What are Essential Oils and Can They Really Prevent Damage?
An essential oil is a liquid that comes from the leaves, bark, stems, flowers or root of a plant. Essential oils are highly concentrated and contain a distinctive scent or “essence” of the plant from which it was it was derived. There are a wide variety of essential oils and the composition and scent of each individual oil provides different physiological and physical benefits. In general, the benefits of essential oils are obtained either by inhaling the oil or by applying diluted oil to the skin. The essential oils are diluted using with a carrier oil such as almond oil, grapeseed oil, or other similar oils before being applied to the skin. It is important to remember that the quality and price of a particular essential oil can vary greatly depending on a number of factors including how rare the plant is, the country of origin of the oil, and quality control of the oil supplier.
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While there are many essential oils available for you to purchase, if you’re looking to have more youthful looking skin and shinier, healthier looking hair, there are a few tops picks for oils that you should consider investing in.
For Your Aging Skin
Carrot Seed Oil – helps to rejuvenate your skin providing a smoother complexion and helps to soften wrinkles caused by aging skin. The high level of carotol present in this oil is responsible for the anti-aging benefits of the oil. In addition to its’ anti-aging effects, carrot seed oil can also be used to help treat other skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis and other skin irritations.
Neroli Oil – has anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-septic properties that help to heal scar damage. It also helps to reduce wrinkles that are often seen with aging skin.
For Your Dull Hair – Try to Avoid Damage
Lavender Oil – helps to encourage hair growth and is also beneficial for treating dandruff and psoriasis of the scalp. Lavender oil has balancing, regenerative, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties and is found in many different types of hair formulas.
Rosemary Oil – also encourages hair growth and has also been used to treat hair loss (alopecia) when it is mixed with lavender, cedarwood and thyme in a base of jojoba and grapeseed oil. Additionally, rosemary oil helps treat dandruff and psoriasis of the scalp.
For Aging Skin and Damaged Hair
Tea Tree Oil – has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties that help to moisturize and protect the scalp from damage. Tea tree oil can also be used as a preventative measure for acne prone skin, as well as for the occasional acne flare-up.
Sage – also encourages hair growth as well as cleansing and purifying the scalp. Additionally, it can help to balance oils in the scalp and normalize hormone levels. In addition to the benefits that sage has for healthy hair, it can also be used to reduce the look of scars and help with the regeneration of skin cells. It’s important to remember that sage oil should not be used by children or pregnant women.
Rosehip Seed Oil – is used as carrier oil and contains anti-oxidants, including Vitamin C that act in a preventative or reversible way to repair damage to the skin that is caused by scarring. The anti-oxidants in the rosehip see oil work by correcting the damage that is caused to the superficial layers of the skin. Rosehip seed oil also contains a high level of essential fatty acids which help to improve the elasticity of aging skin which helps to repair skin damage after injury. Another valuable feature of the essential fatty acids is that it helps to keep aging skin moisturized by creating an outer barrier of emollients that doesn’t allow moisture to escape. Rosehip seed oil may also provide regeneration to the scalp and hair although this has not been seen in laboratory studies as of yet.
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