Moonhaven blog

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Dealing with Arthritis & Body Pain - Naturally One of the most common issues we see at the moon haven cottage is our gorgeous moonies dealing with various chronic pain issues. Arthritic and body pain is debilitating.  The experience of chronic pain can control your life. So many sufferers of chronic pain have found that gathering together a personal " toolbox' of pain managing techniques helps them take back a little of that control.  In fact, it was the chronic pain of fibromyalgia that motivated Leonie to develop our now famous St John’s Wort & Calendula Rub (SJWAC).  And it was from this wonderful salve that moon haven was born. Arthritis: Did you know that arthritis affects 1 in 7 Australians?  (ref https://arthritisaustralia.com.au/).  While there are over 100 different types of arthritis. The most common forms are" Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Gout are the most common forms Pain from Arthritis can be caused by: Inflammation Damage to the joints Muscle tension and spasms from the body trying to protect the joint form injury Also , how we experience pain is influenced by a number of factors.  Stress, anxiety, fatigue and depression each play a part in your sensitivity to pain episodes. So it makes sense to find ways to mange these factors to help diminish pain. Managing Arthritis Pain Managing and minimising the pain from arthritis requires a multi-faceted approach.  There are a number of practical, medical and lifestyle changes that if adopted can radically improve your experience. Importantly-  follow your chosen health practitioner's advice: At moon haven we believe in an integrated medicine approach to managing our health.  This approach  combines the best of  modern medicine alongside the most suitable complimentary health practices for each person and situation.  It  is so important to follow the advice of your chosen health practitioner- especially when it comes to using prescribed, recommended medicines, lifestyle and activity suggestions etc..   Naturally reducing your pain: There are a number of ways to reduce your pain levels and increase mobility these include: Exercise Adopting an anti-inflammatory diet Add Turmeric and Curcumin to your diet Use heat and cold  Massage regularly Adopt stress reduction techniques Use Moon Haven's St John's Wort Rub + Achy Breaky Essential Oil Blend Booster Exercise: It has been found the simple, regular, low impact exercise can be very helpful in managing arthritic pain. Everything from gentle stretching, low impact pilates, yoga, walking and swimming can all be beneficial.   Not only does exercise help to stretch and strengthen muscles that support your joints but it also helps to reduce stress and improves sleep.   Adopt the Anti-inflammatory Mediterranean Diet: Choose a balanced diet that cuts out processed products and boosts your intake of whole, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant-rich foods. Food to avoid or minimise include sugary foods and beverages, processed meat, alcohol, and foods high in refined carbs and unhealthy fats. To help reduce inflammation in the body it is important to mainly eat unprocessed, high fibre, antioxidant  and nutrient rich foods like vegetables and fruits, fish, high fat natural oils like avocado and olive, seeds and nuts etc. In fact one of the best anti-inflammatory diets to follow is the Mediterranean diet (download this very helpful Mediterranean diet fact sheet and guide from the Queensland Dept of Health website). Add Turmeric (with black pepper) to your diet: I can personally attest to the benefits of adding turmeric to your diet to help combat the pain of arthritis. You see Turmeric contains the anti-inflammatory compound curcumin which helps to reduce inflammation in the body.  I add black peppercorns to help the curcumin be better absorbed into my body. (it's the piperine in the black pepper that increases the bioavailability of the curcumin 2000 times!) There are many ways to include turmeric into your diet.  Perhaps the easiest is to make a turmeric rich drink.  Turmeric lattes, turmeric rich juices and smoothies. When going through a pain relapse I make a turmeric-black pepper enhanced smoothie each morning... usually with banana, apple, linseed and lots of ice! You see Turmeric contains the anti-inflammatory compound curcumin which helps to reduce inflammation in the body.  I add black peppercorns to help the curcumin be better absorbed into my body. (it's the piperine in the black pepper that increases the bioavailability of the curcumin 2000 times!) My morning anti-inflammatory smoothie recipe is as follows -  In a blender combine  1 banana 1 chopped apple 1 tablespoon turmeric powder 5 black peppercorns 1 tablespoon linseeds 200ml juice of choice ( i often use apple) - or milk if you prefer Ice blocks to suit you taste (this is wonderful served icy cold). Heat & Cold: I use heat to help soothe painful joints and muscles and cold to help reduce inflammation. Heat assists with relaxing muscles and assists with increasing circulation.  I find hot showers, warm baths, wheat bags and hot water bottles fantastic to help soothe and reduce arthritic pain.  With inflamed joints while I can't make myself have an ice bath :)  - but an ice pack applied to a painful joint can be very effective in helping to numb the area and reduce swelling. Massage: Regular massage can hep with reducing pain and increase the mobility of painful joints as well as being relaxing and helpful in reduce in stress. Whole body massage with a qualified massage therapist is wonderful but daily self massage of inflamed joints can be very helpful. (Of course we recommend you massage sore joints and muscles with our St John's Wort & Calendula Rub) Relaxation, Meditation, Reducing Stress: Learning and using relaxation, meditation and stress reducing techniques can help you manage your pain. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, guided imagery, and sequential muscle relaxation are wonderful tools to use when dealing with chronic pain.   One of my preferred techniques it to listen to a simple guided meditation to help me slow my breathing and progressively relax my muscles and in turn my muscles. St John's Wort & Calendula Rub: Of course Moon Haven makes a wonderful natural herbal salve that we use to help with arthritis, joint and muscle pain. Our founder, Leonie, first made our very popular St John's Wort & Calendula Rub to help her with her own muscle and joint pain caused by Fibromyalgia. Gently massaging in a small amount to the affected areas as well as the area of the spine that 'control' that area can be very helpful in temporarily reducing your pain . Combined with our Achy Breaky Essential Oil Blend you can boost the relief  for nasty stubborn pain too! Achy Breaky Duo Soothe your body pain St John's Wort & Calendula Rub Soothe muscles & joints - naturally Achy Breaky Essential Oil Blend our SJWAC Booster Choose what works for you So please  do look through this list and find the techniques and approaches that work for you. Most importantly - Use them! I hope this information is helpful and wish you well on your journey. Warmest regards, Leonie - moonhaven's aromatherapist, founder & creator of good things CHECK OUT OUR MOST POPULAR CONTENT What is your Skin Type? Take Our Skin-Type Test Get a Good Night's Sleep - Naturally 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Washing Your Face Essential Oil Dilutions - How to Use Oils Safely on Your Skin 10 Top Essential Oils for Women Dealing with Arthritis & Body Pain - Naturally Universal Herbal Ointment - Our First Aid Kit in a Jar The Moon Haven Story Get offers, sales and all the latest from moon haven in your inbox Join The MoonHaven Family Do you have a question? ... Want to know more? Just click the "Chat with us" button in the right hand corner of this page to ask a question or get more information - if we're logged in you may even get an answer straight away...otherwise we'll get back to you as soon as we are back online.. Always seek qualified medical advice regarding your own individual situation Please note: Information in this article and on the moonhaven.com.au website represents the opinion of the author and as such is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice. Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

Bathe Your Stress Away We've all been there - when we're stressed out - at the end of our tether - wound up like a spring that's about to break. First -  Burn Off Your Pent Up Energy The best thing we can do is to get out let off a bit of steam, run, walk,  hit a ball against a wall and get the physical build up of energy out of our system. Then- Bathe Your Stress Away Follow up with a long soak in a warm, relaxing bath with a tailor made blend of essential oils to help remove the remaining tension in  your mind and  body.This is where the amazing properties of Ylang-Ylang, Frankincense and Sweet Orange Essential Oils can really make a difference and help you to completely relax and leave the tensions of the day behind. Stress Away Blend Bath Blend Mix together : 2 drops Ylang Ylang Essential Oil2 drops Frankincense Essential Oil 3 drops Sweet Orange Essential Oil with 5 ml Solubiliser Add to a comfortably warm bath and take a long hot soak.  Better still - play relaxing background music, light a few candles and invite your partner to join you.                        

These Scented Drawer Liners are so easy to make and are fantastic gifts for almost everyone.   Why not make a set for a teenagers sports sock drawer (phewww) the linen closet to scent your sheets and towels or the classic scented drawer liner for underwear, negligees and lacy bits?

Is you skin looking a little dry, dull and is in need of a boost? Then this MIY (Make It Yourself) moisturising and gently exfoliating mask will help restore you skin to its full wonder.

What Combination Skin Looks Like: Combination skin is skin that consistently has both dry and oily areas. Often this means that your cheeks are look dry/dull/flaky with fine pores and you have an oily T-zone ... i.e you have a shiny forehead, nose and chin where the pores are larger.  What Combination Skin Feels Like: While your cheeks may feel tight, warm ad dry your forehead, nose and or cheeks will feel a little slick, greasy even oily. What Causes Combination Skin? Combination skin is just that ... two types of skin in the one face. We often see people with combination skin when they are transitioning from oily to dry skin.  This especially occurs after a change in hormones.  Eg Puberty, pregnancy, starting or stopping oral contraceptives (The Pill) and menopause.   How To Care For Combination Skin: Jut because you have combination skin doesn't mean that you have two completely different sets of skincare to separately care for the dry and oily areas of your skin' Cleanse and Exfoliate Gently: No matter you skin type gentle cleansing is all that is required so please throw out any harsh bubble forming cleansers as well as drying alcohol based toners. Using a mild but effective cleansers and hydrating toners is so very important - see below for our recommendations Because your skin has oil laden areas  as well as dry patches you will want to keep any exfoliation to a minimum.  The last thing you need is to overstimulate the oil and distress the dry patches. A gentle exfoliator like our Moisturising Facial Scrub is ideal for use with combination skin. Moisturise Lightly:  Moisturising your skin is a little trickier when you have combination skin. Your oily areas need only light moisturisation while your drier areas may need a little more attention. For many people with combination skin they will get away with using a light moisturiser for the whole face - just applying a little more to the drier areas. As their skin tends towards the dry they will then move through to using a moisturiser for drier skin and applying less to the oil t zone.    Recommendations Moisturisation: Nature's Own Moisture Lotion for oiler skin Moisture Cream with Bergamot for drier skin  Ultra Night Cream with Honey & Rosewood for night time 2 or 3 times a week. Eye Cream with Calendula for every day care Cleansing Herbal Cleansing gel with Bergamot Pick Me Ups & Treatments Bergamot Facial Mist - use anytime throughout the day to boost humidity and uplift your mood Facial Clay Mask Powder with Sandalwood & Oats - A once a week treat to help refine and tighten skin Moisturising Facial Scrub with Organic Clays - Use once or twice a week to keep your skin looking vital and youthful  

Oily skin is just that - oily! Your face is almost always shiny, especially around the T-zone (forehead, nose and chin). You'll have visible, enlarged pores particularly around your nose and may be prone to blemishes. 

Healthy skin is kept supple , lubricated and maintains a protective barrier  by producing natural oils called sebum in the skin’s sebaceous glands.  As we age these sebaceous glands gradually reduce their production of this skin nurturing oil.  This leads to drier skin, fine lines and more sensitisation.

Watch this video to learn our simple but effective method for creating an essential oil blend using our "3 Oil Blend worksheet "using the Nose Knows method No need to learn complicated formulas or learn the properties of oils ...just follow your nose.

Watch this video to learn this simple but effective method for blending essential oils that suit you and your nose! No need to learn complicated formulas or learn the properties of oils ...just follow your nose. Leonie - moon haven's aromatherapist - has produced this series of videos to help make using essential oils simple and easy to understand.  

Soothing Cracked Heels - My mother's feet were as tough as old boots and as cracked as dried leather... and mine were the same until we developed our Soothing Salve. In just 7 days I was able to rejuvenate my feet so I could wear sandals again.

Make It Your Self After a long day at work or play there is nothing more restoring than a long soak in a warm tub of scented goodness. This make-it-yourself lavender milk bath soak will help you relax, unwind and renew.  This easy to make formula will help to soothe the body,  hydrate your skin, and eases tension all while the aroma of lavender relaxes your mind. Relaxing Lavender Milk Bath Soak Makes enough for 2 good sized baths 1/4 cup bicarbonate of soda 20 drops lavender essential oil 3/4 cups powdered whole milk 2 tablespoons Lavender buds removed from the stems     Add the lavender essential oil to the bicarbonate of soda and whisk well to distribute evenly throughout.Mix in the powdered milk and lavender buds.Store in an airtight container. Add half to the bath as it is filling.   Want to know more? Just click the Messenger button in the right hand corner of this page to ask a question or get more information - if we're logged in you may even get an answer straight away...otherwise we'll get back to you as soon as we are back online.. Always seek qualified medical advice regarding your own individual situation Please note: Information in this article and on the moonhaven.com.au website represents the opinion of the author and as such is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice. Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may

SOOTHE YOUR BODY PAIN Boost the effectiveness of your St John's Wort & Calendula Rub (SJWAC) with our Achy Breaky Essential Oil BlendThe addition of an essential oil booster can help improve the sense of relaxation and comfort in the body when used with our already effective St John's Wort & Calendula Rub.

There are two main  approaches to dealing with muscle and body pain Soothe, calm and reduce inflammation - this is the approach taken with Moon Haven's St John's Wort & Calendula Rub Counter-irritate the area, excite the muscles and in turn, confuse the pain signals in the nerves to register something other than pain.This is the way liniments and mentholated sports rubs tend to work. And we agree - there are times when a counterirritant, warming muscle rub like this can be comforting. This easy to make formulation is wonderful to use on old stubborn injuries and muscle pain.       There are 3 Essential Oils that do this well: Ginger Pure Essential Oil's warming and anti-inflammatory qualities help soothe tired, aching muscles and joints.       Eucalyptus Essential Oil is noted for its analgesic properties ( helps to relieve pain) , as well as for its ability to assist with congestion and respiratory issuesInterestingly, eucalyptus leaves were used by indigenous Australians as a poultice to help relieve the muscle and joint pain of arthritis.     Peppermint Pure Essential Oil (Mentha arvensis) is a wonderful oil to use in a muscle rub as it contains around 80% menthol. Menthol is known as a counterirritant. It works by causing the skin to feel cool and then warm. These feelings on the skin distract you from feeling the aches/pains deeper in your muscles and joints.      Combining all three essential oils into one rub makes for a very potent concoction.Here is a suggested formula to make at home. Warming Muscle Rub Blend In a 50 ml glass bottle mix: 10 drops Ginger Essential Oil8 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil8 Drops Peppermint Essential Oil Top up with Fractionated Coconut Oil. How to use: Massage a few drops into the affected area. Apply as often as needed Don't forget to wash your hands immediately after  - You really wouldn't want any of this blend to get into and delicate areas. In case of irritation:Of course if you experience any burning or discomfort immediately wipe any excess product off your skin and dilute the area with any edible oil you have on hand. You can use any carrier oil, cooking oil you have on hand.   Want to know more? Just click the Messenger button in the right hand corner of this page to ask a question or get more information- if we're logged in you may even get an answer straight away...otherwise we'll get back to you as soon as we are back online.. Always seek qualified medical advice regarding your own individual situationPlease note: Information in this article and on the moonhaven.com.au website represents the opinion of the author and as such is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice.Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.      

Which comes first stinky feet or the stinky shoes? Perhaps they work together to make for a very unpleasant foot odour experience. Thankfully this simple recipe is brilliant at combatting smelly shoes and in turn helps to limit the issue of whiffy feet.

We all want beautiful, glowing skin. Skin that is healthy, radiant and vital. And we all know that exfoliation is a an important step in keeping our skin in tip top condition... But get it wrong and you may be doing much more harm than good.

It's all new! While welcoming your new babe into the world can be exciting, it can also be one filled with many unknowns, questions and concerns. Will the family and new babe settle, can the new parents cope, will mum experience the baby blues, will there be enough sleep? Unfortunately babies don't come with instruction manuals.. The challenges of the post-partum period In this article I wanted to talk about how aromatherapy and herbal principles can assist new mums and their babies through those crucial first few weeks at home. It typically takes 6 to 8 weeks after the birth for the mother's body to start to return to its pre-pregnancy state.  The huge physical , hormonal, emotional and energetic upheavals that occur with pregnancy, childbirth and parenting a newborn are immense.While some new mums may sail through this time the vast majority of us will experience a huge range of emotions and challenges. Here are a few suggestions that may help to ease some of these: Breast care, feeding and lactation:  Increasing milk production: Fennel Tea has been used through the ages to help increase breast milk production.  I know of others who swear by eating a little fresh fennel in salad each day as they work on establishing a reliable milk supply.  Sore, engorged breasts: Add 2 drops of Roman Chamomile 3% dilution in Jojoba, 1 drop Clary Sage and 1 drop Lavender essential oils to 5 ml of a carrier oil like Fractionated Coconut Oil and massage into the breasts as needed. When I was a new mother I was told by my midwife to line my bra with cabbage leaves.  Admittedly it felt a little bizarre, but the leaves were so cooling and comforting and certainly helped soothe my full and painful breasts.  Sore, chaffed or cracked nipples: Moon Haven's Calendula Salve is wonderful to use here.  Smear just a little onto the nipples.  Calendula is a wonderful healer and soother as it is known for it anti-inflammatory properties.  When it comes time to feed just wipe your nipple over with a washcloth to remover the excess sale... what remains is perfectly ok for your babe. Bonus: Calendula salve is fantastic for helping soothe babies bottoms and skin issues. Wounds, bruising and scars: The birthing process can be quite brutal on the body. Episiotomies, internal and external bruising are common.  Sitz Bath :A sitz bath (a shallow bath used for  soothing the anal and genital areas) can be a wonderful comfort and healer during the post-partum recovery period.  You can purchase a sitz bath (usually a special plastic tub - that fits over the toilet) or use a plastic tub to sit in. Alternatively you can put a few inches of water into your bath tub to sit in.  The aim is to have the water deep enough to cover the areas you are attempting to soothe. The magic of the sitz bath rests in the additives you choose to put into the water. Salt is traditionally added to the water but you can also add a few drops of a suitable calming essential oils like Lavender, Chamomile, Cypress. Important: Of course always follow the advice provided by your medical adviser regarding wound care.  Helping Your Emotions: With hormones running rampant in the post partum period no wonder emotions are all over the place.  And yes he day three baby blues as well as post natal depression are very real conditions.  This is where aromatherapy comes into it's own.  Diffusing beautiful emotionally uplifting oils can be a godsend during this period. Oils like Rose Geranium, Rose Absolute or Jasmine in 3% Jojoba Oil, Clary Sage, any of the uplifting citrus oils. Another idea is to use our Uplift Pulse Point Potion.  This is something the new mother can carry with them and apply as needed.  Formulated with Sweet Orange and Lavender essential oils  and diluted in jojoba oil it is suitable to apply to the skin giving direct and immediate comfort. Oh Baby Pack -Essentials for New Mums & Bubs When Laura - our amazing soap and skincare maker was pregnant she put together this pack to help her through the first few weeks after the birth of her first babe Finnley. She chose each item for its practicality and usefulness.(Of course Laura used our Labour of Love Aromatherapy Birth  Kit during the last weeks of pregnancy and during Finnley's birth.  This meant that she had two wonderful essential oil blends as well as the very helpful St Johns Wort & Calendula Rub for her aches and pains)) The Oh Baby kit contains: Bliss Baby Massage Oil - helps relax baby - and the new mum too! Calendula Salve - helps to soothe sore nipples, great for perineal massage, stretch marks for mum  as well as baby's nappy rash and moisturise dry skin Billie Be Good Goats Milk Soap - the most suitable soap for newborns sensitive skin Uplift Pulse Point Potion -a beautifully scented roll on formulated with essential oils to help lift mood and relieve stress. Information and instructions on how to use each item including how to massage a newborn and the intricacies of perineal massage in preparation for birth                 Want to know more? Just click the Messenger button in the right hand corner of this page to ask a question or get more information- if we're logged in you may even get an answer straight away...otherwise we'll get back to you as soon as we are back online.. Always seek qualified medical advice regarding your own individual situationPlease note: Information in this article and on the moonhaven.com.au website represents the opinion of the author and as such is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice.Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

make this very feminine blend to help soothe women during times of hormonal imbalance. diffuse or make your very own pulse point potion

In their pure, undiluted form these oils can run to several  thousands of dollars per kilo. And while a few drops of pure oil for a very special occasion could be justified,  using these oils everyday is out of the reach of most...until now. Affordable for Everyday Use By offering essential oils/absolutes like Rose, Sandalwood and Roman Chamomile diluted in pure Jojoba Oil our moonies can experience the beauty and work with these amazing oils on a daily basis.  

We are often asked  " Can I safely  use Essential Oils in my CPAP machine?" With the popularity of aromatherapy and the huge number of CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine users  it's a very valid question to ask. While essential oil therapy can be of great benefit for those with sleep apnea it becomes more complicated when a CPAP machine is involved.