How Essential Are Aromatherapy Carrier Oils?

Aromatherapy carrier oils are used to apply, or 'carry' essential oils onto the skin. They're often called base oils, or vegetable oils and are extracted from nuts, kernels and seeds. In a practitioners  essential oil carrying case, they're usually kept in large bottles!

Carrier oils are extracted by cold pressing and unlike essential oils are non volatile. In aromatherapy and massage, they're used to dilute highly concentrated essential oils and absolutes, before being applied to the skin. 

Aromatherapy Carrier Oils

Absolutes are concentrated oily plant extracts, similar to essential oils, that are also used in the perfume industry.

Concentrated essential oils and absolutes can cause severe skin irritations and reactions to some people, if applied directly to the skin undiluted. It's therefore important that they're applied by a professionally qualified practitioner!

Different types of carrier oils have different therapeutic properties and characteristics. These will include aroma, colour and shelf life, so the choice of carrier oils will depend on the therapeutic benefits desired. 

Polmac Single-Tier Aromatherapy Starter Kits

What is formulated could be a simple essential oil blend, a more complex natural moisturizing skin care product, such as a lotion, cream or lip balm. 

Carrier oils like essential oils should be kept in dark coloured air tight bottles and stored in a cool dark place, for maximum shelf life. Carrier oils have a relatively short shelf life compared to essential oils, so they must be stored correctly! 

Many practitioners like to keep their essential oils, carrier oils and accessories in a special essential oil carrying case, made from wood, because natural wood compliments the 'essential' organic nature of the aromatherapy business!

For more information about Polmac (UK) Ltd customized, wood aromatherapy boxes, practitioner cases and starter kits, please CLICK HERE

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Tea Caddy Fightback!

Household tea storage was originally supplied in small containers or jars, often with tea caddy spoon. In Europe, the earliest tea caddies were made from Chinese porcelain and also from china clay with classic blue and white designs.

Chinese Porcelain Tea Caddy with Stopper

Later, a variety of materials such as wood, pewter, tortoise shell, brass, copper and even silver were used. From the late 18th century, tea caddies made from exotic hardwoods such as mahogany and rosewood were very popular.

The word 'tea caddy' derived from the Malay word 'kati', which was a measure of weight. However, up until about 1800 tea caddies were called 'tea canisters'.

Polmac Traditional Wooden Tea Caddies

Georgian tea caddies were often embelished with polished brass trim, as well as ivory, ebony and silver inlay, to provide that extra special mark of quality.  

Many earthenware tea caddies were made in Delft, a small town in Holland that had distinctive blue and white Dutch motifs such as windmills and people in traditional national costume. 

Factories in England also produced high quality earthenware tea caddies. However, as jars for green and black teas became less popular, wooden tea caddies with locks and keys were used.  

As the modern era approached, it was important for manufacturers to brand their products, as competition was fierce. This could be more easily achieved using wood tea caddies.  

Polished brass locks are still used today, particularly for high-end tea caddies but they're expensive and labour intensive. Plated metal catches are more often used these days, as they're inexpensive, readily available and do the job just as well! 

In todays disposable society, traditional wooden tea caddies are becoming more and more popular, as people try to find more distinctive and better quality containers for their favourite loose teas!

For more information about Polmac (UK) Ltd tea caddies and tea boxes CLICK HERE

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Horn Cutlery Boxes - Never 'Boaring'!

For centuries, bone, cow and ram horn, boar tusks and deer antlers have been used for making tools and other implements.

Ancient Roman horn clasp knives have been found in England and Chaucer wrote about a 'Thwytel', or knife in the 14th century, which was probably hafted in horn or bone.

Stag Antlers Lock in Battle

From the start, horn cutlery makers obtained their materials from local 'Knackers Yards', slaughter men and / or when cattle were 'de-horned'.

A major trade in stag antlers also flourished between gamekeepers and wardens in England and Scotland, although the main supplies came from London auction houses.

The Victorians substantially improved the quality of horn cutlery and began to sell their products in cutlery boxes and cutlery gift sets. 

 Polmac Abbeyhorn Cutlery Set

The finest horn cutlery was beautifully crafted in polished steel with silver plated ferrules and handle caps. So, horn cutlery became very popular, particularly in England, for all types of cutlery.

Deer horn has always been popular in the cutlery industry, because it has a fine, contrasting appearance and a visually appealing, wire-like texture. Early supplies of deer horn in England and Scotland mainly came from local deer parks.

Unfortunately, fashions changed and in the late 1920's prices for stag horn and bone rose sharply and it became extremely difficult to sell horn cutlery at that time, except in small quantities.

All the major manufacturers started using synthetic materials, like plastic, celluloid, rubber and metal alloys, in place of horn, because they were more readily available and a lot cheaper.

However, the stag horn cutlery and bone cutlery industries never completely disappeared and survived by catering for more discerning tastes.

However, in recent times the use of horn, bone, tusk and antlers in cutlery, particularly in England and Scotland has revived.

More and more people are looking for premium quality cutlery products that are different and more refined, even though the slightly higher prices may be a 'bone of contention'! 

For information about Polmac (UK) Ltd single and 2-tier cutlery boxes, including horn cutlery sets, please CLICK HERE

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Aromatherapy-The Holistic Way To Well Being!

Aromatherapy is used to maintain general health and well being and offers many additional benefits. These include boosting the immune system, aiding digestion, easing muscle pain, reducing stress and improving your skin complexion.

It can also reduce tension related headaches, alleviates anxiety and helps to reduce feelings of depression! This is why aromatherapy, as an alternative holistic therapy is becoming more and more popular.

Polmac 2-Tier Aromatherapy Starter Kits

Broadly, people who practice aromatherapy fall into two groups - practitioners and consumers and both groups need to keep their aromatherapy products and accessories somewhere.

Practitioners will have practitioner cases and consumers single, or 2-tier starter kits and simple aromatherapy boxes for their essential oils.

These kinds of containers not only keep the aromatherapy products and accessories in one place, they'll also protect and preserve the essential oils for longer.

Aside from aromatherapy boxes, if you're looking to impress your friends or relatives on a special occasion such as a birthday or Christmas, what better way is there than  giving them an aromatherapy gift set.

Premium quality wood is ideal for making aromatherapy boxes and gift sets because wood is a beautiful, versatile and organic material that compliments the organic nature of essential oils perfectly.

Aromatherapy boxes and gift sets may be crafted into many shapes, sizes and styles,  depending upon individual preferences and finished with beautiful clear lacquers, or stunning natural wood and colour stains.

They can also be supplied with printed logos and / or text, for a more personalized finish.

Different people will have different ideas about the contents of aromatherapy boxes and gift sets but the basics will include essential oils, carrier oils and lotions to dilute the essential oils and perhaps a burner or diffuser.

Scented aromatherapy candles can also be included, as they provide an excellent introduction to aromatherapy, some complimentary music cd's to create a soothing and relaxing atmosphere and perhaps a book about aromatherapy if the recipient is new to aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy boxes and gift sets and the essential oils they contain will provide valuable health benefits, along with enticing aromas that create a relaxing and holistic effect on mind and body that can be truly life enhancing!

For information about Polmac aromatherapy boxes, practitioner cases, single-tier and 2-tier starter kits please CLICK HERE

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King Tutankhamun's Plywood Legacy!

In 1500 BC Egyptian craftsmen used thin strips of dark ebony to decorate the outside of a cedar wood casket found in King Tutankhamun's tomb.

The Greeks and Romans later used this technique to produce decorative objects such as fine furniture. In the 1600's this method of decorating furniture became known as  veneering and the thin strips were called veneers.

Since then the technology has advanced considerably and plywood is now made from three or more thin layers of wood veneer, glued together with an adhesive. Each layer, or 'ply', has the grain running at right angles to it's neighbour, in order to reduce shrinkage and improve strength. 

Birch Ply Round Hamper Gift Boxes

Plywood has excellent strength and stiffness properties, and therefore performs well in applications where high strength and rigidity is required. It also has good resistance to humidity and is easy to work and handle.

Most plywood is supplied in large, flat sheets with thicknesses ranging from 1.4 mm to 76 mm. The most common panel size used is 1.2 m wide by 2.4 m long.

One of the great advantages of plywood, particularly birch plywood is that it can be pressed into simple or complex curve shapes, for use in furniture, boats and aircraft, so is an extremely versatile material. 

For example, the De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito flown so successfully in World War II was built from compound sandwich panels using Canadian birch plywood.

De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito

However, plywood is also used extensively in wood box making! Among the most common uses for thin gauge birch plywood is the manufacture of round boxes such as large round hamper boxes and shaker boxes.

It's also used as the base layer of wooden boxes to provide greater overall strength and rigidity and as the top layer of larger wood boxes where solid wood would tend to warp!

Plywood has a smooth even grain pattern that's ideal for the application of clear lacquers and beautiful, natural wood and colour stain finishes, that undoubtedly add a touch of elegance and class to the finished product.

For information about Polmac round plywood boxes CLICK HERE

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Customized Wood Fly Boxes - A Cut Above The Rest!

Fly boxes are used as an easy and simple way to store flies neatly and safely. The inside of the fly box is usually designed to accommodate a variety of different fly sizes and types.

However, choosing the right fly box can be difficult, especially as there are so many different types available, including fly boxes made from metal alloy, plastic and wood. Plastic fly boxes are particularly popular, as they're cheap and practical to use.

So, why would anyone invest their hard earned money in a wooden fly box when there are so many cheaper versions available? Well, one of the main reasons is that wooden fly boxes can be customized!

Customized Teak Fly Boxes

For instance, you can tell the story behind the craftsmanship that went into making it. Hand-crafted, wooden fly boxes can therefore be extremely evocative, because they  connect with a person's basic emotions.

The best fly boxes comprise the finest woods available and a method of production that combines using woodworking machines with that very important, creative human touch.

The base and the lid of these high specification fly boxes are carefully routed out to allow space for pre-formed foam inserts to which the flies are attached and these are then joined together with strong internal solid brass hinges and flush magnets.

The fly boxes are then waterproofed with several coats of yacht varnish and made watertight by fitting an internal rubber gasket.

The end product is a labour of love that can be customized with an image that meets a particular emotional need, or has some personal significance, such as being related to a country, a place or a river. This kind of personalization is very powerful indeed.

Wooden fly boxes are made from a range of beautiful hardwoods, including teak, walnut, bamboo and cherry and may be embellished with decorative features, such as carvings, flush inlays and colour combinations. Teak is particularly popular as it has excellent water resistant properties.

There is no doubt that people are drawn to custom-made, hand-crafted, wooden fly boxes because they are personal and have a unique warmth and beauty that is difficult to replicate in metal alloys and plastic.

They can also be signed and dated by the craftsman, so they become true objects d'art that have a practical use, rather than just being looked at. The process of making fly boxes may take longer and may cost more but the outcome will be well worth it.

Hand-crafted wooden fly boxes make excellent gifts because they evoke feelings of pride, so they can be cherished over a lifetime and handed down as family heirlooms.

When you show members of your family, friends and colleagues your customized, hand-crafted, wooden fly box, they'll be impressed by that special quality and know immediately that you're fly fishing in style! Isn't that worth waiting for?

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How To Get A Cracked Paint Finish Onto Wooden Boxes!

Many wood gift boxes manufactured for commercial use today are made to high quality standards, with a highly polished finish!

However, authentic cracked paint finishes on wood boxes are also incredibly popular but authenticity is a rare commodity nowadays.

So, this kind of finish is often produced artificially, to provide similar effects to the natural deterioration that occurs to paint over time, particularly when exposed to daylight.

Wooden Box With Cracked Paint Finish

The resulting paint finish is unusual and eye-catching and if done correctly can provide that weather beaten, rustic, farmyard effect that you may be looking for.

So, how do you get a cracked paint finish on a wooden box? Well, there are a number of proprietary 'crackling glaze' products, that you can buy over the counter at your local DIY shop, that will get the job done for you.

The application of the paint is simple enough but you need to understand the process, if you want an authentic looking finish. With this in mind, a little practice on some wood off-cuts you've discarded, until you get it right, makes good sense.

Proprietary crackled glaze products will provide instructions on how you can apply their paint successfully. However, to achieve the very best results, you need to use a combination of water based emulsion paint and crackle paint.

Use two base coats of emulsion paint, then one base coat of proprietary crackle paint. After the first coat of emulsion, add the crackle coat, brushed in the same direction as the emulsion paint underneath.

The second coat of emulsion paint should be applied at right angles to the first. Naturally, each coat of paint needs to be thoroughly dry before the application of the next coat.

Here are three tips to help you, when applying your paint finishes ...

Tip 1: Avoid applying the crackle paint in straight lines. You'll get a far more natural looking finish by painting randomly over the whole box.

Tip 2: Apply the crackle paint quickly, as the crackling process starts almost immediately.

Tip 3: Avoid overdoing the painting. If you paint back and forth too many times, you'll smear over the cracks and spoil the effect.

To provide a more interesting finish, you may wish to use two paint colours. For instance, you can use white emulsion paint as the base coats and red crackle paint as the finishing coat. Your wooden boxes will be painted red overall, with white cracks showing through - a terrific effect!

After drying, you can apply the crackle paint top coat which will seal and protect the crackle effect you've produced.

The process of applying your crackle paint finish is easy and straightforward, once you've had a little bit of practice. 

If you proceed step by step, with a little care and attention, you'll give your wooden boxes a great vintage look and feel that will impress not only your customers but maybe those farmyard animals as well!

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