Natural Soap and Dry Skin Tips

If you are one of those who buys a great smelling moisturizing soap at a department store on a cold, dry, winter day, run a bath and try to soak away
your dry itchy skin only to find that you felt worse than before and suffered that deep down-in-the-skin itch.  It may be the artificial fragrance, color or
preservatives (or something else) causing a negative reaction in your skin. If you tend to have these reactions, you may want to try a natural soap.

Hot summer days and dry winter air and central heating can zap moisture from your skin and may leave you with dry, itchy, irritated skin. Pay attention
to these suggestions for preventing and treating dry skin:

Natural soap can be made from many ingredients, but generally, take the form of a solid and and oil along with essential oils or natural plants - this can
be beeswax, shea butter, coco butter, coconut oil, almond oil, jojoba oil and a myriad of natural fragrances and essential oils, such as rosemary,
lavender or orange.

·    Liquid soap tends to dry skin more than bar soap.

·    Hot showers tend to dry skin. Try turning down the hot water a bit when showering.

·    Try soaking in the bath for a short time. While you soak, your skin is being hydrated.

·    Apply moisturizers as soon as possible after showering/bathing while the skin is hydrated to help trap in moisture.

·    Use moisturizers with little or no water in the ingredients. Many lotions and moisturizers list water as the main ingredient which is evaporated soon

after applying.

·    Avoid harsh soaps. Antibacterial soaps can be especially drying. Commercial soaps often extract the beneficial glycerin and add synthetics that

contribute to dry skin. Try using natural soap.

·    Adding lots of olive oils and other good oils to your diet aids in keeping skin moist and supple.

·    Drink lots of water to keep your skin hydrated.

·    Use a humidifier in your home.

·    Wear natural fabrics such as cotton next to your skin.  Cotton sheets are also a good choice.  Synthetic fabrics (and wool) next to your skin can
cause irritation.

Rosemary Uses for Health and Skincare

By Van Le | Rosemary is a widely-used herb in many natural products, specifically natural skin care products.   Its use has been traced back to ancient and medieval times, when it was used as an antiseptic to care for wounds thanks to its restorative properties.  Rosemary is edible and is often used as a spice for cooking.

When added to food, rosemary provides key nutrition such as calcium, iron, and Vitamin B.  What is good for the body is also good for the skin, therefore, rosemary and its oil extracts have been used medicinally for hundreds of years.  In modern times, rosemary has been a wildly popular ingredient in many herbal skincare products and cosmetics.

Rosemary is an evergreen herb that is native to the Mediterranean region, and is known as the “dew of the sea” because it first grew predominantly along the Italian coast.  Today, rosemary can be grown in a typical garden with relative ease.  The leaves can be crushed and used as an herb for cooking, and the health and cosmetic benefits of this herb are plentiful.  Rosemary is popular in the kitchen as spice for fish, meat and poultry.

Outside the kitchen, rosemary oil improves digestion, boosts mental activities, and strengthens follicles for increased hair growth and stronger hair.  It is high in anti-oxidants, making it a key ingredient in the fight against tumors and cancer.  Rosemary stimulates brain activities, fights off free radicals, and is a key component in the fight against cancer.

The health benefits of rosemary are plentiful, but the cosmetic benefits are even more rewarding.

Also known as Rosmarinus Officinalis, rosemary is rich in minerals, has a pleasantly compelling smell, and contains powerful anti-inflammatories.  According to an article by Dr. Winston Craig, “The terpenoids in rosemary, such as rosmarinic acid, rosmanol, carnosol and ursolic acid provide effective anti-inflammatory benefits, while ursolic acid conveys anti-tumor properties.” When used on the skin it stimulates blood flow and helps improve skin functions, resulting in a healthy complexion.

A common indication of skin damage and aging skin is broken capillaries, a condition where capillary walls rip and blood seeps to the surface of the skin.  As a result, fine, red lines appear under the surface of the skin, creating an unpleasant look.  Rosemary has been known to reduce the appearance of broken capillaries.  It stimulates circulation, reduces the appearances of the red lines, which makes it an effective element in anti-aging products.  Rosemary is also effective in reducing under-eye puffiness since it is able to increase circulation and help drain toxins that accumulate in the area directly under the eyes.

Thanks to its antimicrobial and astringent properties, Rosemary is also used to treat symptom of acne.   When used as an astringent, rosemary helps cleanse the skin by clearing clogged pores, removing dead skin cells, and stimulating cell renewal.  It also prevents excess oil buildups that can lead to inflamed pores.

Rosemary can also be made into essential oils, teas, and powders.  Its soothing and rejuvenating properties are commonly used in aromatherapy for overall wellness.  As with everything, moderation is key.  Rosemary should not be used by those suffering from hypertension or epilepsy, and women who are breastfeeding should consult a doctor before consuming rosemary herbs.
Rosemary is a key ingredient in Vivoderm’s anti-acne mask, anti-aging mask, intense moisturizer, facial cleanser, facial toner, body butter and foot cream.

Van Le is a staff writer for the CSU Daily Titan and writing intern for Vivoderm Laboratories in Los Angeles, California. She is currently pursuing a Journalism degree at California State University, Fullerton.

For the latest findings on natural skincare, you can also link to http://http://antiagingmasks.com

Essential Oil Essentials

An essential oil is a concentrated, hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. They are also known as volatile or ethereal oils, or simply as the “oil of” the plant material from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove. An oil is “essential” in the sense that it carries a distinctive scent, or essence, of the plant. Essential oils do not as a group need to have any specific chemical properties in common, beyond conveying characteristic fragrances. They are not to be confused with essential fatty acids.

Essential oils are generally extracted by distillation. Other processes include expression, or solvent extraction. They are used in perfumes, cosmetics and bath products, for flavoring food and drink, and for scenting incense and household.

Various essential oils have been used medicinally at different periods in history. Medical application proposed by those who sell medicinal oils range from skin treatments to remedies for cancer, and are often based on historical use of these oils for these purposes. Such claims are now subject to regulation in most countries, and have grown correspondingly more vague, to stay within these regulations.

Interest in essential oils has revived in recent decades, with the popularity of aromatherapy, a branch of alternative medicine which claims that the specific aromas carried by essential oils have curative effects. Oils are volatilized or diluted in a carrier oil and used in massage, diffused in the air by a nebulizer or by heating over a candle flame, or burned as incense, for example.

aromatherapy: aro·ma·ther·a·py - noun - The use of volatile plant oils, including essential oils, for psychological and physical well-being.

A few drops of essential oils in your homemade face masks, lotions and sea salts can turn an ordinary mask or treatment into a spa-like experience. But figuring out which essential oils work best on skin types can be confusing. Below is a good list to get your started with the most popularly-used oils to get you started.

Essential Oils by Skin Type

You can find these by capsules in health food stores or in bottles with droppers

Normal skin

Atlas cedarwood, geranium, jasmine, lavender, soy, neroli, evening primrose, almond, orange, geranium, palmarosa, roman chamo, rose, rosewood, Ylang-ylang, tea tree

Combination skin

Geranium, rosewood, Ylang-ylang, rose geranium hydrosol, neroli hydrosol

Dry and aging skin

Almond, carrot seed, cedarwood, clary, jasmine, geranium, lavender, orange, Palma rose, neroli, castor, extra virgin, wheat germ, sandalwood, rosewood, rose, Vetiver, Ylang-ylang

Oily skin

Cedarwood, geranium, Clary, lavender, Ylang-ylang, lemon, peppermint, Niaouli, Cajeput, cypress, frankincense, patchouli, Roman & German chamos, sandalwood, juniper, Melisa, coriander, lime (distilled), grapefruit,rose, rosemary, eucalyptus, red mandarine, myrtle, neroli

Sensitive skin

Roman & German chamomile, rose, Palma Rosa, Helichrysum, neroli, rosewood, carrot, angelica, jasmine, Neroli, Chamomile or Yarrow Hydrosols

Aromatherapy and essential oils

Aromatherapy and essential oils

“Aromatherapy” basically is a holistic treatment using natural scents. It is primarily used to care for the body with pleasant smelling botanical oils such as rose, lemon, lavender and peppermint. The essential oils are added to the bath or massaged into the skin, inhaled directly or diffused to scent an entire room. Aromatherapy is used for the relief of pain, care for the skin, alleviate tension and fatigue and invigorate the entire body. Essential oils can affect the mood, alleviate fatigue, reduce anxiety and promote relaxation. When inhaled, they work on the brain and nervous system through stimulation of the olfactory nerves.

The essential oils are aromatic essences extracted from plants, flowers, trees, fruits, bark, grasses and seeds with distinctive therapeutic, psychological, and physiological properties, which improve and prevent illness. There are about 150 essential oils. Most of these oils have antiseptic properties; some are antiviral, anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, antidepressant and expectorant. Other properties of the essential oils which are taken advantage of in aromatherapy are their stimulation, relaxation, digestion improvement, and diuretic properties. To get the maximum benefit from essential oils, it should be made from natural, pure raw materials. Synthetically made oils do not work.

Aromatherapy is one of the fastest growing fields in alternative medicine. It is widely used at home, clinics and hospitals for a variety of applications such as pain relief for women in labor pain, relieving pain caused by the side effects of the chemotherapy undergone by the cancer patients, and rehabilitation of cardiac patients. There is a growing body of scientific evidence for the many skin benefits of essential oils. Dr. Pratima Raichur, author of Absolute Beauty , (Harper Collins, 1996), points out that nearly all essential oils are anti-microbial and recommends them as part of her Ayurvedic approach to each skin condition, which, according to Ayurvedic principles, is determined by one’s specific body type, or “dosha.” For most oily or “Kapha” skin, she recommends lavender and clary sage to normalize oil production. For sensitive, “Pitta” skin, and acne rosacea,   sandalwood, rose and jasmine to calm the skin. For dry, “Vata” skin, neroli, sweet orange and geranium to balance and hydrate.

Essential oils stimulate the powerful sense of smell. Many know the odors we smell have a significant impact on how we feel. In dealing with patients who have lost the sense of smell, doctors have found that a life without fragrance can lead to high incidence of psychiatric problems such as anxiety and depression. We have the capability to distinguish 10,000 different smells. It is believed that smells enter through cilia (the fine hairs lining the nose) to the limbic system, the part of the brain that controls our moods, emotions, memory and learning.

Studies with brain wave frequency has shown that smelling lavender increases alpha waves in the back of the head, which are associated with relaxation. Fragrance of Jasmine increases beta waves in the front of the head, which are associated with a more alert state.
Scientific studies have also shown that essential oils contain chemical components that can exert specific effects on the mind and body. Their chemistry is complex, but generally includes alcohols, esters, ketones, aldehydes, and terpenes.

In addition to their balancing effects, using essential oils and products made from them instead of conventionally scented skin and bath products, will spare your skin the stress of the number one ranking skin irritant: synthetic fragrance. Essential oil blends for a variety of skin types that also include super-antioxidants and marine extracts in their formulas and several others all offer balancing oils that actually can detoxify, regenerate and balance oil production in the skin.