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 50

I love the little story about the granddaughter who looked at her grandmother's wizened face, traced some of the lines with her finger, and said: "Oh grandma, what beautiful lines on your face." So let's just be positive about this! We did earn these lines, didn't we? Yes, wrinkles ARE a sign of aging. They are a symbol of wisdom. Why is it, then, that we do everything possible to keep them away? Oh, that youthful appearance. So desired. So coveted that we consider drastic measures like facelifts, and risk horrible outcomes by letting people put injections in our face to plump up our skin. Hopefully this article will give you some safe, natural ways to ward off those signs of aging.

Just like the old adage says, beauty is more than skin deep. Many factors are involved in keeping that elastic skin that looks youthful and glowing. But when we look at skin, we can truly see the effects of a healthy or not-so-healthy lifestyles. If you have spent long days out in sun, smoked or overused alcohol, or ate a high-fat diet loaded with artificial ingredients, succumbed to insomnia and stress, or abused your skin with over-manipulation or cleaning, people will be able to see a lasting impression of this mistreatment.

Fortunately the skin can renew itself, although it takes longer as we grow older. So it is never too late to change from an abusive to a healthy lifestyle. Start working from the inside out by internal cleansing and drinking adequate amounts of water. As you start eating foods rich in anti-oxidants, vegetables containing vitamins A,B,C,E and zinc, you will even begin to feel the skin's positive response. Regular exercise will help increase metabolism and circulation, deep breathing exercises will help bring needed oxygen to the cells.

You can also help bring blood flow and vitality to the skin with regular brushing of the skin to remove dead cells and dry skin. This is very rejuvenating. Start with a soft bristled brush, put a couple of drops of essential oils such as lavender or myrtle, and brush the whole body in a circular or figure eight pattern. Brush toward the heart. It is especially good to brush before a shower or bath. Facial masks are very moisturizing and excellent cleaners. Ask your aromatherapist about what is best for your particular skin type, and needs, but for mature skin and wrinkles, this mask is recommended:

Natural Facial Mask for Wrinkles

1 tsp. fine oatmeal

1 tsp. fine cornmeal

1 tsp. honey

1 tsp. natural yogurt

1/2 tsp. Brewer's yeast

2 drops Myrtle essential oil

1 drop Galbanum essential oil

1 drop Frankincense essential oil

1 drop Myrrh essential oil.

Mix the first five ingredients together with enough floral or distilled water to make a paste. Then stir in the essential oil and mix well. Put this on your fingertips, and then massage it gently onto your face with upward movements. Do not rub hard, and avoid the eyes. Leave it on for about 20 minutes, and then rinse with warm water to remove. Spray with a gentle mist to your face.

And now finally, here is the wrinkle prevention oil specifically for people over 50:

Wrinkle Prevention Oil If You Are Over 50

1 Tbsp Apricot Kernel Oil

1 tsp Evening Primrose or Kukui Oil

1 tsp Wheatgerm Oil

3 Drops Carrot Seed Essential Oil

4 Drops Neroli Essential Oil

4 Drops Myrtle Essential Oil

3 Drops Galbanum Essential Oil

2 drops Myrrh Essential Oil

1 Drop Rose Essential Oil (for women) or

1 Drop Jasmine Essential Oil (for men)

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.

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