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Smells Can Affect Your Dreams

DearSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:00:00 -0700

The smell of apple pie always reminds me of my grandmother, who used to make it whenever I came to visit. I'm sure you have certain feelings and memories connected to scents too. And just as they affect us during the day, researchers have found that aromas can influence the emotions we experience when we sleep. Fifteen women in their 20s were part of this dream study. Each had a tube taped to their nostrils and while they slept, one of three scents was pumped through their noses: rotten eggs, roses, and plain air. While they snoozed, their brain activity was monitored. The scientists allowed them to reach REM sleep and after one minute, they woke them up and asked the sleepers to describe what they were dreaming about. The women didn't dream about the specific smells like you might think, but rather when they smelled roses, they had pleasant dreams, and when they smelled rotten eggs, their dreams were just the opposite.

Isn't that interesting? Since a good night's sleep is so important to our health and overall well-being, I'm all for anything that can inspire some delightful dreams, so go out and buy some lovely scented candles or sheet spray for your pillows. Lavender essential oil will also do the trick. Try it, and let us know how it works!

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Beauty Glossary: Rosehip Oil

BellaSugarUK — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 23:00:00 -0700

Not to be confused with rose oil, rosehip oil is extracted from the seeds or 'hips' of wild grown rosebushes and it is the only vegetable oil which contains natural retinol acid (vitamin A acid).

Rosehip oil is also full of other natural skin-boosting ingredients. It is high in essential fatty acids including linoleic fatty acids which helps reduce the size of pores.

Since rosehip oil contains high content of vitamin A, it is an ideal treatment for many infections such as acne, pimples and boils. It is also useful in the treatment of damaged skin tissue caused by scalds, burns and varicose veins.

For more benefits and to find out which brands I recommend,

Beauty Glossary: Ylang Ylang

BellaSugarUK — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Ylang ylang (pronounced ee-lang ee-lang) is an essential oil with an intensely sweet scent. It is made from the yellow flower of the cananga tree.

Ylang ylang is a very soothing oil that can create a sense of well being, and is used in skincare to balance both dry, and oily, skin. It normalises sebum secretion, making it ideal for problem skin.

Ylang ylang is believed to relieve high blood pressure, and is considered to be an aphrodisiac. The oil from ylang-ylang is widely used in perfumery for oriental or floral themed perfumes (such as Chanel No. 5).

Ylang-ylang blends well with most floral, fruit and wood smells.

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Beauty Glossary: Tea Tree

BellaSugarUK — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:00:00 -0700

Tea tree is a well-known essential oil, that become widely used in the beauty industry, from the 1990s, partly because of The Body Shop's popular Tea Tree range.

It is obtained by steam distillation, from the leaves of melaleuca alternifolia, a plant native to Australia.

The Australian Aborigines were the first to unearth the medicinal benefits of tea tree. Tea tree oil is ideal for blemished and teenage skin – it is a powerful antiseptic that can alleviate inflammation and also helps healing, by encouraging tissue regeneration.

Extensive scientific studies, over recent years, have shown it to be effective against bacterial, viral and fungal organisms, whilst being a powerful immune system stimulant – increasing the body's ability to fight off illness or infection. Just

Beauty Glossary: Rose Essential Oil

BellaSugarUK — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:00:00 -0700

Rose oil is perhaps one of the most well-known essential oils. It is derived from the steam distillation of the petals of Rosa damascena and Rosa centifolia.

The steam-distilled rose oil is known as 'rose otto,' whilst the solvent extracted product is known as 'rose absolute'. The complicated and delicate distillation process makes the oil very expensive, and as such it's often used in high-end skincare.

Rose oil is good on most skin types, but works especially well on mature, dry and irritated skin. It is often used to help repair broken capillaries, reduce inflammation and calm redness.

It is said to be nurturing and feminine, and is believed to help reduce anxiety, as well as to help balance the emotions. Rose promotes feelings of well being, so is especially good for helping to cope with depression or stress.

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Beauty Glossary: Patchouli

BellaSugarUK — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:00:00 -0700

Patchouli is the name of a herb that is part of the mint family and produces the essential oil of the same name. As an oil, Patchouli has numerous skin and health benefits.

You may have come across it on the ingredients list, on perfumes, as it has a dry, woody aroma that is sometimes used to add a musky scent to fragrance. It is said to be strengthening and stimulating for the body, and also the mind.

Patchouli is also an antiviral and antibacterial oil, which has skin regenerating qualities. It's great for improving the appearance of scar tissue, and helping to heal adult acne.

It's often used to reduce stretch marks, due to it's healing benefits. Oily skin also benefits from Patchouli as it reduces oil, without stripping the skin.

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Beauty Glossary: Frankincense

BellaSugarUK — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 23:00:00 -0700

Frankincense is an essential oil used in aromatherapy, and believed to have strong health benefits. Essential oils quickly penetrate the body through the skin, plus they enter and leave the body without leaving any toxins behind.

Frankincense has anti-inflammatory and astringent properties. It's a key ingredient for improving skin tone, as well as decreasing wrinkles and fine lines. Frankincense has also been known to help improve scar tissue, due to it's healing qualities.

It has a sweet, yet spicy and fresh aroma, that people often either love or hate. It's also known to deepen breathing and to help with anxiety.

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Aromatherapy Doesn't Work?

FitSugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:30:00 -0800

Aromatherapy is immensely popular nowadays. It seems like everywhere you go, you can find rose geranium-infused candles, citrus and bergamont room sprays, and lavender-scented eye pillows. I enjoy these sweet smells, and my spirit is often buoyed by them. However, recent research is saying that aromatherapy doesn't work — well, at least not for the two popular scents lavender and lemon.

Researchers at Ohio State University conducted a two-year study that included scientifically rigorous testing of the body's physical changes when people smelled popular scents — and they came up with nothing. Patients were subjected to stressors, like dipping a foot in icy water (sounds fun), and even when patients were told to sniff lavender because it had destressing abilities, it didn't do a thing for their bodies' physical stress levels. They found that lemon did lift people's moods, but it didn't affect their heart rates, blood pressure, immune functions, or stress hormones.

Scientists admitted that the results surprised them. Even the people who believed in the power of aromatherapy — those who regularly bought scented products — didn't show any physical reactions to what they sniffed.

So according to this study (which cost nearly $374,000, by the way), aromatherapy may not be a cure for illnesses or pain, and it may boost your immune system. When it comes down to it, if smelling a scent makes you happy, having a sniff certainly won't hurt you. What do you think? Is aromatherapy a bunch of quackery, or do you think it really can heal the body and make you feel better?

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Essential Oils for Your Every Mood

DearSugar — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 11:00:00 -0700

Nature has provided an abundance of wonderful scents that come to us through the essences of flowers, fruits, barks, seeds, and woods. Aromatherapy is the art and science of combining these pure essences in order to create blends that help to bring the body, mind, and spirit into balance.

Essential oils are derived purely from plants and can be used alone, in a bath, in an Aromatherapy Ring, or in products like candles or massage oil, to enhance or change your mood. But beware -- lookout for synthetic scented oils and products since these can cause headaches and other negative side effects. Want to know which scents spark what mood? Then

Essential Oils Enlarge Boys' Breasts?

FitSugar — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 13:00:00 -0800

Hmmm? I wouldn't believe it unless I read it myself. But a recent study suggests that lavender and tea tree oils found in some shampoos, soaps, and lotions can temporarily leave boys with enlarged breasts in rare cases, apparently by disrupting their hormonal balance.

The condition, gynecomastia, developed (pun intended) with 3 boys, and researchers suspected that the oils might be upsetting the boys’ hormonal balance. So they did a series of laboratory tests to check how these oils work within human cells.

The oils appeared to mimic estrogen (the hormone in women that causes breast growth) and blocked the male hormone androgen.

The good news is that it happens infrequently and clears up when the oils are no longer used.

Isn't that crazy? My first question then would be, can this news work towards the advantage of women seeking bigger boobs? No word on that yet, but this definitely gives new meaning to the term "Man-boobs."