Blend-A-Day: Shoo Away Winter Blues

Winter is a time for stuffy noses, aching muscles and congested chests. To combat these cold season concerns, combine in a dark-colored vial, equal parts of:

Thyme

Peppermint

Lemon

Add this to a potpourri to promote general healing in the home. If you are particularly feeling congested, use a few drops on your handkerchief or some cotton wool and inhale directly to help heal sinuses. This is also a great recipe for reducing the risk of contracting colds and flus.

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Vitamin C Skin Surge

It’s not a secret that one of the best natural whitening products is lemon. Lemon contains fruit acids that act as antioxidants to fight the signs of ageing and damage due to pollution and sun. Enlarged pores? Use a clay mask combined with lemon to shrink pores and brighten your skin. Though, you might have always heard of lemon as one of the best sources for Vitamin C, it also contains folate, potassium, magnesium and Vitamin B6 which are super skin stuff!

Kiwis, apart from being a pure delight for the taste buds are loaded with nutrients, especially Vitamins C and E – both of which are good for your skin, smoothen wrinkles and plump up your skin. Kiwis also contain loads of antioxidants and lycopene to help you turn back the clock and prevent further signs of aging.

So what does Vitamin C do for skin? Vitamin C is useful for the production of collagen. Collagen is a natural protein that makes skin firm and gives it an elastic quality. Lack of collagen means dull skin that shows fine lines and wrinkling. Vitamin C also strengthens the skin’s barrier response by reconstructing the skin’s cell structure while lessening UV-damage and hyperpigmentation.

Here’s a very effective mask that you can use for sun-damaged skin to give it a healthy dose of Vitamin C.

• Extract the pulp of one kiwi fruit.
• Add the juice of half a lemon to the pulp.
• Mix in 3 heaping spoons of gram flour to make a thick paste.
• Apply this to a clean face and wash off with lukewarm water.
• Follow up with rose water as a toner and finally, a moisturizer.

CAUTION:Vitamin C makes your skin photosensitive so do not apply this mask before going out in the sun.

Photo Credit: Jose Luis Hernandez Zurdo

A Rose By Any Other Name...Is NOT a Rose: The Difference between Essential Oils and Fragrance Oils

This article was prompted by my visit to a store the other day to buy some beeswax and essential oils to make some aromatherapy candles and was taken aback when I was handed a bottle of an exotic fragrance oil blend with a lusciously delicious-sounding name like "Yummy Cranberry". Since I am allergic to certain chemicals, I tried to coerce the salesman to give me essential oils but his "Ma'am, this smells really good" while shriveling his nose at the earthy aromas of pure essential oils told me that my efforts would be in vain.

So, what is the difference between a fragrance oil and an essential oil? In one succinct sentence - there is a world of difference between the two!

For starters, essential oils are all-natural liquids or resins, extracted from various parts of plants. They contain the "essence" of the source plant and embody the healing properties of the parent plant and are employed for not only their scent but also their therapeutic properties. Fragrance oils are also known as perfume oils or flavor oils and they are synthetic chemicals that offer nothing by way of therapy but are available in an array of scents (those fruity flavored products hardly have any real benefits).

So why would someone want fragrance oils over essential oils? The answer lies in the fact that it takes over 2000 pounds of rose petals to extract one pound of rose essential oil which means an exponential rise in cost! Pure essential oils are pricey. If you were making commercial batches of candles and you wanted them to just smell great, perfume oils would be a better bet. However, a word of caution if you are using fragrance oil to perfume soaps - often times, the synthetic ingredients could cause allergic reactions on skin and it is good practice to invest in quality, tested fragrance oils.

Fragrance oils are available in various grades and only superior quality grades should be used for cosmetics or you can get a rash from using products with synthetic chemicals. Of course essential oils being natural don’t guarantee that you wont be allergic to them but often when you get rashes from using certain products, it could mean that the product contains artificial ingredients.

However, a drawback of essential oils is that they are extremely volatile and need to be stored in dark bottles away from sunlight. Fragrance oils are quite "low maintenance" and retain their scent for years on end as opposed to essential oils that have an expiry date and don’t have a long shelf life. And since fragrance oils are available in a plethora of interesting scents (there are 500 fragrance oils for about 150 naturally-available essential oils), they are the choice of candle and bodycare products manufacturers.

How to Clean Your Pores with a Herbal Hot Compress

A hot compress once a week is a great way to keep acne at bay and to maintain your skin’s health.

How does it work? Acne forms when oil or grime blocks your pores. A hot compress is basically a great way to open your pores and letting them breathe. In this way, all the sebum and grime blocking your pores is removed and allows skin care products to seep into your skin better which results in clear, healthy skin.

Making a Herbal Hot Compress at Home

Things you’ll need:

• A clean washcloth or face towel
• A few drops of essential oil or fresh herbs (optional)
• Hot water

Steps:

1. Add 4 drops of essential oil depending on your skin type in hot water. If your skin is oily you can use thyme, peppermint or lemon essential oil. For sensitive skin, use chamomile or lime. Those with normal skin to dry skin can use rose, rosemary or lavender. If you are using herbs, just drop them into the water.

2. Take the washcloth and soak it in the water until it is completely saturated.

3. Drape the wet cloth over your face till the heat escapes and it cools down to body temperature.

4. Now that your pores are open, clean out the toxins with a deep cleaning face wash.

5. Once your face feels crud-free, follow up your favorite toner and moisturizer.

Since your skin is going to feel a little sensitive at this point, avoid touching it too much or your acne will get aggravated. This herbal hot compress is good for all skin types; it increases circulation and reduces pain in boils.

Credits: Photo by Michelle Buntin

Blend-A-Day: Mediterranean Sunshine

A robust floral fragrance, this bouquet is sure to remind you of the blue waters and golden sunshine of the Mediterranean.

Blend together:

Jasmine
Honeysuckle
Lily of the Valley

This blend combines the uplifting fragrance of three white flowers reminiscent of idyllic sun-soaked gardens and is perfect as a winter-time spirit brightening blend.

Blend-A-Day: The Blissful Bay

A great aromatherapy blend to use for relieving stress and quietening the busy mind.

Combine equal parts of essential oils of:

Ylang Ylang
Basil
Mandarin

This blend is perfect for promoting balance and bringing in the gently wafting aroma of pure bliss. Burn as incense in your home office or studio to promote calm and creativity. You could also add this to your bathwater and soak in at the end of a long day.