Bergamot Essential Oil: Powerful Skin Purifier, Conditioner and Balancer

Bergamot essential oil (Citrus bergamia) is an oil widely used in cosmetics not just because of its cooling and refreshing nature but because of the wide array of skin and health enhancing benefits it offers. On the physical level, bergamot makes skin resistant to microorganisms that can compromise skin’s purity. This is one reason why PHYTO5 has formulated bergamot essential oil into Earth element Yogi Body Gel. On the mental/emotional level, bergamot is nervous tension relaxing. For this reason, bergamot essential oil can be enjoyed in PHYTO5’s organic certified Yin Massage Oil.

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Bergamot is a type of orange although its exterior color is not orange at all. The fruit looks more like a lemon or lime than an orange. It is three to four inches in diameter and has a uniquely distinct scent and flavor—a combination of lemon and bitter orange. According to Alan Davidson's The Oxford Companion to Food (2nd ed.), unlike its other orange cousins, bergamot is too bitter to be eaten raw.

The essential oil of bergamot is a greenish to yellow clear thin and viscous liquid. It has a sparkling citrusy sweet green and fruity-floral odor. It’s cold expressed from the pericarp or peel of the fruit of the dwarf variety of the Seville orange tree.

Bergamot blossoms during the Winter and grows naturally in northern Italy in the Lombardy region but it’s commercially grown in the southern Italian region of Calabria. There are many small cultivators of bergamot throughout the world but more than 90% of the world’s production occurs in Calabria. Argentina and Ivory Coast production are a distant second and third to Italy.

Among all the citrus peel oils, bergamot essential oil is the most valuable.

Bergamot is almost exclusively grown for the production of essential oil and not for juice consumption although the fruit is an ingredient in traditional Mediterranean cooking.

Bergamot essential oil serves as flavoring for sweets, tobacco, Curaçao liqueur, teas (Earl Grey), baked goods, desserts, chewing gum and soft drinks.

More than 200 chemical constituents have been identified to make up bergamot oil including very many terpenes.(1)

For example, the terpene linalool in bergamot offers analgesic action while promoting relaxation and stress relief. This is in addition to linalool’s calming fresh, floral fragrance.

Bergamot essential oil is an excellent skin conditioner and soothing agent. It fosters healing and regeneration of skin and is all around beneficial to skin.

It is best suited for oily and acne prone skin because it makes skin resistant to microorganisms killing facial bacteria before skin has a chance to create blackheads and pimples. It also controls excess oil production. Conversely, bergamot will stimulate or balance sebaceous gland production if skin is too dry.

Because of its antiseptic and antibacterial properties, bergamot is utilized in the pharmacopoeia of a number of countries. The pharmaceutical industry also uses bergamot essential oil in sanitary preparations.

Bergamot essential oil has been successfully used to treat conditions like nicotine addiction, acne, ringworms, depression, out-of-balance stress response, urinary tract infection, fever, headaches, muscle aches, anxiety, insomnia, constipation, scars, body odor, cracked heels, wounds, coughs and colds (antiviral properties).

Bergamot essential oil is known to help fight skin conditions of acne, eczema,(2) cold sores, herpes, shingles, psoriasis, dark spots, dull and dry complexion, dandruff, seborrhea, and excessive perspiration.

The properties of bergamot are many:

• analgesic

• antidepressant (also helps relieve anxiety and unbalanced stress response)

• antiseptic (mouth rinses that contain bergamot essential oil are especially beneficial to combat bad breath and infection)

• slightly astringent

• antispasmodic

• cicatrisant (reduces or prevents appearance of scars)

• digestive

• deodorant

• expectorant

• febrifuge (fever inducing)

• vermifuge (worm killing)

• vulnerably (wound healing)

• sedative

Bergamot essential oil should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding mothers, children or persons with sensitive skin or sensitivity to ultraviolet light. Since bergamot makes skin more sensitive to ultraviolet light (phototoxic), bergamot accelerates tanning of the skin as do all citrus oils.

Bergamot as Spiritual and Emotional Healing Agent

A study with animals showed bergamot essential oil to affect hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity by reducing the corticosterone(3) response to stress. Bergamot essential oil was found to create a balancing effect on the activity of the hypothalamus gland.

The hypothalamus gland is the center of our more intense emotions such as terror and rage. This gland works in synchrony with the pineal and pituitary glands to help regulate and balance hormonal cycles including natural sleep and wake cycles. It is believed that bergamot’s ability to balance natural sleep cycles may make the essential oil helpful for relieving symptoms of jet lag.

Bergamot Essential Oil and Lymph(4)

Bergamot essential oil helps reduce swelling in tissue by stimulating improved flow of lymph. It is very decongesting.

Earth element skincare by PHYTO5 has a primary function to support flow of lymph in the action of detoxification. This creates skin that is purer, normalized and more radiant.

“Metaphysically, the lymphatic system and immune system are related to a strong sense of self-worth and a feeling of ‘I can do it.’ When you doubt your ability to take care of yourself and lack confidence, your immune function can be affected. Energetically, your psychic defenses to protect against foreign invaders are lowered. Bergamot oil may be helpful for building morale and self-esteem and can help you to rebuild strength and regain self-confidence.” —K. G. Stiles in The Essential Oils Complete Reference Guide: Over 250 Recipes for Natural Wholesome Aromatherapy

Two Precautions When Using Bergamot Essential Oil

Never consume bergamot or any essential oil without it being properly diffused by a carrier oil.(5) Good carrier oils include fractionated coconut oil, apricot kernel or sweet almond oil. You must also know how to use bergamot essential oil in the right proportion to the carrier oil and this really should be left in the domain of a cosmetics chemist. This is because essential oils are highly concentrated. Bergamot essential oil is not only highly concentrated, it’s highly photosensitive.

Most essential oils that can be ingested—and bergamot essential oil is one of them—must be infused with a carrier oil and then only in very small and appropriate amounts. Any essential oil applied or consumed without delivery by means of a carrier oil may cause a healing crisis or at best, very uncomfortable symptoms. Essential oils are very potent and not all of them can be taken internally.

High grade and natural essential oils perfectly and precisely mixed in PHYTO5 skin and body care is a safe way to enjoy many of the benefits of a whole array of essential oils. The amount of bergamot essential oil in Earth element Yogi Body Gel and in Yin Massage Oil is determined by PHYTO5 expert chemists who know the proportions and manner of formulation to safely and healthily achieved the desire effect.

Because of adverse reactions called berloque dermatitis experienced by a number of people since the 1950s, much bergamot essential oil used today in the cosmetics industry is synthetically produced. Berloque dermatitis is a phototoxic reaction on the skin created by exposure to long-wave ultraviolet (UVA) radiation on bergapten, the only photoactive component of bergamot oil. This combination of exposure induces an intensification of both hyperpigmentation and melanin production in the skin.

Bergamot essential oil can easily be found on big box store shelves for aromatherapeutic purposes. But you may want to research if the bergamot essential oil you’re using is naturally grown and produced with integrity.

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Endnotes:

1. We have published two extensive articles on the topic of terpenes:

• The Terpene: Most Fundamental Flavor, Fragrance and Healing Component of Essential Oils

• Scent, Flavor and Healing Are Found In All Plants Because of Terpenes

1. for treating dry and not moist eczema

2. Corticosterone is a hormone secreted by the adrenal cortex in response to stress.

3. Lymph is a colorless fluid containing white blood cells, which bathes the tissues and drains through the lymphatic system into the bloodstream.

4. A carrier oil is used to dilute essential oils and absolutes before they are applied to the skin in skincare applications, massage and aromatherapy. They carry the essential oil onto the skin. Diluting essential oils is a critical safety practice when using essential oils because of the very high potency of quality essential oils. Essential oils used alone are volatile because they begin to dissipate as soon as they are applied. The carrier oil slows the rate of dispersion which varies based on how light or heavy the carrier oil is. Carrier oils often do not contain a concentrated aroma and they do not evaporate like essential oil. Excellent high integrity skincare products will use carrier oils that are completely natural and free from adulteration.

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Sources:

Kinai, Dr. Miriam, Bergamot Essential Oil. N.p., Booktango, 2013.

Zulpa, Amy. Essential Oils - The Ultimate Resource: A Beginner's Guide to the Use of Essential Oils. N.p., Jela Properties LLC, 2014.

deGroot, AntonC., and Schmidt, Erich. Essential Oils: Contact Allergy and Chemical Composition. United Kingdom, CRC Press, 2021.

Keller, Erich. Aromatherapy Handbook for Beauty, Hair, and Skin Care. United States, Inner Traditions/Bear, 1999.

Stiles, KG. The Essential Oils Complete Reference Guide: Over 250 Recipes for Natural Wholesome Aromatherapy. United States, Page Street Publishing, 2017.

Davidson, Alan. The Oxford Companion to Food. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 2014.

Perna, Simone et al. “Efficacy of bergamot: From anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative mechanisms to clinical applications as preventive agent for cardiovascular morbidity, skin diseases, and mood alterations.” Food science & nutrition vol. 7,2 369-384. 25 Jan. 2019, doi:10.1002/fsn3.903

A Natural Treatment for Age Spot

‘Age spots’ on the skin (also colloquially called brown spots or liver spots) are associated with aging, exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation, inflammation, skin injuries and a number of other potential causes discussed below. Age spots are characterized as hyperpigmentation of the skin. Hyperpigmentation is the darkening of an area of skin or nails caused by increased melanin.(1)

Crème Perfection [Ageless Perfection Cream for hyperpigmentation]

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PHYTO5, the maker of Ageless La Cure skincare, utilizes the essential oil of the alpine flower edelweiss, wakame, a Japanese brown algae, and natural phytic acid in Perfection Cream to effectively lighten brown spots:

• Edelweiss essential oil offers a high antioxidant content more potent than vitamin C to attenuate dark spots. It is clinically proven to reduce brown spots and decrease melanin. You will also find edelweiss essential oil in PHYTO5’s Swiss line product, Face Gel.

• Wakame is Japanese brown algae and is proven to lighten skin and smooth out age spots as it simultaneously inhibits the formation of new spots. Wakame is also a unique ingredient in the Swiss line Face Exfoliation, a mineralizing, stimulating and skin brightening product.

• Natural phytic acid is extracted from wheat and prevents brown spots by decreasing the synthesis of melanin. Phytic acid contributes to wakame’s potency.

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Age spots tend to develop in people with fair complexions, but people with darker skin can also get them. Many people who develop brown spots on the skin are hereditarily predisposed to them.

Hyperpigmented skin spots are generally associated with aging because from approximately age 40 onward our skin tends to be less able to regenerate itself as a result of exposure to the sun. The spots range in color from light brown to red or black and pop up in areas most often exposed to the sun, particularly the hands, face, neck, arms, and bald scalp.

Age spots were once believed to be caused by liver problems, but in actuality, they are most frequently unrelated to the liver. In addition to excessive sun exposure, possible causes also include:

• poor diet

• lack of exercise

• smoking

• poor liver function

• consumption of oxidized oils

• alcohol consumption

• hormonal changes

• metabolic disorders.

People who live in sunny climates are especially prone to age spots.

Brown spots are the result of a buildup of wastes called lipofuscin accumulation, a byproduct of free radical damage in skin cells. The presence of these spots is a sign that free radical intoxication of the body is occurring. Lipofuscin accumulation is caused by a deficiency of several key nutrients:

• vitamin E

• selenium

• glutathione

• chromium and

• dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE).

Using poor quality or old cold creams, cleansing creams or solid moisturizing creams can also lead to the formation of brown spots on the skin because they contain hardened saturated fats that become rancid very rapidly thus creating free radicals.

Not only do these free radicals cause brown spots, they can cause premature wrinkles. This is why it is important to be very selective about the types of skincare creams you use. The Ageless La Cure all Swiss-made line of products takes the guesswork out of it for you since they are organic certified, natural and manufactured under exacting Swiss practices and regulations. 

The use of plants to treat skin conditions such as age spots is as old as humankind. Alphahydroxy acids found in certain fruits, for example, increase cell turnover and their enzymes lighten the skin. Alphahydroxy acids (AHAs) from fresh peeled banana, mango and Amazonian mombin plum in PHYTO Peel are naturally derived fruit acids also known for their ability to firm and tighten the skin as well as reduce the appearance of facial lines.The antioxidants in these fruits help to ward off ultraviolet rays to prevent new spots from forming.

Perfection Cream mentioned at the outset of this article also contains the following natural ingredients with wonderful skin enhancing properties:

• Shea butter from West Africa: Very moisturizing with healing and anti-inflammatory properties, it softens and smoothes skin and stimulates the synthesis of collagen. Shea butter is recommended for the prevention of wrinkles and aging of the skin while protecting it from harsh weather conditions.

• Verbena flower water: Verbena flower cools, softens, firms, heals and soothes the skin. (It is recommended for cases of psoriasis of nervous origin.)

• Damask rose essential oil: The prized damask rose soothes irritation and redness and offers toning and regeneration to skin. Enjoy soothing damask rose essential oil and extract in many Ageless La Cure products.

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Endnotes:

(1) Melanin is a class of pigment responsible for producing color in the body in places such as the eyes, skin, and hair.

Balch, Phyllis A. Prescription for Nutritional Healing: a Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements. Penguin, 2011.

The Miracle of Myrrh for Radiant More Youthful Ski

Myrrh maintains healthy skin and tissues. A natural outcome of that action is myrrh’s ability to help mitigate visible signs of aging in the skin. For this reason, it's commonly added to many skincare products today, especially those that treat more mature skin. The botanical name for myrrh is Commiphora mukul and its extract is formulated in the facial serum inside PHYTO5’s Ageless La Cure Facial Serum and Cream kit for a 3-week cure.

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Les 5 Secrets Crème et Sérum [Five Secrets facial Serum and Cream kit for a 3-week cure]

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Antioxidant rich, myrrh is a natural choice for anti-aging, facial acne, redness, irritation, skin rejuvenation, and wound healing products. It encourages new cell growth and is effective in the prevention and treatment of facial lines. Myrrh offers skin nourishing benefits in hot dry climates.

Myrrh has been shown to improve circulation so vital for combatting signs of aging. Improved circulation creates an overall improved complexion with a healthy glow.

Myrrh essential oil, when added properly to a carrier oil and applied topically, can help ease muscle aches when experiencing a cold or flu or for aching joints not associated with these conditions. When used in a diffuser, it can help break up mucus associated with colds. 

Myrrh resin is a natural gum which seeps from the bark of the Commiphora tree once it is cut.

The word myrrh comes from the Arabic word "murr" which translates to “bitter.” Myrrh is actually one of many bitters that offers all kinds of health benefits from curbing sugar cravings to supporting liver function to encouraging healthy, radiant skin.

Myrrh essential oil is a safe essential oil overall but should be avoided during pregnancy because of its potency.

Myrrh as an essential oil is very powerful, its use dating back many centuries having been traded in the Middle East and North Africa for more than 5,000 years. Myrrh has a long history of medical use along the Silk Road from Arabia into China.

Myrrh essential oil has been part of medical practice in traditional therapies for millennia. It has been used throughout history as a perfume, incense and medicine. It was so valuable in ancient times that it was, at times, equal in weight value to gold.

Throughout time myrrh has been known to offer all manner of healing benefits for conditions like asthma, athlete’s foot, cough, candida, ringworm, eczema, gingivitis, gum infections, hemorrhoids, mouth ulcers, ringworm, wounds, wrinkles, and chapped or cracked skin.

• The enormously gifted Benedictine abbess and polymath Hildegard von Bingen (1098–1179) included myrrh as a healing tool in her book of medicines.

• The Vedas, the large body of knowledge texts originating in the ancient Indian subcontinent from 1500 to 400 BC, prescribed myrrh for healing.

• The ancient Egyptians procured huge boat shipments of myrrh resin from the Phoenicians and used it in incense, insect repellent, salves for wounds and sores, and as a key ingredient in the embalming process. History indicates they also used it to treat hay fever and herpes. Even back then, Egyptian women abhorred wrinkles and aging skin and used myrrh oil as a rejuvenating facial treatment in their cosmetic preparations.

• An ointment of myrrh was carried by Greek soldiers into battle to counter infections.

Alain Touwaide, the Smithsonian’s scientific director of the Institute for the Preservation of Medical Traditions, tells us the Greek physician Hippocrates known for revolutionizing the practice of medicine (c.460–377 BC), wrote about myrrh for healing more than any other plant substance. He relates that myrrh was also used as an antiseptic, antibiotic, and anti-inflammatory agent and calls myrrh one of the “antibiotics of history.”

Today myrrh is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda and aromatherapy. Many natural toothpastes contain myrrh and there’s a reason for that: myrrh benefits dental and gum health and helps keep the mouth clean and gums free of infection. Many Egyptian skeletons have been found with teeth completely intact and archeologists and historians often point to the use of myrrh as a key factor.

Myrrh contains a high content of sesquiterpenes, a class of compounds that have a direct effect on the pituitary,(1) hypothalamus,(2)and amygdala in the brain.(3) Research has shown that sesquiterpenes have the ability to surpass the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain tissue. Research from the Universities of Berlin and Vienna show increased oxygenation around the pineal and pituitary glands when myrrh is used.

(Read more about terpenes and sesquiterpenes in our blog, The Terpene: Most Fundamental Fragrance, Flavor and Healing Component of Essential Oils.)

Myrrh is purifying, restorative, revitalizing, and uplifting and can be a supportive component used in meditation.

The properties of warm and spicy myrrh resin helps to calm stress and help bring us back to our center. 

Myrrh as an extract or essential oil is excellent to use in daily skin and dental care. It rejuvenates damaged skin, soothes skin irritation, supports clear breathing, and promotes emotional peace and tranquility.

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Endnotes:

(1)Pituitary: receptor of intuition and vision and the master gland of the body

(2)Hypothalamus: region of the forebrain that coordinates both the autonomic nervous system and the activity of the pituitary, homeostatic systems, and involved in sleep and emotional activity

(3)Amygdala: a roughly almond-shaped mass of gray matter inside each cerebral hemisphere involved with the experiencing of emotions

• Young, Kac. The Healing Art of Essential Oils: A Guide to 50 Oils for Remedy, Ritual, and Everyday Use. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2017. Print.

• Jacknin, Jeanette. Smart Medicine for Your Skin: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Conventional and Alternative Therapies to Heal Common Skin Problems. New York: Avery, 2001. Print.

• Butje, Andrea. The Heart of Aromatherapy: An Easy-to-Use Guide for Essential Oils. United States, Hay House, Incorporated, 2017.

• Photo courtesy of Madeleine Steinbach at Getty Images via Canva Pro

Guaiacwood Essential Oil Benefits

Guaiacwood essential oil benefits include skin tightening, age mitigating and purifying. Guaiacwood essential oil heals and soothes skin with its non-irritating, non-sensitizing and anti-inflammatory properties.

Guaiacwood essential oil contracts blood vessels and skin tissue creating a tightened more youthful appearance. It works as a diuretic moving excess fluid. Guiacwood essential oil is able to mitigates signs of aging because it’s antioxidant rich. Antioxidants fight free radicals that cause aging in skin.

Guaiacwood essential oil benefits include skin restoration. This is why cosmetic companies will formulate the oil into their therapeutic skincare.

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A Comprehensive List of Guaiacwood Essential Oil Benefits

• skin tonifying; astringent/skin pore tightening

• cleansing and purifying to tissues and skin

• supportive of venous and lymphatic circulation (so necessary for radiant skin)

• balsamic (sharing a root with the word ‘balm,' balsamic here means healing to skin)

• antioxidizing (for slowing down the visible signs of aging)

• soothing to swollen or injured skin tissue

• anti-fungal (especially for skin)

• anti-inflammatory

• antiseptic (therefore good for acne and oily skin)

• astringent

• diaphoretic/sudorific (stimulating sweat)

• diuretic

• laxative

• anti-rheumatic

• tight muscle loosening

• easing of respiratory challenges

• stimulating to the genito-urinary system

• aphrodisiacal, calming, relaxing and tension relieving (slows down reflexes)

• mood uplifting

• mental clarity sharpening

• balancing anxious or depressed emotional state

• emotional pain relieving

• creativity enhancing

• restful sleep supportive

• meditation experience enhancing

Technically known as Bulnesia sarmientoi, guaiacwood essential oil benefits enhance a number of PHYTO5 skincare products:

• Zen Body Exfoliation

• organic certified Zen Massage Oil and

• organic certified Ageless La Cure Nourishing Cream.

Guaiacwood essential oil benefits skincare products like the PHYTO5 products mentioned above in part, because it’s very viscous.

Unfortunately, even though the guaiacwood essential oil benefits for skin are numerous, it’s more often used for foods, beverages, candles, soaps, and perfumes because of its inherent intriguing flavor and scent.

Guaiacwood essential oil serves as an excipient or medium for the delivery of other ingredients in many products.

The cosmetic and perfume industries often utilize guaiacwood essential oil for its excellent fixative properties and delicate wood-rose odor.

Guaiacwood essential oil benefits include scent balancing. It smoothes out strong or harsh fragrances with its sweet, delicate balsamic fragrance reminiscent of tea roses.

Guaiacwood essential oil benefits and balances the rose notes in Chanel No. 19 with its own woody notes.

Once reserved strictly for use as incense, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) now regulates and protects guaiacwood and its trade.

Guaiacwood essential oil benefits or those from the pure burning wood itself (often called palo santo) offer a calming fragrance similar to the burning of cedar. The calming nature of palo santo explains why meditating people enjoy when it releases its smoke into the air.

Guaiacwood essential oil possesses high levels of a highly complex mélange of odorant terpene compounds.(3) Roughly two thirds of guaiacwood’s terpene composition are guaiol and bulnesol. Guaiacwood is composed of approximately twelve different terpene compounds.

Click through the following links to learn about terpenes in our articles on the topic:

• The Terpene: Most Fundamental Fragrance, Flavor and Healing Component of Essential Oils; and

• Scent, Flavor and Healing Are Found In All Plants Because of Terpenes

Many soaps contain unpleasant smelling synthetic ingredients. The soap manufacturers utilize the natural fragrance guaiacwood essential oil benefits to potently mask the chemical odor.

Guaiacwood essential oil benefits include the flavor component. It’s used in baked goods, meat products, gelatins, puddings, confectionary, beverages including alcoholic, and frozen dairy desserts.

Guaiacwood Essential Oil Benefits In Folk Medicine

Guaiac grows endemically as a tree with beautifully fragrant wood in the Gran Chaco region(1) of South America.

For hundreds of years, the local population takes advantage of guaiacwood essential oil benefits in the wood as a multipurpose folk medicine. They make infusion remedies by brewing the tree’s bark, crust or leaves. Guaiacwood essential oil benefits seep organically into the tea. And the people enjoy a whole range of health benefits from the tea.

The Gran Chaco people tap into guaiacwood essential oil benefits as:

• blood cleanser

• perspiration inducer

• diuretic

• gastric pain reliever and

• wound and skin healer.

They use guaiacwood essential oil to treat serious diseases and conditions like syphillis, leprosy, gout, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. And they treat less serious conditions with guiacwood essential oil such as common colds, flu symptoms and headaches.

Guaiacwood Essential Oil Benefits Derive from the Exemplary Strength of the Tree Itself.

Guaiacwood possesses a high resin content and is particularly dense. It makes an excellent wood in some construction, in floor parquetry and handicrafts.

Essential oil manufacturers produce guaiacwood essential oil by steam distillation of the heartwood,(2) sawdust and wood leftovers of the tree.

The wood of the guaiacwood tree grows 20 to 65 feet tall. And the age of the guaiacwood tree determines how potent the essential oil will be.

As mentioned earlier, guaiacwood grows in the Gran Chaco region which includes Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and to some extent Brazil.

Essential oil producers in the Gran Chaco region yield roughly 100 metric tons of guaiacwood essential oil per year.

In the Gran Chaco region, the people call guiacwood—palo santo (holy wood). The name palo santo originated in the jungles of Northwest Argentina.

But guaiacwood goes by many more names:

• champaca-wood

• pockwood

• lignum vitae (wood of life)

• essence bois de guaic in French.

If you come across guaiac resin understand that it’s an entirely different product from guaiacwood essential oil. Guaic resin comes from the tree Guaiacum officinale of the Bahama Islands. They use this resin to produce drug store stool tests looking for hidden blood in a sample.

Perfumers rarely use guaiac resin. But the tincture prepared from this resin does have a pleasant balsamic vanilla-like odor with a slightly smoky undertone. This particular guac tincture is the same tincture Sherlock Holmes used to identify blood stains in a murder scene.

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Endnotes:

1. The Gran Chaco region is a lowland plain in central South America that extends from southern Bolivia through Paraguay to northern Argentina.

2. Heartwood is the dense inner part of a tree trunk, yielding the hardest timber.

3. Terpenes are aromatic metabolites found in the oils of all plants. Almost without exception, when a plant produces a scent or flavor, that odor or flavor comes from the terpenes present in the plant.

…

Sources:

Tissandié L, Viciana S, Brevard H, Meierhenrich UJ, Filippi JJ. Towards a complete characterisation of guaiacwood oil. Phytochemistry. 2018 May;149:64-81. doi: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2018.02.007. Epub 2018 Feb 23. PMID: 29477626.

Schmidt, Erich, and deGroot, AntonC.. Essential Oils: Contact Allergy and Chemical Composition. United Kingdom, CRC Press, 2021.

Arctander, Steffen. Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin. N.p., Lulu.com, 2017.

Abourashed, Ehab A., and Khan, Ikhlas A.. Leung's Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients: Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. Germany, Wiley, 2011.

Tangerine Essential Oil: Purifying, Refreshing and Toning to Skin and Body

Tangerine essential oil (Citrus reticulata), the brightly sweet essential oil expressed from the pericarp (peel) of the ripe tangerine, is excellent for cleansing, purifying, refreshing and toning skin. For this reason, tangerine essential oil is a primary unique ingredient in PHYTO5’s Cleansing Milk.

Tangerine essential oil contains a significant quantity of d-limonene, an antioxidant, found to be excellent for skin and hair. D-limonene reduces inflammation and fights disease-causing germs.

The antiseptic, antibacterial properties of the oil help to remove bacteria on the surface of the skin and reduce excess sebum and congestion in oily and combination skin types. This makes tangerine essential oil an effective fighter against acne.

Tangerine essential oils helps alleviate stagnant fluids.

With a high folate content (vitamin B9/folic acid, tangerine essential oil speeds the healing of wounds while it staves off infection.

Further, tangerine essential oil assists in the healing of scars, spots and stretch marks and is widely considered a tonic for the entire body.

The high vitamin C, vitamin B, potassium and magnesium content in tangerine essential oil means good hair health when it’s present as an ingredient in haircare. It penetrates the scalp to nourish follicles from within.

Tangerine essential oils is regarded as a remedy for indigestion. It helps to eliminate toxins by regulating liver function and health.

A 2018 scientific study referenced in the endnotes of this article found that the use of citrus peels, particularly of Citrus reticulata (tangerine) which is wasted in huge amounts, may indeed be a cancer preventive and anticancer agent, in part, because of its strong antioxidant properties.

The essential oil of tangerine is known to relax both physically and mentally. Post workout, it can assist to relax strained muscles and relieve muscle cramps.

When mentally stressed tangerine can be mildly aphrodisiacal as it helps soothe and comfort and uplifts a sad spirit. Tangerine essential oils supports a feeling of stability and strength when one is in need. It promotes better, sounder sleep and encourages mental focus. Diffused tangerine essential oil works to lift burdens of the creative mind to allow the art to flow and it nurtures a sense of well-being. (Read our blog about diffusing essential oils to purify the air here.)

Tangerine is a hybrid of the mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata) and the pomelo (Citrus maxima). Often interchangeably called mandarin essential oil, the two are actually distinctly different since each represents different chemotypes.

Tangerine is one of the sweetest of the citrus fragrances. The first shipment of tangerines from Asia was believed to have been sent to Tangiers around 1845 and so tangerines got their name from Tangiers in Morocco.

In both the flavor and fragrance industry, differences are said to exist between the various varieties of tangerine both in the juice and the essential oil.

Applications for tangerine essential oil are skincare, haircare, the bath, massage, in a diffuser, in perfume and as flavorings in food.

The following is a summary of the properties of tangerine essential oil:

• antibacterial

• antioxidant

• antiseptic

• antispasmodic

• carminative (flatulence relieving)

• digestive

• diuretic (mild)

• laxative (mild)

• sedative

• stimulant (digestive and lymphatic)

• tonic

#####

Quezada, Maria. Finding Infinity, Vol. 1: An Easy Aromatherapy Guide to Blending Essential Oils (Anti-Aging Secrets). Mount Olympus Books. Aliso Viejo, CA. 2010.

Lawless, Julia. The Encyclopedia of Essential OIls: The Complete Guide to the Use of Aromatic Oils In Aromatherapy, Herbalism, Health and Well-Being. Red Wheel. San Francisco, CA. June 2013.

Ishfaq M, Akhtar B, Muhammad F, Sharif A, Akhtar MF, Hamid I, Sohail K, Muhammad H. Antioxidant and wound healing potential of essential oil from Citrus reticulata peel and its chemical characterization. Medicinal values of peels essential oil. Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2020 Sep 17. doi: 10.2174/1389201021999200918102123. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32957881.

Nair S A, Sr RK, Nair AS, Baby S. Citrus peels prevent cancer. Phytomedicine. 2018 Nov 15;50:231-237. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2017.08.011. Epub 2017 Aug 17. PMID: 30466983.

Photo by Sunsetoned at Pexels

Essential Oils: Regenerative Wonders of Nature for Skin and Body

Essential oils can be used to help positively shift many health conditions. Though they are not a miracle cure for all ailments they can be used in a strategic holistic way to help bring balance back to the body and assist us to regain higher levels of health.

Humans have long consumed plants for their healing value. Plants and their highly concentrated essences–essential oils–can be used to complement and support whole food diets that aim to uplift physical vitality. We are meant to consume hundreds of different plant species each year and not just a handful. The more diverse our plant consumption is, the greater our resiliency and vitality.

As your body digests plants, thousands of metabolites–substances produced when the body breaks down food and chemicals–are absorbed by the gut into the bloodstream. These metabolites have a major impact on our risk of diseases: cardiovascular, autoimmune, mental imbalances, obesity, diabetes and even cancer. These metabolites created through the digestion of a wide array of plants contribute to how our cells create our internal chemistry of life. We will create a more perfect chemistry of life when the thousands of metabolites streaming through our bodies come from a great diversity of plant life.

Essential oils contain the key components of the plants’ immune systems. The oils assist the plants to grow, thrive, evolve and adapt to their surroundings and what essential oils do for the plants, they can do for us also. Humans have a shared chemistry with plants. Both plants and humans are made of three primary elements–carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. The oil of the plant protects the plant from bacterial and viral infections, heals injuries, repels unwanted predators, guards against environmental aggressors, and deliver nutrients to the cells. And the essential oils of plants have the ability to do all the same for the human body, too.

Along with oxygen, plants pass along the nutrients which they’ve absorbed from the soil and solar energy from the sun when we consume them.

“Plants take the energy of the sun and transform it, through photosynthesis, into the food energy upon which all animals rely. Essential oils are the concentrated form of that sun energy.” —Valerie Ann Worwood in Aromatherapy for the Soul: Healing the Spirit with Fragrance and Essential Oils

The healing benefits of plants are largely more accessible when the plants are immersed in water for a period of time. The method used to extract the oils from plants, steam distillation, obviously exposes plants to water along with heat and pressure. Through steam distillation the essential oil becomes accessible to the body and easy to assimilate.

Since many of us, even when our diet is largely good and balanced, consume some foods and beverages that are terrible for our bodies, a great variety of plant metabolites in the body over time will result in fewer physical challenges and enduring health.

Terry Wahls, MD, who became an expert in the use of essential oils after she used them with great success to treat a number of her own health issues says:

“When I look at essential oils through a food lens, I know that essential oils are interacting positively with our biochemical pathways and nervous systems, even calming excessive inflammation. The inhalation of essential oils activates the same pathways in the brain. The topical application of essential oils on the skin ensures they are entering the bloodstream and affecting the body’s pathways.”

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And says Stephanie L. Tourles in Pure Skin Care: Nourishing Recipes for Vibrant Skin & Natural Beauty:

“The molecular structure of a pure plant essential oil is so compact that within minutes after inhalation and a bit longer following topical application, the oil can be detected in your breath and in your bloodstream. Just imagine what benefits your skin will receive from the rapid absorption of these regenerative wonders of nature.”

Dr. Wahls urges:

“I encourage the addition of essential oils in your self-care program along with different vegetables, spices and teas as sources of plant diversity. There are literally hundreds of essential oils and spices that you can integrate into your life to expose yourself to at least two hundred different plant species in a year.” —Terry Wahls, MD

Intriguing Facts About Essential Oils You May Not Have Known

• Once essential oils are applied to the skin, they are quickly and easily absorbed, then carried by the bloodstream to every cell in the body within minutes.

• The super small size and light weight of essential oil molecules are what make them so aromatic.

• There are approximately 40 quintillion molecules (that’s a 4 with 19 zeros after it) in one single drop of essential oil. Our bodies are composed of 100 trillion cells, therefore once we consume one drop of essential oil, there are 400,000 molecules for each cell in the human body.

• Essential oils are fat-soluble which makes them especially helpful for penetrating the blood-brain barrier and enhancing brain function. (The brain is 60% fat and needs fat to function well.)

• It takes 28 cups of peppermint tea to equal one drop of peppermint essential oil. More than 250 pounds of peppermint leaves are needed to make one pound of peppermint essential oil. There are five drops of lemon essential oil in one lemon.

• Diffusing essential oils can actually help increase the atmospheric oxygen in a room.

• When diffused, certain oils have the ability to remove toxins or metallic particles from the air (e.g. tea tree, lemongrass, pine, citrus, ylang ylang).

• Citrus oils like lemon, orange, and grapefruit have been found to boost positive thoughts and enhance your mood.

• Many European doctors prescribe oils to be taken internally, in addition to or in place of pharmaceuticals.

• Each essential oil contains several to several hundred different kinds of molecules, each of which offers benefits in promoting good health, healing and regeneration.

• Testing the purity of your oil is best done by placing a drop on construction paper. If there is nothing left behind after 15 minutes, it is pure. If there is an oil ring, it is not pure.
  
  

…

Cohen, Jodi. Essential Oils to Boost the Brain and Heal the Body: 5 Steps to Calm Anxiety, Sleep Better, and Reduce Inflammation to Regain Control of Your Health. Ten Speed Press, March 2021. 

Worwood, Valerie Ann. Aromatherapy for the Soul: Healing the Spirit with Fragrance and Essential Oils. New World Library, 2006. 

Photo by Elly Fairytale at Pexels

How Essential Oils May Help Purify the Air We Breathe

Synthetic mass marketed perfumes and aerosol fragrances are commonly used to overtone unpleasant smells but they don’t actually cleanse the air we breathe. Diffusing only the purest essential oils in a room using the natural air as a propellant will fill an average sized room in minutes with millions of ionized micro-droplets–a natural aerosol.

Negative Ions

This simple method of diffusion is actually more effective than heat and evaporative methods which oxidize the oil and suppress the natural ionization effect. Many essential oils are also highly antiseptic and kill most airborne bacteria and viruses within a short period of time.

As a diffused essential oil decomposes it releases ionic oxygen into the air creating a negative ion charge. Air negative ions* are naturally produced by cosmic rays, weather fronts, moving water and wind, for example and these negative ions are extremely beneficial to our health.

For more extensive details on negative ions and your health, please read our viral blogs:

“24 Ways to Reap the Benefits of Earth’s Gift of Negatively Charged Ions"

“8 Ways to Expose Yourself to Earth’s Healing Negative Ions"

Most buildings we spend time in, including our homes and offices, are sorely lacking negative ions because of electrical fields and electrostatic charges created by electric and electronic appliances and devices, especially if they are not grounded. Faulty and harmful wiring combined with static charges from synthetic surfaces and air with less than 50% relative humidity will tend to deplete negative ions in the air. Other offenders include metal ducting, cigarette smoke and general indoor air pollution.

Similar to how we’ll find high levels of negative ions close to a fireplace fire, a beeswax candle or falling shower water, diffused essential oil of plants will balance the electro-climate as they emit negative ions into the air.

Diffusing an essential oil is one excellent way to balance the air we breathe with natural negative ionization.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

Ozone

Ozone, an active form of oxygen, is a constituent of the atmospheric air we breathe and is not the same as negative ionization.

Sometimes we may find ourselves uncomfortable in a room and can’t put our finger on the reason why. This feeling is often due to the condition of the air in the room which is impure or unfit to breathe.

The ozone content of the atmosphere is exceedingly small but without it, we breathe in stagnant air. The air in a closed room, for example, rarely contains any ozone, while the air in an open room is very rich in ozone. As another example, in months with abundant precipitation, the air will register more ozone than usual. The same will occur on nights with heavy dewfall. And in forests we find greater amounts of ozone above the tips of the trees.

Ozone acts as a stimulant to the entire nervous system which is why we’ll feel so good when we walk through a forest. The evaporation of the essential oils from the branch tips of the pine trees assist to form ozone in the air. Essential oil of Sylvester/Scots pine possesses this ability to a very high degree and since its fragrance is so delightful, it was one of the very first to be used in air purification applications. Juniper berry and lavender essential oils are also very effective in adding ozone for air purification.

Properly distributed essential oil fragrance through diffusion makes the room’s air pleasantly fresh and rich in ozone as the essential oil slowly evaporates. Simply burning an essential oil causing the oil to rapidly evaporate does not distribute the aromatic molecules in a finely divided condition rendering it ineffective before it even reaches the air.

Antimicrobial, Antifungal

Research supports that very many essential oils possess antimicrobial and antifungal properties that can help clear surrounding air. The following essential oils have been found beneficial for air purification from microbes and fungi.

Tea Tree: ”Tea tree essential oils have an affinity for the respiratory system and have been clinically shown to kill the airborne flu virus," says Leigh Winters, M.A., M.S., neuroscientist, psychologist and aromatherapist.

Eucalyptus: rejuvenating, freshening, energizing and purifying to the air

Lemongrass and Cinnamon bark:

”Lemongrass and cinnamon bark are known to be a tad too strong to use in high dosages for DIY skin care products, but they work wonders on battling bacteria in the air," Winters adds.

3. Conifers Pine, Spruce, and Fir: all containing pinene, a chemical compound with well-documented antibacterial properties

4. Citrus: Sweet orange, lemon, and grapefruit essential oils are antimicrobial, destroying airborne germs with their high levels of limonene.

5. Clove bud and ylang ylang: In the study, “Essential oils may help fight effects of pollution,” we read about … “the first evidence that natural essential oil components counteract the inflammatory effects of particulate matter, such as that contained in polluted air.”

…

*Positive ions are atoms or molecules that have lost one or more electrons and consequently have a shortage of electrons. In contrast, negative ions have gained one or more additional electrons which makes these odorless, tasteless, invisible molecules negatively charged as a whole.

Kanuka-Fuchs, Reinhard. Healthy Home and Healthy Office: Sick Building Syndrome, Indoor Pollution and Solutions. Reinhard Kanuka-Fuchs, 2001. 

The American Perfumer and Essential Oil Review. Independent International Journal, 1914. 

Authors, All, and Oleg V. Pyankov. “Inactivation of Airborne Influenza Virus by Tea Tree and Eucalyptus Oils.” Taylor & Francis, www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02786826.2012.708948#.VMb5Af7F-GG. 

Posted by CBD & Chronic Pain - Dank Flavors, et al. “Terpene Profile: Pinene.” The Leaf Online, 5 Oct. 2017, theleafonline.com/c/science/2014/10/terpene-profile-pinene/. 

02, Shara Rutberg | Mar. “Essential Oils May Help Fight Effects of Pollution.” New Hope Network, 3 Mar. 2017, www.newhope.com/breaking-news/essential-oils-fight-effects-pollution?NL=NP-05&Issue=NP-05_20170317_NP-05_936&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_3_2&utm_rid=CNHNM000000808938&utm_campaign=20527&utm_medium=email. 

Photo by Eva Elijas at Pexels

What is Nana Mint? This Exotic Spearmint Is a Key Anti-Age Skin Care Ingredient

Nana mint (Mentha spicata) is a variety of Moroccan spearmint long known for its natural rejuvenative and healing properties. These includes benefits for skin, energy, mental acuity and the health and immunity. Spearmint is largely used as flavoring in foods. But Moroccan Nana mint’s cleansing, rejuvenate, anti-age properties make it a superb ingredient in PHYTO5’s anti-age Cleansing Foam.

What is Nana Mint? It’s an anti-age agent when used in skincare.

Anti-inflammatory and soothing Nana mint offers powerful antioxidant action in skincare. It contributes to slowing visible signs of aging.

Nana mint essential oils helps rejuvenate and energize mature skin while minimizing lines. Nana mint also powerfully helps clear acne.

What is Nana Mint? It’s the source of the Moroccan woman’s beauty.

Moroccan women have long been known for their natural beauty. With radiant flawless skin and shiny silken hair, Moroccan women practice unique natural beauty rituals. And Nana mint plays a key role in their beauty rituals.

Moroccan people combine Nana mint with gunpowder (Chinese green) tea and sugar to create a beverage they consume every day several times a day. This Nana mint tea elixir is not only a staple of Moroccan culture, Moroccan women consider it key to their youthful beauty.

Moroccan people enjoy Maghrebi mint tea hot even during Morocco’s ultra warm Summers. They’ve found that the spearmint is superb at cooling down the body. It defends the body against the Summer heat. Chemicals in Nana combine with the body’s cold-sensitive receptors tricking the brain. The brain sends cooling sensation messages into the body.

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What is Nana Mint? It’s a spearmint grown in the Maghreb region of Northwestern Africa.

Nana is Arabic for mint. It’s also called Moroccan or Maghrebi mint. Nana mint is grown in the Maghreb region of north and northwestern Africa where Morocco is located and Arabic is spoken. Nana is also grown in the Mediterranean region.

Nana mint is called by many different names. Its original and real name is crisped mint. Nana mint’s original name is ‘crisped mint.’

What is Nana Mint? It’s a milder form of mint with warm herbal tones.

With no menthol nuances such as with peppermint, Nana mint has an earthier, sweeter flavor.

Nana is one of 210 species of mint cultivated all over the world and is one the oldest of all mints.

Moroccan Nana mint looks very similar to most common mint varieties except that it's more compact in shape. Nana leaves are a bright green color with slightly toothed edges.

The Nana plant itself bears soft stems with leaves that grow closely together. Pale purple flowers bloom in whirls at the tops of taller stems in late Summer and early Fall. Even the flowers of Nana are edible. The leaves tastes intensely spearmint flavor whether you consume them fresh or dry.

What is Nana Mint? It’s an important nutritious food.

Nana mint is very nutritious. One cup of Moroccan Nana mint tea delivers a generous serving of fluoride, calcium, magnesium, copper and selenium. All of these boost immune function.

Nana mint is rich in niacin (vitamin B3). Niacin lowers LDL bad cholesterol and increases HDL good cholesterol.

Folic acid in Nana mint regulates the body’s level of homocysteine, an amino acid that can cause heart disease if too much of it is present.

What is Nana Mint? It’s a cleansing tonic for internal and topical use.

Nana mint contains less menthol than other mints. This makes it a milder yet still efficient cleansing agent. Nana still possesses all the benefits of other mints. It’s very uplifting and energizing.

Nana spearmint contains the amino acid l-Theanine which raises your levels of GABA, a neurotransmitter that promotes feelings of relaxation and calmness.

What is Nana Mint? It’s a potent healing spearmint.

For thousands of years we’ve cultivated spearmint for its medicinal and healing applications.

You can use Nana spearmint for digestive support including upset stomach, heartburn, flatulence and nausea.

Use the essential oil of Nana mint to support oral health just as it’s been used since the Middle Ages. Back then, the people regularly added spearmint to drinking water to purify it.

Nana mint offers many more healing benefits:

• provides greater mental performance and focus

• offers analgesic soothing for respiratory tract

• loosens congestion and cough

• abates bad breath as an antimicrobial

• kills off bacteria, fungus and viruses

• relieves nasal allergies

• cleanses blood

• relieves headaches when rubbed on the temples

• soothes muscle pain as an anti-spasmodic

• boosts immunity

Sweet Orange Essential Oil: Potent in Skincare and All Around Vitality

Sweet orange essential oil is a potent anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti fungal oil. It is primarily known for its rejuvenative and detoxifying properties for skin. It is also well regarded as a mentally and emotionally uplifting oil. It promotes vigor and a cheerful demeanor and promotes restful sleep in cases of insomnia. With a cleansing effect throughout the body, it aids detoxification through supporting movement of lymph.* In skincare  sweet orange essential oil helps promote the production of collagen and skin’s natural repair process. It revitalizes, brightens and clarifies skin, especially skin that is excessively oily. Sweet orange is known for its astringent toning properties.

Sweet orange essential oil offers excellent immune system support. Its cooling and refreshing properties can be used to help lessen symptoms of a feverish flu or cold. The orange’s vitamin C content is not found in the essential oil.

It calms the digestive system as it helps food to move through the digestive tract to ease indigestion and relieve trapped gas and constipation.

Skin conditions for which sweet orange essential oil is useful include:

• eczema
• dermatitis
• after sun wrinkles
• oily skin

Other conditions the oil benefits include:

• high blood pressure
• fatigue
• sleep disorders
• uncomfortable symptoms of menses and menopause
• edema
• palpitations
• mouth ulcers
• colds
• flu
• bronchitis
• dyspepsia
• constipation
• spasms
• nervous tension

Sweet orange oil is also recommended for those suffering from magnesium deficiency.

Sweet orange oil has been found to have pleasant sedative effects when used in a massage oil formulation. If used in too high a concentration by itself, sweet orange oil can be an irritant, photo-sentizing** and even somewhat narcotic/hypnotic. For this reason, it’s best to rely on expert skincare formulations containing the oil such as the following created by PHYTO5:

• Earth Selextreme Swiss mountain exfoliating salts

• Earth Yogi Body Gel

• Water element skin Toner

• Zen Body Exfoliation, organic certified

• Zen Massage Oil, organic certified

Sweet orange essential oil is produced by cold pressing the peel or whole fruit of sweet orange varieties or by steam distilling the residues from the segmenting or juicing processes. When completely exhausted by steam distillation, the minced peels from one ton of California oranges yield from 11 to 15 pounds of essential oil.

Historically, the orange has been a symbol of innocence and fertility. The tree is indigenous to eastern Africa, Arabia and Syria and it is believed the crusaders introduced the orange to Europe when they returned from their campaigns.

There are many varieties of sweet orange oil, namely, Florida, California, French Guinea, Brazilian, Italian, Spanish, Palestine, Japanese, and East Indian, all with varying processing methods for essential oil and chemical composition.

* Beginning as interstitial fluid full of waste material discarded by the cells, lymph is a somewhat yellowish liquid containing white blood cells which bathe the tissues and drain through the lymph ducts into the bloodstream. 

** Creating a chemical response to light

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Endnotes:

The Complete Technology Book of Essential Oils: (Aromatic Chemicals). Asia Pacific Business Press, 2008.

Rhind, Jennifer. Essential Oils: A Handbook for Aromatherapy Practice. Singing Dragon, 2019.

Curtis, Susan, et al. Essential Oils: All-Natural Remedies and Recipes for Your Mind, Body, and Home. DK Publishing, 2016.

Price, Shirley, et al. Aromatherapy for Health Professionals. Elsevier, 2020.

Braun, Lesley and Cohen, Mac. Herbs and Natural Supplements: An Evidence-Based Guide. Elsevier Health Sciences. 2010.

Scots Pine Essential Oil Benefits for Aging Skin

Scots pine essential oil benefits for skin are amazing. Also called Sylvester pine or scotch pine essential oil, scots pine’s healing properties ease many skin irritations. Scots pine essential oils provides an excellent treatment for psoriasis and acne. It fights dry, itchy skin, making it a great non-steroidal treatment for eczema.

Shiseido Co., Ltd., through joint research with Professor Nobuyuki Takakura of the Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, revealed important finding in July 2015.

They found that impaired function of dermal lymphatic vessels lead to accumulation of subcutaneous fat which ultimately causes sagging of the skin.

This study was the first to discover that pine cone extract from scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) strengthens and normalizes the lymphatic vessels.

(The scots pine extract bears almost identical healing benefits for skin as scots pine essential oil.)

When test subjects used a trial product formulated with pine cone extract for two months (morning and night), Shiseido observed reduced depth of nasolabial lines, facial lines, and neck sagging.

Scots Pine Essential Oil: Superior Antioxidant

With a high antioxidant content, Scots pine essential oil fights the free radicals in skin cells that cause premature aging, lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin.

Scots pine essential oil in skincare works to create a balanced, smooth, and renewed radiance to skin.

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Scots pine essential oil is formulated into many PHYTO5 products: Wood element Toner, Metal element Toner, Hand Cream, Fire element Hairlixir Shampoo, Violet Clay and P-Esserine. (Violet Clay and P-Esserine are only available to professional estheticians.)

Scots Pine Essential Oil: Origins

Producers obtain Scots pine ssential oil through steam distillation of stumps, [needles, twigs and cones] from a variety of species of pine, but particularly from Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine).

This high evergreen tree has a reddish-brown and deeply fissured bark that grows pairs of long stiff needles. Largely grown in the Baltic states, Scots pine essential oil from this species is known for being a tonic and stimulant.

Scots Pine Essential Oil: Save and Effective for Skin

With very low toxicity Scots pine essential oil is one of the safest essential oils to use. It’s a near indispensable oil for to use during the Winter season.

Scots pine essential oil combats bronchitis (antitussive, expectorant, respiratory antiseptic), sinusitis, laryngitis, allergic rhinitis, and muscle pain (anti-inflammatory/cortisone-like).

Invigorating, Scots pine essential oil strengthen the psyche (a nervous system tonic). After periods of hard work and stress both mental and physical resulting in fatigue, Scots pine essential oil can help you snap back resiliently.

Scots pine essential oil boosts the immune system too.

Scots Pine Essential Oil: djgkdj

In energetic aromatherapy, Scots pine essential oil links to the Anahata or heart chakra. This chakra is associated with the color green.

By stimulating the heart chakra, Scots pine essential oil assists people suffering from depression, elevate mood and invigorate physical vitality.

The pineal gland in the brain gets its name from pine since it’s shaped similar to a pine cone. When the pineal gland gets triggered by light entering through the eyes, it fulfills its function assisting you to feel one with the universe, your inner being and your environment.

With this harmony established, you feel healthy and happy. Without this harmony, disorders and diseases, mental and emotional states have more potential to develop in the body.

Researchers have found Scots pine tree extract to have potential for fighting cancer, especially of the breast. Their studies show that Scots pine needle extract and Scots pine essential oil exhibit chemopreventive or chemotherapeutic potential for mammary tumors previously unresponsive to endocrine treatment.

…

Sources:

“Shiseido Becomes the First to Reveal the Relationship Between Impaired Lymphatic Function and ‘Sagging’ Skin: Discovery of Lymphatic Function-Enhancing Pine Cone Extract.” Shiseido Group, July 2015, www.shiseidogroup.com/releimg/2455-e.pdf.

Hoai, Nguyen Thi, et al. “Selectivity of Pinus Sylvestris Extract and Essential Oil to Estrogen-Insensitive Breast Cancer Cells Pinus Sylvestris against Cancer Cells.” Pharmacognosy Magazine, Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd, Oct. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4653339/.

Essential Oils and Skin

Certain essential oils and skin are a perfect match. These essential oils naturally firm, tone, increase elasticity, hydrate and mitigate signs of aging in skin. Only trending in skincare since the early 2010s, PHYTO5 has known about the relationship between essential oils and skin since the late 70s. We’ve been creating essential oil based Swiss skincare ever since.

Essential Oils and Skin: Flower and Face Mirror Each Other

We get natural essential oils by distilling various parts of the plant. Essential oils bear the characteristic fragrance of the plant they come from but because they’re so concentrated the fragrance of the essential oil is even more prominent.

Erich Keller, author of Aromatherapy Handbook for Beauty, Hair, and Skin Care: A Guide to the Use of Essential Oils for Beauty and Healing, gives us this stunning analogy of flower and face, essential oils and skin:

“The most important argument for using essential oils in cosmetics has to do with their vital force and their naturalness. The life within us can be best cared for and healed with living things. We have a strong affinity for plants–particularly the flower oils–their blossoms are the ‘face’ of the plant that are used for facial care in essential oil cosmetics.

When the facial skin is treated with flower oils, it receives the entire stored solar energy and vital force of the essential oil.

The flower’s oils are easily dissolved by the sebaceous fat, and their molecules are so small that they can actually penetrate the skin to reach the lowest level and even affect the deeper tissue and organs.”

— Erich Keller, Aromatherapy Handbook for Beauty, Hair, and Skin Care: A Guide to the Use of Essential Oils for Beauty and Healing

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

Essential Oils and Skin: Inhalation and Topical Application

When you open a high quality essential oil based skincare products you immediately aromatically receive well-being benefits. This happens even before you get the essential oil and skin in contact with each other.

Usually, just by lightly inhaling the essential oil’s fragrance you’ll notice your emotions begin to balance out.

And PHYTO5 has taken this quality several steps further.

We found a way to tap into and retain the quantum energy of our essential oil based five element lines of skincare. This means you’ll deliberately and swiftly be able to balance your emotional state by using the skincare from these quantum energetic lines.

Now essential oils and skin enjoy a super high and concentrated symbiotic union. And your skin and emotions derive the benefits of the plant and its oil far beyond the level of conventional skincare using essential oils.

This quantum energetic potency in essential oils and skin is in all of our five element lines but very concentrated when you use our Phyt’Ether serum.

The Wood Phyt’Ether clarifies oily skin, lightens spots and stimulates blood flow and vital energy for a matte finish. It helps you balance feelings of anger and lack of confidence for a sense of kindness and confidence.

The Fire element Phyt’Ether soothes irritated sensitive skin, reduces excess redness, and cools and calms skin. It helps you transform over-the-top expressions of joy or feelings of joylessness to joy-in-balance.

The Earth element quantum energetic Phyt’Ether serum detoxifies impurities, balances blemishes and acne, and reduces enlarged pores. Feel more free to express yourself creatively, emerge from a state of overwhelm caused by over-caretaking and finish unfinished projects.

The Metal Phyt’Ether serum eliminates impurities, decongests and brightens dull skin, and plump fine lines. Emerge from feeling of grief, regret and worry to have a sense that all is well.

And finally, the Water Phyt’Ether super-hydrates mature very dry skin, increases elasticity and balances moisture retention. Feel less fearful. Develop a sense of zenitude.

These essential oil based serums are an excellent product to always have on hand at home. You can easily open the dropper bottle and lightly inhale for the benefit. Or apply a few drops to the face, skin, body and scalp before skin cream.

Essential Oils and Skin: Ingestion

You can also ingest many essential oils in beverages or food preparation and cooking. It elevates the flavor of the food and the nutrition value this way.

Essential oils and skin marry as you drink or consume essential oil improved beverages or food. Your skin will benefit from the inside out.

Natural essential oils are extremely concentrated so you must be very careful with them. For example, it takes about 60,000 damask roses or 200 pounds of petals to make one ounce of rose essential oil.

Be sure the essential oil you’re using is designated for internal consumption and then only use one drop. If you don’t follow these rules, you can throw yourself into a healing crisis.

It takes many pounds of the plant to derive that one drop of oil. Even if you’re diffusing essential oil, don’t diffuse more than two drops or your breathing air will become uncomfortable. Less is more when it comes to essential oils and skin.

The practice of oil pulling for oral and systemic health proves essential oils are an effective way to cleanse. Systemic health means your entire body system will benefit including your skin.

You can add myrrh essential oil, for example, to a carrier oil such as coconut. Then swish in the mouth for ten to five minutes before spitting out. Teeth become whiter and gums healthier. The oils work to pull toxins circulating throughout the body through the mucous membrane of the mouth.

Essential Oils and Skin: Cautions

Some companies sell synthetic oils and pass them off as essential oils. They make them smell similar to their natural counterparts but they aren’t the real thing.

The USFDA hasn’t put into place any method to categorize or grade essential oils. So anyone can arbitrarily label their product as professional, therapeutic, or natural when they’re not.

Do your research. Find a company you trust. An honest company will provide essential oils that align with these high standards:

• The plants grow indigenously—in their home regions.

• They list the botanical name of the plant on the product label.

• They use oils harvested from the correct species of the plant.

• The manufacturers derive the oils from either a cold-press process or steam-distillation.

• They never dilute the essential oils and they constantly test all batches for purity before selling them to you.

• Only state-of-the-art facilities and good manufacturing practices work with essential oils. (The Swiss government plays a proactive ongoing role of factory supervision for Swiss-based manufacturers like PHYTO5. A double layer of Swiss and European regulation and supervision provides a substantial level of protection for the American consumer who buys authentic Swiss-made skincare products such as PHYTO5 skincare.)

• The essential oil is non-GMO or certified organic.

• The essential oils are free from pesticides or herbicides.

…

Source:

Keller, Erich. Aromatherapy Handbook for Beauty, Hair, and Skin Care: A Guide to the Use of Essential Oils for Beauty and Healing. Healing Arts Press, 1992.

The Most Versatile Essential Oil for Skin and Health: Peppermint

Better and more versatile than the herb itself is the essential oil of peppermint found in PHYTO5’s Earth and Water element Skin Toners. Peppermint essential oil is produced by the cold extraction of the hybrid species of spearmint and water mint’s fresh aerial parts of the plant. It offers our overall health very beneficial topical, internal, and aromatic applications and is one the best essential oils to keep in your medicine cabinet at home.

Used topically, peppermint essential oil calms, softens and tones the skin. 

In the report, Commercial Essential Oils as Potential Antimicrobials to Treat Skin Diseases, peppermint oil is indicated as effective for reducing blackheads, chicken pox, greasy skin, dermatitis, inflammation, itchy skin, ringworm, scabies and sunburn.

With a higher sun protection factor (SPF) than most other essential oils, peppermint can relieve the pain of sunburns while hydrating burned skin. 

Peppermint oil is used in skincare products because it is very cleansing, slightly antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and toning. It purifies sluggish pores and when added to a steam bath activates the skin. Very suitable in treating oily skin, acne and blackheads, it is refreshing and stimulating.

Peppermint essential oil is also found in these skincare products by PHYTO5: Yang OE Cream, Contouring Serum, and Chi Yin Massage Oil.

Peppermint essential oil is very cooling to relieve sore muscles, muscle aches, and joint pain. Studies have shown peppermint oil beneficial in the treatment of fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome (1).

Peppermint can provide seasonal allergy relief by relaxing muscles in the nasal passages and helping to clear out pollen from the respiratory tract.

It is especially invigorating for cases of low energy simply by gently inhaling its fragrance. Inhaling the scent can help keep you awake during the long periods when you need to stay awake because it energizes the mind. It can also help improve memory and mental alertness. Similarly, the oil’s fragrance can boost physical performance such as when you are training for an athletic event.

As a case in point, a study published in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine investigated the effects of peppermint ingestion on exercise performance. Thirty healthy male college students were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. All the men consumed a single oral dose of peppermint essential oil and their physiological parameters and performance were monitored. The researchers noted remarkable improvements in all of the tested variables in the men who ingested the peppermint oil. They showed an incremental and significant increase in their grip force, standing vertical jump and standing long jump. The peppermint oil group also showed a notable increase in the amount of air that is exhaled from the lungs, peak breathing flow rate and peak exhaling flow rate. 

Peppermint essential oil helps to improve circulation to alleviate headaches. Simply apply two to three drops to temples, forehead and back of neck.

Digestive disorders can be attenuated with peppermint oil’s soothing effect on the gastric lining and the colon. Taken in capsule form or by taking one to two drops in water, peppermint oil has been shown to relieve irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) by reducing spasms in the colon, relaxing intestinal muscles and reducing bloating and gas.

Peppermint oil, of course, naturally freshens breath and supports oral health because it kills bacteria and fungus that leas to cavities and infection.

Peppermint oil also naturally thickens and nourishes damaged hair. It stimulates the scalp and improves the condition of thinning hair.

Itchiness, formally termed pruritus, can be relieved by peppermint essential oil.

Ants, spiders, cockroaches, mosquitos, mice and lice hate the smell of peppermint oil so it’s an excellent bug repellant.

Although research is still ongoing, studies are beginning to suggest that peppermint may be beneficial as an anticancer agent.

Peppermint is antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-tumor, analgesic, antioxidant, anti-nausea, and anti-inflammatory. It can prevent the spread of an existing infection. One of the best essential oils for colds, flu, cough, sinusitis, asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory conditions, it can unclog sinuses and provide relieve from a scratchy throat and it works as an expectorant to open airways, clear mucus and dispel congestion.

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(1) Chronic pain in multiple myofascial trigger points (“knots" or as hyperirritable spots in the fascia (the thin sheath of fibrous tissue enclosing a muscle or other organ surrounding skeletal muscle.) and fascial (connective tissue) constrictions. It can appear in any body part.

Sources:

Meamarbashi, Abbas. “Instant Effects of Peppermint Essential Oil on the Physiological Parameters and Exercise Performance.” Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine, Jan. 2014. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4103722/

Orchard, Ané et al. “Commercial Essential Oils as Potential Antimicrobials to Treat Skin Diseases.” Evidence Based Complementary Alternative Medicine, May 4, 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5435909/

Keller, Erich. Aromatherapy Handbook for Beauty, Hair, and Skin Care. Healing Arts Press, 1999.

Photo by Rob Sarmiento on Unsplash

Sweet Marjoram Essential Oil Benefits

Sweet marjoram essential oil benefits skin, body and mind.

Sweet Marjoram Essential Oil Benefits for Skin

Skincare formulators use the oil to remedy acne, psoriasis, eczema and rashes stemming from allergies.

Sweet majoram essential oil benefits skin by strengthening it too.

Rich in antioxidants that fight free-radical damage, sweet marjoram essential oil benefits skin showing first signs of aging.

All these reasons point to why PHYTO5 synergistically blends sweet marjoram essential oil with other essential oils in many of our products:

• Ageless PHYTO Peel

• Algae-Essence Bath Additive

• Face Cream

• Face Gel Mask

• Metal element Shampoo (quantum energetic)

• Fire element Skin Toner (quantum energetic)

• Fire element Day Cream (quantum energetic)

• Fire element Night Cream with cobalt and vitamin E (quantum energetic)

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) finds sweet marjoram essential oil benfits chi energy. It tonifies and circulates chi.

This chi moving action encourages antispasmodic and analgesic properties like muscular strains, stiffness, spasm, aches and pain, nervous spasm, intestinal colic, and osteoarthritis.

The chi moving action of sweet marjoram essential oil stimulates respiratory and circulatory function .

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

Sweet Marjoram Essential Oil Benefits for Body

Sweet marjoram essential oil offers the body the following actions:

• tonic

• anti-fungal

• antispasmodic

• analgesic

• sedative

• antiseptic

• antiviral

• expectorant

• bactericidal.

Skincare formulators take advantage of sweet marjoram essential oil benefits of refreshing restoration, fortification, comfort, soothing and warming.

Smoothing the flow of chi energy in the chest, sweet marjoram essential oil benefits heart function. It calms and regulates the heart especially for indications of palpitations, tachycardia and hypertension.

Sweet marjoram essential oil benefits women’s health. Probably the best aromatic herb for women, it naturally helps regulate painful menstrual periods and challenges of menopausal symptoms.

Sweet marjoram essential oil benefits the breath. One drop mixed into coconut oil on your toothbrush will give you fresh sweet breath. (For safety reasons, you must use a carrier oil like coconut oil. Essential oils are generally too potent to use on their own.)

The sweet marjoram essential oil penetrates into the gums and creates saliva excretion to clean up bad bacteria in the dental cavities.

You can also chew and hold three marjoram leaves in the mouth for several minutes and then swallow. The residue in the mouth will keep it fresh and clean all day.

Sweet Marjoram Essential Oil Benefits for Mind

Sweet marjoram’s generic name origanum comes from the Greek oros and ganos. It means joy of the mountains. 

Sweet marjoram essential oil benefits the mind with mental calm, balance, self-assurance, integrity, courage, confidence, focus, perseverance, and restoration. It helps you achieve a sense that all is well.

Sweet majoram essential oil benefits for mind include helping counteract anxiety, hysteria, hostility, self-isolation, mental strain, tantrums, anger, irritability, hyperactivity, and weak will.

Marjoram also lessens chronic lethargy and nervous exhaustion. It particularly helps balance conditions of anxiety or insomnia.

Sweet marjoram essential oil benefits people who overthink. Marjoram helps calm this tendency, easing emotional neediness and promoting a will to nurture self.

TCM finds sweet marjoram essential oil innately balancing. Its sweet, camphoraceous, cleansing and nourshing qualities combine help regulate mental function.

Long Known Sweet Marjoram Essential Oil Benefits

Sweet marjoram has been widely used since ancient times for both medicinal and culinary purposes.

The ancient Egyptians used sweet marjoram to make perfumes, unguents and medicines.

The Greeks used it as a funeral herb planting it on graves to bring spiritual peace to the departed and to those left behind. Even today, sweet marjoram essential oil benefits the grieving.

A symbol of love and honor, the ancient Greeks also crowned young married couples with sweet marjoram flowers. They associated sweet marjoram with Aphrodite, goddess of love, beauty and fertility.

In England’s Tudor times the people found the fragrance of sweet marjoram uplifting to health and well-being.

…

Sources:

Photos in this article generated at Midjourney by the author

Worwood, Valerie Ann. The Fragrant Mind: Aromatherapy for Personality, Mind, Mood and Emotion. Bantam, 1997.

Yellowdawn, T. H. The Sun, Human & Food: A Self-Treatment and Practice with Natural Food. Author House, 2011.

Mojay, Gabriel. Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit: a Guide to Restoring Emotional and Mental Balance through Essential Oils. Gaia, 2005.

Niaouli Essential Oil Benefits to Skin and Well-Being

Niaouli essential oil benefits to skin and well-being are myriad. Cousin to tea tree oil, and so versatile and multi-faceted, niaouli essential oil benefits are near endless.

Essential oil producers extract niaouli through steam distillation of the leaves and young twigs of the niaouli evergreen tree (also known as melaleuca viridiflora tree). Largely grown in Australia, Madagascar and New Caledonia, niaouli is cousin to the tea tree.

Niaouli Essential Oil Benefits: Skin

With an earthy herbaceous fragrance similar to eucalyptus, niaouli essential oil benefits sensitive skin. Mild to skin, it offers simple cleansing and goes all the way to reversing scars. Niaouli reduces scars by stimulating new cell growth and promoting regeneration of damaged tissue.

Niaouli essential oil benefits tout skin detoxification. It helps reduce oiliness, acne and blemishes.

Niaouli essential oil is an excellent astringent. It tones and tightens skin.

Excellent anti-inflammatory, niaouli essential oil benefits burned skin damaged by ultraviolet rays. It can relieve the pain of sunburn especially when you combine it with lavender.

The same kind of protection applies to burns from cancer radiation treatment. Cancer patients should always shield their skin against burns from radiation with a preparation that includes niaouli essential oil.

Very important for more mature skin, niaouli essential oil benefits as tonic for the lymphatic system. It encourages the removal of waste that interferes with lymphatic fluid flow that causes signs of aging. Niaouli essential oil benefits blood circulation which is also necessary for a more youthful appearance.

Enjoy niaouli essential oil benefits in these skincare products by PHYTO5:

• Metal element Day Cream

• Metal Phyt’Ether serum

• Metal element White Clay Mask

• Metal element Yogi Body Gel

• Earth element purifying Skin Toner

• Contouring Serum

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

Niaouli Essential Oil Benefits: Body

Key factor in niaouli essential oil benefits is its ability to promote proper absorption and distribution of nutrients in the body. These actions boosts the body’s immune system to proactively ward off sickness.

Antiseptic, anti-fungal antibacterial and antiviral, niaouli essential oil benefits congestion and symptoms of cold and flu. It helps reduce the duration of colds and flu and gives relief to sore throats, and stuffy and runny noses and coughs.

Inhaling a very few drops of niaouli essential oil infused into a steam bath can quickly open sinus passages and improve congested breathing. 

Niaouli essential oil enjoys a great reputation for fighting infection. It helps lower fever by fighting the infection that caused the fever and promoting sweat. This also helps detoxify the blood and indirectly promotes faster relief from the fever.

As an analgesic, niaouli essential oil benefits cases of pain. It lessens pain by inducing numbness in the nerves and desensitizing the area being treated.

Niaouli essential oil benefits the body in still more ways like these:

• allergies

• athlete’s foot

• insect bites

• cold sores and fever blisters

• respiratory conditions such as asthma, bronchitis and sinusitis

• stiff joints, rheumatism, arthritis

• ear infections and earaches

• headaches and migraines

• toothaches

• muscle and joint pain

• genitourinary tract infections

• yeast infections and vaginal candida

• cystitis

• hemorrhoids

• hepatitis

• intestinal problems

• candidiasis

• diarrhea

• intestinal worms

• seborrhea 

• gum inflammation and swelling

• out of balance hormones in women

• chronic fatigue syndrome

Other Niaouli Essential Oil Benefits

Niaouli essential oil can help counteract air pollution. Diffuse just two drops of niaouli essential oil in a space to cleanse and purify the air. This is especially beneficial after air has been exposed to cigarette smoke.

Niaouli essential oil benefits sleep.

It also helps dispel mental fatigue and invigorates the mind. It balances emotions, strengthening will and determination.

…

Source:

Wilson, Roberta. Aromatherapy: Essential Oils for Vibrant Health and Beauty. Avery, 2002.

Photo by Patrick Nguyen @pokiepatt at Unsplash

Thyme Essential Oil: The Tiny Herb That’s a Powerhouse of Cleansing, Healing and Restoration

Thyme essential oil commonly found in PHYTO5 skincare especially the Metal element line (see list of products in which this oil is used end of this article) is widely used in home remedies, aromatherapy, skin and hair care products, mouthwashes and herbal rinses, and even insect repellents. The oil is steam distilled from the evergreen perennial herb. It belongs to the same family as peppermint, lavender, marjoram, basil and oregano and is produced mostly in Asia, southern Europe, the Mediterranean and North America.

Fresh, spicy, herbaceous, aromatic and green, its leaves may be tiny but they’re incredibly powerful. For this reason, thyme essential oil must always be diluted in a carrier oil such as avocado or almond oil because it is a potent dermal and mucous membrane irritant when used alone.

Thyme has historically been utilized in medicine, cosmetics, food, perfume, incense and Greek, Egyptian and Roman embalming rituals. The ancient Greeks burned thyme as incense for a variety of sacred ceremonies as a symbol of courage, fortitude and admiration.

Whether thyme is utilized as a tea, tincture, syrup or essential oil, thyme’s main areas of remediation are digestive complaints, respiratory problems, circulatory sluggishness, muscle and joint discomfort and the prevention and treatment of infection. It is a powerful antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent. As a case in point, dried thyme was burned in hospitals of old for its powerful germ-killing ability to prevent the spread of infection.

Thyme also works to alleviate bronchial and intestinal disruptions and is widely used as a decontaminant for food products.

The essential oil of thyme in skincare provides skin conditions with a clean surface to inhibit surface bacteria. As a result, acneic skin may benefit from not only remarkable healing but antiseptic toning as well.

Thyme essential oil lends to skincare formulations tonic properties for aging skin along with relief from the itching and tightness of dry skin.

Perhaps most importantly when it comes to skincare, thyme essential oil helps to increase facial blood circulation thus improving the complexion and rendering a more youthful look.

As the oil perks up the skin through improved blood circulation, tissue repair, skin renewal and fortified skin result. The better blood flow thyme makes possible distributes nutrients throughout the body and skin, in particular, oxygen. Improved circulation assists the carrying away of metabolic wastes, toxicity and pathogens that must be eliminated for overall health as well as luminous clear skin. This proper blood flow ensures even skin tone, nutrient delivery to the skin cells and necessary detoxification of the skin—a key factor in healthy, glowing skin.

Thyme essential oil can be both stimulating and relaxing to the psyche. What results is a regulation of emotion. The clarifying, refreshing scent of thyme has always been believed to help heal sorrow, generate courage, strengthen the will, dispel fear and mental instability, relieve the dreamer of nightmares, restore one from nervous exhaustion and release melancholy. It almost literally disinfects the mind from potentially toxic thoughts and patterns.

The emotion of the Fall season of the Metal element in Chinese medicine is sadness. For this reason, thyme essential oil is a key component in PHYTO5 Metal element skin and haircare as it helps to restore us to a sense that all is well. Lightly inhaling just one drop of Metal Phyt’Ether serum in the palm of your hand can lessen feelings of sadness or grief and restore a feeling of contentment, even joy, to your being. The serum now comes in two sizes: 1 oz. and the pocket size 0.16 oz.

Other PHYTO5 Skincare Products with Thyme Essential Oil:

Ageless La Cure Nourishing Cream

Algae Essence Bath

Extreme Hydrating Hand Cream

Body Lotion

Contouring Serum

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Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Source:

Young, Kac. The Healing Art of Essential Oils: a Guide to 50 Oils for Remedy, Ritual, and Everyday Use. Llewellyn Publications, 2017.

Lavender, Rosemary and Ylang Ylang: A Soothing Synergistic Essential Blend for Skin “On Fire”

PHYTO5’s five element line products are formulated with unique, natural, premium grade plant-based ingredients, particularly energetic blends of essential oils. These five lines are the result of integrating ancestral knowledge from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with leading edge Swiss research and they exist in harmony with each one of the five elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. In addition, each line follows TCM’s five groups of skin conditions, energetic seasons, and emotions. 

Since we are now in energetic Summer and the element of Fire according to TCM, let’s have a closer look at the skin conditions and emotions associated with the Fire element and how the conditions can be mitigated and the emotions supported back to balance.

The unique ingredients found in PHYTO5’s Fire element line include three primary high grade essential oils: lavender, ylang ylang and rosemary. When blended together in the right amounts, these three oils create a unique synergy to soothe, calm and balance the following conditions: redness, irritated, sensitive, blotchy or allergic skin, excessive heat and perspiration, and couperose.

In skincare, pure high quality lavender essential oil is cleansing, cooling and soothing to the skin. It lends a sensation of well-being and relaxation, helps alleviate pain–both physical and mental–and provides support for the healing process. Recommended for soothing in cases of infection, allergic dermatitis, burns, wounds or acne, it supports the body’s circulatory system and its tissues, especially the muscles.

Like lavender, rosemary is a wooded evergreen and member of the mint family. Rosemary essential oil is known for its antiseptic properties but rosemary also provides support for detoxification and assistance with better nutrient absorption. Its properties function to promote healthier, more radiant, clarified skin.  In haircare, rosemary essential oil is very effective as it supports the microcirculatory system of the scalp. It is a very potent antioxidant with an ORAC value of 11,070 which is just about the same as goji berries. Effective antioxidation of free radical scavengers is vital for healthy youthful skin and hair. 

A School of Dentistry–Meikai University, Japan study  published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine–National Institutes of Health on how lavender and rosemary used together affect the stress hormone cortisol demonstrates proof that this duo offers protection from oxidative stress and potential resulting sicknesses and conditions.

Finally, sweet scented exotic and tropical ylang ylang essential oil is a relaxing, calming, sedative, aphrodisiacal oil which supports the nervous system and contributes to mental upliftment and much improved temperament. In fact, ylang ylang is associated with joy.

Ylang ylang is an excellent skin and hair tonic and centuries of use have proven that ylang ylang is very effective for soothing inflammation and patchy rashes.

Like lavender and rosemary, ylang ylang supports the circulatory system so necessary for the transport of youth-impeding toxins out of the body.

Fire element skincare brings you a synergistic blend of these three exceptional gifts from nature where red, inflamed skin is soothed and brought back to balance along with an added emotional balance bonus of a more joyful state where unhappiness has previously been the norm.

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Source:

Atsumi, Toshiko, and Keiichi Tonosaki. “Smelling Lavender and Rosemary Increases Free Radical Scavenging Activity and Decreases Cortisol Level in Saliva.” Psychiatry Research, vol. 150, no. 1, 2007, pp. 89–96., doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2005.12.012.

What You Need to Know About Essential Oils

An essential oil is a natural volatile material typically obtained by distillation. It emits the characteristic fragrance, flavor and/or action of the plant or other source from which it’s extracted.

Essential oils are found in various plant parts: leaves, stems, flower buds, open flowers, peels, barks, fruits, roots, needles, twigs, and resins. 

When you utilize an essential oil for your well-being and vitality, the oils bombards you with a wide array of beneficial chemicals. Chemically, an essential oil is a complex mixture of 30 to 100 or more phyto-chemicals or plant compounds.

There are three primary ways to get the benefits of an essential oil:

1. through topical application

2. by inhalation, and

3. by ingestion.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

TOPICAL APPLICATION

You can enjoy essential oils’ benefits by topically applying directly to skin. But you must always apply an essential oil in a carrier oil. Fractionated coconut oil is one example.

You need to use a carrier oil to prevent burning, irritation or other very uncomfortable effects. This is because essential oils are extremely potent.

For example, it takes about 60,000 roses or 200 pounds of petals to make one ounce of damask rose essential oil. Similar factors hold true for all essential oils. So never apply an essential oil directly to skin unless it’s suspended in an appropriate carrier oil.

You can also diffuse essential oils in bathwater asanother way to apply the oils topically.

To increase aborption effectiveness, gently massage the area first to improve circulation in that area. Applying a drop of an essential oil blend on warmed skin will also enhance circulation and in turn enhance absorption. 

Take advantage of proven and appropriate proportions and blends of essential oils in reputable PHYTO5 Swiss-made skincare products.

This is how you can ensure you get the benefit of enormously potent essential oils without irritating skin.

European made products like PHYTO5 Swiss-made skincare must comply with strict European regulations limiting the type and concentration of natural essential oils in skincare products. The U. S. makes no such requirements for your protection.

INHALATION

Inhale the fragrance of essential oils. It’s another way to realize their healing benefits. Inhalation affects the body through several systems and pathways.

It can occur:

• by breathing the fragrance of the oil through the nose or mouth, and

• aromatherapeutically via diffuser or in a bath.

Do these two things to activate essential oils’ energetic properties:

1. warming the oils slightly, and

2. tapping the bottle first two or three times.

All the physical organs or cells which relate to the sense of smell make up your olfactory system. When you inhale the fragrance of an essential oil, airborne molecules interact with your olfactory organs and reach the brain almost immediately through a variety of receptor sites.

One of these receptor sites is the limbic system,(1)–what some refer to as the emotional brain or the smell brain.

The limbic system is a group of deep brain structures that are involved in the sense of smell and the experience of emotions… The limbic system works in coordination with the pituitary gland** and the hypothalamus*** area of the brain to regulate the hormonal activities of the endocrine system… [it] also influences immunity. Through their action on the limbic system, essential oils can have a positive impact on all of these functions by bringing balance to the body. – Roberta Wilson, Aromatherapy: Essential Oils for Vibrant Health and Beauty

When you inhale the scent of an essential oil its microscopic molecules travel to the lungs and interact positively with your respiratory system.

INGESTION

You can also internally ingest essential oils but again, because of their potency you must be very careful. Don’t overdo. One or two drops in a tall glass of water is all you need.

One or a few drops of essential oil doesn’t look like very much, but because they’re so powerful ingesting more could actually be detrimental. It could throw you into a healing crisis.

If you want to consume essential oils through the mouth, you really should consult an expert in essential oils for your safety. In France, for example, trained physicians and pharmacists prescribe and dispense essential oils as remedies.

Take these reasons for caution when ingesting essential oils seriously:

• Some essential oils can be toxic to the liver or kidneys when ingested.

• A chemical breakdown of essential oils during digestion can so alter the effects you may not achieve the results desired.

Sometimes quality of essential oils is questionable.

Be aware that just because you find essential oils in your local department or even grocery store, it doesn’t necessarily follow the quality is high. In some cases, they might even be synthetically created. They may smell great to you but have no wellness benefits whatsoever.

It’s smart to incorporate the use of essential oils into your holistic lifestyle. At the same time, do your due diligence to learn about every aspect of essential oils. Become a well informed consumer and get what you believe you’re paying for.

When it comes to essential oils in skincare (which is a profoundly therapeutic way to introduce essential oils into your system), rely on the vast knowledge and experience of chemists well trained in the appropriate dosages, blends and use of the oils. PHYTO5 skincare is formulated by expert chemists trained in the proper use of essential oils.

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Endnotes:

(1) a complex system of nerves and networks in the brain, involving several areas near the edge of the cortex concerned with instinct and mood. It controls the basic emotions (fear, pleasure, anger) and drives (hunger, sex, dominance, care of offspring). –The New Oxford American Dictionary

(2) A pea-sized body attached to the base of the brain, the pituitary is important in controlling growth and development and the functioning of the other endocrine glands. It is the major endocrine gland. –The New Oxford American Dictionary

(3) a region of the forebrain below the thalamus that coordinates both the autonomic nervous system and the activity of the pituitary, controlling body temperature, thirst, hunger, and other homeostatic systems, and involved in sleep and emotional activity. –The New Oxford American Dictionary

 …

Sources:

The New Oxford American Dictionary

Wilson, Roberta. Aromatherapy: Essential Oils for Vibrant Health and Beauty. New York: Avery, 2002. Print

Photo courtesy of Ksenia Makagonova at Unsplash