provided as a guide only. Travel and ‘walk-in’ times at different outdoor spaces may require longer sessions.
