Essential Oils - Lip Balm Recipes - Smacking Good For Healthy Lips

The easiest way to make a lip balm with your choice of essential oils, is simply to warm your favorite balm (with all those pure natural ingredients) and add a few drops of the therapeutic grade essential oil. For example, take about a Tablespoonful size of a beeswax type of lip balm, place the container in some warm water until it softens, and then add 2 drops of Melissa, 1 drop Tea Tree and 1 drop of Spearmint essential oils. Stir well with a toothpick. This formula is wonderful salve for healing cold sores. It tastes good, too.

Lip balms make great gifts. You can experiment around with different combinations. Check with your aromatherapist for specific essential oils specific to your special needs.

If you want to make your own, here is a wonderful recipe for cracked, dry or sore lips that I have used with success:

• 1 tablespoon of beeswax
• 2 tablespoons of castor oil
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 1 Vitamin E capsule
• 2 drops of carrot seed essential oil
• 2 drops of sandalwood essential oil
• 2 drops of myrrh essential oil

Melt the beeswax in the top pan of a double boiler over low heat. Stir in the castor oil and honey until you have a thick liquid, then remove from heat. Cut the end off the vitamin E capsule, and add the gel from the capsule to the mixture. When cool, add the therapeutic grade essential oils. Blend well, and then put into small containers for storage. Be sure to make labels that contain the ingredients and directions for use. Directions are to smooth a small amount on lips as needed. Precaution: do not use myrrh during pregnancy. (Just leave it out if this is the case).

For lip balm, the proportions you need are 2:1 solids to liquids. The beeswax is a solid and all of the other ingredients are liquid. I like to use castor oil because if gives a nice gloss to the lips. Honey adds a bit of sweetener, and the vitamin E contains antioxidants and will extend the shelf life of your balm. The essential oils listed are all known for healing properties. In particular, myrrh is renown for mouth care.By Judy Lausch

Essential Oils - Use With Lotion to Moisturize and Soften Your Skin Naturally

Do you have to wash your hands often? As a nurse, I probably wash my hands at least 20 times a day. Does winter or dry weather leave you with rough, chapped hands? I find that my hands really need special attention in the winter. This article gives ways to use healing essential oils in simple recipes for lotion that will soften the skin and effectively replenish moisture to rough, dry hands. I have found the simplest way to use essential oils with lotion is to add my favorite oils to a quality, non-scented, non-perfumed, natural lotion base.

This recipe is for a great moisturizing lotion for the skin:

· 8 ounces of lotion base

· 15 drops of geranium

· 10 drops of myrrh

· 5 drops of ylang ylang.

Always use only pure therapeutic grade essential oils. Add the essential oils to the lotion base, gently mix the solution, and add a label with the ingredients to the container. Geranium and myrrh are classic essential oils for healing the skin. I add ylang ylang just because I love its aroma. A very important principle of aromatherapy is that the consumer likes the aroma. If they don't like it, they won't use it. There are many combinations that you can use.

For chapped hands, try adding 10 drops each of rosewood, patchouli and geranium to around 8 ounces of a quality unperfumed lotion base. Apply on location as needed.

For dry skin, try adding 10 drops each of rose, Roman chamomile, and sandalwood to 8 ounces of lotion base. Be certain that only pure, therapeutic grade essential oils are used.

If you are interested in making your own lotion to add the essential oils to, this very old recipe will help cool and soften the skin, as well as clean stains from hands:

· 1 ounce of rosewater (floral essential oil water)

· 1 ounce of fresh squeezed lemon juice

· 1 ounce of glycerin

· 10 drops of your choice of therapeutic grade essential oils

Put all of these ingredients together in a clean container and shake gently. Label the bottle with the ingredients and instructions to shake well before using each time and store in the refrigerator. This needs to be used within 2-3 weeks, so it is wise to make small amounts at a time.

Here is another recipe for a winter lotion:

· 1/2 cup of distilled water or rosewater

· 1/2 cup of jojoba carrier oil

· 1 Tablespoon of lecithin

· 1 capsule of Vitamin E

· 10-20 drops of your choice of pure therapeutic grade essential oils

Put the water/rosewater, jojoba and lecithin in a blender and whip until it forms a nice lotion. You can add more water/rosewater if you desire a thinner lotion. Cut open the vitamin E capsule and add the Vitamin E and essential oils at the end. Lecithin is an emulsifier, or mixing agent, that helps oil and water stay together. Mix well. Store in clean container and label with the ingredients.

While a cream is a vegetable oil with water added, it is an ideal moisturizer for dry skin, Lotion contains more water than cream, so it is thinner and less oily. The consistency of lotion makes it ideal for normal to oily skin. It has the quality of spreading easily and doesn't leave an oily coat over the skin. Adding essential oils enhances its therapeutic value.By Judy Lausch

Don't Let the Signs of Aging Show Up on Your Face - Keep Wrinkles Away With Essential Oils

Remember when your mother used to say: "Don't make that awful face. It might stay that way"? As it happens, she may have been more correct than she knew. Over the years our skin takes on a memory of our most common facial moves like squinting, smiling, frowning, raising our eyebrows or even the "sucking in" part of smoking. The result of this is wrinkles. Plus, anything we do that takes moisture from our skin tissue helps in the development of wrinkles. A major offender is over-exposure to the sun.
Forget about aging gracefully. Fight it every step of the way! Cleanse your face gently with natural moisturizers that gently clean and hydrate the skin. Increase the level of anti-oxidants in your diet. Avoid over-exposure to the sun or apply SPF products. Limit your alcohol consumption, manage your stress, and quit smoking. Hydrate with a minimum of eight glasses of water a day. Get plenty of sleep: at least eight hours a night. And last, but certainly not least: use essential oils to help maintain collagen and regenerate new cells. In general, the essential oils that help skin cells regenerate and rejuvenate are the same oils that help heal slight skin abrasions caused by dry skin.
The two best choices of oils to use for wrinkles are Niaouli, which is a choice skin tonic that protects the skin and Myrtle, which acts as an astringent to the skin. Other essential oils known for their anti-aging properties are: carrot seed, rose, jasmine, geranium, helichrysum, neroli, frankincense and myrrh.
To counteract dry, mature skin, it is best to combine these essential oils with vitamin-rich plant oils to help soften and nourish the skin, and nutrient packed nut and seed oils to act as carriers for the essential oils and aid in moisturizing and protecting the skin tissue. For this the best choices are high quality, cold-pressed oils such as rosehip, apricot kernel, avocado, macadamia nut, kikui nut, evening primrose and wheatgerm.
Here is a great formula for an excellent facial oil to use for dehydrated or wrinkled skin, or skin that has been damaged by the sun. When applying this oil avoid the eyes and the hairline. Use upward strokes while applying to neck and face.

Anti-Wrinkle Oil
2 tsp Apricot kernel oil
1 tsp Avocado oil
1 tsp Rose hip seed oil
10 drops Carrot Seed oil
5 drops Evening Primrose oil
4 drops Myrtle essential oil
4 drops Niaouli essential oil
2 drops Myrrh essential oil
3 drops Rose essential oil (for women) or
3 drops Jasmine essential oil (for men)
Combine ingredients in a one-ounce dark glass bottle. Cap and gently mix. Label. Apply 2-4 drops of the blend onto your fingertips, and apply to a moistened face and neck (Using floral water to moisten face is a great idea). Work upward, gently massaging the facial tissue.By Judy Lausch

Using Essential Oils to Prevent Wrinkles - If You Are Over 30

When we reach our 30's and 40's we want to look as young as we can for as long as we can. However, we can't halt the aging process. That is much too severe. But as we do age, we see that ever so slowly, as age creeps up on us, our skin starts to change. Fine lines appear. We start looking at the price of cosmetic surgery. We consider chemical peels.
During this time in our lives, we start paying attention to the things that harm our skin: We pay attention to cleansing our face ever so gently with natural moisturizers that hydrate the skin. We know the best fruits for anti-oxidants, and we include them in our diet. We start wearing hats and applying SPF products when we are in the sun. We drink less alcohol, think seriously about ways to manage our stress, and find a program to quit smoking that works. We increase our intake of water to include at least glasses of water every day. We cut out the late-night show so we can get more sleep. We check carefully for any unusual blemish, lump or change in the way the skin looks or feels. Most skin problems are not cancerous, but it is important to get checked by your doctor if you notice any suspicious changes.
And last, but certainly not least: we look at an Essential Oil Reference Guide to find essential oils to help maintain collagen and regenerate new cells for our skin. To counteract wrinkles and dry, mature skin, essential oils are most effective when combined with nutrient packed nut and seed oils to aid in moisturizing and protecting the skin. Did you know that skin cells replenish every 28 days or so? When you try a new product, give it at least a month to see if it works or not.
Floral waters and facial mists are wonderful for aging skin, and are a good product to prevent the signs of aging. Use them periodically during the day to add moisture to your skin, and as a part of your nightly routine. Use them prior to applying oils. This way, you will be adding a layer of moisture to the skin surface while gently toning the skin. A very good floral water is myrtle. You can make your own facial mist by adding 15-20 drops of myrtle essential oil to 4-6 ounces of distilled water in a spray bottle. Be sure to shake the bottle before each use. The moisture in the spray will help your fingers glide easily during the facial massage. Avoid alcohol-based mists.
There are several recipes available for skin care. We want one that we can use to massage our face and neck. Here is one for reducing wrinkles no matter what your age:
Skin Wrinkle Reducing Oil
5 drops Sandalwood
5 drops Helichrysum
5 drops Geranium
5 drops Lavender
5 drops Frankincense
1 Tbsp. Sweet Almond or Apricot Kernel carrier oil
Dilute the essential oils in the Sweet Almond carrier, put in a 1-ounce dark glass bottle. Cap the bottle and mix gently. Label with the ingredients and instructions. Apply 2-4 drops of the blend onto your fingertips, and apply to a moistened face and neck. Work upward, gently massaging the facial tissue. Avoid pulling or over-manipulating the tissue. Be gentle.
And now finally, here is the wrinkle prevention oil specifically for people over 30:
Wrinkle Prevention Oil If You Are Over 30
1 Tbsp Jojoba Oil
1 tsp Macadamia Oil or Kukui Oil
1 tsp Rosehip Oil
3 Drops Carrot Seed Essential Oil
4 Drops Niaouli Essential Oil
3 Drops Myrtle Essential Oil
3 Drops Geranium Essential Oil
1 Drops Patchouli Essential Oil
2 Drops Frankincense Essential Oil
Combine these ingredients in a 1-ounce dark glass bottle. Cap the bottle and mix gently. Label with the ingredients and instructions. Apply 2-4 drops of the blend onto your fingertips, and apply to a moistened face and neck. Work upward, gently massaging the facial tissue.
If you are older or younger, see my EzineArticles that feature wrinkle prevention for over 20 and for over 50. Select your own age group.

By Judy Lausch