Essential oils can be used in various ways for health and skin care. They are extracted from plants and can be applied topically, inhaled via diffuser, or used for cleaning. Some oils like lavender and tea tree are good for skin conditions like acne, while others like peppermint and lemon can boost mood. Safe use requires dilution as essential oils can irritate skin. Those with sensitive skin should try gentle oils in small amounts.

1. ESSENTIAL OILS
FOR HEALTHY SKIN
How to Use
A step-by-step guide
to understand importance of
essential oil
NUPUR SAMADDAR

2. They're made from parts of certain plants like leaves, seeds, barks, roots, and
rinds. Makers use different methods to concentrate them into oils. You may add
them to vegetable oils, creams, or bath gels. Or you might smell them, rub them
on your skin, or put them in your bath. Some research shows that they can be
helpful, if you know how to use them the right way.
Simple smells such as lavender, chamomile, and rosewater may help
keep you calm. You can breathe in or rub diluted versions of these oils
on your skin. Scientists think they work by sending chemical messages
to parts of the brain that affect mood and emotion. Although these
scents alone won’t take all your stress away, the aroma may help you
relax.
What Are Essential Oils?
DO Try It if
You’re Anxious

3. Cedarwood Organic
Essential Oil
If you’ve ever been stuck with an
unrelenting pimple—you know the
kind—may we introduce you to the
almighty cedarwood oil? Add a few
drops to a noncomedogenic oil and
you’ve got yourself an acne-
fighting treatment for even the
most stubborn of spots.
Thieves Essential Oil Blend
"The blend of oils that makes up Thieves is
most known for supporting the immune
system and fighting off germs," says Dyer.
The oil is a powerful blend of several
essential oils: clove, cinnamon bark,
eucalyptus, rosemary, and lemon. While
many of its benefits remain up in the air,
thieves oil has soothing antimicrobial
properties, great for removing harmful
bacteria or fungi that live on the surface of
your skin. Dilute the oil and then mix with a
carrier oil or serum, and use to spot treat.

4. Frankincense Essential Oil
Frankincense essential oil is an anti-
aging powerhouse. According to
Jensen, the oil can reduce the
appearance of wrinkles and fine lines
while leaving you with a radiant,
youthful glow. Garro adds that
frankincense "has been used since
Ancient Egypt to help keep the skin
looking youthful and supple," making it
a must-have addition to your skincare
routine.
Certified Organic Rosehip Oil
This essential oil comes with the Kate
Middleton seal of approval: the Duchess
reportedly uses rosehip oil in her daily
skincare routine. Rosehip oil is filled with
vitamin C, which has anti-aging properties,
and fatty acids that help hydrate your skin.
The oil also contains retinoids, which help
brighten your skin and can fight acne. Just
add a few drops of the oil to your skin and
you'll have Duchess-worthy complexion in no
time.

5. Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender is an all-around great pick for
an essential oil to use on your skin.
"Lavender is great for the skin because it
is so calming, gentle, and nourishing,"
Jensen says. She adds that lavender oil
can reduce the appearance of blemishes
and give your skin a youthful glow. The oil
can also help if you're prone to skin
irritation or sunburns—Jensen
recommends using lavender oil to help
soothe and cleanse minor skin irritations.
Copaiba Oleoresin Organic
Essential Oil
Copaiba is another versatile essential oil
that can be added to your body care
routine. Garro explains it's a very gentle oil
with a light scent, making it a good fit for an
everyday cream. "It is so soothing to the
skin," Garro said. "It is high in beta-
caryophyllene which has been studied for its
affects on skin." She recommends mixing
copaiba with your favorite body lotion to try
it for yourself.

6. Neroli Essential Oil
Antimicrobial, antifungal, and antioxidant
rich, neroli oil is a failsafe pick for those
struggling with acne and irritated skin. Its
citrusy and floral scent will leave your skin
feeling and smelling fresh.
Tea Tree Organic Essential
Oil
Consider this another royally-approved
beauty hack. Back in 2014, Meghan Markle
told Allure that tea tree oil is her "little cure-
all," adding that she uses the essential oil to
remedy a mosquito bite or small breakout.
Tea tree oil is a natural antimicrobial, so it
fights any bacteria that could cause acne,
fungus, or even dandruff.

7. Geranium Essential Oil
Great for those who suffer with dry skin,
geranium is known for removing dead
cells, leaving your face clean as a
whistle. Geranium oil is also helpful for
those suffering with acne, as the removal
of dead cells often promotes a clearer
complexion. Plus, its floral and minty
aroma can ease feelings of nausea.
Organic Rosemary Essential
Oil
Essential oils don't only work wonders on
your skin: rosemary oil is known for helping
promote a healthier scalp too. "Rosemary
essential oil helps to support blood flow to
the scalp which can help to stimulate hair
growth," Garro said.
Jensen recommends creating a DIY hair
mask with rosemary oil. Mix 1/4 cup of
avocado and jojoba oil with five to six drops
of rosemary oil and leave the mask on your
hair for over 20 minutes.

8. Organic Orange Essential Oil
Sweet orange oil is known for its
antiseptic and anti-inflammatory
properties, but the oil can also give your
skin a much-needed vitamin C boost. Try
adding a few drops to your moisturizer or
to a body scrub to help your skin glow
and brighten.
Grapefruit Essential Oil
Mix the fresh scent of pink grapefruit with
any of your body creams and you'll notice
the refreshing citrus smell will even lighten
your mood. As a part of your beauty routine,
grapefruit oil reportedly works well for
people with oily skin or hair, and can also
help heal acne.

9. Vetiver Essential Oil
For those who live in areas with high
pollution, vetiver is your saving grace. Not
only is it known to have anti-aging
benefits, it also has regenerative
properties that can reduce the
appearance of acne scars and stretch
marks. It's extremely hydrating, so a little
goes a long way.
Peppermint Oil
Refreshing peppermint oil can help relieve
muscle or joint pain. A study from 2016 also
revealed that the oil can reduce the severity
of pruritus, a chronic itchy skin condition,
and help calm irritation. Even better?
Breathing in peppermint oil can help reduce
stress and fatigue, according to Women's
Health.

10. Roman Chamomile Essential
Oil
If you're prone to dry or dehydrated skin,
Garro recommends using diluted
chamomile essential oil to help revitalize
and hydrate your skin. Chamomile is also
excellent in an essential oil blend. Garro
often mixes chamomile with lavender and
cedarwood oils diluted with a jojoba or
coconut oil for people with particularly
sensitive skin or for use on children.
Rose Essential Oil
Rose is a multi-purpose essential oil that
can help nourish, hydrate, and heal your
skin. "Rose has been used for thousands of
years to help moisturize and support the
appearance of healthy, youthful-looking
skin," Jensen said. "Rose is one of the most
valuable oils because it is distilled from the
rose petals to gently release the delicate
flower’s oil through steam."

11. Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
According to Jensen, Ylang Ylang can
help moisturize and enhance the
appearance of healthy-looking skin.
Bonus: you can even apply a mixture of
the oil to your scalp as a hair mask.
Organic Palmarosa Essential
Oil
If you're looking for a multi-purpose oil that
you can use allover, Tisserand recommends
trying a dilution of palmarosa oil, which is
known for its anti-inflammatory,
antimicrobial, and anti-aging properties. "It
smells great," Tisserand added, and "it's not
too pricey."

12. Lemongrass Oil
Lemongrass is a natural astringent, with
added antibacterial, and anti-fungal
properties as well, making it a multi-
purpose powerhouse for your skin. But the
oil can also work as an anti-aging
treatment—a 2015 study revealed that
lemongrass oil can treat signs of skin
aging as a natural antioxidant too.
Helichrysum 100% Pure
Essential Oil
Helichrysum is another anti-inflammatory
and antibacterial oil that can help heal your
skin, specifically working on wounds and
scars. According to Healthline, the oil
contains arzanol, an anti-inflammatory
substance that can heal wounds, and
helichrysum has other antioxidant features
that help with cell regeneration and prevent
scarring on skin.

13. Great question: Essential oils can be used in many ways, and not just
for skin care. "Essential oils can be diffused for inhalation, applied
topically, or used for cleaning," says New York City-based certified
acupuncturist Mila Mintsis, who specializes in pain management and
anxiety disorders.
Setting up a diffuser, which vaporizes essential oils into microdroplets,
is another option, says Galper — though you may not reap as many
benefits as you would by inhaling directly.
How are essential oils used?

14. "Phototoxic essential oils include bergamot [and citruses, like] lime
and lemon, that should not be used at more than 0.5 percent on
skin exposed to any amount of sunlight," says Tisserand. (It's also
worth noting that the type of extraction used can actually
determine whether a certain essential oil becomes phototoxic or
not. For instance, when bergamot is cold pressed, it is phototoxic
and when it's steam-distilled it's not.) "Phototoxic reactions can be
pretty nasty, regardless of whether you have sensitive skin," adds
Tisserand. Shah says oils like cinnamon, clove, lemongrass, cassia,
black pepper, and wintergreen can be irritating and recommends
always using proper dilution and doing a skin patch test first.
Dilution might just be the single most important factor when it
comes to using essential oils safely in skin care. "When used on the
skin, the more an essential oil is diluted, the less risk there is of an
adverse skin reaction," explains Tisserand, who recommends
referring to his dilution chart if you're unsure how much you should
be diluting a certain oil.
Using a more concentrated oil doesn't necessarily mean reaping
greater benefits in most situations, according to Tisserand. "A
carefully selected vegetable oil, [for instance], can add to the
overall positive effect on the skin, so there really isn't any good
reason to not dilute essential oils," he explains. Mintsis adds that
while some essential oils, such as lavender, should be safe to apply
on its own, err on the side of caution and always dilute before
application.

15. Can I use them if I have sensitive skin?
Essential oils are plant-based, smell amazing, and
contain chemical compounds that can do everything
from kill acne-causing bacteria to help regulate
hormonally stressed skin. But new natural skin-care
lines such as Trilogy and Natrèceutique are making
an effort to leave them out. The reason: Essential oils
are chemically active and potentially harsh
compounds, and creams with lots of them sound nice
but can irritate sensitive skin.
That said, you should be conscious of which essential
oils you're using. Gentle ones, like geranium,
chamomile, blue tansy, and ylang-ylang, are low in
aldehydes and phenols, which are compounds found
in plants that can irritate skin, says Galper. But even
so, you want to see any essential oils low on the
ingredient list — that signals their concentrations
are small enough to help, but not irritate, your skin.

16. Conclusion and Next Steps
Which types of oil should I use on my skin — and which oils
are better for non-beauty purposes?
Below is an abbreviated rundown from our experts, or you
can head here for an in-depth overview. (FYI: Aside from
cleaning and topical skin-care application, the below
essential oils can be diffused for inhalation.)
For stress and anxiety: Lavender, cedarwood, lemon,
bergamot, orange, and valerian.
For skin care: Lavender, carrot seed, rose, rosehip,
frankincense, geranium, tea tree, ylang-ylang, and
patchouli.
For cleaning: Cinnamon, pine, and lemon.
For a pick-me-up: Lemon and peppermint.
For immune-boosting: Lemon, lavender, tea tree,
eucalyptus, oregano, thyme, orange, and cinnamon.
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