Skin 101

I just downloaded an iPod application about different toxins or pollutants found in my neighborhood. Curious as I was, I was shocked to see that there are 63 pollutant sources, ranging from Air to Water to Ground and Radio Waves in my neighborhood! All of these affect us one way or another. We either eat or drink pollutants, breathe them in, or absorb them through our skin. This leads me to the topic of this post - Skin 101.

With so many different pollutants and especially with the recent natural disasters and the radioactive scare in Japan, it is easy to understand why we are leaning more and more toward purchasing organic products. However, do we apply the same wisdom to our skin care products? Not so much. Commercially available skin care includes many ingredients that are borderline harmful. While some of the ingredients listed may not be harmful in a single application, using the product over a longer period of time may then be a different story. In order to understand why it is so important to use organic products not only for the foods we eat but also for our skin care, it is important to know how our skin works and functions.

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Change is in the Air

Do you want the GOOD or the BAD news first?

I start with the good! I was taught to always say something positive first so here it goes: I am in the process of combining both of my blogs (this one) as well as a blog that I started for Hypnosis. The new blog is called "Mind and Body Works" and is about a holistic approach to wellness. The new blog includes everything that was posted under Naturally by Lavenora as well as covers topics about hypnosis, kinesiology, meditation, yoga and many more interesting and captivating topics that pertain to wellness.

So please check out the new and improved blog: Mind and Body Works

The sad news is that I will discontinue blogging here under Naturally by Lavenora :( Since Mind and Body work together, I thought it best to also have the two blogs integrated.

I thank you for visiting this blog and hope that you find the new and improved Mind and Body Works just as interesting.

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Shea Butter Treatment Stick

Just a week ago, a friend of mine and I participated in an 18-mile walk to support "Out of the Darkness - Overnight" in order to raise awareness about depression and suicide. In hindsight, I guess I was not as well prepared for the walk as I should have been. Walking 18 miles was more straining on my feet and body than I had thought it would. Therefore, I must have over extended either the ligaments or tendons in my foot and leg because ever since then I was in slight pain.

Then yesterday, while walking around a craft fair, I got the idea to make my own Shea Butter Treatment Stick. Not only is this treatment stick a great moisturizer, it is also wonderful for On-the-Go and is "airplane friendly" due to its solid texture. That means, you can carry it in your purse and not in a zip-lock bag :)

I used very few yet powerful ingredients for the base:

Beeswax is anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and heals wounds
Shea Butter is moisture spending; it is also anti-inflammatory and great for sprains, and
Jojoba Oil penetrates quickly into the skin and rejuvenates the skin.

To the base, I added the following essential oils that soothes muscle pains and sprains:

Peppermint (YL) is great for tired muscles and legs and a wonderful pain reliever.
Roman Chamomile (YL) is antispasmodic and soothes the nerves.
Rosemary (YL) stimulates the circulation and has anti-inflammatory properties.
Verbena is also an anti-inflammatory oil and is good for the neuromuscular system.

I've applied the Shea Butter Treatment Stick only twice and my foot feels so much better!

What a wonderful gift from Nature!!!

Many Blessings!!!

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Earth Day

Planet Earth is our home and just as we take care of our immediate living environment, we need to take care of Mother Earth. We spend a lot of time taking care of our cars, our homes, and our self in order to feel good. While there is nothing wrong with wanting to look and feel good, it is equally important to spend some time and reflect on our planet. Sadly, we tend to neglect the planet we live on. It is time that we shift our focus and start caring and nurturing the ground we walk on. We need to take care of our home so that we will have one for years to come. Respect Planet Earth ♥

Earth Day is a day to reflect, reuse, & recycle as well as to use organic and natural products whether that is in your food, home, or cosmetic products. 

picture taken from http://sacramentoscoop.com/2009/04/20/

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"Achew" ...

When people hear "achew" followed by another sneeze and another, they usually stay away and think "don't come too close to me. I don't want to catch what you are having." However, it does not always need to be a cold; it could also be allergies, especially in the spring. For the first time this year, the pollen found in my neighborhood are tickling my nose ... badly! My "achew's" are due to hay fever.

What is Hay Fever?
Hay Fever is an allergic reaction to pollen. The body's immune system is reacting to pollen as if it were threatening the body thus is trying to get rid of the "invasion" (the pollen). The body reacts with sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes... all symptoms of hay fever and all are meant to cleanse the body from the unwanted pollen and mistaken threat. My immune system receives wrong information from my brain that signals and sends messages to all the T helper cells "Invasion! We are under attack! We must fight back!" And they do...

Natural Treatment for Hay Fever
I found that inhaling essential oils is calming my sneeze attacks as well as the watery eyes, itching and tickling of my nose. I've made my own Hay Fever Blend with Roman Chamomile, Lavender, Lemon, and Rosemary. This blend works wonders and in order to be able to carry it around with me wherever I go, I put it in an inhaler as well as made a salve.

Hay Fever Blend
3 drops Roman Chamomile
3 drops Lavender
2 drops Lemon
2 drops Rosemary (or Eucalyptus)

Inhaler
The inhaler consists of 4 parts. Add the hay fever blend to the white cotton stick, then hold the tube upside down and drop the cotton stick (hold it with tweezers) into it. Attach the bottom plug to the tube (push it in) and voila, the inhaler is ready to use. The remaining part is the protection tube.

Salve
1/8 teaspoon Beeswax
1/8 teaspoon Coconut Oil
2/8 teaspoon Shea Butter
Hay Fever Blend


Melt the beeswax and the oils in a double boiler, let cool down a little bit then add the hay fever blend. Fill into a small container and use it on your nostrils and sinus area. It leaves your skin soft and silky-smooth while allowing the essential oils to penetrate into your skin and calm the attacks.

Be well and feel well!

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Gratitude

Thank you for the opportunity to share information & experience about health (body, mind & spirit). You're providing space for us to educate and inform ourselves & others on massage, essential oils, hypnotherapy and many other topics.
I'm Lorenzo (blisspapi), New York State Licensed Massage Therapist with an Associates Degree in Occupational Studies from the Swedish Institute In New York City. I am a regular yoga practitioner, enjoy meditation and continuing education in the fields of Health & Wellness. I've had the pleasure of working and studying with Heike in various settings. I've totally enjoyed our session where Heike has provided Hypnosis and I provided Reflexology using Young Living Essential Oils, we refer to the session as Hypno-Reflexology. I know that this work offers many benefits to the clients as well as the therapists. We have the opportunity to connect to our breath (life force) on a level that we may not be aware of in our daily routines. We not only connect to our breath, we connect with each others energy on a level that is a gift. When "we" as the therapist stay in our intention to provide client centered work we are connecting on a level that includes trust and life affirmation. The gift is mindfulness to the connection.
I look forward to reading other posts on this blog and contributing future posts about benefits of massage, reflexology and breath work.

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Lip Balm

It's winter time, the air is dry and cold, and my lips are always chapped. I am buying so many different chapsticks, some work while some are not so great. I carry them around with me every where I go and have one in each pocket, in my living room, bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen... I always have to have my chapstick like I'm addicted to it. So I thought that it should be fairly easy to make your own and sure enough, it is!

After taking an online class at the Aromahead Institute, I made my own lip balm today. It is so wonderful! It leaves my lips feeling moisturized, nurtured, and soft. I made two different "flavors" - one with Orange Essential Oil and another one with Honey Ginger Essential Oil. The ingredient list is very short and includes only beeswax, jojoba oil, shea butter, and coconut oil. Last I added the essential oils.

Go to my website to check out the recipe.

Have a smoochy winter

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Don't let the bedbugs bite

Wherever I go, I hear about bedbugs. It makes my skin itch just thinking about them. They are of great concern lately. Those pesty little insects are everywhere. I see patients come into the ER with bedbugs bites and their homes are infested. In fact, entire neighborhoods are infested and stores in New York City had to close because of bedbugs. Yikes... The good news is that those tiny insects are more of a nuisance then anything else and there are some pre-cautions that you can take in order to avoid them or get rid of them.

Bye-Bye Bedbugs

• Don't pick up any used furniture from the street
• When you buy clothing, wash them immediately and dry them in the dryer for at least 20 minutes. The heat will destroy the bugs as well as the eggs. 
• Get rid of any infested mattresses or box springs - or - buy one of those plastic mattress bags as this will keep the bugs from spreading. 
• Vacuum any cracks and crannies in your home including your mattress and immediately discard the vacuum bag.
• Clean your floor with Thieves Cleaner
• Spray your mattress with Thieves Spray 

Make your own "insecticide" with Essential Oils (EO) - you'll need:
- Spray bottle
- 4 ounces of distilled water
- 10 drops Palo Santo EO
- 6 drops Eucalyptus Blue EO
- 5 drops Cedarwood EO
Shake well before spraying your furniture and mattress(es).

Other uses for the above mentioned EOs:
- Make your own sachets to put under your mattress. Just add the EOs to cornstarch or baking soda, mix them well together and place in cotton tea bags.
- Diffuse your room with the mixture of EOs as well as Purification EO.

Good Luck!

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Lavender

I realized that I had not dedicated a blog entry to my favorite plant ~ LAVENDER.

How could I have missed that?!

So today, because I'm in a lavender kind of mood, I'm writing about Lavender and its multiple uses and benefits...

The History of Lavender in brief

Lavender has a long history and dates back to at least 2,500 years. In ancient Egypt, it was used as perfume and for mummification. Romans have used lavender oils to scent the air, for cooking, and bathing. Quite possibly, the Latin root derives from those times. Lavare - to wash and Livendula - livid. During the middle ages, the dried lavender was thrown on the ground or floor to fumigate the homes. Lavender was mostly used by monasteries but by the time Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries, lavender moved into the gardens of domestic homes. The women used it to give their lines a fresh scent. Sachets were created and placed between clothing. During the 16th century France lavender was used against infections. The story of the great plague and the thieves that stole herbs and oils divide a bit and some stories include lavender while others do not. It is said that during the plague the thieves who stole Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, Lavender, and Rosemary were spared from the illness. During WW II, lavender was used to disinfect floors and walls and it was also used as a first aid for burns.

Uses for Lavender Essential Oil


Nervous System: Lavender has a calming effect on the nervous system and is therefore great for

• headaches
• anxiety
• depression
• nervous tension or 
• stress

It has a calming scent, a refreshing aroma and antidepressant properties.

Sleep: Due to the calming scent, lavender essential oil is great for

• insomnia
• difficulty falling asleep

Pain Relief: The anti-inflammatory properties of lavender make for a wonderful first aid for minor

• burns
• sunburn
• sores
• muscle aches
• rheumatism
• sprains
• backache. 

Mixed in massage oil, lavender can provide deep relief. Its antispasmodic properties make it great for

• cramps of all kinds thus is great for female issues or infections of the bladder. 

Respiratory Problems: Lavender is a decongestant and its antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties aid when having

• throat infections
• flu
• cough
• cold
• asthma
• sinus congestion
• bronchitis
• whooping cough
• laryngitis
• tonsillitis

Use it in a diffuser or apply a few drops of 100% pure, Grade A, therapeutic essential oil directly on the skin of your neck, chest, and/or back. It is a great addition for inhalers.

Skin Care: I use lavender essential oil in virtually all my body products. It has antiseptic and antifungal properties and is wonderfully soothing for

• eczema
• psoriasis 
• achne
• sunburn
• minor burns
• healing scars
• cell regeneration
• wrinkles

Digestion: Due to its tonic, antispasmodic, and anti-inflammatory properties, lavender is great to aid

• indigestion
• stomach pains
• colic
• flatulence
• vomiting
• diarrhea

How to use Lavender Essential Oil

Aromatherapy

1. put a a drop or two in the palm of your hand, rub your hands together and cup them over your nose, breathe in deeply
2. put a few drops onto a cotton ball and place it into your room, on your nightstand, next to your pillow etc.
3. put a few drops in either a steam or electric diffuser.

Topical Application

1. Use only pure, 100%, Grade A, therapeutic essential oils when using directly on your skin.
2. Test your skin for any allergic reaction before using the oil(s) neat on your skin.
3. Lavender Essential Oil is great to use in creams, lotions, soaps or massage oils.

Other Uses for Lavender

The dried flowers are wonderful in sachets or potpourri. The scent will freshen up any closet or room. Also, the flowers are often used in the culinary world where they decorate cakes and other baked goods. Lavender Essential Oil is used in food such as melted chocolate, deserts, infused in drinks, and used as a spice. Honey is produced from Lavender flowers.

Have a lovely lavender-scented day!

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Free Essential Oil Products

Hello Dear Reader,

I am so excited that all I could think of is to share my joy with you. Maybe you know - or maybe you don't - I am a distributor with Young Living. Oh no! No, don't worry, this is not a sales pitch. Absolutely not! My intention is purely that of sharing my joy and information about the oils :)

So, part of the benefit of being a distributor (or customer) is that you collect points for each order you place. Even though I am a distributor, I have been using the oils mainly for personal use and for my products. My talent is not in sales, LOL. So far, I've collected over 400 points and thought today is the day to redeem my gift for these points.

Ooops, I realize now that my headline may sound a little misleading. Unfortunately, I am not giving away any free products :( I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. Please continue reading! While I am not giving away any products, the benefit to you is there, indirectly. I am sharing information with you that I hope you are interested in. I do hope that I spark your interest a little bit to use essential oils (whatever brand works for you) in your life. So let me tell you about the oils that I ordered:

• Dream Catcher has an exotic aroma and aids in visualization and dreaming. Thus it is great for meditation as well. It aids in the formation of positive thinking and fosters the realization of dreams and goals. Since it is a blend, it includes Tangerine, Sandalwood, Ylang Ylang, Black Pepper, Bergamot, Juniper, Blue Tansy, and Anise. 
• Helichrysum is a great oil to use in skin care as it provides a defense against harmful free radicals. It works wonders for eczema sufferers and reduces scar tissue. 
• Jasmine has a sweet, warm and exotic aroma. It is such a lovely addition to any cream and gives it the most wonderful scent. Not only do I add Jasmine for its aroma but Jasmine also has a soothing and calming effect on the nervous system. So added to your body cream, you have the double effect of the floral and seductive fragrance that uplifts your spirits and enhances self-confidence. 
• Sacred Frankincense ~ this powerful oil comes from the Boswellia Sacra tree and the resin is widely used for spiritual practices. This sacred oil is a very valued addition in my skin care regimen as it provides the transportation of oxygen to cells. It has an astringent effect on the skin and makes your skin look younger, healthier, and is excellent for mature skin as well as eczema sufferers due to its soothing and calming effect. 
• Australian Blue ~ the name alone implies the ancient wisdom of aboriginal culture as it includes Blue Cypress that has been used pharmaceutically for thousands of years by aborigines. It is another exotic blend, warm and sweet with earthy undertones. I am going to use this oil for its grounding qualities, uplifting the spirit, as well as for its anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-arthritic and antibacterial properties. It is great for sores, moles, skin cancer or for ligaments. 
• Immu Power - with the winter coming, and my new internship starting in a hospitals emergency room, I am going to use this oil to boost my immune system. 
• Copaiba comes from the Amazonian Rainforest and has a nice woodsy aroma. It is a well-known essential oil in European Medicine and dates back to 1600s. It is a great pain reliever and reduces inflammation. 

Since I work with essential oils on a daily basis, have seen their benefit and how they changed not only my life but also the life of many others, I am truly excited to receive and work with these oils. Not for nothing are hospitals now incorporating the use of aromatherapy for their patients benefits.

I would love to hear from you! 

Have you ever used Essential Oils before? 

Are you using Essential Oils in your life? 

What is your favorite oil and what are you using it for? 

Have a scentsational day!

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New Silky & Scentsational Concoctions

I have to apologize for this delay in posting. I had been sick which caused the irregularity in my ability to write. I have not forgotten about my promise that I made on August 13th in my entry "Lovely Goodies." However, today, I got carried away and made new creams and thought it would make a nice blog entry.

I need to mention though that the below concoction has rather a lot of ingredients. Please do not let this discourage you to make your own product(s)! You really only need a few oils such as almond, apricot, or even olive oil to make a nice and smooth feeling body cream. I just felt in the mood to splurge :)

So, today I made two new creams.
1) Nurturing Body Silk ~ an all-around cream that can be used for the entire body
2) Hot & Heavy ~ a sensual experience and great for a hot date

I truly splurged today and made the most extravagant base cream with the following ingredients:

24 g Shea Butter
20 g Almond Oil
10 g Jojoba Oil
10 g Apricot Oil
10 g Hempseed & Evening Primrose Oils
8 g Borage Seed Oil
6 g Calendula Oil
5 g Vitamin E
5 g Rosehip & Perilla Oils
5 g Wheat Germ Oil.

As emulsifier, I used 1 g of Stearic Acid, 5 g Beeswax & 1 tbsp Borax and 22 g Emulsifying Wax.
I added a little Honey and Aloe Vera as well.

The texture of this concoction feels very smooth and silky. It leaves your skin feeling very soft and nurtured. It is excellent for mature and dry skin as well as elbows and knees. A little of this cream goes a long way.

To the above base cream, I added some Essential Oils in order to give it a nice scent and enhance the properties of the cream itself with the added benefit of some incredible Essential Oils by Young Living (YL).

Nurturing Body Silk ~ Wrap yourself in love with this nurturing, sensational and silky touch. Nurturing Body Silk is enhanced with the following YL Essential Oils: Lavender, Roman Chamomile,  Frankincense, Sandalwood & Rosemary

The Essential Oils in Nurturing Body Silk make it a great cream for itchy skin, rashes, or even eczema. The soothing qualities of Lavender and Roman Chamomile and the calming effect of Frankincense and Sandalwood are just so nurturing to the skin. I had an itchy blotch on my skin and after applying this cream only twice, the itchiness is gone and the redness is decreasing. 

Hot & Heavy ~ For a sensual experience. Enjoy a first calming sensation followed by a heated progression for ecstasy. Hot & Heavy is enhanced with the following YL Essential Oils: Lavender, Peace & Calming, and Joy.

I want to say Thanks to ZenGirl who assisted me in the process and provided her mental brain power in the description of the new silky & scentsational concoctions.

Enjoy the silkiness of these creams and venture into a world of scentsational delight :)

If you like to learn more about how to make your own products, visit my website where you can learn all about making your own products. The information provided is absolutely free :)

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Peace & Calming Essential Oil

As I promised in my previous entry, I am going to write about each oil that I received. Peace & Calming is part of the Essential 7 package that I received and I thought it is a good way to start my future blogs... Maybe I should have started with Into the Future but I am asking a friend of mine to write this blog as a guest contributor :)

So, let's start with Peace & Calming. The name says it all :) This essential oil, is one of my favorites. It could possibly be that you will read this about many oils as I have many favorites but this is one essential oil I take along wherever I go.

Peace & Calming has this lovely citrusy scent (Tangerine and Orange) with a hint of Patchouly, Ylang Ylang, and Blue Tansy. Whenever I smell this scent, I am reminded of freshly peeled oranges, a fresh breeze, and a bed of wildflowers growing in a valley. It has earthy qualities and I find it extremely grounding. Yet at the same time, the floral spiciness makes it very uplifting.

Tangerine is a sedative, diuretic, and decongestant. It helps stimulate the lymphatic system to release toxins.
Orange releases stagnant energy, is an antidepressant and sedative. It is excellent for calming the nervous system. It also is an antispasmodic and releases tension, frustration, anxiety, or fear.
Patchouli is a balancing oil. It helps bring body and mind together. It is grounding and a great oil to counteract a "spaced out" feeling.
Ylang Ylang is restorative and has a calming effect on the circulatory system. It also brings out feelings of joy and even euphoria. It is an analgesic, anti-depressant, and has sedative qualities.
Blue Tansy has a soothing effect on the respiratory system. It is an analgesic and sedative. It is great for muscle tension as it releases and breaks down stress.

I use this oil every time I feel stressed or whenever I need a calming influence. During the day, at the end of a long day, or for a good night sleep, this oil is wonderful! It calms the nervous system, relieves anxiety and tension, promotes relaxation, and helps with insomnia. It also may be good for hyperactive children since it has calming effects.

The way I use this oil is multi-fold. I diffuse it, inhale it neat directly out of the bottle, and/or I drop one drop on my wrists and rub both wrists together. At night before I go to sleep, I rub a few drops into the soles of my feet for a blissful and rejuvenating sleep. Also rub it into the back of your neck to get a good effect of the calming sensation. Nerve endings along the spine are very receptive and responsive. Use it in meditation and visualization. I frequently diffuse it (with permission of clients) during Hypnotherapy sessions. It allows the mind to go deeper into relaxation and aids in visualization and goal achievement. A friend of mine is using it in massage therapy as well as reflexology. It is a wonderful addition to any massage to foster relaxation.

As with any essential oil, please use caution to avoid an allergic reaction. Also, if you are pregnant or suffer from a medical condition, consult with your physician prior to using - especially if you are using an essential oil for a specific purpose.

Feel calm and at ease at all times and flow with the rhythm of life   ૐ

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Lovely Goodies

Today, I received a package which I had ordered and was excitedly waiting for. It was filled with goodies from Young Living :) Let me show you a picture with a few of the items that were included.

Did I ever write how much I LOVE these oils? Let me say that they are so incredibly amazing and I use them on a daily basis. From the left to right...

Lavender - still my all-time favorite and so versatile essential oil. It is so good to fall asleep with. I put a drop on my wrist and rub my arms together, a drop in my hands and then brush lightly over my pillow... ah, so nice, soothing, and calming... of course it can be used for so many things. 

Bergamot - so refreshing and uplifting! (Be careful though if you use it on your skin as it may cause photosensitivity... 

Peace & Calming - such a beautiful and calming (!) blend of Tangerine, Orange, Ylang Ylang, Patchouli, and Blue Tansy. Love it!!!

Into the Future - according to a friend of mine, this is a "sacred" oil. It truly does help leaving the past behind and focusing on the present with a vision of the future :)

Geranium - a very flowery fragrance and such a lovely and uplifting oil. 

Thieves Spray and Essential Oil - now this is another of my favorites and multi-tasking oil. Thieves includes Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus Radiata, and Rosemary. Once upon a time in France, there were four thieves who covered themselves in clove and rosemary while robbing plague victims. Guess what?! They did not get sick! 

Valor Roll-On - Young Living calls this the "chiropractor in the bottle" and I can understand why. I use it on the reflex points of my feet - along the spine - as well as on my wrists and neck. I close my eyes and deeply inhale. I feel instantly aligned... Oh, it includes Fractioned Coconut Oil, Spruce, Rosewood, Blue Tansy, Virgin Coconut Oil, and Frankincense. 

Deep Relief Roll-On - Can't live without this oil blend especially after a yoga session... I roll it on my shoulders and my calves and ahhhh, what a nice relief... Peppermint, Balsam Fir, Clove, Vetiver, Wintergreen, Lemon, Helichrysum, Copaiba and Coconut Oil penetrate deep into the muscle tissue to provide instant soothing. 

Tranquil Roll-On - Another oil blend that I would not leave my home with. Feeling stressed? This blend provides the quick get-away of my senses... Lavender, Cedarwood, and Roman Chamomile in Coconut Oil... inhale calming and soothing sensation :) Great and safe to put on your wrists, temples, forehead, neck, or wherever you want... ahhhhh... 

Essential 7 which was a gift from Young Living - how cool is that?! - so this is a collection of Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint, as well as Joy, PanAway, Peace & Calming, and Purification... lovely!!!

So in the next few days, I will write about each and every oil that I received and listed here... stay tuned ... 

Happy Friday the 13th :) 

PS: Are you suspicious? Maybe use some Thieves Oil the next time around... or Peace & Calming... or Lavender... or... ...

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Aromatherapy for Retrieving Information from Long-Term Memory

I stumbled across this article (copied below) that describes how aromatherapy can help staying focused in the ever changing job market. Needless to say, the job market has seen better days. Some of my friends have been looking for a job for over a year. Others who have a job are staying in jobs they otherwise would quit. 


The article below mentions Rosemary essential oil but I found that Peppermint Essential Oil is a great stimulant as well. When I studied Cognitive Psychology in college, our professor told us to diffuse a scent (whatever that scent may be and an essential oil works best) while we studied for an exam or prepared for a presentation. Then, we should sniff on the same scent before and during the exam. It is a technique used for effective retrieval from long-term memory - encoding specificity principle. The stimulus (essential oil) is encoded along with the experience (study material) and can trigger the memory of the experience. 
So, the next time you study for a test, prepare for a job interview, or a presentation diffuse an essential oil or inhale it neat (smell the oil directly from the bottle). Then, before you take the exam (even during the exam), or before you go into the room to meet with the person who will conduct the job interview or give your presentation, inhale the scent again. It will trigger what you have studied and prepared for so diligently. 


And now, here is the article... 

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Aromatherapy in Skin Care

I found this article about aromatherapy and skin care on The Times of India. The article was published on July 24, 2010, and highlights how aromatherapy is used in skin care. Now while many of you may already use essential oils in your homemade creams, as do I, at the end of the article you will find some nice essential oil blending combinations for different skin types or skin problems.


Aromatherapy for a soft, supple skin


Skincare in aromatherapy is about the use of essential oils in different treatments for the skin. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the first step to having beautiful and healthy skin; aromatherapy skin care is the next. 

You will be amazed at how many different oils can help soothe aging, injured and dry skin. The appropriate aromatherapy skin care treatment can help reduce the fine lines from aging, besides curing bug bite or bee sting. 

There is more to aromatherapy than oil massages and perfumed candles. Very few know that aromatherapy skincare is another part of the holistic treatment that aromatherapy is all about. The oils used in aromatherapy skincare are absorbed into the skin and eventually into the bloodstream where they flow through the whole body, and have a lasting effect. 

Firstly, it is critical to recognise your skin and hair type. Each plant’s essential oils provide a number of different therapeutic benefits, so knowing about your skin and hair will help you match up your needs with the appropriate ingredients. 

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Jet-Lag, the annoying Travel Companion

The summer is in full swing and so is the travel season. If you ever have gone overseas, you probably know about the feeling of jet-lag. Your body has not quite yet adjusted to the new time of your destination. You feel tired during the day and are wide awake at night depending on the direction you traveled. To bring your body clock back into its normal rhythm, you can try aromatherapy with three great essential oils that help with the synchronization of your body's natural pattern.

Grapefruit Essential Oil has uplifting qualities and combats depression, stress, headaches, or tiredness. It helps your body and mind detoxify which also helps with adjusting to the new time setting. 

Bergamot Essential Oil is a natural anti-depressant. It's balancing properties make it a great travel companion. With its relaxing and calming benefits, it is great for insomnia.

Geranium Essential Oil is stimulating the lymphatic system. Stagnant energy is being transported out of the body which is great while traveling and after long flights. Its floral and rosy scent is uplifting and restores vitality to body and mind. 

Mix 10 drops of grapefruit, 8 drops of bergamot, and 5 drops of geranium into 5 ml of any carrier oil and fill into a roll-on vile. Use on your forehead, on the base of your neck, on your wrists, or on your feet. 

You can also diffuse the essential oils in a travel diffuser. 

☀ Wishing you happy travels ☀

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Treat Yourself to a Cup of Yogurt

A reader recently asked me if I know of any yogurt moisturizer. While I never used yogurt for any of my creams, I find yogurt makes a great moisturizing facial mask that is gentle enough to use 2 or 3 times per week. The zinc and lactic acid are good for breakouts, it closes pores, and exfoliates dead skin cells.
You can use plain yogurt (best is a full-fat or greek yogurt) and apply it all over your face and neck area before rinsing it off with lukewarm water. Be careful to leave the eye area out.
If you would like to make yourself a more fancy facial mask, you can mix the yogurt with
Cucumbers - moisturizing and astringent
Rosemary essential oil - anti-bacterial and soothing especially for oily skin
Honey - soothing
Oats - exfoliating
The nice part about this absolutely natural facial mask is that you can eat the left overs :)

The reason why I am not experimenting with yogurt, which contains live bacteria, in my creams is that I would have to add too many additives and preservatives for the cream not keep a few days. Athens Korres sells a moisturizing cream with yogurt. It has a ton of ingredients and sometimes one ingredient has to be used to stabilize another. Here is a breakdown of all their ingredients. I included the Hazard Score in ( ) taken from Skin Deep which is rated on a scale of 0 (low hazard) to 10 (high hazard):

Water, Yogurt
Butylene Glycol - humectant; used to retain moisture (Hazard Score: 1)
Steareth-2 - it is a stearic acid used to form an emulsion so that the cream does not separate
Isononyl Isononanoate - skin conditioning agent, emollient (Hazard Score: 0)
Macademia Nut Oil - skin conditioning agent - occlusive which means it slows down the loss of water from the skin (Hazard Score: 0)
Mannan - film former (Hazard Score: 1)
Olive Oil Unsaponifiables - skin conditioning agent - occlusive; emulsifying and cleansing agent
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil - Sweet Almond Oil - skin conditioning agent - occlusive (Hazard Score: 0)
Steareth-21 - solubilizing agent (Hazard Score 1)
Triticum Vulgare - Wheat Germ Oil (Hazard Score: 1)
Xylitylglucoside - humectant (Hazard Score: 0)
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene - Polymer used to increase thickness (Hazard Score: 0)
Triethylhexanoin - humectant (Hazard Score: 0)
Butyrospermum Parkii - fancy name for Shea Butter (Hazard Score: 0)
Anhydroxylitol - humectant (Hazard Score: 0)
Amyl Cinnamal - it is the organic compound of Amylcinnamaldehyde and it is a fragrance ingredient. While it occurs naturally in plants, in cosmetics it usually is synthesized. The smell is something like jasmine (Hazard Score: 6)
Benzyl Alcohol - it has several functions: external analgesic, fragrance ingredient, preservative, and solvent (Hazard Score: 6)
Benzyl Salicylate - it is a fragrance ingredient that has a sweet floral aroma (Hazard Score: 6-8)
Cetearyl Alcohol - emulsion stabilizer (Hazard Score: 0-1)
Coumarin - fragrance ingredient with a sweet nutty scent (Hazard Score: 8)
Dehydroacetic Acid - preservative (Hazard Score: 1)
Hydroxycitronellal - fragrance ingredient with a sweet floral aroma (Hazard Score: 5-6)
Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde - fragrance ingredient (Hazard Score: 5-6)
Isoeugenol - fragrance ingredient with a scent like carnations (Hazard Score: 6)
Linalool - functions as fragrance ingredient with a floral smell (Hazard Score: 8)
Magnesium PCA - humectant (Hazard Score: 0)
Manganese PCA - humectant (Hazard Score: 5)
Panthenol - a plant derived form of vitamin B that is hydrating and penetrates into lower skin layers (Hazard Score: 2)
Fragrance - more fragrance that are now in such small amounts that they do not have to be listed
Sodium Dehydroacetate - preservative (Hazard Score: 2)
Sodium PCA - increases the water content of the top layers of the skin by drawing moisture from the surrounding air. (Hazard Score: 2)
Tocopheryl Acetate - Vitamin E which can be cancerous (Hazard Score: 4)
Xanthan Gum - thickener which I also use in creams (Hazard Score: 0)
Xylitol - humectant (Hazard Score: 1)
Zinc PCA - humectant (Hazard Score: 2)

Wow, that is a long list of ingredients and I am sure it is a wonderful cream. However, I would never use it. Even if the fragrance ingredients are in such small amounts, applied on a daily basis, these ingredients are all absorbed by our skin. Instead, why not use 100%, Pure Grade, Grade A Essential Oils?

Sending naturally beautiful wishes to all!

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Staying Safe this Fourth of July

With 4th of July just being one day away, I am late in writing this post but nevertheless thought to include some First Aid tips with Essential Oils. I never travel anywhere without my essential oils and always have the following with me:

Lemon is a great anti-bacterial oil and is a multi-tasking oil. I love it in my drinking water, as it is not only refreshing but also functions as antacid and digestive. So after eating one too many burgers this weekend, you may want to put a few drops into your drinking water.

Lavender is my all-time favorite for cuts, burns, and especially sunburns. It already helped me prevent blisters after I got too close to the fire once, and it also helped me with a severe sunburn that I got on the beach a couple of weeks ago even though I used SPF 30. Just a few drops of Lavender EO will soothe your skin, take the sting and pain of the burn away, and make you feel better in no time.

Purification is a must have in my First Aid Kit because it is great for insects and mosquitos. Not only does it keep those buzzing nuisances at bay and away but if for some reason you got bit and lost your blood to one of those tiny suckers, then Purification soothes the itching by neutralizing your pH-level again. You can also pee on yourself which neutralizes the pH-level as well but who wants to do that at a party? Also, if you went hiking or camping and you got a splinter, clean the area with a drop of purification so that the skin does not get infected.

Peppermint is another great essential oil and a multi-tasker. It helps with digestive problems after having eaten too much and it helps overcome tiredness of the mind and the body. Whether you spent the entire day scorching out in the sun or you played baseball or volleyball or whatever with your friends, peppermint inhaled as well as diluted with fractioned coconut oil or jojoba oil and massaged into tired muscles will do wonders.

Thieves is another oil I do not leave my house without. It is the best disinfectant and anti-bacterial oil I came across. Whenever I go to somebody else's swimming pool or an outdoor shower, I rub a few drops of thieves into the soles of my feet to prevent bacterial or fungal infections. Too many times when I was a kid I had warts on my feet because I was using public pools all the time.

And if by the end of the day you are so tired but wired up from the events and you cannot fall asleep, inhale Lavender and Peace & Calming. Rub them into the soles of your feet and you will drift into a pleasant slumber in no time.

★ ☆ ★ Have a happy and safe Fourth of July ★ ☆ ★

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Bug Season

It has been too long that I posted and I apologize! It's been a very rough couple of weeks but I do not want to miss the opportunity to tell you about an Essential Oil that I find to be essential in my life during the warm summer months and especially during mosquito and critter season. The Essential Oil is Young Living blend called Purification with its main essential oil being citronella. It also includes lemongrass, rosemary, lavandin, and myrtle.

So last week I went to a lake and where there is water, there are bugs. I heard the mosquitos buzzing around my ears but as soon as I put a few drops of Purification on my face and all exposed skin areas, as well as brushed my hands over my hair, no more buzzzzzzzz :)

Here is how you can use the Purification blend:
1) Put it neat or mix it with coconut, almond, or apricot oil and rub it onto your skin as insect repellant
2) Put a few drops into a spray bottle filled with water and spray your clothes to repel ticks or at home at your windows and screens.
3) Put a few drops on a cotton ball and place them next to your pillow at night when you sleep.
4) Put a few drops on a cotton ball and put them into air vents.
5) Put one drop on a sting or bite as it will remove the toxins and stop the itching.
6) Put a few drops on a jelly fish sting.
7) Rub your feet with a few drops of the oil for cleansing bacteria.

The citronella is mainly used as insect repellant but it also has fungicidal properties, meaning it is an excellent oil for fungal infections. It is also a tonic and stimulant and good for blood circulation, the nervous system, and hormone regulation.
Besides lemongrass being a great insect repellant as well, it has calming properties not only on the mind and the nervous system but also for insect bites, therefore, reducing the itching and calming the skin.
Rosemary is very often used in skin care and therefore an excellent essential oil in this blend. It has soothing properties and reliefs dryness of the skin. It is also used to relief pain such as a bee sting or insect bite but also that of arthritis.
Lavandin is the essence of a hybrid plant between Lavendula Angustifolia and Lavendula Latifolia. The benefits are a bit more intense as Lavender Essential Oil and therefore are calming and soothing for body and mind. A great oil for minor cuts, bruises, bites, stings, and burns. A few drops will take the pain of any sting, bite, or burn away.
Myrtle use dates back to ancient Greece where it was used by Aphrodite, the goddess of Love and Beauty. It is antiseptic and therefore good for insect bites. It is astringent meaning it contracts the blood vessels and it is an expectorant so it reduces infection, phlegm, clears congestions, and is good for the bronchi and lungs. It also has calming benefits on the nervous system.

Wishing you a great buzzzzzz-free summer!

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Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day from Naturally!

Are you in need for a last minute gift? Why not give an essential oils for mother's day? Some aromatherapy? Maybe a diffuser and an oil? A relaxing scent such as lavender is always a gift that is appreciated. Other wonderful scents are Sandalwood, Jasmine, Geranium, Ylang Ylang, Patchouli, or any citrus essential oils. Or what about a Spa treatment?

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