Knowing Your Essential Oils

Are all essentials oils of equal quality?  How do we gain the greatest therapeutic benefits?  How can we know if they are of the highest quality? 

Not all essential oils on the market are of equal quality.  Some have been adultered with synthetic chemicals.  Just because a label says it is a "pure," "organic" essential oil does not qualify it to be a pure, high quality essential oil. 

Here are a few things to look for when purchasing essential oils.

* The latin name, common name and country of origin should be on the bottle.

* If you see “fragrance oil” or “perfume oil” on the label, they are generally synthetic oils and not pure essential oils.

* Essential oils that are GC/MS tested

What is GC/MS testing?

Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry is the full name for GC/MS.  It’s a test that gives the chemistry of an essential oil.  This would show if there are any adulterants such as synthetic fragrance oils and is vital in helping us determine if an essential oil is pure and of excellent quality. 

Here at KOKOKAHN it is important to us that our customers are assured of the purest and highest quality essential oils for therapeutic benefits.  So, all of our oils come only from distilleries that provide GC/MS reports of the essential oils we buy.  And we do our own spot testing through a local chemist. 

PURITY & QUALITY

Without it your essential oil becomes little more than a perfume.   With it, your essential oil offers physical, emotional and spiritual healing.  And KOKOKAHN is most definitely one company that offers high quality essential oils.

If you wish to Shop Now – Kokokahn Essential Oils Shopping Page

Clay Face Mask

With all the cleansing and detoxing that the New Year brings, clay face masks are a great way to detox the skin.  They are best used for cleaning out the pores and deep cleaning the skin.  French Green Clay has amazing absorbing properties and sucks toxins, oils and impurities from the skin.  Rhassoul Clay, or Morrocan Red Clay, is high in minerals and helps improve skin clarity, elasticity, and texture.  

Essential oils good for aging skin include Frankincense and Lavender.  Frankincense is moisturizing and good for wrinkles.  Lavender is balancing, moisturizing and good for sun damaged skin.

Aloe Gel and Witch Hazel ~ Aloe gel is cooling and soothing for all skin types and a great addition to any skin care product.  Witch hazel is astringent and helps to tone and tighten pores.

I like to use a clay face mask once or twice a week.  It's a spa-like experience and I recommend laying down while it dries to fully experience the relaxation that comes with it.

Check out our face mask here with all these wonderful ingredients.

Peppermint Essential Oil

Peppermint is bright and uplifting and perfect for creating holiday aromas in the home.  Peppermint essential oil comes from the leaves of the plant.  It also has some amazing health benefits that I thought was a good time to share with you.

Essential Oils for Immune Support

With Cold & Flu season knocking on the door, I thought it was a good time to share essential oils that support our immune systems.  There are three chemical components that come to mind for immune support.  Linalol,  Terpinen 4-ol and Limonene.  All of these encourage white blood cell growth. The picture here is of Thyme linalol.

Essential Oils High in Linalol:

Lavender

Thyme ~ chemotype linalol

Sweet Basil 

Essential Oils High in Limonene:

Citrus oils in general are high in Limonene

* Orange & Tangerine are two of the highest with 90% or more 

Essential Oils High in Terpinen 4-ol

Tea Tree

We have an Immune Support Blend with Basil, Thyme, Lavender and Tea Tree.  A great way to use it or any of the essential oils above for immune support is to steam with them.  Get a soup or cereal bowl, add 1 drop essential oil and pour steaming water over it.  Put a towel over your head and steam for 2 to 5 minutes.

Immune Support Chest Rub Recipe:

5 drops Tangerine

1 drop Basil

4 drops Lavender

1 ounce carrier oil like Jojoba Oil or Olive Oil

Rub on your chest once or twice a day.

How do you support your immune system during the winter?  Have you ever used thyme or basil essential oils?

Tangerine Oil

Tangerines remind me of Fall in Japan.  They are called mikan in Japanese and are abundant in the fall.  Every gathering I went to from September thru the Winter included a bowl of tangerines.  

Tangerine is one of my new favorite essential oils.  It has a brighter more pungent aroma than orange and smells like fresh peeled tangerines.  The latin name is Citrus reticulata with some production in the United States.  

Tangerine's Health Benefits:

* Uplifting & Energizing
* Good for Depression - 
          A Don't Worry, Be Happy Oil
* Good for Digestion
* Antibacterial & Antiviral
* Astringent
* Antiseptic
* Good for Oily Skin and Acne

Suggestions for using Tangerine:

* Add 8-10 drops to 1 ounce lotion and use to soothe upset tummies.

* Add 5 drops to an aromatherapy diffuser and cheer up the home.

* Add 1 drop to a cotton ball and put in the air vent of your car.
* Put 2 drops on the inside of your toilet paper roll to freshen up the bathroom.

Safety Consideration....
Tangerine can be phototoxic causing burning if applied to the skin before going in the sun. Wait 12 hours before exposing skin to the sun if you have applied tangerine.

Links to Learn More....

AromaWeb

Links to Buy....

Tangerine Essential Oil

Aromatherapy Diffuser

What's your favorite essential oil?  How would you use Tangerine oil?  

Black Spruce Essential Oil

Black Spruce's botanical name is Picea maraiana.  The oil comes from the needles of the tree.  It  is only distilled in Canada but I have seen the trees in the Northern part of America near Minneapolis.  The aroma is one of my favorite's of all the confiers.  Reminiscent of Christmas trees and the holidays I find many people adore the smell.


Therapeutically it is wonderful for respiratory support and fatigue.  It uplifts and helps fight fatigue by supporting the adrenal glands.  It is good for asthma and dry throat conditions helping to soothe a dry, scratchy cough.

Suggestions for using Black Spruce:

1. Add 10-12 drops to 1 ounce lotion and apply to lower abdomen and back daily to support adrenal glands and combat fatigue.
2.  Add 1 drop to a bowl of hot water and steam for 2-5 minutes to relieve coughs and dry throats.
3. Add 10 drops to old holiday potpourri to refresh and make your home smell like Christmas trees.

For more information on Black Spruce visit our website here.

How would you use Black Spruce?  What essential oils do you use for respiratory support?

Tea Tree Essential Oil

I've been exploring video lately and wanted to share my latest on Tea Tree Essential Oil with you.  The focus is on the health benefits of Tea Tree with suggestions on how you can use it in your daily life.