LENA BLOG

Are you experiencing the pain and itching of a bug bite or even a bee sting? Have I got a few pain-saving remedies for you! Essential oil of peppermint is the fastest (and most aromatic) way to stop the itching of a bug bite. Just put a drop on any mosquito, chigger, or flea bite and within a few seconds, the itching will stop. I’ve even put it on nasty fire ant bites (the kind that hurt) with great results. Another wonderful use for peppermint oil: put one drop in your mouth and be instantly refreshed. It’s better than any breath mint or mouthwash you can imagine. With peppermint, less really is better, so only use one drop in your mouth or you will be sorry! In other words, a little goes a long way. I like to apply it on to a Q-tip and then swab the inside of my mouth. A few words of caution: Never get peppermint oil in or around your eyes. It will burn like nothing you’ve known before! That goes for all essential oils but especially peppermint. This is one r...

I came across the following review of the Yonka-Paris skin care line on Paula Begoun ’ s website . For those of you unfamiliar with who she is, Paula Begoun is probably best-known for her book, Don ’ t Go To The Cosmetic Counter Without Me . You can read all about her on Wikapedia . To say that she and I disagree on the efficacy and practicality of Yonka products in general and essential oils specifically is a huge understatement. I just can ’ t help myself from writing this review of Begoun ’ s review, no doubt due to my absolute passion for Yonka products, having used them professionally for almost 30 years. So below you will find a mixture of Pau la’s review along with my opinions about her viewpoint. Everyone is afforded an opinion, and I certainly have one regarding essential oils and their use in Yonka products. I have highlighted in bold some of the more interesting statements. Here is Paula Begoun ’ s review: Yon-Ka Paris At-A-Glance Strengths: Goo...

When clients come in who admit to eating sugar but have no outward signs of excess sugar consumption (like breakouts, for instance), I will not only ask if they get frequent headaches, which many times is a side effect of excess sugar, but also do they get canker sores inside their mouth or on their tongue? Your body simply cannot throw off sugar into thin air. The toxic residue from this “white devil” has to be eliminated somehow, some way, somewhere. I believe these inner-mouth sores (sometimes called ulcers or technically aphthous ulcers ) are actually similar to blemishes—like a zit inside your mouth. Why? Once again, from my own life experience, these sores arise in relation to the amount of sugar I have consumed. I am not saying that every canker sore’s appearance is due to sugar. I am simply trying to give you my own personal experience with these problem spots and why I have discovered they occur. You may find other offenders and have a different experience than I ha...

I want to discuss essential oils as ingredients since they have so many beneficial actions on the skin. I have been using products with these natural essences in them for almost 30 years. Their effectiveness is powerful, and I have many clients who have turned their skin around through the use of essential oils. What are essential oils? They are aromatic liquids that are found in certain plants and flowers. Essential oils are fragrant essences that are produced in specialized glands within the plant as part of the process of photosynthesis. Essential oils are volatile , like gases, and have a very thin viscosity—similar to water. (Actually, essential oils, by definition, are volatile . Fatty oils are termed fixed .) If you put a drop of pure essential oil on your skin, it will evaporate almost immediately, whereas any fatty oil (like olive, wheat germ, or mineral oil) will remain on the surface with little penetration. Essential oils are lighter than water , so they...