As professional therapists, we are able to assess our client’s needs and determine, through our skill and understanding of the skin, the right advice for the best treatment and product recommendations

Accurate skin analysis consists of two finely balanced elements which ensure we are giving our clients a professional and thorough service.

The first element to any successful analysis or treatment is in-depth consultation. Although often overlooked this is actually the paramount step within the overall analysis process, no matter how good our analyzing skills, we cannot know the origin of the skins issues without interacting with our client to gather a greater understanding of their lifestyle, health history and other variables which impact.

Ultimately, as professional therapists we need to ensure we give our clients what their skin needs not what they think they need; our consultation process allows us to take an objective view and treat the root cause of their skin issues rather than recommending products to subdue the symptom. We should never underestimate how valuable consultation is to achieve the most effective outcome.

Our consultation should start by asking the client about their health history, this allows us to determine whether any ailments or prescribed medication are impacting their skin. It’s always valuable to ask our clients to bring a list of the medication they are currently taking for us to do some basic homework and determine any effects the drug/s have on the skin.

Asking questions about their diet, lifestyle and occupation is valuable too as these greatly impact the skin condition; their low-fat diet could be the reason for their dry skin, those late nights could be the cause of their dull tired complexion or that hot kitchen they work in could be the reason for their congested oily skin. As we spend a high percentage of our time at work we should always consider this to be a contributing factor to our complexion.

Ascertaining their current skincare regime is critical, allowing you to get a glimpse of their daily routine, what they are using and how they are using it. Asking them to provide a list of all skincare and make-up products used within their regime allows us to assess if any of their products are impacting their skin condition.

Determining our client’s expectations should never be overlooked and is important to ensure their satisfaction. With selfie culture, photoshop, filters and heavy social media influences our clients can often aspire to have unattainable skincare goals – we need to offer realism in a tactful caring way without belittling what they wish to achieve.

When analysing the skin, we look for several characteristics segmented into the skins colour, moisture levels, texture and tone.

The skins colour will show us any inflammation, touch sensitivity, capillary activity, pigmentation and sallowness. Any inflammation presenting visually on the skin should flag up as the main priority to treat as this will be causing a negative impact and damage to the skin. Inflammation is also a sign of potential barrier impairment. Feeling the skin for heat spots will identify inflammation in the deeper skin layers.

Moisture levels are determined by the amount of sebaceous activity within the skin and show visually with high shine from sebum overproduction or a dull matte appearance from lack of sebum. Using the majority rule of sebum production will assist us in determining the skin type, not just the skin condition.

The texture of the skin is highly important to skin analysis, showing us anything from a smooth surface or rough texture from lack of exfoliation creating areas of dead skin build-up to congestion, dehydration lines, ageing lines and open pores. Our tactile sense comes into its own at this point with an array of textures to feel and differentiate.

Finally, the tone of the skin allows us to determine how the ageing process is treating the client, with great elasticity and snapback being a sign of slower ageing, loose or drooping areas can denote premature or advanced ageing characteristics.

Ongoing analysis is highly important for us to reassess the skin at regular intervals. Lifestyle and seasonal influences may determine different needs now to what it did only a few months ago. An updated skincare wardrobe may be required for the autumn and winter months, adding more nourishment and emollience, as opposed to the lightweight sheer based products used during the spring and summer season. Analysis at three monthly intervals will offer our clients the most accurate ongoing advice.

At the times when we experience low mood, anxiety, loneliness and depression, the stress hormone cortisol, naturally secreted from the adrenal glands and used as part of the flight or fight mechanism is being produced in elevated quantities, increasing blood pressure and leading to those twitchy, irritable, upset feelings.

When we are touched in a non-threatening, nurturing, favourable way, through hugging or another tactile contact, our sensory nerve endings are stimulated and register messages in the brain through the central nervous system leading to a torrent of hormones and ‘feel-good’ chemicals such as endorphins, dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin being released throughout our body bringing about a multitude of benefits.

Endorphins enhance the immune system, relieve pain and reduce stress; dopamine induces pleasure and serenity; serotonin reduces depressive and aggressive feelings by promoting a sense of wellbeing, whilst oxytocin is known as the ‘connection hormone’ promotes a warm fuzzy feeling of contentment. Whilst each of these hormones offers necessary benefits to the body, oxytocin produces profound effects up and beyond the others.

Oxytocin is produced in the hypothalamus section of the brain and transferred to the pituitary gland where it is released into the bloodstream. The hormone is regarded as the archenemy of cortisol directly opposing its counterpart by neutralising its negative effects. Just like a seesaw, when one side goes up the other has no choice but to go down. Blood pressure is reduced, stress responses are lowered, anxiety is improved but most of all a feeling of trust and connection is created.

Instinctive touch

Human beings crave touch from birth; it is a need and essential for healthy development with oxytocin playing an important role in this process. Sir Henry Dale discovered in 1906 that oxytocin was produced in abundance by the body during and following childbirth, he devised the name for this hormone from the Greek words: oksys – meaning ‘swift’ and tokos – meaning birth, essentially a meaning of ‘swift birth’.

When mothers breastfeed their babies, oxytocin release is stimulated which in turn stimulates further milk secretion and a further desire to be with the baby, it is well documented that breast-fed babies have a stronger emotional bond with their mother through this tactile contact.

Touch is essential for babies within their initial development stage, it is the first of the five senses to develop and is essential for their physical and emotional health. We see babies naturally grasp their mother’s finger, this form of connection has not been taught but the instinctive need for nurturing contact is written within our DNA. We are hard-wired for touch.

TIn the late 1800s babies raised in orphanages and institutions had high mortality rates due to being separated from their mothers, isolated in cribs and rarely picked up, these infants experienced acute stress in addition to illness and disease, with the cause of death put down as ‘failure to thrive’. Orphaned infants who are held less lovingly to those with a mother are shown to have higher levels of cortisol and lower levels of oxytocin.

Recent studies discovered adolescents who spend less time touching or hugging their peers displayed higher levels of aggressive verbal and physical behaviour than their more tactile counterparts. When adolescents with anger management issues were provided with body massage treatments, they showed increased empathy and decreased levels of violent behaviour. While this may be attributed to an increase of serotonin levels as well as oxytocin, it still demonstrates how powerful touch can be.

Throughout our lives touch plays a fundamental role in social bonding and interaction, the non-verbal form of communication can convey feelings of anger, compassion, fear, gratitude and happiness within seconds. On a daily basis, we shake hands with colleagues, we hug our friends, we cuddle our loved ones. Even when physical contact isn’t taking place, tactile references are ingrained into the fabric of our language; we ask people ‘how they are feeling’ and to ‘keep in touch’, we offer guests a ‘warm welcome’ and ‘make them feel at home’, we may refer to someone as a ‘smooth talker’ or ‘sharp-tongued’. Touch is so fundamental to our existence that it finds a way to be integrated into our lives anywhere it can.

Non-verbal communication

Whilst females stereotypically boast a tactile nature, males are known for limiting physical contact with each other, we all know that guy who is a real ‘mans man’ and would be horrified at the thought of hugging another male, but let us look at interaction between men, touch still trickles through by means of handshakes, fist pumps or a heavy pat on the back which are perceived as acceptable methods of contact and physical acknowledgement between one another. It is interesting though to observe men watching sports games such as football matches when a player scores a goal the engulfing euphoria propels these normally tactile-reserved men into overdrive with free-flowing hugs in abundance.

Physical contact within our intimate relationships is key to longevity; relationships are longer lasting and more secure when we touch the ones we love, acknowledging their presence and reinforcing our desire for them through this form of non-verbal communication, we feel much more connected to our partners when they touch us in return giving us a feeling of relationship satisfaction; this is the reason why some of the most successful relationships touch so often. Whilst we must acknowledge that sexual contact also plays an important role within our relationships, the benefits of tactile contact between partners greatly outweigh those of sexual intimacy etc.

There is also widespread recognition of the importance of touch within the end of life care; this is not only for physical care needs but more so for communicating, comforting and reinforcing presence to the person in their last days. Those who are in the final stages of their life battling terminal illness may have a loss of sight and hearing, whilst their remaining senses become acutely sensitive and so the way we communicate with them must adapt. The one way which we can connect is through nurturing touch, the gentle holding of their hand, the compassionate stroking of their head, that contact which allows them to know that that they are not alone and someone who cares is present with them.

Touch deprived.

If touch is so important and beneficial why aren’t we doing it more? In today’s technological age of the Internet, we are becoming more ‘connected’ than ever. We can video chat with family anywhere in the world at the drop of a hat, we can discuss our favourite television series with strangers through social media, we can dual in battle with friends through our online games consoles, but this all comes at a heavy cost, whilst we obscure ourselves behind our phone screens we are experiencing the decline of tactile interaction and a sharp increase of social anxiety, depression and other mental health issues, these are not unconnected. We are becoming increasingly touch-deprived.

Even the most tactile of us are beginning to shy away from physical contact with strangers, friends and colleagues, as we fear that we are invading personal space, are portraying the wrong kind of message or may cross the line between appropriate/inappropriate conduct. As a result, we are becoming increasingly touch-deprived.

Essential oils are the aromatic fragrant portions of plants which have therapeutic properties. They are produced by plants to protect them from disease, deterring hungry insects and attracting pollinators. These essences are non-water soluble, volatile compounds found in flowers, leaves, branches, seeds, roots, barks, resins and fruit peel. For example, rose oil is extracted from the petals, cinnamon extracted from the bark of the tree, eucalyptus from the leaves and lemon from the peel of the fruit. There is a difference between a plant extract and essential oil.

Our industry uses plant extracts all the time for their benefits such as lemon extract for its astringent properties and citric acid which may be used as an AHA or a preservative.

These extracts are different from essential oils. Apart from smelling pleasant and giving sensory gratification, essential oils offer highly therapeutic benefits and have the ability to create positive changes and responses in both physical and emotional aspects of the body.

Each essential oil has a unique variety of chemical constituents such as ketones, alcohols, terpenes and esters which provide multiple benefits and properties. Lavender, for example, has antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and relaxing benefits to name a few.

Be aware that not all essential oils on the market have therapeutic properties. Some growers sell their oils to the food and drink industry, pharmaceutical industry, fragrance industry, cosmetic and soap industry or household cleaning industry, where the essential oils are used solely for their fragrance. When plants are grown for commercial use versus therapeutic use the growing process and extraction process can vary greatly.

We know many skincare ingredients are sourced from minerals, the petrochemical industry or are synthetically made in the laboratory. They can be precisely replicated time after time because the lab measures each chemical component. The results are consistent, predictable and measurable for commercial viability.

Essential oils rely on the influence of nature. As such, their growth is influenced by the amount of sun, amount of rain, growing region and time of harvest; all creating a variance in the ratio of components and can produce different components within the same species. If there is not enough rain or too much rain it could ruin a crop which will put it in short supply or increase the cost considerably.

Essential oils may be classified into three categories based on their viscosity and rate of evaporation. The fastest oils to evaporate are known as top notes, the slowest are base notes and middle notes are the category between. Often when blending oils having at least one oil from each category creates a richer, more potent and longer-lasting aroma. This knowledge is utilised by the perfume industry.

History of aromatherapy

The use of essential oils is not a new concept and can be traced back thousands of years through various civilisations. The Egyptians used essential oils for religious, cosmetic, medicinal and embalming purposes and these practices were taken up by future civilisations such as the Greeks, Romans and throughout the Arabian Empire.

Looking forwards to modern times, the French perfumer, chemist and researcher RenéMaurice Gattefossé were involved in an explosion in 1910 where his head and hands were severely burned. He developed gas gangrene where his dirty wounds were infected by bacteria that give off a foul-smelling odour.

He received treatment of picric acid (an antiseptic and astringent) and bandages but to no avail. As a last resort, he decided to apply lavender essential oil to his wounds and the results were rapid and astounding. In 1937 he published a book called Aromathérapie, therapeutics through essential oils and so the term was born. Dr Jean Valnet and Marguerite Maury are also pioneers of modern aromatherapy. Madam Maury started diluting essential oils in vegetable, carrier oils and massaging them into the skin.

Since the late 1970s, aromatherapy has become a major part of the alternative, holistic health system movement with a huge following across the world.

How is aromatherapy used?

There are several methods of getting oils into the body such as compresses, bathing, inhalation and massage; to understand the power of aromatherapy we must have a basic understanding of the sense of smell or olfaction as it is also known.

It is through the sense of smell that essential oils will make their first impact on the client. As humans, we can only detect volatile substances, where molecules are light enough to evaporate into the atmosphere and reach the nose. Essential oils are highly volatile which is why they are so aromatic.

We all know our sense of smell begins with the nose. At the top of the nasal cavity, we find the olfactory epithelium, about the size of a postage stamp this structure has millions of microscopic sensory nerves called olfactory hairs or olfactory neuron receptors embedded in its tissue. It’s suggested that humans have up to 40 million olfactory receptors whereas German Shepherd dogs have up to 2 billion; as canines have a much more acute sense of smell this would be consistent.

Chemical molecules enter the nose and dissolve in mucous covering the olfactory epithelium.
No one knows what actually causes olfactory receptors to react – it could be a chemical molecule’s shape or size or electrical charge. The electrical activity produced in these hair cells is transmitted to the olfactory bulb which extends into the olfactory tract and transmits the signals to the brain. The region of the brain activated by smell is known as the limbic system and is involved with memory, emotional behaviour, hormones, sexuality and the heart rate.

Often when we smell a certain odour it instantly triggers memories associated with an object or event, this is known as ‘anchoring’ and can give a profound effect to our emotions. Unlike other senses which pass through the thalamus region of the brain where sensory integration occurs, olfaction has a direct line. Impulses triggered in this area create endorphins and neurochemicals which can invigorate, soothe, relax, produce pleasant sensations, create a feeling of euphoria or restore emotional balance, bringing about both an emotional and physical response. A smell can trigger emotional and physical reactions even without our conscious awareness of it.

As well as inhaling essential oils another method of transporting essential oils into the body is via the skin. We know that the skin provides us with a protective barrier which keeps us waterproof, prevents harmful micro-organisms from invasion and keeps most chemicals out.

However, advances in technology now show us certain ingredients and drugs do actually penetrate that stratum corneum barrier.
Essential oils don’t rely on technology. When the molecular weight of a substance is under 500 Dalton (the standard unit of atomic mass) then it is thought to pass easily through the stratum corneum. Another feature of essential oils is they are lipophilic (oil-loving) and absorb via the sebaceous follicles and shunt routes.

Essential oils are very powerful and have an irritation potential to the skin if misused which is why we would always dilute and blend into a carrier oil vehicle. There are only two essential oils deemed safe to use directly on the skin without being diluted; tea tree and lavender, however, we would only use these in small quantities on targeted areas for a specific effect such as to treat a breakout or give improvement to a minor burn.

Essential oils are not technically classed as ‘oil’ because they don’t contain fatty acids, but the origin of the name comes from the word “essence,” because the fragrances are the essence or substance of many plants. They are highly volatile meaning they evaporate easily and have a fragrance. Whereas carrier oils, which are also, extracted from plants, usually seeds or nuts, have a heavy texture, leave a greasy mark and do not evaporate.

Carrier oils are beneficial to the skin as they improve their flexibility and texture. Because of the molecular size carrier oils stay on the surface of the skin and absorb slowly.

Pure essential oils are too potent and could irritate the skin if used undiluted so we add them in small quantities to the carrier oils which can then safely be massaged into the skin. This is also where lipo solvency comes into play. Lipo meaning lipids/fats and solvent meaning dissolved in. When we add essential oils to carrier oils the essential oils dissolve in them. Think of adding sugar to tea. If we add sugar to tea it will dissolve in it. The sugar hasn’t disappeared, and we can still taste it, however, it’s now in a different form. Essential oils are the same when we add them to carrier oils.

Essential oils have a fragile chemical structure and are easily destroyed by temperature and UV light so need to be stored in dark bottles away from heat and light. Carrier oils are more stable but are prone to oxidation or what we call going rancid.

There are many aromatherapy brands which create pre-blended formulations. This formulation enables therapists without full training in aromatherapy to incorporate these amazing oils into their treatments. The blends are created with specific outcomes and effects in mind so that the therapist can offer an all-round approach to client needs. Whether clients wish to relax or revitalise, soothe or sedate, then aromatherapy will be for them.