Idaho Oil

It's also known as balsamic fir oil. It's an evergreen tree that grows 27m. The bark produces resin that blisters. It tends to spray when ruptured. It's a native of Russia. The leaves are needle like. It's commonly used for Christmas tree. It produces both male and female cones. The female cones hang on the upper part of the tree while the male cone hangs on the lower part. They are both purplish when young.

It has a woody, sweet, earthy fresh smell. It’s clear but slightly yellow, it is extracted by steam distillation of the needles and twigs. The older needles produce the most oil. It has an oily texture.

Uses

1. On the body

v  It stimulates the mind and it's comforting to the body. It relaxes the body. It also eases tension and stress. You can just inhale the scent straight from the bottle.

v  It balances emotions and thus helpful in times of stress and depression also by inhaling.

v  It increases both spiritual and physical energy.

v  It supports the circulatory system.

v  It clears urinary tract infections.

v  It soothes aching muscles when mixed with marjoram oil.

v  It soothes ligaments and joints when mixed with lemon grass oil.

v  It enhances the production of the growth hormone thus promoting cell growth.

v  It has great anti-inflammatory properties so it's used for joint pain and rheumatic swelling. It can be mixed with carrier oil then massaged where there is muscular discomfort.

v  It gives stability of the mind during difficult times, such as loss of a job, problems in a marriage or relationship. This is due to the fact that it's calms the mind. To aid in this use in a bath or wear as a perfume.

v  The aroma soothes and promotes production of new cells thus having rejuvenating effects on the body and the mind. This means it also has anti aging properties.

v  It  acts as an expectorant in that it removes the mucus from the respiratory tract that causes cold or cough. To ease respiratory problems caused by coughs and colds put in hot water and inhale.

v  When massaged into the body it's known to help with fatigue caused by heavy work or jetlag. It can be mixed with a carrier oil to relieve the muscular tension.

v  It's especially effective when mixed with other oils that have anti-inflammatory properties and painkilling properties e.g. chamomile, lavender or rosemary.

v  It can be added to hot water and inhaled to clear sinuses. This is due to its expectorant qualities. It also combines well with tea tree oil and eucalyptus to keep away colds.

It blends well with lemon, lavender, eucalyptus, sage. Rosemary, pine, orange, juniper and clove.

Precautions

It may cause skin irritation so it should be strongly diluted before it is applied. It should not be used by people with asthma or whooping cough due to the fact that it increases contraction of the bronchial muscles that increasing the chances of an attack.