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Ingredients
How to Use Essential Oils in Skincare
30
Jul
Jul
I see essential oils as nature’s precious gift to us.
I have to admit that I love working with essential oils.
The creation of The Naked Chemist was partly due to my fascination with aromatherapy.
I’m qualified as a clinical aromatherapist and highly passionate about the art of using essential oils.
It never ceases to amaze me how tiny plants create such excellent precious oils.
I love how powerful aromatherapy is for our well-being.
How to Use Essential Oils
Properties of essential oils
They are highly volatile compounds and can be extracted from the roots, leaves, woods, petals, and resins of botanical flowers, fruits, and trees.
The most common form of extraction is steam distillation; the expression is a specific method for extracting citrus oils.
Delicate materials such as Jasmine and Rose Absolute are extracted through a solvent or CO2 extraction.
The soothing oils can be very volatile and easily damaged by heat.
It is important to note that essential oils are very concentrated. Using them neat or in high quantities can irritate the skin.
They aren’t water-soluble, so you should never use them directly on your skin as they can cause significant irritation.
Essential oils and their use on the skin
Some components of essential oils are beneficial for the skin.
Those rich in sources of potent antioxidants like caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid or that contain antibacterial ingredients like manuka oil can protect against visible skin problems and acne inflammation.
However, many essential oils are not ideal for facial skin.
Many of my clients experience reactions on their faces, so I am cautious about what essential oils I use in my facial products and treatment.
An important fact to remember is that your skin is perfect at hiding when it’s irritated.
So, even if you don’t see a reaction, the inflammation still occurs beneath the surface; cumulatively, it can lead to problems you will see later on. I believe that irritation and inflammation are ageing.
It’s also worth mentioning that we are all metabolically different, so different amounts work for others.
Our school of thought is that less is best when working on clients with essential oils, increasing my dose if required.
Using essential oils on your body
Dosages
This will differ depending on the application you are using your essential oils for.
- For massage oil, I recommend for every 100ml using 1 ml of essential oil. You can gradually build up from there, depending on the concern you are treating.
- For shower gels and rinse-off products, I recommend using around 2-3ml
Pregnancy
Pregnant mothers should avoid using essential oils if possible, as some can bring on menstruation; these oils are referred to as emmenagogue.
Most importantly, have fun getting creative and venturing into the beautiful world of aromatherapy; I can guarantee it won’t be long before you become addicted.
Love this article! Essential oils are very beneficial for skin care and skin diseases. These oils work great for many skin problems. These contain many active ingredients that are beneficial for skin problems. Thanks for sharing the wonderful article.
Hi Amanda, so happy you liked the article and for the feedback yes essential oils are wonderful I totally agree
Dear Samantha,
Almost skin care products in the market contains essential oil, including sensitive skin care range.
When I check with the seller, one that claim that less than 1% essential oil contains in their products.
I am wondering it is safe for my sensitive skin as from your article, a maximum of 5% essential oil is suggested in the skin care.
Hi Shermie
This is a massive topic and there is so much misinformation available about this subject. When we consider essential oils and skin we need to think about transdermal absorption and the particular constituents. In the skincare and aromatherapy world, adverse skin reactions are divided into the following categories:Contact dermatitis, phototoxicity, and hypersensitivity, so as you can imagine it is difficult to ascertain what is the root cause of the reaction. My advise if you are having problems with sensitivity why not purchase a product without essential oils? And eliminate the risk. If you are considering to use them however the safe limit for facial cosmetics is 0.2 to 1.5% according to Robert Tisserand.
Hi Samantha,
Thank you so much for the great information. My daughter has really bad eczema with itchy dry skin and scarring. I am looking for essential oils and other natural remedies to treat it. She is 4 years old, it’s all over her body and even her face. Do you recommend any oils? Im unsure of how many drops of each I should put. Any advice would be really appreciated! Thanks.
Hi Serena
I feel for your daughter i really do, especially as i have such flare ups.
Eczema is far more complex than just applying a cream, I think it is systemic and should be treated as such, through an immunologist what is triggering the flare ups? I don’t recommend putting any essential oils on at all they are known irritants for eczema, the only thing I recommend is a soothing balm maybe with some chickweed, kawa kawa and manuka or even just a gentle calendula oil or lipid rich serum…..sorry I can’t be of more help but like I say it is internal rather then topical, be very careful what your put on the skin and make sure it is fragrance free as just about everything can set off eczema. Samantha
I have very dry skin due to hypothyroidism, low estrogen, and pain meds for fibromyalgia. I wish to make some body lotion bars and wondered which EOs would be best for me to mix with the butters, etc.
Hi Winona follow this article and also look up my plantascription for dry skin https://thenakedchemist.com/essential-oils-for-dry-skin/
I have lupus very dry face which oil would be the best
Hi Maria
I am really sorry to hear Lupus is really frustrating to treat. I would recommend mixing any of the lovely sensitive oils for your face especially Calendula https://thenakedchemist.com/plantascription-for-a-sensitive-thin-skin/ and mixing them up with any of the oils for dry skin … https://thenakedchemist.com/plantascription-for-a-dry-skin/ avocado, evening primrose and macadamia are all lovely choices.