Life is stressful for so many of us. Stress has been defined as the accumulated wear and tear of daily life. Not only can stress take a toll on our mind and our mood, but, if unrelieved over the long term, it can exhaust our bodies and make them more susceptible to illness. And, while some stress is good, because it motivates us to do and be our best, too much stress is just plain miserable. It can leave us tired, cranky and tense. Although we like to think of stress as a modern affliction, chances are even our ancestors felt stress, and their way of handling it was often to take soothing scented baths.
And, chamomile, lavender, and ylang-ylang have long been used for their calming and soothing benefits. Chamomile, a sweetly scented plant that resembles a small daisy, is probably one of the oldest known medicinal plants. In fact, chamomile was known as "the plants' physician" and was thought to keep other plants in good health. It is one of the plants most commonly used in herbology and is excellent for calming and soothing. Lavender was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans for soothing, relaxing baths. Ylang-Ylang, a sweetly-scented tropical flower, means "flower of flowers", and has traditionally been used in combination with coconut and other natural ingredients to prepare an ointment for skin and hair care. Also, Pacific islanders used Ylang-Ylang for its skin-soothing effects.
Today, modern researchers are rediscovering the wisdom of these ancient healing methods. The science of aromatherapy is being seriously studied around the world. Researchers are learning that certain scents, when used in combination with a soothing bath or shower, can affect our mood and may reduce stress levels.
AVEENO® has tested and formulated a unique line of cleansing and moisturizing products with lavender, and essential chamomile and ylang-ylang oils. The AVEENO® Stress Relief Foaming Bath, AVEENO® Stress Relief Body Wash, and AVEENO® Stress Relief Moisturizing Lotion, when used in a warm bath, shower or rubbed into skin, can help calm and relax you, while leaving your skin soft and smooth.
Source: Baumann LS. Cosmeceutical Critique: Lavender. Skin & Allergy News 2003;34:33; Baumann LS. Cosmeceutical Critique: Chamomile. Skin & Allergy News 2003;34:43.
