Essential Oils for Easy Skin Care

There are many essential oils that are wonderful for incorporating into daily personal care routines, especially to care for the skin. Of course, when you use oils on your skin, it means you are applying them topically, to your body. Therefore, it is very important to know how to dilute essential oils properly. Essential oils should rarely be used “neat” (without dilution) on the body’s skin. If you do not dilute them, it is possible to become sensitized, and that would not be good, because then you might not be able to use essential oils! Essential oils need to be diluted in a carrier oil, that will “carry” the essential oil into the body. Carrier oils are usually cold-pressed, from the fatty parts of plants. Almond oil is an example, as is coconut oil. If you do not know how to dilute essential oils into carrier oils, please go to the “Resources” tab on my website and fill out the “form” to receive my Safety Sheet! Click here

I promise, it does not have to be complicated. I use a paper bathroom cup and mix up one-time-use “remedies” in small amounts, for massage, health concerns, etc. all the time! Super easy.

There are a small number of essential oils, the citrus oils, that can make your skin photosensitive, which means your skin will be more sensitive to the sun. *Do not put citrus oils on your body prior to sun exposure.*

There are three main purposes for the aromas found in essential oils. Essential oils that come from plants can be protective, meaning their purpose is to protect the plant from pests and/or disease. Along these lines, another purpose is as a repellant. Many essential oils make great pest repellants. Essential oils are also made by plants for the purpose of attracting pollinators, to propagate the species. Most of these attractive essential oils are made by flowers. Makes sense, right? Oils made by the most attractive part of the plant help attract what the plant needs to reproduce. Likewise, for us humans, using attractive essential oils in personal care products not only can support the health of our outside appearance, but could promote attraction of ourselves to others…

Many of the skin, personal care or “beauty” oils come from flowers. They are designed, by nature, to make you look and feel more attractive. Examples are Chamomile, Clary Sage, Geranium, Helichrysum, Jasmine, Lavender, Neroli, Rose and Ylang-Ylang. Chamomile, when used on the face, calms inflammation. Geranium minimizes the appearance of wrinkles and Lavender has a reputation for healing minor skin ailments quickly. Rose evens out the complexion. Floral oils, like Jasmine and Ylang-Ylang, are known for enhancing libido too!

What other reasons are there to use essential oils in your personal care routines? Many commercial products contain toxic ingredients. Depending how the products are used, these toxic ingredients enter our bodies. If the toxic ingredients are inhaled when you use the product, like in the case of an aerosol hair product, the toxic ingredients enter via our respiratory system. Fragrance is another ingredient that is inhaled and can be toxic. Fragrance is synthetic and chemically created in a lab, unlike aromas from essential oils, which are natural and come from plants. Formaldehyde is often found in fragrances. Toxic ingredients in personal care products are often absorbed into the skin too, ingredients like parabens, phthalates and triclosan. Organic and natural personal care products purchased at the store can be expensive, and making your own products is inexpensive and super easy!

Here are 3 of my easiest “do-it-yourself” recipes for homemade personal care products. The recipes are for a scrub, a simple aromatic lotion, and a skin serum.

You can make a super simple scrub by combining:

1 part carrier oil, to 2 parts sugar or salt

(so, that means, if you use ½ cup oil, use 1 cup sugar or salt)

15-20 drops essential oils for aroma (adjust as needed depending on size of container)

Add dried herbs or flowers from your garden

Or an aromatic lotion

Squirt a teaspoon (this can be approximate, this is not rocket science!) of fragrance-free lotion into your palm, drip 3 drops of chosen essential oil(s) into lotion, massage into moist skin.

Or skin serum

1 ounce carrier oil chosen for your skin type, 18 drops skin-friendly oil discussed above

  *refer to your Safety Sheet for the proper ratio of essential oil to carrier oil*

I make my own body scrubs, add essential oils to my unscented body lotion and make skin serums for the skin around my eyes (but not close enough to get in my eyes!) and lips, the two places where I have the most wrinkles!