Tag Archives: Sunflower

Summer Time & Sun Protection

Summer Time - Sun Protection

Summer Time &
Sun Protection

Get your fill of Vitamin D,
rest & recharge your energy levels!

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We all love the summertime – well most of us do!It gives us a chance to chill, relax, spend time with our family and friends, and change our daily scenery.

Holiday destinations whether near or far can assist us in feeling revitalized. I particularly love seeing where my friends go to for their vacations as it gives me something to add to my bucket list of places to see.

During the change of weather, some of my customers write to me to ask about what sunscreen products to use and whether or not I make any. For strict legislative reasons, I don’t make certain products to sell, one of which includes sunscreen.
Though over the years, I found it difficult to find sunscreen products that wouldn’t irritate my super sensitive skin.

Australia is famous for being a ‘Slip Slop Slap’ culture when it comes to the outdoors – Slip on the T-shirt, Slop on the sunscreen and Slap on a hat. Even Aussie kids at school cannot go outside in the playgrounds without wearing a hat to protect themselves from the sunshine.

During our jet-skiing days with my siblings in Melbourne, Australia, we spent most of our days and weekends out in the sunshine having a blast.  Besides needing to keep hydrated drinking plenty of water, we had to protect our skin at the beaches and lakes for long periods of time. We wore our wetsuits & our caps but sunscreen had to be applied and reapplied especially after hours of being in the water & the sun.

One time I tried using the Cricketer’s famous ‘White Zinc’ on my face across the nose and cheeks.
‘Oh-My-God’ what a disaster trying to get off my face!

I had to cleanse and scrape at the end of the day and it still wouldn’t come off. The frustration of looking like a tomato face from both the sunshine AND the remains of White Zinc was so Urgh! Then there’s using Sun Creams which I found so rich on my skin, that they clogged my pores and caused me to break out with acne spots.

One day I tried something else.  The discovery of Sunblock in the form of a stick was the best thing ever for someone like me. Of course, once I started using this, I stocked up big time and always carried it with me. What I found with Sunblock is that I could reapply it when needed, carry it in my bag all the time, and not worry about clogging my skin.

For those that tend to break out in acne during the summer, Sunblock is definitely a protection treatment for your skin. It keeps your skin hydrated and protected without overfilling your reserves with excess ingredients.

The other annoyance of the summertime are bugs, insects & mozzies which like to feast on our yummy sweet skin. And if you’re sweet like my family, then the mozzies will be hiding and biting whilst we sleep. For this, I made an All Natural Mozz-Off which contains ingredients like Lemon Lime, Eucalyptus Essential Oils that are great for our skin but not what bugs and mozzies like to smell. It was especially requested for a Customer’s gorgeous wedding which was held in a garden and the ‘Mosquitos were NOT invited’.Now I carry a small bottle of the concoction in my bag and apply on the skin to avoid being bothered by bugs!!

As the Sun draws the moisture from our skin, we need to stay protected and hydrated throughout the day. Preferably using sunscreen, sunblock for our faces, shade, a decent hat and drinking plenty of water.
This means that our after-sun care becomes just as important as protecting our skin during the day.

Start by making sure you cleanse your skin with a gentle product that replenishes and restores, rather than draw out more natural oils from within. Remember water and natural oils that are stored in our skin have been slowly evaporating from our skin whilst being outside in the heat. Our Cypress Cleansing Balm is made with Beeswax, Butters and Essential Oils.It makes your skin feel like it’s been re-boosted from within as the ingredients replenish your natural reserves.The gentle removal process allows for exfoliation of the skin even though the reserves have been filled up again. I just love this concept of treating without damaging your delicate skin.

For kids, I made the skin boosting Natural Baby Moisturising Oil which allows their skin to be rehydrated from face to feet. The ingredients chosen are soft and delicate for youngsters up to 10+ years of age and includes Cocoa Butter, Calendula, Apricot Kernel together with Lavender and Roman Chamomile essential oils. I love using this on my kids as it protects & replenishes their skin, especially after spending hours basking in the sun like lizards!

For Adults that suffer from prickly heat or fungal infections, I have other products that help calm and restore the skin.
Depending on where the condition is, Nourishing Face Balm or Renew Balm works a treat assisting with the heat rash and fungal infections, amongst other conditions like Eczema.

For those that have been ‘kissed by the sun’, there’s Sun Kissed Balm which helps with re-balancing this discolouration of the skin. (Though it does not remove freckles!)  One of the key ingredients in this range is the Kukui Nut Oil which is rich in essential fatty acids linoleic and linolenic, Vitamins C, D and E to act as a natural preservative. The discontinued Sun Kissed Serum contains both Tamanu and Kukui Nut Oils for double the benefits.

For the body, we have 2 products that just melt with your body’s temperature when on the skin. The Mint Body Butter is what my husband describes as ‘Aero Bar’ for his body and always asks me to make bucket loads for him .
Unfortunately this is not suitable for ‘Expecting & Nursing Mums’ so for you, we have Geranium Hands & Body Butter. Both are applied the same way and benefit the skin without needing to apply very much!

In the previous blogs, Favourite Vegetable Oils , I shared about a whole lot of oils that I like to use. Sunflower Oil (Helianthus annuus) absorbs very quickly into the skin and leaves little residue.It has highly concentrated levels of Vitamins A, B, D, and E, together with insulin, lecithin, and minerals. Whilst great for the skin, it has added UV Protection qualities in addition to the unsaturated essential fatty acids contained.

When I write a blend recipe to make for my customers, I always try to pick ingredients with the best benefits to help speed up the recovery, rejuvenation, repairing and replenishing process.When the products work a treat for you, please share with others so that they too can benefit as you have! I love hearing these stories as it makes me love doing this even more.

Gallery: Mozz-Off, Sun Kissed Range, Beach Summer Fun, Mosquitos Not Invited, Summer Sunblocks.

BLOG PARTICIPATION:

Have you had problems with your sunscreen or are you one of the ‘lucky’ ones that can use anything?
What is your favourite product for protecting your skin?

Should you wish to contact us for more information about our All-Natural Products, please send me an email info@essentiallylili.com

You can read more About Lili here, see the range of Products on offer at Shop Categories or refer to our Blog Library for more topics covered. Kind Regards Lili @ Essentially Lili

Favourite Vegetable Oils

Sunflowers in Zurich

Favourite Vegetable Oils

Sunflower is amongst the richest Carrier Oils,
loaded with benefits, which allow
for direct & safe application of
Essential Oils without causing irritations.

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The Vegetable Oils used for Product making are not the kind you would normally buy at the Supermarket. Those in the stores are exposed to direct Sunlight, shop lighting, and heating which can cause the oils to degrade. Extra Virgin Oil is normally stored in dark glass bottles, so taking this from the back of the row is a good idea!

As our bodies’ cell walls and membranes contain quite a lot of fats and oils, it makes sense for us to use nutritious oils in our foods and skincare products. These will help us maintain the fluidity of our cells.

Did you know that using oils as a cleanser actually helps your skin?The oil softens any sebum which
may be blocking the pores, allowing these to be removed. For this, I have added Sunflower Cleanser to the range of products.

There are plenty of Vegetable Oils to choose from, which vary in colour, natural fragrance, and price. Familiar oils include Apricot Kernel, Sweet Almond, and Coconut. These are found in many skincare products that help repair and calm sensitive skin.

The following Vegetable Oils are some that I use in the Essentially Lili range because I love what they do for the skin:

Sunflower Oil (Helianthus annuus) has very little scent compared to another vegetable/carrier oils, and absorbs easily into the skin, leaving very little residue. Sunflower Oil has high concentrates of Vitamins A, B, D, and E, as well as minerals, lecithin, insulin. It is a great product for the skin, adding UV protection qualities together with the unsaturated essential fatty acids. Sunflower is amongst the ingredients found in Sun Kissed Serum to help with the effects of the sun for those that have been ‘kissed’.

Wheatgerm Oil (Triticum sativum) is obtained from the germ of the wheat. It is extremely high content in Vitamin E which is a natural antioxidant and preservative, together with essential fatty acids, Vitamins A, B & D. Wheatgerm helps promote circulation and increase blood flow, which is great for damaged or scarred skin. It helps form new cells to improve the appearance of the skin and to help repair sun damage to the skin.

Argan (Argania Spinosa) originates from Southern Morocco which makes this product quite expensive.It is yellow in colour and has a lot more Vitamin E (Tocopherol) than olive oil. It is resistant to oxidation with good free radical scavengers.It’s great for damaged and mature skin as it assists the restructuring of the cells.

Avocado (Persea Gratissima) contains essential fatty acids that our body needs but cannot produce. This helps create and rebuild new cells, contain omega-3, omega-6 fatty acids, Linoleic Acid (LA), Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA). So if this is what Avocado does for our bodies from the inside, the outside
is going to love it just as much.

Avocado originally came from Central America, but now is grown around the world.It is rich in Vitamins A, B1, B2, D, E, and Beta carotene. Classified as a monosaturated oil, Avocado is best suited for dry skin conditions in topical applications. It should be green in colour if unadulterated and it comes from the flesh of the fruit. It is great for rehydrating, regenerating and helping the elasticity of the skin.With other carrier oils, Avocado enriches the vitamin and protein content.

Calendula (Calendula Officinalis) has anti-inflammatory properties and promotes wound healing.It is used in sun and after-sun products, as well as to help children with nappy rashes, grazes, and Mums who are nursing.

Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) comes from the seeds of the plants which are grown worldwide.It is very rich in Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA), a fatty substance used for skin conditions like Eczema. Evening Primrose is used in various skin products, creams, bath oils, and hair conditioners as it helps the skin’s elasticity and therefore repairing damaged, dry and aging skin. Taking supplements can also be used to help calm skin conditions from within.

Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) is actually a liquid wax. Jojoba resembles the sebum of the skin very closely and is naturally rich in Vitamin E.This helps promotes the glow in our complexions, as this oil is very light and is absorbed quickly.

Wheatgerm is found in our Vitamin Rich Range to help with skin that has Acne / Rosacea, has been irritated, damaged, and needs some love and affection. The Vitamin Rich Mens Face Balm and Vitamin Rich Womens Face Balm and Evanesce Balm for those that have Acne which needs treatment.

Vitamin E (Tocopherol Acetate) is a natural preservative and a strong antioxidant. It is used in various skincare products such as acne, lip balms, anti-wrinkle, cleansers, and peels for sensitive skin.

What I find amazing is how much better these Vegetable Oils have. Their wonderful properties boost our skin’s reserves with goodness and help maintain the elasticity whilst promoting cell regeneration. Combined with the Essential Oils, there really is no need to include other unnatural ingredients to our blends.In future blogs, I can share more information about how wonderful these Vegetable Oils are, in the quest of choosing the best ingredients for making the Essentially Lili Skincare products. If there are any Oils that you would like me to include, please let me know.

Check out the Gallery of Pictures – includes Giant Sunflower, Vitamin Rich Womens Face Balm, Diamond Era Serum, Avocado & Samples of Liquid Gold.

BLOG PARTICIPATION:

Which of the Vegetable Oils mentioned above surprised you the most?
What is your favourite and why?
What Vegetable oils would you like me to share about?
Some of the other oils I use in Essentially Lili Products include Baobab, Tamanu, Castor or Macadamia

If I could make you Massage oil, what would you want it to be made of?
And which Essential Oils would you like as the fragrance? I would love to hear your ideas!

Should you wish to Contact us for more information about our All Natural Products, please send me an email info@essentiallylili.com

You can read more About Lili here, see the range of Products on offer at Shop Categories or refer to our Blog Library for more topics covered. Kind Regards Lili @ Essentially Lili