Essenial Oils
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Essential oils have a long history in natural skin & hair care and body massage. Can be used in many ways to get beautiful glowing skin and healthy shiny hair.
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Essential Oils
Essential oils are added to beauty regimen to get healthy skin and glossy hair.
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In addition to the plant extracts made from flowers, leaves and roots, may botanicals also contain essential oils which are remarkably effective in the beauty recipes Essential oils can be defined in two ways: their scientific explanation is that many plants contain high concentrations of volatile oils which give plants their distinctive flavours and aromas. These aromatic, essential or volatile oils are made up from a wide variety of different chemical constituents. A single essential oil may contain as many as fifty individual ingredients, including substances such as phenol, carvacrol, linalool and geraniol. There is no doubt that essential oils can be extremely useful in caring for the body and encouraging well-being.
How essential oils are extracted?
Essential oils can be extracted form the plants in two main ways;
Steam Distillation
Steam distillation involves placing the plant material in a flask, heating to a high temperature and collecting the steam. As the steam cools and turns back into water, the essential oils from the plant float to the surface where it can be collected. Steam distillation is the best method for extracting pure essential oils and most of the expensive varieties are extracted this way.
Solvent Extraction
The other method of solvent extraction is faster and involves placing the plant material in a flask and mixing with a chemical solvent such as hexane. The mixture is stirred and heated to release he essential oils from the plant before the solvent is evaporated away. Solvent extraction is common in the perfume industry, where natural flower fragrances are still used by some of the more expensive scents. However, it is not the best method for producing essential oils for skincare as traces of the solvent are invariably left behind in the oil.
Uses of Essential Oils
Essential oils are only used in tiny amounts, a good quality bottle of essential oil last a long time if kept cool and dark. Most oils have many health and beauty uses.
- All essential oils are naturally antiseptic.
- Many essential oils are naturally antibiotic.
- Some essential oils help to boost the immune system and fight off bacterial, viral, and fungal infection.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is the art of using these essential oils mixed in a base or “carrier” oil, such as almond or grapeseed oil, combined with massage. Aromatherapy works by releasing the aroma of these oils into the atmosphere where they are taken up by the nerve endings in the nose and relayed to the brain. Here they can have a powerful effect on mood, emotions and mental state. Essential and volatile oils also have a very small molecular structure enabling them to slip through the surface of the skin and end up in the blood stream. This is why the oils used on the skin in massage can be so effective in treating not only skin complaints but also disorders as divers as hormonal problems and cellulite.
Essential oils skin care
There is a long history of using essential oils for natural skin and hair care. These can be blended with any suitable carrier oils to make valuble skin and hair care recipes. Essential oils when choosen wisely according to specific skin type and any underlying problem help to smooth and soften skin along with alleviating many on going beauty problems like acne, dandruff and many others.
The best essential oils for beauty recipes are listed in alphabetical order below.
- Chamomile (Chamomilla matricara)
- Cypress (Supressus sempervirens)
- Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globules)
- Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
- Frankincense (Boswellis carterii)
- Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)
- Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
- Jasmine (Jasminum officinale)
- Juniper Berry (Juniperus communis)
- Lavender (Lavendula officinalis)
- Lemon (Citrus limonum)
- Mandarin (Citrus nobilis)
- Melissa (Melissa officinalis)
- Neroli (Citrus autantium)
- Patchouli (Pogostermon patchouli)
- Peppermint (Mentha piperata)
- Pine (Pinus palustris)
- Ravensara (Ravensara aromatica)
- Rose (Rosa damascene)
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
- Rosewood (Aniba rosaeodora)
- Sage (Salvia officinalis)
- Sandalwood (Santalum album)
- Sweet Marjoram (Origanum marjorana)
- Tea Tree (Melaeuca alternifolia)
- Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
- Ylang Ylang (Canang odorat)
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