Essential oils are highly concentrated, as you can deduce from the fact that it takes thousands of rose petals to produce a single drop of rose essential oil. This potency must be respected, and the way you handle and use essential oils is important. Following the guidelines given below (and elsewhere in this book) will ensure that you use essential oils safely and effectively.

Because these oils are powerful and highly concentrated, they can be toxic if used incorrectly. However, if you handle the oils carefully and follow a few simple safety tips, they are safe and beneficial.

Safety Guidelines

As already mentioned, you should never take essential oils orally. Avoid all contact between essential oils and the delicate mouth area, and avoid placing them in or near your eyes.

Some essential oils can cause irritation if they are applied undiluted to the skin, so this is recommended only occasionally and in specific circumstances with selected oils. Otherwise, apply only properly diluted essential oils to the skin, and follow the recipes and methods carefully. Do not increase the amount of essential oils used in the recipes.

Certain essential oils, such as spices, may cause skin irritation on those with sensitive skin. Occasionally a slight redness or itchiness might occur from using these or other essential oils. If this happens, put some base cream or base oil, such as sweet almond oil, on the affected area and then apply a cold wet flannel until the redness or itchiness disappears.

If you accidentally splash a drop of essential oil in your eyes, use a small amount of base oil to dilute the essential oil, and absorb this with a soft cloth, before rinsing your eyes with cold water. If there is a serious incident, seek medical attention.

A few essential oils, such as bergamot and other citrus oils, are phototoxic. This means that they might cause skin discoloration in bright sunlight, even when diluted. It is therefore best to avoid using bergamot and other citrus oils on exposed skin if the weather is sunny.

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Currently there are so many warnings about exposure to the sun that knowing how to protect your skin from harmful rays is quite daunting. Despite this mood of alarm, many people still like to sunbathe in moderation, especially on holiday. If you take sensible precautions and avoid excessive exposure to the sun, then a little moderate sunbathing need not be absolutely forbidden.

Great care must be taken when exposing your skin to the sun. The increasing prevalence of skin cancer is a major health caution, but exposing your skin to the sun for long periods of time, or with great frequency, also speeds up the ageing process. People who have sunbathed excessively develop a leathery skin texture, their suntan fades into a sallow yellow colour, and the general appearance of their skin is unattractive.

How to Sunbathe Safely

Before sunbathing: to enjoy moderate exposure to the sun, first consider your complexion. If you have fair or red hair you will probably have fair skin, and this can tolerate less sun than a darker complexion. Adjust the time spent in the sun accordingly. A week before starting to sunbathe, you need to start conditioning your skin. Do a couple of exfoliating body scrubs during the week to remove all dead skin cells. Apply a moisturizing body lotion daily with a 2 per cent dilution of essential oils that will nourish and protect the skin. Choose from patchouli, palmarosa, neroli, lavender and frankincense.

During sunbathing: choose an appropriate-strength sunscreen lotion for your complexion, taking into consideration the strength of the sun in the area of the world where you will be. Avoid sunbathing between noon and 3 pm when the sun is hottest. Drink lots of water, wear a sunhat and above all do not spend too long in the sun, especially at the beginning.

After sunbathing: cool the skin with a long, cold shower. Liberally apply a rich moisturizing body lotion with 1 per cent dilution of cooling, regenerating essential oils, such as roman chamomile, german chamomile, jasmine, lavender, neroli, carrot seed, rosewood and rose absolute.

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There are three principal methods of extracting essential oils from aromatic plants. These are: expression processes; distillation processes; a nd extraction using volatile solvents.

Expression

This method is only used for citrus fruit. The essential oils in citrus fruits are situated close to the surface of the peel and are easily obtained by squeezing and scarification (finely puncturing the peel) Expression methods include the sponge method and machine abrasion, the former being more traditional and producing a very pure essential oil.

You can experiment at home with hand expression and produce small quantities of your own citrus essential oils. Wash and dry the fruit and cut off segments of peel. Using your fingers, squeeze the peel over a small bowl to collect the drops of essential oil. Store them in a small, dark glass bottle with a dropper insert, and use them as you would any other citrus oil.

Distillation

Distillation processes involve heating the plant material until a vapour is formed, then cooling the vapour until it becomes liquid. In water distillation, the plant material is covered in water and heated in a vacuum-sealed container. This method is slower and sometimes inferior to steam-distillation, because certain delicate components of essential oils are damaged by exposure to heat. The more efficient steam-distillation uses steam under pressure to swiftly extract the essential oil.

Solvent Extraction

For the most delicate plant material, such as flowers, and for those containing only a small amount of essential oil, solvent extraction processes are used. The main advantage is that this method is gentle, but the resulting essential oils include non-volatile waxes and plant dyes, as well as the essential oil itself. Nonetheless, these essential oils are considered by many authorities to be fine for use in aromatherapy. The main solvents used in modern production are volatile hydrocarbons (such as hexane).

A recent innovation is a process called hypercritical carbon dioxide. This is reputed by some authorities to produce essential oils of very high quality and purity, though others are critical of oils produced in this way. The process requires very expensive equipment, so essential oils produced in this manner are difficult to obtain and expensive.

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What are Essential Oils?

Aromatic plants produce fragrant essences in secretory cells, using nutrients from the soil and water, and light and warmth from the sun in a process called photosynthesis. These naturally occurring plant essences attract beneficial insects, such as bees, to help pollination and deter less friendly insects that would otherwise eat or damage the plant.

In many aromatic plants the secretory cells are near the surface, located in flowers and leaves. When you walk past these plants and brush against them, this releases the fragrance into the air. The beauty and magic of these essences are often described as the aromatic heart, life force or energy, and soul or spirit of the plant. When aromatic plants are distilled (usually by steam distillation), the essences undergo subtle chemical changes and turn into essential oils.

The term ‘essential oil’ is generally applied to all the aromatic oils used in aromatherapy, although strictly speaking this is not technically correct. Oils extracted from citrus fruits using simple expression of the rinds are still the plant essence. Some floral oils, such as jasmine, are obtained by a process called enfleurage or solvent extraction. This produces a ‘concrete’, which then undergoes further solvent extraction to produce an ‘absolute’. However, for ease and simplicity, the term ‘essential oil’ is often used generally to mean all aromatherapy oils.

Main Characteristics of Essential Oils

Many essential oils are light, clear and non greasy, although a few are viscous and some are coloured. However, they all share one important characteristic: they will only dissolve in fatty oils, such as almond or sunflower oil, or in alcohol. They will not dissolve in water, and this has implications for the way they are used.

Essential oils are very concentrated and powerful, and are greatly diluted before use in aromatherapy. In a massage oil, for example, the dilution of essential oil in base oil is around 2 or possibly 3 percent. Essential oils are only rarely used undiluted, and in very specific instances. They are also highly volatile and evaporate quickly when exposed to the air, so they are best kept in airtight, dark glass bottles.

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Smile is the most precious asset all human beings possess. And when you smile, the most visible organs are your teeth. White shiny teeth are said to be one of the signs of beauty. But because of different chemicals in tea, coffee, tobacco, red wine, etc teeth discoloration is common. Also some medicines like tetracycline or doxycycline lead to darkening of teeth. Fluorosis can also lead to discoloration of teeth. The tooth discoloration warrants the consultation with a dentist.

Caring your teeth is very important, as after the milk teeth are gone and you have permanent teeth, this set has to be preserved well for life. So, treating discoloration by teeth whitening should be considered. There are many ways of teeth whitening, depending upon the cause and affordability. There can be home whitening kits as well as in-office treatment. As the quality of bleaching agents used is important to assess, it is always better to opt for a specialist while going for teeth whitening.

The overall cost of teeth whitening procedure depends upon the procedure you undergo, the area of country you live in, etc. if you opt for costlier LASER whitening, the cost will be something around $1000. However, the bleaching tray treatment cost starts around at $500. Consulting your personal dentist before opting for any procedure is must, as he can analyze whether you are a right candidate for teeth whitening. Let’s smile. It increases your face value!

Tagged Under:Beauty Tips, medicines, milk teeth, permanent teeth, personal dentist, tooth discoloration Uncategorized

Like: AnJelica Huston, Courteney Cox

Your best Eye Colours:

• cool grey
• black
• ivory
• silver
• rich plum

Your Best Blush:

sugary or rose pink

Your Best Lipsticks:

• fuchsia pinks
• crimson reds
• deep plums
• mauves

The strong contrast between your hair and skin means that dramatic make-up suits you best. If there’s one colouring that can really carry off both dark eyes and strong lips it’s yours. In fact, you break all the rules. While the shades in your skin tone (normally pinks, ivories and blues) will look good, contrast looks even better - particularly in the evening, when cool-toned, dark, smoky eyes (slate greys or bitter chocolate browns) and bright fuchsia or crimson lips will create the ultimate sophisticated look. Whatever you do, make sure you keep your blusher pale pink sugary or rose tones are the most fiattering. And don’t forget lashes and brows - they are vital to frame striking looks.

Tagged Under:anjelica huston, Beauty Tips, crimson lips, dark eyes, eye colours, hair and skin, lipsticks, skin tone smoky eyes

In a recent survey, 51 per cent of people said they felt better about their body when it was tanned. They felt thinner, they felt sexier and they felt fitter.Feeling confident about your body is one of the most beautiful states any woman can be in, However, as we know only too well, tanning comes at a price. Exposing yourself to the sun’s ultraviolet rays ages the skin, adding up to 20 years to how you’ll look by the time you reach your forties, on a more serious note, sunbathing can kill you by promoting a very serious form of skin cancer called malignant melanoma. Faking a tan is therefore one of the best things you can do for your body in terms of both beauty and health. Here’s how.

Choosing Your Tanner

There are a number of different types of fake tan, if you’re nervous, choose one you can wash off immediately.

• Facial tans: These are normally slightly lighter in consistency and shade than body tans. Also they are designed with fewer pore-blocking ingredients.
• Bronzing gel: Used to create a sheer facial tan, they wash off after use. Great if your nervous about uneven application.
• Temporary tanners: These apply a bronze colour to the skin’s surface but don’t actually stain it. You can wash them off immediately, but they’re no good to use while swimming.
• Cream tans: The most common form of fake tan, they contain an ingredient called DHA (dihydroxyacetone) which attaches to protein in skin, darkening it.
• Spray tans: These also contain DHA but are often in lighter formulations. They’re also much easier to apply.
• Tinted tans: These are great when you want to avoid streaking. They go on dark, so you can see where you’ve applied the colour, then fade into the skin. A few hours later, the tan appears,
• Tan enhancers: These can be aftersun moisturizers, shower gels or cellulite creams but they all work in the same way, delivering a very low level of fake tan 10 the skin.

Choosing Your Shade

Fake tans come in different shades and choosing one that’s too dark is a big mistake. You will find that tans come in two basic type.

• Golden: This is a yellow-based tan best for blonders, redheads, those with black hair, those with asian-type or very pale skin, and anyone whose brown hair gets golden lights in summer.
• Bronze: This is for everyone else. Remember that your face naver goes as dark as your body;keep it one to two shades lighter for a natural look.

Applying It Well

It is very easy to apply fake tan badly, leaving you with a blotchy look. For the best results stick to these golden rules.

Exfoliate the skin: Dry skin absorbs higher concentrations of fake tan,which means it ends up darker than the rest of you. The day (or at least two hours) before you decide to tan, go over your whole body scrub. Pay spical attention to elbows, knees and ankles. Now moisturize well to prevent any further dehydration. Don’t do this just before you tan-if the moisturizer isn’t applied properly or dried properly, it’s a sure-fire way to getting a streaky, uneven tan.

• Apply the tan: Work on one 11am at a time. For the best results weal- gloves (to prevent or ange palms) and the tan in Circular motions (this reduces streaking) until it’s totally absorbed into the skin. Don’t skimp. as patchy application leads to a patchy look, but use less than. If you wel’e applying body lotion. You shouldn’t be left with excess on the skin. Dry areas like elbows, ankles and knees should always be tl-eated last and with minimum product use what’s left on your palms.
• Do hands last: The best way is to rub tan on the back of one hand, then rub the two backs of your hands together. If you do decide to use your palms, rub hem away With a wipe soaked in toner - nothing says fake tan like orange
• Eliminate streaks: Use astnngent tonet’s to remove fake tan, or try using toothpaste. Exfoliation will even out patchy application.
• Repeat the process: If you feel you’re not dark enough once the product has been completely absorbed Into your skin, apply another coat of fake tan as described above.

Tagged Under:Beauty Tips, Body Care, cellulite creams, fake tans, malignant melanoma, moisturizers, shower gels, skin cancer, skin darkening, spray tans, tanners ultraviolet rays

How do you feel when you look in the mirror each morning? Do you like what you see?Would you prefer your eyes to be wider, your skin to be softer, your hair to be fuller? If you would you’re the average woman - there are very few women alive who are happy with their looks. It’s reported that Naomi Campbell hates her feet and that Catherine Zeta Jones thinks her eyes are too small. These are two of the most beautiful women in the world - if they’re not happy, what hope do the rest of us have? Well there is loads of hope. You see, the marvellous thing about beauty is that no matter how you look natulrally - how puffy-eyed, spotty-skinned or limp-haired - with the right equipment and the right techniques you can improve yourself. And with that improvement comes increased self-confidence and self-love ­two of the most beautiful (and of coulrse important) qualities any woman can possess.

Now, the problem with all this is that the beauty industry is rife with nonsense that plays on our need to feel good about ourselves. There are soaps that claim to melt fat, pills that say they’ll remove wrinkles and herbal products that promise to do everything from curing baldness to boosting your bust size. In 99.9 per cent of cases, the claims are complete rubbish. Which is where we come in. This book breaks through the hype and the puff. It’s going to go back to basics, giving you the products, techniques and tips you need to maximize your assets. By the end of it you’ll be armed with all the information you need to make the most of yourself inside and out: to emphasize the points you love and disguise the bits you loathe - and just to feel happy with yourself. Are you ready? Than let’s begin.

Which colour suits your skin?

Stand in front of any beauty counter and you’ll see there are hundreds of eye, lip and nail colours to choose from. Which you pick can make a massive difference - a shade that’s wrong for you can make you look pale and washed out; on mature skins it can highlight wrinkles and age you by 10 years. Knowing how to choose the right hues for you is vital to helping yourself look your best.

The good news is you can wear pretty much any colour you want, so long as pick the right shade. To do this you need to know two things. The first colour (the one you have now rather than the one you were born shows you the depth or brightness of shade that will flatter you best - the your hair, the lighter the shade that will suit you (and vice versa). The your skin tone. This helps reveal what shades of a colour will suit you best.

Tagged Under:beauty industry, Beauty Tips, curing baldness, herbal products, most beautiful women, remove wrinkles women in the world

There are many ways to beauty, but the best way is always to enhance yourself! Trying out glasses that suit your face can be fun, but what always suits you, is your own look. And with contact lenses, this is what you get. Lenses are virtually impossible to notice, they are easy to handle, and today they can correct most any sight problems.

Maybe you have heard that lenses need a lot of care, that they are expensive, and uncomfortable to use? Nothing could be further from the truth. Modern lenses give you the best imaginable comfort for your eyes. Also, there are plenty of one-day lenses to choose from, which give you a new pair every morning. No more messy saline solutions or dry eyes. And to find cheap lenses, all you have to do is take a quick look around online.

Contact lenses also give you the possibility of experimenting with your eye color! Will your new hair color go better with either green or brown eyes? With color lenses, it is easy to find out. Just contact your local eye care professional for a prescription, and you are ready to get online to buy contacts. You won’t be disappointed!

Tagged Under:Beauty Tips, brown eyes, buy contacts, color lenses, contact lenses, dry eyes, eye color, hair color saline solutions

Like:

Jennifer Lopez, Cindy Crawford

Your Best Eye Colours:

• olive green
• rust
• beige
• chocolate browns
• earthy reds and oranges

Your Best Blush:

tawny browns or apricots - and a brightening pink for sleepy skin

Your Best Lipsticks:

• rusts
• raisins
• warm chocolate brown
• orangey reds

Nothing looks better on dark, olive colouring than deep shades of warm colours. Again, look hard at your skin and you’ll see tones of olive green, ochre, russets, chocolate browns and earthy reds - which is why you should be choosing these in all your make-up .They’ll just give your face a glow and a permanently sun-kissed look. For blush, tawny shades will suit you day to day, but buy a warm pink for when you feel tired. Fatigue can make olive skins look sallow: the pink counteracts this and brings your skin back to its normal shade. Pinks and blues are a no-no for you - as your skin is more yellow than caramel, they will make you look washed out.

Tagged Under:apricots, Beauty Tips, cindy crawford, colouring, eye colours, lipsticks, tired fatigue warm colours