Lavender and Self Care Series: Anti-Aging
You may or may not know that lavender is chalk full of esters – also known as organic compounds – that natural occur in fats and essential oils. With more than 140 active ingredients, lavender esters not only produce the elegant fragrance Lavender gives off, but they also host a variety of properties that have simulative, calming, regenerative, and anti-spasmodic effects.
With more than two millennia of documented use in many cultures, it’s no surprise that lavender is widely used and sold in many different forms, and is a staple in organic skin care (and health care). Lavender has many uses but it also hosts amazing benefits for the skin’s anti-aging process.
Lavender essential oil is very concentrated, and it is used in combination with other anti-aging essential oils as well as carrier oils to further enhance effectiveness in anti-aging properties. A trace amount of this oil goes a long way, which makes it a cost effective and concentrated way to support your skin.
For wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, or anywhere else on the body, your skin needs antioxidants in order to fight free-radical damage. According to research, lavender essential oil helps your body produce three of its most powerful antioxidants; glutathione, catalase and superoxide dismutase.
Let’s look at why this is important for healthy skin:
- Glutathione is a peptide that our bodies naturally produce. This peptide is a compound of three amino-building acids — cysteine, glycine and glutamine. Glutathione is responsible for detoxification, antioxidant defense, and modulates cell rejuvenation and proliferation. So lavender just makes this peptide more powerful, neat stuff, right?
- Catalase is an antioxidant enzyme that converts hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. Catalase has been scientifically proven as powerful antioxidant agent, and is very beneficial to the organs and body processes.
- Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) is a powerful antioxidant and numerous studies have shown positive results that boosting levels of SOD help increase your skin’s life span. We’re not making this stuff up!
Regular use of lavender in your skin care routine not only combats harmful environmental toxins and free-radicals but stimulates your body’s own antioxidant enzymes to promote skin cell rejuvenation and proliferation. So really, lavender essential oil is your own personal skin care superhero – it’s powerful stuff!
For more information on the many benefits of lavender and the way to use it your day to day life, sign up for our newsletter (and get 10% off your first order), and take a look at our wonderful line of lavender skin care products, which can be purchased online and shipped across Ontario.