Is Lavender in Your Skincare Healing or Hurting You

Gorgeous lavender is the undisputed favourite essential oil for many,

Its stress-reducing benefits are undeniable, and it has a natural affinity with your skin.

You can balance oily skin and even zap your zits with it.

Its bacterial properties make it ideal for healing cuts and abrasions.

If you accidentally burn your skin, lavender will numb the pain.

It can even help with premature ageing, for crying out loud.

But with so many healing benefits, why is there so much controversy around using it?

We sat down with our founder, Samantha, a qualified aromatherapist.

To get the lowdown on just how skin-friendly lavender essential oil really is.

Can lavender cause skin sensitivity?

In my 30 years of working directly with the skin, I have never encountered a single client whose skin became sensitised from using a “true” lavender essential oil unless they were misusing it.

The reason lavender becomes sensitising is twofold:

1. If you are using an adulterated version
2. Or if you are not diluting it and using it on your skin

This is where I believe the confusion surrounding the use of lavender and skin sensitivity arises. It can be used at up to 2% on facial skin, provided it is diluted in a 98% oil, gel, or cream base; I have never had a problem with this concentration.

I have also used it at higher concentrations on the body for pain relief, stings, cuts, fungal infections, breakouts and general skin healing.

It is effective at treating burns.

Applying lavender essential oil neat to your skin is best reserved for burns; I’ve drenched my skin repeatedly with lavender to treat burns. I reapply it often, every 15 minutes, until the pain subsides.

And I have found it even faster when acting on burns, combined with helichrysum essential oil.

Aside from using this essential oil on your skin, there are some other great benefits.

It’s a lovely oil because of its calming and soothing properties when inhaled.

Put a few drops on your tissue and strategically place that inside a pillowcase, or add a few drops to a sauna, a bath, or even diffuse it.

Just be careful not to add too many drops, as this can have an adverse effect and make one hyperactive.

Essential oils are easily adulterated.

In my experience, when you use essential oils with awareness and reverence, they are safe and effective.

Still, they are biological communicators, not just lovely aromas, so they should always be treated respectfully.

Sadly, the essential oil market is rife with adulterated oils, especially lavender.

These can be extremely harmful, even in small quantities or light dilutions, which is another reason someone might be experiencing skin issues.

We prioritise purity and quality at the Naked Chemist, sourcing the best growers worldwide.

We also ensure they have been third-party tested to confirm they contain no synthetic additives or pesticides.

Thus, we provide our customers with the highest-frequency, therapeutic-grade essential oils available on the market so they know what they use on their skin is pure and healing.

Why lavender oil gets a bad rap

My approach to the ingredients we use here at the Naked Chemist always comes from a science perspective.

A study by Opdyke (1976) looked at the photo-sensitising effects of this essential oil and found that it had no such side effects when applied to the skin, unlike some citrus essential oils, which are photo-sensitising.

Taking this one step further, Bickers et al. (2003) examined the chemistry of Lavender essential oil, specifically linalyl acetate, which often receives a bad rap for its potential phototoxic properties.

The study found that linalyl acetate won’t irritate your skin or make it photosensitive.

Therefore, we can conclude that there is no risk associated with topically applying lavender. In fact, as shown below, lavender is also a potent protective ingredient against UV radiation.

Oxidation

A school of thought suggests that when lavender is applied to your skin, it oxidises, which can cause skin irritation.

Lavender oil contains unequal parts of linalool and linalyl acetate. Linalool shows more oxidation than linalyl acetate, indicating that its oil constituents may oxidise over time.

It is essential to note that oxidation does not occur overnight or while a skincare product is sitting on your skin; it takes time.

To avoid oxidation, well-formulated products containing lavender should include antioxidants, such as ferulic acid, grapeseed, or white tea extract. Adding as little as 0.1% of vitamin E is sufficient to prevent oxidation.

This recommendation comes from the International Fragrance Association (IFA), which suggests that any essential oil rich in linalool should include an antioxidant.

Is lavender cytotoxic?

Can lavender oil cause cells to die when applied to the skin?

This theory is based on the misconception that specific components, such as linalool, are cytotoxic. The research found that at concentrations of 0.125%, it can be cytotoxic to skin cells and dermal fibroblasts.

The study used live cells isolated in a petri dish, but cell membrane damage won’t occur at low dilutions such as this without direct contact with the skin.

Findings are based on in vitro tests; don’t assume the same effect would occur on your skin. Your skin has an acid mantle and protective barrier function, which you must consider.

However, even if you apply the essential oil to broken skin, it isn’t equivalent to testing isolated cells because your skin’s matrix is much more complex. Cytotoxicity may manifest as irritation, but it may also never irritate.

The most telling evidence is that this oil has been used at 4% for wound healing with no side effects.

Can lavender cause skin allergies?

It is the most widely used essential oil in aromatherapy. Global production is around 200 tonnes annually, so occasional reactions will occur.

Allergy to pure, unadulterated lavender oil is rare; a study by Meneghini et al. (1971) at 1% found no reactions in any of the 270 participants with eczema.

A further study found that 50 subjects who used it undiluted over 48 hours had no adverse reactions.

To conclude. The naked truth

So, as we can see, it is safe to use on your skin, provided you are using a “true” lavender essential oil. The benefits of using it on your skin far outweigh the negatives.

The research demonstrates that using it on your skin is not irritating or photosensitising and is considered a low-risk skin allergen.

We can see that scientists will also use dilutions to assess the action of the essential oils on the skin.

They are very concentrated, so be careful when using them. Ensure you dilute them correctly at 2% and avoid using a water-based gel or serum with lavender.

Essential oils are complex, and lavender oil is a big business. It is easily adulterated, so I recommend that you become your own label detective when purchasing lavender oil and ensure your skincare company sources it from reputable, integrity-driven suppliers.

Oil oxidation is a possibility, which can be avoided by adding vitamin E or another antioxidant to your blend. I recommend using undiluted lavender oil within 18 months of purchase and keeping it away from direct sunlight.

This research shows that, apart from its gorgeous colour and heady aroma, it is valuable in skincare for treating sensitivity and inflammation, breakouts, and healing cuts, wounds, and burns.

In my opinion, this is one essential oil that should be in your skincare kit for its healing properties.