Aromatherapy For Men: Keep Your Skin Looking Youthful With These Formulas
When researching therapeutic essential oil formulas for “mature” skin care, one can find many designed with women in mind. But what about men? Aren’t they concerned about their skin’s appearance too? At least their girlfriends and wives are! So here, anyway, are the oils and formulas for both preventing premature aging of the skin, as well as smoothing lines, wrinkles and scars — designed with men in mind.
Formulating blends for younger looking skin requires selecting oils which offer these therapeutic properties: regenerative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative. Essential oils are really exceptional skin-care ingredients, as they offer these important anti-aging actions (several having been backed by scientific research), and are well-tolerated and easily absorbed. The essential oils are mixed into carrier oils — which are “oils” in the more classic sense. Yet even these are selected for their specific anti-aging therapeutic effects.
Two great aromatics have been used since antiquity for skin care, and for good reason: they work. The resins of frankincense and myrrh are not just folk remedies (which usually work very well, despite the name) — they’ve been shown in research to improve appearance of the skin and reduce the appearance specifically of age related features such as fine lines and rough skin texture. When seeking these oils for this purpose, watch for “supercritical carbon dioxide extracts” — these are oils made by a modern process that effectively concentrates therapeutic components of the natural materials.
Next up are the oils that are known specifically for their regenerative and cell-stimulating effects. Helichrysum italicum and rosemary verbenone are found in nearly every “scar reduction” recipe; the features which make them so useful in these blends make them great anti-aging essential oils as well. Helichrysum is anti-inflammatory and high in regenerative “di-ketones” (the only oil in common use to have these specific molecular components). Rosemary of the “verbenone” chemotype is considered a “specialty skin care oil”, as it too has unique regenerative ketones. It is also thought to enhance skin cell metabolism, increasing the nutrients-in and waste-out processes.
We’ll also select one or more oils with high levels of anti-oxidant and rejuvenative nutrients. These oils have a deep reddish-orange color, indicating the presence of these vitamin-like compounds: carrot root, whole rosehip and whole sea buckthorn. While these can be found as “carrier oils”, it is the “CO2 extracts” of these plant parts that are best for our men’s anti-aging formulation. They’re a very concentrated extract, providing an incredible concentration of carotenoids and polyphenols.
Finally, we can put sandalwood in every skin care blend for men. Sandalwood is an exceptional oil for many reasons: it’s use is proven to prevent skin cancer. It is hydrating for dry skin, yet helps heal acne for those with oily skin. It also has a very much appreciated “bottom-note” aroma, that’s considered relaxing and grounding.
There are several carrier oils to choose from, with three that are highly regarded for their anti-aging properties: Rosehip seed oil (pressed from the seed, different than the rosehip CO2), tamanu nut oil and argan nut oil. Rosehip seed’s use is backed by research showing smoothing of skin texture, lines and wrinkles. Tamanu is a very therapeutic oil with a highly regenerative nature — it is though to almost triple the speed of new cell formation. Argan is high in antioxidants, and has recently made big waves in the natural beauty industry for its anti-aging action. You can use any of these oils singly as your base, or blend all three together in equal parts.
Ready to blend? These recipes may seem simple, but are truly efficacious. Using the base oils as described, to each one ounce of your base mixture, add: 4 drops each of frankincense and myrrh (or 8 drops of either single oil), 4 drops each of helichrysum and rosemary (or again 8 of either single oil), 6 drops sandalwood, and 16 drops of any of the three CO2 extracts of rosehip, carrot root or sea buckthorn. (If you want to get really fancy, you can blend these three together, then use 16 drops of the mixture). That’s it! An exceptional blend for normal or drier “mature” men’s skin.
For variations of skin type, consider these: For those with acne-prone skin, DO NOT use rosehip seed oil carrier — either eliminate it or replace it with organic virgin coconut (which cures acne alone for some users). And use sea buckthorn “CO2″ instead of rosehip “CO2″ For those with sensitive skin, reduce each oil by two drops and add four drops of lavender (don’t worry, it won’t be enough to smell like a flower)!
That’s it — these formulations are as fine as any you’ll find in high-end boutiques at a fraction of the cost. Feel free too to adjust the recipes to your skin’s needs; this is easily done, and you can perfect your recipe to care for your “manly” skin for years to come.
The author is a regular contributor to natural ezines on . She may be contacted through .
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