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Essential Oil
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Splurge of the Week: Wildflower Dry Oil
As much as I love testing beauty products, there are times when I wonder if I'll even remember to put on one more thing! However, that's not the case with Hollybeth's Wildflower Dry Oil. The elixir of botanical infusions and plant extracts (95 percent organic!) provides unparalleled moisture for my dryness.
A Three-Ingredient Softening Scrub For Dishpan Hands
If you did a lot of cooking over the Thanksgiving holiday, I'm sure you did a lot of dishes. And if you did a lot of dishes, I'm sure your hands are feeling the effects. Even if you weren't scrubbing away, the cooler months often produce dry hands that need some extra TLC.
Definition: Lavender
The color lavender is a pale shade of purple, however the Lavender plant has leaves, seeds, flowers and a rich scent which is often used in foods, medicines and dyes. Its name is derived from the Latin root, "lavare" (to wash) since the Romans used to add lavender to their baths.
Lavender has many uses.
Definition: Jasmine
Jasmine is a vine that breeds white, star-shaped flowers (some varieties are yellow or purple). They grow from April to September and there are more than 200 known species. The flowers give off a sweet, strong scent popular in women's fragrances, and when pressed, their essential oil can be extracted through an expensive and elaborate process called enflourage.
Definition: Clary Sage
Clary Sage is a Spanish flowering herb that can be distilled to produce a sweet and nutty essential oil. The oil comes from the purple flowers and the leaves of the plant and is often used as an antiseptic, a holistic treatment for the kidneys and the stomach, and a calming agent for anxiety and nervousness. It has actually been known to create a kind of light-headed euphoric feeling, which is why it should be avoided when pregnant.
Definition: Bergamot
I am not sure why, but I have been under the impression that bergamot — an ingredient I often come across in fragrances — is a spiny flower. Indeed it is, but did you know that the Italian and Ivory Coast-based plant also produces a pear-shaped yellow citrus fruit? (It is not, however, related to the bergamot herb.)
The skin of the fruit yields a delicate, yet spicy, essential oil that is found in one-third of all fragrances.
Definition: Melissa Oil
Melissa is a sweet- and pleasant-smelling essential oil that is also commonly referred to as lemon balm. In Greek, Melissa means honey bee and the plant is often found growing near bee hives. It is considered to be one of the most medicinally powerful oils in aromatherapy practice due to its strong antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and sedative qualities.
Definition: Neroli Oil
Neroli is an extremely precious and expensive material. It is a fragrant oil that comes from the orange blossom (also known as the bitter orange flower) and it grows mainly in Morocco, Tunisia, Spain and various other areas of southern Europe. It has a soft, fruity smell that has become increasingly popular in many of today's fragrances.
Beth Ditto Gossips About Eco-Friendly Beauty Advice
Beth Ditto is the lead singer of The Gossip, a Portland-based band that fuses punk and soul. (The girl can sing.) In Britain, she's so popular that she has her own column in The Guardian called What Would Beth Ditto Do? She's an outspoken feminist who happens to love hair and makeup.
Definition: Essential Oils
Essential Oils are made from the volatile and highly fragrant part of the plant. They are used in aromatherapy and are often referred to as aromatic oils or ethereal oils. They are believed to each have their own health benefits such as strong healing powers, so they're often used as alternatives to medicinal cures.
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