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An Introduction to Natural Skincare, by Helene Berton

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

My first contact with natural cosmetics was during a course on essential oils, more than ten years ago. Though it was about the therapeutic uses of essential oils, some words were said about some of oils that are beneficial for the skin.

I made my first trial with a mix of vegetable and essential oils as skin care oil for my face. I liked it very much; the effect on my skin, the price (compared to a conventional cosmetic product), and the fact that it is not only totally natural but also very simple to prepare and to use.

Then, questions arose: Which vegetable oils and essential oils can be used on skin? Which ones are useful for skincare? What are the specific properties of the various oils? Which proportion of each of them is the best? And the vegetable butters? And the hydrosols? And what else, still keeping things simple, can be used?

That is how I decided to write my book, The Essential Guide to Natural Skin Care. I wanted to collect and reassemble answers to these questions and others that arose during my research.

After more than a decade of experimenting, training, researching, and teaching and writing on the subject, my motto remains: efficient, natural, and simple.

I stay faithful to skin care oils (versus creams or lotions) because they are easy to prepare, with very few manipulations and few ingredients, and they are easy to store and to use. For me, the less transformation, the better!

People often ask me which vegetable and essential oils they should choose. It is not necessarily an easy question, as it depends on the person's skin type, age, and the effect sought. For a good start, here are some tips that use affordable, easy to find ingredients:

• For young, oily skin, jojoba vegetable oil and rosemary ct. verbenone essential oil can be a good choice, as they regulate the sebum production of the skin.
• For acne, I would choose jojoba oil with palmarosa and ylang ylang essential oils. Those two last oils can also be used, pure, right on pimples and blemishes. The antibacterial properties of palmarosa and the anti-inflammatory properties of ylang ylang one are helpful to that condition.
• For dry skin, avocado oil is very nourishing and well absorbed, and myrrh essential oil helps prevent dehydration of the skin.
• For mature skin, rosehip vegetable oil has good regenerating properties, as does helichrysum essential oil.
• For sensitive skin, macadamia vegetable oil is a good choice, as is with chamomile (German or Roman) essential oil (both have soothing properties).

Usually, a very small amount of essential oil is added to the vegetable oil (usually 0.5 % to 1%); that is about 5 to 10 drops of an essential oil for an ounce of vegetable oil.

Once you have chosen, prepared, and tried your first skin care oil, you can begin to experiment; you can choose a second vegetable or essential oil that you add to your preparation or use to replace another one you do not like that much. And so, small touch by small touch, you can customize the skin care oil that suits you the best. There is no need to have a preparation made of ten vegetable oils and the same number of essential oils; usually, up to four of each is more than enough, and fewer can be excellent as well.

In the same fashion, it is also possible to modulate the ingredients according to the season. For example, some more nourishing oils can be used during dry weather and lighter ones can be more suitable on hot or moist season.

You will likely buy the new ingredients you have not yet experimented with in small amounts; keep in mind that if you do not like them as skin care oils, you can still use them in other ways. For example, you can use the vegetable oils on your dry skin (legs, hands, etc.), as a makeup remover, or as hair treatment. For the essential oils, if you like the smell, they can perfume a room or a car. As they have therapeutic properties, you can also save them for that use, if needed.

As mentioned in The Essential Guide to Natural Skin Care, it is good to make you preparation in a small amount (for example, 1/3 or ½ fl. oz.). This way, it is easier to make adjustments if needed. Keep any unmixed vegetable and essential oils in the refrigerator; the cool, dark environment will help to preserve them longer.

These skin care oil mixtures are the simplest, natural way of taking care of your skin.

You can also experiment simple recipes made with hydrosols. Hydrosols come from the steam used to distillate plants; this steam condenses into water as it is cooled at the end of the distillation process. Hydrosols contain part of the aromatic molecules of the plants, and can have the aromatic composition of the essential oil extracted from the same plant, or they can have a more or less different one—it depends on the plant processed. They also contain some of the elements that are otherwise extracted by doing an infusion: minerals, oligo-elements, acids, etc. That explains why there are hydrosols, with cosmetics and therapeutic properties, produced from plants that are not aromatic.

For a long time, most hydrosols were seen as waste by-products of the production of essential oils and thrown away (with the exception of a few, like rose or orange blossom hydrosols). More and more, their therapeutic and cosmetic properties and values are being considered, and it is getting easier to find them.

Hydrosols are much cheaper, at equal volume, than essential oils. Unfortunately, being aqueous, they do not preserve as well and as long as essential oils (1 to 3 years), and need to be kept in the refrigerator. Their short shelf-life also makes them not as easy as to find as essential oils. They are usually used in bigger volumes and are sold as such, making the shipping weight and fees higher than for essential oils. All that also limits the affordability of hydrosols produced from plants only available in very far countries.

However, it is still possible to find true hydrosols, even if not as many as desired. They can be used as toner or hair rinse, or to make creams. They are also very good as mouthwash.

Below are some good hydrosols to be used if making mouthwash:

• Helichrysum is regenerating for the gums, healing, and anti-inflammatory (note: do not use right after a mouth surgery, as it is an anticoagulant.)
• Mountain savory, thyme (thymol type), cinnamon bark, oregano, or scarlet bee balm (also called Canadian bergamot—thymol type) all have anti-infectious properties Mountain savory, thyme (thymol type), cinnamon bark, oregano, or scarlet bee balm (also called Canadian bergamot—thymol type) all have anti-infectious properties (be careful, these hydrosols are irritating to the tissues when used pure. It is suggested to have a maximum of 30% of them if used in a mouthwash)
• Common sage is an astringent, regenerating for the gums, and anti-infectious
• Laurel is anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, and an analgesic (very good on gums that are sensitive and that hurt)
• Peppermint is good to add for taste

You can use a single hydrosol (as long as it is not mountain savory, thyme, cinnamon, or Canadian bergamot), or you can mix more; two hydrosols are generally mixed fifty-fifty and three of them are usually mixed in thirds (or 40/40/20 if peppermint is your third choice), depending on the desired effect. (For example, gingivitis is the inflammation and degeneration of the gums caused by bacteria. Thyme plus common sage could be a good choice for that condition, and a little bit of peppermint would improve the taste.) Again, as with your other mixtures, experiment and adapt your recipe to your needs and taste. These mixtures provide a very efficient, alcohol-free mouthwash.

If you decide to prepare a mouthwash with several hydrosols, the best thing to do is to make a mix in a separate bottle that you leave on the bathroom counter for daily use. Keep the remaining unmixed hydrosols in their original containers in the refrigerator.

There are thousands of other uses for these wonderful ingredients, but a simple article could not begin to explain them all. While there are many other vegetable ingredients that can be used for cosmetic purposes, these are some that I know and love best. The above recipes and ingredients are intended to help you begin exploring natural ingredients and help you switch to simple, natural products for your daily cosmetic routine. Begin simply, one product at a time. Little by little, you will widen the range of products you can make and use.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2013. All rights reserved.

I have used a pendulum to get spiritual guidance with great success in the past. I'm pretty sure that I have been speaking with my spirit guide in this way. I also spoke with a friend who passed away a couple of years ago. Just yesterday I asked the pendulum a question, and it didn't want to answer me, or at least it wouldn't answer specific questions related to me. So I asked if my spirit guide was there, and the response I got was 'no.' My spirit guide is not there again today, and I am wondering what happened. I can't get a straight response out of whoever has taken over. I had come to depend on the pendulum as a source of guidance. It has been a great way for me to feel connected with All That Is. I even used the pendulum with the help of my spirit guide to balance my chakras. It is disappointing to me that something seems to have happened. Where is my spirit guide? Why won't any other beings answer my questions? What is going on? Thank you so much for you wonderful words of wisdom.
Kristen

Susyn:

A pendulum can be a wonderful source of divination, but as with all tools of this nature, it's important to make sure they are properly cared for. It could be that the pendulum itself has lost reception. Here are a few things to check before you run out and buy a new one.

Pendulums should always be stored in a pouch, bag or silk cloth. If you leave it lying around on your dresser or desk, it can pick up lots of stray energy. Random spirits are often attracted to pendulums; they can attach themselves to your pendulum, or try to play games with you as you attempt to use it by influencing it to say yes when the truth is no and vice versa.

Pendulums should be cleansed once a month. If your pendulum contains precious stones or crystals, lay it on a window sill in the sun for a day to clear and recharge it. You can also soak the pendulum in a solution of warm water and mild soap if its components are waterproof. Another way to cleanse your pendulum is to light a wand of incense; as the smoke rises, pass your pendulum back and forth through the smoke.

Each time you use your pendulum, you should begin the session with a clearing. I gently twirl mine in a circular motion while asking Spirit to clear it. After ten seconds or so, I ask the pendulum if it is clear. If I get a no, I spin it a bit longer until I get a yes.

I've also noticed that when Mercury is retrograde, my pendulum will start reversing itself, moving vertically to indicate no instead of yes, and horizontally to indicate yes instead of no. So, if you are getting answers that make no sense, stop and ask the pendulum to show you a yes and see what direction it moves. Do the same for a no answer. Then, just to test it out, ask it a yes or no question you already know the answer to. This will ensure that you and your pendulum are communicating properly. (Note: You should test it again once Mercury goes direct, as often this will reverse the indicating motions again.)

If you have tried all of the above suggestions and your pendulum still refuses to move or answer you, one of two things could be happening: Either you are not phrasing your question clearly, or Spirit does not feel you need the answer at this point in time.

It's always a good idea to have two or more pendulums handy so you can double-check answers or see which one works better at a given time. Mine can be a bit temperamental, so if one is refusing to answer, I'll switch to the other. I'm certain that if you follow the above procedures, you'll be reconnected to the power behind the pendulum and once again be able to access the wisdom you need.

*****

Oceania:

Oracles like pendulums, tarot cards, runes, and the I-Ching  are means of seeking and receiving wisdom. Sure, we can pray and meditate, but using a tangible object or even a virtual oracle can be fun! It's reassuring to know that whenever we have questions, there are ways to connect with answers. Oracles help us reach beyond the limited views of our own egos for higher perspectives.

This sentence jumped out at me: <q>I had come to depend on the pendulum as a source of guidance.</q> I don't believe an entity has taken over your pendulum; I think, rather, that your spirit guide is urging you to practice tapping into wisdom without your oracle. Perhaps you could set the pendulum aside for a while and try answering questions without it.

There was a time when I depended upon tarot cards for input during readings. When I'd go to my mother's house to help care for her, I'd bring along my tarot cards and log in to Kajama from her computer. I remember the first time I forgot my cards...Eek! I felt lost and didn't think I'd be able to read for my clients, but something urged me to try. It was scary, but I did my best, and with ongoing practice, I learned I didn't need the cards to provide helpful readings.

I still enjoy using them, but no longer feel dependent on them. I suspect it's time for you to learn to hear the input of your guide, your departed friend, Spirit, Love and your own inner wisdom without your pendulum. I think you've hit a dead end because it's time to try something new. Perhaps your journey will even lead you to start reading for others.

I think your guide stepped back as an invitation for you to practice trusting in your own direct access to wisdom in much the same way that a parent takes the training wheels off a bike when a child seems ready to rely upon his or her own sense of inner balance to stay upright.

A side effect of any spiritual pursuit is personal growth, so don't be surprised when things change: they surely will from time to time. While it's tempting to kick and scream when things don't go as planned, it's always best to surrender and go with the flow. Instead of feeling betrayed and dismayed, see if you can muster up your sense of humor and say, <q>OK, Spirit; you know best!</q>

After a few surrenders, you'll come to trust that whenever things seem to be going wrong, there is likely a better path with a broader perspective coming into focus. A smile, a shrug, and a splash of humility can go a long way at such times!

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.