“A warm, moist environment like an
armpit is a breeding ground for bacteria,
and when trying to create a balanced solu-tion
for that, I looked into essential oils that
were gentle, but known for their antibacte-rial
and antifungal properties,” she says.
Products made with oils have different
properties and purposes, but all have some-thing
in common — they come from nature.
“I look to plants as prevention, relief and
cure before I look to modern medicine,
which absolutely has its place and neces-sity,”
Jones says. “I just believe that there are
more gentle and, in my experience, some-times
more effective natural options which
Jennifer Nan Vanderfleet on her wedding day, with her
grandmother, Mary Ellen McGroarty, known to many as
Nannie Mac. Mary’s mother, Mary Harvey Breslin, was
known as the “Town’s Healer” in Donegal, Ireland, and
passed down herbal knowledge to Mary.
have mostly been forgotten in our culture.”
Jennifer Vanderfleet sees botanicals as a
medicinal option, as it is part of her family heritage. Her great-grand-mother
was an herbalist in the village of Donegal, Ireland, and passed
her knowledge on to her daughter. Vanderfleet’s grandmother would
gather the plants, help do the preparations and go on house calls.
She, in turn, passed her knowledge of the naturopathic approach to
colds or cuts to her granddaughter.
“From a young age, it was instilled into me that this was a viable
option for maladies,” Vanderfleet says.
She became very interested in holistic medicine. Living at the
beach without access to the plants, she fell into oils. She apprenticed
for seven years learning about essential oils and then journeyed to
the mountains for medical aromatherapy training. She made use
of her knowledge of working with botanicals to open an oil bar in
Wrightsville Sound.
“I am either the first person you come
to or the last,” she says.
Rileigh Wilkins’ line of natural skincare
products with botanical oils was born
from a desire to fill a void that pharma-ceuticals
couldn’t.
“I started researching and learning
about natural skin care after struggling
with recurring breakouts and a visit
with a prescription-happy dermatolo-gist,”
Wilkins says. “Once I learned the
vast beneficial properties of natural oils
and about the harmful ingredients that
are in many popular products, I knew
I wanted to make natural products for
myself as well as to spread my knowl-edge
of those benefits to others.”
With sensitive skin in mind, she
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WBM january 2018
makes her products mostly with
mild carrier oils like almond, olive
and coconut. These are used to
dilute the more potent essential
oils before topical application.
One of her favorites is geranium
essential oil, which has a strong
floral scent. For a headache, Wilkins’
home remedy is a mixture of one
drop each of lavender, peppermint
and rosemary essential oils diluted
in any carrier oil. She recommends
rubbing it gently on the temples
and behind the ears.
With so many oils for so many
uses, it can be difficult to know
where to begin. For those just get-ting
started, Wilkins says lavender is the “essential” essential oil.
“Lavender is great for bruises, insect bites, helping you sleep, reliev-ing
stress, and so much more,” she says.
Vanderfleet also likes lavender for its multiple uses.
“Lavender is nature’s antiseptic,” she says. “It is basically nature’s
Neosporin. You can use it on babies all the way to the elderly and pets.
It’s antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, it’s great for
the respiratory system, and you have your gentle sedative approach.
It calms the nerves, calms the spirit, and calms the emotions, the mind.
You can tell a lot about the oil by the character of the plant. Lavender
is a tough, durable plant with nothing but love and nourishment. For
somebody just starting out, lavender is offering you only love.”
Vanderfleet also extols the virtues of frankincense, an oil used in
biblical times. Its aroma has, since ancient times, been known to pro-
“Essential oils are
powerfully antibacte-rial,
antifungal, and
antimicrobial,” Jones
says. ... Products
made with oils have
different properties
and purposes, but
all have something
in common — they
come from nature.
HARRY TAYLOR
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