The “Essentials” of Clean Beauty
May 11, 2020
Pilates, kale smoothies, power yoga, avocado toast, CBD- oil infused everything, wellness, clean beauty and sustainability – Who could I possibly be? Well, a millennial would not be a bad guess!
I am a proud member of this environmentally conscious, aware and driven millennial clan. The entire day of following your dreams, discovering your passions, eating, exercising and hustling through the intricacies of life, is strung together by the concept fast beco-ming indispensable in our lives - self-care. To me, it equates to self-accomplishment. Be it looking out for your gut health, or spiritual cleansing or those 15 minutes I dedicate to my skin before going to bed; it is all about reconnecting with yourself and paving a way to holistic wellbeing. But, the habit of dedicating time to self-care and letting therapeutic essential oils guide me to wellness wasn’t inculcated overnight. Let’s turn back time a few years.
I was at home in India, the place where I spent my formative years. I was a teenager at the brink of her uphill climb to becoming a beautiful woman. But the bigger question was, what is beauty? We are soon about to find out. At 18, I first started feeling like I was hiding who I was. I decided to tuck away what I liked to call my imperfections under layers of makeup and false lashes every single day. But here’s the thing - I started feeling like I was some morphed version of who I actually was due to an undying need to conform to the strict beauty standard I weighed myself against. Amidst this struggle to find myself, my mother helped me realize I had the power to decide who I wanted to show up as every single day. This was the start of my relationship with my inner-self. This is when I entered the world of essential oils and aromatherapy which I did not realize at this point would alter the course of my life, beauty regime, skin and wellbeing holistically for all the years to come. I was soon about to discover, beauty could we whatever you wanted it to be. Aromatherapy helped me see how nature had so much to offer around me. In the subsequent years, glycerin infused with lemon became my night replenishment mask. I owe my thick bushy eyebrows and lashes to jojoba oil.
Did you know rosewater is the best makeup remover? Micellar water could promise whatever miracle now, for me rose water did it first. Aloe Vera caressed my dull hair to shine and my skin to natural dewy freshness. Honey was my shield for sunburns and also my go-to for exfoliated and hydrated supple skin. A concoction of olive oil, argan oil, castor oil and almond oil massaged into my scalp helped bring my hair to life while also calming my nerves and making me feel reenergized. Well, that sure is my version of a Martini! I have slept oh so peacefully for multiple nights waking up fresher, enveloped in the calmness of lavender extracts. Interes-tingly, lavender also helps keep the mosquitoes at bay. Talk about dual benefits!! Turmeric overhauled my fatigued body, expedited healing and increased my immunity while also adding that extra radiance to my skin when mixed with lemon and yogurt. An adoles-cence enveloped in aromatherapy in every which way, was pure bliss. These natural and aromatic components have long been a part of my mental and physical wellbeing and self-care routine. I found beauty inside me, and hence never had to look for it outside. Calmness infused through my scalp, softer skin around my cuticles, natural bounce
and radiance in my skin, faded scrape marks on my knees, healthier hair and a well-rested mind - I owe it all to the very therapeutic and aromatic essential oil beauty regime I was introduced to at an early age by my mother. Beauty sure begins at home, in the lap of nature! Today, I am a 28-year-old independent woman living in Paris. My long-standing aromatic affair with essential oils has helped me emphasize my natural beauty instead of masking what I thought were my flaws. In my quest to find a deeper meaning to beauty and wellness combined with my need to love myself – I found my source of radiance. Beautiful skin is a result of a nouri-shed soul, a calm mind, a healthy lifestyle and a clean skincare regime. In this fast-paced life with the stress we live in, if there is anything that can help us cope, fight it and shine from within – it is Aromatherapy. I truly believe there’s no endgame of “I want to look like I’m 20 perpetually. Women don’t need to look 10 years youn-ger, they just need to glow.” After all, there is no better accessory than a glowing skin to match that beautiful smile ladies!
- The Essènci team -