Cinnamon for skin care

The use of cinnamon can be traced back to as far as the Old Testament including to the time the Egyptian pharaohs ruled Egypt.

Cinnamon was a popular spice in ancient times used in numerous ways including to preserve meat, for embalming, in cooking and medicine.  The Chinese used cinnamon in their writings, the Egyptians when embalming mummies and the Romans burned it as incense during funerals.

This aromatic spice was produced in large scale in the island of Ceylon where it was discovered during the 15^th century by the Portuguese.

The two popular varieties of cinnamon are the Cinnamonum zeylanicum (Ceylon cinnamon) and Cinnamomun aromaticum (Chinese cinnamon). The Chinese cinnamon is called ‘cassia’ and is not as expensive as Ceylon cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon is referred to as ‘true cinnamon’ or ‘Sri Lanka cinnamon.’

This wonder spice is used in many homemade and commercial skin care products because of its remarkable healing properties. The cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate and cinnamyl alcoholare contained in cinnamon are mainly responsible for the spice’s therapeutic power.

Cinnamon's effectiveness in removing dead cells and impurities on the skin has made it a popular ingredient in homemade body scrubs.

Listed below are some easy to make homemade cinnamon body scrubs. These scrubs are not recommended to be used on the face.

• Sea salt – 1 cup
• Cinnamon powder – ½ tablespoon
• Ginger powder – ½ tablespoon
• Olive oil – 1 cup

Mix all the ingredients together and apply on wet skin using a loofah. Massage in circular motions for 2-3 minutes and rinse off with warm water.

*You can substitute 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger if you are unable to find ginger powder.

Ingredients:

• Dry oatmeal – 1 cup
• Cinnamon powder – 1 tablespoon

Combine the dry ingredients together by placing it in a bottle and shaking till thoroughly mixed. Place small amounts on a loofah and apply on wet skin massaging in circular motions for 3-5 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

*This is an ideal scrub since it exfoliates and moisturizes the skin at the same time.

• Baby cream/baby lotion – ½ cup
• Cinnamon powder – 2 tablespoons

Mix the ingredients and apply on wet skin using a loofah. Massage in circular motions for 2-3 minutes and rinse off with warm water.

Ingredients:

• Ground cinnamon – 4 tablespoons
• Ground nutmeg – 4 tablespoons
• Honey – 4 tablespoons

Mix all the ingredients into a paste and apply on wet skin using a loofah. Massage in circular motions for 2-3 minutes and rinse off with warm water.