A wrinkle is nothing more than a ridge, or a fold in the skin. It’s a part of the normal aging process. The process can be sped up by sun damage, pollution, stress, bad lifestyle, and other factors. Wrinkles are something that most of us have to live with. In fact, wrinkles add character to a face, and people who have aged gracefully often have the most beautiful faces. Short of cosmetic procedures like skin lifts and botox injections, there’s probably nothing you can do to stay wrinkle free all your life. And even those won’t last forever, they’ll eventually start showing on your skin and body. What’s worse is that they carry significant risk of injury and botched surgeries.
If you want to keep wrinkles away, you’re going to have to make some definite positive changes to your life. A healthy diet, staying away from alcohol and cigarettes, plenty of sleep and plenty of exercise will go a long way. But you can also incorporate some aromatherapy into your life. Not only are they effective, but they’re also natural and refreshing.
Aromatherapy can be used in many ways, including baths and massages. For wrinkles, you can use aromatherapy facial masks. These can be used anytime to rejuvenate your skin and give you glowing skin, but really help after a long, tiring day.
You can make your own facial mask, using pure essential oils. To make your own aromatherapy facial pack, mix a teaspoon of facial-quality clay like bentonite clay or fuller’s earth, to this add one teaspoon of oat flour. Now add two or three teaspoons of honey, to this mixture and blend it well. Complete your face pack by adding a teaspoon of milk powder and mashed avocado. Into this mixture, you can add two teaspoons of your favourite essential oil.
You can add two drops of frankincense or lavender oil into this mix to create a peaceful, calming effect. This can also be substituted by Neroli oil.
After mixing the ingredients well to make a paste, apply this to all over your face. Make sure that your eyes are well protected from the paste. Lie down, and if possible, keep your feel slightly elevated. Keep the mask on your face for about ten to fifteen minutes. Relax and breathe deeply. Rinse off the mask with lukewarm water. After that, wash your face with cool water. You can use this mask two to four times each month, as long as you don’t have sensitive skin.
You can also make an aromatherapy mist-spray that you can use all day. Get a small spray bottle with a pump sprayer. Fill it with a mixture of clean water with about ten drops of a calming essential oil, like lavender, neroli or rose. You can spray this on your face whenever you’re out in the sun, to keep it moist and relaxed.
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Friday, June 19th, 2009
Aquatic massage therapy refers to a technique of gentle massage which is used as a therapy while the patient floats in a water pool. It is done in a water pool with an objective to avoid the jerks and stretching often experiences when the same is done on land. Thus, this form of therapy is painless and effective.
Aquatic massage therapy is one of the best forms of massage therapy for people who have no problem with water. During this therapy, the person floats in water with the help of both a floating board and therapist. Also, floating itself provides relaxation to both body and mind without any massage.
The patient’s mental stress level goes down with soft and gentle pressing of his (or her) body. The gentle massage soothes the patient from inside and gives him peace internally. When patient floats on water, there is a loosening of muscles, which provides wellness to the whole body.
Aquatic massage therapy is helpful in curing various neurological disturbances like insomnia (sleeping disorders) and amnesia (short term memory). This therapy is also very beneficial in case of pregnancy. Water acts like a cushion and enables the therapist to administer a gentle massage to the pregnant mother, which is otherwise not possible on land and hard-mattresses.
Aquatic massage therapy is recommended mostly in case of arthritis (Rheumatoid arthritis and Osteoarthritis), muscle cramps, and ligament fractures. It helps in the process of healing too. The temperature of the water-bath is usually kept around 35 degree Celsius. It is mostly found useful in cases of backache and other spinal cramps which happen due to incorrect sitting postures (mostly in front of the computer) for long hours at a stretch. The buoyant force of water lifts up and soothes the patient with a feeling of weightlessness.
Watsu and Jahara are two main types of aquatic massage therapy. The former includes the activation of the acupoints of the body, while the latter involves the alignment of the muscles with gentle stretching. Besides muscle and bone relaxation, this therapy is helpful in the treatment of Psoriasis.
The synergistic mechanism of acupressure and massage helps in obtaining spontaneous relief from pain and stimulates the healing processes of the body. The circulation of blood is also improved due to the warmth of water. Overall, aquatic massage therapy is one of the most relaxing forms of massage therapy. It not only provides relief on a physiological level, but also imparts a sense of peace and serenity to the
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Friday, June 19th, 2009
Angelica essential oil is a sweet smelling oil with a herbal scent. It has a spicy undertone to it, and smells like the herb it comes from, Angelica Archangelia. The oil has a medium viscosity, and is distilled from different parts of the herb, including the seeds, rhizome and even the leaves and flowers. Native to Africa, the plant is now grown in many parts of Europe including Scotland, Holland, Germany, Lapland, as well as parts of Asia and the Soviet Union. Interestingly, the plant gets its name since it flowers on (or around) 8th May, which is St. Michael the Archangel’s Day.
Historically, Angelica was used in Chartreuse and Benedictine liqueur. It was also considered and antidote for the plague when the Black Plague swept Europe. Today, it is used to flavour gin, perfumes and traditional candies.
Therapeutic properties
Angelica has many therapeutic and medicinal qualities. The essential oil of this plant is known to be anti-spasmodic, depurative, carminative, digestive, diuretic, digestive, hepatic, emmenagogue, expectorant, nervine, stimulant, stomachic and tonic.
Uses of Angelica oil
- The oil can be used to help treat many illnesses. It is helpful for skin problems like Psoriasis, irritation and dull congested skin. It also helps other, more serious problems like arthritis, rheumatism, gout, water retention, cough and bronchitis. Anemia, flatulence and indigestion, migraine, chronic fatigue, nervous tension and stress can also be eased with this oil.
- The oil boosts the lymphatic system and strengthens the immune system. It can detox the body and help to remove accumulated toxins in the system.
- The oil can be used in vaporisers to clear lungs and ease bronchitis, shortness of breath and asthma. Put a few drops in a vaporizer and inhale. Remember to consult a qualified doctor and aromatherapist before doing this.
- About 10 drops of angelica can be added to a warm bath. This will make a bath that is both soothing and invigorating. It can help detox the system.
- When mixed with a carrier oil, it can be used in a massage. Both the bath and massage will aide the lymphatic system, and fight digestive problems, help with common colds, fight infections and fungal growths and generally give a boost to the body and mind.
- The oil is also contained in some creams or lotions available with aromatherapy practitioners. These can fight arthritis, gout, sciatica, aide circulation, migraines. It also encourages production of oestrogen which regulates periods and makes them less painful.
Precautions
Do not use too much of the oil as it can over stimulate the nervous system. Never apply it directly to the skin. Also, once you apply it, stay away from direct sunlight for a while. Pregnant women and diabetics should not use thi
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