Sweet Almond Oil: Soothing, Softening, Anti-Aging Skincare Miracle of Nature

In skincare, sweet almond oil is used both for its properties and as a carrier oil.(1) Sweet almond oil, found in Metal element Sweet Almond Oil Shampoo and also in Ageless La Cure by PHYTO5’s soothing pink Clay Mask, is obtained from the kernel of the almond. Not only does it have a wonderfully pleasant aroma, it has a very soft texture and is slowly absorbed into the skin. Sweet almond oil is derived exclusively from edible almonds and is the kind used in skincare. External application of the oil can prevent dehydration by reducing moisture loss from the skin, scalp and hair.

Sweet almond oil, which can be used by itself, is a mild hypoallergenic oil which relieves itching and inflammation as it nourishes the skin with its oleic acid content (unsaturated fatty acids). It is well known for its ability to promote a more youthful complexion and overall skin health.

Sweet almond oil is rich in vitamins E and A, monounsaturated fatty acids, protein, potassium, and zinc.

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The vitamin E in sweet almond oil promotes suppleness of the skin, smoothing of fine lines and overall skin softness. Any almond oil that adds more vitamin E to a skincare product formulation would probably be utilizing synthetic almond oil since quality natural sweet almond oil already contains an abundance of the vitamin.

Vitamin E in almond oil also protects the skin from ultraviolet radiation. Most importantly, it is a powerful antioxidant which helps maintain your skin’s collagen layer.

Collagen lies under the skin in an even layer providing a kind of padding that keeps the skin taut and supple. When our skin begins to thin as we age, the collagen layer underneath the skin becomes uneven. This is when we also begin to notice the forming of fine lines. Almond oil is shown to play an important role in the delay of signs of aging, especially premature aging.

Because almond oil contains vitamin E in abundance, it can help repair some of the damage done to the collagen layer which is caused by oxidative stress.(2) The oil can also provide amino acids required for the formation of collagen because it is so rich in protein.

Vitamin A easily penetrates the skin working to cleanse it from embedded dirt and oil in the pores preventing blackheads and possibly acne from developing.

If your skin is oily, sweet almond oil is noncomedogenic meaning it is very unlikely to block your pores and it is excellent in the treatment of acne.

Sweet almond oil is also wonderful for hair and scalp to cleanse hair follicles because of its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties It softens hair, providing it the moisture it requires. It strengthens hair because of its biotin content. Sweet almond oil protects hair from sun damage. And together with zinc, it is also abundant in minerals magnesium and calcium which makes almond oil effective in controlling dandruff and loss of hair thus promoting hair growth.

Sweet almond oil helps hair develop a natural sheen.

The fatty acids in sweet almond oil work to heal chapped and irritated skin. Redness of the skin and inflammation can be calmed with sweet almond oil.

Because the oil is rich in zinc, it can be effective in the treatment of skin rashes and chafed skin.

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Endnotes:

(1) A carrier oil is used to dilute essential oils and absolutes before they are applied to the skin in massage and aromatherapy. They carry the essential oil onto the skin. Diluting essential oils is a critical safety practice when using essential oils because of the very high potency of quality essential oils. Essential oils used alone are volatile because they begin to dissipate as soon as they are applied. The carrier oil slows the rate of dispersion which varies based on how light or heavy the carrier oil is. Carrier oils often do not contain a concentrated aroma and they do not evaporate like essential oil. Excellent skincare products will use carrier oils that are completely natural and free from adulteration.

(2)Oxidative stress happens when the amount of destructive mutating cells or free radicals in our system exceeds the amount of antioxidants (a substance that removes potentially damaging oxidizing agents). This is when oxidation damages our cells, proteins and our DNA.

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Sources:

Worwood, Valerie Ann. The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy: over 800 Natural, Nontoxic, and Fragrant Recipes to Create Health, Beauty, and Safe Home and Work Environments. New World Library, 2016.

Escin Derivate from Horse Chestnut: Beneficial for Chronic Venous Stasis, Venous Circulation and Leg Edema (Heavy Legs)

Escin (aescin) is the main active component in horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), the unpalatable nut of the horse chestnut tree.* Horse chestnut derivate with escin is formulated into PHYTO5’s Metal element Yogi Body Gel specifically for the purpose of improving venous circulation. A group of 43 females who suffered from chronic venous stasis (slow blood flow in the veins) were treated once a day for 30 days with 2% escin in an oil/water emulsion and experienced marked improvements in 11 skin characteristic categories. (See results below.)

Escin is a substance that both thins the blood and supports blood coagulability. It works to reduce edema and increase venous tone. Escin also makes it harder for fluid to leak out of veins and capillaries and weakly promotes fluid loss through the urine to help prevent water retention.

Escin derivate is anti-inflammatory, vasoconstrictive and vasoprotective. Evidence suggests that escin, especially pure β-aescin, is a safe and effective treatment for short-term treatment of vascular fragility, varicose veins and veinous inflammation.

Escin is a dry extract and has long been extensively used by general practitioners in Germany in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency. Escin is used intravenously in vascular medicine and topically in cosmetics.

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Especially for topical cosmetic application as in Metal Yogi Body Gel, escin is an excellent astringent, anti-inflammatory and decongestant that supports venous circulatory energy. Metal Yogi Body Gel is recommended for ‘heavy legs’ helping to keep legs light during long periods of travel, especially during flights. In fact, studies show escin may be just as effective as compression stockings for many people experiencing edema in the legs.

The horse chestnut tree is native to the Balkan peninsula and is commonly found in European ornamental gardens. Both the dried seeds and the bark of the horse chestnut tree have been used medicinally since the sixteenth century.

Homeopathic preparations of both the leaf and the seed are also used for treating hemorrhoids, lower back pain and varicose veins.

The buds and the flower of the horse chestnut tree are used to make the Bach flower remedies chestnut bud and white chestnut. The BACH remedy identifies the white chestnut remedy prepared from horse chestnut as encouraging to one’s positive potential to find tranquility and peace of mind. According to the BachCentre, white chestnut is “the remedy for unwanted thoughts and mental arguments that intrude into the mind… repetitive. They worry at us like a dog worries a bone.”

Related to this, the entire Metal element skin and haircare line by PHYTO5 also assists with the emotion of discontentment, helping to bring us to a balance point where we know that all is well.

In addition to horse chestnut derivate containing escin, unique ingredients in Metal Yogi Body Gel are essential oils of niaouli, eucalyptus, lemon and thyme. Metal Yogi Body Gel is rich in minerals iron, copper, zinc, magnesium and silica. Nourishing and hydrating biosaccharides and aloe and apricot oils are also unique ingredients in this decongesting, hydrating, mineralizing line of skincare.

Results of the 30-day study with 43 females suffering chronic venous stasis discussed in paragraph 1 above
The following values are approximate and each reflects an improvement in that area.

• roughness: 46%

• pastiness: 36%

• elasticity: 6.5%

• flexibility: 9%

• lipedema (a condition that is almost exclusively found in women and results in enlargement of both legs due to deposits of fat): 60%

• ‘plaques’ with edema: 55%

• spontaneous pain: 30%

• provoked pain: 35%

• flaccidity (loose hanging skin): 45%

• striae (ridges in the skin): 5%

• cold skin: 24%

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* Unrelated to true chestnuts, the horse chestnut bears unpalatable nuts enclosed in fleshy, thorny husks.

Energetic Fall Begins August 7 According to Traditional Chinese Medicine. Why So Soon?

Every August 7 we enter the energetic season of the Metal element or energetic Fall according to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The timing of the start of energetic Fall seems off since we’re still experiencing hot Summer days, at least for a few more weeks in most of Northern U.S. Hot weather continues well beyond the end of August for the South.

How do the five energetic seasons relate to the traditional four-season pattern?

Clearly the 365 days of the year cannot be divided into four traditional seasons and at the same time correspond to the energetic calendar which divides the same period into five energetic seasons.

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First, let’s remember that the traditional four seasons are defined by the apparent movement of the sun. At its apex we have maximum sun exposure with maximum amount of heat and light. At its nadir,* we have the minimum amount of heat and of light. And, of course, what the apex is to the northern hemisphere, the nadir is to the southern hemisphere. When it is Summer in the U.S., it’s Winter in Australia. And in similar fashion when the apparent movement of the sun crosses the equator, we experience the start of Spring in March and Fall in September, respectively. The reverse is true for the Southern hemisphere.

The TCM calendar is also regulated by the effect of the apparent movement of the sun by way of the cyclical movement of yin/yang: The sun at its apex corresponds to the maximum yang energy/minimum yin energy (peak of Fire season) and at its nadir, maximum yin/minimum yang energy (peak of Winter).

The Spring is the emerging of yang out of the yin of Winter and the Fall is the diminishing yang energy of Summer allowing for the emergence of the yin energy.

The big difference between the two calendars springs from the TCM consideration that seasonal energy cannot suddenly disappear to make room for the sudden emergence of the energy of the next season. The rule of nature calls for a transition from one energy to the next. This calls for four transitional periods which altogether amount to the fifth season named Earth—the four periods of the year when yin and yang energies are in balance. Each of the five seasons last approximately 72 days and the Earth season is four times 18 days between:

• Winter/Water and Spring/Wood

• Spring and Summer/Fire

• Summer and Metal/Fall

• Fall and Winter/Water. 

Think of each season resulting from a surge and a slowdown of complementary yin and yang energies involved in a constant energetic dance. Each seasonal pattern becomes the cause of the climatic changes brought about by each season. Let’s call them the effects or symptoms of each season in order to differentiate them from the energetic cause of each season. 

The initial energetic surge does not produce a visible effect right away. There is a lag in time. As the new energy pattern is at work, with one energy ascending while the other descends, there is an acceleration in force reflected by the appearance of the typical effects and characteristics of each season. We could call them symptoms such as heat/cold, dryness/humidity, wind/precipitation as opposed to the seasonal energetic cause resulting from the yin/yang yearly cycle. 

There is also a lag in time on the way out of an energetic season. What we continue to feel and experience as we enter energetic Fall on August 7 is the momentum of the energy causing a continuation of the effects or symptoms of the ending Summer season although the energy of the new Fall energetic season is already at work but has not yet materialized its own seasonal symptoms or effects.

As the yang energy of Summer and the Fire element ebbs bringing about an increase in yin energy, there is a moment when both  yin and yang are in balance, yet the effects of the Summer/yang energy has such momentum that the effects of Summer continue to be felt although the Summer energetic pattern has already vanished to transform into the Fall energy that will be showing its effects progressively during energetic Fall. 

Here is an analogy that might help.

Imagine a jogger pushing a baby carriage on a flat and smooth surface. Now imagine that the jogger suddenly stops running as he or she releases the carriage. Because of momentum the carriage will continue to roll forward for some distance although no one is pushing it. The same is true with the ending seasonal effect of each energetic season. It overlaps into the next season.

Our clients in various parts of the U.S. or internationally frequently remark:

Your explanation of the five seasons might be realistic in the northern regions but in the South we only have two seasons such as “hot and hotter” or “rain and dryness.”

Yet energetically speaking everyone experiences the same energetic pattern though with differences in intensity of the effects/symptoms. This is because all parts of the globe are under the influence of the sun and its apparent movement. No region of the world is immune.

This massive energy drives climate differences with degrees of intensity and duration mitigated by secondary causes such as mountains and oceans.  

“I and my family lived in Hawaii for several years having come from New England. We arrived there just before Christmas and my children were delighted to go to the beach every day after school year-round for the first couple of years. By the third year we started to feel the effects of Winter and would joke that the surfers without a wetsuit in February or March were either from Canada or Chicago! We were slowly adapting to the local climate and our bodies were reckoning with the effect of Winter energy even in Hawaii.”

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* the point on the celestial sphere directly below an observer; the opposite of zenith.

Best Practices for Living In Harmony with Energetic Fall

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the Metal element corresponds to the energy of energetic Fall (August 7 to October 20). To understand the energies of the season, keep in mind the metaphor of the mountain composed of minerals of all kinds. Its base is wide and firmly rooted to the Earth. At the same time it reaches upward towards the heavens with authority and might.

Keep in mind this metaphor of the mountain as you realize that Metal:

• gives us our sense of quality and value

• offers us an avenue for looking at the majesty that lies beyond ourselves

• extends to us the power to let go thereby returning us to us our essence

• represents a paternal energy.

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Our inner attributes of the Metal element give us a sense of self-worth.

Metal is meant to be the period of tranquility of our conduct.

Metal reflects back to us our core issues. Even if we don't have a particular affinity for Metal, we are all called to deal with our core issues during Metal/Fall.

Metal calls us to connect with the most refined aspect of ourselves. People with an affinity for Metal tend to to be drawn to beauty. They enjoy symmetry and find inspiration in purity. 

Metal qualities include fortitude, independence, focus, intensity, righteousness, fluency in speech, determination and power. 

Metal’s Emotions

Metal types inevitably learn the importance of becoming less opinionated, accepting change, and letting go of the past. Metal types tend to dwell on the past if they are unaware so they need to be attentive to the action of letting go.

In TCM, the emotion of grief is associated with Metal. The challenge is to express grief and then let it go otherwise it can fester into persistent negativity and abject sadness. 

There’s often an acute awareness of time passing and growing old in the Fall. Know that this is part of the energy of the season. Just let those thoughts go without dwelling on them. 

In Fall, the Metal element is at its peak and particularly responsive to treatment. At this time of year, if we are out of Metal balance either physically, mentally or spiritually, the season's energies are very much supportive of bringing us back into Metal balance.

The energies of the season can support the replenishing of depleted mineral stores in the body and/or bringing Metal back into balance mentally and spiritually. 

Metal governs human behaviors such as organization, order, communication, the mind, setting and protecting boundaries. 

For your best harmonious energetic Fall experience, explore these:

1. Engage in self-evaluation.

2. Be open to new experiences; let go of always only what is familiar.

3. Stand up for what is right.

4. Follow your heart.

5. Persevere through challenges.

6. Take action even if you’re fearful; embrace hope.

7. Consolidate and begin storing energy for the upcoming Winter months.

8. Take time to meditate.

9. Speak only when necessary; stop the small talk.

10. Exercise your will calmly and quietly.

11. Contain yourself and behave with a degree of restraint.

12. Gather your soul and spirit together; explore your core issues.

“There are three months of autumn,

they denote taking in and balance.

The qi of heaven becomes tense.

The qi of the earth becomes bright.

Go to rest early and rise early,

get up together with the chicken.

Let the mind be peaceful and tranquil,

so as to temper the punishment carried out in autumn.

Collect the spirit qi and cause the autumn qi to be balanced.

Do not direct your mind to the outside and

cause the lung qi to be clear.

This is correspondence with the qi of autumn and

it is the Way to nourish gathering.

Opposing it harms the lung…”

— from The Neijing Suwen