This past summer we had a lot to celebrate with a number of friends buying homes, getting engaged and getting married. My favorite way to celebrate? Have the gang over for a big boozy brunch and toast with champagne! A few weeks ago one of my favorite couples moved into a new house – that’s...
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Thursday, September 22, 2016
Soak Up Sweet Orange Oil’s Health Benefits
What Is Orange Oil?
Orange (Citrus sinensis) belongs to the Rutaceae family. The fruit comes from a small grayish-brown bark tree, which is almost similar to a shrub. Its branches grow to a regular hemisphere shape with oval-shaped foliage that sprouts to at least 3 to 4 inches.
Its flowers are distinguished by its aromatic characteristic, and the circular fruit is rougher and darker in comparison to other varieties of citrus. It is said to be first obtained from a native tree in China, but has also been cultivated widely in the Mediterranean region, France, North and South America and Portugal.
Orange oil is extensively utilized in aromatherapy as it helps soothe tensed muscles and aids as a mood lifter. It can also be blended with a carrier oil and used as a fragrant lotion or cream or your skin.1
Uses of Orange Oil
Orange oil is commonly used as an added flavoring to beverages, sweet meats, chocolates, biscuits and confectionery and baked goods. Industrially, it is utilized as a concentrate for room fresheners, deodorants, soaps, body lotions and creams.
I believe that orange oil can provide a lot of benefits to your health. It has anti-inflammatory,2 antiseptic,3 antidepressant4 and antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.5
As a tonic, orange oil can help curb inflammation in the body by reducing pain and irritation. It also has a carminative property that helps expel intestinal gas, which induces chest pains and indigestion, by relaxing the stomach and anal muscles.6
Some organic nutritionists believe orange oil may help treat muscular and nervous spasms. In aromatherapy, it aids in relieving anxiety, anger and depression and is beneficial in promoting a healthy wellbeing as it detoxifies your body and boosts your immunity.7
Composition of Orange Oil
Orange oil is made of up various chemical properties such as alpha pinene, citronellal, geranial, sabinene, myrcene, limonene, linalool and neral.
The most significant property is the limonene, or D-limonene, which can play an important role in your home by repelling insects. Simply spray or wipe it in different places of your house.
D-limonene extracted from the rind of orange can be used as a cleaning agent both in household and industrial settings. This chemical may also be utilized as a replacement for acetone, toluene, glycol ethers, fluorinated and chlorinated organic agents when used as a straight solvent.8
Benefits of Orange Oil
Orange oil is beneficial in improving digestion and relieving constipation. It also was found to inhibit angiogenesis, metastasis and cell death in human colon cancer cells in a study, prompting the researches to say that the oil from blood oranges “may offer great potential for prevention of cancer.”9
This essential oil is also good for nourishing dry, irritated and acne-prone skin when mixed with a carrier oil and used as a cream or ointment. It also may be used effectively for a refreshing treatment of calluses on your feet.
The orange promotes a feeling of happiness and warmth when used in aromatherapy. It helps in the elimination of toxins in the body and deals well with digestive problems. It helps in stimulating lymphatic action to promote balance in water processes and results in detoxification of your body.10
How to Make Orange Oil
The traditional method of extracting essential oil from citrus is known as expression or cold pressing. It is done by soaking the rind of the orange in warm water then pressing against the rind to absorb the essential oil.
The sponge will be then filled with the fluids extracted from the fruit. After that, the sponge will be pressed over a container to collect all the extraction and allow the separation of oil from the juice.11
However, it must be noted that extracting oils through distillation is different from the cold pressing method. Though distillation is a common method of obtaining oils, it has a negative effect on citrus oils. The heat from the steam reduces the citral content of the fresh oil, causing the essential oil to lose its therapeutic quality.12
If you’re not familiar with the cold compress method, there is a homemade technique to extract the essential oil from orange:13
What You’ll Need
• Orange peels
• Glass jar or container with tight lid
• Vodka or undenatured ethyl alcohol
• Coffee filter or cheese cloth
• Paper towel or cheese cloth
Procedure:
1. Let the orange peels dry naturally in direct sunlight. It will take about two days, depending on the humidity.
2. Cut the orange peels into smaller pieces and place them inside the jar.
3. Pour the vodka or alcohol until the all the peels are covered.
4. Screw the lid of the container tightly and shake it for a couple of minutes.
5. The longer you shake and leave the peels to soak in the vodka, the more oil will be obtained from it.
6. Filter the orange peels by using the coffee filter or cheese cloth.
7. Cover the container with a paper towel or cheese cloth. Let the residue sit inside the container until the alcohol has evaporated and the essential oil has remained.
How Does Orange Oil Work?
Orange oil can be used in various ways. It can be used as massage oil on the different areas of the body.
A few drops of the oil can be added to a warm bath or body wash — but be careful to always use it with a carrier oil, as it can be irritating to the skin, as well as phototoxic, if you use it directly on your skin. If you do use it topically, be sure to stay out of the sun for at least 12 hours.14
It also works as a great room freshener — just mix it with water in a spray bottle and squirt it lightly into the air. The orange oil is effective when used in vapor therapy as it immensely helps in relieving tension and stress. The fragrant scent helps induce sleep in children, especially at night.
When added in creams or lotions, it stimulates the lymphatic system and helps detoxify your skin. It also serves well as a general skin tonic. The essential oil works great especially when blended with black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, frankincense, sandalwood and vetiver.
Is Orange Oil Safe?
The orange oil is normally safe when used. However, one should avoid sunlight after applying it as it may cause phototoxicity. When consumed in large amounts, orange oil may result in vomiting and nausea. If you are pregnant, epileptic or have other medical problems, I advise you to consult first with a professional aromatherapy practitioner before using it.
Side Effects of Orange Oil
When using the orange oil for therapeutic needs, please dilute it with a base oil or lotion. I don’t recommend using the essential oil in high concentrations as it may cause dermatitis or skin inflammation. Albeit orange oil has many health benefits, I still advise you to consult first with a medical professional before applying it.
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Soft Bronze Smokey Eye Tutorial // La Mav Organic Vegan Eyeshadows
Today’s tutorial is a soft bronze smokey eye using organic vegan eyeshadows from La Mav. I’ve also added soft peach to the lips, one of my favourite colour combinations for Spring. I hope you enjoy the video! Please don’t forget… Continue Reading →
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Wednesday, September 21, 2016
La Mav Meets: Kim Batley from Oh Goodness Me
A cup of tea with Kim Batley from Oh Goodness Me
This week, we had the pleasure to share a cup of chai tea with the lovely Kim Batley, founder of our favorite Australian luxury vegan beauty boutique - Oh Goodness Me. We chatted about the importance of cleaning your life and your mind of things you don't really need; how amazing vegan food is; how much we love yoga; her favorite makeup and skin care products and much more. Join us - let's meet Kim!
1. I am Kim and I love.. stormy weather, creating delicious vegan meals, alternative music, jumping into a freshly made bed, cups of herbal or chai tea, being a voice for the animals, composing images for Oh Goodness Me, a glass of wine, supporting locals, the rain on the roof when I drift off to sleep, where I live, a shower after a long day, a simple approach to living and my beautiful husband.
2. I trust in.. man-kind and that we can evolve into being just that. Kind to the planet, kind to the animals and kind to ourselves.
3. I find it hard to.. maintain my balance with some of the yoga poses we do in class. I am working on that core strength though :)
4. I feel frustrated when.. I hear people say, “Oh that is just how I was brought up”, like it gives them an instant pardon for bad choices. I do believe we are able to educate ourselves and discover new things as adults. This knowledge is what separates us from that child version of us that people refer too when they make this statement. The world would not evolve without it and we would just keep repeating the same mistakes if we all took on this statement.
5 .I am thankful for.. all the amazing vegan food blogs that are around now because they have given my husband the confidence and ideas to create yummy meals for us. He has turned into my kitchen super hero and whips up lots of his own creations and even does the grocery shopping. It is such a blessing when I am working a lot and I am more than thankful.
6. When I wake up in the morning.. have a glass of water with lemon, then I jump into a warm shower, spend some time making breakfast, catch up on emails or social media and then start my working day.
7. When I go to bed, I think about.. how much I actually love my bed and how blissful it is at the end of the day:) I actually don't think about much once I am there because I have learnt that nothing gets solved in those times when you are tired. I would rather write it down and deal with it the next day refreshed. Much like meditation, I try and clear my thoughts and listen to my breathing.
8. If I could give advice to my 18 year old self, I'll.. tell her not compare herself with others and enjoy being her own unique self because people will love, be drawn to and admire you for those differences. I would also tell her to start using anti-aging products earlier.
9. I have chosen to support the natural/organic beauty trend because.. I have realised that there are far safer, healthier and kinder alternatives that are available to us. I am happy to support those who are making those conscious choices. I truly believe that nature delivers the best ingredients and the people who are creating these products are essentially creating the world they want to live in and I support that.
10. My favorite makeup item is.. my BB and CC creams. I love these multitasking products because they give my face a hint of colour, hydrate my skin, correct the colour, protect me from sun damage and they have the added anti-aging benefits I need.
11. The skin care item I can’t live without.. these days is a good face serum. My skin really enjoys that pampering of love before I go to bed. I let the natural goodness do its work while I sleep. There are so many natural skin food blends being created for all skin types and issues these days. We are truly lucky.
12. When I have to do my makeup in less than 5 minutes, I always apply.. my CC or BB cream, a quick dusting of Natural Mineral Makeup, cheek balm, lip balm or lipstick, eyeliner, eye shadows and mascara. It generally only takes me 5 minutes to do my makeup most days. I may spend a little more time if I am going out.
Formulated with the purest natural minerals and infused with Vitamin C & Rosehip Oil, our Organic BB Cream will nourish, hydrate and protect your skin. It will allow you to achieve flawless finish, effortlessly, and will restore your natural glow!
13. I am obsessed with.. simple living and minimalist design. The last few years I have looked more closely at what really is important and I came to conclusion that I do not need a lot of “stuff” in my life. I have never been a very materialistic type person but the last few years there has been a lot more talk about minimalism. I decided that I didn't want to live in a museum so I donated or gave away things we did not use. I also decided less was more with my wardrobe and started looking into Capsule Wardrobes for inspiration. The Project 333 challenge is a great place to get started. I have also incorporated these thoughts into other areas of my life and find my mind is less cluttered.
14. I want to.. spend more time doing healthy pursuits like Yoga. It makes me feel more centered, happy and able, so I am going to devote much more time in my week to making that a reality.
15. And I don’t want to.. miss out on what there is to come in life. I want to experience all I can while I age so I have adopted the healthiest approach possible. I want to grow old with my husband.
16. My mantra for happiness is.. I have everything I need.
17. Beauty is.. not a measure of attractiveness but more an inner radiance that some people have. Of course there are some things in life that are just aesthetically pleasing but it really is deeper than that. Beauty can be seen and heard in the way we treat others, how we hold ourselves, being confident in our choices and most importantly it is being true to our unique self.
18. Don’t forget to.. take some time out for yourself each day. Whether it is doing some yoga or meditation, having a bath, reading a book, going for a walk, doing some art or just listening to your favourite music while you drive through the day.
For more from Kim and Oh Goodness Me, follow her on Instagram and Facebook!
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