Juniper. From depth of the millennia for our advantage and beauty!

Juniper – the relic plant known since bible times. But if at first it was used in the ritual purposes – for exile of evil spirits, then then found to a juniper and more prosaic applications.

Still ancient Greeks and Romans paid attention to antibacterial and antiseptic properties of this plant – fumigated with smoke from combustion of branches dwellings at the time of epidemics of plague and cholera, the bandages impregnated with juice imposed on wounds. Appreciated useful qualities of a juniper both the people of Central Asia, and North American Indians, and residents of Scandinavia, and in the Far East. For the wonderful ability to frighten off reptiles the juniper deserved a mention in the Ancient Greek myth of Argonauts. By means of a juniper branch Medea and Yason lulled the terrible dragon guarding the Golden Fleece. In Russia also noticed the mass of useful properties of this bush: milk in a krynka from a juniper does not turn sour even in hot summer day, and in barrels tired of a juniper the pickles prepared for the winter does not spoil.

All species of a juniper have antibacterial properties, but here for preparation of tinctures, lotions and seasonings cannot be used prickly (or Cossack) which is strongly poisonous. Fortunately, a juniper ordinary (most widespread), or a juniper high, are suitable for any purposes.

Of course, the ancient people used the salutary force of a juniper, being based only on experimental data and an intuition, and here we already know that properties of a juniper are explained by existence in needles and shishechka of a large amount of essential oil which structure is unique.

The juniper needles are very useful, it is rich with ascorbic acid, various phytoncides and alkaloids, but are more widely applied in the improving purposes of a galberry. In them pitches (up to 10%), fat oil, pectinaceous substances, organic acids, special dye – yuniperin, wax and vitamin C are found sugar (up to 40%).

The composition of essential oil which galberries contain includes such chemicals as sesquiterpenes (pinene, camphene, terpinen, etc.), oil is obliged to them by the pleasant, though bluff, coniferous smell. Sesquiterpenes have anti-inflammatory, sedative and anti-virus properties, can potentially have anticarcinogenic effect and also show the bakteriostatichesky and immunostimulating effect. Juniper oil is obliged to the content of terpenes by the anti-virus properties and also ability to irritate the skin.

Even having just spent day in the shadow of juniper trees, you will render big service to the organism. It is considered that one hectare of the juniper wood is capable to revitalize per day air of the big city.

Wonderful galberries in medicine as the diuretic, disinfecting urinary tract, expectorant, bile-expelling and improving digestion means are widely used, at a meteorizm and enterogastric frustration.

Personally I collected the stock shishechek for preparation of lotions for the face and hair.

The lotion toning
In glasswares from dark glass we pour dry white wine, we place the crushed juniper berries there (on 250 ml of wine of 7 galberries), we insist in the dark place at the room temperature of 7 days. At dry skin it is possible to add several drops of glycerin to lotion.

If problem skin, then from galberries it is possible to prepare a curative mask.

The juniper mask has the toning, antimicrobial and polyvitaminic effect. Crush a tablespoon of mature fruits, fill in with a glass of boiled water, boil on weak fire under a cover five minutes, cool and through half of hour filter; Mix 40 ml of the turned-out mix with a tablespoon of oat flour (oatmeal) or starch. Apply a mask to face skin and necks for 20 min., then rinse skin with warm water

Problem skin lotion
Recommend to apply at youthful eels, herpes: to crush four tablespoons of berries and to fill in with a glass of boiled water. To insist hour, then to filter and mix with a tablespoon of glycerin and 100 ml of 70% ethyl alcohol. Wipe skin 1-2 times a day within 3-4 weeks.

Tincture on alcohol or cognac (gin)
Spirit tincture of berries of a juniper is used outwardly as hair lotion, for vtiraniye in joints at rheumatism, for removal of pains. Traditional medicine suggests to use juniper vodka (or gin) as an effective remedy at treatment of catarrhal diseases.

Curative aroma
The smell of a juniper is curative, it stimulates and strengthens nervous system, calms, helps at headaches, stresses, breakdown, at diseases of a respiratory system, a hypertension, insomnia.

Juniper – a fine ozonizer, with it premises long since fumigated, it oxygenates air and fills surrounding space with the invigorating coniferous aroma.

The crushed wood of a juniper can be applied to aromatization of linen, air disinfection indoors, scaring away of a moth and other insects. The way of sanitation of air is indoors very simple. About 20 g of small crushed wood of a juniper fill in 200 g of water and boil 10-15 minutes. At the same time essential oil evaporates together with water and in the form of steam flavors air indoors, at the same time disinfecting it. It is possible to carry out by the same way inhalations, aromatherapy sessions.

There is also other way of disinfecting of air indoors, it is that 20 g of the crushed wood pour out the same on a frying pan, heat 20-30 minutes. Vapors of essential oil together with smoke kill with about 30% of the harmful microorganisms which are contained in air.

Essential oil of a juniper can be bought in drugstores and perfumery departments of shops, receive it by method of steam distillation of juniper galberries with the subsequent cleaning. The specific, tart, resinous aroma which is well combined with all citrus, a cypress, an eucalyptus, a sage, a lavender is inherent in oil.

It is possible to apply ready essential oil of a juniper, using the aromalamp (2 drops on 5 sq.m), adding several drops to emulsifier for a bathtub, enriching cosmetics (couple of drops on 5 g of a basis), adding several drops of oil to massage cream.

Massage mix - "magic oil"
Increases elasticity of skin, fights against extensions. Ingredients:
1. 100 ml of not refined olive oil
2. 20 ml of oil of sweet almonds
3. 20 ml of essential oil of rosemary
4. 20 ml of essential oil of a juniper
5. 20 ml of essential oil of a lemon
6. 20 ml of essential oil of a carnation

To mix oils and to use the received mix for massage of a body. Use of such "magic oil" in the house anti-cellulite program after a salina and processing of a body a srub is especially effective.

It is considered that essential oil of a juniper except impact on a body, possesses also special meditative characteristics. His power engineering specialist the integrity and fidelity of nature develops, helps to distinguish a lie, protects aura from aggression, promotes acquisition of the authority, developing nobility and intelligence.

Many manufacturing firms quite often include juniper oil or extract of a juniper in structure of the cosmetic products for problem skin (tonics, lotions, shower gels) and also is used also in cosmetics for hair.