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Friday 26 December 2014

Beware Of ‘Fake- Natural’ and Chemically Derived Soaps

For manufacturers of handcrafted natural soaps and their ingenuity, the range of available soap bars is not restricted to floral or herbal resources. If you believe in the efficacies of rice oil-based soap bar, then your next bet could be goat milk soap or bamboo charcoal milky soap.

All natural soaps have a scientific and ancient background in the choice of its ingredients and manufacturing process. Current processes are more adapted to cold-pressed technology based on European standards. However, the ones related to Thai tradition of vegetable and fruit carvings, dates back 700 years and has found an offshoot in handmade carving of soap bars with natural ingredients.

Typecasting Soaps

The benefits you derive out of your soap determine your choice and the consistency of the products. You can choose from:

• Hard Soap: Generally, a white or grey coloured bar soap that is dry. Its components can vary with adding olive oil or other essential oils in natural bars. But, manufacturers of chemical soap bars add animal fat and sodium hydroxide.

• Soft Soap: The consistency is sometimes like jelly or honey and can be made from either natural ingredients like essential oils and incorporated with olive oil. A majority of commercial products are soda-based.

• Liquid Soap: Commercial products are made up of potassiumhydroxide, while hog plum oil, cotton seed oil or bean oil is added for handmade natural soap products.

Additionally, some adjuncts are also added to render anti-bacterial action to soap products such as triclosanor triclocarban. Adding lanolin to soaps enhances its moisturizing property.

It is however safer to go in for natural soaps as opposed to those obtained from the chemical process of saponification. Chemically derived soaps:

* Can irritate skin, making it dry and parched out
* Can also fracture skin in worst case scenarios
* Is a safe option for normal skin;but using excessive hydroxide-based soaps can deprive the skin of protective natural oils
* Glycerine used in chemically derived soaps is also extracted chemically that can dry the skin instead of lubricating it.
Pure soap made of natural ingredients therefore is a safer and healthier option for skin and hair treatments.
* These use lesser chemicals in the overall process of manufacturing soap in comparison to the chemical process of saponification
* These use natural compounds and glycerine as a common ingredient that is derived from the soap making process itself.

With the soaring popularity of naturally derived handcrafted soaps, it is important to be wary of ‘fake’ natural soaps that have flooded the market too. These mislead consumers by way of its look and texture, but contain synthetic elements.

With natural health and holistic healing gaining grounds, naturally derived essential oils and handmade soap segments are seen as eco-friendly options to mass produced synthetic derivatives.

Thursday 11 December 2014

Smart Choice in Aromatherapy Oils

Ailing under stress and pollution can be daunting even for regularly healthy individuals. With psychosomatic disorders, depression and stress-related medical conditions as clear winners in today’s modern and ‘virtual’ or e-World, aromatherapy could be the way forward.

The benefit of essential natural oils is not new and has been propagated by healing practitioners. It is the Far-Eastern tradition and healing potencies of pure essential oils that finds parallel place with modern allopathic medicines. Whether for therapeutic or cosmetic use, understanding purity standards of therapeutic essential oils, its advantages and drawbacks are equally essential.

Essential Oils

Oils that are naturally occurring and free from chemical adjuncts find application in several cosmetic and therapeutic medicaments. Oils such as those extracted from natural sources have been known to heal skin, hair and other external conditions but, others also help to balance internal physiological problems. Extracts of peppermint, lavender, sesame and rose find common usage. But, how do we understand purity of such extracts?

With a plethora of brand claiming to be 100 % authentic, there is a need to look for criteria for selecting your oil concentrate for effective efficacy. You need to understand that:

* Essential oils are obtained from plant parts, either from roots, barks, seeds, stems, leaves, flowers or fruits by the process of steam distillation or carbon-di-oxide extraction.

* The oil obtained is actually the volatile liquid components of plant parts. How purity of the end-oil product depends on the method of extraction.

* The potency of extracted oil is dependent on environmental factors such as the area it is grown, the soil sown and fertilizer type (organic vs. chemical).

* The period in which the plant is harvested, distillation and bottling processes also determine grades of essential oils.

* Be aware of commercial products that use excessive solvents to extract the oils which might adulterate the oil potency. Therefore, make sure to procure your essential oil from certified producers.
Manufacturers of certified pure therapeutic grade essential oils do not have scientific or legal standards to fall back on when grading their oil extracts. However, the Association French Normalization Organization Regulation (AFNOR) standards or ISO certification (ISO standards) is the only agency that offers the best reliable chemical constituent indicating parameters to judge whether the extracted oil is therapeutic or otherwise.

With no stringent rules that governs oil extraction methods, obtaining the best grade therapeutic benefit in oils, is time consuming and expensive. The expense incurred in procuring plants such as pine, geranium, lavender, clove, black pepper or lemon balm is worth the cost; if extracted authentically.

Look for percentage of the organic component in the concentrated extract to ensure high therapeutic value of the essential oil used in medicinal products.

Tuesday 2 December 2014

The Fragrant Path of Health with Essential oils

Undoubtedly, the ‘sense’ of oils via aromatherapy or in herbal treatments is rejuvenating. But, the crux is in knowing the difference in their properties and uses of aromatherapy oils, base oils and therapeutic grade essential oils.

Can you figure out the difference between your rose essential oil from peppermint, lavender or geranium? Perhaps yes, but, the efficacy of each has to be counted beyond its physical properties of fragrance and on its healing prowess.

A look at some of the widely accepted certified therapeutic grade essential oils, with health benefits:

1. Clove:

An important ingredient in Asian kitchens, the spicy base of clove oil is a much touted remedy for headaches related to hangovers. Alternate health physicians prescribe clove as a solution for dental pains caused due to gum swelling and toothaches. A natural antiseptic - cuts, scrapes and bug bites can be treated with clove oil. Ear and stomach aches and nasal congestions can be checked with clove. Considered an aphrodisiac, clove is a good stress buster too.

2. Black Pepper:

An essential ingredient in almost all recipes, the oil extract aids digestion, offers relief from convulsions and cramps. It is good for warming up muscles joints and offers pain relief from arthritis. It has good anti-bacterial properties too.

3. Pine: 

The Christmas pine is harvested for its’ sharp needles that holds medicinal properties. It is an analgesic or pain reliever and offers good antiseptic and anti-bacterial cures. A treatment against dry skin diseases such as eczema, psoriasis, acne and pimple can find solace with pine oil. It acts as an antidote against food poisoning and also aids to cure respiratory disorders.

4. Rose:

Rose Otto is most popular as an essential oil and is ideal for women and their well-being. Touted as a source of rejuvenation for women’s health needs, rose oil is reputed to balance hormones, treat PMS and menopause while improving overall skin health.

5. Lavender:

Popular for its first-aid action, this oil aids digestion, and fights headaches too. The soft fragrance of lavender has a calming impact on the nervous system; thus helps to, improve sleep, is a good adjunct for joint pain, urinary and respiratory problems. It also helps to manage high blood pressure and acne. Its’ anti-bacterial properties fights germs - no wonder it is used as a medicinal adjunct as well as in home cleaning products.

6. Sesame: The oil extract has moisturizing qualities, which make it a choice ingredient for hair and skin therapy. With a mild SPF factor, the fatty acid component in sesame is understood to relieve and lower stress and blood pressure.

Pure essential oils are mildly fragrant and do not have the strong scent in oils used for perfume. This mildness factor marks the ‘grade’ for aromatherapy.