Essential oil skin care is a wonderful way to avoid possibly toxic ingredients in many commerical skin care products. Make sure you buy only high-quality essential oils or you may not receive the desired benefits.

Making Aromatherapy Creams and Lotions: 101 Natural Formulas to Revitalize & Nourish Your Skin recommends the following essential oils as a starting point:

For oily skin: cypress, lemon, tea tree

For dry skin: carrot seed, helichrysum, rose

For normal skin: geranium, lavender, myrtle

For sensitive skin: German chamomile, lavender, neroli

Note: Lemon and other citrus oils increase your skin's sensitivity to sun. After applying these oils, wait at least two hours before going out in the sun.

For more general aromatherapy essential oil information, visit my Using Essential Oils in Aromatherapy Hub or download my free aromatherapy ebook.

Toner for Normal Skin

Add the following essential oils to 2 fluid ounces of distilled water: 6 drops lavender, 1 drop clary sage, 1 drop chamomile, and 4 drops lemon.

Pour into a spray bottle. Essential oils and water will separate, so shake the bottle vigorously before spraying this refreshing blend onto clean skin.

Dry Skin Wash

Mix with 2 tablespoons of avocado oil: 10 drops sandalwood oil, 10 drops bois de rose oil, and 10 drops lavender oil.

Aromatherapy Skin Care Moisturizing Cream for Dry Skin

• 4 fl. oz. almond oil
• 3 fl. oz. rosewater
• 1/2 oz. beeswax
• 10 drops rose
• 5 drops lavender
• 4 drops bergamot
• 8 drops patchouli
• 8 drops sandalwood

Melt the wax and the almond oil in a double boiler. Reduce the heat and add the rosewater gradually in a thin stream, while vigorously stirring the mixture. As soon as the water is incorporated, remove from heat. When the mixture cools and turns creamy, add the essential oils.

Problem Skin Wash

Mix with 1 tablespoon of borage oil and 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil: 10 drops myrrh oil, 10 drops Palma Rosa oil, and 10 drops frankincense oil.

Oily Skin Facial Mask

Mix 3 tablespoons of white corn meal and almond meal (freshly ground raw almonds are better). Add the following essential oils: 10 drops lavender, 5 drops bergamot, and 3 drops of clary sage.

Add enough rosewater or orange flower water to make a wet paste. Using circular motions gently massage the mixture onto your face, avoiding the soft tissues under the eyes. Leave the mixture on for 15 minutes, and then rinse off with warm water. Finish the treatment by splashing cold water on your face to close your pores.

Reviving Face Mask

Mix with 1 tablespoon of iced water: 2 drops petit grain oil, 2 drops lemon oil, and 2 drops ylang ylang oil.

Mix with enough crushed almonds to make a paste. Apply as a face mask. Let dry, then rinse off.

Sun Care Blend

Mix with 4-8 ounces of cold water: 14 drops lavender oil and 1 drop peppermint oil. Use in an atomizer on sunny days, spraying yourself as needed.

Sunburn Mist

Add the following oils to 2 fluid ounces of distilled water: 9 drops of lavender, 2 drops of peppermint, and 1 drop of spearmint. Mist lightly over sunburned skin.

If you want to use essential oil skin care for acne, start with tea tree oil. You can dab it directly on a blemish. A study published in the Medical Journal of Australia showed tea tree oil to be just as effective as benzoyl peroxide for treating acne.

Other oils that you can dab directly on blemishes are lavender and bergamot. If you use bergamot, avoid sun exposure for 12 hours after applying the oil to your skin.

Rosewood Oil works best on oily skin by helping reduce sebum production. If you have dry or sensitive skin, do not use rosewood oil due to its strong drying properties.

Other essential oils to look for in acne care products are cedarwood and eucalyptus. You can get an Essential Beauty Serum for Acne Prone Skin from Young Living (it's listed under the Personal Care category).

For an acne care blend, mix 0.75 ounce jojoba oil with

• 8 drops tea tree
• 6 drops bergamot
• 4 drops lavender

Apply to face every evening, massaging around the pimple. Make the recipe with cream for daytime use (do not go into sun while using this blend).

You can also add a few drops of carrot oil to the mixture.

For a basic hair treatment, mix 1 tablespoon olive oil with 2 drops rosemary, oil, 1 drop lavender oil, and 1 drop bay oil. Massage scalp or apply to hair.

Try the following appropriate aromatherapy hair care remedy recipe by adding the essential oils to your shampoo.

Normal Hair: 3 drops of Lavender and 1 drop of Rosemary or Lemon

Oily Hair: 3 drops Juniper, 5 drops Lavender, and 2 drops Rosemary

Dry Hair: 2 drops Ylang Ylang and 2 drops Juniper

Dandruff: 4 drops Lavender and 2 drops Tea Tree

Learn more about essential oil skin care with online courses.