Skin - An Amazing Organism

"I have tried everything on this skin problem and nothing works!" Have you ever uttered these words or heard someone say them? I have, many times, and my first response is, "Have you tried essential oils?"

The skin is a very complex organism. It is the body's largest organ, covering its entire external surface. It comprises three layers—the epidermis, dermis, and subcutis/hypodermis - with different anatomical structures and functions.

The outermost layer of a human, dog or horse's skin is the epidermis, which is avascular, meaning it

Wild carrot, or Queen Anne's lace, is a biennial herb with dense umbels. It is a white flowering plant with solid stems producing tripinnate leaves and fine hairs covering the green stems and leaves. Its majestic umbel-shaped flower occasionally will create a single dark red flower in the center of the umbel, and as the plant ages, it turns dark purple. Its white root is tiny and tough, smells of carrots when crushed, and considered inedible. 

It is my go-to oil when working with dry aging skin,

This stimulating, uplifting, and aromatic evergreen shrub with countless linear silvery leaves and delicate blue flowers has been used for centuries for culinary and medicinal purposes. Rosemary, a native of the Mediterranean, has a history of

Transition is a change from one thing to the next, either in action or state of being. For example, currently, we are transitioning from autumn into winter, a time to slow down, hibernate and reflect. And, there are personal transitions we all experience at certain times in our lives, such as…

It happened again. I received a phone call asking to purchase Frankincense essential oil to help their animal with cancer. I take a deep breath before I

• Only apply diluted essential oils on an animal. You dilute an essential oil by

I have a German Shepherd that is 8 years old whose name is “Gretchen”. She has had many problems. Among them are a complete hip replacement, (left hip), epilepsy, incontinence…She developed a skin condition brought on by the use of a steroid

I had an amazing opportunity to work with the orangutans, gorillas and black crested macaques at the Denver Zoo through their animal enrichment

Mmmm... What are those smells that offer you pleasure and peace? And, pew! What are those smells that would turn your nose up and make you say "Yuck"? First, I ask that you please do not judge me by my smell alone. I could offer you comfort in times of

I will always remember my first case study, a magnificent Belgian draft horse named Sunny. This gentle giant taught me compassion, patience, consistency, and knowledge about the essential oils he needed to help him gain trust and confidence to work through his non-typical behaviors. 

It makes perfect “scents” to use essential oils during the weaning process. Weaning is something that is inevitable; it happens naturally in the wild. It does not have to be a dreaded

“I have tried everything on my horse’s skin problem and nothing works!” Have you ever uttered these words or heard someone say them? I have, many times, and my first response is “Have you tried

You may have experienced the effects of aromatherapy during a massage, when the therapist applies a scented oil to your muscles and a lovely aroma fills the air, immediately relaxing your body and calming your

A horse’s skin breathes, radiates, flutters at your touch and protects. It is the first to signal you that there are imbalances within its system – internally or externally. So how will you treat these

Have you ever noticed your horse, dog or cat eating a certain plant in your garden or out in the fields? Well, if you have, you may be witnessing

Aromatherapy is the art and science of using pure essential oils extracted from plants for healing and balancing the mind and body. Essential oils are the result of distillation or expression of plants and plant