Tag: skin

What are Hydrosols?

Todays post is about Hydrosols.

We have just spent the last week camping. We stayed for a few nights at the beach, then a couple of nights on a private property. During our stay at the beach, March flies bit both of us and we were quite itchy.

When we arrived at the second property, the host has a skin care range that she sells. She sprayed a product on our arms and legs and the itch started to subside. The spray is a Lemon Myrtle Hydrosol blend. We had never heard of a hydrosol before, so I asked a few questions and did a bit of research. Here is what I found.

What is a hydrosol?

It is basically an end product of the essential oil distilling process. The distillation process— by water or steam — of the plant matter produces two end products:

  • Essential oil: the oil-soluble parts of the plant
  • Hydrosol: the water-soluble parts of the plant (this liquid also contains microscopic drops of essential oil)

Just like essential oils, many different types of plants can be made into hydrosols. The process makes use of the whole plant including bark, roots, and leaves not just flowers. Essential oils and hydrosols have some similar properties, but hydrosols contain a higher water content.

This means they’re gentler than essential oils and can be applied directly to the skin without the need to dilute them with carrier oil. They also have a more subtle scent than their essential oil counterparts.

The hydrosol used in the spray was Orange Jasmine.

Orange Jasmine

Further research found that the essential oil from orange jasmine has analgesic, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. This means that it has the capacity to ease the irritation associated with insect bites and rashes.

Lemon Myrtle

The other ingredient in the spray was Lemon Myrtle essential oil. This product has long been used in medicinal and personal care products.

I have previously written about the many benefits and uses of lemon myrtle.

The essential oil is used as an antiseptic, disinfectant and expectorant and is said to be more powerful than Tea Tree.

Lemon Myrtle has amazing benefits in skin care. It works as an astringent to help tighten pores and reduce irritations. With its antibacterial properties this oil can assist with skin infections, wounds and acne

The pure essential oil can be applied topically to reduce inflammation of insect bites and help soothe the itch.

It is also excellent for soothing inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis, dermatitis and acne.

 

So a relaxing holiday also provided a learning opportunity.

Till the next post,

 

Live clean n Prosper.

If you are interested in this product, the link to the website is – http://www.anderleigh.com.au/aga/product-category/essential-oil/

Sources – Healthline – US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health – Wiley Online library –

Some information about Body Odour

Todays post is about body odour.

 I have previously written about sweating and how important this bodily function is. This time I thought I would look at why some people smell more than others.

 With the warm, humid weather we have here in Queensland, many of us has experienced a person in a public space who is a bit ‘on the nose’. The time of day is not necessarily a factor.

 Some people naturally sweat more or less than other people. Body odour also can vary from person to person. Sweating and body odour are common when we exercise or the body gets too warm. They’re also common reactions that occur when a person is feeling nervous, anxious or stressed.

 There are many different factors that can contribute to body odour.

 So what creates the odour ?

 Sweating and body odour are caused by sweat glands in your body. The sweat glands are used to regulate temperature and remove waste. They do this by secreting water, sodium salts, and nitrogenous waste (such as urea) onto the skin surface. This fluid is odourless until it combines with bacteria on the surface of the skin.

The formation of body odour is caused by several factors such as diet, gender, health, and medications. However, the major contribution comes from bacterial activity on the skin.

The types of bacterial flora living on the skin surface influence the resulting smell.

Skin bacteria

Our skin is home to millions of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses that compose the skin microbiome.  After the gut, there are more microorganisms on the skin than anywhere else in the body.

As the largest organ of the human body, the skin is colonised by beneficial microorganisms. It serves as a physical barrier to prevent the invasion of pathogens. In circumstances where the barrier is broken or when the balance is disturbed, skin disease or even systemic disease can result.

With increasing age, the skin microflora undergoes change.  The bacteria streptococci which are found in infants disappear. The coryneform bacteria start to develop, which are mainly responsible for odour production. This is why body odour isn’t a problem for young children as it usually begins at puberty. The rising hormones called androgens that become active during puberty, contribute to the changes.

There are several common types of coryneform bacteria found on the skin.

These include Corynebacterium, Corynebacterium jeikeium and Staphylococcus hominis.

Corynebacterium manufacture enzymes that break down the oils in sweat to create smaller molecules.

Greater bacteria amounts of Corynebacterium jeikeium are found more in the armpits of men. Alternatively, greater amounts of Staphylococcus haemolyticus are found in the armpits of women.

The smaller molecules created by the bacteria are usually different types of acids. These acids produce different odours.

 What to do about it?

 Regular thorough washing of the skin with a wet washcloth and soap,  especially those areas prone to sweating, can help prevent body odour. The most commonly used approach is antiperspirants and deodorants.

An antiperspirant is designed to block and stop the sweating, whereas a deodorant is designed to neutralise to odour.

However, using antiperspirant and deodorant completely rearranges the microbial ecosystem of the skin. At this stage scientists do not really know what effect, if any, that has on our skin and on our health.

 I hope you found this information interesting,

 Till the next post

 Live clean n Prosper

(Sources – Dermnet NZ, US National Library of Medicine, Science Daily.

Eyes, Bags and Dark Circles

Todays post is about under eye bags and dark circles.

This is a topic that has been discussed quite a bit lately with some of my friends and colleagues.
I decided to conduct some research into this topic to learn more about it. As usual I am sharing my newfound knowledge with you.

First, a bit about the eye area.

Our eyes sit in the eye socket and are supported there by many small muscles. There are also very small pads of fat that provide support to the tissue and skin around our eyes.
There are also a number of glands in the eyelids that provide the liquids that become our tears. The larger of the glands, located under the outside edge of the eyebrows, produces the watery part of the tears. There are series of small glands along the edge of the lower lids that makes the oil that becomes another part of the tear film.
The lower eyelid is composed of very thin skin, a small plate of dense connective tissue and muscles that close and open the lid. The shape of the lower eyelid is determined by the attachment of the supporting tendons as well as the tone and contraction of the muscles.

How do under eye bags develop?

Sometimes, the shape of the lower eyelids, including ‘bags’ can be a hereditary trait.
The most common cause of bags under the eyes is ageing.
As we age, the skin surrounding the eyes becomes thinner and loses elasticity. The muscles around the eyes also lose strength and density. Over time the fat pads that provide the support to the structure around the eye area, increase in size.
The combinations of these conditions can create drooping of the upper eyelids and the ‘bags’ under the eyes.
Excess fluid in the body can also pool there, making the lower lids more swollen, however this is usually a temporary issue.

So what causes dark circles?

The dark circles that can develop under the eyes as we age are often caused by the same conditions. As we have less tissue between the boney eye socket and the surface of the skin. This creates a slight hollow under the eyes, which is known as a tear trough, and can cause the area to appear darker.
Dark circles under the eyes can also be caused by other factors.
These include: pigmentation, allergies, anemia, dehydration, poor sleep and smoking.
Some medicated eye drops also cause discolouration of the skin around the eyes.

Sources – www.sciencedirect.com, www.emedicine.medscape.com, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, www.aao.org, www.researchgate.net,

How do we reduce eye bags and dark circles?

This is the million-dollar question.
There are many cosmetic companies, pharmaceutical companies, beauty clinics and plastic surgeons all vying for our business in this area.
The Internet is filled with home remedies and weird solutions for reducing eye bags and dark circles.

As each person’s skin is different and the causes for the appearance of dark circles are different, the solutions will be different.
For some, the only solution may be surgery, for others it may be a cream or make-up.

If you have either one, or both of these conditions, I hope that this information has helped you understand more about it.

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper