Elixir’s Natural Body Care - Your Blueprint To Beauty

I have an apology to make to you, my loyal reader.

My posts have been erratic and somewhat off topic, hence I removed them.

Life, my life, as I have come to know it is in upheaval along with all the emotions that go with that.  I feel that I’m teetering on the edge of an abyss or maybe it’s understanding.

Maybe I’ll start another blog dedicated to the path I’m travelling and the feelings surging inside me.  It will be cathartic.  A release.

In the meantime, you, my dear reader, can expect a return to normal viewing on this station.

There is alot of confusion concerning the safety of essential oils during pregnancy and whilst you have another life gestating within you, I will err on the side of caution and say that I do think it’s better to be cautious about what you apply to your body as well as what you take orally.

I would strongly recommend that a pregnant woman avoid stronger essential oils such as:

• rosemary
• clary sage
• thyme
• bay
• marjoram
• fennel
• clove bud
• juniper
• basil

The reason for the avoidance is that these oils can be emmenagogic or in other words, stimulate menstruation, while others may have diuretic properties.

An excellent system for the concerned Mother-to-be would be to add 6 drops of your choice of essential oils to 120ml (4 oz) of carrier oil, thereby halving the concentration of the essential oils that would normally be used.

These article is based on best current research.
If in doubt, pregnant women should always seek medical advice.

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The skin needs water to maintain its health and smooth texture. Apart from drinking plenty of pure water to hydrate your skin from the inside, you should also consider steaming your face.

When steam is combined with essential oils, not only does it cleanse and hydrate your facial skin but it also stimulates it at the same time.

You can purchase a facial steamer but a very economic alternative is to pour boiling water into a bowl, add your essential oils and cover your head and the bowl with a towel and let your skin drink in the fragrant steam.

Try the following combinations:

Aging Skin

• 4 drops of Evening Primrose
• 4 drops of Rose Oil
• 2 drops of Patchouli

Blemished Skin

• 6 drops of Cyprus
• 4 drops of Lemon
• 4 drops of Juniper

Dry to Normal Skin

• 4 drops Rose Oil
• 4 drops Sandalwood
• 2 drops Ylang Ylang

Now close your eyes for five minutes and allow the fragrant steam to work it’s magic.

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After having their 11th child, a Liverpool couple decided that was
enough, as the social wouldn’t buy them a bigger bed and they weren’t
strong enough to nick one.

The husband went to his doctor and told him that he and his wife didn’t
want to have any more children.
The doctor told him there was a procedure called a vasectomy that would
fix the problem but it was expensive.

A less costly alternative was to go home, get a firework, light it, put
it in a beer can, then hold the can up to his ear and count to 10.

The Scouser said to the doctor, “I may not be the smartest guy in the
world, but I don’t see how putting a firework in a beer can next to my
ear is going to help me.”

“Trust me, it will do the job”, said the doctor.

So the man went home, lit a banger and put it in a beer can. He held
the can up to his ear and began to count: ‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5,’ at which
point he paused, placed the beer can between his legs so he could
continue counting on his other hand.

This procedure also works in Middlesborough, parts of Bradford and
anywhere in Wales.

Vetiver oil [Vetivera Zizanoides] is obtained from the two year old roots of a wild grass that can be found growing in India, Japan, Indonesia and many other parts of the world.

The viscous liquid is honey brown with a potent earthy aroma, evocative of a damp forest floor and is prized in perfumes and men’s colognes.

This relaxing oil would be extremely beneficial in a carrier oil and adroitly applied in a calming and soothing massage, the detailed techniques of which can be found in this ingenious little ebook called Sensual Chocolate Sensations.

Vetiver is also extremely beneficial for acne, dry skin, irritated skin or those suffering from eczema.

If you’re suffering from insomnia or depression, get a massage with this volatile extract in your massage oil and/or burn some undiluted Vetiver essential oil in an oil burner.

You may be pleasantly surprised by the results.

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The latest research tells us that we should sate our desires rather than try to suppress them. Researchers believe that holding back our longings will only result in a rebound effect.

What “rebound” effect you may ask? The compulsion to overeat.

A test was conducted on females and males who tried to suppress their feelings about chocolate.

The women who curbed their desires for chocolate ate more after the study in comparison to the men who after expressing their feelings for chocolate, indulged more.

Interestingly enough, women considered chocolate to be more of an issue for them than the guys did.

The solution? Don’t see chocolate as a problem but as a key to enjoyment and sexually sublime pleasure.

Guys - stem your desire for chocolate but unleash your passion on her.
Girls - don’t hold back, unbridled passion all the way.

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Cruelty Free Testing
What does it really mean? Can you trust a Company espousing itself to be against animal testing or is it clever marketing hype?

Here we take a look into the issue to help you better understand and make informed choices.

Did you know that there is no law requiring manufacturers of beauty products and household products to test their products on animals?

The use of animals and beauty products
In some countries animals are still being used to test beauty products but thankfully this is not allowed in Britain anymore.

A Company may not test its formulations or finished products on animals and may instead conduct “human clinical trials” but what about the raw materials that are sourced to make their products in the first place? What you really need to be asking them is whether their suppliers test on animals.

I am often asked what my stance on animal testing is. Obviously I am against it and I would never knowingly make dubious purchases but I am also fully aware that I need to be sourcing my ingredients from suppliers who will offer me an assurance that they don’t test on animals. As you can imagine, trust plays a large role in the scheme of things.

In certain cases it is simply unavoidable for example as in the case of essential oils. Testing for toxicity is done on animals or in cell cultures. Most of the testing was done in the early 1970s. However, animal testing of essential oils and their components still does happen, mainly in Universities. The toxicity of a few oils in humans has been documented from past cases of poisoning.

Ingredients
It is important to understand the ingredients in cosmetics as many of them can come from animals. In other cases, the same ingredient could be animal or plant based.

Common ones to watch out for are listed here, the Animal Ingredients List

At Elixir Body Care we have a full disclosure policy and clearly state the origin of an ingredient if there are alternate sources in our glossary. If you feel we have omitted information or you need further clarification, never hesitate to ask us, as your feedback and opinions are important to us.

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Weeping, itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing, headaches and just the sheer misery of these and other symptoms are generally symptomatic of Hayfever or allergic Rhinitis which is basically a reaction to pollen and fungal spores.

The culprits of an attack of hayfever are the pollen from trees, weeds, and some flowers and grass and whilst it’s impossible to avoid an attack there are things you can do to minimise your exposure:

• Check the the pollen count on the weather, anything exceeding a count of 50, spells trouble for you
• Pollen will rise during the day, so keep windows closed
• Your washing may dry rapidly on a warm and windy day but the fibres in your clothes will also trap pollen, consider drying them indoors
• Finally, you could consider living by the sea, as the pollen will be blown inland

Apart from limiting your exposure, there are things you can do to make your life easier:

Imbue a handkerchief or tissue with a combination of three of any of the following essential oils suggested;

4 drops of three of the following only: