Aromatherapy for Kids

8/8/2019 Aromatherapy for Kids

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Aromatherapy

ForChildren

By Johanna PedrantiAromatherapist

http://www.mynsp.com/esuite/home/naturallysports


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Introduction

W h a t i s A r o m a t h e r a p i ?Aromatherapy is the inhalat ion and bodily ap plicat ion of essent ia l o i ls f rom aromaticplants to re lax , balance, re juvenate, restore or enhance body, mi nd and spir it . Pureessent ia l o i ls are extracted from many parts of the plant including the f lower, leaf , res in ,bark, root , twig, seed, berry , r ind and rhizome.Aromatherapy is powerful not just because it s heal ing benef its of the body, but a lsobecause it s soothing effects on the emotions .Essent ia l o i ls can work a lmost instant ly , especia l ly for hormonal and emotional concerns .They go to work immediately in the body because they dont have to go through thedigest ive system to get to the b lood stream. When you inhale an essent ia l o i l , the volat i lemolecules begin to be absorbed r ight i nto the mucosa of the s inuses .The aroma of an essent ia l o i l i s very po werful . In order for an aroma to be detected it hasto be volat i le , so it can be carr ied by the a i r to the 10 mil l i on sensory neurons located inthe nostr i ls . The aroma f inal ly ends up in the l imbic system of the bra in where i t isperceived and analyzed. The l imbic system is the main re lay stat ion and it is there a l l theemotional responses are located. The frontal lobes o f the l imbic system control the memoryand attent ion, and it is a lso here the emotional responses are sensed. After the informationabout the scent has been perceived a nd analyzed of the l imbic sy stem, it is sent to otherparts of the bra in and then to storage in the me mory. The sense of smel l connects emotio nswith memories as well as integrates mind and body. Other volat i le molecules enter the lungs and are absorbed into the b loods tream throughthe a lveol i , or a ir sacs . Essent ia l o i ls massaged int o the skin move through the skin andinterst it ia l f luid and are absorbed into the b loodstream.

E s s s e n t i a l O i l sEssent ia l o i ls have unique propert ies that are e nhanced by each other . It means that theywork in synergy and are more powerful when they are mixed with each other . It isimportant to know that the essent ia l o i ls are more potent than the herbs and it isimportant not to exceed the stated doses . Essent ia ls o i l s s tay more potent for a longer t imethan herbs . They need to be stored i n a cool place and away from l igh t .It is very convenient to use esse nt ia l o i ls compared to herbs s ince it is easy to just drop afew oi ls in massage oi ls , bath sa lts , shampoo or in soap.It is important to purchase good quality to oi ls because the cheaper v ers ions are oftendiluted with harmful chemicals or in fer ior const ituents . These chemicals can cause ha rm tothe body.Essent ia l o i ls can be used for emotional , hormonal , or heal ing concerns .


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Dilutions and Aromatherapy IdeasB a s i c s u g g e s t e d d i l u t i o n f o r e s s e n t i a l o i l m a s s a g e b l e n d s CARRIER OILS ESSENTIAL OILS

Volume 1% dilution 2% dilution 3% dilution oz.1 tablespoon15 ml

3 drops 6 drops 12 drops

1 oz.2 tablespoons

30 ml


2 oz.4 tablespoons60 ml


1 % d i l u t i o n f o r c h i l d r e n a n d t h e e l d e r l y .2 % d i l u t i o n f o r g e n e r a l , w h o l e - b o d y m a s s a g e .4 % d i l u t i o n f o r c o n c e n t r a t e d , l o c a l m a s s a g eO t h e r w a y s t o u s e e s s e n t i a l o i l s . T h e s e a r e a d u l t d i l u t i o n s a n d s o m e w a y s m a y n o t b es u i t a b l e f o r y o u n g c h i l d r e n , b u t a r e i n c l u d e d i n ca s e p a r e n t s w a n t s o m e p a m p e r i n g t o o !Spritzers2 oz. glass bottle1 oz. distilled or filteredwater10-30 drops essential oilsOptional: Add witch hazel or vodkato emulsify the oils.Important for thick oils likejasmine and myrrh.

Roll-ons1 roll on bottlefill with vegetable oiladd 3-8 drops of essentialoils.

Foot/Hand BathSmall tub H2O4-6 drops essential oils

Steam Inhalations4 to 6 cups of water2 - 3 drops essential oil

Facial Massage3-4 tsp massage oil3-5 drops essential oils

Shampoo/Conditioner8 oz. un-scented shampoo80-100 drops essential oils

Body Lotion8 oz. un-scented lotion80 drops essential oils

Aromatic ShowerWet wash cloth6-8 drops of essential oils

Aroma Lamp full of water3-5 drops essential oils

Facial Scrubs3-4 teaspoon carrier2-3 drops essential oil

Compress4-8 oz. warm or cold H2O8-10 drops essential oils


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S u i t a b l e o i ls f o r B a b i e s a n d Y o u n g C h i l d r e n f r o m V a l e r i e A n n W o r w o o d sB o o k T h e C o m p l e t e B o o k o f E s s e n t i a l O i l s & A r o m a t h e r a p y :

E s s e n t i a l O i l s B a s e O i l s B a s e O i l A d d i t i v e s ( 1 0 % o fb a s e o i l u n l e s s o t h e r w i s es t a t e d ) Y o u c a n a d d t h i s t oe n h a n c e t h e m a s s a g e o i l .N E W B O R N B A B I E SChamomile Roman

Chamomile German

Yarrow

Lavender

Dosage: 1-3 drops diluted in 2

tablespoons Base OilHazelnut

Sweet Almond

Jojoba

Borage

Wheatgerm

2 -6 M O N T H S O L DAs above plus:

Mandarin

Eucalyptus (Never apply on

face)

Neroli

Dosage: 3-5 drops diluted in 2

tablespoon Base Oil.

As above As above

6 -1 2 M O N T H S O L DAs above plus:

Calendula

Grapefruit

Tea tree

Dosage: 3-5 drops dilutet in 2

tablespoons Base Oils

As above As above

1 - 5 Y E A R S O L DAll the above plus:

Ginger, but only use 1/3 of

the dosage directed for other

oils

Dosage: 5-10 drops diluted in

2 tablespoons Base Oil.

As above As above

Carrot


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5 - 7 Y E A R S O L DAll the above plus following

used in 1/3 dosage directed

for other oils:

Ginger

PeppermintRosemary

Thyme linalool

Clary Sage

Geranium


2 tablespoon Base Oil

Hazelnut

Sweet Almond

Apricot

Grapeseed

As above

7 - 1 2 Y E A R S O L DAll those to 7 years old; plus

the following at 1/3 dosage

directed for other oils.

FennelFrankincense

Cypress

Basil


2 tablespoons Base Oil.

As above As above

P U B E R T YAll the above oils at full dose,

plus:F e m a l e s : Rose

GeraniumSweet Marjoram

M a l e :Marjoram

Bergamot

Dosage: 10-20 drops diluted

in 2 tablespoons Base Oil.

As above As above


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Aromatherapy and Chi ldren

Essent ia l o i ls are safe as long as you fol low the safety reco mmendations and perform askin patch test when you use the oi l for the f irst t ime on the skin.There are many ways to incorporate essen t ia l o i ls into a chi lds l ife and they respond verypos it ively to aromatherapy. Methods incl ude aromatic baths , lot ions , and inhalat ion.Many chi ldren a lso enjoy hand or foot massage. A drop or two of an essent ia l o i l o n api l low case is a great way to use essent ia l o i l s when the chi ld is conges ted or has a hardt ime fa l l ing as leep. I used to put essent ia l o i ls o n a cotton bal l and tuck it in u nder mydaughter s pi l low when she was suffer ing from a pe rs istent cough when we l ived in Wales ,UK. Humidif iers are a lso a way you can ut i l ize aromatherapy inhalat ion safely forchi ldren.

Bedtime secretsIt can be a chal lenge many t imes to g et a chi ld to go to s le ep but I not iced that a re laxi ngcalm bath can make wonders at bedt ime. Before the bath t ime you can try to giv e the chi lda cup of di luted chamomile tea . Lavender and mandarin are well l iked by chi ldren and theycan be used in a hand or foot massage before b edt ime.Aromatic Massage Oil for Children2 tb l . Warm vegetable oi l5-10 drops of Lavender or mandarin.Mix the essent ia l o i ls in the warm veg etable oi l . You can make this ahead and keep it in adark or amber glass bott le . The essent ia l o i l b lends should be kept in dark bott les . M assagethe feet , working towards the heart .Favorite Bath BlendLavender 2 dropsMandarin 2 drops .Add this to vegetable oi l and add to the bath water and swish. Amount of base oi l dependson the chi lds age. Please refer to di lut ion chart . You can of course switch ma ndarin foranother oi l or use only lave nder .Other re laxing oi ls for bedt ime are bergamot , cham omile , c lary sage, f rankincense,geranium, marjoram, rose , y lang ylang


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Calming an Overactive ChildAn overact ive chi lde isnt necessary hyperact ive and somet imes chi ldren are overact ive a tcerta in t imes . Ref ined carbohydrates , MSG, food colors and addit ives have been known tocause overact ivity in chi ldren. Some chi ldren become hyperact ive whe n they eat somethingthey are sens it ive to . State of overst imulat ion and excitement may benef it f rom relaxat ionand sedat ive essent ia l o i ls . These oi ls may a lso be b enef ic ia l in tantrums, anxiety attacks ,and overt iredness . Aromatherapy works on a subt le level . Relaxat ion oi ls are natural plantder ivat ives that may a id the body i n re laxat ion, s lowing the respirat ion and heart rate ,and soothing an overst imulated nervous system. The most effect ive methods ut i l izingaromatherapy are us ing those oi ls which cro ss the b lood-brain barr ier by inhalat ion.Massage is less direct but a lso effect ive. It is impo rtant to remember to use stated doseswhen us ing therapeut ic re laxat ion oi ls and not too much. An oppos ite effect takes place ifthe oi ls are overused.Calming Mist- a room spray to re lax , this ca n be diffused in the a ir , and you can evenspray it on things if needed.1 cup dist i l led water10 drops lavender5 drops marjoram2 drops sandalwooda spray bott le with mist nozzleAromathic baths are re laxing and calming, and us ing d iffusers are a lso a great way tospread the heal ing oi ls .Other re laxing and calming oi ls are chamo mile , c lary sage, mandarin, marjoram, nerol i ,orange, sandalwood and tanger ine.

Extra Essent ia l o i ls info, please check to make s ure the oi ls are suitable for youngchildren.R o m a n a n d G e r m a n C h a m o m i l e , b e r g a m o t , c l a r y s a g e , g e r a n i u m , j a s m i n e , l a v e n d e r , s w e e tm a r j o r a m , n e r o l i a n d m e l i s s a a r e a r e c o n s i d e r e d r e la x a n t n e r v i n e s a n d v a l u a b l e w h e nf e e l i n g s t r e s s e d a n d t e n s e .F o r b a l a n c i n g e m o t i o n s : b e r g a m o t , f r a n k i n c e n s e , c l a r y s a g e a n d g e r a n i u m .A n t i - i r r i t a b i l i t y o i l s : c h a m o m i l e , b e r g a m o t , c l a r y s a g e , f r a n k i n c e n s e , l a v e n d e r , m a n d a r i n g ,s a n d a l w o o d , y l a n g y l a n g .A n t i - d e p r e s s i o n a n d a n t i - f e a r f u l n e s s o i l s : g r a p e f r u i t , s a n d a l w o o d , b e r g a m o t , c l a r y sa g e ,l a v e n d e r , n e r o l u , sa n d a l w o o d .S t i m u l a t i n g / m e n t a l a l e r t n e s s : e u c a l y p t u s , p e p p e r m i n t ( a d a p t o g e n )A n t i - d e p r e s s a n t s : b e r g a m o t , c l a r y sa g e , l a v e n d e r , l e m o n , g e r a n i u m , n e r o l i , sa n d a l w o o d ,


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Essential Oil Safety

E s s e n t i a l o i l s a r e s a f e t o u s e a s l o n g a s y o u f o l l o w t h e r e c o m m e n d e d d o s a g e a n d r e s e a r c ht h e c o n t r a i n d i c a t i o n s b e f o r e y o u u s e t h e m . E s s e n t i a l o i l s a r e m o r e p o t e n t t h a n t h e h e r b s s ol e s s a m o u n t i s n e e d e d i n o r d e r t o a c h i e v e t h e d e s i r e d e f f e c t . N e v e r u s e t h e o i l s u n d i l u t e do n t h e s k i n . T h e o n l y e x c e p t i o n s a r e t e a t r e e a n d l a v e n d e r , w h i c h c a n b e u s e d i n t i n ya m o u n t s o n s t i n g s , w o u n d s o r a s m a l l b u r n . W h e n i t c o m e s t o c h i l d r e n i t i s e x t r a i m p o r t a n t t o f o l l o w t h e r e c o m m e n d e d d o s a g e s s i n c et o o m u c h e s s e n t i a l o i l c a n p r o d u c e o v e r s t i m u l a t i o n . I t i s a l s o i m p o r t a n t n o t t o u s e t h es a m e e s s e n t i a l o i l s m o r e t h a n o n e w e e k a t a t i m e , s o i f l o n g e r t i m e i s n e e d e d j u s t a l t e r n a t ew i t h o t h e r e s s e n t i a l o i l s . O i l s l i k e e u c a l y p t u s s h o u l d n e v e r b e a p p l i e d i n t h e f a c e . D o n tu s e e s s e n t i a l o i l s u n d i l u t e d o n t h e s k i n .I h i g h l y r e c o m m e n d t h a t y o u d o y o u r r e s e a r c h w h e n y o u u s e e s s e n t i a l o i l s t o m a k e s u r e y o uk n o w t h e c o n t r a i n d i c a t i o n s o f t h e o i l s y o u u s e . S o m e e s s e n t i a l o i l s h a v e l o w t h e r a p e u t i cm a r g i n , w h i c h m e a n s t h a t t h e d i v i d i n g l i n e b e t w e e n t h e r a p e u t i c d o s e a n d a h a r m f u l d o s e i sv e r y s m a l l . T h e s e o i l s n e e d s t o b e a v o i d e d o r a l l y a n d u s e d w i t h c a u t i o n . I a c t u a l l y d o n ' t r e c o m m e n d a n y o n e t o u s e e s s e n t i a l o i l s o r a l l y u n l e s s y o u h a v e c o n s u l t e d

w i t h p r o f e s s i o n a l s e d u c a t e d i n e s s e n t i a l o i l s a f e t y . E x t r a c a r e i s r e q u i r e d w h e n t a k i n g a ne s s e n t i a l o i l o r a l l y si n c e a h i g h e r a m o u n t o f t h e o i l w o u l d r e a c h t h e c i r c u l a t i o n , a n d t h el i v e r w o u l d r e c e i v e a l a r g e d o s e v i a t h e p o r t a l c i r c u l a t i o n , w h i c h t a k e s i t s b l o o d f r o m t h eg a s t r o i n t e s t i n a l t r a c t t o t h e l i v e r . A l m o s t a l l o f t h e r e p o r t e d c a s e s o f p o i s o n i n g b ye s s e n t i a l o i l s h a v e o c c u r r e d b y s e l f - d o s i n g o f s m a l l q u a n t i t i e s o f u n d i l u t e d e s s e n t i a l o i l s .

S o m e o i l s n e e d t o b e a v o i d e d i n p r e g n a n c y , s o m e o i l s c a n b e t o x i c i f n o t c o r r e c t d o s a g e o rd u r a t i o n i s u s e d , a n d o t h e r e s s e n t i a l o i l s a r e c o n t r a i n d i c a t e d i n s p e c i f i c i l l n e s s e s .E s s e n t i a l o i l s s h o u l d n o t b e u s e d a t a l l i n t h e f i r s t t r i m e s t e r .

T h e q u a l i t y o f t h e e s s e n t i a l o i l s a l s o d i f f e r , a n d t h e r e i s a c h a n c e t h a t y o u c o m e a c r o s s o i l sd i l u t e d w i t h h a r m f u l s u b s t a n c e s . I t i s v e r y i m p o r t a n t t o c h o o s e g o o d q u a l i t y e s s e n t i a l o i l sf o r a r o m a t h e r a p y s i n c e m a n y a r e d i l u t e d w i t h h a r m f u l s u b s t a n c e s a n d t h e y a r e o f i n f e r i o rq u a l i t y

S o m e o i l s a r e k n o w n s k i n i r r i t a n t s a n d t h e r e f o r e i t i s i m p o r t a n t t o c o n d u c t a s k i n p a t c ht e s t b e f o r e y o u u s e e s s e n t i a l o i ls . T h i s i s e s p e c i a l l y i m p o r t a n t i f y o u h a v e a h i s t o r y o fa l l e r g i e s , a s t h m a , o r r a s h e s . S o m e o i l s t h a t m a y i r r i t a t e t h e s k i n s a r e : A n i s e , B a s i l , B a y ,B l a c k P e p p e r , C i n n a m o n , C e d a r w o o d , C l o v e B u d , C l o v e L e a f , C a j u p u t , E u c a l y p t u s ,G i n g e r , O r e g a n o , P e p p e r m i n t , a n d T h y m e

A s k i n p a t c h t e s t c a n b e c o n d u c t e d w i t h a c a r r i e r o i l o r w i t h u n d i l u t e d e s s e n t i a l o i l . As k i n p a t c h t e s t s h o u l d b e c o n d u c t e d w h e n u s i n g o i l s l i s t e d a s p o t e n t i a l s e n s i t i z e r s o r


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i r r i t a n t s . A s m e n t i o n e d a b o v e i n d i v i d u a l s w i t h a l l e r g i e s o r a s t h m a s h o u l d a l w a y s c o n d u c ta s k i n p a t c h t e s t b e f o r e a p p l y i n g a n y e s s e n t i a l o i l s . A l w a y s u s e t h e r e c o m m e n d e d d o s ew h e n c o n d u c t i n g t h e s k i n p a t c h t e s t .

W h e n c o n d u c t i n g a s k i n p a t c h t e s t u s i n g e s s e n t i a l o i l s d i l u t e d i n c a r r i e r o i l s y o u f i r s tw a s h a n d d r y t h e f o r e a r m , t h e n a p p l y e s s e n t i a l o i l b l e n d e n o u g h t o m o i s t e n t h e a r m . C o v e rt h e a p p l i e d a r e a w i t h s t e r i l e g a u z e a n d l e a v e f o r 2 4 h o u r s I f s i g n s o f i r r i t a t i o n a r e s h o w n ,r e m o v e t h e g a u z e a n d a v o i d u s i n g t h a t p a r t i c u l a r o i l i n t h e f u t u r e .

W h e n t e s t i n g a n u n d i l u t e d e s s e n t i a l o i l , y o u w a s h t h e a r m w i t h u n s c e n t e d v e g e t a b l e s o a pa n d d r y b e f o r e a p p l y i n g t h e o i l . A d d o n e d r o p o f o i l i n t h e c r o o k o f t h e a r m a n d c l o s e t h ea r m , a n d o p e n a n d c l o s e t h e a r m a g a i n a f t e r f i v e m i n u t e s . I f a n y i r r i t a t i o n i s n o t i c e a b l et h e a p p l i e d a r e a c a n b e w a s h e d w i t h c o t t o n d i p p e d i n m i l k o r v e g e t a b l e o i l . O r s i m p l yw a s h w i t h s o a p a n d w a t e r .

O i l s n o t r e c o m m e n d e d i n p r e g n a n c y a r e : A n i s e s e e d , b a s i l , b i r c h , c e d a r w o o d , c l a r y s a g e ,c y p r e s s , f e n n e l , ja s m i n e , j u n i p e r , s w e e t m a r j o r a m , m y r r h , p e p p e r m i n t , r o s e m a r y , s a g e a n dt h y m e .

E s s e n t i a l o i l s n o t t o b e u s e d b y p e o p l e p r o n e t o e p i l e p s y a r e : c l a r y s a g e , c a j u p u t ,e u c a l y p t u s , F e n n e l , h y s s o p , l a v e n d e r ( l a v a n d u l a s t o e c h a s ) , r o s e m a r y , s a g e a n d t h y m e

E s s e n t i a l o i l s n o t t o b e u s e d b y p e o p l e w i t h h i g h b l o o d p r e s s u r e a r e : C y p r e s s , c a j u p u t ,e u c a l y p t u s , H y s s o p , r o s e m a r y , s a g e a n d t h y m e

E s s e n t i a l o i l s n o t t o b e u s e d b y p e o p l e w i t h a s t h m a : c a m p h o r , m a r j o r a m , o r e g a n o ,r o s e m a r y , y a r r o w

E s s e n t i a l o i l s n o t t o b e u s e d b y p e o p l e w i t h h y p o t e n s i o n : C l a r y s a g e a n d m a r j o r a m

E s s e n t i a l o i l s n o t t o b e u s e d b y p e o p l e w i t h l i v e r d i s e a s e a r e : c l o v e b u d a n d c l o v e l e a f ,g a r l i c , o r e g a n o , s a s s a f r a s , t h y m e , v e t i v e r .

E s s e n t i a l o i l s n o t t o b e u s e d b y p e o p l e w i t h s t o m a c h a n d i n t e s t i n a l u l c e r s : C i n n a m o n b a r k

E s s e n t i a l o i l s n o t t o b e u s e d b y p e o p l e w i t h e s t r o g e n d e p e n d e n t c a n c e r : A n i s e , b a s i l a n df e n n e l

E s s e n t i a l o i l s w h i c h s h o u l d n o t b e u s e d o n t h e s k i n a t a l l : A j o w a n , c i n n a m o n b a r k , c a s s i a ,c l o v e l e a f , c l o v e b u d , e l e c a m p a n e , o r e g a n o , p i n e ( d w a r f )


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E s s e n t i a l o i l s w h i c h s h o u l d b e u s e d w i t h c a u t i o n o n t h e s k i n : b a s i l ( a l l v a r i e t i e s ) ,c i n n a m o n l e a f , f i r n e e d l e ( S i b e r i a n ) , l e m o n g r a s s , l e m o n , v e r b e n a , m e l i s s a , o r a n g e ,p e p p e r m i n t , r e d a n d w i l d t h y m e .

O n c e a g a i n , p l e a s e l o o k i n t o t h e c o n t r a i n d i c a t i o n s o f t h e e s s e n t i a l o i l s y o u a r e u s i n g .C o n s u l t w i t h y o u r p h y s i c i a n i f y o u h a v e e x i s t i n g m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n s . F e e l f r e e t o c o n t a c tm e i f y o u a r e n o t s u r e a b o u t t h e o i l s .

M o r e a r o m a t h e r a p y i n f o r m a t i o n o n m y b l o g :h t t p : / / j o s h e a l t h c o r n e r . b l o g s p o t . c o m / 2 0 0 9 / 1 2 / a r e - h o l i d a y s - m a k i n g - y o u - s t r e s s e d . h t m l h t t p : / / j o s h e a l t h c o r n e r . b l o g s p o t . c o m / 2 0 0 9 / 0 9 / d o - y o u - h a v e - h a r d - t i m e - a t - w o r k . h t m l h t t p : / / j o s h e a l t h c o r n e r . b l o g s p o t . c o m / 2 0 0 9 / 1 0 / s o m e - w a y s - t o - u s e - e s s e n t i a l - o i l s . h t m l h t t p : / / j o s h e a l t h c o r n e r . b l o g s p o t . c o m / 2 0 0 9 / 1 0 / m a k e - y o u r - o w n - s p a . h t m l h t t p : / / j o s h e a l t h c o r n e r . b l o g s p o t . c o m / 2 0 0 9 / 1 0 / o i l s - f o r - s k i n - c a r e . h t m l h t t p : / / j o s h e a l t h c o r n e r . b l o g s p o t . c o m / 2 0 0 9 / 1 0 / m a s s a g e - a n d - h o w - t o - d i l u t e - e s s e n t i a l . h t m l h t t p : / / j o s h e a l t h c o r n e r . b l o g s p o t . c o m / 2 0 0 9 / 1 1 / m a s s a g e - o i l s . h t m l h t t p : / / j o s h e a l t h c o r n e r . b l o g s p o t . c o m / 2 0 0 9 / 1 0 / e s s e n t i a l - o i l s - f o r - r e s p i r a t o r y - a n d . h t m l


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