Skincare is as important as caring for the other parts of your body. The use of essential oil on skin can be a great way to achieve several skin-related goals, including keeping it smooth and vibrant, fighting any skin infections and irritations, as well as invigorating your senses. You can make it a part of your beauty regime for long-term benefits. Read on to understand what essential oils for the skin are, how you can use them most appropriately, and what precautions to take to avoid side effects.
What are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are nothing but highly concentrated and volatile plant extracts made from seeds, leaves, and flowers. They are drawn out through varying methods, and many of them, like lavender and rose, are quite popular skincare products. These oils have been used for aromatherapy due to their scents, but they’re now gaining recognition for their skincare powers, just as essential oil for skin lightening.
If you wish to try essential oil on skin, you may consider speaking with a dermatologist. Below we have mentioned which essential oils can be good for your specific skin conditions. Here we go:
Essential oils for dry skin
Dry skin can be a result of climate, age, or reduced activity in the sebaceous (or oil) glands of your pores. While one can manage dry skin with moisturizers and creams, there are some essential oils also that can provide relief:
- Lavender: It is a multipurpose oil that can be used for sleep, relaxation, balancing moisture levels in your skin, reducing redness (inflammation), and hydration without making the skin too greasy.
- Chamomile: Chamomile oil consists of azulene which increases moisture and reduces inflammation.
- Sandalwood: Its compounds reduce inflammation and promote skin moisture.
Best essential oils for oily skin
Skin tends to become oily when the sebaceous glands start creating excessive oil on the skin’s surface. Humidity, hormones, and heat can further worsen the oily skin. Here are some essential oils for face that can help alleviate such issues:
- Clary sage: It contains active compounds and helps control excess sebum. It also helps control acne and reduce wrinkles appearing on mature skin.
- Rosemary: Having anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and stimulating properties with ingredients like esters, the rosemary oil can help keep excess sebum away.
Oils like Frankincense, Geranium, and Neroli can also prove good for oily skin with properties like alkaline nature and ability to even out skin hydration.
Essential oils for sensitive skin
Sensitive skin refers to skin that is more prone to irritation or inflammation when exposed to triggers such as environmental, and harsh chemicals. oily or dry skin can be sensitive if one has eczema, allergies, or other skin conditions. It is advised to avoid the use of highly acidic oils like lemon and lemongrass for sensitive skin. Essential oils for face that can be considered include:
- Lavender
- Sandalwood
- frankincense
Essential oils for acne-prone skin
Acne breakouts can be a result of inflammation. With acne, it is important to remove excess oils without causing the skin to become dry. Oils that can be helpful include rosemary frankincense, and clary which have anti-microbial properties. Other best essential oils for skin include the following:
- Lemon: It is derived from the peel of citrus fruits and fights inflammation and free radicals that could result in acne and photoaging.
- Lemongrass: It carries natural astringent properties, acts as an antimicrobial to fight pimples, and removes excess dead skin cells.
- Cinnamon: It contains antioxidant compounds like cinnamic acid and prevents inflammatory acne symptoms like cysts, pustules, and nodules.
- Tea tree: A notable antiseptic in alternative medicine, it fights both bacteria and inflammation.
Essential oils for skin rashes
Certain essential oil for brightening skin can help alleviate the itchiness of skin rashes and balance out moisture. These include:
- Lavender
- Cinnamon
- Geranium
Essential oils for skin pigmentation
Acne scars and age spots are also a matter of concern. They can result from sun exposure, and the following essential oils for skin whitening can be used as a serum to even out skin tone:
- Pomegranate: It carries antioxidant properties and promotes healthy and even skin.
- Carrot seed: This essential oil on skin can reduce scarring and wrinkles.
- Tangerine: It also tones the skin and makes it smoother.
Essential oils for mature skin
To slow down the loss of skin elasticity and collagen with age and prevent sagging, wrinkles, and fine lines, essential oils good for skin with such condition/s include:
- Rose: It contains vitamins A and C, promotes skin cell turnover, and creates a younger-looking skin.
- Myrrh: This essential oil for brightening skin promotes circulation to create brighter and more refined-looking skin.
Essential Oil On Skin: Using It the right way
The best essential oils for skin can be inhaled or applied topically but never ingested or used around the eyes. You may first choose to try them on a patch of skin for 24 hours to be sure you aren’t allergic to them.
You can use a diffuser to disperse the oil in a room where you can breathe it in. For better results, you can directly massage the essential oil on skin after diluting the oils with carrier oils like almond or olive oil. Using just a few drops is also enough. Lastly, you can bathe in essential oils.
Precautions to avoid side effects
You need to make sure you are using a product (oil) that is not harmful to your skin, as the oils can cause skin irritation, allergies, and rashes, especially when exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet light and when not diluted with carrier oils like jojoba oil.
It is always recommended that you first take a dermatologist’s advice before trying any new essential oil on skin, especially if you’re pregnant or breast-feeding.
Conclusion
Essential oils come with soothing properties for varying skin conditions. Using them with utmost care can help you reap the maximum benefits of the available essential oil products and avoid all possible side effects. Note that you must stop using an essential oil product if found allergic to it. Rest, the oils are a great way to enhance the skin’s youthfulness, beautify it, and keep it glowing.
