Ylang Ylang

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essential oil, Ylang Ylang

Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata) is an EO that I do not use very frequently but it intrigues me so I added it to my list of ones to research.

The essential oil is steam distilled from the flowers of this tree, native to the Philippines and Indonesia. There are several different types of ylang ylang essential oil, each coming from different stages of the distillation process – Ylang Ylang Extra, Ylang Ylang I, II and III, Ylang Ylang Complete. Normally an essential oil is collected at the very end of distillation. With Ylang Ylang, the distillation process is stopped at various points and the oil to that point is collected. Ylang Ylang Extra is collected after a very short period of distillation. The process is paused, the oil collected, and then the distillation process resumes. Ylang Ylang I, II and III are collected at various other points along the process – all coming from the distillation of the same flower parts. Ylang Ylang Complete is actually the essential oil that occurs when the distillation is not interrupted at all and it is collected the very end. For aromatherapy, we use either the Ylang Ylang Extra or the Ylang Ylang Complete, as they contain the highest amount of components from the plant in the essential oil. Ylang Ylang I, II and III are often used for perfumes.

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Yarrow

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essential oil, essential oils, skin care, Yarrow

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) EO is one that I have been using in my thesis treatment preparations and I’m really liking it. It is steam distilled from the flowers of the plant. It is a lovely blue colour when it is extracted. Yarrow is a perennial herb with fern like leaves. It is part of the Compositea botanical family which also includes Roman and German Chamomile.

The EO has cicatrisant properties which means it helps heal wounds. Yarrow EO is good for helping skin care when you are dealing with any kind of inflamed condition, rashes, or burns. It helps tone the skin in general. It is also known to help lower blood pressure, help improve circulation and aid with digestive issues.

I’ve enjoyed working with it for my thesis and and starting to see some results from the treatments I’m doing. Looking forward to expanding my work with this EO!

Castor Oil

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castor oil, skin care

Castor oil comes from the seeds of the Castor plant (Ricinus communis), native to India. The seeds are pressed to obtain the oil. Cold pressed is the ideal extraction method.

At this point, the main purpose of castor oil for me is as one of my base oils in my cosmetic line. It is one of the main oils used in my lipsticks, lip liners, and eye liners. However, as I study it more, I feel it may become something I use more frequently in some of my treatments.

It is also used in several other industries. The food industry uses it as a mold inhibitor. Castor oil is also used as an engine lubricant particularly in race cars and airplanes. The brand Castrol takes its name from the oil.

For health care, castor oil has long been used as a laxative and is known for aiding in relieving constipation. Castor oil is very high in ricinoleic acid which has anti-inflammatory properties. There are studies that show it has had some benefit in treating arthritis. There are also studies crediting castor oil with boosting your immune system in general. Further studies are needed, but the centuries years of use seem to support these qualities of the oil. It will be interesting to see what develops in the next few years of scientific studies.

Juniper Essential Oil

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essential oil, essential oils, Juniper, skin care

Juniper (Juniperus communis) has many beneficial properties that have been used for decades. It’s antiseptic properties have made it an important part of healing during the wars. Branches were burnt at hospitals to help disinfect the air.

The EO is steam distilled from the berries of the juniper shrub. It belongs to the Cupressaceae botanical family. This family includes plants like Cedarwood and Cypress.

One of the properties of juniper EO is that it is astringent. It helps tighten the skin and, along with promoting blood circulation, helps give your skin a younger look and feel. I am getting ready to launch some facial care products and juniper is an ingredient in my toner for oily skin.

Aside from skin care, there are a few other applications I look forward to exploring down the road such as helping treat rheumatism. Sure to be another EO that I’ll use in Aromatherapy practice!

Frankincense Essential Oil

Tags

Astringent, Burseraceae, Cytophylactic, essential oil, essential oils, facials, frankincense, Qi Drop Therapy, skin care

Frankincense (Boswellia carterii) essential oil quickly became another favourite of mine when I started using it. The EO is distilled from the resin of the tree and belongs to the Burseraceae botanical family, which includes Myrrh.

Frankincense has many good qualities which is one of the reasons it is the second oil used in Qi Drop. At the moment, I’ll just focus on two qualities that relate to skin care. It is both astringent and cytophylactic. Astringent means that it tightens tissue. Cytophylactic refers to cell regeneration when looking at skin care. In general it is about increasing the cells that help fight infection and inflammation in the body making it another useful EO when looking at full treatments down the road.

In terms of skin care, this is an EO that is well suited for more mature skin or prematurely aged skin (from sun exposure or heavy smoking, for example). It helps tighten the existing skin tissue (helping banish those fine wrinkles) and stimulates new cell growth to help give you a healthy complexion. I use it frequently on my clients with the holistic skin care facials!