Aromatherapy for Beauty

Essential oils and skin care

The judicious use of essential oils in skin care helps to rejuvenate and beautify the face and body. We can call this 'cosmetic aromatherapy' - a natural way to enhance the skin's condition and maintain it in good health. However, following the holistic approach of aromatherapy, we need to look further than our faces.

Beauty is more than skin deep, because what you eat and drink, how you cleanse your skin and your overall general health are all reflected in your face. Taking a holistic approach to caring for your skin helps to ensure that you face the world looking as good as possible. This means examining what you eat and making changes to help your skin from within.

Lifestyle checklist

Some people can eat cream cakes and chips and still have lovely skin, but they are in a tiny minority. Most of us need to eat sensibly to keep our skin in good condition. This means drinking lots of spring water, substituting herbal teas for tea and coffee, and eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, together with whole grains. Eliminating or reducing salt, alcohol, fried foods, red meat and sugars will help the skin to retain its natural bloom.

Fresh air and sufficient exercise, avoiding smoking (or passive smoking) and reducing stress complete the lifestyle checklist for healthy, beautiful skin. Once skin care has been tackled from the inside, it is time to consider how essential oils can be used to improve your complexion, treat specific skin conditions and generally care for your skin.

Essential oils have been used for cosmetic purposes for centuries, notably by the Egyptians, who included frankincense and cedarwood in embalming procedures. Scientific studies have revealed that certain essential oils, such as rose, frankincense, neroli and lavender, stimulate the regeneration of healthy new skin cells. Some essential oils also have a rejuvenating effect on the skin, restoring vitality and regulating capillary activity. Essential oils are, therefore, of great value in skin care.

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