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Aromatic blend for January|Wishing you a healthy new year with Japanese aromatherapy

January 6th, 2019

new year

Happy New Year. I wish you a healthy year ahead for 2019! 

For each month this year I would like to introduce you to one of my original aromatic blends, so the aromas of the season can help you live well both mentally and physically.

One way to enjoy aromas is via the use of a “roll-on”. When applied to parts of the body such as the wrist it will trigger the benefits of the fragrance directly into the brain.

Woody Aroma

Woods in Japan

In Japan, the Evergreen tree is thought to symbolise the richness of life. The pine is used for New Year decoration. There are various kinds of pine trees, yet the best-recognized essential oil extracted from this type of tree comes from Scots pine (Pinus Sylvestris).

An unusual essential oil is extracted from Himekomatsu – ‘Japanese white pine’ (Pinus parviflora), which is a different kind of pine tree. This gives you a very precious and delicate aroma, soft with a fresh, feminine sweetness in comparison with conventional pine fragrances. It also contains nerolidol, which benefits and balances the nervous system.

Besides pine, evergreens also include Juniper, Cypress, Cedarwood, Laurel and Rosemary.  The heavy woody aroma of these gives you emotional strength as well as being an excellent tonic effect for the immune system.

In addition, the essential oil derived from Kuromoji(Lindera umbellata) is the main element of linalool. This ingredient gives us a floral fragrance, a slightly different impression from other woody essential oils.

Linalool is also a component of lavender, said to help to calm the nervous system and relieve anxiety.

Kuromoji can give us a ‘forest bathing’ effect, restoring energy as well as relaxing the emotions. 

Bitter orange

kagamimochi

In Japan, bitter oranges are used to decorate the New Year’s ‘Rice Cake’.
It is said that the orange from evergreen shrubs symbolises the power of the life force itself, because it will stay on branches without falling out of the trees even in the cold winter.

In aromatherapy, essential oil is extracted even from bitter oranges.

Bitter orange is the main ingredient of limonene, which is characteristic of citrus essential oil. Enhancing immunity, it gives spirit to both body and mind.

The essential oil extracted from bitter orange flowers is classified as neroli, but the essential oil extracted from the leaves is called petitgrain.

New year’s aromatic blend

In Japan we say that the “sum of the year is in New Year’s Day” – in other words, your attitude on that day determines the course of your year! January is full of best intentions, but we all need help to achieve our
resolutions. Fragrance blends will give you the power to
implement the goals and plans for you have set yourself for the year.

For the New Year ‘s celebration I will make a blend with the refreshing
woody scent of citrus fruits, using precious Japanese essential oils.

What you need
  • Organic Camellia oil (10ml)
  • Essential oils:
    • Hiba (4 drops)  
    • Hinoki (4 drops)
    • Himekomatsu (3 drops)
    • Kuromoji (3 drops)
    • Sugi (4 drops)
    • Daidai (Bitter orange) (5 drops)
How to make
  1. Add 10 ml of the camellia oil to a glass beaker.
  2. Put it in a roll-on container, close the lid, and let it ferment for about a week.
How to use
  • Apply the roll-on to the wrist or other body part as necessary.
  • Use when you want to change your mood, or before going to bed.