Thursday, April 9, 2020
Essential oils can work wonders on your skin. There's hundreds of essential oils to choose from, with benefits ranging from reducing wrinkles and exfoliating skin to healing scars and even clearing up acne. The key to adding essential oils to your skincare routine is to use them properly—meaning you'll have to mix drops of the oil in with a cream, moisturizer, or a carrier oil like jojoba, coconut, or argan oil. Be sure to scroll to the bottom for more on essential oil dilution and safety as you add oils into your skincare routine.
We consulted a few experts to guide us through the wonderful world of essential oils. Haley Jensen, Global Training and Education Content Manager on behalf of essential oils mecca Young Living, Catherine Garro, a Clinical Aromatherapist based in Australia, and Robert Tisserand, an essential oils educator and consultant who founded the world-renowned Tisserand Institute, shared their tips and tricks for using essential oils on your skin below, along with highlighting their favorite oils to use depending on your beauty and skincare needs.
1. Virgin Sweet Almond Oil
This nourishing oil creates glowing skin and is packed full of vitamins A, B, B2, B6, and unrefined and unsaturated essential fatty acids which are recommended in the treatment of skin disorders including psoriasis, eczema, dry skin and erysipelas (a type of infection). This oil benefits all skin types due the amazing combination of skin healing properties.
2. Virgin Sea Buckthorn Oil
The ultimate tissue healer, sea buckthorn oil is used externally to even skin tone and texture. It also improves skin issues such as acne, eczema and psoriasis. It reduces fine lines and wrinkles associated with aging and is full of antioxidants that protect the skin. The high concentration of the rare Omega 7 as well as Vitamin A and Vitamin E intensely moisturize and encourage cell turnover for bright, clear, healthy glowing skin and improved wound healing. This oil is suitable for dry, dehydrated, aging and sensitive skin types.
3. Cranberry Seed Oil
What’s really exciting about cranberry seed oil is that it’s the only oil we know of so far that naturally contains a balanced ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids. It absorbs well into the skin, giving you great hydration and glowing skin. It also means your skin is more likely to absorb the potent antioxidants, Vitamin E, and other nutrients from the oil. This oil is suitable for all skin types including acne prone skin.
4. Red Raspberry Seed Oil
Red raspberry seed oil is jam-packed with skin loving goodies like vitamin A and other essential oils. It is known for its abilities to naturally protect the skin from the damaging effects of UV sun exposure. Red raspberry seed oil is an excellent free radical scavenger and antioxidant, and a rich source of alpha and gamma tocopherol as well as y-tocopherol, along with carotenoids. It also has superior anti-inflammatory properties. This oil is suitable for all skin types and is especially beneficial for inflamed skin caused by acne or rosacea redness.
A Guide to Diluting Your Oils
A crucial part of using essential oils on your skin is first diluting them with a carrier oil or a moisturizer. "Using essential oil directly on the skin with no oil or moisturizer can be very drying to the skin as pure essential oils have no lipids in them," Garro said. "Mixing it [your essential oil of choice] with a carrier oil or a moisturizer means that it has a barrier to slow the absorption on the skin, which means it says on the skin longer."
Similarly, Jensen advises to start small by adding just a few drops of oil to your lotion or moisturizer at a time. "Essential oils are very potent and powerful," Jensen said. "A few drops go a long way and more is not always better, especially on sensitive skin."
When creating your mixture to dilute the oils, Tisserand recommends sticking to certain essential oil to lotion or carrier oil ratios depending on where you're using the product. For your face, he advises just .5 to 1.5 percent essential oil in your mixture, combined with a carrier oil or lotion. For your body, he recommends a mixture that is 1.5 to 3 percent essential oil, with the rest consisting of a carrier oil or lotion. Our experts recommended argan, jojoba, coconut, and sweet almond oil as a few carrier oils to try.
For even more information, the Tisserand Institute has an in-depth safety and dilution chart worth reading as you incorporate essential oils into your skincare routine.