Introduction

Summer is well and truly on its way, here in Australia. We've already had our first Bushfires and Christmas is closing in, so we thought you might just want to have a look at some of the Great Christmas Gift Ideas we've put together for you.

This month's Newsletter once again is packed full with information we hope will interest you. Kitty is talking about how out pets are increasingly getting a little on the too heavey side and give some helpful advice on how to overcome this.

Happy reading and shopping!

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Eczema - A Problem of the Acid Mantel

It's official - Eczema is not an immune disease, but a problem of the integrity of the skin's Acid Mantel. According to media reports, a dermatologist finally figured out that the problem with eczema is not the body's immune system, but (as members of alternative medical profession have stated for many decades), it is due to a lack of integrity of the skin's Acid Mantel.

So what is this Acid Mantel?

The pores of our skin are made up of a combination of oil and sweat glands (sebaceous and sudoriferous glands) helping to keep our skin healthy and elastic. When in balance, the combined excretion of oil and sweat from the skin’s pores has a pH of about 5.5.

This slightly acidic layer, is referred to as the “Acid Mantel”, and it is our body’s first defence mechanism against bacteria invading it. The Acid Mantel is not a favourable environment for bacterial growth to occur. This defence layer develops at puberty, which is why children are more susceptible to disease, viruses and fungal infections such are ringworm and Eczema. The pH of children’s skin is closer to neutral (pH 7).

At puberty, however, we start to produce more hair on our bodies. Hair follicles have an associated sebaceous gland or glands which become active as hair growth increases, causing changes in the skin’s pH. The hormones that control sweat also become active, and the whole surface of a teenager’s skin is totally different to that of a young child. This is our body’s way to increase our defence system.

If this process does not develop fully, or we keep removing the Acid Mantel through the use of soaps, the protection of the skin is compromised and the results are potential problems with the skin, such as developing eczema.

Importance of the skin's pH: Do's & Don'ts

One of the major culprits that radically alter the pH of the skin, is soap. Ordinary, commercially available soaps are highly alkaline (pH range 9-11) and raise the skin’s pH to be much more alkaline. In addition, this destroyes the Acid Mantel leaving the skin vulnerable to microbial attack.

Other factors influencing your skin's pH

Another factor that helps in regulating your skin’s pH is the presents of microflora on your skin. Staphylococcus epidermis is involved in the breakdown of fatty acids, and is therefore partly responsible for the acidic pH of skin. The use of ordinary soap, not only changes the pH of the skin to be more alkaline, effectively removing the protective acid mantle, but also kills the bacteria responsible for creating, at least in part, the acidic pH of your skin – a double whammy.

How to Support Your Acid Mantel and Protect Your Skin

To protect your skin's defence machanisms, including the Acid Mantel, it is important to follow a daily skin care regime. This is not just for important for women, men too have to protect their skin.

So here are the basic steps to follow:

1. Use a pH neutral soap to wash your skin. This includes washing of your hands. Many people, wash their hands many times a day with soaps that even include anti-bacterial chemicals which destroy and kill all the bacteria of the skin, including the good ones. This destroys the protective Acid Mantel and allows 'bad' microbs to flurish.
   
2. Use a loofah to remove dead layers of skin. This promotes new, healthy skin cell growth and promotes blood circulation to the superficial layers of the skin.
   
3. Follow a daily skin care regime of Cleansing, Toning and Moisturising. You can read a detailed description of how to implement a daily skin care regime Here.
   
4. For skin other than facial skin, use a natural all-over body moisturiser. Also, instead of soap, you can use an Exfoliating skin wash such as our Skin Renewal Gel.

Your skin is an asset worth protecting - your health depends on it.

- - -  Don't forget to have a look at our Great Christmas Gif Ideas  - - -

How To Use Essential Oils Part 1: What Do Different Essential Oils Do?

We hear and read much about the benefits of Aromatherapy and the use of essential oils, however, rarely do we find out how and what essential oils can be used, or for which purpose. What are their properties? How can they be used and what forms/medium should they be used in?

This series of articles is designed to help answer some of these questions surrounding essential oils and give helpful information, hints and tips on how to use essential oils safely and effectively around the home.

The first article in this series is devoted to the properties of essential oils. Unless we know what they are good for, how can we make use of them?

Words of Caution.

The essential oils below are generally safe if used correctly. Do be careful however when using Tea tree, Peppermint, or Eucalyptus oil. They can be irritating to the skin. Remember in general you should never use essential oils undiluted.

I have left out a considerable number of  essential oils such as Wintergreen, Black pepper and others, because some of them can cause serious burns and injury if used inappropriately or incorrectly.

The essential oils that are listed, however, still require your attention and caution. Make sure you always dilute them before applying them to the skin, avoid the eyes and do not take them internally.

Key Properties of Essential Oils

(You can click on many of the essential oils to find out more about them. Each of the oils is only linked once, so click on the essential oils when it first appears.)

Analgesic

Bergamot, Cedarwood, Chamomile (roman), Eucalyptus, Geranium, Lavender, Marjoram, Peppermint, Rosemary.

Anti-bacterial

Cypress, Lavender, Lime, Rosemary, Tea tree, Thyme.

Anti-depressant

Basil, Bergamot, Chamomile, Clary sage, Geranium, Grapefruit, Jasmine, Lavender, Melissa, Neroli, Orange, Patchouli, Petitgrain, Rose, Ylang ylang.

Anti-fungal

Lavender, Lemongrass, Lime, Tea tree.

Anti-inflammatory

Bergamot, Chamomile, Lavender.

Anti-microbial

Bergamot, Chamomile, Lemon, Tea tree. 

Antiseptic

Basil, Bergamot, Clary sage, Chamomile, Cyprus, Eucalyptus, Fennel, Frankincense, Geranium, Jasmine, Juniper, Lavender, Lemon, Lime, Marjoram, Neroli, Patchouli, Peppermint, Rose, Tea tree, and many other essential oils.

Antispasmodic

Aniseed, Bergamot, Chamomile, Clary sage, Cyprus, Eucalyptus, Fennel, Juniper, Lavender, Marjoram, Melissa, Neroli, Rose,

Anti-viral

Bergamot, Cedarwood, Eucalyptus, Fennel, Ginger, Juniper, Lemon, Jasmine, Lime, Mandarin, Neroli Tee tree, and many more

Aphrodisiac

Clary sage, Jasmine, Juniper, Neroli, Patchouli, Rose,  Rosewood, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Ylang ylang

Astringent

Cedarwood, Clary sage, Cypress, Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Geranium, Juniper, Lemongrass, Lime, Peppermint, Rose, Sandalwood.

Carminative

Aniseed, Basil, Bergamot, Clary sage, Chamomile, Fennel, Frankincense, Juniper, Lavender, Mandarin, Marjoram, Melissa, Peppermint, Sandalwood.

Concentration aid

Basil, Lemon, Rosemary.

Deodorant

Bergamot, Clary sage, Cyprus, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Neroli, Orange, Patchouli.

Digestive

Basil, Bergamot, Clary sage, Chamomile, Fennel, Frankincense, Ginger, Mandarin, Marjoram, Melissa, Orange, Peppermint.

De-stressing

Bergamot, Lemongrass, Patchouli, Petitgrain, Rosewood.

Detoxifier

Basil, Fennel, Juniper, Lemon, Rosemary

Diuretic

Aniseed, Cedarwood, Cyprus, Geranium, Eucalyptus, Fennel, Frankincense, Juniper, Lavender, Lemon, Mandarin, Rosemary, Sandalwood, Thyme.

Energising / Tonic

Basil, Lemon, Peppermint, Rosemary,

Expectorant

Basil, Marjoram, Tea tree, Eucalyptus, Fennel, Frankincense, Lavender, Peppermint, Bergamot, Cedarwood,

Febrifuge

Basil, Bergamot, Chamomile, Eucalyptus, Ginger, Lavender, Melissa, Petitgrain, Peppermint,

Insect repellent

Cedarwood, Citronella, Eucalyptus, Lemon, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Tea tree, and others

Lowers blood pressure

Lavender, Marjoram, Melissa, Ylang ylang

Nerve relaxant / Carminative

Basil, Clary sage, Eucalyptus, Marjoram, Melissa, Neroli, Orange, Vetiver,

Raises blood pressure

Clary sage, Peppermint, Rosemary

Relieves insomnia

Basil, Chamomile, Lavender, Neroli.

Sedative and relaxing

Bergamot, Cedarwood, Chamomile (roman), Clary sage, Frankincense, Geranium, Jasmine, Juniper, Lavender, Lemon, Mandarin, Marjoram, Melissa, Neroli, Patchouli, Rose, Rosewood, Vetiver, Ylang ylang.

Stimulant

Aniseed, Basil (of adrenal cortex), Bergamot, Cypress, Lemon, Eucalyptus, Fennel, Peppermint, Rosemary, Tea tree, Thyme.

Strengthens body’s immune system

Eucalyptus, Lavender, Lemon, Rosewood, Tea tree.

Tonic

Basil, Bergamot, Chamomile, Clary sage, Fennel, Frankincense, Geranium, Ginger, Grapefruit, Jasmine, Juniper, Lavender, Mandarin, Melissa, Marjoram, Neroli, Patchouli, Rose (heart, stomach, liver, uterus), Rosemary, Sandalwood, Tea Tree, Thyme, Vetiver.

Uplifting & refreshing

Basil, Bergamot, Peppermint, Lavender, Lemon, Melissa, Orange, Pine, Rosemary, Rose geranium.

Warming

Ginger, Marjoram.

Wound healing

Bergamot, Chamomile, Geranium, Lavender, Rosemary, Tea tree.

The properties listed above are by no means exhaustive, however, this is not meant to be a course on medical Aromatherapy rather it is an introduction to how essential oils may be used in everyday life and some minor ailments.

Now we have established a starting base. We now know what properties the different essential oils have and what they can be used for.

As you read through the list of properties, you have probably noticed that several of the essential oils occur in more than one category. This will help in the selection process later on. For now, it is important just to recognise that the different oils have several properties for application.

For example, lets look at Lavender oil, which has the following properties:

Analgesic, anti-bacterial, anti-depressant, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, diuretic, expectorant, sedative and immuno-tonic.

These properties, when viewed as a whole, provide insight into the type of situations in which Lavender may be useful. It is these properties that are the key indicators for its selection under different circumstances.

For example, Lavender is well known for its ability to help in facilitating sleep. When we look its list of properties, which includes, carminative and sedative, we can see how this is possible.

Similarly, Lavender is great to treat minor and moderate burns. Again looking at its properties we can see that it is analgesic (pain relieving), anti-bacterial (prevents secondary bacterial infection), anti-inflammatory (reduces inflammation), antiseptic (destroys or inhibits the growth of bacteria and other micro-organisms), carminative (has a calming effect on the person), diuretic (relieves excessive fluid build up), and sedative (helps the patient to relax). Clearly, these are the type of properties that are useful in a case of sunburn or similar burn to the skin.

As is evident from the above example, knowing the properties of essential oils is the key to understanding how and when to use them.

The next article in this series will deal with how to use essential oils in different media such as water, base-oils, air, etc. Before we can make a choice of which essential oils to use, we need to know and understand how the essential oil(s) will be applied. This is because some essential oils such as Lavender, for example, can be directly applied to the skin, however, Peppermint, Lemon and others are not ideal for direct application and will need to be applied via a medium such as a water bath, cream, or together with a base/carrier oil such as Apricot or Almond.