Skin brushing and body scrubs are two exfoliating treatments that are of prime importance in looking after your skin. Exfoliation removes dead skin cells and dirt from the body, and afterwards the skin looks and feels vibrant, glowing and healthy. The skin’s absorbency is improved, so nourishing moisturizers containing essential oils and other nutrients will soak in easily.

Skin brushing is best done with a dry, natural bristle brush or an abrasive mitt. It is performed with short, brisk movements, always in the direction of the heart, so that the circulation of lymph is encouraged. Skin brushing is ideally done before an aromatherapy massage or the application of body lotion. As part of an aromatherapy lymphatic drainage course of treatments, the client is requested to skin brush every day.

Rejuvenating Body Scrub

This body scrub is derived from a traditional Indian treatment for brides-to-be. The bride is scrubbed allover with a mixture of finely ground grains, before being massaged with aromatic oils. Doing this body scrub will/eave you with invigorated, glowing skin and can be done before an aromatherapy massage. It is best to perform it standing on an old towel as it is a messy procedure.

You Will Need

1 large handful of finely ground oatmeal • 1 large handful of ground almonds •A bowl • 1 tsp of dried, finely ground orange peel • 1 tsp of rosehip granules • 5 drops of jasmine or rose absolute essential oil • Warm water • A towel • A soft body brush or small towel

What To Do

1. Place the oatmeal and ground almonds in the bowl and mix in the orange peel and rosehip granules.
2. Add the jasmine or rose absolute, together with enough warm water to make a fine, crumbly mixture.
3. Standing on a towel, take a small handful of the body scrub and rub it vigorously with circular movements allover your body. The scrub dries quickly and most of it will fall straight off you.
4. When you have finished, use a soft body brush or small towel to brush off any leftover crumbs.

Tagged Under:natural bristle brush or an abrasive mitt. Skin brushing is best done with a dry

What is the skin?

The skin is the largest organ of the body, and its functions include temperature regulation and the manufacturing of vitamin 0 as well as protecting the body beneath The skin is divided into three main layers, with each layer having specific characteristics.

The layers of the skin

• The first, outer or top layer is called the epidermis and is also known as the stratum corneum. This is what we see when we look at the surface of the skin. The epidermis is composed of essentially dead cells of a flat appearance.
• The second, middle layer is called the dermis, and is considerably thicker than the epidermis. It contains blood and lymph vessels, hair follicles, sensory nerve endings and sebaceous and sweat glands. The dermis manufactures new, living skin cells, which gradually emerge onto the surface epidermis.
• The third and bottom layer of the skin is known as the subcutaneous layer. This is where the tiny muscles that keep the skin toned and firm are located, along with fatty tissue that supports the skin.

How Aromatherapy can Help

The epidermis is the area that you concentrate on with your skin-care regime, although its condition is interdependent with the two lower layers and the rest of the body. The appearance of the skin is conditioned by how quickly the dead surface cells are replaced by new cells from the dermis. The more rapidly this process occurs, the softer, smoother and healthier the skin appears.

When dead skin cells collect on the surface of the skin, the complexion appears lifeless, dull and lacklustre This is one of the functions of cleansing the skin: not only do you remove dirt from the surface and dirt trapped in the pores, but you also remove dead skin cells. In this way gentle exfoliation can improve a dull complexion.

As we age, the natural process of cell renewal slows down, and the youthful elasticity of the skin diminishes. Rejuvenating aromatherapy skin products stimulate rapid regeneration of cells in the dermis to help retain a beautiful complexion as you age.

Tagged Under:dull and lacklustre, epidermis, rapid regeneration of cells, stratum corneum subcutaneous layer

Caring for your skin is vital to keep it healthy and looking good. This is especially important for the face. A basic three-step, twice-daily skin-care regime using aromatherapy products is described below. Recipes for cleansers, toners and moisturizers with essential oils are given later.

Three Steps to Healthy Skin

• Cleansing is fundamental to good skin care. This is especially important if you live in a city, where airborne toxins readily adhere to your face, causing damage and premature ageing. Cleansing should be done twice: once to remove surface grime and make-up, and once to cleanse the pores thoroughly. Facial skin is delicate, so soap is too harsh and drying to use on your face. Face cleansers, based on a cream or a lotion, are the best way to cleanse your face thoroughly but gently. Cream cleansers are massaged into the face thoroughly, and then washed off with plain water.
• Skin toners a re used after cleansing, to refresh the skin and tighten the pores. They also remove any traces of cleanser. However, many store-bought toners contain harsh ingredients that dry out the skin, leaving your face feeling uncomfortably tight. Using flower waters on a cotton wool pad as toners – with and without the addition of essential oils – is a natural and gentle way to hydrate and refresh your skin Spray pure flower water on your face afterwards and allow it to dry naturally.
• Moisturizer is then applied to the cleansed, toned skin. In many ways moisturizers are the most important product in the whole skin-care range.They nourish, hydrate and protect the skin, preventing dehydration and dryness, and keep the skin supple, glowing and healthy. You need to have two moisturizers: a lighter, easily absorbed one to use in the morning, and a richer, nourishing night cream. The area around the eyes is particularly delicate, so you should only use the lighter moisturizer here.

Tagged Under:keep it healthy and looking good, preventing dehydration and dryness washed off with plain water

The judicious use of essential oils in skin care helps to rejuvenate and beautify the face and body. We can call this ‘cosmetic aromatherapy’ – a natural way to enhance the skin’s condition and maintain it in good health. However, following the holistic approach of aromatherapy, we need to look further than our faces.

Beauty is more than skin deep, because what you eat and drink, how you cleanse your skin and your overall general health are all reflected in your face. Taking an holistic approach to caring for your skin helps to ensure that you face the world looking as good as possible. This means examining what you eat and making changes to help your skin from within.

Lifestyle Checklist

Some people can eat cream cakes and chips and still have lovely skin, but they are in a tiny minority. Most of us need to eat sensibly to keep our skin in good condition. This means drinking lots of spring water, substituting herbal teas for tea and coffee, and eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, together with whole grains. Eliminating or reducing salt, alcohol, fried foods, red meat and sugars will help the skin to retain its natural bloom.

Fresh air and sufficient exercise, avoiding smoking (or passive smoking) and reducing stress complete the lifestyle checklist for healthy, beautiful skin. Once skin care has been tackled from the inside, it is time to consider how essential oils can be used to improve your complexion, treat specific skin conditions and generally care for your skin.

Essential oils have been used for cosmetic purposes for centuries, notably by the Egyptians, who included frankincense and cedarwood in embalming procedures. Scientific studies have revealed that certain essential oils, such as rose, frankincense, neroli and lavender, stimulate the regeneration of healthy new skin cells. Some essential oils also have a rejuvenating effect on the skin, restoring vitality and regulating capillary activity. Essential oils are, therefore, of great value in skin care.

Tagged Under:a natural way to enhance the skins condition and maintain it in good health.

Mature skin is something we will all have one day. This brings up an interesting point about skin types: they change, according to age, health, environmental circumstances, diet and other lifestyle factors It is therefore important to reassess your skin type from time to time, because you may find that your once -lovely normal skin has become dry or sensitive, or has simply aged into mature skin. Ageing is, however, a normal part of life and with proper skin care, mature skin can still look good for its time of life.

As we age, the body’s functions slow down, cells are not replaced as quickly, and skin elasticity gives way to a gradual drooping. A mature skin is characterized by wrinkles and crow’s-feet (those fine lines around the eyes), and thread veins, blemishes and age spots start to appear. The skin loses the natural bloom of youth, the bone structure underneath the face becomes more noticeable, and creases along the lines of the face muscles become apparent.

Do not despair ! This process happens gradually, individual variations occur and for some lucky people the signs of ageing appear only in late life. Good and regular skin-care treatments can even slow down the signs of ageing. Reducing unnecessary exposure to the sun, assessing your diet and trying to improve it, and eliminating stress and environmental pollution as much as possible all help to delay the signs of ageing

Regular aromatherapy facial treatments with selected essential oils can help maintain a healthy skin. Facial massage helps tone the sagging muscles and restore some skin tone. Hydrating face masks that include aloe vera, seaweed extracts, honey with propolis and other nutrients are beneficial. Careful twice-daily cleansing, toning and moisturizing remains important.

Suitable Aromatherapy Products

Essential oils that have a beneficial effect on mature skin include carrot seed, frankincense, sandalwood, myrrh, patchouli, rose otto, rose absolute, roman chamomile, german chamomile and palma rosa. Carrot seed is especially valuable for revitalization, and frankincense can help to reduce wrinkles.

Suitable flower waters include rose water, chamomile water, linden blossom water and angelica-root water.

Tagged Under:Regular aromatherapy facial treatments with selected essential oils can help maintain a healthy skin.

So called ‘normal’ skin is rare beyond puberty, and therefore – other than in children – not really normal at all! For the lucky few, normal skin is characterized by good hydration, muscle tone, a balanced metabolism and good circulation.

Normal skin has an attractive, natural bloom and colour, and looks soft and supple. The surface of the skin is free from blemishes and has a fine texture with no wrinkles, no crow’s-feet around the eyes and no enlarged open pores.

Suitable Aromatherapy Products

If you have normal skin, you can use almost any essential oil you like in your skin-care products, with the exception of essential oils that might cause irritation, such as the spice oils. However, the following essential oils are particularly recommended for normal skin care: german chamomile, rose otto, rose absolute, neroli, lavender, geranium, palma rosa and rosewood.

Flower or floral waters (also known as hydrosols) are by-products of distillation of essential oils, and are valuable in skin care alongside essential oils. Suitable flower waters for normal skin include rose water, chamomile water, orange-flower water, cornflower water and linden ­ blossom water.

Caring for normal skin is just as important as caring for other skin types, although in this instance the aim is to preserve the skin condition, rather than compensate for any deficiencies. As with other skin types, normal skin must be cleansed thoroughly, first thing in the morning and last thing at night before going to bed. Toning and moisturizing after cleansing completes thc basic daily skin-care regime.

Occasional exfoliation – perhaps once a fortnight – using a facial scrub is recommended, and using a face mask or pack once a week is also a good way to keep normal skin healthy. Specific recipes and instructions for incorporating essential oils into base creams and other skin-care bases are given for all skin types later on in this section.

Tagged Under:essential oils are particularly recommended for normal skin care: german chamomile, rose absolute rose otto

Light Moisturizer For Oily Skin

This moisturizer for oily skin uses antiseptic essential oils that help balance and reduce sebum levels.

You Will Need

150 ml (5 fl oz) of base moisturizer • A large glass jar. A chopstick • 5 ml (1 tsp) each of orange-flower water and witch hazel • 6 drops each of cypress, geranium and lavender • 2 drops each of grapefruit and ti-tree

What To Do

1. Measure the base moisturizer into the glass jar. Using the chopstick, stir in the orange ­ flower water and witch hazel.
2. Add the cypress, geranium and lavender, and the grapefruit and ti-tree. Stir well to incorporate them thoroughly into the moisturizer. An alternative blend of masculine-smelling essential oils to suit an adolescent boy or a man with oily skin or acne, is as follows: 5 drops each of cedarwood, cypress and juniper and 2 drops each of ti-tree, myrtle and lavender .

Simple Head Cream

Aromatherapy hand creams moisturize dry skin and help to heal any minor abrasions. This recipe is simple to make because there is no flower water to incorporate. The lemon essential oil gently helps to fade any discoloured skin on the hands, and the benzoin helps to heal paper cuts and so on. This hand cream sets easily because natural, unfractionated (or unrefined) coconut oil is solid at room temperature, but the cream easily liquefies on contact with warm skin. Such hand creams are deeply moisturizing and take a little longer than commercial hand creams to be fully absorbed.

You Will Need

75 g (3 oz) of unfractionated coconut oil • A heat-resistant glass bowl. A pan of hot water • 25 ml (1 fl oz) of sweet almond oil. 8 drops each of lavender and lemon • 4 drops of benzoin. A large glass jar

What To Do

1. Put the coconut oil in the glass bowl, placed inside a pan of hot water over a gentle heat. Once the coconut oil has melted, add the sweet almond oil and stir until the mixture is thoroughly blended.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lavender and lemon, and the benzoin. Mix them in thoroughly, then pour into the glass jar while still warm and liquid.

Hand Cream For Rough Hands

The following hand cream is excellent for those who work outdoors with their hands, such as gardeners, builders and so on. The skin on the hands can easily become hard, dry and chapped or cracked if it is not properly cared for. Calendula is an infused oil with legendary healing properties, while myrrh helps to heal cracked skin.

You Will Need

5 g ( l/8 oz) of beeswax • A heat-resistant glass bowl. A pan of hot water • 25 9 (1 oz) of cocoa butter • 20 ml (4 tsp) of sweet almond oil. 3 ml (1/2 tsp) each of glycerine and calendula oil. 5 drops each of myrrh and geranium • 3 drops of mandarin. A large glass jar

What To Do

1. Melt the beeswax in the glass bowl, placed in a pan of hot water over a gentle heat. Once the beeswax has melted, add the cocoa butter, sweet almond oil, glycerine and calendula oil, stirring steadily to ensure that all ingredients are incorporated thoroughly.
2. Remove the pan from the heat, stirring until the mixture has cooled. Then add the myrrh, geranium and mandarin, mixing them in thoroughly. Pour into the glass jar.

Tagged Under:oily skin uses antiseptic essential oils, pan of hot water over a gentle heat, stirring until the mixture has cooled the heat

Oily skin is the bane of many adolescents, with the accompanying acne and blackhead spots. Adolescents tend to have oily skin because their bodies are going through changes and flux after puberty, especially the endocrine system, which is linked to sebum production. At that vulnerable age it is small satisfaction to learn that an oily skin in your early years means that your skin will age more slowly than normal or dry skin.

Oily skin can also affect adults. It is characterized by a dull, neglected appearance, possibly acne, and certainly some blackheads, spots and blemishes. The skin feels oily to the touch and has a shiny look, together with enlarged pores and sometimes a thick, coarse appearance.

The combination skin of an oily T-shape of forehead, nose and chin with dry skin on the rest of the face is the most common skin type. Aromatherapy treatment is aimed at balancing and reducing sebum production. The patches of dry skin and of oily skin require different essential oils and other skin-care treatments accordingly, so a wide range of products is necessary.

It is important to resist the temptation to use harsh cleansers on oily skin. Although they are effective in temporarily cleansing excess sebum and dirt, such harsh cleansers typically contain alcohol or chemicals that literally strip the skin of sebum. This merely encourages more sebum production and is therefore counter-productive.

The best approach to treating oily skin is gentle, frequent cleansing, toning and moisturizing with a light moisturizer. Essential oils are chosen to balance and reduce sebum production and for their healing, antiseptic qualities. Deep-cleansing treatments weekly are recommended. These include lace masks based on green clay, which draws out dirt and excess sebum; and facial steaming to unblock pores and prevent spots from forming .

Suitable Aromatherapy Products

Essential oils that are beneficial for oily skin include geranium, lavender, cedarwood, palmarosa, niaouli, juniper berry, ti-tree, ylang ylang, cypress, grapefruit. bergamot and myrtle.

Flower waters for oily skin include verbena water, witch hazel, orange ­ flower water and cornflower water.

Tagged Under:oily skin require different essential oils and other skin care treatments accordingly

The scalp benefits from aromatherapy massage and treatments just as much as the face, This rejuvenating hot -oil treatment can be given before or after a facial massage, if desired, though it is equally effective on its own and is easy to do to yourself Hot oil with added essential oils nourishes the scalp and conditions the hair, Scalp massage promotes healthy hair growth, reduces scaling, is deeply relaxing and gently releases tension and dispels headaches,

Suitable base Oils for the rejuvenating hot-oil treatment include jojoba, which regulates sebum and is beneficial for dry, itchy scalps; evening primrose oil, which makes a good conditioner for hair and neem oil, which helps prevent dandruff and itching, Add essential oils as follows: for dark hair, use rosemary; for fair or red hair, use chamomile; for dandruff, use lavender, bergamot or sandalwood,

How To Perform It

You Will Need

An essential oil and base oil, as suggested previously; use a 3 per cent dilution: 3 drops of essential oil for each 5 ml (1 tsp) of base oil.

• A small cup or bowl
• A larger bowl of hot water
• Plastic wrap
• Hot towels
• Shampoo and conditioner

What To Do

• Take 5-10 ml (1-2 tsp) of base oil, depending on your hair length and thickness, Heat the oil in a small cup or bowl immersed in a larger bowl of hot water or in a microwave, Mix in the essential oil thoroughly.
• Apply the oil to your hair, making sure that you cover every strand. Give yourself a thorough scalp massage, using small, firm circular movements with your fingertips and covering all of the scalp Make sure you are really moving your scalp and not just skating lightly over the top.
• Wrap your hair in plastic wrap, and then cover your head with a hot towel. Replace with another hot towel once the first one has cooled, and repeat for as long as you like. Leave the oil in for at least two hours.
• Shampoo your hair at least twice to wash off the oil, applying neat shampoo for the first wash to ensure that you remove all traces of oil. Condition your hair as usual, but use less conditioner than normal. Your hair will feel soft and glossy, and your scalp relaxed and invigorated.

Tagged Under:deeply relaxing and gently releases tension and dispels headaches Hot oil with added essential oils nourishes the scalp and conditions

Skin biopsy is often required to confirm a clinical diagnosis. It is a simple, easy, and relatively inexpensive procedure. The general rule regarding its use should be: “If any doubt exists, biopsy!” Biopsies can be used for obtaining a sample of a lesion (incisional biopsy) or can be carried out with the intent of completely removing the lesion (excision al biopsy). Surgically, there are three types of biopsy: shave excision, punch excision, or elliptical excision. All three techniques require the use of cutaneous anesthesia.Shave biopsy is carried out by making a horizontal slice through the skin such that the no. 15 scalpel blade just passes below the expected depth of the lesion. This technique is particularly useful for those elevated lesions in which the pathology is presumptively confined to the epidermis or papillary portion of the dermis. Because the skin is not deeply cut, problems with bleeding rarely occur. Likewise, there is little or no postoperative scarring. Unfortunately, if the depth of the pathology is misjudged the lesions may be transected at a level too superficial for satisfactory identification. Hemostasis is easily obtained with chemical cauterants.

A punch biopsy can be carried out almost as quickly and easily as a shave biopsy. This technique is used for lesions in which the histologic changes are expected to extend to the middle or lower portions of the dermis. The punch used for such biopsies can be envisioned as a very small cookie cutter. This instrument is placed perpendicular to the skin, and with downward pressure the punch is twisted with a back and forth rotary motion such that a cylinder of skin is cut. The fingers of the other hand should be used to stabilize of the skin in order to ensure a smooth cut. The skin should be cut completely through to the depth of the subcutaneous layer. The depth of the cut can be judged by removing the punch and observing the central piece of tissue, the skin has been cut entirely through when the central piece of tissue has shrunken away from the sides and appears loose in the hole. At that point the cylinder of skin is gently lifted with forceps (or on the tip of a needle), and the underlying connection to subcutaneous fat is cut with a sharply pointed small scissors. The defect left by the removal of the skin cylinder can either be left open or, preferably, be closed with a single 5-0 suture. If the defect is left open, a small block of dental Gelfoam can be inserted with a pair of forceps. In most instances, a 3- or 4-mm punch will both provide an adequate piece of tissue and leave a suitably small scar.

If it is necessary to remove a piece of tissue larger than 4 mm in diameter, an elliptical excision ought to be performed . Such excisions are also useful when the pathology to be evaluated is expected to extend to the deep dermis or subcutaneous fat. All too often, pathology present at this depth is inadequately sampled when even a large punch is used.

Prior to carrying out an elliptical excision, markings should be placed on the surface of the skin such that the long axis of the identified ellipse lies in a wrinkle line. The length of the ellipse should be 2.5 to 3 times the required width. Once the skin is suitably marked and anesthetized, the incision can be made with a no. 15 (or other similar) scalpel blade. The blade should be held perpendicular to the surface of the skin throughout the cut so that the edges of the cut are not beveled. The cut should extend completely through the dermis; some subcutaneous fat should be visible at the bottom of the piece of skin when it is removed. Hemostasis is rarely a problem. Pressure alone is usually sufficient, but bleeding vessels may be tied off or coagulated if necessary. If the ellipse is large, the edges of the cut should be undermined to reduce suture tension. Most elliptical excisions can be closed with a single layer of 5-0 nonabsorbent suture, but in some instances a subcutaneous layer of absorbable suture material such as Vicryl will be required. Skin surface sutures on the face should be removed within 5 days, but in other areas it may be necessary to leave the sutures in for 7 to 14 days in order to obtain adequate wound strength.

Tissue removed by anyone of the three biopsy techniques should be placed immediately in a 10% formalin solution for transport to the pathology laboratory. The specimen bottle need not be sterile; a urine collection cup will serve well if prepared containers are not easily available.

Tagged Under:clinical diagnosis, lesion excision, pathology, punch biopsy, skin biopsy skin care