Sweet orange oil is the most commercially important of the citrus oils and is produced in very large quantities. The majority of oil production is destined for the flavour industry where it is used in juices, soft drinks, candies and pharmaceutical products.

In the early 1900’s the perfumery industry used vast quantities of this oil in fragrance formulations for soaps, detergents, toiletries and perfumes, but over the years sweet orange met the same fate as most of the other citrus oils and was replaced by synthetics.
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A woman’s appearance on the outside is generally a good indication of what’s going on inside her body. Poor nutrition, unhealthy lifestyle choices and stress all contribute to the overall poor health of the skin. Bad habits such as smoking and consuming high-fat, high-salt diets deprive the body of the important nutrients your precious skin needs to retain its youthful glow. But that’s not all.
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Summer is on its way and the weather is getting warmer, so it will soon be time for us to reveal the areas of flesh that have remained hidden under layers of warm woollies throughout the cool, damp spring months. Chances are that hidden under those layers of winter-warmers are even more areas of lumpy, bumpy cellulite than you had last year!
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Cypress is the common name given to several genera of evergreen, aromatic trees and shrubs that belong to the coniferous family of Cupressaceae. Only the species of the genus Cupressus are considered to be true cypress, and it is not uncommon to find ‘cypress’ essential oil derived from species other than Cupressus sempervirens being sold by less experienced oil suppliers.
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I read once that Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love who arose from the foaming depths of the sea, owed her beautiful flawless skin and glossy hair to the natural elements she had just emerged from. Fanciful as it may sound, there is much truth in this legend because science has now proven that the unique combination of chelated minerals, vitamins, enzymes and amino acids found in seaweed and algae really can beautify the skin and hair. Read more…

Juniperus communis belongs to the Cuppressaceae family and is a highly variable species, presenting several morphological and geographical varieties. Juniper is divided into at least two subspecies with frequent intermediates which can differ in habit from a low, spreading bush to a small columnar, single stemmed tree.

Depending upon the geographical variety, the bushy shrub attains a height between 1 and 3 metres (3-10 ft), and the columnar tree occasionally reaches a height of 10m (32 ft). The smaller prostrate form ‘horizontalis’ is native to north-east America and the taller variety ‘erecta’ is very common throughout Europe. Read more…

Increasingly today, more and more people have chosen to include their internal body systems along with their home when it comes to the annual ritual of spring cleaning. Just like your kitchen sink after pouring all sorts of things down it over a period of time, a blockage can begin to build up so you need to flush your system out.

When done correctly, detoxification is safe and beneficial for our health and many health experts suggest that we should aim to embark upon at least one detoxification program annually. However, children, nursing mothers, and patients with cancer, chronic degenerative illness and tuberculosis should consult their physician first for approval. Read more…

If you are feeling as though your body is operating at less than optimum performance, there is a good chance that you would benefit from a detox. Modern life makes it almost impossible to avoid the toxins in synthetic air fresheners, aerosol sprays, paints, solvents and other environmental toxins, – not to mention all those preservatives in the food we eat. It’s hardly surprising that we need to detoxify from time to time! Read more…