Ideal Essential Oils During Winter Time

According to the science of Ayurveda, cold, dry, windy wintry weather, aggravate our body's air and space elements, or vata principle. This dryness and cold outside of us helps to create dryness and coldness inside of us. To balance vata and protect our skin in the winter, we need to favor warm foods and drinks, soups and other water-rich foods, and including healthy oils to fight winter skin dryness.

To keep our skin moist during the winter months we need adequate water and oil—both inside and on the outside of our bodies. Our skin needs both to stay healthy and youthful. Drinking plenty of water plumps our skin, minimizing fine wrinkles. Eating healthy oils and massaging them into the skin help hold moisture in and give our complexions a satiny glow.

As the skin is also an important organ of purification it is linked with liver function. The skin has many of the same enzymes as the liver, including those involved in detoxification. If our body gets taxed with toxins, our skin reflects it in rashes, itching, and even accelerated aging.

Also, in the winter, our pores tend to "close up" to protect us from heat loss, dryness and the cold. Toxins are then likely to build up in the body during the winter. The best way to avoid toxin buildup and help keep your skin clear through the winter months is to work up a sweat on a regular basis during the winter through exercise or by taking warm baths or saunas.

One of the biggest concerns that every individual faces during winter months is their skin condition. Indeed, the harsh weather condition could take its toll on your skin and it begins dried out or become unhealthy due to lack of nourishment. Hence, you need to boost your skin care during winter season with the use of natural essential oils. There are a few homemade skin care recipes that you can try to ensure that your skin stays as healthy as possible.

First off, you can use either lavender or geranium oil to create a balancing cream. As the name implies, the objective here is to maintain balance on your skin moisture and texture. When your skin is too oily, it exposes you to developing skin blemishes or irritations. And when it is overly dried out, your skin is at risk of cracking or fissures. Thus, you can take out about 9 drops of your chosen essential oil and dilute it with carrier oil. You can then use this mixture to apply on your skin once every night for several weeks or for the entire span of winter season to maintain your skin's natural glow.

You can also try homemade nourishing cream that consists of the following essential oils: avocado, borage, myrrh, rosewood, and frankincense essential oils. All of these oils are known to contain essential properties that naturally nourish the skin to maintain its health.

A common mistake that most consumers commit during their skin care treatment is that they fail to recognize their own skin type. As a result, they choose the wrong product on their skin, that could either produce ineffective results or product harsh side effects. To prevent either of these, ayurvedic aromatherapists recommend identifying your skin type first, so you can help decide which essential oil is best for you. Below are some tips that will help make your choice a lot easier:

*Vata skin – Common characteristics of Vata skin type are that of dryness, roughness or cracked, and thin. Vata skin needs to be nourished and hydrated. It is at risk for premature aging due to a deficiency of well-nourished tissues in the body. Because of its thinness, Vata skin types have easily seen blood vessels. Lips and fingernails tend to be somewhat pale due to poor circulation. Thus, the soothing properties of rose essential oil makes it ideal to improve skin texture and produce more vitality to your skin during winter.

*Pitta skin – This type of skin is highly sensitive, delicate and needs to stay cool. Pitta skin types tend to burn easily and they are more sensitive to sun exposure. A Pitta imbalance can result in rashes, acne, and other inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis. The calming properties of sandalwood essential oil is ideal for bringing balance to this skin type.

*Kapha skin – People with Kapha skin tend to have naturally beautiful skin that ages slowly. Their skin tends to be full of moisture and plump. When Kapha is not balanced, the skin tends to accumulate more toxins and has a tendency to have large pores, skin growths, skin eruptions, and a grayish film. The main focus for Kapha skin types should be removing toxins. The ability of bergamot essential oil to maintain your skin moisture helps to minimize or stop blemish formation.

Aside from the dilemma on skin care, another major concern during winter months is the possibility of acquiring a wide range of illnesses. The cold weather can expose humans to infections and respiratory diseases. Thus, the use of essential oils can boost your immunity level and provide your body with essential nutrients to cope with such extreme conditions.

There are different therapeutic properties found in various essential oils though, which require one to be more careful in choosing the type of oil to use that will ensure it produces the desired impact on the body. Given that there are literally hundreds of essential oils to choose from, there are a few notable ones that are recommended for use during winter. These oils include the following: rosemary, juniper, lemongrass, thyme, lavender, melissa, and so much more.

During winter, most households are shut to avoid the extreme cold weather from getting inside the house and keep it warm. Thus, your crawl spaces or basements are at risk of mold formation that can potentially be harmful to your family's health. To prevent them from acquiring illnesses due to the winter mold and sanitize the air inside your home, you can therefore prepare essential oil blends containing antibacterial properties to ensure that it is safe for your family to inhale.

Preparing homemade winter mold blend is very easy and it can be done in a few simple steps. You must begin by gathering the ingredients you need, such as 8 parts tea tree oil, 1 part of clove and oregano oil. Then, stir all ingredients together until they are fully incorporated. You will also need any type of essential oil diffuser so you can add about 15-20 drops of the essential oil mixture,which should be enough to diffuse essential oil scent in your entire house or a specific room. When you inhale, you are also intaking the beneficial properties from the oil into your lungs for further treatment or disease prevention.

Cold or flu is quite common during winter season as the weather can affect your respiratory and immune system immensely, thus resulting to the acquisition of certain diseases. To ensure fast and efficient treatment, begin treatment upon the initial signs of symptoms. Don't wait for the cold or flu to reach a more serious stage as it can be a lot more difficult to address.

You can therefore prepare an essential oil cold or flu buster blend. Some of the essential oils you will be needing for this natural treatment include eucalyptus oil, lavender oil, thyme essential oil, and tea tree oil. Simply mix all of the aforementioned essential oils into tiny bottles that you can conveniently carry around wherever you go. Then, you can simply sniff into it when you feel the symptoms coming in. You can also use a nebulizer by simply pouring a few drops of the essential oil mixture into the device, making it easier for you to inhale the blend.