at yogandha, all our products included very carefully selected natural essential oils, all infused in specifically blended base oils. no dry skin here!
we have three special body oil blends (muscle soothe, relax and detox) each works to soothe and nurture dry skin. we even recommend yogandha relax to use on the face, just apply a small amount all over before applying your usual moisturiser (bonus: it smells divine!)
essential oils are the volatile oils derived from plant material usually by distillation. they are highly fragrant, concentrated and get great results. however, we never use them neat on the skin (they would be too harsh), we instead mix and dilute them with carrier oils such as almond, coconut or rose-hip seed oil. essential oils can also be mixed with your favourite lotion, shower gel or bath product.
essential oils provide perfect nourishment for thirsty skin. surprisingly, water is very drying to the skin. with frequent hand washing, we must replace the lost moisture back into the skin, beyond the epidermis (the top layer of skin).
unlike hand creams and lotions, oil can penetrate deep down into the layers of the skin for true hydration.why should you use essential oils on the skin?
natural essential oils are also antimicrobial and antibacterial to boot, some are even anti-fungal. an all-round winner in skin hydration!
1. chamomile - one of the best anti-inflammatory essential oils, chamomile oil is super soothing, nourishing and calming. an ideal essential oil for dry and sensitive skin. ideal for: sensitive skin
2. frankincense - this oil was used in skin care by the ancient egyptians. frankincense oil is so good at preserving the skin, it was used in mummification! It is highly regarded for cellular regeneration and to even out skin tone. great for: cellular regeneration and even skin tone. find frankincense in relax and ground.
3. rose - a beautiful fragrance and very feminine. rose oil is brilliant for skin care as it soothes, calms and balances. you often see a combination of rose, frankincense and geranium for balancing the skin, and the spirit. benefits: soothing and calming the skin
4. geranium – the perfect balancer. geranium oil balances the skin, our hormones and our mood. it is slightly astringent and tones the skin. being anti-inflammatory it soothes the skin and minimises redness. great for: balancing and toning
5. lavender – another balancer for body, mind and our skin. lavender oil is extremely calming and soothing. benefits: calm and sooth the skin, body and mind. find lavender in relax, ground and balance.
6. myrrh – a fantastic anti-ageing essential oil. myrrh oil is protecting, has anti antioxidant properties and may help protect against uv damage while reducing fine lines and wrinkles and supporting youthful skin. it is also used for scaring. benefits: anti-aging, can protect against uv light. find myrrh in ground and balance.
7. sandalwood – an extremely calming oil for our skin and our minds. sandalwood oil is perfect for dry irritated and inflamed skin. ideal for: dry, irritated or inflamed skin. find sandalwood in ground.
8. helichrysum - known for its potential anti-ageing and scar reducing benefits. helichrysum oil is very hydrating for the skin. there’s also the potential benefit for it to help block uv damage to the skin. great for: anti-aging and reducing the appearance of scars
9. carrot seed – carrot seed oil is more of a carrier oil rather than an essential oil, but it’s still fantastic. carrot seed oil has a wonderful colour that gives our skin a healthy glow and is very moisturising for the skin. ideal for: moistening with a natural tint.
if you are suffering from dry skin, you can make a mix of any of our top 9 essential oils and create a natural remedy for dry skin and dry hands.
we recommend keeping a bottle of relax beside your sink and use it immediately after washing your hands. rub it all over as you do for washing. not only will it prevent your hands from drying out, but you will benefit from its anti-microbial and immune-boosting properties.
Namaste,
Sinéad
if you have any medical condition or if you are pregnant please always consult your medical consultant before using essential oils and speak to a qualified aromatherapist. this information is purely for education and is not medical advice.
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Sometimes we feel like we our skin needs some deeper care. I have had the joy of hosting many master-classes in person in how to use essential oil. For anyone who can't make those - we've put together some really easy diy face mask recipes using ingredients you can find in any kitchen, health store or supermarket.
Face masks provide deep nourishment to the skin. when used regularly face masks can moisturize and detoxify (and are an all round truly pampering experience). the main benefits of applying face masks regularly include:
1. refines skin pores: face masks help to clear your skin and refine your pores, this works by clearing away dead skin cells and oily substances.
2. Increases hydration: face masks bring moisture and hydration to dry and dehydrated skin. this works as the water penetrates the skins epidermis, it softens the skin and enhances the elasticity giving a more plump and youthful appearance.
3. Diminishes lines: with regular application, face masks can diminish the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and brown spots leaving a soft and smooth texture to the skin.
4. Evens skin tone: face masks promote sweat gland secretion which increases oxygen content of the skin, this can diminish hyper pigmentation giving an even skin tone and texture.
5. Firms skin: regular use of face masks (especially those that enhance collagen production) can encourage lose skin to firm up giving a more youthful appearance.
Face mask for all skin types
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir thoroughly. cleanse skin and apply face mask avoiding eyes and mouth. leave for 20-30 minutes and relax. Rinse with warm water.
We recommend using yogandha detox for these face mask recipes as it contains lemongrass and juniperberry. lemongrass is refreshing, stimulating and soothing. It is used to help with acne and enlarged open pores. It tones tissue and muscle and is also a brilliant oil to use to combat headaches. juniperberry is restorative, purifying, clearing and reviving. It can be used to combat acne, dermatitis, eczema and oily skin.
Face mask for glowing skin-all skin types
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir thoroughly. cleanse skin and apply face mask avoiding eyes and mouth. leave for 20-30 minutes and relax. rinse with warm water.
This recipe is ideal to add a glow to dull skin as the baking soda acts as a gentle exfoliant, reducing redness and boosting circulation. honey fights off bacteria, tightens skin and it protects against sun damage. together the detox body oil and honey penetrate the skin, locking in moisture, cleansing and repairing. this promotes elasticity and reduces blemishes.
Remember to experiment with consistency - add more baking soda to thicken.
Face mask for brighter skin - dry skin types
Follow method above. be aware that turmeric is a bright yellow spice and can stain.
This recipe is perfect for adding brightness to dull, dry skin. turmeric is used by indian women as a skin brightener, when added to yoghurt or oil it is the perfect ingredient for a face mask. the honey fights off bacteria, tightens skin and it protects against sun damage. together the detox body oil and honey penetrate the skin, locking in moisture, cleansing and repairing. this promotes elasticity and reduces blemishes. you can use flour as a thickener if you have dry skin or baking soda for normal skin to gently exfoliate. if you have oily skin try replacing the yogandha detox with 1/4 cup plain yoghurt.
Face mask for acne- all skin types
place aspirin in a bag and crush into a powder with a rolling pin or spoon. Add the lemon juice and allow the aspirin to dissolve into a paste. Add the yogandha detox and, if you like, thicken by adding a small amount of baking soda. Apply to clean skin avoiding the eyes and mouth and allow to dry. Remove with warm water.
This face mask is perfect for acne prone skin as aspirin is brilliant for treating spots, clearing up acne and dry, itchy patches. the lemon juice is a citric acid so it has anti bacterial properties, which is greta for evening out skin tone and clearing up acne. yogandha detox combined with the lemon juice not only moisturize and cleanse the skin but they smell AMAZING!
Fruity face mask- dehydrated skin
Blend the avocado and pineapple in a food processor until smooth but textured, add the lime juice, detox body oil and honey and stir well. use same method as above.
This fruity face mask is perfect for healing dehydrated skin. using fresh ingredients will not only smell great but it will make your skin glow.
Remember face masks are meant to be a pampering experience, apply them mindfully to clean skin in upward circular movements. sit back, relax, breathe deep and let the ingredients do their job.
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so many things about those conversations have stayed with her. mostly how people use the blends to consciously manage how they feel
that's what they're for so it's great to know people are doing that!
another thing she heard over and over is how quickly our body oils are absorbed into the skin and how important that is for incorporating them into your day.
she was asked if yogandha oils were dry oils?
dry oil is of course quite a strange term - so what does it mean? how can something liquid be dry?
and if there are dry oils - can there be wet oils?
when an oil is referred to as a dry oil - it means the essential character of the oil - and how it leaves your skin feeling
what characterizes a dry oil is that it is high in polyunsaturated fatty acids. what that means in practice is that it is absorbed so rapidly into the skin that it leaves no residue. it actually means much more than that too - it means a lot for your skin and preserving a healthy cell structure to keep you glowing.
how often do you use essential oils in your routine?
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foot shaming! no part of the body should have to put up with that mental and physical treatment! but it's also pretty easy to start an upward virtuous cycle.
if you start giving your feet some love - then you'll start feeling more positive toward them, which will lead to giving them more love and soon you'll have very happy feet. this is right on so many levels because seven out of ten people develop foot problems - and many of them are totally preventable.
feet just need love. here's some simple ways to start...
if you have a yoga practice, add in stretching up into your tippy toes and gentle foot rotations into your standing postures
if you don't have a practice - just do that as you're cooking
1. play with using the muscles in the foot in ways you don't usually use - stretch the toes out in different directions
2. see how the dexterity of your toes compares with that of your hands - can you raise some toes while the rest stay on the floor?
3. play with it - try picking things up off the floor with your feet instead of your hands
4. keep an eye on your alignment - does your weight fall on your outer feet or inner? the balls or the heels? if you're not sure - often checking the soles of well worn shoes is a giveaway.
5. if you get to a beach this summer - check your footprints to see the impression you make - and what way your feet point when you land
I'm happy to say I also hear customers say they use yogandha oils to send good loving to their feet. mostly I hear yogandha relax is used to give a relaxing nightly foot massage.
as essential oils are antibacterial, anti-microbial, anti-inflamatory and even anti-fungal - this makes this particular practice right in very many ways. the physical benefits for the muscles and the notoriously dry skin are obvious, but the psychological benefits are huge too.
rubbing pure love into the feet will increase your good feelings towards them
putting them in the best position to be two of your best friends for life, and they're worth it - a happy body can only really be stacked on happy feet!
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the best thing is - if you already have the set - you should have everything you need at home already.
we're going to pull together a morning detox ritual set, to do every day for 14 days - if you stick to it - you're going to feel vibrant and ready for whatever 2021 has in plan for you!
1. when you wake up - go straight to the bathroom and brush your tongue (or scrape if you have a tongue scraper) then do some oil pulling - take some coconut, sesame or sunflower and swill it around all parts of your mouth for 3-5 mins. Gargle, then spit it out.
2. prepare two hot drinks - one is pure warm water - the other is either a herbal tea or a hot lemon water. drink the pure water first, then the second drink. this sets the day up for a lot of hydration. while you're sipping - journal a little - having a written detox ritual gets the mind in alignment with the body.
apply yogandha salute to clarify your thoughts (and help stimulate the liver) and then write down some self-limiting beliefs - some negative traits you believe you hold - and then reframe them - look for examples in your life where you found that these did not hold true - and replace these self-limiting beliefs with empowering ones. This is a self-judgement detox - and if you can do this every morning - your entire body will let go of a lot of what you just don't need!
3. have a short bespoke yoga practice prepared the day before - a simple series of postures you're already familiar with - don't worry about perfection - your body has the wisdom it needs to stretch safely. If you know cleansing breathwork - start with that. include
- gentle forward bends (give the kidneys a warm rub through your back as you're forward folding
- gentle back and side bends
- cobra or any pose that will lengthen the gut and apply gentle pressure to the abdomen
- lots of twists
4. then do body brushing - squirt yogandha detox onto your brush and do a full body brush - reinforcing the letting go. a full self-massage per day is absolutely needed - though whether you do morning or night doesn't matter. each movement feel yourself massaging in your new empowering beliefs. bedding them down like seedlings.
5. for bath or shower - try mixing things up from the usual routine as this work is about getting unstuck. if you always bathe in the morning - do it at night. If you always shower - take baths (if you can) if you can't take baths - have a foot bath. anything to knock you off your usual routine to get the mind and body ready for new patterning and possibilities.
6. before your breakfast - take a half a teaspoon of turmeric with a dash of black pepper - can just be in water, or in warmed oat milk if you prefer. then avoid all sugars all day - avoid processed foods and alcohol completely. eat light - eat dark greens, you know what your body craves when you're in your proper self-lovin' self - and whatever your 11am cuppa thinks - it's not biscuits - so mix this ritual up too giving yourself the best chance to avoid temptation. try mindful eating - wait till you're hungry to eat. eat slowly and consciously. if any bad food habits pop up - have compassion for them, but show them the door.
other detox rituals to add if you like:
- eat your main meal during the day - will lead to far healthier digestion and better sleep
- switch out caffeinated drinks for good green tea
- chew on two cloves of garlic before bed (do possibly run this by anyone who may be sharing your bed..)
- put detoxing oils in your diffuser to clear your space - sweet fennel, lemongrass and juniperberry - all of these are in yogandha detox - so you don't have to diffuse - just squirt on your hands multiple times per day, cup your hands to your face and inhale deeply - (then give your core a quick rub if you can access it)
to juice or not to juice? as long as you're putting the right veg and fruit in the juice it can be fine - but remember most fruits are very sugar-rich so for these 14 days it's not ideal. and as i mentioned last week - juices cannot cleanse the liver - simply because juice contains no fats - and the liver and gallbladder need fats to excrete - they just can't shift toxins without fat. so do feel free to drink juice, just limit the sugar and know that it's not actually cleansing to the liver
if you're thinking - when am I going to have time for all that? - just pick the parts that you can do - make up your own ritual from 3-5 of these practices - making it your own is key. it's easier to get up earlier these days - which is why it's detox season - so use that time! just stick to it for 14 days and see how you feel!
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Our skin is the largest organ in the body. Its permeable and is able to both absorb and release. In a way its one of the primary organs of detoxification.
What we put into the body (e.g. food) is often reflected in our skin. With veins, arteries and capillaries close the skin surface we have incredible blood supply here. So if there are loads of toxins in your blood it will be reflected in the skin.
Our lymphatic system is also close to the skin. This is part of our immune system and a healthy lymphatic system is a key to our wellbeing.
There are many ways. An obvious one is not putting anything toxic on the skin. This is why we are using yogandha Oils on our body as they are pure and contain no nasties. See our blog on "What not to wear" when it comes to our skin and beauty products.
We know diet is important. And we love skin brushing as a way to stimulate and exfoliate.
The best time is in the morning to wake up the body and mind. It’s stimulating in a good way.
Do it in the shower before washing. Then it becomes part of your routine with the added benefit that the excess skin simply gets washed out with your wash.
If not, then do any other time! Any time is better than not at all.
Squirt some oil onto the brush before your skin brushing. Detox contains essential oils to both stimulate your circulation and help with the lymphatic system.
Once a day is enough but you are welcome to do an additional brush. Late in the evening can be a bit too stimulating though.
Enjoy any time of the year. Starting now to prepare for spring is an excellent time to start.
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You might be thinking that you don’t use phthalates anyway. In fact, you might never have heard the word at all. But it’s highly likely you use it every day. Or at least in contact with phthalates every single day.
You find this chemical in nail varnish, shampoos, cleaning products and body lotions. They are even in food packaging and vinyl flooring. They are also in fragrance. Not just the fragrance you spritz on or in your deodorant but the word fragrance that is in most products whether it’s to clean your body or your house. What you apply as makeup and the products you use to remove it. Basically, they are difficult to avoid. But we can make an effort and we do have choices.
They are used as a preservative and a binding agent. For example, it’s used to make nail polish less brittle. There are different kinds of phthalates these include DINP, DEHP, DBP and BBP which you may see on the ingredient lists of various products.
Luckily there is now plenty of research on phthalates. Unfortunately, they don’t put this chemical in a good light. Research suggests that phthalates can act as hormonal disruptors and are toxic to reproductive health. This includes potential harm to a baby in the mother’s womb. They are linked to diabetes in women. And both obesity and behavioural problems in children. They might even have carcinogenic (cancer-causing) properties and be linked to asthma.
You might find the word phthalates on a product or perhaps DINP, DEHP, DBP or BBP. It’s likely that the first four letters of the word phth are hidden in the middle of a word too. Sadly it can also be part of the term fragrance. Not all fragrance contains phthalates of course. According to legislation yogandha also contain the word fragrance but our fragrance is purely natural - created of essential oils only.
Our advice: be as natural, simple and as close to nature as possible. That’s one good reason why yogandha was created. yogandha oils can be used as a cleanser for face and body. As well as moisturising body and face oils. With no nasties.
Get out your magnifying glass to study the ingredient list on all your products. Look at the small print!
Stay well,
Sinead
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