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Will Your Skincare Products Block Your Pores?

12/30/2014

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Comedogenic Ratings

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The term "comedogenic" is almost always paired with the term "noncomedogenic."  This pair of words is used to discuss the degree to which a substance may block the pores. Blocked pores can result in an increase of acne in certain people, and for this reason, people may look for ingredients in skin treatments that are noncomedogenic and less likely to occlude the pores. Those who don’t have acne can usually safely pick products that may occasionally block the pores.

The order of ingredients can tell people a lot about how much of a comedogen is in a product. If the last ingredient on a list of ingredients can block pores, this means that the ingredient is present in the lowest percentage of all ingredients in a product. Of course, it is also possible for products to contain more than one such product.

For those people who need to strictly avoid these ingredients, most cosmetics and other skincare treatments will usually labeled as noncomedogenic if they don't include pore-blocking ingredients. Looking for the noncomedogenic label is a way of avoiding skin products that might result in more skin breakouts.

Levels of comedogenicity are rated on a scale of 0 - 5, 0 being noncomedogenic, 5 being highly comedogenic. 


Green is good

Highly Comedogenic Oils:
     Cocoa Butter      
     Linseed Oil
     Olive Oil    
     Peach Kernel Oil
     Soybean Oil
     Wheat Germ Oil -


Mildly Comedogenic:
​     Avocado Oil
     Castor Oil
     Hazelnut Oil
     Rosehip Oil
     Safflower Oil
     Sunflower Oil
Moderately Comedogenic:
​     Almond Oil
​     Coconut Oil
      Grapeseed Oil
     Sesame Oil
     Tocopherol



Non-Comedogenic!
​     Argan Oil
     Glycerin
      Hemp Seed Oil
     Jojoba Oil
     Shea Butter


The search for the perfect acne mixture continues



If you read my story you know that I have been treating my son's acne with EOs.  His face was much improved before Christmas break then suddenly he developed a breakout. I was thinking of what could have caused this, did my oils fail me?  It turns out that he has "taken a break" from his personal hygiene routine because sleeping late and playing video games is so much more important than clear skin (Oh, that boy!). 
As we discussed the situation he told me that he really didn't like the way the oils felt on his face (remember that the EOs need to be mixed with a carrier oil). In my first attempt I used Hemp Oil and Jojoba Oil as the base and added the EOs to that mixture. This made for an all liquid mixture and I loved the way it felt on my skin but regardless, if he doesn't like it he will not use it. So onto round 2 and I believe we may have a winner!  I incorporated Shea Butter into the equation of Hemp and Jojoba and was able to form a thick compound that once you begin spreading it on your face, it  spreads easily.  He LOVES the new mixture because it quickly absorbs and doesn't leave an oily residue. All of the base oils I use are noncomedogenic which is one less thing to worry about. Now don't let the green of the Hemp Seed Oil scare you, it        will not turn your skin green! Actually, mixed with the Shea Butter, the mixture is more of a light beige color.  Hemp Oil is one of my favorite of the carrier oils I would use on my face because it acts as a natural sunscreen. I will update this blog and let you know how the Complexion Enhancer (as I call it) is working.

Contact me for more info on EOs for Acne
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Arthritis relief from Essential Oil therapy

12/27/2014

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Do you are someone you love suffer from arthritis pain?

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Honestly, I thought I would be well aged before I had to deal with arthritis, but thanks to a shallow hip socket, I have arthritis in my right hip.  I suppose that I have been developing Uncle Art for years but I realized I had a problem a few years ago when I had a flare up which prompted me to visit my doc. I have had two opinions and both docs tell me that a total hip is in my future.  The problem is that I'm "too young" for surgery, (I would normally love to hear those words "too young").  Unless the pain is so severe that I can't tolerate it, my doc of choice will not preform surgery.  That's okay because I do not plan to have surgery unless the pain gets intolerable.  But there is a fine line between severe pain and intolerable.  I don't wont to be in pain daily and now that I have had this issue, I have a new respect for those that have chronic pain, it is not fun!  Pain really has an effect on you when you can't sleep and can't physically do what you want to do.  For the last two years I have had some level of pain that I had to deal with, not always severe, but always nagging me to remember Uncle Art is around. I still enjoyed tent camping and other outdoor activities but my activities had their consequences.  The price I paid for a weekend of camping would be a week of pretty bad pain.     

My Treatment Choice

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One of the first mixtures I made was for arthritis pain, I figured I didn't have anything to lose.  I experimented with several EOs that were known for their pain relief properties and the mixture seemed to work pretty well.  The more I researched arthritis and what can cause "flares", I started experimenting with a whole new group of EOs.  It amazes me how multifunctional many of the EOs are.  There are several EOs that work wonders with arthritis pain as they not only alleviate pain but also decrease the inflammation that causes the pain to begin with.  Another thing to consider when treating arthritis pain is to also treat your muscles.  Even if you don't have arthritis, I'm sure you have suffered from some type of injury that has caused your muscles to compensate for the weakened extremity. When muscles are made to compensate for weakness of a joint or bone, they can get sore and stressed.  This lead me to consider adding EOs into the mixture that had antispasmodic properties for the muscles.  So we have a trifecta effect now of decreasing the inflammation, which in turns decreases the pain and finally, relaxing the muscles. This newest mixture version is great and I apply it at night before bed.  As an added bonus I use Copaiba which is specifically for arthritis. I apply 6 drops mixed with a carrier oil every morning to my feet and cover with socks.  I can honestly put my hand on the Bible and say since I have been using this combo my pain is so much improved.  I can jump right out of bed in the morning now without being stiff at all.  Well after I hit snooze a few times :)

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis is inflammation of one or more of your joints. The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age. The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
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Myths about Arthritis

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with arthritis, it is important to learn more about the disease and its potential impact. However, pinning down the facts about arthritis can be difficult. Despite striking more than 50 million Americans, arthritis is an often misunderstood disease with a core of common myths surrounding it.

Myth #1:    Arthritis is just minor aches and pains associated with getting older.
Fact: Arthritis is actually a complex family of musculoskeletal disorders consisting of more than 100 different diseases or conditions that can affect people of all ages, races and genders.
  •  Arthritis is not just a disease of old age. Two-thirds of people with arthritis are under the age of 65, including 300,000 children.
  • Of the more than 50 million Americans with arthritis, more than 36 million are Caucasians, more than 4.6 million are African-Americans and 2.9 million are Hispanic.
Myth #2:    Arthritis is not a serious health problem.
Fact: Arthritis places a growing burden on the health care and economic systems in this country.
  • Each year, people with arthritis account for 44 million outpatient visits and 992,100 hospitalizations.
  • Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States.
  • Arthritis is actually a more frequent cause of activity limitations than heart disease, cancer or diabetes.
Myth #3:    People with arthritis should avoid exercising.    
Fact: Exercise is a valuable tool in the fight against arthritis.
  • According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services there is strong evidence indicating that both endurance and resistance types of exercise provide considerable disease-specific benefits for people with osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatic conditions.
  • A growing body of research indicates that exercise, weight management and the avoidance of joint injury can go a long way in helping to prevent OA.
  • Every one pound of weight loss results in four pounds of pressure taken off each knee.

More about Arthritis
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What are Carrier Oils?

12/26/2014

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A carrier oil is a vegetable oil derived from the fatty portion of a plant, usually the seeds, kernels or the nuts. Carrier oils are useful when working with essential oils because it is sometimes necessary to dilute an essential oil. One example is when applying to the skin.  Powerful, highly concentrated essential oils may cause skin irritations.  Another use for carrier oils blended with essential oils is that they are often applied during massage, acting as a needed lubricating agent when working larger areas and muscles.  One advantage of carrier oils is that they do not evaporate like essential oils that tend to evaporate quicker when applied neat.  Carrier oils actually aid in absorption. Essential oils can be added to carrier oils or a carrier oil can be applied first to an area, followed by an essential oil, this process is referred to as dilution.  It is usually specified in terms of either a percentage or a number of drops to be added to an amount of carrier oil.  Listed below are some examples of carrier oils.  My youngest daughter has a peanut allergy so I don't use Peanut Oil in any of our mixtures.

Almond, Sweet Oil                            Evening Primrose Oil                Pecan Oil   
Apricot Kernel Oil                             Grapeseed Oil                             Rose Hip Oil
Avocado Oil                                        Hazelnut Oil                               Sesame Oil 
Borage Oil                                           Jojoba Oil                                    Shea Butter
Calendula Oil                                      Macadamia Nut Oil                   Sunflower Oil
Cocoa Butter                                      Olive Oil                                       Walnut Oil
Coconut Oil                                         Peanut Oil                                   Wheatgerm Oil

Carrier oils are available in two different forms, liquid and solid. My favorite solids are Coconut Oil and Shea Butter.  I use these two along with different liquid carrier oils to form the bases for most of our products.  

Cocoa Butter
Coconut Oil
Shea Butter
I will use other blog forums to discuss different essential oils and carrier oils in detail, this post is to give you a generalized understanding of what carrier oils are.  Let's keep the conversation going, let me know your thoughts...
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    Author
    Mary New
    MSN, RN

    Let's use this blog to talk about different health topics.

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