Hope Gillerman
Essential oils have long fascinated Hope Gillerman for their natural healing powers. She began her journey to skincare developer as a teacher of the Alexander Technique. As a teacher, she was drawn to the healing power of essential oils and began developing her own holistic remedies, dubbed H. Gillerman Organics. To fine tune her blends, she studied Traditional Chinese Medicine with a master teacher practiced in the powers of essential oils. Next she tackled skincare with the recently launched line of HGO LAB Organic Skin Care. Designed to nurture the skin from within using only the purest organic and wild-crafted essential oils, HGO LAB Skin Care products are produced in extremely small batches – handmade every two months. They are 100% preservative free, 97% to 100% organic and safe and effective for even the most sensitive skin types. Read on to learn how this healing line was developed.
We understand that you are an Alexander Technique teacher. Can you explain what the Alexander Technique is?
The Alexander Technique is a 100-year-old wellness method that is highly effective for back injury, chronic pain, computer-related injuries and stress. I like to think of it as the thinking person’s solution to postural alignment, pain relief, and increased energy and stress management.Â
How did you transition from Alexander Technique instructor to skincare developer?
It has been a long but very organic process. It took me about 10 years to create the skin care line, and that was before I created HGO LAB skin care, which is really new (we just launched in March). As an experienced healer and wellness professional dealing with increased everyday stresses and pressures, I was drawn to the healing power of essential oils. I became a certified aromatherapist and studied with a master in the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) system of using essential oils for multi-dimensional healing. Soon I was developing my own holistic remedies and incorporating them into my New York City practice. These became the H.Gillerman Organics collection of essential oil based remedies.
But after all of this healing work, my skin was still a mess!!! I had rashes, breakouts, and blotches – awful. TCM advocates the use of flower oils for skin care, and since my essential oil remedies had proven so effective, I was pretty sure that the right essential oils would help my skin – and they did!
I wanted other people to have access to how essential oils can really help the skin to stay young-looking, supple and problem-free. Most natural products are too harsh for people with sensitive skin and essential oils are commonly used in too high a concentration.
What inspired you to create the H. Gillerman Organics line of products?
I developed the H. Gillerman Organics line of remedies as a resource for optimal health. These products will help you deepen your breathing, relax your muscles, improve your sleep, adjust to climate and temperature changes, lift your spirits and sharpen your focus. But I really began by responding to the needs of my Alexander Technique students. My students chose the remedies to complement a range of stress-relieving activities such as yoga, exercise and meditation.
HGO LAB skin care was inspired by my own search to help my own skin problems via essential oils and the purest skin care I could create.
Please describe the product lineup.
The H. Gillerman Organics line consists of 8 exclusive and complex essential oil blends grouped into four color and icon coded categories, making it easy for the user to select the perfect remedy solution. Each category includes one 100% Essential Oil Blend for inhaling and pulse points, and one roll-on body and bath oil. The categories are: Breathing (Green), Relaxation (Purple), Rest (Blue), and Mental Focus (Orange).
The HGO LAB Skin Care line comprises five products all made by hand in small batches from the purest ingredients available and includes: HGO LAB Grapefruit Face Wash, HGO LAB Neroli Face Oil, HGO LAB Flowers Face Balm, HGO LAB Flowers Lip Balm, HGO LAB Hand & Body Balm.
How does Chinese medicine fit into your beauty product philosophy?
I trained in the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) system of using essential oils for multi-dimensional healing. TCM deals with healing the whole person – not targeting specific areas and then treating them individually. So to treat a skin condition, you have to treat the root cause of the problem – that is what TCM does so well.
There is no chemist that could fabricate the complexity of what an essential oil does once you have absorbed it into your body. With cosmeceuticals – each chemical has to do a different action – with essential oils – and especially those essential oils that come from flowers – they do it all – balance hormones, reduce the stress that is stressing your skin out, heal and rebuild the tissues, give you a heavy dose of anti-oxidants, detox your skin, protect it from the damaging effects of our pollutant rich environment, reduce redness and inflammation – and these are just the generalized benefits of essential oils- each oil ads its own special benefits. Â
Why is the use of organic and wild crafted flower oils so important?
All essential oils are simply not created equal. Essential Oils must be organic and wild-crafted to receive their true healing benefits. When an essential oil is processed for mass production, the oil is degraded, reducing the benefits. At H. Gillerman Organics, we don’t use processed oils or imitation fragrance. We use only the highest quality, undiluted, unaltered organic and wild-crafted essential oils, sourced from all over the world.
In addition to your products, what lifestyle tips do you recommend for a healthy complexion?Â
Exercise, eat right, sleep eight hours, and don’t let your mind dwell on your worries and things that aren’t important – the obvious stuff – and use essential oils every day – use them in your daily routine – in the shower, on your face, at the office, before you work out, after you work out and on vacation.
Also, don’t forget to breathe. The first step to reducing stress is breathing more efficiently so you can oxygenate your blood and soothe your nervous system. Everything starts with proper breathing and that includes healthier and better looking skin.
Here’s a little exercise you can do to help breathing:
Start by exhaling out first – exhale until you feel you have no more air in your lungs – you will automatically breathe in – you can’t prevent that. Now exhale again – fully – but this time, don’t force the air out – and you will naturally breathe in again. Now exhale the air out by silently saying the words “lalalala…..” or “ah” and you will relax your jaw, throat, tongue, and neck – all the areas where we tense up first. Never let your teeth touch and keep your tongue in the bottom of your mouth – not pressed against the roof of your mouth. Relaxing the jaw and the breathing are basic for helping the whole body relax. If you are at home – do this lying down with a pillow under your head and knees bent, feet by your hips.
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