Ever since avocados were discovered and used in cooking, people have realized that the natural oils not only are great for food, but through experimentation, they have discovered that avocado oil for skin makes for a healthy complexion, as well as a great anti-aging formula.

Avocado oil for skin is rich in essential nutrients that keep skin clean and healthy, but also promotes elasticity with natural collagens that prevent and eliminate wrinkles (read about other great Avocado Oil Benefits).

How Does Avocado Oil For Skin Work?

While avocados are naturally good to eat, and can help replenish your body with many of the vitamins and antioxidants it needs, avocado oil – when applied directly to the skin, is immediately absorbed and begins to work in a variety of ways.

Avocado oil for skin contains Vitamin A, B complexes, D, and E, which work to reduce blemishes, moisturize the skin, and even combat the onset of wrinkles. In fact, avocado oil has been used in treatments for eczema, psoriasis, acne, and it even soothes the itchiness from rashes and insect bites.

How Is Avocado Oil For Skin Made?

Unlike most oils, which are extracted using a cold press method on the nut or seed, avocado oil for skin is made by blending the meat of the avocado, and occasionally the skin, into a cream which can be applied to the skin.

The cream contains all of the nutrients of the avocado oil, so that your skin can get the full benefits of avocado oil for skin. Say farewell to blemishes, dry skin, and even wrinkles when you use avocado oil for skin.

What To Look For When Buying Avocado Oil For Skin

When shopping for avocado oil for skin, the first thing you want to look at is the list of ingredients. An all natural blend of avocado oil will also contain ingredients such as coconut oil or shea butter.

Avoid avocado oil for skin that is mixed with harsh chemicals or preservatives, because those can actually end up drying out your skin, and completely negate the vitamins and natural anti-aging ingredients found in avocado oil.

When buying avocado oil, you also want to make certain that the container is opaque, because sunlight and UV rays cause the vitamin complexes and natural collagens found in avocado oil for skin to rapidly degrade. A clear container means that the product will be virtually useless when applied to your skin, whereas an opaque container (some even go so far as recommending refrigeration, which is a good sign that the ingredients are all natural) will retain all of the benefits of the avocado oil, so that your skin will remain healthy and beautiful with each and every use.

Bottom Line

Avocado oil for skin is quickly becoming one of the most popular health and beauty treatments for skin on the market today. With a little research and product comparison, you should be able to find the perfect avocado oil for skin treatment in order to keep your body looking beautiful and youthful.

If you want to take advantage of the moisturizing and anti-aging benefits of avocado oil for skin, or if you just want to keep some handy to soothe dryness and treat rashes and blemishes, then you should do your body a favor and look into getting avocado oil for skin today. Your body will thank you, and it will leave your skin soft, beautiful, and with a natural glow that everyone will notice.

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Anise is an annual herb that grows in the Mediterranean area, as well as in Asia, Mexico and in the southwest portion of the U.S. It is related to carrots and has light green leaves and little white flowers. Another name for the anise plant is sweet cumin.

Anise oil also has been available in the U.S. since at least the 1600s and has been sold commercially in the U.S. at least since the 1800s. In the 1600s in Virginia there was even a law saying that all families had to plant at least six anise seeds every year.

What is Anise Oil?

Anise oil has actually been used for centuries in some cultures such as the ancient Greeks and the Egyptians. It was written up in their medical texts and documented as being used for many common ailments.

It is made by crushing the seeds of the anise plant using steam distillation. Anise is used in herbal medications, cooking, perfume, soaps, toothpastes, mouthwashes and in some alcoholic drinks such as ouzo and anisette. It is pale yellow in color and smells like licorice.

Anise oil contains antheole and the derivatives of diantheole, photoantehole, methylcavicol, para-methoxyphenylacetone, and flavonoids such as quercetin and cumarin.

What is Anise Oil Used For?

Anise Oil has been used for a variety of things, including as a flavoring for candy, mouthwash, tobacco, baked goods, and toothpaste.

Anise Oil can be used internally by putting one drop of anise oil mixed into a half a teaspoon of honey. It is also used in aromatherapy or as massage oil. As massage oil it is good for soothing the pain of arthritis or rheumatism.

It is said to help cure hangovers, provide relief for indigestion, gas, bloating, colic, bad breath, stomach cramps, and nausea. Plus, it can increase the output of both urine and sweat, can be used as an antiseptic, and can be used as a cough expectorant to treat asthma, bronchitis and colds (often found in cough preparations in cough syrup or drops). As such it helps to expel phlegm.

Anise is also said to promote lactation in breast feeding mothers, as well as help to get rid of premenstrual symptoms and help to increase sex drive. Anise oil is also good for oily skin, acne, and to treat scabies or lice. As aromatherapy oil, anise oil is used to treat dizziness, motion sickness and vertigo (also read about the versatile avocado oil).

Anise Oil also has a sedative like effect, and it is known to slow down a person’s circulation, as well as their breathing or nervous response. This makes it effective in helping insomnia victims. For this reason it has been used to calm epileptic or hysterical attacks, but this usage should be done cautiously as high doses are not safe.

Anise oil can even be used to ward off insects, as it is toxic to some of them, so it is often found in some sprays or fumigants. Anise oil can also be used in eye wash products, as a chest rub when mixed with eucalyptus, to relieve a toothache, or as an insect repellent. This oil is also thought to help people to relax, improve their feeling of well-being and possibly as an aphrodisiac.

Anise Oil is sometimes used to get rid of hiccups. To use it for this ailment, you put a few drops of anise oil onto a tissue or a cotton ball and then breathe in the fumes while keeping your mouth open. Or, some people put a few drops of anise oil into a paper sack and then breathe quick breaths into the bag. It may make the person cough at first, but it has been known to relieve the hiccups.

Anise Oil is also sometimes used to treat skin conditions such as acne, but care should be taken when using it topically, as it needs to be mixed with other products and shouldn’t be used by itself in this fashion.

Possible Side Effects of Anise Oil

Anise oil is may induce side effects in some people when taken internally. These may be upset stomach, vomiting, seizures or pulmonary edema. Pure anise oil should not be taken internally and even for skin usage it is normally mixed with other products, as pure anise oil may cause skin rashes.

Pregnant women should not use anise oil, nor should anyone suffering from acid reflux disease. Anise oil also has a mild estrogen like effect and should not be used by patients suffering with an estrogen sensitive type of cancers or endometriosis.

The bottom line is that there are many uses for Anise Oil from cooking and flavoring to treatment of several illnesses or ailments. It has been used in various ways for thousands of years and is still being used in many forms.

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Amla is another name for an Indian gooseberry tree and the fruit of this tree. The fruit is made up of small light green or yellow spheres that get ripe in the fall. Amla oil is made by extracting it from the dried fruit, which is then soaked in coconut oil and boiled to get out the amla oil.

What Makes Amla Oil Valuable for Health?

Amla is well known as an herb in Ayurveda medicine and is very rich in vitamin C and is said to have a sour taste. As a fruit it is used for digestive issues such as constipation, indigestion, gas, hemorrhoids and lack of appetite.

Plus, it is thought to help improve sight, blood purification, and to get rid of cough and stimulate the growth of hair. It may also help lower cholesterol, balance blood sugar and improve functions of the liver.

Amla has also been used traditionally in Indian medicine to help soothe cough, as well as treat colds, fevers and flu. Some studies have shown that it may also aid in fighting infection and boosting the immunity in cancer patients, as well as act as an antiviral product.

Amla also has a background as a traditional Ayurvedic medical treatment for bleeding disorders, as well as anemia and menorrhagia, a condition that causes women to have long, heavy menstrual periods.

Amla Oil is Great for Hair

The amla oil is a natural conditioner for the hair and can be used to stimulate growth by applying it to the hair follicles and roots. It can also be used to add luster and shine to dry hair and to smooth out tangles.

Amla oil can also be used to prevent early onset of grey hair when used as a hair tonic. With regular use, the amla oil will gradually make your regular hair color darken. Some people also use the water from amla berries soaked overnight as a hair rinse.

Amla oil is also good for treatment of dry scalp and dandruff. Plus, it makes good therapeutic massage oil and as such, is said to help improve memory and to help induce sleep.

To use amla oil as a conditioner, massage it into the scalp with your fingers, then wrap your head up in a warm towel for several hours, then wash the hair using a mild type of shampoo. Or, you can leave it on overnight. You can also cover your hair with a plastic cap and sit under a hair dryer for 20 minutes. Style hair as you like after the treatment, which can be used two or three times a week for best results.

Where can you buy amla oil?

Amla oil is not expensive and is easily found both online or in traditional Indian grocery stores or health food stores. It is found as an ingredient in shampoos, soaps, conditioners, and hot oil treatments. It’s important to read the label of the products you buy to be sure of the percentage of amla oil actually available in the product.

It is often mixed with some sort of natural or artificial scent, as normally amla oil by itself has a bitter smell. It also may have preservatives or chemicals added for stabilization. Plus, it is found mixed with various other kinds of herbs and essential oils.

Homemade Amla Oil

Amla oil is not hard to make at home.  Just buy either the fresh fruit or Amla powder. If you are using the fresh fruit, cut it up into little pieces and let it dry out, then mix into a paste using fenugreek powder and oil such as castor, coconut or any oil of your choosing. If making with the amla powder, just soak it overnight in some hot water and then make a paste with the fenugreek and chosen kind of oil.

Scientific Studies of Amla and Amla Oil

Research studies done in Japan have shown that extract of amla may help prevent the growth of cancer cells.  Studies have also shown that amla is effective as an anti fungal and that it actually kills a variety of fungi such as ringworm.

Other studies done using amla oil showed that when mixed with herbal oils such as brahmi and methi, amla oil was able to promote the growth of hair in a similar fashion as the anti-balding medication minoxidil. This study results were published in the Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research in 2009 and the E Journal of Chemistry Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 34-38 in January 2008.

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Pumpkin seed oil is normally made from pressing roasted seeds from the Styrian oil pumpkin, which has been grown in southeastern Austria, northwestern Croaita, areas of Hungary and eastern Slovenia for hundreds of years. The oil is very thick and runs from a dark green to a dark red color and is used for both culinary and medicinal purposes.

However, some lesser grades of pumpkin seed oil are made in some countries from white pumpkin seeds, which is a cheaper form of the oil. Pumpkin seed oil should be kept in the refrigerator so it doesn’t go bad.

Food Uses for Pumpkin Seed Oil

Pumpkin seed oil has a nut-like flavor normally, but if it is browned it turns bitter. The oil is used mixed with olive oil or honey to make a type of dressing for salads. It is also used to give desserts like ice cream a nutty flavor. It is also added to pumpkin soup to give it more flavor. Plus, you can mix it into a protein drink.

Pumpkin Seed Meal is also used in foods and it is high in calories, with 568 calories in 100 grams. It is not recommended for you to use pumpkin seed oil for cooking that requires high temperatures due to the fact it has a chemical stability (also consider avocado oil)

Medicinal Uses for Pumpkin Seed Oil

Over the centuries, pumpkin seed oil has been said to be valuable in treating enlarged prostate problems, irritable bowel syndrome, high cholesterol problems, hardening of the arteries, and to get rid of parasites that may invest the intestinal system such as tapeworms.

In North American cultures, pumpkin seed oil has been used to treat intestinal infections, kidney problems, and to soothe minor injuries. It has also been linked to treatment for arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, anti-aging and liver disease. Plus, it is thought to help increase the milk production in nursing mothers.

In Thailand it is used to treat and prevent kidney stones.

Plus, it also has benefits as massage oil and is good for anti-aging of the skin and keeps the skin nice and smooth, as well as being useful for preventing hair loss.

Pumpkin Seed Oil is Good For You

Pumpkin seed oil is full of polyunsaturated fatty acids like myristic, palmitic, steric, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, and arachidic, making it very healthy oil. It also has amino acids, phytosterols, minerals and vitamins, and is rich in omega 3 and omega 6 healthy fats.

Pumpkin seed oil is also a rich source of antioxidants, and has L-tryptophan in it, which is said could help treat depression symptoms.

Pumpkin Seed Oil in Scientific Testing

Scientific testing using pumpkin seed oil has shown it to be beneficial in many ways that confirm some of the uses of it for the past few hundred years. These include testing where the oil was fed to rats that had arthritis for several weeks and it was able to reduce edema in their paws, as well as being fed to rabbits for three weeks, where it was found to help lower bad cholesterol.

In other testing, subjects took 40 mg of pumpkin seed oil daily for six weeks and it reduced their blood pressure, thus could be a good treatment for hypertension and heart disease.

Mixed with saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil was also given to patients with enlarged prostate issues, who got it every day and reported that after six months their quality of life had improved, as well as their urine flow. The men took 160 mg of pumpkin seed oil three times a day with meals.

Studies have also been made with menopausal women in testing their cholesterol levels, since women in this category tend to have higher levels of cholesterol. During the study the women were given a mix of two grams of pumpkin seed oil and wheat germ oil every day for 12 weeks.

The women were found to have increases in their good HDL levels of cholesterol and decreases in bad cholesterol levels, as well as improvements in symptoms of menopause such as less hot flashes, and less pain in the joints or headaches. Plus, they had less feelings of depression.

It makes good massage oil, for helping to relieve headaches and muscle aches and pains. Plus, it has no known bad side effects since it is a natural product.

It is easy to find pumpkin seed oil for sale online or in health food stores. It is best to buy the type made from the green seeds, not the kind made from white pumpkin seeds.

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