Aromaceuticals

by Katharine Koeppen, RA

You may be on lockdown, but that doesn't mean you can't indulge yourself a little. A twice-weekly body scrub can go a long way toward elevating your mood if you're feeling depressed, bored or stir-crazy.

This luxurious scrub uses exotic date sugar as one of the exfoliants. Date sugar is coarsely ground and gives a wonderfully effective texture to the scrub, as well as a divine aroma. If you can't find date sugar online (I'm able to get it fresh from the date farms in Coachella Valley), you can substitute additional brown sugar in the recipe. It doesn't quite have the same skin-softening properties as date sugar, but is an excellent exfoliant and easy-to-find pantry staple.

Aromaceuticals Date Nut Body Scrub

1 C        date sugar (the coarser, the better)
1 C        brown sugar
1/2 C     macadamia nut or kukui nut oil 
1/4 tsp  ground cinnamon 
13 dr     green mandarin essential oil
7 dr       cardamon essential oil 

In a glass, ceramic, or stainless steel bowl, mix together all ingredients to make a thick paste. You may need to use slightly more or less nut oil to get the right consistency. Spoon into a glass jar and store tightly closed. Use a generous amount on wet skin and apply in a circular scrubbing motion.

Aaaaaah!

by Katharine Koeppen, RA

It's a holiday weekend and we've all been stressed out to the max, so I thought a lighter post might be in order. Specifically, the recipe for a wonderful gluten-free Spanish almond cake known as Tarta de Santiago. Although it does have an association with the Easter season, this traditional cake is served year-round in Spain. If you want to be more authentic, cut out a small cardboard stencil of St. James' (Santiago's) cross and place it in the center of the cake before finishing off with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. Remove the stencil and voilá, a beautifully decorated dessert!

Tarta de Santiago

125 gr       almond meal (not almond flour)
3               eggs
125 gr       sugar
pinch         good quality sea salt 
pinch         cream of tartar
zest           1/2 lemon 
zest           1/2 orange
1/4 tsp       cinnamon
1 drop        neroli essential oil (opt) 
                 confectioner's sugar to decorate the finished cake
                 almond flour for dusting pan 

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Butter a 8" or 9" tart pan or springform pan and dust with almond flour or sugar. Separate the eggs and beat the whites with the cream of tartar until they form soft peaks. Set aside. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the reserved egg yolks, sugar and salt until pale, thick and glossy. Stir in the almond meal, zest, cinnamon and neroli essential oil to form a thick paste. Add a heaping tablespoon of the egg whites and fold into the paste. Keep adding egg whites, one tablespoon at a time, and fold in until the paste starts to loosen. When the texture has loosened enough, add the rest of the egg whites and gently fold into the mixture until well combined. Scrape into the prepared tart pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. A cake tester inserted in the center should come out clean. Cool, then sprinkle with confectioner's sugar. Serves 6-8. ¡Buen provecho!

Yes, I give baking instructions in grams because I often use commercial or European recipes, which are both written in metric measurements. Besides, metrics are much more accurate for baking purposes, where precision counts. Don't fear, most kitchen scales and good quality measuring cups are marked in both ounces and grams, making this recipe easy to measure. Happy Easter...

by Katharine Koeppen, RA

It is no small exaggeration to state there is a great deal of confusion and misinformation regarding the use of essential oils against COVID-19. 

My colleague Marco Valussi has been one of the few voices of reason on this subject. Marco Valussi is a clinical phytotherapist and highly published expert on aromatic and medicinal plants. He has served as a visiting professor of phytomedicine at the Universities of Padua, Pisa, Florence and Siena. He's also at the forefront of the Italian coronavirus situation, actively tracking the epidemic with other members of the academic community.

On March 20, Marco gave a live Facebook presentation in his native Italian. It concerns existing evidence on essential oil activity as virustatic or viricidal vs. antiviral, and goes into further information on how and when essential oils may affect enveloped viruses. Marco emphasizes the use of aromatics as possible supportive therapy for COVID-19. He has kindly given his permission for me to share the English transcript, which was a little bit unevenly translated via Google:

“The current emergency situation in which we all find ourselves in, has understandably worried many people. In many cases we wonder if and how essential oils can be used in the current situation, to reduce respiratory symptoms, or as tools for prevention or direct attack.

The first thing to emphasize is that nothing we know about essential oils and viruses allows us to think that their use can replace or reduce the need for well-known containment and personal protection measures. Social distancing, isolation if necessary, personal hygiene and good and responsible practices are necessary to reduce the impact of the epidemic.

That said, essential oils can offer useful support in everyday life. The term antiviral in the broad sense is often described as meaning an active agent against viruses. But in reality it would be better to explain exactly what is meant by the term antiviral, otherwise the risk is to suggest that you can use essential oils orally/ by mouth as a cure for viral infections. Without going into the technical details of the differences between virustatic, virucidal, antiviral, I believe that the most important distinction is between agents that are able to interfere with the virus when it has already penetrated the organism, and agents those that can only act on the virus before it enters the organism. This distinction is very important, because we propose that an antiviral molecule can in fact be a useful disinfectant. Or you it can be a useful aid in reducing the viral load at the lung level. it is quite different and not ok to propose that antiviral molecules/ antiviral oils taken orally, or by inhalation penetrate in the bloodstream and fights the ongoing infection.

Let's say right away that there is no data on the activity of essential oils on SARS-CoV-2 and very few in general on Coronaviruses. And we have no news of oils that have antiviral activity in living organisms. That is, they do not seem capable of fighting a viral infection when the virus has penetrated the organism.

This is then is the same that we know to be true for their antibacterial and antifungal activity, with the difference that on bacteria and fungi they are much more active. 

There are however some interesting activities from essential oils such as eucalyptus, tea tree, lemongrass, savory, thyme and oregano, and laurel. These oils seem effective as contact virucides, and as aids to reduce viral load in the lung. They destroy or inactivate viruses, thereby reducing the risk of them infecting us. 

From a consumer product stand point exploring possible applications can be interesting. For example the addition of these essential oils to a hand hygiene product, for example a hydroalcoholic solution, would make hand hygiene products more effective and could also aid in extending the protective nature of the oils assuming that some of the essential oils remain on the skin for longer once the alcohol evaporated. Furthermore, the use of essential oils in inhalers or in environmental nebulizers would also allow for a reduction of the viral load in the lungs. 

But the true beauty of essential oils is that they can have multiple effects. So in addition to virus activity, they can also be useful, and most useful via inhalation, to reduce the symptoms of respiratory problems such as coughing, respiratory spasms, inflammation and excess phlegm respiratory. Typical examples are conifers, eucalyptus, mint and lavender. And let's not forget that a condition common to many of us at the moment is stress, and then we can always think of using essential oils, in particular those of lavender via inhalation and in environment diffusion to reduce anxiety, promote a more restful sleep, and generally improve the quality of life in stressful conditions.

What cannot be said, because there is no scientific evidence, is that essential oils can fight ongoing infections, both through an immunostimulating action and by direct action on viruses or host cells. Among other things, those who suggest that they can act in this way always forget to say that a molecule that acted on viral replication would be toxic to the virus as well as to the host cell, with obvious side effects. And also forget to say that a molecule that acted as an immunostimulant at the body level could be very contraindicated. 

The immune system is an extremely complex mechanism that maintains a delicate balance. If it were possible to modify it easily we could make things worse by causing a harmful immune and inflammatory response.

This is what I meant to clarify some points on essential oils and viruses, at a time when unfortunately untruthful evaluations or statements are seen around me.”

- Marco Valussi
  20 March 2020 

by Katharine Koeppen, RA

There's been a chronic shortage of hand sanitizer for nearly 2 months now, and the supply does not seem like it will be improving any time in the near future. In a panic, many people have been making homemade versions, spurred on by numerous recipes from Pinterest, Facebook, mommy blogger sites and the like. The problem with these DIY concoctions is that virtually all of them are ineffective against COVID-19.

Knowing the correct type and amount of alcohol for an effective formulation is key. Coronaviruses are enveloped viruses, and alcohol destroys the viral envelope, thereby killing the virus.

Most recipes encourage adding essential oils, often in large amounts. At this writing, there are NO essential oils clinically shown to be successful at eradicating COVID-19. The virus is too new for anyone to definitively state otherwise. That being said, some essential oils are known to have virustatic or viricidal activity in general against respiratory viruses, so it wouldn't hurt to add them to a hand sanitizer recipe in appropriate amounts. What may hurt is choosing the wrong oils and adding them in excess.  Formulations high in alcohol are hard enough on the skin, and adding unsuitable essential oils may cause a chemical burn or dermal sensitization reactions.

A few possibilities for DIY hand sanitizer: bay laurel, eucalytus radiata, eucalyptus globulus, thyme linalool, thyme thymol (in very tiny amounts), lemongrass (provided there is no allergy), palmarosa, oregano (in very tiny amounts) or ravintsara. Any overly medicinal aroma could be sweetened up with the addition of a small amount of lemon, spearmint, sweet orange, lavender or the like.

The recipe below is given in milliliters, since accurate measurement is important in getting the right percentage of alcohol for an effective sanitizer. It yields 125 ml, which will easily fill a standard 4 oz snap-top or spray top bottle. This formula and can be easily scaled up if you want to make one to have around the house and another for your car or purse.

DIY Hand Sanitizer

84 ml     99% isopropyl alcohol or pure ethanol (don't sub any other alcohol or your formula won't be effective)
40 ml     aloe vera gel
  1 ml     mixed essential oils (pick 3 or 4 from the list mentioned above) 

Sanitize a 4 oz container. Glass or PET plastic is recommended. Blend all ingredients together using an immersion blender. Use a generous amount for each application and let the sanitizer air dry on your hands.

by Katharine Koeppen, RA

Keep calm and carry on.

That was an oft-quoted motto in WWII Britain, and it certainly applies to the current coronavirus epidemic. But how to accomplish this in the face of bleak television news, negative social media, and fearful conversations with friends and family?

A few aromatic interventions can go a long way toward achieving peace of mind.

First, limit your time watching the news, ideally to an hour per day. A complete news fast is not ideal right now, because the pandemic situation is changing so rapidly that you do need to be aware of business closures, healthcare options and any governmental restrictions placed on your city or state. However, staying glued to the TV, computer or phone and constantly consuming the barrage of fear and negativity is neither healthy nor productive. If you are plagued with obsessive thoughts or behaviours, try a quick inhalation of clary sage, sweet marjoram or frankincense.

Next, be realistic about the situation and accept that life as you know it will be on hold for a while. Don't indulge in wishful platitudes about "learning to stop and smell the roses." Your friends in the service industry who make minimum wage, have lost their jobs for the forseeable future, and have no financial safety net don't want to hear this. Nor do the healthcare workers who are bravely toiling for long hours without adequate protection against a potentially deadly viral infection. Nor do elders who are trapped home alone, on limited incomes and unable to fend for themselves. Reach out to those who are in pain and offer to help, even if that help means simply being present and listening via video chat or phone call. Both cypress and bay laurel can help you discern the appropriate tone of your conversation, as well as facilitate acceptance of what is, rather than what you would like it to be. Vetivert is wonderful for those who need practice at being focused and present. Frankincense and rose otto can help allay fears of terrifying personal situations. Any of these essential oils would work well by direct inhalation or room diffusion. If you want to be extra helpful, offer to make a personal inhaler for one of your friends in need.

As for general stress management, there are a multitude of essential oils which are effective. Lavender, geranium and bergamot are classicly used and have been widely studied for alleviating anxiety and stress. Lavender in particular is helpful for facing fear of the unknown. Cape chamomile is both anxiolytic and gently sedative, or, as a aromatherapist friend calls it, "the antidote to civilization." For application, in addition to the aforementioned personal inhalers and diffusion, any of these oils could be added to a warm bath or foot soak.

As for banishing negative emotions, juniper offers a quick fix when a drop or two is whisked through the bioelectric field or diffused to clear a room. Perpetual worriers and hypersensitive individuals will find solace in neroli, vetivert and Roman chamomile.

Stress takes many forms, and hopefully, this article has given you a few ideas on using aromatherapy to manage your worries and anxieties. Mix several of these essential oils to create your own personalized stress management blend, or utilize a premade one. Signing off to enjoy a soothing, aromatic bath...