To Your Health
November, 2008 (Vol. 02, Issue 11) |
|
|
How to make a facial mask: Ingredients can include clay (green for oily, acne-prone skin and pink for dry and/or mature skin), yogurt, honey and various foods like egg, avocado and banana.
Example: For dry, mature skin, use 1 teaspoon of pink clay; add enough infused jasmine green tea or yogurt to moisten the clay until it is thin enough to spread. Mix in three or four drops of essential oil or blend of oils appropriate for this skin type, such as rose, patchouli, vetiver and palmarosa. Apply to the face, avoiding the eyes, nostrils and lips. Rest for 10 to 15 minutes while the mask does its work. Rinse off and pat dry with a towel.
How to make a skin toner: Ingredients for a toner can include witch hazel (low or no alcohol is best), apple-cider vinegar (balances the skin's pH level), herbal infusion or floral water, and essential oils appropriate for skin type. Example: For oily, acne-prone skin, place 1/8th ounce of witch hazel in a 1 ounce bottle. Add six drops of lavender, two drops of juniper, two drops of geranium and one drop of tea tree. Shake well. Top off with distilled water or an infusion of chamomile. Shake well again. Apply with cosmetic pad. Store in refrigerator.
How to make a skin moisturizer: Ingredients can include cold-pressed vegetable/nut oils. Fill a 1 oz. plastic flip-top bottle with the oil(s) of your choice. Add up to 12 drops of essential oils compatible with your skin type. Shake well and apply a small amount to the face and neck, avoiding eyes and lips. Example: For dry skin with broken capillaries, mix 1/8th oz. of evening primrose oil with 7/8 fractionated coconut oil. Add two drops Roman chamomile, two drops lavender, two drops geranium and one drop orange blossom (Neroli). Shake well and apply a small amount to the face and neck, avoiding the eyes and lips.
Cleaning
Cleaning house with essential oils ensures effective disease prevention and boosts the immune system while lifting the spirits with lovely aromas. Mopping floors is a pleasure when using a fragrant pine- or lemon-based blend. To dilute the essential oils, use 1 cup of white vinegar. Pour the vinegar/essential oil blend into water.
Make a wonderful carpet deodorizer using essential oils and baking soda. Put the baking soda in a glass container, add the chosen essential oils (don't choose those with a potential to stain, such as cedar or chamomile.) Close the lid, shake it up, let it sit for an hour and then shake it onto the carpet. Allow this to stay on the carpet for at least 15 minutes, and then vacuum all traces away. (Note: An added benefit is that if you have pets, fleas don't like pine.)
