Best Way to Treat Beauty Problems with Aromatherapy

If you are using essential oils rather than blended oils, having purchased the purest essential oil that you can find, you will need to blend it with what is termed a ‘base’ or ‘carrier’ oil. When the application is to be used on your face, walnut, wheatgerm or avocado oils make good base oils, whereas you can use any vegetable oil you like for your body. Mix two to three drops of essential oil to every 10ml of base oil. You don’t have to stick to one essential oil: for example, for cellulite you could blend juniper, cypress and lemon essential oils with your base oil. Here is a list of common beauty ailments and the most suitable oils with which to treat them:

• Acne: tea-tree, calendula, camomile, mint, neroli, patchouli, thyme or lavender essential oil. Mix essential oil with a base oil of jojoba.

• Bad circulation: neroli, lemon, rose or cypress essential oil. Use a base oil of your choice.
• Blackheads: juniper or neroli essential oil added to a base oil of jojoba.
• Broken capillaries: cypress, rose or calendula essential oil added to a base oil of avocado.

• Cellulite: juniper, cypress, lemon or rosemary essential oil added to a base oil of wheatgerm.
• Dandruff: tea-tree, rosemary, cedarwood, patchouli, thyme or bay essential oil. Use grape-seed as the base oil.

• Dry skin and wrinkles: rose, benzoin, galbanum, rosemary, myrrh, frankincense, jasmine or lavender essential oil. Add to a base oil of avocado, wheatgerm or walnut.
• Eczema and dermatitis: cedarwood, calendula, frankincense or camomile essential oil in a base oil of avocado or wheatgerm.
• Sunburn: lavender or camomile essential oil in a base oil of wheatgerm.
• Weak nails: frankincense or myrrh essential oil in a base oil of almond.

Aromatherapy plus

Go into sensory overload by bringing aromatherapy into your life in many different ways. Sprinkle your favourite essential oil on a burner, light an aromatherapy candle or attach a light-bulb ring containing an essential oil to a lamp. Incense sticks, potpourri and scented pebbles will also bring wonderful aromas into your home. Alternatively, drench some cotton­wool balls in your favourite essential oil and pop them into a discreet corner of a room.

Aromatherapy properties

Essential oils yield different effects on the mind, body and soul. Here is a list of property-inducing essential oils:

• Uplifting: jasmine, basil and lemon grass.
• Stimulating: juniper, rosemary, mint, lavender, marjoram, eucalyptus, bergamot and rose.
• Healing/antiseptic: tea-tree, lavender, eucalyptus, clove, camphor and pine.
• Detoxifying: lemon and juniper.
• Balancing: geranium and patchouli.
• Relaxing, calming and soothing: ylang-ylang, clary sage, pine, sandalwood, neroli, geranium, lavender, camomile, jasmine, benzoin, patchouli and frankincense.