Demystifying Aromatherapy Recipe Manual This manual belongs to: © Michaela Christmann 1 Natural Skin care The recipes in this booklet are easily prepared and only need a few essential oils, some basic ingredients and equipments, most of which can be found in your kitchen. When creating you recipe blends remember to consider not just the aroma but also the scent note for each essential oil. Here are the essential oils available for your use in the workshop and some guidelines on which oils work best for your skin type. These are general guidelines only – if you need help please ask your tutor Skin type: Sensitive Oily Combination Dry spot-prone mature Base note: Base note: Base note: Base note: Rosewood Rosewood Rosewood Rosewood Sandalwood Sandalwood Sandalwood Sandalwood Benzoin Benzoin Benzoin Benzoin Cinnamon, leaf Cinnamon, leaf Cinnamon, leaf Middle notes: Middle notes: Middle notes: Middle notes: Lavender Lavender Lavender Marjoram Marjoram Geranium Geranium Lavender Rosemary Ylang Ylang Geranium Ylang Ylang Top notes: Top notes: Top notes: Top notes: Bergamot Lemon Grapefruit Mandarin Mandarin Grapefruit Bergamot Bergamot Cardamom Peppermint Sweet Orange Sweet Orange Cardamom Peppermint 2 Aromatherapy for everyday skin and hair care The phrase "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" suggests that beauty is wholly subjective. Beauty is different to different people. Beauty is purity of heart. If you are big hearted, you are beautiful. Whatever puts a sweet smile on our face is beauty. Aromatherapy has a lot of great uses. You can use essential oils to enhance your daily skin care routine. Their aromatic and therapeutic properties can help you to relax and rejuvenate your mind and body. You can add essential oils to shampoos and creams make bath salts and bath oils and use them to prepare facial scrubs and masks. Please note: Essential oils are not water soluble and always need a dissolving agent to blend well. The following are examples of very good dissolving agents and they are all natural! Liquids such as: Alcohol / Witch hazel water / Vinegar / Floral waters (Hydrolate) Fats such as: Carrier oils / Shampoos / Liquid wax / Honey / Aloe Vera / Vegetable butters Fruits and Vegetables such as: Bananas / Avocados / Lemons / Cucumbers / Pineapple Others such as: Salt / Corn meal flour / Oatmeal / Baking soda / Yogurt / Milk / Clay / Eggs 3 Natural Skin Care Tips Avoid excessive exposure to sun Stay protected from the sun to prevent the skin from becoming dehydrated and the damaging effects of UV rays on the skin. Avoid excessive use of cosmetics Health experts say that excessive usage of cosmetics by children enhances their risk of various types of cancer and other problems later in life. Most cosmetic products use potentially dangerous chemicals like “parabens” The “paraben” chemicals have recently been found in breast cancer tissues and are also linked with allergies. Regular sleep gives our body the chance to work on repairing cells. Regular exercise and massage stimulates circulation and blood flow. Drinking enough water keeps skin plump, hydrated and healthy. Well hydrated skin is healthy and young looking. Take only warm showers and stay away from prolonged sauna exposure. Before going into a swimming pool rub Vaseline with a few drops of lavender essential oil added onto your body to protect the skin from the harmful effects of chlorine. Eat a balanced diet; avoid foods high in fat, cholesterol and sodium. Follow an anti-aging diet rich in fruits and green leafy vegetables that are full of natural antioxidants. Eat foods high in antioxidants. Foods that is high in: Vitamins A, C and E B complexes Minerals such as: Selenium / Potassium / Zinc Antioxidants help prevent free-radical damage to the body. If you do not get enough antioxidants from your diet then your skin cells could lose their ability to function well. Use only natural products to care for and protect your skin and hair. 4 Whipped Aloe Vera, Coconut & Vegetable Butter cream Aloe Vera gel helps moisturise and soften skin exposed to the elements. Its soothing quality together with the healing properties of the oils makes this an ideal cream for everyday use. Ingredients: 300g Aloe Vera gel Ensure you use only Certified Aloe Vera gel which contains 99.9% pure Aloe Vera. 100ml Base fat / s Example: 40g Coconut oil 20g Vegetable butter - such as shea butter, cocoa butter or almond butter Ensure the coconut oil and vegetable butter are soft / liquefied 40g of carrier oil/s of your choice e.g. Sweet Almond oil, Grapeseed oil etc. Step 1 Place the Aloe Vera Gel into glass bowl – and whisk for about 1 minute The whisking will break down the water molecules which helps to blend in the oil / fat in step 2. Step 2 Mix the base fats together and slowly add to you’re the Aloe Vera whilst constantly blending with an electric mixer until creamy. Store in a glass or hard plastic jar Step 4 Add your essential oils – a few drops at the time – stirring thoroughly. For 50g of cream you can use up to: 10 drops of essential oils 8 drops for sensitive skin Create a synergy by using up to 3 different essential oils. When you create your synergy ensure you have a good balance of scent notes. Top – Middle – Base Method of use: Apply small amount of cream onto your hands, body and face and gently massage in until absorbed. Shelf- life: The base mixture without the essential oils will keep up to 6 months in the fridge - the Aloe Vera and Coconut oil act as natural preservative. Once blended with the essential oils the cream should be used within 1 month. Please note: The blended cream will not go off but the potency of the essential oils will diminish. My notes: Essential oil 1: Essential oil 2: Essential oil 3: 5 How to Exfoliate with a Facial Scrub Please read this carefully before you choose one of the below facial scrubs for yourself! Facial scrubs help remove dead skin cells from the surface of our face, brightening your complexion and allowing for better penetration of your other facial products. When creating an exfoliating scrub for the face, we need to remember to stick with gentle ingredients. Facial skin is more sensitive than the skin on the body, so a body scrub will usually be too strong for the face. Salt scrubs are too abrasive for the facial skin, instead, we use sugar, ground seeds, ground coffee, almonds or oats If you add essential oils it is best to stick to one or maximum two oils. To create a good synergy that is gentle on the face it is best to select one base or middle note essential oil and one top note essential oil. Sandalwood, Rosewood or Benzoin (Base notes) These two oils are suitable for all skin types Lavender and Petitgrain (Middle notes) These two oils are particularly good for dry and combination skin Examples of Top notes: All of the below top note essential oils have two things in common – they are natural antiseptics and sebum balancer. Their oil yields / potency however differs. Choose an oil that suits best your skin type and skin sensitivity. Normal skin Oily / Dry skin / Sensitive skin Not prone to Combination skin Mature skin sensitivities Sweet Orange Lemon Bergamot Mandarin Lemongrass Cardamom Grapefruit Naturally antiseptic, it can help cleanse and disinfect the skin. Cardamom Peppermint Cardamom Cardamom Toning and rejuvenating If used only use maximum Toning and rejuvenating the Toning and rejuvenating the skin 2 drops skin the skin Instructions Move in small, gentle, circular motions around your face, keeping your movements light. Rinse with lukewarm water. Hot water can irritate your freshly exfoliated skin. Pat face and apply a moisturizer. Exfoliation is drying to the skin, so this step is essential. Exfoliate only 2 – 3 times a week. If your skin gets red or flaky, you are overdoing it. All of the below face scrubs will keep for around 3 weeks when kept the in fridge 6 Sugar and Aloe Vera Facial Scrub • Caster sugar gives gentle exfoliation • Aloe Vera is calming and healing to the skin • Almond oil offers exceptional skin repair and acts as an emollient Ingredients: • 2 tablesp. caster sugar • 1-2 tablesp. Aloe Vera gel • 1 tablesp Sweet Almond oil • 8 drops essential oils of your choice Preparation: • Mix everything in a small bowl • Transfer the scrub into airtight jar • Label, date, and store in a cool place My notes: Essential oil 1: Essential oil 2: Coffee and Sandalwood Facial Scrub • Ground coffee gives gentle exfoliation and helps to draw out impurities • Amchoor powder (dried green mango) is rich in vitamins A, E & C & antioxidants • Sandalwood is a powerful anti-ageing ingredient • Coconut oil is a natural antiseptic and sebum balancer Ingredients: • 2 tablespoon ground coffee • 1 teaspoon of green mango powder (Amchoor) • 4 drops sandalwood essential oil • 4 drops essential oil of your choice • 2-3 tablespoon coconut oil Preparation: • Mix everything in a small bowl. • Transfer the scrub into airtight jar. • Label, date, and store in a cool place. My notes: Essential oil 1: Essential oil 2: 7 Gentle Facial scrub for sensitive skin • Oatmeal is a very gentle exfoliate, so it's perfect for sensitive skin. • It is a natural anti-inflammatory and is very moisturising. • Poppy seed are full of antioxidants and other essential nutrients. They help treat inflammation and moisturize the skin. Used in a scrub they help cleanse the skin and give it a glow. • Cocoa butter is a power antioxidant and is beneficial for all skin types but particularly for sensitive and irritated skin. Ingredients: • 1 tablesp.of ground oats • 1 teasp.