Aromatherapy Bath Time for Headache or Migraine

Aromatherapy Bath Time!

One of the best things I have found to help with headaches and migraines is a nice soothing bath with aromatherapy!  I just wanted to share a couple of the products I use for a bath with aromatherapy to help soothe my headaches and migraines!

First of all, I light candles in the bathroom.  This way I can take a bath with the lights off, but am still able to see well enough that I don't slip and fall.  This is great if you have sensitivity to light during your headache or migraine.  But, you should be careful when using scented candles, as the perfumes used can sometimes make a migraine or headache worse.  Use non-scented candles, or a scented candle that you have used before without any side-effects.  You may want to try this aromatherapy candle, specifically designed with scents to help soothe a headache; http://www.scentsandscentsabilities.com/store/product114.html


I found this blended "bath tea" at a local shop and I just love it!  They have a few different aromatherapy scents available, and of course my favorite for headache or migraine is the one called "Headache" at the bottom of the list.  http://www.scentsandscentsabilities.com/store/page38.html

I also like to add in a few handfuls of Dr. Teal's Epsom Salt Soaking Solution in the Chamomile scent.  There is also a Lavender scent available but I find the chamomile scent to be the most helpful for headache pain.

You may wish to roll up a small towel to place under your neck for some neck support while you soak in your hot bath.  Breathe deeply and evenly to get the full benefits of the aromatherapy, and allow the hot water and Epsom salts to soothe away muscle pain and tension.

For migraines, this is not a cure, but it can help shorten the duration of your migraine or reduce the severity of the symptoms.  It can help you relax enough to get some sleep.

I hope this helps anyone who suffers from Migraines, tension headaches, or headaches in general!  You may also be interested in my previous blog post; Migraine Relief Kit

Tackle It Tuesday - Migraine Relief Kit

For this week's Tackle It Tuesday post, I wanted to share with you how I made my Migraine Relief Kit and what goes in it!  I have suffered from migraines since I was a teenager and I have learned a lot about what helps relieve them when I have them.  The trouble is, once I have a migraine, I can't think or function well enough to remember all my remedies!  So I was looking at a post about a first aid kit, and I thought, why not make a Migraine Relief Kit?  Something where I can have all my migraine relief remedies all in one place? Here's my kit;

What's in it?  Below are pictures and descriptions of everything in my box.

As you can see, I have a large bottle of electrolyte water.  Often times, migraines and headaches are a sign that you are dehydrated.  I have this in my kit just in case I am out of drinking water, and to serve as a reminder to drink plenty of water once my migraine begins!

This is my favorite lotion from Bath & Body Works.  Stress Relief Hand cream.  Aromatherapy can work wonders for migraines, and rubbing some of this on my hands, neck, and shoulders can really help.  Plus, it helps remind me that some simple self-massage and reflexology can help too.  There are pressure points on your hands, feet, and neck that can help with headaches and migraines.  If you suffer from headaches or migraines I strongly suggest you learn some of these reflexology pressure points.  And this lotion is wonderfully relaxing whether you have a headache or not!

I suffer from the migraines that not only make my eyes very sensitive to light, but there is usually pounding, excruciating pain behind one of or both of my eyes.  I went looking for a sleep mask, and I found this sleep mask at Walgreens.  It has removable gel inserts that you can put in the freezer and then back into the sleep mask.  Oh that nice cool feeling on top of my eyelids, while also shielding my eyes from any light in the room.... it's really a GREAT find for migraine and headache sufferers!  I can pop the inserts into the freezer for about 5 minutes and then be ready to go!

As I mentioned before, aromatherapy can really help.  I have this bottle of eucalyptus oil in my kit to remind me to use it in my oil warmer.  For headaches I would recommend either Eucalyptus or Lavender scented oils in a diffuser.  Experiment and see what works for you, but be careful because some scents can actually trigger migraines.  Also, make sure you use pure essential oil, not perfume oil.  The "perfume" oils contain chemicals that can make your migraines worse.

My heating pad.  I made this one myself, with a fuzzy sock!  I filled the sock with a mixture of dry uncooked white rice, some eucalyptus scented Epsom salts, and some dry crushed spearmint.  I sewed the end shut with needle and thread.  When I need it I heat it up in the microwave for about two minutes and then put it behind my neck.  The heat combines with the soothing scent is so relaxing!  Migraines and headaches often come with neck and shoulder tension, so this is a must-have for a migraine relief kit!

Of course, some obvious essentials... over the counter migraine relief medication!

I found this in a little shop of natural teas and remedies.  It's a loose tea blend of chamomile, white willow bark, and a couple other herbs that are known for pain relieving.  I haven't tried it out yet, but once I try it I will let you know how it works!

I also included a couple other tea bags of my favorite soothing teas.  I have a Stash Chai Green Tea, a Stash Chai White Tea, and Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Extra (with valerian).  A nice soothing cup of hot tea helps me relax and fall asleep.  Plus, I often get a sour stomach and nausea with my migraines, so hot tea helps with that symptom as well.

This is another aromatherapy remedy!  This is a "Bath Tea" of a blend of herbs and essential oils.  You put it in a bath tub full of hot water and it releases the scent into the bath water.  VERY relaxing and effective!

This is some allergy medicine.  Antihistamines can help relieve a migraine.  I put these in my kit because I know it works, but I almost always tend to forget about taking them once a migraine hits!

AND, last but not least, Emergency Chocolate!  Because sometimes a migraine or headache can be caused by, or aggravated by low blood sugar.  And besides that, chocolate just makes me feel better.  If you put some chocolate in your kit, make sure it is Milk Chocolate, NOT Dark Chocolate!  Dark Chocolate is a migraine trigger, and might actually make your headache worse!

If you suffer from migraines, educate yourself on as many remedies as you can, and try to figure out what your triggers are so you can avoid them.  Common triggers are stress, dehydration, hormones, perfumes, chemicals, and some foods.  The most common foods that can trigger a migraine are; Sharp Cheeses, Dark Chocolate, Citrus fruits, and Red Wine.  You may be triggered by one or more of these things, and there may be things that trigger your migraine that are not listed here.  The best defense is to prevent the migraine by avoiding your triggers, but they can't all be avoided all the time, so maybe you will want to put together your own Migraine or Headache Relief kit to have everything in one place when they do strike!

D.I.Y. Laundry Essentials!

Recently a friend shared with me this great blog post with some wonderful DIY, Home-made laundry essentials!  I have already been making my own laundry soap for about 2 years now, but I thought this post had some great tips and I wanted to pass it on!
Top 3 DIY Lavender Laundry Essentials!

So check it out!  Today I had a "Laundry Day"... I washed some laundry, made the Lavender Scented Dryer balls as mentioned in the other blog, also made the Lavender Scented Fabric Softener!  I was already using Vinegar as a fabric softener but I loved the idea of making it scented!  Then I washed some more laundry because I had to try out my new products!  I must say I Love the Fabric Softener and Dryer Balls!  Thanks so much, Camp Wander!!

I went ahead and made another batch of laundry soap, since I was almost out.  I make a liquid soap version vs. the powdered version mentioned at the other blog, but the ingredients are pretty much the same!  Here is what I do;

Supplies;
1/2 Cup Borax Powder
1/2 Cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1/2 bar of Pink Zote Soap
* 4 scoops of Oxi-Clean (using the scoop provided in the container... looks like it is also about 1/2 cup)
A cheese grater
a 5 gallon bucket to mix everything in
a medium sized pot for the stove

Directions;
Grate the 1/2 bar of Zote soap with a cheese grater.  You don't have to use the Pink kind, the plain white bar works fine too.  You can also substitute Fels-Naptha soap.  These can both be found in the laundry section of most grocery stores.

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients... the Borax, Washing Soda, and optionally the powdered Oxy-Clean (Oxygenated Bleach).  Set this aside.

On the stove, bring the medium saucepan filled with water to just below boiling.  Turn the temp down to medium, medium low to keep it warm.  Slowly add in the grated Zote soap while stirring, you want it to melt evenly and avoid clumps and I find it works best if you just sprinkle a little at a time into the hot water while stirring.

In the 5 gallon bucket, fill it half way with warm water and add the dry mixture of Borax, Washing Soda, and Oxy-Clean.  Mix until all the dry ingredients are dissolved.  Slowly pour in the melted pink Zote & water mixture from the pan you had on the stove.  Mix well.  Add more water until the bucket is full, mixing well. 

Cover the bucket with Plastic Wrap, set it aside somewhere safe and let it rest for 12 to 24 hours.  It will thicken and become more gel-like.  Mix again, and then you can add it to empty bottles to be used for laundry!  I used empty bottles from store-bought detergent I had bought before, because they have the lid for measuring and store easily.  Hard to believe that I have been using those same bottles for nearly 2 years, just refilling them with my own home-made soap!

For washing I use 1 cap full of detergent for small loads and 2 cap fulls of detergent for large loads.  I sometimes add more Oxy-Clean if the clothes are particularly stained, or for my work shirts which need to be very white!  Adding 1/2 cup of plain white vinegar to the water at the rinse cycle really helps soften the clothes and leaves them deodorized.  Check out that blog post above to learn how to make the scented version of this fabric softener!

After making my Dryer Balls, my Laundry Soap, and the Fabric Softener, I decided I needed to clean my laundry room, because these great products need a nice cozy place to live, right?  I swept, mopped, and wiped down all the surfaces in my laundry room (top of washer & dryer, and top of the water heater)  Now I have lots of lavender-scented clean laundry to fold and put away, but that doesn't sound too terrible!  I am gonna sit down in front of the TV and start folding!  Sounds like a great way to wind down from my busy day!