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Revealed, the truth about skin creams
19th December 2008
Now, I'll admit I don't know much about skin
creams and lotions.
My daily 'beauty regime' involves soap and water.
I'm like a battlehardened prisoner from the 1950s.
But a friend of mine, Caroline Torres, knows a
LOT about skin creams. She knows some
amazing insights about what women (and men)
put on their faces.
She can tell you what effects they have. What
really works. And what doesn't.
Caroline used to work in the advertising industry.
Which is why she understands all the tricks used
to convince you to buy a jar of artificial gunk that
will do absolutely NOTHING to stop the signs of
ageing.
If you're a reader of her brilliant newsletter, 'The
New You Letter' then you'll already know Caroline
and her strong views.
She's a brilliant writer who pulls no punches when
it comes to her opinions on matters of health and
beauty.
If you haven't checked out her stuff, you MUST.
It's really good. And it's completely free. Don't dilly
dally about it. Go here and sign up now:
www.newyouletter.co.uk
As it's the season for giving people all kinds of
skincare products as gifts, I thought I'd pass on
one of Caroline's recent missives.
It's all about her top tips for reducing the
appearance of wrinkles, cellulite, and oily skin....
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Remedies for Cellulite, Wrinkles and
Oily Skin
By Caroline Torres, The New You Letter
www.newyouletter.co.uk
Here is a treatment that's been used for millennia,
both to keep skin beautiful, and to heal all
manner of physical ailments. Essential oils are the
aromatic oils extracted from plants. And used
properly, they can be nothing short of wonderful.
Want to get rid of spots? Sort out dry skin? Fend
off those creeping crows' feet?
Not a problem - there's an essential oil out there,
just waiting to come to the rescue.
It gets better. Because essential oils can do more
than help your skin.
The one skin treatment you'll WANT your body
to absorb
Their powerful aromas can help improve your
mood, your digestion, help you sleep better,
stimulate your mind, even relieve pain.
For example, one study of elderly people with
sleeping troubles found that inhaling lavender
oil was as effective as some commonly prescribed
sleep medications.
This isn't just because lavender smells nice. As
you inhale, the aromatic molecules enter your
lungs and are absorbed into your bloodstream
where they react with hormones, enzymes
and so on.
As for the aroma - you have two olfactory nerve
tracts that pass odour signals directly into your
brain's limbic system.
This is the part of the brain concerned with
memory and emotion, which means that the scent
can evoke an immediate emotional response.
In other words, an essential oil can nourish your
skin, your body and alter your mood.
Powerful stuff.
Now, each essential oil has its own unique
properties. Some are stronger than others - in
fact, some can even be toxic if they're used
inappropriately.
That's why it's so important to check the safety
guidelines before you try out a new essential
oil - particularly if you're pregnant, have high blood
pressure or are diabetic.
To keep things simple, I've picked out three oils
that are generally safe for everyone to use
and do wonders for your skin. |
For oily skin. Go for a light base oil like apricot
kernel, peach kernel or jojoba.
For dry skin: Choose a rich, nourishing base oil
like hazelnut, avocado or evening primrose oil.
For mature skin: To help promote cell
regeneration, go for an oil that's rich in vitamin E,
such as borage or wheatgerm. They're both very
rich so you might want to mix them with a lighter
oil.
There's also avocado oil (quite heavy), olive oil,
coconut oil, grapeseed oil... go ahead and try
different ones out.
Okay. So you've chosen your base oil. Now it gets
even MORE fun...
Reduce cellulite, prevent wrinkles, eliminate
spots, treat burns... introducing 3 essential oils
that do wonders for your skin.
Here are three safe essential oils you can try out,
if you haven't already. As a general guideline, add
7 to 25 drops of essential oil to 25ml of your base
oil.
It's also always worth doing a spot test first - so
apply a tiny amount to your skin and wait 24 hours
to see if there's an adverse reaction. If there's no
reaction, you're ready to go!
Lavender
If you only want one essential oil in your bathroom
cabinet, make it this one. Lavender oil has to be
the most versatile of them all - and it's one of the
few oils you can apply neat to the skin.
On your skin: apply it directly onto spots, burns,
cuts, insect bites and stings, or boils to help the
healing process along and prevent scarring. Or,
mix it with a base oil and massage into the skin.
It's also great for soothing muscular aches and
pains.
When you inhale: it can help soothe asthma, colic,
abdominal cramps, flatulence and nausea. It's also
known to lift your mood, clear headaches, relax
and destress you.
Frankincense.
Best known as an incense, the ancient Egyptians
also used this wonderful oil in face masks,
cosmetics and perfumes.
On your skin: Frankincense has powerful anti-
wrinkle properties - it helps stimulate new cell
growth - so it's great if you have dry or mature
skin.
When you inhale: perhaps the reason it's been
used in places of worship is its ability to release
anxiety, nervous tension and even slow down
the breath.
Geranium.
Used as a fragrance in all kinds of cosmetics,
this floral oil is generally safe but if you're
hypersensitive, take care - it may cause
contact dermatitis.
On your skin: This is great for oily skin since it
helps balance sebum production. You can also
use it to treat acne, bruises, burns, cuts, eczema,
and even to combat cellulitis, edema and poor
circulation.
When you inhale: it can help relieve depression,
stress, menopausal problems and PMS. |
Thanks for that, Caroline.
As you can see, this is the sort of topic that needs
a woman's insight! Not my blundering, rough-
handed touch.
This is why you should check out The New You
Letter, packed with tips and ideas like these. To
subscribe, all you have to do is click here:
www.newyouletter.co.uk
I'll be back with more on Sunday. |
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