My disappearance from SmellyBlog these past few weeks coincided with my appearance elsewhere on the globe attending to some urgent family matters that needed my full attention (and still occupy a good chunk of it regardless of my return). It was a terrible trip, and save for my one trip to the beach, one prickly pear harvest and reunion with my family (including a brand-new family member, aka my first ever niece) I would have preferred to write-off the entire visit and pretend it never happened.

One thing that helped me somewhat to go through this horrendous visit was this collection of essential oils I've taken with me, in part to assist the usual woes of air travel, followed by the usual midsummer insect attack I experience whenever in the country side, and in part with hopes to relieve some pain and discomfort to a sick family member who was the sole purpose of this unwanted adventure.

The family member in question was in a way worse situation that any essential oil can redeem. And so I only used the oils on that person once, in a gentle massage of lavender and a hint of bourbon vetiver, to slightly stimulate their dying nerves. The bourbon vetiver with lavender was beautiful - not unlike the magic that happens when lavender meets spices. I guess there is something spicy about this partiular vetiver variety. So much so, that now that I'm back I'm set to work on a little experimental lavender-vetiver perfume.

The rest of the oils were used mostly to help us all fall asleep - lavender and chamomile drops were sprinkled on our pillows to help us get some rest. Geranium and lemongrass (as well as the lavender) were mostly utilized to keep away the biting insects and what have you. The presence of these oils is probably the only reason I was able to get any sleep on this trip and get out of it alive. Lavender oil also does wonders to the insect bites that weren't prevented. It make the itch go away in an instant.

And than there was tea tree - which I used for various summer rashes and is great for combating all three microscopic disasters: fungi, bacteria and virus! It also can be used in the hospital (even on the bed) to keep away all three from the patient's bed, and prevent additional infections that are unfortunately so common in hospitals.

On the following few posts I will be talking about the two basic aromatherapy kits suggested by Valerie Ann Worwood in her book Complete Book Of Essential Oils And Aromatherapy.