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Aromatherapy essential oils are used for skin and hair care

August 5th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Essential oils are often used in commercial skin and hair care products. They’ve been used in this way for hundreds of years, and commercial manufacturers are well aware of their benefits. Be aware however, that the amount of oil used in commercial preparations are usually tiny: you can get better results when you create your own products.

It’s important to understand a bit about 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.

Moisturizing your skin is as easy as adding suitable carrier oil into an essential oil that’s appropriate for your skin type and then massaging the combined treatment into your skin.

Aromatherapy skin and hair care products can cause problems for people who have sensitive skin or allergies. If you have a bad reaction to a product, whether it’s store-bought or homemade, discontinue use. If you’re unsure how you will react to an essential oil, test it on a small area first for a few days and see what happens.

If the problem you’re trying to alleviate isn’t going away, the products may not be working. If necessary, consult with a specialist for advice on how to proceed.

Which aromatherapy oils should you use for skin and hair care and how do you use them?

For normal skin, try using rose, lavender or chamomile essential oils. Chamomile also works well on dry or sensitive skin and skin that is prone to acne or eczema. To use any of these oils, add several drops into your favorite fragrance-free face mask and use as directed. Or add right into your bath water.

Tee tree and cajeput oils also can help with acne. A good carrier oil to mix with these essential oils is grapeseed. You can also mix several drops with rose water to create a toner.

Sandalwood oil is effective at reducing some visible signs of aging such as wrinkles and dry skin. Rose oils, frankincense, neroli and geranium oils are also effective in treating mature skin.

Palmarosa oils are commonly used in both skin and hair care products. These oils have moisturizing and hydrating qualities and they stimulate cell regeneration.

Used neat or combined with carrier oil, the essential oils mentioned above can be massaged into skin or added to bath water. Besides mixing essential oils into carrier oils, you can also mix them into creams and lotions containing lanolin as long as these products don’t contain a fragrance. Then just gently massage into skin.

When excess exposure to the sun is a problem, massage affected areas with lavender or chamomile oils blended with carrier oil.

A good final rinse for hair is a mixture of apple cider vinegar, lemon essential oil and water. In a container, mix 4 teaspoons water, 2 teaspoons vinegar and 3 drops lemon oil. Massage into hair and rinse well.

One-half cup dry rosemary leaves mixed with 1/2 cup olive oil makes a good hot oil treatment for hair. Mix ingredients in a pan and heat. Strain. Coat hair with mixture then wrap in plastic for 20 minutes. Wash thoroughly.

Make your cosmetic products fresh for each use

Essential oils lose their good effects when exposed to light and air. So the closer you create your preparations to use, the more effective they will be.

What are aromatherapy essential oil absolutes?

June 9th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Should you use absolutes in aromatherapy? Absolutes are even more concentrated than essential oils.

Aromatherapy is all about using the sense of smell to improve the body, mind and soul. It makes sense then that when practicing aromatherapy, nothing is more important than how a substance smells.

Absolutes are only recently becoming part of aromatherapy. The highly-concentrated scent of absolutes can waken powerful feelings and emotions even in the busiest of lives. So what exactly are absolutes?

Absolutes are similar to essential oils in that both are extracted from plants. In fact, an absolute is a more concentrated form of an essential oil. How absolutes differ from essential oils is the method that is used during the extraction process. Essential oils are primarily extracted using a steam distillation process.

However, the process of extracting absolutes involves the use of chemicals and solvents. This extraction method creates a more concentrated version of the plant’s essence - one that is far more fragrant. The only drawback as it relates to aromatherapy is that the process does not produce a pure essence. The extracted substances often will contain traces of the chemicals and solvents that were used during the extraction process.

It is for this reason that absolutes have been used primarily by those involved in the fragrance or perfume industries. They can be used successfully in aromatherapy however, extreme care must be taken. It’s also important to note that absolutes can trigger an allergic reaction in some people.

And even though those true to the principles of aromatherapy prefer essential oils over absolutes, there are some plants whose essences cannot be extracted using traditional distillation methods. To extract the essence, chemical extraction processes must be used. Jasmine and honeysuckle are two such plants.

Some popular essential oil absolutes

Jasmine absolute - extracted using solvents, Jasmine absolute offers an exquisite scent. Used for years in perfumes and therapy sessions, this sweet heady fragrance is among other things an effective aphrodisiac. Women with irregular menstrual cycles use jasmine absolute because it can help regulate these cycles. It can relieve headaches and is an effective antiseptic and antidepressant. It also has sedative qualities.

Lavender absolute - extracted using alcohol, Lavender absolute has a sweet, floral and woody fragrance reminiscent of a lavender shrub. It’s perfect for use in soaps, creams and lipsticks.

Oakmoss absolute - extracted using solvents or alcohol, Oakmoss absolute has a rich scent that is both earthy and woody. Imagine the smell of damp oak along the seashore and this is what oakmoss absolute smells like - very comforting.

Rose absolute  - extracted from rose blossoms using chemical solvents, rose absolute is a feminine scent that is very intense. It’s perfect for relaxing after a hard day or for when you’re feeling particularly sexy. Used in creams, soaps and lotions, rose absolute also has anti-viral and anti-bacterial qualities. It takes many, many rose blossoms to produce rose absolute which is why it’s very expensive.

Lotus absolute - extracted from either pink or white lotus flowers using solvents, lotus absolute has healing qualities. It can also help build confidence and self-esteem.

The best way to see whether you enjoy absolutes, is to try one or two. You’ll be amazed at the fragrance.

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