Daily Mail Newspaper

The secret of natural beauty: Essential oils that will keep you looking younger for longer

The beauty industry appears to be at a crossroads.

On one hand, we have never been able to harness the potential of so much technology in terms of ingredients and techniques available to us. On the other, despite all the exciting possibilities offered by cosmeceuticals, non-invasive procedures and so forth, there's a distinct concern that the long-term effects and unresearched side-effects could actually end up doing us more harm than good. By paying individual attention to each body part and using the right oils, Danièle Ryman believes natural beauty is achievable for everyone As a result, increasing numbers of people are turning to natural, organic treatments that have been tried and tested for years. At the forefront of this movement is Danièle Ryman.

Danièle has been practising aromatherapy for 40 years and is a firm believer in the power of essential oils, particularly when it comes to anti-ageing. She studied under Marguerite Maury, widely regarded as the doyenne of aromatherapy, and recalls one of her early encounters with the power of oils. "Marguerite gave me my first prescription when I complained of a little wrinkle appearing round my eye at the age of 22.

"She made me a special oil, for which I still have the recipe: geranium, neroli, eucalyptus, rose, mixed in a carrier oil of avocado, hazelnut and almond. "It smelt beautiful and was so effective that from that moment I was hooked." In her latest book, Secrets Of Youth & Beauty: Aromatherapy For Natural Rejuvenation, Danièle reveals which combinations of oils can help keep you looking younger for longer.

Here, she presents ten recipes for natural top-to-toe youthful beauty:

Hair
Hair-loss of any type, whether caused by cancer treatment, stress or hormone imbalances, can be devastating.
Ylang-ylang has long been used in hair treatments (such as a 19th-century hair oil called Macassar).
Before applying, tip your head forwards and brush your hair until your scalp feels warm.

Ylang-ylang hair-loss remedy
6 drops essential oil of ylang-ylang
1 capsule borage oil
1 capsule evening primrose oil
50ml bottle

Mix the oils and shake well. Massage into your scalp one hour before shampooing. Use two to three times a month. You can also add a few drops to a mild shampoo. Shake the bottle and use in combination with the scalp oil.

Face
Broken capillaries or spider veins are especially noticeable on the cheeks and decollete. Avoid hot baths and showers, hot facials, the sun and alcohol as these cause capillaries to dilate. Vitamin C in your diet is important, as is rutin (found in the pith of citrus fruits). Both are extremely good for strengthening the walls of veins. Parsley is a particularly effective essential oil to use as it slows down the spread of broken capillaries and reduces their appearance. I have also found essential oils of chamomile, violet leaves and orange to be good.

Face oil for broken capillaries
30ml (2 tbspn) rose masqueta oil
10ml (1 dspn) argan oil
2 capsules borage oil
2 capsules wheatgerm oil
6 drops essential oil of parsley
2 drops essential oil of chamomile, violet leaves or orange
50ml bottle

Mix in the bottle and gently apply to the face after cleansing, preferably in the morning. After ten minutes, remove any surplus oil with a tissue. This oil will keep for two to three months.

Eyes
Late nights, too much alcohol, cigarette smoke and allergies can all cause bags.
Heavy creams can also contribute and it is all too easy to think they are helping when really they are causing the problem.
Instead, try this light gel.

Eye oil
1/2 cucumber, liquidised
1 capsule wheatgerm oil
50ml herbal infusion - marigold, fennel, parsley or comfrey

Make up the infusion using a teaspoon of your chosen herb and 50ml boiled water. Let cool, strain, then stir into the cucumber with the wheatgerm capsule. Apply a little of the gel to your fingertips and pat into the area around the eye. This will boost the circulation, and reduce puffiness, lines and wrinkles. Keep in the fridge and use within three days.

Lips
We are constantly looking for new ways of enhancing our lips - from collagen injections to High-Street lip plumps.
I prefer to use a natural balm. Massage it into your lips twice a day and you will have a fuller pout in no time.

Natural lip plump
10ml (1 dspn) jojoba oil
5ml (1 tspn) castor oil
5ml (1 tspn) argan oil
2 capsules wheatgerm oil
50ml bottle

Mix the ingredients together in the bottle and apply to the lips, gently pressing in with the fingertips. Massage into the skin around the mouth in a clockwise direction, pulling out both upper and lower lips slightly and rubbing in. Apply a little more oil to the lips and leave for a few minutes before removing the surplus with a tissue. Ideally use twice a day. Keeps for a month in the fridge.

Neck
The jawline and neck area is very delicate and is one of the first places to show your age. But essential oils can work wonders, as can massage. Use this oil to massage your neck and jawline. Always use upwards movements and gently lift, pinch and hold the skin to help tone and lift it.

Sandalwood neck oil
10ml (1 dspn) jojoba oil
8ml (1 1/2 tspn) avocado oil
2 capsules borage oil
4 capsules wheatgerm oil
10 drops essential oil of sandalwood
5 drops essential oil of bois de rose
2 drops essential oil of either petit grain or orange
50ml bottle

Mix together in the bottle and shake well. To help penetration of the oil, place a hot flannel on your face for a few minutes. Apply every night until used up - this recipe gives enough for two to three weeks' supply. Keep in the fridge or a cool place. Do this two or three times a year.

Breasts
This lotion is great for firming the connective tissue around the breasts. It is easy to make - just add some fresh or dried herbs, such as mint, basil, lavender, rosemary and thyme, to a bottle of cider or white wine vinegar. You can use essential oils if you prefer - bois de rose, rose, peppermint, ylang-ylang and lavender all work well.

Aromatic vinegar lotion
6-10 tbspn dried herbs or a handful of fresh herbs or 15 drops of one of the essential oils listed above
1/2 litre cider or white wine vinegar
3/4 litre boiled cold water 2-litre bottle

Add your chosen herb or essential oil to the vinegar in the 2-litre bottle. Keep in the dark for two weeks. Add the water. Use cotton wool to apply the lotion in circular movements to each breast. Do this a few times. Let dry. Try using this preparation daily for two months.

Arms
Like everything else, the skin on the arms starts to sag as we get older. Exercise such as walking, running and swimming, can help tone and firm, and gentle upward massage will help banish cellulite by encouraging lymphatic drainage.

Massage oil for the upper arms
45ml (3 tbspn) jojoba oil
10ml (1 dspn) rose masqueta oil
1 capsule wheatgerm oil
1 capsule evening primrose oil
3 drops essential oil of either rose or jasmine
5 drops essential oil of lavender
4 drops essential oil of either bois de rose or lemon
100ml bottle

Mix together in the bottle. After a bath or shower, use the oil to massage the triceps muscle from the elbow upwards. This oil will keep for up to two months.

Hands
Ageing spots can appear from exposure to too much sun. Often called 'liver spots', they also appear with age. Try this massage oil.

Fading oil for age spots
15ml (1 tbspn) almond oil
15ml (1 tbspn) argan oil
1 capsule wheatgerm oil
2 capsules evening primrose oil
10 drops essential oil of lavender
2 drops essential oil of rose
50ml bottle

Mix together and shake well. Every evening, massage the oil into the hands until fully absorbed. This will keep for up to two months.

Bottom
As many as nine in ten women are affected by cellulite, which can be brought on by hormonal changes characterised by high levels of oestrogen. This encourages the body to retain fluid, causing the fat cells to bunch up and protrude through the dermis, giving the orange-peel effect. A combination of factors can help reduce the appearance of cellulite, including diet, exercise, body brushing and detox baths but this massage oil may also help. It contains guarana, which acts as a lipolytic enhancer, meaning it activates the circulation and stimulates the blood flow. The oil will need to stay on the surface of the skin for a few minutes before you massage it in. Note: You will need to shake the oil well before every application, as the contents will separate.

Cellulite massage oil
10ml (1 dspn) aloe vera juice
20ml (2 dspn) almond oil
60ml grapeseed oil
10ml (1 dspn) guarana tea or 2-3 dissolved capsules guarana
2 capsules wheatgerm oil
1 capsule borage oil
5 drops essential oil of either thyme or fennel
6 drops essential oil of rose 10 drops essential oil of lemon, grapefruit or orange
10 drops essential oil of either cypress or violet leaves
100ml bottle

Pour ingredients into the bottle and shake well. Massage into affected areas daily. Will keep for 3-4 weeks in a cool, dark place.

Legs
Varicose veins are caused by interruptions of the blood flow. People who stand a lot are more susceptible to the condition, as are those who don't exercise or exercise too strenuously. It is also a genetic condition. The following oil is great for preventing varicose veins and will also help if you already have varicose veins or thread veins. All the ingredients are rich in vitamin C and rutin, which will help to strengthen capillary walls. Geranium will encourage good circulation and the citrus oils will have a slightly astringent effect upon the whole venous system. The aroma is also very positive and uplifting. You should also make sure that you eat a diet rich in fruit and avoid hot baths or carrying heavy loads.

Vitamin-rich massage oil
50ml soya oil
1 capsule wheatgerm oil
2 drops essential oil of geranium
2 drops essential oil of grapefruit
1 drop essential oil of lemon
1 drop essential oil of orange
50ml bottle

Mix ingredients together in the bottle and shake well. Stroke the oil very gently into the legs using upwards movements, from the feet to the thighs. Use daily. The oil should keep for 2-3 months.

NB: Always buy your oils from a reputable shop and if you can afford to buy organic oils, do.

Always do a patch test - dip a cotton bud in a tiny trace of the oil, dab it on the inside of your wrist, cover with a plaster and leave unwashed for 24 hours.

If there is any allergic reaction at all, do not use the oil.

• EXTRACTED by Claire Coleman from Danièle Ryman's Secrets Of Youth And Beauty published by Rodale, priced £18.99,
available now.