Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Dear Betsy, Which aromatherapy oil will help me sleep? I say lavender but my friend says chamomile.
Charlotte J
Dear Charlotte,
Actually you are both correct. Lavender is the most popular choice but roman chamomile works well too, especially on babies and children.
When you are using essential oils, it is very important that you actually like the smell of the oil/s.
If a certain smell has negative associations for someone, for example, your father's great aunt who used to be mean and nasty to you always reeked of lavender and smelling lavender takes you back to unhappy times, then its positive therapeutic properties will be cancelled out by the negativity your olfactory memory evokes when you smell lavender.
In this case you need to find alternatives that will help you sleep, such as roman chamomile or even marjoram or frankincense for those that prefer herby-type aromas.
I always stress that the oils must be sheer unadulterated essential oils and not just perfumed oils or they will not have any therapeutic effects and in fact the chemicals in perfume oils may have a negative effect on those sensitive to chemicals.
A drop or two on a tissue which can then be tucked inside your pillowcase should do the trick. Make sure you don't have a TV or computer in your bedroom as the electromagnetic waves can affect your sleep patterns and make sure the bedroom is not too warm or too cold, which can be challenging at this time of the year.
Eating a handful of fresh almonds (remove the skin) 30 to 60 minutes before you retire can also help insomniacs to drop off into a sound slumber. Sweet dreams.
Dear Betsy,
I decided to move my furniture around last week and found that my carpet has all these dents in it where the furniture legs had been.
I thought they would go in a day or so but they are still there. What can I do to remove these dents and get my carpet back to normal?
RD
Dear RD,
There is an easy answer to this problem. Take ice cubes and place one directly on top of the 'dent' and leave it to melt.
This will help your carpet spring back to its old self in no time. If you have a very pale carpet then make sure the ice is made from clean, sweet water so that it does not stain the carpet as it melts.
Presumably your furniture is still sitting on your carpets, albeit new areas of the carpet so to avoid this happening again you can buy carpet protectors to put under the legs of your sofa, tables etc . You will find them for sale in Al Manazel, Geant and Lulu Hypermarket.
Dear Betsy,
My little dog keeps scratching and I have started to shampoo him every week with dog shampoo but he is still scratching.
The vet says he doesn't have fleas or anything. Should I use baby shampoo for him instead?
Lucy
Dear Lucy,
Baby shampoo is made for babies, not for dogs. I would stick to dog shampoo, diluted in a bucket of warm water with five drops of tea tree essential oil added to help kill bacteria and any unwanted guests who may be trying to take up residence.
Make sure you rinse his coat well with a warm shower then towel him dry and finish off with a warm gentle blast from a hairdryer if he will let you.
You can then brush his coat gently. You might be washing him too often or too aggressively so you could try brushing him every other day to keep his coat clean.
His diet should contain the right nutrients to make sure his coat is glossy and his skin well moisturised to stop and maybe this combination of lifestyle changes that will help stop his itching.
Dear Betsy,
Your Home Spa Day was an interesting article. Can you give me an easy recipe for a hair treatment and a face mask?
Habeeba
Dear Habeeba,
Try these natural face and hair fix-its. Make sure the avocado is really ripe. It's also a good way to use up less than fresh eggs.
HAIR REPAIR, AVOCADO TO THE RESCUE
Most of us have stressed hair due to our lifestyles, environmental factors and neglect. Make your own deep conditioning hair mask by mashing up an Avocado pear with two beaten egg yolks (keep the egg whites for your face mask).
Massage all over your hair and wrap your head in cling film and secure it with a twisted towel on top. Great for dry flaky scalp too.
FACIAL MASKS
Now you are going to use those egg whites. A very simple tightening treatment mask is to simply beat the egg whites and apply them to your face and neck. Minimises fine lines and wrinkles too.
If your skin is oily then try thinly-sliced fresh tomatoes. For dry and sensitive skin some thick whipping cream and honey makes a great nourishing face mask.
