Forest Scents

Lavender ( Lavendula angustifolia ) comes from  lavare , meaning  “to wash”  in Latin. From ancient Greece, it is use to ease anger and purify the body and mind. Lavender essential oil is a  MUST HAVE  essential oils in your cabinet. Lavender is used for many conditions, it is like  an archetype of a mother who take care and nurture us . It is a practical essential oil every family should have at least a bottle of lavender essential oil. Profile Common Name Lavender Botanical Latin Name Lavandula angustifolia/ Lavandula officinalis Botanical Family Lamiaceae Place of Origin Mediterranean area Part of plant used Flowering tops Extraction Method Distillation Precaution/ Contra-indication None in therapeutic doses, but the oil must be diluted well for asthma suffers as it can create problems in some individuals. Uses: Very effective for burn and scald Can balance the central nervous system and emotional system Ease anxiety, sleep disorder...

What is Hydrosol? Hydrosols or hydrolates are the condensate water produced during distillation of plant material for aroma therapeutic purposes. Hydrosol contain all of the plant in every drop, it is gentlest and safest aromatics use in caring for your skin. What is Not Hydrosol? Water with fragrance oil or essential oils added is not hydrosol. For example, Rose water that contains water, Rosa Dascena extract, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate and citric acid is not hydrosol. Pure distilled water and essential oil of Neroli also is not hydrosol as well. Therefore, double check the content with your supplier before purchasing it. Storage and Handling Always refrigerate your hydrosols especially in Malaysia, due to the weather is humid and hot. Check your hydrosols whether your supplier have added any preservative or alcohol in it and store it according to the suggested due date. I prefer to keep another small spray bottle for the hydrosol that I always used to avoid over...

It is now very common to hear people say about G6PD deficiency, such as  “My child has G6PD deficiency… what foods to avoid?” Yes, G6PD deficiency is prevalence in worldwide, affecting 10% of the world population with approximately 400 million people. In Malaysia, around 1 in 10 children are G6PD deficiency. What is G6PD deficiency? 6-phosphate dehydrogenase  (G6PD) deficiency is a common genetic enzyme deficiency.  This enzyme deficiency will increase the vulnerability of red blood cells to oxidative stress . If the G6PD deficiency person is infected or expoused to oxidative stimuli drugs or chemical agents,  the red blood cells will damaged in large scale and it will lead to acute haemolysis.  Excessive bilirubin produced during acute haemolysis will cause liver overloaded and resulted in jaundice. G6PD deficiency has another name called  favism , I believe the name is derived from fava beans where acute heomolysis can be triggered by consumpti...

During a weekend, my parents and I traveled to Fraser Hills for two days one night herb camp. During the camp, my mum gets a stung by a bee. She felt a sharp pain at her index finger when she tried to chase away the bee. The bee died after it stung. My mum removed the sting immediately and her friend asked her to apply Mopiko ointment on the stung area. After sometimes, her index finger became swelling and red . The herb teacher told her to apply garlic on her index finger. She tried it but my mum dislike the smell of the garlic. Essential Oils Treatment Then I suggested her to put one to two drops of lavender essential oil neat on her swelling area for three times a day (this is the only essential oil I brought during the trip). For one and a half day, her stung area recovered, and she is very happy with that. From that day onward, she became my ambassador for lavender oil. You can also mix with vinegar when preparing the remedy. Vinegar is alkaline; it can help to n...

I remembered that in the same year, I had involved in two small car accidents. Thankfully, everything is fine except my car. Although without any major injuries and no indication for hitting my head.  I find that my body has some effects result from the car accident, emotionally and physically affected.  My neck muscle pulling me makes me discomfort results from the seat belt, body trembling just after the accident, nausea, tired and without energy, fear and mild shock for several days. You will really feel insecure because you can feel that accident can happen anytime, anywhere. My body undergone stress and my sympathetic nervous system prepare me in fight-or-flight mode to response to those stresses.  This response prepares my body to either fight or flee from threat in order for survival. You will not be surprised reading newspaper pertaining to a mum lifting up a car to save her beloved daughter during emergency. What Happen in Fight-or-Flight Mode? Adr...

A patient who ingested large quantities of celery soup eaten before UV irradiation has been reported suffered for severe sunburn. Bergamot oil  (citrus bergamia) in  eau de cologne  had been described to cause hyperpigmented lesions. A woman burned her one arm and leg after a 20-minute session on a sunbed, taken immediately after a sauna with lemon oil. All the issues reported above are the side effects and contra-indication when using plants and essential oils. One of the safety consideration as mentioned in my previously article  Essential Oils Safety and Toxicity is phototoxicity . Today, we are going to delve further into this. What is Phototoxicity? Phototoxicity is  a form of photosensitivity that is not depended on immunologic response. It is the result of  direct cellular damage caused by the reaction between photoactive agents and sunlight or ultraviolet (UV) light at the same time . This means, without the exposure to UV light, the ...