Stacey Bresnahan wants me to chill-out with a little whiff of lavender.

Behold the first-ever Mama Guru to “join us” via Facebook! Though we’ve never physically met, Chicago-based organic fragrance whiz Stacey Bresnahan and I have lots of mutual FB friends. And as we got to e-chatting one day, it struck me that many moms out there could benefit from learning about what she does and how essential oils — and the delicious fragrances they’re crafted from — can lift our spirits and our senses. (She provides lots of user-friendly tips below.) If you’d like to sniff a few of Stacey’s incredible scents, hop on over to her website at www.face-organics.com. But consider yourself forewarned: The soundtrack on the home page is hypnotizing!

Me: How did you train as an aromatherapist?

Stacey: I’ve been passionate about scents since I was a kid. I’ll be dating myself, but I used to love those scratch-and-sniff books. And I used to hang out in my friend’s mother’s health food store. Her name was Fran, and she used to let us sample everything. Because of Fran, I started using herbal skincare. By the time I was 12, I was experimenting with putting fresh-picked flowers in olive oil for a few weeks, then taking out the withered flowers and adding fresh ones. At about 16, I was using different essential oils and creating my own scents. I later learned that alcohol was another way to capture the scent of flowers, so I used vodka until I got my hands on some grain alcohol. I was amazed by the benefits all of these different plants, which I learned through using all the creams and scents in the health food store, as well as my own research and experimenting. I was my own guinea pig.  And I read a lot. Jeanne Rose’s Herbal Body Book was my bible when I was young. I still have it, though the pages are worn out and yellow, it’s from 1976. Then came Jeanne Rose Kitchen Cosmetics and Jeanne Rose The Aromatherapy Book, folllowed by The Art of Aromatherapy by Robert Tisserand. His wife Maggie Tisserand wrote a book called Aromatherapy for Women. The list goes on; I have a huge library of books on this subject.

I also received my Shiatsu license from the Swedish Institute in New York City in 1995. I learned a lot about essential oils at that school as well.

Me again: Your scents are a compilation of several essential oils, along with other carrier ingredients. But if you really like a particular essence, like sandalwood or orange blossom, why not just use it straight, and skip the blended “perfume” version?

Stacey again: Most essential oils should be diluted first because they can irritate the skin. But there are a few exceptions to this rule. A drop of lavender applied to a blemish is okay, as is tea tree. But you really shouldn’t use more than a drop.

Me yet again: Why do you think it’s important to use organic essential oils?

Stacey yet again: Organic essential oils are produced from flowers and herbs that are grown without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. They’re as close to natural as you can get.

But it really comes down to your own preference: Do you buy the organic apple or just a regular apple? You know for sure that the organic apple hasn’t been sprayed with pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Organic fruit is more expensive but I buy it anyway.

Essential oils are often confused with synthetic fragrance oils, which are chemical creations of scents. Synthetics may smell identical to their botanical counterparts, but they don’t have the same chemical structure and don’t offer the same therapeutic effects.

Me one last time: About those therapeutic effects: Which essential oils do you consider to be the best de-stressors? And if stress-relief is a goal, can a mama benefit from burning a candle made from the same oils? Or just sniff them rather than wear them?

Stacey one last time: Lavender would be number one on the list of de-stressors! And sure, if you can find a candle made with pure essential oils, then yes, you can benefit by inhaling the aroma. But if it’s not pure, you’ll be inhaling a synthetic version, which will possibly smell completely different from the real thing.

But back to essential oil of lavender. Here are three easy ways to enjoy it:

1. The easiest: Add 5 drops to a full tub of hot water and just soak.

2. Another bath treat, which you can also store for later use: Mix about 10 drops into 2 cups of sea salt or Epsom salts in a ceramic or glass bowl ( not plastic, because you’ll never get the scent off). Epsom salts, found at any pharmacy, are great because they alleviate aches and pains. Store the rest of the bottle of lavender (easily purchased at Whole Foods, btw) in a cool, dark place.

3. Add 5 to 10 drops to a handful of olive oil and use to moisturize the skin after a bath or shower. I love to do this right before I go to bed and I have the best night’s sleep. Lavender is known to help with insomnia.

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