At all three of the Illusion Unlimited hair salons in Cleveland, we are doing our best to get festive. It can be hard to get in the spirit with everything that is going on in the world, but that hasn’t stopped the elves at our salon in Parma, Ohio from trying!
There are a lot of things to love about the holiday season – even this year. And the sight – and smell – of a fresh Christmas tree is definitely one of them.
Pine trees offer a load of benefits, according to Health magazine. “According to a nearly 500-year-old legend, French explorer Jacques Cartier’s ship got stuck in the ice near Quebec. He and his crew faced certain death from scurvy (a vitamin C deficiency) until a tribal chieftain named Donacona brewed the sailors pine tea. It saved their lives and their explorations continued. Later, in the 1940s, a French researcher named Jacques Masquelier discovered that pine bark and needles contain vitamin C.”
That same researcher dug a little deeper and discovered that there are antioxidants in certain pine trees. “He extracted the compounds with hot water and patented his discovery as Pycnogenol,” Health reported. “Now marketed as a dietary supplement, Pycnogenol—which has been used as a jet lag remedy—has also been studied for its ability to ease circulatory problems, knee pain, and menstrual cramps; it may even improve memory in the elderly.”
The magazine goes on to say that pine or pine oil can also be beneficial for things like:
- Bronchitis, chest coughs and congested sinuses
“Add three drops of pine essential oil to a bowl of hot tap water, cover your head with a towel, and inhale the steam through your nose and mouth,” they recommend.
- Achy, sore muscles
“Add five drops of pine oil (P. pinaster) to two tablespoons of vegetable oil and use it to massage away muscle aches and pains. (Caution: Don’t use Scotch pine oil—P. sylvestris—on the skin, as it may be irritating.)”
From all of us at Illusion Unlimited Hair Salons of Parma, Ohio, best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday!
