Monday 13 December 2010

Health and Fitness: Jurlique's Essential Oils for Christmas

Image from katiewebb82.files.wordpress.com
Image from jurlique.hk
Warning, this is not cheap! It is $215 per bottle.

But it is worth the money? Again, everybody has a different definition for the word "worth". Considering the quality and the brand, I definitely think this is worth the cost. And it also depends on who you are buying it for.

The Jurlique Essential Oils can really make great gifts for friends, family and even yourself. Most people like the smell of lavender, which has relaxation and sleep-enhancing properties, but it is also a powerful allergen and it has been widely known that pregnant women should not be in contact with it.
Lavender
Image from jadeholisticspa

So, is there something safer? What's my recommendation?

After 1 visit to Bintan and 4 visits to Bangkok, lemongrass essential oil is my pick!


  1. First, I think most Hong Kong people are familiar with Thailand and so there is no reason they have not experienced this smell during their Thai massages or Spas. 
  2. Second, I believe that most people who like to go Thailand for shopping and holiday like lemongrass because this smell is almost everywhere you go. 
  3. Third, it is cheap to buy the same thing from Thailand but the smell doesn't last as long as Jurlique's lemongrass. Basically, if you heat 5-7 drops of it over water bath for aromatherapy, the smell can stay for 2 to 3 days. (Not the case if you open your windows all the time)
  4. Fourth, Jurlique's essential oils are so pure that it leaves zero oil residue when you need to wash the diffuser
  5. Last but not least, the lemongrass essential oil I bought in Thailand finishes 3 times faster than the one I bought from Jurlique, which is about 3 times more expensive than the Thai versions but has much higher quality of sweetness.

Lemongrass
Image from billyteoh.files.wordpress.com
Sounds like a perfect gift for anyone, doesn't it? But you still have to use it with care and never overuse any of the oils.

Studies have shown that essential oils such as lemon, lime, lavender, tea tree and eucalyptus could cause complications or even danger. For more detail, please read the research papers linked by Wikipedia.

By the way, Jurlique is a German name, originates from the name of a German doctor, Dr. Jürgen Klein (Jurand his wife Ulrike's (lique). Et Voilà.

So, next time, please DON'T pronounce it as /dʒuː.ˈlɪk/, pronounce it as /ˈjyr.lɪk/.


Enjoy your Christmas shopping and don't forget to learn something!

Vocabulary:
allergen -- [C] specialized
a substance which can cause an allergy (= condition of the body reacting badly to something) but which is not harmful to most people
aromatherapy -- [U]
the treatment of worry or nervousness, or medical conditions that are not serious by rubbing pleasant-smelling natural oils into the skin or breathing in their smell
residue -- [C usually singularformal 
the part that is left after the main part has gone or been taken away, or a substance that remains after a chemical process such as evaporation


diffuser -- [C]
a device which is used to make light less direct, especially one used with a fluorescent light, or spreading heat across an area or surface


Resources:
Jurlique Online Shop
http://www.jurlique.hk/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=95&cPath=5_91

Aromatherapy -- Safety Concerns @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aromatherapy#Safety_concerns

Origins of the German name Jurlique
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:nQdWZachDQYJ:www.gayot.com/lifestyle/spa/jurlique.html+jurlique+german&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk

IPA for German @Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_German

Pronunciation of IPA /y/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near-close_near-front_rounded_vowel

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/allergen
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/aromatherapy
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/residue
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/diffuser