Potpourri Fixatives

According to Dawn Frankfort, author of Calming Crafts, a fixative is like a sponge to absorb and hold the fragrance in your potpourri. The following are often used as fixatives: cellulose, orris root, oak moss, calamus root, citrus peels, and spices such as cloves.

Cellulose is odorless and takes on whatever scent your apply to it. It resembles small pebbles and looks similar to Grape Nut cereal. Cellulose is creamy in color and it blends well with most potpourri. Since cellulose has a bit of weight to it, it tends to sink to the bottom of the potpourri which is helpful if you want it for the scent and not the look.

Potpourri Fillers

These are the ingredients that go into making potpourri. These include flowers, plants, herbs spices, cones, grasses and other botanicals.

According to Dawn Frankfort, author of Calming Crafts, recommends the following for fillers:

Allspice: dark brown, fragrant berries

Angel wings: wispy white flowers often bleached or dyed pink

Apple Slices

Bael Nut Slices: dark orange interiors and wood-like exteriors

Balsam Fir Needles: resemble grass, but smells like Christmas

Cedar Tips: green

Cockscomb flowers: red with velvet-like clusters

Cornflowers

Curly Pods

Eucalyptus Leaves: blue green

Gold Amaranth: White, round flowers

Juniper Berries: red

Larkspur petals: blue

Lemon Verbena Leaves: green curled leaves with potent lemon scent

Malva Flowers: piercing purple-blue

Milo Berries: pretty cranberry

Orange Peel Slices

Pearly Everlasting: white sprigs

Pine Cones, Hemlock: small cones in gray-brown

Pine Cones, Ponderosa: nicely scented in brown

Pine Cones, White Spruce: brown and round

Pomegranates: red-magenta

Repends Flowers: red with long blades

Rhododendron: green and excellent for color

Rosebuds: small tight buds in red, pink and yellow

Rosehips: whole pea in deep, pretty magenta

Senna Pods: nice brown leaves

Statice Flowers: pretty in yellow, purple and white

Strawflowers: yellow, dainty flowers

Tilia Flowers: dark orange hue

Velvet Flowers: red or orange

Aromatherapy Blends/Recipes

Here are some blends you may want to add to your bathing or massage experience.

Calming Vaporization
Place the following oils in a little warm water in the well of your vaporizer and then light the candle or plug in it. Or drop the oils into a small bowl of after and place it on the radiator:

2 drops of ylang-ylang EO
2 drops of orange EO


Romantic Bath Blend
To 20 ml (one tablespoon) of carrier oil or foam bath add:

2 drops of rose EO
2 drops of ylang-ylang EO
2 drops of lemon EO


Stress-Relieving Bath Blend
To 20 ml (one tablespoon) of carrier oil or foam bath add:

2 drops of geranium EO
2 drops of lavender or lavandin EO
1 drops of rosewood EO


Luxurious Bath Blend
To 20 ml (one tablespoon) of carrier oil or foam bath add:

2 drops of rose EO
2 drops of sandalwood EO
1 drop of juniper EO


Reviving Leg Lotion
Use this lotion during hot weather, after a long flight or if you are suffering from fluid retention:

To 10 ml of a neutral body lotion add:

2 drops of lemon EO
2 drops of cypress EO
1 drop of sandalwood EO


Energizing Massage Blend
To 30 ml of sweet almond oil add:

4 drops of grapefruit EO
4 drops of lime EO
2 drops of rosemary EO


Soothing Massage Blend
To 30 ml of sweet almond oil add:

4 drops of petitgrain EO
3 drops of chamomile EO
3 drops of jasmine EO


Calming Massage Blend
To 30 ml of sweet almond oil add:

4 drops of sandalwood EO
4 drops of patchouli EO
2 drops of basil EO


Source: Home Spa...Pamper Yourself From Head to Toe by Chrissie Painell-Malkin, page 139.

Energizing Oil Blend

Here is a recipe for an energizing oil blend:


30 ml grapeseed or apricot kernel oil
4 drops bergamont essential oil (EO)
3 drops lavender EO
2 drops of juniper EO
1 drop peppermint EO


Source: Home Spa...Pamper yourself from head to toe by Chrissie Painell-Makin. Published by Barnes and Noble. 2006. pg. 32.

Glossary of Terms

These are some of the common terms that I use for my classes.

Anti-oxidant - A synthetic chemical or natural material that prevents or slows oxidation and rancidity in oils and soaps.

Absolute - A fragrance extract made by extracting a concrete with alcohol.

Base Oils - A nonfragranced oil that is used to make up the bulk or body of the soap.

Carrier oils - Fresh vegetable, nut or seed oils acts as "carriers" when essential oils are added up to 5% solution, allowing the oils to be easily applied to large areas of the ski where they will be absorbed.

Cold Pressed Oils - Natural oils that have been pressed from the plant material without heat, solvents or chemicals, retaining their original vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids.

Cold Process - A process where fats and oils are converted to soap without cooking. Once the oils are heated to a desired temperature, a lye/water solution is added with stirring, and the oils are converted to soap and glycerin.

Colorant - Natural or synthetic material, such as dyes, pigments, and herbs which are used to color soap.

Digital Scale - A scale that shows the weight in numbers rather than a moving needle. This type of scale is more accurate.

Emollient - A material that has a soothing, softening effect on skin.

Emulsion - A stable, non-separating suspension of oil in water or water in oil.

Emulsifiers - A cosmetic ingredient which assists in combining oils with other ingredients in order to make a stable homogeneous emulsion.

Essential Oil - A fragrant oil derived from plants, stem, petals or leaves.

Extracts - Solutions obtained by immersing fresh or dried herbs, woods, gums or resin in alcohol/water mixture to extract the beneficial properties from the plant material.

Fixative - A viscous (thick) oil with a very low evaporation rated; used in perfumery.

Fragrance Oil - A synthetic or manufactured oil that mimics the more expensive oil. Fragrance oils come in a wider range of fragrances and last longer than essential oils.

Glycerin - A natural liquid produced during saponification.

GSE - Grapefruit seed extract; thought to be an antioxidant.

Hot Process - A soapmaking method involving a heat source. This process includes using lye and oils to create your soap. Saponification takes place while the mixture cooks.

Humectants - Substances that conserve the moisture content of lotions and creams, often attracting moisture from the air.

Lye - The common name for sodium hydroxide.

Melt and Pour - A type of soap, usually transparent, which when heated will melt and then solidify again upon cooling. Often shorten to M&P.

Oxidation - A chemical reaction with oxygen ie oils will become rancid.

Preservatives - Bacteria am micro-organisms quickly multiply in fresh food grade materials and spoil them. Preservatives inhibit the growth of bacteria and extend the useful life of cosmetics.

Rancid - Degraded by oxidation. In the extreme case, oils become cloudy and smelly due to air oxidation.

Rebatching - Preparation of soap by dissolving freshly made soap in water or milk allowing it to crystallize again.

Saponification - The chemical reaction between lye and fats or oils, yielding soap and glycerin as the product of the reaction.

SAP - Short for sapnoification. The amount of lye required to completely saponify a specific amount of fat or oil.

Shelf Life - The amount of time a cosmetic can be kept at normal room temperature before being adversely affected by bacteria, peroxidation and chemical changes.

Soap - The sodium or potassium salt of a fatty acid. Soap is prepared by either by the direct reaction of fatty acids with lye or by the reaction of lye and fats and oils.

Trace - To stir or stick blend oils, water and lye until it begins to thicken.

Wax - An organic neutral molecule that consists of a fatty acid reacted with or attach to a fatty alcohol.