Today I made my first goat milk lotion. My friend Robin attempted it first and sent me this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4a0MWJpC_s with the recipe she used. I won't go into detail about how to make it since the video does that. I used coconut oil instead of shea butter because I'm out of it and I didn't want to wait for my most recent order of it to arrive. Another thing I did differently was use less essential oil than she recommended. The recipe called for .1 oz of essential oil or fragrance oil but even using less than the .1 oz my lotion is still a bit too strong on the lemongrass I used. I think that amount would be ok for a fragrance oil which isn't as strong as an essential oil. I should have known better. Our house smells like lemongrass which is nice but I don't like strong smelling lotions.
Robin told me it should have a 3 month shelf life (I think that's what she said) but it will be interesting to see how long it lasts. It has a preservative in it but I still wonder about how anyone can give a product a definite shelf life. This reminds me of something else I did differently. I used raw milk and not pastuerized. I wonder if that will make a difference. Lemongrass oil is anti-microbial and anti-bacterial so maybe my lotion will last longer because of it.
Here are some of the health benefits of lemongrass essential oil. Maybe it's good I put a lot in.
◦Analgesic: Analgesic is a property that reduces pain and inflammation. Lemongrass Essential Oil helps relieve pain in muscles, joints, toothache and headache etc. resulting from viral infections like cough & cold, influenza, fever, pox etc. It also helps cure body pain resulting from sudden exercises, sports etc.
◦Anti Depressant: Lemongrass Oil boosts self esteem, confidence, hope and mental strength, uplifts spirit and fights depression. This can be very helpful to drive away depression for those who are suffering from depression due to failure in career or love, insecurity, loneliness, stagnation, someone’s death or any other reason. This also relieves anxiety. Being an anti depressant, it can be systematically administered to patients of acute depression who are undergoing rehabilitation after some shock. Just take it with tea and relax.
◦Anti Microbial and Anti Bacterial: This has anti microbial properties which makes it inhibit microbial and bacterial growth in the body, internally or externally. It is seen to be effective in inhibiting bacterial infections in colon, stomach, urinary tracts, wounds, respiratory system etc. and helps cure diseases resulting from bacterial or microbial infections such as typhoid, food poisoning, skin diseases, body odor, malaria (caused due to protozoon) etc.
◦Anti Pyretic: An anti pyretic is an agent that brings down very high fever. This is quite similar to febrifuge but is effective on very high fever too. This oil can bring down the fever when it tends to reach the danger mark. This property of Lemongrass, which comes from its essential oils, is extensively used. It is often given with tea for this purpose.
◦Anti Septic: The anti septic properties of Lemongrass Oil makes it a good application for external and internal wounds as well as an ingredient of the anti septic lotions and creams. The anti septic properties of this oil do not let the external and internal cuts and wounds go septic.
◦Astringent: An astringent helps stoppage of blood flow by contraction of blood vessels. If somebody is bleeding profusely, you need an astringent to speed up clotting of blood and stop the flow to save his life. Being an astringent helps in a different way too. It promotes contraction of gums, hair follicles, muscles, skin and blood vessels, thereby preventing loosening and fall of teeth, hair fall and flow of blood through vessels. Both of these properties can be life saving. This oil has good astringent properties.
◦Carminative: Lemongrass Essential Oil can efficiently handle gas trouble. It does not only help remove gas from intestine, but also stops further gas formation. Moreover, it gives the gases a safe downward passage by relaxing the muscles in the abdominal region.
◦Deodorant: The Lemongrass Oil is far better than those synthetic deodorants which cost heavy on the pockets and the environment and their effects do not last longer too. Moreover, sometimes they produce irritations on skin and allergies. This oil can be a far better choice as a deodorant from these points of view. In diluted form, it serves as an efficient deodorant without any side effects. The best thing about this is that it is herbal
◦Diuretic: Lemongrass Oil increases urination, both in frequency and in quantity. This may sound not that important but it can be very beneficial for health. With urine, fats are lost from the body to the extent of 4% of the volume of urine. So, it is obvious, the more you urinate, the more you lose fat. Then, urination promotes digestion and also does not let gas form. It removes excess water from the body and reduces swelling etc. Its biggest contribution is that it removes toxins from the body. What’s more, it also reduces blood pressure. That is the reason most of the drugs for lowering blood pressure induce frequent urination. Urination also helps clean kidneys.
◦Febrifuge: Lemongrass Oil helps bring down fever by fighting the infections due to which the fever is caused as well as by increasing perspiration.
◦Fungicidal: Lemongrass Oil has good fungicidal properties and may be used to cure fungal infections, both external and internal.
◦Galactogogue: Galactogogue is a substance or an agent that increases formation of milk in the breasts. It also enhances the quality of milk. This property is very helpful for the lactating mothers and the babies. Lemongrass oil is a Galactogogue. Apart from increasing milk, it also helps babies in another way. Babies are prone to infections. The anti microbial and anti bacterial properties of Lemongrass oil are also absorbed in the milk and thus indirectly help the baby get rid of such infections.
◦Insecticidal: Lemongrass is quite popular as an insect repellant due to its insecticidal properties. It kills insects and also keeps them away (but I am not sure whether it repels cockroaches!).
◦Nervine: Lemongrass Essential Oil acts as a tonic for the nerves and the nervous system. It helps cure many nervous disorders such as shaking hands or limbs, nervousness, vertigo, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and convulsions, sluggishness, lack of reflexes etc. It strengthens nerves and activates them.
◦Sedative: This is perhaps one of the most important and most appreciated medicinal properties of Lemongrass Oil. It is an excellent sedative. It has a great soothing, sedating and calming effects on mind, cures inflammations, itching of skin and relieves tension and anxiety. This feature can help patients of insomnia too.
◦Tonic: An agent which tones up and boosts health is a tonic. Lemongrass Oil is a tonic in real sense. It tones all the systems functioning in the body, such as respiratory system, digestive system, nervous system and excretory system and facilitates absorption of nutrients in the body, thus providing strength and strengthening immune system.
◦Other Benefits: Helps cure cellulite, fungal infections and digestive problems and reduces excessive perspiration too.
Few Words of Caution: It is likely to irritate skin and produce other types of irritations too. Hence it should be avoided during pregnancy.
Robin told me it should have a 3 month shelf life (I think that's what she said) but it will be interesting to see how long it lasts. It has a preservative in it but I still wonder about how anyone can give a product a definite shelf life. This reminds me of something else I did differently. I used raw milk and not pastuerized. I wonder if that will make a difference. Lemongrass oil is anti-microbial and anti-bacterial so maybe my lotion will last longer because of it.
Here are some of the health benefits of lemongrass essential oil. Maybe it's good I put a lot in.
◦Analgesic: Analgesic is a property that reduces pain and inflammation. Lemongrass Essential Oil helps relieve pain in muscles, joints, toothache and headache etc. resulting from viral infections like cough & cold, influenza, fever, pox etc. It also helps cure body pain resulting from sudden exercises, sports etc.
◦Anti Depressant: Lemongrass Oil boosts self esteem, confidence, hope and mental strength, uplifts spirit and fights depression. This can be very helpful to drive away depression for those who are suffering from depression due to failure in career or love, insecurity, loneliness, stagnation, someone’s death or any other reason. This also relieves anxiety. Being an anti depressant, it can be systematically administered to patients of acute depression who are undergoing rehabilitation after some shock. Just take it with tea and relax.
◦Anti Microbial and Anti Bacterial: This has anti microbial properties which makes it inhibit microbial and bacterial growth in the body, internally or externally. It is seen to be effective in inhibiting bacterial infections in colon, stomach, urinary tracts, wounds, respiratory system etc. and helps cure diseases resulting from bacterial or microbial infections such as typhoid, food poisoning, skin diseases, body odor, malaria (caused due to protozoon) etc.
◦Anti Pyretic: An anti pyretic is an agent that brings down very high fever. This is quite similar to febrifuge but is effective on very high fever too. This oil can bring down the fever when it tends to reach the danger mark. This property of Lemongrass, which comes from its essential oils, is extensively used. It is often given with tea for this purpose.
◦Anti Septic: The anti septic properties of Lemongrass Oil makes it a good application for external and internal wounds as well as an ingredient of the anti septic lotions and creams. The anti septic properties of this oil do not let the external and internal cuts and wounds go septic.
◦Astringent: An astringent helps stoppage of blood flow by contraction of blood vessels. If somebody is bleeding profusely, you need an astringent to speed up clotting of blood and stop the flow to save his life. Being an astringent helps in a different way too. It promotes contraction of gums, hair follicles, muscles, skin and blood vessels, thereby preventing loosening and fall of teeth, hair fall and flow of blood through vessels. Both of these properties can be life saving. This oil has good astringent properties.
◦Carminative: Lemongrass Essential Oil can efficiently handle gas trouble. It does not only help remove gas from intestine, but also stops further gas formation. Moreover, it gives the gases a safe downward passage by relaxing the muscles in the abdominal region.
◦Deodorant: The Lemongrass Oil is far better than those synthetic deodorants which cost heavy on the pockets and the environment and their effects do not last longer too. Moreover, sometimes they produce irritations on skin and allergies. This oil can be a far better choice as a deodorant from these points of view. In diluted form, it serves as an efficient deodorant without any side effects. The best thing about this is that it is herbal
◦Diuretic: Lemongrass Oil increases urination, both in frequency and in quantity. This may sound not that important but it can be very beneficial for health. With urine, fats are lost from the body to the extent of 4% of the volume of urine. So, it is obvious, the more you urinate, the more you lose fat. Then, urination promotes digestion and also does not let gas form. It removes excess water from the body and reduces swelling etc. Its biggest contribution is that it removes toxins from the body. What’s more, it also reduces blood pressure. That is the reason most of the drugs for lowering blood pressure induce frequent urination. Urination also helps clean kidneys.
◦Febrifuge: Lemongrass Oil helps bring down fever by fighting the infections due to which the fever is caused as well as by increasing perspiration.
◦Fungicidal: Lemongrass Oil has good fungicidal properties and may be used to cure fungal infections, both external and internal.
◦Galactogogue: Galactogogue is a substance or an agent that increases formation of milk in the breasts. It also enhances the quality of milk. This property is very helpful for the lactating mothers and the babies. Lemongrass oil is a Galactogogue. Apart from increasing milk, it also helps babies in another way. Babies are prone to infections. The anti microbial and anti bacterial properties of Lemongrass oil are also absorbed in the milk and thus indirectly help the baby get rid of such infections.
◦Insecticidal: Lemongrass is quite popular as an insect repellant due to its insecticidal properties. It kills insects and also keeps them away (but I am not sure whether it repels cockroaches!).
◦Nervine: Lemongrass Essential Oil acts as a tonic for the nerves and the nervous system. It helps cure many nervous disorders such as shaking hands or limbs, nervousness, vertigo, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and convulsions, sluggishness, lack of reflexes etc. It strengthens nerves and activates them.
◦Sedative: This is perhaps one of the most important and most appreciated medicinal properties of Lemongrass Oil. It is an excellent sedative. It has a great soothing, sedating and calming effects on mind, cures inflammations, itching of skin and relieves tension and anxiety. This feature can help patients of insomnia too.
◦Tonic: An agent which tones up and boosts health is a tonic. Lemongrass Oil is a tonic in real sense. It tones all the systems functioning in the body, such as respiratory system, digestive system, nervous system and excretory system and facilitates absorption of nutrients in the body, thus providing strength and strengthening immune system.
◦Other Benefits: Helps cure cellulite, fungal infections and digestive problems and reduces excessive perspiration too.
Few Words of Caution: It is likely to irritate skin and produce other types of irritations too. Hence it should be avoided during pregnancy.
I feel like anything with that many therapeutic options is either toxic or not very good at any of those.
ReplyDeleteI think I will plant lemongrass all over the pastures.
ReplyDeleteAhh, Jackie, I didn't know you were a pessimist. How 'bout milk? It has many therapeutic options and isn't toxic. It does all these things. But then maybe you don't believe it.
ReplyDelete•Calcium: Builds healthy bones and teeth; maintains bone mass
•Protein: Serves as a source of energy; builds/repairs muscle tissue
•Potassium: Helps maintain a healthy blood pressure
•Phosphorus: Helps strengthen bones and generate energy
•Vitamin D: Helps maintain bones
•Vitamin B12: Maintains healthy red blood cells and nerve tissue
•Vitamin A: Maintains the immune system; helps maintain normal vision and skin
•Riboflavin (B2): Converts food into energy
•Niacin: Metabolizes sugars and fatty acids