Features of the use of camphor oil for the face in cosmetology
Camphor oil is well known to everyone - it is widely used in cosmetology as an effective face care product. It is included in a variety of masks, creams, as well as lotions and compresses for aging and irritated skin. The active components of camphor stimulate cell healing and start self-regeneration processes.
Peculiarities
Most of us are familiar with the peculiar smell of camphor from early childhood - the substance is often introduced into the composition of rubbing, which are prescribed for coughing and chest pain. But if everyone knows about the use of the product in therapy, then few have heard of the beneficial qualities of oil as the main element of cosmetic care products.
Camphor ether is obtained from Japanese laurel, a tree growing in Russia in the Far East, as well as in Japan and China, and some time ago they began to cultivate in the United States. The healing properties of this tree have been known since ancient times - it is no coincidence that our ancestors called its resin "the brain of the dragon" and used it for medical, as well as cosmetic and all kinds of ritual purposes.
It was believed that this plant gives others beauty, strength and fills them with energy, so necessary to maintain health.
Before dwelling in more detail on the effect of oil on the skin, let's figure out the basic concepts. There are several options for the drug - basic and essential. In addition, camphor alcohol can often be found on sale, the beneficial properties of which are widely used in aromatherapy and aromatherapy.And it is very important to distinguish between the features of the use of all types of camphor, since misuse entails quite serious consequences.
The oil sold in pharmacies is a 10% solution of the active ingredient in vegetable or mineral oil, usually in sunflower oil. This is the basic type of fat used in medicine as an integral component of rubbing, massage creams and body wraps; it is measured in spoons.
In cosmetology, the drug is counted in drops, while only essential oil is taken, which is obtained from the rhizome and bark of laurel by the Japanese method of distillation. It is this oil that we will consider in the framework of this article as the base component of anti-aging formulations.
Esters are of two types: black and white camphor. White is considered more healing, which is an oily, pungent-smelling liquid of a rather light yellowish tint.
It should be borne in mind that real camphor oil is expensive., if you see a cheap drug in front of you, most likely this indicates that synthetic camphor crystals were used for its production. Such a composition will not cause harm, but you will not notice any benefit either. That is why it is not worth saving, in addition, all costs are completely neutralized by the low consumption of ether - for a single procedure, only a few drops of the composition are required, so the oil can be used for quite a long time.
Benefit
In cosmetology, camphor oil has been used relatively recently, but judging by the reviews, it has already established itself as an excellent care product. This is due to a set of components that have a powerful antiseptic effect, helping to effectively fight acne, pimples, inflammation and irritation on the skin, and, of course, with the production of excess sebum.
The main active ingredient of the drug is camphor - it is an organic oxygen-containing substance, which has a positive effect on the skin:
- stimulates enhanced regeneration processes;
- effectively tones;
- soothes quickly;
- reduces the severity of inflammatory manifestations;
- reduces sebum production;
- smoothes the structure of the skin;
- evens out the tone of the face;
- dries up.
It is noted that camphor ether is extremely effective in combating skin changes that begin with age and stops the aging processes that have begun.
The structure of the product also includes other nutrients:
- pellandrene - stimulates the increased production of substances important for maintaining a youthful appearance, such as collagen and elastin;
- pinene - promotes rapid softening and smoothing of the most uneven skin with enlarged pores;
- limonene - has pronounced antiseptic properties;
- safrole - promotes the healing of cells and tissues;
- cineole - manifests itself as an antioxidant, reduces fine wrinkles, increases turgor;
- camphene - normalizes blood circulation, enhances the regenerative function of the skin;
- bisabolol - whitens freckles and age spots and refreshes skin tone.
Experts recommend including camphor oil in various anti-pigmentation masks, as well as in lotions and gels for cleansing and washing.
The oil can also be applied undiluted, pure, but pointwise, so, when dealing with inflamed acne, apply a point remedy with a cotton swab to the problem area and leave for 5-8 hours, preferably overnight.
The main indications for taking cosmetic procedures based on camphor oil are:
- the beginning processes of wilting on the face;
- pronounced mimic wrinkles;
- fatigue of the skin and a decrease in their general tone;
- acute and chronic inflammatory processes;
- excessive greasiness;
- enlarged pores.
Contraindications
It should be noted that camphor is used both for the care of mature aging skin and for young skin. At the same time, keep in mind that the degree of activity of camphor ether is quite high, in this regard, homemade masks and creams with it should be used in moderation: for prevention, one use every 7-10 days is enough. If the skin is too loose or inflamed, then you can apply care preparations a little more often - 2-3 times a week, but the treatment should be carried out in a course of no more than 10 procedures, after which you need to take a short break for a couple of weeks and switch to the preventive mode use.
Camphor oil has a number of serious contraindications, these include:
- predisposition to allergic diseases;
- asthma;
- individual intolerance to the components of camphor ether.
There are no other contraindications for external use, but with internal use the most serious complications are possible, which is why when using the drug, all the rules for its use should be strictly followed.
Mask recipes
Most often, camphor oil is used as the base component of cosmetic masks. These formulations give the skin a healthy, fresh look and help fight age wrinkles.
Whitening mask
To draw up such a mask, you need to prepare 2 tbsp. tablespoons of 10% sour cream and mix with finely chopped parsley. Pour 1/2 tsp to the mixture. lemon juice and a couple of drops of camphor.
The composition is thoroughly mixed and applied to the previously cleansed skin for 15-25 minutes, then washed off with cool water.
The effect will not be noticeable immediately, but after 5-7 applications, the complexion will become more even, and freckles and age spots will not be so pronounced.
From wrinkles
To prepare an anti-aging agent, you need to mix 10 g of oat flour, add 20 ml of yogurt or kefir, 1 chicken yolk and 2 drops of camphor oil. It is advisable to whisk the entire mixture with a whisk until the substance is as homogeneous as possible.
The mask is applied to a clean face for 10-15 minutes, after which it is washed off and a regular cream is applied. This mask is recommended to be applied every other day with a course of 4 weeks.
The result of such procedures will be a decrease in the number and depth of wrinkles, the skin will become more elastic. At the same time, during the procedure, all impurities are pulled out of the pores, therefore the pores themselves are significantly narrowed, and the greasiness of the skin glands is reduced.
From the laxity of the eyelids
A mask made from a mixture of several oils is effective against age-related wrinkles under the eyes. You will need 6 drops of camphor and 8 drops each of grape and apricot oils.
All ingredients are thoroughly mixed and slightly warmed up in a water bath, then the composition is applied to the eyelids around the eyes with light patting movements. The mask should be left on the face for a quarter of an hour and then washed off. The procedures are carried out twice a week for a month and a half.
At the end of the treatment, you will feel that the number of small wrinkles is significantly reduced, and the depth of large ones has decreased.
From age spots
Pigmentation gives women a lot of worries, but camphor oil successfully copes with this problem. To prepare an effective composition, you must mix 3 drops of camphor, 1 liter. sea buckthorn oil, 1 l. white clay, 1 l. lemon juice and 1 liter. heated water. Stir all components until a creamy consistency is formed and apply on previously cleansed and steamed skin. The composition is kept for 25 minutes, then washed off. The course of procedures is 1 month with a frequency of 3 times a week.
This mask has a pronounced whitening effect, so after a while the complexion will become much more even and fresh.
For acne
For inflamed and irritated skin, an acne mask is effective. To draw it up, you need to take 3 tablespoons of blue clay, dilute in 2 liters. water and 1 liter. curdled milk. 6 drops of camphor are introduced into the resulting mixture and mixed.
The composition is applied to clean skin in an even layer and left until final drying, then washed off. The procedure is carried out 2-3 times every 7 days for one and a half months. As a result of such treatment, the activity of the sebaceous glands is normalized, the skin becomes much softer, and the inflammation dries up.
From inflammation
Another composition helps against inflammation: 20 g of steamed oatmeal is mixed with 1 liter. flower honey, 3 drops of grapefruit oil and 3 drops of camphor. All components are combined and slightly warmed up in a water bath - otherwise the honey will not dissolve completely, and the effect of the procedure will be much lower.
The composition is applied for 20-30 minutes, then washed off. The procedures are carried out twice a week for one month.
For oily skin
With increased activity of the sebaceous glands, the following composition will help: 20 g of corn flour should be mixed with the pulp of 1 tomato and pour in 5-8 drops of almond and camphor oils.
The mask is recommended to be applied 2 times a week, the duration of treatment is 2 months.
After the entire course, the skin will be much less greasy, in addition, the procedures will help to get rid of such unpleasant problems as scars, acne, and acne for a long time.
Recommendations for use
It should be noted that masks are far from the only way to use camphor oil to get rid of cosmetic problems.
The simplest method of application is considered to be the application of the product in a purified form. For this purpose, a cotton pad is moistened in an infusion of pharmacy chamomile, squeezed a little, then 2-3 drops of oil are applied to the disk and the skin is thoroughly wiped. Keep in mind that such procedures can only be carried out on inflamed and oily skin, but if it is combined, then only problem areas can be treated. But with dry skin, it is better to refrain from this option, preferring masks.
Enrichment of creams has a good effect - for this, before each application, make up a single portion, take a standard volume of cream and mix 1-2 drops of camphor into it. The finished composition is applied as usual.
If you use lotions a lot, you can add ether to it, or you can do it yourself. The recipe is quite simple - you need to take a teaspoon of borax, glycerin and oil, mix and pour a glass of filtered water. The composition is stored in a bottle with a screw cap and shaken vigorously before use.
Compresses with camphor give a good effect. To carry out such a procedure, you need to prepare a fabric cotton base, which is cut out to the shape of the face, leaving slits for the eyes, nose and lips and saturating the canvas with a mixture of 5 drops of camphor, 1 liter. milk thistle oil and 1 liter. grape seed oil. Such a compress is left for 30-40 minutes, after which it is blotted with a paper napkin.
Important: When using cosmetics based on camphor oil, try to avoid getting it in your eyes. If this happens, immediately rinse them with running water, and if it was not possible to remove the irritation, then immediately contact an ophthalmologist.
When carrying out a course of procedures based on camphor oil, use strong moisturizers in parallel, otherwise there is a high likelihood of a feeling of tightness and peeling on the skin. You can do without such moisturizing only if you are dealing with very oily skin.
What camphor oil helps with, see the next video.
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