Aroma Therapy for Skin Care
Skin not only covers and protects the body’s organs, but it also excretes various toxins from the body through sweat and perspiration, and, for later activity, skin pores serve as outlets for the exit of toxins. If the skin is healthy, good-looking, soft, and glazed, it is a boon for everyone, whereas rough skin denotes a lack of sebaceous oils that feed and nourish the skin. Essential oils have excellent penetrative properties, apart from making useful moisturizers. But all essential oils and their preparations do not suit all types of skin. These oils can stimulate the circulation of blood and the lymphatic system, cleanse the tissues which cause sluggishness to the skin, treat various skin problems, and general skin care.
Healthy skin is dependent on many factors, such as a balanced diet, consisting of grain cereals, pulses, green vegetables, and fresh seasonal fruits rich in vitamins, minerals, dairy, poultry, and sea products. It is pointed out that skin condition is also governed by various psychic, emotional, and sentimental factors. Environmental factors, pollution in air & water, and local weather conditions also play an important role in this regard.
Types of Skin
Certain weather conditions impact the skin greatly. For instance, skin can be dry in cold snowy, and winter conditions, and complexion usually darkens in summer, more oily during that period, in most conditions skin is more sticky and gives out an unpleasant smell. It usually changes from puberty to menopause. So, one oil cannot be used for all the skin, rather it has to be changed in consonance with weather conditions and the type of skin one has. Even oily skin can turn rough, cracked, and dry, and vice versa. Hence, choose an oil that suits you best.
Following classifications will give an idea about the properties that a particular oil possesses.
Oils for Dry Skin: Chamomile, Geranium, Hyssop, Lavender, Patchouli, Rose, Sandalwood, Ylang-Ylang. Oils for Normal Skin: Chamomile (For Dry and Sensitive Skin), Fennel (For Oily Skin), Geranium (For all types of skin), Lemon (For Oily Skin), Patchouli (For Dry Skin), Rose (For Dry and Sensitive Skin).
Oils for Oily Skin: Bergamot, Cedarwood, Cypress, Frankincense, Geranium, Juniper, Lavender, Lemon, and Sage.
Oils for Sensitive Skin: Chamomile, Lavender, Neroli, Rose, and Sandalwood. In a few cases, oils may be required to be blended, particularly when there is combination skin—in some cases, the skin may be normal from forehead to nose and chin, but dry in other body parts or it could be vice versa also. In this case, use oils for the oily skin on greasy areas and use suitable oils for normal skin on the rest of the area of the face.
CLEANSERS AND OILS
In this case only correct and suitable essential oils should be chosen that suit best your skin type. Blend suitable oils with an unperfumed blend of some cleanser, tissue, cream or lotion, or liquid soap—these blended oils will discharge nature’s duty in rebalancing your skin.
TONERS
The gentlest way to rejuvenate and tone up the skin is to use rose oil for dry, sensitive, or normal skin and witch hazel for oily skin—all these can be applied with cotton wool or sprayed onto the face for a more refreshing tone. For oral use, you can use herbal tea infusions of nettle, rosehip, chamomile, and marigold teas. If fresh herbs cannot be had, herbal tea bags may be used instead, dropping 2 drops of lavender or orange oil and letting the same cool. For dry skins sandalwood or rose oils would suit better but for skins lemon grass and Juniper are preferred.
FACIAL OILS
Soft, supple, well-moisturized skin is reflective of a healthy glow and also does not age so quickly. Hence use the most suitable facial oil. Most moisturizers soothe and sit on the skin surface while essential oils act from surface to dermis due to their five molecular structure. If the essential oil is in requisite proportion to a basic oil, they do not block skin pores on lubrication as they are so light that the skin can immediately absorb them. Add 6 drops of essential oil to 6 tsp. of base oil, keeping in mind an individual’s requirements and sensitivity factor but not more than 3 variable oils should be blended with the base oil.
Caution: The sensitivity factor may undergo some change. Hence if an oil is suitable once it should not be taken for granted that the same will suit a person always—such a situation is more common in highly sensitive skin.
FACE MASKS
Face Masks can be processed from oatmeal and clay, pulverize fuller earth that can be mixed into a paste with hot water—let it cool and then add yogurt to make a smoother consistency. Similarly, oatmeal can be reduced to a fine powdered form and, then mixed into a paste. Thereafter, add 15 drops of the most suitable essential oil to a cupful of paste and let it cool, thereafter the same paste should be sponged off. For sensitive/dry skins add 3 tsp. of evening primrose to the base oil. Avoid contact with eyes while applying the face mask.