Helichrysum in Skin Care

If I had to choose only one essential oil to work with for skin care purposes, hands down Helichrysum italicum would be the one. It is a powerful essential oil with an array of skin health benefits.

I have just written an article about Helichrysum itallicum (Imortelle) for The School of Aromatic Studies and you can read it HERE.

If you’d like to experience the action of Helichrysum italicum in skin care, I invite you to try WD Night with Imortelle. Is a beautiful night serum that deeply nourishes, restores and regenerates your skin while you sleep:) It contains both Helichrysum italicum essential oil and Helichrysum microphyllum herbal extract in the rich blend of plant ingredients.

I hope that you will enjoy my article and the Night with Imortelle Serum:)

Love and light,

Magdalena xo

Aromatics in Skin Care

I can’t imagine my skin care practice or formulations without essential oils. I actually can’t imagine my life without them. If you ever came to my home for a visit you’ll find a small antique wooden chest trunk filled with essential oils. I have couple hundred ++ bottles of both very common and very rare aromatic finds.

I use them daily to keep the air clean, to uplift my mood, to relax, in baths… and of course on my skin.

Here is my article Aromatics in Skin Care which I have recently contributed to the The School of Aromatic Studies Have a read and let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Love and light,

Magdalena xo

Jatamansi and Woman Divine Body Balm.

I would like to tell you a little bit about one of the ingredients in Woman Divine Body Balm | cardamom + rose.
This is a beautiful balm with a wonderful texture and a luxurious scent profile. Many clients love it especially during winter months as it provides effective nourishment for dry skin and and its aroma brings comfort.

At the end of its ingredient list you’ll find a very special essential oil. I added only a tiny bit of Jatamansi to complete this formula because it’s very potent.

Jatamansi (Nardostachys jatamansi) has a very special effect on the nervous system, supporting those experiencing insomnia, anxiety, an over-active mind, mental fatigue, depression, panic disorders… it’s generally grounding and calming. And it is said to be one of the most important herbal medicines to help with the healing of grief.

I felt that it was a perfect addition to rose, cardamom and yang-ylang which along with an amazing effect on the skin, also lend their gentle nervous system healing properties to this body focused formula.

Jatamansi usually grows at an altitude of 3000–5000 meters. It can be found in Nepal, India and China. I favour the oil coming from Nepal:)

Pure essential oil of Jatamansi has a very strong aroma. Since it comes from the valerianacea family, we can’t really refer to its aroma as pretty:). Instead it offers a scent of the earth found in the high altitude forests of Nepal.
Jatamansi, also known as Spikenard, has a long history of use for spiritual purposes and until today it is used in religious ceremonies. Ayurveda also uses Jatamansi to improve skin complexion. .
We are grateful to Jatamasi for enriching our Body Balm | cardamom + rose on so many levels❤️

Woman Divine and my beloved oils featured in the Ottawa Citizen

Woman Divine's Magdalena Tomczak unveils the power of oil

JANET WILSON
More from Janet Wilson

Published on: November 5, 2014 / Last Updated: November 6, 2014 4:26 PM EST

Magdalena Tomczak, owner of Woman Divine, makes her own skincare line depending on the person's skin type.

Jean Levac / Ottawa Citizen

Magdalena Tomczak looks intently at my face, scanning for blemishes while running her fingertips across my cheekbones and forehead. I nod when she asks whether I have a headache.

“I can see it on your face, the stress around your eyes,” says the holistic skin therapist and aromatherapist. “For each client, I make an individual blend from my staples based on what is appropriate, based on your skin on any given day.”

Tomczak plucks ingredients — her handmade concoctions in pretty glass bottles of varying sizes — from a nearby counter to use in my face massage. She is a master at judging skin types and curtailing the treatment to fix any issue.

“Vegetable oils and essential oils are very effective skin remedies and form the base of the majority of organic skincare products you find on the market today.

“They definitely are indispensable in my practice,” says Tomczak, whose welcoming Westboro spa is called Woman Divine (womandivine.ca)

As the cold weather sets in, I’m here to get a lesson on oils.

Growing up in Poland, Tomczak says it was not uncommon for her mother to get monthly half-hour face massages.

“Sadly, training in North America focuses more on product application than massage.”

“It is an old European remedy for aging skin and has played a prominent role in the Eastern practice of Ayurveda and Chinese medicine. Face massage is the No. 1 aging preventative technique,” she says.

Nutrient-rich oils provide a pleasing lubrication during a face massage and hydration for those with dry skin.

Tomczak says massage helps to carry the oils with all of their benefits deep into the skin. With so many skincare products to choose from, she recommends you keep it simple and purchase only quality products or even make your own.

“It is good to get creams from someone who knows what they are doing. Base oil on its own is a great way to start and has plenty to offer. If you want to make your own concoction for every teaspoon of vegetable oil, only add a few drops of essential oil.”

In recent years, argan oil has been hailed as liquid gold and a miracle cure for a host of skin conditions. It has also spelled big business for the beauty industry. Rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, pure argan oil (harvested from the nut of an argania spinosa tree) was used by Moroccan women to hydrate their skin and to fight the effects of the relentless desert sun. It is said to reduce inflammation, minimize wrinkles and treat acne.

Tomczak began practising holistic skincare in 1996 and opened her business in 2008, merging her background in massage therapy, aromatherapy, herbal medicine and nutrition.

For my treatment, she used a gentle blend of “solar-infused” chamomile flowers in jojoba oil with a touch of argan oil to treat my slightly sensitive skin.

She explained that her flower concoction was made over a period of eight weeks with exposure to the sun and moonlight and stirred daily.

“Chamomile is soothing for both the skin and the nervous system. Since you have mentioned you were stressed, I felt this would be a nice one to use. The chamomile flowers I used are from a local organic herb grower and a lovely lady — Judy of Judy’s Organic Herbs. Both the jojoba and argan oils are organic cold-pressed and unrefined, keeping things simple, effective and beautiful.

“A lot of love goes into making infusions like this one.”

Before purchasing essential oils, Tomczak recommends checking labels for the Latin name and meaning and choosing oils made from organic or wild-crafted plants.

“There are often many species of the same plant. Oils produced from each species are different in their biochemical composition, which determines the healing properties of each oil.”

One of her favourite ingredients is organic sunflower oil from Les Huiles d’Amérique, a farm outside of Montreal.

“I use this oil in my treatments and in few of my formulas. It is one of the ingredients in my face balm. I also use it in my kitchen. It is very tasty.”

Another item she says everyone should own is a silk pillow, which keeps the face fresh and aids in your sleep. “Cotton tugs and sucks the moisture from the delicate skin on your face and neck.

“When you think of the health of your skin, remember that your body has basic needs: good food, sleep, fresh air and exercise. We need to be kind to ourselves.”

THE ART OF OILS WORKSHOP

What: Magdalena Tomczak explores oils and shows how to select the ones that are right for you.
When & where: Dec. 1, 6 p.m. / Woman Divine, 351 Churchill Ave. N.
Price: $20

613-216-7676 or email info@womandivine.ca

Magdalena Tomczak offers custom-tailored essential and vegetable oil formulas designed for the face, body, hair, feet, hands or bath.

Jean Levac / Ottawa Citizen

Oils

1. Vegetable oil

Yes, you could cook with it. Oils pressed from unrefined and organic seeds and nuts, such as argan, sunflower and camellia, have been used on the skin around the world for centuries and have been picking up steam in North America over the past decade. “Oil is full of vitamins A, E, D and K as well as essential fatty acids.”

2. Essential oils

Known as the most concentrated form of herbal medicine, essential oils are produced by the process of distillation to get the essence of the plants. Essential oils offer impressive healing possibilities in skincare in balancing, regenerating, astringent, antiseptic and soothing action and protection of the skin, Tomczak says. “Some of the most lovely oils for the skin and for skin-cell regeneration are carrot oil and frankincense.”

Oils & skin types

DRY SKIN

Base oil: 
Rose hip, argan

Essential oil: 
Carrot seed, rosewood

COMBO SKIN (dry and oily)

Base oil: 
Sunflower, jojoba, camilla

Essential oil: 
Chamomile, ylang ylang

OILY SKIN

Base oil: 
Grape seed oil, jojoba

Essential oil: 
Lavender, rosemary

For the love of essential oils - Sweet Orange

The scent of orange has uplifting qualities; sweet, fresh, cheerful light and fruity.

Perfect for the 'end of winter blues'.

Think... refreshing aroma of an orange peel.

The essential oil of Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis) is perfect to improve your mood.

Spray some in your room - mix 15 drops of orange essential oil and distilled water (fill up) in a small 50ml - 100ml spritz bottle.

If used in massage, Sweet Orange essential oil will not only uplift but it will also stimulate lymphatic flow and move fluids (good for cellulite), calm your nervous system, help relax the muscles and stimulate the digestive system.

In skin care I use it sometimes in my bespoke blends for oily skin but be cautious, it can be irritating to the delicate skin of your face.

*Do not apply before sun exposure... it can make your skin photosensitive.

Definitely a great oil to have for the grey, slow days... :-)

Roxana Illuminated Perfume

Yesterday, on my way back from work I found in my mailbox a much anticipated package. A Roxana Illuminated Perfume sampler I ordered had finally arrived.

As soon as I had visited Roxana's blog I had a feeling that this woman was creating something very, very special.

I received nine lovely presented perfume samples, six liquid and three solid. The scents...beautifully balanced, full of depth...I will call it aromatic poetry.

Photo by Roxana Illuminated Perfume

One of them immediately called to me. ROSA solid perfume is mine. "Rosa is a sparkling rose natural perfume unfolding from a green powdery rose bouquet into deep rich rose with wood and earth at the base. It literally blossoms on the skin of the wearer. The climatic ending of the orchestration is a musky wood." It is a composition a Wild Woodland Rose - California Rose - Precious Rose Otto, my beloved Oud and Sandalwood. You could say, I have been waiting for Rosa for many years...truly.

Photo by Roxana Illuminated Perfume

I had almost given up on perfume. Synthetic big brand perfume never appealed to me. It actually gave me headaches and today I still find it offensive when people wear toxic fragrance in public. I have tried a few pseudo 'natural' or 'organic' brands which surely did not list all of their ingredients... based on the negative effect they had on me.

Roxana Illuminated Perfume is made all by hand by Roxana herself using "high grade essences, many of organic and vital origin, obtained exclusively from the plant, mineral, sea and apis kingdoms." 

Roxana's botanical, all natural perfume is beautiful and healing. It is not a type of fragrance you splash on but rather one you anoint with. 

Photo by Roxana Illuminated Perfume

I highly recommend Roxana Illuminated Perfume. I wish for you to find your own scent just like I found my Rosa.

Purchase Roxana Illuminated Perfume