The Aromahead Blog - Aromatherapy Education and Resources

Andrea Butje, LMT, Aromatherapy Educator

Founder at Aromahead Institute
Andrea Butje is an internationally-recognized Aromatherapist who has changed the educational paradigm through her inspired approach to teaching essential oils and Aromatherapy Certification. Check out her book, The Heart of Aromatherapy, at Aromatics International!
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Recent Posts

Carrot Seed Essential Oil Spotlight

If you look up the word “rejuvenate,” you’ll get definitions such as:

Vetiver Essential Oil Spotlight

Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanoides)

Vetiver is the most grounded essential oil I know.

It’s distilled from the rootlets of the grassy plant, so the oil is deeply connected to the earth.

In The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy, Salvatore Battaglia tells us that Vetiver is planted on mountainous slopes, because...

“its abundant lacework of rootlets will prevent the loss of soil… during the wet season.”  

You can think of Vetiver as helping us “hold it all together,” even during stormy times. It can help us feel centered within ourselves, and deeply aligned with our core values.
 

In this Essential Oil Spotlight, you'll learn how to use Vetiver for:

  • Natural perfume
  • Massage oil
  • Relaxation
  • Cooling down
  • Feeling inspired
  • Feeling grounded
  • Nourishing body butter

And more!

Vetiver offers a very powerful kind of peace that comes from being grounded. Maybe that’s why it's also known as “Oil of Tranquility.” Each of the recipes in this Spotlight incorporates that tranquility in some way. There are so many options for bringing Vetiver's serenity into your life. Enjoy!

Bergamot Essential Oil Spotlight

October 01, 2018

Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) I often find Bergamot essential oil to be like a familiar stranger . . . it’s a citrus so its scent is very familiar, but at the same time it’s a bit exotic. We don’t commonly eat Bergamot fruits because they’re too sour. We primarily use Bergamot for its bright, sparkling aroma. Like other citruses, Bergamot essential oil is uplifting and optimistic. But it’s also relaxing, like Sweet Orange. Gabriel Mojay, author of Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit, sums it up when he says Bergamot helps us to “rediscover spontaneity and optimism. Bergamot essential oil helps us to relax and ‘let go’.” This Spotlight explores ways to use Bergamot essential oil safely for: Relaxation Muscle tension Stress relief Digestion Optimism and positivity And more! Before I share the recipes, I want to talk about a safety issue for Bergamot essential oil . . . […]

Pinon Pine Essential Oil Spotlight

September 03, 2018

Pinon Pine (Pinus edulis) Pinon Pine essential oil comes from the same tree that gives us pine nuts. Its aroma is fresh and piney, like other conifers, but it also has hints of citrus that remind me of pineapple. Pinon Pine essential oil loves to create welcoming, safe spaces. I can just imagine it having an upscale mountain resort surrounded by conifer trees, complete with a chauffeur service and carved pineapples at the gates. (I learned that pineapples have long been a symbol of hospitality. How fitting!) This essential oil spotlight shares ways to use Pinon Pine essential oil for: Natural cleaning Allergy relief Respiratory health Preventing colds and the flu (or reducing their symptoms) Reducing germs Feeling relaxed and uplifted And more! Pinon Pine is also spelled Piñon, Pinyon, and Pinion. When you're buying the essential oil, just know you're looking for Pinus edulis, and you'll be all set! […]

Balsam Copaiba Essential Oil Spotlight

July 30, 2018

Balsam Copaiba (Copaifera officinalis) Balsam Copaiba is often mistaken for a conifer, but it’s actually a tropical plant that grows in Brazil. It doesn’t have needles or cones, but it does produce a rich resin that the native people use to distill a warm, skin-loving oil. Balsam Copaiba has more in common with resins like Frankincense than with conifers like Black Spruce! Like Frankincense and other resin oils, Balsam Copaiba essential oil is excellent for respiratory support and skin care. It’s good at reducing inflammation and inspiring peaceful calm conditions in the body and mind. (I really love blending these two oils!) This Spotlight shares ways you can use Balsam Copaiba essential oil for: Skin care (especially soothing and replenishing dry skin) Stress relief Massage Shower gel Emotional balance Relaxation And more! Balsam Copaiba's aroma is woody, sweet, and balsamic with undertones of vanilla. (Just the description alone makes me want to get out my Balsam Copaiba essential oil . . . ) […]

Helichrysum Essential Oil Spotlight

July 02, 2018

Helichrysum (Helichrysum italicum) Out of all the essential oils I know, Helichrysum essential oil is one of the most experienced healers. It knows how to heal bruises, wounds and skin issues, and how to reduce scar tissue. It also knows about reducing inflammation, swelling, muscle and joint pain, and even respiratory issues. Helichrysum essential oil is an expert in many kinds of cellular repair. One of the places where Helichrysum grows is the island of Corsica. When I was there visiting my friend, a distiller named Michelle, she told me that Corsica has been fought over many times, and both the land and the people have experienced many war wounds. She feels that Helichrysum grows all over the island in such abundance to help the people who live there heal from the wounds of these wars. That’s such a beautiful expression of Helichrysum’s personality. In this Spotlight, I'll share ways you can use Helichrysum essential oil to: Make a restorative clay face mask Keep your skin hydrated with a hydrosol spritz Rejuvenate damaged skin with a Helichrysum face wash Make a skin-soothing, healing body butter Make an injury oil for muscles and joints Make a skin-healing clay pack for irritated, inflamed areas of skin And more! […]