Soothing Amber

I have used a necklace on my son since he was three months old. We had minimal teething pains and experinced little to know infections thouught his first three years. He now three and half and LOVES his :) WHAT IS AMBER? Genuine Baltic Amber is formed from the fossilized resin of plants such as conifers and angiosperms. It is otherwise known as succinite as it contains 3-8% succinic acid, recognized by allopathic medicine as a therapeutic substance. The colour varies from white, to yellow or brown, and amber can even be found in red, black, blue or green shades. Which colours of amber are the best? Well, blue, black and green amber are the most rare. The lightest, cloudiest amber is said to contain the most succinic acid, and the raw amber (non-glossy) is believed to allow for the greatest rates of absorption into the skin. Dark flecks within the amber are bits of insects, plants, flowers or feathers caught in the resin of the tree when it was still soft and these inclusions add character. Even though amber is sometimes referred to as a gemstone, as mentioned before, it is actually fossilized tree sap and is therefore lighter and warmer to the touch than stone. HOW DOES IT WORK? Amber works best when in direct contact with the teething baby's skin. The amber beads release trace amounts of an oil containing succinic acid into the skin as they heat up due to body heat. These oils are then absorbed into the skin and enter the bloodstream. Succinic acid is used in some pharmaceutical applications, and is recognized as having many therapeutic properties. The benefit of having it in necklace form is that the amount of succinic acid released into the skin depends on the heat of the baby's skin which is linked to the level of inflammation, thereby self-regulating the dosage. BENEFITS OF AMBER Some known benefits of the succinic acid found in amber teething beads: anti-inflammatory - reduces the swelling that is causing the pain calmative - has a calming effect analgesic - a pain killer expectorant - alleviates coughs by helping to clear the chest anti-pyretic - helps control fevers Other benefits of amber: It boosts the immune system It is said to help protect the body from radiation It can aid in treating bacterial infections It aids the body in the detoxification process It supports tissue regeneration Furthermore, amber is electromagnetically alive - the ancient Greeks discovered this and their name for amber was 'electron', the word we get 'electricity' from. It produces negative ionization on the surface of the skin and this electronegativity helps to prevent illness. WHY GENUINE BALTIC AMBER? The word 'amber' used to refer only to succinite, but now the word is used to refer to many forms of semi- and sub-fossilized tree sap (called copal) which do not contain the same levels of succinic acid, if any at all. Baltic amber, found in the areas around the Baltic sea, is the only form of amber which has therapeutic value. You can test to see if your amber is genuine in various ways. Amber becomes charged with static electricity very easily and will attract and even lift light particles such as fragments of tissue paper when rubbed vigorously with a natural matieral such as cotton or wool. Also, when genuine amber is heated it releases a 'pine-forest' like odour, where copal merely becomes sticky. HOW TO USE AND CARE FOR Despite the name, teething necklaces are not for chewing on! Merely wearing the amber in direct contact with the skin will bring the greatest benefit. Babies can wear the necklace from 2 months old, until the necklace doesn't fit anymore. Removing it while the baby is unattended is up to the parent's discretion, but many parents have had no trouble leaving it on their child all the time for over two years. Having said that, try not to let the necklace come into contact with harsh soaps which sometimes leave a light film on the amber which can reduce the amount of skin contact. If this does happen then rub the amber with some olive oil, and then wipe all the oil off with a clean cloth. SAFETY CONCERNS Some parents are worried that amber teething necklaces pose a choking hazard. Although the necklace itself is made of strong silk, the clasp is designed to break if undue stress is placed on it. If parents are still concerned about the safety of their amber teething necklace, they can check the baby's sleep area to ensure that there is nothing for the necklace to catch on, such as a buckle, or the parent can fasten it doubled around an ankle or wrist when putting the baby to sleep. There is a knot after each bead so that if it does break, only one bead will fall off, and if one is swallowed it will pass through the child's system easily without harm.