Aromatherapy’s Anti-Aging Elixir: How 3 Essential Oils Can Transform Your Skin
While there is no dearth of products for anti-ageing but people are turning towards essential oils for this particular concern as they are natural and more than just skin care they have a holistic effect. As people age, the skin begins to break down and lose elasticity. This natural process causes wrinkles and fine lines to appear on the face around the forehead, mouth, and eyes.
Although essential oils will not eliminate wrinkles completely, they may be able to reduce their appearance. They are also a natural alternative to chemical creams and lotions. They may also:
Now that we spoke so highly of essential oils for anti-ageing let us look at the oils, we can turn to for this –
Sandalwood essential oil is one of the most fragrant of all oils that have been used widely in the beauty industry. It possesses a unique earthy aroma and holds a significant role in healing skin woes. The strong antioxidant nature of this oil is effective in scavenging free radicals from the skin and reduces oxidative damage. Furthermore, it flushes out the toxins from the skin and uplifts overall skin health and glow.
Lemon is well-known for its vitamin C content and potential health benefits for the immune system. However, lemon oils are also used in a variety of commercial skin care products to help reduce the signs of aging, such as wrinkles. All citrus essential oils, including lemon and grapefruit, make the skin more sensitive to sunlight. It is essential to avoid sun exposure for several hours after using citrus essential oils, so it is wise to apply them before bed.
The potent antimicrobial and antioxidant traits of rosemary essential oil help to cure skin problems like dermatitis, eczema, and rosacea. It is beneficial in maintaining the overall health and beauty of the skin. Rosemary essential oil is known to avert the alteration of the natural lipids of the skin surface and slow down signs of ageing.
Frankincense oil is well known for their potential to promote cell regeneration, fade away fine lines and wrinkles, and improve skin elasticity.
Credit: AP
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been discharged from the ICU but will remain in the hospital for “some time” as he recovers from pneumonia, according to his spokesperson.
In a post on social media platform X, spokesperson Ted Goodman said Giuliani, 81, was hospitalized earlier this week in critical but stable condition.
Giuliani, who served as New York City's mayor from 1994 to 2001, was previously diagnosed with restrictive airway disease following the infamous 9/11 terrorist incident, where he “took down the mafia, saved New York City, and ran toward the towers on September 11th".
However, the incident left Giuliani with lasting health complications, Goodman said, adding that the former NYC Mayor "is recovering from pneumonia”.
“The virus quickly overwhelmed his body, requiring mechanical ventilation to maintain adequate oxygen and stabilize his condition,” Goodman said.
Calling him the "same fighter he's always been, and he's winning this fight,” Goodman said that the "mayor and his family appreciate the outpouring of love and prayers sent his way”.
Notably, Giuliani is a longtime ally of President Donald Trump. In 2025, Trump also announced awarding Giuliani with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honor.
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung tissue, most often caused by infections. It can affect one or both lungs and can range from mild to life-threatening, especially in vulnerable populations like the elderly, young children, or those with underlying health conditions.
There are several types of pneumonia, classified based on their causes—bacterial, viral, and fungal—and each has distinct patterns of transmission and severity.
Pneumonia is not a single disease but a syndrome resulting from various infectious agents:
Bacterial Pneumonia: This is the most common type, often developing as a secondary infection after a cold or flu. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most frequent culprit.
Viral Pneumonia: Caused by viruses like influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), this type often starts in the upper respiratory tract and spreads to the lungs.
Fungal Pneumonia: This type is less common and usually affects individuals with weakened immune systems. It's typically contracted through environmental exposure, such as to soil or bird droppings.
Pneumonia can be insidious. It often begins with symptoms that mimic the flu: headache, fatigue, and fever. But as the infection progresses, signs become more serious:
Credit: NEJM
In a shocking case, a 68-year-old woman in the US who took antibiotics for inflammation developed an alarming skin reaction, leaving her skin black and blue.
The unusual case, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), noted that the woman developed dark patches on her skin very quickly, within two weeks of starting the drug — a course of minocycline, an oral antibiotic.
Two weeks before the onset of the skin changes, she had started taking 100 mg daily of oral minocycline to treat rosacea, which causes chronic inflammation and redness of the face.
Over the course of six weeks, dark patches appeared on the woman's arms and legs. It ranged from a bruise-like dark blue and purple to jet-black.
Her doctors also noticed blue-gray "hyperpigmentation" on the woman's forearms and shins, as well as on the sides of her tongue. The woman noted that the patches had first appeared on her legs before cropping up elsewhere.
Rosacea is a common skin condition that leads to the formation of small, red bumps and pus-filled pimples on the skin, and evidence suggests that antibiotics like minocycline can help eliminate those bumps.
Writing in the paper, Aarti Maharaj, from the University of Florida, shared that hyperpigmentation is a well-established side effect of minocycline, in which patches of skin become darker than the skin surrounding them.
While the condition typically develops after months of treatment, it may rarely occur with shorter courses, the expert said.
In this case, the woman was diagnosed with type II minocycline-induced hyperpigmentation, which is "defined by blue-gray discoloration of normal skin on the extensor surfaces of the arms and legs," according to Maharaj.
Doctors advised the patient to stop taking minocycline and to avoid sun exposure, as ultraviolet light is thought to worsen hyperpigmentation in these cases. Six months later, the hyperpigmentation in her limbs had "abated somewhat" but was still visible.
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According to Mayo Clinic, minocycline belongs to the class of medicines known as tetracycline antibiotics. It works by killing bacteria or preventing their growth. However, this medicine will not work for colds, flu, or other virus infections.
It causes hyperpigmentation:
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According to a frequently cited study, the side effect shows up in about 28 per cent of people in this population, although that research included only a small number of patients. The true incidence of the side effect is unclear, Live Science reported.
Once a person stops taking minocycline, the pigmentation can take months to years to dissipate, reports suggest. In type III cases, it sometimes never goes away.
Credit: Canva
Kidney disease is one of those conditions where myths quietly cause a lot of damage. Misinformation about symptoms, diet, medicines, and treatment can delay diagnosis, worsen kidney health, and prevent people from taking simple steps that could protect their kidneys early on.
Myth: Kidney disease is rare.
Fact: It’s actually quite common, but many people don’t even know they have it.
Myth: You’ll feel it if something is wrong.
Fact: Early chronic kidney disease (CKD) is usually silent, and symptoms often appear only after significant damage has already occurred.
Even something as simple as a slightly raised creatinine is often ignored.
Fact: Even mild elevations can signal a meaningful loss of kidney function.
Myth: Dialysis cures kidney disease.
Fact: Dialysis does not cure kidney disease. It only replaces some kidney functions to help keep the body in balance.
Myth: If dialysis is needed in Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), it means lifelong dialysis.
Fact: Dialysis in AKI may be temporary. In advanced CKD, however, it is often long-term or lifelong unless a kidney transplant is performed.
Myth: More water is always better.
Fact: Hydration is important, but too much water isn’t helpful for everyone—especially in advanced CKD, where fluid intake may need to be restricted.
Myth: All kidney patients should eat the same diet.
Fact: Kidney diets are highly individualized. High-protein diets, often seen as healthy, can increase stress on damaged kidneys. Plant-based proteins can be a suitable alternative in many cases.
Myth: Herbal or indigenous remedies can cure or prevent kidney disease.
Fact: Many of these remedies are unregulated and may actually worsen kidney damage because of hidden toxins or heavy metals.
Myth: Painkillers are harmless.
Fact: Regular use of medicines like NSAIDs can quietly damage the kidneys over time.
At the end of the day, kidney disease isn’t just about treatment—it’s about awareness. Getting the facts right can make all the difference.
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