Making a nice creamy skincare product can be challenging. I’ve certainly had my failures. I finally have created a beautiful, skin soothing, loving body cream. It takes very little and when first applied, feels oily from the coconut oil but then absorbs into the skin quickly, leaving soft beautiful skin. This beautiful cream made with coconut oil is anhydrous which simply means it contains no water. Most anhydrous products are formulated without a preservative since they contain no water. Start with sterile equipment. To avoid contaminating your cream, use clean dry fingers or dipping median when getting a dab from the jar. So here we go: Gather your ingredients together. · 4 ounces coconut oil · ½ ounce corn starch · ¼ teaspoon Boswellic acid powder · 1 1/4 teaspoon vitamin C serum or vitamin E (helps keep rancidity at bay) · 1.5 ml skin friendly essential oils Gather your tools: · Small saucepan · Measuring cup · Electric mixer · Bowl to mix in · Small kitchen scale · Spatula Directions: Add enough water to your pan to heat coconut oil. Place your coconut oil in the measuring cup and gently place in the saucepan to avoid splashing any water. Heat to melt oil. Do not boil water. Remove the measuring cup, making sure to wipe all water off the outside of it. Pour the oil in a small mixing bowl. Add the corn starch and Boswellic acid powder. Blend well Add the vitamin c (or E) Mix well and place it in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Remove it from the freezer. Using your mixer, start whipping it and as it softens, add your essential oils. Use your spatula to keep the cream down in bowl as you mix. Mix ingredients which takes about 6-10 minutes. Place in jars and label.

Nurse practitioners are essential for ensuring great patient outcomes. When their body isn't at its best, it can become a detriment to their work. Interestingly, aromatherapy offers numerous advantages for those working in healthcare. Researchers from the University of Arizona (1) found that aromatherapy is proving successful at stress reduction. Occupational stress isn't atypical across nurse practitioners, but when it manifests, it can impede these professionals from providing effective and quality care. One reason that nurse practitioners are getting stressed is that they make up the shortfall of physicians across the country. A good example of this is Washington. A 2021 Nursing Education study found that 4 counties in Washington were among the top 15 counties in the nation with the highest primary care worker shortages. (2) In order to counter this shortfall, remote nurse practitioners in Washington are being utilized in different roles to provide urgent care treatment and front-line patient care. (3) These roles include being a family nurse practitioner, psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner, and a pediatric primary care nurse practitioner. As they become further stretched there is a need for stress relieving aids. And one such aid is an essential oil. Of course, the benefits of essential oils are wide-ranging. Lavender Lavendula angustifolia essential oil, in particular, has been known to decrease inflammation, encourage wound healing, relieve insomnia and more. If you are a nurse practitioner (or in any stressful job), read on to know more about the therapeutic benefits of lavender essential oil and why it's important to incorporate it into your routine. 1. It has anti-inflammatory properties Skin inflammation and burns are often painful and as such, they can be a distraction while working. Our post "A Glance at Eucalyptus Essential Oil" (4) mentions that eucalyptus oil can be used for fast pain relief due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Similarly, you can also use lavender essential oil on inflamed skin areas. Findings from a BMC Complimentary Medicine and Therapies study (5) explained that the liquid is potent, so a little goes a long way. Because of the potency of essential oils, experts advise diluting essential oil in order to protect the skin from any possible negative reactions. You can dilute the lavender essential oil or any essential oils with a carrier (fatty or lipid) oil which is made from various plants such as coconut, moringa, grapeseed or other carrier oil before applying it to the affected area. For more ideas on carrier oils, see your article "Fixed Carrier Oils and Uses". (6) 2. It promotes wound healing As a nurse practitioner, juggling multiple patient assessments and physical examinations in a day is common. However, dealing with pesky wounds on top of that can be uncomfortable. Thankfully, Lavender essential oil promotes wound healing. The oil can accelerate the repair of deep skin wounds. Similar to the last point, you'll have to dilute it prior to applying it to your wound. Depending on your wound's severity, you can gently massage the diluted oil onto the wound. An excellent carrier to consider for wound healing would be the Tamanu oil. 3. It can alleviate stress and anxiety Nurse practitioners can encounter a lot of difficulties in their occupation. For one, a packed schedule of counseling and interpreting diagnostic tests can tire your body and your mind. Similarly, navigating through high-stress situations can take a toll on your mental well-being. You'll need to stay focused and alert if you're tasked to offer urgent care treatment. Thankfully, lavender essential oil can alleviate stress to ensure you stay mindful about your tasks. When inhaled, the oil can influence the autonomic nervous system, endocrine system, and hypothalamus to achieve changes in blood pressure and heart rate. These changes, in a nutshell, can reduce stress. 4. It can relieve insomnia Working from home doesn't necessarily mean you have a better grasp of your daily sleep schedule. For example, taking too many shifts can disrupt your sleep and lead to insomnia. This is where lavender essential oil proves useful. Data published by Perspectives in Psychiatric Care (7) shares an experiment that nursing students participated in. Here, most students said that sleepiness and fatigue were reportedly the most common symptoms of their insomnia. So that being said, consider using lavender essential oil with a carrier oil in a roller ball on your wrists and neck to achieve a good night's rest. Alternatively, you can add it to an unscented lotion and apply to your chest and neck area. This way, you'll wake up well-rested and energized for your next shift. Dilution rates vary from oil to oil, and this depends on the age and health of user as well as any safety precautions of oil(s) used. For further information on dilution rates, please visit Tisserand Institute - Essential Oil Education You can Trust or seek advice from a Certified or Clinical Aromatherapist. For further information, visit the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) at Home | NAHA written exclusively for Aromatherapy by Soul Essentials Duo AROMATHERAPY FOR REDUCING HEALTHCARE-ASSOCIATED STRESS AMONG NURSES AND PATIENTS (arizona.edu) 4 Washington counties among top 15 with highest primary care worker shortages | State of Reform Wheel | Remote Nurse Practitioner Jobs Washington A Glance at Eucalyptus Essential Oil (soulessentialsduo.com) Anti-inflammatory effect of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) essential oil prepared during different plant phenophases on THP-1 macrophages | BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies | Full Text (biomedcentral.com) Fixed (Carrier) Oils and Uses (soulessentialsduo.com) (PDF) Determination the effects of lavender oil quality of sleep and fatigue of students (researchgate.net)

B-Caryophyllene is a component that can be found in many oils that can assist with inflammation, as an anti-spasmatic, analgesic, antibacterial, antiviral, anxiolytic, immunomodulatory, local anesthesia, neuroprotective and more. B-Caryophyllene happens when there is a combination of a-caryophyllene (humulene) and iso-caryophyllene. It also has been found to possibly have an effect on the libido. (1) From the study: "B-Caryophyllene may be a remedy with fewer side effects for women with decreased libido. We believe that B-Caryophyllene may be a remedy for women with decreased libido. However, this hypothesis must be tested by further clinical studies. "Note: Since this study there may have been others or a clinical trial that I am not aware. Some of the safer of oils that contain this component and average percentages include but certainly not limited to Ylang Ylang-1.1-21.5%, Copaiba-24.7-53.3%, Black Pepper-9.4-30.9%, Hemp 13.7-19.4%, Lavender 1.8-5.9%, and Immortelle (Helichrysum) italicum-5.0. The list goes on but may come with safety precautions. (2) To get exact percentages of the oil you purchase, check the GC/MS analysis report that should be available online with the oil(s) you purchase or by request from the website. An analysis report lists the components and percentages within each oil. As a reminder, these percentages will vary from oil to oil. All this said, b-caryophyllene is not a good skin penetrator and needs a component that can enhance permeation of components across the skin. One good skin penetrator is the component Linalool (Linalol). Linalool can be found in HoWood-95%, Ho Leaf (ct. linalool) 66.7-90.6%, Rosewood 82.3-90.3%, Thyme (ct. linalool) 73.6-79.0%, Neroli 31.4-54.3%, Lavender 25.0-45.0%, Ylang Ylang 30.0%, Clary Sage 9.0-19.3% and many more. (3) The next component to look for is Terpinen-4-ol which can be found in Sweet Marjoram 16.4-31.6%, Frankincense Boswellia neglecta-12.5%, Frankincense Boswellia papyrifera 0.-8.0%, Frankincense Boswellia sacra 0-6.9% and Peppermint 0-5%. Other good component skin penetration enhancers include d-limonene, cineole, nerolidol, cedrol and bisabolol. You can combine an oil with B-Caryophyllene and one or more with Linalool and/or Terpinin-4-ol. Some oils may also contain both B-caryophyllene and Linalool (linalol) so be sure to check those GC/MS analysis reports. Having an idea of the chemistry behind essential oils and understanding the components therapeutic actions will give you more confidence that you are blending the best possible, therapeutic blend for yourself and others. 1. Olfactory Exposure to β-Caryophyllene Increases Testosterone Levels in Women's Saliva - PubMed (nih.gov) 2. Essential Oil Safety 2007; Tisserand and Young pg. 520-521 3. Essential Oil Safety 2007; Tisserand and Young pg. 584-585

Our Quality Control When we create our products, we start by reviewing the GC/MS analysis reports for the chemical components within the oils so we can determine the best oil for the use we have in mind. Once oils are chosen for a blend, we then chart and document all the data and includes therapeutic actions, safety, contraindications, aromatic notes and any other pertinent information. We then get the joy of blending. Finding a beautiful balance of aromatic notes gives it a balanced aroma that is appealing to the senses. It takes time to create each of our products so we ask that you be patient with our perfection. Lovingly Yours, Soul Essentials Duo From Rehne Burge, Professional Aromatherapist and Owner. We love testimonies. It helps us know how we can improve on our services, product and more so we can serve better. Please leave a comment or contact us at rehnaburge3@gmail.com Thanks for stopping by, Rehne ​ ​

For general information or inquiries concerning your order please contact us at: Email : rehnaburge3@gmail.com Text only : Leave message @985-215-0949 Success! Message received. Send I’ve witnessed with my own health, the power of essential oils. I promise to deliver safe, effective products to you, my consumers and friends. Rehne Burge, C.A.

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