Essential oils are very beneficial for most, if not all skin conditions. And there is a myriad of skin conditions that we may experience! I’ve listed some of them in alphabetical order with the essential oils that may be beneficial. You’ll notice that bergamot, carrot seed, chamomile, sandalwood, tea tree and especially geranium and lavender are mentioned frequently.
Below that I explain how one might go about creating a blend and how an aromatherapist would create a blend for you.
Acne: balsam fir, basil, benzoin, bergamot, black spruce, cajeput, camphor, carrot seed, cedarwood, chamomile Roman or German, cinnamon bark or leaf, clary sage, clove bud, cypress, frankincense, galbanum, geranium, grapefruit, helichrysum, juniper berry, laurel, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, lime, litsea cubeba, mandarin, manuka, melissa, myrtle, palmarosa, patchouli, peppermint, petitgrain, plai, rose, rosemary, rosewood, sage, sandalwood, orange, tea tree, thyme, turmeric, vetiver, yarrow, ylang ylang
Age spots: carrot seed
Anti-aging: bergamot, clary sage, geranium, oregano, rose, rosewood, ylang ylang, carrot seed, frankincense, galbanum, myrrh, spikenard, orange, lavender, niaouli, patchouli, sandalwood, sweet fennel, turmeric, vetiver, citronella
Athlete’s foot: benzoin, cedarwood, lemon eucalyptus, eucalyptus, frankincense, geranium, lavender, lemongrass, myrrh, patchouli, peppermint, pine, sage, sandalwood, tea tree, thyme, turmeric
Boils: basil, bergamot, chamomile Roman or German, clary sage, clove bud, galbanum, geranium, helichrysum, juniper berry, laurel, lavender, lemon, myrrh, niaouli, palmarosa, peppermint, rosemary, sage, sandalwood, tea tree, thyme
Broken capillaries: bergamot, chamomile Roman or German, cypress, geranium, lavender, lemon, neroli, peppermint, rose, rosewood
Burns: benzoin, carrot seed, chamomile Roman or German, clove bud, eucalyptus, geranium, helichrysum, lavender, marjoram, niaouli, Ravensara, tea tree, yarrow
Cellulite: angelica root, black pepper, carrot seed, cedarwood, chamomile Roman, cypress, geranium, ginger, grapefruit, juniper berry, lavender, lemon, lime, mandarin, patchouli, rosemary, sandalwood, sweet fennel, orange
Dermatitis/eczema: basil, benzoin, bergamot, black spruce, blue tansy, cajeput, carrot seed, cedarwood, citronella, eucalyptus, geranium, rose geranium, chamomile Roman or German, helichrysum, hyssop, jasmine, juniper berry, lavender, litsea cubeba, manuka, Melissa, myrrh, oregano, palmarosa, patchouli, peppermint, pine, rose, rosemary, rosewood, sage, sandalwood, spearmint, orange, tea tree, thyme, vetiver, yarrow
Psoriasis: angelica root, benzoin, bergamot, carrot seed, cedarwood, clary sage, frankincense, geranium, chamomile German, helichrysum, juniper berry, lavender, myrrh, niaouli, oregano, palmarosa, patchouli, peppermint, rose, sandalwood, tea tree, thyme
Rashes: benzoin, blue tansy, carrot seed, chamomile Roman or German, cinnamon bark of leaf, palmarosa, spikenard, tea tree, yarrow
Rosacea: bergamot, carrot seed, cypress, frankincense, geranium, chamomile German, helichrysum, lavender, lemon, neroli, patchouli, peppermint, rose, rosewood, sandalwood, vetiver
Shingles: basil, bergamot, lemon eucalyptus, eucalyptus, geranium, chamomile German, lavender, lemon, oregano, palmarosa, Ravensara, ravintsara, tea tree
Sun damage: blue tansy
Varicose veins: basil, bergamot, carrot seed, chamomile Roman, cypress, frankincense, geranium, juniper berry, lavender, lemon, myrtle, niaouli, palmarosa, rosemary, sandalwood, tea tree, vetiver, yarrow
Okay, let’s walk through an example. Say you’re concerned with anti-aging. You have an average to above average knowledge about (or experience with) essential oils and you have some on hand. You check the list above and have orange, lavender, and patchouli. You smell them together and decide to use one to three of them. You look up the safety of each oil just to be sure and get the green light. You decide to make a serum because it’s easy and you already have some almond oil on hand. You might put different combinations of essential oils on cotton balls until you find the blend you like best. Or maybe you live on the wild side and just start adding drops of the essential oils to your almond oil until it smells good. And if all goes well, you’re happy and looking great!
That sounded pretty good, so what would an aromatherapist do differently? Well, this aromatherapist (me, Deena) would want to know how old that orange essential oil is for starters, as with exposure to light, air and time it can become oxidized.
An aromatherapist would agree that almond oil isn’t a bad choice but would look for a carrier oil or two that may offer more benefits or feel less heavy. And maybe add some other beneficial ingredients such as vitamin E or squalane. Or if you prefer a lotion to a serum, an aromatherapist could whip that up for you. An aromatherapist would check contraindications, and that the oils wouldn’t interfere with your medications. The aromatherapist would have a bigger selection of essential oils to choose from, which leads to more scent choices but possibly better options as well. The aromatherapist is also familiar with top, middle and base notes, the strength of each oil and knows how to blend them together for a scent you’ll love. The aromatherapist is also aware of the dilution rate that should be used. An aromatherapist will tell you how to apply it, how often and for how long. And what if you also suffer from rosacea or psoriasis? An aromatherapist can do that too!
This aromatherapist, also offers lifestyle recommendations, such as diet, exercise, supplements, etc., as additional ways to achieve the results you’re looking for, at no extra cost. And this aromatherapist also does a free follow up to see if you have any questions or issues with your blend.
If you’re a do-it-yourselfer and want more information on essential oils, for skin or any other conditions, see Essential Oils and Essential Oil Benefits. If you’d like to book an appointment with a Certified Aromatherapist, Contact Us or for more information see Aromatherapy Services.
