Aroma Pets

How To Make Aromatic Lotions

When to use topicals
I don't  use topical application vey often. Why? Because healing happens from the inside out. Skin problems are often the first place that the body lets us know it is out of balance. The skin is the largest organ and the safest place for the body to clear toxins. When offering aromatics to re-balance the immune or digestion system, problems such as itchy skin usually clear by themselves. However, there are some situations that call for external application to help speed recovery and relieve irritation. Or to inhibit secondary bacterial infection, as in lickomas.

Why We Use Gels 
I use water based gel as the carrier for topical applications. I never use oil based lotions or creams when working with dogs. Apart from the fact that a dog covered in oily lotions is going to play havoc with your carpets, water based gels are easier to make at home. Another advantage of a water based gel is that essential oils avoid water and are drawn to lipids (fats). So they move quickly out of the gel and into the dog's skin. Sooner or later dogs will want to lick themselves clean.

If you use a water based gel, the essential oils would have already been absorbed into the skin by the time he gets around to cleaning himself. These gels are non-toxic and it will not harm your dog to lick them. But you want them to stay on the skin long enough to do their job. Interestingly, dogs do not usually lick the gel right off when the right remedy is applied. If your dog does try to lick straight away, you can offer him the bottle of gel to smell, or let him lick a little of the gel from your hand while the gel absorbs. 

How To Use Gels

The first step to making a gel is to allow your dog to approve of the essential oils yo have chosen. For example, if you are making a wound gel you could offer Helichrysum, lavender, yarrow, and rosalina. Take the 2 or three he shows the most interest in and add them to the gel. Add more drops of the oils liked best, less of the others. So you might end up with 3 drops of rosalina, 2 of helichrysum and 1 of yarrow in 30ml/2 tablespoons of gel.  

Before Application

Once you have concocted the gel., let your dog smell it again, and then apply to affected areas. He will show you exactly where he needs it by moving into your hand or moving away. If he doesn't like the smell, it may be too strong. Add another teaspoon of gel of plain water. Offer your dog the gel to smell before each application, and listen to where he wants it applied. If he wants to, you can also let him lick some from your hand. As the problem clears he will want it applied less frequently.

He may decide he doesn't want the gel anymore when you think he still needs it. In this case, offer different oils for selection, and adjust the gel. If he shows no interest in any of the oils, the healing is going well and he doesn't need any more help. Trust him!

Reference: The Aromatic Dog: Nayana Morag