Celebrating Essential oils from Italy

This weekend we celebrate the discoverer of our great nation, Christopher Columbus, one of the greatest adventurers in history and an Italian from Genoa sailing under the flag of Spain. He convinced Ferdinand and Isabella to fund his trip by lying about his age. He was actually 10 years older than his stated age of 41. He must have looked a lot younger than he was (probably by using Gifts of Nature Organics Day into Night Cream daily LOL). No monarch would give funding to a man in his fifties during the 15th century. His voyage to the new world took 3 times longer than he anticipated, covering a span of 3 months. He faced mutinous crewmen who began to starve as food and water ran out and diseases such as scurvy and rickets took hold of many sailors. One can only imagine the sight of men melting into a puddle of joyous goo as they spotted land on October 12, 1492.  That would make this an appropriate time to discuss essential oils derived from his home country, Italy.

We’ll begin with Lemon essential oil, grown in southern Italy in pristine climate conditions. Possessing strong germicidal and astringent properties, it figures prominently in Gifts of Nature Organics skin care products such as “Balancing Face Cream”and “Makeup Remover”  to name just a couple. It is also added to our medicinal line in products like our “Anti Fungal Spray” as well as our wildly successful “Cold and Flu Spray” which incorporates Lemon oil in the adult, children and infant versions of this proven bacteria and germ fighter.

A citrus fruit grown specifically for its oil and nothing else, Bergamot is grown in Sicily and the Calabria regions of Italy. This versatile oil, the fruit of which hangs off trees no more than 10-12 feet high, exhibits properties that are effective in the fight against acne and is a proven stress reducer, an anti bacterial as well as an anti inflammatory. A dynamo in the essential oil world, it figures prominently in a host of Gifts of Nature Organics product line.

While South Africa grows over 250 species of Helichrysum, some of the finest Helichrysum plants are grown on the rocky hillsides of Italy. This wonder oil reduces the appearance of blemishes and wrinkles, which is why it is a featured oil in our ever popular “Day into Night Cream.” It also promotes a healthy metabolism, is used in many anti aging products, is an anti coagulant, thereby protecting the heart and does not allow wounds to become septic, which explains our use of it in our “Wound Salve.”

These are just a few of the essential oils that come our way through the Italian peninsula. So enjoy the holiday, relax and don’t forget to drop by Gifts of Nature Organics for tried and true skin care products formulated by our hospital trained certified aromatherapist.