This is the limbic system. It is considered to be one of the more "primitive" areas of the brain and is involved in basic drives as well as motivation, emotions and memory. The amygdala is located here which is involved in agression and fear. The hippocampus is located here which is involved in memory and learning. When you smell something, the odor hits a chemoreceptor [a receptor for a chemical] which transmits a signal to your first cranial nerve, aka- the olfactory nerve, which rests right on top of the nasal cavity. Notice in the picture how the olfactory bulb is attached directly to the limbic system. Most incoming sensory signals [for example-touch or vision] also have to pass through the brain’s relay center- the thalamus- but smells do not. So basically when you smell something it goes directly to your brain. That is why when you smell something, like a perfume or your mother's chicken and dumplings, it can immediately remind you of a memory. Hence the effect is instantaneous.

Well after you inhale deeply, then you probably sample a dab and see how well it absorbs into your skin. What about the ingredient label- do you ever read it? Do you know what is actually in the product chemical-wise? Luckily, you don’t have to be a Pharm D or Dermatologist to be able to find a good lotion or crème to be happy with. The good news is also that you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to get a good crème. In fact, most of the better crèmes that are sold at your local grocery store have been priced fairly and work very well.

I have been a sucker for wrinkle cream for most of my adult life and I am now only 36. I started to question what exactly it was in those crèmes that made them so “good” and therefore so expensive. I mean, what is it exactly in this crème that makes it $75 per ounce? I have also become an avid label reader and now actually know what all of those chemicals listed on the label are- some are emulsifants, some are glidants, some are preservatives, some are for smell, etc… The answer I get when I read the label of an expensive “wrinkle crème” is that I don’t have any idea what the ingredient is [most of the time] that makes it so expensive- meaning that some crèmes don’t have anything unusual or exceptional to warrant the enormous price although there can be exceptions to this rule.

The idea behind my products is to take my Celtic medicine woman/healer lineage and my clinical Pharm D. compounding experience and "blend" them into a concept of a line of products that actually work as well as make you feel good. I am currently working on my body lotion, facial creme, shampoos and conditioners. My friends love them! So far, so good. I have ideas for cough drops (that actually work), an anti-itch creme (that actually works), throat lozenges (that actually work), I am sure you get my point.

So please check back and keep in touch with me as I continue this journey. All the best!