A great infographic on how you can make your own beauty products.
You can buy most of the ingredients for these recipies straight from our website here! The benefit being that they are organic too 
Shop with us for your Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Honey, Organic Essential Oils & Organic Sweet Almond Oil..
For the third in our FOCUS series we have decided to turn our attention to the benefits of the widely used and wonderfully stimulating eucalyptus essential oil.
There are more than 700 species of eucalyptus, which are often called gum trees. Mostly native to Australia but now cultivated worldwide, they are fast-growing evergreens with distinctive flowers and fruit.
The Eucalyptus Globulus species is the main source of eucalyptus essential oil worldwide. The leaves are steam distilled to extract the oil, which has a long history of usage in both medicine and skin care for (among other things) its natural antibacterial, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.
It has a distinctive, fresh, woody aroma and creates a cooling, refreshing effect that can help to ‘perk you up’ and revive your spirits if you’re feeling physically or mentally sluggish. Because of its analgesic properties it is also often recommended as a massage oil to those with muscle or joint pain.
Several of our own body and massage oils contain eucalyptus oil:
In fact, eucalyptus, lavender and rosemary (key ingredients in our Relax oil, above) are a match made in fragrance heaven – which is one reason why we have used this blend in several more of our products:
The antifungal and cleansing qualities of eucalyptus oil make it equally effective for hair care, and it is one of the botanical ingredients in our Revive Shampoo and Conditioner:
Australian aboriginals have long used eucalyptus oil as a traditional remedy for colds, sinus congestion, respiratory problems and fever (in fact, one of the common names for the oil is ‘fever oil’). The first recorded instances of eucalyptus oil being used as an antiseptic during operations, and as a disinfectant to clean medical equipment, date back to the late 19th century. It is still a component in many over-the-counter cough and cold remedies, is used in cleaning products and is an active ingredient in some insect repellents, including our own:
With its strong but refreshing and instantly recognisable scent and its many useful, health-giving properties, it’s no wonder that eucalyptus oil features in such a wide range of products, from fragrance and flavouring to medicinal and dental remedies; from soaps and shampoos to massage oils and mosquito repellents.
Is this essential oil one of your favourites? How do you use it? Let us know in the comments section, below.
Please note
Essential Oils are for EXTERNAL USE ONLY and should not be applied directly to the skin in undiluted form. Use with a ceramic oil burner, or as directed by your aromatherapist. Some essential oils should be avoided during pregnancy and if you suffer from certain medical conditions; do not use them before checking with your doctor.
It has been a busy time at Siam Botanicals HQ but finally we’re back on the blog! This month, the spotlight is on one of our favourite ingredients, lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia), in the second of our FOCUS series.
Lavender is a perennial herb native to the Mediterranean. Its pretty purple flowers, evocative scent and the fact that many of its varieties are hardy and easy to grow make it a highly popular choice among gardeners. Lavender can be used as an ingredient in cooking, usually to infuse sweet dishes such as biscuits, shortbread and cakes, but is also an interesting addition to meat or fish marinades. It has long been used in a variety of beauty, personal care and cleaning products; in fact, it is thought to have been used in Roman times during bathing to help purify the body and spirit.
Lavender essential oil is steam distilled from the spikes of the flower. When you think of lavender farming, you might picture the vast and glorious fields of Provence in France, where lavender has been grown commercially for centuries. But it is also a flourishing industry in the UK, and this is where we source our essential oil.
Balancing Skin Conditioner and Natural Balance Face Serum
Lavender essential oil has a soft, herbaceous and deeply relaxing scent and is one of the most versatile essential oils in natural skincare and aromatherapy. It is perhaps best known for its ability to soothe and relax – we all know that a few drops on our pillow can promote sleep – but it has many other prized properties. Thanks to its antibacterial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, it can be used to treat cuts and scrapes and heal sunburn and other minor burns. It’s a ‘must’ for your medicine cabinet! In skin care, it tones and revitalises. It is suitable for all skin types but can also be used to target specific skin problems such as oily skin, acne, and psoriasis.
Lavender essential oil features in many Siam Botanicals products, from our Lavender Toning Mist to our Relax, Revive and Meditation Massage Oils. To achieve a perfectly balanced complexion, try this dynamic duo:
And don’t miss this bevy of beauties from our stunning Oriental range, featuring (among other nourishing 100% natural ingredients) aloe vera juice (all except Body Oil), rose hip oil (Milk Cleanser), coconut oil (Body Oil) and, of course, lavender essential oil!
Clockwise from top left: Oriental Body Oil; Oriental Body Lotion; Oriental Milk Cleanser; Oriental Conditioner; Oriental Shampoo
In this new series of blog posts, we will be focusing on some of the individual ingredients in Siam Botanicals products, looking into their provenance and talking about their amazing properties and the therapeutic skin care benefits they provide. First up is one of our signature ingredients, Lemongrass (Cymbopogon).
Lemongrass is a fast-growing perennial grass native to India and tropical Asia and is an extremely popular herb in Thai cuisine, used fresh or in powdered or dried form to give a citrus kick to curries and soups. It is thought to have immune-boosting properties and is often combined with other health-giving ingredients such as chillies, coconut milk, garlic, galangal, turmeric and coriander, making Thai cuisine one of the healthiest there is!
Lemongrass is native to India and tropical Asia
Lemongrass essential oil has a refreshing, pungent citrus scent with hay-like top notes and grassy undertones. Its uplifting and energising properties make it a popular choice in aromatherapy, helping to relieve the symptoms of jetlag and to combat stress-related conditions. Its analgesic properties have long made it a popular choice in traditional Thai herbal treatments, where it is used to soothe headaches and stiff muscles. As well as boasting antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties, the oil is also mildly astringent, making it useful as a skin-cleansing agent that can help control oily skin and reduce acne and blemishes.
Our lemongrass essential oil is distilled from both East Indian lemongrass (Cymbopogon Flexuosus) and West Indian lemongrass (Cymbopogon Citratus). Its amazing properties make it a key ingredient in many of our products, including our Rudis Oleum Day and Night Formulas, several of our massage and body oils (‘Siam Roots’, ‘Refresh’ and ‘Rejuvenate’), and our ‘Refreshing’ bath salts.
Thanks to its exceptional cleansing properties, it is also the star ingredient in two of our most popular personal care products – our Lemongrass Shampoo and Lemongrass Body Wash. There’s nothing better than the fresh, invigorating scent of lemongrass to wake you up in the morning!
This wondrous oil is also an effective insect repellent and can be found in our DEET-free bug spray. Now you can even keep those mozzies at bay the natural way!
All of the above products can be purchased on our website, as can our pure lemongrass essential oil.
Note: Essential should be used with a ceramic oil burner to release their fragrances, or as directed by your aromatherapist. They are for external use only and should not be applied directly to the skin in undiluted form.
Sources http://thaifood.about.com/od/introtothaicooking/a/healthbenefits.htm http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/aromatherapy/aromatherapy-lemongrass.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymbopogon http://www.essentialoils.co.za/essential-oils/lemongrass.htm