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Natural Skin Care and Beauty

5 Reasons to Add Aromatherapy in Your Skin Care Routine

Stacey L. Macchia
Writer and expert8 years ago
View Stacey L. Macchia's profile

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Ahhh, aromatherapy. Just the mere mention of the word evokes images of tranquility and pampering. But aromatherapy is much more than just a pretty scent in the bedroom or your bubble bath. Read on to learn how the simple practice of indulging your sense of smell can actually benefit both your mind and skin.

1. Your sense of smell is directly tied to your emotions.

The influence of fragrance on our mood is primal. Smell is the only sense that is perceived by our unconscious mind, the part of the brain that is home to our emotions. When we inhale a fragrance, a message is sent to our brain that initiates a specific reaction in our body. For example, lemon stimulates, lavender soothes and rosemary boosts concentration. That’s why fragrance has such an intense effect on the way we feel. Inhaling a scent can immediately bring back memories and feelings from the past.

2. Aromatherapy has been used for healing for almost 6,000 years.

Aromatherapy is the use of natural plant oils, called essential oils, to provide physical and psychological effects on an individual. Found at the heart of a plant’s leaves, blossoms, seeds and roots, essential oils are nature’s purest and most complex active ingredients. Ancient civilizations used them for nearly 6,000 years therapeutically and spiritually as well as in cosmetics and perfumes. René-Maurice Gattefossé, a French chemist who founded the science of aromatherapy, became fascinated with essential oils after accidentally discovering that lavender oil helped to rapidly heal a severe burn on his hand. By the 1950s, the practice of aromatherapy had become widely used globally. In recent years the use of aromatherapy products has dramatically increased.

3. When applied topically, essential oils can benefit both the skin and the mind.

When essential oils are applied to the skin, the tiny molecules are easily and rapidly absorbed, penetrating deeply, balancing the mind and treating specific conditions while improving overall skin health. Composed of hundreds of active compounds, each has a very specific result when used topically on the skin: soothing, toning, purifying, balancing, anti-aging. Essential oils can also directly affect the nervous system, heartbeat, breathing and blood pressure, which is why they are commonly used in massage treatments to relax the physical body while also calming the mind.

4. Essential oils don't need preservatives.

Another benefit of essential oils in skin care formulations is their unique ability to be antiseptic and antimicrobial, meaning they naturally preserve the integrity of the formula, reducing the need for added preservatives and parabens. Essential oils are also incredibly high in vital antioxidants—vitamins A, C and E, for example—which control free radical damage at the cellular level. Free radical damage leads to wrinkles, age spots, inflammation, collagen and elastin breakdown and a host of other tell-tale signs of aging skin.

5. Not all aromatherapy products are created equal.

Sure, if you’re buying a room spray or candle, go with a fragrance you love. But when selecting a product to be applied to the skin, only use 100% pure essential oils from reputable brands.

DECLÉOR has been the expert in the art of selecting essential oils and creating precisely measured blends to deliver their full potential in skin care products since 1974. The result is uniquely effective products that incorporate the best ingredients from the botanical world. The exact blending of these highly active oils is a delicate balance between effectiveness and safety that takes years to perfect. These oils are so complex and powerful that it’s impossible to duplicate their therapeutic properties with a laboratory-created substitute.

So go ahead, light a candle, apply a mask, slip into the bath and just breathe. Surround yourself with the aroma and rich textures of essential oils, knowing you’re pampering your mind and body with nature’s most powerful beauty elixirs.

Stacey L. Macchia
Writer and expert
View Stacey L. Macchia's profile
Stacey Macchia is Senior Manager, Marketing and Retail at DECLÉOR, the global leader in Aromatherapy Skincare specializing in professional treatments and products based in essential oil expertise. An education in bio chemistry, product formulation and a lifelong passion for skincare landed her on a path to beauty marketing. Her best beauty tip: Whatever you do to your face, do to your neck and the back of your hands.
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