Here in the U.K. we are caught in the grip of a heat wave, and many sun-starved Brits are stampeding to the beaches and parks to soak up as much of the sunshine as they can. And who can blame them given the notorious unpredictability of the short English summers! The truth is that enjoying the sunshine is one of the best things about summer, wherever you live in the world.

But it is vitally important that you protect your skin at all times from overexposure to the sun or you risk of drying-out your skin, developing wrinkles or much worse if you seriously overdo things. Excessive exposure of the skin to sunlight can seriously damage it and is the leading cause of skin cancer all around the world. Read more…

Eczema is a generic term used to describe a variety of inflamed skin conditions, and usually develops when an individual becomes overly sensitive to allergens such as moulds, pollens, dust, chemicals, animal dander or certain foods. Sufferers experience persistent and painful itching as they develop hot, flaky, itchy patches on their skin which may become extremely inflamed, dry and cracked, eventually leading to bleeding and weeping blisters.
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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…

Sandalwood (Santalum album) is one of the oldest of all known aromatic materials and has a history that dates back over 4,000 years. Highly revered as a sacred fragrance by many religions around the world such as Buddhism and Hinduism, its wood has been used to make religious artefacts and fragrant incense for a vast range of devotional ceremonies.

The demand for this highly sought-after timber has led to over-harvesting, and over the past 10 years the availability of the heartwood that’s required for extracting the essential oil has diminished significantly. Read more…

Recognised as a significant medicinal herb for over 3,000 years, Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) still remains today a living legend in the botanical world. Scientists continue to research into how this plant produces its amazing healing properties, with absolutely no side effects.

Since the times of the ancient Egyptians it has been used to treat burns, cuts, wounds, insect bites, skin ulcers and infections of all types – bacterial, viral and fungal. Today we appear to be discovering even more about its miraculous skin regenerating powers. Read more…

You may not entirely believe that the eyes are the windows to our soul, but it is a fact that the area around the eyes can be a reflection of our lifestyle and general health.

Most people know that spending too much time in the sun can cause wrinkles, but did you realise that too many late nights, long term stress, lack of sleep and too much alcohol can also contribute to unwanted excess baggage around the eyes? Read more…