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One way to avoid all that time
and expense is to opt for a product that contains ingredients
that have been used for dozens, hundreds, even thousands of years
to help keep the skin of men and women soft and youthful. Why?
Because generation after generation has born witness to and recorded
down their beneficial affects. They have done all the hard work
for you. The results are proven. After all, if these substances
didn't work, men and women down the ages would not have kept
on using them.
So what should you be looking
for in an anti-aging cream that has at least a chance of working
for you?
For a start you are going to
have to avoid 99.9% of all the creams you can buy at your local
drugstore or chemist i.e. the mass market products. Why? Because
more often than not the major ingredients in these products are
cheap and plentiful water and mineral oil. But you won't find
them listed as such on the back of the pot but instead called,
for reasons known only to the cosmetic industry, under the pseudo
Latin names of Aqua and
Liquidium Pariffinium.
There's no doubt these creams
do have a moisturizing effect as they use the mineral oil to
hold the water against your skin which stops it drying out but
that's all they do, sit on top of your skin or at the very most,
get partially absorbed into the epidermis, the thin, upper most
layer of your skin.
That's because the molecules
in mineral oil are far too large to actually penetrate the epidermis
and penetrate deeply into the lower, supporting layer (Dermis)
where it can actually do some good. Any rejuvenating effects
you may have noticed using these kinds of cream is, I suspect,
probably due to the effects of massaging the skin which promotes
improved circulation to your skin, rather than the cream itself.
So, having dismissed most of
the mass market products, what you are looking for is a natural
substance that not only has been proven over the years to help
keep the skin looking younger for longer, but one that has been
proven to actually penetrate the skin deeply and helps to rejuvenate
it from within.
Luckily there are four natural
oils that do just that, so if you find any cream or lotion containing
these anti-aging substances, you are onto a winner. These oils
are not like the heavy, greasy vegetable or mineral oils you
find in most modern cosmetics, in fact, their texture is so fine
and light they act more like water than oil and are the essential
ingredient in a branch of so-called 'complimentary' or 'alternative'
medicine called Aromatherapy.
Although the word Aromatherapy
was only coined fairly recently, it has it's origins in the most
ancient of healing practices, for the plants from which we derive
what are termed 'essential oils' has been used in one form or
another as long as man has existed on the planet.
Before we take a closer look
at Aromatherapy, let me first take you on a brief history of
herbal, or plant based medicine, if only to demonstrate that
the benefits you will enjoy from using these oils is not some
pet theory I dreamed up, but based on evidence gathered from
all four corners of the world since the dawn of early civilization.
No-one is quite sure how humans
first discovered that what was growing all around them could
also help them cure their illnesses or ward off disease, but
it's likely early hominids made the discovery by accident, after
observing that some of the roots and berries they gathered for
food also made them feel better or helped heal wounds more quickly.
They may also have taken note
of the plants sick animals chose to eat and be curious as to
why the creature suddenly appeared to regain its health not long
afterwards and tried it on themselves. Perhaps, by design or
accident, certain leaves, stems and flowers were burnt in the
fire or fell into the cooking pot and were breathed in or ingested
in ignorance but their effects brought enlightenment
Such herbal wisdom would have
been of great importance to primitive tribes who depended on
their immediate environment for survival. Once discovered, it
is likely that such knowledge was handed down first orally and
then, as language became more sophisticated, by the written word.
Every great civilization we
have known, be it the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese or South
Americans, developed to one degree or another, a sophisticated
herbal law from which healers of the time made pills, powders,
teas, ointments and pastes from a wide variety of local trees,
plants, animal and mineral substances.
Papyrus documents dating from
around 2,890 BC show that the ancient Egyptians were using aromatic
plants for medicine, beauty and to embalm their dead 3000 years
before the birth of Christ. They utilized a wide variety of now
familiar products such as castor oil, coriander, cumin, garlic,
grapes and water melon for the treatment of all manner of common
ailments.
The Egyptians invented a rudimentary
distillation machine that allowed for the crude extraction of
Cedarwood oil. It is also thought by some that Persia and India
may have also invented crude distillation machines to extract
oils from plants, but very little is known.
Oils of Cedarwood, clove, cinnamon,
nutmeg and myrrh were used by the Egyptians to embalm the dead.
When a tomb was opened in the early 20th century, traces of the
herbs were discovered with intact portions of the body. The scent,
although faint, was still apparent. Although the Cedarwood the
Egyptians used was distilled by a crude distillation process,
the other oils the Egyptians used were most likely infused oils.
The Egyptians also used infused
oils and herbal preparations for spiritual, medicinal, fragrant
and cosmetic use. It is thought that the Egyptians coined the
term perfume, from the Latin per fumum which translates as 'through
the smoke'. Egyptian men of the time used fragrance as readily
as the women. An interesting method that the men used to
fragrance themselves was to place a solid cone of perfume on
their heads. It would gradually melt and would cover them in
fragrance.
Further to the east, the sophisticated
Babylonians were well versed in plant medicine, planting gardens
of therapeutic cucumber, coriander, juniper, myrrh, pumpkins,
garlic, onions, fennel, saffron, thyme, mustard and many others.
Perhaps one of the most famous
and influential of ancient civilizations was the Greek Empire.
More than any other, this ancient world power has done more to
shape the modern world than any other. Many of the concepts of
civilized behavior and government, such as democracy, were devised
in ancient Greece. Modern medicine too owes much to this antiquarian
society. The most famous and revered of all Greek physicians
was Hippocrates, born about 460 BC.
In his writings he catalogues
a vast number of medicinal plants still used for their therapeutic
benefits, such as rhubarb, quince and Myrrh. We all know the
Christian story of the three wise men from the east that carried
gold, Frankincense and Myrrh to the infant baby Jesus. Myrrh
was considered a very valuable medicinal plant long before the
birth of Christ and was well known to Hippocrates.
In his time, Greek soldiers
carried Myrrh into battle for the treatment of wounds. Just as
modern herbalists do today, Hippocrates entreated people to use
these medicinal plants as a preventative medicine when he said
"Let your medicine be your food and your food be your medicine."
Thousands of years after his
death, he is still known today by medical students all over the
world as the 'father of all medicine'. Such is this man's importance
in the history and development of modern medical practice that
those same students studying to be doctors in many different
countries are still required to swear allegiance to the Hippocratic
Oath,
binding him or her to the code of medical ethics contained in
it.
In the 2nd Century A.D. another,
now famous, Greek physicians by the name of Galen divided plants
into various medicinal categories, a practice we still refer
to as 'Galenic'.
The Greeks learned a great deal
from the Egyptians, but Greek mythology apparently credits the
gift and knowledge of perfumes to the gods. The Greeks also recognized
the medicinal and aromatic benefits of plants. Hippocrates practiced
fumigations for both aromatic and medicinal benefit. A Greek
perfumer by the name of Megallus created a perfume called Megaleion.
Megaleion included myrrh in a fatty-oil base and served several
purposes: (1) for its aroma, (2) for its anti-inflammatory properties
towards the skin and (3) to heal wounds.
In India, ancient religious
texts dating back 2000 years B.C. contain formulae and instructions
for the use of plants such as cloves, ginger, pepper, sandalwood,
sesame and aloes, plants that today still form the basis of India's
traditional Ayurveda medical philosophy. Ayurveda medicine uses
benzoin, caraway, cardamon, clove, ginger, pepper,
sandalwood, cannabis, castor oil, sesame oil, aloe and sugar
cane, the first seven of which are used in aromatherapy.
Walk down any busy street in
a modern city and you are sure to come across a shop that sells
traditional Chinese herbal remedies. China's herbal tradition
is one of the worlds oldest with the earliest written guide thought
to have been committed to paper some 4000 years ago. It was called
the 'Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine' or 'Huang
Ti Nei Ching' and contains over 8000 different plant based formulae
including
liquorice, peach, gentian and walnut, complimented by the other
great health-giving arts of Tai Chi, Qi Gong and Acupuncture.
The Chinese may have been one
of the first cultures to use aromatic plants for well-being through
the use of incense burning to help create harmony and balance.
The Roman Empire built upon
the knowledge of the Egyptians and Greeks. Discorides wrote a
book called 'De Materia Medica' that described the properties
of approximately 500 plants. It is also reported that Discorides
studied distillation. Distillation during this period, however,
focused on extracting aromatic floral waters and not essential
oils.
A major event for the distillation
of essential oils came with the invention of a coiled cooling
pipe by an 11th century Persian called Avicenna. He invented
a coiled pipe which allowed the plant vapour and steam to cool
down more effectively than previous distillers that used a straight
cooling pipe. Avicenna's contributions lead to more focus on
essential oils and their benefits.
We know from surviving manuscripts
that in Medieval Europe Lavender, Rosemary and Thyme, all now
known to possess effective anti-bacterial and antiseptic qualities,
were held to the mouth in the form of a posy that was breathed
through in order to ward off diseases such as the Black Death
in the 14th century.
It is believed that some perfumers
may have avoided the plague by their constant contact with these
natural aromatics.
By the 15th century, the amount
of books written on the subject of natural medicine was growing
as more and more plants were being distilled to create essential
oils, such as frankincense, juniper, rose, sage and rosemary.
Paracelsus, an alchemist, medical doctor and radical thinker
of the time is credited with coining the term 'Essence'. His
studies
radically challenged the nature of alchemy and he focused upon
using plants as medicines.
During the 16th century, one
could begin purchasing oils from an "apothecary," and
many more essential oils were introduced, so much so that by
the 16th and 17th centuries, perfume started to be considered
an art form, and it was more clearly defined as its own field.
One of the most famous herbalists
of the 16th century was Nicolas Culpeper, who produced one of
the most thoroughly researched and wide ranging guides to herbal
medicine of the time. 'The Complete Herbal' contains information
on hundreds of different plants and how they could benefit the
user. This authoritative reference book is still used today as
a trusted source of knowledge.
During the 18th and 19th centuries,
chemists continued to conduct research into the beneficial properties
of plants, identifying the now familiar substances of caffeine,
quinine, morphine and aspirin, the latter being one of the most
widely used and popular modern pain killers. It was during this
century that perfumery became a very prosperous industry. Women
would have their jeweller create a special bottle to hold their
treasured perfume. The 19th century was also important scientifically
as major constituents of essential oils became isolated.
By the 20th century, the now
well established knowledge of how to separate the active constituents
of essential oils was used to create synthetic chemicals and
drugs. It was believed then, as it is now, that by separating
the major active constituents of plants and then using the extracted
constituents alone or in synthetic form would be more beneficial
therapeutically and economically. These discoveries and beliefs
helped lead to "modern medicine" and synthetic fragrances,
however, nearly all practitioners of 'complimentary medicine'
will tell you that this actually weakens the beneficial effect
as most natural remedies are 'synergistic'. This means that different
active ingredients of the plant must work together for the greatest
benefit, as nature intended.
It was also at this time that
a French chemist by the name of René-Maurice Gattefossé
became interested in the use of essential oils for their medicinal
use. Previously, he focused on the aromatic use of essential
oils, but his interest in their medicinal use grew after an accident
heightened his curiosity. While working, he burned his arm rather
badly. By reflex, he plunged his burned arm into the closest
liquid which happened to be a large container of lavender essential
oil. The burn he suffered healed quickly and left no scar.
Gattefossé is credited
with coining the now familiar term aromatherapy in 1928 in an
article he wrote supporting the use of using essential oils in
their whole without breaking them down into their primary constituents.
Later, in 1937, Gattefossé wrote a book called Aromathérapie:
Les Huiles essentielles hormones végétales that
was later translated into English and named Gattefossé's
Aromatherapy. It is still in print and widely read.
Other highly respected 20th
century aromatherapists include Jean Valnet, Madam Marguerite
Maury, and Robert B. Tisserand. Jean Valnet is most remembered
for his work using essential oils to treat injured soldiers during
the war and for his book, The Practice of Aromatherapy, originally
entitled Aromathérapie in French. Austrian Madam Marguerite
Maury is remembered as a biochemist that avidly studied, practiced
and taught the use of aromatherapy for primarily cosmetic benefit.
Robert B. Tisserand is an English
aromatherapist who is responsible for being one of the first
individuals to bring knowledge and education of aromatherapy
to English speaking nations. He has written books and articles
including the highly respected 1977 publication The Art of Aromatherapy
- the first aromatherapy book published in English.
From the late 20th century and
on into the 21st century, as the limitations and unwanted side
effects of mainstream medicine have become more and more evident,
the general public have shown a growing interest in more natural
medicinal products, including essential oils, for therapeutic,
cosmetic and aromatic benefit. The use of essential oils
never ceased, but the scientific revolution minimized the popularity
and use of essential oils in one's everyday life. Today's heightened
awareness regarding the use of synthetics coupled with the increased
availability of aromatherapy information within books and the
Internet has refuelled the use of essential oils for therapeutic,
cosmetic, fragrant and spiritual use.
So what exactly is aromatherapy?
In brief, aromatherapy is the
use of volatile plant oils, including essential oils, for psychological
and physical well-being. The essential oils used in aromatherapy
are what give the plants from which they are extracted their
characteristic odour or flavour. Essential oils are found in
various parts of the plants such as the seeds, flowers, bark
or leaves and it can take many pounds of plant material to make
up just one tiny bottle of concentrated oil. The natural chemical
composition of each essential oil differs according to the plant
from which it is extracted and therefore the therapeutic benefits
of each oil can also differ.
One thing all essential oils
have in common is their ability to be readily absorbed by the
skin. That's because their unique molecular structure allows
them to pass through the cells that make up the outer, semi permeable
layers of the skin and into the body where they can have beneficial
effects.
Here's an interesting experiment
you might like to try to prove this to yourself. Garlic has been
used medicinally for nearly 5000 years and for good reason. Its
unique anti-viral and anti-bacterial chemical makeup means it
is one of the most versatile of herbal remedies that is said
to help treat many common ailments including blood pressure,
coughs and cold, acne, asthma and many others.
Garlic oil also contains essential
oils. Break open a capsule of the oil and massage it into your
skin, somewhere on your body. Within a few hours you should be
able to smell the garlic on your breath without ever having eaten
it! That's because the oils have been absorbed through your skin
and have made their way around your body to the respiratory system.
Be careful though, garlic oil has been known to irritate the
skin in sensitive
people.
Another thing all essential
oils have in common is that they are to a lesser to greater extent,
all of them contain naturally anti-bacterial and antiseptic chemicals,
so using a cream or lotion containing any essential oil will
go some way to help keep spots and pimples at bay. The most powerfully
antiseptic of all the essential oils is Tea Tree.
So now let's take a closer look
at the four oils I believe have been shown to be particularly
beneficial to skin health and beauty. I've been using them for
years and my friends have always said I do not look my age, so
here's my secret anti-aging recipe.
The first of these anti-aging
oils is Frankincense. Pale yellow or green in colour, Frankincense
comes from a small tree called Boswellia Carterii - a native
to North Africa and some of the countries of the Middle East.
When the bark of the tree is damaged or cut, the tree exudes
a resin from which this essential oil is extracted. As mentioned
earlier, Christians believe that 3 "wise men from the east"
came to worship the newly born Jesus and brought the gifts of
Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.
In those times, Frankincense
was so precious; it was valued almost as much as gold and so
was indeed a very great gift. Many ancient cultures burned it
as part of their religious rituals; perhaps because it's woody,
spicy and lemony aroma is known to have a calming effect and
so may aids religious or spiritual contemplation and meditation.
The ancient Egyptians used it
both in religious practice and to embalm their dead because the
oil has always been known to have a remarkable preserving effect
on the skin. You only need look at how well preserved the bodies
of some of the ancient King of Egypt are after thousands of years
to realize Just take at how why it is still well known as a wonderful
preserver for the skin and used in one of the more popular contemporary
natural anti-aging creams!
In modern skin care Frankincense
is known to be an excellent and effective rejuvenating tonic
for skin of all ages, it's remarkable properties helping to tone
up slack facial skin, prevent the formation of wrinkles and reduce
those any creases already there. Its excellent moisturizing properties
also mean it is very effective in restoring dry or chapped
skin. Those in their teens, twenties or thirties who do not yet
show any sign of their age may still find it a great preventative
treatment to preserving their youthful glow whilst the more mature
may find it to be a wonderful tonic for a tired visage.
Frankincense contains monoterpene
compounds which give the oil natural antiseptic and anti-inflammatory
properties. No wonder then that in ancient times, long before
the advent of modern, synthetic antiseptics, it was used to fumigate
the sick. Today users will find those same germ-killing and healing
properties useful for the treatments of skin
ulcers, scar tissue, wounds and inflammation.
The next essential oil no skin
should be without is called Neroli. Neroli is extracted from
the flowers of the Bitter Orange or Seville Orange, is deep brown
in colour and has a bitter sweet aroma thought to be one of the
most beautiful of all the essential oils. No surprise then that
it is widely used for commercial perfumes. The name is thought
to be named after an Italian princess called Anne-Marie de la
Tremoille, Countess of
Nerola who used this oil both as a perfume and to scent her bath
water. It takes about 1000 lbs of orange blossoms to make just
1 lb of Neroli oil.
Neroli oil contains the chemicals
Pinene, limonene, Linalyl acetate, Linalol, Nerolidol, Nerol,
Geraniol and Citral making it particularly soothing and helpful
for aging, dry or sensitive skin. It has the special property
of being able to stimulate the grown of new healthy skin cells
and therefore, like Frankincense, has certain rejuvenating abilities
and
so can help in the treatment of scar tissue and stretch marks.
Its gentle nature makes it suitable for all skin types and, like
most other essential oils, it also has an antiseptic, anti-infectious
effect on the skin.
The next essential skin oil
vital for skin health and vitality is Lavender oil. Lavender
is an evergreen woody shrub whose flowering tops yield the full
flowery smelling oil. Lavender has been used therapeutically
and cosmetically for thousands of years, either as an essential
oil or by using the dried flowers.
The name Lavender is derived
from the Latin word 'lavera' which means 'to wash'. The Romans
used Lavender extensively in their bath routine and it is thought
it was they who brought the plant from their Mediterranean home
to northern Europe where it is now widely cultivated as a cash
crop. As one of the most versatile of all the oils, Lavender
has been continually used for a wide variety of medicinal, beauty
and hygiene purposes even
when the other essential oils and aromatherapy itself fell out
of favour. Some of you may remember your parents or grandparents
using bags or socks filled with lavender flowers in clothes cupboard
and drawers to keep their clothes fresh and the moths at away,
as it is an excellent insect repellent.
You may remember from earlier
in this article that Rene-Maurice Gattefosse's, one of the early
pioneers of research into essential oils, who noted Lavender's
dramatic healing abilities when he used the oil to treat a burn
he sustained in his laboratory. It was this discovery that inspired
him to deepen his research and later to coin the word 'aromatherapie'.
Lavender's complex chemical
structure of Borneol, Geraniol, Linalool, Lavendulyl acetate,
Linalyl acetate and Cineol, mean that it is one of the more anti-septic,
anti-bacterial and analgesic oils in the aromatherapy pantheon,
making it a particularly effective, gentle and soothing treatment
of burns, abscesses, acne, oily skin, boils, sunburn, eczema,
wounds, insect bites and stings. Lavender is also well known
as one of the three most powerful oils in stimulating the growth
of healthy, new skin cells and so may help to maintain a 'fresh'
appearance.
The fourth and final essential
oil your skin will thank you using is Carrot Seed. An annual
or biennial herb with hairy leaves and umbels of white lacy flowers
with purple centers, the name is derived from the Greek 'Carotos'.
The familiar bright orange carrot
has been used as a medicinal plant at least since the first century
AD and, as the name suggests, the oil is extracted from the seeds
of the plant, not the edible root we all know. The oil is a pale
yellow colour and has the characteristic smell of carrots. The
presence of daucol, lomonene, pinene and especially carotene,
a precursor to Vitamin A. make it a very nourishing 'skin food'.
In skin care this is excellent oil. It improves the complexion
due to its strengthening effect on red blood cells, adding tone
and elasticity to the skin. It is said to promote more 'youthful'
appearance by restoring tone and elasticity whilst helping to
reduce wrinkles and remove 'age' spots. It is also said to assists
in the removal of toxins and water build up in
the skin giving it a fresher, firmer appearance and can be an
effective treatment for such skin conditions as eczema and psoriasis.
So there you have it, my special
'recipe' for I believe are the four essential oils vital to keeping
your skin healthy and young looking. |
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