Aromatherapy Recipes

14 Pages·2010·0.35 MB·English

Aromatherapy Recipes
And Techniques
For Groomers

Recipes compiled or created by Melissa Shelton DVM
Holistic Veterinarian
Veterinary Aromatherapist
The recipes and techniques within this booklet are only
guaranteed to be safe and effective if medical grade essential
oils are used. Young Living Essential Oils are the only oils I
feel comfortable with recommending for use in animals. Use
of other brands of oils, no matter how much they are
guaranteed to be of a therapeutic grade – may prove
dangerous to certain animals.

Crow River Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic
1969 County Road 5 SW
Howard Lake, MN 55349
Phone: [phone]
www.CrowRiverAnimalHospital.com
[email protected]

Copyright 2010

The information in this booklet is not intended to diagnose,
prescribe or treat any medical illness or condition. If an
animal or human you know has a health concern, I
encourage you to seek the advice of a qualified health care
professional.
Aromatherapy is a very popular area of pampering these days. From
Bath Soaps, to Candles…Natural Bug Sprays to Air Fresheners…
Almost every sector of retail has the claims of “natural fragrances” or
“essential oils”. Unfortunately, these items mainly contain synthetic,
laboratory created versions of Nature’s creations. When big business
finds a popular division of retail – there becomes a mad dash to
create these products as cheaply as possible, creating the fattest
profits possible.

Aromatherapy is certainly showing up in the pet sector. Regrettably,
synthetically created essential oils and not truly natural, nor are they
tolerated by animals properly. Reports of toxicity of essential oils in
the animal kingdom have always been due to poor quality, synthetic,
or “cut”, contaminated oils. It will always be the case that it is easier
and less expensive to pay a person in a laboratory to mix up
chemicals, than to properly grow plants on an organic farm, irrigate
the fields, weed by hand so no toxic chemicals are used, harvest the
fields at the proper time, distill the plants properly, then test the oils
for purity and correct composition. Then after all of this hard work,
be willing to dump a batch of oil distilled from thousands of pounds
of plant material, back into the ground because it was not ideal.

However, this is what is necessary for the animal kingdom to be able
to benefit from Mother Nature’s amazing healing powers. We will
never be able to duplicate in a test tube – what Nature can create in a
plant.

With this being said, I have only found one company that consistently
supplies medical grade oils, that when properly used, are 100% safe
for use in animals. All recipes and references in this booklet INSIST
upon the use of medical grade essential oils. Young Living supervises,
plants, grows, and/or distills all plants used for their essential oils,
with the strict guidelines required to ensure that they are truly
medical grade.

Information on ordering from Young Living Essential Oils and
educational articles on the use of essential oils in animals can be
found at our website. www.CrowRiverAnimalHospital.com
The recipes in this booklet can be used for many purposes – but are
mainly directed toward Groomers and the needs of their clients and
business. My hope is that this information will allow groomers to
cater to the needs and desires of their clientele, providing natural,
nontoxic, yet therapeutic services to the animals in their service.

Table of Contents

First Impressions……………Page 4
Natural Shampoos………….………5
Essential Oil Ear Spray………..….6
Ear Cleaning…………………………..7
Skin Spray……………………………...7
Odor Eliminating Spray…………..8
Cologne……………………………….…9
Natural Cleaners……………………10
Massage Oils………………………...11
Care for the Groomer………….…12
You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression

None of us would feel good to have a new owner come into our facility, and say
“Yuck, it sure smells like wet dog in here.” Now of course, that is what we would
expect a grooming salon to smell like – but it doesn’t mean we have to accept it.

How wonderful I feel when people enter my veterinary clinic and say “Wow, it
smells like a spa in here!” I needed to achieve this odor control in a natural and
safe manner. I would rather have my clinic “smell like a vet clinic” than use toxic
air fresheners and odor eliminators that I had documented to cause liver and
kidney problems in my patients.

Area Odor Control with Cold Diffusion
The easiest way to have your entire shop smell extraordinary is to utilize a
diffuser to send out essential oils into the air. There are many models of diffusers
– it is important that they do not heat the essential oils as heat will damage the
oil and render it less effective. All of the models of diffusers from Young Living
will safely diffuse oils into the air without damaging them. I recommend that
most people start with an ultrasonic diffuser – one that is run with water. These
are the most flexible in their use, and can be used in many different ways.

Plant Extracts Inc. also carries a high quality diffuser that I
recommend to many of my clients. You can find their diffuser at
www.PlantExtractsInc.com, and you can purchase them in
wholesale quantities as well. Although I do not use their
essential oils currently on animals, I do love their diffuser.

It is important that diffusers be of high quality, and designed to run with high
potency essential oils, as in the case with medical grade oils. Even though less
expensive diffusers can be found on E-bay and other sources, I generally
recommend to stay with the brands that I know will not deteriorate with medical
grade essential oils.

Oils and their Uses in Diffusion…

There are so many ways to use oils, but these are a few of my favorite suggestions.
Purification Oil Blend – Primary oil for odor elimination. However I have
seen astonishing medical benefits from diffusing this oil in my animal hospital: A
reduction in the transmission of disease, a halt of diarrhea, fevers breaking,
kennel cough decreasing drastically, and even dogs responding emotionally –
calmer and less agitated.
Peace and Calming – This oil blend provides exactly that; peace and calming.
Wonderful for dogs with anxiety, separation issues, hatred of being kenneled…
Christmas Spirit – A favorite of everyone. Cinnamon, Orange, and Spruce oils
make for a classic scent. The medical grade oils do so much more.
Other Suggestions: Harmony, Thieves, Abundance, Valor, Orange, Lemon…
Natural Shampoos

A large part of my clientele insists on non-toxic shampoos and conditioners for
themselves. They recognize ingredients like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, as the toxic
item that it truly is. However, when it comes to their dog or cat, their ability to
pick a non-toxic product becomes harder. Offering an option for non-toxic
shampoos to your pet owners is a great opportunity…not only for education but
for additional revenue. Every client I know would gladly pay a few dollars more
for a non-toxic and therapeutic bathing option.
The drawbacks of many natural shampoos are that they do not lather as well as
“regular shampoos”, containing chemical surfactants or synthetic essential oils.
There are also many “natural” products that owners have brought into my
veterinary clinic that still contain toxic ingredients. The word “natural” and even
“organic” has been devalued, and rarely means anything to me anymore. I read
the label, or better yet, make my own recipes so that I know exactly what is
contained in my products. Young Living also has a wonderful concentrated
shampoo called Animal Scents Shampoo. This is a wonderful option to
homemade.
Although the below shampoo does not lather as you would normally expect, it
still leaves coats clean, shiny, and soft. The recipe can be altered by adding
different essential oils, different quantities of essential oils, or varying the ratio of
ingredients. Experiment and have fun with it!

Basic Shampoo Recipe

¼ cup Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap – Baby Mild (Unscented)
¼ cup distilled or pure warm water (you can omit the water for a
more concentrated shampoo)
½ teaspoon Coconut Oil (Nutiva Brand - Raw Organic)
Essential Oils as desired

Melt the coconut oil in the heated water until liquid, then mix with other
ingredients. Do not microwave, as this harms the oil. Adding the coconut oil to
hot water, or melting it over a hot water bath is ideal. More or less coconut oil
can be added, depending on your needs. As coconut oil is solid at room
temperature, you may see little chunks or a residue in your grooming tub. But
the skin benefits of coconut oil far outweigh any draw back to its use.

A starting point for essential oils – is to use 10-20 drops per batch of this
shampoo. Larger batches can be made up, and more essential oils used if
desired. The wonderful part with this recipe is that you can alter it for each
individual animal. You can even add the essential oils to each individual bathing.

Recommendations of Oils: Copaiba for arthritis, Lavender for skin irritation,
calming and pleasant smell, Purification for odor control or skunk encounters.
Other oils: Valor, Lemon, Joy, Thieves, Geranium, Rosewood, Peace & Calming
Essential Oil Ear Spray

Groomers are often the first ones to notice an ear problem. Of course, groomers
are not supposed to diagnose or treat “ear infections”. However cleaning the ears
and offering some relief to the pet can be a great thing until the pet can get into
the veterinarian. This ear spray is so wonderful, that the veterinarian may not
have much to look at after a few days of use!

Ear Spray Recipe

In a 1 ounce glass spray or dropper bottle:

Place 1/2” of Young Living Thieves Essential Oil Blend Spray
Add 1 Tablespoon of Young Living V6 Diluting Oil, or Olive Oil
3 Drops of Lemongrass Essential Oil
4 Drops of Copaiba Essential Oil
5 Drops of Purification Essential Oil Blend

Add distilled water if desired to thin the solution. Spray into ears as
needed, generally once or twice a day with severe irritation. The V6
Diluting Oil is much thinner than Olive Oil, and my oil of preference.

This spray fights bacteria and yeast, without the risks of bacterial resistance to
antibiotics. Since each plant crop is slightly different, each essential oil will be
slightly different upon distillation. Bacteria cannot adapt to these slight
variations, and cannot adapt to develop resistance to most plant molecules.

This recipe was developed by Sara Kenney – and can be found in her book
Natural Health Care For Your Four Legged Friends...Using Essential Oils and
Supplements. You can purchase this book at www.saralivingwell.com/id17.html
or at www.Amazon.com. Sara’s information was one of the ways that I was first
introduced to essential oils for animals, she has many years of experience with
Young Living Essential Oils, and especially for animals.
Ear Cleaning…The Natural Way

Most groomers clean ears with every grooming. Normal ears should be clean and
without debris. Coconut Oil is a gentle and effective ear cleaner that has
therapeutic benefits. Waxy debris dissolves easily, and the oil is nourishing to the
skin. Coconut Oil is edible and naturally antibacterial and antifungal, giving an
extremely safe, natural ear treatment that cleans and “medicates” the
ears…Naturally.

I prefer to use Nutiva Raw Organic Coconut Oil, which is available at
www.Nutiva.com. Wholesale ordering is also available for businesses.

Coconut Oil is solid at room temperature, then melts at body temperature.

Small amounts of Essential Oils can be mixed into the softened Coconut Oil to
allow for an extra benefits during cleansing. You can then allow the Coconut Oil
to “set up” again.

Oil Suggestions: Purification Essential Oil Blend, Melrose Essential Oil Blend,
Thieves Essential Oil Blend, Lavendula angustifolia (Lavender) Essential Oil,
Copaiba Essential Oil, Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) Essential Oil

Skin Spray

Post Clipping Irritation, Hot Spots, Skin Infections, Bug Bites and more can be
nicely “quieted” with this effective spray.

In a 2 ounce glass spray bottle add:

4 drops of Copaiba Essential Oil
7 drops of Lavendula angustifolia (Lavender) Essential Oil
5 drops of Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) Essential Oil
Fill the rest of the bottle with Distilled Water.

Shake well and apply to skin as needed. Generally 1-2 times a day is adequate.
NOdor – Odor Eliminating Spray

Formulated originally to eliminate tom cat urine odor, this spray has become a
staple in my veterinary clinic and my household. It easily replaces toxic, chemical
commercial odor sprays, at a fraction of the cost when you make it yourself.
You’ll want one in every room of your house and workplace.

Safe for use on most fabrics, furniture, carpets, in the air, on pets…you name it! I
have even picked up a bottle mistaking it for my natural bug spray – and it still
worked very well!

It is excellent for eliminating skunk odor and anal glands. I have misted this
formula directly on the butts and in the face of dogs to eliminate odors. It is well
tolerated and I have not seen irritation to the eyes, skin, or respiratory tract.

NOdor Recipe

In a 4 ounce glass spray bottle add:

27 drops of Purification Essential Oil Blend
13 drops of Lemongrass Essential Oil
7 drops of Orange Essential Oil
7 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil
2 drops of Young Living Bath and Shower Gel Base (Optional)
Fill with Distilled Water

Shake well before each use, spray into air or onto area as needed.
Doggie Cologne

It is always popular to make sure your client goes home smelling fresh and clean.
I always laugh at how many people tell me that they bring home their pet from
our animal hospital, only to find themselves “huffing” the pet! Hilarious! Often
these pets are just picking up a pleasant smell from the diffuser we have running
in the kennel area. We vary from diffusing oils for odor control to calming
anxious pets. Regardless of which we pick, the animals always seem to benefit.

This recipe is incredibly easy, but was very popular in a grooming salon that I
work with. The dogs really seemed to enjoy the spray, instead of turning their
heads away from it as they usually would from “chemical colognes”. Most dogs
actually seemed to want the spray, and almost acted as if they wanted to ingest it!
Which would be just fine…all of the Young Living Essential Oils are safe for
ingestion, whether human or animal. I strongly believe that we should not put
anything onto our skin that is not edible.

Joyfull Cologne

To a 2 ounce glass spray bottle add:

20 drops of Joy Essential Oil Blend
Add Distilled Water to Fill

Shake well before applying. Spritz as desired.

Any Essential Oil or Essential Oil Blend could be used in this manner. Get
creative, or look up the therapeutic benefits of the essential oils to create colognes
with “hidden” benefits. The Essential Oils Desk Reference is a wonderful book
that describes every essential oil, its properties, history, and medical uses.
Currently retailing at $50 – it is the best investment you will ever make.

Joy Essential Oil Blend contains: Rose – Anti-Inflammatory, Relaxant,
Reduces Scarring, Anti-Ulcer. Bergamot – Calming, Hormonal Support,
Antibacterial, Antidepressant. Mandarin – Anti-spasmodic, Digestive
Tonic, Antifungal, Stimulates Gallbladder. Ylang Ylang – Anti: Spasmodic,
Diabetic, Inflammatory, Parasitic. Regulates Heartbeat, Hair Loss, Intestinal
problems, Anxiety. Lemon – Anti-tumoral, Antiseptic, Improves Circulation,
Improves Memory, Immune Stimulant, Anxiety, Acne. Geranium – Anti:
Spasmodic, Oxidant, Tumoral, Inflammatory, Bacterial, Fungal. Stops
Bleeding, Improves Blood Flow, Helps Cleanse Oily Skin, Revitilizes Skin
Cells. Jasmine – Uplifting, Antidepressant, Stimulating, Antibacterial.
Palmarosa – Anti: Bacterial, Fungal, Viral. Supports Heart & Nervous
System, Stimulates New Skin Cell Growth, Regulates Sebum Production in
Skin. Roman Chamomile – Anti: Spasmodic, Inflammatory, Parasitic.
Relaxant, Nerve Regenerative, Detoxifies Blood and Liver. Rosewood –
Anti: Bacterial, Viral, Parasitic, Fungal. Improves Skin Elasticity.
With benefits like these, who wouldn’t want to use this cologne!