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.

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Combining essential oils with intuitive and Swedish massage techniques in the 1960s led to the contemporary practice of aromatherapy as a healing art. Aromatherapy is an holistic, complementary healthcare discipline. The main treatment is full body massage, using essential oils diluted in a base of vegetable oil. When you visit a qualified aromatherapist, she or he will take a detailed case history covering your medical history, lifestyle and emotional well being, before selecting appropriate essential oils for you.

The Healing Power of Touch

Although there are other important uses of essential oils, it is human touch and essential oils that hold the essence of the healing art of aromatherapy. The healing power of touch is instinctive in human nature: we express affection, sexuality and other forms of nonverbal communication using touch. We naturally rub our body for pain relief when we hurt ourselves. And when we formalize that instinctive touch into massage, it becomes a powerful healing tool.

One of the most important aspects of aromatherapy is that essential oils are only applied by external means. It is illegal for a qualified aromatherapist to suggest that a client ingest essential oils by mouth. Although in France some medical doctors are trained to prescribe the internal use of essential oils, this is a highly specialized aspect of aromatherapy.

It has been scientifically demonstrated that the external application of essential oils is in most cases more effective, and considerably safer, than taking them internally. Thus the healing art of aromatherapy lies in the hands of the therapist working in synchronicity with the judicious choice of essential oils.

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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.

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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.

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Our ancestors learned - through trial and error, and through observing which plants sick animals ate - that eating certain roots, berries and leaves helped to alleviate the symptoms of different ailments. Other plants had little (if any) effect; and a few plants aggravated symptoms, caused vomiting and even occasionally death. This highly prized healing wisdom was passed down from one medicine man or woman to the next, together with new discoveries and innovations. This knowledge was eventually transmuted into the herbal medicine we know today.

Early civilizations also discovered that burning twigs and leaves from certain plants could produce interesting effects. Some of these smoky aromas made people drowsy, while others cured ailments; some stimulated the senses, and a few gave rise to mystical, religious experiences. The precious, magical nature of aromatic plants was honoured by burning them and offering the smoke to the gods of these early civilizations.

We can see this principle at work today in the temples of the East, where incense is still ritually burned on the altars of Hindu and Buddhist deities. The modern Catholic Church also continues its tradition of burning frankincense during church services.

Into The Modern Era

Now, in the modern world, a renewed interest in natural, plant-based healing led to the development of modern aromatherapy. In the 1920s a French chemist, Rene Gattefosse, experimented with essential oils and realized their great healing potential.

After burning his hand in a laboratory accident, he plunged his arm into some lavender essential oil. The miraculous effectiveness of lavender in healing his burn led him to further research essential oils, and to use the term aromatherapie for the first time in a scientific paper in 1928. This heralded the arrival of contemporary aromatherapy as we know it today.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Essential oils are a precious gift from Nature, derived with only minimal human intervention, as you will discover in the following section . The vegetable base oils used to dilute essential oils before massage are also natural. Both base and essential oils work in harmony with the human body, minimizing any risk of adverse reactions.

In the modern world there are many chemicals and synthetics in common use, to which increasing numbers of people suffer allergic reactions, such as asthma, skin rashes, digestive upsets, and so on. Aromatherapy’s natural qualities help to redress the problems caused by excessive use of these unnatural substances.

Focus on Prevention

The emphasis of aromatherapy can be summed up as ‘Prevention is better than cure’. In practical terms, this means that an aromatherapist will look at a client’s lifestyle holistically and suggest simple changes that can prevent illness or disease arising in the first place.

For example, one of the most common problems that clients present with is backache. Aromatherapy massage reduces pain and dispels the stress and tension that are a major cause of back pain. However, there are many other potential causes of backache. The aromatherapist will go through these

with the client to see if physical causes such as an uncomfortable work chair, a sagging mattress or an unsupportive car seat might be contributing to the problem. Redressing such causes will alleviate some, if not all, of the problem.

Prevention leads naturally into the arena of self-responsibility. The aromatherapist will encourage clients to look after themselves, to be involved in, and take responsibility for their own health care. In this way clients can actively seek their own health and well being, with assistance from the aromatherapist.

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In addition to draining facial massage, steam inhalations using lavender, eucalyptus or peppermint help to ease pain and congestion. Avoid dairy and wheat products, because these are both mucus-forming.

How To Perform Facials

You Will Need

An essential oil and base oil according to skin type use a 1 percent dilution of lavender

What To Do

1. Start the facial massage according to the instructions on site. After the firm strokes on the forehead, start the drainage techniques.
2. Using both index fingers, one on each side of the face, place your fingertips on the bony ridge just under the eyebrows at the inner edge. Press firmly upwards, hold for two seconds, then release the pressure and, moving slightly along the eyebrow, press upwards firmly again. Repeat this procedure until you reach the outermost edge of the eyebrow. Start again at the inner edge, and do it twice more.
3. Now start with your index fingers just above each eyebrow. Using firm pressure, make large circles outwards. Follow the line above the eyebrow, down past the side of the eye (being careful not to get close to the eye), then across the top of the cheekbone and up the side of the nose, until you reach the point where you started. Make a total of six circles.
4. Starting in the same place, do six circles going in the other direction.
5. Finish by completing the rest of the facial massage sequence.

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