How to Use Essential Oils for Better Skin- 6 Recipes to Get Started

General health |

 

 

Image by monicore

 

 

Essential oils have strong and unmistakable fragrances because they’re the most concentrated forms of plants and seeds. The most therapeutic molecular components of essential oils tend to be the aromatic ones. These beneficial molecules are smaller than the larger molecules in oils used for cooking, so your skin absorbs them easily. Amazingly, they’re able to modulate the chemical structures in your skin in ways that produce anti-aging and beautifying effects. Here are 6 ways you can use essential oils for healthier, younger and prettier skin:

 

1. Boost Collagen Production

 

Before modern medicine, people used plants to treat wounds. One way the plants worked was by boosting the skin’s production of collagen. Collagen is the structural protein required for new layers of skin to form. Higher collagen levels translate to a faster skin cell turnover rate, which keeps your skin looking young and rejuvenated. It also means having firmer and more elastic skin.

 

Because collagen reduces sagging and wrinkles, it’s used in many anti-aging skin care products. However, essential oils have the ability to naturally boost your skin’s own production of collagen, plus they’re more easily absorbed into your skin. Here are some essential oils known to boost collagen levels:

  • Carrot seed essential oil
  • Lemongrass essential oil
  • Cedarwood essential oil
  • Lemon essential oil
  • Sandalwood essential oil
  • Calendula essential oil
  • Geranium essential oil
  • Frankincense essential oil
  • Neroli essential oil
  • Rosehip essential oil
  • Rose essential oil

Firming Face Serum

 

This anti-aging serum boosts collagen levels to firm up your skin. It also moisturizes thirsty skin to keep the cells full and plump. Using it as a nightly face serum before bed lets the anti-aging benefits absorb in your sleep. After a few weeks, you may be surprised at the change you see!

 

You’ll need:

  • 4 Tbsp rosehip seed oil
  • 10 drops sandalwood essential oil
  • 10 drops geranium essential oil
  • 7 drops of carrot seed essential oil
  • 7 drops frankincense essential oil

 

Directions
Combine ingredients and store in a glass dropper bottle. Apply to your hands and gently massage onto your face after washing.

 

 

2. Erase Blemishes and Spots

 

Some essential oils equalize your skin tone and reduce imperfections. You can use them to diminish the appearance of blemishes, hyperpigmentation, acne scars, age spots, dark spots and sun spots. The best oils to use are:

  • Lemon essential oil
  • Sweet Orange essential oil
  • Rosehip essential oil
  • Sandalwood essential oil
  • Lavender essential oil
  • Carrot Seed essential oil
  • Frankincense essential oil

 

Flawless Skin Serum

 

In this skin serum recipe, rosehip seed oil is used as the carrier oil because it also helps promote an even skin tone. Lemon essential oil has lightening effects that brighten up your complexion and diminish dark spots. Frankincense essential oil heals scar tissue and reduces redness.

 

You’ll need:

  • 1 Tbsp rosehip seed oil
  • 4 drops lemon essential oil
  • 4 drops frankincense essential oil
  • Glass dropper bottle

 

Directions
Carefully combine the oils into a glass dropper bottle and shake gently to mix.

To use, place 3 or 4 drops of the serum onto your hands to apply to your face.

 

 

 Image by silviarita

 

 

3. Treat Acne and Prevent Breakouts

 

Many essential oils have bactericidal properties shown in studies to kill the same bacterium responsible for acne. They’re able to penetrate the deeper layers of skin where acne forms and cleanse it without the need for harsh chemicals.

Some essential oils can be used undiluted to spot-treat acne, including:

  • Tea tree essential oil
  • Thyme essential oil
  • Lavender essential oil
  • Rosemary essential oil
  • Rose essential oil
  • Oregano essential oil
  • Juniper berry essential oil
  • Clary sage essential oil
  • Cinnamon essential oil
Note
Avoid using these oils undiluted on skin that isn’t affected by acne, because they could cause irritation.

 

Anti-Acne Face Wash

 

If you’re prone to breakouts, use this as a daily facial cleanser to clear up and prevent acne:

 

You’ll need:

  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 3 Tbsp raw honey
  • 1 Tbsp raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar
  • 20 drops tea tree essential oil

 

Directions
Slowly melt the coconut oil and raw honey in a double boiler until just melted but not hot. (If you don’t have a double boiler, put a heat-safe bowl in a pot of hot water). Remove from heat and add the apple cider vinegar and tea tree essential oil. Combine well and store in a bottle or glass jar. To use it, wet your face and then apply the mixture, rubbing it gently into your skin. Rinse well and then moisturize if needed.

 

 

4. Tighten and Lift

 

Essential oils can work as natural astringents to contract skin tissue. This tightening effect reduces wrinkles and lifts sagging skin. It also shrinks large pores, helping you achieve “porcelain doll” skin. By tightening pores, essential oils normalize the skin’s natural oil production and prevent whiteheads, blackheads and acne from forming.

Astringent essential oils include:

  • Cedarwood essential oil
  • Geranium essential oil
  • Cypress essential oil
  • Lavender essential oil
  • Grapefruit essential oil
  • Lemon essential oil
  • Sweet orange essential oil
  • Peppermint essential oil
  • Juniper berry essential oil
  • Frankincense essential oil

 

Lavender Cypress Toner

 

Using a toner after washing your face tightens pores to prepare your skin for moisturizer. In this homemade recipe, witch hazel, lavender essential oil and cypress essential oil all provide astringency with no harshness. This mixture will also cleanse your face, fight free radicals, moisturize, prevent acne and equalize your skin tone.

 

You’ll need:

  • 4 oz bottle of witch hazel
  • ½ tsp vitamin E oil
  • 12 drops lavender essential oil
  • 12 drops cypress essential oil

 

Directions
Add other ingredients to the bottle of witch hazel and shake gently to combine.

 

 

Image by mohamed_hassan 

 

 

5. Moisturize and Soften

 

Skin cells are often dehydrated because when your body needs more water, it draws fluid inward from your skin. To ensure your skin retains moisture, you need a good moisturizer. When properly hydrated, your skin cells are more plump, which smooths out wrinkles and fine lines. Well-hydrated skin also has better cell metabolism–the rate at which new skin cells replace old ones.

 

Smoothing Sandalwood Face Cream

 

In this moisturizer recipe, shea butter provides a moisturizing base. Sandalwood essential oil is a natural source of hyaluronic acid–a staple component of many anti-aging products. Hyaluronic acid is moisture-binding, so it helps keep moisture locked into your skin. It also helps retain collagen and increase elasticity. Sandalwood oil reduces inflammation, promotes luminosity and lightens dark spots, so it’s a great essential oil to use if you want a more even skin tone.

 

You’ll need:

  • ¼ cup pure shea butter
  • ¼ tsp (25 drops) sandalwood oil
  • Small glass jar

 

Directions
Place the shea butter in a heat-safe bowl, then place the bowl in a pot of hot (not boiling) water. Or, use a double boiler if you have one. Allow the shea butter to liquefy, but remove it from heat before it becomes hot. Once removed from heat, mix in the sandalwood oil thoroughly and then store in a glass jar.

To use, pour a small dollop of the cream into your hand and smooth it over your face. You can use this as a daily moisturizer after using a facial cleanser and toner.

 

 

6. Fight Free Radicals with Antioxidant Support

 

It’s important to protect your skin against free radicals because they’re directly linked to the aging process. Free radicals are molecules that damage skin cells when they aren’t kept in check by antioxidants. Virtually all essential oils contain antioxidants because plants require antioxidants to protect them from sun damage. Besides neutralizing free radicals, antioxidants also have anti-inflammatory effects. Reducing inflammation improves circulation, boosts skin cell metabolism and promotes a more even skin tone.

 

Protective Carrot Seed Serum

 

This skin serum can protect your skin from the sun and other environmental factors and help keep your skin young by slowing the natural process of aging.

Vitamin A is an antioxidant highly regarded in the cosmetic industry for its ability to protect against free radicals and boost skin cell turnover. Carrot seed essential oil is a potent source of vitamin A. Myrrh essential oil is another oil with a high concentration of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Rose oil, in addition to its antioxidant benefits, also promotes skin permeation so that you can absorb more of the properties in this serum.

 

You’ll need:

  • 3 Tbsp rosehip seed oil
  • 10 drops carrot seed essential oil
  • 5 drops myrrh essential oil
  • 5 drops rose essential oil
  • 2-oz dropper bottle

 

Directions
Combine ingredients in a dropper bottle and gently shake to combine.

To use, apply to your hands and then gently rub into your face.

 

Final Note

Keep in mind that your facial skin is more sensitive than the skin on other body parts, so you want to carefully dilute essential oils to avoid irritation. The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy suggests using 6 to 15 drops of essential oil per ounce of a carrier oil when you’re using it on your face. People can have allergic reactions to essential oils, so you may want to patch test any essential oil on a small area of skin before using it on larger areas.

Citrus oils are photosensitive, so avoid putting them on your skin before going out in the sun. To be safe, only use them at night.

 

 

 

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