Lifestyle Choices

Massage stimulates the blood flow to rejuvenate your skin, it stimulates the lymph fluid to clear wastes away and it improves your skin’s tone and texture. Once a week give your skin a treat and massage it. We pre-mix a facial massage blend and have it on hand for ready use.

Take 10 ml of a massage base oil (carrier oil), and blend with 5 drops of your chosen essential oils in a dark glass bottle (these can be purchased from a pharmacy or aromatherapy shop). Shake before use. Keep the bottle in a cool place away from sunlight. This facial blend will last you for about five massages, then assess your skin and its needs and make up your new 10 ml blend.

Your massage base oil needs to be cold pressed. Good massage base oils for the face are:

• Peach Kernel oil (good for normal type skin);
• Jojoba oil (a very fine oil, good for all skin types);
• Rosehip oil (another fine oil, rich in essential fatty acids, good for all skin types); Avocado oil (a fine and rich oil suited for more dry skin types);
• Calendula oil (a healing oil good for sensitive and irritated skin)

Essentials oils for massage blends

• Dry skin
• 2 drops Rosewood 2 drops Orange
• 1 drop Sandalwood
• Acne skin
• 2 drops Lavender
• 2 drops Tea Tree or Manuka 1 drop Chamomile
• Oily skin
• 2 drops Lavender
• 2 drops Geranium
• 1 drop Manuka or Tea-Tree
• Irritated or sensitive skin
• 2 drops Lavender
• 2 drops Chamomile 1 drop Sandalwood

Sunscreens

Choosing a sunscreen can be confusing. We know that an excess of UV radiation accelerates the aging of the skin, yet constant use of sunscreens, which contain chemicals, is also not supporting your skin to optimum health. Do not expose your skin to the intense rays (from about 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) for prolonged periods of time, and wear a hat.

We recommend using sunscreens that use physical barriers, such as Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide, blended with natural plant ingredients like Shea Butter, Carrot Seed oil, Wild Pansy extract and Calendula, which in themselves can offer natural sun filters.

The other option is to use a sunscreen that is encapsulated, which means the active chemicals are wrapped and not absorbed by the skin. Ensuring you are including an antioxidant supplement in your diet will also help the skin mop up the free radicals caused by UV rays.

Rating mask

Don’t forget the benefits of a good hydrating mask. It is a great pick-me-up once a week, maybe when you soak in the bath! There are many good plant-based masks available, otherwise, to mix up your own hydrating mask head to the kitchen (recipes are measured for one application only).

Mix half a ripe avocado with 1 teaspoon Avocado oil, make into a smooth paste and apply to slightly damp skin. Or try:

• 1 tablespoon yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 strawberries

Using a hand blender, blend to a smooth paste and paint on your skin with a pastry brush

Lip tip

An aromatic facial spritzer makes a fantastic toner. Into 100 ml of purified or filtered water, place 6-8 drops in total of any of the following oils: Lavender, Orange, Rosewood, Tea Tree, Lime or Frankincense. Shake well before use. Spray over face from 20 cm.

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