Oils and essences
Nile River, Egypt
Our dear Leo has been so sick the past two days. His body temperature reached over 104 degrees, which was a bit alarming when coupled with his splitting headache. Isn’t that the sign of something bad? A quick Google search and I was reminded that bacterial meningitis comes with high fever and headache, but also - oh, yeah - a stiff neck, which he doesn’t have. Thank goodness.
It’s helpful to have a doctor friend, and ours advised Josh on Leo’s treatment - pump the fluids, electrolytes if you have them (we do), max dose of Tylenol on schedule, and if symptoms are added or worsen, give the antibiotic regimen we got from the travel clinic for travelers diarrhea. After throwing up in the middle of the night, we gave him his first of three doses this morning. Bodies are remarkable and know what to do. Antibiotics help.
Yesterday we got to hear a very informative presentation about essences and oils made and used by Egyptians now and from 1000s of years ago. It was indeed NOT a low-pressure experience as Waheed assured, but we should have known better. Hoda, our super-sweet presenter and essential oil saleswoman, taught us about some of the medicinal oils and essences and blends for problems with skin, digestion, mental clarity, and general health.
Some pharaohs lived into their 90s or as old as 100, maybe some of these healing balms aided their longevity.
I’m still not 100% what a flower “essence” is, but oils are pressed from seeds, grains, even from glands of animals. Whale livers metabolize and then vomit a substance the consistency of gum, which hardens into amber (not the rock amber), and is found on beaches. Apparently, amber primes serotonin and melatonin production.
The legendary beauty Queen Cleopatra is said to have taken a daily bath in donkey milk, which according to Hoda, has the same collagen components as humans. (Wait, is that what she said? And, what does that mean exactly, and why does that matter?) After that, Cleopatra put frankincense and rose oil all over her body. I bought 25ml of Cleopatra oil to use for my skin.
Ari loved the lotus essence smell, we all loved the papyrus essence, and the black cumin seed oil was a cure-all oil taken orally, drops on the tongue. I kind of wish we’d have bought a pack of four, and Hoda was selling us real hard, but it cost $100 USD. As soon as we decided to just one small bottle, Hoda dropped the “sweeties” and the niceties were gone.
In hindsight, maybe we should have gotten something for Leo’s fever…
