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Aromatherapy Skin Treatments for Women |
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Written by Tania
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The beauty of an aromatherapy facial massage is that it is not just
working on the surface of the skin, but is a real treatment which works
on a deeper level. Essential oils, because of their volatile nature,
have the ability to penetrate through the skin to the dermis, the
underlying layers of the skin. Essential oils travel through the
interstitial fluids, the bloodstream and the lymphatic system.
By applying a treatment of oil each night before going to bed, it is
possible to effect a remarkable change in the condition of the skin.
Apply the blend of oils with gentle massage, using light, upward
strokes, and leave it to work whilst you are asleep. In this way, a
flawless complexion can be acquired and then maintained.
The skin should firstly be cleansed before massaging - this can be done
using a floral water to take off make-up and the dirt of the day. Some
mascaras will not come off in this way, and then a small amount of
jojoba is the perfect answer. Jojoba is also beneficial to the
eyelashes, and may even repair lashes which have been damaged by
overuse of eye make-up.
Some points to remember:
- Ensure that you are using true essential oils, and not a
perfume
labelled as an essential oil. Always buy your essential oil from a
reputable company.
- Never use neat essential oils on the face (with the
exception of
dabbing spots with lavender or tea tree). Apart from being too
concentrated, a fatty oil is necessary in order to disperse the
essences and provide spreadability for a message.
- Don't use mineral oil (such as baby oil) with essential
oils, as
mineral oil will not penetrate the skin, and will inhibit the action of
the essential oils.
- Dilute essential oils in a carrier oil. Use any of the
vegetable
oils or nut oils such as sweet almond, apricot kernel, sunflower, soya,
peanut oil, hazelnut etc. Even olive oil may be used, but it has a
strong aroma of its own. Wheatgerm oil contains natural vitamin E
(which is an antioxidant) and so is very beneficial. However, people
with coeliac disease cannot tolerate wheatgerm oil.
- For a daily facial massage oil, a blend consisting of 98%
base oil to 2% essential oil is ideal.
- Essential oils do not dissolve in water, but will disperse
sufficiently to be used for cleansing the skin. The mixture should
always be shaken well before use.
Oily Skin
Nothing could be more perfect than aromatherapy for treating oily and
acneic complexions. Many essential oils are cleansing and
anti-bacterial: for example lavender, bergamot, neroli, sandalwood,
tea-tree, ylang-ylang and lemon and these will help to correct a skin
which is infected with acne and teenage spots
Mature Skin
Some essences such as lavender have the ability to encourage the growth
of new skin cells. Other rejuvenators are neroli, rose, myrrh and
frankincense.
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