Natural Secrets of Beauty — Part 1

Adapted from “Secrets of Youth and Beauty” by Daniele Ryman.

At a time when modern invasive beauty treatments are increasingly questioned for their long-term effects on health, a new book on age-old natural techniques opens up a fresh range of beauty options.

Hair loss is a devastating condition for most women, whatever their age. It may be caused by cancer treatments, hormone imbalances or simple stress.

Ylang-Ylang has long been used in hair loss treatments. It’s perhaps best remembered as a Victorian hair oil called Macassar. Here’s the recipe if you want to make up your own.

Application: Before applying, tilt head forward and brush hair until the scalp warms up.

Ingredients
6 drops of essential oil of ylang-ylang
1 capsule of borage oil
1 capsule of evening primrose oil
A 50ml bottle

Mix oils and shake until thoroughly combined.

Massage into scalp an hour before washing hair. Use two or three times a month. You can also mix in a few drops of a mild shampoo and use in combination.

Modern women are beginning to realize the dangers of overloading their skin with products, especially sensitive facial skin. And yet, we’re told to moisturize twice a day after cleansing. Is this wise?

Tracey Chappell, a skin expert, says, “The idea that we should moisturize twice a day is traditional beauty lore and does apply to a great many of us. But it’s not necessarily the best thing for everyone.

“The belief probably came about because our desire for squeaky clean skin has meant that traditionally cleansers are quite stripping and leave skin feeling tight and dry, making us reach for the moisturizer both morning and night after we wash our faces.

“Only you can know what your skin feels like on a day-to-day basis. Occasionally it is wise to let the skin breathe, particularly as over-using creams that are too rich can make the skin “lazy”, taking over from its natural functions and leaving us dependent on lotions and potions.

“We get trapped in a vicious cycle.”