Today is the start of Rhematoid Arthritis Awareness Week run by the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society.  

Rheumatoid Arthritis is an auto immune condition, where the body attacks the lining of the joints.  This causes inflammation, pain and stiffness.If left untreated, the joint can lose its shape and alignment and lead to permanent disability. 

Key Facts

• Rheumatoid arthritis can affect people of any age. Around three quarters of people with rheumatoid arthritis are first diagnosed when of working age and women are three times as likely as men to have the disease. 
• Rheumatoid arthritis is an often misunderstood disease, confused with osteoarthritis which is commonly a wear and tear disease generally affecting the older population. 
• More than 400,000 people in the UK (around 1%) have rheumatoid arthritis costing the NHS approximately £560 million per year. The National Audit Office estimate that the total cost of RA to the UK economy is £4.8 billion per year

The conventional medical approaches to treating RA include medication and sometimes surgery.  To complement this, there are also holistic treatments and natural health products which can help to ease inflammation and pain.

Holistic Treatments for Rheumatoid Arthritis

In terms of the treatments I offer, the most useful is Aromatherapy massage

With aromatherapy massage, there are a number of beneficial effects for sufferers of RA:

1) pain relief and decreased stiffness, increased mobility in the joints from the massage

2) reduction of inflammation due to the use of essential oils in the massage oil.  Essential oils are absorbed into the bloodstream during an aromatherapy massage and so continue to work after your treatment has ended.

3) improvement in mood levels due to the release of the "happy" hormones during massage

Please note, during an acute flare up where the joints are very painful, massage would not be advisable.  In such cases, I would advise Reiki as this doesn't involve any massage or manipulation of the body, is deeply relaxing, can bring pain relief and can also help to improve mood levels.  Reiki can also be carried out in a comfortable chair for those who find it painful to lie down on a massage couch.

Products for Rheumatoid Arthritis

I also create customsied organic Aromatherapy bath and body products for clients and these are available in various sizes.  Following a consultation, I bascially choose a blend of essential oils which are suitable for your condition.  This massage oil can then be used preferably after bathing on a daily basis or as and when needed.

Essential oils, used in aromatherapy products, are highly versatile, working both on the physical body and on our psychological and emotional natures. This makes aromatherapy one of the best treatments for holistic health in it has positive effects on all aspects of our being.

Depending on the method used to intake the oils; they are either absorbed into our system via the Skin (massage) or our Lungs and Nasal passages (inhalation). Note, if you use essential oils in a wash off product e.g shower gel, facial wash, soap they are not on the skin long enough to absorb fully. You will have minimal absorption through inhalation only but not through the skin

Some of the most useful essential oils for Rheumatoid Arthritis include:

Inflammation: Lavender, Chamomile

Pain & Stiffness Relief: Lavender, Chamomile, Sweet Marjoram, *Black Pepper, *Ginger - *these are warming, stimulating oils so may not be suitable during acute inflammation flare ups and more suited to ease stiffness.

Mood Uplifters: Orange, Bergamot, Ylang Ylang.

If you haven't used Essential oils before, I have a beginners Ebook which will teach you how to use them safely.

Well that's all folks, I hope you have found this post useful and do remember to check out the Rheumatoid Arthritis Society website as well. There is lots of useful tips and helpful information for people who have this painful and debilitating condition.

Until next time

Zoe

x 

If you have not heard of the Ordinary, they are a Canadian skin care  brand which sit under the umbrella of their parent company Deciem.

The Ordinary is a range of skin care products which are highly affordable and which contain highly effective ingredients for a wide variety of skin issues.

For the past 4 months I have been using a variety of their skin care products for different skin care issues.  I am 47, have dry/oily combination skin, fine lines, wrinkles and melasma (darker patches of skin) on my forehead.

Anyway, today I wanted to share my thoughts on the Ordinary's Hyaluronic Acid with Vitamin B5.  Hylauronic Acid is a humectant which means it is able to draw water from the skin and the atmosphere around us to help to hydrate and give a plumped appearance to the skin.  Therefore it is a useful product for dry or dehydrated skin.

Please note, if you live in a very dry climate then Hyaluronic acid may actually dry your skin out.  I am lucky that I live in Manchester which is often humid (although grey and overcast lol) due to the high amount of rainfall we have so I am ok to use this product.

Compared to other brands, the Ordinary's Hylauronic Acid is really affordable at only £5.90 for a 30ml bottle.  It has a clear lightweight gel texture and is unscented.

Ingredients List:

Aqua (Water), Sodium Hyaluronate, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Panthenol, Ahnfeltia Concinna Extract, Glycerin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Citric Acid, Isoceteth-20, Ethoxydiglycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol.

In terms a skin care routine, Hylauronic Acid can be used both day and night and in conjunction with other skin care products.  It can be applied after cleansing and toning as a serum but before your moisturiser.  If you use any other serums, apply it before any milky emulsified serums.

For me personally I found that the Ordinary's Hyaluronic Acid was causing other products I placed over the top of it to pill.  So instead of ditching it, I decided to just add it to my toners.  I either use Frankicense Toner by Neal's Yard or make my own concoction with Organic Rose Water and Neroli (Orange Blossom Water) to make a hydrating toner or facial mist.  I add 2 pippettes to 100ml of toner.  

About once every 2 weeks I make my own Kaolin Clay mask to purify my pores and skin. So I use the hyaluronic acid as an ingredient in my mask mixes   Basically I mix the kaolin clay with rose and neroli water and add 1/2 a pipette of hyaluronic acid.  This helps to hydrate my skin and really counteracts the drying effect of the kaolin clay.

For me, the Ordinary's Hyaluronic Acid is a keeper and I wish it was available in larger 100ml bottles as I enjoy using it as an ingredient to add to my concoctions.

If you would like to purchase this product it is available on Deciem's site.  Shipping is free for orders of £25 or more and it normally takes about 4 days to arrive although their website says it can take up to 10 days.

If you are new to the Ordinary, there is a useful regimen guide  which will help you to choose products suited to your skin type.  Alternatively you can email them and ask them for recommendations.

I hope this post has been helpful and given you some ideas on how you can use the Ordinary's Hyaluronic acid in your skin care routine.

Until next time

Zoe

x

PS Do you need help with your at home skincare routine?

Check out my Skin Care Guide - only £5 - Ebook PDF

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