Category Archives: Parfait Visage

Lavender oil, Nutracool, Parfait Visage

The most essential oil? Protect your skin and alleviate anxiety with lavender oil

Think about it for a moment; with such a bewildering array of skincare and other wellbeing products on the market, wouldn’t it be great if there were just one naturally-occurring, health solution you could turn to? Well, this article isn’t suggesting there’s a single silver bullet out there, but in the shape of lavender oil, those seeking something for skincare and more may feel it’s well worth looking into.

In its pure form, lavender oil is a nectar derived from the distinctively-scented purple flowers of the lavender plant, the shrub that’s also referred to as English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), nowadays to be found throughout Europe, North America and Australia. Indeed, it’s no doubt because of the plant’s ubiquity that its oil has become recognised for a number of separate, significant health attributes.

Skin protection and complexion

Thanks to the antioxidant-rich polyphenols it contains, lavender oil can be applied to the skin to provide protection from harmful organisms and elements, thus enhancing the skin’s natural smoothness and complexion1. It also appears lavender oil has the potential to guard against conditions that commonly affect nails. Research suggests it may be capable of tackling nail fungus so well it can attack fungus cells at the cell membrane2.

Aromatherapy and haircare

Meanwhile, using lavender oil as part of aromatherapy treatment (the application of natural plant-derived oils to improve cognitive, psychological and physical wellbeing) may well do you good, as it might possess pain control attributes, as well as help with chronic pain when applied via foot massage3, 4. Moreover, lavender oil may also help sufferers of alopecia areata. There’s research to suggest that, should they use it every day to massage their scalp, it could prevent hair loss – indeed, it’s believed it may even promote hair growth2.

Anxiety, sleep and circulation

If you find life gets on top of you now and again, leaving you frazzled and anxious, then lavender oil may also prove something of a remedy – it’s been traditionally used to treat anxiety. Again, undergoing a massage with lavender oil (making use of almond or jojoba as a carrier oil) may prove just the ticket5. Furthermore, there’s evidence to suggest that in capsule form, lavender oil may aid sleep hygiene – inducing longer and better quality sleep5, 6. However, you may find merely dousing your bed’s pillow with a drop of essential lavender oil before bed does the trick just as well. And, away from relaxation, it’s also believed that, when applied in exercise and meditation routines, lavender oil may aid normal circulation, in addition to working to effectively balance cortisol (a major hormone released at times of stress)7, 8.

Lavender oil supplements

So, interested in trying out lavender oil for its health-promoting qualities? If so, you may be interested in the following lavender oil supplements, all available through The Finchley Clinic:

Parfait Visage – a 100% natural, organic product that aims to naturally restore skin to a fresh, radiant firmness; contains lavender oil, as well as aloe vera, Vitamins A, C and E and oils derived from chamomile, frankincense jasmine blue and hemp seeds.

nutracool

Nutracool – comprising seven essential oils (including lavender oil), aloe vera, metabolic MSM and capsaicin, it may provide relief from joint and hip discomfort, sore neck and feet and strained muscles.

lavendar-formula

Lavender Formula (60 capsules) – combines herbs traditionally relied on to help with stress and anxiety (such as lavender, peppermint, aniseed, chamomile and lemon balm); it may also aid regular, natural sleep.

References

1. Afaq F. and Katiyar S. K. ‘Polyphenols: skin photoprotection and inhibition of photocarcinogenesis’. Mini Rev Med Chem. 2011 Dec; 11(14): 1200-15.

2. Hay I. C. et al. ‘Randomized trial of aromatherapy. Successful treatment for alopecia areata’. Archives of Dermatology. 134 (11).

3. Kim J. T. et al. ‘Evaluation of Aromatherapy in Treating Postoperative Pain: Pilot Study’. Pain Practice. 6 (4).

4. Koulivand P. H. et al. ‘Lavender and the Nervous System’. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2013/681304/. 2013

5. ‘Lavender’.University of Maryland Medical Center. https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/lavender. 2013

6. Kasper S. et al. ‘Efficacy of orally administered Silexan in patients with anxiety-related restlessness and disturbed sleep – A randomized, placebo-controlled trial’. European Neuropsychopharmacology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26293583. 2015 Jul.

7. Shiina Y. et al. ‘Relaxation effects of lavender aromatherapy improve coronary flow velocity reserve in healthy men evaluated by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography’. International Journal of Cardiology. 129 (2).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17689755. 2007 Aug.

8. Kim I. et al. ‘Essential Oil Inhalation on Blood Pressure and Salivary Cortisol Levels in Prehypertensive and Hypertensive Subjects’. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2012/984203/. 2012.

MSM, Parfait Visage, Skin care, Women’s health

Look good and be healthy: why you should use organic skincare products

No question, going organic is firmly established as an approach to maintaining a good, balanced diet. The organic route to eating more healthily and more environmentally responsibly is scientifically proven and thus followed by millions around the world. However many are now increasingly going the organic route when it comes to something else – what they put on their bodies; that is, skincare and cosmetic products. Why? After all, it’s not like we’re putting ingredients of non-organic skin products inside us, is it? Well, actually; yes it is.

Skin absorption

You may not be aware of it, but your skin is one of your body’s organs – its biggest, in fact. And, like all other organs, it absorbs a great many things, such as the nutrients we need as well as unfortunately the harmful toxins we definitely don’t. The problem is then, in applying different skincare and cosmetic products to yourself all the time, you’re potentially forcing your skin to absorb even more toxins than it ordinarily would do so. Unless you can be sure the products you’re applying to your skin don’t contain toxins, of course.

Yet, naturally, many of us can’t be sure of that – or don’t check. Indeed, a good number of the established products many women apply to their skin contain phthalates (salts or esters derived from phthalatic acid) or parabens (preservatives) that disrupt the endocrine system (which oversees the creation, development and deployment of the body’s hormones)1. Unsurprisingly, studies suggest the more such products you use on your body, the higher the concentration of toxicity from them manages to make its way through the skin and into the body – plus, research also points to these toxins causing reproductive problems and increasing the levels of cancer risk2.

Go organic

The advantage of adopting an organic-derived skincare and cosmetic routine is pretty obvious then. You won’t be unnecessarily exposing your body to any of those unnatural, dangerous preservatives and other toxins that non-organic products harbour. Moreover, experts believe that, in relying on natural ingredients to make your face and skin look good, you might even help treat potential hyperpigmentation (patchy darkening of the skin) and inflammation, as well as photoaging (sun damage to the skin that reveals itself over time)3, 4.

Fundamentally, skincare products should surely not just ensure you look good on the outside but definitely not harm you on the inside – and if they can aid you living healthily and looking after your body too, then all the better. These are three pointers that you might try to follow when looking to buy cosmetics and skincare products:

  • Avoid ingredients such as potentially harmful chemicals, irritants or preservatives
  • Opt for on-allergenic, carefully formulated products containing natural, organic ingredients
  • Always try to buy items free of non-genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that haven’t been tested on animals.

Organic product examples

So, armed as you now are with the information, why not try out one or two organic skincare products – the following are all available through The Finchley Clinic:

msm-lotion-rose

MSM Lotion Rose (150ml) – a fine lotion for the hands, body and face containing methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), the organic sulphur compound that’s the fourth most prevalent mineral in the human body, and fragranced with rose geranium and palmarosa oils, rose extract, aloe vera and shea butter; ideal for dry and ‘problem’ skin

aqua-spirit

Aquaspirit (previously Oxy-Skin) (4floz) – thanks to its circulation-stimulating properties, bio-available oxygen and aromatherapuetic nutrients, this product oxygenates the blood in the face and skin, energising the cells and promoting healthier, more radiant skin

parfait-visage

Parfait Visage (1.7floz) – a 100% organic product that, owing to its ingredients including vegetable palm stearic acid, sweet almond oil, whole leaf aloe vera, hemp seed oil, MSM and essential oils, penetrates and moisturises seven-layers-deep in the skin, enhances new cell growth and stimulates new healthy tissue.

References

  1. Dodson R. E., Nishioka M., Standley L. J., Perovich L. J., Brody J. G. and Rudel R. A. ‘Endocrine Disruptors and Asthma-Associated Chemicals in Consumer Products’. Environmental Health Perspectives. 2012 Jul; 120 (7): 935–943. doi: 10.1289/ehp.1104052.
  2. Braun J. M., Just A. C., Williams P. L., Smith K. W., Calafat A. M. and Hauser R. ‘Personal care product use and urinary phthalate metabolite and paraben concentrations during pregnancy among women from a fertility clinic’. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology. (2014)24.459–466
  3. Fowler J. F., Woolery-Lloyd H., Waldorf H. and Saini R. ‘Innovations in natural ingredients and their use in skin care’. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology.2010 Jun; 9 (6 Suppl): S72-81; quiz s82-3.
  4. Bowe W. P. and Pugliese S. ‘Cosmetic benefits of natural ingredients’. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology. 2014 Sep; 13 (9): 1021-5; quiz 26-7.