KATIE'S AROMA BEADS
"Aromatherapy meets arm candy; a beautiful way to carry mood-boosting scents with you throughout the day."
I started to make aromatherapy beads for myself as a way to get more out of my essential oil blends. Roller balls and room diffusers are great but you can't always take them with you and combining the therapeutic benefits of an essential oil with a beautiful piece of jewellery seemed like the perfect solution to me.
Each piece of jewellery that I make contains one or two pumice stone beads which -when sprinkled with a few drops of a naturally scented oil - diffuse its beautiful scent for the rest of the day. You can either bring your wrist up to your nose and take a deep inhale when you need it or simply catch the trail of the scent as you move about your day.
So which oils can you use? Any essential oil blend that is and that is safe and certified to be applied topically to skin will work - perhaps you love the smell of your bath oil or your face oil - well, you can use that too. Some people just love spritzing their perfume over them. The natural pumice stone will absorb the oils for up to 10 hours and then can be re-infused again or infused with a different scent.
How do essential oils work? Essential oils stimulate the smell receptors in your nose, which in turn sends signals to your limbic system in your brain. This is why certain natural essential oils can have the power to make you feel a certain way - more calm, invigorated or help you get to sleep. Interestingly, synthetic scents don't have the same effect on the senses, which is important to know when you are looking for oils to pair with your beads. Choose natural blends only.
Are there any oils to avoid? Yes. Firstly if you are pregnant it is advised to avoid all essential oils in the first trimester. Certain oils are safe in the later trimesters such as lavender and clary sage but always consult your midwife or a doctor. Outside of pregnancy some pure essential oils can be irritating when applied directly to your skin, which is why I advise applying oil blends that are made specifically for topical application (these will be essential oils that are diluted with non-irritating carrier oils).
