Generality
What are packs and how are they prepared?
Aromatic compresses are beauty treatments used since time immemorial to improve the appearance of the skin, possibly correcting some surface imperfections.
The choice of water temperature and essence depends exclusively on the purpose for which the pack is made.
A particular variant of compress - known more precisely as a mask or mud - is prepared by mixing clay, water and essential oils.
The wraps can also be applied on the scalp to improve the appearance of a rebel and weakened hair or to balance the production of sebum in the presence of greasy seborrhea (greasy hair).
So let's see what are the most popular types of wraps, how they are prepared and for what purpose they are made.
Non-aromatic wraps
Non-aromatic compresses - which we can also define as "neutral packs" - are packs made simply with water, without the addition of essential oils.
These types of packs can be cold or hot. Therefore, the only factor that differentiates them from one another is the temperature of the water with which the gauze or tablet is soaked.
Cold water packs are indicated for the treatment of headaches, fever and other types of inflammation and heat disorders.
Hot water packs are, instead, useful in the treatment of disorders such as rheumatism and back pain.
Please note
Even the aromatic wraps can be hot or cold. The temperature chosen, of course, varies according to the type of disorder or imperfection that needs to be treated.
In general, it can be said that cold packs carry out astringent and vasoconstrictor activities, while hot packs exert a vasodilatory action and "relax" the tissues.
However, regardless of the types of wraps used - as a general rule - the tablet should be left on the body until its temperature reaches the body.
Impure skins
Impure Skin Pack
To improve the appearance of impure and acneic skin, a sebum-normalizing and purifying pack is undoubtedly the most indicated. Although it cannot remove the root problem, the regular application of specific compresses against oily skin can significantly improve the disorder in the short term, giving the skin a pleasant feeling of freshness after the first treatment.
To make the appearance of impure skins pleasant, it is necessary to choose the most suitable essences to normalize the production of sebum, purify the skin and give a pleasant sensation of well-being and cleanliness on the area of application. An impure skin pack will therefore be formulated with plant extracts with sebum normalizing, astringent and purifying properties. For this purpose, the most indicated active ingredients are:
- Lavender essential oil : the antimicrobial, balsamic and anti-inflammatory properties are ideal for preparing a pack against blackheads and oily skin. A pack made with lavender essential oil also gives a pleasant feeling of wellbeing and relaxation thanks to the anxiolytic and sedative properties of the plant.
- Lemon essential oil : it has excellent astringent, flavoring and antiseptic (disinfectant) properties, therefore suitable for oily skin.
- Birch essential oil : its active ingredients (flavonoids, caffeic acid, ascorbic acid, tannins, vitamin C etc.), acting in synergy, give the pack extraordinary dermo-purifying, flaming, astringent and antioxidant virtues. For this reason, birch extract is ideal for preparing packs, masks or acne creams.
- Green tea extract : once cooled, the infusion prepared with green tea is excellent as a base for a purifying compress against acne and blackheads. Let us briefly recall that green tea is rich in tannins with astringent, antioxidant, sebum normalizing and dermo-purifying properties.
Despite the beneficial action carried out by sebum-normalizing, astringent and antiseptic compresses, it is good not to overdo their use. In fact, an excessive use of these products could lead to a paradoxical reaction, due to which the skin is pushed to produce greater quantities of sebum (for more information: Oily Skin - Oily Skin Remedies).
Cellulite imperfections
Anti-cellulite wrap
Cellulite is a widespread disorder, especially in the female world from which it is as much felt as it is scorned. However, some types of packs can help mitigate the problem.
How to make a pack to fight cellulite blemishes?
The goal is to stimulate the microcirculation, act on localized adiposity, protect the walls of blood vessels and smooth the orange peel skin.
The ideal would be to prepare two types of packs: the first with hot water and the second with cold water. As we know, the alternation of cold and hot water jets improves local microcirculation, inducing vasoconstriction and vasodilation, respectively. Starting from this assumption, even the wraps can be used to obtain the same effect: in doing so, the capillary wall becomes more toned and resistant. Therefore, the advice is to alternate cold and hot packs to improve the appearance of orange peel skin.
- Cold menthol and ginseng pack : as we have seen, cold water favors the contraction of the capillary wall (vasoconstriction). Ginseng (similar to horsetail, ruscus, centella and other saponin drugs) stimulates the microcirculation counteracting the retention of liquids. Menthol induces vasoconstriction, giving the skin a pleasant refreshing sensation.
- Hot blueberry wrap : hot water induces a vasodilation, therefore the capillaries tend to "relax". The blueberry is a panacea for all effects of microcirculation: blueberry extract tends to reduce capillary fragility, significantly improving the appearance of orange peel skin.
Please note
Anti-cellulite wraps can be useful, but used on their own they certainly cannot eliminate this blemish. Indeed, they are able to bring many advantages, but only if combined with constant and regular exercise. Even nutrition plays a major role in the fight against cellulite: following a diet rich in fruit and vegetables but low in fat can do nothing but facilitate the action of "anti-cellulite" cosmetic treatments, such as wraps, anti-cellulite mud, clay masks or whatever.
Clay wrap
For more information: Clay Mask - Mud
What is commonly called "clay wrap" is nothing more than a mask or a mud prepared with clay powder and water (preferably thermal), enriched with plant extracts functional to the disorder to be treated. To enhance the effect of the clay - already surprising of its own - the treated part (face, thighs, legs, buttocks, whole body) is generally covered with a cotton cloth or a specific gauze to encourage sweating and water exchange.
Clay packs are indicated as a support to the treatment of acne, blackheads, reddened skin, sensitive skin and cellulite.
Hair pack
The packs are not indicated only for the treatment related to the various problems of the skin. In fact, even the hair can benefit from the regular application of some wraps, which must clearly be carefully chosen based on the disorder to be restored / improved and the type of hair.
Let's see, therefore, how to prepare a pack for oily hair and for dry hair.
Oily Hair Pack
Oily hair likes products with an astringent and deeply purifying action. For this purpose, to achieve a compress against the accumulation of sebum on the scalp, it is necessary to use active ingredients able to rebalance the bacterial population normally present in this area. Bioaromas with disinfectant and astringent properties are certainly the most suitable: thyme, lemon, bergamot, sage, anise, ivy, burdock, green tea, etc.
A greasy hair pack should be prepared with cold water: as we know, the cold acts as a vasoconstrictor, thus limiting the production of sebum.
Dry Hair Pack
More than wraps, dry hair would need real masks to give body, nutrition and vitality to dry and dull hair. Wraps with essential oils are in fact more suitable for oily hair, while dry hair benefits more from shock treatments due to the strengthening action.
However, dry and rebellious hair can benefit from nourishing compresses, made with oils / liquid waxes / vegetable butters: for this purpose, sweet almond oil, liquid jojoba wax, shea butter, oil extracted from the seeds of Argan, etc., applied directly on the scalp and hair in the form of a hot wrap, they are absolutely suitable for restoring vigor and softness to dry and rebellious hair.
Example of a homemade mask wrap
The most appropriate ingredients for a DIY mask wrap against dry hair are undoubtedly yogurt, egg, olive oil and honey. Mixing these ingredients (1 egg, 2 tablespoons of yogurt, one of olive oil and one of honey) you get a soft and creamy dough to spread over the foliage. After a setting time of 5-10 minutes, proceed with the usual washing.
Rheumatic pains
Wrap against rheumatism
Some wraps, adequately prepared with specific essences, can be used to alleviate rheumatic pains or to significantly improve the symptoms of painful affections of muscles, bones and joints.
For this purpose, the water of the pack must be warm and the essences must be selected with a view to combating rheumatic pain.
The most suitable plants for preparing a pack against rheumatism are:
- Burdock : for external use, the burdock extract is indicated to soothe inflammations. For this purpose, burdock is used in the formulation of an anti-arthritic compress
- Laurel : also the laurel essence is used in the preparation of antirheumatic compresses
- Arnica : the anti-inflammatory, analgesic, microcirculation and antineuralgic properties of the plant find indication in traumatology in the treatment of traumatic articular disorders.
- Coriander : coriander essential oil is often used as a component of compresses or other treatments to dampen rheumatic pains. The properties of the plant are often exploited in the field of folk medicine.
Please note
The pack must be considered exclusively as a support to care, not as an alternative. It is recommended, however, to always seek medical advice before using compresses to alleviate rheumatic pain, in order to ascertain the absence of any drug interactions or contraindications.
