Essential oils have always been used in the field of cosmetics and beauty.
Linked to perfume and beauty is Queen Cleopatra. It is said that she perfumed the sails of her ships so that, when the wind of the Nile blew, they would spread the fragrances she loved as she passed.
It seems that it was Cleopatra who created the first perfume factory, a structure at the southern end of the Dead Sea, 30 km from Ein Gedi, where jars with residues of ancient perfumes were discovered. The structure included nine rooms, two mills for crushing seeds and roots, two large basins for macerating flower petals, two ovens and a hearth for ointments.
Cleopatra also used to undergo beauty treatments, first of all bathing. To make her skin toned as well as perfumed she prepared a decoction to be dispersed in hot water based on thyme, rosemary, lavender, oregano, cloves and nutmeg. To soften the skin she used a decoction with barley, broad beans, rice, rosemary and angelica or sage and fennel.
It is difficult to find products on the market that contain a good percentage of essential oils inside them and also we are not always sure of the quality of the essential oils used. An orange scented cream is very different from a cream with orange essential oil!
Essential Oils in Cosmetics
If we want to use the essential oils In cosmetics we must keep in mind that the concentration of essential oils to be used in a cream or vegetable oil must never exceed 3%, even better if it is between 1 and 2%.
The best carriers for essential oils are vegetable oils and among these we find jojoba oil which has the particularity of not going rancid and of not altering the fragrance of the preparation.
For mature skin, woods and resins such as sandalwood, cedar, incense are very good.
For young skin, geranium and palmarosa are very suitable. In case of pimples and oily skin, you can useessential oil of tea tree or thelemon essential oil, remembering that lemon is photosensitizing.
One of the best essential oils in the field of cosmetics is theneroli essential oil, the oil of beauty. It attenuates existing wrinkles and prevents their appearance. Excellent for rosacea because it reduces and strengthens blood vessels. It is one of the most powerful anti-stretch marks, even during pregnancy. It is good for preventing and restoring the loss of tone of tissues. It acts on elastin and collagen. It relaxes the features, an antidote to skin stress. It is suitable for all skin types.
Here are some easy to prepare and use recipes with Essential Oils
After sun oil: in 100 ml of jojoba vegetable oil add 10 drops of incense, 10 drops of officinal lavender and 5 drops of helichrysum. Apply after sun exposure and after showering
Anti-aging oil: 25 ml of rosehip oil, 25 ml of jojoba oil, 3 drops of frankincense, 5 drops of sandalwood, 3 drops of neroli, 2 drops of damask rose. Apply morning and evening after cleansing.
Hair oil: 50 ml of jojoba vegetable oil, 5 drops of sandalwood and 5 drops of ylang ylang. Apply a few drops to the hair to obtain a hydrating and restorative effect
Tonic for all skin types: in a 200 ml bottle put 10 ml of 95 degree alcohol and add 10 drops of myrtle essential oil, mix and then add 20 ml of lavender hydrolate, mix and fill the rest of the bottle with distilled water. Remember to shake before use
