11 WAYS TO USE LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL EASILY & EFFICIENTLY
11 WAYS TO USE LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL EASILY & EFFICIENTLY
I am always writing about essential oils and Lavender essential oil more than most, either for magazines, books or websites. Usually I cover the properties, history, contraindications, you name it but here I want to just tell you how I use Lavender on a day to day basis and why I just couldn’t live without it.Apart from anything else, it is a synergistic oil which means it smooths out a blend, binding different notes together and making them smell even better. The general 'feeling' is that lavender is relaxing but it is actually balancing - it makes you feel better - as simple as that. As you may know, when selling a product we are not allowed to make any medical claims so I’m simply going to tell you my go-to ways to for easy Lavender essential oil benefits that are simply and effective.
Just one more thing…….you have most likely heard that essential oils should not be used neat on the skin but you have to put that behind you with lavender or you will miss out on some if it’s best uses. Please don’t splash it all over - it is very concentrated so when you do use it neat, use it sparingly. For babies under 24 months old please ask me separately. I will write about essential oils for babies in another blog. Lavender essential oil is brilliant for babies but it needs to be used diluted and in a slightly different way so here for ease, I have kept to general use for children over 2 years of age and adults in good health including pregnant women after the first trimester.
1. SPOTS
At the first sign of a spot, dab one or two drops of neat lavender on it 2 or 3 times a day and specifically before bed.
At the first sign of a spot, dab one or two drops of neat lavender on it 2 or 3 times a day and specifically before bed.
2. STINGS
If someone is stung by a wasp or bee, again, one or two drops of neat lavender will have an immediate soothing effect.
If someone is stung by a wasp or bee, again, one or two drops of neat lavender will have an immediate soothing effect.
Apply neat to burns.
4.
SUNBURN
For sunburn fill a sink with cool water and add about 6 drops of lavender essential oil. Swish the water around to dissipate the lavender Soak a flannel in the water, wring and pat the burned areas.
For sunburn fill a sink with cool water and add about 6 drops of lavender essential oil. Swish the water around to dissipate the lavender Soak a flannel in the water, wring and pat the burned areas.
5.
HEADACHES & NAUSEA
If someone has a headache or feels sick follow the same instructions as above. Also lovely just to leave the flannel on your forehead for a while. Refresh the flannel after a few minutes.
If someone has a headache or feels sick follow the same instructions as above. Also lovely just to leave the flannel on your forehead for a while. Refresh the flannel after a few minutes.
6.
CLEANING SURFACES
Pour around 10 drops of lavender essential oil into a bowl of warm water to wash down surfaces. It is antibacterial and leaves a wonderfully fresh aroma. A great thing to do in these pandemic times. Smells lovely and provides a high level of protection.
Pour around 10 drops of lavender essential oil into a bowl of warm water to wash down surfaces. It is antibacterial and leaves a wonderfully fresh aroma. A great thing to do in these pandemic times. Smells lovely and provides a high level of protection.
7. STRESS & TIREDNESS
Feeling stressed, sick or tired? Just put a couple of drops of lavender into the palm of your hand, rub hands together and breath in deeply.
Feeling stressed, sick or tired? Just put a couple of drops of lavender into the palm of your hand, rub hands together and breath in deeply.
8. BED LINEN
Put a few drops of neat lavender onto a cloth and gently wipe it over freshly made bed. It will seem as if there is nothing on the cloth but the fragrance will transfer easily. Do this before going to bed for a lovely soothing aroma.
Put a few drops of neat lavender onto a cloth and gently wipe it over freshly made bed. It will seem as if there is nothing on the cloth but the fragrance will transfer easily. Do this before going to bed for a lovely soothing aroma.
9. BATH
Pour 10 drops into the bath after the water has run and swish around.
Pour 10 drops into the bath after the water has run and swish around.
10. MASSAGE
Pour 5 drops in 10ml (1 x dessertspoonful) of vegetable oil for body massage or 2 drops in 10ml (1 x dessertspoonful) of vegetable oil for facial massage.
Pour 5 drops in 10ml (1 x dessertspoonful) of vegetable oil for body massage or 2 drops in 10ml (1 x dessertspoonful) of vegetable oil for facial massage.
11. ROOM FRAGRANCE
Sprinkle a few drops under mats, towels etc. for subtle aroma.
With so many properties and after years of decanting lavender and giving it to fiends and family with a hand written label that will run after a few uses no matter how careful I am to seal it, I decided to run some rather gorgeous Angelico Lavender essential oil labels in both 10ml and 30 ml sizes.
Sprinkle a few drops under mats, towels etc. for subtle aroma.
With so many properties and after years of decanting lavender and giving it to fiends and family with a hand written label that will run after a few uses no matter how careful I am to seal it, I decided to run some rather gorgeous Angelico Lavender essential oil labels in both 10ml and 30 ml sizes.
LISTEN TO YOUR SKIN - It’s trying to tell you something
LISTEN TO YOUR SKIN
It’s trying to tell you something
It’s trying to tell you something
I recently wrote some skincare recipes for an article in Prima magazine’s April issue on how to help combat some common skin conditions such as rosacea, flakey, dry legs and scaly elbows! The article was called LISTEN TO YOUR SKIN - It’s trying to tell you something. This is a title which resonates closely with everything I believe in where skincare is concerned and a cornerstone to my capsule range. The little card that we send out with every order reiterates this and encourages you to change serums with the changing seasons in both weather and personal cycles as a response to how your skin looks and feels. If your skin feels tighter than usual for instance, maybe you should switch to a richer oil like our Serum for Dry Skin, or as the weather warms up you could change to our Serum for Combination or Oily skin which will address sebum secretion and dull, sallow skin that has built up over the colder months from being inside too much - but this is not just a shout out for our wonderful serums, it is also a call for you to listen to your skin on all levels.
Your skin is the largest organ of your body and holds a mirror up to your general health so don’t let that outbreak of spots make you think it’s just the result of a chocolate or alcohol binge. Those sorts of things certainly contribute to your skin’s condition but why did you need to binge? It could be that you are tired, depressed, run down or your circulation is not working as it should and you need more exercise? Maybe you need a course of supplements, to drink more water, or add more green leafy vegetables or fruit to your diet. Maybe you need to get out in the fresh air more or if you work outside protect your skin with richer oils and sunscreen. That tiny patch of eczema that appears out of nowhere is almost certainly a result of stress. You can fix it quite quickly with a lovely rich serum such as our Serum for Mature skin but when you apply it, massage it in mindfully into your face and neck and anywhere else that might need it. Utilise the time to think about how to assure your lifestyle is less stressful. ( See our Angelico Facial Massage )
Listen to your inner self and acknowledge what your mind and body are trying to tell you via your skin. If you have any skincare questions post them here and I will point you in the right direction.
HYDROTHERAPY
HYDROTHERAPY
a natural re-boot for your body
About a year ago I watched an interview with Tony Robbins, just about the best known life coach there is. From this interview I took away three lifestyle tips that literally changed my life. One of these tips was the use of hydrotherapy in my everyday life.
a natural re-boot for your body
About a year ago I watched an interview with Tony Robbins, just about the best known life coach there is. From this interview I took away three lifestyle tips that literally changed my life. One of these tips was the use of hydrotherapy in my everyday life.
Hydrotherapy is when you plunge yourself from hot to cold water resulting in a wonderful sense of wellbeing and energy as well as improved skin tone, better general health and lower stress levels. This occurs because blood rushes from the extremities to the vital organs and boosts the central nervous system when the body is taken from from hot to cold. A bit like a re-boot!
The second of Tony Robbins tips was to imagine feeling ‘pulled’ not ‘pushed’ when doing a task and this is what I think of when I turn that tap from hot to cold. Because I know it is going to make me feel fantastic I feel pulled towards the inevitable freeze not pushed!
A week or so ago, a piece in the fabulous online magazine My Domaine written by Hadley Mendelsohn popped up on the health benefits of hydrotherapy. If you want to learn more about this subject here’s a link to that piece. My version of hydrotherapy is a diluted version of Tony Robbins’ and Hadley Mendelsohn’s but one that for me is more sustainable on a daily basis. Like fashion, the reality is often a little tamer than the original. Tony Robins plunges himself from extreme hot to extreme cold water. My shower water - not plunge pools as prescribed - is simply hot and cold - far colder when we are in our house in Wales I might add. Amazing how much colder the water is in the country! None the less, it has made me into so much more of a ‘morning person’ Before I incorporated hydrotherapy into my daily - yes daily - routine, I used to get one bug after another and now to date I can only count one and that was over with very quickly - not bad eh? …….and here’s another great article on the wonders of Hydrotherapy or just plain old cold showers. - worth a read.
As for the third Tony Robbins lifestyle tip from that interview - I’ll save that for another blog :)
JOJOBA - 10 key things you should know about it
10 INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT JOJOBA
Jojoba oil is in almost all Angelico Serums as it has myriad properties. I discovered it when I first had babies as it works miracles on nappy rash. I swiftly got rid of the thick gloopy cream that other young mothers were encapsulating their babies bottoms with, innocently sealing in moisture which resulted in sore bottoms. I used jojoba oil instead which let the delicate baby skin breath whilst keeping it clean and bacteria free. The results were remarkable.
Here are 10 interesting facts about jojoba - just one of our natural active plant oils that go to create Angelico Serums.
(1) If you keep jojoba oil in the fridge it will completely solidify as it is actually a wax not an oil.
(2) Jojoba is cleansing as well as moisturising.
(3) Jojoba contains iodine which helps prevent breakouts.
(4) Jojoba protects, provides moisture control and soothes the skin.
(5) The texture and action of jojoba is almost identical to our skin’s own sebum.
(6) Jojoba regulates oil levels making it a great treatment for oily skin.
(7) Jojoba is full of antioxidants which help to slow down signs of ageing.
(8) Vitamin E present in Jojoba helps improve elasticity in the skin and speeds up healing.
(9) Jojoba helps to soothe irritation caused by eczema.
(10) Vitamin B complex in jojoba makes it a natural hormone balancer.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE
Love is all you need!
I have just finished reading a book called Letting Go, The Pathway of Surrender by David R. Hawkins. It was recommended to me by a friend and I have really enjoyed it. It’s not everybody’s cup of tea I’m sure as for many people even the slightest whiff of self help instigates chortles of laughter but I love to read these sort of books from time to time as there is always one or two little nuggets of information that hit the right note at the right time and serve as tools in my life. I like to pass on these tools when I’m quoting for magazines or just chatting. Hopefully then, at least someone will benefit from my reading them apart from me. Actually, if I benefit then the general consensus is that everyone around me will be happy too as like attracts like and positivity is never a bad thing. I have been accused of being an irritating Pollyanna at times but not in a bad way!!?!
So, here I am passing on some useful insight from this book and if you like it maybe buy it and read it yourself. The basic premise is that every emotion we have gives us a certain amount of energy, or lack of energy and that by surrendering low energy emotions like guilt, anger, grief etc. without giving them fuel from over thinking you can make space for higher energy emotions like courage, peace and love. By surrendering, the book means - Let it go! Dump it! Stop thinking about the things that are making you feel, angry or sad. If love is your overriding emotion it is really hard to have low energy emotions at the same time. If you have ever been in love you will know the high octane energy it gives you. Even if love is part of your grief having lost someone. If you let that love spread to all around you, they will love you back and fill you with energy when you most need it. If you are angry with someone and feel sapped of energy, try loving them instead and your energy will sore. There is no doubt about it. If we all made love our primary emotion, the world would be an even better place. I’m not going to say this is easy. Sometimes it feels almost impossible but the concept is sound - I think!!
What’s this got to do with skin care you might ask - well as you know, I am a big believer that beauty comes from within and that good thoughts are reflected in your eyes so with that in mind, I think this piece is relevant to this blog and I hope that it at least makes your eyes twinkle a little. In the words of the Beatles...
“All you need is love, love, love!”.
10 MINUTES MEDITATION
10 MINUTES MEDITATION
true beauty comes from within
A friend popped by recently who has had the time from hell over the past couple of years. She’s a very pretty girl but every little hurt showed on her face and had she been the sort of person I could say - “ hey, lets do 10 minutes meditation” to, she would have looked instantly refreshed. She is not that kind of girl though and I think she would have just thought I was nuts but I know from experience that just 10 minutes of meditation can set everything back on track. It is literally like a re-boot for your mind and body and you don't have to be an expert at meditation to get a positive affect. Of course it won’t put all the wrongs right but if you look good, it certainly helps you to feel and cope better.
true beauty comes from within
A friend popped by recently who has had the time from hell over the past couple of years. She’s a very pretty girl but every little hurt showed on her face and had she been the sort of person I could say - “ hey, lets do 10 minutes meditation” to, she would have looked instantly refreshed. She is not that kind of girl though and I think she would have just thought I was nuts but I know from experience that just 10 minutes of meditation can set everything back on track. It is literally like a re-boot for your mind and body and you don't have to be an expert at meditation to get a positive affect. Of course it won’t put all the wrongs right but if you look good, it certainly helps you to feel and cope better.
I’ve been using headspace.com for a few years now and I love it. headspace.com is an app which guides you through daily meditations on whichever level suits you. The first ten days are free then there’s a yearly subscription if you want to stay with it. I can’t claim to meditate every day but I have every good intention to make it my daily ritual, especially after I recently saw a video featuring just about every leading actor you could think of saying that they meditated every single day and that it left them feeling refreshed and calm. Tony Robinson the guru of self help says that it doesn't even matter if you have had a bad nights sleep. He says that 10 minutes meditation will sort you out.
It’s not essential to use headspace.com but I find Andy Puddicombe’s (one of the founders of headspace.com ) reassuring voice works wonders for me. My basic meditation routine with or without Andy from headspace.com is to sit comfortably with bare feet if possible, grounded on the floor and back straight and supported. I also like to sit cross legged on the floor but this is not essential and it’s often easier just to sit on a chair - this could even be on the train. I mentally scan my body from my toes to the top of my head, breathing into any areas that may ache or hurt. Next I count my breathing - in, one - out, two, - in three, - out, four, up to ten then I begin again. If you loose your way, don’t worry, just start at one again. I do this for about five minutes. (I’m not sure how I know when five minutes have gone by but it is miraculously usually that sort of period of time!) Your mind will begin to rest and after a few minutes you will feel refreshed and it will really show in your face. I then re-scan my body which always feels much better before gently opening my eyes. Improved circulation from deep breathing and absence of stress from your face will make you look brighter and younger. It’s cumulative too.
Practice ten minutes meditation for even just a few consecutive days and people will really start to notice how much better you are looking.
FACIAL YOGA
FACIAL YOGA
can pulling faces make you look younger?
Facial Yoga has been popping up on my Facebook feed just about every day lately and I was intrigued enough to click on it to have look. It makes perfect sense really. The basic premise being that many of us exercise our bodies regularly to keep them in good shape but very rarely do we exercise our faces.
can pulling faces make you look younger?
Facial Yoga has been popping up on my Facebook feed just about every day lately and I was intrigued enough to click on it to have look. It makes perfect sense really. The basic premise being that many of us exercise our bodies regularly to keep them in good shape but very rarely do we exercise our faces.
Of course we chew, blink, talk, and raise our eyebrows from time to time but that’s no different to walking, standing, sitting or occasionally running for the bus in relative terms. Many, many years ago, eye exercises were the norm in schools to keep our eye muscles working well. I tried some of these exercises a while back and was surprised at how tired my eyes felt afterwards. So, Fumiko- my click through yogi and founder of the Face Yoga Method says we must exercise our faces to look younger which as you have probably guessed includes much face pulling which will most likely make you laugh which is also a good workout for the stomach - result!
People with animated faces are far more interesting than people who hardly move a muscle on their faces. Dead pan faces of the botox variety might have less lines but they are certainly not as interesting or inviting as those with a few laughter lines. How sexy are many French people because the language requires much pouting?!…..and laughing Buddhas - another example of lovely faces in action.
Even if you are not tempted to try Facial Yoga at least pull a few faces and see how good it makes you feel. It’s surprisingly invigorating.
As I am writing this I tried the following;
1. Eyes wide open and look from side to side six time then up and down six times without moving your head.
1. Eyes wide open and look from side to side six time then up and down six times without moving your head.
2. Make a big smile then pout then smile then pout six time.
3. Lift your eyebrows then frown six times.
4. Wiggle your nose ( well your mouth really) six times.
5. Stick your chin out and lift and lower your head six times.
How does that feel?!!
If you want to check out the real thing,
go to www.faceyogamethod.com
go to www.faceyogamethod.com
OILY SKIN
OILY SKIN
can you combat oiliness with oil?
can you combat oiliness with oil?
People with oily skin understandably feel that they should treat their skin with products that will somehow dry their skin up. Who is old enough to remember those skin stripping products in the eighties that actually made your eyes smart when you applied them?! Nothing could be more astringent and yet the oiliness would remain.
This must surely be a sign that this approach to addressing oily skin simply doesn't work. By excessively drying up the oiliness you are giving your skin the signal to produce even more sebum/oil. So, what to do?
Stop trying to over treat your skin. Keep cleansing as simple as possible. Don't over do it with masks and scrubs. You will notice that after even gentle cleansing, your skin is momentarily less oily. Now is the time to apply oil to moisturise. Using a face oil or serum, your skin will stop trying so hard and settle down.
Not all oils are suitable as some are too heavy for oily skin conditions but a carefully blended collection of active plant oils that include essential oils, packed with antioxidants and vitamins, such as Angelico Oily Skin Serum will allow your skin to re-balance itself.
HELEN MIRREN SAYS
HELEN MIRREN SAYS
"moisturisers probably do F*** All!!!"
Helen Mirren, one of my favourite actresses of all time made me laugh out loud not once, but twice this week. The BBC news quoted her as saying that moisturiser probably does nothing at all for the skin. Best of all, The Telegraph reported a similar but far fruitier story that whilst sitting on a L’Oreal panel in the South of France where she was appearing in her capacity as brand ambassador, she said “moisturisers probably do F*** All!!”
I can just imagine it and actually, I know what she means, as she went on to say;
“I’m an eternal optimist - I know that when I put my moisturiser on it probably does f--- all, but it just makes me feel better. I’ve always said to L’Oreal as well that I will only do what makes me feel better.”
“I’m an eternal optimist - I know that when I put my moisturiser on it probably does f--- all, but it just makes me feel better. I’ve always said to L’Oreal as well that I will only do what makes me feel better.”
That’s what I completely agree with. There is something wonderful about just spending time massaging be it oil, cream or lotion into your skin that is nurturing and caring. The fragrance is as important as the texture. It can transport you to memories long forgotten and remind you of people places or things.
We must note though that she said ‘probably’ and she is probably wrong. If you want to confirm that she’s wrong try NOT using any kind of moisturiser be it serum or cream for a few days and see how you feel. I think you will be running back to your favourite moisturiser before you can say "F***" !
EMOTIONAL SKINCARE
EMOTIONAL SKINCARE
How your skincare products can affect your mood
How your skincare products can affect your mood
Have you ever thought about how your skin type might be linked to your emotions? We all know that stress can show up in your skin but can we change the condition of our skin simply by changing our mood?….and can our skincare products do that?….change our mood? Sounds a little far fetched? But aromatherapy works on exactly this principle.
Essential oils have many physiological properties but by far their most immediate impact is on the way they make you feel. Most people will take a whiff of the product they are applying before they apply it and a very quick evaluation will be made as to whether you think it will do the trick for your skin. Before you have even put it on your skin you will have made a mental leap of faith as to whether or not it will be good for your particular skin type. Why is this?
Angelico Serums rely as strongly on their base oils as their essential oils and base oils have little or no fragrance at all but it’s interesting to look at which of the sublime fragrances in essential oils work for which skin types.
The essential oils used in our Sensitive Skin Serum - chamomile, lavender, calendula, yarrow and mandarin are all nostalgic, delicate flowers and fruit reminiscent of childhood. When we have delicate skin, do we need a little more ‘looking after’ as we were when we were children maybe?
Mature Skin Serum on the other hand has a bold and confident fragrance that conjures up well earned luxury. Frankincense, rose, geranium and sandalwood, tempered by lighter bergamot and mandarin purely for balance. This fragrance is expensive and it smells that way - maybe we need a little luxury as we mature?
OIly Skin Serum - grapefruit, mandarin and cypress, evened out by lavender. If your skin is oily you most likely feel like you want to freshen up. Most people with oily skin want to over cleanse their skin - dry it out but this only encourages your skin to produce more sebum/oil. This fragrance will appeal on this level though. Oily skin people will smell it and ‘feel’ fresher even before they use it.
Dry Skin Serum is Floral, rich and hypnotic. Often people with dry skin need a little bit of calm in their lives. Neroli, one of Dry Skin Serums key notes is renowned for its ability to calm nerves and for this reason is often included in bridal bouquets! Other essential oils here are rose, geranium, frankincense and of course lavender You will see similarities here with Mature Skin Serum. With these skin types what is needed is extra love and care and these fragrances conjure this up.
Lastly Combination Skin Serum - like the skin type it is for, it has contradictions and in this way it is very interesting fragrance wise. At first woody then floral with the warm woody notes returning after a few minutes. Cedarwood, is woody and yet bright. Like the sun coming through the trees. Most people with combination skin are not in need generally of either uplifting or calming, Combination skin usually belongs to people in the fast lane.
These are all of course generalisations but it is fun to consider how the ingredients in your serum might not just be about your skin. Next time you think about your skin type, have a little think about how you are feeling and see if your mood is somehow reflected in your skin.
FACIAL MAPPING
FACIAL MAPPING
How your face can reveal health secrets
How your face can reveal health secrets
Having just filmed our 2 minute Facial Massage, I got to thinking about facial mapping and how by massaging our faces, paying particular attention to specific areas we can maybe stimulate different areas of the body.
This works on the same principle as reflexology. This is that there are meridians running throughout the body creating pathways to corresponding parts of the body, sending energy to area that need a little boost. A good display of this is the way that when we have been over indulging alcohol wise many people show it on their faces by the puffy bags that appear under their eyes.. This area is said to represent the kidneys who surely take a thrashing after a heavy drinking session.
Another good example is the chin which represents the gynaecological area. Isn't it interesting that both teenage and adult acne often manifests here which is when hormones are at their most active. Take a little look at the diagram below and when you are next applying your serum pay attention to areas that might be a little puffier, spottier or a different colour to usual. Maybe your current lifestyle will be reflected back at you as clear as the nose on your face!
This works on the same principle as reflexology. This is that there are meridians running throughout the body creating pathways to corresponding parts of the body, sending energy to area that need a little boost. A good display of this is the way that when we have been over indulging alcohol wise many people show it on their faces by the puffy bags that appear under their eyes.. This area is said to represent the kidneys who surely take a thrashing after a heavy drinking session.
Another good example is the chin which represents the gynaecological area. Isn't it interesting that both teenage and adult acne often manifests here which is when hormones are at their most active. Take a little look at the diagram below and when you are next applying your serum pay attention to areas that might be a little puffier, spottier or a different colour to usual. Maybe your current lifestyle will be reflected back at you as clear as the nose on your face!
