The beneficial properties of spiced soaps for the skin, body and mind
Many soaps are scented with fruits (like red orange and grapefruit) and plants (such as sandalwood and vetiver soaps). Then there are spiced soaps, which take their fragrances from spices, aromatic substances also obtained from plant products but possessing singularly exotic notes and evoking uncommon sensations, often associated with distant worlds. One of the most widespread among these cosmetic products is cinnamon soap.
Cinnamon, a warm and tangy winter spice
Cinnamon is a spice obtained by drying the innermost bark of plants from the Lauraceae (or laurel) family. Today, the most common are Sri Lankan cinnamon, known as Ceylon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), and Chinese cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia), drier and less costly but known as early as Ancient Egyptian times and used for embalming rituals. The fragrance of cinnamon is spicy and sharp with sweetish notes, in many ways similar to the flavour of cloves, which is why it is a spice widely used in cooking in many dishes, particularly desserts.
Cinnamon essential oil, on the other hand, is obtained from the leaves and branches of these evergreen plants and has a typically spicy aroma which many people – especially in the Western world – associate with winter and Christmas. Cinnamon has, indeed, become a winter and Christmas spice, like nutmeg, raisins and cloves, being an ingredient of biscuits, gingerbread and other delicacies traditionally enjoyed at this time of year. Its fragrance arouses sensations of enveloping warmth, particularly during the colder and darker months of autumn and winter. And these are not merely evocative sensations; indeed, cinnamon and its essential oil actually have what is known as a rubefacient effect, in other words drawing blood to the surface in the area of skin to which it is applied and, consequently, bringing a feeling of increased warmth.
Cinnamon and cinnamon soaps: beneficial properties
Cinnamon is a winter comfort food which combats tiredness and depression and offers many other advantages and benefits. From a nutritional perspective, cinnamon contains various substances that are good for the health and metabolism, such as fibre, minerals like iron and potassium and antioxidants. It is also a natural remedy for period pain, flu symptoms and digestive problems as well as being effective in controlling blood sugar levels and having aphrodisiac properties.
Cinnamon essential oil is used in cosmetics due to its beneficial effects on the skin, including:
- an antimicrobial and antiseptic purifying action on the skin;
- an invigorating effect, relaxing the skin of the face;
- warming properties, bringing tangible feelings of heat;
- an anti-ageing action, combating oxidative stress on cells and cellular ageing.
If you would like to experience warm sensations on your skin, relax your body and mind and melt in a comfortable embrace, try our cinnamon cosmetic products, also in combination with orange fragrance in a perfect aromatic blend: