Validation for Natural Health

I started making and using natural skin products in a serious way just this year, and I've been sharing them with friends.  In the past couple of weeks, I have been hearing that the products are incredibly effective.  What a thrill!

I heard from one person that the face serum made him feel that his skin was "protected."  This was from someone who had never used any kind of moisturizer or cream.

Another friend said that the skin on her face felt "smooth and soft."  This is a friend who has tried all kinds of different brands, including some of the most popular "natural" brands.

I have to say that I, too, have noticed a real difference in my face and body, using only simple, natural methods to clean and moisturize.  My skin feels softer and more nourished.  In fact, I love this stuff so much, I'm converting most products in my home to simple, natural ones (e.g. a wood polish with jojoba and beeswax, a floor scrub from baking soda and essential oils).  They are just as effective, and they support health at the same time.

Hooray for natural health!

Frankincense & Myrrh: Those Men Were Wise

If the story is true and the three wise men brought gold, frankincense and myrrh, they were wise, indeed.  Frankincense and Myrrh are both excellent choices to bring to a baby.  They are both good for the skin (I use them both in my massage treatments), and they are anti-septic, as well.

There is preliminary indications that Frankincense may also hold a key to the cure for cancer.  The BBC recently reported on studies that show some agent in Frankincense to cause cancer cells to "close down." (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8505251.stm)  Although they are still trying to isolate which of 17 active components are having this effect, it is a sign of hope.

Myrrh has been used for centuries as an anti-inflammatory, for circulatory problems, and for symptoms of menopause.  A recent study showed the lowering of LDL ("bad" cholesterol) and raising of HDL ("good" cholesterol).  (Al-Amoudi, N. (2009). Hypocholesterolemic effect of some plants and their blend as studied on albino rats. International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health.)

And who doesn't like a little bit of gold?

Helichrysum: Apply Neat

We generally use essential oils diluted in carrier oils for massages, for example.  I often use Frankincense, Lavender, or Peppermint, depending on the client's condition.  At 2-3% dilution, these are extremely effective in sedating, balancing, or relieving muscle pain.

This week, however, I had the opportunity to apply Helichrysum neat - that is, directly on a cut on my hand.  Just a drop on the wound resulted in very fast healing.  I was shocked at how quickly the cut resolved.  In a matter of 24 hours, the inflammation had reduced significantly, and wound was close to being completely healed.  Now, 72 hours later, I can see that after applying one drop of Helichrysum directly on the wound 1-2 times per day, this cut will be gone within the next day.

I have used Helichrysum in my skin care products, but this is the first time I've used it as an alternative in first aid for a superficial wound.  I'm very impressed.

For more, see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11902802.

Peppermint: Not Just a Candy or Tea

I have long enjoyed a cup of peppermint tea, both for its taste and its ability to ease an upset stomach.  But peppermint is also effective for use in massage for tired and achy muscles.

Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) contains a large amount of menthol, a monoterpenol that is antispasmodic and carminative (makes tummy feel better).  Peppermint is also analgesic and cooling.  I recently had a massage a few days after a very intense workout, and the use of peppermint relieved the pain.  My back felt cool and much, much better.  And, as always, this essential oil smells great!

(By the way, mice hate the smell, so clean liberally with peppermint!)

Lavender: What's the Big Deal?

Lavender this, lavender that.  Everything is lavender!  Sometimes it feels like overkill.

But is there something behind this?  Why is there lavender in everything?  What's so great about lavender?

Lavender essential oil is made up of a significant percentage of Esters and Monoterpenols.  Specifically, lavender is made up of linalyl acetate (almost 50%) and linalol (over 25%).  Both have been shown to be anti-inflammatory (Peana AT, D'Aquila PS, Panin F, Serra G, Pippia P, Moretti MD, "Anti-inflammatory activity of linalool and linalyl acetate constituents of essential oils." Sassari, Italy: Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Sassari, 2002).  Lavender essential oil has also been shown to be sedative (Buchbauer G, Jirovetz L, Jäger W, Dietrich H, Plank C., "Aromatherapy: evidence for sedative effects of the essential oil of lavender after inhalation." Austria: Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1991), analgesic (Gedney JJ, Glover TL, Fillingim RB, "Sensory and affective pain discrimination after inhalation of essential oils." Gainesville, Florida: Division of Public Health Services and Research, University of Florida College of Dentistry, 2004.), and anti-bacterial (Lodhia MH, Bhatt KR, Thaker VS, "Antibacterial activity of essential oils from palmarosa, evening primrose, lavender and tuberose." India: Department of Biosciences, Saurashtra University, 2009), among many other great properties.

AND, it smells great.  I have done extensive tests with my nose and certify this to be true.  So, don't discard lavender just because everyone else is using it.  There are many good reasons to keep some in your cabinet.

Products, Products

I'm coming closer to finalizing my initial line of products, and I'm getting excited.  I'd love your feedback on this line-up:

Face Serums
Body Butters
Lip Balms
Massage Oils
Custom Blends

There will be 1-3 kinds in each category.  For example, I'm working on a beautiful carrot seed-based face serum, which I've been using for several weeks now.  The effect is my face is smooth and soft; I'm just working on the aroma to be just right.  The body butter consistency is amazing; I've worked out the graininess one sometimes gets with unmelted, whipped shea butter (the trick is to whip it a good long time).  My massage oils are already being used by a successful massage therapist colleague of mine.  And my custom blends are getting great feedback from people.  One client told me that my "Anti-Inflame" lotion worked immediately, and that I should "make 1,000 of them."  Nice to hear!  (Feel free to schedule an aromatherapy consultation for a custom blend.)

So, what do you look for in these products?  What aromas draw you in?  I'm eager to know.

Consistency is Key

I've been running my tootsies like mad to keep up with my massage practice and aromatherapy study, and for the past 2 weeks I've neglected -- you guessed it -- regular strenuous exercise, aka the gym.  Last night Coach Antonio put me through the paces with a killer finisher ("tailpiping" -- don't ask).  Today I feel like a truck hit me.  Not that I haven't worked that hard before.  It's just that I haven't kept it up for the past couple of weeks.  A lesson learned.

This also made me think about the consistency of massage.  In the course of a session, we are able to warm up the tissue and work through increasingly deep areas of concern, adhesions, etc.  Think of the changes that can be brought about through regular, consistent massage!  I'm coming to believe that I can accomplish more with a client through 5 weekly treatments and then a long break than I could over the course of 5 monthly massages.  Of course, I have not put this into a study (yet), but it does make one think.

Consistency: one of the most difficult, yet powerful, things in life.

Facial Serums? Yes, I Can!

Body Butters in the Making

A couple of weeks ago, I took a look at the ingredients of a facial serum from one of my favorite skincare companies.  I trust them because they use only natural and mostly organic ingredients.  I was happy to see that not only did they use amazing ingredients, but I had most of the ingredients in my humble aromatherapy kitchen!  So, I put my little hands to work, measuring, blending, reformulating, bottling, and I came up with a delightful facial serum of my own.  I've been using it for the past 10 days, and my skin feels soft and smooth...all from my own kitchen!  And wait -- am I missing a couple of crows feet...?

I Can't Go Back!

So, I've been working with natural products for a while now, studying aromatherapy, reading ingredients on my various skin and haircare products, and I've been using my homemade skincare products in the meantime.  Today in my hotel room I used one of those little bars of soap, and I realized that I've become addicted to the good, homemade stuff!  The hotel soap felt like an industrial bath, harsh and damaging.  The fact is that our skin is the largest organ of our body, vital to the elimination of the ever-increasing amount of toxins in our environment.  Why wouldn't we want the most nourishing products available?  So, I can't go back to those everyday products.  It's time I did more research about the harmful chemicals we find in them.

Step One: I will avoid the following:

Propylene Glycol (a petrochemical - yech)
Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate (harsh, harsh industrial detergent - are you THAT dirty?)
Mineral Oil (from petroleum, blocks pores - and, again, yech)
Parabens (Propyl, Methyl, Butyl, or Ethyl -- toxic and allergenic)

Aromatherapy Certification

I'm still working on my aromatherapy certification with Andrea Butje at Aromahead Institute (aromahead.com).  I'm pretty much through all of the classes, but I must finish up the case studies, write my final paper, and take the exam.  I'm discovering how much of a new world aromatherapy is.  So many people don't know anything about essential oils...or any complementary and alternative treatment options.  I can sometimes see the internal rolling of the eyes when I tell people about essential oils.  What needs to be understood is that a good aromatherapist roots his or her practice in science, referring to research and being grounded in the chemistry.  As Barbara Close, founder of Naturopathica, said to me, "It's ALL about the chemistry!"  So, onward I go to study, study, study my chemistry!  (And finish those case studies!)

Self Care in 2011 (3)

Okay, this isn't really an update on my self-care progress for the year.  But after a full day of massaging on Sunday, my hands were a little sore yesterday.  I reached into my bag of aromatherapy balms and pulled out a pain/inflammation butter (palm kernel oil, arnica, calendula, St. John's Wort, beeswax) and rubbed it into my hands and wrists.  Today my hands feel fantastic!  All this without having to resort to a chemical anti-inflammatory.  Nice!