Natural Body Guru

Almond oil is the most popular carrier oil used for facial and body massage because its excellent emollient properties help the skin to balance absorption. It is a great moisturizer that is suitable for all skin types, helps relieve irritation, inflammation and itching, and is fantastic when used for lubricating because it penetrates slowly.

Sweet almond oil is a good massage medium to use to assist in the spread of the carrier oil and essential oil mixture, while still allowing you time to do a good massage before it is absorbed by the skin. Not only does almond oil help protect the surface of the skin, but it is a wonderful emollient, skin soother and softener, conditioner of the skin, and it promotes a clear, young looking complexion. Almond oil is suitable for all skin types but is especially good for dry or irritated skin.

Women have been using oils to make their skin beautiful for hundreds of years. All the beauties of history used oils; first vegetable oils with flowers and herbs and then essential oils when they became available after the process of distillation was invented. Oils give the skin a sheen that catches the light and makes people stop and stare. You won’t need artificial body gleamers, they pale next to the oils.

There are many essential and carrier oils to choose from to make a good body oil. The essential oils are great for pampering your body and their properties will also do you a world of good both physically and mentally. Make your body oil using 5 drops of essential oil to 1 teaspoon of base vegetable oil. You can purchase a one ounce bottle of oil and scent it with 25 drops of your blend of essential oils or you can use just one oil. For a 2 ounce bottle of oil, use 50 drops of essential oil and so on.

My favorite body oil includes two base oils, sweet almond and evening primrose, plus chamomile, geranium and lavender essential oils. You can make your body oils with one carrier oil and one essential oil or a combination of five essential oils, it’s all up to you. The rest of this week’s blogs will be about different ways to incorporate body oils into products you can give as gifts no matter what the occasion. I hope today’s blog will get you interested in making an oil for yourself before you start making gifts to give away.

Almond oil, also called sweet almond oil, is the most popular carrier oil used for facial and body massage because its excellent emollient properties help the skin to balance absorption. It is a great moisturizer that is suitable for all skin types, helps relieve irritation, inflammation and itching, and is fantastic when used for lubricating because it penetrates slowly.

Almond oil is a good massage medium to use to assist the spread of the carrier oil and essential oil mixture, while still allowing you time to do a good massage before it is absorbed by the skin. Not only does almond oil help protect the surface of the skin, but it is a wonderful emollient, skin soother and softener, conditioner of the skin, and it promotes a clear, young looking complexion. Almond oil is suitable for all skin types but is especially good for dry or irritated skin.

Adopt a healthy-hair diet. Eat more salmon, sardines, oily fish (or fish oil/DHA supplements), bran, eggs, nuts, avocados and green tea. Avoid red meat.

Wash your hair according to its needs. Over-washing hair can cause it to appear dry and brittle. Many find that as they age their hair becomes dryer and so requires less washing. In some cases it can even be helpful to skip every other shampoo, while still conditioning your hair.

Choose a cut that falls somewhere between your chin and your shoulder blades. Avoid too many layers for thinning hair, and go for thicker bangs when possible. Remember, longer layers help lengthen a round face, while shorter, framing layers will help soften an angular face.

Deep condition hair with natural oils, such as coconut or shea oil. Rub oil into hair, leave in for a few hours, then wash the oil out for a youthful shine.

Shea Oil

Straight off the bat: it’s a don’t. Mineral and petroleum products come from the distillation of crude oil (which winds up in your  gas tank). It is used frequently in many inexpensive products because it is cheaper than plant based oil and its clear and odorless. It is commonly found in moisturizers for the protective residue it leaves behind on the skin, keeping toxins out and moisture in.

The downside is that mineral oil can very easily clog pores and lead to breakouts. In many cases, it causes allergic reactions, psoriasis, or acne. Your skin is like a sponge. Over time, the mineral oil residue will be absorbed into your body. The Cosmetic Safety Database states that mineral oil is associated with cancer, allergies, organ toxicity, immunotoxcity, and skin irritation, among other things. Many people stopped taking mineral oil orally because of the associated risks. Remember, what goes on your skin will still get into your body.

The best type of moisturizers to use on your skin should be plant based and preferably organic ones that have been cold processed to retain their natural healing properties. Shea Oil is one of the best plant based oils available. Shea Oil is a byproduct of Shea Butter production, which produces fractionated oil. Shea Butter and Shea Oil are used to protect the skin from harsh weather environments. The oil offers benefits for skin problems such as dermatitis, eczema, burns, dryness and other irritations. Shea Oil can be applied directly to the skin as a moisturizer and it can also be used as one of the main ingredients in certain skin care products.  Below is a list of some of the common uses of Shea Oil and its benefits:

Common Uses of Shea Oil:
* Lotions and creams
* Soap
* Anti-wrinkle creams
* Lip balms
* Body Butters

Benefits of Shea Oil:
* Moisturizer
* Soothes burns
* Effective in treating dermatitis and eczema
* Promotes elasticity in skin

Carrier oils or base oils are used to dilute essential oils. Oils used in aromatherapy penetrate the skin, so they need to be diluted properly so you reap the best benefits from your massage session. A carrier oil is basically used to carry the essential oil and open the gateway for them to make an entry into the skin and render the health benefits from your aromatherapy session. These carrier oils are also referred to as cold-pressed vegetable oils and they are easily absorbed into the skin. Some types of aromatherapy carrier oils include almond, coconut, jojoba, grape seed, and aloe vera. Almond oil is also a great moisturizer and suitable for all skin types. Another often-used carrier oil, is olive oil.

Most of the oils that we find in grocery stores are heated, and not cold pressed, so they have less health benefits. You or your therapist has to balance your aromatherapy carrier oil with the essential oil to maximize the health benefits of your session.

Essential oils are extremely potent and most of them must be diluted with a carrier or base oil. Oils used in aromatherapy penetrate the skin, so they need to be diluted  properly so you reap the best benefits from your massage session. A carrier oil is basically used to carry the essential oil and open the gateway for them to make an entry into the skin and render the health benefits from your aromatherapy session. These carrier oils are also referred to as cold-pressed vegetable oils and they are easily absorbed into the skin. Some types of aromatherapy carrier oils include almond, coconut, jojoba, grape seed, aloe vera and olive oil. Almond oil is also a great moisturizer and suitable for all skin types.

Most of the oils that we find in grocery stores are heated, and not cold pressed, so they have less health benefits. You or your therapist has to balance your aromatherapy carrier oil with the essential oil to maximize the health benefits of your session. Of course, there are also many recipes for essential oil use and the recipe usually gives you a choice of the carrier oil to use plus how much essential oil and carrier oil to use.

Pure aromatherapy grade essential oils are highly concentrated and should not be used directly on the skin. When you start using essential oils, you should also become familiar with what we call carrier, vegetable, or base oils. You may only need to use 1 drop of essential oil and by itself, that will not go very far, but if you dilute it in a carrier or base oil, it will cover a large area.

Carrier oils are vegetable, nut or seed oils and many of them have their own therapeutic properties. Vegetable oils come from the seeds of plants that have oil-bearing seeds. There are many of this type of seed but only a few are produced commercially. Aromatherapy vegetable oils should be cold pressed. They are not produced in the same way that the oils on your supermarket shelves are produced. Use the following guidelines when diluting essential oils into carrier oils.

Minimum-maximum drops eo          Into measurement of base oil

0-1 drop                                                         1/5 teaspoon
2-5 drops                                                       1 teaspoon
4-10 drops                                                    2 teaspoons
6-15 drops                                                    1 tablespoon
8-20 drops                                                   4 teaspoons
10-25 drops                                                 5 teaspoons
12-30 drops                                                 2 tablespoons

1 teaspoon = 5 ml
2 teaspoons = 10 ml
1 tablespoon = 15 ml

When you purchase essential oils, it is good to know that approximately:

20 drops = 1/5 tsp essential oil
40 drops = 2/5 tsp essential oil
60 drops -= 3/5 tsp essential etc.

Our senses allow us to perceive our environment, and we depend on our senses to inform us of what causes us pleasure and what causes us displeasure. Smell, while a sense not as often depended on as sight or sound, can be one of the most powerful senses associated with pleasure.  Smell is the sense we most strongly associate with memory, and much of our knowledge of pleasure is based on what has pleased us in our previous experiences.  During practices like massage, which are designed to relieve stress, aromatherapy massage oils in tandem with massage can be a highly sensual experience. Smell combined with stimulation for the other senses can result in a much more pleasurable experience, regardless of the activity.

Whether it’s a bath, a romantic dinner, or a sensual massage, always incorporate smell into your most pleasurable experiences and you will be satisfied with the results. There’s just no comparison!

Newborn babies respond well to touch and since it is an important part of the parent child bonding custom, parents should start using massage right away. Commercial baby oils usually have a petroleum or mineral oil base which is good for protecting baby’s skin from water and urine but not necessarily good for baby’s skin. I suggest using a formula which consists of carrier oils that are good for skin as well as essential oils that are good for the skin and have other benefits too.

The following formula uses 1/10th of the essential oil in an adult massage oil but it is still an excellent treatment for eczema and cradle cap, inflammation and teething problems and it acts as a general strengthener. It also boosts the immune system and has a wonderful calming effect  on the nervous system. The loving touch of mommy or daddy’s massage all over his or her body, avoiding only the genitals and the eyes, will keep baby contented.

Baby’s Massage Oil Formula

• Chamomile – 1 drop
• Lavender – 1 drop
• Geranium – 1 drop
  Dilute in 2 tablespoons sweet almond oil

This massage oil can be used daily on your two to twelve month old baby.