The Ultimate Guide to Essential Oils for Skin Care
Essential oils Face Oils Natural Beauty Natural Skincare
Looking to add essential oils to your skincare routine? Wondering which ones and how!? Let’s take a closer look at the best essential oils for skin by skin type, how to use essential oils on skin safely, and some fun, simple ways to start adding them to your natural beauty routine!
Are essential oils part of your natural beauty routine yet?
By the end of this guide, they will be!
Essential oils can help keep skin clear, fight the signs of aging, increase skin elasticity, and so much more.
I’ve already blabbed on and on to you about my obsession with face oils and how they have helped me attain and maintain a clear, (as-close-to-)flawless(-as-I’ve-come-since-infancy) complexion. Well consider this part 2…
IN THIS BLOG POST, YOU’LL FIND:
P.S. I recently took my obsession for face oils and bottled it up! The Body Unburdened Beauty Blends are made with the highest quality organic ingredients… and so much love by yours truly just for you.
First things first, what are essential oils?
Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts.
They capture the plant’s scent and flavor, or “essence,” plus its unique chemical properties.
Because of these unique chemical properties and their benefits, essential oils have long been used in herbal and natural medicine, as well as aromatherapy.
The BIG difference between essential oils and carrier oils you must know
If you want to learn about essential oils, you’ll also need to learn about carrier oils. This is especially true if you plan to use essential oils for skin application and health!
There is a big difference between the two, though they’re most typically used hand-in-hand, blended together.
Carrier oils are vegetable oils that are derived from the fatty portion of plants, usually from the seeds, kernels or the nuts.
Examples of carrier oils: coconut oil, jojoba oil, argan oil, sunflower seed oil, rosehip seed oil, evening primrose oil, and many more.
Can essential oils be used on skin?
The answer: yes and no.
Only some essential oils are safe to use on your skin, and even those essential oils must be properly diluted in a carrier oil. You can also dilute them in butters (like shea, cocoa, or mango) or aloe vera.
Remember: essential oils are very concentrated herbal extracts and very strong!
So if applied undiluted, essential oils can cause skin irritation and burning, which we of course don’t want.
How to use essential oils on your skin: 3 must-know rules
Rule #1: Essential oils should’t be applied to the skin “neat” or undiluted
They should always be diluted in a carrier oil like argan oil, jojoba oil, pumpkin seed oil, grapeseed oil, etc.
You can find the best carrier option for your skin type here: The Best Face Oils By Skin Type
Opinions on proper dilution ratios vary, though most recommendations are between 1% and 2% of the final product.
Since there are 20 drops in 1 ml and 29 mL in 1 oz, for every 1 oz of carrier oil:
- 2% dillution = no more than 12 drops of essential oils
- 1% dillution = no more than 6 drops of essential oils
Rule #2: Be sure to do a patch test
This is to make sure your skin does not have an adverse reaction to the essential oils.
The inner forearm is a great place to do a test since the skin is delicate, similar to facial skin.
Rule #3: Some essential oils cause photosensitivity and so should not be used on the skin
In other words, these essential oils make your skin more vulnerable to UV rays. This in turn makes skin more vulnerable to uncomfortable sunburn as well as premature aging.
Essential oils that are known to cause photosensitivity:
- Angelica root Angelica archangelica
- Bergamot peel Citrus aurantium
- Bitter orange peel Citrus sinensis
- Cumin seed Cuminum cyminum
- Grapefruit peel Citrus paradisi
- Lemon peel Citrus limonum
- Lime peel Citrus aurantifolia
- Mandarin leaf Citrus reticulata
- Rue leaf Ruta graveolens
You may see varying safe dilution amounts for these essential oils. But my thought process is is: why take the risk when there are SO many other essential oils with wonderful skin benefits and no risk of photosensitivity? It’s just not worth it.
The 10 best essential oils for skin
The following ten essential oils help remedy a number of skin conditions — from acne to aging, dryness to oiliness.
And when combined with the right carrier oils — see the best face oils by skin type — you’ll see absolutely amazing results!
Carrot Seed Essential Oil — aging skin, reducing scarring
Carrot seed essential oil is rich in antioxidants, helping to neutralize inflammation and wrinkle-causing free radicals (source).
It has a rejuvenating effect on the skin, helping to keep skin smooth skin and aid cell regeneration. For this reason, it’s prized as one of the best essential oils for aging skin.
Frankincense Essential Oil— acne and blemish-prone skin, aging skin, reducing scarring, dry skin
Ah, the go-to essential oil for all skin needs!
Frankincense essential oil works wonders for all skin types. It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits to the skin, making it great for acne-prone skin. It is also a natural toner, decreasing the appearance of pores and evening skin-tone. It encourages new cell growth, helping to tighten skin and reduce wrinkles and the appearance of scars. It also helps soothe chapped, dry skin. (source)
Geranium Essential Oil — acne and blemish-prone skin, aging skin, reducing scarring, dry skin, dermatitis, eczema
This sweet-smelling essential oil also does it all.
Geranium essential oil is a powerful anti-inflammatory (source). It helps improve skin elasticity and smooth the skin. It also promotes blood circulation to the skin, helping to heal bruises, broken capillaries, burns, cuts, dermatitis, eczema, ringworm, and other skin conditions.
Lavender Essential Oil — acne and blemish-prone skin, aging skin, reducing scarring, dry skin
Lavender essential oil is one I suggest no one goes without! It smells amazing, helps you relax and your body adapt to stress, and (of course!) has great benefits for the skin.
Lavender essential oil is a powerful anti-inflammatory (source), helps speed the healing of wounds, and increase collagen production (source). This is why it’s so is great for aging, mature skin, as well as blemish-prone skin.
Myrrh Essential Oil — acne and blemish-prone skin, aging skin, reducing scarring, dry skin
Myrrh essential oil is especially great for aging and chapped, irritated skin.
It has strong antioxidant properties (source) that help improve skin tone, firmness, and skin elasticity, helping to reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Myrrh is also one of the best essential oils for healing skin irritations and chapped skin (source).
Neroli Essential Oil — acne and blemish-prone skin, aging skin, reducing scarring, dry skin
Neroli essential oil is wonderful for oily, sensitive, and mature skin. Yes, another great essential oil for all skin types!
This antioxidant, anti-inflammatory essential oil contains a natural chemical called citral, which helps regenerate cells. For this reason, it’s said to be very good at preventing and healing stretch marks, as well as smoothing fine lines. Its antibacterial properties also aid blemish-prone skin. (source)
Patchouli Essential Oil — aging skin, reducing scarring, dermatitis, eczema
Patchouli essential oil promotes new cell growth and smooths the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Because it also has antiseptic, anti-fungal, and antibacterial properties, patchouli EO is also great for skin conditions like eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, and acne.
Rose Essential Oil — aging skin, reducing scarring, dermatitis, dry skin
Rose EO is one of the best essential oils for dry skin as well as aging, mature skin.
Researchers have found that it contains several therapeutic compounds known to promote healing, especially antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory compounds. As a result, rose essential oil helps refine skin texture and tone, and can be helpful with managing skin conditions such as psoriasis and dermatitis. Interestingly, one study even found that just inhaling rose essential oil inhibits water loss in the skin!
Studies also indicate that rose essential oil also helps alleviate stress and anxiety, which raise cortisol levels and so accelerate skin aging and can trigger breakouts! In this more holistic way, rose essential oil also benefits the skin.
Tea Tree Essential Oil — acne and blemish-prone skin
Tea tree essential oil is one of the more well-known essential oils for acne and blemish-prone skin.
Its antibacterial properties help ward off acne-causing bacteria and assist wound healing. It also helps to regulate oil production, helping fight breakouts before they even start. (source)
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil — acne and blemish-prone skin, aging skin, reducing scarring
Ylang ylang essential oil is one of my favorite essential oils because of its rich, floral fragrance. It smells amazing!
But ylang ylang is so much more than its scent: this essential oil helps control oil production and minimize breakouts. It also helps regenerate skin cells, smoothing fine lines and improving skin elasticity. (source) Another great essential oil for every skin type!
How to use essential oils in your skincare routine: 2 fun ways to get started
Essential oils play a big role in many natural skincare DIYs, to add both a natural scent and their beneficial properties.
Here are 2 fun ways to get get started:
1. Customized face oil blend
Read through How to Make A Custom Face Oil Blend (Perfect for YOUR Skin) to learn everything you need to know about selecting the right carrier and essential oils to make a face oil bend that’s perfectly suited to your skin.
And if you have blemish-prone skin, check out my DIY All-Natural Face Oil for Acne-Prone & Oily Skin.
2. Body scrub
An all-natural body scrub that exfoliates, moisturizes, and provides the aromatherapeutic and skin-loving benefits of essential oils? Yes, please! Plus, they’re SO simple to make.
- Luxurious Tangerine & Rose DIY Sugar Scrub Recipe
- Moisturizing Mojito DIY Sugar Scrub Recipe
- DIY All-Natural Vanilla Latte Body Scrub
Do you use essential oils in your skincare routine?
I’ve had amazing results with essential oils and carrier oils — my skin is clearer and brighter than it has ever been, and my acne scars and sun spots are slowly but surely fading.
Do you already incorporate essential oils in your skincare routine?
Which ones?
If not and you decide to try one or two (or more!), please give us an update on how they are working for you!
Hey Nadia
Ive used your blog as a guidline for all the oils ive purchased Ive seen some EOs online, like the NOW brand, that have 20% diluted blends.. is that still too strong to use on the face? Also can you do a blog on EOs for nerve pain? I love what you have to say. Thanks!
Rosehip seed oil is one of my favorite carrier oils too! 5 face oils for naturally clear, flawless skin
One of my favorites instead of just rose oil is rose hip seed! It’s a natural plumper and has virtually gotten rid of the frown/smile lines on my face. It’s evening my skin tone and doing wonders for moisturization and I’m actually not diluting it. Try it!
Yes, that’s one of my favorite carrier oils, too! 5 face oils for naturally clear, flawless skin
Rosehip seed oil is also an amazing dry oil for the face
Thanks for the recommendation, Karen!
For Eczema, I highly recommend using castor oil. This year I broke out all over my legs and abdomen and was freaking out. I started using castor oil which I mixed with avocado oil to thin it out and in within two months it was gone.
From all of my research and experience (I’ve been using it for years now in my face oil blends) lavender essential oil works wonderfully for all skin types. She may be mistaken by applying it directly to the skin without diluting it first – that could cause irritation since essential oils are so concentrated and potent but I would never recommend doing that.
I have hear (via Goss MakeupArtist on Youtube) that Lavender oil is highly irritating to the skin even though it’s commonly used due to it’s scent.
Any thoughts on this?
Sorry for the super belated reply, Julie! I used to be on the Young Living Bandwagon but have found that their structure and prices are not ideal for most readers. They have wonderful oil blends, which is what I love most about them. But for buying individual oils, I choose Mountain Rose Herbs – most of their essential oils are certified organic and I trust the company.
Hey, Josh! So great to hear you’ve had success with your mixture! I’d look into some different carrier oil options for your face (coconut people makes a lot of people breakout, actually). Here are my favorite: 5 face oils for naturally clear, flawless skin
Hey, Sabrina!
I just replied to your nutritional therapy question via email (but to reiterate here: I took the NTP course with the Nutritional Therapy Association and it was AMAZING – so extremely educational and grounded in the principles of real food).
I used to be on the Young Living bandwagon but recently got off – I just feel that the structure and higher prices are not ideal for many readers (or really even myself). They do have some wonderful oil blends which is definitely the upside. But if just buying individual oils, I’d suggest Mountain Rose Herbs – most are certified organic and I trust the company’s quality.
Thanks for sharing, Tiffany!
Hello, what mix of essential oils would you recommend to improve skin tone, elasticity and firmness?. I lost a lot of weight really quick and now my skin is saggy, dry and without life, it´s really sad. I need a really strong and wonderful mix.
I make a brown sugar scrub with some of these oils added. i tell people to massage into face until all sugar crystals have dissolved. Then to use wet washcloth ONLY to remove it al from the face. Wipe , wipe ,wipe until face is clean. I then have a vial of a proprietary blend of some of the listed oils in a carrier of grape seed. I told them to put one drop on each cheek and one drop on the four head. Then to massage all over face. I told him that use an extra job on any areas of some damage. Which is usually the temples and also right under the eyes on the cheek bones. The reason I have them wipe off the scrub with a washcloth is that it leaves just enough oil behind on the face so that this Very small amount of my oil blend massages into the face well. It spreads a little a long way. You can tell the difference after one use. If used twice a week the skin looks awesome after one week, then in the next week or two people will notice they start getting breakouts. What that is is the toxins and other gunk making its way up and out of the skin. But I tell people continue to use it twice a week. After that breakout period, the skin looks bright, smooth, the tone evens out and pores are noticeably tighter….as if they are squeezing out excess dirt. At this point, those experienced with a blackhead remover can very easily manage the very few problem areas they have. These essential oils are way better than any skin care item I have used from the store! I handed out free samples of my 3 part home made essential oil based skin care kit at work. Now most of my coworker’s are very happy paying customers of mine!
Hi Nadia,
Do you prefer mountain rose herbs EO’s over young living EO’s?
What program do you recommend taking for the certified nutritional practitioner course?
Thank you!!!
Sabrina
Did you moisturize after? Witch hazel has alcohol in it so is drying.
Hi there! thanks for the great info! I just have one question… last night i added 5 drops of tea tree and 8 drops of lemongrass essential oil to 240ml of witch hazel to make a vamped up toner for my acne prone skin, and this morning I noticed that my chin and jawline was really itchy…so, i was wondering if i added too many drops of essential oil?
Thanks in advance!
Sorry, Maxine. I don’t know anything about that and have no clue!
Which essential oil should I use on my face if I have inverted oil glands