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Summer is coming around and many of us are spending more time out in the sun. And though we may always apply sunscreen liberally, at the end of long hot days our skin will still feel the effect of the sun's rays. Friends in that natural health sciences tell us that most damage from sun exposure to our skin is our result of ultra violet rays creating free radicals within our skins cells. Our skin becomes inflamed as a result. Fortunately, topically applied antioxidants can quench these free radicals, reduce inflammation, and leave our skin with a happy healthy glow. Application of the proper formula can have a marked effect in reducing premature aging for yourself and everyone in your family. It turns out that essential oils are exceptionally potent antioxidants. The spice oils, while not generally used in skin care, are some of them most potent natural antioxidants known. Oil of Myrrh was recently studied for its free radical inhibiting effect specifically in the chemical interaction between UV rays and the skins natural oils. Myrrh has long been used to natural healing, and the studies show evidence of its healing potential. Every essential oil found in skin care formulas has antioxidant action, and each one has a unique skin healing property. Making your own formula can be fun, and it's really easy to do. You only need to select a few essential oils that will be best for your skin type (or the skin of your children or other loved ones) and blend them into a natural carrier oil base. The oils absorb particularly well into the skin within a few minutes, without any 'oily' feeling -- leaving the skin with a healthy glow. The essential oils are easy to choose: Lavender essential oil, particularly Lavendula angustifolia, may be your first choice when blending for your kids. Lavender has a great many healing properties for the skin; it is syngergistically anti-inflammatory, regenerative, and soothing at the same time. It is perfect for general skincare and after-sun use, and is called for by many aromatherapists in cases of sunburn. Blue tansy, also known as Moroccan chamomile is a wonderful essential oil that is frequently used for its anti-inflammatory action in skin care. Blue Tansy is seen in many blends for dermatitis and skin irritation, and it will impart its deep blue cooling nature in your after sun healing recipe. It has a lovely 'blueberry patch in the forest' aroma loved by everyone who comes across it. It will also reduce allergic reactions that give us itchy skin in the summertime. Use in relatively small concentrations, of approximately 1-2 % in your overall formula. Everlasting essential oil, better known as Helichrysum Italicum, is a wonderful and profoundly healing oil called for when the most potent anti-inflammatory and regenerative effects are needed. If you're looking for one of the secret ingredients in natural skincare, Helichrysum is it. You'll find Helichrysum in blends for scar reduction, wound healing, hair growth, and maintenance of mature skin. Its gentle nature belies its profound effects; it can be used at 100% strength if necessary, but is most often used at 3-5 % in skincare recipes. A newcomer on the block is Sea Buckhorn, the oils is cold-distilled from the berries of a bush found in Eastern Europe. Sea Buckthorn 'CO2 Extract' is now found in many of the world's most exclusive skincare products, and is very cost-effective when added to your own creations. It's sweet fruity aroma is very appealing, and its deep red color indicates the many beta-carotene compounds naturally occurring in this oil. Sea Buckhorn is highly-recommended for addition to all daily-use aromatherapy skin care blends, and is particularly suited for an after-sun formulation. If you feel like getting creative, you can include other ingredients that are readily available at health food stores or on the Internet. You can squeeze a couple vitamin E. capsules into your blend, or add Ester-C -- a non-acidic form of vitamin C, both of which are excellent antioxidants when topically applied to the skin. All your 'active-ingredients' will be based in pure carrier oils. These are cold-processed seed or nut oils carefully made for therapeutic applications. The most useful for after-sun formula are Jojoba, Avocado, Apricot Kernel, Tamanu, and Rosehip seed oils. Jojoba, Avocado, Apricot Kernel are soothing, hydrating, and nutritive. Tamanu and Rosehip seed are specialty skin care oils are particularly suited to this use. Tamanu is mentioned in the medical aromatherapy literature as called for in various wound healing and skin care recipes; Rosehip seed has been the subject of numerous studies, helping create healthy skin numerous and diverse conditions. Rosehip has been specifically indicated for reduction of appearance of fine lines from sun over exposure. The recipes are really flexible. You can easily tailor them to your own needs, or to those of your children and other loved ones. Simply choose one or more essential oils and add them to your carrier oil mixture at the rate of 15 drops per ounce. For example, for an excellent one ounce blend begin with a carrier base of 50% Rosehip seed and 50% Tamanu oil. To this you would add 5 drops each of Lavender, Sea Buckthorn, and Blue Tansy. This blend will smell so wonderful; you'll want to use it all the time. It will be gentle enough for everyone who has had a happy day in the sun. For care of mature skin, use a base of 1/3 each Apricot Kernel, Tamanu and Rosehip seed; to this add equal parts each of Helichrysum, Sea Buckthorn, Lavender, and Myrrh. This blend should be used after any long-term sun exposure to really protect your skin, and give it a long-lasting healthy glow.
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More information on using therepeutic grade essential oils is available at www.synergyessentialoils.com
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