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Essential oil, used in aromatherapy as well as perfumes, is extracted from herbs, flowers and fruits in several ways.

# 1 Distillation is the process whereby the flowers or herbs are placed on a screen within an enclosed vessel. As the steam passes up through the flowers it breaks open the cells which include the essential oils. The oil evaporates and is carried up with the water droplets within the steam. As the water condenses it is collected. The oil is lighter than water is separated. It can take several hundred pounds of roses for example, to extract one ounce of rose essential oil. Making essential rose oil one of the most expensive essential oils. The water that is left has uses and retains the scent of the material.

# 2 Cold pressing is another method. This is used to extract essential oils from citrus fruits. The fruit is scared (pricked) over it’s surface releasing the oil from the pouches within the skin of the fruit. The whole fruit is pressed then releasing the oil and the juice. The oil rises to the top of the juice and separated by centrifugation.

# 3 Flowers such as jasmine and tuberose are so delicate or have such a low amount of essential oil that heating the blossoms by steam would destroy the petals before the oil is released. Enfleurage is time consuming and expensive. However it is the one method that can be performed at home. Flower petals are placed on trays of odorless vegetable or animal fat. The fat absorbs the oil from the flowers. Every day the old petals are removed and replaced with fresh ones. This process continues until the fat is saturated with the essential oil. For home uses the highly scented oil/fat can be used as is. For commercial perfumes adding alcohol to the enfleurage mixtures separates the essential oil from the vegetable of animal fat.

# 4 Solvent extraction is less time consuming than enfleurage. A chemical such as hexane is used to saturate the plant materials and draw out the essential oils. The oils and the hexane form a compound called a concrete. Alcohol mixes with the concrete and as the alcohol evaporates it takes the hexane with it and the remaining substance is essential oil. The disadvantage is that it is nearly impossible to remove all the hexane.

Not all essential oils are nice.  Us humans find that citronella oil is very pleasant but dogs don’t.  This is why you can buy a citronella spray collar for dog training purposes.

• Perfume – Sells a variety of perfumes and makeup at discount prices.  All products 100% genuine.

No Comments » Posted by April / Beauty

You may feel that having oily skin is a curse and a challenge to deal with. Oil production is completely natural and is the result of the sebaceous glands located in the dermis or middle layer of skin. Oil is produced to keep your skin moist and supple. However sometimes the sebaceous glands produce too much oil which in turn causes oily skin.

How do I know I have oily skin?

Oily skin is most prevalent in teenagers due to rampaging hormones. If your days as a teenager are well behind you there are other ways to determine whether or not you have oily skin.

T-Zone: First of look in the mirror to see if there is a sheen to your skin, particularly your “T-Zone”. For those who aren’t sure what a “T-Zone” is, it’s the area of skin that starts at your forehead and extends vertically down along your nose all the way to your chin. The Zone also includes the area of skin across the bridge of your nose, starting and ending at the centre point below each eye.

Oily Hair? While you’re standing at the mirror, take a look at your hair. If it’s oily, it’s another indication you likely have oily skin.

Makeup Sliding Off? If you find it difficult for your makeup to stay on your skin for anything more than a few hours then this is certainly an indicator. If you’re constantly patting your face with powder or even a handkerchief it’s probably because of oily skin.

Blemishes: The presence of blemishes is another good indication although stress, hormones and other factors can all cause outbreaks. And remember that oily skin isn’t found only on the face. The back, neck, chest, shoulders and arms can all be oily.

How to care for oily skin?

Be Gentle: Most people with really oily skin comment that they want to strip all their skin away with a blowtorch or at the very least use harsh soaps. Be careful about using harsh products, oils produced by the sebaceous glands are important because they act as the skin’s natural moisturiser.

Don’t Make Matters Worse: Another reason not to use harsh soaps that strip away oil is that doing so may cause the sebaceous glands to increase their oil production. It simply kick-starts your body into producing even more oil making matters worse.

Clear Pores: If your pores are clogged with dead cells, bacteria or dirt this can cause spots. Treat your skin with care, use a gently cleanser and warm water rather than hot water. Use a non-abrasive cleanser and stay away from toners which have alcohol in it.

Choose Products Carefully:Use products that moisturize in moderation and according to directions. Make sure the cosmetics and sun protection you use are oil-free. Look for skin care products with the words ‘non-comedogenic’ or ‘non-acnegenic’ on the labels.  Did you know about black skin acne scars?

• How a Simple Kitchen Product Revitalized my Hair in 30 Minutes – If you have oily skin then the chances are you also have oily hair, find out how bicarbonate of soda can help with both problems.

No Comments » Posted by April / Beauty

Perfume was first used by the Egyptians during religious ceremonies as a cleansing ritual either by burning incense or the use of balms and ointments.  Incense is a combination of aromatic organic materials that release a fragrant smoke when burned.  The smoke is comprised of the materials that burn and bits of the organic scented materials.   When burnt, the organic compound condenses into fine droplets and scents the surrounding cooler air.

Not Just a Pretty Scent

Perfumed oils were also used as medicine and skin treatments.  During Egypt’s New Kingdom (1580-1085 BC) period, women’s perfume began being used as a cosmetic.  Legend has it that Cleopatra conquered the Romans with her perfume and Bathsheba seduced King Solomon with perfume.

Perfumes spread to the Greeks and Romans, probably in part because of Cleopatra. The Romans were extravagant in their use of perfume.  At banquets, and even during daily life, flowers and perfumed waters were used abundantly everywhere from atriums, spas and bedrooms.  Perfumery was a flourishing business in Rome with spas and beauty shops becoming meeting and greeting places.  It has been said that Nero just by himself burned more incenses than Saudi Arabia could produce in an entire year.

The Greeks gave perfume a value nearly equal to that of food.  The first perfume factory was thought to have been established in Greece.  Guests at banquets went through a ritual of washing their hands in perfume and at the banquet’s end were given a vial of perfume to take home.

This era of abundance and some say decadence began to fail as the Roman empire fell.

During the 12th century usage of perfume was on the rise again.  France became the centre of the perfume industry during the 16th and 17th centuries.  Perfume was incorporated into gloves, applied on clothing and even furniture.

Perfumed cloths were used to disguise the smells and unpleasant odour of the streets.  There was some thought during the Black Plague that some scents such as rosemary and lavender could ward off the disease.

Essentials oils from lavender, rosemary, and bergamot form the basis of eau de cologne.  A simple recipe is 1/8 teaspoon of lemon oil, ½ teaspoon of lavender oil, and ¼  teaspoon of bergamot (orange)  oil mixed with 4 ounces of high proof vodka.  Eau de cologne can also be made by steeping lavender flowers, rosemary springs, lemon peel and orange peel in the vodka.

Napoleon was said to have used 60 bottles of perfume a month, even on the battle field.

No Comments » Posted by April / Beauty

Perfume is a mixture of alcohol, a fixative, essential oils, and in modern day, chemically created scent. Cologne is simply a diluted version of perfume. Where perfume can contain up to 30% essential oils, colognes often contain only 1 – 2% of these oils.

Perfumes can be single scents such as jasmine, but most perfumes have a high note, the first scent that reaches you, middle notes, sometimes called heart notes, which is the personality of the perfume and finally the base note which lingers on. A great perfume can seem to be a grand symphony of fragrance.

A person’s own body scent and skin oils mix with the essential oils in the perfume to create a unique scent. That’s why the same cologne can smell so differently on different people. And why it’s important to always test a perfume before purchasing. A good rule of thumb is to never test more than three perfumes at a time.

Fragrance falls into six basic groups:

• Floral: rose, jasmine, lilac, gardenia
• Wood: cedar, pine, sandalwood
• Fruit: lemon, orange, peach
• Herbal: lavender, sage, bay
• Exotic: musk, ylang-ylang, vanilla
• Spice: cinnamon, ginger, cloves

The perfume can have top, heart, and base notes all from one category or mix the notes from different categories.

Commercially perfume was often fixed with for a longer shelf life with civet oil, or musk. Today chemical replacements have been found. Home made perfume can be fixed with glycerine or castor oil.

For example Channel No. 5 (named because it was in a bottle labelled “5″ during the testing period, has

• Top Notes: Aldehydes, Grasse Jasmine
• Heart Notes: Rose, Ylang-Ylang, Iris
• Base Notes: Amber, Patchouli

Modern perfume making has been taken over by Classic Designer houses such as Christian Dior which offers several perfumes including : J’adore, Diorella, Diorissimo, Dolce Vita fragrance, Miss Dior, and Diorissimo. While celebrities have always endorsed perfumes, they’re now lending their name to perfumes like “Lovely,” by Sara Jessica Parker.

How to Store Your Perfume

Perfume should be kept away from light and heat. Air can also cause the components of the perfume to start to disintegrate and turn sour. Perfume should be kept in the smallest glass bottle possible. The scent should be applied either through a spray or through the use of a glass stopper. The oil from your fingers can contaminate the perfume so never turn the bottle opening against your finger to apply the perfume.

The cost of perfume ranges from the least expensive colognes around $25 a bottle to $215,000 a bottle for Imperial Majesty, a Clive Christian signature scent. The fragrance is $2,150 per ounce. To warrant a price tag of $215,000, a Baccarat crystal bottle was filled with 16.9 ounces of perfume and a five carat diamond and gold collar.

No Comments » Posted by April / Beauty

Have you ever had one of those mornings where you wake up looking like you just finished nine rounds in the boxing ring with someone who obviously won judging by the dark circles and swelling around your eyes? Or do you  have those same dark circles after a long day at work?

Thousands of people suffer from the same dark circles and bags that you are seeing. They seem to be hard to get rid of, even after applying several layers of makeup.  Plus, they make you look tired and even older. So, what can be done to prevent or at least reduce the appearance of this unwanted feature?

Where do they come from?

• There are a few things that can cause black under eye circles and swelling. The one that usually comes to mind is fatigue, just being plain tired.
• Another cause is allergies. Besides making you sniff and cough, allergies can also effect the eyes by making them water and swell.
• Heredity is the dominant cause of circles and bags and unfortunately is the hardest one avoid or prevent.

Remedies

Let’s begin with the easy stuff. If you feel your “panda eyes” are coming from a lack of sleep, get more sleep. Try going to bed earlier and avoid drinking alcohol right before bed. Alcohol, even though it makes you tired, can cause you to have a restless night’s sleep. Try wearing ear plugs if noise is keeping you awake and block out any unwanted light. The average adult should get between 7-9 hours of sleep at night.  Also consider a power nap.

If allergies are the cause then a trip to your doctor is needed. Your doctor will be able to determine what is causing the allergic reaction and help you to relieve it. By removing the allergenic from your environment, you will also eliminate any symptoms it was causing.

Then there is heredity. If you find other family members have this same problem, chances are that it’s in your genes. There are things that may reduce the appearance of dark circles and bags but probably will not totally eliminate them.

You may have heard about putting cucumbers on your eyes to relieve puffiness, but a raw potato will work, too. Both offer a cool, soothing feeling and will take down any swelling.

Tea bags can offer some relief as well. The tannin in the tea reduces swelling and may reduce the discolouration found under the eyes. You will want to moisten the tea bags in warm water and then cool them down before placing on the eyes.

A cold pack or a cool wet wash cloth may also help.

These easy remedies may reduce the appearance but probably will not eliminate the dark color especially if it is caused by heredity.

No Comments » Posted by April / Beauty