Your skin is the ultimate physical barricade between the outside environment and your Health.
How can we best maintain this important organ and the trillion organisms living on it, in balance so that we keep our internal chemistry of life running as joyfully and pain free possible?
While the answer of this question is rather long, I will make a short summary on how to go about it capitalising on the powers of generally recognized as safe Essential oil.
Essential oils create a smooth biofilm on the skin that can help to
- Slow down the loss of connective tissue: Lavender Oil. The most potent of all skin protectors, soothing the worst of sun burn, this oil requires no further introduction.
- Hydrate the skin like the jojoba oil. This oil has the same microscopic structure as the natural sebum secreted by the skin. Aging affects this secretion so the skin becomes dryer the hair becomes brittle. Apply undiluted on your skin as well as hair for a smooth healthier new YOU ( Meyer et al 2012)
- Counteract the effect of photoaging: Frankincense. This oil has powerful astringent properties. Therefore it notifies the skin and heals wounds due to exposure to the harmful sun rays. Use diluted ( 5 drops in a teaspoon of carrier oil)
- Alleviate fungal/bacterial infections ( Athlete’s foot, Nail bed infection, other fungal issues)
| Fungal infection | Essential oil | Source |
| Tinea (Trichophyton rubrum) and onychomycosis (T. mentagrophytes )infection | Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) |
Cassella et al, 2002 |
| Candida albicans | Lavender | Thosar, et al. 2013 |
| Escherichia coli
Staphylococcus aureus |
Peppermint
Tea tree Thyme |
Thosar, et al.2013 |
How else can one nurture and have a healthy glowing skin?
- By getting dirty. Yes that’s right get out and do some gardening with your bare hands or in other words let some of the soil based organisms get in touch with your skin. This way the skin microbiome (Grice & Segre 2011), i.e. the milieu diverse microorganisms living on the skin, will be enabled to do its job at its highest level.
- Stay away or even ditch the harsh antibacterial skin soaps, use them only when pathogen situations strictly require;
- Laundering clothes won’t kill the bacteria harboured within so make sure you dry the clothes in the sun;
Resources
Cassella et al, 2002, Int. J. Aromatherapy, 12 (1) 2-15, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0962456201901274
Grice and Segre, 2011, Nat Rev Microbiol. 9(4): 244–253, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3535073/
Meyer et al, 2012, Forsch Komplementmed., https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22585103
Thosar et al, 2013, Eur J Dent. 2013 Sep; 7(Suppl 1): S71–S77, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4054083/?report=printable
Disclaimer
The information on this website has not been evaluated by any medical body.
Please consult your doctor before acting on any content on this website. The information shared here is for educational purposes only. This is especially important if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition.