Best Essential Oils For Skin Treatments

Each drop of an essential oil consists of plant hormones, therapeutic chemical compounds and a highly volatile aroma. It is quite an understatement to say that an essential oil is a plant product, because it is not just a product from a plant but in fact the life-force of the plant itself. Certain types of essential oils can help oxygenate, heal, rejuvenate and nourish your skin. Their great advantage in therapeutic skin treatments is that unlike most synthetic ingredients in skin care products that remain primarily on the skin’s surface, essential oils can penetrate all the way to the subcutaneous tissue layer.

Keep in mind that most essential oils are not supposed to be used “neat” or undiluted. You can dilute it in a base or carrier oil (almond, avocado, hazelnut, jojoba, olive, soybean, etc.) or water (for a bath). Below you will find a list of essential oils that are highly beneficial for the skin, tips on how to choose and store them, and some easy essential oil recipes for effective skin treatments.

Carrot seed essential oil is yellowish-orange in color, and has a unique spicy-sweet fragrance. It is very high in beta-carotene, and therefore extremely nourishing for the skin. With its ability to stimulate skin elasticity, carrot seed essential oil has been used in a number of skin care products.

Caution – Epileptics and pregnant women should not use this type of essential oil.

Essential oil recipe for facial massage

Combine 2 tablespoons jojoba oil and 6 drops carrot seed essential oil in a small dark glass bottle. Shake well to blend. Use about 1 teaspoon at a time for a 5-minute daily facial massage. (You should not use this massage oil if you have very oily skin.) This homemade massage oil is supposed to improve blood circulation and moisture retention, resulting in healthier and smoother skin. Keep it in a dry, dark cabinet for its maximum shelf life.

The German chamomile essential oil is so intensely blue that it normally turns many cosmetics teal, and so aromatic that it usually overpowers any formula it is added to. As a skin care medicine, it is extremely soothing, anti-inflammatory and antifungal. It can be used for all skin types even sensitive ones. From my personal experience, German chamomile essential oil is best for a sunburn home remedy.

Essential oil recipe for sunburn

Combine ¼ cup distilled water, ¼ cup aloe vera juice and 5 drops of German chamomile essential oil in a small spray bottle. Shake well and spray directly on the sunburned skin a few times a day. It really soothes the irritated skin and effectively prevents peeling. This homemade sunburn spray can be stored in a refrigerator for up to 5 months.

Lavender essential oil is one of a few essential oils that can be directly used on the skin without diluting. It is a powerful, yet gentle antiseptic that is good for all skin types and safe for everyone, even children and pregnant women. It has been widely used as an effective home remedy for minor burns, sunburn and bee stings.

To heal a minor burn, you can dab lavender essential oil on it directly, using cotton, or you can add about 10 – 15 drops of lavender oil in a cool bath, which will create a very soothing sensation to the burned area and relax your whole body.

Lemongrass essential oil has a very refreshing lemony aroma and yellowish-brown color. In the skin care industry, it has been added to skin cleansers and moisturizers due to its mild astringent property. Lemongrass essential oil can also help the skin eliminate wastes and toxins, therefore it is supposed to revitalize sagging, sallow skin such as that of smokers and people with repetitive stress.

To improve your skin condition, simply add about 10 drops of lemongrass essential oil to your bath and enjoy the refreshing sensation it gives you.

Caution – Should not use on sensitive skin.

Distilled from the leaves of an Australian tree, tea tree essential oil has a clean, medicinal scent and a pale yellow color. It is a powerful antibacterial and antieptic essential oil. That’s why it has been a popular ingredient in a lot of skin care products used for treating acne.

Essential oil recipe for skin toner

Boil 2 cups of water. Add 3 teaspoons dried yarrow. Remove from heat and let stand for about half an hour. Strain and let cool. Add 12 drops of tea tree essential oil. Keep refrigerated in a jar or bottle. This homemade toner is an effective herbal antiseptic to get rid of bacteria that encourages acne development. It can be refrigerated for up to a month.

Antiseptic and/or antibacterial essential oils - calendula, immortelle, inula, juniper berry, oregano, peppermint, spike lavender, thyme

Antiviral essential oils - blue cypress, oregano

Skin-regenerative essential oils - rosemary, spike lavender

• Quality essential oils are available in most health food stores and herb shops. They are unlikely to be cheap, as essential oil production is pretty labor-instensive and involves a lot of costly materials. There are also plenty of low-quality essential oils out there. It is therefore very important for you to be able to differentiate between low-quality and high-quality essential oils.
• Before buying an essential oil, always test for allergic reactions. Mix 1 drop of essential oil with 1 teaspoon base oil and dab it on your wrist or behind your knee. If no allergic reaction occurs within 24 hours, that essential oil is safe for you to use.
• An essential oil is actually not an “oil”, as it contains no fatty acids. Accordingly, it should not feel greasy or slippery the way vegetable oil does, but should be more like water. If it feels oily on your finger as you touch it, that means it is probably not a pure essential oil.
• To ensure that you are buying a pure and high-quality essential oil, look for “vintage”, “organic” or “g&a” (genuine and authentic) on the label.
• To maximize your essential oil’s shelf life, keep it in a bottle with a plastic screw-top cap, instead of a rubber top, as the strong vapors from the essential oil can gradually weaken the rubber and allow air into the bottle.
• Keep essential oils out of reach of children and pets, because they can be very harmful if ingested.