Herbal Aromatherapy |

Blackheads are among the least tolerated types of acne. They occur when a pore becomes partially clogged with dead skin and other contaminants. Unlike other lesions, such as whiteheads, the contaminants remain embedded within the hair follicle unless somehow pushed outwards. It is of no surprise that people become frustrated when their blackheads fail to respond to traditional acne medications. Naturally, they resort to more drastic behaviors to get them removed. While blackheads do require some encouragement to erupt, you need to take some precautions before tampering with them so that you don’t worsen your battle with acne. We have provided some tips below for blackhead extraction to ensure successful removal with minimal complications.

Anyone with a basic knowledge of the skin should know that it responds differently to hot and cold water. When we wash our face with cold water, for instance, our pores contract. The exact opposite happens when we use hot water. Since a blackhead is lodged pretty deeply inside our pores, we need to the benefits of hot water to our advantage. That does not mean you should go ahead and apply steaming water to your face. This can cause irritation and possible burns. What you should do is sit in shower steam for five to ten minutes to allow your pores to open. This will make the area more responsive to squeezing.

When you have completed your shower, move to the front of a mirror. Examine your fingernails to ensure they will not interfere in the removal process. If they are long, for instance, you should trim them. We don’t want to cause acne scarring during the extractions.

With your fingernails in good order, place your index fingers on either side of the blackhead. Begin applying equal amounts of pressure to both ends. The contaminants inside the pore should begin to rise above. Again, do not bring your nails into the mix! If the blackhead seems to remain stationary, keep applying gradual amounts of pressure. It should eventually budge. When all the contents of the hair follicle seem to be emptied, clean the contaminants off your skin. If any bleeding occurs, apply a clean tissue to the extraction site with some pressure.

If you followed the above procedure correctly, your blackhead should be gone and the site should be fully healed within a day or two. You can repeat this process as necessary, just be sure not to overdo it. We advise against using pore strips or similar products as they can severely irritate your skin and cause further breakouts. If you would rather have someone else perform these extractions, you should consider visiting an esthetician.

Learn about the acne treatment products and natural and home acne remedies thru our site.

The effort to protect your hands during Summer cannot be taken seriously enough. With the ultraviolet radiation and solar energy beating down from the sky, there is all manner of difficulty with keeping your hands from cracking and flaking in summer weather. By making the effort to protect your hands during the summer weather, you can ensure that you age gracefully and that you do not begin to show liver spots and other signs of skin damage on your hands.

Keep in mind that your hands are one of the most exposed parts of your body, and they see a tremendous amount of sunlight and activity. In addition to all this exposure to the weather, you also use your hands to touch everything you come into contact with. This means all manner of materials that can cause dryness, cracking and flaking.

Fortunately, it is not too difficult to protect your hands from the summer weather and activities. By utilizing good hand creams that provide ultraviolet radiation protection and strong moisturizing properties, you can protect your hands from both the summer weather and from any activities that you might get into. Considering all the sand and salt water that you might come across, it only makes sense that you would need some significant amount of moisturizer to combat the cracking and flaking that these types of activities and weather can cause.

Naturally, you will want to pick up a high quality hand cream with UV protection for your hands. Generally, the directions will say to reapply every so often. As a rule of thumb, you should reapply significantly more frequently than the label recommends. The reason for this is that if you’re active, you can rub much of the hand cream off of your hands in the course of day-to-day activities. Just like sunbathing, you should reapply as often as you possibly can in order to ensure that you do not damage your skin.

While protecting your hands during Summer might seem like it requires gloves, just utilizing a good hand cream with some decent UV protection can make all the difference in the world. Constant reapplication of your hand cream is all that is required to protect you. Unfortunately, very few people make the effort to make significant use of a good hand cream with UV protection, causing all manner of skin damage to hands in summer weather. It is important to keep in mind that any damage that occurs in your younger years will become significantly and noticeably worse in your order years. As you age, the skin damage will become more and more noticeable until it is visibly unsightly. Unless you would like to show off some brown and weathered hands in your elder years, it is a good idea to take a timeout to protect your skin from the sun and from the damage from the environment with a good moisturizing hand cream with UV protection.

While everyone has their favorite hand creams, it is important to make sure that the hand cream you use in order to protect your hands during Summer has a UV blocker and plenty of moisturizer. The higher the SPF rating, the better off you will be. With this effort to use a moisturizing cream with a UV protection level, you can work wonders for the health of your skin in the years to come.

During the summer days, it is absolutely vital to use zinc oxide sunscreens and hand creams to prevent the skin from damages. While hand creams nourish dry hands during the summer, one should also utilize natural cosmetics; it protects it from the sun and delivers a healthy appeal.

For many people with sensitive skin, the question of how to heal chapped lips has caused them all manner of difficulty, sometimes throughout their entire life. Suffering due to the difficulty and discomfort of chapped lips, not to mention the unsightly appearance that having chapped lips can give you, can be a tremendous burden to bear. In many cases, people can suffer from severely chapped lips without ever realizing that the lip balms and other soothing products are not working fully well enough in order to provide them with the relief that they need.

The best lip balms for healing chapped lips are generally those that are made organically. The added extras tend to be unnecessary and cause all manner of havoc with the moisturizing and healing process. By doing away with the unnatural additives and the products that you simply don’t need, you can increase the chance of your lips healing on their own, growing back the skin and eliminating the painful effects of having chapped lips. Only with the organic lip balms and products can you hope to get the full benefit of protecting your lips with a superior product.

Although many commercial and retail lip balms claim to be superior and extremely useful, the truth is that very few of them are as effective as what they claim. By seeking out products that are made with organic components, you can ensure that you have no problems beating the problem at its root, meaning that treating the problem and not the symptoms is what is going to cure your chapped lips. By moisturizing deeply within the tissues of your lips, organic lip balms do the job that commercially available lip balms can’t do. If you have ever seen a tube of lip balm product at the checkout at your grocery store, you very likely have seen a good example of a lip balm that is filled with all manner of chemicals and unnecessary byproducts. By using only the organic lip balms that are available, you can ensure that you are not putting anything on your lips that isn’t absolutely necessary.

This focus on avoiding unnecessary additives and looking for organic products is a good way to promote the healing of your lips and keep them from cracking and flaking during bad weather or during certain seasons. Some people are afflicted far worse than others, making it more necessary for certain individuals to utilize organic lip balms on a regular basis. Even for those who rarely use these types of products, the use of a natural, organic lip balm is far more effective and less harmful to your body than the commercially available retail products.

Whether you have a problem with how to heal chapped lips on a regular basis, or only in certain types of weather, it only makes sense to look into organic lip balm in order to eliminate the difficulties that you may have had with the store-bought products available in the past. With the wide availability of organic lip balms, there is no reason that you shouldn’t be able to find the product that you require to relieve your pain and suffering.

The nutrient-rich lip balms are great complements for natural makeup, allowing an individual to attain a radiant glow. Besides healing chapped lips, obtaining immediate relief for aching muscles is also unquestionable. Massage oils detoxify the skin, softening the body and provides a long-lasting protection.

Originally, the body wrap was a treatment where plastic wrap and other types of bandages were wrapped tightly around the body in order to induce weight loss through a process called vasodilation. While the effectiveness of this particular application of the body wrap was much debated, it became popular and remains popular to this day, although not quite so much as the new version of the body wrap which is a wrap filled with all manner of body creams, lotions, mud or seaweed and sometimes even clay and algae.

Once the individual has been covered with body lotions and creams, they are wrapped for 20 minutes and kept warm. Afterwards the product is rinsed off and lotion is applied to the patient. This is sometimes referred to as a body mask or a body cocoon, meaning that the body is basically covered, wrapped and slathered with lotions and massage oils for an extended period of time.

The body wraps that utilize clay, mud and seaweed are intended as detoxification treatments that rid the body of toxins by stimulating the metabolism. The body wraps that utilize body creams and rich lotions are intended as hydrating treatments that help soften the skin and create a general sense of relaxation. Generally, before the body wrap begins, the subject is exfoliated with a salt scrub or dry brushing and treated to a deep tissue massage. All of this attention and effort leaves the individual relaxed and completely rejuvenated at the end of the session. The effectiveness of the body wrap cannot be argued with, as those who have utilized them are extremely satisfied with the process.

Once the body wrap is complete, the product is left on for 20 minutes while the subject continues to keep warm. This is, of course, with the intention of sweating out the toxins and allowing the lotions and products to seep into the skin and moisturize the epidermal layer. Once the time is up, the body mask comes off and the individual is unwrapped. For this reason, most body wraps take place in some type of wet room, shower room or a room equipped with a wet table or large tub shower. Regardless of the particular process, the individual is completely washed down and rinsed off at the end of the session and there is generally some type of application of body lotion or cream to moisturize the skin and rejuvenate the body.

There are a few issues to watch out for with the body wrap. The entire process can leave you feeling drained and extremely exhausted. This is largely because of all the toxins being pulled out of your body. Along with the toxins will come a significant amount of vitamins and minerals that your body needs to stay healthy. Make sure that you are completely up to date on all of your vitamins and minerals supplements in order to ensure that you’re not left exhausted and worn out after the body wrap experience. Those who are claustrophobic might have problems with this type of treatment.

Body wrap utilizes organic body oil, lotion, and such to exfoliate skin. When its rinsed off, a sense of refreshing feeling will be present. Products such as body wash and massage oil are also applied to rejuvenate the body and help to remove unwanted toxins.

There are a multitude of ways to extract and produce essential oils. All of these ways require equipment that is somewhat elaborate, as well as a significant amount of knowledge of the chemistry involved. The idea behind most extraction techniques is that essential oils are mixed differently with different materials, such as solvents, alcohol, oils and fats, but not with plain water. Because of this particular peculiarity, extracting essential oils has much to do with its inability to mix with water. The variety of methods are generally suited to different plants, depending on the chemical makeup of each particular type of plant that is being used to produce the essential oils at hand.

Steam distillation is the most popular method of extracting essential oils from plant. By suspending plants over boiling water, essential oils are pulled out of the plant with heat and steam, rising into a set of tubes where the steam is collected and deposited into a reservoir. Once the steam turns back into a liquid, the water and oil separate, making it easy to collect the oil and recycle the water to be utilized again in the steaming process, or kept for its aromatic properties. The water that is used in the distillation process generally has some new properties that are valued amongst aromatherapists. The fragrant compounds that remain in the water cause them to give off an aromatic scent. This aromatic water is frequently used in cosmetics and for skin moisturizing purposes.

The fastest and easiest method of producing these types of essential oils is to put them in a press in a process called expression, similar to the manufacturing of olive oil. In the case of plants, utilizing a press is somewhat difficult, but for citrus peels and other types of oily products, the press is fairly successful and effective at squeezing out all of the oils. Naturally, without the necessity for water and solvents, this is the least expensive method of producing the essential oils.

Enfleurage is an ancient method that is very rarely used in the modern day outside of France. The process is very long and involved and has become quite expensive over the years. Utilizing animal fat or lard, plant blossoms were set up on warm fat that would absorb the essence from the flowers and become incorporated into the fat. Once the fat has absorbed plenty of aromatic scent, the fat is separated from the essential oils with solvent. This process is generally considered too difficult and costly to be utilized in the modern-day, despite its centuries old traditional use.

The least popular method of extracting essential oils is to use solvents. This is unpopular due to the fact that there is a chance that traces of solvent may remain even though they are supposedly completely removed from the essential oils. Basically, the aromatic product is dissolved in the solvent and then the solvent is boiled away, sometimes assisted by a centrifuge or a vacuum to separate the solvent from the essential oils. This process is very expensive and is reserved for very specific types of essential oils that cannot be distilled.

Essential oils are important for a sense of relaxation. By using the purest products, such as organic soaps, the necessary vitamins and minerals can be consumed. As the tissues around the eye are very delicate, night creams are highly recommended to achieve flawless skin.

Women are always on the lookout for something that will make them feel beautiful on the outside as well as on the inside. There are many women out there who spend a lot of money on this pursuit, and while it may be quite effective, many women are now-a-days forgoing the homemade remedies that are perfectly fine. It’s much better if they are helped by Spa place.

Most women have learned the art of the homemade facial mask, but there are a surprising number who do not have the best recipes. The homemade facial mask is truly a lost art, but it is something that is making somewhat of a combat, especially considering the state of the economy worldwide. The homemade facial mask is probably one of the oldest beauty secrets, so instead of just giving this out step by step, it’s probably best that we get right into perfecting the technique.

Tips and Tricks. Preparing for the facial mask is something that has probably has to be the most important thing, because we all want this to go over as best as it possibly can. Firstly, make sure the face is thoroughly cleansed before the process starts. By doing this, you are removing much of the dirt that may be on your face, which can actually have something of an adverse effect on your face.

Afterwards, cleanse with warm water and apply your favorite moisturizer. Once the mask is on, you remember that it should be left there from 3-10 minutes, depending on the type of facial masks. Also, if a woman has what they would call ‘combination skin,’ there is nothing wrong with using two different types of masks. This is something that should be taken to heart, as some women feel as if it will damage the skin.

In most cases, it is perfectly fine. There is also nothing wrong than adding an extra ingredient in there for good measure. For instance, if you’re one prone to oily skin, add in a ripe tomato and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. This also works with oatmeal, as it is a great way to remove some of the oil from the face.

There is really no going wrong in using facials masks that are homemade, as at one point every facial mask was a homemade facial mask. The best thing about using this particular method, regardless of your approach, is that you do not have to worry about some of the chemicals causing an allergic reaction on the face.

Additionally, many of the ingredients in the homemade facial mask are already in the kitchen, making this a genuinely cost effective way of beautifying the skin. Whether it is the famed milk or egg masks, implementing these tips in your homemade masks are a great way for you to get the results that you deserve. With the homemade face masks, it’s genuinely hard to go wrong. Not only are you saving a few extra dollars, you’re also producing an effect comparable to one of the expensive spas out there.

The dedicated staff at The Facial Place provide acne treatment, laser hair removal, facial, Laser Skin Treatment and many other products and services. Visit us Spa Oshawa, Ajax, Pickering, Whitby

Pure essential oils are found in many of the world’s finest beauty care preparations for mature skin, with very good reason. Known effects of essential oils include stimulation of cellular metabolism, tissue regeneration, antioxidant action, anti-inflammatory effects, and hormone-like activity. These benefits form the therapeutic foundation for topical support of the health and beauty of aging skin. And while essential oils used in natural skin care many not sound as exclusive as some fancy laboratory-made concoctions from Europe, their results can certainly be as profound. The added plus being you can make a blend precisely suited to your skin’s needs at a fraction of the cost of the high-end European imports. All the ingredients you’ll require are often available at your local health food store, with the more exotic items found on the internet from providers of therapeutic-grade aromatherapy supplies.

The Chemistry of Therapeutic Skin Care

You may ask, “What makes essential oils and their complementary carrier oils so effective for natural skin care?” The answer is found in nature herself. It happens that the elemental structures of plant oils are beautifully and decidedly compatible with that of our skin. Essential oils are easily absorbed through the skin’s various layers, and even through the skin’s individual cell walls. And the essential oils offer a myriad of healthful effects: they supply important nutrients and, they detoxify the skin, and they even signal skin cells to heal themselves! This compatibility makes the process of creating and using your own formulas extremely simple. One only need blend together a few ingredients to create a state-of-the-art healing and nourishing formula for better looking and feeling skin.

Carrier Oils: The Base of Your Formula

Let’s have a look at the carrier oils, also aptly named ‘base’ oils. These are oils cold-pressed from seeds, nuts and fruit that will make up the foundation of any formula. There are several to choose from that support the health and beauty of mature skin. These natural oils will form 95-98% of your blend, with the essential oils being added as the ‘active ingredients’. Avocado is first on the list, being included in many recipes for its hydrating and nutritive properties. Avocado is especially suited to dry skin, and should make up about one-fifth of the ‘base’ for dry-to-normal skin. Next is Apricot Kernel, also highly recommended for dry-to-normal skin, or for irritated and damaged skin. Apricot can make up the entire base if you so desire. Evening Primrose is a highly nutritive oil with a significant amount of essential fatty acids - important for building healthy tissues. Evening Primrose can make up to one quarter of the base. Hazelnut oil is very common in skin care blends, as it is well tolerated by all skin types. It can be especially useful for those with a tendency toward oily skin, as it has mildly astringent properties. Despite the seeming contradiction to applying ‘oil’ to an already ‘oily’ complexion, Hazelnut is recommended in the most advanced medical aromatherapy texts for this use - it can make up to 100% of the base. Perhaps the most important carrier oil to consider for mature skin is Rosehip seed - pressed from the seeds of a wild rose from South America, it contains research-validated vitamin A compounds that act like natural ‘Retin-A’, enhancing the skin’s natural regeneration, lessening the appearance of fine lines, supporting healthy skin that may have endured sun-damage, and unifying skin coloration. Rosehip seed can, and should, make up to one quarter of your base recipe. For example, a four-ounce base formula specific for dry-to-normal skin may be one ounce Avocado, one ounce Rosehip seed and two ounces of Apricot Kernel - other oils should be substituted according to your skin type.

Therapeutic and Aromatic Magic: The Essential Oils

And now for the magic ingredients, the essential oils: Carrot Seed essential oil is distilled from the seeds of Wild Carrot, Daucus carota. It is considered one of the most potent revitalizing essential oils for the skin where one’s lifestyle and/or environment may have taken their toll on the skin’s vibrancy. Also for revitalizing the skin, Rosemary Verbenone can be highly effective - this is a type of rosemary essential oil containing a higher amount of regenerative ketones than common rosemary. The essential oil ‘displays its main activity in the dermis (the middle layer of the skin), where it stimulates the metabolic functions, circulation, and elimination of waste products’ according to Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt, one of America’s leading medical aromatherapists, in his ‘Advanced Aromatherapy’. And perhaps the most revered essential oil of all for women’s skin is Rose Otto. This really belongs in every women’s skin care recipe — despite its high cost, its value cannot be underestimated. Only the tiniest amounts are needed; even 1/2% (4 drops per ounce) will have an excellent therapeutic result (and the aroma is absolutely heavenly!)

Estrogen Balancing at the Cellular Level

Clary Sage essential oil is considered to be particularly suited to natural beauty care. It contains sclareol, which mimics the effects of estrogen; this is noted by one expert author as the primary reason it helps with skin aging. It may also be the reason Clary Sage is said to regulate the skin’s secretions, bringing balance to both over-dry and over-oily skin. Elsewhere, it is noted as relaxing - even mildly euphoric - which may also contribute to its positive effects for wrinkles. Sweet Fennel is another ‘estrogenic’ essential oil, called for by Valerie Worwood in ‘The Complete Book of Essential Oils’ as an ingredient in wrinkle-preventative blends for all ages.

The Nutritive Oils

A couple of lesser known yet highly effective skin care specialty oils are Cistus and Sea Buckthorn. Cistus is distilled from the Rock Rose flower, with astringent qualities used for firming the skin. Some Cistus varieties tend to have a rather medicinal aroma, but truly fine ones are sweet and alluring. Sea Buckthorn is pleasingly sweet, and should be considered for blends for all skin types. Found as a CO2 distillation (not to be confused with the cold-pressed Sea Buckthorn carrier oil) the essential oil is a deep red color, indicating the high concentration of carotenes, vitamin A precursors so important to skin health. The virtues of Sea Buckthorn have been hailed by users with a wide variety of skin conditions and types at every age - it is useful in very small amounts, and need only make up 1% of your recipe to enjoy its benefits.

Balancing and Regeneration

Of course no discussion of skin care and aromatherapy would be complete without Lavender. True lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) can be included in aromatherapy blends for skin at any age. It may be especially supportive of aging skin through its combination of anti-inflammatory, balancing, and regenerative actions. Lavender is also well-known for its relaxing effects, and its support for stress reduction may quickly result in improving your skin’s appearance. For those whom enjoy its floral aroma, Lavender may be added in whatever concentration one chooses to impart its aromatic quality to the formula. For an even stronger anti-inflammatory and regenerative effect, use Helichrysum essential oil (also known as Everlasting or Immortelle). Helichrysum may be the most profoundly healing essential oil for damaged skin, often called for in blends for healing wounds or reducing the appearance of scars. If you are combining aromatherapy with other treatments such as microdermabrasion, Helichrysum would be an important ingredient in your blend.

Putting It All Together

The recipes for natural skin for mature skin are quite simple. A good starting place is the following ratio: ten drops of each essential oil to every one ounce of carrier oil. For example, if you have four total ounces of carrier oil, use forty drops of each essential oil. More essential oil is rarely better when blending a formula for the skin - many essential oils work best at low concentrations with some oils potentially irritating the skin at high doses. A good rule of thumb is to keep your overall concentration of essential oils below five percent of the total concentration. This ratio works out to about thirty drops per ounce of carrier. If you are designing your own recipe, you can start with equal amounts of essential oil in your blend. Some oils will have more powerful aromas than others; most of these very potent aromas will be oils that you will want to use in smaller quantities. You can also adjust according to your aromatic preferences as well, thus creating a formula that not only supports your skin’s health and metabolism, but smells lovely too.

And for the Man in the House?

Though many of these ingredients are preferred for women’s beauty care, comparable recipes are also used by men. A more masculine formula can be created using essential oils from woods - Cedarwood and Sandalwood are both good examples, having excellent therapeutic properties. Both Frankincense and Myrrh essential oils both have warm earthy aromas and are also noted for their positive effects on aging skin. Including oils purely for their aromas is always an option, too! Please note, there are a there are a few oils that should not be applied to the face: Cinnamon, Oregano, Clove and Red Thyme; pressed citrus as well as Angelica Root oil are ‘phototoxic’ (make the skin more sensitive to UV rays) and should not be applied to skin that will be exposed to sunlight in the following 72 hours. If you’re not sure about a particular essential oil, check with a reliable resource.

You Too Can Make Your Own High End Skin Care!

Creating your own personal therapeutic skin care blend is a wonderful aromatherapy project for beginning and advanced practitioners alike. You’ll have an effective mixture made just for your skin type, and that you can adjust according to your needs in the future. Plus it’s fun to do, and easier on the pocket book than high-end commercial formulations. As always when starting out with these medicines from nature, be aware of you’re body’s responses to the oils, respect their potency, and most of all, have fun!

The author regularly employs pure aromatherapy essential oils and Bach flower essence therapy in her practice.

At one time or another, many of us have accidents or surgery that can result in unsightly scars. The same can happen from difficult cases of acne. Even stretch marks from pregnancy or significant weight loss can leave permanent unsmooth textures on the skin. There are few treatments available beyond silicone patches, and these won’t work in all cases. If one is looking for a natural means to improve skin appearance as a wound heals, or to smooth old scars or stretch marks, scientific aromatherapy literature provides some formulas that may help.

Choosing the Essential Oils

There are a few primary essential oils used in skin care which offer their regenerative properties; these oils can be used in low concentrations, and are generally well-tolerated — certainly more so than many synthetic ingredients. The most important of these may be Helichrysum italicum, also known as Everlasting oil. This wonderful oil is distilled from the daisy-like flowers of the herb. It has a lovely earthy aroma and, despite it’s apparent expense, works in very low concentrations (only a few drops per tablespoon of your total blend). Helichrysum is strongly anti-inflammatory and contains powerful regenerative molecules unique to this oil only.

Helichrysum, the Healing Foundation

Helichrysum can be used in a simple carrier oil by itself, though it is considered synergistic with Rosehip seed oil and sometimes with Lavender essential oil. This easy-to-make combination has been noted by professional aromatherapists to “heal wounds with minimal or no scarring” though the nutritive triple unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin A compounds of Rosehip seed, combined with the anti-inflammate and regenerative properties of the Helichrysum. Helichrysum can be a little bit pricey, but it’s wonderful effects have been noted at very low concentrations of the total blend - a little will go a long way. Helichrysum contains natural anti-inflammatory, stress-relieving and regenerative natural constituents that make it an amazing healer all its own.

Synergizing with Lavender

Lavender essential oil the most commonly used aromatic oil due to it’s pleasant, soothing aroma and broad range of healing effects. Lavender is also included in many skin care blends as it also contains ketone molecules which stimulate tissue regeneration (similar to those in Helichrysum). The specific type of lavender oil is distilled from the flowers of the Lavendula angustifolia species. Lavender, also like helichrsum, is an anti-inflammatory, and is generally thought to bring synergy to essential oil blends, improving the efficacy of any formula.

Salvia Officinalis: Sage for Old Scars

The essential oil distilled from common Sage leaves is also used in the healing of scars, particularly old or unsightly scars. It’s natural regenerative properties and ability to promote circulation aid in gently breaking down the tough skin resulting from wound healing. Sage oil should only be used in these instances and in small quantities, as it’s Thujone content can be toxic in high quantities. If used in a recipe for stretch marks (see below), it should only be used post-partum. Despite it’s powerful components, however, when diluted and used with respect, one can use this oil safely.

Rosemary to Stimulate Cellular Metabolism

Rosemary will be the final essential oil we’ll mention here for scar treatment. For the skin, Rosemary of the Verbenone chemotype has many important properties - it contains regenerative ketone molecules, and stimulates cellular metabolism. This oil helps new skin form, bringing nutrients into the cells and supports the removing toxins and wastes.

Nutritive Essential Oils That Can Speed Healing

Other essential oils can offer important nutrient that may speed the healing process. Most importantly, they offer carotenoids and carotenes — natural vitamin-A-like compounds needed for increasing the strength of the healing tissue. Vitamin A is considered absolutely critical to normal skin development, and indispensable during wound healing. Two essential oils can be chosen from: Sea Buckthorn and Carrot Root. These are both found as ‘CO2′ extracts with deep colors, indicating the high levels of nutrients.

Tea Tree: Nature’s Finest Antiseptic

For wounds that are currently healing, a small amount of an antimicrobial oil can help the process. It can prevent redness and irritation that is the result of your body dealing with bacteria at the sight of the injury. One-to-Five percent Tea Tree essential oil can be added to any recipe (this is 8 to 40 drops per ounce of the total formula). The use of the Tea Tree can be discontinued once the wound has sealed completely.

The Carrier Oils: Diluting and Delivering the Essential Oils

All these oils but Lavender should be diluted in a carrier before use (Lavender CAN be used directly on the skin, but will be used in diluted form in the following blends). Many studies have shown the great efficacy of essential oils at low concentrations - so in Aromatherapy, ‘less is more’ is a general rule. Two highly regarded carrier or ‘base’ oils used for skin treatment are Rosehip seed, cold-pressed from a plant native to the mountain regions of South America, and Hazelnut oil, which is suitable for all skin types. These oils will help the essential oils absorb into the skin, and can provide their own nutritive properties. Rosehip seed contains a wealth of fatty acids, plus a compound similar in action to the pharmaceutical preparation ‘Retin A’. without the drying side effects. Hazelnut oil has mild astringent properties, and will not leave the skin feeling greasy. It is appropriate even for acne prone skin (where Rosehip seed is not!). Other useful healing carrier oils are Tamanu Nut — recently making waves as an excellent carrier for healing nearly all types of skin conditions — and Evening Primrose, which offers nutritive and anti-inflammatory fatty acids.

Choosing Your Recipe

So how does one mix these natural botanicals for particular uses? There are a few simple but effective recipes specifically for wound healing and scar reduction. For old keloid or acne scars, make a two-ounce base using equal parts Evening Primrose, Tamanu and Rosehip Seed oils - to this, add one milliliter each of Helichrysum Italicum and Sage officinalis essential oil. Apply regularly for three to six months for best results. For more recent cuts, scrapes, and even surgical incisions (that have reached the point where they are safe to get moist), use the same base recipe, adding one milliliter of Helichrysum and one milliliter of Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia). You can choose whether you’d like to use Rosemary and/or Tea Tree. Apply twice a day while the wound is healing. For the reduction and possible elimination of stretch marks post partum, again to one ounce each of Hazelnut and Rosehip seed oils, add one milliliter Sage and one milliliter Rosemary verbenone. Like the formula for old scars, use this regularly for several months.

This is a summary of a particular aspect of using essential oils for natural health, wellness and beauty. These are effective, tried and true recipes used for their specific, wound healing applications. You can certainly further customize the formulas to suit your needs, or even add additional oils of your liking. With some research, you will find there are wonderful recipes using essential oils for a broad range of skin care applications — they’re very effective, and they’re heavenly to use. As with all aromatherapy use, go slowly, watch for any (rare) skin reactions, and remember that less is more with essential oils - almost all have been noted to work in very low, well tolerated concentrations.

More information on using pure organic essential oil and therapeutic blends can be found through www.anandaapothecary.com

Mineral makeup has been around for more than 30 years, but is still being considered the new trend. The reason for this is that for many years, very few people used mineral makeup and its use was kept somewhat under the radar. In the modern day, with all of the individual effort to utilize organic products and take care of individuals and their health, this type of product has become very popular with beauticians and individual retail consumers alike. With so many different types of makeup that causes all manner of breakouts, it only makes sense to utilize mineral makeup whenever possible in order to minimize these types of breakouts. In other cases, mineral makeup can be easy on sensitive skin, preventing flaking and peeling. With all of these benefits, it is not surprising to see so many women flocking to the mineral makeup products.

The positive effects of mineral makeup seem to be endless, with women comparing it to traditional makeup giving it the thumbs up almost every time. For many, the fact that mineral makeup does not feel like a mask makes all the difference in the world. The effect of walking around with a heavy mask that feels like latex on your face can be uncomfortable and undesirable. These heavy rouges and lipsticks that are so common on retailer shelves leave a plastic effect that is barely tolerable for most women. In fact, these types of makeups can cause all manner of skin reactions due to the fact that they’re basically cutting off the skin from the available oxygen. These types of commercially available makeups should be avoided whenever possible.

With using mineral makeup becoming the new trend, it is becoming easier to find these types of products on the shelves. In many cases, consumers have to travel long distances to organic stores and other types of natural foods stores in order to find these types of light, airy makeups. With more and more retailers stocking the natural products, it is that much easier to locate the makeups that you require on a regular basis.

Anyone with sensitive skin or anyone that struggles with clogged pores, dryness and allergic reactions would be well advised to try the mineral makeup that is available to replace the traditional types of powders and liquids. Since mineral makeup is literally trace elements that are reduced to dust through a grinding process, there is nothing unnatural about their use. As more and more types of varieties become available, the overwhelming demand for these types of products are helping to make them a household name and readily available in every department store.

Furthermore, the minerals contain ingredients that are actually good for the skin. Minerals such as aluminum, magnesium, zinc and titanium rejuvenate the skin and refresh the body, offering a spa level beauty solution in the comfort of your own home. Using mineral makeup is the new trend for several reasons, not the least of which is its ability to help protect the skin from the sun. With natural UV protection, these types of mineral makeups offer hidden advantages at every turn.

Achieve great looking skin with natural makeup products for face. View our line of skin care products such as body oil, natural soaps, body washes and Dr. Hauschka skin care to keep skin healthy.

Essential oils are the most important ingredient in aromatherapy, an increasingly popular variety of alternative medicine which has undergone a marked comeback in recent years. Aromatherapy utilizes ‘volatile’ oils and certain substances extracted from plants to aid in the promotion of both physical and mental well-being in a person.

Essential oils are extracted from plants, usually by distillation. They may be extracted from any part of the plant, such as leaves, flowers, roots, resin and peel.

The oils are normally sold in small, glass bottles, but can be purchased in different forms. Normally they are released into the air by heating with a candle flame, burned as incense, or it is even possible to put some on a piece of cloth so it naturally releases into the air.

Also, essential oils can be applied directly to the skin. However, since they are highly concentrated they should be diluted first, so you must be careful. In fact, as with any kind of therapy, essential oils should be approached with a good deal of caution. Use the caution you would apply to administering any medicine and ensure you research the subject or consult an experienced practitioner. There are scores of essential oils, all which have varying properties, so it is good to educate yourself.

In addition, be sure not to confuse fragrance oils with essential oils. Fragrance oils do not have any medicinal qualities and contain synthetic substances. Ask around to try to find a reputable supplier that sells good essential oils.

As with many kinds of alternative therapy, a good deal of debate surrounds aromatherapy and essential oils. It is ignored by a lot of practitioners of traditional medicine, although other people have praised it as some kind of miracle cure. The reality, however, probably lies somewhere in between. It is widely believed that aromatherapy can improve well-being and mood in subtle but noticeable ways. Essential oils cannot cure a major disease such as cancer, though they will make it easier for the individual to deal with the symptoms if used properly.

As mentioned earlier, a lot of care needs to be exercised when using essential oils. For example, essential oils should never be used undiluted on the skin, they should never be taken internally and they should be kept out of the reach of children. Moreover, it is vital to use them sparingly, a drop or two is usually enough, and they can cause complications for individuals with existing medical conditions like asthma.

Essential oils are increasingly being embraced as a genuine aid to the promotion of physical and mental health. A miracle cure it is not, but with safe and sensible use its benefits can be significant.

Jim is a gazetteer with more than 25 years writing experience. Jim is presently employed as a columnist for many well-known b2b portals and has become the in house expert on essential oils. Be sure to visit our web portal for additional information on Essential Oil and Aromatherapy Oil.