The incredible sunflower –

Sunflower – Helianthus annuus

I love this flower and I love this oil!

Just to clarify, sunflower oil is NOT an essential oil, but a cold pressed oil we call a “carrier oil’ in aromatherapy – as it carries the essential oils in an oil blend for the body or face.

Lets start by looking at the flower.

* It’s a beautiful yellow colour – the colour of the sun.

* It’s shape could almost be considered like to sun too.

* It contains within the flower head, a fundamental pattern of nature called the GOLDEN RATIO or PHI RATIO.

A sunflower is a representation of the golden ratio

The Golden Ratio is a bit exciting as it exists all throughout nature and the cosmos. I can’t help but be drawn into the flower and into the secrets of life. Among many names the golden ratio is also called the divine ratio, and it has been used by artists, scientist and architects as an expression of perfection – as a mirror of our universe.

The golden ratio is approximately equal to 1.618. Basically the head of the sunflower contains many smaller flower heads. As each cell or floret is created, the next floret is made after turning on an angle. The entire pattern is then formed and it mesmerising!

The golden ratio

Brilliant isnt it?

So the sunflower is a little piece of the cosmos! And it they seem to have such great personality. Have you ever driven through France and seen fields of sunflowers? They have so much gorgeous energy.

They also follow the sun to absorb as much energy as possible. ‘Heliotropism’ is the sunflowers ability to track the sun’s movements… slowly moving the face of it’s flower toward the sun to receive the full impact of the sun’s rays. The leaves of the sunflower also track the sun turning slowly through the day to keep their broad surface to face the rays.

Fields in France – lavender and sunflowers

And now the oil.

High in omega-6 and omega-9, vitamins A, D, E, it also contains a high amount of vitamin E too. So basically it’s good to eat and it’s great as an emollient and skin moistuirser.

I use sunflower oil in all my treatments as it has a light to medium consistency with little scent. You can buy refined or filtered sunflower oil which is quite pale and has little or no scent. Pure sunflower oil is much richer and deeper in colour – an orangey/yellow – and has a mild scent. Therapeutically, unrefined sunflower oil will contain more vitamins and active ingredients but you may prefer a less scented version.

sunflower oil

This a great oil to use on the body and the face. You can also use sunflower oil as a hair moisturiser.

Add your essential oils to this happy, sunny carrier oil to create a beautiful, soft skin treatment.