There are many potential causes of cellulite, and a cellulite-focused diet and exercise plan must be part of your approach to reducing and eliminating those unattractive fatty deposits. But in addition, essential oil baths and massages can be your secret weapon to dramatically reduce cellulite and tone your skin.
Use Essential Oils to Battle Cellulite
Essential oils that fight cellulite include: oregano, juniper, grapefruit, lemon, cedarwood, fennel, geranium, cypress, celery, thyme (all varieties), rosemary, sage, basil and patchouli. When essential oils are absorbed into the skin, they tone body tissue.
In The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy, author Valerie Ann Worwood provides significant details to wage war on cellulite using essential oils. She suggests this full anti-cellulite program:
- Before bathing, brush the skin with a brush made of real bristles. Brush in upward movements all over the body.
- Take baths once per day, using one of the anti-cellulite bath blends described below.
- After bathing, if you have a detachable shower head, turn the water on cold. This method aids circulation by constricting blood vessels and lymph nodes. Using the impact of the cold water from the shower head, massage the inside of your legs, especially from the thigh to the groin (location of some lymph nodes). Next, move the water to your abdomen and massage in circles. Finally, water massage up your inner arms and up into your arm pits.
- Next, massage over the entire body with one of the massage formulas described below. The body should be massaged twice each day, once in the morning and once in the evening.
- Twice a week, take a toxin elimination bath (described below). The water should be as hot as you are comfortable with. You will sweat, so be prepared to shower afterwards.
Toxin Elimination Bath
Place two handfuls of Epsom salts and one handful of rock salt in the bath. Run the water and add eight drops of this blend (which you’ve previously prepared):
- Oregano – 6 Drops,
- Juniper – 6 Drops
- Lemon – 10 Drops
- Grapefruit – 10 Drops
- Basil – 8 Drops
It is essential that you massage the cellulite areas while they are under the water. Massaging with your knuckles helps disperse the fatty tissue and improve circulation.
Anti-Cellulite Essential Oil Bath Blends
As mentioned above in the full anti-cellulite program, here are some synergistic essential oil blends. Use only one blend per bath:
- Thyme – 4 drops, lemon – 2 drops
- Sage – 4 drops, patchouli – 2 drops
- Rosemary – 3 drops, juniper – 3 drops
- Oregano – 3 drops, lemon – 3 drops
Massage with Essential Oil Blends to Combat Cellulite
Massage increases circulation of lymph fluids, which helps remove toxins. Massage also increases blood supply, which carries oxygen to the areas to help break up the encapsulated hardened fat cells of cellulite.
Worwood recommends three different anti-cellulite massage oil formulas. As the base for each formula, mix two tablespoons almond oil, five drops of jojoba oil and five drops of carrot oil. Blend these together well, then add one of these formulas to the base:
- Juniper – 14 drops, lemon – 10 drops, oregano – 6 drops
- Fennel – 8 drops, lemon – 10 drops, grapefruit – 12 drops
- Basil – 10 drops, thyme – 8 drops, grapefruit – 12 drops
Cellulite Message Oil Recipe
Authors Keville and Green in Aromatherapy, A Complete Guide to the Healing Art, suggest another massage oil recipe. They point out that geranium and fennel help balance hormones and facilitate weight loss, grapefruit helps with weight loss (remember all those grapefruit diets?), and cypress and juniper stimulate circulation.
Their recipe is as follows:
- 10 drops cypress essential oil
- 10 drops geranium essential oil
- 10 drops grapefruit essential oil
- 5 drops juniper essential oil
- 5 drops fennel essential oil
- 4 ounces of carrier oil (such as almond oil)
Combine these ingredients and use this for your twice-a-day massage.
Another secret Worwood shares is the technique of cabbage and seaweed poultices. Chop up seaweed or cabbage and place it between two pieces of material such as gauze or muslin – then iron it! Wrap this all around the cellulite areas and leave on for fifteen minutes. This is especially effective when done after the toxin elimination bath, and before applying massage oil.
Be sure to purchase high quality, pure products. There are several reputable firms such as Aura Cacia and EO that manufacture wonderful products. Do some internet research for companies such as Esoteric Oils (out of South Africa) who have created cellulite formulas based on their research and client input.
Sources:
- Carole McGilvery & Jimi Reed, The Illustrated Practical Handbook of Aromatherapy. London: Lorenz Books, 2007.
- Valerie Ann Worwood, The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy. Novato: New World Library, 1990.
- Kathi Keville and Mindy Green, Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art. Toronto: Crossing Press, 2009.
- "The Liver, Lymph, Cellulite and Essential Oils," , accessed January 31, 2011.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice.
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