I have many vials of essential oils; but there are six that I absolutely must have because of their therapeutic benefits to the skin.
Lavender is first on my list because it does so much! It’s an excellent all-purpose oil for skin care; it’s anti-bacterial, pain-relieving, vulnerary, deodorizing, antiseptic, fungicidal, insect-repellent, rejuvenating, and anti-inflammatory. It is used to treat all skin types; and regulates sebum production. It’s good for itchy skin, hand care, cracked skin, bruises, acne scars, blisters, abscesses, furuncles, warts, boils, eczema, athlete’s foot, wounds, and burns. I use Lavender for many of my skin care products.
Chamomile comes in two types. Roman Chamomile is antiseptic, vasoconstricting and is healing and beneficial for the skin and hair. It’s used for sensitive, dry, reddened, or itchy skin, infected wounds, abscesses, acne, and rashes. It also accelerates the healing of wounds and helps skin allergies. German or Blue Chamomile contains a much higher proportion of azulene, which gives the essential oil its blue color. Azulene is effective against infections and accelerates the healing process. If you use Blue Chamomile in a product, keep in mind that its high Azulene content will turn your product blue.
Rose is the “Queen of Flowers” and has been known for thousands of years for its beauty and fragrance. It is astringent, toning, antiseptic, styptic, anti-inflammatory and rejuvenating. It’s good for dry, sensitive, and mature skin, ruptured blood vessels and broken capillaries. Rose is cooling, soothing, and excellent at relieving pain and inflammation. So, it’s perfect for all kinds of skincare.
Frankincense is distilled from the resin of the Boswellia tree that grows wild in Arabia. It has astringent, rejuvenating properties and is extremely beneficial to the skin. It’s used for mature skin and wrinkles, as well as for raw, chapped skin and for healing wounds. Frankincense also helps to reduce inflammation and improve circulation, so it's useful for muscular and/or arthritic pain.
Helichrysum is distilled from the flowers of the everlasting plant. It is an anti-inflammatory and a cell regenerator. So, it’s used for itching, hemorrhage, bruises, open wounds, and scar tissue. I use Helichrysum in several of my salves.
Geranium has antiseptic, astringent, deodorizing, toning, anti-inflammatory, and cleansing properties. It also stimulates the lymphatic system. It’s recommended for general skin care, because it has a balancing effect on sebaceous production and is useful for dry as well as oily skin. It’s fragrance is strong, sweet, and rose-like.
If you make your own skincare products, then add some drops of any of these essential oils to your products. I also sell a number of products with these essential oils; go to shop.