Green Options

Ditch the prescription and pucker up!

This is going to be short, but it’s good and it matters. Balms with Benefits is the rockin-est thing to hit the shelves in ages. It’s a simple concept, you get a lip balm and add quality aromatherapy to it so that the loveliness on your lips cures what ails you.

I’m sure it’s been done before, but I doubt it’s been done like this. My kids and I got all eight flavors in the mail last week. They’re pretty. Don’t discount pretty, pretty matters. Alexander and Jane were immediately taken by the rainbow of colors, they removed each lid and sniffed.

And then the horrible happened. Alexander (age seven) said, “Mom, what’s PMS?”

*sigh*

So we had a little talk about why Mommy feels compelled to wash the windows every month while shrieking, “dont’ touch anything!”

Truth be told, I ditched the PMS tube, because without it I’d never clean up around here.

Welcome to April Aromatics where natural aromatherapy and perfumery for people, their homes and offices are offered. These products can rejuvenate moods, emotions and one’s state of mind from inside out. Ingredients are all natural, pure, wild-crafted and certified organic whenever possible.

Founder Tanja Bochnig’s expertise is creating exclusive, all-natural scents and customized intuitive perfumes. Her skills are amplified from experiences, — such as witnessing harvesting and distillation by her essential oil suppliers. And it doesn’t hurt that she seems to have an incredible born-gifted nose that is winning her much-deserved admiration.

Named this works because that’s what testers constantly said of the products, this line is described as ‘a survival kit for those suffering modern malaises’. Conceived and created by Kathy Phillips, formerly Health & Beauty Director for Vogue and now International Beauty Director for Conde Nast Asia (think W Magazine, Vogue, Allure etc..), this award winning line has some of the coolest packaging I’ve seen in the beauty industry for a while, not to mention cutting-edge formulation. What really gets me excited though are the all natural formulations developed around aromatherapy principles, their environmentally responsible business practices, knowing that the products are mostly organic using certified and fair trade essential oils, and that the products contain no suspect ingredients.

I’m constantly on a quest to find the most spectacular organic and natural beauty brands at the cutting-edge and forefront of this industry, and I think I just discovered my latest obsession. This rocks!! Yep, This Works.

Photo credit: This Works website - www.thisworks.com

For over 6000 years aromatherapy, also known as the art of blending natural essential oils, has been in use. The Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and many other cultures around the globe have used aromatherapy oils and documented their healing properties. The father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, was known to have used aromatherapy baths and scented massage. In fact, he used aromatic fumigations to help rid Athens of the terrible plague. Perfumes, on the other hand, are synthetic and known to contain toxic chemicals. They were invented less than a century ago and may actually create illness. For example, the acetone found in synthetic fragrance effects the nervous system when inhaled. Research on this topic has shown side effects of possible dizziness, less coordination, nausea, and drowsiness as well as irritating the sinuses, throat, eyes, and skin. Often men’s cologne is strongest and worn with the idea of making women swoon, yet it just may have her falling for the wrong reasons.
While perfumes can alter or mutate our hormones in an unnatural way, the molecules in essential oils act naturally like hormones and form a healthy link with our bodily processes.

The right blend of essential oils will not only strengthen our immune system but also aid in revitalization and regulation of our emotional and physical responses to our changing everyday environment.