Omega-3 Fish Oil

I have talked about oil on the outside, but let’s talk about an oil for the inside. What is so special about this fish oil. The Inuit people of Greenland have fish oil as part of their daily diet and scientists have noticed that heart disease is virtually unknown with these people, yet they do have a high fat diet. The secret lies in their consumption of foods containing the Omega-3 fatty acids which are EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) and DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid). Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for our wellbeing, but our body can not make them and that is why they have to come from our diet. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish, such as salmon, tuna , other seafood, some plants and nut oils. Omega-3 fish oil has been proven to help the skin in a number of ways and can be taken easily as a daily supplement. With regular use, you will begin to see a marked improvement not only the condition of your skin but in your general wellbeing. Having our skin exposed to the sun can result in significant damage. One way of dealing with the damage from the sun is to take the omega-3 fish oil . This oil has the ability to reduce free radical activity in our bodies caused by UV radiation. Among its other qualities it reduces skin redness, and inhibits the over-production of melanin which results in freckles and sunspots.

I have mentioned mainly the qualities relating to our skin, but Omega-3 fish oil also has many other remarkable qualities in healing our body and keeping it in a good state of balance which I will talk about soon.

From the Inside Out

We are never short of products that we can put on our face but good, healthy glowing skin begins within. What we put on the outside is limited by our overall state of health. A simple but effective method of improving our skin condition is to follow that age-old advice and drink the right quantity of water on a daily basis. I know that is sometimes easier said than done. After all, on a cold winter’s day, who wants to drink seven glasses of water. We are more than likely going to reach for that hot cup of coffee or tea. It takes a little bit of discipline and development of a good habit. Think about a pot plant when it has not been watered regularly. Its lack of water becomes evident by the state of its leaves. They naturally begin to shrivel up as they become increasingly dehydrated. Well, we can liken this example of hydration to our skin and what happens when we do not get adequate hydration. One of the first signs of lack of water is our skin becomes less elastic resulting in dryness and fine lines. On an ongoing basis, these lines can develop in to permanent deep-seated wrinkles. When we have reduced water in our skin, this also results in a reduction in skin repair. Skin is the biggest organ in the body and plays a key role in protecting us against the environment; homeostasis, that is regulating our body temperature through our pores by sweating and shivering and it also gives us an awareness of our environment through the sense of touch, pain, heat, cold and so forth. I can not underestimate the importance of drinking water, so try and get in to the habit today and notice the difference it makes to your skin as it plumps out and becomes more elastic and glowing. This leads me on to another way in which we can look after our skin from the inside out…

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are very complex substances produced by different varieties of plant and can be stored in the petals, leaves, stalks, seeds, roots, wood or bark and are equally diverse in their effect. They each have their own medicinal properties which may include bactericidal, anti-toxic, anti-spasmodic, diuretic, anti-rheumatic and so forth. You may be equally surprised to know that one-third of modern drugs are based on them, for example, thyme is twelve times more effective than carbolic acid, but doesn't carbolic acid sound much more technical and in our minds more likely to be efficient than thyme?

Essential oils are considered nature's answer to balance - which is everything when it comes to good function of our bodies. Some of them even have pain killer effect. Essential oils are, of course, well known for their positive effect on circulation and are often incorporated in to massage therapy. Not only do they have those wonderful therapeutic qualities, but often a beautiful scent which, in itself, is healing.

When I first began studying the beneficial effects of essential oils, I treated a friend's bursitis or ''housemaid's knee'' with a blend of lavender, juniper and rosemary. It worked marvellously and whenever his knee became painful, I would use this blend, to the point, that in the long term he has little trouble with it and has not required an operation.

Extracting the essential oil is a precise process where timing is everything - that is because the oil moves around the plants not only daily but also seasonally - for example, the palma rose oil is made from a grass which must be harvested before its flower appears, pepper oil is made from unripe berries and the white jasmine flower is carefully picked before its a day old.

The most widely used method of extraction is distillation and this involves putting the material in a still and forcing steam in from below which goes through the material. This process eventually results in the essential oils being separated from the plant.

Nature's Essential Oils

They say that beauty is only skin deep, but true beauty begins from within, nurturing and caring for our bodies and that, in itself, results in a beautiful, glowing skin. Skin, after all, is the largest organ in the body. We don't often think of our skin as such, but what incredible properties it has. Being such a large organ, it is capable of eliminating the waste products of our bodily functions through its pores. Just as the skin can safely allow certain substances to pass out of our bodies, equally it can also absorb certain substances in to our bodies. In more technical terms, this is known as being semi-permeable. Determining what will pass in to our body and what will not is based upon the molecular structure of what we put on our skin. This brings me to the topic of essential oils and how they can have such an integral part in our skin care.

Looking back through history to the Ancient Egyptians, they knew well the significance of essential oils for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. Archaeological findings will testify to the fact that essential oils were an integral part of their culture. Ointment, cosmetic jars and oil bottles have been found in the pyramids will traces of the original content still intact. A very well known essential oil and one that is familiar to many is Frankincense. Frankincense is produced by a process of distillation in which the bark of the Boswellia Carteria tree, when damaged, produces a resin. The essential oil is then extracted from the resin by steam distillation. This oil has incredible benefits, including among many its positive effect in skin care. It has a defining tonic effect on an older skin with the ability to restore tone to facial skin and slowing down the appearance of wrinkles. Frankincense can blend well with many other aromatic oils. In summary, this oil has all round beneficial effects for us including its calming effect on our emotions, aiding in the treatment of breathing problems such as asthma, urinogenital tract issues such as infections and as a uterine tonic. Frankincense was very much sought after as a perfume and was held in high regard as a prized oil. To this day, its incredible qualities can be enjoyed and utilised as part of a skin care regime.

Natural Beauty

Natural Beauty

Since the beginning of time, women have sought to bring out the best in themselves using beauty products such as shampoos, conditioners, skin lotions, balms, tonics and creams. We are inundated with choice for our skin, be it dry, flaky, oily, prone to outbreaks, freckled, white or tanned. Whatever our skin type may be and whatever our desired result is, there is a product on the market for it. But how much do we really understand of essential skin care. How well read are we on how the skin truly functions. We hear the technicalities of why we should use a product often not truly appreciating how it works, why it gets results or if it is truly good for our skin. A large part of our decision is based on the container in which it is held, the glossy advertising that goes with it and whether we as individual consumers can be confident that what we are using is going to be good.

Of course, every woman and man is out to combat the enemy of all time, aging. As we become more sophisticated consumers, we expect more from our skin care products. Some of us simply want results without questioning the content of the product, while others seek to know that what they are putting on their skin is perfectly safe and beneficial. What we need is a change of attitude regarding natural products. By using natural products, we will be assured of products that are not toxic to our bodies, hypo-allergenic and will give us that result which we are all looking for. In these articles, I will talk about the basics of good skin care practically and on a more technical level in relation to our wellbeing.