Showers and Baths
A.M. Shower If you want to be in an uplifted mood all day, have a shower using a plain sea salt scrub with essential oil of orange dropped into the scrub. Orange will help rev up the circulation, is detoxifying, and has a diuretic effect that can reduce water retention and cellulite. Wash the salt scrub off with a body wash of your choice, followed by a chemical-free body lotion. Orange oil’s fresh fragrance will revive and awaken you ready for the day to come. You can make up a blend if you choose with other energizing oils. Orange essential oil mixes well with ylang-ylang and rosemary.
P.M. Bath At the end of the day, there’s no better way to rebalance yourself than to have a warm soak in the bath using a soothing oil like chamomile—it will help calm any irritability and nervous tension brought on by the stresses of the day. Another soothing oil to use, if you enjoy the sweet, woody fragrance, is cedarwood; this oil will ease tiredness and soothe frazzled nerves with its clean, sharp aroma. Cedarwood blends well with bergamot’s relaxing energies and with sandalwood, a relaxing restorative.
A.M. Shower If you work in a stressful job and have a hectic lifestyle, lavender essential oil is ideal to use for your morning-shower ritual. Lavender will put you in a calm and harmonizing mood, ready to tackle whatever comes your way. This balancing oil is suitable for all skin types.
To get ready for the busy day ahead, use an exfoliating lotion to which you have added a few drops of lavender, and then wash this off with a lavender-infused body wash. Choose a good-quality body lotion, and you will be ready to face the day feeling pampered. To keep up the good work of your morning ritual, take a handkerchief containing a few drops of lavender oil to work, and sniff this now and again during moments of stress or when the going gets tough, for instance, during a difficult meeting or when working with challenging colleagues.
Lavender oil blends well with pine and citrus oils.
P.M. Bath After a tension-filled day, take a soothing bath into which you have added a few drops of marjoram essential oil. You can use any oil with soothing properties; jasmine or cypress would be ideal. After you finish your bath, follow it up with a massage, which is one of the most self-indulgent ways to enjoy the pleasures of aromatherapy. Make up a massage oil blend with a mixture of your choice. Dilute five drops of one of the suggested oils or one of your favorite oils in 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of a base oil. Then just massage it into your skin at your leisure; this will finish off the day so that you can drift easily into a deep, relaxing sleep.
Always remember that essential oils are very concentrated and they are always diluted in a carrier oil, unless specified as “nonirritant.”
A.M. Shower If you feel that you need to build your confidence for the day ahead and you want to feel alluring inside as well as outside, the use of an oil that has aphrodisiac and invigorating properties will help to strengthen your confidence and self-esteem.
To help you start the day in a confident mood, use a sensual scrub made by adding a few drops of ylang-ylang or rose oil. The heady aromas of these oils promote a sense of well-being, and their use during a morning shower will make you feel marvelous throughout the day.
P.M. Bath If you are going out on a date in the evening, after a busy day, run a warm bath with an aromatherapy essence that has sensual overtones. Jasmine is a good choice, but any oil whose fragrance you like will suffice. Your aromatherapeutic goal will be to build up your confidence when you go out on the date. After your bath, use a chemical-free body lotion to tone, hydrate, and beautify your body, and use a favorite aromatherapy perfume oil that is redolent of glamour and allure. You can use a nonirritant oil on the skin from the floral range of oils, such as jasmine, rose, or lavender. Don’t use too much, and check sensitivity before applying your choice on pulse points.
A.M. Shower If you are one of these people always on the go with no time for yourself, with a busy job, children to look after, and housework to do, you need a revitalizing oil blend that takes you from morning until night.
To kick-start your day, use energizing rosemary, an oil that will awaken and rejuvenate you first thing in the morning. Start with a sea salt scrub to which you have added a couple of drops of rosemary, and wash it off with a chemical-free body wash. Add a body lotion containing a dash of lavender, orange, or pine, any of which blend well with rosemary, but again, go for ones that you enjoy using. This therapeutic morning shower will keep your energy levels up throughout the day.
P.M. Bath Why not end the day by dropping a few drops of a fragrant aromatherapy oil into warm running water, and then simply lying back and relaxing for ten to fifteen minutes? Incense-like frankincense is a soothing, balancing oil that is emotionally comforting. It blends well with the spice oil, myrrh, and warm, woody sandalwood, as well as with sensuous patchouli. Lie back in the fragrant waters, enjoying the sybaritic pleasure of some “me-time”—you deserve it!
“Scents are surer than sights and sounds to make your heart strings crack.”
Rudyard Kipling
Skin Care
The essential oils extracted from many marvelous plants are particularly valuable for use in skin care. They can be used for all kinds of skin conditions and problems. Choose certified organic or natural oils, as these do not contain any chemicals. It is the pure essential oils that become a concentrated essence after distillation that work best in holistic beauty care.
Nature’s beauty essences used for skin maintenance act quickly and effectively to rebalance the epidermis, which is the outer layer of the skin. If the skin is too oily or too dry, it can be brought back into balance. The texture of beauty oils is much finer and more easily absorbed than shop-bought creams and lotions. Only a tiny quantity is required, due to their incredibly concentrated form, which makes them so effective and easy to use.
Unscented lotions or creams can be mixed with essential oils. Two or three drops in an unperfumed cream or lotion is all you need. Using these oils regularly will improve any skin condition and give the skin a healthy, radiant glow.
There are many different essential oils that you can use in your beauty regimen. Decide into what category your skin falls, and then choose the right oil for your skin type.
Skin Types
Dry Skin Dry skin can tend to look tired and dull. It may have fine lines and appear dehydrated. This type of skin needs repair using only the purest plant oils. A couple of drops of a pure essential oil in a rosehip oil carrier is rich in antioxidants, or drop the pure plant oil of your choice in a plain cream and use it to moisturize your face and neck. Alternatively, you can massage rosehip oil directly into your face and neck before you apply your chosen cream or lotion. This will hydrate and nourish, while also protecting your skin from free-radical damage.
Another oil that is very good as a carrier for dry skin is the oil from the avocado. This is a rich and unrefined oil, high in the powerful antioxidant vitamin E. Too rich to use on its own, avocado oil is very good as a carrier when mixed with another base. Two or three drops of frankincense, known for its rejuvenating qualities, can be added. This pure essential oil has long been used in facial blends to help prevent fine lines and wrinkles, to which dry skin is prone. This blend, with its rich vitamin content, will nourish dry, devitalized skin.
Normal Skin Not many women are lucky enough to have a normal skin that is in perfect balance, with fine pores and a smooth and even texture. Although this skin type is clear and fine grained, it still needs to be looked after, as it can easily lose its suppleness and flawless appearance. Good oils to use to keep normal skin balanced would be a blend of three drops each of rose, frankincense, and neroli mixed in 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of a light oil, such as apricot-kernel, and two teaspoons of jojoba. These two carriers work well together and easily penetrate the skin.
Oily and Combination Skin Oily skin is usually linked to hormonal changes during puberty or menopausal changes later in life. Men can also experience oily skin during puberty. Combination skin is a common type, and it is easily r
ecognizable: usually the cheeks are prone to dryness and the T-zone is shiny and oily. This type of skin is thought to be due to an acid condition.
A good base oil to use for greasy skin is grapeseed. It is light and odorless and has a nongreasy texture. Another carrier for treating greasy skin is jojoba, as it is a balancing oil.
Combination skin can benefit from using a blend of 4 teaspoons (20 ml) of a balancing jojoba base with the addition of two balancers—lavender (three drops) and geranium (three drops)—with the addition of detoxifying sweet orange oil (three drops).
If there is any sign of acne, a blemished-skin blend is useful, made up of juniper oil for its astringent and detoxifying properties, mixed with lavender, chamomile, or lemon with its purifying qualities and lymphatic cleansing ability. Note that lemon can be an irritant for some people and may increase sensitivity to sunlight. Do not use a strong concentration.
Mature Skin For the purpose of skin rejuvenation, essential oils are pretty remarkable. They contain potent rejuvenating substances extracted from aromatic plants. To avoid any irritation, these oils must always be diluted in a suitable carrier oil before being applied to the skin.
Mature skin needs an anti-ageing regimen in order to prevent lines and wrinkles and reduce the appearance of any that have already appeared. Many essential oils help regenerate skin cells and stimulate cellular activity. They can tone the skin, helping to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Another problem with ageing skin is the appearance of discoloration and age spots; this is often caused by sun damage due to sunbathing without applying sunblock.
NOURISHING CARRIER FOR AGEING AND MATURING SKIN
Macadamia oil has a rich fatty acid composition, so it is ideal for use when diluting the aromatherapy essences that will be used in a base oil due to its soft, silky texture and its quick absorption into the skin. Used regularly, this blend will make ageing skin respond with renewed life.
All skin will benefit from regular mini-facials and steaming, because the hot vapor helps to open pores and remove impurities. Regular gentle exfoliation is also beneficial, so that the upper cellular debris on the epidermis can be removed. This allows the skin to appear clearer, with a clean base, which will make it more receptive to any moisturizing or oil treatments that will be applied.
Choose a good carrier like argan oil, which is high in omega fatty acids, and mix it with another rich carrier oil. Helpful aromatherapy oils to add for this type of skin are frankincense, a balsamic firming rejuvenator known for its regenerating qualities; lavender, which is a cell regenerator; and neroli, a nourishing, replenishing oil that is ideal for mature complexions. Patchouli is a tissue-generating oil useful for skin that has begun to wrinkle. Growing older is inevitable, but age does not matter as long as you don’t look it! Youthful maturity is the aim, and with the regular use of nature’s finest oils, you can retain the beauty of your skin for years to come.
Skin Elixirs and Serums
Plant serums are used in holistic skin care as therapeutic agents and they work well, due to their similarity to the skin’s epidermis. Making a plant serum at home is not difficult. You can custom-blend these skin conditioners yourself, using good-quality ingredients. Only use plant oils as a carrier or base oil; they are used to dilute the essential oils and to support their use in a therapeutic blend. Once the serum or elixir is mixed, put it in dark bottles and store them away from light. Shake well before use.
All of these serums and elixirs can be used in conjunction with a facial massage.
Dry and Sensitive Nourishing Skin Elixir
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) apricot-kernel oil – suitable for mature, dry, and sensitive or inflamed skin
• 3 drops of lavender essential oil – calms and balances skin, allowing it to regenerate naturally
• 3 drops of geranium oil – regenerates new skin cells, boosts circulation, and has scar-reducing properties
• 2 drops of rose oil – a great skin healer, full of antioxidants
This nourishing elixir, used before your moisturizer during the day or before your night cream, will help to calm and moisturize your skin, improve tone and texture, and make dry and sensitive skin feel more comfortable.
Rejuvenating Facial Serum
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) jojoba or macadamia oil, both suitable for facial blends
• 4 drops of frankincense oil, known for its rejuvenating properties
• 2 drops of lavender oil, suitable for most skin types
• 2 drops of geranium oil, a good skin balancer
This nutritious and skin-supporting serum can be used on all skin types before moisturizer is applied and before night cream.
Caution With sensitive skin, always do a patch test first.
Anti-Ageing Serum
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) macadamia oil, quickly absorbed by the skin; its honeyed texture benefits most skin types, particularly mature complexions.
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) rosehip oil, a superb rejuvenating oil with a fine texture.
• 4 drops frankincense oil, important for treating ageing skin and wrinkles and for preventing skin ageing if used early enough.
Any anti-ageing skin care serum can be used from the early thirties on. The skin starts to age on a cellular level quite early in life, and aromatherapy oils in various blends are very good at preventing signs of ageing, dark spots, and so on.
Skin Protective Elixir
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) avocado oil mixed with sweet almond oil – a regenerating and stimulating blend that will revitalize dull skin due to its high concentration of vitamins and essential fatty acids.
• 4 drops lavender
• 3 drops geranium
This calming elixir is suitable for dry, sensitive, irritated skin and can be used before a moisturizer and before a night cream.
“Aromatherapy is extremely useful. If you want to sleep at night and you have an aroma that calms your mind, it will help you sleep.”
Deepak Chopra
Aromatherapy is suitable for men as well as women. At last men can look after their appearance and grooming without this being seen as only for women. Men matter!
Men’s interest in the use of natural products to improve their health and looks has finally arrived. They are turning away from chemically laden personal care formulations made in a laboratory and are choosing instead all-natural skin and bath products made with nature’s extracts. Aromatherapy offers a wide range of therapeutic oils to help improve the health and appearance of men’s facial and body skin.
For men who shave daily, the use of grooming products made up of natural oils can be invaluable in helping to improve skin health along with general health. With frequent use of these essences, men will recognize the real benefits of aromatherapy oils. By using them regularly, they will see improvements in their skin, body, and hair, as well as in their general well-being.
Pre-Shave Oils
Using pre-shave aromatherapy oils each morning will turn a shave into a treatment instead of a form of medieval torture! Daily shaving can cause skin irritation and razor burn or simply leave the skin feeling itchy, uncomfortable, and dry. Mixing a soothing mixture of lavender oil, with its mild analgesic properties, and comforting chamomile in a nourishing vegetable oil like apricot-kernel, will provide relief if the skin has become sore and red after daily shaving. If you use a razor, always make sure that it is sharp, and shave only in the direction of your hair growth. If your skin is on the oily side, oil of lemon with its antibacterial and astringent qualities in a light carrier oil will cleanse the skin and reduce the production of sebum (an oily product of the sebaceous glands).
If there are any spots or blemishes, a dab of neat tea tree oil with its disinfectant properties will help to clear these up.
Steam Cleanse If you suffer from acne, blemishes, or congested skin, first look to your diet. Often hormone fluctuations or a poor state of health may be the reason, but it can be hard to find the reason the skin overreacts this way. Using facial stea
m cleansing once or twice a week to clear blocked pores and purify the skin will help. Drop a couple of cleansing essential oils, such as tea tree or lemon, into the hot water in a facial sauna, or use a bowl of hot water with a towel draped over your head for about two or three minutes. Gentle, antiseptic grapefruit oil in a blend can be applied after the facial steam treatment to tone and tighten the skin, or to clear oily skin.
Regular use of a lavender and chamomile mixture will help with any ingrown hairs that may occur when the hair follicle is damaged by poor grooming practices. There will be an improvement in skin texture and tone. Treating the skin with a mild exfoliating cream once a week will loosen ingrown hairs and slough off any buildup of cellular debris. The skin should be glowing after weekly exfoliating treatments.
If you wish to add other essential oils to your daily shaving ritual, lemon balm—also known as melissa—is useful if facial skin is inflamed. This oil is excellent for skin care.
Blotchiness and Flaky Skin If blotchy red patches appear on facial skin due to the use of an old, dull razor blade, or the skin has become flaky and dry, use a mixture of anti-inflammatory chamomile and antiseptic bergamot; if you wish, add calming lavender to the mix in a nourishing carrier like almond oil. This blend is good for all skin types, and it is especially gentle on sensitive skin. With regular use, the skin will return to its normal state of balance.
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