by Donnie Boots
Because there are so many companies that sell essential oil products now. Both online and offline. Choosing a quality essential oil can be a problem. It is not always easy to distinguish between high grade or low grade essential oils. Even the labels can be confusing. How are you to know if it is “pure”?
For one thing, you can use your senses to evaluate the essential oil. Smell and texture and viscosity are all small parts of grading quality essential oils. Unlike base oil, essential oils are volatile substances which may not feel like oils at all. Extremely concentrated extracts contain many of the plant’s chemical makeup. Only high grade therapeutic essential oils are used in Classical Aromatherapy.
Unfortunately, many essential oils on the market today are mixed with different fillers of differing quality. These fillers are less expensive. So it helps the seller but when added to the essential oil it produces an essential oil product of lesser quality but similar aroma. Back in the days of ancient Egypt most essential oils were graded with a complex numerical system that is still in use today. Even then they recognized the supreme importance of high grade and pure quality essential oils.
Unscrupulous dealers know full well that the general public has no real clue what the real scent of jasmine or myrrh is like. They take advantage of that and mix in lower quality and less costly oils and an inferior product is then sold to the unsuspecting buyer. They may also use a base oil for mixing that is a lower grade and further jeopardize the content in the essential oil container. Some dealers will use synthetic substances for mixing too.
Sometimes these low quality essential oils are sold by street vendors or in flea markets or at fairs. Paying special attention to the essential oil bottles ingredient label. If an ingredient label is not present, you should walk away. One simple thing you can observe is what the container is made of. If it is plastic, it is not high grade essential oils. You want quality essential oil to be in dark glass bottles when you buy it.
Caution and good sense are advised for any essential oil you plan to apply to your skin, or someone else’s. Do not be fooled by a pleasing fragrance. That is no assurance of the purity or quality of the essential oil. You want the label to say “PURE” for sure.
Always work with a recognized producer and dealer. Choose natural essential oils. or organically produced essential oils when possible and when you are considering different brand names. Another, a wise choice is to purchase undiluted essential oils so you can mix it yourself, which affords you the assurance that you know what is being blended with it
Seek steam distilled essential oil products. Extraction by steam requires only herbs and water, no chemical solvents are involved. Be aware that the better brand names of essential oils are more expensive, because they take a lot of herbs to make a little bit of fine quality essential oil and that quality is worth it.
About the Author:
Donnie Boots is knowledgeable about pure essential oils and aromatherapy. Check out Donnie’s website to get more information. Donnie Boots is fascinated by essential oils and aromatherapy. Check out Donnie’s website for more details.
by Janet Milton
When we think of aromatherapy, an extensive list of intoxicating scents springs to mind: jasmine, lemon, myrrh, bergamot, sage! Essential oils are certainly the most exciting and showy aspect of aromatherapy. Wandering behind the bouquet of essential oils, however, come the carrier oils, a group of oils whose function is to assist essential oil application and provide nourishment for the skin. Essential oils, or volatile oils, are small molecules that change once they touch the air. Carrier oils are composed of big molecules that maintain their texture for a long time, giving necessary lubrication and moisture, especially to the skin.
It’s helpful to think of the relationship between carrier and essential oils as a dynamic that brings out the best in both oils. While most people consider carrier oils mediums for massage and reflexology applications only, carrier oils have healing qualities that essential oils do not possess. Rather than consider carrier oils a lowly delivery system for those stimulating volatile oils we all adore, let’s take a moment to consider the merits of carrier oils alone. You may never look at evening primrose oil the same way again. You may also find that your aromatherapy experience is blessed by new ways of combining oils you already trust with carriers that magnify their healing potential.
Fats, or lipids, are a critical aspect of human health. They are important for staying warm, protecting organs and assisting cellular activity. While nutritionists are focused on finding how fats are used internally, aromatherapy examines how plant oils improve health from the outside. What we’ve found is that fats, or oils, applied externally also deliver essential nutrients to the skin.
Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen combine to make a lipid molecule. It’s not necessary to tune into the chemical make-up of carrier oils, but it can be helpful because these terms are used in relation to many food and supplement products as well. A simple way of viewing a fat molecule is to know that some lipids have carbon atoms that form two bonds, which means they have a shared electron. These lipids are known as unsaturated fats, and you mostly find them in liquid form. They come from plant matter, and most carrier oils fall into this category. The second type of fat, saturated lipids, do not have double bonded carbons. They are usually found in animal fats, but some plants create saturated fats, too. A popular carrier oil, coconut, is actually a saturated fat. It can also be found on the market in its fractionated form, which is derived from breaking off part of the molecular chain. This results in a liquid oil. The oil functions the same way as in its solid, but it is much easier to apply in massage or reflexology.
A lot of carrier oils are composed of the super-stars of the fatty acid world: omega-6, or linoleic acid, and omega-3, known as linolenic acid. These nutrients, part of the essential fatty acid spectrum, are important for human health. Salvatore Battaglia, an aromatherapy practitioner, tells us that linoleic acid assists our liver, joints, skin and hair and also the cardiovascular system. Evening primrose oil is particularly effective in these areas. Linolenic acid is found in a multitude of carrier oils. When used as a supplement, it assists the eyes, muscles and growth processes. We find it in fish and plant oils, such as rapeseed and linseed, and this acid is especially useful in combating cardiovascular problems and hypertension. For aromatherapy purposes, finding superior carrier oils means the skin will derive fantastic benefits. Carrier oils help the skin keep its shape, color and nutrients, making it your best ally in skin health.
Carrier oils are primarily derived from nuts and seeds. They are extracted via cold-pressed technology, meaning high heat is not used. Once oils reach temperatures exceeding 160 degrees Celsius, their structure is altered, making them trans-fats, a kind of mutated fat that the body cannot assimilate properly. Expeller-pressing is another common extraction method. By placing seeds or nuts in an expeller, the precious oil is pressed out and then bottled. Superior carrier oils are mechanically pressed oils and have not been subjected to chemical changes.
There are many reasons for choosing one carrier oil over another, and most of the time this is based on personal preference regarding the viscosity of the oil and its natural scent. While this is a fine way to choose oils, if you want to include the specific healing benefits of carrier oils in your aromatherapy applications, it might be useful to look at how carrier oils are sometimes categorized. The primary carriers can be put into three groups: massage and reflexology, facial skin care and bodily skin conditions. Fractionated coconut, hempseed, sweet almond and sunflower are all great choices for massage and reflexology. By adding 10-15% essential oil, your carrier will be easy to work with and smell delightful, too. Carrier oils such as apricot kernel, hazelnut and rosehip work well in facial skin care, bringing vitality to skin that has suffered from the sun or acne. Rosehip also assists in reducing scars. Tamanu, jojoba, evening primrose, sesame, shea, avocado and grapeseed are excellent carrier oils for helping dry skin and other skin ailments, like eczema. Deciding on a carrier oil might require a bit of experimentation to see how your body responds, but when you land on the best oil for your needs, you can move on to blending your carrier with essential oils.
Mixing carrier oils with volatile oils allows the essential oil to be used more efficiently. Volatile oils have a short lifespan once they hit the air. In about an hour, these oils are no longer active. A carrier oil, with its viscous body, keeps the essential oil vibrant, allowing the essential oils to exhibit their healing qualities longer. A way to remember this is to consider what happens when you put a drop of ylang ylang on your skin. Within an hour the scent is decreased. If you mix the ylang ylang with a carrier, however, the scent, and the oil’s medicinal qualities will last much longer. Aromatherapists have found that essential oils are most effective when they are applied on a regular basis, and carrier oils allow us to do so. Because some essential oils may burn the skin, carriers also protect the skin from this potential pitfall.
Carrier oils are certainly the least glamorous oils in the aromatherapy world, but with a little effort, these humble oils can bring a world of comfort from the outside in. The added bonuses of finding your ideal carrier oil is that your essential oils will last longer, your skin will sing with happiness over its new-found moisture, and you won’t need to ask yourself, “Now how do I apply this frankincense?
About the Author:
For more resources on using the essential oils and Bach Remedies and flower essences, visit the Ananda Apothecary.
by A Nutt
Facials are treatments of the epidermis designed to enhance the look and texture of facial skin by cleansing, hydrating, removing dead skin cells, unblocking clogged pores, and/or tightening the facial skin. Facials can be as simple as using an old-fashioned recipe at home or as elaborate as a full day spent being pampered by a professional aesthetician at a fancy spa. The benefits of facials can go more than skin deep, though, providing a sense of relaxation and peace while enhancing self confidence and promoting a general feeling of well being. Here I will explain some of the different types of facials and the processes involved in them, and I will give you a few tips on making the most of your facial experience.
A facial can be a one step process or can involve multiple different applications. Each type of facial application has a different purpose and result. The first step in a facial, after routine cleansing, is the application of a facial rinse, or astringent, also called toner, which is used to clean excess oil and dirt from the tiny pores of the skin. In addition, to cleansing, the astringent tightens the facial skin. Most astringents contain some type of harmless acidic compound which draws the pores closed, resulting in a firmer skin texture. Popular recipes used in home facial washes include lemon or orange juice mixed with a small amount of mineral water and applied with a cotton ball to the face. Many name brand facial toners are available at most drug and retail stores and work on the same principle using a variety of natural or synthetic astringents.
A facial scrub is another form of the facial, usually used after the toner. The scrub’s main purpose is to remove dead skin cells, allowing the fresher, softer skin underneath to show through which gives the face radiance and a more youthful look and feel. Sugar scrubs are popular at home and are can be made simply by mixing some sugar (brown or white) into a small amount of olive oil, applying to the face in a gentle circular motion and rinsing with plain water.
A popular image when thinking of a facial includes a person lying down with a thick coating on the face and cucumber slices on the eyes. The coating on the face is called a mask, for obvious reasons, and there are many different types of masks for a wide variety of desired results. There are masks for deep pore cleansing, for firmer skin, for intensive hydration or for removing excess oil, among others. Some masks harden and peel off, mostly for the purpose of removing dirt and oil from deep within the pores, while others remain soft and are rinsed off, such as deeply moisturizing or exfoliating masks. And the cucumber slices on the eyes actually do serve a purpose by slightly tightening the skin around the eyes through the astringent properties of the cucumber!
The last step in a full facial is to moisturize. Moisturizers are chosen depending on skin type and add the finishing touch by further hydrating the skin for maximum softness and radiance. A moisturizer is generally applied sparingly and left to soak into the skin. A facial moisturizer should really be used every day, but no facial experience is truly complete without this last step.
Whether you pay for the full experience at a luxury spa or pamper yourself at home, you’ll feel the benefits of a facial long beyond the time it takes to have one. Soothing music, flickering candles and a subtle scent in the air will enhance your experience even further. Enjoy the lasting effects of rejuvenation and renewed self confidence that a facial can bring.
About the Author:
The dedicated staff at The Facial Place provide acne treatment, laser hair removal, facials Ajax, laser skin treatment and many other Spa Ajax products and services. Just because you have sensitive skin doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy having a good facial treatments every now.