At Per Purr, the feedback we hear most often about our products is “they smell so good!” We hear that a lot. We receive emails. Our customers tell us. Our partners mention it. The delivery man who picks up our packages every day tells us.
We get it: it’s your favorite thing about Per Purr, it’s what stands out, and we are super proud of this! But do you want to know what’s behind all this?
We use essential oils not just because they smell amazing, but also to promote healthy responses in the body. Essential oils can be found everywhere these days - that’s due to their infinite number of practical uses, and because of increased consumption of natural cosmetics. But they should be used with caution, safely, and always following professional guidelines, which we’ll explain below.
Essential oils are volatile compounds extracted from aromatic plants (leaves, flowers, stems, bark and roots) through distillation or pressure processes.
Essential oils can penetrate through smell or be absorbed through the skin’s surface – they do not reach the bloodstream. Once an essential oil is present, the olfactory system (through smell) or the circulatory system (through the skin) is stimulated. They then send signals to the limbic system that act directly on regions associated with emotions and vital processes.
Essential oils act very fast when inhaled. Once the scent reaches the nasal cavity, it is absorbed and triggers a stimulus of the olfactory nerves. How someone reacts to one scent or another has to do with our smell memory, something that is developed throughout our lives.
Aromatherapy is a natural method based on the activity of biochemical molecules contained in essential oils, used to provoke various responses in the body, such as stimulating or mitigating the function of cells in an organ or the nervous system, to achieve a sense of balance or equilibrium.
Aromatherapy uses essential oils extracted from aromatic plants to restore balance and harmony to the body and mind for the benefit of our health and beauty. Some of essential oils’ most praised properties include:
To reap these benefits, quality natural essential oils must be used that are actually extracted from plants and not from a synthetic essence. There are many synthetic essential oils on the market that smell nice but don’t actually have these properties. It is also important that essential oils be extracted naturally (by pressure distillation), without the use of solvents or chemical processes that can alter their properties.
Aromatherapy and Per Purr products:
“Home spa shower effect”: intense moisture shampoo and conditioner, the salt exfoliant.
“Professional massage”: Relax and Sporty oils
“Romantic bath”, even if just for one: Floral-Cure bath salts
Velvety-soft skin: Our moisturizer!
Your hands get dry (or rather, they suffer) from the harsh cold. This yearly seasonal problem is even worse this year since everyone is washing our hands more often and using antibacterial gel, which further damages the skin.
If, in addition to dryness, your skin is red or shows more serious and bothersome signs, the skin on your hands will need more than hydration. The nutrition offered by natural body oils is a better option. We strongly emphasize that body oils be natural because they are what really help to repair the skin’s lipid barrier. They repair the damages caused to the skin and reduce oxidative stress.
We know that oil is not absorbed as quickly as cream, but it is what our skin needs in these kinds of circumstances. Chamomile, lavender, almond and calendula essential oils are especially beneficial. They are known for their soothing, relaxing, repairing and anti-inflammatory effects and are the basis of our Relax body oil.
As for its use, we don’t want to generalize, since that depends on the type of skin and the needs of each person. For your hands, feel free to use a small amount of moisturizer after washing, since it counters the effects of continual use of soap and antibacterial gel. Shea Butter, present in our Natural Moisturizing Cream, makes your hands softer.
If you don't have any moisturizer at home, and you need to hydrate your hands, like when they are red, natural body oil is a good substitute for cream. If you don't have body oil either, you can look for alternatives in some of the products we almost always have in our kitchen, such as virgin coconut oil or olive oil. A mask of full-fat natural yogurt for 30 minutes can also help.
By gently massaging the palms of our hands using the opposite thumb and stretching our fingers, we relieve any tension generated throughout the day, as well as promoting proper circulation. We must remember that our hands are one of the parts of our bodies that we use the most throughout the day, yet sometimes we forget the importance of caring for them.
Hydrating our hands before going to sleep is very important because, as we do with our nightly face routine, we are making sure that while we sleep, our skin isn’t exposed to other external agents present during the day, such as pollution, heating or air conditioning, and the hydration is more effective. Don't forget to massage your cuticles as well, because hydrated cuticles prevent the entry of fungus and bacteria.
It goes without saying that it is best to avoid direct exposure of our skin and hands to more aggressive products such as industrial cleaning detergents or similar products.
Don’t forget about exfoliation – an extra step for caring for your hands. Even though our Per Purr Salts Selection Exfoliant contains sweet almond and exotic verbena oils, exfoliation should always be gentle. Avoid exfoliating any areas of your skin that appear to be inflamed.
We would like to emphasize the benefit of salt baths for our hands. Just as massages are good for our hands, soaking them in warm water with salts and essential oils is very good for relaxing the hand muscles. If you like floral smells, I definitely recommend our Floral-Cure salts.
On one summer day, a friend took an industrial brand deodorant spray out of her bag and used it. As I hadn't used this type of deodorant for years, the smell disgusted me. I couldn't ignore it, it was so unpleasant. She then opened a bottle of hair mask and ran it through the ends of her hair. Another strange, sweet, artificial smell invaded the room.
I asked her to let me read the label on the mask and was surprised by the amount of harmful ingredients in the product. How was it possible that this friend, who takes such good care of her diet, health and body, could use this type of product?
No, it's not nonsense, nor am I being radical. I am a demanding person when it comes to what I use on my skin and in my hair.
I explained that the mask had dyes, silicones and petroleum by-products. She was shocked: "What? That's disgusting! What do I do now? I want to start using natural products.”
A new world opened up for her. I sent her articles explaining the damage that many ingredients in everyday products can cause. I explained to her that the exfoliant she so enthusiastically and proudly showed me contained plastic microbeads that can contaminate the oceans and be ingested by fish. I recommended that she use exfoliants made of sugar or salts, such as the Per Purr exfoliant or even exfoliant recipes using coffee.
I explained to her that it was a gradual change for me, especially because it takes time to find an ideal natural shampoo for your hair, a facial cream that suits your taste and, most importantly, your wallet.
My advice is to start by changing 3 everyday products: soap, deodorant and toothpaste. These products are easy to find in their natural versions, and making those adjustments is already a significant change. After adapting to these products, I recommend trying plant-based oils and/or clays.
I'm a big fan of coconut oil, for example, which can be used as a makeup remover, moisturizer, aftershave, and can even be used in a natural deodorant recipe. Clay can be used as a face mask or exfoliant. At Per Purr, we have developed a clay shampoo that is incredible!
It’s important not to make a radical change, and instead switch to buying natural products gradually. Try out different products and options. One suggestion is to try the mini samples that many brands offer: at Per Purr, you can buy a sample pack with all the Per Purr products so you can try out each one.
When we start using natural cosmetics, I think we understand our bodies better. Much of our skin is just a reflection of what we eat and use. When you swap your shampoos, conditioners and masks for natural ones, you’ll discover what your hair really looks like.
Keep in mind that when cosmetics are replaced by natural alternatives, the effects may not be immediately clear. Each person’s skin/hair/body reacts differently, and there’s no way to predict this when we don’t know the characteristics of that person. So, be patient!
High-quality raw materials and natural active ingredients are more expensive than synthetic ones.
In fact, you end up saving. For me, I tend to see long-lasting results with natural cosmetics, and I see this as an advantage. For example, I wash my hair less often if the shampoo is natural and of superior quality. When I use Per Purr's shower gel, I don't have to use a body moisturizer every day.
I'm sure many of you don't know this, but the composition of natural cosmetics makes them versatile.
Per Purr's natural soaps can be used on both the body and face. Our conditioners can also be used as a hair treatment mask or a leave-in conditioner. Per Purr's orange and ginger facial oil has an anti-wrinkle, anti-acne and toning effect. In other words, over time you’ll discover how to enjoy the versatility of each product.
Once we realize how getting back to the natural world positively affects different aspects of our lives – our health, our wallets and the environment – we can see that it’s not a trend, it’s a matter of urgency. When we see the boost we get from this process of transition, we can’t put a price on that.
