Get Rid of Acne Scars Using Acne Laser Treatment

Author: Cynthia K Thomas
Source: ezinearticles.com

The Prime Ingredients in Essential Aromatherapy: Don’t Stay Home Without ‘Em

“Physician, heal thyself,” the proverb instructs, as relevant today as 2000 years ago. Today we have more tools and techniques for maintaining our own health and well-being than ever before; and, as the cost of healthcare soars out of reach, preventive medicine and home remedies gain importance. The more we can prevent illness and heal ourselves, the more we can reduce the strain on the healthcare system, helping reduce the extortionate cost of medical treatment.

Essential aromatherapy stands out as one of the most effective and most widely neglected elements in our repertoire of everyday wellness practices. One noted naturopath points out, “Among all the natural healing practices to enrich and enhance our daily lives, skilled use of essential oils and fragrances certainly ranks as the easiest, least expensive, and probably most beneficial.”

The Essential Aromatherapy Essentials
More or less in order of everyday value

1. Lavender, uniquely feminine-The most useful, adaptable, and feminine among the aromatic essentials. Nature has adapted lavender to assuage, alleviate, or cure the vast majority of women’s most persistent, pervasive health complaints. Named from the Latin word for cleansing, lavender works wonders on skin and miracles on hair; in fact, many naturopaths strongly recommend lavender as a safe, natural alternative to harsh chemicals for the treatment of lice and ringworm. Just as importantly, lavender relieves and prevents urinary complaints while it promotes healthy digestion and circulation. Lavender also relieves stress and anxiety, and it numbers among Nature’s greatest sleep aids.

2. Chamomile, soothing as a lullaby-Sweet, vaguely fruity, chamomile, a natural tranquilizer, has grown exceptionally popular among makers of herbal teas because of its soothing and calming properties. Many women claim chamomile stands-out as the only aromatherapy essential effective against pre-menstrual symptoms. Women report chamomile not only relieves the physical discomforts of menstruation-particularly bloating and cramps; they say it also diminishes irritability and mood swings. Biochemists suggest chamomile’s benefits for women probably result from its exceptionally high concentrations of phyto-estrogens, the female hormones in plants.

3. Sage, opens the doors of perception-The indigenous People of North America exalted sage above almost all other healing plants, using it in all of their cleansing rituals and including “a good saging” among all their rites of initiation for boys becoming men, girls becoming women, young men becoming warriors, and young brides preparing for childbirth. Comparable with some religions’ last rites, saging rituals frequently prepared the elders for taking their places along the great spirit path. Piquant, provocative, and decidedly earthy, sage very quickly passes the blood-brain barrier, stimulating the brain’s right hemisphere, which regulates imagination, emotion, and the entire psychic register associated with mysticism and spirituality.

4. Patchouli, all-purpose skin care-Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and nutrient rich, patchouli ranks high on the list of aromatherapy essentials for all-natural skin care. Patchouli essential oil relieves skin complaints literally from head to toe, working well as an acne treatment, because it kills bacteria which contribute to break-outs, and working equally well as an athlete’s foot remedy, because it kills the athlete’s foot fungus. Just as soothing as it is cleansing, patchouli relieves chapping and eczema; and it works as well to clear-up oily skin as it helps restore natural emollients to dry skin.

Lemon: The Most Essential Aromatherapy Essential

As the legendary folk song goes, the lemon tree is very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet; the fruit of the poor lemon may be impossible to eat, but it makes up for its flavor appeal with its cleansing, healing, and energizing powers. As a general rule, lemon goes with just about all things aromatherapeutic, and innovative domestic managers have yet to find a household task that does not benefit from liberal doses of lemon. Lemon does everything from disinfecting your cutting board to removing free radicals in your vital organs. Just as your grandmother advised, “Pearls with everything, dear,” so Mother Earth counsels, “Lemons with everything.”

Cynthia K Thomas is an aromatherapy expert. For more Essential Aromatherapy tips on how to Feel Better, Relax and Work Smarter, please visit http://essentialaromatherapyguide.net

Author: Misty Rae Cech, ND -
Source: articledashboard.com

Trends in health and beauty are placing more trust in the efficacy of natural and organic ingredients. Skin care is no exception, with more women coming to realize the purity of what they put on their skin is as important as that of what they eat. The skin is the largest organ, and is generally permeable to substances placed on it. This is particularly important in healing wounds, for the skin may be broken and more sensitive. Enter essential oils; these powerful plant derived medicines have been used for many years for treating skin conditions, enhancing beauty and promoting wellness. Oils have been found particularly useful for regenerating skin that has suffered from accidents or surgery, or has their remaining signs in the form of keloid, acne, or other scars. Certain essential oil blends can speed healing time, reduce or eliminate scars from recent wounds and even greatly diminish the appearance of old ones.

There are a few primary essential oils used in skin care which offer their regenerative properties; these oils can be used in low concentrations, and are generally well-tolerated – certainly more so than many synthetic ingredients. The most important of these may be Helichrysum italicum, also known as Everlasting oil. This wonderful oil is distilled from the daisy-like flowers of the herb. It has a lovely earthy aroma and, despite it’s apparent expense, works in very low concentrations (only a few drops per tablespoon of your total blend). Helichrysum is strongly anti-inflammatory and contains powerful regenerative molecules unique to this oil only.

Helichrysum essential oil is the cornerstone for many blends for healing the skin, and is the only one necessary for supporting currently healing skin damage – it should be used at appropriate concentrations with Rosehip Seed and Hazelnut oils, as mentioned later in this article. As noted by well-known aromatherapists Kurt Schnaubelt, “The triple unsaturated fatty acids (of Rosehip Seed oil) strengthen the cell membranes and, combined with the regnerative qualities of Everlasting oil (Helichrysum), heal wounds with minimal or no scarring”.

Lavender essential oil the most commonly used aromatic oil due to it’s pleasant, soothing aroma and broad range of healing effects. Lavender is also included in many skin care blends as it also contains ketone molecules which stimulate tissue regeneration. The specific type of lavender oil is distilled from the flowers of the Lavendula angustifolia species. Lavender, also like helichrsum, is an anti-inflammatory, and is generally thought to bring synergy to essential oil blends. It can be included to almost any skin care blend to enhance the effects and aroma.

The essential oil distilled from common Sage leaves is also used in the healing of scars, particularly old or unsightly scars. It’s natural regenerative properties and ability to promote circulation aid in gently breaking down the tough skin resulting from wound healing. Sage oil should only be used in these instances and in small quantities, as it’s Thujone content can be toxic in high quantities. If used in a recipe for stretch marks (see below), it should only be used post-partum. Despite it’s powerful components, however, when diluted and used with respect, one can use this oil safely.

Rosemary will be the final essential oil we’ll mention here for scar treatment. For the skin, Rosemary of the Verbenone chemotype has many important properties – it contains regenerative ketone molecules, and stimulates cellular metabolism. This oil helps new skin form, bringing nutrients into the cells and supports the removing toxins and wastes.

The essential oils mentioned here must be diluted in a carrier oil for daily application. In aromatherapy, more is not better! There have been numerous studies showing the great efficacy of essential oils in low concentrations based in seed or nut carrier oils. The two most commonly used base oils for skin care are Rosehip seed and Hazelnut oils. Rosehip seed has many documented uses in skin care, with it’s triple-unsaturated fatty acids and it’s vitamin A compounds. Rosehip seed has the ability to support tissue regeneration like Retin A, but without the drying or redening side effects. Hazelnut oil is the most well tolerated of all the carrier oils, and with its mild astringent properties, can even be used in cases of very oily skin. It will tend to leave the skin feeling nourished without feeling greasy.

Now for the recipes. For effective wound healing of recent cuts and scrapes (and has been used successfully on surgical incisions), to 1 ounce Hazelnut oil and 1 ounce Rosehip seed oil add 1 milliliter of Helichrysum essential oil and 1 milliliter of Lavender essential oil – apply twice a day for 7 to 10 days. For older scars from wounds or acne, including keloid scars, replace the Lavender in the previous recipe with Sage essential oil. Apply regularly for 3 to 6 months. For the healing of stretch marks, post partum, use 1 ounce Rosehip seed and 1 ounce Hazelnut oil with 1 milliliter Sage essential oil and 2 milliliters with Rosemary Verbenone essential oil; again use for 3 to 6 months.

This is a summary of a particular aspect of using essential oils for natural health, wellness and beauty. These are effective, tried and true recipes used for their specific, wound healing applications. With some research, you will find there are wonderful recipes using essential oils for a broad range of skin care applications – they work, and they’re heavenly to use! As with all aromatherapy use, go slowly, watch for any (rare) skin reactions, and remember that less is more with essential oils – almost all have been noted to work in very low, well tolerated concentrations.