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Lavender Beauty

#Lavender beauty

LAVENDER IN SKINCARE AND COSMETICS 
Lavender oil has skin-regenerative properties that make it especially appealing for use in cosmetics and body products. It not only cleanses the skin, protects it from bacteria, fungi and microbes - but also helps to prevent scaring, which makes it ideal for acne-prone skin.

It's important to note that most skin conditions are an expression of deeper things that are going on in the organism's life... Stress of daily life included, but also tension (read: deeper, unresolved emotional issues - most of which are unconscious or subconscious). It's interesting to note that often people who have problems such as eczema or acne refer to their skin when experiencing a bad flare-up episode as "angry skin". So if at all possible - taking a mental note of what might be going on in our lives emotionally (and not just what we ate, drank or did to our skin directly) when we first experienced a breakout, and finding ways to express those emotions - might help to resole the issue, and make the skin problems also go away.

Essential oils work not only on the physical, cellular and molecular level in our body (lavender, for example, reducing tension and promoting peaceful, calm emotions). So incorporating these in your self-care works holistically, also supporting you emotionally and assisting the nervous system, not just the skin it touches. When you're applying a lavender-scented mask, bathing in lavender, or hydrating your face with lavender floral water - you're also helping your mind to be more at peace with whatever life might have thrown at you that day.

Here are a few ideas for how to incorporate lavender and its products into your skin care and beauty regime:

Cleansing: 

Lavender, Honey & Yoghurt Mask
This is a gentle, non-drying mask for acne-prone skin, as the antibiotic components in both lavender and honey help to kill off the bacteria that tents to intensify the severity of the breakouts. The friendly Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria in yoghurt will also help kick those breakouts off the face of the earth, while also adding nutrients to your skin from the milk's fat. Use full milk, thick Greek style yoghurt for best results.
2 Tbs full-fat plain Greek yoghurt, with no additives (avoid those with thickeners such as cornstarch, pectin, etc.)
1 tsp raw honey
1 tsp crushed lavender buds
1 drop lavender essential oil

Apply to your face and leave on for 5 minutes. Pat gently with a warm, wet cloth to remove the mask. Follow with a toner and a moisturizer. You can enjoy this mask 1-2 times a week.

Lavender Hydrosol 
Finding a good Lavender Hydrosols are far and few. Some are not made from true lavender but from Lavandin (L. latifolia), so investigate before you place your order. I had a lavender hydrosol many years ago that I suspect was one of those. It had more camphoreous and coumarin type of scent, and just did not feel vibrant enough. Also, there are two types of hydrofoils: those which are by-products of the distillation process, and only contain the water left off after the oil has been collected. And then there are hydrosols that were made exactly for that purpose, and have all the oils within them still. The latter have a fuller spectrum of the plant's therapeutic and beautifying benefits.

Important note: Hydrosols are a perishable product, and no matter which type of hydrosol is in question, it should be used up within 6 months, and preferably kept in the refrigerator (especially if you're living in a warm climate).

Benefits of full-spectrum lavender hydrosol (according to artisan distiller Dabney Rose herself): "slightly astringent toner for oily skin, but gentle enough for all skin types...other than face, I have used it for after too much sun to take the heat out of the skin, for First Aid spray on cuts and scrapes; it really helps take the edge off the pain (especially for children), and is safe for babies."

I've used up all that lovely hydrosol as a facial toner. I find that floral water are a wonderful way to hydrate the skin, either on their own or to layer facial oil overtop. The added moisture and gentle dosage of healing and beautifying properties in the floral water nourish the skin; while the facial oil seals that moisture and adds nutrient of its own. I usually do that only in the evening (I'm quite low maintenance when it comes to skin care; but if your skin needs more nourishment - a morning spritz of hydrosol will start your day with a reviving yet gentle scent.  You can either pat it dry with a soft towel, or just let it air dry. Layer with a lighter moisturizer, cream or facial serum if your skin is particularly dry or has other problems.

You can also combine lavender hydrosol with other hydrosols for a synergistic effect. For example, in her book "The Aromatherapy Companion", Victoria H. Edwards recommends blending equal parts of lavender, chamomile and artemisia arborescens hydrosols for sensitive skin; for acne equal parts hydrosols of llavender, thyme and orange flower; and for oily skin a blend of equal parts lavender, lemon verbena and artemisia hydrosols. These can be either sprayed on the face or applied with a cotton pad. Another interesting preparation by is of half a cucumber ground in a blender with 1/2 oz lavender hydrosol, 1 oz witch hazel and 2 drops rosemary oil, strained in a coffee filter and kept refrigerated. This is a perishable blend, which I would think needs to be used up within 2 weeks.

Lavender & Vinegar Astringent Toner *
Preparing your own lavender toner is easy, affordable and effective. Natural apple cider vinegar has many benefits especially for oil or problematic skin (i.e.: blackheads or acne prone).
1 oz lavender floral water or orange floral water
1 oz spring water or filtered tap water
2 oz apple cider vinegar
2 drops lavender oil
1 drop neroli

Note: If you can't find lavender hydrosol, you may substitute a lavender infusion for it. Steep 1 tsp of dried lavender buds (Lavandula angustifolia) in boiling water for 5 minutes. Strain and bring to room temperature. Add the other ingredients. Let sit in a covered jar for 24 hours. Filter through an unbleached paper coffee filter, and rebottle in a sterilized airtight bottle.
Apply with a cotton ball or cotton pad to tone your face, and follow with a moisturizer or customized face oil.

Nourishment & Treatment:

Individual breakout can be "zapped" by dipping a q-tip in neat lavender oil and dabbing gently each zit, making sure they stay intact and allow them to heal on their oil. Lavender oil will help speed up this process.

Lavender & Frankincense Face Oil (for oily to normal skin) ** 
15 mL (or 1 Tbs) non-comedogenic (non-clogging) carrier oil such as Sunflower, Argan, Rose hip or Hemp seed oils - or a combination of those
1 capsule Vitamin E
5 drops Lavender oil
1 drop Frankincense oil
2 drops Carrot Seed oil

Lip Care:
Lavender makes an excellent additive to lip balms, and helps to improve the condition of dry, chapped lips.
Here's a delicious recipe with added yumminess and nutrients from cocoa butter and honey.

4 Tbs. almond oil
2.5 Tbs. coconut oil
2 Tbs. beeswax
1.5 Tbs. cocoa butter
1 tsp. honey
1 capsule vitamin E
Up to 40 drops flavouring essential oil, i.e.: 20 drops of lavender and 20 drops of geranium essential oils; or 20 drops of lavender and 20 drops of peppermint. 

Melt the beeswax, cocoa butter and coconut oil in bain marie. add the almond oil and honey. Add the essential oils and pour into little jars or tubes.

Hair Care:
Lavender is renown for its anti-dandruff benefits. While most commercial anti-dandruff shampoos only make the dandruff stick to your scalp, and create a dependency on their product - making your own home remedies is going to at least reduce the symptoms, if not resolve the problem once and for all.

Dandruff, like so many other unpleasant skin conditions are more than likely the result of stress and tension (read: unresolved emotional issues), and possibly some elements that are lacking in the diet - including vitamin D if you're living in a place where natural sunlight is scarce, or other essential fatty acids (for example: including more flaxseeds in your diet might help).

Adding lavender (and other oils that work with it synergistically to eliminate dandruff) to your shampoo, scalp treatment oils or vinegar rinse. Aside from lavender, Valerie Anne Worwood (The Compelete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy) recommends the following essential oils to treat dandrfuff: rosemary, lemon, lime, birch, basil, thyme, allspice, cypress, eucalyptus peppermint, sage and carrot seed. Evening primrose, borage and jojoba oils are good base oils to support that, from you which you can blend an oil and massage into the scalp and leave over night.

Anti-Dandruff Shampoo Substitute 
4oz "Soap stew" or unscented liquid Castile soap. **
18 drops Rosemary
10 drops Lavender
8 drops Sage

Anti-Dandruff Vinegar Rinse
1 Tbs unfiltered and unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
5 drops Lavender oil
5 drops Thyme ct. linalool 
3 drops Sage
5 drops Rosemary
Rinse your hair after shampooing with

Anti-Dandruff Overnight Treatment
Dip your fingertips into a mixture of 15 drops each evening primrose and jojoba oils, to which 3 drops of cypress and 5 drops of lavender have been added. Massage into the scalp before retiring.

Safety and Precaution
Recently, lavender has been under scrutiny by self-proclaimed expert Paula Begoun on the so-called "Cosmetic Dictionary". Incidentally, her website is dedicated to selling her own line of unscented skincare, so she's clearly not a fragrance lover. Now I'm all for keeping my skincare as pure as could be, but why punish yourself with a scentless world if some of the oils are actually greatly beneficial for the skin?
If you share her fanatics of anti-fragrance, knock yourself out. However, if you have a more pragmatic approach, read Robert Tisserand's response, which I find not only reasonable but also reassuring. Even the entirely anti-fragrance lobbyists Skin Deep seem to find lavender harmless.


* Adapted from Valerie Anne Worwood's The Compelete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, p. 124.

** Adapted from Valerie Anne Worwood's The Compelete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, pp. 130-131. This chapter has a thorough series of treatments for acne.

*** Use a liquid Castile soap or "soap stew" from boiling castile soap flakes OR soapwort in water.
Adapted from Valerie Anne Worwood's The Compelete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, pp. 164-165


Sexy Ginger

Naked Ginger by Ayala Moriel
Naked Ginger, a photo by Ayala Moriel on Flickr.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is the rhizome of a tropical plant, related to cardamom (as we mentioned earlier), only that it is the rhizomes, not the fruit or seed that is used – in herbal medicine, aromatherapy, as a culinary spice, and in perfume. Native to Southeast Asia, and cultiaved in tropical countries throughout the world - across Africa, the West Indies, Caribbeans, etc.

In Hawaii, the hoola dancers use the fragrant ginger flowers (or "lilies") in their leis along with plumeria, tuberose and gardenia. In aromatherapy, ginger is considered a nerve tonic, especially effective for nervous exhaustion and fatigue, and - similarly to its used in Chinese medicine and Ayurveda - it is used to aid digestion and to fight colds, flu and other "moist and cold" respiratory and gustatory conditions.

Ginger Dry by Ayala Moriel
Ginger Dry, a photo by Ayala Moriel on Flickr.

The dry roots can be cooked in soups, stews, chai teas and ground for herbal preparations, including some over-the-counter drugs against nausea. In countries where the root cannot be grown - it is mostly the dried rhizomes that were used, as a spice. Throughout North Africa and Arabia, dried and powdered ginger roots found their way to many spice blends such as Hawaij (Yemen), Baharat (Arabia) and Ras el Hanout (Morocco). The Druze in Lebanon, Syria and Israel/Palestine enjoy a warming drink throughout the winter made of dried ginger roots and a hulnejan root, that is believed to protect the body against colds and flu.

However, in European and Western cuisine, the dry roots (usually ground) are more widely used - for practical and historic reason: ginger is not native to those countries, and was introduced to them as a spice, imported from far away tropical countries aboard ships. Therefore - most of these cuisines have used the dried ginger root in spice mixes for breads, bread puddings, cookies, etc. - gingerbread and pumpkin spice being the two most popular and widely recognizable forms of ginger. And only later, as the cuisines of those countries became more versatile and open to the use of spice (with influences from North Africa, India, etc.) - they've also incoporated dried ginger roots in soups, stews and so-called "curry" blends from pre-ground (and usually un-roasted) spices.

The fresh root is better for chai, in my opinion (the dry one having a more musky, peculiar, and somewhat unpleasant after-note), and is used in countless Chinese, East Indian and South East Asian cuisines.

Ginger is good for indigestion, and is wonderful thing to add to bean stews to prevent discomforting gases that are often associated with this excellent-otherwise plant-based source of protein. It's used in countless Indian curries, including Rajam Chawal (beans and rice). Fresh ginger is easily incorporated in any stir-fry and in present in countless Chinese, Korean and Japanese stir-fries, soups, stews and dumplings. And of course - the slices of ginger are pickled in rice vinegar as an acidic accompaniment to sushi and sashimi. Fresh grated ginger - as well as its close relative, the galangal root - are an essential component in Southeast Asian curry pastes along with lemongrass and other citrusy components (kaffir lime leaf and zest, for example) - giving Thai and Malaysian curries their distinct freshness and balanced flavour.

Koeh-146-original

Although for culinary and medicinal use both the dry and the fresh roots are used almost interchangeably, as far as aroma goes – there is quite a big difference between dry and fresh ginger: Fresh ginger oil smells Sharp, peppery, root-like, citrusy-fresh, earthy, woody, dry, a tad floral, grassy. Ginger oil from the dry roots smells rather unpleasant in my opinion - rather sharp, grassy, and even a little oily. However, ginger CO2 from the dry root smells candied, spicy, warm, sweet, overtones with hints of fresh-citrusy, tangy character, resembling closely the sensation when enjoying crystallized or candied stem ginger. Tart, sweet, warm and refreshing are a few of the adjectives that come to mind when experiencing a high quality ginger essence.

As an aphrodisiac, ginger works like most other warming spices – increase circulation and create a warm fuzzy feeling when smelled, inhaled or enjoyed in beverages and delicious foods. Ginger is also one of the main ingredients in pumpkin pie spice - which a famous study found that men found the scent to be most arousing. But most importantly - ginger tones the nervous system and dissolves nervous exhaustion and fatigue, neither is particularly sexy or appealing... In her book "The Fragrant Mind", world renown aromatherapist Valerie Ann Worwood recommends it against sexual anxieties, and recounts the oil's personality as very sexual and confident.

Using ginger in a menu for an aphrodisiac dinner would be a great idea – and also will help ease digestion, so that it does not get in the way of other things later on…It imparts a unique fresh and subtly pungent flavour to masalas, stir fries and curries. The fresh ginger root can be incorporated into beverages - cool or warm. warm ones, such as the classic chai tea or hulnejan I mentioned above, or more innovative concoctions such as Aftelier's Rose Ginger oolong, and my own Zangvil tea. Or cool ones - such as your own aphrodisiac "ginger ale" with fresh ginger juice, some honey or raw sugar and sparkling water and a slice of lemon, or add some ginger juice to a white wine like the Romans did. Ginger juice is quite a revitalizing beverage as long as it's balanced with less pungent fruit or vegetables - try juicing it with carrot, pineapple, orange - or any combination of these four that strikes your fancy!


Ginger Fresh by Ayala Moriel
Ginger Fresh, a photo by Ayala Moriel on Flickr.

And of course - we can't forget about dessert! Besides the usual suspects (pumpkin pie, ginger snaps, candied ginger and ginger-spiked chocolate truffles or bars) - there are also more unusual ones to discover that I would have never dreamed of myself! When I saw Steamed Milk with Ginger on the menu of Sun Sui Wah (one of Vancouver’s finest Dim Sum restaurants), it sounded peculiar – as it sounded more like title of a a hot beverage in a coffee shop. When I finally mustered the courage to order it, I discovered that in fact it’s more like a pudding – and further research into the matter (when looking for a recipe) revealed that it is actually a Ginger Milk Curd - an unusual hot dessert that takes advantage of a chemical reaction between hot milk's proteins and fresh ginger juice, forming it immediately into squiggly, slippery pudding. I strongly urge you to try this at home – it is quite the delicacy, and there are even YouTube tutorials to guide you step by step!

For a sensual aphrodisiac massage with ginger, try this:

1Tbs light (aka unroasted) sesame oil

1 drop ginger essential oil or CO2

2 drops jasmine absolute

3 drops frankincense essential oil

You can may also use this blend to condition and perfume your hair.

For a revitalizing room scent, place in the diffuser one drop of each ginger, jasmine and lemongrass. You may also use this combination for a scented bath, to overcome fatigue - one of the worst mood killers after stress.

And of course - there are some perfumes that were already prepared and ready for you to revel in before you embark on your seductive adventures. Here are a few suggestions for aphrodisiac perfumes with a noticeable ginger note: Bois des Îles (Chanel), Camille (JoAnne Bassett), Classique (Jean Paul Gaultier), Cognac (Aftelier), Eau de Reglisse (Caron), Ginger Ciao (Yosh), Ginger Essence (Origins), L’Herbe Rouge, Lys Méditerranée, Orcas, Réglisse Noire (1000Flowers), Sahar (The Scented Djin), Tilda Swinton Like This (Etat Libre d’Orange), Zangvil.


Good Enough to Eat

I'm often asked, if and when or why don't I have my own line of scented body products. My answer to this 3-part question is that I would love to create an original line of my very own beautifully scented natural body care. Which means, I would like to have my very own formulations rather than take some existing bases and add a scent to them. This is not advisable from technical point of view, not to mention marketing wise: each scent has a different chemical make up, therefore it is hard to predict how it will interact with a given base or the other. Often times, when a fragrance is added to, say, an existing unscented body lotion "base" - the lotion simply breaks down. Not a pretty site, but also not something you would want to put on your skin.

There are many technical difficulties, challenges and problems when developing a new skin care line: the texture, fragrance and performance of the product (i.e.: how does it make your skin feel after), not to mention packaging. Unlike my existing products, which I assume most of my customers use when their hands are clean and fairly dry - one could not expect such handling of a body products that will be most likely stored and used in the bathroom - or even the bathtub or shower! I won't bore you with the details of what it takes to develop the line from start to finish, but I will let you in on some of my recent experiments of very simple body care products that are all natural, free of preservatives, that will make your skin feel good and smell fantastic.

I've already begun my adventure with the bath salts for Mother's Day which require a very simple procedure of blending essential oils with a salt-mix. The next step for me was to figure out a formula for a sugar scrub that will be as fun to use as some of my favourite body products. I love sugar scrubs, and especially the more luxurious ones, because they do two tasks at once: the exfoliate my skin while leaving it gently moisturized. A good sugar scrub, in my opinion, needn't be followed by a body lotion or a cream. It should be the kind that will emulsify with the bathing water and leave the skin soft and smooth...

A while back, I created a body-butter consistency sugar scrub. The challenge with that was that it left the skin a little too greasy, plus the butters and some of the oils (i.e.: coconut oil) harden too much in cooler weather. So my task today was to make a sugar scrub that will look pretty much the same in most room temperature ranges.

My first trial was one based on Guilt perfume, which I've been meaning to make for a loooong time. The concept was to use ground up cacao nibs as an additional exfolliant besides the sugar. Although I was tempted to use cacao butter, I decided to opt for something more stable: shea oil, which is liquid rather than solid in room temperature. Along with vegetable glycerine, fractionated coconut oil and vitamin E it's bound to leave behind a silky-smooth skin. The ground cacao nibs add a nice texture and an earthy, irresistible yummy chocolate smell, which I only enforced with very little bit of cacao and vanilla absolute. It also has sweet orange and wild orange oils, and of course - orange flower absolute. Using the scrub in the bath was a real treat: it's like playing with mud but not really getting dirty beacuse it is so easy to wash off (it would have been a totally different story if I put cacao powder instead of the nibs!). And it makes the skin look all dark and tan or for the duration of the scrubbing ceremony, which I thoroughly enjoy myself. Yet the nicest surprise was that the orange blossom lingered on the skin for about an hour after bathing!

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