Sunday, March 8, 2009

Minerals and Vitamins...

Taking care of skin and hair also needs proper intake of vitamins and minerals. But at the same time one should know which vitamins, minerals, compounds are helpful and the sources to get them.

Vitamin C: Gives glow, elasticity to your skin. Deficiency of vitamin c can cause discoloration of the skin, wrinkles, and rashes on the skin. Natural sources to get the vitamin c are orange, grapefruit, strawberries, carrots, melons, lime, lemon, green peppers, yellow peppers, tomato, broccoli, cabbage, cantaloupe etc.

Vitamin E: Restores, moistures the skin. Slows the aging process of skin, best antioxidant, prevent stretch marks. Natural sources to get the vitamin e are apple, almonds, almond oil, corn oil, hazelnuts, olives, olive oil, wheat germ oil, peanuts, mango etc.

Vitamin A: Also prevents skin from dryness, wrinkles, aging of skin and pimples. Vitamin A is also good for eye sight. Deficiency of vitamin a can cause flakiness, freckles, itchiness. Natural sources to get the vitamin a are chicken liver and legs, salmon, swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, skim milk, yogurt, apricots, peach, cooked kale, watermelon, corn, beet root etc.

Zinc: One of the important minerals which prevents skin from sagging and wrinkles. It has a natural healing ability. Natural sources to get zinc are roasted almonds, black beans, roasted cashew-nuts, cheddar cheese, chicken breast, chickpeas, kidney beans, oatmeal, oysters, peanut butter etc.

Essential vitamins and minerals for hair: Vitamin A prevents hair from dandruff, psoriasis, dry and brittle hair. Zinc stimulates hair growth. Vitamin E improves blood circulation to the scalp. Vitamin C prevents scalp from boils, pimples.

Iron is the most important mineral for healthy hair. Iron prevents hair loss, makes hair strong.
Natural sources to get iron are almonds, broccoli, chicken liver, pecans, raisins, peanut butter, barley, black beans, potato, spinach, fenugreek, tomato, walnuts, pomegranate etc.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Soothing Solutions...

In this topic I am writing some quick remedies for after sun care.

1. Minty mist:
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup distilled water

Bring the distilled water to boil. Add the mint leaves. Cover the pot and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Strain the mint leaves and store this infused water in a clean spray bottle. Spray it on sun exposed skin. Keep the bottle in a fridge.

2. Effective soak:
2 cups apple cider vinegar
10 drops peppermint essential oil

Mix the ingredients together. Store it in a clean glass bottle. Add 2 tablespoons to your tub bath/hand soak/foot soak or apply with the cotton ball to sun exposed skin.

3. Soothing mist:
4 cups distilled water
1 tablespoon vodka
10 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops chamomile essential oil

Mix the essential oils and vodka together. Cover and keep it for one hour. Add the distilled water to vodka mixture. Store it in a blue or cobalt glass bottle. Apply with the cotton ball or soft cotton cloth to sunburned skin.

4. Green tea rinse:
1/2 cup witch hazel extract
1/2 cup green tea
5 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops lemon essential oil

Heat water and bring it to boil. Add two tea bags to the hot water and remove from heat. Let it steep for one hour. Discard the tea bags from water. Add witch hazel extract to the infused water. Add the essential oils. Store it in the clean glass bottle. Apply with a damp sponge or cotton ball on a sunburned skin. Store the bottle in refrigerator. Don't use this solution more than 5 days.

5. Ultimate cooling aloe gel:
1/2 cup aloe vera gel
5 drops lavender essential oil
3 drops chamomile essential oil

Mix the gel and essential oils together. Apply this cooling gel on affected areas.

6. Chamomile rinse:
1/2 dried dried chamomile flowers
2 cups water
3 drops calendula essential oil

Bring the water to a boil. Add the the chamomile flowers and simmer it for half an hour. Discard the flowers and allow the infused water to cool. Add the essential oil to the infusion. Store it in a clean glass bottle. Apply with a cotton ball to affected areas. Keep the infusion on the refrigerator up to 5days.

Precautions:
To avoid sunburns, tanning use sun block creams which has at least SPF 20. Don't expose the sunburned skin more to sun. Do not have bath with hot water. Do not apply oils to the sunburned skin. Use good quality sunglasses. Wear good quality cotton cloths in summers.

Clinique ,Bioderma, Shiseido has wide range of sun protection creams for various skin types. Super city block oil-free face protector from Clinique is one of my favorite.

Check out the following links for more details and reviews of products: http://www.clinique.com/templates/products/multiproduct.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY20551
http://www.bioderma.com/en/the-products/what-s-new/category/93.html
http://reviews.sephora.com/8723/P173669/reviews.htm
http://reviews.sephora.com/8723/218985/category.htm

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Aromatherapy for hair....

In this topic I am writing some aroma oil massage blends and recipes for hair problems.

Normal hair:
Taking care of normal hair is the easiest thing, you don't need extra care for normal hair. But you need to know which aroma oils and carrier oils are suitable for normal hair.

Massage blend for normal hair:
Lavender 10 drops
Rosemary 10 drops
Geranium 5 drops
Eucalyptus 5 drops
Lemon 5 drops

Mix all the oils in 4 tablespoons of almond or borage or evening prime rose oil. Store this oil in a brown bottle or blue bottle. Massage your scalp in circular moments. Do not use any other carrier oil apart from the above mentioned oils.

Conditioning mask for normal hair:
Liquid lecithin 2 tablespoons
Almond oil 1 tablespoon
Evening primrose oil 1 teaspoon
Carrot essential oil 2 drops
Lavender 2 drops
Geranium 2 drops.

Using double boiler method mix lecithin and carrier oils together. Mix well and add the aroma oils. Apply this mask on your scalp and spread it all over your hair. Wrap your head with a warm towel or take steam and wear shower cap. Wash off with warm water after 15 to 20 minutes.

Glazed rinse:
Beer 1 can (preferably warm)
Lemon 5 drops
Lavender 5 drops

Mix together. After shampooing rinse your hair with this mixture. Rinse your hair again with warm water to get rid of beer smell. This rinse gives good volume and bright shine to the hair.

Dry hair:
Its very important to take care of dry hair. Dry hair needs proper attention like massage, conditioning.

Massage blend for dry hair:
Lavender 10 drops
Carrot 10 drops
Rosemary 5 drops
Yarrow 5 drops
Sandalwood 5 drops
Geranium 5 drops
Calendula 5 drops

Add all the aroma oils in 5 tablespoons of jojoba or almond or avocado or sesame or olive or peach kernel oil. Storage and massage procedure is same as above. Do not use any other carrier oil apart from the above mentioned oils.

Conditioning mask for dry hair:
Liquid lecithin 2 tablespoons
Avocado oil 1/2 teaspoon
Almond oil 1 teaspoon
Peach kernel oil 1/2 teaspoon
jojoba oil 1/2 teaspoon
Calendula 1o drops
Carrot 5 drops
Parsley 5 drops.

Using double boiler method mix lecithin and all the oils together. Add aroma oils in the mixture. Apply this mixture on hair and scalp. Take steam for 5 minutes and wrap a hot towel around head. Leave it for 20 minutes. Wash your hair with luke warm water.

Quick rinse:
1 cup hot water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 drops sandalwood essential oil

After shampooing hair rinse your hair with above mixture. Don't wash or rinse hair again after this rinse.

Greasy hair:
Massage blend for greasy hair:
Lavender 10 drops
Lemon 8 drops
Eucalyptus 5 drops
Cypress 5 drops
Sage 2 drops
Tea-tree oil 5 drops

Mix all these oils in 5 tablespoons of jojoba or borage seed oil. Massage your scalp in a circular moments. Wash off after 15 minutes. Don't keep it more than half an hour.

Conditioning pack for greasy hair:
Liquid lecithin 1 tablespoon
jojoba oil 1 teaspoon
Green clay or fuller's earth 1 tablespoon
Vodka 1 teaspoon
Tea-tree oil 3 drops
Lemon 3 drops
Lavender 2 drops

Using the double boiler method mix lecithin and oil. Add green clay or fuller's earth powder and vodka in it. Mix it well and add the aroma oils in to the mixture. Apply on your scalp and spread it over on hair. Leave it for 10 minutes wash off with warm water, if needed apply shampoo and wash off.

Fragile hair:
Massage blend for fragile oil:
Calendula 10 drops
Sandalwood 5 drops
Roman chamomile 5 drops
Lavender 10 drops
Carrot 5 drops
Yarrow 5 drops
Parsley 3 drops
Thyme 2 drops

Mix all these oils in 5 tablespoons of jojoba or almond or olive borage seed oil. Apply it on your scalp and massage in circular moments. Apply it on your hair tips till end. Wrap your head with hot towel for 10 minutes or take steam for 5 minutes. Shampoo off after 1 hour.

Conditioner for fragile hair:
Cocoa butter 2 tablespoons
Liquid lecithin 1 tablespoon
Almond oil 4 tablespoons
Evening primrose oil 10 drops
Calendula 10 drops
Yarrow 5 drops
Roman chamomile 5 drops

Using double boiler method mix cocoa butter, lecithin and almond oil. Mix it well and add evening primrose oil and aroma oils in it. After shampooing apply this pack on hair for 10 minutes, wash off with warm water. You can store the left over mixture and reuse it.

All the products (like cocoa butter, liquid lecithin and aroma oils) mentioned in the recipes are available on this site: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com

Oil blends for stress reliefs, depression...

Due to busy life styles, jobs, pollution everyone suffers from some kind of stress. Mainly it comes from too much workload, sitting in front of computer for a long time, lack of sleep, frustrations in job, complex and many more. It is a constant enemy which affects your body, mind in various ways. There are a lot of techniques to get rid of these stress like yoga, meditation, positive thinking, aroma-oil massage. Aromatherapy plays a important role in stress relief. In this topic I am writing some easy massage blends which are useful in your daily busy life.

Massage blend for environmental stress:
Roman Chamomile 10 drops
Cedarwood 10 drops
Coriander 10 drops
Lemon 5 drops
Bay leaves5 drops

Mix all the oils in 10 ml of apricot kernel oil or almond oil and massage gently on forehead, ears, behind ears, nose in circles for 10 to 15 minutes. Do not use this oil your scalp. You can add few drops in your bath or steam.
Causes of environmental stress: Sitting in-front of computer for a long time, working in noisy place, talking on telephone for a long time etc.

Massage oil blend for chemical stress:
Lavender 10 drops
Geranium 10 drops
Patchouli 5 drops
Orange 5 drops
Rosemary 5 drops
Basil 5 drops

Mix all the aroma oils in 10 ml apricot kernel oil or almond oil. Massage procedure is same as above. Other methods: 1: Mix all the oils and store in the brown or cobalt bottle. Put few drops on the handkerchief and inhale it. 2: Put few drops in your bath or steam.
Causes of chemical stress: Traveling in pollution, working near factories, passive smoking etc.

Massage blends for mental stress:
Lavender 10 drops
Basil 10 drops
Clary sage 10 drops
Sandalwood 5 drops
Cardamom 5 drops
Nutmeg 5 drops
Grapefruit 5 drops

Mix all the aroma oils in 20 ml apricot kernel oil or almond oil. Massage procedure is same as above. Other methods: 1. Massage your left foot with this blend.Press the thumb, centre of the foot. 2. Put few drops in water and spray it on your pillows while sleeping. 3. Take steam with few drops of this blend. 4. Put few drops on the handkerchief and inhale it.
Causes of mental stress: Unemployment, competition in professional life, financial problems etc.

Massage blend physical stress:
Lavender 10 drops
Bay leaves 10 drops
Ginger 10 drops
Peppermint 10 drops
Fennel 5 drops
Thyme 5 drops
Black pepper 5 drops

Mix all these oils in 20 ml olive oil and massage on affected area. Other methods: 1. Add few drops of these aroma oils in 2 tablespoon of sea salt add to your tub bath. 2.Massage your back and joints with this massage blend.
Causes of physical stress: Working out in gym for a long time, lack of sleep, running and tiring job, long driving etc.

Emotional stress and anxiety:
Lavender 10 drops
Rose 10 drops
Roman chamomile 5 drops
Sandalwood 5 drops
Cardamom 5 drops

Mix all the oils in 10 ml of apricot kernel oil or olive oil. Massage on temples, forehead, nose area, neck, behind ears in circles. Other methods: 1. Put few drops in water and spray it on your pillow while sleeping. 2. Put few drops in diffuser or over the candle pot while sleeping.
Causes of emotional stress and anxiety: Problems in personal relationship, love related problems, guilt etc.

Massage blend for depression:
Melissa 10 drops
Sandalwood 10 drops
Rose 10 drops
Bergamot 10 drops
Geranium 5 drops

Mix all the oils in 15 ml olive oil and massage your scalp, temples, ears gently. Other methods: 1.Massage your feet with knuckles specially centre, under the thumb and last finger in a circular moments. 2. Add few drops of rose, lemon, lavender in a diffuser or candle pot while sleeping. 3. Add few drops in your tub bath.
Depression and mental stress also causes insomnia, headaches.