Skin Problems - A Herbal Approach
Carolina IJben & Andrew Cox MNIMH
We are often asked for advice about skin problems beyond matters of skin type. The most common skin problems we see are those labelled rosacea, eczema and psoriasis (which take many forms and can evolve from one form to another over a period of years). Warts and acne are also very common, especially in young adults, as are fungal infections. And although not skin problems as such, we are also often asked for help with varicose veins and shingles.
In the majority of cases of skin problems the origin is mysterious. Even the most reputable of dermatology specialists will admit to being baffled in some cases, despite the many labels and theories they have for skin disorders. Only rarely are skin problems only problems of the skin (such as a simple 'contact dermatitis' caused by contact with irritating synthetic or natural substances which resolves once that contact ceases).
Mostly skin problems are symptoms of a deeper imbalance. The chain of cause and effect is usually highly complex, weaving among different internal processes, such as those of elimination, absorption, defence, coordination, acidity, psychology and emotions, and external factors such as the mix of skin microflora. The skin is a great mirror of the state of our internal environment.
This means that the best approach is one that combines appropriate internal and external treatment plus possibly some modifications of diet and habits of thinking and relating.
If we try to treat most chronic skin problems only with a cream, lotion or salve we may succeed in hiding the symptoms, such as redness or itchiness but, sooner or later, the symptoms will pop up again, perhaps in a different way. This is especially true of petroleum or mineral oil based products and hydrocortisone creams. Even nourishing plant-based products must be carefully selected for the particular problem and skin type.
Herbalists understand the skin to be a remarkable, living, breathing, intelligent organ. It is not only the 'bag' that keeps everything in place! When internal functions are under pressure for any reason, the skin tries to take on some of those functions to ease the pressure. So, for example, if the liver, colon and kidneys are having a difficult time eliminating toxins from the body, the body will try to push them out through the skin.
If we are going through a lot of emotional/psychological stress, including prolonged frustration, anger, grief or lack of joy, the skin will often reflect this state to bring it to our attention. If the digestive processes are not optimal, for example, in cases of 'leaky gut', Crohn's, etc, the skin may attempt to increase its absorption function, making it more open than usual to less desirable substances.
As herbalists we look at the human being as an interacting totality and as a constitutional type, rather than as a collection of semi-independent 'mechanical' systems. So instead of trying to find the cause of a skin problem in the digestive system, the hormonal system, the immune system or the nervous system, etc., we look at the state of the basic functions of defence, elimination, assimilation and modify these – strengthening, calming, supporting, nourishing - using herbs internally.
Herbs are wonderfully suited for bringing about such modifications in harmony with our body.
Externally, we will use appropriate plants preparations that nourish and support the skin so that it can heal the damage caused by the symptoms.
We offer a professional consultation service with a qualified herbalist:
Consultation - Cost & Location
Currently consultations are available only in English language.
First consultation (in Hoorn or Midwoud) (1.5 hours): € 65.00
Subsequent consultation (only Midwoud) (0.5 hours): € 35.00
Typical prescription: € 30 per month
Payments in cash at the end of each treatment session.
Cancellations must be notified at least 24 hours in advance, otherwise the full cost will apply.
The Herbalist
Andrew Cox is a British herbalist, a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (UK) and a plant spirit medicine practitioner with many years of clinical experience. His extensive training included including physiology, pathology, orthodox and holistic / energetic systems of diagnosis as well as pharmacognosy and the traditional preparation of and relationships with medicinal plants.
For more information or to make an appointment:
Tel: (+31) (0)229 795222 of email
Plant Oils, Macerates, Butters & Waxes
-What are they, What do they do? Environmental & other Considerations
© by Carolina IJben & Andrew Cox, Magical Naturals
In this description of plant materials we distinguish fixed oils from essential oils. Fixed plant oils are non-vaporous and obtained mostly from nuts and seeds, whereas essential oils are vaporous or 'volatile' and are obtained by distillation of flowers and buds and also of some plant resins. This article is about fixed plant oils.
Fixed plant oils are liquid fats extracted from certain plants. They are also referred to as vegetable oils, base oils and carrier oils. They have been used for thousands of years for food, medicine and skincare. Highly valued by the ancient civilizations of Greece, Persia, Egypt, India, China , as well as by many indigenous tribal peoples, not only for food but also for bathing and anointing the skin. Plant oils are used extensively in Ayurvedic medicine. They are fantastic for human nourishment, beauty and wellness. They are a perfect medium for diluting and applying essential oils, and for blending with the solid butters and waxes.
Different plant fixed oils provide a different range of nurturing, protecting and healing properties. Many are high in a variety of beneficial fatty acids including the Omega 3, 6, 7 and 9 groups and a few contain the rare Omega 7 , which have many valuable roles to play in maintaining good health. Some, such as Evening Primrose oil contain the rare fatty acid called gamma linoleic acid (GLA). Others contain high levels of minerals, vitamins, and proteins such as collagen, that are readily accepted and utilised by the human body.
Some plant oils have excellent antioxidant properties, while others are wonderful alone or in preparations for the treatment of inflamed skin, such as sunburn and some forms of eczema. Others have incredible healing and regeneration effects on the skin. Whatever your skin quality there will be at least one plant oil to help bring it back to optimum hydration, shine and suppleness. Some oils work well to correct oily skin, others to care for sensitive or dry skin. Some restore elasticity to mature or weather-worn skin, others help resolve bruising and for alleviating burns and reducing scar tissue.
Most plant oils, especially when combined with essential oils, form a basis for wonderful massage and body oils, inducing a sense of relaxation or of invigoration, and even for specific therapeutic benefits. Certain oils can also be used to lift mood or provide a sensual, heightened, even aphrodisiac awareness of your body
Some plant oils work best externally applied to our skin and hair while others enhance our wellness via our digestion and assimilation. Please note that not all plant oils are suitable for internal consumption and some should not be used during pregnancy.
Macerates
We also offer three very special macerated plant oils – Arnica, Calendula and St John's Wort. The Arnica is macerated in sweet almond oil and the Calendula and St. John's Wort in organic sunflower oil. The Calendula and St John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) flowers are hand-pick by ourselves fresh from our own herb garden around the time of the summer solstice. We then immediately leave the flowers to soak (macerate) in the oil in the sun for several weeks, turning and shaking the containers daily while thanking the plants for their gifts. This potentiates the special healing properties of the flowers. We also use make a fantastic healing ointment from Comfrey (Symphytum officinale), after first macerating the root of the plant, and gently heating in a bain marie, rather than leaving in the sun.
So which plant oil or macerate should you choose? We hope the notes we have provided with each product featured in the Oils category of our webshop will help you. Otherwise, do email us – we'll be pleased to help you!
Butters & Waxes
Butters and waxes are solid fats extracted from a variety of certain tropical plants. (The one exception is beeswax, which comes from a natural fat substance produced by worker honey bees and mixed in the hive with pollen and propolis from plants). These butters and waxes are solid at room temperature and give consistency and stability to natural skincare preparations.
Butters are obtained by extracting, blending and condensing the natural and highly nutritive fatty components of plant oils. They give natural beauty products a rich, smooth quality, and imparting a wonderful softness to the skin. Plant butters are partially absorbed by the skin, directly nourishing the cells of the dermal layers. As you will see from browsing the specific information our range of butters, they all have slightly different gifts to offer.
Waxes are not absorbed by the skin and so are great to use in preparations that create a protective barrier for the skin. This also serves to maintain the natural hydration of the skin.
Click here to browse our butters and waxes.
Plant Oils - Environmental and Other Considerations
Plant oils, butters and waxes are extracted by a number of methods. Some involve the use of hydrocarbon solvents, such as hexane, followed by further refinement. As far as possible Magical Naturals obtains plant oils that have been extracted only by cold pressing.
Cold pressing is a purely mechanical action that results in a lesser quantity of oil but an oil of higher quality. Most methods of extraction are followed by processes of refining. These can be simple and innocuous, such as the use of a natural filter or a centrifuge to remove debris from the pressing process, or complex involving a series of chemicals such as treating with sodium hydroxide and further filtering through charcoal. As far as possible we obtain cold pressed plant oils with no - or only the very minimum of - refinement.
As with everything we sell and use at Magical Naturals, we strive to ensure our plant oils come from sustainable sources. This means that our oils do not come from vast monoculture plantations that tend to destroy local diversity of species, as is currently happening with palm oil and soya in parts of South America and rapeseed in Canada and other parts of the world.
'Sustainable sources', for us, also means that the farmers involved receive a level of income that ensures they can continue to farm in a sustainable way. This is not always easy to guarantee and to a large extent we depend on the integrity of the claims of our suppliers. For this reason we favour suppliers who share our belief in organic cultivation, sustainablilty and fair trade, and try to avoid those who take a less caring attitude. It is our aim to grow our own company aligned with the core values of permaculture – earthcare, peoplecare, fairshare.
At this time oils from some certified organically-grown plants still tend to be prohibitively expensive, but we keep an eye on suppliers and purchase oils of organically-grown plants whenever the price is viable for us and our customers. As mentioned above, however, we will never knowingly purchase anything from unsustainable sources.
Plant Oils vs Mineral Oils
Many well-known brands of cosmetics and medicinal creams and ointments continue to use a mineral oil base, even while claiming these products are "natural". Mineral oils, such as paraffin and petrolatum, are extracted from rocks, often at huge energy and environmental costs, by drilling and quarrying, and must subsequently pass through many processes of refinement, often involving harsh synthetic solvents.
Far from being healthy for our skin mineral oils contain no ingredients, such as the fatty acids and vitamins so abundant in plant oils, that nourish the skin and support its functions. They even interfere with the natural "breathing" of the skin, by blocking the pores. This can give the misleading impression that they form a protective barrier against a "harsh, polluted environment", when in fact, they prevent the skin releasing natural waste products of metabolism and also from absorbing beneficial agents (the skin is our body's largest organ of elimination and absorption).
Mineral oils are also misleadingly claimed to moisturise the skin; in fact, what they do is impede the normal evaporation of natural toxin-laden moisture from the surface layer of the skin.
So why do big cosmetic manufacturers with massive marketing budgets still use mineral oils? The main reason seems to be that it enables their products to have a long shelf life. Because mineral oils are not living products they keep for many years and this helps fulfil the economic considerations of mass-producing manufacturers.
Plant oil-based products, on the other hand, have relatively short shelf lives – an average of 2 years. This can often be extended a little by the addition of a natural antioxidants, such as vitamin E or Rosemary CO2 extract. As an independent family-owned business, Magical Naturals is not at the mercy of mass production constraints and we make smaller batches more frequently, ensuring optimum freshness.
Regular use of mineral oil based cosmetics or mineral oil based "medicinal" creams and ointments on your skin can be likened to living on a diet of fast food. Eventually your body will protest in the form of symptoms. By comparison, because our bodies have been learning and adapting to living plant components as food throughout our evolution, plant oils are welcomed by our skin for the nourishment and care that they give.
So why not care for your skin directly with Magical Naturals ingredients - as nature intended.
Plant Oils, Macerates, Butters & Waxes
-What are they, What do they do? Environmental & other Considerations
© by Carolina IJben & Andrew Cox, Magical Naturals
In this description of plant materials we distinguish plant oils from essential oils. To read about Essential Oils click here.
Plant oils are liquid fats extracted from certain plants. They are also referred to as vegetable oils, fixed oils, base oils, carrier oils. They have been used for thousands of years for food, medicine and skincare. Highly valued by the ancient civilizations of Greece, Persia, Egypt, India, China , as well as by many indigenous tribal peoples, not only for food but also for bathing and anointing the skin. Plant oils are used extensively in Ayurvedic medicine. They are fantastic for human nourishment, beauty and wellness. They are a perfect medium for diluting and applying essential oils, and for blending with the solid butters and waxes.
Different plant oils provide a different range of nurturing, protecting and healing properties. Many are high in a variety of beneficial fatty acids including the Omega 3, 6 and 9 essential fatty acids, which have many valuable roles to play in maintaining good health. Some, such as Evening Primrose oil contain the rare fatty acid called gamma linoleic acid (GLA). Others contain high levels of minerals, vitamins, and proteins such as collagen, that are readily accepted and utilised by the human body.
Some plant oils have excellent antioxidant properties, while others are wonderful alone or in preparations for the treatment of inflamed skin, such as sunburn and some forms of eczema. Others have incredible healing and regeneration effects on the skin. Whatever your skin quality there will be at least one plant oil to help bring it back to optimum hydration, shine and suppleness. Some oils work well to correct oily skin, others to care for sensitive or dry skin. Some restore elasticity to mature or weather-worn skin, others help resolve bruising and for alleviating burns and reducing scar tissue.
Most plant oils, especially when combined with essential oils, form a basis for wonderful massage and body oils, inducing a sense of relaxation or of invigoration, and even for specific therapeutic benefits. Certain oils can also be used to lift mood or provide a sensual, heightened, even aphrodisiac awareness of your body
Some plant oils work best externally applied to our skin and hair while others enhance our wellness via our digestion and assimilation. Please note that not all plant oils are suitable for internal consumption and some should not be used during pregnancy.
Macerates
We also offer three very special macerated plant oils – Arnica, Calendula and St John's Wort. The Arnica is macerated in sweet almond oil and the Calendula and St. John's Wort in organic sunflower oil. The Calendula and St John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) flowers are hand-pick by ourselves fresh from our own herb garden around the time of the summer solstice. We then immediately leave the flowers to soak (macerate) in the oil in the sun for several weeks, turning and shaking the containers daily while thanking the plants for their gifts. This potentiates the special healing properties of the flowers. We also use make a fantastic healing ointment from Comfrey (Symphytum officinale), after first macerating the root of the plant, and gently heating in a bain marie, rather than leaving in the sun.
So which plant oil or macerate should you choose? We hope the notes we have provided with each product featured in the Oils category of our webshop will help you. Otherwise, do email us – we'll be pleased to help you!
Butters & Waxes
Butters and waxes are solid fats extracted from a variety of certain tropical plants. (The one exception is beeswax, which comes from a natural fat substance produced by worker honey bees and mixed in the hive with pollen and propolis from plants). These butters and waxes are solid at room temperature and give consistency and stability to natural skincare preparations.
Butters are obtained by extracting, blending and condensing the natural and highly nutritive fatty components of plant oils. They give natural beauty products a rich, smooth quality, and imparting a wonderful softness to the skin. Plant butters are partially absorbed by the skin, directly nourishing the cells of the dermal layers. As you will see from browsing the specific information our range of butters, they all have slightly different gifts to offer.
Waxes are not absorbed by the skin and so are great to use in preparations that create a protective barrier for the skin. This also serves to maintain the natural hydration of the skin.
Click here to browse our butters and waxes.
Plant Oils - Environmental and Other Considerations
Plant oils, butters and waxes are extracted by a number of methods. Some involve the use of hydrocarbon solvents, such as hexane, followed by further refinement. As far as possible Magical Naturals obtains plant oils that have been extracted by cold pressing.
Cold pressing is a purely mechanical action that results in a lesser quantity of oil but an oil of higher quality. Most methods of extraction are followed by processes of refining. These can be simple and innocuous, such as the use of a natural filter or a centrifuge to remove debris from the pressing process, or complex involving a series of chemicals such as treating with sodium hydroxide and further filtering through charcoal. As far as possible we obtain cold pressed plant oils with no - or only the very minimum of - refinement.
As with everything we sell and use at Magical Naturals, we strive to ensure our plant oils come from sustainable sources. This means that our oils do not come from vast monoculture plantations that tend to destroy local diversity of species, as is currently happening with palm oil and soya in South America and rapeseed in Canada and other parts of the world.
'Sustainable sources'also means that the farmers involved receive a level of income that ensures they can continue to farm in a sustainable way. This is not always easy to guarantee and to a large extent we depend on the integrity of the claims of our suppliers. For this reason we favour suppliers who share our belief in organic cultivation, sustainablilty and fair trade, and try to avoid those who take a less caring attitude. It is our aim to grow our own company aligned with the core values of permaculture – earthcare, peoplecare, fairshare.
At this time oils from some certified organically-grown plants still tend to be prohibitively expensive, but we keep an eye on suppliers and purchase oils of organically-grown plants whenever the price is viable for us and our customers. As mentioned above, however, we will never knowingly purchase anything from unsustainable sources.
Plant Oils vs Mineral Oils
Many well-known brands of cosmetics and medicinal creams and ointments continue to use a mineral oil base, even while claiming these products are "natural". Mineral oils, such as paraffin and petrolatum, are extracted from rocks, often at huge energy and environmental costs, by drilling and quarrying, and must subsequently pass through many processes of refinement, often involving harsh synthetic solvents.
Far from being healthy for our skin mineral oils contain no ingredients, such as the fatty acids and vitamins so abundant in plant oils, that nourish the skin and support its functions. They even interfere with the natural "breathing" of the skin, by blocking the pores. This can give the misleading impression that they form a protective barrier against a "harsh, polluted environment", when in fact, they prevent the skin releasing natural waste products of metabolism and also from absorbing beneficial agents (the skin is our body's largest organ of elimination and absorption).
Mineral oils are also misleadingly claimed to moisturise the skin; in fact, what they do is impede the normal evaporation of natural toxin-laden moisture from the surface layer of the skin.
So why do big cosmetic manufacturers with massive marketing budgets still use mineral oils? The main reason seems to be that it enables their products to have a long shelf life. Because mineral oils are not living products they keep for many years and this helps fulfil the economic considerations of mass-producing manufacturers.
Plant oil-based products, on the other hand, have relatively short shelf lives – an average of 2 years. This can often be extended a little by the addition of a natural antioxidants, such as vitamin E or Rosemary CO2 extract. As an independent family-owned business, Magical Naturals is not at the mercy of mass production constraints and we make smaller batches more frequently, ensuring optimum freshness.
Regular use of mineral oil based cosmetics or mineral oil based "medicinal" creams and ointments on your skin can be likened to living on a diet of fast food. Eventually your body will protest in the form of symptoms. By comparison, because our bodies have been learning and adapting to living plant components as food throughout our evolution, plant oils are welcomed by our skin for the nourishment and care that they give.
So why not care for your skin directly with Magical Naturals ingredients - as nature intended.
Etherische oliën zijn erg sterk en geconcentreerd daarom is het heel belangrijk dat ze zorgvuldig en veilig gebruikt worden in de juiste verdunning en dosering. Algemene veiligheidspunten worden hieronder gegeven. Het is aan te bevelen dat je de tijd neemt om kennis te nemen van het gebruik, de effecten en de potentiële bijwerkingen van specifieke eterische oliën voordat je tot de aankoop en het gebruik ervan over gaat.
* Etherische oliën mogen nooit inwendig worden gebruikt! Met uitzondering van het onder begeleiding van een gekwalificeerde gezondheidstherapeut welke opleiding heeft ontvangen over het internationale gebruik van etherische oliën. De meeste oliën zullen bij inwendig gebruik de slijmvliezen van het verteringssysteem zwaar beschadigen, alle etherische oliën zijn bij onkundig inwendig gebruikt potentieel giftig.
* Vele etherische oliën moeten worden vermeden gedurende de zwangerschap en tijdens de lactatie periode.
* Bepaalde etherische oliën moeten niet worden gebruikt voor hele jonge kinderen (onder 2 jaar) en ouderen. Sommige etherische oliën zijn niet geschikt voor personen met astma, hoge bloeddruk, epilepsie of diabetes. Wanneer je twijfelt zoek dan gekwalifiseerd advies voordat je over gaat tot aankoop of gebruik.
* De meeste etherische oliën veroorzaken milde tot zware huid irritatie wanneer ze puur (zonder verdunning in een basisolie) worden gebruikt. Etherische oliën mogen niet puur in contact komen met de slijmvliezen of de ogen. Als je een gevoelige huid hebt of allergieën of als je onzeker bent of een bepaalde olie geschikt voor je is, doe dan een 'patch test'. Verdun een paar druppels in een basisolie/creme/melk en breng hiervan een beetje aan op de binnenkant van je pols, dek dit af met een pleister voor een aantal uur. Als er irritatie of roodheid ontstaat, spoel de huid dan met koud water en verdun in de toekomst de etherische olie met meer basisolie of vermijdt de olie helemaal.
* Sommige etherische oliën zijn fototoxisch, dit betekent dat ze pigmentatie van de huid kunnen veroorzaken als ze worden aangebracht op de huid die wordt blootgesteld aan zonlicht. Dit gaat vooral op voor citrus oliën inclusief Bergamot.
* Wanneer je etherische oliën gebruikt in recepten voor het maken van je eigen natuurlijke huidsverzorgingsprodukten wees dan voorzichtig dat ze geen tegenovergestelde synergetische werking hebben wanneer ze worden gecombineerd en houdt je aan de hoeveelheid die het recept aangeeft (doorgaans minder dan 0,5% van het totale recept).
* Etherische oliën moeten veilig worden opgeborgen, in donkere glazen flessen, buiten bereik van kinderen of dieren. De flessen moeten altijd goed worden afgesloten. Bij gebruik van je eterische olie laat je de fles alleen open voor de tijd dat het neemt om de hoeveelheid te gebruiken die je nodig hebt.
* Sommige etherische oliën zijn ontvlambaar dus houdt ze weg van open vuur, direct zonlicht of andere warmte bronnen. Als een fles met olie voor welke reden dan ook erg warm is geworden, laat deze dan op natuurlijke wijze afkoelen voordat je de fles opent
* Transfer nooit pure etherische oliën van glazen containers naar plastic, gelakte of geverfde containers.
* Gebruik alleen pure etherische oliën en koop ze van een betrouwbare bron. Pas op voor een ieder die goedkope etherische oliën verkoopt. Onder de huidige EU regelgeving moet het label van de etherische olie de INCI naam van de olie, het land van herkomst, batch nummer, veiligheidswaarschuwingen en inhoudstoffen van overgevoeligheid vermelden ('sensitisers').
* Spoel nooit zomaar ongebruikte etherische oliën weg, zelfs in de kleinste hoeveelheden kunnen sommige oliën schade toebrengen aan water organismes en gevoelige micro-ecosystemen.
