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!
Hi Nadia, im also using oil in my skincare routine. But they are none of what you mentioned above. Im using rosehip oil and argan oil. I read some document they also mention about grape seed oil. They r more popolar than what you listed. Anyway thank you fr your useful post !
Awesome! Those are carrier oils in which you would dilute essential oils.
thanks for the information! great article! I find that mixing essential oils with butters like Shea, cocoa,mango,aloe,Kokum, etc. has the best results and the feeling of the butters is so addicting! you can buy raw, unrefined butters online (I like etsy for this). you can ALso whip them to give an even creamier texture! <3 way better than commercial products with none of the chemicals! if you buy pure ingredients, they can even be used for medicinal properties(mango butter has great benefits)! love nature's oils!
**hemp
I also like coconut oil and help oil for the skin.
I’m 62 (almost 63) and am looking for an effective tightening oil or regimen for sagging chin/neck skin. Any suggestions?
Hi!
I am using a clinique moisturizer for dry skin every day. A couple months ago I mixed in 10ish drops of lavender, 10ish drops of frankincense, and 10ish drops of lemon. My skin has never looked or felt better! I don’t remember the last time I had a pimple. What do you think of this? Anything else I should be using? Thank you!
So great to hear! Thanks for sharing with us 🙂
Made a night time serum. I used frankincense, lavender, geranium, myrrh and rose. I added above to evening primeose oil. I wash my face, use an EO toner of rose and geranium then apply the serum. My skin looks better but its only been about 10 days since I started using. I see a difference in the hydration. When I get overheaded (florida in june) i reach for the toner. It seems to cool me down and calms me.
The oils I link to throughout the post are from Mountain Rose Herbs which is a company I like for a lot of my DIY supplies. But I also use Young Living – both are great.
I am curious to know what type of EO you use. I am using Young Living, but it is very expensive – maybe due to their marketing techniques? Do you have another EO provider you could recommend?
You can use any carrier oil you’d like!
Which are the good carrier oils for rose oil and neroli oil
hi nadia, i want to make lotions with my shea butter and these oils that i see on your site. I would like to ask for your help to properly dilute to make a homemade lotion for myself and shea butter. God bless you and thank you for this site.
I need to learn about skin lightening oils, can you help?
Laura
What oil and routine would be best if I have broken capillaries on cheeks can barely see right now, uneven skin tone and fine lines around mouth and start of sagging facial skin causing slight jowls. I am 50 years old and would like to know what routine would be best.
Dear Nadia, I just recently decided to incorporate essential oils in my life and beauty regimen.
My biggest problem with my complexion is that it has uneven tone. I have freckles, and big brown patches.Very unattractive. I have been considering to do peeling or something drastic. However, I think that after having a drastic cosmetic treatment those brown spots will return… and I just waste time and money.
Anyway, on your website I read that lavender has lightening properties… Do you think it will do the trick? Can it be effective and help me get rid of my spots… Can I have a breakthrough using it? Or it can only provide some moderate results?
Thank you!!!!
What are a few of the best carrier oils to use on the face and body ?
Sure, if you’d like. See my directions at the end of the post.
can one mix all these oils and appl. if so at what ratio