5 Ways to Add Essential Oils to Your Daily Skin Care Routine
Your skin is the largest organ of your body and it absorbs 60-80 percent of whatever you put on it.Have you ever wondered whether or not those ingredients you cannot seem to be able to pronounce end up in your bloodstream or lymph system? Regardless of the price of your "wonder" product if the ingredients are synthetic chemicals then they most likely will not contribute to your overall health.Using natural ingredients and essential oils are both better for your body and the environment.
1. Oil Cleanse for Young Looking Skin
Essential oils can be wonderful for cleansing your skin regardless the skin type you have. Wrinkles are not the only sign of aging skin, sagging and dull looking skin, age spots also add to the age of your skin.
It is extremely important to take the steps to properly cleanse our skin twice a day, in the morning and before bed, to remove dirt, extra oil and makeup in order to keep our skin looking timeless.
DIY Facial Cleanser Combinations
Carrier Oils (1/4 cup into a glass or porcelain bowl):
• Normal Skin: Olive Oil, Sunflower Oil, Tamanu Oil
• Oily Skin: Jojoba Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Grapeseed Oil
• Dry Skin: Avocado Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Argan Oil
Essential Oils (1-3 drops):
• Normal Skin: Lavender, Geranium, Frankincense, Clary Sage, Sacred Sandalwood
• Oily Skin: Bergamot, Helichrysum
• Dry/Mature Skin: Myrrh, Rose
Instructions
1. Open pores by rinsing your face with warm water
2. Massage oil mixture with upwards circular movements all over your face for 1-2 minutes
3. Leave it on for 1 minute
4. Saturate a washcloth with hot water
5. Gently wipe off the oil
6. Repeat steps 5-7 until your skin wipes clean
2. Hydrosols for Toner
Using a face toner after washing and exfoliating your skin is essential. It removes any excess dirt and cleanser residue, it is hydrating and it returns the pH of the skink to the normal range. Your skin is unable to protect itself outside of the normal pH. All face washes are on the alkaline side regardless how gentle they might be in order to remove dirt.
Hydrosols are lovely refreshing toners. Hydrosols are also known as “flower waters”. They are produced by distilling plant leaves, flowers, and fruits. They have similar properties to essential oils, but they are less concentrated. The scent of these aromatic waters resembles their essential oils but it is more soft and subtle.
Hydrosols are nourishing, healing and have many more roles on the skin, depending which hydrosol is used. They can be used alone or mixed together.
For Example:
• Rosemary Hydrosol is good for oily skin types
• Rose Hydrosol is lovely for all skin types due to its balancing and hydrating effect
• Roman Chamomile Hydrosol is a wonderful anti-inflammatory and anti-irritant
• Witch Hazel is an astringent, which makes it excellent to use on acne prone skin
• 2/3 Lavender Hydrosol and 1/3 Aloe Vera for skin irritation and after sun exposure to reduce inflammation and promote skin healing
3. Keep up the Exfoliation
In order to reduce the dead skin accumulation in the surface of the skin, it is very important to exfoliate regularly. The reason why skin looks dull is that the dead skin cells can magnify the already existing skin conditions. Also, pores appear larger if they are full of dirt, oil and dead skin cells. It’s best to avoid harsh exfoliants, like glycolic and salicylic acid and other chemical peel combinations unless you have severe acne or skin pigmentations, which require a care of a professional esthetician. You can use a gentle and simple homemade facial scrub once or twice a week to maintain soft and glowing skin.
Gentle Lavender Honey Scrub Recipe
1/3 cup fine brown sugar
1 TBS raw honey
4-5 TBS coconut oil
10 drops of lavender essential oil
4. Nourishing Facial Serums
Even though most people think that only dry skin types need moisturizing, it is not true. All skin types need to maintain proper moisture balance. In fact, when an oily skin gets repeatedly stripped of its natural moisture, it produces more oil in order to restore the healthy balance.
Commercial face serums can be expensive and are often contaminated with harmful chemicals. Instead try a home-made serum, which is full of antioxidants and other nutrients to help maintain the youthful look and health of your skin.
DIY Antiaging Facial Serum Recipes
- Mature Skin: 2 oz Rosehip Seed Oil
5 drops each of Rose Oil, Helichrysum, Frankincense, Geranium
- Normal Skin: 2 oz Apricot Kernel Oil
8 drops each of Lavender and Geranium
4 drops Frankincense
- Oily Skin: 1 oz each of Jojoba and Grapeseed Oil
10 drops Cypress
5 drops each of Peppermint and Rosemary
- Sensitive Skin: 1 oz each of Jojoba and Sweet Almond Oil
5 drops each of Helichrysum, Sandalwood, Frankincense and Lavender
5. Relaxing Bath Oils
After a stressful day, what is better than a relaxing and soothing bath. Make your own blend following this simple recipe:
• 1 cup Epsom Salt
• ¼ cup Sea Salt
• ¼ cup Baking Soda
• 8-10 drops of essential oils: Lavender, Orange, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Bergamot, Frankincense, Patchouli, Ylang Ylang, Roman Chamomile