A Top Wellness Trend for 2019: Scent as Crucial for Physical and Emotional Well-Being

The 2019 Global Wellness Summit has published its Eight Wellness Trends Report for the year. The Summit’s sponsor, the Global Wellness Institute, summarizes the report this way: “The only wellness trends report generated from the insights of 650 industry leaders from 50 nations, the Global Wellness Summit’s annual trends forecast is a uniquely informed, detailed and global look at what’s ahead in wellness. For 2019 we’ll see the rise of a ‘dying well’ movement and wellness remaking the fashion industry to ‘meditation going plural’ and scent playing a more dramatic role in our emotional health.’” One trend, Fragrance Gets a Wellness Makeover: A new understanding of scent’s crucial role in our physical and emotional wellbeing, gets our particular attention.

PHYTO5 skin and hair care is formulated and manufactured in Fleurier, Switzerland. The Fleurier name itself roughly means "Flowering Village," entirely apropos for a company whose skincare products are largely made from the essential oils of flowers. We always bring light to the very basic premise of essential oil use in skincare—that flower blossoms, the “face” of the plant, store the sun’s solar energy and vital force and transmit these to the skin through its essential oil.

But perhaps just as important to our well-being is the scent a flower or plant conveys.

• In the molecules of natural essential oils, the scent of the flower is inhaled and the hypothalamus(1) in the brain produces hormones that provoke an appropriate reaction in the body. The hypothalamus controls the pituitary master gland of the body and plays a key role in connecting our hormonal (endocrine) system with the nervous system. 

• Located a mere inch or so away from the amygdala in the brain, the olfactory bulb (the neural structure involved in the sense of smell) has obvious intimate access to it. The amygdala is a roughly almond-shaped mass of gray matter inside each cerebral hemisphere.

Both of these, the hypothalamus and the amygdala, are part of the limbic system, the area of the brain most heavily implicated in emotion and memory. The hypothalamus plays a role in the activation of the sympathetic nervous system which is a part of any emotional reaction. The amygdala itself is primarily involved with the experiencing of emotions. 

Perhaps this is why philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche(2) is justified in declaring, “All my genius is in my nostrils.”

Further, biophysicist Luca Turin developed the quantum vibration theory in 1996 which suggests that olfactory receptors actually sense the quantum vibrations of odorants' atoms. It is in the arena of quantum vibration where we begin to move toward the deepest core of the mind-body system creating the space for spontaneous healing to occur.

Scent registers in our brains first—before sight, sound or touch.

“Until recently, smell has been the most underrated and underutilized of our five senses, but it’s turning out to be the most important,”

— said Joanne DeLuca of Sputnik Futures, a company that specializes in anticipating consumer trends.

Scent philosopher Annick le Geurér argued more recently that:

“Smell is revelatory not just of substances, but also of moods, climates, and even existential states. The sense of smell is a subtle tool of knowledge that allows for an intuitive and prelinguistic understanding.”

Fragrance has the potential to carry meaning in its aromatic quality. The scent of rose loves and heals, myrrh is prophetic and grounding, and frankincense evokes quietude and holiness.

After pausing to understand the interaction of scent, the brain and nervous system, taking time out to stop and smell the roses has more meaning for us now than ever before as we quest for authenticity and connection and strive to create more mindful lives.

“This focus on scent’s powerful connection to our brains and it’s potential to heal, soothe and delight is making consumers hungry to learn more about how it can be leveraged for health and wellbeing,”

— says Matthias Tabert of International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF).

Using scent to balance emotions and treat “disease” is actually an ancient practice and today large-scale medical studies are underway that will probably bring legitimacy to this healing modality. Because the brain produces memories in conjunction with smell, scientists are finding that scent can play a healing role in neurological disorders like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Treating Alzheimer’s with scent may prove effective since loss of the sense of smell is an early symptom of the disease. It is believed scent therapy can be effective with Alzheimer’s patients by triggering positive memories from their past.

The Eight Wellness Trends Reports indicates the following uses of scent trending for 2019:

• scent in mental wellness

• scent as flavor as in choosing a drink in a restaurant, for example, by its scent

• scent in branding where studies show customers will be more loyal if their experience involves scent

• scent of a place; the typical place might be a PHYTO5 spa where lingering scent of the products can trigger subtle changes in clients’ bodies and minds

• scent in art where large-scale multisensory art exhibits focus on the sense of smell

• scent as feel good fragrances in candles and bottles (perfume) and which incorporate a wellness aspect while transporting us back to fond memories 

• scent as functional/workplace wellness where scent is an invisible mood enhancer improving learning, cognition, function and productivity; a Japanese company found that diffusing a lemon scent in the air increased productivity by 54%.

“Rachel S. Herz, assistant professor of psychology at Brown University, writes that people who work in the presence of pleasant-smelling air set higher goals and are more likely to employ efficient work strategies. People are more creative in problem solving when exposed to a pleasant scent compared to an unpleasant one.”

— Beth McGroarty et al, 2019 Global Wellness Trends Report

The 2019 Global Wellness Trends Report finds that today’s consumers by and large want 100% natural ingredients, transparency and sustainability in the products they buy. While PHYTO5’s products are rich with bouquets derived from premium-grade all natural essential oils, extracts and flower waters, they also deliver all natural holistic products formulated without animal testing and with sustainability and kindness to the planet in mind.

(1) a region of the forebrain below the thalamus that coordinates both the autonomic nervous system and the activity of the pituitary, controlling body temperature, thirst, hunger, and other homeostatic systems, and involved in sleep and emotional activity.

(2) (1844–1900), German philosopher philosopher, cultural critic, composer, poet, philologist, and Latin and Greek scholar whose work has exerted a profound influence on Western philosophy and modern intellectual history

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Sources:

McGroarty, Beth, et al. 2019 Global Wellness Trends Report. Global Wellness Summit, 2019, 2019 Global Wellness Trends Report.

“8 Wellness Trends for 2019.” Global Wellness Institute, globalwellnessinstitute.org/global-wellness-institute-blog/2019/01/30/8-wellness-trends-for-2019/?utm_source=Global%2BWellness%2BInstitute&utm_campaign=a36e55f195-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_BRIEF_2019_1_30&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bbb41a322d-a36e55f195-69763529.

Annick le Guerer, (2002) ‘Olfaction and cognition: A philosophical and psychoanalytic view’, in C. Rouby, B. Schaal, D. Dubois, R. Gervais, & A. Holly (Eds.), Olfaction, Taste, and Cognition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Photo by ChuXue Lu（@luchuxue1997） on Unsplash

What It Means to Live Consciously: Freeing Ourselves of the 'Problems Mindset'

In our blog of February 4, 2019, we addressed the meaning of living consciously and urged our readers to visit www.Liveconscious.com and, in particular, Jack Eagle’s article “Thrilled To Be Alive.” It is a topic I relate to deeply and enjoy commenting on with ideas, tools and skills that may be helpful to some in their quest to “rise in consciousness.” This arising in consciousness is a pre-condition to living more consciously for both our own benefit and the benefit of all the others around us. 

To live consciously has to do with awareness–awareness of self, of others and of our environment. It includes awareness of the effects we have on ourself, others and the environment.

Most people are overly self-absorbed with finding ways to meet their fundamental needs first, and beyond, to meet a multitude of perceived needs. That search generates fears, worries and tensions that fosters a climate of internal struggle as they look for solutions to their problems and ways to gain from opportunities. Jack Eagle refers to that state as living from a “safety consciousness.” The personal experience he relates in “Thrilled To Be Alive” led him at a time of great personal stress to an epiphany as he realizes the depth of his love for his wife, and as an extension, his love for life. He sees this as an opening of the heart and refers to his state of gratitude as living from a “heart consciousness.” In that shift there is the new awareness that the only problem he had was the thinking that there was a problem. He realized that the more he worked at addressing a problem as a problem, the more he validated the problem in his mind. This echoes the admonition of the spiritual teacher Joel S. Goldsmith (1892–1962):* 

“You cannot solve a problem at the level of the problem.”

Eagle goes on to explain that when we suffer from a negative emotion as a reaction to another person or event, that “primary emotion” is generally short-lived. What extends and magnifies our suffering is the “secondary emotion” that has to do with our reaction to our primary emotion–“the feelings we have about the feeling we had.” Those feelings are “internal dialogues and stories we tell ourselves about life events.” So long as we remain in a state of safety consciousness we prolong the agony. If we can rise to a state dominated by heart consciousness there is a shift in our perception that results in being “out of despair, into an awe of life.” 

This process creates an enhanced emotional maturity that brings us to the understanding that although “life includes problems, … it does not need to include suffering.” Suffering feeds our self-created life story bending toward a dramatic view of self and of life. It is a lack of awareness “of one’s authorship of one’s life and world where one flees.” But the opening of the heart feeds a fuller, truer, and more exalted view of self and of life that makes us both happier and more pleasant for others.

In short, “the awareness that there is the potential to be more fully our true self” is a jumping board toward a higher consciousness that improves our quality of life and of all the others (people, plants, animals and the environment) around us.

For whoever thinks that all this is new age mumbo jumbo, consider that The New York Times reported February 4, 2019 that the British government has announced 370 English schools will start to practice mindfulness—“relaxation and breathing techniques and other methods to help regulate emotions”—in a new initiative and study aimed at addressing the mental health crisis affecting young generations. The study which runs through 2021 is one of the largest of its kind in the world.

It has been said that His Holiness the Dalai Lama suggested that the purpose of life is

“to find happiness in an imperfect world.”

This statement leads us to see that the way to happiness requires a strong degree of conscious living.

We know that many people today are more stressed than ever before and that emotional imbalance has a very negative effect on both their health and their ability to reach and maintain a state of happiness.

We refer to PHYTO5 energetic skincare products and method as a modality of wellness and we see wellness as a part of a conscious living lifestyle. The reason is twofold: 

1. our energetic method promotes vital energy balance, a prerequisite to wellness, but

2. the quantum energetic level achieved by our unique products have the propensity to balance emotions as well.

We invite you to examine our conscious lifestyle skincare concept and to try our products at a 20% discount using promo code: WELCOME.

*Joel Solomon Goldsmith (March 10, 1892 – June 17, 1964) was an American spiritual author, teacher, spiritual healer, and modern-day mystic. He founded The Infinite Way movement, a spiritual teaching revealing the nature of God as one infinite power, intelligence, and love; the nature of the individual as one with God's qualities and character, expressed in infinite forms and variety; and the nature of the discords of this world as a misconception of God's expression of Himself in His universe.

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Sources:

“Thrilled To Be Alive.” Live Conscious, 13 Jan. 2018, liveconscious.com/2017/12/thrilled-to-be-alive/.

Magra, Iliana. “Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 4 Feb. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/02/04/world/europe/uk-mindfulness-children-school.html.

Photo by Jimmy Chang on Unsplash

American-Made Cosmetics Regulations Haven’t Been Updated Since 1938: Learn How Swiss-Made Skincare Ensures Your Protection

This month The New York Times Editorial Board wrote an article entitled, “Do You Know What’s In Your Cosmetics?” (Feb. 9, 2019) The article’s caption states: “Thousands of chemicals, in billions of dollars worth of products, are being governed by regulations that haven’t been updated in decades.”  The New York Times is making people aware of something we at PHYTO5 have known all along: 

“the cosmetics regulatory system in the U. S. operates in complete contrast to a number of substantial rounds of regulations imposed on cosmetics manufacturers in the European Union (E. U.) in the last 15 years.”

In addition, the Swiss government plays a proactive ongoing role of factory supervision for Swiss-based manufacturers. This double layer of Swiss and European regulation and supervision provides a substantial level of protection for the American consumer who buys authentic Swiss-made skincare products such as PHYTO5 skincare.

The New York Times article goes on to articulate the lack of U. S. governmental action:

“In a 1988 hearing, Congress took the cosmetics industry to task for a rash of health and safety problems. Cosmetologists were reporting serious respiratory and nervous system damage. And according to government data, nearly 1,000 toxic chemicals were lurking in countless other personal care products. Cosmetics companies were not doing enough to ensure that these products were safe, and the Food and Drug Administration did not have enough power to adequately police them… Legislative reform was clearly needed. That was 30 years ago. To date, no such reforms have been passed.”

The article further explains that the laws governing the role of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Cosmetics and Colors run just two pages long and have not been updated since 1938 when they were first enacted. That office with an annual budget of just $8 million and 27 staff members is now facing a seventy billion dollar a year American cosmetics industry.

The article concludes that “such meager tools leave federal officials nearly powerless to regulate the makeup, lotions, toothpastes, deodorants and other elixirs that often are applied to the most intimate parts of the human body.”

The F. D. A. does not require companies to submit safety data before they market a product while in the European Union a product could never be put on the market without such basic documentation.

The F. D. A. does not monitor adherence to basic manufacturing standards while the Swiss government makes it its business to do so.

In the U. S., manufacturing companies are not required to report problems attributed to products while the E. U. has a central data bank responsible for distilling and coordinating all product documentation including skin and toxicity tests as well as any adverse events attributed to products.

Although the article states that the F.D.A. also does not ensure the safety of imported cosmetics which have doubled in volume in the past decade, it fails to state that Swiss- and E. U.-made products that are also marketed in Europe meet stringent regulations that already exceed whatever has been advocated by American consumer groups.

There are still many products manufactured overseas which are not subject to rules similar to those in force in the E. U. The F. D. A. inspects less than one percent of the three million or so cosmetics shipments that come in to the states every year. Among those that it does test, roughly 15% of products manufactured outside the E. U. are found to be contaminated or to contain dangerous ingredients.

Most consumers are against the idea of products being tested on animals. We remind all our clients that we have never tested PHYTO5 skincare on animals and nor are any of the ingredients we use tested on animals. Animal testing is, in fact, no longer necessary since by E. U. regulations, all products must pass independent toxicity tests to ensure no harm, irritation or toxicity to human skin. 

Both the state of California and federal government are considering tighter measures to regulate the production and distribution of skincare products made in the U. S. but the proposals are receiving substantial pushback from the industry and given the reluctance of the current administration to impose regulations on businesses the federal bill is likely to be defeated. If a bill were to pass it would be greatly diluted, therefore it remains that products made in Europe represent a far greater level of consumer safety.

An additional sad conclusion is that while the skincare product industry is booming, a recent industry survey found that 71% of consumers say their skin care needs are not being met. This is just one insight contained in an extensive 3-part report from Denise Herich of The Benchmarking Company, running consecutively in the March, April and May 2019 issues of Global Cosmetic Industry.*

Keeping in mind that the skin absorbs what we put on it and what comes into its vicinity, and since the U. S. is largely unwilling to ensure that our skincare products are actually and totally safe for our health, it makes complete sense to buy 100% Swiss-made skincare such as PHYTO5 which has been subjected to a double layer of Swiss and European regulation and supervision. Beware of companies using the Swiss flag in their branding or catch phrases and titles using the word “Swiss.” In many cases, these products are merely Swiss-inspired or only a small percentage of the product was actually produced in Switzerland. 

Rest assured that PHYTO5 skincare is 100% made in Switzerland. Combine this with our natural, holistic and vital energy concept and you will enjoy Swiss skincare capable of delivering benefits to you most other skincare lines cannot claim.

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* To gauge consumer’s thoughts and feelings on skin care, The Benchmarking Company surveyed more than 4,600 female beauty consumers about all things skin care.

• Part 1: March 2019: Consumer attitudes, generational concerns, unmet needs, what she’s using now and products she’d like to try.

• Part 2: April 2019: What they’re willing to spend, on what and where; key purchase influencers; consumer-approved trends; retail category picks.

• Part 3: May 2019: Generic skin care and skin care kits; the continued appeal of luxury and mass skin care; social media and beauty loyalty programs; natural and organic skin care product and brand appeal.  

Sources:

The Editorial Board. “Cosmetics Safety Needs a Makeover.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 9 Feb. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/02/09/opinion/cosmetics-safety-makeup.html.

Lipton, Eric. "F.D.A. Has 6 Inspectors for 3 Million Shipments of Cosmetics." The New York Times. The New York Times, 02 Aug. 2017. Web. 16 Feb. 2019.

Gleason-Allured, Jeb. “New Skin Care Report Series: What 4,600 Consumers Think.” Global Cosmetic Industry, www.gcimagazine.com/marketstrends/segments/skincare/New-Skin-Care-Report-Series-What-4600-Consumers-Say-505218081.html.

St. Patrick's Day Coincides with the Promise of Chinese Medicine's Spring Energy

St. Patrick's Day represents more than the ancient folklore of snakes and shamrocks and the color green. It also coincides with the promise of Spring which is always a welcome relief for those who have endured a long cold Winter. It is of particular interest that such a holiday is celebrated during the season of energetic Spring (according to traditional Chinese medicine [TCM]). The energy of energetic Spring is called “Wood” and it is represented by the color green. Wood energy cleanses, purifies, sprouts new life and has the potential, when used creatively, to help balance our emotional state.

“Until the 1700s, St. Patrick’s Day was a Roman Catholic feast only observed in Ireland—and without the raucous revelry of today’s celebrations. Instead, the faithful spent the relatively somber occasion in quiet prayer at church or at home. That started to change when Irish immigrants living in the United States began organizing parades and other events on March 17 as a show of pride.” —Jennie Cohen, St. Patrick’s Day Myths Debunked, history.com

The Color Green

The wearing of the color green which is so emblematic of St. Patrick’s Day may be traced to the eighteenth century when the backers of Irish independence took on the color to represent their cause.

The Man

"The modern celebration of St. Patrick's Day really has almost nothing to do with the real man," says Western culture professor Philip Freeman of Pepperdine University. 

Originally a Britt, Patrick was kidnapped and taken to Ireland to tend sheep as a slave in the chilly mountainous region of the country for seven years. Not particularly religious before, it was there that he got religion and became a devout Christian. He escaped his slavery to reunite with his family back home in England only to return to Ireland on counsel received in a dream. There he became a priest and later a bishop where he was “constantly beaten by thugs, harassed by the Irish royalty, and admonished by his British superiors,” according to John Roach, author of St. Patrick's Day Facts: Shamrocks, Snakes, and a Saint, National Geographic Magazine.

The Shamrock

According to St. Patrick's Day lore, St. Pat used the leaves of the shamrock as a teaching metaphor to describe the holy trinity, but the custom of wearing a shamrock comes from the eighteenth century when the shamrock emerged as a symbol of Irish nationalism during the 1798 Irish Rebellion against English colonialism. The shamrock seems to have been adopted as a symbol of St. Patrick’s Day when fervor for the holiday intensified at that time.

The Snakes

As for driving snakes out of Ireland, there is no evidence that a preponderance of snakes existed anywhere in the region. Perhaps the mythos is more metaphorical than literal where snakes were villains and non-believers at the time (fifth century A. D.).

As we can see, today the holiday celebration looks nothing like it did centuries ago.

 “For many people around the world, St. Patrick’s Day has evolved into a secular ode to Irish culture (or at least an oversimplified version of it), characterized by parties, music and iconic foods.” —Jennie Cohen, St. Patrick’s Day Myths Debunked, history.com

St. Pat’s Day merrymaking and revelry can bring a temporary lightness to our spirits during this time of year when hope springs and we look forward to the gushing forth of new life and new possibilities. In concert with that, be sure to check out our Spring seasonal/Wood element line of skincare. The Wood line addresses Wood imbalances in the skin such as oiliness, blackheads, hyperpigmentation. Essential oil-rich, it smells like invigorating Spring, clarifies the skin and can assist your emotional balance when you're feeling uncertainty, self-doubt and anger. Restore your confident true nature and march in those parades!

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Sources:

Cohen, Jennie. “St. Patrick's Day Myths Debunked.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 16 Mar. 2012, www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-myths-debunked.

“St. Patrick's Day Facts: Shamrocks, Snakes, and a Saint.” National Geographic, National Geographic Society, 18 Mar. 2010, news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/03/100316-st-patricks-day-facts-shamrocks/.

Conscious Living: How Our Level of Awareness and the Choices We Make on the Local Level Affect the Global Planet

For many, our objective is to live a “conscious life.” The alternative of living an unconscious life is not attractive to most, but what is defined as conscious living? We suggest that it is living according to the highest level of awareness (mindfulness) we are capable of at any given moment. That means an active self-awareness at all levels of our being: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. It also means we live with an awareness of the impact or the consequences of our being-ness on our own self, on others, and on the environment.

An awareness that what we think, feel, and do has consequences first on who we become but on other beings as well. “Others” means not only the people we are in direct contact with, but those we indirectly impact by the level of our awareness, choices and actions, namely, the entire world population. This extends not only to the population of humans but of animals and plants as well. And when we consider the environment, it is not simply the ground where we stand and the air we breathe—it encompasses from the local to the planetary levels. Yet that awareness as broadly defined as we can define it is of itself insufficient if we lack responsibility, accountability and compassion for the negative consequences we create, knowingly or not, on the “others.” Our awareness is insufficient if, in addition, we lack the desire to shift and remedy our attitudes as well as our actions in order to contribute to a more harmonious whole.

You may ask why is all this necessary. It is necessary because humans are naturally very self-centered, an attitude that immediately limits the scope of one’s awareness, causing us to become influenced by all kinds of ideas and values handed down from one generation to the next and blindly accepted. That collective consciousness subjects us unconsciously to a collective hypnotism that pushes us in preconceived directions robbing us of the exercise of our free will. Consequently, for a part of our lives we are likely sleepwalking—and not likely in the right direction—causing undesirable consequences for ourselves and others. When we sleepwalk through life we are not being our full selves—it robs us of part of our own living experience.

All this might sound ambitious and very challenging. How do we go about living consciously? The safety admonition air travelers are familiar with comes to mind: in case oxygen masks are released from the overhead compartment, apply yours first before helping others, even the ones we love. Indeed, we must take care of ourselves first if we want to be capable of helping others. In conscious living parlance it means that we must rise higher in consciousness and this starts with an enhanced awareness of our own selves.

The saying “think globally but act locally” is also appropriate, knowing that our actions engender consequences, both positive and negative, and well beyond ourselves. This is why self-awareness is the indispensible first step. It is neither obvious nor easy.

The Swiss psychologist Carl Jung (1875 – 1961), one of the first Western explorers of collective consciousness (a phrase he coined), taught that: “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”

How do we make the unconscious conscious?

Life itself points us in that direction all the time if we make the effort to notice.

Think of our life experience as the projection of the content of our consciousness, including all the parts of the collective unconscious that we have unconsciously as well as consciously accepted. The content we are neither in agreement with nor proud of is projected in discordant life experience. The only way to change the experience is to modify the content of our consciousness responsible for the undesirable experience.

Observation and introspection will cause us to identify some beliefs or values that we are not really in harmony with. Then we need to consciously dispense with them anytime they resurface. Both skill and patience are required. We must not condemn ourselves for our failing because the root cause is a set of beliefs that comes from the universal unconscious. In fact, it is cultivating self-love that will provide the necessary patience and awareness we seek.

More on the topic of how to live consciously will be addressed in a forthcoming blog. In the meantime, visit www.Liveconscious.com and go to Jack Eagle’s article “Thrilled To Be Alive.” It is one that I relate to deeply and would love to comment on with some very helpful ideas, tools and skills to help us “rise in consciousness,” a pre-condition to living more consciously for both our own benefit and the benefit of all the “others” around us.

Reference:

“Thrilled To Be Alive.” Live Conscious, 13 Jan. 2018, liveconscious.com/2017/12/thrilled-to-be-alive/.

Photo by Kristopher Allison on Unsplash

The Real Water Scarcity Crisis Happening Now

The lack of broad awareness of water scarcity on a world scale and its consequences for sustaining human life on the planet is a bona fide crisis.

Water, a gift from the sky, has been taken for granted for so long it is hard to fathom a radical, maybe permanent, absence of water in places that traditionally have been the agricultural-rich areas that produce food for the world population.

We have a case in point with the Ogallala Aquifer(1) in the U. S., one of the world's largest aquifers(2)  that underlies an area of approximately 174,000 square miles in portions of eight states across much of the central plains. It is a shallow water table aquifer surrounded by sand, silt, clay, and gravel. It has seen its water level drop significantly every year since 1969. In other words, the natural replenishment from rain and melting snow is insufficient to compensate for the amount of water used year after year. As a result, the water level has fallen about 40 feet.

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Large scale extraction for agricultural purposes started after World War II. Today, about 27% of the irrigated land in the entire U. S. lies over the aquifer which yields about 30% of the groundwater used for irrigation in the U. S. The aquifer is at risk for over-extraction and pollution. Once depleted, the aquifer would take over 6,000 years to replenish naturally through rainfall. And the problem is generalized as we learn from the worldwidelife.org website:

“Water covers 70% of our planet, and it is easy to think that it will always be plentiful. However, freshwater—the stuff we drink, bathe in, irrigate our farm fields with—is incredibly rare. Only 3% of the world’s water is fresh water, and two-thirds of that is tucked away in frozen glaciers or otherwise unavailable for our use.

As a result, some 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. Inadequate sanitation is also a problem for 2.4 billion people—they are exposed to diseases, such as cholera and typhoid fever, and other water-borne illnesses. Two million people, mostly children, die each year from diarrheal diseases alone.

Many of the water systems that keep ecosystems thriving and feed a growing human population have become stressed. Rivers, lakes and aquifers are drying up or becoming too polluted to use. More than half the world’s wetlands have disappeared. Agriculture consumes more water than any other source and wastes much of that through inefficiencies. Climate change is altering patterns of weather and water around the world, causing shortages and droughts in some areas and floods in others.

At the current consumption rate, this situation will only get worse. By 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages. And ecosystems around the world will suffer even more.”

What is really infuriating is that all this was predictable and mitigating measures could have been put in place decades ago but were not because of lack of will and of leadership in most major countries. Consider that as long ago as the late 80s, Malin Falkenmark wrote in Ambio(3) an article entitled: The Massive Water Scarcity Now Threatening Africa: Why Isn't It Being Addressed? The water crisis in Africa is, of course, more dire, however it signals problems the U. S. will have to confront if mitigation does not occur immediately.

In the 1989 article, Falkenmark writes:

“Nations depend on precipitation + inflowing waters (rivers and aquifers)— evaporation losses form vegetation and wet surfaces—outflowing water (rivers and aquifers). Self-sufficiency in food production relies on water from rain and technical supplies (irrigation). Continual population growth in Africa cause water consumption levels to go so high that many countries have already reached the water stress level (>500 persons/flow unit). By 2000, 12 African countries with a population of 250 million people will be water stressed. 150 million of these people will live in countries with absolute water scarcity. Tunisia will be beyond the water barrier. By 2025, the total number of water-stressed African countries will be 21 (1.1 billion people). Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, and Malawi will be beyond the water barrier. Population growth accounts for the difference between 2000 and 2025. Yet many engineers and economists do not accept the existence of water barrier. They do not consider the fact that many African leaders do not have the mechanisms and tools available to meet water demand. This man-induced water scarcity is exacerbated by the fact than many of these countries are in arid climates and at constant risk of intermittent drought… policymakers must develop sound water strategies and integrate them with land management.”

Another sad example of this worldwide crisis is outlined in The Independent’s article, India’s ‘worst water crisis in its history’ is only going to get worse, government think tank says.

“India is suffering from the worst water crisis in its history and around 600 million people face a severe water shortage.

Approximately 200,000 people die every year due to inadequate access to clean water and it’s “only going to get worse” as 21 cities are likely to run out of groundwater by 2020.

In the longer term, the under-supply will become even more acute in the South Asian nation, as demand increases with the 1.4 billion population growing at a rate of around 1 per cent.

By 2030, the country’s water demand is projected to be twice the available supply the Niti Aayog report reads. “[This will cause] severe water scarcity for hundreds of millions of people.”

The water crisis is already directly affecting the U. S. though it is worse in many parts of the world. It affects the very sustainability of life for the population in many regions in the world and consequently makes an indirect impact on the U. S., not only financially from the production and distribution of food, but with pressures of immigration and its associated challenges, both on a scale we have never seen.

In short, water scarcity already experienced in many parts of the world is growing more dire as it directly and indirectly impacts the entire world population.

This is a full-fledged humanitarian crisis.

The general lack of leadership from national leaders focused on short-term political gains can only be offset by a massive engagement of the population. That is a difficult task in authoritarian regimes but is the very stuff that democracies can address. But first, for that to happen there must be a greater conscious awareness of the issues of water scarcity and its urgencies.

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(1) a vast groundwater resource under eight U. S. states, used especially for crop irrigation, that stretches from southern South Dakota to western Texas and eastern New Mexico

(2) An aquifer is a body of permeable rock that can contain or transmit groundwater.

(3) Ambio: A Journal of the Human Environment is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published eight times a year by Springer Science+Business Media on behalf of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It was established in 1972.

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Sources:

“Ogallala Aquifer.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Jan. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogallala_Aquifer.

“Water Scarcity.” WWF, World Wildlife Fund, www.worldwildlife.org/threats/water-scarcity.

Falkenmark, Malin. “The Massive Water Scarcity Now Threatening Africa: Why Isn't It Being Addressed?” Ambio: A Journal of the Human Environment, vol. 18, no. 2, 1989.

Mattha Busby @matthabusby. “Worst Water Crisis in India's History Predicted to Get Much Worse.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 17 June 2018, www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/india-water-crisis-shortage-niti-aayog-report-drought-mismanagement-a8403286.html.

Photo by Michael Bourgault on Unsplash

Love and Marriage: New Trends Propelled by Millennials, Gen X and Gen Z

Everyone is after love. We all inherently know that love truly is what makes the world go ‘round. We seem to know without being taught that love is a force that pervades the universe. We know that a world without love is a darker world and this drives us to seek and to share love in our lives. We’re even beginning to genuinely discover that we cannot truly love others unless we love ourselves first and most fundamentally.

Love is the subject most written about in novels and songs. We think about it often. It’s seems very simple to us yet mysterious at the same time. And while we feel that love comes naturally to us, we grapple with what it really means and how we express it when we’re in love relationships.

Our society has constructed all kinds of walls and barriers in the form of rules around love although both Generation Z and the millennials are chipping away at them. As many question exactly why we’re all expected and trained to conform to these norms most especially around marriage we’re beginning to see new ways of living and loving demonstrated by the freer and more mindfully thinking population.

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For example, millennials are rejecting traditional marriage in record numbers. The median age for a first marriage is now age 27 for women and 29 for men. In 1960, it was 20 for women and 23 for men.

Millennials are showing signs they’re wanting to allow the institution of marriage to evolve. And they’re tending to view marriage as an option rather than a necessity or that thing you just do. It isn’t that they’re not exploring love and relationships. They are. They’re merely recognizing more and more that marriage is a construct that boxes in their exploration of love and of themselves.

Says Brooke Genn, relationship coach, “It’s a fascinating happening, and an incredible opportunity for marriage to be redefined and approached with more reverence and mindfulness than ever before.”

“Today an unprecedented portion of millennials will remain unmarried through age 40, a recent Urban Institute report predicted. The marriage rate might drop to 70 percent—a figure well below rates for boomers (91%), late boomers (87%) and Gen Xers (82%).”

— Meg Murphy, NowUKnow: Why Millennials Refuse to Get Married

It isn’t so much that most millennials don’t want to get married although a significant number of them do not. It’s more that they’re choosing to do it wisely—once they have careers well established, have satisfied many personal needs and have created a firm financial foundation. They want to gain a more established individual adult identity prior to marriage complete with more emotional development and self-awareness. And for many, their idea of what constitutes this more holistic foundation very often is preventing them from ever marrying. 

Beyond finances, there’s a social component too. Millennials are beginning to perceive marriage as an outdated institution. Opting out of traditional marriage is their way of rebelling against institutions they do not entirely believe in. Moreover, national surveys show that half of American adults believe society is not adversely affected if people place other priorities above marriage and children, according to a recent Pew report.

Additionally, says Meg Murphy in Why Millennials Refuse to Get  Married,

“For some millennial couples, they’d rather avoid the term ‘spouse’ as well as ‘marriage’ altogether. Instead, they are perfectly happy to be lifelong partners without the marriage license.”

Marriage for legal, tax and economic, and religious and social purposes does not appeal to them as much as it did to their forebears. 

“Instead, they claim their relationship as entirely their own, based on love and commitment, and not in need of external validation.”

Millennials have also witnessed a high degree of divorce among their parents and this makes them skittish about marriage. In their parents’ and earlier generations, people just got married and then worked to figure things out. Millennials are more about certainty, being deliberate and making the right decision therefore they’re slower to pull the trigger.

Should it come to marriage, millennials and even their predecessor Gen-Xers tend to shun divorce. University of Maryland professor Philip Cohen has found that from 2008 to 2016, the U.S. divorce rate has dropped by 18%. He says that the overall drop is driven entirely by younger women.

As our world continues to evolve, we’re finding we’re having to make shifts in how we do things—how we live, how we do business, how we communicate and interact with each other and more. We’re being required to make these shifts more frequently than decades ago and to table our judgment of what we sometimes view as seismic metamorphoses in favor of a “wait and see” approach.  This begs an openness on our part to accept the winds of change making us more resilient beings and leaving our inner happiness and joy undisturbed. We’ll probably find that many of the evolutionary changes we’re witnessing today will eventually prove to work out just fine in the end.

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Source:

Murphy, Meg. “NowUKnow: Why Millennials Refuse to Get Married.” PreparedU View | Bentley University, 3 Jan. 2019, www.bentley.edu/impact/articles/nowuknow-why-millennials-refuse-get-married.

Miller, Ryan W. “Add Divorce to the List of Things Millennials Are Killing.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 26 Sept. 2018, www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/09/26/millennials-blame-lower-us-divorce-rate-study/1429494002/.

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

The Chinese New Year Is February 5—Year of the Golden Boar

According to Taoism, the Chinese New Year falls on the second full moon of 2019–February 5—and brings with it the potential for peace, harmony, contentment and happiness.

Taoist culture was birthed thousands of years before the Christian era, yet the Taoist lunar calendar is used all over Asia and South East Asia even today.

The enigmatic Lao-Tzu (circa 500 B.C.) is the author of the Tao Te Ching which recaps all the precepts of traditional Taoism with a focus on the qualities of the heart, whereas his better known contemporary philosopher, Confucius, was a pragmatic moralist. Both approaches managed to coexist with Buddhism introduced to China from India in the first century A.D. This convergence shaped not only Chinese culture but the evolution of Chan Buddhism, better known as Zen Buddhism.

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Taoism sees mankind and all of earthly creation as subject to the energetic influences of Earth and of “heaven,” meaning the cosmos. Taoist astrology includes 12 earthly branches each represented by an animal each with its own mythical characteristics. Six of them are deemed yang (masculine energies) and six are yin (feminine energies). The 12 animals are also declined within the exposition of the five elements and the five element theory of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. This resulted in the creation of a massive cycle of patterns repeating themselves every 60 years.

The 2019 Chinese New Year is the year of the Golden Boar. 2019 ends in an odd number making it a yin/feminine year according to Taoism. (Years ending in an even number such as 2018 are designated as yang/masculine years.)

The color Golden in the phrase Golden Boar means it is the feminine version of the masculine “Yellow Boar.” Both animals are consonant with the Earth element.

In the book Taoist Astrology, a Handbook of the Authentic Chinese Tradition by Susan Levitt with Jean Tang, we learn that: “The year of the Boar is a time of self-indulgence and fun.” It is said to be a time when “people can be kinder to each other in everyday interaction and feel little need for competition.” The authors tell us that Gold Boar wants peace and harmony with others.

We can only hope for some favorable and well-needed energetic influence to bring more mutual respect for and kindness toward all sentient beings on earth during these troubled times, be they humans, animals, plants, trees or the entire environment of air and water. We dearly hope so!

In so doing, wouldn’t our personal aligning ourselves with the special energies of the Chinese New Year’s Golden Boar help to raise our collective sense of wellness, contentment and harmony? 

Perhaps we can keep the time honored and proven wisdom of the Taoist ancients in our hearts and minds in our contemplations, meditations and everyday lives as we experience a year that could prove to be one of the most pivotal years yet especially if we begin to return to our true nature—that of loving kindness.

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Source:

Levitt, Susan, and Jean Tang. Taoist Astrology: A Handbook of the Authentic Chinese Tradition. Destiny Books, 1997.

The "Cure for Everything:" How Gratitude Uplifts and Heals

On January 18 we entered the 18-day period between the end of the energetic season of the Water element (Winter) and the beginning of the energetic season of the Wood element (Spring) beginning February 5. That transitional period is one of the four 18-day seasonal energetic transitional periods of the year called Earth. Each energetic season has a set of energetic influences to which each one of us is more or less sensitive. For the people who stay very grounded and balanced during Earth, the 18-day period can be extremely creative time for them, but for those who have an Earth imbalance, the energetic influence exacerbates rumination enhancing worry and impeding decision making. 

In our Wei Chi series of blog articles beginning in March of 2017 we emphasized the teaching of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) concerning the importance of our emotional life on our state of health and wellness. Positive emotions have a favorable effect on our vitality while negative ones are very destructive to our physical and mental health in addition to damaging our emotional life. 

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In Dr. Mercola’s email newsletter of January 18, 2019 we are reminded that the key to enriching and nourishing relationships with other humans is an attitude of gratitude. It seems simple enough but given the load of concerns, if not outright worries most people experience in this trying time and age, it is easy to feel like we’re being attacked from various sides. We may even find little that immediately comes to mind for which we can sustain such an attitude of gratitude.

Some people are blessed with an innate predisposition to be thankful for almost all people and events in their lives but for most it requires a moment of deliberate reflection to focus on people, animals, things, conditions, and places for which to acknowledge and express appreciation. It is so important that Mercola refers to it as “a cure for everything,” and he adds: "It is free!”

A feeling of gratitude is a blessing but it needs to be expressed to be cultivated and to become fully beneficial in our lives. Appreciation is an even more profound aspect of gratitude. It causes us to go beyond the surface of “thank you” and feel more deeply.

Feeling gratitude for anything at all is a near instant remedy for feeling low. Feeling appreciation for anything at all causes us to truly pause and deliberately savor the beauty of life. It can begin with appreciation for the simplest of things such as a smile offered, a butterfly, a tasty bite of food, a hilarious television show or a beautiful color. Appreciation has the potential to take us to the more meditative state where healing begins to occur, “the junction point between mind and matter, the point where consciousness actually starts to have an effect,” according to Deepak Chopra.

It is this state of awareness and feeling that becomes the “best predictor of good relationships” in our lives. It contributes to a balanced and peaceful state of mind and it supports our chi energy helping us to maintain a stronger immune system and radiant health, vitality and sense of overall well-being.

Top Wellness Trend for 2019: SIMPLIFY

Well + Good has already listed their top wellness trends for 2019 ranging from simplification to CBD (cannabidiol) products, even more creative cauliflower product inventions and IV drips for wellness. Evidently, self-care has gotten too complicated and for many self-care is creating the very thing it’s intended to alleviate: stress!

 “When your wellness routine—AKA the rituals and habits you embraced to make your life better—is stressing you out, things need to change. And for so many people this year, the line between constructive self-care and pure anxiety trigger (as in, just another thing on your already-jammed to-do list) became blurrier than ever before. In 2019, it’s time to simplify, simplify, simplify. And get that wellness-loving mojo back,” says Well + Good Editors, December 4, 2018

Reducing everything we do to a simpler version of itself can be a relaxing key in a world that’s spinning faster and faster. We have to know and accept that we can’t do it all. Instead, pick a niche you love, dive into it and do it well. Just pick and choose.

Simplifying our lives is itself a form of self-care. It’s a pathway to reclaiming our time and our sanity.

Four ways Well + Good suggests to do that are:

Staying in. This one isn’t new but it’s interesting that it’s still at the top of many peoples’ lists. Rather than going out, more and more people are staying in and bonding over their mutual desire for a simpler life.

Priya Parker, author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters (Riverhead Books, 2018), actually helps people create gatherings in their work and home lives that are transformative and meaningful for the people in them. Rather than seek perfection in activity and gathering together she advocates for finding profound meaning in the simple things.

As an example, when one of Parker’s students, a wife and mother, cried over the mere act of being fed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches made for her by someone else, Parker helped her student identify how often all we need is to share our vulnerability with each other to help nurture our spirit. Her student conceived of the idea to contact her six closest friends and invite them over for an evening of food ordered in. She didn’t make dinner or clean the house. She did nothing fancy or special but the company was good.

Trendy diets like Keto and Paleo are being eclipsed by the simpler Mediterranean diet.

Home decluttering is becoming a thing and so is finding  beauty in all the imperfections of our home and lives.

Opting out of social media is going to have significance in the trending world for 2019. The perfect pictures and captions posted are not always honest and there is a freedom in opting out especially for those who feel they have to keep up with what they see on social media.

And here’s our own #5 self-care suggestion: 

Nothing could be simpler for your skin and self-care than PHYTO5 Swiss-made skin and hair care which is so potent that no matter what single product or collection of products you choose, they’re going to work for you. You’ll need less product and they’ll last longer. If you are really not into having a “skincare routine,” check out our HINT below.

HINT: If you want to choose only one cream from all of our product lines, Nourishing Cream is a sure bet or stick to the hydrating cream of each energetic season.

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Source:

Editors, Well+Good. “It's Time to Say Buh-Bye, ‘Performative Wellness’-and Hello, Sanity.” Well+Good, Well+Good, 4 Dec. 2018, www.wellandgood.com/good-advice/self-care-stress/.

The Best Resolution for 2019 Is to Help Save Our Animals and Planet. Here’s How and Why.

In the article entitled, “Humanity has wiped out 60% of animal populations since 1970, report finds” by Damian Carrington, Environment Editor of the Guardian, October 29, 2018, we read: 

“The huge loss is a tragedy in itself but also threatens the survival of civilization, say the world’s leading scientists… The new estimate of the massacre of wildlife is made in a major report produced by WWF and involving 59 scientists from across the globe. It finds that the vast and growing consumption of food and resources by the global population is destroying the web of life, billions of years in the making, upon which human society ultimately depends for clean air, water and everything else.”

The annihilation of wildlife on the planet is now an emergency that threatens civilization.

“We are sleepwalking towards the edge of a cliff,” said Mike Barrett, Executive Director of Science and Conservation at the WWF.

Since 1970, 60% of the world’s vertebrate animals have been wiped out. Humans representing only 0.01% of all life on the planet have destroyed 83% of wild mammals. Freshwater habitats are the worst hit with populations having collapsed by 83%.

Chemical pollution is also significant: half the world’s killer whale populations are now doomed to die from PCB contamination of the oceans.

“Again there is this direct link between the food system and the depletion of wildlife,” said Barrett. "Eating less meat is an essential part of reversing losses," he said.

Vegan musician and animal rights torchbearer Moby posts the following on Instagram:

“100 billion animals killed every year by and for humans.

90% of health care costs attributable to diet and lifestyle (Harvard Medical)

90% of rainforest deforestation and 45% of climate change attributable to animal agriculture (World Watch)

The use of animals for food is the cruelest and dumbest thing that we as a species are doing—not just for animals but for us and the only home we have.”

Further, he says:

“45% of climate change is a result of animal agriculture… When you look at: direct methane emissions from animals, rainforest deforestation, feed production and shipment for animal agriculture, hvac for animals on factory farms, animal transport, etc., the aggregate contribution of animal agriculture to climate change is AT LEAST 45%.”

When we say we care about the planet and want to save it we must think about what that really means. For those of us who are not inventors and scientists, there is one simple thing we can do right now, en masse, that even though it’s so incredibly simple, it can achieve profound change: eat less or no animal flesh or byproducts. 

There are all kinds of delicious alternatives on the market today now more than ever before. Animal protein requirements are really more propaganda than truth. Moving more or completely to a plant-based diet will get us all the protein we need. We don’t really need as much protein as they say but that’s the topic of a whole other blog post.

The global movement, Meatless Monday, offers support for people wanting to go meatless but don’t have the know-how. Meatless Monday was founded in 2003 by Sid Lerner in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In May, 2009, Ghent, Belgium, became the first non-U.S. city to go meatless. Shortly thereafter, Paul McCartney introduced the U.K. to Meat-Free Mondays.

Meatless Monday is now active in over 40 countries and continues to grow. Representatives from different nations continue to find innovative ways to make meatless and vegetarian dishes part of their everyday culture, customs and cuisine.

Skipping meat even just one day a week is good for you, great for our nation’s health and better for the planet.

Organizations like Happy Cow, PETA and Forks Over Knives also provide all sorts of recipes, tips, and education. Visit their websites and subscribe to their newsletters to get all sorts of free support.

By eating less meat, not only will we save innocent animals and abate (and hopefully recover from) ongoing damage to our environment, we will become become far healthier, need less medication and trips to the doctor, suffer less disease and sickness, save on healthcare costs, and become a more peaceful, loving, compassionate planet overall.

Source:

Carrington, Damian. “Humanity Has Wiped out 60% of Animal Populations since 1970, Report Finds.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 30 Oct. 2018, www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/30/humanity-wiped-out-animals-since-1970-major-report-finds.

Photo by Leo Mengoli on Unsplash

Buckwheat: Magic Beauty and Longevity Seed

The extract of buckwheat (also known as beech wheat) found in PHYTO5’s Water element day cream, night cream, shampoo and the Swiss line Purifying Cleansing Gel  has nothing to do with wheat at all because it is not a grass. It is naturally gluten-free and should be emphasized that as a relative of sorrel, knotweed and the rhubarb plant and produces starchy seeds, buckwheat is a fruit seed. It is not a grain at all. It gets its name from its triangular seeds which resemble the much larger seeds of the beech nut tree and from the fact that the seeds can be ground and used similarly to how we use normally use wheat in cooking. When toasted, the seeds are known as kasha.  

A native of central Asia, originally cultivated in China from the tenth to thirteenth centuries it was subsequently introduced into Europe by the crusaders. A powerhouse of nutrients, it is one of the healthiest foods you can consume internally or topically on the skin or hair.

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Buckwheat greens grown from the sproutable seeds become a plentiful source of chlorophyll, enzymes and vitamins. Buckwheat seeds, being high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, supports skin's elasticity.

Its flavonoids* extend the action of vitamin C and act as antioxidants. This is one of the reasons why buckwheat extract is an important anti-aging ingredient in skincare.

Buckwheat’s main claim to fame is its rutin or vitamin P content. Rutin is a natural anti-inflammatory bioflavanoid which protects against skin damage from the sun and environment. Rutin also blocks free radicals which in turn slows the effects of aging and promotes longevity.

Rutin supports blood circulation so important for skin’s healthy youthful glow and strengthens and repairs small capillaries in the skin. Its high magnesium content also works alongside rutin to relax blood vessels and promote circulation and skin’s glow. This factor also helps to improve circulation in cold hands and feet.

Vitamin B present in buckwheat is very beneficial for skin, nails and hair and it too helps reduce skin damage caused by sun and environmental factors.

Buckwheat’s high concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids helps enhance skin’s elasticity.

Buckwheat also contains vitamin E,  riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), pantothenic acid (B5), thiamine (B1), B6 and folate all important for everyone and especially people with liver disorders.

Its zinc and magnesium content is very important for skin and hair condition and healthy sleep. Buckwheat extract can be used externally for skin eruptions, inflammations and burns.

Buckwheat is 75% complex carbohydrates, a feature that is exceptional for proper growth of hair. Rich in vitamin A, B-complex vitamins and zinc, it is highly conducive for hair growth. Vitamin B6 or pyridoxine is vital for hair growth and health.

In addition to skin and hair health, we can benefit from consuming buckwheat for a variety of other reasons:

• Its saturated fat content combined with high protein and fiber content aids in appetite suppression and weight loss. Buckwheat’s very high quality proteins and all eight amino acids help to lower cholesterol; its amino acid composition is superior to all cereals.

• Buckwheat consumption may lower the risk of fatal stroke and heart attack as it helps balance blood pressure, circulation and vascular integrity.

• A certain type of antioxidant in buckwheat called lignans assist post-menopausal women by helping to prevent breast cancer and other forms of cancer related to hormone imbalance.

• The high levels of vitamin E and magnesium present in buckwheat protect against childhood asthma.

• Because buckwheat is high in insoluble fiber it can help to prevent gallstones as it facilitates the movement of food through the intestines.

• The manganese in buckwheat helps form healthy bones and connective tissue and can help prevent osteoporosis. 

• It also facilitates the transmission of nerve impulses and assists in energy production

• The amino acid tryptophan in buckwheat elevates mood.

• Less acid forming with a well balanced mineral composition (phosphorus, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, manganese) combined with a high flavonoid” content, buckwheat assists in the ability to combat colds and flu.

*Flavonoids are phytonutrients responsible for the vivid colors in fruits and vegetables and are potent antioxidants with anti-inflammatory and immune system benefits.

Sources:

Murray, Michael T., et al. The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. Time Warner International, 2006.

Pitchford, Paul. Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition. North Atlantic Books, 2009.

Verheyen, Yes. Enjoyvity, Your Full Spectrum of Life. Verheyen Consulting, 2010.

Photo by Sage Kirk on Unsplash

The Most Versatile Essential Oil for Skin and Health: Peppermint

Better and more versatile than the herb itself is the essential oil of peppermint found in PHYTO5’s Earth and Water element Skin Toners. Peppermint essential oil is produced by the cold extraction of the hybrid species of spearmint and water mint’s fresh aerial parts of the plant. It offers our overall health very beneficial topical, internal, and aromatic applications and is one the best essential oils to keep in your medicine cabinet at home.

Used topically, peppermint essential oil calms, softens and tones the skin. 

In the report, Commercial Essential Oils as Potential Antimicrobials to Treat Skin Diseases, peppermint oil is indicated as effective for reducing blackheads, chicken pox, greasy skin, dermatitis, inflammation, itchy skin, ringworm, scabies and sunburn.

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Get 10% off by using promo code METAL on regularly priced Metal line skincare until Nov. 7, 2018.

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With a higher sun protection factor (SPF) than most other essential oils, peppermint can relieve the pain of sunburns while hydrating burned skin. 

Peppermint oil is used in skincare products because it is very cleansing, slightly antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and toning. It purifies sluggish pores and when added to a steam bath activates the skin. Very suitable in treating oily skin, acne and blackheads, it is refreshing and stimulating.

Peppermint essential oil is also found in these skincare products by PHYTO5: Yang OE Cream, Contouring Serum, and Chi Yin Massage Oil.

Peppermint essential oil is very cooling to relieve sore muscles, muscle aches, and joint pain. Studies have shown peppermint oil beneficial in the treatment of fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome (1).

Peppermint can provide seasonal allergy relief by relaxing muscles in the nasal passages and helping to clear out pollen from the respiratory tract.

It is especially invigorating for cases of low energy simply by gently inhaling its fragrance. Inhaling the scent can help keep you awake during the long periods when you need to stay awake because it energizes the mind. It can also help improve memory and mental alertness. Similarly, the oil’s fragrance can boost physical performance such as when you are training for an athletic event.

As a case in point, a study published in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine investigated the effects of peppermint ingestion on exercise performance. Thirty healthy male college students were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. All the men consumed a single oral dose of peppermint essential oil and their physiological parameters and performance were monitored. The researchers noted remarkable improvements in all of the tested variables in the men who ingested the peppermint oil. They showed an incremental and significant increase in their grip force, standing vertical jump and standing long jump. The peppermint oil group also showed a notable increase in the amount of air that is exhaled from the lungs, peak breathing flow rate and peak exhaling flow rate. 

Peppermint essential oil helps to improve circulation to alleviate headaches. Simply apply two to three drops to temples, forehead and back of neck.

Digestive disorders can be attenuated with peppermint oil’s soothing effect on the gastric lining and the colon. Taken in capsule form or by taking one to two drops in water, peppermint oil has been shown to relieve irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) by reducing spasms in the colon, relaxing intestinal muscles and reducing bloating and gas.

Peppermint oil, of course, naturally freshens breath and supports oral health because it kills bacteria and fungus that leas to cavities and infection.

Peppermint oil also naturally thickens and nourishes damaged hair. It stimulates the scalp and improves the condition of thinning hair.

Itchiness, formally termed pruritus, can be relieved by peppermint essential oil.

Ants, spiders, cockroaches, mosquitos, mice and lice hate the smell of peppermint oil so it’s an excellent bug repellant.

Although research is still ongoing, studies are beginning to suggest that peppermint may be beneficial as an anticancer agent.

Peppermint is antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-tumor, analgesic, antioxidant, anti-nausea, and anti-inflammatory. It can prevent the spread of an existing infection. One of the best essential oils for colds, flu, cough, sinusitis, asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory conditions, it can unclog sinuses and provide relieve from a scratchy throat and it works as an expectorant to open airways, clear mucus and dispel congestion.

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(1) Chronic pain in multiple myofascial trigger points (“knots" or as hyperirritable spots in the fascia (the thin sheath of fibrous tissue enclosing a muscle or other organ surrounding skeletal muscle.) and fascial (connective tissue) constrictions. It can appear in any body part.

Sources:

Meamarbashi, Abbas. “Instant Effects of Peppermint Essential Oil on the Physiological Parameters and Exercise Performance.” Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine, Jan. 2014. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4103722/

Orchard, Ané et al. “Commercial Essential Oils as Potential Antimicrobials to Treat Skin Diseases.” Evidence Based Complementary Alternative Medicine, May 4, 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5435909/

Keller, Erich. Aromatherapy Handbook for Beauty, Hair, and Skin Care. Healing Arts Press, 1999.

Photo by Rob Sarmiento on Unsplash

Soothing Apricot Oil for Radiant More Youthful Skin

With an oil content of 40 to 50%, apricot kernel essential oil found in a number of products in PHYTO5’s Metal element skincare line is pressed from the kernels of the Prunus armeniaca–the apricot. Rich in the fatty acid gamma linolenic acid (GLA) which helps skin maintain its moisture balance, it is light enough to leave no oily residue making it especially suitable as a base for facial serums and moisturizers. In mature skin, apricot essential oil softens and improves skin’s elasticity helping to smooth out fine lines.

The fatty acids (excellent for firming and toning) and high concentrations of vitamins E and A (which help to slow the aging process) present in apricot oil help revitalize, rehydrate, moisturize, nourish, soften and smooth dry and/or mature skin.

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Apricot oil is composed of approximately 90% polyunsaturated fatty acids (Omegas 6 and 9) which are excellent for cell growth. GLA is vital in helping the skin to maintain its balance of moisture. Skin cells use these healthy fats in their membranes to be better able to absorb nutrients and produce skin strengthening compounds. Stronger skin means fewer lines and wrinkles.

- Omega 6 fights inflammation and promotes circulation; GLA mentioned above comes from Omega 6.

- Omega 9 is also known to promote a healthy inflammation response and supports the immune system.

Apricot oil is rich in vitamin A, an antioxidant that plays a critical role in healthy skin and cell growth. Bursting with beta-carotene (the precursor to vitamin A) which gives the apricot its orange color, beta-carotene turns wrinkle forming free radicals into harmless compounds. Apricot is one of the very best sources of beta-carotene.

Apricot abounds in vitamin E, a primary free radical fighting antioxidant critical for health and the natural slowing of signs of aging.

A great source of vitamin C, the main water-soluble antioxidant of the body, means that the vitamin C in apricot essential oil can attack any free radicals in the watery parts of the skin cells protecting those areas from damage.

Apricot is a great source of iron which makes skin look radiant. The skin needs oxygen to complete the metabolic processes necessary to maintain its strength, firmness and resilience. The red blood cells require iron to carry that needed oxygen throughout the body including the skin.  

Apricot’s vitamin B and potassium content combined with a number of other important vitamins and minerals are potent for combatting signs of aging in the skin.

Light and gentle, it is also beneficial for all skin types including sensitive and skin suffering from conditions such as eczema. The oil is readily absorbed by the skin.

Beneficial for sallow or oily skin, apricot enlivens a complexion lacking tone and vibrance. It provides the skin a barrier against irritants and dehydration and is an ideal substitute for petroleum-based oils.

Apricot oil is soothing, pain-relieving and an anti-inflammatory. It helps maintain the immune system strengthening the body’s ability to fight infections and viruses like colds and flu.

Mixed with a carrier oil, it can be massaged into the scalp and hair to cure a dry and flaky scalp and to help restore damaged and chemically treated hair. It brings back the shine of the hair and is excellent for conditioning fly-away hair.

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Sources:

Curtis, Susan, et al. Essential Oils: All-Natural Remedies and Recipes for Your Mind, Body, and Home. DK Publishing, 2016.

Tannis, Allison. Feed Your Skin, Starve Your Wrinkles: Eat Your Way to Firmer, More Beautiful Skin with 100 Foods That Turn Back the Clock. Fair Winds Press, 2009.

Sweet Marjoram Essential Oil Both Strengthens and Relaxes Body and Mind

Soothing sweet marjoram essential oil, found in PHYTO5’s Metal element line of skincare, has traditionally been formulated into remedies for acne, psoriasis, eczema and for rashes stemming from allergies, however because it is so rich in antioxidants which fight free-radical damage, it has the ability to naturally fight premature signs of aging when formulated in skincare. It is one of the few essential oils able to both strengthen and relax.

Marjoram is a tonic, anti-fungal, antispasmodic, analgesic, sedative, antiseptic, antiviral, and bactericidal. It is used in skincare formulations for its refreshing restorative action and its sweet camphoraceous scent. It is fortifying, comforting, soothing, and warming.

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Marjoram’s generic name ‘origanum’ comes from the Greek oros and ganos meaning joy of the mountains. Its essence helps to achieve mental calm, balance, self-assurance, integrity, courage, confidence, focus, perseverance, restoration, and a sense that all is well. It can help counteract anxiety, hysteria, hostility, self-isolation, mental strain, tantrums, anger, irritability, hyperactivity, and weak will. In terms of its tonifying and strengthening influence, marjoram may be used for chronic lethargy and nervous exhaustion and is particularly helpful for conditions where tiredness may be characterized by anxiety or insomnia.

Marjoram has been widely used since ancient times for both medicinal and culinary purposes. The ancient Egyptians used it to make perfumes, unguents and medicines. The Greeks used it as a funeral herb planting it on graves to bring spiritual peace to the departed, but additionally then and now, marjoram has been found to assist persons grieving to accept their deep loss.

A symbol of love and honor, the ancient Greeks also used marjoram flowers to crown young married couples. It was associated with Aphrodite, goddess of love, beauty and fertility. In England’s Tudor times the mere fragrance of sweet marjoram was believed to help to maintain one’s health.

Chinese medicine finds that marjoram tonifies and circulates chi energy. Its chi moving action results in very distinct antispasmodic and analgesic properties such as for muscular strains, stiffness, spasm, aches and pain, nervous spasm, intestinal colic, and osteoarthritis. It stimulates respiratory and circulatory function and can serve as an expectorant to relieve coughs and colic.

Smoothing the flow of chi energy in the chest, marjoram can also be used to calm and regulate the heart especially for indications of palpitations, tachycardia and hypertension.

Marjoram is probably the best aromatic herb for women, because it naturally helps regulate painful menstrual periods and challenges dealing with menopausal symptoms. 

Marjoram is a superior herb for treating bad breath. By chewing and holding three leaves in the mouth for several minutes and then swallowing, marjoram keeps the mouth fresh and clean all day. The oil penetrates into the gums and creates saliva excretion that cleans up bad bacteria in the dental cavities which is why the herb gains the name sweet marjoram.

Chinese medicine also finds marjoram to be innately balancing. Its sweet, nourishing and balancing quality combined with its regulating effect on mental functions associates marjoram primarily with the Earth element (beginning October 20). When Earth type people are out of balance by allowing themselves to become depleted or subjected to high levels of stress, they tend to overthink, worry, and feel unsupported by others in their lives. Marjoram helps to calm their tendency to excessive thinking, ease emotional neediness and promote their innate capacity for inner self-nurturing. It nourishes the place from where emotional neediness springs helping one to shift from self-absorption to giving, literally demonstrating its namesake, joy of the mountains.

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Sources:

Worwood, Valerie Ann. The Fragrant Mind: Aromatherapy for Personality, Mind, Mood and Emotion. Bantam, 1997.

Yellowdawn, T. H. The Sun, Human & Food: A Self-Treatment and Practice with Natural Food. Author House, 2011.

Mojay, Gabriel. Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit: a Guide to Restoring Emotional and Mental Balance through Essential Oils. Gaia, 2005.

Learning Great Breast Care Offers Self-Care Techniques That Can Extend to Wellness of the Entire Body

The benefits of caring for the breasts and the surrounding area are essential for overall health to the body and your state of being. Practicing positive breast care and expanding our repertoire with more ways to nurture ourselves can improve the overall health of our breasts and skin tissue including our unseen vital energy.

Lymph circulation is very important for breast health. Lymph is a colorless fluid containing white blood cells which are responsible for protecting the body against viruses and bacteria and may trap cancer cells. Lymph bathes the tissues and drains through the lymphatic system into the bloodstream. Lymph is filtered through the lymph nodes which are small swellings in the lymphatic system located throughout the body. The largest groupings of lymph nodes are found in the neck, armpits, and groin areas. 

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Since lymph drains impurities into the bloodstream, various methods of self-care aimed at stimulating blood flow are vital for great health of skin and tissue. Increased blood flow frees up the stagnation of fluid circulation and increases the elimination of impurities.

Check out these tips to improve lymphatic circulation for breast health from mammalive.net.

Improved blood circulation enables tissue repair and renewal. Better blood flow distributes nutrients, especially oxygen, throughout the body, breasts and skin. Improved circulation assists the carrying away of metabolic wastes, toxicity and pathogens that must be eliminated for breast and overall health. 

Supporting the health of the breasts can be easily added to any spa or wellness treatment.  A technician comfortable working in this area can educate you on the importance of caring for your breasts. Learning how to care of your breasts at home is important not just for women but for men as well.

PHYTO5 offers treatments that are beneficial for releasing the discomfort of congestion, breast soreness, discomfort caused by underwire bras, and changes to the body before, during and after menopause.  

Advanced treatments can be done with PHYTO5’s Biorhythmic Drainer,* Chromapuncteur,* and Biostimulateur ** with the proper training.

Some professionals are incorporating these treatments with thermography which can be an alternative to mammograms to proactively improve and maintain the health of the breasts.

A thermogram is a test that uses an infrared camera to detect heat patterns and blood flow in body tissues such as in the breasts. Digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI) is the type of thermography preferred by some medical professionals. The use of DITI is based on the principle that metabolic activity and vascular circulation in pre-cancerous and cancerous breast tissue is almost always higher than in normal breast tissue. 

Over the past 30 years, an estimated 1.3 million American women have actually been overdiagnosed with breast cancer that posed no threat to their lives. In 2008, an estimated 70,000 women were overdiagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. alone accounting for 31 percent of all breast cancers diagnosed that year.

According to Dr. Christiane Northrup, MD, women who tend to be most at risk for breast cancer are those who have difficulty nurturing themselves and receiving pleasure. Embracing a practice of self-care, self-love and self-acceptance is an important part of creating physical, mental and emotional wellness and vitality.

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*The Biorhythmic Drainer mechanically reproduces the gentle movements of a manual massage intent on moving fluids. 

**The Chromapuncteur produces energetic frequencies from the visible spectrum of electromagnetic waves in alignment with the energies of the five elements of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and of the seven major energetic centers (chakras) in order to balance the client's vital energy.

*** The Biostimulateur is a sophisticated tool to balance vital energy working on points. meridians, and reflex zones with pre-calibrated mechanical vibrations. It also provides toning and dispersing frequencies.

Lemon Essential Oil For Skincare and Emotions

Lemon essential oil, which is present in many Metal element line skincare products by PHYTO5, is obtained by cold pressing or steam distilling pure, untreated lemon peels. It is astringent, antibacterial and antiseptic making it perfect for skincare. Cleansing and stimulating, it is primarily and best used for 1) oily and/or acneic skin and for tired, sluggish and aging skin, and 2) the nervous system, however its benefits to our health do not stop there.

Fortunately and obviously, lemon is one the most common oils and because of its abundant presence in nature, it is most often cold pressed. The more rare and expensive steam-distilled oil has an indefinite shelf-life and is the one most suitable for skincare.

Lemon oil lightens and brightens the skin by removing dead skin cells from the surface as it gently and deeply cleanses. It provides tone, tightening and lifting the skin. 

Lemon essential oil in skincare controls oil production in the skin and helps shrink large pores. It eases out blackheads as a result of its skin tightening ability and prevents blackhead formation by blotting excess sebum and shrinking the pores.

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Get 10% off by using promo code METAL on regularly priced Metal line skincare until Nov. 7, 2018.

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“Typhus germs may be killed in less than one hour; germs causing pneumonia in three to four hours and staphylococcus germs in five minutes. Its antiseptic properties will last for twenty days.”

— Susanne Fischer-Rizzi in Complete Aromatherapy Handbook: Essential Oils for Radiant Health

Antioxidant-rich, it can help prevent premature aging because of its citric acid and vitamin C content. It boosts collagen and helps the skin regain elasticity.

Lemon reduces scarring, makes the hair shine and balances skin’s pH.

A disinfectant and styptic, lemon can stop wounds from bleeding. It may be applied directly to insect bites to stop the itching and reduce swelling. 

Lemon is also an antibacterial and acne fighter. Its antibacterial properties give lemon its potent germ-killing ability.

Lemon essential oil, present in many Metal element line skincare products by PHYTO5, is excellent in treating colds and throat infections. By adding one or two drops per quart of water in a sponge bath, lemon oil relieves itchy eczema.

Lemon oil is perfect for destroying air-borne germs in well populated places when used in aroma lamps and diffusers. 

Lemon also strengthens vascular tissue and is therefore beneficial for treating varicose veins. It strengthens the heart and proactively may prevent the onset of arteriosclerosis. It also promotes red blood cell formation.

Lemon stimulates the immune system. It cleanses the blood and activates white blood cell formation for the purpose of protecting the body during flu or any virus epidemics.

Lemon can be a great heartburn remedy and can help balance sickness-causing high body acidity. By taking lemon essential oil orally, it can help counteract a high acid content in body fluids by stimulating the production of neutralizing potassium carbonate in the body. (Caution: Never consume more than one or two drops of any essential oil at a time because their composition is extremely concentrated.)

In massage, lemon essential oil can be a vital muscle tonic.

Lemon also stimulates the nervous system. Lemon lifts the spirit and is excellent for both physical and psychological heaviness. It can be psychologically strengthening people who feel depressed or fearful. 

Lemon essential oil is known to increase concentration and the ability to memorize by activating the center of the hippocampus in the brain. It helps clears the mind and aids one in the decision-making process. Lemon is quite helpful in calming stormy emotional outbursts and when pursuing challenging intellectual tasks.

Lemon essential oil is present in the following products by PHYTO5.

• Metal element Phyt’Ether serum

• Metal element Day Cream

• Metal element White Clay Mask

• Metal element Shampoo

• Wood element Phyt’Ether serum

• Wood element Day Cream

• Wood element Night Cream

• Wood element Green Clay Mask

• Wood element Shampoo

• Wood element Yogi Body Gel

• Earth element Skin Toner

• Earth element Phyt’Ether serum

• Earth element Yellow Clay Mask

• Earth element Yogi Body Gel

• Earth element Shampoo

• Fire element Skin Toner

• Water element Skin Toner

• Phyt’liss Hair Conditioner

• La crème acide [Natural pH Balancing Cream]

• L’émulsion corporelle [Body Lotion]

• Le Phyt’Acid [Phyt’Acid Face & Body Cleansing Gel]

• La crème visage [Face Cream with Vitamin E]

• L’alguessence bain [Algae-Essence Bath]

• Chi Yin Massage Oil (certified organic)

• Contouring Serum

• Hand Cream

• Ageless La Cure Nourishing Cream

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Sources:

Fischer-Rizzi, Susanne, and Jeanette Green. Complete Aromatherapy Handbook: Essential Oils for Radiant Health. Sterling Pub. Co., 1990.

Miller, Light, and Bryan Miller. Ayurveda and Aromatheraphy: The Earth Essential Guide to Ancient Wisdom and Modern Healing. Motilal Banarsidass Publishing, 1998.

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

The Miracle of Niaouli Essential Oil In Skincare and Overall Health and Vitality

The essential oil of niaouli found in many of PHYTO5’s Metal element line of skincare is an essential oil so versatile and multi-faceted, the list of health benefits it provides is near endless. With an earthy herbaceous fragrance similar to eucalyptus, it is mild on the skin and especially great to treat sensitive skin for everything from cleansing to reversing scar tissue. The key to niaouli’s incredible overall effectiveness in treating all sorts of conditions in the body is that it promotes growth and boosts health by promoting proper absorption and distribution of nutrients in the body. It boosts the body’s immune system to help it proactively ward off sickness.

Niaouli essential oil is extracted by steam distillation of the leaves and young twigs of the niaouli evergreen tree (also known as melaleuca viridiflora tree). Largely grown in Australia, Madagascar and New Caledonia, niaouli is a cousin to the tea tree.

As an exceptional cleansing agent, niaouli helps to reduce oiliness, acne and outbreaks of blemishes. As an astringent, it is effective for toning and tightening the skin. Niaouli stimulates new cell growth promoting regeneration of damaged tissue. This means it is excellent treating and reversing scar tissue.

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Niaouli relieves the pain of sunburn especially when combined with lavender as an excellent antiinflammatory. Cancer patients shield their skin against burns from radiation treatment with a preparation that includes niaouli.

Very important for more mature skin, niaouli is a tonic for the lymphatic system stimulating the removal of wastes that interfere with flow of lymphatic fluid which causes signs of aging. In addition, it stimulates blood circulation which is also necessary for a more youthful appearance.

Antiseptic, anti-fungal antibacterial and antiviral, niaouli helps to reduce the duration of colds and flu while offering relief from sore throats, stuffy and runny noses and coughs. Inhaling niaouli oil in a steam bath can quickly open sinus passages to improve congested breathing. 

Niaouli essential oil can be used to counteract air pollution; diffusing niaouli throughout a space can cleanse and purify the air especially after exposure to cigarette smoke.

Niaouli is well known for its infection fighting properties. Additionally, it helps to lower body temperature when a fever is present by fighting the infection that caused the fever and by promoting sweat. This also helps to detoxify the blood to some extent thereby promoting faster relief from the fever.

As an analgesic, niaouli helps to reduce pain by inducing numbness in the nerves and desensitizing the area treated.

Niaouli can be used as an effective sleep aid. It helps to dispel mental fatigue and invigorates the mind. It balances emotions, strengthening the will and determination.

Niaouli essential oil is also quite beneficial for treating the following conditions.

• allergies

• athlete’s foot

• insect bites

• cold sores and fever blisters

• respiratory conditions such as asthma, bronchitis and sinusitis

• stiff joints, rheumatism, arthritis

• ear infections and earaches

• headaches and migraines

• toothaches

• muscle and joint pain

• genitourinary tract infections

• yeast infections and vaginal candida

• cystitis

• hemorrhoids

• hepatitis

• intestinal problems

• candidiasis

• diarrhea

• intestinal worms

• seborrhea 

• gum inflammation and swelling

• out of balance hormones in women

• chronic fatigue syndrome

Niaouli essential oil is present in the following skincare products by PHYTO5.

• Metal element Day Cream

• Metal Phyt’Ether serum

• Metal element White Clay Mask

• Metal element Yogi Body Gel

• Earth element purifying Skin Toner

• Contouring Serum

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Source:

Wilson, Roberta. Aromatherapy: Essential Oils for Vibrant Health and Beauty. Avery, 2002.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Be a Rice Bran Beauty: How Rice Bran Oil Is Perfect for Anti-Aging Skincare Regimens

Rice bran oil, present in Metal element skincare products, is a highly valued anti-aging ingredient in Asia. Historically, Japanese women added the leftover water from washing rice to their baths to soften and smooth their skin. Both rice bran and rice bran oil are commonly used in Asia to brighten and help detoxify the skin and remove blemishes. It is a very high compliment in Japan to tell a woman that she’s a “rice bran beauty” or that she has a “rice bran splendor.” 

Also known as rice bran extract, rice bran oil is produced from the bran of the rice kernel. The ferulic acid content in rice bran oil, an organic phytochemical compound found in plant cell walls, has potent anti-aging properties. Because of the anti-aging effect of rice bran oil, it is also an important ingredient in PHYTO5’s Ageless La Cure Five Secrets Serum and Cream Duo for a 3-Week Cure.

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Deeply hydrating, rice bran oil is very light and readily absorbed into the skin. Vitamins B and E combined with a high percentage of fatty acids which deeply penetrate the skin, beautifully and gently moisturize, firm, tighten and lessen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Rice bran is exceptionally good for treating dehydrated, flaky, delicate and mature, fragile skin.

Rice bran oil provides a good source of tocotrienols, an antioxidant that is even more potent than vitamin E. Its antioxidant components beta-carotene and lycopene (a red carotenoid pigment present in tomatoes and many berries and fruits) help protect the skin from the harmful effects of aggressive environments. For this reason, rice bran is especially beneficial to skin during cooler months of the year.

“When you use rice bran oil, you get exactly the benefits you need to reverse skin aging, including the synthesis of vitamin D, essential for good health.” Roxy Dillon, Bio-Young: Get Younger at a Cellular and Hormonal Level

Coenzyme Q10 present in rice bran oil helps the skin maintain a more youthful glow. In addition, rice bran oil is an excellent source of squalene which helps to stimulate your body to produce collagen, the main structural protein found in skin and connective tissues which helps your skin remain firm. Squalene in rice bran oil helps keep the skin bright, soft, supple and smooth.

Rice bran oil has been shown to prevent every aspect of ultraviolet damage and to reverse aging at the genetic level. It also helps reduce pigmentation and even out skin tone.

There are many other rice bran oil health benefits in addition to those for the skin:

Cardiovascular health

Rice bran oil is also known as a heart-friendly oil. It helps lower cholesterol because it contains the perfect amount of the antioxidant known as oryzanol. It helps decrease cholesterol absorption and increase cholesterol elimination.

Weight reduction

Free of trans fatty acids, rice bran oil is an optimum choice for cooking.

Hair growth

Ferulic acid (mentioned above) and esters present in rice bran oil have the potential to boost hair growth and health.

Immune system

The abundance of antioxidants in rice bran oil fight free radicals which would otherwise contribute to aging and sickness.

Hormones

The high presence of vitamin B in rice bran oil balances hormone production in the body.

Menopause

Gamma oryzanol (mentioned above) in rice bran is known to alleviate uncomfortable symptoms of menopause.

Liver health

Rice bran improves liver function. It assists in the prevention of fatty liver development. 

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Source:

Dillon, Roxy. Bio-Young: Get Younger at a Cellular and Hormonal Level. Atria Books, 2017.

Thyme Essential Oil: The Tiny Herb That’s a Powerhouse of Cleansing, Healing and Restoration

Thyme essential oil commonly found in PHYTO5 skincare especially the Metal element line (see list of products in which this oil is used end of this article) is widely used in home remedies, aromatherapy, skin and hair care products, mouthwashes and herbal rinses, and even insect repellents. The oil is steam distilled from the evergreen perennial herb. It belongs to the same family as peppermint, lavender, marjoram, basil and oregano and is produced mostly in Asia, southern Europe, the Mediterranean and North America.

Fresh, spicy, herbaceous, aromatic and green, its leaves may be tiny but they’re incredibly powerful. For this reason, thyme essential oil must always be diluted in a carrier oil such as avocado or almond oil because it is a potent dermal and mucous membrane irritant when used alone.

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Thyme has historically been utilized in medicine, cosmetics, food, perfume, incense and Greek, Egyptian and Roman embalming rituals. The ancient Greeks burned thyme as incense for a variety of sacred ceremonies as a symbol of courage, fortitude and admiration.

Whether thyme is utilized as a tea, tincture, syrup or essential oil, thyme’s main areas of remediation are digestive complaints, respiratory problems, circulatory sluggishness, muscle and joint discomfort and the prevention and treatment of infection. It is a powerful antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent. As a case in point, dried thyme was burned in hospitals of old for its powerful germ-killing ability to prevent the spread of infection.

Thyme also works to alleviate bronchial and intestinal disruptions and is widely used as a decontaminant for food products.

The essential oil of thyme in skincare provides skin conditions with a clean surface to inhibit surface bacteria. As a result, acneic skin may benefit from not only remarkable healing but antiseptic toning as well.

Thyme essential oil lends to skincare formulations tonic properties for aging skin along with relief from the itching and tightness of dry skin.

Perhaps most importantly when it comes to skincare, thyme essential oil helps to increase facial blood circulation thus improving the complexion and rendering a more youthful look.

As the oil perks up the skin through improved blood circulation, tissue repair, skin renewal and fortified skin result. The better blood flow thyme makes possible distributes nutrients throughout the body and skin, in particular, oxygen. Improved circulation assists the carrying away of metabolic wastes, toxicity and pathogens that must be eliminated for overall health as well as luminous clear skin. This proper blood flow ensures even skin tone, nutrient delivery to the skin cells and necessary detoxification of the skin—a key factor in healthy, glowing skin.

Thyme essential oil can be both stimulating and relaxing to the psyche. What results is a regulation of emotion. The clarifying, refreshing scent of thyme has always been believed to help heal sorrow, generate courage, strengthen the will, dispel fear and mental instability, relieve the dreamer of nightmares, restore one from nervous exhaustion and release melancholy. It almost literally disinfects the mind from potentially toxic thoughts and patterns.

The emotion of the Fall season of the Metal element in Chinese medicine is sadness. For this reason, thyme essential oil is a key component in PHYTO5 Metal element skin and haircare as it helps to restore us to a sense that all is well. Lightly inhaling just one drop of Metal Phyt’Ether serum in the palm of your hand can lessen feelings of sadness or grief and restore a feeling of contentment, even joy, to your being. The serum now comes in two sizes: 1 oz. and the pocket size 0.16 oz.

Other PHYTO5 Skincare Products with Thyme Essential Oil:

Ageless La Cure Nourishing Cream

Algae Essence Bath

Extreme Hydrating Hand Cream

Body Lotion

Contouring Serum

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Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Source:

Young, Kac. The Healing Art of Essential Oils: a Guide to 50 Oils for Remedy, Ritual, and Everyday Use. Llewellyn Publications, 2017.