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Holly Brandenberger Holly Brandenberger

Debunking 10 Common Essential Oil Myths

As a Certified Aromatherapist and Registered Nurse, I have always enjoyed reading research studies and understanding the science behind a topic. The essential oil world contains a wealth of information on how to use aromatherapy to promote holistic health, however, there is a great deal of misinformation that circulates the internet. I wanted to take a few minutes and clear the air on 10 common essential oil myths that have gained hype throughout the years.

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Holly Brandenberger Holly Brandenberger

8 Incredible Benefits of Rose Essential Oil

The aroma of a rose, the alluring fragrance entertained by lovers and poets for centuries. The scent a rose can ignite memories of childhood gardens, love and intimacy. When asked what scent resembles love, most are quick to list the smell of roses. Roses are more than just a sweet, rich, sensual scent. Those deeply aromatic petals host many health benefits for the body.

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Holly Brandenberger Holly Brandenberger

The Scent of Attraction: How Pheromones Play a Role in Choosing a Mate

The season of love is here, and it always makes me reflect more on scent and its influence on attraction and intimacy. This time of year is HUGE for the perfume, candle, and bubble bath business. A smell is more than just a scent, it has the power to allure and charm, even influence a change in behavior.

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Holly Brandenberger Holly Brandenberger

Set the Mood for Love: Using Essential Oils for Intimacy

Intimacy. I love this topic because it is something so many women struggle with and don’t often talk about. Aromatherapy can be extremely helpful to promote feelings of love, bonding and connection with our significant other. More specifically, essential oils can be supportive for multiple variables that can play a role in decreasing libido.

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Holly Brandenberger Holly Brandenberger

Steam Inhalation: A Classic Home Remedy for Congestion

Steam inhalation is a classic home remedy in which you combine essential oils with hot water to create therapeutic steam. It is especially helpful to provide relief when battling a cough, cold or sinus issues. It can also be supportive for allergies or headaches. It involves the inhalation of warm water vapor to help loosen the mucus in the nasal passages, throat and lungs.

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Holly Brandenberger Holly Brandenberger

Relieving Headache Pain with Aromatherapy

Do you struggle with headaches? It is estimated that over 70% of Americans suffer from the occasional headache. Women are nearly twice as likely as men to have had a severe headache or migraine in the past 3 months. I love grabbing my essential oils when struggling with head tension. I find in most cases they either partially or completely relieve the tension and work very quickly.

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Holly Brandenberger Holly Brandenberger

Are Essential Oil Diffusers Safe? Commonly Asked Questions on Diffusing Answered

In today’s stressful world, many are turning to aromatherapy to help support sleep, stress, and self-care. Essential oil diffusers have quickly replaced candles in many households, but are they safe? Do they release VOCs? Can we safely diffuse around children and pets? How many drops do we add? What are the differences in diffusers? Answering these questions and more!

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Holly Brandenberger Holly Brandenberger

10 Fast and Easy Aromatherapy DIY Gifts

I love homemade aromatherapy gifts! We all struggle with various ailments that aromatherapy can help with. Whether that be reducing stress and anxiety, falling asleep, dry skin, headaches, sore muscles, and so on, aromatherapy can help support both the mind and body for almost everyone on your shopping list.

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Holly Brandenberger Holly Brandenberger

The Best Essential Oils for Stress and Anxiety

The holiday stress is here! In a recent poll in my Instagram stories, 70% of participants said that they feel more stressed and anxious this time of year. They are not alone. Researchers in past surveys have shown that festive stress officially sets in on December 13th. Essential oils can help induce relaxation and help calm the mind and body when stressed.

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Holly Brandenberger Holly Brandenberger

DIY Beard Oils, Balms, Washes and Waxes

Every November men across the world grow out their facial hair to help bring awareness to men’s health and cancer research. In honor of this month (and all the extra hair), I wanted to share some of my top recipes for nourishing those beautiful locks of love growing on men’s faces everywhere. Here are my top DIY recipes to support healthy mustache and beard growth.

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Holly Brandenberger Holly Brandenberger

Science Of Essentials Wellness Gift Guide 2022

The glorious holidays are fast approaching, and I find myself seeking products that really embrace wellness and help me intentionally take better care of myself every day. I wanted to share with you some of my favorite gifts I’ve given and received over the past few years that do this. This year, I created a “wellness focused” gift guide to help you find gifts that nurture and restore the mind and body.

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Holly Brandenberger Holly Brandenberger

How to Make Elderberry Goji Berry Syrup

One of my favorite recipes to make in the fall and winter is Elderberry Goji berry syrup. Elderberries have gained popularity in recent years for their use in alleviating cold symptoms and boosting the immune system to decrease the duration of the common cold.

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Holly Brandenberger Holly Brandenberger

Pamper Yourself with These Aromatic Scrub Recipes

Do you struggle with cracked dry tough feet in the fall and winter? Winter weather can be a cause of seasonal dry skin. Enter the scene: salt scrubs followed by a moisturizing massage oil or body butter!

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Holly Brandenberger Holly Brandenberger

20 Reasons to Love Lavender Essential Oil

Lavandula angustifolia, also known as common lavender, is one of the world’s most commonly used essential oils. Lavender is part of the Lamiaceae mint family and is a genus of 47 species. The name lavender is derived from the Latin word lavare meaning “to wash” which refers to scented baths in Roman times. Lavender is made up of over 100 chemical constituents and benefits the body and mind in multiple ways.

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Holly Brandenberger Holly Brandenberger

5 Tips for Using Essential Oils for Stress Relief

Stress relief is by far the strongest pillar of aromatherapy practice. Aromatherapy can be a very helpful technique to elicit a relaxation response. Due to the complex chemical constituents, essential oils can play a role in transforming unpleasant emotions, inducing relaxation and potentially reducing the damaging effects of stress on the mind and body. In addition, essential oils are incredibly complementary to other healthy stress relieving techniques such as meditation, yoga, bubble baths, etc.

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Holly Brandenberger Holly Brandenberger

Surprising Ways Your Body Changes in the Fall

The season of recharging, reflection and release is here. I can feel the crispness in the morning air as the weather begins to cool and the climate begins to dry. The earthy aromas of fallen leaves, pine and dirt overwhelm my olfactory system. It’s a time for us to model after Mother Earth and nourish our minds and bodies. With the transition of every season, comes internal change. By understanding what is going on within our bodies during these seasonal shifts, we allow greater awareness to our needs.

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Holly Brandenberger Holly Brandenberger

What Your Energy Levels Are Telling You

There are quite a few reasons we tend to feel more tired at the beginning of fall versus any other seasonal shift. One is due to the change in weather. As the weather begins to cool off, our bodies are trying to maintain homeostasis and adjust to the temperature changes. Similar to hot days, cool days also take time for the body to adjust and thermoregulate which can leave us feeling more tired. In addition, there is less sunlight. The shorter days impact our energy levels.

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Holly Brandenberger Holly Brandenberger

Aromatherapy for Grief and Loss

Grief. A single word for a complex multitude of emotions. Due to their impact on the limbic system, essential oils can help facilitate release of these common emotions that result from grieving. They can help shift perspective and allow us to process our emotions in a healthy manner.

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Holly Brandenberger Holly Brandenberger

Top Tea Tree Oil Uses and Benefits

Tea tree essential oil, also known as melaleuca, is one of the most well-known essential oils. In history, it was widely used as an antiseptic agent. Today, tea tree oil has multiple scientifically backed benefits for supporting the body. The research on its incredible benefits continue to grow and so far, this year there have been over 60 published studies on tea tree essential oil.

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