Showing posts with label #aromatherapy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #aromatherapy. Show all posts

Thursday, 14 April 2016

Current Scent Marketing Systems Are Not Quite Working. Send in the flowers ...

What's the function of scent marketing? Some companies simply want to scent a space to capture a brand identity. If this is the case, then the common methods of scenting using fragrance oils will suffice. However, there is a growing trend for office and commercial indoor spaces to extract a neurological and environmental change from their scenting systems.
Office spaces are now pumping their a/c system or using portable
units to create air which is powerful enough to kill germs, motivate
staff to be alert and smell fresh and clean. 

The traditional method of using synthetic, fragrance oil systems can't do this. Fragrance oils are an easy and cheap option, which have made them a popular choice for commercial entities. Advance-thinking companies are acknowledging that aromatherapy-based methods of scenting, have ways of increasing the bottom-line which may not seem obvious at first. Here are some reasons which have led HR, sales, operations and housekeeping departments to value essential oil based scenting systems.
Oils burners heated by a candle are
the most common and affordable
 way to diffuse both essential and
fragrance oils in a small space.

Some reasons for the trend heading towards multi-purpose scenting systems

MARKETING
1) To change behavior
Essential oils will change the neurology of customers. For example, it may be used to relax patients at a dentist office or it may be used to make clients feel a sense of trust at the point of sale.
2) To recall a feeling or memory
A new trend is for real estate brokers to scent a home for sale with spice oils, like cinnamon or to create a feeling of warmth and homeliness. Synthetic fragrance oils are unable to create this physiological and psychological change.

FUNCTIONAL
Many offices are now
opting to deodorise their
fresh air straved spaces,
with portable essential
oil diffuser units. Yup! Body
odour is a problem in
male dominated offices.
1) To deodorise their indoor space organically
Essential oils kill odour causing bacteria. Odours may be biological (food, body odour) or non-biological (cigarettes, care fumes). They also add fresh scents to the air.

2) To uplift stale air in a space that is always enclosed.
Essential oils will ionise air. This means adding (-) ions to create fresh air.

3) Kill airborne bacteria due to high incidence of sick days.
Essential oils when diffused into the air, kill almost all bacteria and viruses it comes into contact with.

4) As a pest repellent in spaces where there is food being served.
Certain essential oils are pest repellents. Even if the mist falls onto food or drink, they are completely safe to ingest. Fragrance oils are synthetic and unsafe for consumption.

Many offices are no longer
discounting the high-tech
multi-purpose use of
diffusing essential oils
commercially in their
work spaces. 
Homes, offices and commercial entities, which want to create a client / consumer behavioural change will need to seek systems which are aromatherapy based. It works only one way - using REAL, essential / spice oils.

There are many methods of diffusion - fanning, evaporation, ionizing, spritzing. They all work to some degree, but the best method will depend on the size of the space, your budget, the availability of a power socket and the duration you intend to scent a space. (We will leave this for discussion on another blog post.)

Scenting utilising essential oils can be expensive, require speciality machines and will probably require a consultant to help you set it up properly. It may seems like a hassle in the beginning, but in the long run ...

  • It can improve employee health
  • There will be fewer negative comments about the scent
  • Fewer people will have allergies from it
  • It will detox and deodorise as it scents 
  • The ionizing effect on the space is priceless


The effect is not tangible on paper. In fact trying to write the experience to you will not do it justice. But, when you feel the difference of a space scented using fragrance oils vs essential oils, you can immediately feel the difference. The difference is so powerfully obvious that you will probably never use fragrance oils again.

fragrance oils  = synthetic oils
essential oils = real botanical compounds

Fragrance Oils
Pros
Cheaper.
• Many machines can diffuse.
Cons
• Synthetic, so may cause headaches.
• No therapeutic benefit.

Essential Oils
Pros
• Anti-bacterial, anti-viral, deodorising effect. 
• Health benefits.
Cons
• Can be more expensive depending onthe choice of oil and diffusion method.
• Can be difficult to diffuse properly; not all machines can diffuse essential oils.

Want to discover the unique scenting system that is able to diffuse REAL essential oils in a commercial capacity. It's more affordable and easier than you think. Packages starting from SGD$960. Visit Thoth™ by The Little Essentials organic solutions company at www.thelittleessentials.com or click on the logo below to find out about our commercial grade machines for homes and offices.



Wednesday, 6 April 2016

Monday, 31 August 2015

Sick Air Syndrome - The air in your office is probably making you sick.

Isn’t it ironic that as air quality outside is stabilising, due to government agency regulation, the air quality inside our offices is probably getting worse? The irony continues. According to Environmental Protection Agency’s  (US) 2015 report, newer, more energy efficent buildings are more likely to have poorer air quality than older buildings. It is estimated that a quarter of buildings in the US that are new or have been newly renovated suffer from poor internal air quality, making them ‘Sick Buildings”. Employees falling ill from building-related illnesses cost companies billions annually from lost productivity, resulting in them looking for solutions to this very expensive problem.

The Problem. The Reality
Certainly, in very polluted cities like Beijing and Mumbai, internal air quality by comparison is better. By in large, employees are working in a mild chemical stew due to urbanisation. 

Ways pollution enters our buildings
• If fresh-air-intake vents from the a/c are in the basement or loading docks, it carries carbon monoxide from the vehicles exhaust.

• If smokers are smoking next to the intake vents, offices become polluted with second hand smoke.

• Printers and fax machines still omit ozone depleting compounds

• Pesticides and other chemical cleaning sprays will linger for days on office carpets.

• Revolving doors suck in car and cigarette fumes from the outside.



And guess what? You can’t escape because in high-rise and newer buildings, you can’t open the windows. You’re in a sealed building. Trapped with the air you’re in.

Even if your indoor air isn’t polluted, you simply may not be getting enough fresh air. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers recommends that ventilation systems pump in 20 cubic feet of fresh air per minute for every person in office spaces. In many cases, however, building operators pump in only 5 cubic feet. That’s like being in the air of a plane.

A long-distance flight, however only lasts a few hours. While you may spend up to 10 hours a day breathing bad indoor air. The result: headaches, nausea, dizziness, irritability, itchy eyes, and respiratory illnesses.

Building-Related Diseases vs Sick Building Syndrome

Building Related Diseases
Building-related diseases have a traceable cause such as colds that spread through an office or allergies and asthma brought on by dust or mold.  

If you suspect that something in your work environment may be to blame, ask your human resources representative to talk to the building manager about having the building inspected. If others in your work area are ill as well, document your symptoms, including when and where they occur. Don’t be afraid to speak up. Finding the root of the problem is to your employer’s benefit, too. 

Building-related asthma, for example, can cause permanent damage to your health and lost productivity and increased health costs for your employer. Investigators should check for water damage and humidifiers contaminated with microbes, which may contribute to work-related asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis, according to work-health specialists Mark Cullen and Kathleen Kreiss, who discuss indoor air pollution in the textbook Occupational Health (Lippincott, 2000).

Cullen and Kreiss add that nausea and headaches suggest carbon monoxide may be sneaking into the building through the air-duct system. Mysterious itching may be caused by exposure to fibrous glass from an air-duct lining. And relentless coughing and throat irritation may be the end result of harsh or improperly used carpet cleaners.
 Find your indoor air solution with Singapore Scenting Solutions™ by The Little Essentials

Sick building syndrome
You’re sick ... simply unwell. You feel a constellation of symptoms, fatigue, headache, dry, itchy skin, and irritation of mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, and throat. These symptoms tend to disappear once you’re out of the suspect building.

People with sick building syndrome usually don’t have any disease that a doctor can detect, but their suffering is undeniable, says Richard Lockey, MD, director of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at the University of South Florida and an expert on indoor air quality. In some cases, the symptoms are so severe that a person can no longer work at the building in question.

Sick building syndrome has become more common than all building-related diseases combined. So far, Lockey says, familiarity hasn’t led to understanding. Nobody knows for sure why so many people are getting sick: Is it really the air or is it something else?

Could sick building syndrome be related to the energy crisis of the 1970s, which resulted in highly insulated “tight buildings” and a lowering of ventilation standards to 5 cubic feet of outdoor air per person per minute? Or perhaps small impurities in the air are adding up to something big. As explained in a 1997 article in The Lancet, a British medical journal, tiny amounts of chemicals escaping from paints, carpets, office supplies, photocopiers, and other sources may be combining to make the air hazardous.

Some reports of sick building syndrome have been linked to another great epidemic of our times - job stress. According to Cullen and Kreiss, repetitive tasks, poor work relationships, and feelings of helplessness can all sap workers’ health as well as their enthusiasm. Anybody who spends all day doing tedious work and sparring with bosses and coworkers is bound to feel terrible, fumes or no fumes. Whether the main problem is stress or bad air, employers have to realise their employees are suffering real symptoms. Sick employees are never good for business.
 Singapore Scenting Soluting™ by The Little Essentials. The natural way to detox the air


Some Quick Fix Solutions

  • Don’t obstruct air vents or grilles.
  • Smokers must keep away from the fresh air intake ducts. 
  • Take care of your office plants -- dusty, dying plants don’t do anything for the air quality in your office, and over-watered plants can develop mold.
  • Get rid of garbage promptly to prevent odours and biological contamination.
  • Store food properly. Keep perishable food in the refrigerator, and clean the refrigerator out frequently to prevent odours and mold.
  • Keep eating areas clean to avoid attracting pests. (Cockroaches have been linked to respiratory problems -- according to the EPA, certain proteins in cockroach droppings and saliva can cause allergic reactions or trigger asthma symptoms.)
  • If you or your coworkers are having health problems that you think may be related to your office environment, work with your HR representative and building personnel to find the cause of the problem.


A Long Term Solutions requiring no construction

Source for a natural solution that doesn’t mask the problem but neutralises it. Singapore Scenting Systems™ has developed a solution that’s better than opening the windows in your high-rise office - Let’s face it, there’s no fresh air out there either.

Singapore Scenting Systems™, detoxes, deodorises and ionises the air that’s already in your office. It literally kills everything that’s not suppose to be there making the air fresh and clean. And with the right choice of essential oils, it can also uplift the space with beneficial aromas. Want to find out more? Visit www.thelittleessentials.com or email dianne@thelittleessentials.com.

 Singapore Scenting System™ by The Little Essentials

References

Environmental Protection Agency. Air Trends. November 2008. http://www.epa.gov/airtrends

Environmental Protection Agency. Indoor Air Pollution: An Introduction for Health Professionals. August 2006. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/hpguide.html

Air Quality Continues to Improve: new report and data. Environmental Protection Agency. Sept. 15, 2003. http://www.epa.gov/newsroom/headline_091503.htm

Building Air Quality: A Guide for Building Owners and Facility Managers, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/pdfs/iaq.pdf

Routine Maintenance, Cleaning Key to Eliminating Deadly Bacteria, Occupational Hazards, May 1, 2001, Vol. 63, No. 5, Pg. 31

An Office Building Occupant’s Guide to Indoor Air Quality. Environmental Protection Agency.

Indoor Environmental Quality, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, June 1997, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ieqfs.html


Last Updated: Aug 11, 2015

Thursday, 12 February 2015

Essential Oils as the new antibiotics to counter "superbugs"

ESSENTIAL OILS MIGHT BE THE NEW ANTI-BIOTICS



Add 4 drops of tea tree oil to
your vaporiser to kill airborne bacteria.
 Click here to buy Aust. certified Org.
Tea Tree Oil S$41.06. 
Below is a simple summary of the debate on why essential oils might be a better alternative than antibiotics in the war against bacteria and viruses.
Essential oils are ultimately just plant extracts—and those are used in countless products and and are the main ingredient in some insecticides and some over-the-counter medications, like Vicks and some hair lice sprays. They’re used in food and beverage industry because of their preservative potency against food-borne pathogens—thanks to their antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti-fungal properties. Various oils have also been shown to effectively treat a wide range of common health issues such as nausea and headaches, and a rapidly growing body of research is finding that they are powerful enough to kill human cancer cells.
A handful of promising, real-life studies have been conducted with humans and other animals, but most  has been conducted in the lab. More controlled trials will be required before some of these applications will be available to the public, but meanwhile, scientists have turned up exciting results in another area of use: countering the growing antibiotic-resistance crisis. “The loss of antibiotics due to antimicrobial resistance is potentially one of the most important challenges the medical and animal-health communities will face in the 21st century,” says Dr. Cyril Gay, the senior national program leader at the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service.
Can you believe that 80% of antibiotics consumed in the US is fed to livestock, and the percentages are increasing. We are now more resistant to antibiotics because we are not only consuming it directly but ingesting it via the meats we eats. There is now a strain of "super bugs" which are resistant to drugs in both humans and animals. The result - uncontrollable death rates in human and animals and billions of dollars in cost to the global economy (est. US$100 trillion by 2050), not to mention the billions of dollars needed (est. US$20 billion) to come up with new drugs to keep up with these "superbugs".
Livestock still need small amounts of antibiotics to treat infections. However, they are getting inventions (and the prevention of infection) in the first place because they are forced fed with growth hormones and live in cramped unsanitary conditions. The biggest misuse of antibiotics have in the farms!
Some evidence that natural antibiotics work
Published in October 2014, Poultry Science, found that chickens who consumed feed with added oregano oil had a much better survival rate than untreated chickens. Other research from a 2011 issue of BMC Proceedings, showed that adding a combination of plant extracts—from oregano, cinnamon, and chili peppers—actually changed the gene expression of treated chickens, resulting in weight gain as well as protection against an injected intestinal infection. So, there are even alternatives to growth hormones in poultry.
Some evidence that essential oils are just as powerful as manufactured antibiotocs
A study published in March 2012, Journal of Animal Science, found that rosemary and oregano oils resulted in the same amount of growth in chickens as the antibiotic avilamycin, and that the oils killed bacteria, too. Essential oils help reduce salmonella in chickens, and another study found that a blend of several oils can limit the spread of salmonella among animals. One of the co-authors of that study, Dr. Charles Hofacre, a professor at the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says it’s such a new area of research that they don’t yet know exactly how the essential oils work, but “there is some strong evidence that they are functioning by both an antibacterial action in the intestine and also some have an effect to stimulate the intestinal cells ability to recover from disease more quickly–either by local immunity or helping keep the intestinal cells themselves healthier.”Lavender (Florin Gorgan/Flickr)
Evidence that essential oils may work better than antibiotics in humans
1) The healing of wounds from staff infections in hospitals were significantly faster when treated with tea tree oil
2) Sanitising gel made with lemongrass oil reduced the spread of infection from contact.
Research published in December 2013 reported that a hand gel made with lemongrass oil was effective in reducing MRSA on the skin of human volunteers, and previous research has shown that a cleanser made with tea-tree oil clears MRSA from the skin as effectively as the standard treatments to which bacteria appear to be developing resistance. This type of simple, inexpensive fix—an essential-oil-based hand sanitizer—could be a major boost to hospitals, in particular, since MRSA infections are so common in healthcare settings.
Recent studies showed that lavender and cinnamon essential oils killed E. coli, and when combined with the antibiotic piperacillin, the oils reversed the resistance of the E. coli bacteria to the antibiotic. Anotherrecent study found that basil oil and rosemary oil were both effective in inhibiting the growth of 60 strains of E. coli retrieved from hospital patients. Other research has produced similar results for many other essential oils, both alone and in combination with antibiotics. Researchers believe that one mechanism by which the oils work is by weakening the cell wall of resistant bacteria, thereby damaging or killing the cells while also allowing the antibiotic in.
Much research is needed to understand essential oils better but the money needed for this research is difficult to source as most research dollars come from the pharmaceutical industry.
Essential oils are a fix of a problem that still will continue is major changes to commercial farming are not sort out. If essential oils are to be a proper long term alternative, they must demonstrate that this practice is really useful, and essential oils must be given the same scrutiny that antibiotics haven’t been given.

Wednesday, 21 January 2015

How To Choose & Use Essential Oils For Aroma

There are many kinds of vaporisers. We are only mentioning the methods that we recommend for our fine quality essential oils. Our oils are premium grade, pure 100% certified organic oils. They must be used sparingly as they are extremely potent and concentrated. A little goes a long way.
Electric or Candle
Fill the diffuser with water and turn on the power or light the candle. Let the water warm for a few minutes, then add 3-4 drops of the required oil. It should last 3-4 hours.
Bowl of Water
If a diffuser is not handy. You can add 3-4 drops of oil to a wide brimmed small bowl of water. It will have the same diffusion effect except that it will diffuse for only 1-2 hours.

Choosing the right essential oil for aroma
Choosing For Emotions
Essential oils have neurological effects. The chemical compound of an essential oil will be absorbed through the capillaries in nose when inhaled and absorbed into the blood steam where it passes the blood brain barrier and changes the neurology of the brain. So, if you want to change your physiological or emotional state, you need to know what the dominant chemical compound of the essential oil. This will tell you the effect it will have you.
Choosing For Scent 
Choosing the right essential oil for aroma alone, will in many ways depend on if you like it. Whether you like it, will in part depend on how it makes you feel. Please see Choosing Essential Oils For Emotions above to find out more about this.
However, choosing how long an aroma will last and what you will smell when an essential oil is heated and infused into the air will require you to understand the rate of evaporation of the oil a.k.a base notes.

Essential Oils with Top Notes : The oils in this category are those that evaporate the most quickly and the ones you experience first when an essential oil blend in diffused. The aromas of these notes are crisp and sharp. 
Mandarinsweet, floral, orange-like
Geraniumfloral, sweet
Lavenderfloral, fresh, sweet, herbaceous
Ylang Ylangfloral, rich, sweet
LemongrassFresh, lemon, sweet
Eucalyptuscitrus, fresh


Middle Notes : The oils in this category make up the 'heart' of what you smell.
LemongrassFresh, lemon, sweet
MandarinSweet, floral, orange-like
Lavenderfloral, fresh, sweet, herbaceous

Base Notes :These oils have a very slow evaporation rate and extend the the amount of time the essential oil remains on the skin or in the air. Your nose will generally become aware of these aromas upon dry-down (in a vaporiser) or about 20 min after applied to the skin.
FrankincenseWoody, sweet
  

So, essential oils that are in the top note category will diffuse throughout a room quickly. You will be able to smell in throughout the room almost as soon as the water in the vaporiser heats. Essential oils in the middle note category last the longest in a vaporiser. So, Lavender and Lemongrass will probably last in the diffuser for 3-4 hours or as long as the water in the vaporiser is still heating. Frankincense which have a strong base note, may not be noticed too quickly upon heating, but it will continue to diffuse throughout the room long after the water in the vaporiser has dried up.
Between, an essential oil's heath effects and its aroma, there is a perfect essential oil for everyone. For everyday use, we recommend Lemongrass (it lasts long while being uplifting) and Lavender (it lasts long while being relaxing).  

Click on the essential oil of your choice to buy premium 100% pure essential oils

Sunday, 18 January 2015

HOW I USE ESSENTIAL OILS IN MY DAY by Dianne Little

HELLO,
When I first starting using essential oils, I found it complicated and confusing. I soon reaslied that this was because many retailers bombarded me with an overwhelming amount of information about what essential oils can do. Frankly, I got lost in that sea of information.
While I am in awe of the flexibility of essential oils, when you distill all that information down, certain oils with certain grades and more suited for certain things. So, the information on this website is primarily targeted for skincare and topical application. The reason being is that our products are all therapeutic grade. This means that they have strong remedial and healing properties. Our products are also 100% certified organic. This means that they are pesticide and chemical free.
Put this all together and you get a premium product which is safe (please see disclaimer) and effective for skincare and topical application. It would be a waste to use such premium products in your household cleaners or in a diffuser for scent purposes. So, we've kept it simple - providing information on essential oils for skin radiance because that's what the quality of our oils are designed for.
Your skin is the external representation of you. At The Little Essentials we want to invite you to take care of your skin the best way you can with the best natural skincare you can find.  
I personally use all of the pure essential oils in our range. After all, if I don't use or believe in the quality of my product, why should I expect you too. I wanted to share with you how I personally use essential oils in my day. Perhaps it may give you some inspiration into how to use it in yours.
Also I would like to know how you use The Little Essentials essential oils in your day. I'd love to hear from you via FacebookTwitter or send me a personal email on dianne@thelittleessentials.com.
Warm Regards,
Dianne Little
CEO & Marketing Director
The following is an example of how I use essential oils in my day : 
WEEKDAYWEEKEND
DiffuserIn my car : I reuse Glade car freshners (the kind that comes in a bottle and clips onto your air-con vent). I wash out the wick and bottle and fill the bottle with lemongrass oil. It's a fresh and uplfting scent. 3-4 drops of lemongrass oil into a diffuser. It makes my bathroom smell like a spa.
Skin Day : Eucalyptus spray under my arms. It kills odour causing bacteria which deodarants do not do. However, I use an anti-perspirant after it dries to reduce sweat as essential oils do not help with this.
Night : Replace moisturiser with rosehip
Day: Use a lemongrass spray on my legs. I'm prone to insect bites. Eucalptus works too but doesn't smell as great.
Night : Replace moisturiser with Argan
Hair Argan on my tips to prevents fly-away hairs and repair split ends.
I use a tea tree hair spray to give my hair a nice scent. 
In the Pool : I rub rosehip onto my hair to seal the shaft. It prevents chlorine from entering into it and drying it out. Rosehip is a dry oil so it won't disappate into the pool
Face Day - Tea tree spray as a face toner. I suffer from acne and tea tree is toxic to bacteria found in acne. Night - I use 1 pump of argan under my eyes, my face and neck. I do not own night cream. Although I'm prone to acne. Argan oil has actually reduced my acne.

Friday, 16 January 2015

5 Uses of Rosehip Seed Oil that don’t have to do with scars or stretch marks




Premium Australian Certified Organic Rosehip Seed Oil from Chile.
Cold-pressed, chemical and pesticide free.

  1. Before a swim, lightly coat your hair with rosehip. It will seal the hair shafts and disallow chlorine and odour from penetrating your hair. The oil will not dissipate into the water.
  2. Rosehip has strong anti-inflammatory qualities. Research has shown that rubbing it onto areas which suffer from arthritis actually reduce pain and swelling.
  3. Rosehip has hormone-balancing qualities. It has similar qualities to Evening Primrose Oil in helping to reduce menstral cramps and regulating cycles.
  4. Helps strengthen brittle nails.
  5. Helps add shine to your hair. It’s an heavy oil so use it to finish a hair setting.