Report shows continued increase in Aromatherapy and Essential Oils usage

essential-oils-medical-flowers-herbs-herb-46629883DUBLIN, IRELAND – Research and Markets has released a report titled “Aromatherapy and Essential Oils Market 2016” which shows increase in natural product demand. The report is a comprehensive analysis of the Aromatherapy and Essential Oils Market for not only the United States but also China, Japan and South Korea. The report includes market sizing, market share by competitor, drivers, restraints and market forecasts to 2022.

The report notes that “2015 saw the aromatherapy and essential oils market gain mass popularity, leading to record-setting revenue for key participants.”

Companies mentioned in the report are: doTERRA; Young Living; Muji; Neal’s Yard Remedies; NOW Foods; Nu Skin; Ouwave; Tree of Life; and Zija International (Améo).

Note: The above was a press release from Business Wire. The report is available for purchase at http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/bh8p8p/aromatherapy_and. Therapeutic Thymes did not order a copy of the report simply due to cost (USD $3,500).

© Therapeutic Thymes, 2016

Lancaster East Side Market to Hold Wellness Day Sunday

By Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman

Lancaster East Side Market. Photo by Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman
Lancaster East Side Market. Photo by Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman

LANCASTER – Sunday will be Wellness Day at Lancaster East Side Market. The Market, which is held Sundays in Musser Park, promotes wellness and community.

Each week a different theme is featured and this coming Sunday – 10 July – will be Wellness Day. Sarah McGahran, RYT (Registered Yoga Trainer) in Training, will host Yoga in the Park at 11 a.m.

Jah Volcano will provide music during the market. Bricker’s Famous French Fries and Bountiful Feast are the featured food trucks. Vendors will include regulars like Horseshoe Ranch and BeeBee’s All Naturals and Fresh Starts Nursery.

The Horseshoe Ranch, which is located in Willow Street, brings to market fresh veggies from their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm. I first met Brittany and Brian at the Herbal Faire at Landis Valley back in May of this year. I was very impressed with the young couple and their enthusiasm. The produce is organically grown and their seeds are non-GMO!

BeeBee’s All Naturals offers candies and skin care products. Skin care products include lotions, lip balm, hand cream and face moisturizer. Lori’s candies are delicious as well. Did you know that having local honey (try it on your morning toast) actually helps reduce pollen related allergies?

Fresh Starts Nursery at the Lancaster East Side Market. Photo by Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman
Fresh Starts Nursery at the Lancaster East Side Market. Photo by Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman

Fresh Starts Nursery sells organic veggie plants at the Market. While specific selections can change depending on sales and availability, they generally offer tomatoes, eggplants and cucumbers. We went the first week of Market and bought some Cherokee Purple Heirloom Tomatoes and some Cherry Tomatoes (I think they were the Sungold ones). Our little plants are doing well and, best of all, the whole family got excited about growing our own veggies!

For more information on the East Side Market, or on other vendors, please visit their website: https://lancastereastsidemarket.com/. Musser Park is located in Lancaster City at the corner of Lime and Chestnut Streets. It is literally behind the Lancaster Museum of Art.

 

© Therapeutic Thymes, 2016

National Organic Organizations and Farmer Groups among Those Opposing Senate GMO Labeling Deal

farmer-tomatoes-19284829WASHINGTON, DC – Organic organizations and farmer groups nationwide are among groups and individuals opposing the GMO labeling bill. The bill, which is being offered by Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), is “discriminatory and deeply-flawed,” according to the Center For Food Safety.

“Organic organizations, farmers and companies rightly fear that this bill could change important regulations governing the federal organic program including those prohibiting the use of genetic engineering in organic. They also refuse to be part of a sham labeling bill that blatantly discriminates against low-income, rural, elderly and a disproportionately high number of minority Americans,” said Andres Kimbrell, Executive Director of the Center for Food Safety, in a recent statement.

Thirty-six major organic groups have signed on to a letter sent by a national coalition of consumer, food safety, farm, environmental, and religious groups to all members of the Senate earlier this week. The groups united to express condemnation of this bill, citing it would be “devastating to the organic standard.”

The groups gave five specific reasons why they opposed this bill. First, the bill does not require any mandatory standards for GMO labeling. Second, their letter to Senate points out that a large number of food – both current and future – will be exempt from any labeling.

The third argument is that the bill discriminates against rural, low income and elderly populations. The objection letter assumes that people who fall into these three categories do not have access to smart phones and would therefore have no access to the labels in question.

The fourth argument states that the bill would be in “violation of state sovereignty by specifically preempting GMO seed laws and potentially numerous other laws and regulations.” The fifth and final argument notes that there is no enforcement set in place for violators of the mandatory GMO labeling.

Note: The above was a press release from the Center for Food Safety. For more information on this national non-profit group, please go to www.centerforfoodsatey.org.

© Therapeutic Thymes, 2016

Don’t Let Mosquitos Ruin Your Holiday Picnic

By Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman

mosquito-biteImagine for a moment family and friends are in the back yard getting ready for your Fourth of July picnic. The kids are squealing with delight playing with a sprinkler. The smell of burgers on the grill fill the air. Your friends comment on how great your landscape looks, with just the right blend of color against the verdant lawn. The lawn is an even green, beautifully mowed. There is a nice breeze so that it is warm but not unbearable. Even so, there it is … mosquitos!

What can you do? You could decorate your yard with citronella candles and hand out bug spray to everyone. Or you could go natural. No, not THAT kind of natural!

Plan ahead with some plants that naturally repel mosquitos. Citronella Geranium is a great plant for that morning sun / afternoon shade spot. Given room, it can grow as much as four feet tall and spread out two feet wide. It also works nice as part of a container arrangement.

Lantana-VioletLantana is known as a bedding plant and offers a wonderful array of colors. For this reason, it works great in containers. Not only does it repel mosquitos, but is also is not tasty to deer and other critters. Another positive is that it attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.

Lemongrass is another great plant. It is actually an herb used most often in Asian dishes. Here many people grow it as an ornamental plant. It also likes morning sun / afternoon shade and can be planted either in ground or as part of a container arrangement.

Plants are not the only natural repellant. Essential oils are a wonderful way to repell insects. Citronella, clove, patchouli, lavender, and plectranthus oregano are all wonderful oils that can be used either topically or aromatically.

bug repellentOne Bug Repellent recipe I stumbled upon awhile back is:

14 oz. Witch Hazel

12 drops Lavender Oil

15 drops Citronella Oil

15 drops Lemongrass Oil

Mix together well. Try using a spray bottle.

no bite meOne final suggestion – before I go shopping for our holiday picnic! – is “No Bite Me” by SallyeAnder Soaps. This is an all in one preventative and after bite cream. It is DEET Free and safe for the kids. Its active ingredients are: eugenol, cedar oil, lemongrass oil, geranium oil, mint oil, thyme oil, clove oil, and rosemary oil. Inert ingredients include: purified water, soy and canola oils, beeswax, lecithin, and rosemary needle. I got my 2 fl. oz. container from Stauffer’s of Kissel Hill for $12.99. I have also found the same product on Amazon for less.

No matter which option you choose, have a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July holiday.

© Therapeutic Thymes, 2016