Keeping Your Skin Healthy Through A Summer Of Sun Exposure - By: Michael South

We all do our best at keeping ourselves and our kids saturated with the best sunscreens. But even mothers with the best of intentions may sometimes miss an application for themselves or their children. Some damage is cumulative; it creeps up on us bought through years and years of exposure to the sun's rays. UV light is well known to cause a cascade of oxidative radical formation within our skin's tissues, thus leading to long-term degradation of collagen and other proteins. Damage does not only occur while we are in the sun -- much of it actually happens in the hours after sun exposure. Free radicals form upon first interaction with the sun's rays, and 'cascade' into various different forms until they've been quenched by our own natural antioxidant defenses. Fortunately, simple home-made aromathearpy formulas can effectively do the job as well.

Natural essential oils are highly effective antioxidants. Clove essential oil is one of the strongest natural antioxidants known, with and ORAC value of over 100,000 -- though it might be a little spicy to use on your face. There are a great many other essential oils with strong antioxidant action packed are known healers to the skin from which to choose. For example, a study just released by French scientists note that Myrrh essential oil has a profound oxygen quenching effect on free radicals produced by the interaction of UV rays and the skin's sebum. All essential oils used in skin care have the ability to absorb oxidative radicals, and they each have specific healing properties for the skin.

Creating a personal formula tailored to your family and children is especially fun and satisfying. All those little bottles won't just smell nice, but they'll be offering long-term health-enhancing support. Making a skincare formula is as easy as adding a few drops of one or more essential oils to a natural carrier oil base. That's all it takes! The first and most obvious choice for an after-sun formula is lavender essential oil. We all know by now that lavender began the modern aromatherapy revolution by healing burns that were caused in an accident -- and it will have the same effect on skin inflamed by the sun. Lavender can be used full strength on severe burns, or included at low concentrations with other oils for general use.

Blue Tansy is a somewhat more rare essential oil with profound anti-inflammatory action. Blue Tansy can be used in very dilute amounts; it is often called for in recipes at only a one or 2% concentration. Blue tansy's wonderful aroma will have you bathing in your lotion just for its sweet berry-like scent. Blue tansy is especially effective for sensitive skin that may be prone to irritation. It is included in many eczema and allergy blends for its naturally-calming action. So if your skin is gentle, and the Sun treats it a little harshly, a little blue tansy can really help.

Helichrysum may be the most dramatically anti-inflammatory and regenerative oil used in skin care. While expensive, just a small amount will have important healing effects. Helichrysum is used in wound healing and scar removal blends, and will do just as well for daily facial care. For folks with an eye toward really preventing any damage from the sun's rays, Helichrysum is a must. Like lavender Helichrysum can be used neat in emergencies, and at about 3% for a regular use skin recipes.

Finally, a lovely essential oil that should be perhaps be in every aromatherapy formula is Sea Buckthorn. This CO2 essential oil is extracted from tiny red berries from a bush wildly grown across Europe. This fruity smelling, deep red oil is dense with vitamin A - like nutrients for the skin which dramatically increase healing and regeneration rates. You'll see this oil recommended in nearly every skincare formula these days -- it can help in conditions ranging from acne to dermatitis, from general skincare to improving the appearance of healthy mature skin. Sea Buckthorn has even been studied for the protection of astronauts’ skin from the powerful raise beyond the Earth's atmosphere -- how's that for a recommendation? Use this oil with confidence at a 1-3 % concentration.

If you feel like getting creative, you can include other ingredients that are readily available at health food stores or on the Internet. You can squeeze a couple vitamin E. capsules into your blend, or add Ester-C -- a non-acidic form of vitamin C, both of which are excellent antioxidants when topically applied to the skin. All your 'active-ingredients' will be based in pure carrier oils. These are cold-processed seed or nut oils carefully made for therapeutic applications. The most useful for after-sun formula are Jojoba, Avocado, Apricot Kernel, Tamanu, and Rosehip seed oils. Jojoba, Avocado, Apricot Kernel are soothing, hydrating, and nutritive. Tamanu and Rosehip seed are specialty skin care oils are particularly suited to this use. Tamanu is mentioned in the medical aromatherapy literature as called for in various wound healing and skin care recipes; Rosehip seed has been the subject of numerous studies, helping create healthy skin numerous and diverse conditions. Rosehip has been specifically indicated for reduction of appearance of fine lines from sun over exposure.

The recipes are really flexible. You can easily tailor them to your own needs, or to those of your children and other loved ones. Simply choose one or more essential oils and add them to your carrier oil mixture at the rate of 15 drops per ounce. For example, for an excellent one ounce blend begin with a carrier base of 50% Rosehip seed and 50% Tamanu oil. To this you would add 5 drops each of Lavender, Sea Buckthorn, and Blue Tansy. This blend will smell so wonderful; you'll want to use it all the time. It will be gentle enough for everyone who has had a happy day in the sun. For care of mature skin, use a base of 1/3 each Apricot Kernel, Tamanu and Rosehip seed; to this add equal parts each of Helichrysum, Sea Buckthorn, Lavender, and Myrrh. This blend should be used after any long-term sun exposure to really protect your skin, and give it a long-lasting healthy glow.

About the Author

More on the benefits of essential oils like Lavender is available at http://www.anandaapothecary.com/aromatherapy-essential-oils/highland-lavender-essential-oil.html and http://www.anandaapothecary.com/essential-oils.html.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Michael-South/28325

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