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2003 10: Aromatherapy Newsletter Oct 2003

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Green Valley Aromatherapys Newsletter from October 2003

Presidents Letter

Dear Aroma Friends,

I love the fall! My friends think that”s odd, as everything is dying. I see it as the curtains closing with colourful splendour on an exceptionally well performed play (depending of course on what your year was like). Now the cast is celebrating and rehearsing for next year”s performance.

I don”t consider January 1st the beginning of a new year for me, even though it happens to be my birthday. As the children go back to a new term at school, fall feels like it is time to set goals in place for the next 12 months. With that in mind, Green Valley has been going through the process of setting some new goals, which will lead to better customer service and better products.

Speaking of beginnings and children, as I write this I am anxiously awaiting the ringing of the phone telling me our new grandbaby is getting ready to make an appearance! The last check up noted that the baby has turned, is engaged and just waiting for nature to decide when the time is right. We are ready with a special “tummy rub” to help with contractions and stress. It will no doubt be the best scented delivery room around!

Some of you who contact us via our toll-free phone number may have noticed a cheery new voice at the other end of the line. Green Valley is happy to welcome Sherry as our new receptionist.

Our theme this month is winter skin care. Now is the time to prepare for the rebirth of healthy new skin cells after subjecting them to a hot, dry summer. Time to get out the clay masks to help stimulate circulation and exfoliation! Or try an Icelandic Facial; it will make your skin absolutely glow! Some of our specials this month will help you to create your own special creams, maybe for yourself or perhaps for unique Christmas gifts. I know it seems a long way off still, especially with brilliant sunshine streaming in my window as I write this, but before we blink twice it will be here. So, plan ahead if you are the creative type and save money with our specials where you can!

Have a great Thanksgiving, for our Canadian clients and a fun and safe Halloween to all!

Barb Greenwood
President & CEO

Aromatherapy for Healthy Winter Skin

Summer has come and gone, taking with it the skincare challenges specific to sunshine, heat and over-exposure. Fall is now fully upon us and it”s time to prepare your skin for the long days of winter that lie ahead. Cold weather brings its own challenges to keeping your skin healthy and hydrated, and essential oils can be a helpful addition to your skincare regime.

Have you looked at the ingredient labels of your skincare products lately? Many companies still do not list their ingredients on the label, leaving you completely in the dark about what is in their products. Some companies do list their ingredients but still manage to leave us guessing with chemical names so long it is almost takes a PhD to read them! The list of harsh chemicals in products today is long and the potential for damage to your skin very real. Make a small change in your routine by taking the time to read your product labels carefully, question the chemicals and take the time to find out what they may do to you long term.

Essential oils added to naturally based creams, lotions, shampoos and cleansers can help to nourish and maintain healthy skin, and may even be able to help undo some of the damage inflicted by harsh chemicals. In a world where we are bombarded by toxic chemicals, doesn”t it make sense to treat your own system a little more gently by loving the skin you were given? This month”s newsletter will cover some of the benefits of essential oils and natural products to help keep your body”s largest organ (your skin) from degenerating. Take advantage of our skincare specials and create your own products customized just for you! It”s fun, you”ll smell great AND no nasty toxins!

Icelandic Facials

The idea of heat followed by icy cold is not a new one. The people of Norway and Sweden have been charging out of steam baths to dive straight into snow or even into semi-frozen ponds for generations! While you don”t have to resort to anything quite so extreme, this concept can be sized down into a great facial treatment. All you need is 30-45 minutes, a few simple things from your kitchen, essential oils and a carrier oil of your choice. For even more fun, invite a few friends over and have a steamy, icy time!

The Icelandic Facial

Items you will need: large heat proof bowl (not plastic, as it may absorb some of the essential oils), a large towel, hair band or some other method of keeping your hair off your face, timer, ice cubes, essential oils for your skin type (see chart on the sidebar), 5ml carrier oil, hydrosol, small glass container (to blend your facial oil in).

How to: Put the kettle on to boil. Wash your face thoroughly to remove all traces of make-up and daily grime. Pour the carrier oil into the small glass container and add essential oils for your skin type (this will be your facial oil at the end of the facial). Once the water has boiled, carefully pour it into the large, heatproof bowl and add 1-2 drops of essential oil to the water for your steam. Immediately set your timer for 10 minutes and tent your head over the bowl with the towel. This keeps the steam from escaping and allows it to work its cleansing and detoxifying magic on your skin. After 10 minutes, “un-tent” your head and massage an ice cube in an upward motion over all parts of your face and neck, taking extra care around your eye area. Gently pat your face dry (by now you will be tingling with renewed circulation!) and spritz your face and neck with the hydrosol most suited for your skin type. While your skin is still damp from the hydrosol, massage your face and neck with the facial oil blend in gentle, upward circular motions. Use only a small amount of the facial oil, too much will leave your skin feeling greasy and heavy. Most of the oil should be absorbed into the skin.

CAUTION: Avoid facial steams if your skin is prone to thread veins, as the heat will dilate the blood vessels under the skin”s surface, making the problem worse. Use caution also if you suffer from asthma as the concentrated heat may trigger an attack.

Product Highlight: Roll-on Boxed Sets!

Our roll-ons were created to fill a need within our client”s busy lives. We kept hearing you tell us that you loved our blends but needed a more efficient way of taking the great scents with you. To that end we created these 10ml Roll-ons, complete with a sprig of our own home-grown organic lavender!

The challenge then was to make these little wonders more easily marketable, as they tend to tip over on shelves if left to their own devices. Thus the box was created. Now they are all packaged up, ready to go and even come with 3 FREE roll-ons!

That”s right, not only do you get the best way to merchandise your blends, in a fuss free box, you also get FREE STUFF! When you buy a set of the roll-ons (two boxes of four), you only pay for 7 of the 8 different blends.

Oil Profile: Lavender, High alpine (Lavendula angustifolium)

There are few who are not familiar with the scent of lavender, but did you know that it is an evergreen shrub that can spread 3-4 feet? There are many different types of lavender - French, English, blue and even pink! The floral/herbaceous scent has lulled generations to sleep and has helped to calm and heal. The oil is created by steam distillation of the flowering tops.

Lavender (High Alpine) essential oil differs from regular lavender by the location it is grown in. Grown high in the mountainous Alpine regions in France, the plants are away from most forms of heavy pollution, making the essential oil a better grade because it is not being inundated daily with high levels of toxic chemicals in the air and water. It is an excellent oil for use in therapeutic situations.

As with regular Lavender, Lavender (High Alpine) essential oil is brilliant for all types of skincare, from direct application on minor burns to blending into products for skincare as well as helping with dermatitis, psoriasis and allergies. High Alpine Lavender is like a natural medicine chest in a bottle with its analgesic, antimicrobial, antiseptic and cytophylactic properties. This oil is one that is well received when dealing with tension headaches and it should be the first oil used when dealing with a hyperactive child to help calm and soothe. Some other aroma therapeutic uses for High Alpine Lavender include: athlete”s foot, insect bites and stings, insect repellent, nausea, depression and insomnia.

On a spiritual level, it is said that Lavender embodies the warm, protective love of Mother Earth with all its caring, cherishing and nurturing capabilities. It is an oil of compassion and goodness.

 General properties:
  • analgesic
  • anti-anxiety
  • antibacterial
  • antifungal
  • anti-inflammatory
  • antiseptic
  • balancing
  • calming
  • decongestant

Aromatherapy uses: May help with symptoms of colds, flu, coughs, insomnia, hyper-activity, arthritis, muscle aches, rheumatism, acne, sunburns, wounds, insect bites, burns and irritability. Also used as insect repellent.

Ways to use: Diffuser, massage, bath, compress, inhalation, skincare and lotion.

Healthy Winter Skin Recipes!

If you like recipes, then check out our recipe pages.

Normal Skin

Blend and shake well. This oil is excellent when applied to freshly cleansed skin at night or if you are going out in cold, windy weather for extra protection.

Oily Skin

Blend and shake well. It is a common misconception that oily skin does not need to be moisturized. Often oily skin is suffering from dehydration and is regularly over stripped by cleansing with harsh, detergent based products that ultimately strip the delicate acid mantle of the skin, destroying the natural pH levels, causing the skin to go into distress, creating more oil to try and counter balance the devastating effects of the harsh cleanser. This can easily turn into a vicious cycle. Jojoba oil can help to emulsify the excess sebum on the skin and gently remove it without causing damage. This oil blend can be used to cleanse the skin (remove with a clean, wet wash cloth) or as a facial massage oil to help control the excess production of oil on the skin.

Dry Skin

Blend and shake well. For very dry skin this oil can be used morning and night. Apply a spritz of hydrosol to freshly cleansed skin and then massage four drops of this oil gently into face and neck (avoiding the eye area). Very nourishing and protective!

Carrier Oils for the Skin

Macadamia Nut Oil
This oil works well with the skin due to the presence of palmitoleic acid, an essential fatty acid found in the sebum which naturally coats the skin. It has a fine texture and is especially beneficial for dry and ageing skin types.

Jojoba oil(pronounced ho-ho-bah)
This oil is actually a liquid wax, well known in skin care circles as the "skin”s twin" due to its chemical structure, which is very similar to that of our own sebum. It can actually help to break up and dissolve excess sebum on oily skin but is also an excellent moisturizer for all skin types. Jojoba oil also contains myristic acid which carries with it anti-inflammatory properties.

Essential Oils for the Skin

Normal:

Dry:

Oily:

*Acne:

* It is important to note that those with acne should steam NO MORE than once per week to prevent aggravating the condition.

Did You Know?

Lavender essential oil (Lavendula angustifolium) has been used in studies of psycho-geriatric patients to help relieve insomnia.

For two weeks patients were taken off the heavy medication they were normally given to help them sleep. Sleep patterns were obviously interrupted and patients were irritable as time spent asleep was significantly reduced.
For the next two week period, lavender essential oil was diffused through-out the sleeping quarters as a substitute for the drug therapy.
Immediately following this, researchers noticed that sleep patterns went back to the way they were while patients were on medication!

Online Poll Results

What type of information is important to you in your use of essential oils?
34% - Recipes
32% - Properties
18% - Safety Data
7% - Chemical Analysis

Quotes

"I”m tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep.
That”s deep enough. What do you want? An adorable pancreas?"
- Jean Kerr

*This is educational information and any opinions expressed here-in do not replace professional medical advice. If you are ill, see a suitably qualified medical practitioner.*

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