Mankind has been using cosmetics for thousands of years. In China, plant extracts have been used to maintain health and beauty since before our era. The ancient Greeks and Egyptians actively used oils and plant extracts in medicine, cosmetology, rituals and embalming. Containers with ointments and aromatic oils were found in the Egyptian pyramids. The ancient Romans also made their contribution to the study of medicinal plants. The doctor of Marcus Aurelius – Galen – even made their classification, and also invented a cream for skin care. Some beauty recipes have come down to our times thanks to the famous beauties of antiquity: it is known that Cleopatra’s favorite remedy was rose oil, and bitter orange essential oil still bears the name of Princess Neroli.
How did they all cope without supermarkets and shops where you can buy ready-made cans and bottles for all occasions? It turns out that synthetic cosmetics were invented quite recently – in the 19th century, and replaced natural products that were more expensive to manufacture. For a century and a half, everything has turned upside down: now synthetic cosmetics made from cheap, often harmful components cost fabulous money, and miraculous healing oil can be bought at a pharmacy for 60 rubles!
It turns out that you can make excellent cosmetics from plant components yourself, fortunately, most of the components can be easily obtained at a simple pharmacy. How to do it? Very simple.
Let’s start with the most important thing – nourishing the skin of the face. You need to choose one, two or more base oils that will form the basis of your new miracle cure. Universal oils suitable for any skin – jojoba, wheat germ, carrot seeds, grape and apricot kernels, coconut and cedar oil. These products can be used even without any additives: any of them is the richest source of vitamins, fatty acids, antioxidants and other benefits that help the skin glow with health and maintain youth.
For example, the jojoba oil – one of the best nourishing oils, which has no analogues in the plant world. Its chemical composition is unique and similar in its properties to spermaceti, the most valuable nutrient obtained from sperm whale oil. It contains an incredible amount of fatty and amino acids, collagen, vitamin E. Due to this, it has rejuvenating, moisturizing, regenerating and anti-inflammatory properties. With regular use, it can significantly slow down the aging process, enriching the skin and protecting it from aggressive environmental influences.
Wheat germ oil is a unique product that contains an incredible amount of biologically active substances, essential amino acids, minerals, vitamins and lipids. These substances are incorporated in the germ of the grain by nature itself to create a new life. They moisturize, nourish the skin, stimulate the process of cell renewal, remove toxins and treat inflammation. Wheat germ oil is one of the richest vegetable oils, has no contraindications and is suitable for any skin type. Moreover, it solves the problems of both dry skin, prone to withering, peeling and premature aging, and oily skin, with inflammation, acne and redness. This magic tool can tighten the oval of the face, cope with wrinkles, give the skin elasticity and a fresh look.
Cedar oil – a treasure of northern nature, a champion in nutrient content. It contains a huge amount of fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. For example, in terms of vitamin E content, cedar oil is 5 times higher than olive oil, and there is more vitamin P in it than in any other natural source! Delivery to the epidermis of such a rich set of macro- and microelements, including vitamins A, B1, B2, B3 (PP), B6, D, E, F, K, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, manganese and iodine, extremely favorably affects the biochemical processes in skin cells. And essential fatty and omega acids, contained in an incredible amount in cedar oil, restore skin structure, smoothing wrinkles and improving tone. As a result of using this magical oil, the skin receives all the substances necessary for health and youth, it becomes smooth, hydrated, nourished and radiant.
Apricot kernel oil cold pressed has the strongest biological activity, perfectly absorbed and penetrates deep into the skin, saturating it with nutrients, moisturizing and slowing down the aging process. In addition, it improves the metabolic process and treats inflammation. This oil is suitable for all skin types, it has a very beneficial effect on the delicate area around the eyes. It contains vitamins F, A, B, C, D, E, fatty acids, phospholipids, pectins, enzymes, minerals, potassium, calcium, iron, copper, zinc.
Coconut oil It is an excellent moisturizer that has been used for centuries for skin and hair care. It prevents dry skin, flaking and wrinkles, maintains skin tone and helps in the treatment of skin infections. Due to the content of lauric acid, it is perfectly absorbed, delivering capric, caprylic, linoleic and oleic acids, polyphenols, vitamins E and K, iron and organic sulfur even to the deepest layers of the epidermis. These substances have antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal and antibacterial properties, help the skin stay young, hydrated and healthy.
These wonderful base oils can be used alone and in blends, or enhanced by the addition of an essential oil that suits your skin type. For example, as a base, mix equal parts of coconut oil and wheat germ, and then add one third of a lighter cosmetic oil: jojoba or grape seed.
Then we saturate the resulting mixture with essential oils, selected according to personal preferences and skin needs:
Suitable for oily skin with enlarged pores white sandalwood oil – A well-known Ayurvedic remedy, since ancient times used in India and China as a strong antiseptic for the skin, capable of treating any inflammation. It has cooling and bactericidal properties, cleanses the skin of microbes, normalizes the sebaceous glands, tightens pores. White sandalwood is the most valuable, expensive and rare species in the family, in addition to its healing properties, which has a delicate unique aroma.
For the care of oily skin prone to inflammation, well-known tea tree and yarrow oiland palmarosa oil – the only product with powerful bactericidal, antiviral and antifungal properties that does not cause a negative skin reaction. It balances sebum production, aids regeneration, smoothes scar tissue, and treats various forms of dermatitis.
Ideal for treating beriberi and tired skin carrot seed oil – an indispensable source of vitamins and, by the way, an excellent anti-aging agent that activates intracellular regenerative processes. It improves blood circulation and improves skin tone. It contains large amounts of vitamin A (Retinol), on which the elasticity and freshness of the face depend. Carrot seed oil softens dry and hard skin, promotes rapid healing of lesions.
It is also very beneficial for maintaining youthful skin. evening primrose oil – a rich source of gamma-linoleic acid, restoring the elasticity and youthfulness of the skin. The oil effectively moisturizes and softens, smoothes wrinkles, removes irritation and inflammation. Helps the skin to avoid the negative effects of hormonal changes and the environment.
By combining these and other wonderful natural remedies, it is very easy to prepare safe and truly effective cosmetics for yourself. By adding new components to already tested recipes, you can always diversify skin nutrition and enjoy the creative process, because what you get – a set of components, proportion, consistency and aroma – will be unique and unrepeatable! In one skin care product, there can be more than 10 ingredients at the same time!
Before you start the creative process of creating cosmetics, you need to familiarize yourself with the safety precautions: essential oils are concentrated biologically active substances, they cannot be applied to the skin in their pure form. In addition, you need to make sure of individual tolerance and the absence of allergies. For example, I love the smell of cinnamon oil. But attempts to add it to cosmetics ended in complete failure for me: even in microdoses, when it comes into contact with the skin, it behaves terribly: the entire treated area is covered with bright red spots and hurts wildly. So I recommend testing each tool you use. To do this, mix a drop of essential oil with a few drops of any base oil, apply to the skin of the inside of the hand. If this place does not turn red and the smell of oil does not make you dizzy, you can safely use it.
And one more tip: when buying oil, check the expiration date, and also read the composition carefully. I once bought a bottle that said “Wheat Germ” and said “Wheat Germ Soybean Oil”.
Here are a couple of easy recipes:
Revitalizing nourishing oil for dry to normal skin: mix 20 ml of cedar oil and 20 ml of wheat germ oil, add 2-3 drops of essential oils of rose, neroli, frankincense, fennel, sandalwood and myrrh.
A therapeutic cleansing & anti-inflammatory oil for oily skin: in 40 ml of grape seed oil with add 2-3 drops of essential oils of tea tree, sandalwood, rosemary, bergamot, lemon, geranium.
And now let’s talk about how to use face oil:
In the morning after cleansing, warm 5 to 8 drops of oil, rubbing between palms to release the rich aroma of essential oils, and gently pat on clean, wet face, including the area around the eyes. Thus, the oil performs the function of a hydrate, not only saturating and nourishing the skin, but also retaining moisture throughout the day.
At night, you can apply 5-10 drops to clean, dry skin.
There is another way to use cosmetic oils: apply them to the skin in the form of a mask and rinse with warm water after 15-20 minutes. This method is suitable for young and oily skin. It is believed that this is the way Ayurveda recommends using oils.
Personally, I like to use two different oil blends for night and day. For a nightly nourishing oil, you can take coconut oil or wheat germ oil (or mix them in equal proportions), adding essential oils that are as rich as possible in vitamins and fatty acids with soothing scents.
And instead of a day cream, you can prepare a light oil hydrate based on grape seed oil or jojoba oil (or a mixture thereof), adding essential oils with antibacterial and antioxidant properties that have invigorating energetic smells. Such a tool will not only keep the skin in a well-groomed, hydrated form, but also set it up for vigorous activity and optimism.
Benefits of using natural cosmetics:
– Natural remedies take care of the skin carefully, saturating it with beneficial substances, maintaining the level of hydration, helping timely cell renewal, without the risk of pore pollution, accumulation of toxins and carcinogens.
— Oils and plant extracts help to compensate for the negative impact of poor ecology, temperature fluctuations and other aggressive manifestations of the environment.
— At a subtle level, we connect with the beauty of nature, enrich ourselves with the energy of medicinal plants, absorb their vitality.
— The blissful smells of herbs and flowers set us up for peace, harmony and beauty.
Text: Vlada Ogneva.