Practical Aromatherapy: Three Exotic Carrier Oils For Optimal Skin Care

In aromatherapy blending, its generally the essential oils that get all the press. But certain carrier oils have very profound therapeutic activity for healing all sorts of skin conditions, as well as for daily beauty care treatment. It seems that some of the carrier oils from faraway places have the most dramatic therapeutic potential. Here's three great carrier oils from faraway places you can use alone or blend together in your skin recipes that are sure to give you the healing effects you're looking for.

Rosehip seed oil is first on the list. In terms of the exotic carrier oils, it is the one that's been the most widely available for the longest time, so it may not seem so exotic to some. This doesn't at all diminish its truly important therapeutic activity. Pressed from the seeds of rosehips grown in the mountains of Chile (a rosehip is essentially the fruit of wild roses), the oil has a lovely reddish orange color, indicating its high level of therapeutic nutrients. The oil often has a potent, earthy aroma to it.

The action of rosehip seed oil is regenerative to the skin. It has been the subject of much research, showing the oil alone can lessen the appearance of wrinkles, sun damage and scars, as well as improve the skin's texture overall. You'll find it in nearly every recipe for "mature skin" at approximately 20% of the total base mixture. It can be used at 100% if you like. It should not be used in formulas for acne, as its regenerative action can promote breakouts. You'll also find a CO2 extraction of the whole rosehips, deep red in color, if you which to use a more concentrated form.

Tamanu nut oil, also called Foraha, and even sometimes Callophylum inophyllum, is pressed from the nut of trees growing in tropical regions around the Pacific (specifically the islands of Vanuatu). The oil is unique in its consistency and color: the unfiltered oil is exceptionally thick and grainy, and can be solid at room temperature. The filtered oil is often still quite thick and grainy, with a dark green / brown color and somewhat pungent aroma. The grains are simply natural variations in makeup of the fatty acids within the oil, and will disappear when the oil is blended or applied to the skin.

Tamanu oil is considered a "wonder oil" in that it is thought to heal virtually every conceivable condition of the skin. It is an excellent choice for wound healing, scar reduction, and caring for mature skin, as tamanu can significantly increase the "turnover" rate of skin cells -- increasing the speed of this process by up to 3 times. It is thought effective for treating fungal infections, acne and eczema as well. Tamanu can be used at 100% strength, but is most commonly blended with other base oils at 10-20% of the formula.

A new oil sweeping the high end skin care markets is Argan, also called Moroccan Oil -- taking its name from the origin of the nut. The oil has been used for ages in the region for both cooking and cosmetics. It's acceptance by users of natural beauty products have been a boon to the local economy, and resulted in positive steps to preserve this wonderful natural resource.

The oil is rich in essential fats, plus the antioxidant vitamin E and a variety of other antioxidant polyphenols. Argan oil is reputed to have anti-aging properties, and be an excellent lightweight moisturizer. A director of research at Avada skin care suggested "the antioxidants and fatty acids work synergistically to stop inflammation", and important point, as inflammation is a root cause of skin aging. Argan is a very user friendly oil, in that it has little aroma of its own, making its use as 100% of your base formula more of a possibility.

As you can see, these exotic carrier oils are all highly regarded for skin care, with significant potential to keep your skin looking smooth and healthy. For a truly therapeutic aromatherapy base formula, you can use all three together in equal parts. A fourth profoundly effective oil that's no longer so exotic is coconut. While solid at room temperature, when blended with these other oils, it will remain liquid. Coconut, also being one of those skin care oils with a plethora of therapeutic activity, will blend exceptionally well with these three. To this formula, simply add 4 to 11 drops of one or more essential oils per ounce of carrier mixture. The essential oils can be selected precisely for your skin's needs, creating perhaps the finest skin care preparation available to you.

Learn more on the incredible array of therapuetic actions of organic essential oils such as organic Indian peppermint essential oil and many more at ananadaapothecary.com

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

August 29 2010 | Skin Care | No Comments »

Top Facial Beauty Care at Your Local Beauty Salon

'Facial skin care' is more a matter of routine than anything else. It's also about using the best products that you are able to afford to realize a lovely complexion.

The top beauty salons can counsel you on the best beauty care products and regime for your skin type but here's some tips to get you going.

A facial skin care routine is what you want ( and you must follow the facial skin care routine with complete seriousness ).

So let's check what involves an effective facial skin care routine.

Well, simply, a facial skin care programme can follow the following four steps :

* Cleansing * Toning * Exfoliating * Moisturising

Cleansing is the first thing in facial skin care programme. Cleansing assists in removing dust, pollutants, grease and additional oil from your skin, so preventing damage to your skin.

Just spot your neck and face with a good cleaning lotion or cream and gently massage it into your skin using upward movement. Use a soft face tissue or cotton wool to wipe your face in a delicate patting fashion ( do not rub ). Cleaning should be completed at least two times a day i.e. Morning ( as a part of complete facial skin care routine ) and evening ( on a standalone basis ).

Water soluble cleansers are the best for inclusion in your facial skin care programme.

Toning is the subsequent in a facial skin care routine. However, this is the optional part of the facial skin care routine. Often, proper cleaning can compensate for toning. Toning helps remove all traces of dust, grease and excess cleaner. Instead of making it part of your regular facial skin care routine, you can using toning sometimes i.e. When you have been exposed to particularly tough environment/pollution.

Exfoliation is again, sort of, optional step in normal routine for facial skin care. However, exfoliation is mandatory once or more a week ( or twice, depending on the skin type and the environmental conditions ). Exfoliation discovers its place in facial skin care programme because of the natural bias of skin to make good the skin cells every 3 or four weeks.

As a facial skin care methodology, exfoliation helps in removing the dead skin cells that clog the pores, therefore helping the skin in the natural process. However, excessive or vicious exfoliation can cause damage to your skin ; so you must balance it out.

The next thing in facial beauty care is moisturising.

in reality, moisturising is the most vital part of facial skin care routine. Moisturisers stop your skin from getting dry. Dry skin is truly undesirable since it cause the higher layer skin to smash, leading to dead skin cells. Again, use light upward strokes to make the moisturiser better. Moisturisers work the best when applied on warm and damp skin.

So do not try to remove all the moisture in the prior steps of facial skin care routine.

Besides the ordinary facial skin care routine, you need to also exercise the following for facial skin care :

* Use correct make-up remover instead of just washing it away * Pay heed to your skin type and the environment, when selecting facial skin care creams. * Before you start using a new facial skin product, test it by applying it on a short patch of skin e.g. Ear lobes. * Never rub your skin too hard. * Use sunscreen lotions for defense against sun.

Easy steps that can make all the difference.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

October 07 2009 | Skin Care | No Comments »