Benzoin Essential Oil

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benzoin, essential oil

I have been doing some bulk ordering this week. There are several of us working at various stages of aromatherapy who have met through classes over the past couple of years. We have become a great support network for each other and a great source of resources as we each bring our own different expertise to the group. While gathering info for what everyone needed for this order, I was reminded of another EO that I don’t personally use much but which has intrigued me in the past. So Benzoin has become my topic for this week!

Benzoin (Stryrax benzoin) is a tree native to Southeast Asia. It belongs to the Styraceae botanical family. The EO is a resin that comes from tapping the bark. It is a thick, dark (brownish-red) liquid that has a vanilla-like smell.

Commonly used as a fixative in perfumes and as incense, benzoin EO has many other great uses. It is often used to help relieve coughs and cold, having antibacterial and expectorant properties. I look forward to exploring that more next fall! It is also said to be helpful in treating arthritis so I need to do some further investigation into that over the coming months and see what I discover.

For skin care, it is used sparingly and is not something I use in my facials. It can help with chapped, irritate, red skin. But it should be used in small quantities. It can be useful in treating more wound-type skin conditions like psoriasis. Not something to keep in the cupboard to use everyday but useful when treating something more severe on a short term basis.

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Evening Primrose Oil

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carrier oil, evening primrose oil, skin care

Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) Oil is a wonderful oil that kind of fell off my radar in the past few months! I had started to use it a bit last fall but some how got away from it. I was reminded of it in the past few weeks with the class that I took.

There are lots of studies happening with evening primrose at present and I’m looking forward to seeing some of the long term study results. Many consider it a great plant with many preventative disease possibilities!

From a food point of view, evening primrose oil is considered a good source of essential fatty acids. Evening primrose contains the essential fatty acid called linoleic acid. The body uses this to produce prostaglandins, which in turn are involved in helping many different types of body tissue to remain healthy. There have been some studies that suggest essential fatty acids help reduce inflammation associated with arthritis and joint pain.

For skin care, helping both to calm the inflammation and to dilute the excess sebum, which can clog pores and cause a break out, it is often used for treating acne and rosacea. Evening primrose oil is nourishing for your nails helping to prevent them from cracking – a bonus for me if I’m using it to treat someone else!

Looking forward to adding this oil back into my life!

Apricot Kernel Oil

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Apricot kernel oil, carrier oil

Apricot kernel oil (Prunus armeniaca) is one of my favourite oils to work with and is my preferred base oil for body oil combinations. It belongs to the Rosaceae botanical family, the same family as the rose. The oil comes from cold pressing the nut (kernel) of the fruit.

Rich in vitamins A and E, it absorbs nicely into the skin. It is great for moisturizing dry skin. It works wonders on mature or prematurely aged skin and I use it on occasion for the massage part of my facials. It can help calm inflamed skin and is useful to use in a blend when treating eczema and psoriasis. It can even help soothe razor burn. A wonderfully light oil that is beneficial to the body and economical for the wallet. Try it out today!

More classes!

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facials

Last week and this week I had the pleasure of taking a course on botanical facials. Fate intervened and we had to move the last day of the class to a few weeks from now. So I shall have to wait a little longer to experience the full treatment and figure out what I which elements to incorporate into my own practice.

I always find classes interesting. Seeing a different perspective and teaching style is always fascinating. Meeting new people is also great! This particular class is mostly full with several of us who took the skin care class last fall. The one other student is someone who works with acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine.

Much of the beginning was review from what I’ve been studying over the past couple of years. It was a great way for me to reinforce with myself how much I have actually achieved in the past few years. A great reminder for those days when you feel like you are just spinning your wheels! Another portion of the class has been about learning how different areas of the face correspond to different parts of the body and analyzing how you can support areas of the body by treating the face. It has been very interesting and having someone in the class with a background in traditional Chinese medicine has given us additional information and food for thought. I’m looking forward to finishing off the class in a couple of weeks!

Mandarin Essential Oil

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essential oil, mandarin, skin care

Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) EO is cold pressed from the peel of the fruit. It is part of the Rutaceae biological family which also contains the other citrus fruits.  Mandarin trees are smaller than orange trees and generally grow in Europe.  Tangerines are botanically the same as mandarins and generally grown in the U.S. Mandarin is also used in Chinese medicine and it is said that the name mandarin links back to the Mandarins of China and the probable origins of the original plant.

I first encountered Mandarin EO when looking a blends to help with stretch marks for some pregnant friends.  We don’t use many essential oils during pregnancy or on young children.  However, Mandarin EO is one of the gentlest and is often one that can be used in both of these instances.  It is good for helping to prevent stretch marks and is very calming.  For facial skin care, Mandarin EO can be used in a blend for those with sensitive skin.