5 Essential Oils for Happy Skin

There are many benefits of using essential oils in skin care. The essential oils are easily absorbed through the skin and they can be added to vegetable oils, moisturizers, scrubs, face masks, ointments and so on. It is also especially beneficial that they have an appealing scent which works on the emotional level as well. I love applying my morning facial cream with geranium because I also love the aroma and it makes me happy. The essential oils have been used throughout history for healing, cleaning, religious ceremonies, flavoring, skin care and perfumes.

Some of the benefits of essential oils in skin care are:

they improve blood circulation and muscle tone
they are anti-inflammatory
they reduce the signs of emotional stress
they are antiseptic
they regulate sebum production
they help eliminate waste
they increase the speed of removing old skin cells and also stimulate the growth of new skin cells

There are many oils which are beneficial to the skin so I have selected my favorites.

Lavender

The one and only. I always say if you can only afford one bottle of essential oils then pick lavender. It is very versatile oil with many uses. It works for all skin types, if you have dry skin, combination skin, mature skin, oily skin, and sensitive skin you can use lavender. According to Battaglia, lavender is also beneficial in conditions such as eczema, dermatitis, acne, psoriasis and boils.

Geranium

Who doesn't love the scent of flowers? Not only is the aroma of geranium positive, happy and mood lifting, but geranium will also make the skin happy. Battaglia says it is valuable for oily, dry or combination skin as well as balancing the production of sebum. It is also a valuable oil for burns and wounds according to Battaglia. I like to add geranium to massage oil to add balance to my aging skin.

Learn more about Aging skin

Frankincense

Yes, frankincense is an amazing oil. It rejuvenates aging skin and return dry and oily skin to normal. According to Battaglia frankincense is recommended for mature and dry skin, wrinkles, wounds and scars. It firms skin, promotes healing and fights inflammation.

Cedarwood

Cedarwood is a wonderful oil and it smells of fresh cut timber, but I noticed many don't realize its value in skin care. According to Battaglia, cedarwood's astringent and antiseptic properties makes it very useful in oily skin conditions. He also says it helps to clear dermatitis and psoriasis. Battaglia also says it is a great hair tonic and effective for treating dandruff.

Tea trea

Tea tree is another great oil to use and it is mild enough to use on children. However, always check out the safety information before using any essential oils on children. According to Battaglia, tea tree is very effective for treatment of acne and pimples when combined with lavender. It can be mixed in a 1% dilution with a light oil such as jojoba or apricot. Massage into face and then wipe off. He says it can be added to shampoo and used in the treatment of dandruff.

If you haven't tried any of these oils in skin care before then I suggest that you try. Except for frankincense, these oils are fairly inexpensive as well as very versatile. Using essential oils for your skin care regimen is safer than using most commercial products that contain many harmful chemicals. An extra bonus is that the oils can be used for so much more than skin care.

Important
This information is for educational purposes only, and is not meant to diagnose or prescribe. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or suffer from a medical condition, consult with your health care practitioner prior to using essential oils. Be careful when using essential oils with hormonal activity and don’t hesitate to contact a professional. Make sure that you look over the safety information before you start using essential oils.

Before you leave:

I recommend that you always perform a skin patch test when you try a new oil.

Check out my safety page to make sure you are aware of any contrindications before you use essential oils. Some oils are not suitable when suffering from certain conditions. Also, Read this Before You Start Using Essential oils. Some oils should not be applied prior to sun exposure so make sure you check this list before spending time in the sun.

Not sure how to apply the oils? Visit these pages to learn how to apply the oils:

Topical Application

Inhaling Essential Oils

Are You Diffusing the Oils Correctly?

How to Dilute Essential Oils

Vita Flex Technique

If you're new to essential oils you might want to check out my Getting Started Guide.

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Johanna is an aromatherapist and she is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

Sources:

Salvatore Battaglia (1995). The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy. The Perfect Potion Pty Ltd

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Delayed- Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and Essential Oils

It was thought among experts that DOMS was caused by the lactic acid, the by-product of anaerobic metabolism (glycosis). However, it is now believed that the free radicals hydroperoxides, ammonia, and hydroxyl radicals cause hydroxyproline damage. Hydroxyproline can be found in the connective tissue. It is a constituent of the collagen.

Any movement that is new can cause tearing and swelling that leads to soreness However, it is mostly the eccentric muscle contractions that lead to DOMS. Eccentric muscle contractions are movements that cause the muscles to forcefully contract while it lengthens. Going down the stairs, lowering weights, running downhill, and the downward movements of squats and push ups.

Stretching, hydration, pre-workout warm up, and massage are some things that may reduce DOMS. It is wise to add antioxidants before and after training to minimize or reduce occurrence of DOMS. Remember, higher intensity training increases the risk of DOMS. Some antioxidants to consider are Pantothenic Acid, niacin, vitamin C & E, beta-carotene, COQ10, n-acetyl cysteine, zinc, selenium, grape seed extract and L-Glutathione. Rehydration drinks with electrolytes, carbohydrates and ascorbates should also be consumed.

Essential oils have a high antioxidant value in addition to the other healing properties.

Here are some blends to try for over exercised muscles.

Hot Bath

Marjoram 3 drops

Lemon 2 drops

Follow with the massage oil below

Massage Oil for Over-Exercised Muscles

Eucalyptus 5 drops

Peppermint 5 drops

Ginger 5 drops

Dilute in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.

More Blends:

Sore Muscle Blend

Juniper 8 drops

Wintergreen or Birch 10 drops

Lemon 8 drops

Rosemary cineol 4 drops

Lavender 8 drops

Sore Muscle Blend No.2

Cypress 9 drops

Rosemary cineol 4 drops

Lavender 8 drops

Elemi 2 drops

Valerian 2 drops

Other essential oils that may be useful are nutmeg, black pepper, basil, spruce, Roman Chamomile, peppermint.

Important

This information is for educational purposes only, and is not meant to diagnose or prescribe. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or suffer from a medical condition, consult with your health care practitioner prior to using essential oils. Be careful when using essential oils with hormonal activity and don’t hesitate to contact a professional. Make sure that you look over the safefy information before you start using essential oils.

Before you leave:

I recommend that you always perform a skin patch test when you try a new oil.

Not sure how to apply the oils? Visit these pages to learn how to apply the oils:

Topical Application

Inhaling Essential Oils

Are You Diffusing the Oils Correctly?

How to Dilute Essential Oils

Vita Flex Technique

If you're new to essential oils you might want to check out my Getting Started Guide.

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Johanna is an aromatherapist and she is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives.

Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

3:00 PM | Read more...

Learn More About Essential Oils

Learn more about essential oils:

Read this Before You Start Using Essential Oils

10 Benefits of Using Essential Oils

Getting Started With Essential Oils

How to Use Essential Oils

Essential Oil Testing

Click on the pictures.

7:46 PM | Read more...

My Favorite Essential Oils For Fall and Winter

The fall is a perfect time to start using warming essential oils. When the days are getting shorter and the temperatures are cooler I start diffusing my woody, spicy and warming oils. Not only do these oils add a wonderful aroma to the home, but they also possess powerful anti-microbial properties to aid in warding off disease. I love how I can diffuse the aromas I love and at the same time protect myself from infectious diseases.

I especially enjoy the essential oils from spices, perhaps it is because we use a lot of spices during the long and cold winter months in my home country Sweden. We eat lots of spicy gingerbread cookies and drink our version of Gluhwein. We decorate the houses with Pomanders during Christmas time.

Intense oils
Spice oils are very intense so it is best to mix them up with some other oils before diffusing them in the room. For example, diffused clove oil can irritate the eyes so it should not be diffused more than a couple of minutes at a time. Spice oils such as cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and ginger blend well with citrus oils. So I enjoy blending citrus oils such as orange, lemon, tangerine, bergamot, lime, and grapefruit with spice oils during the fall and winter. Closer to Christmas I like to add essential oils such as juniper, cypress, Balsam Fir, peppermint and pine to my diffuser.

I like to use essential oils to get the right holiday feeling during when it gets closer to Christmas.

Here are some of my favorite oils during the fall and winter.

Clove

This is by far one of my favorite essential oils. Clove has a spicy, hot peppery and fresh top note. It is very penetrating and stays in my head. The middle note is very uplifting, smooth, more distinct and sweet. It is very aromatic. The base note seems stronger, sweet, spicy, and warm. The dry out note is still strong, spicy, slightly floral and fruity. Clove is a very positive, uplifting, and stimulating scent. I like it. I makes me feel very positive and ready to do things. I associate the aroma with freshly baked gingerbread.

Use with caution after first trimester but it is best to consult a physician before use when pregnant.

Avoid with homeopathics. It is a mucus membranes irritant, and it may cause dermatitis. It is also a blood thinner and should be avoided if taking blood thinning medication.

Learn more about clove essential oil

Cinnamon

Cinnamon has a warm, spicy, peppery, and slightly woody top note. The middle note is more intense and the characteristic sweet cinnamon aroma has increased, but it still has a slight woody undertone. It smells like cinnamon candy. The characteristic spicy cinnamon scent appears to be stronger in the base note. The dry out note is still very distinct spicy cinnamon but weaker. Cinnamon has a sharp penetrating aroma that is very comforting but also stimulating. It lightens the mood.

I consider this my feel good oil. I love everything cinnamon and inhaling the essential oils reminds me of being a child eating fresh homemade cinnamon rolls. The aroma cheers me up, it is uplifting but yet relaxing aroma.

Cinnamon should be avoided in pregnancy and in stomach or intestinal ulcers. It may cause tachycardia, increased respiration and perspiration in excessive doses. It should be avoided when using homeopathic remedies.

Learn more about cinnamon essential oil

Ginger

Ginger has a warm, pleasant, slightly citrus and fruity top note with a woody undertone. The middle note is spicy, peppery, sharp, warm and uplifting. It also has a more characteristic ginger aroma. Ginger is stimulating and warming, and it makes me concentrate better. The base note is sweet, slightly characteristic ginger, woody and more diffused. Ginger has some burned smoky scent. The final dry out note smells sweet several days later.

Ginger clears my nose when I inhale it and it goes to my head. It's an euphoric and stimulating scent. It makes me happy smelling it. Ginger is a stimulating and grounding oil. It is said to help with memory.

Learn more about ginger essential oil

Nutmeg

Nutmeg is a warm and stimulating aroma. The aroma lifts fatigue and goes straight to the head. The top note is spicy, warm, woody, and little alcoholic. The middle note is rounder, softer, spicier and more euphoric. The base note seems dark, spicy and little burnt. Nutmeg is a warm masculine aroma that I associate with winter-time. Nutmeg is said to support the nervous and endocrine systems and prostaglandin balance.

The constituent myristicin is toxic if used in excess.

Orange

It is high in d-limonene (85-90%) and therefore a powerful antioxidant. Orange has an uplifting, rich, fruity, and at the same time a very calming aroma. It is a happy aroma.

According to Salvtore Battagia, the sensual and cheerful nature of orange essential oils provides joy and warmth to everyone who is exposed to it. He says it is especially ideal for those who forget to laugh and take life too seriously.

Cedarwood

Cedarwood has balsamic-woody, earthy and slightly spicy, and camphoraceous top note. The scent is very calming, relaxing, and it feels comfortable. The middle note is sweeter, and more woody with a perfumery scent. Cedarwood is a warm and tenacious note. It reminds me of fresh cut timber.

Cedrus atlantica may be useful in nervous tension and anxiety due to its warming and harmonizing properties, which make it very soothing and calming. The oil may be comforting, warming, and helpful in stress-related conditions such as nervous tension, anger and exhaustion.

Learn more about cedarwood essential oil

Frankincense

Frankincense has a warm, sweet, balsamic, woody, spicy scent with a hint of lemon. It slows down breathing and produces feelings of calm. It has historically been used for respiratory congestion. It also has astringent properties, which may also help balance oily skin conditions. According to Mojay, frankincense is to be recommended as an aid in meditation, prayer and contemplation since it will help still the mind and cease mental chatter.

Learn more about frankincense essential oil

Black Pepper

I love the smell of black pepper! It has warming qualities and according to Battaglia black pepper will help us move on when our lives feel stuck. He also writes that it is also recommended treatment for chilblains.

Rosemary

Rosemary has a strong, penetrating and clear aroma. It is a refreshing and stimulating herbal fragrance. It is said to overcome mental fatigue and to improve mental clarity and focus.

Rosemary is considered one of the best tonics for central nervous system. It strengthens mental clarity and awareness. It is an excellent brain stimulant and has traditionally been used to improve memory. It is also a valuable oil for respiratory problems such as catarrh, sinusitis, common cold and asthma.

Learn more about rosemary essential oil

Cypress

Cypress has a bitter, acidic, sharp, spicy and balsamic-woody top note. It is a clean and refreshing smell. The middle note is balsamic-woody, sweet and spicy. The base note smells more like cypress with a forest scent and it is not as sweet. The dry out note is sweet, woody, and mild. The aroma of cypress is calming and balancing, but also very refreshing and clearing.

Learn more about cypress essential oil

Pine

Pine (Pinus sylvestris) has a refreshing and invigorating aroma. According to Battaglia the energetic qualities of pine are drying and warming as well as tonifying the Qi. He says it is one of the best oils to clear phlegm. He also says it is recommended for coughing, bronchial congestion, and asthma.

Before you leave:

I recommend that you always perform a skin patch test when you try a new oil.

Not sure how to apply the oils? Visit these pages to learn how to apply the oils:

Topical Application

Inhaling Essential Oils

Are You Diffusing the Oils Correctly?

How to Dilute Essential Oils

Vita Flex Technique

If you're new to essential oils you might want to check out my Getting Started Guide.

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Emergency Preparedness ~ Introduction

So, you already have a food storage and plenty of supplies, but what about your medication? Can you maintain your health if there is an absence of drugs or medical care?

Learn about food storage and emergency preparedness

This my first post in this series of Emergency Preparedness from a health perspective. There are already several great blogs sharing wonderful tips about food storage and emergency preparedness tips, so I stick with what I know best, natural health. Check out my friend Laurie at Common Sense Homesteading for some wonderful tips about food storage and emergency preparedness.

What to do if you can't renew your medication

I see a lot of people stockpiling food and supplies, but I'm not sure they would do very well if their access to medicine and medical care is denied. Unfortunately, doctors don't seem to allow people to stockpile their medicines. So if you're dependent on medication for your well-being, then you should consider what to do in a situation where it may be difficult or impossible to renew your medications. Having some herbs or oils at home in a first aid kit is one thing, but the real concern is what to do if you can't get your prescribed medication anymore.

Learn about essential oils

My advise is to learn about natural remedies, especially essential oils. You can stockpile essential oils, and they have no expiration date if they are stored correctly. They are small enough so they can be put in a pocket if needed. Not only do they take up less room than herbs, but they are more potent so less amount is needed for healing. You have to drink 26 cups of peppermint tea in order to get the same healing effect as one drop of therapeutic peppermint essential oil. Herbs also lose their potency over time. You should also make lifestyle and dietary changes necessary for obtaining optimum health.

We are getting prepared

My husband and I have been building our food storage as well as purchasing other things for emergencies so that we are getting prepared for things such as natural disasters. We live in the Sierra Foothills and in the summer there's always a threat of wildfires, and in winter we can get snow storms and be without power for days. There is also the fear of an economic collapse which already has happened in countries such as Greece, Iceland and Argentina. In Russia, when the currency devaluated in 1998 the citizens were without foods for weeks. Believe me, I'm not the gloom and doom kind of person, but who knows what will happen here the next few years? So I like to be prepared.

“Lack of access to medications is projected to be the #1 cause of death in the event of an

economic collapse, beating out starvation, lack of drinking water, pandemic, injury, and many more. This is because half of America’s populace relies on prescription drugs and would be lost

without them.” Julie Behling

Being ready and helping others

We are far from finished and we still have plenty of things to do, but I'm confident that we are ready for medical emergencies. My husband is a traditional Naturopath and Master Herbalist, and I'm an Aromatherapist, so we use natural remedies anyway and always have them at home. My husband also learned some useful skills such as do stitches and deal with broken bones and such while he was in the army. Fortunately we don't suffer from any medical conditions, but I want to set aside remedies to help others with their medical conditions. I am concerned when I know friends and family are on multiple medications with no intentions of quitting them. Not having access to their medications could be fatal in some cases, and it is also dangerous to quit some medications cold turkey.

Reduce the dependence

About 50% of Americans are on some kind of prescription drug for their chronic health problems and 1 of 2 say they suffer from a chronic illness that affect their daily lives. You'll be a lot better prepared for emergencies if you start learning about natural remedies so that you can reduce your dependence on Western medicine.

The most frequently prescribed drugs in our country are.

Antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs such as Prozac, Wellbutrin, Celexa, Efflexor, Valium and so on.
High blood pressure medications such as Metoprolol, Lisinopril, Furosemide and so on.
Pain killers such as Vioxx, Celebrex and Hydrocone and so on.
Allergy medications such as Zyrtex, Singular and so on.
Diabetes medication such as Glucotrol, Metformin, Avandia and so on.
Heartburn medications such as Prevacid, Protonix and so on.
Statin drugs such as Zocor, Lipitor, Plavix, Tricor and so on.
Thyroid medications such as Levoxyl, Synthroid and so on.
Antibiotic and and antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu, Zithromax, Amoxillin and so on.

Learn about your condition

These are only the most commonly prescribed drugs in America so you if take any other medications not listed, then you should look into what you can do in a situation where you can't access your medications. Learn about your condition and what can be done naturally, start by making dietary changes, incorporate natural remedies, and work with your doctor to see if your medication can be reduced or discontinued.

Consider talking to your doctor about stock piling your medication

There are situations such as when suffering from Type 1 diabetes , or when the thyroid is removed, when medication is absolutely necessary. In some conditions it may be impossible to find a natural alternative that doesn't require prescription.

I have already covered many health conditions on my blog, and I plan to continue next post about Emergency Preparedness by sharing natural alternatives to the most frequently prescribed medications listed above.

Update:
Read part 2 of this series to learn about a nxiety
Read part 3 of this series to learn about H igh Blood Pressure
Read part 4 of this series to learn about Pain.
Read part 5 of this series to learn about A llergy

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Johanna is an aromatherapist she is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

Sources: